Need any pop culture recommendations? Recess’s weekly roundup is a new series in which our writers and editors discuss what they are listening to, reading, eating or watching in a given week. Here are this week’s entries:
Lil Tracy, “Like a Farmer”
No offense to Lil Nas X, but Lil Tracy was the first to ever do it. Country rap is here to stay, and I’m in full support. A member of the now-infamous rap collective Gothboiclique, Lil Tracy is known for bending genres with emo-inspired trap and rap songs like “Witchblades” featuring the late Lil Peep and “Rain Rain Go Away.” He has a reputation for making the music he wants to make — independent of labels and the demands of fans. It’s no surprise Tracy is at the epicenter of this innovative musical intersection. Death to genres, death to Old White Man country. – Alexandra Bateman, design editor
“The Return of the Real” by Hal Foster
What the hell happened to art? With the Modernist age being almost 100 years in the past, art now seems to occupy such a marginal position in our daily lives that the mere concept of its critical potential seems hopelessly antiquated. Fusing psychoanalysis, close-readings and a plethora of artworks from the 1960s until today, Hal Foster traces the origins of the avant-garde's development in elegant prose. He is ingenious and smooth, guaranteed to keep your head spinning with theoretical concepts from Walter Benjamin to Jacques Lacan. You will never look at art the same. – Joel Kohen, staff writer
Doja Cat, “Go to Town”
When this song came out last summer, I crowned it as an immediate summer anthem. The 23-year-old rapper blends an uplifting harmony of pop vocals with a ridiculously danceable beat in her celebration of female sexuality. Powerhouse tracks like “Go To Town” contribute to larger conversations on how gender inequality is perpetuated in the bedroom. Doja Cat addresses the pleasure gap tactfully in her optimistic reckoning with the increasingly vocal sexual expectations today’s young women are demanding. I truly think America’s youth would be sufficiently informed if this song were to be mandated in place of sex ed. So, women and men and all in between, rejoice in your newfound acceptance of your sexuality, and Go To Town already! – Miranda Gershoni, staff writer
“The Good Place” Season One
I am rewatching “The Good Place,” which is easy since it is one of the smartest and funniest shows on television. In season one, I have been looking for clues about the season’s shocking finale, but they are few and far between. The show’s original concept was brilliant, only to be topped by the new scenarios created in seasons two and three. Kristen Bell (Eleanor), Ted Danson (Michael), William Jackson Harper (Chidi), Jameela Jamil (Tahani), D’Arcy Carden (Janet), and Manny Jacinto (Jason) were all perfectly cast, giving career defining performances and complementing each other’s characters brilliantly. This show is effortlessly charming, while still managing to pose thought provoking questions about death and morality. It might be my favorite currently on the air, and I cannot recommend it enough. – Jack Rubenstein, staff writer
Weyes Blood, “Titanic Rising”
"True love is making a comeback," sings Natalie Mering on her new song "Everyday," and it's this open-hearted embrace of the sentimental that defines her fourth album as Weyes Blood, "Titanic Rising." Released early in April, the record follows suit with the tender, '70s-indebted arrangements that made up 2016's "Front Row Seat to Earth," taking her sound to an even greater magnitude. Co-produced by Foxygen's Jonathan Rado, it's certainly an early contender for the best indie album of the year. – Will Atkinson, culture editor
“SKAM”
I just discovered this binge-watch worthy show. It is a high school drama series that originated in Norway and quickly developed remakes in France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, and Spain. I can never get tired of the plot and have so much fun skipping between the different remakes to compare their styles, cast, acting, cinematography etc. Can someone please help me make this a thing so I don't only fangirl by myself anymore? – Eva Hong, campus arts editor
The Head and the Heart, “Honeybee”
Honeybee is a recent release from The Head and the Heart. Unlike their previously work that seemed to embrace a more folk sound, this song is the introduction of a new style for the band. It is all about absolute love for another person, regardless of anything else going on the world. It is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine. – Kerry Rork, staff writer
Melina's Fresh Pasta Shop
Melina's is easy to miss. Located in a small house off Chapel Hill Road, the only signifier of the restaurant's presence is a cheery awning with the pasta shop's name printed on it. Inside, there's a register, plastic tables covered with red plaid tablecloths and a small counter that separates the kitchen from the dining space. Aesthetics don't matter — food does. And, my God, Melina's has some of the best pasta I've ever eaten in my life. Try the gnocchi. You'll find yourself at Melina's every weekend. — Nina Wilder, design editor
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