NEW MUSIC FOR OLDS #70
Timekillers will be necessary
Hey, folks. I have an overstuffed NMFO for you this week. But first, an announcement.
If you’re a semi-dedicated NMFO reader, you’re aware that that my wife Kambri Crews owns and operates the glorious little comedy theater known as QED Astoria. I have also spent a goodly amount of of my time, money and attention keeping the place afloat. It was, for a very long while, a labor of love. Then, a labor of like. And more recently, a labor of “or what?”
I’m excited/nervous to announce that Kambri and I have decided to provide an answer to “or what?” QED Astoria will be ceasing operations in early 2025, likely sometime around Valentines Day. Kambri has already received inquiries from folks who may want to take over the space—if you’re intrigued, drop an email to qedastoria@gmail.com!
I will have (a lot) more to say about QED in a future newsletter—what it has meant to me, to the community, and its place in the NYC comedy firmament. I’m only mentioning it now because Kambri made the big announcement yesterday on Instagram.
So put a pin in that for now. In the meantime, on the NMFO front:
Black nailpolish vibes
Genuinely useful life advice
Sassy strut neo-soul
Early COVID chic
And, settling on a proper 2025 obsession
Let us begin. But first, now more than ever:
GOOD STUFF
New folks, you may want to peek at this Glossary of Terms.
THUS LOVE, “On the Floor”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: All Pleasure
Nutshell: Goth-y new wave
Voltage: 7
Thoughts: If I was being super lazy, I could just steer you back to NMFO #17 (were we ever so young??), when I compared Thus Love to Bauhaus and Echo and the Bunnymen. I could also mention that I named their debut album Memorial as my favorite album of 2022. In fact, I think I just did! So I was extremely jazzed for this Vermont band’s sophomore release. Thusfar (pun neither intended nor avoided), All Pleasure hasn’t grabbed me quite like its predecessor. But on tunes like “On the Floor”, the elements are all there: the black nail polish vibes, the inventive guitar lines, the Peter Murphy-esque vocals. I thus love it.
Pairing Suggestion: Hanging with the goths who showed up to the cast party, even though they never auditioned for the play
St. Lenox, “Quasi-Nichomachdean Ethics (Drunk Uncle Advice)”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: Ten Modern American Work Songs
Nutshell: Hyper literate chamber pop
Voltage: 6
Thoughts: Speaking of callbacks, Paid Subscribers may recall that I raved about St. Lenox way back in NMFO #32A. There are plenty of artists out there making original work, but few true originals. This is not a value judgment—I place myself firmly in the former camp (on a good day). Butm certain artists have an unmistakable “thing”, guaranteed to elicit a reaction—like cilantro. Andrew Choi, the Brooklyn singer/songwriter who records as St. Lenox, takes verbosity to absurd lengths, cramming a few dozen words into each line, with little care with to rhyme scheme or efficiency. It often sounds like someone singing a Terms of Service agreement over children’s music. It works because Choi’s voice is an absolute cannon and his insights are consistently revelatory. Every St. Lenox song has at least one verse that makes me nod—more often than not, ruefully. Viva cilantro.
Pairing Suggestion: Reading along
Amaria, “Beggin’”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: Free Fallin’
Nutshell: Sultry neo-soul
Voltage: 4
Thoughts: My listening diet has been guitar-heavy of late, so last week I went bobbing for neo-soul and came up with this beautifully restrained release by Tampa’s Amaria. Fun fact: this is the first time in history anyone’s used “beautifully restrained” and “Tampa” in same sentence! I love the arrangements on this album—icy and minimal, but with the gooey strings of 70s Marvin Gaye. Even though “Beggin” is in standard 4/4 time, I love that the drum pattern goes kick-kick-kick-snare, rather than the standard kick-snare-kick-snare. Someone who knows music theory could describe it better, but it gives the track a jittery trip-hop vibe. Recommended for fans of Sade, Erykah Badu, Groove Theory and, in an alliterative triumph, Amerie.
