As I've been thinking through what TFIB should feel like in it's new Substack world I've decided that I want it to function differently based on the day of the week. My thinking (for now) is that Mondays will be a thoughtful round-up of ideas which will skew more longform and opinion based. Wednesdays will feature a wallpaper(s) as well as a series of links and ideas to explore. While Fridays will focus on actionable things you can do on the weekend ahead, which you'll see for yourself down below.

In quar or after, the weekends are an important time to do things that enrich your life. This can manifest in a lot of ways (watching, reading, listening, seeing) and the eight items below will give you a taste of what I mean.

<3 Bobby

Virtual matters

Printed Matter’s annual book fair here in Los Angeles was always a spectacle. You could always expect extravagant booths, charming characters, over-priced items, and and a guarantee of running into at least four people you know. This year, the event has been transformed into the PMVABF, the Printed Matter Visual Art Book Fair, featuring over 400 exhibitors from 43 countries, with online programs, performances, games, and more.

You could easily spend your entire weekend browsing custom websites from each of these exhibitors as well as the incredible amount of programming that’s available, which is totally free to enjoy.

“Yellow teeth was just the regular color.”

I didn’t expect to love Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar as much as I did. The spoiler-free premise: two very reserved women who love their ordinary lives unexpectedly lose their jobs, but take it as sign to get out of their normal routines. So they take an “exotic” vacation to Vista Del Mar, a resort town in Florida, and end up getting caught in an evil villains plot to kill the entire town.

Kristen Wiig (one of the funniest people alive) and her co-star Annie Mumolo are eccentric and absurd beyond belief and an absolute joy to watch. Their off the cuff banter throughout the film is such a joy to sit back and experience. The ensemble is a delight as well, in-particular Reyn Doi who plays Yoyo, and starts the film in one of the most hysterical intros ever. Big props to Jamie Dornan for being shirtless a good chunk of the film 🥰 you’re doing the lords work. If you’re looking for something and dumb and wonderful I would highly recommend watching.

Soothing soul and spiritual jazz

For the past few weeks I’ve started a ritual of listening to Naomi Asa on NTS every weekend. For those unfamiliar, NTS is a digital radio station with 24/7 programming, with outposts in London, Manchester, and Los Angeles. Their DJs are an eclectic mix and the music they play is equally diverse. You’ll literally hear every genre of music from about every span of time. There’s quite literally something for everyone.

Naomi Asa, and her particular blend of soul/jazz/folk/ambient seems to really hit the spot on a Sunday morning. She has such a unique POV when it comes to music, things I’ve never heard before, which is why it’s so exciting.

One more time

With the break-up of Daft Punk this week it felt appropriate to revisit an iconic moment from their career. In 2007, as part of their Alive tour, they played Grant Park in Chicago to massive crowd at Lollapalooza. The set is a fantastic one, with so many of their hits mashed together in new and exciting ways. As someone who never had the opportunity to see them live, watching this on a TV is about the best it’s going to get.

Composing a symphony

“Perfume is about emotions.” So says François Demachy, Director of Development for the LVMH group’s cosmetics and perfumes division, who, since 2006, has been the mastermind (er, nose) behind some of their most popular fragrances.

My partner Kyle and I have roughly 20 to 30 different scents in our bathroom. We see them as extensions of ourselves and our moods, each day we augment our physical appearance with a scent that compliments (or contrasts with) what we have on. When you walk into a room with an amazing cologne or perfume on, you surprise people, and it’s a phenomenal feeling.

Nose, is a documentary which follows Demachy as he searches for ingredients for his perfumes. Love docs, love scents, this is absolutely made for me, I think you’d enjoy it, and you can watch the trailer here.

Planningtoenjoy

One of the mixes I’ve listened to most over the last couple months has to be Planningtorock’s Planningtoremix 2020 mega mix. They had one of the best singles of the entire year with the track they made for the Chanel show (Planningtochanel) and this mix does not disappoint. Track list includes remixes for Romy (from The xx), Austra, Robyn and more, but my favorite is what she did for Perfume Genius. The second track on the mix is their version of Jason off his upcoming IMMEDIATELY Remixes album. Their version of Jason is literally one of the best songs I’ve ever heard, I have it stuck in my head constantly, I think you’re gonna love it.

Reach out and touch faith

Perhaps you’re looking for something more spiritual to brighten your weekend? The Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary with an interfaith ceremony and community celebration on Sunday, and it’s totally free to join. The chapel is famously known for containing 14 immense Rothko paintings as well as being a place that’s open to anyone looking for spiritual guidance and representing those of all faiths. They even have a Barnett Newman sculpture in the garden! If you’re curious to learn more about The Rothko Chapel I found this handy link which gives the history of the chapel, and which I found handy.

You can’t lead a horse to water

This is a gem I happened to stumble across thanks to Soundcloud’s brilliant algo. It’s a mix created by DJ Early Grey, a Melbourne based DJ who cobbled together an incredible mix of old classic gems. The best way I can describe it is to say it sounds like a Quentin Tarantino film, and I mean that in the best way possible. You’ve got old Japanese country tracks, psychedelic guitar tracks, 70’s soul jams, and that’s like only the first 20 minutes! I feel so lucky coming across this mix, really looking forward to digging into more of his work.

Listen to the whole thing here (with headphones!) you won’t be disappointed.