The Joy of Listing

I just love making lists and ranking stuff.

  • Celebrity couples I am obsessed with for various reasons

    1. Reason: Because of the drama surrounding the relationship and because it bothers me how much I don’t know about it

      Examples:

      * Fiona Apple + Paul Thomas Anderson
      * Sofia Coppola + Spike Jonze
      * Lena Dunham + Jack Antonoff (+ Margaret Qualley)
      * Miranda July + Mike Mills
      * Anna Marie Tendler + John Mulaney (+ Olivia Munn)
      * Selena Gomez + Justin Bieber (+ Hailey Bieber)
      * 
Elliot Page + Celebrity Mystery Woman from his memoir
      * Jason Segel + Linda Cardellini
      * Fred Armisen + Elisabeth Moss
      * Phoebe Bridgers + Paul Mescal (+ Gracie Abrams)
      * Robert Pattinson + Kristen Stewart
      * Elon Musk + Grimes
      * Vanessa Hudgens + Austin Butler (+ Kaia Gerber)
      * Ben Affleck + Both Jennifers (separately)
      * Lily Allen + David Harbour
      * Ariana Grande + Ethan Slater

    2. Reason: Because I love/like both of them and think they’re very wholesome and perfect for each other

    Examples:

    * Kirsten Dunst + Jesse Plemons
    * Melanie Lynskey + Jason Ritter
    * Robbie Hoffman + Gabby Windey
    * Rachel Bloom + Dan Gregor
    * Phoebe Waller-Bridge + Martin McDonagh
    * Sarah Michelle Gellar + Freddie Prinze Jr.
    * Andy Samberg + Joanna Newsom
    * Kathleen Hanna + Ad-Rock
    * Tom Holland + Zendaya
    * Brenda Song + Macauley Culkin
    * Dan Howell + Phil Lester
    * Nick Offerman + Megan Mulally
    * Melissa McCarthy + Ben Falcone


    3. Reason: Because I love/like both of them and am just obsessed with the fact that they were once together (but didn’t work out)

    Examples:

    * Michael Cera + Aubrey Plaza
    * Zooey Deschanel + Jason Schwartzman
    * Alexis Bledel + Milo Ventimiglia
    * Bill Hader + Ali Wong
    * Kristen Stewart + Soko
    * Fiona Apple + Jonathan Ames
    * Emma Stone + Kieran Culkin
    * Peter Krause + Lauren Graham
    * Carrie Brownstein + Corin Tucker

  • My Top 10 Favorite Sad Songs

    No Elliott Smith on this one. He will get his own list some day. Otherwise half the spots would’ve been his songs.
    I also excluded all songs that are mainly about heartbreak. They are their own thing and also deserve a list.

    1. Soko – Sweet Sound of Ignorance (2017)
    2. Aimee Mann – Save Me (1999)
    3. Badly Drawn Boy – A Minor Incidence (2002)
    4. Cat Stevens – Trouble (1970)
    5. The Smiths – Asleep (1987)
    6. Alexander feat. RZA – Truth (2010)
    7. Eels – Not Ready Yet (1996)
    8. Mac Miller – Good News (2020)
    9. Jon Brion – Song for Caden (2008)
    10. Daniel Johnston – Like A Monkey In A Zoo (1980)

    Honorable Mentions:

    Jeffrey Lewis – Anxiety Attack (2005)
    Jon Brion – Little Person (2008)
    Soko – How are you (2012)
    Kimya Dawson – Walk like Thunder (2011)
    Kimya Dawson – 12/26 (2006)
    Sia – Breathe Me (2004)
    Joanna Sternberg – This is not who I want to be (2019)
    Kendrick Lamar (feat. Beth Gibbons) – Mother I sober (2022)
    Labrinth (feat. Zendaya) – I’m Tired (2022)

    Eels’ album “Electro Shock Blues” (1998)
    John Frusciante’s album “Curtains” (2005)
    Half of Nick Drake’s and Daniel Johnston’s catalogue of music
    Also a shit ton of The Smiths and Aimee Mann

  • My favorite songs by Daniel Johnston

    Daniel Johnston has been one of my favorite artists since I was a teenager and his music gave me a lot of comfort during some of the worst times in my life.
    Today is the anniversary of his death, so I’m gonna post this list to honor him and to share his music with others.

