April 2024 Surav Recap!
A longwinded look at my life and media consumption...
Amidst the chaos of my sixth reading week, I’m sitting across from my friend, Faith, who is working on completing an essay, and an abnoxiously large amount of semi-familiar faces practicing mindfulness and relaxing with painting and charcutiure. I’m choosing to relax by writing this newsletter; I’ll let you be the judge of who is using their time better.
(Update: I caved and made a lovely painting of a sunset with my friend Sophie! It was time well spent, I apologize to the painters I didn’t see your vision the first time)
It’s been a month of little rest and relaxation. The relentless turning of the academic wheel on top of a fresh wave of endings, new beginnings and goodbyes has held me hostage all of April. I had a lot of fun- soaked up too much sunshine on eclipse day, had an a cappella concert, saw Iyaz perform his smash-hit “Replay,” three (!!!) times while dressed as Alexander Hamilton, proudly wore a Cher (1987) inspired wig for an 80’s party, and had the immense pleasure of seeing an exhibit featuring my Dad in Washington, D.C.!
Given that, on top of doing all of this, it’s been finals month my primary hobby, media consumption, has taken an unfortunate backseat to my academics. Don’t worry! I still watched a good amount of movies and listened to a ton of music (how else am I a supposed to unwind)!!! It’s always nice to be reminded that I have responsibilities away from my couch and find a healthy balance between on time and off time, making April a needed reminder that I am first and foremost a student and I really do enjoy doing that sometimes!
I spent most of my month listening to Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Ariana Grande and watching a slew of love triangle adjacent movies to prepare for Challengers- overall quite a productive month. Here are some of my picks for my five favorite new music releases and ten favorite first watches of April, 2024!
Music: Ten Favorite April Releases
Albums
Challengers (Original Score)- Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
BOOM! REAL MUSIC! YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH! I’ve now seen Challengers twice, and perhaps the best part is this score. Incredibly bouncy and fun while also maintaining just the right amount of mystery and tension. It’s perfect for a film that travels across time and has so many call backs. It’s also perfect for studying, walking, working out, dancing, chilling, vibing, cooking, sleeping, eating, etc. kind of just perfect for everything. Plus, the Boys Noize remixes are insanely fun too.
Favorite Track: “Challengers Match Point”
Butterflies Don’t Go Away- Majesty Crush
As much as I am a pop music fan to my core, I can’t help but love a cool indie rock project, especially one that catalogs the immense history of American shoegaze like this one. This is technically a compilation of their remastered recordings, but serves as my introduction to their work, so I’m counting it as a new release and I’m so happy it was put together. Lyrically and sonically blows me away and makes me want to get into a lot more shoe gaze.
Favorite Track: “Seles”
Don’t Forget Me- Maggie Rogers
I didn’t think it would be possible for Maggie Rogers to top the magic of Heard It In A Past Life but she does it with ease. Here, she combines simple folk-rock instrumentals with piercing songwriting that, when balanced with her soft delivery, solidify her as one of the best storytellers of our time.
Favorite Track: “Don’t Forget Me”
The Tortured Poet’s Department: The Anthology- Taylor Swift
Taylor in the self-directed "Fortnight" music video where her outfit looks strikingly similar to the costuming of Poor Things (2023)... real respects real! Shocking, I know… a Taylor Swift album wasn’t my favorite release of the month. Don’t get me wrong, I like the album, whether it’s because I have a blind faith in her as an artist or because the music is good is another question which I don’t have the answer to. I think it suffers from an overwhelming runtime (if you’re interested in how I would’ve ordered it, see this playlist) which is filled with a lot of fillers that don’t represent her best work, but also has some very incredible songs that point to cool directions that I’m looking forward to seeing her explore in the future! For me, a die-hard fan, she delivered, as evidenced by this being my most listened to album of the month!!
Favorite Track: “The Black Dog”
sleep paralysis- bbymutha
I love rap bangers. This record is filled with them, bbymutha has a real talent for combining wild electronic beats that rival “Single Ladies” in their absurdity with profoundly funny and vulgar lyrics. Very cool experimentation happening here! The delivery makes the record, I’m a huge fan of deadpan done so eloquently and energetically.
Favorite Track: “final girl”
Only God Was Above Us- Vampire Weekend
This is predictably what I would expect from a Vampire Weekend project, and I’m not at all mad about it. It’s slightly more pop leaning than their past work, but the pop sound is paired with really interesting instrumentals that blew me away. As always, they’re really solid in their songwriting and pretty captivating. It’s a great album that’s a much needed bit of fun in the rock space.
Favorite Track: “Prep-School Gangsters”
WOLEDTO- Elyanna
Every once in a while, Pitchfork introduces me to something very cool. This month, I was introduced to Elyanna, whose debut album blew me away. Though I haven’t researched what she’s saying, her transcendent voice and production balances Western-pop and traditional Middle Eastern sounds to create something wholly political, unique, and danceable.
