Sticky

Weekend Mix: We’re Back (lol)

the weekend mix

When it comes to this blog, we say that we’re coming back a lot. But we’re back and we’ve dialed back on other activities that have been taking a lot of time. I’ve realized that I’ve been spending a lot of time working on other people, rather than working on my own art and that’s not okay, so I’ve dialed back on that. So, I’m here and I’m jumping back in to updating our weekend mix.

Games to Play- TTRPG Edition

While I was gone (for a whole year), I’ve stumbled into the world of TTRPG’s on itchio, a space that is doing very interesting things. It’s so vast, I don’t even think I can explain it to you, so I’ll just be posting links to games that are super cool and you should play them. Many of these games are priced, but I personally believe that these indie artists are doing great work and they should be paid. I hope you can support them. As a note, many of these games do have community copies, so make sure to scroll down the page if you cannot afford the game. Here’s some suggestions:

Stuff We’re Listening To:

We’re listening to podcasts about true crime and literature and lots of Mitski and sad stuff from high school, so here are some key suggestions:

Stuff We’re Watching:

Yes, we’re still watching South Park and it’s okay, but we won’t talk to you about South Park if you don’t want to, but here are our recommendations:

Parasite

It’s ridiculously beautiful and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m so glad I was able to avoid spoilers and see this movie completely fresh. When you’re done seeing it, read this– it broke me.

First Half of the last season of Bojack Horseman

The first half of the final season of Bojack is here and it’s wild that it’s ending. I started watching it just after postgrad when I was working at the movie theatre and it’s ending, and everything he did is coming to a head. The last moments of the first half messed me up. Please watch it.

That’s just a little to get you started this weekend! Don’t forget that Rick and Morty is coming back soon and we will be talking about it. Hope you have a great weekend heading into fall

The World is Kinda Horrible, More Content Pls?

Plucky Media

I’ve been very angsty and disappointed in the world this week, but thank god the Weekend is here so I can sleep and consume content. Here is some stuff to watch, read, and listen to. Hope you like it.

What to Watch

  • The Good Place: This show reminds me of the good old simple days of The Office and Parks and Rec. Also, it makes my little absurdist heart happy.
  • Nathan For You: I love this cult show. Nathan Fielder’s ability to create comedy with real people’s reactions is just good. Watch it.
  • AHS: Roanoke: I’m definitely late to the game, but this show was so unique and worth watching. I definitely think it captures like this Blair Witch Project essence in a totally unique way.

What to Listen to

  • Whiting Wongs with Dan Harmon and Jessica Gao: Dan Harmon and Jessica Gao talk about writing and race in television. This is the first podcast in awhile that made me genuinely laugh out loud. It’s uncensored and two well-meaning people that try to figure out how they can do better about representing all people in TV.
  • The 1st by Willow Smith: Willow pulled it out for this album. It’s personal, gorgeous, and a treat to listen to.
  • Melodrama by Lorde: So I’m a very emotional young woman that’s trying to navigate a very uneasy world, and this album really resonated with me. If you want to tap into your feminine energy, I highly recommend listening to this.

What to Read

That’s all folks. Thanks for bearing with us during this hiatus. We’ll see you next week with some cool (and maybe a little spoopy) content. 

Shiny Happy Weekend

Plucky Media

EDITORS NOTE: Bringing you The Weekend Mix is our Mother, Bev Koop. She really wanted to share! Though she is not going to be a regular contributor, you may see her pop up again.

What a sad week it has been! Let’s inject a little offbeat music and humor into your life. Here’s your weekend mix to pick up your spirits for the weekend.

What to Listen to:

Movie producers have been really on point with their soundtracks lately. Three recent films I’ve seen really stand out soundtrack-wise.  The films themselves were entertaining but not necessarily “high art.” Many of these features the music of my youth, the late 70’s and early 80’s were quite the time to be alive!

Guardians Of The Galaxy II: Classic throw-back songs from ELO, Cheap Trick, and Michael Jackson! Guardians of the Galaxy II the movie is currently available for streaming on Amazon.

