It’s a simple yet sublime pleasure, and just thinking about it can make you feel a little calmer, a little more content. Imagine: You bring out one of the good rocks glasses (or your favorite mug or a special occasion tea cup) and pour a couple fingers of amber liquid (or something dark and strong or just some whole milk). You drop the needle on the jazz platter (or pull up a blues album on your mp3 player or dig out that mixtape from college). Ensconcing yourself in the coziest seat in the house, you crack the spine on a classic (or find your place in that sci-fi paperback or pull up a biography on your e-book reader). And then, you go away for a while. Ah, bliss.
In this series, some of NTSIB’s friends share beloved albums, books and drinks to recommend or inspire.
The last time I wrote about The Franklys, I shared the awesomely weird video they made for a song called My Love.
This past week they released a new single, Puppet, along with another tune called Imaginarium. I happen to prefer Imaginarium, because it has a delicious air of menace, but, since they are both great tunes, I’m going to put them both here so y’all can make up your own minds.
And now I will turn the floor over to Franklys bassist Zoë Biggs (center, in the picture below), who is here today to tell us about one of her favorite books, records and drinks.
A Good Read
This is a bit of a challenge for an indecisive Libran such as myself! One of my favourite books is The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. I first read this book back in probably 2006/7, and have re-read it at least once every year since. Time sort of melts away when you read this book. It’s about the opposite of disappearing, which is just a way of me lifting the author’s words to disguise the fact that I don’t really know how to describe what this book is about without re-telling the stories within it in their entirety.
What I love about this book is that, whilst it contains intertwining stories, weaving back and forth amongst the past, the present and the idea of a future, it doesn’t try to be too clever or pretend to wrap everything up in a neat little package like some books tend to do.
I love its realistic viewpoint, especially that of the main character Leo Gursky. And I think that this is a read that can resonate with anyone who is searching for something, I don’t think it matters what, just for something.
Please don’t let my fumbling attempt to sum up this book put you off! Likewise for my awkward attempt at describing my good listen…
A Good Listen
It’s End of Daze, an EP by one of my very favourite bands – Dum Dum Girls. This choice will probably be no surprise to anyone who knows me! Anyway, End of Daze comprises just five songs, one being a haunting cover of Strawberry Switchblades’ Trees and Flowers. The original was great, but this version is something else.
There is also the extra otherworldly Lord Knows, which is even more beautiful live. My favourite is the final song on the EP – Season In Hell. It is perfect as an ending song because, and don’t let the title fool you, it ends on a note of hope and of moving on. The whole EP is a brilliant blissed-out buzzsaw, shoegaze, etheral concept and, despite it reminding me of nothing but painful experiences, I adore it.
http://youtu.be/K-EunEOfAbc
A Good Drink
Finally, a good drink…you can’t really go wrong with a good coffee can you. I’m sure my barista friends could tell you what particular one would be considered ‘the best’ and the various reasons for it. Unfortunately I don’t possess such a skill! So, let’s just stick with a nicely subjective ‘good coffee’.