Issue No. 78 | 3 August 2021 | 'Sippy Cup'
Bude, Britney, a bonkers album and more...
A moist greeting.
Well, it’s been quite the wet old week, hasn’t it? We spent a few days in north Cornwall (more on that later) and very nearly got blown off the top of the county’s highest hill and then proceeded to get utterly drowned on our return to not-so-glorious Bristol.
Fortunately though, with the return of the Olympics and Love Island (granted, Alex isn’t quite so thrilled about this), we are more than happy to dodge the rain, #stayhome, #savelives and #protectourbankbalances.
What have you been enjoying lately? Any podcasts, TV shows or books been keeping you company? Hit reply to this email or comment at the bottom of the Substack post, because we’re definitely in the market for phresh material – just as soon as Love Island finishes and Teddy and Faye are crowned the rightful winners, amirite. Alex and Freya
What Freya has been up to this week: Had a slightly beige week of reading. Felt somewhat disappointed by Maggie O’Farrell’s overhyped Hamnet, repulsed by the hideous men in DH Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover and rather bored by Chris Power’s short story collection Mothers. In more positive news, however, Freya is now a fully qualified commentator for artistic gymnastics, synchronised diving, women’s weightlifting and dancing horses.
What Alex has been up to this week: Still chipping away at (and thoroughly enjoying) Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Bought more gig tickets, this time to see Horsey (new album featured below!) and Yves Tumour. September is going to be busy.
AN ALBUM…
Horsey – Debonair
Already adored by film director Edgar Wright, Horsey are the latest London band to add themselves to the ever-growing list of fresh homegrown talent. (Who says Brexit was a bad thing? (joke)).
And just like fellow UK bands Black Country, New Road, black midi and Squid, Horsey have managed to carve out their own sonic USP with their thrilling (and quite kitsch in places) brand of bombastic rock and vaudeville-style pop in this, their debut album.
Not afraid to shift musical styles in the blink of an eye, Debonair showcases the band’s ability to throw differing styles into the mix. There’s frenetic jazz pop rock in the album opener ‘Sippy Cup’, grunge-fused blues in ‘Everyone’s Tongue’ (after all the bassist is King Krule’s brother) and Blackpool-dreariness-meets-punk in ‘Clown’.
Leading the charge is the charismatic vocals of Jacob Read, whose voice is as much beguiling as it is dulcet while either screaming/crooning surrealist lyrics about shitting on croissants or elephant moss.
To some ears, the eccentricity of this record might be sightly jarring, but there’s no denying that there’s a certain freeness that pervades throughout, which makes it a proper thrill ride from start to finish. It’s just up to you whether you want to buy a ticket. Alex
Standout tracks: Sippy Cup, Arms and Legs, Lagoon
Sounds like: If Queen were a youthful indie band from 2021 (with a lot more angst)
A PODCAST…
ICYMI Podcast: Is BYU Virginity Club Real? An ICYMI Investigation
Slate’s ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) podcast investigates all things online, with two leading Slate culture journalists at the helm. In this episode, they look into the strange phenomenon of university virginity clubs on Instagram, namely the bizarrely successful (32k followers successful) Brigham Young Virginity Club, which has gone viral with its hot Christian takes on the ‘butthole loophole’, Lil Nas X’s ‘Montero’ video and Hot Girl Summer.
The hosts explore whether these accounts are real or parody, tracking down the creator of the BYU Virginity Club. It’s a thoroughly entertaining listen. Freya
A TRIP…
Bude, Cornwall
Right at the top of Cornwall, eminently visitable from the southwest (or further if you fancy the drive), Bude was our destination of choice this past week.
While we weren’t completely enamoured by the town (very touristy, but hey, it’s Cornwall), it was the perfect place to set up base and explore the surrounding area by car.
Oh, and the weather was mostly shit.
Favourite restaurant: Temple (East London on sea, with a banging tasting menu)
Favourite pub: The Barrel At Bude (no phones allowed though)
Possibly our favourite part of the trip was visiting Hartland Quay, where you can hike along the breathtaking coastal path to Speke’s Mill Mouth Waterfall and, if you’re feeling brave enough, take a dip underneath the icy spew.
We promise it wasn’t that cold.
