One of my favorite podcasts, That’s So Retrograde, has a segment called roses and thorns where they share the best and worst parts of their life at the moment. I love this segment because it ranges from the general best life moment highlights too favorite product discoveries. Roses & Thorns is very broad-reaching in its ability to be an open category for favorites and unfavorites of the mental, physical, and spiritual variety.
I’ve decided to adopt the practice on this here blog to spotlight the roses, be transparent about the thorny parts of life, and most of all – roll out my music playlists ( 🤞 on a monthly basis)
It’s Friday the coolest day of the week, so it’s time for some cool stuff. Here is a collection of items from the internet that peaked my interest, tickeled my fancy, or made me smile – I hope it does the same for you too.
I want to explore Katharina Grosse’s blanket fort installation. If only I could zip down to Sydney on my imaginary private jet. Also, the artist wouldn’t call “The Horse Trotted Another Couple Of Metres, Then It Stopped” (the name of the piece) a blanket fort, but we all clearly know what this magical, colorful, art installation really is….
View a a full write up on the pieces & images on Juxtapoz
My friend Darcy O’Day made the cutest animations using the very candy-colored installation by Pip & Pop as the land where adorable monsters cannibalize each other. The install is showing at Corey Helford Gallery, and I must see it before it goes away February 17th.
I constantly see trailers for movies that I want to see, that I end up never seeing because I forget what the movie was. So maybe documenting them on Cool Stuff Friday will remind me to watch them later.
Lastly, how amazing is this friendship. I would say friendship goals, but I already have friends like this – we’re just all a little less famous.
The theme of this Friday Favorites is “BEAT” because this week had me beat and I listened/watched some great beats. Unfortunately, due to work, I was unable to film a Friday Favorites video this week. And honestly, I’m not so certain about my ability to keep up with creating a series on YouTube because of my unpredictable work/life schedule. At one point this week I had only slept 2 hours in a 24 hour period. But I will commit to weekly uploads and Friday Favorite posts on the blog each week. So let’s get into it….
The Get Down: I totally missed the train on this show. It came out in August 2016 and I was never inspired to watch it. All I knew was that it was about the 70’s and I’ve never been a huge 70’s person, consider me traumatized from the era of That 70’s Show. But I remember hearing a little bit of buzz around it and after reading the show was directed by my man Baz Luhrman, I started watching the show. It’s AMAZING! The music is on point, the acting is fantastic, and the writing is sharp. There are only 6 episodes in season part 1 and part 2 is coming out 2017. Sadly, the show is expensive to produce and didn’t receive optimal ratings, so its future is unknown. But I’m excited to see what happens next. They really hook you and I am totally cheering on the main character Ezekiel, I want to see how these kids turn out. Oh, and the show is about the transition of the Disco Era to Hip Hop and social issues in the Bronx, NY.
Childish Gambino: Now if I’m late on The Get Down. I’m like a lifetime late to the party on Childish Gambino. I attended the Coachella festival Gambino had performed in the past, but missed his performance and never looked him up. All I knew about Childish Gambino was he was the guy from Community. This past week I ended up reading an article on him and finally was curious enough to look up Childish Gambino on Spotify. Man, I was missing out. His lyrics are smart and his beats are unique. I’m a fan and that’s all I can say about that. His latest album “Awaken, My Love” is inspired by the music he listened to growing up and you can hear him exploring and growing as a musician.
*Serge Normant Dry Shampoo: As it was a crazy week, I was using a lot of my favorite dry shampoo by Serge Normant. I love this brand because of its woodsy scent. Most dry shampoos are floral or smell like baby powder, but Serge Normant has a completely unique scent that is more my style. It’s not a cheap dry shampoo but I’ve had the same can now for over two years, can’t complain about that! (* the link is an affiliate link, meaning if you purchase the shampoo through the link I will get a friendly commission)
The best way for me to be truly focused on work is if I’m listening to music. The music helps me to get in the zone and my Monday playlists have been helping me stay accountable for staying in the zone. If I’m listening to music, then I can just add a favorite track to the playlist and use it here (the blog) later. I want to compare it to some recycling productivity sustainability effort, but maybe that is because I’ve been doing a lot of work on eco brands. Anyways, today while I was in the final stretch of a batch of content for a client; I went from listening to Battles to Pelican to Marnie Stern to Fang Island. FANG ISLAND! I click the related artists to Marnie Stern on Spotify and Fang Island appeared, this small little band I interviewed back in 2010 and saw open for Matt and Kim. It was a total throwback moment and why I’ve decided to share my old interview with them, with you, right now.
Fang Island
Posted on October 3, 2010 – My Favorite MAOI
FANG ISLAND:
chris georges– guitar.
jason bartell– guitar.
michael jacober– bass.
nicholas andrew sadler– guitar.
Name: chris georges Nickname: crust crustopherson Sign: Aries
Favorite: Color. Seafoam green Food. Tacos y burritos Magazine. Mojo, 60s-70s rollingstone, creem
Q1.What have you said you would never do, but have ended up doing? A1.I was straight edge in highschool
Q2. What animal is your spirit guide? A2. Chester Cheetah
Q3. What’s your vice? A3. Windmill strums
Q4. If you could live in a movie for a day, which movie would it be? Would you be yourself or another character? A4. “The Kids Are Alright. ” I would be myself in the crowd at every show.
