The Q

28/11/2020

The 28th edition of our newsletter is here! https://quarantinecontent.substack.com/p/no-panic-no-pain-ainu-mosir-and-a

A featured article by Luisana Cortez and a podcast interviewing Merawi Gerima.

24/11/2020

"As the film progresses, stories of Jui’s sacrifices and memories help bridge the gap between his present and past. His mother’s recent passing is the ultimate turnstile connecting these two worlds."

Tigertail opens with a shot of an Asian boy (Queenie Yu-Hsin Fang) carrying a tin pail, sprinting down a narrow dirt path surrounded by stretches of long grass. The camera runs behind him, showing us his point of view, as wisps of green tower above him. While Tigertail takes place in Taiwan, my dad....

22/11/2020

The 27th edition of our newsletter is here!
https://quarantinecontent.substack.com/p/alias-tigertail-and-the-crown-aint

14/11/2020

The 26th edition of our newsletter is here!

A featured article by Andrés González-Bonillas and a podcast featuring an interview with Ravish Momin of Turning Jewels Into Water

10/11/2020

"Nirvana is best when Bktherula is experimenting...she layers her vocals in a kind of radical way which allows her to create melodies out of seemingly nothing."

Bktherula’s Nirvana is messy and fun. On first listen I almost wrote this project off because there are times on Nirvana where it feels like Bktherula doesn’t even try to find the beat. She just meanders over the abstract instrumentals, mixing a singsong flow with harder bars. But as I settled i...

09/11/2020

"Through shaping the film from the standpoint of being the protagonist, Nanjiani is able to highlight issues that many People of Color (POC) can relate to and often don’t see on screen."

Initially, I had qualms about The Big Sick, as the film tells the story of a South Asian man falling in love with a white woman. The narrative seemed a little too familiar: man ends up choosing white woman over non-white women. However, Kumail Nanjiani’s aim to truthfully recount his own experienc...

08/11/2020

The 25th edition of our newsletter is here!!

With a podcast featuring an interview with the artist Anjimile

05/11/2020

"The March women cope in this world by learning self-sufficiency and self-reliance. Marmee is not always there to guide them, and so, for the March sisters, domesticity is not something they perform out of complacency, but instead is done out of necessity and survival."

Now is a strange time to read Little Women. Louisa May Alcott’s story of four young women growing up in 1860s Concord, Massachusetts feels trivial in a time of pandemic, racial violence, and global unrest. It feels comforting, too. Alcott presents a world of unfaltering sisterhood, ice skating on ...

04/11/2020

"Jay attempts to navigate the difficulty in uncovering the stories of childhood friends as well as with unraveling the dramatic changes that come with the gentrification of the neighborhood and its community."

Merawi Gerima’s Residue violently pulls at the strings of nostalgia to tell a story about the destruction of a neighborhood, by following a protagonist who is forced to watch the fabric of his past tear away. Residue follows Jay (Obinna Nwachukwu), a filmmaker who returns to Washington DC’s Q St...

02/11/2020

"This album is the epitome of a musical stellar collision--in addition to Getz and Gilberto, you’ll hear renowned composer Antonio Carlos Jobim on piano, as well as singer Astrud Gilberto, whose vocal style set the bar for female bossa nova vocalists of the time. These names probably mean nothing to you right now, but I promise they’ll sing and play their way into your heart. "

https://www.quarantine-content.com/post/getz-gilberto-album-review

You have to start listening to bossa nova. Let me talk you into it. I first ventured into the world of bossa nova during one of my jazz rap phases, listening to The Pharcyde’s 1994 album Labcabincalifornia. I was incredibly impressed by producer J Dilla’s production on several of the album’s t...

01/11/2020

The 24th edition of our newsletter is here! this week! https://quarantinecontent.substack.com/p/dont-play-it-straight-residue-and

A featured article by Ollie Kim Dupuy and a podcast featuring an interview with the group H13R

25/10/2020

"To me, sounds more like Halloween-core -- more creepiness for the sake of perverted pleasure than to provide legitimate fear."

I was on a nighttime run the first time I popped the new Clipping album on. It was a terrifying experience. As I ran through Riverside park I saw a woman sitting on a bench, her face obscured by a shadow, but somehow her eyes still seemed to follow me. As I ran past, the vocalist in clipping, Daveed...

24/10/2020

The 23rd edition of our newsletter is here!
https://quarantinecontent.substack.com/p/visions-of-bodies-walk-run-cha-cha

22/10/2020

"Alishan’s voice is consistent but unique. There is an intense amount of fervor that charges his words. Alishan paints with his words in nearly every stanza, building off beautifully from the words preceding..."
https://www.quarantine-content.com/post/armenian-popular-songs-book-review

Given the recent events in Artsakh, I have been inspired to reach back into my roots. What better way to do that other than reading? I finally had the chance to sit down and go through the list of Armenian literature I have been wanting to dive into. Armenian Popular Songs by Ghevont Alishan was one...

21/10/2020

"There are many moments on the album like this: many moments where there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel, but it is quickly snatched away from us."

