Nov 16 - Grimes

This was quite the busy morning at the office. I had a bunch of stuff to take care of in like 2 hours, because for the rest of the day and all of tomorrow I was/will be in training. I actually don't need this training at all, but I'm glad for it because it's for our CRM project, which is finally rolling out. I was working on this project when I started with the company, and I'm no longer involved, but it's still nice to finally see it be implemented. Also, it's over a year behind schedule and should do a lot to help our business, so I'm glad to finally see it rolled out for that reason as well.

In this big rush this morning, I did find time to buy myself a ticket to Hong Kong for New Year! My friend Shuk-Wah just moved there recently, so I really want to go visit. Plus it'll be a new place to spend New Year, and you know my thing with New Year. I also don't think I've been to HK for fun in like 6 years. I've been a couple times for work, which always included a bit of fun, but this is just vacation. And it's the only trip I have planned at the moment, although once this trip is done and the new year begins, it seems like I'll be back on my crazy travel schedule. In addition to a bunch of events we have to plan in the first half of the year, I know I've got trips to the US in January, Germany in February (which should coincide with Chinese New Year which means I'm going to Scandinavia somewhere to see the Northern Lights! Bye, bye bucket list item!), and then I've also got Dubai in March (which will hopefully line up with a weekend so I can go to Jordan and see Petra! Bye, bye other bucket list item!) and Germany (again) in April. So it's off to a busy start next year. Assuming I stay with my company, anyway... But we just might know more about that on Thursday...

I have to say, Grimes impressed me this year. I have not been a huge fan of hers in the past. I feel like she's always put out great songs, followed by terribly disappointing albums, considering how great her singles have been. In fact, I'm a bit loathe to put her on the blog today because she's already been on once this year and I'm so torn about her, especially given all the hype she gets, which I don't think has quite been deserved. But her new album, Art Angels, is solid. This is more of that "good pop" music I talk about. It is quite poppy, but also inventive and interesting and creative. In fact, it's on the long list of my best albums for the year, which I'm currently working through to try and pare down to just 10. We'll see if Art Angels makes it, but it is a great album. And my favorite track on it is Flesh without Blood. Actually, Flesh without Blood and the track after it, Belly of the Beat, are my two favorites. It's a nice little couplet of songs. The video for Flesh without Blood has been coupled with Life in the Vivid Dream, an interlude at the end of the album, for some reason, so you can enjoy that one too, but Flesh without Blood is the only one for the Spotify playlist.

Nov 15 - Patrick Watson

I am quite sleepy today. Last night was Chi Fan for Charity, a charity dinner party that happens once a year. Basically, a bunch of restaurants donate a table for 10 (with booze), someone hosts the table, and you buy a ticket for varying prices depending on the restaurant to go and eat this dinner with the host and 8 other people. Then you go to an afterparty where there's free flow booze. So that was last night. We were actually only there until like 1:30, so I probably shouldn't be as tired as I am. But anyway, it was great. I had dinner at this Spanish place called Azul, right around the corner. The table was hosted by Natalie, the girl I've been seeing. Then the afterparty was at an art gallery, and all the different tables come together there, so I saw a few friends that were at dinner at other tables. After the afterparty the plan was to go to a bar and then KTV, but while Natalie and I were waiting for an Uber this crazy fight broke out between these 3 girls and this guy and his girlfriend in which the guy ended up hitting one of the girls and it was nuts. Many people interjected themselves, I was trying to keep the guy calm and keep him from continuing to get involved and making even more of a douche of himself than he already had, which didn't work very well. It was ridiculous. So that kind of ruined the mood, and we just went home instead of continuing on to the bar. But other than that, great evening!

And today I've just been hanging out and not doing much of anything. I tried a new South American restaurant, which was much better than I expected, and I finished watching Master of None, which was also much better than I expected and I had really high expectations to begin with. Fantastic show. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it all. It's fantastic. Unfortunately I have to go and pick up my colleagues soon who are in town from Germany and then take them out to dinner somewhere. And I have to do the same tomorrow and Tuesday night, too. Not really looking forward to it. The guy who's coming is nice and I've worked with him quite a lot (I don't really know the woman coming with him), I guess I'm just tired and would rather spend time with friends. Or Natalie. Or on my couch chilling out. Actually, I think it's the fact that I have to go all the way out to the train station to pick them up that's making me really not want to go see them. Otherwise it'll be fine. I just don't want that schlep.

My post yesterday made me remember to share Patrick Watson. He put out a new album, Love Songs For Robots, earlier this year. I've been listening to this guy for a few years, and I wouldn't say I'm crazy about him, he does make quite a lot that I don't like, but when he makes stuff that is good, it tends to be really, really good. Kind of like Regina Spektor, I guess. So he's got this new album, and my favorite song on it is called Bollywood. It's a pretty chilled out song, but wait until the 3:30ish mark and it gets really interesting. But in general, he's a pretty chilled out guy.

Nov 14 - Reuben Hollebon

Today was a wonderfully lazy day. I felt a bit bad about it, because it was actually quite nice out, but it's exactly the kind of day I wanted. I was out quite late last night. My friend Jenny has friends in town, so we went to Mercato for dinner, one of Jean Georges restaurants here in China (and one of my favorite restaurants here in China). Then I didn't come home until this morning and just wanted to lay on the couch. Also I was supposed to have a bunch of deliveries today. So the idea was to do that while watching Masters of None. Started out well, but then Cy and Veronika stopped by and we ended up talking and juicing (with alcohol) and playing Katamari the entire day. It was fantastic! And Ozzie, their dog, was here, too. Doesn't get much better than that! And now it's time to get ready for an evening at Chi Fan for Charity, a charity (duh) event here in Shanghai which I'll tell you more about tomorrow.

