Best 2024 Watches, Reads & Listens | Culture Guide #220
Okay, here’s a breakdown of the content, focusing on the cultural references adn key takeaways:
Overall Theme: This is a year-end reflection on cultural consumption – music, film, and books – with a slightly nostalgic and witty tone.
1. Music:
* Emphasis on Older Music: The author notes a tendency to gravitate towards older artists, specifically mentioning a “listening age” around the late 60s.
* Specific Artists/Albums Mentioned:
* Steely Dan: Specifically,their album Dirty Work is highlighted.
* The National: Mentioned as a band the author revisited.
* Yves Tumor: Also revisited.
* Caroline Polachek: Mentioned as a standout artist.
* boygenius: Praised for their album the record.
* PJ Harvey: Her album I Inside the Old Year Dying is noted.
* Sufjan Stevens: mentioned.
* Kara Jackson: Mentioned.
2. Film:
* “Needle Drop” Highlight: The best use of music in a film this year, according to the author, was Steely Dan’s Dirty work in One Battle After Another during a scene with a stoned character at a parent-teacher meeting. This suggests a clever and ironic use of the song.
* Othre Films Mentioned (implicitly): The reference to the “needle drop” implies the author watched One Battle After Another.
3. Books:
* Book Advice: self-Help by lorrie Moore (1985).
* Description of the Book: The book is described as a sardonic, clever short story collection that satirizes the self-help genre.It’s written in the second person and explores themes of womanhood, relationships, illness, family, and loss.
* Author’s Style: Moore is characterized as being both “snarky and profound.”
* Newsletter Plug: The author, Ella creamer, writes the Guardian’s Bookmarks newsletter, and a sign-up link is provided.
Additional Notes:
* Publication Source: the text is from The Guardian.
* Newsletter Promotion: There’s a prominent promotion for The Guide (a Guardian pop culture newsletter) embedded within the text.
* Tone: The writng is intelligent, slightly cynical, and appreciative of well-crafted art.
Let me know if you’d like me to elaborate on any specific aspect of this content!