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Ben Watt is probably most notably known as being ½ of Everything But The Girl (alongside fellow legend Tracey Thorn) but I also really love his solo stuff – I’ve been really into his first solo record North Marine Drive lately. I actually started getting more into him through his Spotify playlists, which I don’t even remember how I originally came across. His Air Gap and Night Piano playlists are my favorites. He regularly updates Air Gap, and I feel like I’ve seen the playlist gain over 1k followers since I started listening to it almost nightly about a year ago. There was a period of time when I was putting Air Gap on every night at bedtime. It’s really great to put on while reading, and I usually fall asleep two or three songs in.
Aug 9, 2024
Related Recs
This Cy Twombly playlist was particularly good, I also find peace in some Monet playlists. This does also apply to other forms of media, such as authors and influencers, films etc. I watched the Substance and found a lot of European 2000s house music through those lists. I just finished Cookie Mueller’s Walking Through Clear Water in A Pool Painted Black (apologies if it’s not the exact title of the book, I’m not motivated to look it up at the moment) but her lists are full of Nico and The Velvet Underground.
If your favorite artists dont already have playlists, make them one yourself!
Apr 8, 2025
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These aren't curated playlists, they're just a collection of any new songs I discover and really like, or old songs I re-fall in love with. I then give each playlist a name that references how I feel or an event that happened that month. I was in a similar place to you a couple of years ago, but I've found doing this really helps me track my tastes and experiences every month, which I find is quite helpful in our streaming-dominated musicscape.
When I used to actually download songs, it was easy to scroll through my library and be reminded of artists I'd forgotten about or had only listened to a couple of times. I've found that with streaming its really easy to lose track of who you listen to and enjoy, so it really flattens everything and causes you to either rely on the algorithm or your go-to past artists.
As far as discovering new artists goes, there are still a few reliable sites and publications that review new albums (paste, gorilla vs. bear, pitchfork (sort of), etc.). I also like following or signing up for email newsletters (gasp!) from specific indie record labels that I enjoy. If you like several artists on the label, then chances are you'll like more, and they always notify you when something new is being released. Same goes for local venues. Check out the small stage acts coming through or various openers, even if you don't actually make it to the show. This is also a great way to get plugged into the local scene and it keeps you young, sort of.
Feb 29, 2024
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i also sometimes just let spotify do its thing while i’m working once a playlist is done and let it play all its recommended songs based on the playlist i was previously listening to
Apr 24, 2024
Top Recs from @margeaux
I first watched Badlands a couple years ago, and I remember thinking that Martin Sheen’s character was such a psychopath. I rewatched it with my boyfriend recently since he had never seen it, and yeah, I still think he’s a psychopath! But undoubtedly a very charming one! With great style! But Sissy Spacek, for me, is the true style icon of this movie. I really love all of her looks in it. They’re the embodiment of classic, girlish, polished, quirked-up Southern timelessness. I’m forever trying to replicate her navy blue shirt, tiny white shorts, white socks and penny loafers outfit!
Aug 9, 2024
Anyone close to me knows that I’m really into recording my dreams and that I love talking about it, specifically how it has done wonders for my memory. I’ve been obsessed with dream phenomena since I was a kid since I’ve always had insanely vivid dreams and can honestly separate my life into chapters based on the recurring dream I was having at the time. I was really into dream journaling when I was a teenager, and then I switched over to recording my dreams in my voice memos app during 2020, but I’ve kinda fallen off in more recent years. But every morning, I try to at least recall my dream to myself, even if just an inkling of what I thought I might’ve just dreamt. And more often than not, when I go back to bed later on that night, get in my usual sleeping position and close my eyes, I can usually remember at least the general essence of the dream I had the previous night. I think that recording my dreams has really improved my memory overall. I also just think it’s really fun and interesting, even though about 70% of my dreams are stress-inducing or consist of my deepest subconscious thoughts, insecurities and fears being thrown in my face :)
Aug 9, 2024
The longer I live in NYC, the more I realize that I am a Southern girl at my core. I’m from New Orleans, and I probably go back there at least three times a year for at least 10 days at a time – partly because my partner and immediate family still live there, partly because I just love and miss the pure unadulterated heat. I fucking love the heat, and you know what? I really love the humidity. I can face 100% humidity with no problem – it’s actually pretty nostalgic for me. I love hot summer nights where the air is completely still and you can hear cicadas. I fucking love grits and a fresh buttery biscuit. I love Spanish moss hanging off of huge oak trees with giant branches that dip down and touch the ground. Lately I’ve been really into classic country music (shoutout Ken Burns’ Country Music PBS docu-series), old American folk, Appalachian murder ballads, and Les Blank’s documentaries set in Louisiana in the early ‘70s. Spend It All is one of my favorite documentaries and I recently watched Dry Wood – I feel deeply connected to both!
Aug 9, 2024