I enjoyed Shy Bird's chicken, Taylor Swift's album "folklore", High West Campfire bourbon, the NBA's return. I am also looking forward to the FA Cup final!
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This past Friday we did something we had been threatening to do for years. We went to Craigie on Main for their burger. It is consistently ranked as one of the best burgers in Boston. The tricky part to acquiring this burger for your belly is you have to get to Craigie on Main at opening, or even before opening, and hustle to the bar once the award winning restaurant opens. We showed up a little after 5PM for a 5:30 opening. We were third and fourth in line, and by the time 5:30 rolled around and they opened the doors I’d say 15 people were on the sidewalk.
Craigie only serves 18 of their burgers a night. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. It is served medium-rare next to some of the best wedges potatoes I’d had in my life. The burger was massive and we had a great little corner of the bar. The bartender was happy and chatty, the couple to our left was visiting from out of town and were curious about some other places to eat in Boston. The bartender was glad to offer his thoughts (Toro, Shojo, Brewer’s Fork for Pizza, and Monica’s in the North End for their Italian sandwich).
When we were done with the meal, it was still early given our 5:30 dining time, so we decided to walk home from Central Square to Charlestown. The Longfellow Bridge offers one of the best views of Boston (pictured above), so we took that route home and stopped at the Liberty Hotel on the way home as a pit stop.
An ideal end of summer evening, for sure.
Hard Knocks: As the NFL season sneaks up on us next weekend (and the college football season in full swing this Labor Day Weekend), if you have HBO this is always a well done show. This year they’re following the Oakland Raiders training camp. There’s plenty of interesting storylines, and John Gruden doesn’t disappoint. And Antonio Brown is a basket case. Catch up this weekend and be ready for the final episode next week.
Mindhunter: If you’re someone that has been sucked into the vortex of true crime TV shows or podcasts, I highly recommend Mindhunter on Netflix. It’s one of the best things on Netflix because it doesn’t feel like a Netflix show. It’s scary and smart and directed by David Fincher, who has a penchant for 8-10 minute scenes with serial killer interviews, just crushes this entire series. The show follows the development of the behavior science department of the FBI.
Watch it, but make sure you have some sort of “palate cleanser” after so you don’t stay up all night.
Phone Addiction: This piece in The Guardian is really well done. This is a topic I am very interested in having worked with children and seen the effect social media and technology has had on how kids treat each other and the comfort they feel in using abhorrent language towards one another. It’s way worse than being called a bedbug, I’ll tell you that much.
Taylor Swifts Lover: I wrote about the album earlier this week. Check it out here…. I scored each song as a “0” or “1.” It’s a solid album.
The Craigie Burger: See Best Activity. A delicious burger, a cool experience. Glad I can check it off the list.
Mexican Street Corn Pizza: Brewers Fork opened in Charlestown a few years ago now. It was the first of a few new spots to eat in our neighborhood. It appears on a lot of best pizza lists, after the bartender at Craigie offered it as a pizza recommendation, I decided to head back for the first time in a while this week. This pizza was delicious.
The Random Division is new this week with our thoughts on the latest 18 hours of Bachelor in Paradise that aired this week.
You can follow our Random Division Instagram here. You can email us with BiP observations or requests of other things you’d like us to pod about because we’re heading towards the Bachelor offseason and we’d like to keep up our weekly momentum.
Email: TheRandomDivisionPod@Gmail.com
I wrote about Taylor Swift’s album here… and I wrote about my Strange August Restlessness here.
Have a great Labor Day Weekend!
Taylor Swift has been back in our life all summer. She dropped a few singles, some were good, some were “meh.” This past Friday, she shared the rest of her album, “Lover” with us. Taylor Swift is one of the few artists that I will go out of my way to listen to when a new album is released. I have given it a few listens, both as background music and while I’ve been focused; I decided to sit and listen to each song again and write about each song and rank it on the binary scale.
If I like the song, it gets a “1.” If I don’t like it, it gets a big fat “0.”
Here goes:
Well, we’re right out of the gates with a quick-hitting, short, to the point, bitter sounding Taylor song. Kind of on brand for T. Swift. Someone pissed her off and now she has moved on so swimmingly that she forgot that this person existed. Given the title of the entire album, this is an appropriate song. It sounds like she is really just reading a letter that she wrote to someone. She sprinkles in her trademark giggle at the ridiculousness of this entire situation.
I actually don’t mind the beat of the song, it’s catchy and summer’y, which is nice with all this Pumpkin Spice Latte nonsense that has invaded our lives this past week. However, the beat doesn’t help me get past that these are the types of songs that I don’t like from T. Swift.
