The Silver Lining: Volume 29
Musings on living the good life: food, culture, art, and products designed to inspire. Top picks from me to you on Thursdays.
Top Tracks
Artist: Fellini Félin
Why I picked it: Originally from Bordeaux, France, Fellini Félin is an alternative rock multi-instrumentalist and house producer. “On the Way Home” is aptly titled — its the kind of track you throw on for your drive home after a great business meeting, successful first date, or some other exciting new-chapter-door-opening moment you’re stoked on and, in that exact instance, anything seems possible.
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Artist: Sacha Rudy
Why I picked it: I’d never heard of Sacha Rudy, and there’s a pretty good chance you haven’t either. The dude has just 3,000 Instagram followers and 800 Spotify followers. This is ground floor artist discover, fam! Vanity metrics aside, there’s a mellow Gorillaz vibe to this track that I’m really digging right now.
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Artist: Otto
Why I picked it: I love the percussion on this remixed track from Otto, the Brazilian singer-songwriter and drummer. And, more specifically, if I owned a lounge, this song would be playing during Apertivo, which is a topic for an entire dedicated issue of TSL. One day…
If this one speaks to you — check out the 29 track double album from Otto circa 200 this was found on. I’m digging into it now and I’m glad I did.
Artist Date
Art is back in New York — at least with timed ticket entry and limited crowds. And it struck me, on two occasions in the last few weeks, just how much joy and power an ‘Artist Date’ can have on us as human beings, especially in the times we’re living now.
The New Yorker piece from Peter Schjeldahl detailing his return to Storm King captures it beautifully:
In lockdown times, there’s euphoria in going much of anywhere, not to speak of a journey to a tract of paradise. You could say that I was primed for giddiness on this occasion. I noticed unaccustomed intensity in my responses to the art works that I encountered, taking them in like gulps of air after escaping a miasma. It was a gift of refreshed aesthetic innocence, which I think awaits us all when we are set free in even non-curated environs—I’ve been feeling apologetic to certain trees, near my home, for my past indifference to their beauty—and a lesson in joys that we used to take for granted.
I also absolutely loved this photo captured by the Met when they opened their doors two weeks back. Humans reconnecting to the grounding power of the arts. A sight to behold:
SKU of the Week
I feel like so many people in my orbit these days are now with child: either the human kind with diapers and cute baby giggles, or the four-legged kind with doggie toys strewn all over the house.
If you’re a new (or longstanding) Pet owner, you’re in luck. Tatiana did a brilliant round-up of the 6 DTC Pet Brands your Dog Follows on Instagram. My friend from college Erin actually started one of the brands, Dope Dog, focussed on CBD treats to help your pups take a chill pill. Have a gander, let me know what you think!
Social Action
No Us Without You is a 501c3 Non-Profit Public Charity providing food security for undocumented Back Of House Staff and their families:
Undocumented hospitality workers are the backbone of the hospitality industry. They are unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are not eligible for unemployment benefits even though they’re taxed every paycheck.
Launched in mid-March with a goal of feeding 30 families a week, No Us Without You is now feeding over 1,000 families per week.
Founders Damian Diaz and Othón Nolasco plan on offering food relief indefinitely as the pandemic continues to ravage the hospitality industry and community at large.
$33 Feeds a Family of 4 for 1 week — please consider joining me in donating to this important organization!
Social Starlettes
Cool POV on the classic track:
For my OCD friends, something to look forward to.
David Blaine, you are an animal:
2028 feels like a light year away, but the logo reveal of my hometown’s hosting of the Olympic Games got me pumped up:
An aesthetically pleasing shot for the Sneakerheads:
Thanks to Schweitz for this gem of a find (click to play):
Some Mask Humor to brighten your Thursday:
And finally, the circle of life comes out you fast:
That’s it for Volume 29. I’m off next week, I’ll see you back here September 24th.
Comments, questions, tips?
Send a letter to the editor –– Scott Silver:
scott@thesilverlining.la / @thesilverlining.la