    His music often feels inaccessible to people who don’t know it I think because a lot of it is very lo-fi and raw and a bit much. But there are countless treasures in his discography that I think a lot of people could/would appreciate if they gave it a chance.

    In addition to his music I also would like to highly recommend checking out his art and maybe watching one or both of the movies that have been made about/with him. They are really really special and great.
    The first is feature length and called “The Devil and Daniel Johnston” and the second one is a short (about 15 min) called “Hi, How Are You, Daniel Johnston?”.

    And as another added bonus I put a list of my favorite covers of Daniel Johnston songs by other artists at the end.

    1. Lazy (from Songs of Pain, 1980)

    2. Like a Monkey in the Zoo (from Songs of Pain, 1980)

    3.True Love will find you in the End (from Retired Boxer, 1984)

    4. Why, Without you (from The What of Whom, 1982)

    5. Some Things last a long Time (from 1990, 1990)

    6. Ghost of our Love (from Continued Story, 1985)

    7. Loner (from Don’t Be Scared, 1982)

    8. The Sun shines down on me (from Don’t Be Scared, 1982)

    9. Come see me tonight (from 1992 originally I think, but I know it from the My so-called Life Soundtrack, 1995)

    10. I Live my Broken Dreams (live performance at Liberty Lunch in Austin, Texas, 1985)

    Honorable Mentions:

    Despair came knocking
, My Yoke is heavy, Grievances, The Story of an Artist, Museum of Love, Tears stupid Tears, A Walk in the Wind, I had lost my Mind, Don’t be Scared, Walking the Cow, Brainwash

    BONUS:

    List of my favorite covers of Daniel Johnston Songs:

    * Speeding Motorcycle by Yo la Tengo

    (Featured on their album Fakebook)
    * Some Things last a long Time by Lana del Rey
    (featured during the Credits of Hi, How are you, Daniel Johnston?)
    * Living Life by Kathy Mccarty

    (featured during the Credits of Before Sunrise)
    *True Love will find you in the End by Beck

    * Walking the Cow by Alicia Edelweiss

    (the last two I’ve only ever seen during live shows, I don’t know if good recordings exist of them)


  • Sommer Hassliste a.k.a. warum Sommer die schlimmste Jahreszeit ist

    Bin offen für mehr Hass-Input von anderen, also teilt gern mit mir!

