Welcome to the seventy-ninth installation of The Q : your one-stop weekly newsletter of culture recommendations.
Album
SICK! by Earl Sweatshirt
Los Angeles street poet laureate Earl Sweatshirt finds peace in a crazy world around him — sacrificing experimental tendencies for something more concrete. He comes down to earth, while riding a ridiculous high of omnipotence. As his 4th studio album, SICK! is a concrete, abstract social commentary on a world past, and one currently in and approaching pandemic.
Film
The Humans directed by Stephen Karam
Stephen Karam’s The Humans is a slow descent into quiet madness — one that takes place over the course of a multi-generational Thanksgiving dinner. The Humans crawls with family secrets and repressed traumas which culminate with each seemingly innocent dinner-table conversation. Karam’s entire film, which is adapted from his Tony Award-winning play of the same name, is shot within the confines of Brigid (Beanie Feldstein) and her boyfriend Richard’s (Steven Yeun) new apartment in New York City.
Book
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The holidays are always a time when I find myself reminiscing on the past, questioning my life decisions, and indulging in media that further enables me to do so. Some of my favorite movies are based on the premise of, what if this character made different choices and lived their life differently? Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library is a novel that fits right in with my regularly scheduled holiday media.
Playlist
Alice’s “hmm” features Mazzy Star, Snail Mail, and Foxygen
Alice’s favorite track: “I Bet on Losing Dogs” by Mitski
Description: “You can practice the piano just by thinking about it.”
Podcast
Episode #74: Sprite and an Interview with seFu
On this week's episode, Sam, Teresa, and Malachi Jones interview interview seFu over a bottle of Sprite. seFu is a rapper from Houston. His most recent album, The Sword Drew Blood, was released on December 31st. seFu talks to Teresa and Sam about his influences, sports, and his approach to producing music.