A lot of my new music now just comes from a Kevin Bacon-esque six degrees of features game. Leap frogging through music I already listen to to new artist. Hence Ovrkast’s new record which features a track with Vince Staples. Rolling along from their and I am enjoying the whole damn thing. And on we roll to Samara Cyn?
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Black Hole Superette – Aesop Rock
I’ve been a Aesop Rock fan since Labor Days in 2001. I am not a live music person generally, but I’ve seen him 4 times over those many years. So I am always ear to the ground for new Aesop work. Black Hole Superette is great. All of the creative production and lyrics I expect, paired with Aes’s distinctive and raspy voice.
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Sunderfolk
This not an entry into the Best Games of the 2020’s and that is not a poor reflection of what Sunderfolk has to offer.
Calling it a video game is probably disingenuous, it has more in common with Gloomhaven than it does with any of the games I’ve played this year. And that is a good thing. A hybrid video game/board game, voardgame? that you play couch co-op style. Each player managing their character from their phone. You are deck building when you level up and coordinating attacks on the board with your friends.
It doesn’t make the list however because of it’s pace. It all starts very slowly and a two hour session might not net you very much progress. Nor challenge, it feels like it requires a lot of tutorial before it lets you loose or challenges your group. Neither of the two groups I tried it with were willing to invest in peeling it’s rind to get to it’s theoretical juice.
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Tottenham Hotspur won a trophy
This season could have been the worst season for Tottenham since they were relegated from the the league in 1977. 17th place is abysmal. It is the kind of result that spurs talk of rebuilds and clearing the coaching staff out.
But, and it’s a big “but”, this is the first trophy the club has won since 2008. 17 years since they won the least prestigious domestic trophy. The EFL Cup is nothing to sneeze it, but prior to that it was 34 years since they won the FA Cup and 41 years since the last European trophy. It is not a miracle cure for the club, but it is a massive shot in the arm that we’ve need for almost two decades.
Ange in! Run it back! We’ve got Champions League football to look forward to! COYS!
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Love Death + Robots Vol 4
I’ve enjoyed this series since it started in 2019 and have always felt a little guilty knowing how much hard work must go into each episode. They drop and you can slurp them all up in one sitting on a Saturday night. The Animatrix might be my earliest modern recollection of a project like this.
The 4th volume came out on a Friday and by Sunday I’d already watched it all and re-watched my favorite, “How Zeke Got Religion”, a second time. This go round was a little less satisfying than the last three and I don’t think it was a return to form/quality after Secret Level. I liked their video game take on the concept, but it all had a little taste of video game commercial to it.
Still worth a watch. It is short and there are real gems on offer.
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Lamine Yamal
It can be hard to convey to others how skilled or transcendent a talent a player in a sport is if they aren’t regularly watching. For me that was a very long period where I just didn’t get how good Nikola Jokic was. It was because I wasn’t watching and when I did, it all clicked into place. It wasn’t just the highlights, it was all the little things he did to impact the game.
Lamine Yamal is 17 and has been setting the soccer world on fire. Last year at 16, he played significant minutes in Euro 2024, assisted the first goal in the finals, and was the youngest player ever to win it. This season he has been pivotal in Barcelona’s offense, seemingly involved in almost every attack. He was electric in the Champions League semi-final legs against Inter. And then promptly took Barcelona to a league title.
If you have not watched, you have to make time for it. He looks to be one of the best players in the world. Hell he might be on that short list already.
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Best Games: V Rising v1.1
V Rising is already on the Best Games of the 2020’s list, but it made it on post 1.0 retail release last year before this new site existed. So why bring it up? Well it is #10 on the list because it is so freaking good and I am fully underwater with it all over again.
A year after the game was finally complete. Meaning out of early access, they’ve released Oakveil (v1.1). Jam packed with a new zone, eight new bosses, three new weapons, and quality of life updates. All for free and worthy of a brand new play through. There are five of us playing this time around, on fresh server, on brutal difficulty, and enjoying this peach of a game all over again.
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ABCs: Lolita’s & Zorch
Two more for the Richmond Alphabet. That brings us to 10 and at this rate, maybe it is feeling realistic to actually get it done in 2025. Said the man who knows every summer life kicks into overdrive.
This Mexican spot on Cary Street was not on our list for the letter L. We actually just happened upon it while looking for a late lunch. It was such a welcome surprise of delicious cocktails and killer tacos that we decided to add it to the list. The indoor/outdoor seating setup in May, when the weather is nice, was an added bonus. Lost Letter and L’Opossum will have to wait.
Not a ton of options for Z, when I’ve had meals at ZZQ and Zorba’s a bunch of times. Thankfully Zorch, food truck turned pizza parlor serves up tasty slices at two locations. We hit the Carytown spot and had slices, wings, and cold beers. The space is cramped, but cozy, maybe hit the southside location if it is a busy evening in the city.
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Run the Jewels 2: A belated anniversary appreciation
Last year RTJ2 had it’s 10 year anniversary. I didn’t celebrate it by spending time with the album again, but instead bought a puzzle. Then I put said puzzle on the stack of other puzzles. A missed opportunity.
Consider it rectified. I started the puzzle last week and every time I sit down to work on it I put on the album and appreciate it all over again. The puzzle has naughty Where’s Waldo energy, as it makes loads of references to the lyrics in it’s illustrations. Crass, clever and fun. And not for a certain caliber of guest to come over and see on our dining room table.
180 Lunches 