Before that I need to play you a song and I have no idea what to play you. I feel like if you asked me 2 days ago I would have had like 4 songs to choose from. But now I can't think of anything. So we'll go with this guy Reuben Hollebon. He's been on my "drafts" list for a while, but only has 2 songs and then I just never went back and actually shared his music. As I said, he has 2 songs, the second of which, Haystacks, was released last week. The first of which, Faces, was released much earlier. Faces was the one I would have shared when it was his only song, but now that he has two I think I'm going to share Haystacks. It's quite dark and moody, and sort of reminds me of a darker version of Patrick Watson (which, now that I think of it, is one of the 4 people I would have said I want to share music by if you'd asked me a few days ago). I'm not sure how much I'll like Reuben Hollebon once he has more music, but I like him enough to pay attention at the moment.

Nov 13 - Elias

I got my juicer today! I started out with orange-carrot juice. I wanted to add ginger, but I think my ginger's gone bad. I also bought apples and dragonfruit and pineapple and I'm super excited to make more juice. And even though I think it's super weird, I kind of even want to try making vegetable and leafy green juices. This thing is great!

Other than that, I didn't go to the office today. I did more hotel site visits for our trade show next November. We've gotta get started early on this thing, unfortunately. But at least it got me out of the office. And we went to this crazy art hotel out in the middle of nowhere. Super random choice of locations. But this random place is actually probably my first choice for hotels at the moment. And they have Damien Hirst and Ai Weiwei and Yayoi Kusama pieces just on display. Super unexpected.

And in new music, today's song comes from Swedish singer Elias. I just heard him yesterday from my friend Sophie's brother, Ed. He put out his debut EP, Warcry, last week, and it's pretty great. Especially the first two tracks. Towards the end it's a bit too poppy, but still alright. And his voice is awesome. I read one thing that said he's a teen, but didn't give his age, but his voice definitely doesn't sound like a teen. But this all started because I shared a song by SG Lewis, making reference to Kwabs, and was given Elias in return. So if you know Kwabs, expect similar vocals. Sadly I can't find Warcry on iTunes yet, but at least it's on Spotify. And only the first two singles, Revolution and Green Eyes, are anywhere else online. But I want to share Cosmetic Love, so Spotify embed it is.

Nov 12 - Here We Go Magic

I didn't get to sum up yesterday when I wrote yesterday. But it was a big day. Mostly because it was my sister's birthday (that's all there is to say about that, really. We texted a bit, she's on tour (so fancy) and at pancakes or something and danced), but also because it was the largest global shopping day of the year. 11/11 in China is the equivalent of Cyber Monday in the US, except like a bajillion times bigger. Apparently there were US$4 billion worth of transactions in the first hour, and something like US$17 or US$19 billion in transactions the entire day. This is in comparison to the less than $2 billion that sells on Cyber Monday. And I did my part to help. I wanted to buy a juicer (which I got 3 of. Not just for me, for me and for 2 other friends), but I ended up buying a lot more. Like a blender, and plates, and a wok, and just other random crap. I went a bit crazy. And it's not easy shopping cause it's hard work to get the best deals possible. I probably spent more time trying to figure out which knife or which plate to buy so that I'd get the largest discount even if I was buying a more expensive item. And I didn't even get everything I wanted. I can still think of like half a dozen things I wish I'd bought (which I probably won't now. Or maybe I will anyway...). But I'm excited for things to be delivered this weekend! There will be many boxes, and much juice!

I thought about posting Here We Go Magic last night, because I was in a rush and it was late and I don't have much to say about them. I know I've heard of them before, but I'm not sure I'd heard them before listening to their newest album, Be Small, or if I'd just heard of them. But their new album isn't great, so I'm ok with not knowing more. Except for one track, Tokyo London US Korea. This is a good one. And these are all great places.

Nov 11 - Balthazar

Fuck Daliah's. And fuck Julia. Every time I go to that place I end up drunk and there all night. That was not the plan tonight. I told myself I'd leave at 10. Now it's 1am and I just got home and have to get up in 5 hours. But I had a fantastic time, as usual. But I'll be quick. It's my sister's birthday (yay Hanna!). It's the biggest shopping day in the world (yay 11/11 in China!). I'm tired.

Next. Balthazar is a good band. They have a debut album called Thin Walls. Then What, amongst others, is a great song.

Nov 10 - Stolen Jars

I just had a wonderful dinner after a mediocre day at work. And don't have to go to work in the morning, so that's an added bonus. Dinner was at this French restaurant around the corner that I was recommended, which is even better than expected. And it was with this couple that I've run into like 4 times over the last year at random events around town and really like, and now we live near each other and are hopefully going to be friends. Also they're pretty into music, like me, so that's always nice. In fact the next time we see each other will be at a Flying Lotus concert on Thanksgiving.

But no Flying Lotus today. Today it's Stolen Jars. I heard this band recently and have become a really big fan. I keep listening to their debut album, Kept, because it's a great one. If Saintseneca is like The Decemberists light, then Stolen Jars is like Saintseneca light. But also with a female vocalist. Not only a female vocalist, it's like half and half. Some songs just have the guy, some just the girl. In fact one of my favorites, Another November, is just the girl. But I think the guy is supposed to be the "main" vocalist or something. And they've got some great guitar riffs, which probably remind me more of Saintseneca than The Decemberists. So I'll play you a song with both of them and with some of those wonderful, cyclical guitar riffs that they've got going on, which is the title track, Kept.