Atomic Blonde: This soundtrack gives me all the feels of the early 80’s, including some interesting German versions of Major Tom by Peter Schilling, and 99 Luftballons by Nena! Best of all for me though is Cat People by David Bowie. You also have to love a soundtrack that features The Clash and George Michael. The movie itself was fine, but I am living for this soundtrack. Atomic Blonde the movie, is available on Digital HD from Amazon Video and iTunes on October 24th

KIngsmen the Golden Circle: The soundtrack is amazing, quirky, and weird. It takes you on a wild but satisfying ride. We have Elton John, Prince, and an amusing cover of Cameo’s “Word Up” with a country music flair by Boss Hoss. I am not a fan of country music, but this was EVERYTHING! Finally, we have 2 count ‘em 2 songs by JOHN DENVER?!?! Unbelievable! Kingsmen the Golden Circle is in theaters now.

Offbeat and Funny TV rabbit holes:

Mascots: the latest from Christopher Guest who brought us Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. Need I say more?

The Durrells in Corfu: Catch up or Fall down the rabbit hole of the hysterical and quirky PBS comedy before their season 2 premiers on October 15th. Louisa Durrell and her four headstrong children, ages 11 to 21, arrive penniless on the bucolic Greek island of Corfu in 1935. Hilarity Ensues.

What We Do in the Shadows: Vampire Housemates playful antics as they struggle through everyday life. Since it’s October, this one has a Halloween feel. This one is directed by and stars Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords fame.

And that’s it! Let’s remember in these turbulent times:

“The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter”- Mark Twain

Have a GREAT weekend.

Let’s Get Balanced

Plucky Media

EDITORS NOTE: Bringing you The Weekend Mix today is one of our new contributors Esther McCaskill-Baker! Note: While there are Amazon links here, they are NOT affiliated ones. We only use affiliate links on explicitly affiliate posts, in case you were worried. The links are included simply for ease of use. 

It’s the start of Libra season and this week’s The Weekend Mix is one of the first ones to include some fitness and lifestyle youtube recommendations. So, take the opportunity this weekend to get nice and balanced for a spooky October. Here are some picks for music, youtube channels, tv shows, movies, and books to check out this weekend!

Plucky Media

  • Feeling Jazzy? Try some Norah Jones- Perfect if you’re in a jazzy mood, she’s an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known most perhaps for her 2001 song “Come Away with Me”, now is a great time to check out her 2016 album “Day Breaks” or her 2017 single “Unchained Melody“.
  • More Interested in Metal? Give Jinjer a listen, a Ukrainian 4 piece progressive metal band. Try their 2016 album, “King of Everything
  • Want some Rock? Consider Icon for Hire, a rock band from Decatur, Illinois, with their 2016 album “You Can’t Kill Us
  • Leaning More Towards Rap? Check out Ivan B’s 2017 album, “Forgive Me for My Honesty“.
  • Need Folk or Electronic? Give Halsey’s “hopeless fountain kingdom(Deluxe)” album a listen for that synth-pop craving. Try Anaïs Mitchell to get folk-ed up.

Plucky Media

Youtube

  • Let’s Get Physical: Some fitness gurus I like to turn to on Youtube include Whitney Simmons, a fitness guru, Team Richey, a male crossfit athlete who does GREAT collabs, and Nikki Blackletter, a fitness guru.
  • Meal Prep & Lifestyle: Jordan Cheyenne and Sarah Rae Vargas are also favs. They range from meal prep to lifestyle to self-acceptance.
  • Social & Philosophical Commentary: For social commentary and hilarity, The Gabbie Show is a great show. On the intellectual side, BBC’s The Big Question and Intelligence Squared Debate are good choices. BBC’s The Big Question’s “Did Man Create God?” and Intelligence Squared’s “We Should Not Be Reluctant to Assert the Superiority of Western Values” are two of the best debates!
  • Must-See Web Series: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a modernized adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (Developed by Hank Green and Bernie Su for you Nerdfighters out there).
  • Special Video Pick: Check out Amanda Bucci’s “Keys to Success from the Summit of Greatness

 

