Happy Holidays from Perfectly Imperfect!

Christmas music is usually inescapable in public spaces around this time of year (annoyingly so), but in 2020 most of us have been spending a lot more time indoors. So for those who are trying to get a bit more in the Xmas spirit we’ve put together a playlist of our favorite songs to get u feelin’ nice and nostalgic.

Without further ado

Tyler Bainbridge (instagram, twitter, letterboxd, last.fm)

🎥 Black Christmas (1974)

From the director of A Christmas Story (1983) comes a very different type of xmas movie, a slasher flick that deserves the same status as classics such as Halloween. Bob Clark’s Black Christmas was ahead of its time back in '74 and still feels just as fresh and terrifying today. So throw this on tonight and enjoy the beautiful glow of Christmas lights juxtaposed with one of the most disturbing & sinister killers in the genre.

🎥 Another Round (2020)

Another Round follows a cast of middle aged high school teachers who decide to test a theory (from Norwegian psychologist Finn Skårderund) that argues human beings are born with a natural alcohol deficiency. Their goal is to see how a daily alcohol intake of 5% effects their social and professional lives, but what unfolds is a bit less black and white. It's a sharp and complex look at the highs and lows of alcohol use and has one of the most cathartic endings of the year.

🎵 Cat Power - Moon Pix (1998)

Most of this album was recorded after Chan Marshall woke up from a hallucinatory nightmare in 1997 and the result is some of the most haunting, melancholy, and beautiful music you'll ever hear. From the hypnotic reverse drum loops of American Flag to the exploration of depression and fear on its lead single, Metal Heart, this record a masterpiece.

🎵 The Koreatown Oddity - Little Dominiques Nosebleeds (2020)

Over some dark, off kilter, and jazzy beats Dominque Purdy explores his complex relationship with the neighborhood he grew up in & the events that would change his life forever (see cover). Some great storytelling & surprisingly funny— it's one of the year's best.

🎵 Viagra Boys - In Spite of Ourselves (2020)

Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys and Amy Taylor from Australian punk band Amyl and the Sniffers have great chemistry here & add some weirdness to the classic John Prine duet— the accompanying video is a lot of fun too.

🥞 J. Kenji López-Alt's Light and Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

I grew up on box mix pancakes, which definitely have their place, and hadn't experienced the fluffy & fresh deliciousness of homemade pancakes until now. This recipe from Kenji yields perfectly light, fluffy, sweet, pancakes with just a lil brown crispiness on the edges, dare I say the perfect pancake??? I feel a new Sunday morning tradition forming...

🔖  Good Reads

The Journalist and the Pharma Bro (ELLE)

Cyberpunk 2077 Was Supposed to Be the Biggest Video Game of the Year. What Happened? (NYT)

Bape, Beethoven, & the Bando Orchestra (JTTB)

❗  Cut for time

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas, How PC Music defined a new kind of pop (Arte TRACKS), Dry Martinis, Angel’s Envy Bourbon,
It's Your Birthday! Zinfandel Wine from Stagiaire, and Caroline Polachek's cover of Breathless

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

Happy Holidays PI readers, thanks for tuning in —
Let’s ring out this wild year with a bang so we can kick off 2021 in PI Style

🎥 The Undoing (2020)

I'm going to keep this rec short to avoid any possibility for spoilers because I believe you'll like this show most if you go in blind. The writer of Big Little Lies teams with the director of The Night Manager to bring you this chilling and edge-of-your-seat courtroom mind-bender drama mini-series. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant bring absolute banger performances and really draw levels of emotion from you. I'll leave it there and let you experience the rest for yourself 😘.

👕 Erl

If you know of Erl, there’s a good chance you first saw it when Kanye praised & later wore their “Swirl Hoodie”, but there’s a lot more to their recent collection that I think should draw some attention. From Classic Bellbottoms to patterns and colors, Erl’s collection shouts bold, fun, and unique. Cop some Erl to spice up your wardrobe and get an instant showpiece.

🎵 Sturgill Simpson - Cuttin' Grass - Vol. 2 (Cowboy Arms Sessions)

I previously rec'd the "volume 1" to this collection, where Sturgill played us some of his reimagined classics with a bluegrass twist. This one follows in the same vein, with re-released re-imaginings, and even a couple new ones. Come to enjoy the finger pluckin' fiddle goodness, stay for the many more personal songs and the classic feel every song has to it.

📕 Beautiful Ruins - Jess Walter

I read this in the summer, and it is absolutely a perfect warm weather read, but I honestly love the idea of revisiting a nice cozy warm read like this in the winter - escapism at its finest. Beautiful Ruins is a love story that stretches across countries and years. You'll find yourself in a small coastal Italian village and bustling Hollywood, and you'll meet an equally varying cast of characters. This really is a lush warm read, and not a very long one.

📣  Shoutouts

Madlib - Beat Konducta 3 & 4: In India,
Infinite Archives,
This Mezcal Tee,
These Persol glasses,
Apple Fitness+ has been 👌,
Snow Peak Autumn Winter 2020
The Voidz - Alien Crime Lord

Serey Morm (instagram, twitter, vsco)

⛸ Stutterheim Rainwalkers

Stutterheim is known for their raincoats, but their rain boots are hands down the most comfortable pair of boots I've ever worn. Even up against my most comfortable running sneakers. These are my go-to shoes when it's wet out. It's snowing up in the northeast and although the boots are pretty thin, they still work super well in the snow when I'm wearing thicker socks.

🎶 Father — Come Outside, We Not Gone Jump You

In honor of Playboi Carti's highly anticipated Whole Lotta Red dropping this week, I want to put y'all onto Father if you hadn't already heard of him when his song Look At Wrist blew up back in 2015. I discovered Carti through father's song Fake AF (is and still certified banga). He kind of fell off my radar for a bit, but he's definitely back up there on my replays because of his recent album Come Outside, We Not Gone Jump you (wild album name huh?). I rarely listen to an album fully without skipping songs, but this is one of the few exceptions, please give it a listen 🙂

🎥 Street Food — Asia

This show has helped me fill a small fraction of a void inside of me, that is the yearn to travel again. Street Food — Asia is beautifully shot, diving into the lives of each individual street food vendor. As travelers, we see cheap and delicious food, but we rarely think about the struggle behind running a street food stall, and I think this show does a great job of unpacking the lives of each individual, highly recommend!

🍋 Chef John's Lemon Bars

When life gives you two extra lemons, you make lemon bars. These are my favorite treats to make when I have a few(two) leftover lemons in the fridge. They're super easy to make, but with any baking recipe, just make sure your measurements are correct! If you don't have a scale in the kitchen already, please get one :) Ozeri's scale on Amazon should get the job done.

🗞 Extra! Extra!

🛍 ÅLAND — one of my favorite clothing shops finally opened an online shop(with limited selection)

👔 MegaFleece Snap Sweater — my fave fleece is back!

🎙 The Daily - The Year In Good News — appreciate the good things that came out of 2020

Follow Tyler, Alex, & Serey on Instagram for even more recs

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