Pairing Suggestion: Sassy strut, intense eye contact
You are cordially invited to (in)validate my taste in music.
Also, please deliver a sick burn:
SOME BULLSHIT
Like many of us, I’m in the process of figuring out how to cope with the next four years. With the looming national shitstorm, I suspect we’re all going to need hobbies. Call it “Early COVID Chic”. Time to fire up that sourdough starter kit. Get a new Duolingo streak going. Develop a parasocial relationship with a podcast. Who knew the “again” in “MAGA” would end up being March 2020?
To state the obvious, none of this should be to the exclusion of actual activism. Those of us who aren’t yet in the direct crosshairs of this incoming goon squad have a responsibility to those who are. Oooooh, time to find out if we’re all totally full of shit! I’m on pins and needles.
Still, there are many hours in the day, and even with QED closing, I doubt I’ll spend many of them facing down a tank, Tiananmen Square style. Timekillers will be necessary. I’m already maxed out on my Knicks obsession, so not a lot of additional juice there. I could devote more time to this newsletter, certainly. The obvious answer would be to really focus on my physical health. Nutritionist, trainer, the whole kit and kaboodle. Maybe even run another half marathon? Yep. Diet and exercise. Definitely an option.
Or…and I’m just spitballing here…what if I made it my entire life about somehow getting to view the mythological nine-hour Prince documentary?
If you hadn’t heard, Netflix is currently sitting on The Book of Prince, a fully completed documentary series about the life and genius of Prince Rogers Nelson. The project is directed by Ezra Edelman, who made the magnificent OJ: Made in America. No, not the goofy Ryan Murphy thing starring Cuba Gooding Jr., wherein David Schwimmer apparently says “Juice” a zillion times. I’m referring to the 2017 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Feature.
If you’ve seen the OJ doc, you know how expansive Edelman’s vision is, and you’re likely imagining what he could do with nine hours on Prince—especially considering Edelman was given access to the infamous “vault” at Paisley Park, containing thousands of hours of footage and recordings. However, somewhere along the line, control of the Prince estate changed hands over and the weasels currently in charge are blocking the doc’s release.
You don’t need me to regurgitate the details from Sasha Weiss’ mammoth (and un-paywalled!) NY Times Magazine piece from September. On second thought, maybe you’d prefer some regurgitation—the piece is really fucking long. But it’s filled with tantalizing details, both about the film and also about the 2023 private screening Edelman held in Brooklyn for friends. Was Questlove in attendance? Of course he was.
Two other screening attendees were ESPN’s Pablo Torre and the New Yorker’s Wesley Morris, who took to the always entertaining “Pablo Torre Find Out” to discuss the experience. Given the legal squabbles, I’m impressed that Torre and Morris went into this degree of detail about the film’s content. If you’re even a marginal Prince fan, this is 100% mandatory viewing.
So…any ideas on how to make my Prince doc dreams a reality? Should I purify myself in Lake Minnetonka? Handcuff myself to the front doors of Netflix, Loomer style? Don a purple satin robe and make burnt offerings to Camille? I’ll crawl over as many dead flowers as it takes!
How should I go about making my entire personality about seeing the Prince documentary? All suggestions will be considered. The dumber the better!
With that, I leave you to your weekend. Have a pleasant Thanksgiving. I’ll be doing my best not to bludgeon certain Trump-voting relatives!
See you in a fortnight.
Liked both the St. Lenox and THUS LOVE, but something about that St. Lenox song really piqued my interest. Had to scurry off and listen to the whole album. Even though the whole thing kind of presents as a novelty act, I dig the music a lot. Can't really picture how to merge that vocal style into a playlist, though.
I wish I remembered Prince lore well enough to come up with a witty answer to your question. Luckily we have enough Prince inside jokes that I don’t think I really need to bother. Go to the graffiti bridge and say “chili sauce”. There. Good enough.