Rating: 0
I thought this might be a cover of the incredible 80’s song by Bananarama, which made me very excited. It also forced me to have to like this song a bit more than I think I would have if it had a different title.
There are multiple moments when I am not sure if Swift does stuff in her songs (or writes entire songs) with her tongue firmly placed in her cheek. One of those moments is in this song when she delivers some lines with an intonation that mimics Cardi B where her voice goes way up in order to make lines rhyme. It happens at the 20 second mark with, “Devils roll the dice/Angels roll their eyes” which isn’t a bad set of lines.
This song has grown on me with multiple listens.
Rating: 1
My wife and I have talked about when Swift might go back to the country side of things. This song feels like the closest she has come in the last few albums. It’s loaded with cliches, as country songs tend to be. As I type this, the song is playing and I just don’t like it. I was underwhelmed when I heard it the first time as a single, maybe because it didn’t fit the sound of a summer single from Swift.
I just don’t really like the sound and I think after the first two songs on the album it feels a bit out of place.
Rating: 0
This song feels like a third rail for any man to write about… I rolled my eyes on my first listen to “The Man”, but I did get a kick out of the Leo DiCaprio dig she slips in. However, it’s very much on the nose without any nuance in the writing (“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can/Wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man” “If I was a man/then I’d be the man”). Maybe that’s what she was going for, to make guys feel uncomfortable or roll their eyes. I
The one saving grace for this song, is that it has a little bit of Haim in the sound. If you don’t know Haim, you should.
Rating: 0
Now we’re at the point of the album where it’s starting to feel like it doesn’t have a steady, stable sound. Nothing to really grab onto and feel grounded. “The Archer” builds slowly and solidly but then never fully crescendos into a final climax. I like the message of the the song, Swift is dealing with being “the archer and the prey” a fair point that no one could argue. I appreciate the honestly of the song.
Rating: 1’
If “The Archer” left me wondering what this album is all about, I Think He Knows opens the door to a new section of Lover.
This is the first song that really made me stop and pay attention. From the line, “He’s got that boyish look I like in a man” delivered very quickly, to the chorus that comes out of nowhere and is super fun and upbeat, “He’s got my heartbeat skipping down 16th avenue” this song belongs on summer playlists this Labor Day Weekend.
Rating: 1
Here’s our “Taylor Swift goes for the Lorde sound” song. It’s bit gritty, with a haunting harmony; lines like “It’s you and me that’s my whole world/ they whisper in the hallway she’s a bad bad girl” feels like a grab at the younger audience that she might be losing to Lorde and Billie Eilish.
Rating: 0
If “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Price” was a grab at Lorde, “Paper Rings” is a grab at the old Taylor Swift, the one from Fearless, particularly the chorus, “I love shining things/but I’d marry you with paper rings.” Swift might admit to us that she is rapping in the verses of this tune, and I think it works.
This song grew on me. It’s fun and a small homage to the old Taylor Swift, who can’t love that?
Rating: 1
Good golly this is a great song. Another one that grabbed me the first time I listened to it. Before I did any research on the song I would have thought that Ed Sheeran wrote this one or at least had his hand in some of the lyrics, but it turns out Swift wrote this one all on her own (“Lover” and “Daylight” are the other two with that distinction).
I’m a sucker for songs that drip nostalgia, and this one does that for me. Lines like, “I get mystified by how this city screams your name” and “I hope I never lose you/I’d never walk Cornelia Street again.” I also really like the beat, a constant synth sound. It’s also one of those songs that makes Swift sound like herself.
Rating: 1
Starting with “I Think He Knows” we are treated to some very solid songs. “Death by a Thousand Cuts” is one of the ones that I’m not crazy about in this stretch. I mean, it’s fine but it doesn’t hold up against “Paper Rings” and “Cornelia Street” and it also is followed by another fun song in “London Boy.”
Rating: 0
Swift dips into the mid-2000s song ploy of referencing places in a city to connect with the listeners. In “London Boy” she sings about Camden Market, Highgate, West End, Brixton, Shoreditch, and tosses around the word “fancy” with reckless abandon. It’s a catchy tune and worthy of the Summer BBQ playlist.
Rating: 1
The Dixie Chicks are back! Leave it to Swift to give them a shot; I love it. This is a sad, sad song. Given the content and context, I can relate to it having had both parents battle cancer and losing my dad five years ago to the damned disease.
