A playlist, a pulpy rec & my bare leg š£
Get thatĀ foot in the door.*
I've been sitting here for 20 minutes wondering what I could type in this intro to make you laugh and transmit some sense of inspiration/weirdness/reassurance/etc.
And you know what? I GOT NOTHING!
So I don't know, why don't we just watch the TV scene from VIDEODROME again, order a Winona Ryder tote bag and keep on truckin'. OK? OK!
*Yep, that's my leg.
I love this doc:
THE GO-GO'S
Holy socks, the new Go-Go's documentary is just what I needed. Director Alison Ellwood gives the band the reverential treatment they deserve and chronicles their early days as an L.A. punk outfit to their MTV-approved era and beyond, with gobs of sex & drugs & neon sweatshirts along the way.Ā
Each Go-Go is a badass--Jane Wiedlin 'til I die-- but I came away from the film with newfound appreciation for infinitely quotable drummer Gina Schock and for ex-managerĀ Ginger Canzoneri, who had a huge hand in their success before being kicked to the curb. (Ginger bought the towels the band wears on the cover of BEAUTY AND THE BEAT. After the photo shoot, she returned them.)
Watch the doc on Showtime, then play "This Town" on repeat. The band plans to tourĀ in 2021, provided we're all still standing.Ā
I MADE A NEW PLAYLIST!
Head to Spotify to hear a playlist of 10 songs I recommend this week. Speedy Cliff's Notes below:Ā
1. "I Gotta Fever," X - My favorite track from the band's new record. They've still got it.
2. "September," Lucy and the Rats - They had me at those "whoa-whoa" harmonies! A glittery summer jam, despite the autumnal title.
3. "Cowboy," CHLSY - This Nashville singer has a voice to turn heads.Ā
4. "Johnny and Mary," Black Marble - This synth-y cover of a Robert Palmer song is right up my alley.
5. "Pelota," Khruangbin - This Texas band is too cool for mere words.
6. "Sold My Soul," Cut Worms - My favorite song on this playlist comes from a Brooklyn musician who recorded his new album in Memphis. Everything about it hits a soft 'n' sweet spot in my heart.
7. "Off the Vine," Spun Out - This Chicago band has a chill vibe that makes me temporarily forget my stressful to-do list.
8. "Made for You," Fast Romantics - Shut your eyes and imagine what sort of lovelorn film scene would play out over this one. Let's compare notes later.
9. "Like Breaking Glass," Cut Copy - Love these guys and their electronic fantasia.
10. "Club Zero," The Go-Go's - They're still here!
I love this book:
PULP
It bears repeating that anything from writerĀ Ed Brubaker and artistĀ Sean Phillips is a win. PULP, their new graphic novel, tells the story of a 1930s writer with a galloping past and at least one moreĀ adventure ahead. To say more would be, well, criminal.
I've put down a LOT of books during quarantine, but I devouredĀ PULP. The art is stunning, and the story makes me wanna write my own. What more could you want from 72 pages?
It's not goodbye, it's see you later--thanks for reading! If you want more, please grabĀ PANDEMIX, the new charity comics I co-edited.Ā If you email me at whitmath@gmail.com, please put your favorite Whoopi Goldberg movie in the subject line.
My lips are sealed,
Fred Mertz's Pants
āRock 'n' roll music is what gets me off."
- Joan Jett
Reach out! Find me on Twitter, Instagram and at whitmath@gmail.com.