old school telly, wholesome tunes and a careless whisper
Oh, hi! It’s been a while between drinks (figuratively, not literally) because Life went and got in the way of the demands of producing a casual, monthly-ish newsletter. But I’m back, baby! And SO ready to prattle on about stuff. Let’s do this.
A big shout out off the top to the impeccable Public Wine Shop, which has fast become a go-to spot for any kind of occasion/ celebration/ mild event that must be noted by consuming excellent wine. It’s just so consistent and dependable, and impressively far from pretentious. I love the experience of having a chat and getting a recommendation, and truly I’ve never been handed a boring wine. The food is fab and equally not-boring and the whole place is soundtracked by a bloody great record collection. The definition of good vibes.
watch
Thank God You’re Here on 10play
Tell me you haven’t been sleeping on free-to-air TV this year! If there’s another golden age of Australian telly to be had, it’ll have to be at least 70% attributed to the Working Dog mob. Honestly, I just can’t get over how lucky we are to have Thank God You’re Here back. What did we do to deserve this? Nothing immediately comes to mind! Anyway. It was a gem back in the day, and it’s a gem of a reboot now. Pure feel-good stuff. And more Celia Pacquola on our screens is of course only a good thing.
listen
Look Up! by the Harlem Gospel Travellers
One more stop on the feel-good train. This here is another pearler courtesy of my beloved Spotify algorithm (best algorithm going around - I’ve said it before and I stand by it) and is such a delightful record that I can’t imagine I would’ve stumbled across otherwise. Pure, joyful music that sounds straight out of a different era. Sunshine in an album.
watch
Wham! on Netflix
So I came into this not knowing a huge amount about George Michael, let alone Andrew Ridgeley, beyond the top hits and a wonderful Arrested Development gag. But when Leigh Sales recommends a documentary (on the always dependable Chat 10 Looks 3 podcast), I ask no questions. And look, I gotta say, I totally get it now. (What a hot take! I know, I know.) Wham! is such a great story, of friendship and immense talent and the pure pursuit of pop. Please, take me back to a club in the 80s - can you even imagine being on a crowded dance floor and hearing Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go for the first time? Come ON.
I think 22 year old, indie-obsessed, bit-of-a-wanker Lisa would’ve loved this month’s mix. Make of that what you will. Enjoy!
Sleep good,
Lisa xx
Thank goodness for the much anticipated return of it's good, my number one stop for rankings of best algorithms. I was surprised with how pleasant the return of Thank God You're Here was, but I'm still not sure I'm willing to forgive free-to-air TV for its years-long fall into disarray just yet.
Good to have you back! Thanks for the heads up re the Wham! doco. Total GM fangirl here, so will definitely have to watch.