Editor’s note: Tastemakers is a new column we’re trying out here at The Spectator where we give you, the readers, a glimpse into what we at The Spectator are interested in (fashion, music, pop culture, etc.) It also takes heavy inspiration from Perfectly Imperfect, a paid Substack with content in a similar format.
This week on Tastemakers, we have Multimedia Editor Delia Brandel. She is a second-year illustration major who is known for her ever-changing hair color and big white headphones.
Delia is a music and book enthusiast and could spend all day talking about her cat. Today, however, she’s talking about things she thinks are cool.
Alex G: I don’t know what it is about this guy, but I can’t seem to get enough of him right now. Alex G is a 30 year-old indie Lo-Fi rock musician. I had the absolute pleasure of seeing him in concert this summer at Hinterland Music Festival and when I say I almost died witnessing him perform that is not an understatement. His music has this deeply melancholic and nostalgic feel to it, not to mention his newest album “God Save the Animals” is a masterpiece. Some songs I’ve had on repeat lately are “Runner,” “Mission” and “Aint it Easy.”
Eastland Chunky Brown Loafers: The other day at Eau Claire’s local Savers I came across a pair of brown Eastland utility shoes. It basically felt like the universe was shining a beam of light down just for me. These shoes are perfect, they are sturdy for all terrain, cute in a vintage way and so comfortable. More than anything, they remind me of the popular Doc Marten loafers that are beautiful, but way out of my budget. I will be wearing these shoes until the soles wear off.
Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”: This song has me in a perpetual chokehold this month. It’s so perfectly melodramatic and fits into the genre of music I’ve been really vibing with lately. The guitar and toned-down feeling of this song is a stark contrast to a large portion of Pink Floyd’s discography. That in itself makes it extremely compelling, not to mention Pink Floyd’s incredible lyricism and musical talent. Fair warning, the lyrics, as are with all Pink Floyd songs, will make you feel like just another impenetrable cog in the machine.
“Men Who Hate Women” by Laura Bates: This book is a living nightmare but is so very important to read. Laura Bates poses as an incel online and infiltrates the subsequent online communities to understand the mindset behind their harmful and ever-growing ideologies. She breaks down the motives, impacts and consequences of this subculture and brings in former members to share their stories as well. This is a nauseating read, and I have been working through it a few pages at a time for the past few months.
Yoshitmoto Nara: I am fatally obsessed with Yoshitmoto Nara’s artwork. His work falls into the “Japanese Pop Art” category. Personally, I feel like his art is so popular because of the life he brings into these very simple drawings. Inspired by German comic books, Nara’s art has a childlike whimsy to it while taking on more complex emotions and experiences. My current favorite exhibition is “After all I am Cosmic Dust,” accompanied by a beautiful interview done by Pace Gallery.
Brandel can be reached at [email protected].
