Menu Two: April 2024
Like the previous month, round two involved a lot of sitting at my desk working on semi-mindless visual stuff that demanded a soundtrack. Admittedly, I’d seriously over-eaten during my first round, but if anything it only left me craving more.
Once again I was in the mood to sample a bit of everything from new-wave, darkwave, gritty rock-and-roll, and various eras of punk, to vintage pop, surf rock, and sweet, sincere melodies, to the kind of stuff you’d probably hear in a warehouse in the 90’s. And I loved it all, but there were only a few that called for seconds and thirds.
As per my usual sonic taste preferences, the noisiness of 1970’s English punk from Buzzcocks was an instant hit, as well as a large serving of new-wave-synthpop by New Order extended well beyond their Blue Monday era, and a mix of the brutal, experimental brilliance of Swans — Love Will Save You is thee one.
Now embarrassing as it is to publicly admit, I’d never given the enormous musical estate of the late, great David Bowie the time and attention it demands. But that changed this month as I drank up 11 of his most highly revered albums and was honestly grateful I’d saved it all for a later day. It’s a gift to be able to discover new sources of inspiration at any age. Imagine how boring life would be if we found everything there was to know about by age 30!
And though they didn’t quite make it to my top tier, I really enjoyed digging through The Beach Boys extensive discography outside of the 3 or 4 overly commercialized songs the whole world knows.
My overall appetite was much more selective, I couldn’t help but indulge my inner witch with a video-podcast on working with eclipse energy by Arcanum Life, and a show-and-tell from the ever-inspiring Ethel Cain’s collection of sharp objects.
I loved and recommend all of the movies I watched this month, but I was absolutely blown away by the aesthetic mastery of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and I adored The Holdovers, which has the same sort of bittersweetness as Dead Poet’s Society and Harold & Maude, and maybe touch of Rushmore. And to anyone who hasn’t seen Midsommar yet, there are some mental images I will never escape from — you’ve been warned.
I met my goal of reading one book start-to-finish with a compelling argument of why discomfort, boredom, and solitude are actually good things, as told through the adventurous story of Alaskan backcountry caribou hunting in The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter.
And somehow I also found the time to finish two other half-read books: The Will to Change by bell hooks, and of the more educational variety, Facing Codependence by Pia Mellody. Once again, I cannot sing enough praises for the literary genius of bell hooks in The Will to Change and All About Love especially. And for those looking to improve their relationship dynamics across the board, Pia Mellody’s thorough analysis of codependent behavior patterns is a solid resource.
I spent all of April still just as excited about this little creative café as I had been at the start and was already planning my next visit before the month was over. Because when you find a new place that’s just that good, you quickly become a regular.
Check out my April Menu Playlist, and follow along for next month’s menu and review!