TV Shows

  • Underground– Originally on WGN this underground railroad focused series is available on Amazon Video.
  • Flash Forward– While this show is about seeing the future, it’s a nice glimpse into the past. Watch this ABC series that aired 2009-2010 on Amazon Video
  • The Good Wife– Starring Emmy Award winner Julianna Margulies, watch this political drama on Amazon Video
  • United States of Tara– Created by Diablo Cody, watch this compelling and funny series on dissociative identity disorder on Amazon Video
  • Atypical– Watch this compelling 2017 show, created by Robia Rashid, on the autism spectrum. Catch the first season on Netflix

Movies

  • Suite Française– Looking for a new drama? Check out the story of a French woman in Nazi-Occupied France and the German officer quartering in her home on Netflix
  • What Happened to Monday– If you’re interested in exploring a more dystopic flick check out What Happened to Monday on Netflix, featuring Noomi Rapace, Willem Dafoe, and Glenn Close. 
  • Friends with Kids- If you’re interested in a comedy, check out this one about navigating adult life with children on Amazon Video, featuring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Jon Hamm.

Plucky Media

Books

  • Oracle of Glass by Judith Merkle Riley– Feeling like some historical fiction? Using actual police records from the reign of Louis XIV, Riley’s work dives into the world both of the occult and the French court. Available on Amazon.
  • Julia’s Chocolates by Cathy Lamb- More in the mood for romance? Follow the story of Julia Bennet after she leaves her blueblood abuser fiance and moves to the town of Golden, Oregon. Available on Amazon
  • Every Dead Thing: A Charlie Parker Thriller by John Connolly- Want to get into a series? Start exploring crime with the private detective Charlie Parker as he investigates a missing girl. Available on Amazon
  • A Brief History of Neoliberalism by David Harvey- Do you see the world we live in today and wonder, how did we get here? For some insight, check out the history of the doctrine. Available on Amazon.
  • The Divide by Matt Taibi- In addition to Harvey’s work, don’t forget to check out Taibbi’s look into American Injustice and the age of the Wealth Gap. Available on Amazon.
  • StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath- Interested in Self Improvement? Evaluate yourself with StrengthsFinder 2.0. Available on Amazon.

💗 That’s it, everybody! I hope you have a balanced and peaceful weekend! We’ll see you next week!  💗

I’m Dreaming of a Grubby Tap

Plucky Media

Hey! I dunno about you guys, but this week took it OUT of me. Anyways if I’m not alone on feeling blah this week, I hope you can find some time to do stuff that you love this weekend. So yeah! Let’s put this week behind us and get to the GOOD STUFF! Here’s my take on the weekend mix!

What to Watch:

  • South Park: If you hate them, I don’t blame you…keep on scrolling to the next recommendation if you have no interest. South Park, however, is airing right now on Wednesday nights, so if you wanna hop in, now’s the time. So yeah, I will say that South Park’s last 3 seasons are the best that they’ve ever been. I also really think it’s very interesting that they make almost every episode in 6 days. It’s current, and it talks about stuff as it’s happening. They got thrown off by the 2016 election, and the final episode of last season (unfortunately) derailed but watching their commentary was incredibly compelling and relevant. I’ve never 100% agreed with them, but I do think that *some* of their criticisms are valid. Anyways…if you hate them I understand.
  • Drag Makeup Tutorial: Trixie Mattel’s Legendary Makeup:I love Trixie Mattel, and I think you should too. Fun Fact: I love watching makeup tutorials, especially drag makeup. I love how their makeup tells a story about their characters and it’s such a cool art form. Also, Trixie is hilarious. Enjoy!
  • Salad Fingers: Ugh you may hate me for recommending this, but I DON’T CARE. I’m not kidding or being ironic when I say this, but I LOVE SALAD FINGERS. SUE ME! I think it’s such a cool little story, and it’s also such a cool historical thing in the youtube community that I think everyone (within reason) should watch. It took 10 years to make! History! AH! Old school flash animation is such an important part of internet culture, and Salad Fingers is arguably the Magnum Opus✨ of this art form. Watching Salad Fingers is a rite of passage for any internet-y kid out there! I will say that it’s very unsettling and features some gore, so if that’s something that isn’t cool for you, then you should just skip it. Also, when you finish watching the whole series, check out these theories by The Film Theorists! The links to the theories are down below!

