Perfect Days - 2/26/2024

Yesterday I went to see Perfect Days at Regal Cinemas with my mom. I honestly didn’t know they showed movies like this - whenever I’d seen films like perfect days in a theater, it was at the artsy cinema downtown, and not with my mom. Perfect Days is just over two hours and it follows the story of a middle aged man named Hirayama who cleans public toilets in Tokyo. Every morning he wakes up to the sound of a woman sweeping the streets outside, folds up his futon, shaves and brushes his teeth, and sprays down his maple saplings he cultivates. Then he gets coffee from a vending machine and heads to work while listening to his VHS tapes, all these classic American songs and some Japanese music too. The film shows how he lives, day in and day out. He has no friends or romantic partners - yet still he finds joy and peace in every single day. At lunch hour, he always sits at the same bench, and looks up at light shining through the branches of the same tree, and takes a picture with his ancient film camera. This movie was simple and complex and warm and beautiful. I feel like I’m fortunate in that I can view the world in its softness in the way Hirayama does. But still - I could never be a professional toilet cleaner in Tokyo with no friends. That sounds immeasurably painful. Anyways, sick ass movie. The cinematography was exceptional too.

Hiroyama reminds me of Nakata from Kafka on the Shore. I’m reading that right now. Part of this book is also set in Tokyo. It’s by Haruki Murakami. Nakata is a disabled elderly man who lives off of a monthly subsidy. His favorite food is eel, and he can talk to cats. He has a similar mentality towards life. Like, he doesn’t focus on the past or the present. He just loves the beauty and simplicity of the moment. But then crazy shit keeps happening to him. This book is insane. I think it might be my new favorite book, but I’m not done yet, so i can’t say for sure. It’s just so quiet but intense, and so focused on the little things and the enormity of everything. It’s hard to explain. The main character is this kid named Kafka who is normal as hell. But also not really.

Here’s some albums I’ve heard for the first time in the past month. I need to hear them a couple more times to develop a concrete opinion, but these are my first impressions:

This album is SO GOOD. Um it's the first of Tool I've heard and I really wasn't expecting it to be like this. I didn't know anything about Tool except that in high school band a lot of guys were really annoying about it. Now I see why. I could see myself getting really into this band. I expected them to have like 30 3 hour long albums but they only have like 5. Very convenient for ME! I feel like all metal, regardless of genre, is REALLY melodramatic. It's, like, gay. Even when it's trying its hardest to be serious it just ends up a little corny. And that's not a bad thing at all. Metal's great. Is tool nu metal? I don't know but this album is like in between Deftones and Chevelle

I really love hyperpop but haven't really explored it outside of 100 gecs. So can I really say I love hyperpop? IDK anyways, this EP rocks. It's so fucking fun and so fucking unique. My favorite song is "best of both worlds"-it just keeps you on your toes man! It just keeps switching up on you! But in such a fun, elegant, seamless way. Hell yeah.

Man I need to go through this one again but it's crazy how much influence this guy had on like, 2000s indie music. This is the first I've heard from Elliot Smith and it's so good. His songs are so like simple but complex at the same time, I don't know how he does it. Say Yes is such an airy, pleasant, yet slightly melancholy ending to this album. I feel like I can hear the influence of that song alone in so many new indie songs.

I haven't heard a lot of rap but I'm trying to change that cuz it's so fucking good. This album goes sooo hard but I need to listen to it a couple more times to say anything lol. The production and energy of these tracks are fantastic.

Honestly yeah similar to elliot smith in that these songs are so simple but so perfect in the most satisfying way. That being said i found some of the subject matter kind of annoying. Just break up with her dude IDK!!

Shoegaze=cool!!! I need to hear this one again.

And

So excellent but leaves me with some kind of ick. I think I just have mixed feelings about Grimes. I think she's an amazing musician though. And lowkey fine as hell