Here’s what Swift had to say on YouTube about it (credit Elle.com):
"There’s a song called 'Soon You’ll Get Better' that was really, really hard to write. and it was a family decision to even put on the album, and I think songs like that that are really hard for you to write emotionally, maybe they’re hard to write and hard to sing because they’re really true. We as a family decided to put this on the album. It’s something I’m so proud of. I can’t sing it. It’s hard to emotionally deal with that song. You’ll understand what I mean in a couple of hours."
Rating: 1
A super chill song that I like, but I don’t know why. it’s got a little Drake sprinkled in, both in the delivery and the music.
We’re also at the point where we have to realize that this album has 18 songs; we’re in the home stretch…
Rating 1:
The single that gained the most attention by a mile. I like this one, the video is fun, even though there are some issues with the messaging; Swift’s effort to come across as an ally is a tad too much on the nose, especially while she is also unpacking her beef with Katy Perry.
Rating: 1
An apology song? From T. Swift?
Whoa… okay. “Hey, it’s on me, just don’t go/meet me in the afterglow.”
I’m on the fence with this one. I think the chorus puts it over the top, though. Another moment where it just feels like Swift gets to sing without anything being contrived.
Rating: 1
Another tongue in cheek moment with a sprinkle of the Fearless album in there. The drum line brings us all to high school football games, the duet with Brendon Urie from Panic! at the Disco gives this one a different sound.
I find it curious that Swift buried some of her singles deep in the album. This was her first single from “Lover” and I didn’t like it much as a stand alone song. I think it’s a bit better within the album after listening to fifteen songs before it. Sadly, it’s just not a song I really like. This time as I sit on the fence, I fall on the zero side…
Rating: 0
Taylor’s making a friend at school to the sound of steel drums and maybe some sort of marimba and a horn tossed in for good measure. This song is clever, as it is written and performed like something a group of first graders might sing at a recital. The lines are choppy, the music is simple, and I can picture a music teacher at the front of the stage mouthing the words to the kids. Obviously, the words are a tad too mature, which also makes the song interesting to a degree. It’s a quick one, only 2:30 on the clock.
Rating: 1
The final song of the album, written by Swift on her own, doesn’t actually sound like her. It’s kind of strange, but we are reminded that it is indeed a Taylor Swift song when it finishes with a recorded quote from the singer.
The song fits with the end of an album, hopeful and reflective: “You gotta step into the daylight and let it go.” I also appreciated the little callback to her album “Red” when she sings, “I always thought that love would burn red.”
The album finishes with Swift saying, “You are what you love.”
This has always been the uncomfortable juxtaposition for me with Swift. She spends a lot of time on the album writing about the haters and the things she doesn’t like or the things she feels powerless to change, but then kind of shoehorns that last quote in there, almost to make herself feel better. She’s a complicated person, which makes her interesting and enticing and frustrating and confusing.
It’s also why I find myself listening to her songs and albums because it feels like she is at least trying to say something, which is not the case with a lot of pop-music right now. At times it falls flat, at other times people take her too seriously, and other times she misses the mark.
That’s why Taylor Swift is Taylor Swift.
Rating: 1
OVERALL ALBUM SCORE: 12/18
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I’d say Lover is a tad too long as an entire album. The middle of the album is really solid, particularly the six song stretch from “I Think He Knows” to “London Boy.” Those were the songs on my first listen that took hold for me and will be in my rotation of songs I listen to this fall. Some of the songs feel out of place or like they could be part of their own album.
Toss your thoughts in the comment section and feel free to suggest another album I can give a binary score to!
Every Friday, I plan on sharing stuff I liked from my week. The busyness of summer typically leads to a break in routine and doing stuff we like (I know, I know…this is from a teacher’s perspective.). Selfishly, this will be a great way to track my weeks and remember music, books, TV, podcasts, articles, recipes, places, adventures, and anything else that stuck out for me during the week.
Feel free to add your own Faves in the comment section.
This past Monday, the first official day of my summer, I pulled myself out of bed at 6am to drive to Plymouth to caddy for my friend Matt who was trying to qualify for the Massachusetts Amateur Championship.
It was a blast watching him play golf on a great course, especially on the back 9 when he shot a 31 and qualified for his first ever for the Mass Am. It’s a pretty big deal.
It was a good way to start the week.
Taylor Swift’s new song, “You Need to Calm Down” has been making headlines and I’ve been listening to it on repeat. Yes, the message in the song is very “on the nose”, and the music video drives the point home even further, but the tune is catchy and I like some of the lyrics.
However, T. Swift isn’t the only female artist on my radar right now. A bunch of other female pop-stars are invading my ears, too. And I am just fine with it.
