🚨🚨🚨🚨 The first two tickets tiers for our party have sold out! and I have intel that this means we’ll be running out of tickets soon, so act quickly if you want to have an epic night listening to live music from The Dare and Blaketheman1000 and DJ sets from The Hellp, Harmony Tividad, Umru, Andrew Savage, Julian Ribiero, and special guests.

And if you’re new here after any of our September guests…welcome! Perfectly Imperfect is a twice-weekly newsletter offering a taste of someone’s taste, and once a month Alex and I like to talk about what we’ve been into.

Without further ado

Without further ado

Tyler Bainbridge (instagram, twitter, website)

👼 Angel Frost’s “Newsletter”

I keep recommending newsletters on a recommendation newsletter which is bordering on too meta…but I promise you that Angel is a one-of-a-kind-mind. And much like Opulent Tips, her’s isn’t through Substack, Mailchimp, or whatever other platform, it’s just a regular email blasted out on a semi-regular cadence. She writes about everything from Gluttony to Purity, often using Spongebob episodes to back up her ideas, but I’ve especially loved her dissections of the “Hosted by” phenomenon that’s become a staple on party flyers. Angel usually says to “ask a punk” to get on her newsletter list, so you can try DM-ing her to get on the email list or you can just reply to this post with your email and I’ll forward you the definitive “Host Manifesto”.

🕶 Vintage Bollé Gunmetal Sunglasses

I’d been eyeing these (fit pic) for a minute but after being inspired by Jake Lazovick’s collection of epic italian Bollé shades it was time to execute some swag-jacking. I bought these ones $50 on eBay and they’ve hardly left my face since. And despite being a big proponent of cheap gas station sunglasses, I acknowledge that they often lack in the lens department. These Bollés have reminded me how nice it feels to have your eyes protected from the harsh rays while looking sick as hell.

🎵 Snow Strippers

“Almost a Threat” is one of the coolest tracks I’ve heard all year, no question about it, and Snow Strippers are a fantastic addition to the “new sleaze” sound. Sure, they’re heavily inspired by Crystal Castles, but is it crazy to say they might even be… better? It’s a truly infectious blend of then&now and I can’t get enough of their hypnotic lyrics, epic music videos, and insane production. Definitely a group to watch.

🎥 Harmony Korine - Above The Below (2003)

Last night I found out that Harmony Korine directed not one, but two (!) David Blaine films. It’s a perfect partnership actually. Blaine has said he wants the images of his stunts to live on like works of art, and Harmony helps him get the art film he deserves. “Glenn” by post-rock band Slint plays as a blood covered Blaine throws playing cards, the camera follows a balloon floating into space, objects are thrown at the box by the crowd as we see David jolted awake from his sleep, Blaine tells a simple joke while sitting on a couch with a dozen naked models, and Harmony spends much of the film capturing the people gathered outside. It’s a weird little movie. I loved it. “Everyone is smiling. I don’t want to come out of here. I can see heaven.”

❤️ Rekindling Friendships

In 2012 I befriended the “new kid” at my high school. He introduced me to a lot of great music during an impressionable time in my life and we shared a lot of big laughs together. But after graduation I didn’t see him for nearly 10 years besides a few conversations over text. I guess that’s life. Until last summer I received an invite to his wedding and message stating that life is too short to let friendships fade away. So I drove 4 hours into Amish country and had a lovely evening. Will this spawn a new era of friendship or fizzle out for another decade? I’m not sure. But did it feel good to reconnect with an old friend? Absolutely.

👞 Paraboot Michaels

Listen, I truly feel like a dipshit recommending $500+ shoes, I don’t want to be that guy. But these are absolutely timeless and extremely well made by a classic French brand started in 1908. If, like me, you’ve been a little Wallabee-curious but Clarke’s take on the shape has always felt little off, get a pair of these and don’t look back.

🎵 Silver Jews - American Water (1998)

In 2019 David Berman ended his own life on my birthday which cauterized a strange spiritual connection between his music and I (I’m fine…I promise). But American Water in particular has been a consistent soundtrack whether I’m feeling high or low. I mean, c’mon, is there a better album opening lyric than “In 1984 I was hospitalized for approaching perfection”? It’s almost too beautiful for this world, much like David.

👨 Changing Up Your Facial Hair

I love mixing up my facial hair, it keeps friends and acquaintances on their toes. One day you can have some stubble or dense beard, a mustache the next, and maybe you’re (regrettably) clean shaven a few days later. Why not? It’s one of the best parts of being a dude. I look like awful with one, but I think goatees are about to make a big comeback. And I’m just happy to be alive during the impending goatee renaissance.