Q5. If your art was an ice cream flavor which one would it be? A5. It would be every flavor on a sugar cone. It would taste like sweet, sweet infinity
Q6. Did you have an imaginary friend as a child? A6. The Ultimate Warrior
Q7. Personal Quote? A7. “Mein fraulein likes to party all the time”
Q8. Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiac signs? A8. No way
Q9. Do you drink coffee? If so how many cups a day? A9. Yes way. As much as it takes.
Q10. Best show you have ever been too? Q10. Black dice and sonic youth opening up for lightning bolt. That or Meatloaf at Mohegan sun.
Name: Jason Bartell (guitarist/singer) Nickname: Bread Sign: Me Up
Favorite: Color: Aqua red Food: Mom’s white chili Magazine: That one Spin where Radiohead had their faces photoshopped
Q1. What have you said you would never do, but have ended up doing? A1. Be mistaken for Nic Cage
Q2. What animal is your spirit guide? A2. KFC Double Down Sandwich
Q3. What’s your vice? A3. (See spirit animal)
Q4. If you could live in a movie for a day, which movie would it be? Would you be yourself or another character? A4. I’d be the cameraman on the set of Holy Mountain
Q5. If your art was an ice cream flavor which one would it be? A5. Extra Spicy
Q6. Did you have an imaginary friend as a child? A6. Yes, all the future members of Fang Island
Q7. Personal Quote? A7. “Does people still say ‘stoked?’”
Q8. Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiac signs? A8. Sometimes?
Q9. Do you drink coffee? If so how many cups a day? A9. I eat 5 bowls of coffee ice cream a day. It equals about one cup.
Q10. Best show you have ever been too? A10. Rhys Chatham’s 10 guitar orchestra, performed in an abandoned silo.
Name: Mike Nickname: Jonathan Davis Sign: scorpion man
Favorite: Color: Money Green Food: Candied Quarter Magazine: Fortune
Q1. What have you said you would never do, but have ended up doing? A1. Said, “I love you.”
Q2. What animal is your spirit guide? A2. Falcor de Never Ending Story
Q3. What’s your vice? A3. Homework
Q 4. If you could live in a movie for a day, which movie would it be? Would you be yourself or another character? A4. The maestro of The Pied Piper
Q5. If your art was an ice cream flavor which one would it be? A5. Rum Craison
Q6. Did you have an imaginary friend as a child? A6. Oh, thats what those were….
Q7. Personal Quote? A7. “the soup is gentle”
Q8. Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiac signs? A8. Oui
Q9. Do you drink coffee? If so how many cups a day? A9. Never.
Q10. Best show you have ever been too? A10. American Gladiators (’92)
Name: nick andrew sadler Nickname: nickiiii Sign: libra
Favorite: Color. chrome (is that a color?), Food. eggs Magazine. popular science magazine.
Q1. What have you said you would never do, but have ended up doing? A1. cry
Q2. What animal is your spirit guide? A2. cat
Q3. What’s your vice? A3. coffee
Q4. If you could live in a movie for a day, which movie would it be? Would you be yourself or another character? A4. pennies from heaven, myself.
Q5. If your art was an ice cream flavor which one would it be? A5. brie.
Q6. Did you have an imaginary friend as a child? A6. no, but I honestly believed at one point that other people were not real and i couldn’t decide whether or not what i was experiencing around me was some pre-programmed act, like a play.
Q7. Personal Quote? A7. “sorry, my phone got turned off”
Q8. Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiac signs? A8. yeah.
Q9. Do you drink coffee? If so how many cups a day? A9. my french press is blown out and my teeth aren’t as white. my best ideas seem to happen when my cheeks are buzzing and my eyes are burning.
Q10. Best show you have ever been too? A10. oops tour, philli. with lightning bolt, arab on radar, the locust, pink n brown, orthrelm, etc etc etc.
If Explosions in the Sky had a fun unjaded totally upbeat and excited for life younger sibling, it would be Fang Island. Fang Island, mostly instrumental but instead of being melodic, is more a series of intense guitar riffs and epic rock progressions. And the vocals, instead of haunting and lingering behind the music, it’s more like the almost audible bar chant of a local pub rocking out to the jukebox. On their website they say that their intention “was to make music for people that like music”. Well boys, mission accomplished. Every song dripping in joy and pure love for the music they are creating, how can a person that loves music not love Fang Island.
please visit Fang Island’s myspace page to hear more music… (currently on tour with Matt & Kim and then off to another tour with Coheed & Cambria…isn’t this band just awesome!!)
Wow – see I even mention a Myspace page, I think it’s better to find them on bandcamp at this point. I wonder what these boys are up to now. Also now that I’ve watch Freak and Geeks, I would like to say that I believe Fang Island could have written the soundtrack to the entire show. They are the band Jason Segels character wishes he would have been a part of.
