505050 - days 31-40
When 505050 becomes 695050
This is starting to become a bit of a drag even if this lot of discs were pretty fun overall.
Little did I know I had a bit of surprise waiting… read more to find out what it was!
While ya here, check out the first thirty days:
Day 31: Han Pucket ‘No Drama’ with a Mt Zion long black
Rating: Cool
Day 31 of 125,000 (50x50x50).
So, yes, fine, today I cheated and didn't brew a coffee at home, but I had a long black that was worth celebrating, while listening to @HansPucket with 'No Drama'.
Never heard of Hans Pucket before, but they reminded me of Architecture in Helsinki a lot, especially the opening track 'my brain is a vacant space' that sort of sounded like 'Heart it Races'.
A fun rock album with quirky instrumentation, upbeat, energetic rhythms and danceable choons.
Recommend.
Today I got down to Mt Zion Coffee for the first time since moving here, and I was treated with an amazeballs long black, using a Kenyan from Grey Roasting Co.
A delightfully vibrant and sweet coffee, with a silky mouthfeel that made it feel a bit like a desert.
Such a great coffee, made expertly, and served with great vibes.
Looking forward to day 32 - made extra special by Jaye aka @yourlocalbaristanz
Leshgo.
Day 32: Harry Styles ‘Harry’s House’ and Scott Rao’s special beans
Rating: Fine.
Harry Styles with 'Harry's House' and a kalita wave of a rad coffee that Jaye (aka Your Local Barista) sent me from her secret stash - new kids on the block. Scott Rao's own Prodigal Coffee.
As a young buck, I never thought I'd listen to pop and never thought this sort of music would appeal. Punk-AF and all that. But fair play to the boy, this album isn't shithouse.
It's pretty classic pop. Dancy tunes, love songs played on an acoustic guitar, verse, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus etc. There are some okay tunes on here, including the pretty well overplayed 'As it was'.
The front half of the album is better than the back half. Would I play again? Nah, probably not. Be he doesn't need my money anyway.
I was sent a wee package of fun from Jaye, that included some beans from new coffee up-start - Prodigal Coffee. Pretty lucky to get some considering this stuff is over $100NZ/kg once delivered...
So I got to try the La Argentina Huila from Colombia. I brewed it using the kalita wave - 12g/180g 95degrees.
It was reaaaaaaaly nice. Sweet, light, delicate. A bit of stone fruit or something sort of vibe. so good!
Day 33 - Jack White ‘Fear of the Dawn’ and a siphon
Rating: Fuck yes.
Day 33 of the biggest mixed bag of a project I've ever done. Welcome to #505050.
After a day off yesterday just listening to the Acid Overload on repeat on The Floor (RadioActive.FM), I rolled up a siphon and Jake White with 'Fear of the Dawn’.
Album first - yes. Awesome. Rockinout with ya cockin' out awesome.
It's such a great album.
I'm not the biggest Jack fan. I liked the White Stripes like everyone else, but some of his other work has been a bit hit and miss for me.
This album, though, is all awesome, right through, from the front to the back. Get this in your ear holes and turn it up to 11.
Coffee time.
The folks at Coffee Untitled said the Honduras would rock in the syphon, and they weren't wrong.
The siphon makes a pretty hot coffee, so it's best to wait 10 minutes to cool down. You are rewarded with a lovely bright coffee, with awesome body and nice acidity.
This is a great coffee. I can see why The Drumming Barista rated it!!
Day 34 Julia Jacklin ‘Pre Pleasure’
Rating: Sucks
A bit different today. The Tawawera Ultra 21km is only 5 days away and I wanted a final wee run.
Fueling my run was an iced V60 of the mad hookups from @firsthand.coffee and @yourlocalbaristanz , and the tunes of Julia Jacklin with 'Pre Pleasure'.
Another album from the 'of course RNZ likes this' collection of indie pop cool vibe albums that are fine, of not a bit same same.
I made it most of the way through the album before I switched it out for some acid house tunes thanks to The Floor on RadioActive.FM to make it up The Mount.
The coffee was a mistake - one I've made before on long runs...
It was tasty as, and it's such a great coffee. It was a massive treat to down it once I got to the top of the hill, but it did not sit well in the tum tum on the way down.
Next time, I'll just enjoy it sitting down pool side. Lol.
Day 35 - Kendrick Lamar ‘Mr Moral & The Big Steppers’
Rating: Yeah bro
I've fucked up. I've made a big mistake. At no point, did the @rnzmusic top albums of 2022 EVER say there were 50 albums.