Braving the aftermath of Storm Evert, we got our hike on, and climbed Rough Tor and the unfortunately named Brown Willy, the latter of which is the highest point in the whole of Cornwall.
Alex also shat himself because there were signs warning not to disturb the adders. But we’re still here to tell the tale, so that’s a relief.
If you’re a literary nerd (enter Freya, stage left), then you must visit Jamaica Inn, the 18th-century smugglers haunt made famous by author Daphne du Maurier in her 1936 novel of the same name.
There was a groovy museum where we learned all about the Cornish smugglers from ages past and looked at many an item with various holes within them used for storing contraband.
There’s plenty more to do, not least Tintagel Castle, which you’ll need to be more organised than us and book in advance. Plus, it goes without saying, the option’s always there to nestle into some Cornish pubs with a book and a pint.
Feel free to hit us up with more recommendations if you need them! Alex and Freya
A POEM…
Nice that, innit? Written by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, a Beat poet who died earlier this year at the age of 101. You can check out one of his poetry collections here.
A FEW ARTICLES…
Silver Linings: the Unexpected Beauty of Covid Hair by Rebecca Mead for The New Yorker
The pandemic provided many with the opportunity to finally grow out their greys and wave goodbye to those wretched box dyes. These photographs by Elinor Carucci show women with their grown-out roots as we emerge from the best part of a year’s lockdown hair growth. ‘There’s something vulnerable about watching yourself age in real time,’ says Devery Doleman, who was one of the women who ended her relationship with professional colouring. Previously, her identity was wrapped up in her specially mixed fiery red hair. Now she has entered a new phase of life… Freya
Britney Spears’s Conservatorship Nightmare by Ronan Farrow and Jia Tolentino for The New Yorker
If you’re not completely bored of the whole #FreeBritney narrative (Radio 4’s terrible podcast with Pandora Sykes really finished me off), this is the piece to read. Ronan Farrow and Jia Tolentino are two of the brightest lights at The New Yorker, with Farrow having previously investigated the reports against Harvey Weinstein and subsequently releasing Catch and Kill about the experience, and Tolentino boggling millennial minds the world over with her 2019 essay collection Trick Mirror.
This piece is a blistering take on Britney’s treatment, released just days after the court hearing in which Britney publicly requested to terminate the conservatorship which has held her hostage for the best part of her life. Freya
Pornhub project to bring classic artworks to life provokes ire of leading museums by Nick Squires for The Telegraph
This is a wacky one. Pornhub has launched a new initiative called 'Classic Nudes’ to bring celebrated artworks to life, with its porn stars stepping in to replace the painted figures. It believes the wider public sees museums as stuffy and inaccessible, and wants to change the way we view fine art and the nude form.
Inevitably, museums and art galleries have clutched their pearls a little too tightly and are really not taking the project in the spirit it was intended. ‘The use of all this content is totally illegal and has been done without permission,’ says a spokesman for the Uffizi Galleries in Florence. The Louvre has agreed that this isn’t the kind of ‘free publicity’ they appreciate. So much for the sexual freedoms of Europe, eh. Lighten up a bit, lads. Freya
Musicians Rae Morris and Ben Garrett’s 1960s Primrose Hill house
Inspired by modernist Californian architecture, Morris and Garrett’s home is referred to in this piece on The Modern House as having a ‘Kubrick-like glow’, which is a sublime – and perfectly judged – reference point. The mustard hues, woody textures and lack of clutter definitely have something of The Shining going on.
St Pancras Clocktower Apartment
This is a borderline ridiculous gothic treat for you, and it can be yours today for just £4.6 million. The design choices are wide-ranging and occasionally chaotic, but you can’t deny the ceiling height, wide window frames and salvaged timber kitchen aren’t an enormous turn on.
Wax London has a sale on. Alex wants this striped t-shirt. (And everything else).
Freya wants every single fabulously printed thing from Sindiso Khumalo. In particular, this dress. Look at that power frill.
The Olympics truly do provide the best content.
Some bars are still using ordering apps. WHY DAMMIT WHY.
Well done Lufthansa.
Every year, Pantone Colour Institute names a ‘Colour of the Year’.
Table tennis truly is the best sport.