#97: Perfectly Imperfect
#97: Perfectly Imperfect
The Perfectly Imperfect Boys on Wet Brain Podcast, Jacquemus “Images”, The Tushy, and more.
Welcome to Perfectly Imperfect #97 👋
If you’re new here after our July guests— welcome! Perfectly Imperfect is a 2x/week newsletter featuring good ol’ fashioned curated recommendations from real people and once a month us Perfectly Imperfect boys like to drop some hot recs of our own. Check out the archive for more recs and as always, join the Perfectly Imperfect Discord to keep the conversation going.
Without further ado
Tyler Bainbridge (instagram, letterboxd, last.fm)
😎 "The Causeway Glasses" from The Quality Mending Co.
I was on the hunt for a good pair of yellow-lensed sunglasses and luckily Cobey Arner of the band Rebounder (check your inbox this Thursday 😉) was nice enough to supply me with the lens deets. Turns out the vintage shop The Quality Mending Co. makes some very sick handmade and polarized sunglasses at a pretty solid price point of $158 so I took the plunge. I really like the mellow tint of these lenses, they help shield my sensitive lil eyes from the late afternoon sun, a time of day that my other shades are overkill for.
🎵 In the Beginning There Was Rhythm (2002)
This 2002 compilation from Soul Jazz Records is jam packed with gritty rhythm-filled post-punk, new wave, and experimental music from artists such as The Slits, The Human League, Gang of Four, This Heat, and Throbbing Gristle. This album (among others) helped spawn a renewed interest in post-punk and old-school New York nightlife in general, so everything was lined up for disco-punk newcomer James Murphy, his label DFA, and eventually LCD Soundsystem. A few years ago I made this playlist containing all the tracks and apparently it's picked up some interest at a modest 43 likes, lol. Anyways, check this one out.
As some of you may have heard, there was a "vibe shift" last week when the chopped Ira Glass (Walter Pearce) and quirked Sarah Koenig (Honor Levy) dropped the Wet Brain podcast. Tune in and hear them chat about basically anything with an interesting cast of friends like Eugene Kotlyarenko, Babyxsosa, Peter Vack, Writers Life Tips, James Harris, Alana Champion, Dean Kissick, and Chris Black.
🥤 Red Bull
I stopped drinking Red Bull a long time ago because they’re probably (?) pretty unhealthy, but… 🤷♂️ it tastes great and gives me an energy boost without the real health danger: coffee induced stomach issues while on the go. That's why a few times a week I give myself a lil boost via a cheeky Red Bull.
🖊️ 👕 Hand Drawn Shirts
HOLLYWOOD GIFTS is one of my favorites here. I really love their colorful "proud to be cringe" shirt which of course I copped since as we all know Perfectly Imperfect is a pro-cringe space. Long time homie & friend of the newsletter Ryan Kostopolous is also doing cool stuff here with his brand One Thousand Kisses where he hand draws graphics with ton of character on vintage blanks.
🎨 🖼️ 🛋️ Renew Finds in Greenpoint
I try not to rec NYC-exclusive things here, but I had to make an exception for Renew Finds in Greenpoint (67 West St Suite 213) and their very sick art prints (some are even pre-framed) + their great selection of vintage furniture. Big shouts to @leslie in the Perfectly Imperfect Discord for this rec!
I've been revisiting a bunch of 90s alt-rock as of late, but nothing has been as sticky to me as Last Splash and Pod, two great albums from seminal Ohio-based indie rock band, The Breeders. Chances are you've probably heard their hit song Cannonball, but be sure to check out Drivin' on 9, No Aloha, Doe, Saints, and their cover of Happiness is a Warm Gun, which all rule. Hell, just listen to both albums front to back.
Alex Cushing (instagram, twitter, last.fm, goodreads)
This was the second book I’ve ever read that’s written in the 2nd person. Previously, I found it hard to get used to, and honestly a little clunky. Somehow McInerney achieves to make this flow as easily as anything. It truly feels like you are the subject of the story. BL.BC follows you, a fact checker wanna-be-fiction-author at a big publication in Manhattan, as you waste away to late nights of coke binges and crowded parties. Praised often as one of the first great anti-quests, BL.BC achieves the great feat of making you care about, and enjoy, the miserable journey of such a win-less character. This is one of those reads that just feels iconic.