    • schwitzig/klebrig sein
    • stinken
    • mehrere Male am Tag duschen müssen
    • Sonnencreme benutzen müssen, die meine Haut klebrig macht
    • Gezwungen sein Kleidung zu tragen die viel von meinem Körper zeigt, auch wenn ich mich gerade unwohl fühle damit
    • mehrere Male am Tag Kleidung wechseln müssen und viel mehr Wäsche waschen bzw ständig Stress haben das nicht genug nicht verschwitzte Kleidung da ist
    • Zu früh aufwachen
    • Nicht einschlafen können wegen Hitze bzw allgemein schlechtere Schlafqualität und weniger Schlaf
    • Angewiesen sein auf Klimageräte und Ventiltoren die ständig Geräusche machen
    • An großen Teilen des Tages nicht spazieren gehen könne ohne vor Hitze zu sterben
    • Mehr Anxiety und innere Anspannung bzw. wegen Seasonal Affective Disorder (ja, das gibt’s auch im Sommer für manche Leute) generell schlechtere Mental Health
    • Katzen wollen weniger kuscheln
    • Mein junger Kater miaut viel mehr weil er draußen Abenteuer erleben will (was er nicht darf) statt in der heißen Wohnung zu sein
    • Ständige Sorge, dass die hohen Temperaturen gefährlich werden könnten für vulnerable Leute/Tiere (Behinderte, Babies/Kleinkinder, Haustiere, etc.)
    • Angst ohnmächtig zu werden bei zu schnellen Aufstehen oder Sport thanks to niedrigen Blutdruck (ist in vergangenen Sommern immer wieder mal passiert)
    • Fliegen und Insekten überall
    • Katzenfutter wird viel schneller schlecht
    • Fliegen legen Eier in Katzenfutter, wodurch man dauernd Katzenfutter wegschmeißen muss (dank neuen Fliegengittern seit kurzem kein Thema mehr zum Glück)
    • Wasserflaschen die herumstehen werden ständig warm
    • Ständige Konfrontation mit all den Dingen die Sommer erträglicher machen würden wenn man nicht arm wäre (Klimaanlagen, Pools, Reisen, Außengehege für den Kater)
    • Ständige Konfrontation mit dem eigenen und anderen Körpern und dem Vergleich dazwischen
    • Ständiges FOMO und das Gefühl etwas falsch zu machen, weil scheinbar alle anderen den Sommer “gut nützen”, Spaß haben und activities machen während man selbst hauptsächlich versucht durch den ZTag zu kommen ohne auszuzucken
    • Öffis fahren ist noch unerträglicher durch Hitze, Gestank schwitziger Menschen und gezwungenen Körperkontakt mit klebrigen stinkenden fremden
    • Mehr mentally unwell (statistisch belegt) Leute in der Öffentlichkeit die herumschreien und Konfrontation suchen
    • Ständige Konfrontation mit der Realität der Klimakrise und dass das leben auf diesem Planeten (vor allem als behinderte, nicht reiche person) zunehmend schrecklich werden wird und alles aussichtslos ist

    Fediverse Reactions

  • Archive of all the numbered Mix CDs/playlists I ever made (Part 6)

    Annas Mix 26:

    (42 min, mellow and pretty)

    

From when I was 18/19. Pretty solid mix. Lots of 10/10 songs that still mean a lot to me. Once Around the Block, Green Grass and Do you Believe are some of the most perfect songs ever made imo. 


    If you want to see one of the most heartfelt beautiful performances ever watch this version of Do You Believe:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf_HaZLZ6Gs

    Bitch, Can’t Kill My Vibe by Kendrick Lamar

    Ms by Alt-J

    Once Around the Block by Badly Drawn Boy

    Unknown Brother by The Black Keys

    Weißes Papier by Element of Crime
    
So He Won’t Break by The Black Keys

    Bitte bleib by AnnenMayKantereit

    Green Grass by Tom Waits
    
Harmony by The Avalanches
    
Do You Believe by Melanie
    
Goodbye Song by The Moldy Peaches




    Annas Mix 27
    
(40 min, a bit strange and unhinged, in a good way)

    

I really had a vision here. I still really like it but would change a few songs that don’t quite fit right.
    
Also first Deca appearance, who I would end up listening to death in the next 5-10 years. The boyfriend of my best friend back then had a really nice taste in music, especially rap and would often play Deca at her place. I am pretty sure he also introduced me to Kendrick.

    

Prnavor by Emir Kusturica & the No Smoking Orchestra
    
Mad World by Gary Jules

    Poor Jackie by Man Man
    
Bully Boys by The Tiger Lillies
    
Bad Habit by The Dresden Dolls

    My Alcoholic Friends by The Dresden Dolls

    Rabbit Habbits by Man Man
    
Charlotte Mittnacht by DeVotchka

    Was Romeo Really A Jerk by Emir Kusturica & the No Smoking Orchestra
    
Maschin by Bilderbuch

    Movement by Deca




    Annas Mix 28
:
    (21 min, depressing)
    

    Anything But The Truth by Jack Johnson

    Abused by Elliott Smith

    No Surprises by Radiohead
    
Verlorene Zeit by Fiva MC

    My Eyes by The Lumineers

    Creep (Hungover at Soundcheck in Berlin) (Radiohead Cover) by Amanda Palmer



    Annas Mix 29:
    
(28 min, a bit depressing but not too bad)

    

I have so many important memories tied to the songs on this mix. I remember listening to Damaged Goods in a flixbus to Amsterdam, while heartbroken over an unrequited crush, I remember listening to In My Mind in my moms garden on a warm night with a close friend of mine (who I’m still friends with <3) after talking about how we always end up unhappily in love with people, I remember showing this to a guy I really liked and him telling me later that he thought it was a good mix and that he listened to it again.
    In Love is btw is still the best song to describe how it feels to me to have a crush.

