Welcome to the first Saturday edition of the Friday mailbag. It was a crazy week. I spent most of it helping Alice with remote kindergarten. I also started a new job a couple weeks ago. Seasonal retail sales associate! Welcome in today, can I help you find anything?
20 in 20 EPISODE NINE is LIVE!
People have been asking me to review baked apples for months now, so I finally went ahead and did that. I also reviewed It’s a Wonderful Life, Cardi B’s “WAP,” and copping sheets with high thread counts. You can hear me talk on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Buzzsprout. I should note that I’m stuck at nine ratings on Apple Podcasts. Who will be the person to put me over the hump? (The hump being 10 ratings.)
Two new stories at N.E.H. this week: “The Ten Best Garments of 2020” and “15 Good Christmas Songs.” And there’s more 2020 recap coming next week! Yuss.
AND NOW TO THE MAILBAG…
Loyal N.E.H. reader, Charles, asks:
Which is your favorite White Sox uniform?
Great question, Charles. The current home jerseys are perfect. Straight up. They’re old-fashioned but timeless. They incorporate elements from every Sox era. Pinstripes? Check. The descending Sox logo? Check. A simple black and white palette? Yep. That being said, I’ve grown somewhat tired of them, and I think the front office will be hesitant to change them any time soon. So…
My true favorite is the 1959 home jersey. I believe this was the debut of the iconic Sox logo. And red is such an underrated color in the Sox palette. I wish they’d bring it back. Finally, the creamy wool and fuzzy pinstripes harken back to turn-of-the-century uniforms without looking hopelessly old timey. I’ve got a ‘59 hat, but I really think I need a uni, too.
Loyal N.E.H. reader, Pat (no relation), asks:
You referenced
Loveless
as your personal catnip, what other two records claim that?
What is sonic catnip? I think it’s music that might not be excellent or even particularly good but still grabs you for whatever reason. (Loveless is excellent, of course, so maybe my theory is 🗑️.
The first album that comes to mind is Alkaline Trio’s 7th album, This Addiction. Released in 2010, This Addiction is at least two records removed from the Trio’s peak, but I’m powerless to it. I just love it. And people hate this album. They say it’s when Alkaline Trio jumped the shark. I can’t argue with them, but I also think of Alkaline Trio as my comfort food. When I hear Matt Skiba’s voice, some long-dormant adolescent synapse in my brain fires and delivers a payload of serotonin and I jump all around my living room, scaring the dog.
The second album that comes to mind is Taylor Swift’s new album, evermore. You couldn’t concoct a more catnippy album in a lab. My favorite pop artist teaming up with my favorite band? That happens on evermore. Lyrics about being sad and old and regretful? Many examples of this on evermore. I’m also a sucker for autumnal music (as any 20 in 20 head can attest), and Taylor makes audioplaid. Catnip! I listened all last night!
Got a question? Feel free to comment on this post or e-mail me at newexperimentalhours@gmail.com. Thanks!
It’s rainy and cold here in Chicago this weekend. Grab your rain boots and rain coat and go sacrifice yourself to the wet. Get soaked! Go unclog some sewers and drains! Walk around your neighborhood with a big stick like a mage.