Alex Cushing (instagram, twitter, goodreads, moodboard)

📺 Trailer Park Boys

The greatest show there is. I’ve watched TPB about 6 million times through at this point and don’t see a reason to stop. From it’s earlier more raw seasons to the crisper netflix-ified later stuff, there’s gold in every episode. Ricky is probably my favorite character - the way he gets lost mid-sentence or replaces some words with similar ones is amazing - and everyone surrounding him and the boys is great too. (RIP John Dunsworth, the job of trailer park supervisor will never be the same). I keep coming back for the constant perfect timing and those little details — like the recurring drink in Julian’s hand when he drives, even after flipping a car in a helicopter chase. Trailer park boys is a low-key magnum opus of comedy TV.

👕 Local Merch

Whether from your own town or one you’re visiting – nothing beats local merch. A few weeks ago I stayed on Winnipesaukee and hit up the locals’ favorite grocery mart “JoJo’s”. I couldn’t leave without a branded classic diner mug. I also own a tee from the town I live in, copped from the CVS down the road, as well as a giant assortment of tees and trinkets from other vacation spots. If it’s a place that documents your travels or life, it will bring you joy using/wearing it, (plus its just sick to rep a place or business that’s hyper-specific to your life).

🤠🎸 Johnny Cash Season

Summer ends, autumn’s here with winter looming. Look - I'm a seasonal guy, this is when “Cape Cod Alex” hibernates and “Country Alex” comes out of the woodwork. As soon as the leaves turn I feel a need deep inside of me to listen to Johnny Cash. This need pairs with a calling to the west of my home state, or to upstate NY. The Ropers come out, and the fireplace roars, soundtracked by “Rusty Cage” or "Solitary Man".

🛻 Vice Grip Garage

It's like if top gear was one dude who collects crappy old cars and tries to revive them to running shape as cheaply as possible. I watched a series where he restored an old Chevy truck that sat in a field for 16 years and tried to drive it 600 miles. Obviously, the thing doesn't make it without a hitch, so there’s good fun to be had. The guys a good host, and the stuff he puts himself through is gold for true old fashioned entertainment.

🥖🫒 Bread, Feta & Olive

A great snack that's easy to throw together and tastes so good. A fat slice of sourdough, some feta, and olives - preferably dressed in oil and vinegar or spices. I've been craving this a lot recently.

🧲 The clear iPhone case with the circle and line

Let me start with this - I feel like anyone with an iphone should have the Apple brand cases, it doesn't sit right with me to use a different brand's case with your Apple iPhone. Of their available cases, there’s some fun colors if you’re into that, and some basics, but notably missing (unless you want leather), is black (the "midnight" is a dark blue) - and I have the black phone. I found myself mysteriously drawn to the plastic clear case with a giant circle and line smacked right in the center. That design's for magnets so you can do weird magnetized stuff with your phone. The magnets are in the other cases too but there's no white shape thing happening with those. TBH the clear case is chic as hell.

🗞️🧑‍🎨 ArtStuff Newsletter

Another newsletter rec today… ArtStuff popped on my radar last week and I’ve found it to be great content as I kick around through the archive. It’s a pretty basic format of interviews with semi low key artists, but the interviews are great and have led to me discovering a bunch of cool things / people. Check out the soho house curator one and the Leonard Baby one for a taste.

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Perfectly Imperfect is a free newsletter featuring a taste of someone’s taste. Subscribe for posts like these in your inbox twice a week.

More Perfectly Imperfect Dasha Nekrasova ∙ Chloe Cherry ∙ John Wilson (HBO) ∙ Sarah Squirm (SNL) ∙ Caroline Calloway ∙ Chris Black ∙ Hunter Harris ∙ Debby Ryan ∙ Anthony Fantano ∙ Kaitlin Phillips ∙ Ali Michael ∙ Samuel Hine ∙ Brynn Wallner ∙ Madeline Quinn ∙ The Drunken Canal ∙ Walter Pearce & Honor Levy ∙ Aaron Wiggs ∙ Annie Hamilton ∙ Dean Kissick ∙ Rachel Seville Tashjian ∙ Alex Delany ∙ Susan Alexandra ∙ Hari Nef ∙ The Ion Pack ∙ Jon Caramanica ∙ Alison Roman ∙ Chloe Wise ∙ Andrew Savage ∙ Throwing Fits ∙ Aria Dean ∙ Petra Cortright ∙ Jason Stewart ∙ Caveh Zahedi ∙ Catherine Cohen ∙ Rayne Fisher-Quann ∙ Nicole McLaughlin ∙ Liana Satenstein ∙ Blackbird Spyplane ∙ Naomi Fry ∙ Patrik Sandberg ∙ Cat Marnell

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