#beautifulbend

Naively Conceptual (A Spotify Playlist) [Click HERE to listen]

Floating through the past month, sounds that came to mind are all in this one hour: Johnny Mathis singing cryptically through ideas of romance, Celia Cruz in one of her earliest recordings (an ode to Blackness recorded in Venezuela with the Orquesta Melody), Devendra Barnhart asking the moon to stay, Prince in a 7-inch edit of a 90s epic, shamanic Sheila E. moments, commentary on gatherings by the Bs, a freedom anthem by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, ELO singing “Accroche-toi à ton rêve”, life coaching from Missing Persons, Madonna’s acid manifesto of equity, the Bee Gees in a song I associate with the deep rural mountains where Dad was born, back-to-back Eurodisco cult classics from Ultimate and Beautiful Bend, the Level 42 Paradise Garage template, and proto-queer vibes from Jon & Vangelis. At a lower volume, the effect is akin to a 45 RPM-based AM station of the imagination—companion words of passion, rant, wisdom, and encouragement—as well as ingenious shimmying rhythm at a louder volume. 

I am wearing a v-neck t-shirt by Hanes and a raw denim cap by A.P.C. from their Spring/Summer 2020 runway.