    

Hey by Pixies

    Doll Parts by Hole
    
In Love by The Raincoats
    
Bastard by Petsch Moser

    Liebes Tagebuch by Tocotronic

    I Was Born (A Unicorn) by The Unicorns

    Anxiety Attack by Jeffrey Lewis
    
Damaged Goods by Days N’ Daze

    In My Mind by Amanda Palmer




    Annas Mix 30
:
    (33 min, somewhat depressing and heartbroken)

    

Perfect mix. 10/10. It was the second to last mix I made fuelled by my heartbreak over a friend I was unhappily in love with from 18 to 20. That fucked me up so bad and ended up with me being a complete wreck. These days I would never do that to myself. Staying friends with someone who rejected you and who you’re still desperately and madly in love with is just torture. Especially if they toy with your emotions and always dangle the possibility in front of you that it still might happen.
    
Unrelated but still noteworthy: Not Ready Yet is one of the best songs ever and should be the official anthem of all anxious people. 



    I Don’t Wanna Die by The Unicorns
    
Not Ready Yet by Eels
    
Fake Plastic Trees (Radiohead Cover) by Amanda Palmer

    Waltz (XO) by Elliott Smith

    Not About Love (original Jon Brion version) by Fiona Apple

    Don’t You Touch Me by Soko
    
Ich mache meinen Frieden mit euch by Tocotronic
    
Alphabet by Jeffrey Lewis

    Unter Vier Augen by Waxolutionists feat. Fiva

    Fediverse Reactions

  • Ranking of my favorite comedic actresses + choosing favorite performances of theirs

    1. Kristen Wiig (SNL, Welcome to Me)
    2. Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy, Bojack Horseman)
    3. Anna Faris (Smiley Face, House Bunny)
    4. Amy Poehler (SNL, Mean Girls)
    5. Tina Fey (30 Rock, SNL)
    6. Jennifer Coolidge (Best in Show, Legally Blonde)
    7. Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords, Gravity Falls)
    8. Kaitlin Olsen (It’s Always Sunny, Hacks)
    9. Catherine O’hara (Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show)
    10. Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion)
    11. Parker Posey (Waiting for Guffman, The White Lotus S3)
    12. Jane Krakowski (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
    13. Goldie Hawn (Death Becomes Her, First Wives Club)
    14. Jane Lynch (Best in Show, Glee)
    15. Meg Stalter (Hacks, Too Much)
    Fediverse Reactions

  • Archive of all the numbered Mix CDs/playlists I ever made (Part 5)

    Annas Mix 21:

    (28 min, mostly upbeat)

    

I don’t really like this one. It was originally longer and I cut 3 songs because it was all over the place but it still feels a bit incohesive. I think it’s from the time I was around 17/18 and had to move back to my mother’s place because of a catastrophic failed shared flat situation with my best friend back then. Not a good time.



    After Hours by The Velvet Underground

    Look at Me by John Lennon

    Amazing Glow by The Pernice Brothers
    
Infiltration by Sam Phillips

    You Make Me Feel Good by The Zombies

    Take Me Out (Franz Ferdinand Cover, Live At BBC Radio One) by Scissor Sisters 

    Singing The Blues by Guy Mitchell

    Le Temps de l’Amour by Françoise Hardy

    I Wonder by Rodriguez

    I Want My Baby Back

 by Stevie Wonder


    Annas Mix 22:

    (32 min, mostly upbeat)



