Is Your Little Box Comfy?

If there is anything in my life that I hate more than repetitive noises, ignorance, or guys who wear their pants too low, it’s banality. While I don’t consider myself to be a trendsetter by any stretch of the imagination, I can safely say that I am open to try anything at least once. Lately I have found myself losing patience with people who aren’t willing to push themselves outside of the confines of their carefully constructed lives. God forbid that they actually try something new. I think that people should strive to surround themselves with others who challenge them. When someone’s notions about the world are left unchallenged, there is no catalyst to force them to grow as a person. I think living such an existence could be likened to a bran-based breakfast cereal: completely and utterly boring.

I used to cringe at the idea of anything that remotely resembled electronic music, indie films, or modern art. I know that this collection probably sounds like some scenester’s wet dream, but who really gives a shit? I tried something new, sometimes it worked, and other times it fell horribly on it’s face. The point is that I experienced them, and others were patient enough with me to expose them. I want to do nothing more than to rip people from their little cultural wombs, and chuck them naked into the world of the scary unknown.

For fuck’s sake, I am not forcing you to go on an acid trip in order to attain spiritual enlightenment, I’m telling you to go watch a new movie, try a new kind of food, or listen to a band you haven’t heard of before. Boring people tend to make boring friends, so do yourself and the people around you the favor of actually trying something new; they will appreciate you for it.

Here’s a little bit to get you started:

(As a side note: I’m not saying my picks epitomize anything ground breaking, I’m just suggesting that the following are things that I have tried recently and enjoyed. My list probably appears exceptionally dull to a large segment of the population, who are probably off listening/eating/watching other interesting things.)

Enjoy.

Listen:

1. Je Veux Te Voir – Yelle
   
2. Pretty Green – Santogold
   
3. Cellophane Girl – Graham Colton
   
4. Giving It Up For You – Holly Brook
   
5. This Is How I Say – Matt Kearney
   
6. Gimmie Some Lovin’ – G Love
   
7. On My Mind – Donovan Frankenreiter
   
8. Mess – Tristan Prettyman
   
9. Dirty Laundry – Bitter:Sweet
   
10. Sour Cherry – The Kills
    

Watch:

1. Young People Fucking
   
2. The Wackness
   
3. Born Into Brothels
   
4. Wristcutters
   
5. Magnolia
   
6. Goodbye Lenin
   
7. Memento
   
8. The Virgin Suicides
   
9. Se7en
   
10. American Beauty
    

 

Read:

1. Getting Stoned With The Savages – Maarten Troost
   
2. Do All Travel Writers Go To Hell? – Thomas Konstaam
   
3. Smile When You’re Lying – Chuck Thomson
   
4. This Is All – Aidan Chambers
   
5. Sex. Drugs and Cocoa Puffs – Chuck Kloisterman
   
6. Snuff – Chuck Pahlaniuk
   
7. Perfume – Patrick Suskind
   
8. Cider House Rules – John Irving
   
9. The Golden Compass – Phillip Pullman
   
10. Life of Pie – Yaan Martel