This week’s newsletter is the first from my newly half-vaxxed self. It looks at the music and entertainment I’ve been enjoying over the past couple of weeks and has a playlist of ten songs I’ve been enjoying as well. This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here.
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Three Things
- Long time no talk. Last Saturday ended up being the first week I missed a newsletter in quite a long time. I was able to get a COVID vaccine appointment right in the middle of the day, and I wasn’t sure what kind of response I would have. I ended up with a pretty sore arm, a few chills, a headache, and mostly just feeling tired. I decided not to push it since the point of the newsletter is to write when I’m inspired, so I put it on pause for a week. I feel extremely happy and an indescribable feeling of relief for having received my first shot. My experience with the drive-thru was effortless, and I cannot wait to be fully vaxxed and to feel that underlying anxiety and weight slowly fade to the background. That’s been one of the hardest parts of the last year, just having that constant little worry in the back of my mind at almost all times, and especially when I or a loved one needed to go outside.
- Some articles I enjoyed this week include “It’s Not Cancel Culture – It’s a Platform Failure,” this fantastic interview with Mads Mikkelsen, and this story about McDonald’s Ice Cream Machines.
- Early thoughts on the Apple Event this week: gimme two new Apple TV remotes, and I’ll probably grab a pack of AirTags as well. I think one for my backpack, one for Hannah’s violin case, and I bet we can find a use for the other two as well. I am not one that really ever loses my keys, but I am curious to see how other people end up using these. Really though, I’m just all about that new remote; since the Apple TV is what we use to watch 99.9% of all TV, any improvement is a welcome improvement.
Sponsor
This week’s sponsor is Rockwell Social, who just released the new song “Hopes Low” to all streaming platforms.
The submitted copy made me laugh: “New song from an old man. Aging pop-punker pop-punks again against family’s wishes.”
Ain’t that how it always is. Kyle, the “aging pop-punker,” also hosts a podcast called “Finding Emo.”
In Case You Missed It
- Review: The Offspring – Let the Bad Times Roll
- Review: David Cook – The Looking Glass
- Review: Ash – Free All Angels
- MxPx – “Can’t Keep Waiting” Video
- PVRIS Share Three Live Videos From Livestream
- Hayley Williams Covers Broadcast
- Greta Van Fleet – The Battle At Garden’s Gate
- Riot Fest Still on for 2021, My Chemical Romance Move to 2022
- Andy Hull Reviews Every Manchester Orchestra Album
- Albums in Stores – Apr. 22nd, 2021
Music Thoughts
- Big fan of the new MxPx single. (I recorded a podcast this morning doing a deep dive on the band’s entire catalog. I believe that’ll air in about two weeks.)
- These Pale Waves acoustic tracks are good.
- Jeff Rosenstock is back trying to make ska happen. I’m here for it.
- The new Chvrches doesn’t scream “lead single” to me, but I don’t dislike it either.
- I’m really loving the new Porter Robinson album. It’s got a really great calming quality to it, mixed with just otherworldly production. I foresee this being in my rotation a bunch next week.
- Since I didn’t write last week, I haven’t really shared any thoughts on the new Offspring album yet. I … kinda really like it? I think it’s my favorite from them in a while, and I found myself reaching for it quite a bit over the past few weeks. It’s not groundbreaking but it’s what I would describe as fun. Like, I don’t know that I am looking for much else in an Offspring album in 2020.
- The new Sir Sly album that came out yesterday should be on more people’s radar. It’s a perfect “the weather is warming up” addition to your summer playlists.
- I’ve been loving that new Chaser album so much, that it got me to go back to some older skate punk records from my last. Lots of No Use For a Name, 88 Fingers Louie, Pulley, and early Value Pac this week. So many memories. Kids of today will never understand what it was like to have heard of a band, but not be able to find their albums anywhere. I remember being unable to find No Use For a Name albums anywhere and being so, so happy when one copy of More Betterness showed up at the local Borders. That sure is a sentence that makes me feel old.
Entertainment Thoughts
- The new Mortal Kombat wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great either. I was entertained and it was decent escapism, and it thankfully didn’t take itself too seriously. Hannah has never played the games so she had no idea about any of the characters, but she seemed to enjoy it as well.
- Brian Regan’s new Netflix special was pretty funny. Not my favorite from him, but enough laughs to be worth the watch.
- I continue to really enjoy Invincible, with the only downside being that I don’t like waiting a week to watch it.
- Murder on Middle Beach was a really good documentary. Perfect length for what it was, and it’s a heartbreaking story told well by a first-time filmmaker.
- We’re back into season two of The Bureau. I’m finding myself even more invested in these characters and the story is compelling. Good show is good.
Random and Personal Stuff
- I’m currently just sitting on the couch watching a baseball game and writing this, and my dad is coming over a little later for dinner. Not a bad Saturday.
Ten Songs
Here are ten songs that I listened to and loved this week. Some may be new, some may be old, but they all found their way into my life during the past seven days.
- MxPx – Can’t Keep Waiting
- Porter Robinson – Look at the Sky
- Hot Mulligan – Pop Shuvit
- Against the Current – Weapon (Acoustic)
- VHS Collection – The Dark
- Pale Waves – Torn (Acoustic)
- The Offspring – Army of One
- This Wild Life – Still Wondering Why Left Me Behind
- Hayley Williams – Colour Me In
- Sir Sly – Welcomes the Pressure
This playlist is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Community Watch
The trending and popular threads in our community this week include:
- 1961 in music.
- The Mountain Goats – Dark In Here (June 25, 2021)
- 1962 in music.
- Director Spotlight: Peter Jackson
- 1967 in film.
- General Politics Discussion VIII
- Blink-182
- Nintendo
- Tour Prediction and Speculation Thread
- Pokemon GO (mobile)
The most liked post in our forums last week was this one by Jason Tate in the “Q&A and Chat With Jason Tate” thread.
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Previous editions of Liner Notes can be found here.
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