Favorite Track: “Al Sham”
All Born Screaming- St. Vincent
In an overly Jack Antanoff saturated music landscape, I’m glad St. Vincent chose to depart from her collaborator for this project. I, unlike the general public apparently, was super into Daddy’s Home, but I’m thrilled she chooses a new direction and leans into her alt-rock lane here a bit more than on the last record. Her vision is as clear as ever and her talent as a songwriter and producer shine to their fullest here.
Favorite Track: “Broken Man”
Different Type Time- Cavalier
Great jazz rap record, great lyrics, very simple! I’m usually one for bangers, but I didn’t mind this slower, lyric centered record. Very chill fun with a cool progressive build that mixes the underground sound Cavalier is known for with some traditional rap sounds. I do appreciate how it picks up in the second half and manages the transition quite well.
Favorite Track: “Think About It”
Light Verse- Iron & Wine
Sad country/folk music featuring Fiona Apple? I’m there! This is so depressing, but so beautiful. Light and airy, the opposite of the type of country music I’m traditionally attracted to and usually bored by, but the Fiona Apple feature and song writing really makes up for it. Great build on all of the songs, too!
Favorite Track: “All In Good Time”
Honorable Mentions
aat.- Young Miko
Favorite Track: “oye ma’”
Bewitched: The Goddess Edition- Laufey
Favorite Track: “Bored”
Ehhthang Ehhthang- GloRilla
Favorite Track: “Wanna Be”
Seeing It Now- swim school
Favorite Track: “Seeing It Now”
Singles
This month has delivered a great summer soundtrack via album tracks and supporting singles, but here are some stand-alones I loved as well! Coachella was huge for some great single drops (sadly no Tyler, the Creator or Lana Del Rey drops…), and the ongoing Drake v. Kendrick Lamar has so far produced three really great tracks (plus two horrible ones but I’m ignoring that).
(I know Yeah x10 is not a stand-alone but it’s just so good).
Right, Wrong or Ready- Kara Jackson
Knock Yourself Out XD- Porter Robinson
Espresso- Sabrina Carpenter
Yeah x10 [MIXED]- Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross with Boys Noize
B2b- Charli XCX
Good Luck, Babe!- Chappell Roan
Euphoria- Kendrick Lamar
Nasty- Tinashe
Push Ups- Drake
Comin’ Around Again- Amber Mark
Movies: Ten Favorite First Watches
My goal this month was to only watch movies released pre-2000 with the exception of 2024 releases (and La Chimera because I couldn’t hold my anticipation and technically it’s a 2024 American release so…). My movie watching stat’s last month were pretty 2010s-centric, so my goal this year is to change that and discover more films and directors from before I was born. Big shoutout to my Abuelo for his recommendations here!!
La Chimera- Alice Rohrwacher, 2023
I’ve said probably all I can say about La Chimera having only watched it once, but to recap, I think it’s the most captivating depiction of grief and deception I’ve seen with an unparalleled lack of structure and sharp cinematography. Again, I’ve only seen it once, but it comes out on digital May 7th (YAY!) so I’m looking forward to having it in my library for life!
Challengers- Luca Guadagnino, 2024
I love tennis! I have very fond memories of playing it with my brother and watching it with my family when I was younger so the game has a special place in my heart. Though I’ve been partial to nitroball and pickleball in recent years, nothing beats the rush of watching the interactive flow of a good tennis match. Challengers (which I’m choosing to think of as the best elements of Y Tu Mamá También, A Separate Peace and Design for Living) is Guadagnino’s perfect depiction of the most special part of tennis- the deep understanding you have of your competitor on and off the court. Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist display this brilliantly, with other-worldly choices from Guadagnino that bring so much life to a sport often perceived as long-winded and boring. Plus, the score has been getting me through writing papers this week, with a booming backbeat drowning in the sexy tension that defines the movie.
Arsenic and Old Lace- Frank Capra, 1944
Cary Grant is my favorite leading man of the Golden Age- he brings something inexplicably odd and goofy to each of his roles but also manages to move me with his more dramatic turns in every role. Arsenic and Old Lace features my favorite performance that I’ve seen of him so far, with excellent support from a fantastic ensemble. Combining my favorite elements from screwballs and thrillers, this was a brilliant dose of fun that kept me glued to my screen and obnoxiously laughing as I watched it in the airport. A great recommendation from my Abuelo!
Little Shop of Horrors- Frank Oz, 1986
It’s actually so surprising to me that I’d never seen this before. I knew “Suddenly Seymour” from years musical theater, but I genuinely thought this was meant to be much more of a horror movie than it turns out to be. From what I understand, the screen and stage adaptation are quite different in their endings, but who better than Frank Oz to bring a puppet character to life! The way this movies is (unsurprisingly) similar to the classic muppet movies with a mix of the pacing of a Broadway musical. It’s distinctly of its time, but all the better for it, and I’m really in love with the color and movie magic it gets away with. I’m blown away by Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops as Audrey II; he’s got such an incredible voice that differs so much from his music!
