My first full month in quarantine was sweetly strange. I had bad mental health days and I had good ones; I felt motivated and I felt defeated; I baked, I wrote, I played with makeup, I bought a guitar, I dropped cake off at my grandma’s house, I celebrated a birthday on a Zoom call… and underneath all of it I knew that, while it can be difficult to know the world is different now, there is a warmth in the midst of it. Most of the time, I try to focus on that, even if it means allowing other feelings to exist with it, too.
Here are some of the more media-based things I got to enjoy this month.
Music
- “BETTERMAN” by Dan D’Lion. This song is so inventive, infectious, and just plain good. I love the sudden octave change at the pre-chorus, and all he does with his voice. Listened to this and only this for an entire Saturday and did not get tired of it; still have yet to.
- “The Last Thing” by Sawyer. Catchy, smart, and bittersweetly honest.
- “Common Sense” by Joshua Bassett. You know I have to shout out this kid for his debut single. He did all the work on this song and it shows; it feels like a heartfelt tune someone would write in their bedroom on a summer evening. The video is breathtaking.
- Zach Winters’ “Love Is A Garden” album. He’s a master of gentle, homey, folksy pieces. His musicianship and his voice make it feel like he’s sitting down at a campfire in the middle of the woods with you, about to tell you a story that might speak into you. Every album he releases has a special place in my heart; the longer you listen, the more the lyrics become friends. I’m looking forward to making friends with these newer songs, albeit a bit late (the album released in October). My favorite right now is “To The Well.” I also like “Hold Me (January Drifts)” “They Say Enough” and “How Long.” I like that he includes short instrumental tracks, too, such as “Visiting Old Friends” and “Kiln.”
- “The Power of Love” by Celine Dion. But really. Ain’t nothing wrong with this classic.
- “Black Ivy” by Jon Santana ft. James Droll. Such a solid slow(ish)jam. James’ voice adds a beautiful, somber tone to everything he does.
- “Level of Concern” by Twenty One Pilots. So catchy and good! I can’t sit still to it, I have to move. Of course these guys would bring a little heartwarming fun to a pandemic. Watch the video, too!
- Lennon Stella’s “Three. Two. One.” album. Her voice, both vocally and in writing, is so unique and special. I’m very excited to have a full length from her. It has a lot of 80s vibes and a bit of dreaminess on a few stripped back tracks. My favorites from it are “Fear of Being Alone” “Older Than I Am” “Weakness (Huey Lewis) (ft. Maisy Stella)” and “Goodnight.”
- “Upside Down” by Mondo Cozmo. A jam. His voice is unique and cool, and every bit of musicality in this just makes me want to get up and thrash around and yell (I’m fine).
- “Inside Friend” by Leon Bridges ft. John Mayer. This is a slowjam, ladies and gents. It makes me feel like I’m in the clouds. John produced it, too!
- “So Real” by Jeff Buckley. He’s become one of my absolute favorites and a big musical inspiration to me. I listen to his album so often.
- “tangerine” by Day Bit. He just writes hits, I’ve been loving what he’s shared lately! Modern electronic indie pop goodness.
- “You’re Too Precious” by James Blake. These are classic James vibes.
If you want all of this music in one place, I have a playlist! Scroll to the bottom for the newest additions.
Movies/YouTube/TV
- Director Rian Johnson Breaks Down a Scene from “Knives Out.” I live for stuff like this, y’all. Behind the scenes insights on the craft of filmmaking pump me up. And Knives Out was so great, of course I want to know more about it!
- Gifted. Not what I expected, but so good. The characters are believably human, portrayed wonderfully by the whole cast. Learning more about Frank as the story goes on is interesting; we like him, we’re annoyed by him, we’re impressed by him, we’re mad at him, we root for him, we cry out for him to make good choices, and we end up kind of in awe of him. I like that he isn’t a one-sided hero or a saint. We see how possible it is for someone to be good-hearted, to make personal sacrifices, to have a lot of love, and to be incredibly thoughtful, while also being flawed and uncertain every step of the way. Mary knows him, very thoroughly, and she loves him. He loves her, too, in word and deed. And that’s what stood out throughout the trials they faced. Chris Evans and Mckenna Grace both do such a beautiful job of communicating that bond to us. The arc about her being gifted, ironically, was something I did not know about the film going into it, but it was very engaging and didn’t feel overbearing to the true point of the story. The slow unveiling of what happened to her mother, why Frank has been her guardian all this time, and what the real motivations of her grandmother were had twists that surprised me multiple times. The whole film is just very thoughtfully written; it doesn’t waste time on anything that doesn’t add to the characters or the story. I walked away from it cheering and touched.