What to Read

Here are some great essays to check out as well:

What to Listen to

  • Bad With Money: Ok Gaby Dunn taught me so much about financial literacy. I had to figure out a lot of finances on my own growing up, so having her podcast has been great. I’ve learned about how banks really operate, the stock market, and lots of other great things. The guests she brings on really help, and she talks about money in a very relatable way. Finances are hard, especially as an artist! You learn financial literacy with her and you don’t feel so alone.
  • Wisecrack’s THE SQUANCH: Rick and Morty PodcastIf you’re watching Rick and Morty, it’s really cool listening to these guys takes and opinions on what’s happening. I wiiiill say that they kinda piss me off because they’re almost too analytical, but I do enjoy most of it. So yeah, if you’re obsessed with Rick and Morty, and always want more, then it’s great getting a mild Rick and Morty session with these guys.
  • Hopeless Romantic by Michelle Branch: UMMM HAVE YOU GUYS LISTENED TO HER NEWish ALBUM????? Okay, okay, this album has been kinda my go to this past Summer. It talks about romance, broken hearts, and moving on while still keeping hope. Typically I kinda stray away from listening to tooooo many romantic things, but Michelle Freakin’ Branch, Y’ALL (I love her). Ugh, it’s just such a GOOD album you guys. I believe you can listen to it on Apple Music as well as Spotify.

That’s it, everybody! I hope you have a great and peaceful weekend! We’ll see you next week! 💖

 

