Discover, Weekly

Friday Recommendations: The Ninth

Jun 16, 2023

Liam Kazar album cover for Due North — Go listen to this album

I’m switching up the title of the “Friday Recommendations” post. I’m flipping the subhead and the headline. It’s absolutely killing me to break format, but this makes more sense, I think. Please forgive me for diverging from Ryan’s Manual of Style.

So, I started writing today’s recommendation opener as a screed against Euphoria, but it ended up becoming an entire post. That’ll probably be my piece next week.

For today, I’ll just talk about Spotify’s Discover Weekly.

If you’re a Spotify user, you have a personalized playlist called Discover Weekly that the site populates with songs it thinks you’ll enjoy. Every Monday, the list is refreshed based on what you’ve been listening to lately.

More often than not, Discover Weekly has some songs you’re really not going to enjoy. But there is always a diamond in the rough. Every week, I get excited to listen to the updated playlist because I know I’m going to find a new song or artist that I’ve never heard before, but I will absolutely adore.

This week that artist was Liam Kazar with the song “So Long Tomorrow.” That led me to the rest of the album called Due North. Front to back it’s exceptional. Kind of David Byrne meets David Bowie meets . . . I don’t know, a secret third David.

Listen to your Discover Weekly! And also Liam Kazar! You won’t be sorry.

Follow Friday

This week we have
Adrienne Gunn
who wrote a wonderful and funny piece about the emotional response when editors won’t acquire your book. This accomplished two things for me: 1) It made me want to buy and read her book, so I look forward to that. 2) It made me take an enneagram test despite my deep personal hatred for personality tests. According to a quiz I took in roughly one and a half minutes, I am a type 9. The Peacemaker. Now, as someone who hates any conflict, this feels correct. On the other hand, the site told me Ronald Reagan was also a 9 so now I wish I were dead.

WHERE THE F*CK'S MY HAPPY ENDING?!

i wrote a smart, funny book and it didn't sell

This is a deeply unsexy story about publishing. And late-stage capitalism. And disappointment. And despair. Like a Grey’s Anatomy kinds of despair—histrionic and overwrought, but also real and palpable, like holding your deepest wounds in your hands and trying to figure out what the fuck to do with them…

2 years ago · 15 likes · 3 comments · Adrienne Gunn

Holly Huitt
wrote this incredible story about stacking hay — my personal nightmare. But the way she describes learning these rote actions without being taught is wonderful and relatable to anyone who’s done a manual labour job. I’m itchy from reading it.
far away
Delivery day
You’re going to need a long-sleeved shirt, gloves, boots and jeans (the thicker the better). You’re going to be tempted to take the long-sleeved shirt off when you get hot–don’t. Same for the gloves. If they’re not the right kind, you’re going to struggle to get your fingers under the bailing twine. Even my dad doesn’t throw hay without gloves, and his …
Read more
2 years ago · 51 likes · 24 comments · Holly Huitt

Music

All right! First up we have “Heatwave” by Randa, a chill, synth-pop summer jam. Next is “i was all over her” by salvia palth. I’m late to the party here — actually about a decade late — but I’m glad I found it. By 2023 standards, this album isn’t doing very much by way of pushing the envelope. But in 2013? This was apathetic bedroom pop before that was even a thing. Not only that, but this album was created by a 15 year old. And I’ll add this: it takes a 15 year old to truly capture the angst required of a bedroom pop album. Fantastic. “Blue Honey” by Lunar Vacation is a lovely indie rock/pop song for summer days. Finally, White Denim is a rock group blending a lot of different genres to impressive results. “New Coat” is a bop.

Television

I’m going to write more about this in the future, so I won’t go in very deeply here. But for the love of God, watch Girls. I think it’s my favourite show.

As per usual, please feel free to send your own recommendations.

That Guy From the Internet

was kind enough to send me this playlist that I’ve been enjoying and slowly making my way through this week. So check it out. Have a lovely weekend.