Colin’s Quarantine Diary: Week 6

It’s pretty strange that it’s basically May already, which means that it’s basically Summer already. It’s hard to say what the effects of missing out on all of Spring by spending it in doors will be. I suspect it’ll just cause 2020 be a very unmemorable year, despite the fact that it has been a year that has seen us living through most unusual circumstances. That said, if you’re not a healthcare or essential worker, then these have mostly been a mundane couple months of sitting indoors playing Animal Crossing or watching Tiger King or however you’ve chosen to spend these housebound weeks and months. Anyways, here’s what I did with some of my hours this week… Continue reading →

Colin’s Quarantine Diary: Week 5

I found that this was the week I found myself thinking about the “before times” a lot more. Just the experience of what it used to be like to go out to restaurants and see movies and hang out with friends without being their inadvertent murderer by way of an infectious virus. I know we’re still at least weeks away from any sort of transition towards normalcy, but it does feel like we’re on the verge of slowly walking down the mountain of sadness that this whole period has been rather than constantly ascending it. Continue reading →

Colin’s Quarantine Diary: Week 4

So we’ve been doing this for about a month now, eh? It seems there’s been some talk among different state governments to slowly transition out of lock-down in the near future, so I suppose there is something hopeful about that. Still, it’s hard to be hopeful when people are losing their jobs at an unprecedented clip and the idea of “life after quarantine” seems like it will be far from normal for a while. Still, I am excited for the day that I get to go see a movie in theaters or see a concert again. But for now, doing these activities at home will have to do…

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Colin’s Quarantine Diary: Week 3

Things are starting to feel a little more normal now, though I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. I went multiple days without leaving the apartment this week, and I didn’t even feel that guilty about it. Though I suppose you’re just as likely to feel guilty about leaving the house as staying in, since it potentially puts other, less healthy people at risk.

Whatever, the case is, I’m starting to embrace the solitude of isolation, but at the same time I’m looking at a bright blue sky out the window right now and thinking about how we’re basically missing all of Spring. But hey, at least there’s plenty of pop culture to get us through it, even if it seems apparent that there will be a lot less new things coming out in the next few months. Continue reading →

Colin’s Quarantine Diary: Week 2

So this is just life now?

I’m sure this is the thought many of us had this week, as I know I found myself getting used to the routine of working from home, doing indoor activities at night, and going for the occasional walk as long as I keep my distance from strangers. It’s a strange thing for the world to be so quiet when it’s simultaneously falling apart. I guess this period gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “dying on the inside”. But enough moroseness. Yes, things are tough, but there is still enjoyment to get out of life’s little pleasures, and I’ve found that the most enjoyable time has been when I’m not looking at the news. Which of course brings me to the various distractions that have been keeping me sane. Continue reading →

Colin’s Quarantine Diary: Week 1

Hey all!

I know. Things are weird right now. It’s also easy to feel like the kinds of pop culture we talk about on this blog is insignificant compared to the health of you and everyone you know. That said, because much of the world is self-quarantining right now, we’re all binging on a lot more pop culture than usual. So I figured I’d start doing these check-in’s each week or so talking about the various movies and music and whatnot that has been getting me through being trapped in my apartment. Of course, hopefully this period won’t last too long. But things don’t necessarily seem that way right now, so I anticipate this will be a recurring feature in the coming weeks. And who knows, maybe Sean and John will join in?

I think for now I’ll keep it to five things I’ve been into this week, but don’t hold me to that format. To quote The Dark Knight‘s tagline, welcome to a world without rules. Continue reading →

Cue Synthesizer, Cue Guitar

Destroyer – Have We Met

After having spent the past two months at Mildly Pleased looking back at 2019 and the decade as a whole, I think it’s finally time to start talking about the 2020s. Perhaps it’s appropriate that my first review of the decade is from an artist that put out great (if not classic) albums in both of the past two decades, and doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

A big reason why Destroyer has remained so intriguing (and a little unapproachable) over the years is undoubtedly due to frontman Dan Bejar’s need for constant reinvention. Which makes Have We Met a bit of an outlier, since it sounds a lot like his previous few albums. Yet there’s something kind of captivating about how self-assured he (and the band) sounds here, with each song being big on groove and atmosphere, while there’s still a ton of room for Bejar to spout his delightfully neurotic and weirdly melodic lyrics. Continue reading →