🖼️ 📕 Jacquemus “Images”
Oh Jacquemus, I keep coming back. Whether it’s the flowy summer camp collars, the infamous headwear, or, in this case, the imagery. Nothing can top the vibe of coastal-Mediterranean living. Jacquemus “Images” is a photo book of 321 iPhone pictures, curated by Simon Porte Jacquemus, designer and founder of the brand. It’s filled with countless beautiful shots and is always a peaceful escape to flip through.
📕 Granta
Granta publishes books and magazine collections of short stories and poetry from a vast array of authors. I first found it when seeking out more work from one of my favorite authors, Amor Towles. It’s so fun to have a curated collection of stories to visit and read when I feel so inspired. None are too lengthy, and all feel as if they share something worth reading. I personally picked up the issue of Summer Fiction from 2019.
Catch-22 the book, as you may know from PI’s feature on twenty three tabs, is one of my all-time favorites. Its wildly out-of-control story, characters, and conversations keep it a unique and fun read. I’m so happy to say the show, directed, in part, by George Clooney, is equally funny, wild, and hard to not binge. Christopher Abbott steals the show as Yossarian, but the rest of the cast kills it as well. Set in Italy, you’re treated to equal parts beautiful shots of calm Italian villas, pastures, and beaches, and bloody war.
🚣♂️ Points of sail
Points of sail is a creative venture of James Langford and Larry Tchogninou, crafting furniture, and even actual boats, inspired by the art of sailing. My favorite piece from their first collection is the beautifully crafted Trimaran Chair. Check out their first zine, with a foreword by Benjamin Edgar, for a focus on their collection of furniture, or their more recent 2nd zine to dive deep on “Archimedes”, their concrete boat.
It’s difficult to write about these because I don’t really have a real name for them, but I’ve found myself seeking out these vibe videos on YouTube and Instagram. What I mean is a 30second or so video of a shirt on a chair, the wind calmly billowing the sleeves, or a shot of a boat tied to the dock, as it sways on the water. Something about these pointless little slice-of-life videos calm me and provide me with just enough dopamine to keep coming back.
📣 Shoutouts
Serey Morm (instagram, twitter, vsco)
🎵 KAMAUU
My friend put me on to KAMAUU recently with his single Mango and it gave me a Childish Gambino Redbone vibe and I was really into it. I figured I'd get some more low-pitched, groovy tracks with his other songs, but I was so wrong. His other single BOA was filled with straight bars with a powerful message. On the other hand, he's on Instagram (@kamauuworld) posting WEEKLY fire snippets of self-produced beats and verses. He's a really creative artists, even if you don't have the time to check out his full songs, just give this snippet a shot.
I went to a mixology class recently and now I'd like to think I'm a world class bartender. Cycling through cocktail recipes is my new hobby, and my summer favorite recently has been the Pisco Sour. Pisco is the base liquor made from grape from the Peru/Chile region (I use Capel). This amaaazing drink is straight up just some good old lime juice, simple syrup, egg whites for viscosity (optional tbh), and a few dashes of the legendary angostura bitters.
The wildest thing to me about moving to America was how bidets aren't a thing in our bathrooms, literally just toilet paper. My daily routines are unmatched, I now refuse to go in public. If you've used one, you know what I'm talking about, and if you're looking for one, the Tushy is 10/10 the greatest bidet of ALL TIME. If you don't have one installed, get your sh*t together and install one right now. You literally never have to worry about running out of toilet paper and you're savin' trees!
Since a ton of restaurants are starting to open back up, I've been eating straight garbage. To cushion the multiple times I eat out each week, I've been trying to incorporate some healthier meals in between(gross). Salads aren't really my thing, but the only thing that has ever changed my mind was Sweetgreen's spicy cashew dressing. I've been using this recipe that was inspired that exact dressing, and you can make them in batches so it's super clutch.
Follow Tyler, Alex, & Serey on Instagram
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