    Hard To Be A Girl by Adam Green

    40 Days, 40 Fights by Badly Drawn Boy
    
Wann strahlst Du by Erobique & Jacques Palminger

    Ocean of Tears by Soko
    Back From The Dead by Babyshambles

    I’m A Cuckoo by Belle and Sebastian

    We’re Going to be Friends by The White Stripes

    Speeding Motorcycle (Daniel Johnston Cover) by Yo La Tengo
    Utopian Futures by Kimya Dawson




    Annas Mix 23:
    
(32 min, mostly upbeat)



    From when I was 18. It’s getting hard to remember from when each mix is but I know that the Avalanches album Wildflower was freshly out so it must’ve been then. I remember that I had just met who would become my best friend for many years through an event my first boyfriend brought me to and Wildflower was the first of a lot really great music she recommended to me. I have never met anyone before or since with a music taste as good or as compatible with mine as hers. Also I had just started going to Metalab because I remember discovering that last song at the old lounge there.



    Left Hand Free by Alt-J

    Temporary Mood Swings by Soko

    The Noisy Eater by The Avalanches
    
Eye Know by De la Soul

    Who Loves the Sun by The Velvet Underground
    
Please Do Not Go by Violent Femmes

    The Prince’s Bed by Adam Green
    
My Heroes by Kimya Dawson
    
And Darling by Tegan & Sara

    Nothing to Prove by Geek Girls & The Doubleclicks




    Annas Mix 24:
    
(36 min, cute and pretty)

    

A lot of cute stuff but also a few songs I now cringe at a bit. I am ashamed to admit I, as a teen, have seen the Lumineers live, not once but twice!! But my soon to be best friend back then showed Flight of the Conchords to me for the first time and I was immediately a die hard fan. Such a great show and great music. Carol Brown is such a sweet beautiful song. Probably my favorite.



    What Can I say (Joey Spampinato Cover) by Yo la Tengo

    Please be Patient with me by Wilco

    Velvet Rabbit by Kimya Dawson
    
Dress Up in You by Belle and Sebastian
    
Ho Hey by The Lumineers

    St. Expedite by Grant Lee-Phillips
    
Fortunate Fool by Jack Johnson
    
I Don’t Love Anyone by Pete Doherty
    
Leggy Blonde by Flight of the Conchords
    
Musical Ladders by Adam Green
    
Carol Brown by Flight of the Conchords




    Annas Mix 25:

    (31 min, heartbroken but not exclusively sad, only female singers)

    

One of my favorite mixes I ever made. I had broken up with my boyfriend a couple of months earlier but was already heartbroken over another unrequited crush. I had just discovered Bojack Horseman and through that Courtney Barnett. Also one of my all time favorite songs that I identify with sooo strongly had just come out and blew my mind. Sweet Sound of Ignorance.
When it first came out I was already feeling like shit, so it got me especially hard. I listened to it on repeat for a long time and cried so so much.



    Nothing is Good Enough by Aimee Mann

    Ugly by Juliana Hatfield

    Fuck, Was I by Jenny Owen Youngs
    
Baby Day by Melanie

    I Heard Love is Blind by Amy Winehouse
    
Love Affair by Regina Spektor

    Passive Manipulation by The White Stripes
    
Bye bye Baby by Noname

    Avant Gardener by Courtney Barnett
    Sweet Sound of Ignorance by Soko

    Fediverse Reactions

  • Ranking of my favorite (“serious”) actresses + choosing favorite performances of theirs

    First: yes, I am in love with most of them but they are also incredibly talented and I love a lot of the movies they starred in.
    I have watched a lot of movies just because Kirsten Dunst or Christina Ricci starred in them and I honestly rarely get disappointed choosing movies to watch that way.
    I had to make the distinction of them being “serious” actresses because if I had included all my favorite comedic actresses the list would be even longer. So look forward to a sequel tomorrow.

