Staying Sane in Quarantine
So here we are art the end of the world. Just kidding, kind of.
It's been really hard adjusting mentally to the fact that we might have to stay inside for a very long time, away from friends and family. Even being away from the normalcy of work makes me antsy.
But 2 days ago I finalized this March mixtape. I spent hours making the artwork yesterday. Today I spent a good chunk of time putting this email together. It distracted me in a good way.
Maybe find some little project that brings you joy or at the very least occupies your mind for a bit and gives you the illusion of productivity. You don't need to write a novel, a screenplay, or a pilot. Just finding peace for a moment or two is enough, I think. Music helps me a lot. I hope this email helps you a little bit, too.
If you need more music, Pitchfork put together a wonderful artist streaming resource for you here.
I'll be making two physical copies of March's mix, Cutthroat, once we're allowed to leave our apartments. Hit me up, as always, if you want it. <3
Cutthroat
Created for Final Girls.
Kristin asked me to make her a mix, and she's an enormous horror movie fan. Specifically, she likes any slasher flick with a final girl, so I decided to make a soundtrack for a fake 1980s slasher movie called Cutthroat.
The music has dark, menacing undertones, like something's constantly watching over your shoulder. It has a certain sheen to it. Not all of the music is necessarily of the same 1980s era, but they share a tonal connection, I think.
I think a lot about the Donnie Darko soundtrack and how good it was. I truly think it is one of the best soundtracks of all time. It mixes popular songs from the era to really put you in the environment. I tried to do something similar here (you'll notice some artist crossover for sure).
Anyways, you might not want to listen to a spooky soundtrack right now, and I get that. I started making this before society collapsed, and I figured I'd finish it. April might be a little more cheery.
Love you all. Hope you enjoy!
Join Me: Watching Heartworn Highways
There's truly no shows on the horizon for the time being. We have no idea how long it will be like this, so thank god there's music films. Depending on how long we're social distancing, I'll be watching a lot of them and making a big point to catch up on those I've been putting off for a while.
Heartworn Highways is a documentary from 1981 that visits artists in the Outlaw Country music scene of Texas and Tennesse in 1975 and 1976. You'll see folks like Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, and The Charlie Daniels Band.
If you don't know Townes, at the very least, you're missing out. He makes some pretty heartbreaking but beautiful music.
All I know is Ethan Hawke adores this movie, and if it's good enough for him, it should be good enough for all of us. That guy rules.
Right now it's available on a streaming service called Stingray Qello, which I'm just now finding out about. It's all concerts and music docs. I'm...going to subscribe.
Watch a clip with Townes's "Waitin' Around to Die" (YouTube).
RIYL: Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan, Leadbelly, outlaw country, blues
Start a free trial of Stingray Qello and watch here.
Other Music Docs/Films I Love
(or am otherwise excited to watch)
ReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads - Short doc about the mystery of blues legend Robert Johnson.
ReMastered: Tricky Dick and the Man in Black - Johnny Cash played at the White House for Richard Nixon. It's complicated.
ReMastered: The Miami Showband Massacre - A divided Ireland leads to the mysterious killings of some of the nation's most beloved band. It goes deeper than you'd imagine.
What Happened, Miss Simone? - A biographical doc about the legend, the icon, Nina Simone.
History of Eagles - One of the most entertaining music docs I've ever seen about one of the bands I honestly didn't care much for at all. But now...do I like Eagles?
Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock And Roll - A country torn apart by war loses an entire generation of culture. It's a tragedy, but there's so much beauty throughout.
Elvis Presley: The Searcher - The King gets a king's documentary treatment.
Roxanne Roxanne - A feature film about a 1980s/90s battle rapper from Queens. She was 14, and she became one of the first notable female MC's.