Harvey- Henry Koster, 1950
Another great recommendation from my Abuelo, staring another of my favorites of the Golden Age, Jimmy Stewart in what I believe to be his best role so far. Josephine Hull, who is magnificent in Arsenic and Old Lace, is also superb in this Oscar winning role. It’s insanity and fantasy at their best. Stewart uses his undeniable charisma and screen-presence to create a secondary figure, an extraordinary feat which pulls the movie together, elevating an absurd concept and making it such an enjoyable and hilarious watch.
Monkey Man- Dev Patel, 2024
Dev Patels directoral debut is nothing short of a banger. Combining elements of traditional Bollywood filmmaking with a British spy thriller, his undeniable vision could be described best as Desi James Bond on steroids. I wasn’t sure what to expect walking in but I had a blast watching bodies drop and Dev Patel remain standing! Really cool trans representation as well, which was awesome to see in a big-screen blockbuster. Looking forward to a rewatch of this and anything else Dev Patel directs in the future. Give him all the money let him do whatever he wants!
Design for Living- Ernst Lubitsch, 1933
My favorite of my pre-challengers love triangle films is also one of the first pre-Code movies I’ve ever watched which makes me genuinely so sad that we couldn’t have cool movies like this throughout all of the 20th century. Cooper, Hopkins and March are incredibly funny in what feels like a natural predecesor to Challengers, with many of the same story elements but done really hilariously. It’s a witty depiction of love and friendship that’s as clever as it is ridiculous, with all three actors at their best. Ben Hecht’s screenplay (the second I’ve seen after His Girl Friday but certainly not my last) absolutely shines and is one of the best I’ve ever seen.
The Ritz- Richard Lester, 1976
The trailblazing Rita Moreno is clearly having so much fun in this Tony-winning role. I remember hearing her talk about how Googie is so special to her because it’s her creation, something so uniquely her and expressive of her comedic and dramatic talents. She really is, in my opinion, one of the greatest to ever do it. She, naturally, steals every scene she’s in and easily makes the movie for me. F. Murray Abraham is hilarious as well, the whole ensemble is. It’s such a great gag piece, I’m glad it exists and really hope it gets more recognition for how incredible it is in the future!
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington- Frank Capra, 1939
Being in Washington, D.C. for a weekend, this felt like a must-watch. It’s a screwball, Jimmy Stewart is great, Claude Raines is great, funny as can be. As I was watching it in the capitol, I was actually kind of disturbed by how similar our world has become to what was meant to be absurdist and ironic take on our government. Given our current climate and the institutional brutality happening in universities around the country, including my own, I can’t help but feel like this was a warning of sorts- as an Uber driver recently told me, this government was built to punish citizens, not politicians and people with institutional power (I don’t always choose to believe this all the time but right now it certainly feels true). It’s easy to laugh at something like this until I see modern institutions acting as horribly as the fictional corrupt ones of the 1930s. Anyways on a more positive note, I loved this, super fun, makes me never want to work on Capitol Hill, Frank Capra is legendary. Jimmy Stewart is right, his Oscar was definitely meant to make up for not winning with this.
Une femme est une femme- Jean-Luc Godard, 1961
My second Godard and my maybe millionth French New Wave feature. I tried to start this over my December break, but couldn’t really get into the style of conversation. I waited it out this time and am so glad I did. Though the narrative style never really changes, what it does with color and character work is deeply admirable. Anna Karina is great, but Jean-Paul Belmondo is my GOAT and does not disappoint, he’s such a great character actor and Godard really brings out the best in him! Godard is such an interesting director, I don’t really know what I want to watch from him next, but I think he might be what Jacques Demy was to me last summer… a dangerous game for sure.
That’s all for now… I will aim to keep up this newsletter but we will see. Finished my final paper today so I’m officially done with another year of school (scary)! Here’s to May, when I’m looking forward to hugging my puppy and hitting a tennis ball while I listen to the challengers score!
Other things I’m looking forward to:
Movies:
The Idea of You- Michael Showalter
The Fall Guy- David Leitch
I Saw the TV Glow- Jane Schoenbrun
Evil Does Not Exist- Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Robot Dreams- Pablo Berger
Music:
Radical Optimism- Dua Lipa
Empathogen- Willow
Ten Fold- Yaya Bey
Hit Me Hard and Soft- Billie Eilish
Better Off Alone- A Boogie wit da Hoodie
Model- Wallows
Submarine- The Marías
Born in the Wild- Tems
+ any more diss tracks I'm deeply enjoying the drama