    1. Kirsten Dunst (The Virgin Suicides, Melancholia)
    2. Christina Ricci (Buffalo ’66, Addams Family)
    3. Jodie Foster (Silence of the Lambs, Nell)
    4. Winona Ryder (Night on Earth, Heathers)
    5. Evan Rachel Wood (Kajillionaire, Pretty Persuasion)
    6. Melanie Lynskey (Heavenly Creatures, I don’t feel at home in this World anymore)
    7. Natasha Lyonne (But I’m a Cheerleader, Russian Doll)
    8. Katharine Hepburn (Bringing up Baby, The Philadelphia Story)
    9. Brittany Murphy (Girl, Interrupted, Uptown Girls)
    10. Kristen Stewart (Speak, Twilight)
    11. Jennifer Jason Leigh (Anomalisa, The Hateful Eight)
    12. Toni Collette (Muriel’s Wedding, Hereditary)
    13. Allison Janney (I Tonya, Drop Dead Gorgeous)
    14. Frances McDormand (Fargo, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
    15. Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha, 20th Century Women)
    16. Thora Birch (Ghost World, American Beauty)
    17. Laura Dern (Citizen Ruth, Enlightened)
    18. Jena Malone (United States of Leland, Donnie Darko)
    19. Lili Taylor (I Shot Andy Warhol, Arizona Dream)
    20. Patricia Clarkson


 (High Art, Six Feet Under)


      Honorable Mentions:
      Julianne Moore (Magnolia, Boogie Nights)

      Jamie Lee Curtis
 (Freaky Friday, A Fish Called Wanda)
    Fediverse Reactions

  • Archive of all the numbered Mix CDs/playlists I ever made (Part 4)

    Annas Mix 16:
    
(31 min, harmonious/comforting)

    

“Tonight I’ll be staying here with you” by Bob Dylan
    
“Lisa Says” by Lou Reed

    “The Weight” by The Band

    “Lola” by The Kinks
    
“Here She Comes Now” by The Velvet Underground

    “Seeing Other People” by Belle and Sebastian

    “Hey Jude” by The Beatles




    Annas Mix 17:

    (24 min, a bit sad)



    From when I was 18. I think this wasn’t originally no. 17. At some point in the last 10 year I wanted all my numbered mixes to be somewhat good, so I reworked some and replaced others.
I had completely forgotten about this one. I have most of my mixes also as playlists in my music library on my computer but this one was lost for some reason. But luckily I still found the physical CD somewhere. Now I have it again. \o/



    “Don’t Panic” by Coldplay

    “My Bike” by Kimya Dawson

    “One Day” (Asaf Avidan Cover) by Annenmaykantereit

    “The Past Recedes” by John Frusciante
    
“I’m Around” by John Frusciante
    
“Easy Way Out” by Elliott Smith
    
“Casket Pretty” by Noname
    
“Kiwi Maddog 20/20” by Elliott Smith





    Annas Mix 18:

    (34 min, melancholic, sweet)



    This is so beautiful!! I’ve been listening to a lot of these old mixes again for the first time in a while writing them down for these posts and different mixes give me different reactions. Sometimes I cringe a bit, often I feel really sorry for the younger versions of myself because of how deeply unhappy and hopeless I was back then.
When I listen to this one I am just filled with love and admiration for teenie Anna.



    “Wave of Mutilation” (Pixies Cover) by Grant Lee Phillips
    “Reminders of Then” by Kimya Dawson

    “Sky Blue Sky” by Wilco

    “Unattainable” by Little Joy
    
“Eleanor Put Your Boots On” by Franz Ferdinand

    “I’ll keep it with mine” by Nico

    “Care of Cell 44” (The Zombies Cover) by Elliott Smith

    “That’s The Story Of My Life” by The Velvet Underground

    “Lady Don’t Fall Backwards” by Pete Doherty

    “One Day Late” by Sam Phillips

    “These Days” (Nico Cover) by Elliott Smith



    Annas Mix 19:

    (54 min, mostly sad)


    From when I was 16. I made this one really fast without much thought because I was having a really really bad day and just needed to take a drive and listen to music that resonated with how I was feeling. So I quickly put some stuff on there and burned a CD for the drive. I don’t remember who drove me. Either my mom or one of the caregivers in the group home.
    
