Current Obsessions: ‘Yacht Rock: A Documentary,’ Professor Longhair, and 'The Mortician'

Things move so fast these days. It’s nice to sit down and track what you’ve been focusing on.

You know, for someone who writes so much about the things he’s enjoying in media, I’m consistently that guy who draws a blank whenever someone asks “Hey, what are you watching these days?”

In last week’s installment I even forgot to mention a major experience that captured my imagination for at least a few days. Why does this keep happening?! I truly believe we are cramming so many micro-experiences into our lives that it halts any of them from having a lasting impact. Wait… wait… wait… you reading this right now probably counts as a “micro-experience,” so I take that back!

Over at Pioneer Works, they currently have a collection of art by Daniel Johnston. And back in high school, my friend Ian Abramson and I were obsessed with The Devil and Daniel Johnston documentary, so it was nice strolling through his work. Here are some of my favorite pieces:

This post is my faulty attempt at molding the sludge of content I consume into a presentable sculpture. Things move so fast these days. It’s nice to sit down and track what you’ve been focusing on.

And this week, I’ve obsessed over…

• TV: Yacht Rock: A Documentary

  I finally got around to watching this doc and it does not disappoint. “Yacht Rock” has become such a normalized term that I never really considered how recent it actually is. It’s a music documentary, yes, but also an exploration of how history is perpetually written, re-written and revised. And, damn, that Michael McDonald can sing!

• MUSIC: Professor Longhair

  My musical deep dive this week has taken be down the path of Professor Longhair. Until this recent dive, I’d never really listened to one of his full albums. You can feel so much history in all of his songs and yet, they don’t necessarily feel old.

• TV: Pokerface (Season 2)

  Okay, I’m only one episode in, but the first episode of this season was so much fun. I really wish this series got more episodes and came on at… you know… a specific time. It’s got good USA Network/IFC Channel energy. And of all the “mystery of the week” shows out there, this one has a voice that shines more than the rest like Preacher Boy in Sinners.

• TV: The Mortician

  

  A documentary series that I don’t recommend watching while eating anything. There’s a jaw dropping moment every minute of this thing. And it reminded me of how much of the wild west California really is. It’s a dark side that few fictitious California-based projects manage to get across in full.