Madonna flashbacks & charming grumps 🍄
Are you energized and moisturized?
It's Friday, whatever that means! Highlights of my week include going the hair salon and scarfing down French toast.
Above is one of my daily diary comics; read 'em all via patreon.com/whitneymatheson for $2+/month.
I spy with my TV eye ...
There's tons of gold-medal TV right now, but two shows that enhanced my week were PRETEND IT'S A CITY, where Fran Leibowitz lovingly complains to Martin Scorcese; and the return of SEARCH PARTY (now on HBO Max), which gets scarier and funnier each season.
Next week I may get into THE OUTSIDER, DIRTY JOHN: THE BETTY BRODERICK STORY, SOUL, SOUND OF METAL and I HATE SUZIE. Or I may not! There are so many dang shows!
(My 8-year-old and I have been chilling out with NAME THAT TUNE, WORLD'S FUNNIEST ANIMALS and LEGO MASTERS on Hulu.)
Two new playlists!
Thanks for listening to my playlist of 81 good songs from 1981. I also started a BEST OF 2021 playlist that only has 13 songs so far, but it'll get longer each week.
A few albums/artists of note: Barry Gibb's GREENFIELDS might surprise you and features duets with Dolly Parton, Gillian Welch, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and others. The Avalanches also have many special guests on their new record, WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, including Johnny Marr, Kurt Vile, Perry Farrell, Neneh Cherry and Rivers Cuomo. And our old friends Guided by Voices put out another album last month, but I was too busy wringing my hands to listen!
Two very different book picks:
A new book called STAY COOL MADONNA might be up your alley, even if you aren't a big fan. After Madonna left her former management company, a treasure trove of fan mail/art was literally rescued from the trash. This book collects drawings, letters, photos and other items sent to her in the '80s and '90s. It's sweet and personal; you really feel for all the kids who had no one else to talk to and, if nothing else, believed wholeheartedly in the Power of Madonna.
Pick No. 2: In RECKLESS, the master team of Brubaker & Phillips return with a crime story that's pulpy, bloody, sunny & salty. Most of it takes place in California in the early '80s. You don't need to know much more, except that the next book in the series arrives in April.
I always add extra pepper.
Three bullets before I bolt:
Follow Nightwork on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube to keep up with my creative collaborations and events with Dean Haspiel.
Our pal Amy P. reminds us that DJ Jake Rudh will be streaming "The Best of 1984" on Saturday at 9 ET.
Our friend Natasha has been dipping into "Spotify Song Radio" this week. Just pick a favorite song and hit "Go to Song Radio" via the dropdown menu. Glee and discovery await.
As always, reach out at whitmath@gmail.com or by clapping three times and saying the name of your imaginary girlfriend.
I got the moves (you got the motion),
Mrs. Franken Berry
"You don’t want to be the smartest person in the room; you want to be the dumbest in the room. You want to be surrounded by other thinking people who are going to say something that makes you think, “Oh, my God, that’s an amazing idea.
Why didn’t I think of that?"
- Madonna
Reach out! Find me on Twitter, Instagram and at whitmath@gmail.com.