Wax and Wane

Plucky Media

We’d like to introduce our new contributor, ✨Mackie Raymond✨! She put together such a great Weekend Mix! Expect more cool stuff from her later!

~~~~

If you’re like me, you’ve had a mega exhausting week, and you’re ready to either kick back or kick into high gear. Raleigh pals looking for plans, hit up SparkCon! With acrobatic performances, stand-up showcases, pop-up theatre, walking tours, film screenings, food trucks, trivia, and more, there’ll be plenty to keep you movin’ and shakin’ from dawn to dusk. My top picks? Psychedelic Circus Show tonight, Zine Making Station and Street Jazz Dance Workshop tomorrow, and 7 Stories: LitSpark Open Mic Sunday. Take all that workweek stress and art it out.

Let’s get into it!

What to Watch

Where does heteronormativity go to die? Chris Fleming’s channel. (“I’m Afraid to Talk to Men” was the anthem that defined a generation. Dissertation forthcoming.) This week, I’m highlighting My Dad and My Soccer Coach, an ode to awkward slips of the tongue.

  • Now streaming: Portlandia season 7 on Netflix. Grab a bowl of Tuscan popcorn and settle in for a weekend binge.
  • Elsewhere online: Gravity Falls. After a 40-episode run on Disney Channel that ended in 2016, this silly, character-driven cartoon has cemented itself as a cult hit, with a devoted online fan base. It hits a few of my sweet spots: conspiracy theories, strong continuity, complex mythology, redemption arcs, and, oh yeah… set in Oregon. Moody. Downsides: major issues with race and gender representation. But we’ll save that tea for later.
  • Fun with schadenfreude! Musical Theatre Cringe of the Week: “It’s a gift from me to Elle,” from Legally Blonde. No, it’s not the video you’re thinking of.

What to Listen to

  • Podcast: Let me go ahead and disclose my audio allegiances. I’m a huge podcast fan. Like, sit-on-the-couch-listening-to-podcasts-instead-of-watching-TV fan. This week’s top rec? Rookie. I don’t usually go for interview podcasts, and Tavi Gevinson is by no means a perfect interviewer, but this show feels like a slumber party with your closest, up-to-the-minute trendy gal pals. I devoured the entire podcast over the summer and walked away feeling a little more creatively emboldened.
  • Album: Last Saturday marked my first visit to The Pinhook, where I inadvertently stumbled into a Real Dad concert. Based out of Durham, Real Dad “mixes Batman Forever and Twin Peaks atmosphere with an empowering performance of dusky, but danceable love songs.” The result? Moody synthwave that is sometimes foggy, sometimes fizzy, and always intriguing. (Also, have you heard Kesha’s new album yet? Yeah, she’s, like, actually good now. Or maybe she was always good?)

What to Read

  • A Good Ole Book: I’m not even close to being the first to recommend this 1990 fantasy novel, but my pick this week is Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Encouraged by fellow ex-Supernatural fans, I picked this book up years ago, but wasn’t quite sharp enough to appreciate it yet. It’s a doozy, but worth the read if you’re willing to follow Gaiman and Pratchett down some rabbit holes. Oh, and it’s laugh-out-loud funny, which is rare praise from me. (Bonus: angel/demon homoerotic tension. Fight me on this.)
  • Comics are for grown-ups too!: I love to get my sweaty fangirl hands on any and all Bubbline-related content, so I’ve recently been working my way through Meredith Gran’s Adventure Time spinoff comic series, Marceline and the Scream Queens. Lady punk rockers, candy courtiers, and the always colorful Land of Ooo make for the perfect backdrop to some sweet ‘n sour Sapphic tension. No, the comics aren’t part of the canon (sigh), but they’ll still make that little scene-adjacent hipster that lives inside you smile.
  • Food for Thought: How to Tell the Difference Between Real Solidarity and ‘Ally Theater’. Mia Mckenzie’s expert breakdown-takedown of performative allyship is required reading in an age of civil rights rollbacks.
  • Recommending recommendations: When it comes to unique, critical pop culture analysis with an eye for women and LGBTQIA+ folks, few internet voices deliver like Lady Geek Girl and Friends. Committed to “analyzing geekdom from a religious, feminist, and queer perspective,” secular theologist LGG and company serve up a rad mix of smart and savvy anime, film, video game, etc. reviews on the weekly.

What to Play

  • VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action. Katy recommended this nonlinear bartender simulation game to me, and it’s awesome. Cyberpunkers, aesthetic bloggers, and fans of dystopia, this one’s for you.
  • Quick play: Try Cibele for something you can finish in a single night. But know this before you dive in: the multiplayer game-within-the-game is ancillary to the relationship between the playable character, Nina, and her online companion, Blake. You’ll laugh, you’ll seethe, and, if you’ve ever been a lonely nerd girl on the Internet, you’ll recognize Nina’s story like the back of your (hand-drawn fanart-mottled) hand.

That’s it for this week, y’all! Take care of each other. Be good to yourselves.

Mercury is out of Retrograde! Time to Get Back On Your Bullsh*t

Plucky Media

Hey, Y’all! We can all look forward to this weekend because MeRCuRY iS oUt Of rETroGrADe! Woo! However, the full moon was in Pisces/Neptune earlier this week, so if you’re a dreamy person, please try to protect your energy when you get to the weekend! The early part of this week was probably pretty emotionally taxing, so just be aware and conscious of your energy. If you need to take the time to recharge, then you totally should take it.