- Tangled The Series. Disney+ has the first two seasons, and let me tell you: I got invested. I am so looking forward to when they add season three to their catalogue! The animation is lovely, the characters are adorable, and the mystical fantasy storyline gets super gripping. Rapunzel and Eugene are also the most realistic and sweet example of adult dating I’ve seen in media.
- Joshua Bassett’s interview with BUILD about his first single. I’m always struck by how eloquently he explains his thoughts and feelings on any subject. This was a good conversation I enjoyed sitting in on.
- This super informative video covering some basics about what makes cosmetics cruelty-free. When I found out Wet-n-Wild wasn’t cruelty free anymore I was so disappointed (still mourning my favorite highlighter), as well as a little confused. I did a lot of research on it before finding this video, and she explains things so clearly, not only about the situation with that particular company but also about what constitutes “cruelty-free” in the first place. If this could help you on your journey in more ethical consumption, I definitely recommend!
- Shakey Graves‘ “Hello Gorgeous” documentary. He is such an inspiration to me musically, and this film he put together with his friends and band mates about his story only increased that.
- Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. My 2004 dreams. Lola is essentially modern teen Anne Shirley and I love it. Sam is 1000% crush-worthy (and this was the actor’s last movie and now he’s a doctoral candidate whom I follow on Instagram). The wardrobe is so much fun. And a ZOEgirl song plays at the party. What else do you want?
- Onward. This had no business being so sweet and sincere! I loved it so much. The magic is fun, the characters are so likable and special, the story is heartwrenching in the most positive way, and the tears flowed from me at the climatic realization. Absolutely wonderful.
- High School Musical 3: Senior Year. My best friend and I dragged our families to see this in theaters when we were fourteen, but I hadn’t seen it since, so I was due for a rewatch. I love the East High world. I still really like Troy, but I kind of don’t think Gabriella is the best for him anymore? However, I can still enjoy their story. Growing up and reassessing the relationships you admired as a teen is weird, isn’t it?
- Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure. I didn’t think I’d seen it but about 40 minutes in I realized I had, oops. Super cheesy and doesn’t completely align with how HSM3 ended, but still cute.
- Little Women (2019). So delightful, and somber at the same time, in the best way. The jumps to and from different periods of time can be a little confusing if you don’t already know the story, but every scene is so well done by the wonderful, varied cast, and meets you where you are; it feels relatable and honest, even if you haven’t had the same experiences. Jo’s “I’m sick of it” speech is incredible. I think this might be a new go-to comfort movie for me.
- Also watched the 1994 Little Women film. Christian Bale is a marginally better Laurie but I can’t explain why. Both movies are great.
- Kitchen Covers with Drew Holcomb (often featuring Ellie!). They always make great song choices and are so fun to watch. My favorite might be their cover of “That’s What I Like” because Ellie sings literal hymns and then this, and I aspire to that level of confidence.
- Prom. I don’t know why this is my go-to kind of movie but it so is. I had a blast and got invested. I like that there were a couple of different storylines to follow. I stan Jesse. Shout out to sweet, innocent high school movies.
- The Melody League interview with Colony House. Such a well thought out conversation, with some fun moments thrown in. Love these boys.
- The Mandalorian. My family watched it together so we took it a little slow, but I enjoyed it so much! If you care about Star Wars or if you don’t, this is a great series about misfits coming together and caring for each other, and about the growth of someone who can’t suppress their sense of what is right.
Books/Blogs/Articles
- “That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief” on Harvard Business Review. This interview with David Kessler, the co-author of On Grief & Grieving, was a hug for me. Yes, I have experienced grief due to COVID-19. No, I am not alone in that.
- You can keep up with my book progress on Goodreads if you’d like! I’ve been reading, but I didn’t finish a book this month.
Also Worth Mentioning
- Coloring pages. A few artists I love have released their own (such as furrylittlepeach, Cheyenne Barton, and Draft & Ink), and TWLOHA has some great ones, too.
- Cake. I bake this carrot cake every Easter and it’s one of the highlights of the entire spring, honestly.
- Sheer Matte Liquid Lipstick from e.l.f. I’m learning liquid lipstick might be my favorite? It wears so nicely.
What fed you this month?
Tessa Maye 