Tag: music

Currently Loving | Early February 2021

~ lulu ~ Leave a comment

It’s been far too long, friends! 

The end of the semester at school was a bit of a rush, but today I’m enjoying a snowy day at home (cookie in hand, fuzzy purple blanket at the ready, homework done for the day — things are good!), and I’m so eager to share with you some of the most recent things I’ve been reading, watching, and listening to. Let’s chat quirky historic hobbies, concept albums, and shiny new books, yes? 

I Hate Suzie >> If you, like me, un-ironically have “Honey to the Bee” on various playlists at any given time, I highly recommend I Hate Suzie, Billie Piper’s latest project with writer Lucy Prebble. The television series follows an actress, Suzie Pickles, as her life descends into (darkly humorous!) chaos and trauma following the leak of her personal photos. Prebble conceived each episode as its own mini film; the resulting show has a rich aesthetic, strong perspective, and biting sense of tension that leaves you both gasping and laughing out loud. It’s been a definite highlight on my watchlist for the past couple weeks!

Flap My Wings: Songs From We Live In Cairo >> I miss live theatre so, so much right now, and I find myself reminiscing about my most beloved in-person theatre experiences. Among these was seeing We Live in Cairo at the ART in Cambridge. The indie show, following a group of students and activists during the Arab Spring, combined a beautiful score with projections of real-life protest footage to capture a period marked by both strife and hope. 

The show’s creators, the Lazour brothers, recently released Flap My Wings: Songs from We Live in Cairo, and I’ve been listening to it constantly. The album captures the show’s original magic, calling on artists and original cast members to reinterpret some of the best tracks. My favorite songs are “Cairo Street Scenes” and “The 18 Days, Part 3,” but all are worth a listen — or ten!  

The Things They Fancied by Molly Young >> My sister tells me I’m the easiest person to shop for, and she’s made her case with a recent holiday gift: a copy of writer Molly Young’s zine, The Things They Fancied. A scrumptiously short and witty take on rich people’s hobbies throughout history, the zine features the specific brand of historical gossip that I delight in. (It’s like The Great meets The Cut’s best column!!) I spent a recent morning before school reading all about sparkling pineapples and $50,000 perfume; I couldn’t have loved it more. 

Liberté / Everything That Burns by Gita Trelease >> My preferred procrastination method when it comes to studying for AP Euro? Reading books that tangentially relate to the course curriculum! The latest book in this auspicious lineup is Gita Trelease’s Liberté (also known as Everything that Burns), the French Revolution-set sequel to the author’s 2019 debut. I picked up my copy at my local bookstore this past week, and I can’t wait to dive back into Trelease’s world of blood-draining magic and misbehaving hot air balloons. Studying time well spent. 

All Creatures Great and Small on Masterpiece >> My Sunday nights, as of late, have been devoted to the recent PBS adaption of All Creatures Great and Small. It’s the perfect Sunday show, following the soothing escapades and gentle adventures of a young veterinary assistant in the English countryside. Nothing too distressing ever occurs (will Tricki-Woo the Pekingese dog learn to follow a suitable diet plan? Who knows!!) and the scenery is always beautiful. It’s a lovely balm to end my week. 

What things (books, movies, recipes, etc.) have you been loving as of late? I’d so love to know! 

xx

lulu 

Hippopotami, Spice Girls, Drums, and Candles? My Current Holiday Playlist!

~ lulu ~ 5 Comments

Hi friends! 

If you read my last post, you may remember that I have been crossing my fingers all week for a snow day. And it appears the forecast has looked favorably upon me! It’s 10:00 AM and I am currently at home in my pajamas and *not* in math class. Yay!!

To celebrate this auspicious day, I’m sharing with you my current holiday playlist! I tend go hardcore when it comes to Christmas music (come November 1st, my Spotify is a magical-winter-wonderland-tinsel-snow-fest-of-fun!) and I am so eager to share some of my fave songs with you all. 

Happy listening! 

i want a hippopotamus for christmas – kacey musgraves version

My *favorite* Christmas jam, and one that is in constant rotation on my phone. I can’t even explain it’s appeal. Do I want a hippopotamus for Christmas? No. But do I blast this song morning and night, October to January? Yes. 

sleigh ride – the spice girls version

Another half-serious favorite Christmas song! The Spice Girls spend 60% of the recording talking about football and arguing whether or not Christmas is worth singing about. (It is, apparently.) A true masterpiece.

let it snow – valerie june version

I was lucky enough to see Valerie June in concert a few years ago, and I’ve loved her music ever since! (If you haven’t heard her work before, I so recommend listening to her Tiny Desk Concert; it’s fantastic.) Her version of “Let It Snow” is folksy and whimsical and the perfect accompaniment to a cup of hot cocoa.

little drummer boy – leslie odom jr version

I swear, Leslie Odom Jr has the most soothing, comforting voice in the world. All his holiday songs are worth a listen, but his version of “Little Drummer Boy” is extra catchy thanks to the uber-talented kids of the Mzansi Youth Choir, who feature on the track! Their parapapampams are amazing.

christmas is all around – BAILEN version

I only saw Love, Actually for the first time this year (I know, I know!) but the storyline with Bill Nighy’s aging rock star instantly became my favorite. Here, the sibling-trio BAILEN transforms the film’s catchiest tune into an indie jam just right for the holiday season.

the longest winter – hadestown cast featuring amber gray

This next song has a very accurate title for what has been a very long year! Hadestown is one of my favorite musicals at the moment, and I love the cast’s entire spin-off holiday album. “The Longest Winter” — featuring the raspy, lovely voice of actress Amber Gray — is a soothing standout.

