Hello,
I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want these logs to sound like. What tone of voice am I taking on with them? Because sometimes when I read them back, and I do read them back, I don’t feel like any of it really sounds like me. I sound overly enthusiastic. I think that dividing the writing with headers is making it too clinical. I want it all to read a bit more like a letter, or a journal entry. I could write more about the performative nature of the whole ordeal, the performance of posting, but perhaps that is a topic for some other time.
Another month has come and gone and I’m sat here, way too deep into June already, writing a recap of it. I’ve been keeping a list of things I want to mention and write about here, otherwise I’m not entirely sure I’d even remember what my mind was occupied with at the start of the month. Everything is fleeting, so thank you, past me! Anyway, not to get too #deep with it, here’s what’s been up with my interests this month.
To start with the most quality-of-life-improving event of the month: I have acquired a rainbow pencil. Now, I’ve had this pencil on my mind for a couple weeks because I saw some drawings online and I think they’re just so lovely and exciting. So one day in early May I set out on a true hunt for this rainbow pencil because I remembered that when I was a kid they were kind of a novelty item that you could buy at a gift shop and other places of the sort. I scoured a few locations but in the end, the lucky spot was actually the art store (of course it was). I’ve been really enjoying making drawings with the rainbow pencil.
An album on repeat this month has been Wisecrack by Haley Blais. I used to watch her vlogs on YouTube many years ago and I knew that she made music, but never really got around to it. I even had the release of this album on my “2023 albums releases” list but, again, never really got around to it until a few weeks ago. And as it goes with at least one album per month for me, I looped it obsessively for just over a week, a wild cacophony of lyrics and melodies from various songs from the album stuck in my head at all times.
I really like this album. It’s another one of those albums that I’m obviously the prime target audience for (a girl in her 20s) but hey, what can I do, I just can’t resist! I think my favourite songs are Survivor’s Guilt, Coolest fucking bitch in town, Matchmaker, and Concrete (+ Somebody’s son from the deluxe version). I also quite like Winner but the grand finale of that song reminds me a bit too much of I Know The End by Phoebe Bridgers, although I do really like the transition between Winner and the next song. Listen on Bandcamp.
Other music I’ve been enjoying this month includes:
Chaos For The Fly by Grian Chatten — Another album I didn’t get around to when it was released but did get around to now. I don’t know why, because it turns out that I really enjoy it. I’m really excited and looking forward to Fontaines D.C.’s upcoming album so I think what happened is that I remembered I still haven’t listened to Grian’s solo stuff. Listen on Bandcamp.
Poetry by DEHD — They just do not miss. I first heard (and saw) DEHD in 2019 when they were opening for Twin Peaks on their EU Tour and got totally hooked on them ever since and every album they’ve released since I got into them has been a total win. Their sound is so unique and so uniform and fun and so unmistakably them. Love it and will be listening throughout the summer and throughout the year. (Also, another thing about DEHD is that I literally saw them live and I’m still in disbelief that that is the singer’s voice and that she can do all that with it.) Listen on Bandcamp.
14 minutes by Dominic Fike — This was a total surprise release and it came to me through the medium of an unexpected YouTube notification. It’s 14 minutes of (new? old? B-sides?) Dominic music and the video that came with it is absolutely mesmerising in its simplicity. I was glued to my tiny phone screen for 14 whole minutes, lying on my side in my bed on the morning I watched it. Discovering Dominic Fike before 3 Nights seriously blew up is definitely something I’ll reserve bragging rights for, and I’ve been rooting so hard for him ever since. Watch and listen on YouTube.
I did actually only watch one movie this month and it was Challengers. I got really hyped about it because I spend way too much time on Twitter and basically kind of saw way too much of it through gifs and clips on my timeline. But nevertheless it somehow didn’t spoil it all too much for me. I did quite enjoy it overall, and the score is absolutely electric.
I watched a lot of YouTube videos (as I do every month) but two really stood out and I’d like to share them here.
The Secret Society Funded by Bread Tabs by CHUPPL is a thrilling investigation. I really love CHUPPL videos anyway and this one is another journey full of twists and turns. Highly recommend (and also all the rest of their catalogue! + it’s a perfect lunchtime watch)
The Importance of Real Things by Ted Kutina came up in my recommendations and I watched it on the tram on my way home and I found it really good! Lots of things I’ve been thinking about, well shot and paced and edited. A good video in my books, do recommend!
Beside that, I’m still reading A Secret History by Donna Tartt but I also started reading Good Material by Dolly Alderton just because I really needed something a bit lighter. I’m zooming through that book so maybe expect a bit more on that next month when I finish it hopefully. What I can say for now is that this is an excellent book to take on holiday or to the beach with you.
Thank you for reading <3
Until next time,
Mia