4-13-2025 MY FAVES: growing record collections and a peak into the kitchens

 music of the week

record store day was on saturday and i was eager to get a hold of more vinyls for my collection. while i was at the thrift earlier in the week, i discovered a ton of old jugoton vinyls, which is a famous record company of the yugo days. most of these were just opera and orchestra hits, but still, i am never able to fly back home out fear of warping vinyls so i'll take what i can get here.

i lucked out at record den and got an lcd soundsystem  vinyl called x ray eyez including the original mix and a trash can dub. getting sleazy this week...

some discoveries of the week are bands from cro like žen and chui. žen was caught in a controversy for simply being a lesbian shoegaze band, that was supposed to perform at a children's cultural festival in the home of ivana brlić-mažuranić - the most famous children's author in croatian history. we've heard this story over and over, of parents supposedly freaking out about what ideology is a queer person going to represent to children. unfortunately, croatia is still in shackles of extreme conservatism and i doubt things will change anytime soon. i support the band as they're talented, and also because they are an openly queer band. it's so disappointing to see how this is still an issue. but it still is even here - usa being more "progressive".

chui is coming to my hometown on easter, and it is a jazz instrumental band. their work reminds me of bruno pernadas and his album those who throw objects at the crocodiles will be asked to retrieve them.

 

this week's radiooooo discovery was: 

serge gainsbourg - je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais (1973/france). this is the song that the children sing dressed up as serge and performing in front of him, with fake wine and cigarettes, while he's crying and smoking. it is the best video on the internet.

movies of the week

sib and i watched big night as a late night visual snack. it's another indie 90s film, featuring stanley tucci and tony shalhoub as two immigrant siblings trying to get their restaurant business rolling, with hopes that singer louis prima will be in attendance for a large planned dinner. it was bittersweet with some hilarious sibling moments, as well as the growing pains of misunderstanding and not seeing eye to eye, while still just wanting what is best for each other. and the food! the wine! the portrayal of a delicious and drunken dinner. 

"bite your teeth into the ass of life and drag it to you!"

i half-watched zapped with zendaya at work, and i can only say - is that the future people think feminism promises?

books of the week

anthony bourdain's medium raw gives us a tour backstage of the inner workings of the world food, high end restaurants, and how the rich eat. it's like his show narration translated directly on paper. it's witty, captivating, and as the title says - raw. no embellishments, just pure honesty.