Btw I will defend those two songs Robert Pattinson recorded for the first Twilight Soundtrack till the day I die. I know people meme on them and he’s most likely ashamed of them, because they were all removed from streaming but I still love them!

    

“Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star

    “Take Everything” by Mazzy Star

    “I’ve been let down” by Mazzy Star

    “Northern Sky” by Nick Drake
    
“Hanging on a Star” by Nick Drake

    “Voice from the Mountain” by Nick Drake

    “Some Song” by Elliott Smith
    “Who’s gonna save my Soul” by Gnarls Barkley

    “This Time Tomorrow” by The Kinks
    
“Always See Your Face” by Love

    “Last of the English Roses” by Pete Doherty

    “Sheepskin Tearaway” by Pete Doherty

    “New Love Grows On Trees” by Pete Doherty

    “Never Think” by Robert Pattinson

    “Let Me Sign” by Robert Pattinson





    Annas Mix 20 (für Mira)

    (52 min, only rap)

    

I made this one specifically for my sister when I was 17/18. I don’t remember why. Probably because we were doing a road trip or something and I wanted to have a mix prepared that she would for sure enjoy. She’s almost 10 years older than me and I grew up listening to a lot of rap because that’s what she was listening to.



    “Liebeslied” by Absolute Beginner
    “Autos und Frauen” by Blumentopf
    
“Feier dich Selbst” by Curse
    
“Überdosis Fremdscham” by Jan Delay

    “Eimsbusch 07/11” by Freundeskreis feat. Samy Deluxe
    
“Gustav Gans” by Absolute Beginner
    
“Eye Know” by De La Soul

    “Work it Out” by Jurassic 5
    
“World of Entertainment” by Jurassic 5

    “Tread Water” by De La Soul

    “Nachtmensch” by Texta

    “Erste Schritte/Retrospektive” by Freundeskreis

    Fediverse Reactions

  • Recently released music/film/TV/etc. recommendations

    Music:

    “Girlfriend” by Grace Ives (2026)

    I got into her because she played at this years Primavera Sound. I had never heard of her and I am now a big fan. Girlfriend is her newest album, released in 2026. I think her 2nd album Janky Star from 2022 is her best but this ones a close 2nd. It’s Pop which I don’t always like but her stuff just sounds really good to me and the lyrics are very relatable. If you like Chappell Roan or Lorde you might like her too.
    My favs from Girlfriend are “Avanlanche”, “Dance with me” and “Trouble”.

    “The World Is Not Good Enough” by Sean Solomon (2026)

    Another artist I’ve just recently discovered. Apparently he’s part of multiple bands, but I had never heard of any of them.
    The album is kind of indie folk with a lo-fi vibe. Both the general vibes and the lyrics are quite depressing and emo, which I love.
    Also he said that one of his influences is Elliott Smith which always gets bonus points from me.
    If you like melancholic indie stuff like Neutral Milk Hotel or Sufjan Stevens you might like his album.
    My favorite songs are “Car crash”, “Overdose” and “Remember”.

    Film:

    “The Drama” by Kristoffer Borgli (2026)

    This movie was sooo good. Mild spoilers ahead (but only stuff you find out like 15-20 min into the movie)
    It’s about an engaged couple played by Robert Pattinson and Zendaya who, shortly before their wedding, hang out with a couple they are friends with and one of the friends want to play a game where everyone tells one really bad secret. When it’s Zendaya’s characters turn she reveals that she was a really alienated, angry teenager (relatable!) and that when she was in high school she planned to do a mass shooting but then didn’t end up going through with it. The friends and her fiance are really disturbed by the revelation and it completely changes their dynamic and makes him question their relationship during the time right before their wedding.
    Both the acting and the script are really good. 9/10!

