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KDFC Classical California is my grandfather’s favorite radio station. It was usually wafting from my grandparents’ porch in San Francisco. The app version lists the track and composer alongside a charming slideshow of San Francisco landmarks. It feels uncharacteristically age appropriate of me to be developing a taste for classical music. I’m leaning in. Blissing out to Saint-Saëns and Beethoven is making me feel less anxious about aging and the prospect of slowing down. More porch time.
Apr 9, 2024
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Despite having interviewed over 400 women about their morning routines, I’m actually pretty terrible at them. But, waking up to classical music has been something I’ve managed to stick to (this probably has something to do with all my mothers’ Deutsche Grammophon CDs I would play while she was at work). Almost a decade ago, I discovered WQXR and it’s become one of my favorite things about New York City. If you have Sonos, you can set it up to play any radio station as an alarm, so every morning, I wake up right in time for Jeff Spurgeon’s Morning Bach and “Out-the-Door” dedications. Though he’s on vacation right now, his replacement has been dropping unintentional poetry, and it’s taken my mornings to another level. If you’re a classical music snob, don’t expect any deep cuts, since they pretty much stick to the “hits”. If you want something more elevated, NTS radio might be your best bet. I typically transition to it after lunch anyway. I've been listening to Discotan’s mixes, especially her most recent, Time Traveling in Tehrangeles, where she features some fun synthy Persian hits.
Jul 6, 2021
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I don’t listen to podcasts but it relaxes me to listen to the radio when I clean. At a very dark moment in my life, I downloaded the app Simple Radio so I could listen to Mexican stations. You know, I lived in LA and I’m familiar with the aggressively positive cocaine-infused voices of stations like La Raza, so I thought that’d be an energetic way to start my dreadfully slow mornings. But after a few days of narco corridos, I ended up finding this mysterious station from Panama that is simply called Clásica which seems to be a playlist in a loop: no shows, just tunes. A strange melange of 70’s lounge music, sexy saxophones, 1950’s classics, theremin, cheap sounding covers of 1980’s hits. All with a clumsy quality that makes it incredibly special. Listening to it makes me feel like I’m in an airport business lounge in the 90’s, and that’s a feeling I love. Also, since there’s absolutely no information about this Panameña station anywhere, I worry about it disappearing and leaving no trace, which makes it seem a bit more like a precious gem.
Oct 25, 2022
Mar 23, 2024
Top Recs from @hannah-la
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Whenever possible, I try to conduct my business in diners. The ideal backdrop for meetings, dates, fights, parent visits, co-working, break ups, meeting internet friends IRL, dining alone, disassociating after therapy, crying in public. Truly a one-size-fits-all venue
Apr 9, 2024
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They don’t want you to know that kids are a better hang than most adults. I was a nanny when I first moved to NYC and still dabble between freelance paychecks. Kids are hilarious, earnest and tell it to you straight. I’m blessed to have many kid cousins in my life. The other day I walked around the city with my teen cousin splitting wire headphones and listening to Gucci Mane. We stopped for treats twice. Perfect afternoon.
Apr 9, 2024
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Study Bunny is a productivity app for people with severe ADHD who were addicted to Neopets. It’s simply a timer that depicts a bunny studying in a tidy bedroom. If you complete your timed study session you’re rewarded with bunny coins and health points. You can then shop the Study Bunny store with your windfall and buy your hardworking bunny essential items like a cowboy hat or a bathrobe. It is what it is that I cannot accomplish mundane tasks without an anthropomorphic bunny motivating me, but I’ve never been so productive. I’m gonna take her on a shopping spree during tax season.
Apr 9, 2024