Open Mike Eagle is one of the greatest living Chicagoans. He's been one of the best rappers out for years now, but the absolutely fascinating ways his lyricism has evolved has been a treat to watch. Along with his work as a musical artist, he's started a rap podcast empire and continuously pushes ev...

20/10/2020

On Ep. 22 of Two Virgins, Sam and Teresa interview Q***r femme artist, healer, and Virgo sage c. braziel over a cold brew.They discuss their newest book, 'Aubade with Sweet Pomegranates,' the intersection between photography and poetry, inspirations, and writing as an outlet for healing.
LISTEN HERE:

On this week's episode, Sam and Teresa interview sage c. braziel (they/fae) over a cold brew with pumpkin cream. sage c. braziel is a Black autistic Q***r femme artist, healer, and Virgo. They just release a book called Aubade with Sweet Pomegranates, which can be found here. Within their art, sage....

18/10/2020

The 22nd edition of our newsletter is here!
https://quarantinecontent.substack.com/p/anime-trauma-and-divorce-clemency

A featured article by Erik Ahigbee and a podcast featuring an interview with the multi-disciplinary artist Sage C. Braziel

14/10/2020

"Everything – God is Love is perhaps the strangest sounding gospel album of all time. Johnson makes devotional tunes from another universe. God is watching over us all, but he is obscured by a layer of smog."

When you think of gospel music, you probably think of soaring vocals, huge choirs, and overwhelming energy. You likely don’t think of hazy, muted crooning that you could hear any weekend playing a little past 4 am in the backroom of a club. Otis G Johnson’s 1978 album Everything – God is Love ...

13/10/2020

"If you grew up in Chinese culture, you might empathize more with Billi’s family, and if you are in between American and Chinese culture like myself, you will see yourself in Billi."

I’m grateful that a film like The Farewell was able to receive funding from a notable production company (namely A24), as it magnified an important story about being caught between two equally important, but extremely different cultures. Directed by Lulu Wang, The Farewell revolves around Billi (A...

11/10/2020

The 21st-edition of our newsletter is here! https://quarantinecontent.substack.com/p/act-ii-the-farewell-and-if-not-winter

A featured article by Raphi Kang and a podcast featuring an interview with the visual artist Dominic Chambers

08/10/2020

"Sciamma's work exceeded my expectations, largely due to the intentful, empathetic eye she crafts the film with, in addition to a number of particularly memorable scenes that left the film’s atmosphere of looming what-ifs hanging by a thread."
https://www.quarantine-content.com/post/portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire-film-review

I remember my friend attended a free screening of Portrait of a Lady on Fire for her film class in March, and she came back raving about it. It wasn’t until May, when I found myself quarantined in my childhood home, that I finally got around to watching the film. Sciamma's work exceeded my expecta...

06/10/2020

"Sandoval excels at ensuring that an aura of quiet anxiety and paranoia is sustained throughout the film."

I found Lingua Franca after director Sean Baker wrote a review of the film on Letterboxd, where he said, “Written, directed, produced, edited and starring Isabel Sandoval. Pretty damn impressive.” I was hooked by the thought of Sandoval’s introspection into the film and its story, as both its ...

05/10/2020

"Bartees navigates these genre shifts with ease, keeping the album from ever feeling poorly paced or lurching."

Texture defines the new Bartees Strange album titled Live Forever. Bartees Cox Jr’s vocals often switch from silky smooth crooning to soulful belting in a matter of seconds. It's truly a rocking album, the type of project that forces you to forget your problems and throw your arms up to the sky an...

04/10/2020

"Her words reflect the beautiful mess that we may find ourselves in. Our worlds exist in absolute chaos. Limón also highlights moments of tranquility, like sipping a warm cup of tea after the sun rises. She provides us with many reasons to embrace the moment we’re living in."

There is no doubt that everything around us is crazy. Every day. Every moment. Especially now. Ada Limón encapsulates the frenzy of life perfectly in Bright Dead Things: Poems. Her words reflect the beautiful mess that we may find ourselves in. Our worlds exist in absolute chaos. Limón also highli...

03/10/2020

The 20th edition of our newsletter is here! https://quarantinecontent.substack.com/p/live-forever-lingua-franca-and-bright

A featured article by Nyeda and a podcast featuring an interview with the visual artist Barbora Kysilkova.

02/10/2020

"This contrast makes The Florida Project feel like you’re constantly transitioning between being in and waking up from a good dream."
https://www.quarantine-content.com/post/the-florida-project-film-review

01/10/2020

"Ulises embodies the style of Cholombiano dancers, with colorful dress and a hairstyle defined by harp sideburns and a straight cut across the top. Ulises insists on listening to cumbia music at a slowed down tempo, so its beauty can last longer."

Directed by Fernando Frías de la Parra, I’m No Longer Here examines Monterrey’s Cholombiano culture by following a 17-year-old cumbia dancer named Ulises. In Monterrey, Mexico, Ulises is the leader of a small street gang and dance crew called “Los Terkos.” Los Terkos stick together in all c...

