#22: Tyler, Alex, & Serey (Perfectly Imperfect)
Ethereal Pop, Hunter Caps, Gourmet Uber Eats, and more
Welcome to Perfectly Imperfect #22
Lots of reason to smile over the last few days— things felt hopeful for the first time in a while but still feels like we have a long way to go.
In the meantime, here are some distractions from the looming refusal to concede & COVID winter.
Without further ado—
Tyler Bainbridge (instagram, twitter, letterboxd, last.fm)
So glad I finally checked this one out— Modern Romance perfectly balances heartbreak, comedy, and satire to breakdown the classical romcom & create something that still feels fresh nearly 40 years later. It features a quaalude scene that gives Wolf of Wall Street a run for it's money & phew... do I wish I had Roberts apartment. For those who are unfamiliar, Albert Brooks is basically a more satirical & (afaik) unproblematic Woody A**en, so give his stuff a shot if that floats your boat.
Succession is not only entertaining & hilarious, but also feels like an important look at how the world has gotten so corrupt by focusing on an ultra rich media family that's loosely based on Fox News & The Murdoch Family. In the same way The Sopranos creates empathy for a murdering mob boss, Succession somehow gets you invested in the problems of some selfish & privileged people. Unchecked capitalism, dark storylines, and electrifying dialogue— Succession has it all.
BCNR is one of the more elusive acts to come out of the booming UK post-punk scene and are signed to prolific label, Speedy Wunderground, which has worked with Black Midi, Fontaines D.C., Squid, and more. After dropping one of my favorite songs of 2019, Sunglasses, they more or less disappeared (outside of a few live gigs at The Windmill in Brixton), which created even more hype. However, they're back with a banger, Science Fair, and a release date for their debut LP. This new single sticks to what they do best, esoteric storytelling & creating palpable tension that gives way to cathartic release.
🎵 Julee Cruise - Floating Into The Night (1989)
I found this record while browsing the RYM "Ambient Pop" chart and immediately fell in love. You may recognize track 2, Falling (ft. lyrics by David Lynch), as the Twin Peaks theme and the rest of the album carries that same uniquely ethereal & nocturnal vibe. Toss it on after the sun sets & float into the night.
☘️ Rooted NYC
I usually prefer to shop local, but I was sitting around my place the other day looking at my graveyard of plants & impulse bought some replacements online. I've tried The Sill & have had mixed results, but this Breath-Of-Fresh-Air Box from Rooted ($59 & free shipping) arrived healthy & in good shape!! Let's just hope I can keep these ones alive...
👞 Logan Croc Weejuns (G.H. Bass & Co)
So I know Weejuns are a bit of a meme in Loafer-land, but for good reason! If you're looking to dip your toes (ha..) into the loaf world, you can't go wrong with these— they're $120 & have a great shape + it's not a waste if you don't wear em all that often. I decided to mix it up & go for the Croc ones after seeing them styled w/ the new Ijji Creased Trousers, but u do u!
🔖 Good Reads
*How Long Gone* and the Rise of the Bro-cast (Vogue)
FKA Twigs profile (NYTimes)
Five Fits With Andrew Chen (Esquire)
Voting out Trump is Not Enough (The New Yorker)
❗ But wait! There’s more!
Stussy x CDG, Great Jones Holy Sheet, Rico Nasty - OHFR? (prod 100 gecs), Phoebe Bridgers - Kyoto (Copycat Killer Version), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, Queens Gambit (Netflix), and Sending a Lookalike to My High School Reunion (Vice)
Alex Cushing (instagram, twitter, last.fm, goodreads)
An ex-Chicago cop, Cal, decides to retire in some unknown town in Ireland where he can escape from his life in the US, and finally take a deep breath, drink some beers on his porch, and stare out into nothingness for the rest of his life. Needless to say things don’t go as planned, and you end up with a half mystery, half meandering tale about growing old and moving on from what has overtaken the characters’ lives. This was an awesome read, it was sometimes nail-bitingly stressful, and at other times relaxing and vibe-y.
LL Bean recently collabed with Todd Snyder in a very “Americana duck hunter” esque collection. There were a few standouts to me, i loved the prints on some of the sweaters and the classic wool construction of them too. The main standout to me though was the hunter cap. It’s that time of year with Thanksgiving approaching, where its cold out but not yet winter: the perfect hunting gear season. You don’t have to hunt to walk around with warm ears and that classic look. The ll bean bright orange cap is chef’s kiss perfect.
The name of this brand means “the presence or emergence of earlier images, forms, or strokes that have been changed and painted over”, which fits the mission of the brand 100%. These garms are repurposed vintage items frankenstein-ed together to make unique clothes with built-in histories. A beautiful example of the reconstruction is this jacket, which is constructed of a throw blanket, a tablecloth, and vintage Japanese buttons.
Baxter is an “absurdist” artist whose art is often in comic book style, with single panel drawings that have a wild, seemingly out there quote along with ‘em. I've found myself browsing through panel after panel of these for way too long (tik tok style addiction), just drawn in by the weirdness and beauty. Keep an eye out for some recurring characters, like Uncle Frank in these two: 1, 2.
📣 Shoutouts
I was transfixed to this colorized video of a snowball fight from 1897. The title describes it as pure joy, and it really is.
Check out all our newsletter’s book recs so far in one place
Serey Morm (instagram, twitter, vsco)
👕 Imperial
I’m a big fan of upcycling old pieces. Imperial curates a ton of cool vintage pieces from Carhartt, collegiate gear, artist merch, etc. What I really like about Imperial is how they give local artists a platform (Imperial Lab) to customize these vintage pieces where the old world meets the new.
Definitely not a wine connoisseur talking here, but PEPP has been a roomie favorite the past few weeks. We’ve tried their red Zweigelt and have been hooked ever since, it’s fruity and very gentle. Their white wine, Grüner Veltliner, is also one of our favorites; it’s very light and fragrant, and it’s for all occasions, perfect for wine & whine nights with the squad. Highly recommend PEPP, look out for their very recognizable label art!
You know we’re keeping our hands clean to prevent the ‘rona, but I hate the little inconveniences in life, like having to manually foam soap while washing my hand. I’ve been using this soap for a bit now and it’s easily my favorite soap of all time. You push down on it to foam the soap into your hands, and it dispenses a little foamed and flower-shaped soap onto your hands 😛 The fragrance is a very subtle hint of yuzu!
Okay, think uber eats, but for gourmet foods that is DIY or pre-cooked from a completely different state. They ship food from restaurants around the world, straight to your door in a freezer box. We’ve always wanted to try hand-pulled noodles from this super hyped places called Xi’an’s Famous Foods in New York, but traveling has been nearly impossible. Goldbelly delivered fresh, DIY hand-pulled noodles straight to our door and it was a super dope experience.
🎵 Masego - Mystery Lady (feat. Don Toliver)
Don Toliver has to be one of my favorite new artists this year. I can’t stop listening to his entire discography (this is coming from a guy who is notorious for skipping songs). On the other hand, Masego has been dropping straight heat for years, and he’s finally dropping a new album this week. This groovy new single Mystery Lady has been on repeat this entire week and I can’t stop!!!
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