I’ve been listening to new (to me) music. Here’s a few bands I wish I had found sooner, and a track of theirs to try.

Getdown Services - Dog Dribble

Relentlessly high energy unserious dancey post-punk rock.

For fans of: Daft Punk, Wet Leg

Halfmass - Back On the Horse

Noisy melodic stylish experimental rock. The album is not cohesive, jumping between its different styles without warning, but isn’t any less for doing that.

For fans of: Daughters, DEVO, Black Country New Road

friends& - Examine the hideous machineries[…]

Schizophrenic plunderphonics “new internet sound” pop(?). I’m not an enjoyer of “ironic” music generally (I get on my soapbox about how very non-ironic the pop music made by SOPHIE / Hannah Diamond / A.G. Cook is), but this album’s totally illegible insincerity means it’s easy to ignore and just enjoy for the music.

For fans of: 100 gecs, The Avalanches

I’m a few years late, but Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys is an excellent book. The grim subject matter makes it tough to read at some parts, but it’s worth pushing through.

Seeing my friends is getting harder. Would be easier if I liked going out to bars more. I’ve been thinking about hosting dinner parties as a way to do something with my friends. I have little worries that stop me. My dishes and knives/forks are all mismatched. The biggest table I have can sit maybe 5 people. I get worried that my friends won’t have a good time. That is the saddest possible outcome. At least they would be well fed? I would love to learn more conversation based games e.g. “two truths and a lie” where the whole game is played by talking to each other. This feels like a lost art that should’ve been taught to me.