First/Multiple Listens: Rhye “Woman”

This is my favorite album I bought yesterday, even though I also bought Beyonce. I love them both but this one? This is anytime, anywhere music. Also there is a serious ’70s vibe to my ear and I just dig dig dig it.

I know everyone else hears Sade when they listen to this. I hear Julia Fordham. AND I LOVE IT.

Another Stephen Thompson recommendation. Geez, that guy.

Big Screen: Mud

From the director of Take Shelter, this is an unusual little movie that I just loved to pieces, as did my fellow viewers. By the way, we were the youngest people in the theater by about 100 years. There were numerous walkers, wheelchairs, and interestingly loud exhalations on display throughout the theater.

And yes, it has Matthew McConaughey in it, part of his whole “I do art-y movies now” like Magic Mike (which I actually thought sucked) and Killer Joe (which was compelling but horrible and do not watch it unless you want to be completely icked out).

But guess what? It also has the kid from Tree of Life and he’s even more amazing here. It reminded me/us a little bit of Beasts of the Southern Wild, except less marginal (more relatable in many ways, for me anyway) and none of the extra fantasticalness thrown in. Very down to earth and compelling (and painful) about family conflict and what makes someone your family–obviously Neckbone is as much Ellis’ family as anyone else, growing up, true love (and how DO you know it’s true) and so many other things. This was really just lovely.

Michael Shannon’s part was surprisingly small, I kept waiting for something more to happen with his character. Maybe next time!

Also: there is a character named Neckbone. Neck, for short. An adorably honest peculiar young kid named Neckbone. LOVED HIM.

Things I Love Right Now

I love this post about young women’s power of linguistic change. (Thanks, Peter!)

I love this print on Anna Maria Horner’s new linen fabric.

I love this Lumineers cover from Nashville, it brought tears to my eyes. #sap

I love this book I am reading. Only four stories in and they’ve all been fantastic. (Also that is a great article with the authors.) (And here is the web site where they generated those stories [and more].)

I love this $190 scarf that comes in 1,557 tartans. I WOULD LIKE THEM ALL PLEASE.

I love SOME of these white ink tattoos. (Especially #1 on the arm altho I hear inner arm hurts like a mother and #2 on the back shoulders.)

(Yes this is totes an imitation of Bliss‘ “I heart” posts. Kudos. And also inspired by Maggie’s WONDERFUL “I Made This For You” posts that I look forward to every week.)

Gorgeous art you can gaze at on your couch or on the bus.

Saga is a wonderful, adult comic that I am currently completely freaking out over. The graphic novel compilation of issues 1-6 came out in October SO GO GET IT NOW. Issue 7 comes out in November (right now). It’s SO GOOD. The story is total sci-fi fantasy gloriousness and the art is amazeballoons.

Here are a couple cool interviews about it: 1) with Brian Vaughan (creator/writer) and 2) another with Fiona Staples, the artist (the art is BREATHTAKINGLY AWESOME).

And speaking of awesome art, this version of Little Red Riding Hood, illustrated by Daniel Egnéus is also incredibly stunning. Modern, operatic, and cerebral. My students weren’t that into it, but I was blown away. (More here as well.)

What’s playing on my iPod, in my head, and in my living room.

Wow I have not written about music on this site in a long long long time. That’s too bad but hey here are some recommendations.

Kishi Bashi “151A” = Super fun and poppy yet has that indie twist to it. Unexpected, yet won’t ever leave your head once you’ve heard it. (I did mention this one back in June if you were here then.)

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis “The Heist” = memorable enough just for “Same Love” a fantastic song but honestly most of the rest of the album (I think there’s one song I forward past, just one) is really great as well. Super lyrics, super beats. If you like rap, you need this.

Lord Huron “Lonesome Dreams” = I will be forever and ever grateful to the friend who sent me this. It’s So Good. A little Great Lake Swimmers, a little Band of Horses, a lot of its own special magicness. I really love it.

Go.

Big Screen: Arbitrage

Yes, there are holes you could find in the plot after the fact.

BUT I really liked this movie, both in the moment and afterward. It was super tense, pulled out almost to the breaking point, and there were some really excellent performances.

I liked it even more after listening to director Nicholas Jarecki’s interview on The Treatment with Elvis Mitchell, my favorite and most often listened to podcast.

The one place I felt the movie really faltered was in the girlfriend/Richard Gere relationship. Make us think he actually loves her and this film would be that much stronger. As it is, she’s too irrelevant for some of the plot points.