Anyways, here are some of our picks of media you should look at this weekend. As always, if you have suggestions, comments, or concerns for things you’d like to see featured, then let us know!

Here we freaking GO.

What to Watch

  • Bojack Horseman: Bojack Horseman is a cartoon that takes place in Hollywoo, CA where anthropomorphized animals and humans cohabitate together. Bojack Horseman, a 90’s star from his show Horsin’ Around, struggles with inner demons, the entertainment industry, and celebrity culture. This show is an amazing. It has equal parts humor meets equal parts darkness. It’s an amazing beautiful mess that you can’t take your eyes away from. The show comes back THIS FRIDAY(9/8/17), and you should totally check it out.
  • Sailor Moon: Sailor Moon was one of my favorite shows when I was little. It faded into a distant memory in my childhood brain as a show with a beautiful color palette. I’m trying to reclaim it. Also, I’m getting really back into astrology, witchy stuff, and girl power, so this is something that has been a great joy rewatching.
  • Rick and Morty: Please, please, please don’t let some Rick and Morty fans ruin the show for you. Rick and Morty is definitely very dark, but it’s also just a well-made show. Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland are masters of storytelling, and it’s just FUN (and existential…but I’m all about that shit).

What to Read:

Okay, so you definitely need to stay informed of what’s happening with DACA. Dreamers are a huge part of what actually ‘makes America great.’ Here are some resources to check out:

Other Great Reads:

What to Play:

  • Tap Tap Fish: This is a cute game where you pretty much have the ocean on your screen. It’s a very relaxing game where you can raise your own fish and manage a coral reef. It’s a very relaxing and very pretty game.
  • Viridi: This is a game where you raise your own succulents. You visit it every day to water it and help it grow. It comes with a beautiful soundtrack and lots of facts about succulents. I’m a terrible plant owner, so this has been great for me to learn about plants without feeling the guilt of being a bad plant mom. Also, you can play this on Steam or a mobile device! I couldn’t get the app to download to my phone because my phone is old, but I like the idea of it as an app!
  • Stardew Valley: Ugh I’m sorry this isn’t a free game, but I FREAKIN’ LOVE STARDEW VALLEY. It’s a big world, wholesome, and beautiful. It’s the Harvest Moon we’ve ALWAYS deserved. It’s about $15, but it’s given me hours of entertainment.

That’s all Folks! We’ll see you next week! 😘

That’s Totally Retrograde!

Plucky Media

Weekends are great, but they can also be kind of depressing, which why we at Plucky Media offer our Weekend Mix of content from cool creators that you can experience. Every week, you can find a nice list round up of cool essays to read, videos to watch, TV shows, and even some indie games. Especially because Mercury is in Retrograde right now, it’s a great way to beat the existential angst.

So here are some of our recommendations for September 1st- September 3rd.

What to Read

From the future of Augmented Reality for artists to the history of the tater tot, a feminist take on Sir Mix-A-Lot to remembering the effect of Princess Diana’s Death— these are some amazing end of week stories that I think you’ll love.

Nota Bene: The Taylor Swift article isn’t what you think it is. It’s actually really good commentary: read it.

What to Watch

I’m having a real dead week with youtube. Other than the video game streams I leave on, I don’t really have a lot to show you. So, here are some of our favorite shows right now that we’ve been binging, that if you’re not watching and need something uplifting to watch this weekend— here you go.

  • The Mindy Project– It’s all on hulu and it’s what me and Sarah have been binging. There’s something about a pre-everything sitcom that’s just wholesome.
  • The Bold Type– Also on hulu, but if you have cable, it is on Freeform. It’s about women in working at a Cosmopolitan-type magazine. It’s tbh just so good and empowering and cute. This is actually a CURRENT show on TV and the season finale is NEXT WEEK!
  • Steven Universe– I’m being 100% serious when I say that after Trump got elected, Steven Universe taught me and Sarah how to love again. If you haven’t watched it, watch it. It’s so important. Also with Rick and Morty being off for 2 weeks, what else do you have to do?

What to Play

I also don’t have many new games to share this week, but I thought I’d share a couple of interesting indie browser games on itch.io. If you really want to go down a rabbit hole, I definitely recommend trying to make games on simple online editors like bitsy or twine. I love those systems and they have room for a lot of creativity if you want to. If not, here are some interesting games to try.

  • NNC News– Part of the #ResistJam earlier this year, this is a free, in browser teleprompter simulation game in which you replace banned words on a teleprompter. That doesn’t sound great but it’s actually a very pretty game and an interesting concept.
  • Sort the Court– An interesting and free browser game where you serve as a ruler and say “yes” or “no” to people’s requests. A little repetitive, but as a fan of city management games, it’s pretty fun.
  • Grow Your Own Ghoul Girl– A dress up game/clicker where you grow your own “Ghoul Girl” from an egg. It’s short and sweet and has cute graphics.
  • Lost Memories Dot Net– Free browser game, actually simulating a teenager’s browser. Very beautiful and interesting story.

… and that’s our weekend mix! If you have any other weekend mix suggestions, be sure to let us know!

Copyright Plucky Media 2024
Tech Nerd theme designed by Siteturner