My Top Five! Top 5!
CD’s, The Radio, Unread Books, Art Supplies, Chappell Roan
It's nearing the end of the year. So people are sharing their top Spotify listens. Revealing to the world that they…
listen to music?
And by doing so they encourage the platform to continue building weapons using Ai. While paying very little for art.
It’s called being efficient.
Maybe you use another streaming app? One that doesn’t give money to arms dealers, but instead also pays artists a fraction of a penny. And I’m sure does other shady stuff.
It’s called being a hero.
I am all high and mighty, and up my own ass about how I consume music.
I have no streaming service.
I use a convoluted blend of cost effective anti-big tech things. Most of it coming from the library.
My music is available on all these streaming platforms.
Please listen to it!
In the spirit of year end music lists I bestow upon you my own list. It’s a top five list of top 5 lists and not confusing.
Half of it has nothing to do with music because I actually don’t listen to a lot of music cause I’m kind of a dud.
My Top Five! Top 5!
A top five list of top five lists
THE TOP FIVE CD’S I KEEP IN MY WORK TRUCK
I have started buying random CD’s for both my car and work truck. It has lifted my spirits. Here’s the best of the best for work:
5) Beastie Boys: License to Ill
A classic. It makes the angry teenager in me want to set my work truck, and the entire corporation on fire (More so than normal). This is not my favourite Beastie Boys CD that I own.
My favourite is Hello Nasty. Which I finally just hunted down and keep in my non-work car. It’s too precious. I got Hello Nasty for Christmas the year it came out and I have fond memories of eating chocolate and reading Calvin and Hobbes while the Beastie Boys tell me how Intergalactic they are.
Fav track: "Slow and Low"
4) Marty Robbins: 16 Biggest Hits
I'm not a country music fan, but I am a grown-child that loves cowboy type things. I first heard Marty Robbins with his album “Gunfighter Ballads” which is all old timey cowboy tunes. I have not found that album, So I’ve taken this for a spin. It helps me feel like a little cowboy as I hit the dusty trails of work.
Fav track: Ribbon Of Darkness
3) Louis Armstrong’s All-Time-Greatest-Hits
Louis fucking slaps, of course you got your classic bangers. “What A Wonderful World” and “A Kiss To Build A Dream On”.
Me, I’m privy to “Mack The Knife” and Gone Fishin’” with Bing Crosby. I’ll just flip through those two songs. Singing loudly in the work truck. Gone Fishin’ is the perfect work song, cause it’s all about not working. Which not working is one of my favourite things. I don’t care about fishing though.
Fav track: Mack The Knife
2) Paul Simon: Graceland
My favourite album of all time. Hands down. On a bad day I'll just blast “You Can Call Me Al” on repeat and maybe a few listens of Graceland. On a good day. With the sun shining, I’ll listen to it in full. Sometimes staying a few extra moments in the truck to sing along and avoid working.
A few years ago my wonderful girlfriend bought me this album on cassette. And it was the best gift anyone has ever given me ever. Thanks Tracie.
Fav track: “I Know What I Know"
3) Ashanti
This album is my number one favourite album in my work truck. I bought it in an antique store in Collingwood for a dollar. It was the first CD I bought getting back into CD's. I mixed her up with Aaliyah. But this album has proven to be the tunes that get my soul fired up to go and deliver mail. It also really gave me an appreciation for female pop music. Which I dismissed as a young fool.
Fav Track: “Call”
I broke the door off my work truck the other day. A tow truck came to take it away, so I had to empty the truck of me, and all my precious CD’s What CD’s do you keep in your work truck?
TOP FIVE RADIO STATIONS
I have this little radio app I use. Radio Garden, made by some people in The Netherlands. I got it after I rid my life of streaming services. It’s great. There’s some visual adds on there. But the music, oh she never stops.
5) Toque Latino - Cali, Colombia
These are my wake up tunes. Latin vibes that I listen to on my 10 minute drive to and from work. It makes me want to dance. But I’m driving at that time so I just jiggle about.
4) Soul Radio Classics - Marseille, France
I got into Soul and Motown a few years back because I watched Murphy Brown. And The Murph loves Motown. For a bit there I had Tidal (my first foray into not using Spotify) I liked it better. But still. Fuck it. I fed myself infinite playlists of Soul and Motown music. Now I just let the radio pros handle it.
3) Alpha Boys School Radio - Kingston, Jamaica
This would be number 1. If there weren’t two others ahead of it. This station is a school station in Jamaica that plays great reggae. They are constantly advertising the school and it really makes me want to move to Jamaica to become a reggae artist. But no. The world does not need another white guy with dreads offensively faking an accent.
