Welcome to Perfectly Imperfect #14.

As you may have noticed, we’ve shifted the schedule a bit— you can now expect our posts on Tuesdays & Thursdays (w/ Alex, Serey, and I droppin’ recs every other Thur). It was getting to be a bit too much work making the graphics, writing, finding new guests, researching, etc for 3 posts a week on top of our full-time jobs.

Quality over quantity!

Without further ado—

Tyler Bainbridge (instagram, twitter, letterboxd)

📽️: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre dir. Tobe Hooper (1974)

I really f*cked up by wasting the last 24 Octobers thinking this was a generic slasher flick…holy moly is this good! Once it gets going, no time is wasted— just 83 minutes of raw & unhinged southern gothic terror. And a lot of the ideas & camera work here still feel fresh & exciting today. So next time you’re in the mood for somethin’ spooky, toss on the beautiful 4k remaster of this— I really loved this one.

🎵: Róisín Murphy - Róisín Machine (2020) …and more

Whew! Between this record, Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, and Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure, it’s been a helluva year for disco. This new one from Róisín is lovely, start with Murphy’s Law if you wanna be outta that chair & groovin’ or Something More if you’re craving a long dark slow burn with some epic highs.

🎵: Vergangenheitsbewältigung - Slauson Malone (2020)

Vergangenheitsbewältigung roughly translates to “coming to terms with the past”, which perfectly describes the themes here. Seamlessly blending hip hop, folk, jazz, glitch, & more, Slauson constructs a beautiful yet depressive sound collage like no other. If you’ve ever wished King Krule’s The OOZ was a “hip-hop” album, look no further.

🧥: Carhartt WIP Arcan Jacket

Most Carhartt jackets never quite fit how I want, but the Arcan really nails it— it’s got the classic workwear look without being overly long or wide. The styling on the WIP site is usually meh, so check out this pic for a better idea of the shape. That’s how I rock it, fully zipped up.

☕: LOVEJOY Coffee Blend from (Night Shift Brewery)

One of my local breweries, Night Shift, happens to make my favorite dark roast coffee blend. If you like a cup o’ joe that feels like an elevated diner coffee w/ some lil notes of walnut & chocolate, this is your blend. Super comforting while hot and refreshing when brewed cold.

📑: Good Reads

Going Sohla (E. Alex Jung for Vulture)

Ken Bone and the Legend of the Undecided Voter (Naomi Fry for New Yorker)

With Nowhere to Go, Teens Flock to Among Us (Taylor Lorenz for NYT)

❗: But wait! There's More!

MANK Trailer, Criterion 70s Horror, Noah Clothing's "Jolie Rouge" Video, and fresh James Blake

That’s it for me! ✌️

Alex Cushing (instagram, twitter, last.fm, goodreads)

🎵 : Vince Staples & Larry Fisherman - Stolen Youth (2013)

In the early 2010's, Mixtapes were going through a golden age. 3 years in a row a mixtape dropped that is elite gold status to me, each being my favorite work by the artists involved. 2011: Rocky's Live Love A$ap, 2012: Joey Bada$$' 1999, and 2013: Vince Staples’ & Larry Fisherman's (Mac Miller) Stolen Youth. Mac's production here is classic and timeless, sounding just as grimy, blingy, and fresh listening today as it did in 2013. This dropped before Vince really broke onto the scene with Hell Can Wait, but Stolen Youth is packed with bars on par with his following projects. If you've somehow missed out on this classic, check it out for sure. RIP to Mac <3

📽️ : Inside Llewyn Davis dir. Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (2013)

This movie's one of my favorites of all time, it follows a folk singer for a week or so in his life as he tries to progress his career & just catch a break in life . It's gloomy, darkly funny, and filled to the brim with amazing music. Oscar Isaac kills it with an arguable career-best performance here. If you like Coen Brothers movies, you'll probably love it. If for nothing else, watch it for for the Oscar Isaac, Sexy Back JT, Adam Driver song.

📕 : The Dutch House

I have this physical book as well as the audiobook. The cover for it is beautiful enough to own just for the art, but it's also one of those books with the slightly staggered “rough” pages, it’s just super satisfying to read. I'd recommend the audiobook because of the stellar Tom Hanks narration. The Dutch House is essentially about a family and the bond shared between the kids, and an un-breaking connection to their childhood house. It's written beautifully, and heartbreaking at times. For sure a must-read.

📕 : Recursion

This is a modern sci-fi book that, unlike some of my previous sci fi recommendations, spends a bit more time on character than the science behind the story. This works in it's favor, giving you some really great characters you care a lot about, but it doesn’t sacrifice much on the sci-fi side. It’s still a fun mind-bending journey.

📺.: The Bachelorette

It's that time of year again, another season of the world's most infamous reality TV show. The Bachelorette is filled with people who you both love and hate to watch. There's nothing like some lowbrow TV to send off the summer, so do it right with season 16 of the bach.

🔊 : Shoutouts

Bambas Quarter Length Socks

Check out all the books we’ve rec’d so far here!

Serey Morm (instagram, twitter, vsco)

🥼: Ksubi Seeing Line Hoodies 

I have a few rules for cozy hoodie season. No drawstrings, big hood, and a waistband that isn’t suffocating me. A little oversized is a bonus, but not a deal breaker. On the lighter side, my go-to has always been Ksubi’s Seeing Lines hoodie. Fits the requirements, and fits like a glove.

🥼: Braindead Hoodies

On the heavier side, and my obsession recently are any of Braindead’s hoodies without drawstrings. Their hoodies check every requirement on my list, and they’re are slightly oversized.

👖: Carhartt WIP Elmwood Pants

It’s getting pretty cold for outdoor activities, so it’s almost time to put down the shorts. These have been my go-to for quick errands or even things as intense as hiking because they’re waterproof. If you’re into excessive pockets, these are for you. Holds your masks, wallets, and hand sanitizer 😛

💧: Purist Water Bottles

I learned recently that we should be drinking 3.7 liters of water a day (2.7 liters for women). It was tough for me to reach that quota because my bottle was so small, and I had to twist the cap every time to take a sip (lol, it’s a lot of effort okay?). On a different note, I’ve been trying to ditch Hydroflasks and Swells because they leave the smell of drinks that aren’t water and their straws are really hard to clean (again, first world problems). So Alex told me about Purist. The inside of Purist bottles are constructed with a thin wall of glass, so no smell, and easier to clean, yay! I got the Founder 32oz with a Union top, so it’s easy to take a sip and no straws to clean. It’s been about two weeks, and ya boy is a hydrated happy camper.

🗞: Extra! Extra!

Pollen — Quality, Genre-less Playlist (Spotify only, sorry)

Make sure that you’re registered to vote.

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