TV Show
“Valeria” on Netflix:
I’m giving less emphasis to the art, and more emphasis to the hoe for this recommendation. I adore this series which is essentially a modern remake of Sex in the City if it took place in Madrid. Four girlfriends support one another through relationships, careers, and sex. An added bonus is the beautiful, bright Spanish interior design and many gorgeous wallpapers!
“Somebody Somewhere” on HBO/Amazon Prime:
I just started this series, but it has inspired me so far. I’m a sucker for Midwesticana, and this portrayal of Manhattan, Kansas is giving me all the feels. I’ve actually been to this town, the 8th biggest (9th biggest according to Google) in Kansas, as the show tells us. I adore the protagonist, who is big and unapologetic. And I love that the plot is not about the fact that she’s big and unapologetic. Anyway, lots to love here.
Music
'Patty Griffin; Living With Ghosts
When I was hiking through snow to a $13 cabin (see this Croissant if you missed it), I had Patty Griffin singing “It’s a mad mission/under difficult conditions”, playing on repeat in my head. Griffin’s album “Living with Ghosts” is a unique masterpiece, in that is entirely stripped down and almost exclusively features Griffin by herself singing and playing guitar. On the heels of a divorce, Griffin recorded the tracks as demos to pitch for a record deal, but when she got that deal, Nile Rogers at A&M Records determined that the tracks were perfect as-is, and released them in their original form. In considering how and why records are great, it has been providing me with endless inspiration lately. Here’s a deeper dive into the album if you’re interested.
Books:
The Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
OK so I wanted something steamy to get me down the road on my long solo drive from Boulder back to Nashville, and my sister suggested this book, which is far outside of my usual genre choice (Literary Fiction). On the steaminess front, it’s a very slow burn, and it definitely isn’t a romance novel per se, although eventually, you get a bit of that. The first third of the story feels like The Hunger Games, the middle third feels like Twilight, and then the last third feels like Game of Thrones. It’s a wild ride! It did reawaken a long-dormant interest in fantasy for me, though, and I remembered how much fun it can be. As a result, I started watching the series Shadow and Bone on Netflix, which I’m LOVING so far.
Song:
Hamish Hawk Feat. Samantha Crain “Rest and Veneers” from the album Angel Numbers
A little bonus plug for a song I’ve been obsessed with this month! I’m a big fan of Samantha Crain, and while in Oklahoma this past month, I decided to check out her recent releases, which brought me to this song by the Scotsman Hamish Hawk on which she is heavily featured. Take a listen to this one, you will not regret:
OK Art Hoes that’s all for now! Hope you’re all enjoying your croissants this weekend!
Rachel
Somebody Somewhere is wonderful, so subtle, so beautiful, actual lols and tears.
First Big Thief and now Samantha Crain ...thanks for opening up the world of fab Indie to this 64 year old — Atlanta Americana #3 is w/ Wila Frank and her Indie album debut on Juneteenth!