Posted on Wednesday 8th April 2020 at 12:00
Each week we’ll be sharing the alt. tickets Social Distancing Survival Guide.
The concept is simple: we choose three records, three movies, a boxset to binge and a podcast.
We all have our favourites that we always go back to, but it is always a good idea to try something new – especially right now – so be sure to keep up to date with our choices and let us know via Twitter which albums, movies, series and podcasts you recommend.
This week, Head of Marketing Kelly reveals her must see films and must hear albums!
3 records
Fugazi – 13 Songs
For those not familiar with Fugazi, they’re an American post-hardcore band who were prominent in the late 80s and early 90s. Known for their intelligent song writing, explosive live performances and lyrical prowess – the band influenced a generation of bands across many genres, including Nirvana, Jimmy Eat World, Deftones and At The Drive-In. 13 Songs is a compilation of the band’s songs from their first two EPs and includes Waiting Room with its undeniably catchy bass hook and Suggestion – a feminist anthem that rallies against the objectification of women.
Karate – Unsolved
Karate are a criminally overlooked alt-rock band from Chicago, who released what is probably my all-time favourite album. On Unsolved the indie-rockers swapped stop-start song structures and the loud-quiet dynamics of their previous albums with meandering jazz guitar lines and introspective lyrics: Unsolved is a masterclass in restraint.
Pretty Girls Make Graves – Good Health
This band is pure nostalgia for me! Influenced by the aforementioned Fugazi, Pretty Girls Make Graves played energetic post-hardcore punctuated with Andrea Zollo’s fierce vocals. They toured with the likes of Bloc Party, Death Cab For Cutie and Franz Ferdinand but unfortunately called it a day in 2007. Good Health is the band’s first studio album, a raucous journey of thrashing drums, synths and frenetic guitars that scored a solid 9.2 on its Pitchfork review.
3 movies
Drop Dead Fred
I watched this when I was definitely too young to watch it! I loved seeing Fred, played by the inimitable Rick Mayall, causing havoc as an imaginary friend of Elizabeth (played by Phoebe Cates). Underneath the poop gags and general mayhem is a poignant coming of age tale about a unique friendship.
The Cat Returns
I’m a big fan of Studio Ghibli films, and it’s hard to pinpoint just one – but as an ardent cat lover I’d be remiss to ignore The Cat Returns! This is a delightful action-adventure film about a girl who rescues a cat and finds herself embroiled in a magical feline world betrothed to a cat prince. Yep, it’s every bit as weird as it sounds. Watch for the stunning visuals and plenty of cute cats.
10 Things I Hate About You
Not your average high school rom-com, 10 Things I Hate About You is a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming Of The Shrew’ with a dose of 90s riot grrrl energy. My friend and I put on a fundraiser for Nottingham Rape Crisis Centre a couple of years ago, and screened this film after a gig by Nottingham punk band Babe Punch – I was really surprised by how well it has held up! The film references bands such as The Raincoats and Bikini Kill (who would go on to become two of my fave acts) and classic feminist book ‘The Feminine Mystique’.
1 boxset
Firefly
This show came up in conversation the other day and I was outraged that none of my colleagues had seen it before, in my humble opinion it’s the best sci-fi series OF ALL TIME. Directed by Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Cabin In The Woods), it’s described as an ‘American space Western drama’. Firefly follows the adventures of a rag tag crew onboard a spaceship, and is set 500 years in the future following a universal civil war. The show only ran for one season, so I would highly recommend you watch them all as soon as you can – and finish with follow-up film ‘Serenity.’
1 podcast
Reply All is a podcast created by Gimlet and hosted by PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman. The Guardian describes it as “a podcast about the internet that is actually an unfailingly original exploration of modern life and how to survive it” – which sums it up pretty nicely! There are so many great episodes of this so I’d really recommend listening to as many as you can, but my absolute favourite has to be ‘The Case of the Missing Hit’, which follows a man trying to track down a song he remembers vividly but cannot find any trace of.
