Welcome back, it's time for episode 3 and we have a lot to say this week! Jana monologues on her regrets over letting the internet decide what she thinks about new art, often times even before it's out, or she's had a chance to listen. These are weird times when a hot take from Reddit can sour a whole listening experience. There's some Hamnet discussion (we split our decisions on it)...and does response to art depend on the mood you're in when you take it in? So many questions. We need a drink. --- This week's drink: CORNER MINIMART 2oz vodka1oz heavy cream.5oz demerara syrup (simple ok, 1oz Bailey’s also ok)Coffee jelly cubes Coffee Jelly Recipe Add .25cup Mr. Black and only 1.75cups coffee.Chop ‘em into cute little cubes. Alex's notes: Traditional White Russians are stirred. In order to serve this drink without ice, though, we’re shaking it. Pour it rights over a rocks glass filled with some of the diced coffee jelly, and that’s it. When I first moved across the country to Phoenix, I went through this phase where I felt completely panic-stricken and unable to go outside. The practicalities of evolving past my hometown in rural Connecticut felt really difficult, the culture felt really different, and it was hard for me at that point in my life to do normal things while feeling perceived or like people thought I was being weird. The lyrics of Gracie’s song really reminded me of that moment in my life. I broke through that, bit by bit, by taking little excursions into the city that felt safe and contained. One of the first places I found was a Japanese minimart that sold – alongside other desserts, kohi zeri, which is coffee jelly in sweetened cream. It was basically the only thing I could afford from there as a little treat at that time in my life, so I got that $3 coffee jelly container once a week for like a year. I scoured the internet, and while this dessert is a Japanese classic, I’ve seen nobody turn it into a cocktail. Which is weird, because the base ingredients, minus vodka, are identical to a White Russian. Anyhow, I’m here to make that connection for everybody. -------- This week's slate of songs is so fun! First up is "Corner Minibar" by Gracie Abrams. This is off her brand new record Daughter From Hell. Jana is having weird feelings because, as you heard in the monologue, she's not digging this record as much a the last Gracie album. Discussion continues about nepo kids and whether famous and successful people have to try harder to write meaningful lyrics. We also discuss online critique culture at large, which is often dismissive of women at best and outright misogynistic at worst. Jana is a fan of Gracie's unique voice, and thinks she fits in really well in a singer-songwriter world, and maybe the fight on where to land this record - pop hit land, or moody folk, made it land a little less in general. While we talk so much about the topics around the song, "Corner Minibar" is a cute 2 minute jam. Give Gracie a chance (Jana loves The Secret of Us record!) Next up is Fiona Apple, who can do no wrong in our books. "Horns of a Bull", which is a theme to the new Apple series "Lucky." The poetic language that feels deep and smart and moving without being trite or preachy...pure Fiona. Alex gives us a quick tutorial on the Sword of Damacles. Listen for Fiona's "RAAAHH!" at the end of the word "torreador." Phew. The way Fiona sings - a mixture of anger and anxiety - never lets us down (and we give Alanis her props too, probably the two women who can channel rage in their vocals the best). Production-wise, everything is strong here, great drums, great tempo change. Go listen. Last up, we go to nostalgia land with Michelle Branch and The New Radicals re-record of "The Game of Love." We are so here for a Branch resurgence. We talk the history of this song as a duet with Carlos Santana and his huge Supernatural record. Gregg Alexander from The New Radicals wrote this song, and now duets on it. It's a perfect vocal collab. Alex gives us the historical lore of Tina Turner and Macy Gray recording this song first, neither of which passed muster with Clive Davis. In walks 19-year-old Michelle Branch who tries a first pass and nails it immediately. And it was off to the races for Michelle (and she won a Grammy!). Production-wise, there's a lot in the middle range here and we decide maybe we miss Santana's guitar as a counter to Michelle's vocals. Lots of synths replace it, and perhaps it's just a lot living in the same frequency spectrum range. The song is also just full on the whole time, with no break, and it's a little fatiguing in a 4 minute track. That's all tiny stuff...overall, we love the throwback, we love the re-imagining, and we love that Michelle Branch is releasing music and touring again. ---- Alex's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerboying TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowerboying Alex's Substack: https://alexanderdaoust.substack.com Jana's links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janapochop Website: http://www.janapochop.com Jana's Substack: https://janapochop.substack.com