cross you off my list – lola kirke

What’s Christmas without a sad, seasonal break-up song? Lola Kirke’s original holiday tune is a bit spunky, a tad snarky, and oh-so catchy. She may want to to cross her ex-love off her list, but you should definitely keep this song on yours!

christmas island – ella fitzgerald version

ELLA! The true queen of the holiday season. Any holiday song of hers deserves a shout-out, but I especially love her version of “Christmas Island.” It’s perfect for those time when you just can’t take the winter weather anymore. (Fittingly, my preferred method of listening to this song is with a mini space heater at my side.)

the boar’s head carol – the young tradition version

“The Boar’s Head Carol,” according to Wikipedia, is “a macaronic 15th century English Christmas carol that describes the ancient tradition of sacrificing a boar and presenting its head at a Yuletide feast.” The Young Tradition’s version, recorded in the 1970s with the help of musicians Shirley and Dolly Collins, is perfect for when you want your holidays to be both medieval *and* folksy. Cheers.

ocho kandelikas – idina menzel version

We finish off today’s post with Idina Menzel’s version of “Ocho Kandelikas,” a Ladino song celebrating Hanukkah which was first written by composer Flory Jagoda in 1983. The beat of the song is *so* good, and it makes me want to get up and dance every time I hear it!

That’s how I’m currently filling my playlists with cheer! I’d love to know: what songs are on your holiday rotation at the moment?

xx

lulu

Currently Loving | August 23 – 30

~ lulu ~ 1 Comment

Hi friends!!

I meant to get this post up earlier in the day, but, alas, my time management skills were somewhat lacking. So, instead, we’re getting a fun late night post! (And any time is a good time to chat about funny movies and blueberry pie, yes? I think so.)

You can check out the media I loved this week below, and be sure to share all the cool things you did too! I’m always on the lookout for stellar recommendations.

The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate | Few books have managed to break my heart in the way that The One and Only Ivan did. Its sequel, The One and Only Bob, isn’t quite so devastating, but it moved me all the same. The poetic writing and courageous (though stubborn!) titular pup are lovely reminders of why I so love children’s literature.

The Bold Type | The Bold Type often borders on ridiculous, even if one overlooks its characters’ questionable fashion choices. Yet it’s also fiercely sweet and feminist, and I’ve so enjoyed catching up on episodes over these past few weeks! (Also! If you’re a fan of the show as well, I encourage you to read and support actress Aisha Dee’s statement calling for more diversity in The Bold Type’s writers room.) 

Blueberry Nectarine Pie | I go back to school in a few weeks and my sister is moving into a new apartment, so she and I are trying out as many yummy new recipes as possible before then! Our latest creation was this blueberry-nectarine pie from the Baking With Less Sugar cookbook by Joanne Chang (of flour bakery fame!) I don’t believe the recipe is available online, but King Arthur Flour has a similar one, if you want to try it out! (Plus, this was my first time trying a nectarine! Apologies to all the nectarine-fiends out there for my tardiness; they’re great!!) 

Candace Against the Universe | Phineas and Ferb was a go-to show of my childhood (and of my teendom, ngl) and I was mighty excited to hear that a reunion movie would be released this August. Candace Against The Universe (on Disney Plus!) was deeply absurd but also deeply delightful, and I was happy to watch it to close out the summer!

The Baby by Samia | I LOVE Samia’s music, and her singles “Someone Tell The Boys” and “Ode to Artifice” have been on my regular rotation for months now. I’m so excited to add tracks from her new album, The Baby, into the mix! It was released on Friday, and I already adore “Minnesota” and “Fit N Full.” Her songs are the perfect moody-pastel soundtrack for the upcoming fall weather! 

Have a lovely end to your August!

xx

lulu

Currently Loving | May 3 – 10

~ lulu ~ Leave a comment

Happy Mother’s Day everyone! I’m enjoying some warmer weather and sunshine this Sunday, while also catching up on schoolwork, reading, and (best of all!) baking. How about you?

Here are the books, songs, and other media that caught my eye this week…

“Joan of Arc on the Dance Floor” by Aly & AJ | I’ve been listening to “Potential Breakup Song” on a constant loop since 2007. I’m giving that classic a rest, though, to enjoy Aly and AJ Michalka’s newest single. “Joan of Arc” is a pop banger, with electric beats and dark, cool-girl lyrics. It’s like you’re at a club, but that club also happens to be a graveyard. Dance on, everyone. 

The Borgias | Just when I think I’ve exhausted the backlog of soap-y TV period dramas, a new one always finds its way into my Netflix queue. In the same vein as Reign and The Tudors, The Borgias (2013) is a sexy, scandalous take on the Renaissance papacy. The show is nowhere near historically accurate, nor is it always very good. But it’s always pretty, always twist-y, and I can’t stop watching.  

Home Cooking Podcast | The West Wing Weekly won my podcast heart, so I was delighted to hear that former TWWW host Hrishi Hirway was teaming up with professional chef Samin Nosrat to produce a 4-part audio miniseries. Armed with expert knowledge and top-notch puns, the pair answers listeners’ questions about cooking during quarantine. It’s very inspiring; thanks to Samin, I made a medieval precursor to eggnog!

Mothers Before, edited by Edan Lepucki | I read an excerpt from Mothers Before earlier this week on The Cut, and though I haven’t been able to get my hands on the full book, it won a place on my “to-read” list for sure. The collection of essays and photos is so moving (and timely, considering today’s celebrations!)

Supernova by Marissa Meyer | I adore Marissa Meyer’s books. They’re dramatic. They’re fluffy. They’re usually too long. Fittingly, the conclusion to her Renegades trilogy gave me everything I wanted: superhero action, cheesy romance, and science fiction fun. It was great.

what things did you watch, read, or listen to this week?

xx

lulu

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