30/09/2020

On Episode 19 Sam and Teresa interview poet, musician, and activist artist Moor Mother over a glass of root beer. Based in Philadelphia, Camae Ayewa (Moor Mother) is also a workshop facilitator and has performed at numerous festivals, colleges, galleries, and museums around the world. Moor Mother talks to Teresa and Sam about seeing the impact of her art, using music as a form of activism, and operating in the Philadelphia art space. Moor Mother's new album, Circuit City, released last Friday!

On this week's episode, Sam and Teresa interview poet, musician, and activist artist Moor Mother over a glass of root beer. Based in Philadelphia, Camae Ayewa (Moor Mother) is also a workshop facilitator and has performed at numerous festivals, colleges, galleries, and museums around the world. As M...

29/09/2020

“The album begins with the track “Act 1 – Working Machine.” Here, Moor Mother tells us in detail how the machine is always working towards oppression. Throughout this track there’s a feeling of hopelessness; the machine feels inevitable and all-powerful.”

“It’s been so much trauma, I don’t even know where to start… Like I don’t even know what year.” This is how noise musician and poet Moor Mother opens her newest project, Circuit City. When Moor Mother talked to “The Q” a couple of weeks ago, she told us that when she first heard the ...

28/09/2020

"There is fulfillment in reading a nonlinear narrative, no matter the genre. It introduces information in a fresh and riveting way, always keeping readers interested, and that's exactly the technique she employs."

You have to let your head in the clouds every once in a while. Sea of Strangers by Lang Leav is a collection of prose poetry that highlights themes and lessons regarding various aspects of life and love. The book provides a romanticist perspective of what it means to truly live and exist as a human....

27/09/2020

“It’s truly a towering achievement in music, and one of the five best albums to come out of Chicago in the last decade. It holds up incredibly well in the present day.”

The 2014 mixtape Welcome to Fazoland by G Herbo is one of the most overlooked and influential hip-hop projects of all time. Without Welcome to Fazoland, rappers like polo G, Lil Tecca, and Calboy wouldn’t exist, but Welcome to Fazoland’s influence runs much deeper. Although UK drill existed befo...

26/09/2020

Our nineteenth edition of the newsletter is here!

A featured article by Kadence Mitchell and a podcast featuring an interview with the artist Moor Mother.

25/09/2020

"...at its utmost core, is a sentimental story of a community of animals whose actions reflect the conflicts between nature and nurture, as well as cynicism towards both animalistic and human tendencies."

Watching Fantastic Mr. Fox is like slowly savoring a delicately crafted tarte. As one of Wes Anderson’s best creations, Fantastic Mr. Fox is indulgent at its surface, but unravels itself to be a meticulously crafted story once its pyramid of layers is unpacked. Wes Anderson’s stop-motion film, F...

24/09/2020

On Two Virgins Ep. 18, Sam & Teresa interview South Korean filmmaker & director Bora Kim over yerba mate. She discusses her recent award winning film, 'House of Hummingbird' from the creative process to the Korean and international reception.

Find the transcribed interview here: https://www.quarantine-content.com/post/an-interview-with-bora-kim

On this week's episode, Teresa and Sam interview director Bora Kim over a glass of Yerba Mate. Bora Kim is a South Korean filmmaker and holds an MFA in film directing from Columbia University. She recently directed the award-winning film House of Hummingbird, which won Tribeca Film Festival's Best I...

23/09/2020

"As soon as you begin to relax and sink into the music, Slauson Malone changes a key or the overall feeling of the piece, effectively ripping the carpet from under you. The EP is a constantly changing and flowing piece of music that has the power to put you in a reflective and meditative state."

Vergangenheitsbewältigung (Crater Speak), the newest album from Slauson Malone, is a gentle listen. His music is clearly inspired by deep thought and reflection, and every track reflects the spontaneity of thoughts popping into his mind. The project is full of voices whispering, guitars gently weep...

22/09/2020

"The sound of Tempest’s voice is enough to elicit a profound reaction. When they speak you feel compelled to listen because each word they say carries power. When they proclaim 'I came to / under a red moon / thirsty for water' on the opening track 'Thirsty,' your mind is teleported."

I’ve heard Kae Tempest’s music described as many different things, but when someone told me last year that Tempest was their favorite rapper, I was completely caught off guard. My immediate reaction was to laugh. I had never even considered their music rap, but the more I thought about it, the m...

21/09/2020

"Even though it’s 2020, this visualization of period blood would usually shy away from the screen. However, in Saint Frances, the viewer cannot avoid looking at Bridget’s period blood, a sight that should have been normalized in media much longer ago."

I came into Saint Frances a bit weary because I assumed it would be a prestigious indie film that highlights white woman complexes. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised at the casualty in which Saint Frances encapsulated the low and high tides of womanhood -- of being told that your emotions and expe...

20/09/2020

"You are not actually meant to feel like you’re living a story of tropes, which is why it does not feel life-like. The story is something to instantaneously consume and internalize, to understand rather than to experience. "

The word English word “trope” comes from the Ancient Greek trópos, meaning “direction” or “turn”. It used to be that tropes were turning points: facets of a story that gave it meaning and structure, that drove it towards a conclusion or central moral. The knight in shining armor, the da...