2) FIP Radio Hip hop - Paris, France
This station I feel is curated for me. It plays all the levels of indie hip hop I love with a mix of the main stream. Each track is connected to the next. Whether it’s similar lyrics and beats using the same sample source.
1) JAZZ FM 91 - Toronto, Canada
This I actually listen to this on a real radio. In the kitchen. Tracie pops this on around Christmas. Sometimes we leave the radio on when we leave the house for the cat so she can be a Jazz cat. We really started listening more a few years back. I used to listen to the CBC, but everything at that time was about Trump. So we switched to Jazz. I did try to come back to CBC, cause I like the fluffy stuff. But I was just so aggravated at how poorly CBC covered the postal strike that I just couldn’t ever get back into it.
Fav show: Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey
I really love having access to all these stations. Super anti-algorithm and most of the time I don’t even get to find out what track or artist is playing. It’s ephemeral and mysterious.
What’s your favourite radio station?
THE TOP FIVE LIBRARY BOOKS I DIDN’T FINISH THIS YEAR
I read about 20-35 books a year depending. This year was a record for me. (A record of how many books I didn’t read) I decided to give up on a lot of the books. I just wasn’t able to find the ones that kept me going. And something I love about the library is they aren’t mine. So If I don’t like it, I can send it back. Debbie, who I used to work with at the library once said “Life’s to short to waste on bad books” Or something like that. Or maybe someone else said that. Maybe no one said it. Maybe it was a ghost.
5) All Fours by Miranda July
I have been trying to get into reading fiction. But For some reason it’s just so hard for me. I can muscle my way through a lot of non-fiction books because I can at least tell myself I’m learning something. All Fours, I was actually into for the first little bit. But then I was like “where is this going?” Then I was like “I don’t think I care where this is going” so I dropped it. It’s about a kinda wealthyish women who redecorates a motel room and creeps on some young guy. Or at least that’s what I got out of it. I’m sure there’s more to it. But I’ll never know.
I made it 1/3 of the way through.
4) Slow Horses by Mick Herron
I loved the show Slow Horses so I picked up the first book. And it was really good. But I honestly only read a few pages when I realized the show did a good job using the source material and so the book lacked any surprise for me. It’s all about down and out British spy stuff. Which I dig. But the book doesn’t have Gary Oldman.
I dropped it after 5 pages.
3) World Ending Fire by Wendell Berry
I’m a big Wendell Berry Fan. He’s got a slow country poetic tone to his writing. Jayber Crow is one of my favourite books of his. The essays in this book are great. But, as you read a few, you really get the jist. He loves the slow pace farm/country life and believes in god a bunch. And hey, that’s fine. I just don’t want 10 long essays about that. One is fine.
I made it ¾ of the way through.
2) Cuba by Ada Ferrer
I read “One Day In December” about Celia Sánchez and the Cuban Revolution, a few years back. I loved that book. Great read about someone I new nothing about. About a revolution I knew little about. So I figured I’d read more on Cuban history. The book Cuba is dense with info and honestly filled with great stuff. I was enjoying it. plugging along. But one day I looked at how far I’d gotten in this big book and realized, I had awhile to go on it. So I just bailed. I might come back to it.
I made it 1/5th of the way through.
1) Tove Jansson: Live Art Words by Boel Weston
This book is really good. If you don’t know Tove, you might have seen some of her Moomin Drawings throughout your life. The cover for this book. I used as inspiration for the poster for my Fringe show Men Love Horsies: The Musical. I dropped this book for no reason other than I was getting busy in my life and it was overdue. I have recently picked it back up. So I have another 3 weeks to get it done.
I made it ¾ of the way through.
What books didn’t you finish this year?
TOP FIVE ART SUPPLIES
I love drawing comics. I went to school for animation, I worked in an art supply store for years and although my drawing skills are sub-par, I love being silly and doodling.
Currently I get many of my supplies from Mixed Media
Sometimes to get the sweet Japanese stuff I like, I gotta source from online. But never. Not ever from Amazon. I’ll pay more to get less, if it means avoiding that modern hell.