    Show:

    D.T.F. St. Louis (2026)

    It stars almost exclusively actors I love from other shows or movies. Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), David Harbor (West End Girl lol), Linda Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks), Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under) and, in a small-ish role Peter Sarsgard (Garden State).
    The setting is that two straight married guys (Bateman and Harbor) start a really close friendship and one of them ends up dead. The death is being investigated by two detectives (one of them played by Jenkins). But that’s just the setting. The whole murder mystery set-up is really captivating but the show, at its core isn’t really about that in my opinion. It’s about how precious and important friendship can be, how lonely and desperate most people are deep down and how everything (people, relationships) isn’t as it seems when you judge it at first glance. The writing is soooo fucking good. It’s the best show I have seen in years and I watch a lot of TV. It is so good in fact that I watched it 2 and a half times within a couple of weeks after discovering it (shout-out to my friend Anna who recommended it) and honestly I could watch it a third time right now if someone asked me to. That’s how much I love it!! It both broke and healed me at the same time and it made me realize how much I crave the kind of love the two friends have with each other. I don’t remember ever having such a beautiful intimate friendship or relationship in general. 11/10

    Book(s):

    Famesick by Lena Dunham (2026)

    This is Lena Dunhams 2nd memoir and I’ve read both. This one is far superior to the first one. I read a lot memoirs written by famous women. In fact it might be my favorite genre of books. I feel like I gain a lot of knowledge from reading them and I feel connected and less alone when I read about how complex and, a lot of the time, fucked up even people that I admire are.
    This book is about letting yourself be treated like shit because you don’t value yourself both in relationships and at work, about how difficult it is to be a woman in the industry, how it feels to be chronically ill but forcing yourself to act and work like you aren’t. How the expectations are to work until you can’t anymore and how being a person, especially a woman in the public eye leads to being sucked dry of all your energy and scrutinized until you feel completely unlovable.
    I laughed and cried and related a lot. And I gained a lot of admiration for Lena Dunham. I wasn’t always a fan and it’s easy to judge her for all the controversies she had. But I honestly can’t imagine many people not liking her after reading this.
    It’s so funny and honest and incredibly well written. 10/10

    The Make-Believe by Hannah Murray (2026)

    Another memoir by a famous woman. My favorite!
    This one is written by Hannah Murray who played my favorite character in one of my favorite shows from when I was a teen: Skins. I didn’t really follow her career after that. Apparently she also played Gilly in Game of Thrones (which I never watched beyond S1 because I was so put off by all the rape scenes).
    The book is specifically about how she was lulled into joining an esoteric wellness cult in her 20s and about her having a psychotic break due to undiagnosed bipolar disorder.
    I’ve read multiple books by people who suffer from severe mental illness but her account of how it felt/feels to be bipolar and have psychotic delusions were really especially interesting to me. I’ve never heard such an honest unfiltered account about what can happen in your brain during psychosis. I feel like I gained a new sense of empathy for people who are bipolar and/or psychotic through reading this book.
    Also the whole esoteric energy healing cult thing is really interesting. My whole family is very esoteric and I always want to stay away as far as possible from all of it. Her experiences only solidified my opinion on people who present themselves as gurus trying to sell you healing and enlightenment.
    Really really interesting and well written. 9.5/10

    Stand-Up:

    Robby Hoffman: Wake Up (2025)

    This was released very late into 2025 and it’s the second comedy special of Robby Hoffman, who you might have seen on Hacks or Rooster. She’s also married to a former Bachelorette Gaby Windey.
    It’s really rare and special these days for someone to create a new comedy special that feels entirely original and not at all obnoxious or politically incorrect just for the sake of screaming how the woke left will never be able to cancel you.
    Robby Hoffman’s humor is quite edgy but in such a refreshing way that I really enjoyed it. A lot of the jokes are about growing up poor, being gay and genderqueer and about the queer community. She also pokes a lot of fun at straight people.
    She’s not trying to be sensitive AT ALL. In fact she’s a bit of an asshole but most great comedians are in my opinion.
    Would not recommend for people who are overly sensitive when it comes to humor or who don’t enjoy some edginess.
    I watched it twice already and will probably watch it again. 9/10

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