Grace VanderWaal first hit the scene on America’s Got Talent as a young girl. Now she’s (kind of) all grown up and her music is great. Here’s her music video for her new single “Stray” and if I were to direct you to a couple other songs I’d say listen to “Moonlight” and “So Much More Than This” should be on your list.
Next month, my wife and I are heading to Portland, ME to see Maggie Rogers in concert with some friends. I’ve been regularly listening to her album for the last month or so. She is like a super-powered Ingrid Michaelson (note: I love Michaelson, but when you listen to them back-to-back, Roger’s voice just packs more of a punch). Give “Light On” and “Fallingwater” a listen this weekend.
While my last listen isn’t a female pop artist, I’d be remiss to not give a quick shoutout to Vampire Weekend’s new album “Father of the Bride” which is not, sadly, a concept album to pair with the Steve Martin movie. However, it’s a great album with a lot of stuff going on. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite Vampire Weekend album, but it has some of my favorite songs: “This Life”, “Harmony Hall”, and “Stranger” are the songs I seek out the most. You’ll think you’re listening to George Michael, Paul Simon, The Grateful Dead, and The Talking Heads as work your way through the album. Bonus points to Vampire Weekend for including Danielle Haim on a bunch of the songs. Her and her sister (Haim) are awesome, too.
NYTimes on T. Swift
Like I said above, the Taylor Swift single has been getting the attention of a lot of critics. The New York Times has a great piece with three of their critics debating the song and the music video. They’re smart, so you should read it.
What ever happened to Freddy Adu?
Freddy Adu was a 14 year-old wonder kid. The future of American soccer at the turn of the century. He was going to deliver the United States a World Cup. Then, things got hard. At 30, he’s still hoping to get back on the field. He probably never will…
Harry Potter
My friend Laura bought me the illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as a gift on my last day of school. I read the series when I started teaching, figuring it was too powerful a force to avoid. I needed some “classroom cred,” so I plowed through the books just in time for the release of the final book.
I picked up the book yesterday evening and started reading it again. I plan on making my way through the series again because it’s alway good to reread books.
Giant brand sunflower seeds
I don’t, and never have, dipped chewing tobacco. I have enough friends with horror stories that typically culminate in vomiting, passing out in a shower, or both... However, when I am golfing I do enjoy a good sunflower seed. I have tried all sorts of flavors: Dill, Bacon, Frank’s Red Hot, cracked pepper. But my friend Pat handed me Giant’s Kettle Cooked seeds and I finished the bag this week. They have just the right amount of sweetness (think Kettle Corn popcorn). They’re so good, that sometimes I don’t even spit the shell out; I just chew on them until they’re crunched up enough to swallow.
The Black Bean and Avocado Torta at Monument
My wife and I are regulars at Monument Tavern in Charlestown. It’s delicious and the 3 minute walk from our apartment makes it very convenient on nights when we look at each other with the realization that we’re both unmotivated to cook dinner. On Wednesday, my wife was at a work function so I decided to grab dinner at the bar. This torta is my go to when I don’t feel like eating meat (read: when I’ve had too much meat already during the day/week). It’s spicy and packed with fresh ingredients, the bread is superb, and the side salad is so damn good you’ll consider bypassing their “half fries/half salad” option, which is what I did on Wednesday. It’s the best side salad you’re going to find in Boston (or maybe anywhere on this planet).
Fluff
As I wandered through Market Basket this week, there was a huge display for Fluff. The Somerville invention has never graced our cupboards before. That is no longer true. I forgot how delicious it is with peanut butter (or just alone on a spoon).
The Bachelorette
This is my greatest guilty pleasure, and I have managed to make my wife watch it with me over the last six years. This season is particularly good, even though Monday’s episode was a bit of a flop.
If you’ve never watched, you can just listen to the podcast my wife and I do each week. We watch segments of the show, pause it, record our pod for 15 minutes, then keep watching, pause, and record some more.
You can listen here to The Random Division (and tell any of your friends!).
Big Little Lies
The second season of Big Little Lies came out a couple weeks ago. We watched the first two episodes back-to-back this week. The show is outstanding and I think one of my favorite parts of the show is the tour de force of female actresses, which was made stronger by the addition of Meryl Streep.
My affinity for Monterrey, CA and the fact that I can relate to some of the school nonsense (the first season culminates with a death at an over-the-top private school Gala) makes this show hit close to home. But the acting and the story is awesome.
What were your Faves this week? Add them in the comments!
Have a great weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday.