Hi everyone. I am still swamped, so this will probably have the feel of being more of a fly-by. Every once in a while, I’ll be listening to some video on YouTube and I’ll see something pop up in the suggestions that gets my attention. A couple months ago, a video from someone who goes by Ethel Cain was among those recommended. I gave it a listen and was hooked. Her voice sometimes gets compared to Enya. I get a Mazzy Star vibe from her work – it’s very melancholy, and seems like it would have fit in with Mazzy Star and similar artists from the early 1990s. The aesthetic from her videos has a sort of retro feel to it as well. The vehicles may often be recent, but she loves to incorporate cassette players, VHS, old-time TV sets, etc. She seems to capture the despair of living in rural America in a way that is empathic (she grew up in the rural South). She’s also used her platform to promote transgender people, which I find really cool (Ethel is transgender female). Here’s a vid:
She’s still a fairly young artist. Much of her work is self-produced, which she prefers. So there’s definitely a DIY aesthetic that is part of her vibe. If she gets a few breaks, I think she could develop into a formidable talent. If you dig Americana, give this a shot. If you dig this track, check out her other songs. If not, no worries.
Cheers.
5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suWbFPaVoEA
A different genre, but it captures the vibe of the original. Easy-going and reminiscent.
Binge watched the live action adaptation of the anime Cowboy Bebop. I usually expect the worst (the version of Death Note that dropped on Netflix a few years ago was awful). Turned out to be pretty good. It’s a different experience, which was to be expected. Fans of the original get elements of their favorite stories remixed, and the characters seem better developed in the new version. It’s set up nicely for a second season if Netflix is willing. If this is the only season we get, it ends well enough as a stand-alone limited series.