I found this on the street while walking my dog over the weekend, and I…had to pick it up.
First of all: it’s exactly as bad as you’d think, if not worse. The first recipe in the book, I kid you not, is shit on a shingle. Not only are all the promises from the cover kept (why is “the firehouse” a key location???), but the recipe serving sizes are styled as “Serves 4 men - or 6 regular people.”
There is a collection of recipes that make you fart, “License to Grill,” and a “Recipes Ladies Will Love” section that’s just two pastas, two steamed fish, and a frozen margarita.
It’s bad - really bad! But for some reason, the absolute insanity of the book was reassuring to me simply because it seemed so alien, like it was written a hundred years ago, not just thirty. Mostly reading it made me appreciate that even if we have a lot of work to do, we might have untangled masculinity a wee bit more than we realize.
Also - next week I’ll have more to say, but rest in power Matt Schoen.
The Good Links are extra good this week:
If You Give A Mouse A Question - Craig Jenkins sat down for a wide-ranging and enlightening interview with Danger Mouse about his flurry of output in 2022 and his creative process
You could write The Glow Pt. 3! Phil Elverum announced a songwriting workshop. I’m not one for masterclass type lectures, but $120 for four lectures with arguably one of the greatest living American songwriters feels like a deal!
Original Pirate Material - David Turner dropped part one of his look at how piracy shaped the state of the music industry, rethinking the role of Napster at the turn of the century and taking a deeper look at the legal framework (and damages) that shaped the industry’s response
And now, on to this week’s tracks - as always, you can follow along on our playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, which update every Tuesday along with the newsletter.
UNSKIPPABLES #55
Shygirl - Shlut
Even before any bass drops, Shygirl’s melody has a body roll rhythm that gives “Shlut” a physical energy from the jump. “Shlut,” a highlight off Shygirl’s new LP Nymph, marries of-the-moment synthesis and AG Cook-isms with a strong 2002 junior high dance vibe, breaking into pure Clipse grindin’ on the verses. The acoustic guitar arpeggio feels like a Jermaine Dupri arrangement run through a modular synth meat grinder. “Shlut” is uneasy but also confidently sexy, and one of my favorite tracks of the year.
Fever Ray - What They Call Us
The new Fever Ray is a musical reunion between siblings and Knife bandmates Karin and Olof Dreijer, their first since 2013’s(!!) Shaking The Habitual. The last Knife album was adventurous, strange, occasionally terrifying, but rarely straight up fun to listen to. “What They Call Us” immediately recalls the heights of the Knife’s ability to build mood and tension in a pocket uniquely their own, though it’s missing a chorus to pop the bubble of suspense. Hoping this track will be quickly followed with an album announcement and more collaboration between the Dreijers - but it’s delightful to hear these two siblings back together doing what they do best, even if it’s for one song.
Gold Lamé - MONSTERA
Gold Lamé is a collaboration between Matt LeMay and Todd Goldstein, started during COVID when they found themselves in Portland with very little to do during lockdown. The resulting LP GOING has a bright and silly joy about its eight tracks of ebullient post-rock, like if Battles had to write music for Sesame Street. The album’s highlight “MONSTERA” has the playful wonder of Broken Social Scene deep cuts and the best of 00’s IDM post-rockers like Mice Parade and Múm, thanks to a searching, restless guitar melody and a feeling that the track is pointing at something just beyond what it can reach.
Daphni - Take Two
Philip Sherburne’s Best New Music review of this record is one of my favorites the site has published in months, a beautiful ode to the messiness of the 2nd Daphni LP Cherry, but more generally a beautiful ode to demos and mistakes in music:
In Caribou productions, the initial loop may be little more than scaffolding that’s eventually stripped away to reveal a fully composed piece of music, but Cherry’s songs let their first-thought-best-thought spirit shine. Many of the most thrilling tracks are cobbled together out of the merest handful of ideas—but what fascinating ideas they are.
“Take Two” is maybe the most traditionally arranged DJ edit, but the rush of the song’s skittish percussion and simple disco sample chop exemplify what makes Cherry such a delight to listen to back-to-front
Carla Del Forno - Side By Side
You know you’re DEEP in minimalism when a sample of the ocean almost overpowers your song’s bassline. “Side By Side” feels part folk song, part David Lynch dreamscape. The barely-there instrumentation only highlights the desolation of the simple, patient vocal line.
THROWBACK CORNER
Claudio Sorrentino - Toc toc… chi e?
The 70’s were a great time to be a Wacky Guy who made music. Like we went ALL IN on Leo Sayer. Claudio Sorrentino has strong Gallagher energy here, and the song is just as unhinged, sounding like a DIY ABBA, except instead of other singers it seems Sorrentino just sped up his voice, so the track has strong “Chipmunks Cabaret” vibes. I’d pay good money that he’s wearing suspenders off-camera here.
And that’s all for this week, folks! Please subscribe if you’d like these opinions straight in your inbox. See you next week!