A musician with one of the best names in the business, Jake Xerxes Fussell has been a comfort listen of mine for many years now. Fussell’s calm blend of traditional folk and blues has the welcome ability to stand front and center or recede into the background depending on your mood and activity. It’s no wonder, then, that his newest album, out November 14th, is a soundtrack (for the upcoming film Rebuilding). I’ve listened to what few tracks have already been released on Spotify and it’s a bit more on the twangier side of his sound, but still retains the sweet beauty of his previous albums, like Good and Green Again (my favorite) and Out of Sight. It’s music to spend some time with.
-DW
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No link for this one, because it’s just exactly what it is: a list of things I love, in the Notes app on my iPhone. Every time I think of something I love or that makes me happy or that brings me joy, I add it to the list. They can be specific (The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin) or general (owls), actions (drinking coffee in bed) or objects (small ceramic ghosts), immediately comprehensible (bolognese) or opaque even to me (“treats (treats)”). When I’m bored or in a bad mood, I’ll scroll through it, sometimes just to read it, other times to spur inspiration—maybe I need to listen to an old favorite album, make an ice cold and wet-leaning martini, or peruse eBay for items relating to Labyrinth. Sometimes I even look at it when I’m trying to brainstorm items for High Praise and, well, here we are.
-VvP
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The tension that lies at the heart of the edibles industry is how to make gummies taste as good as they can while not enticing someone to eat more than they should, THC-wise. It’s hard to make people stop at just one or two tiny blocks of sugar, especially when they’re delicious. Verena and I have been saying for years that the best edibles companies should be offering uninfused versions of their products, and sure enough, Rose Los Angeles has decided to do just that. Grab a bag of their non-intoxicating Delights to snack on after taking a THC one, or to have on hand as a sober alternative for guests. Full disclosure: we’re also considering adding a Munchies section to the site, featuring a mix of elevated and fun snacks to pair with our munchies-inducing products, and these candies are one of our first tests of the idea. Let us know what you think, either with your wallet or by email (hi@gossamer.co)!
-DW
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While I wanted to roll my eyes at the idea of a creative agency being behind this new NYC Merit Badge project, the more badges I looked at, the more I begrudgingly respected their choices. I love a good “if you know, you know” New York City thing, and Zulu Alpha Kilo’s NYC Merit Badges are a fine iteration of that (even if some are cliché to the point of being known beyond the five boroughs). A/C Unit Drip, Did NOT get on Empty Subway Car, Saw Law & Order Filming, and Waited in Car for Alternate-Side Parking are some of my favorites, but overall, I’m impressed with the range of experiences. A great gift for your favorite New Yorker, and all proceeds go toward GoVoteNYC.org. I just wish they sold them as a set.
-DW
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Released on August 29th, Essex Honey was basically the soundtrack to my September. I played it constantly while wandering the woods of Cape Cod, biking around Brooklyn, and working from home. I took a bit of a break from the album for October, but I’m back to say that it’s an excellent late fall listen. Moody, atmospheric, but still melodic. Great for working, even better for tuning out (or in) with any kind of high.
-VvP
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When I first saw that Jia Tolentino had written a profile of Jennifer Lawrence in the latest issue of The New Yorker, I was surprised. Lawrence has a new and buzzy film coming out next week but she isn’t exactly lacking for press. That said, and credit to both The New Yorker and Tolentino for this, the piece gave me a new perspective on Lawrence both as an actor and as a person, particularly within the context of how much coverage she has received—a genuinely remarkable feat. Read it if you’re curious about the literal nuts and bolts of her start (beyond the miracle that was her performance in Winter’s Bone), her unexpected candor about plastic surgery, and, yes, her process, which I found unusually compelling.
-VvP
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