5) Blackwing 602 Pencil
I actually use this pencil a lot. I just didn’t want to at first. I thought “it’s just a pencil”. I used to use a Staetler Mars Lumograph HB 2 pencil to doodle. And sure in my younger years I’ve experimented with Ko-i-Noor Hardtmuth Progresso’s. I’d seen these Blackwing Pencil’s around for a while. They are kind of expensive and a little hoity-toity. I assumed not worth it. But dammit. I’m hooked. Blackwing just flows and feels right. Fun to noodle with. It’s on this list because last winter I was drawing a lot. And after getting busy doing live performance’s over the summer and fall, I haven’t had the sit down time to draw. So this is really just a reminder to myself to draw more. Cause I like it.
4) Staetler Non-photoblue
I have been trying so hard to find a non-photo blue pencil that erases with ease and doesn’t just keep breaking every time I use it. I learned about these by reading some Lynda Barry. They are so far the best. If you don’t know the purpose of these pencils. I use them to draw before I ink over top of the blue pencil. So that when I scan the work to digital, I can easily get rid of the blue lines underneath. Leaving a nice black ink comic. I learned about this process in animation school years ago.
3) Tachikawa Dip Pen
The Japanese are masters of art supplies. I have two versions of this brand. The first one I bought is all wood and was great. It beat out the plastic dip pen holders made by silly westerners. I decided to buy another version because its taller, has a little gripper and I saw artists I like using them. I fawn over art supplies. This pen has proven to be perfect.
2) Winsor & Newton Watercolour set
I lack any skills in watercolour. But it is one of my favourite styles in which comics can be coloured. Sure landscape watercolours are neat. But I just love how a great a master can colour their comics with them. I am not one of those masters. I do not understand colour theory. But I know how to make a mess. And so When I muster up the courage. I get in there and really have a fun time doing a bad job. I know I’ll get better the more I do it. But it scares me.
1) Escoda #4 Prado Brush
This is my most used and favourite brush, its the perfect size for most of my work. It can do bigger washes and do some finer work as well. I find it’s the brush I gravitate to the most. I mainly use it to do an ink wash on comics I submit to the New Yorker. But after a bunch of rejections I haven’t submitted in a while. I intend to get back into the habit. Cause I just really, really want a comic in there. But hey, I intend to do a lot of things.
What’s your favourite art supply?
TOP FIVE SONGS FROM CHAPPELL ROAN’S THE RISE AND FALL OF A MIDWEST PRINCESS
This is probably the best album anyone will ever make. From top to bottom. This actually, I think beats out Paul Simon’s Graceland. Depending on the day.
I had heard pink Pony Club and liked it. But I was so anti-modern pop. I was like “okay, lets see what else she’s got.” So I downloaded the album from Hoopla, like the good little library supporter I am. Popped a head phone in my ear (I only use one headphone) and listened to the album while I worked.
This album has changed my life. It has made me appreciate modern pop and always puts me in a good mood. What I took from this album was just an emotional range and rage. I love it. This album is about a longing unknown. A girl becoming a woman. Moving and finding who you really are. Or that’s some of what I got from it. Words cannot express my joy for this album. There’s just something there I can’t figure out.
It inspired my solo-show this past summer and I would have Lexi (my fantastic tech) play the album as people would come in before the show. I requested she not play Pink Pony Club though. I saved that for end of show.
5) Red Wine Supernova
4) Naked In Manahatten
3) Casual
2) Pink Pony Club
1) Femininomenon
What’s your favourite Chappell Roan Song?
Top Secret Sauce
I value your readership immensely. I’ve received some very nice messages and e-mails about this newsletter. (please keep reaching out!)
So, as a thank you.
My gift to you is a link to this folder. This month you will find a short track I made about eating the rich.
Next month you may find something else.
It has the potential to self destruct.
Until then you can download it secretly,
Here: Secret Folder
As is tradition, Here are all the upcoming shows I’m doing.
The Spirit of Christmas
Friday Dec 12th - 8:00pm (SOLD OUT)
Saturday December 13th 4:00pm (Tickets Running Low)
Nab them last tickets HERE!
Mockery of the Movies - Die Hard
Thurs, December 18, 8pm
I’m jumping back into Improv for this, and it’s been awhile. But I’m excited to be a guest. I just saw Die Hard for the first time last year and wasn’t really paying attention.
SF Sketchfest
Feb 1st & 2nd
I’m fucking stoked! For this! I was invited to bring a 20 minute version of my Men Love Horsies: The Musical to Francisco Sketch fest. SF Sketchfest is like the Mecca of sketch comedy so I’m happy. I’m doing two nights of the show then I’m going to finally see the ocean, go look at that bridge, Alcatraz, watch the movie “The Rock” in my hotel room and maybe I’ll see the house from “Full House” but also I never did like that show.
What’s your top five top five?
Thanks for reading!
Devin
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