There is no mention of that number. No tweet. No lead in. No spotify playlist that said 'here's ya top 50'.
Folks - there are more than 50 albums.
There are, and I'm not even joking here, 69. Sixty. Nine.
RNZ's Music 101 has a sense of humor, cos that's that magic number.
Unless I've counted wrong and at this stage I don't even care cos there are sixty nine albums in RNZ's top albums of 2022.
That is funny.
Not so funny for me, is that if I knew that at the start, this would have been the 69:69:69 mission and that is pure clickbait central.
But alas - I've chosen to do it all in fifty days. And to be honest, I'm actually looking forward to just making coffee I actually want to make and listening to music I actually want to listen to.
So, i'll do it all in 50 days. And call it the 69:50:50.
Day 35 of #695050
An origami with the beast of an album - Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Moral & The Big Steppers.
Day 36 - Kevin Morby 'This is a photograph'/ King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard ‘Changes’
Rating: Kevin Morby: Fun / KGATLW: Fun
The double deuce until we're done.
A chemex with the amazing Colombia Luz Helena, roasted by @firsthand.coffee and @yourlocalbaristanz served fresh with Kevin Morby's 'This is a photograph' and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's 'Changes'.
This coffee is mad. It's a natural processed coffee that has been fermented for an extended time. This process gives the coffee a particular flavour - a funk or kombutcha taste that enhances the flavour of the coffee, rather than masks it.
Some coffees processed like this can be off putting as the flavours can be very strong - but this one from Firsthand is really approachable.
Double the tunes, double the fun today.
KGANTLW is such a fun listen. Aussie awesomeness, 70s vibes and rock n roll attitude. Love it.
Kevin Morby is a great listen to. Indie folk rock with great vocals and amazing songwriting. Love it.
Day 37 - Koffee 'Gifted' / Kurt Vile '(watch my moves)'
Rating: Both pretty fun
Koffee with 'Gifted' and Kurt Vile with '(watch my moves)', washed down with an iced latte with choc sauce and banana milk.
Talk about alt milks amirite!
Saw this bad boy on TikTok a few months back and finally thought i'd give it a hoon. It was surprisingly yum!
Espresso shot served on ice with choc sauce and banana milk.
Should have used a banana milk with a bit more sugar, but overall, I rate this as a drink.
I also tried it with strawberry milk, and it was trash. Banana #FTW
The albums today were stark contrasts. Koffee with an rnb/hip hop vibe and Kurt Vile with a country/Bob Dylan sort of vibe. Both were pretty fun to listen to.
Im losing track of all the new music I've heard in the last 37 days. Looking forward to this being over.
I also just noticed that Six60 is on the list... I can't wait to rip that POS a part.
Day 38 - Laura Jean ‘Amateurs’/ Marlon Williams ‘My boy'
Rating: Both fucking great
Branching out - Mazagran coffee with a dose of Laura Jean with 'Amateurs' and Marlon Williams with 'My boy'.
Music first - wow. Laura Jean's album is great. Haunting in places, soaring strings, soft and delicate vocals and insightful songwriting. This album is mellow but not dark or depressing. Get amongst it.
Marlon WIlliams is all time. I was really surprised by this one. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but what i got was a fun, upbeat, classically awesome vibes wrapped up in danceable hooks and great times.
I saw this Mazagran Coffee recipe on Perfect Daily Grind. It's popular in Algeria, Portugal, Spain and Austria. It's less coffee and more coffee cocktail.
Basically - coffee, sugar, lemon juice. You can also add rum!
I used the Colombian from Firsthand and it was amazing. The lemon and coffee worked super well together, and despite it having 2 tablespoons of sugar, it wasn't unbalanced or too sweet. A great summer coffee drink that i'll definitely be coming back to.
Day 39 - Mel Parson ‘Slow Burn’ / Mitski ‘Laurel Hill’
Rating: meh
Instant coffee with instant mood changers via Mel Parsons 'Slow Burn' and Mitski 'Laurel Hill'
Indie, country, pop - these albums could have been one as they sounded so similar. A few good tracks from both but way to chill for a Sunday morning. If you need a hype album, these ain't for you.
This coffee is though- and the first instant of the 505050 adventure.
Flight Coffee have instant dialed in, my bruv. This Colombia single origin was a faithful rendition of the whole bean filter experience.
Don't turn ya nose up at specialty instant - its here to stay.
11 days to go.
Day 40 - Motte ‘Cold + Liquid’ / Mousey ‘My Friends’
Rating: Motte - awesome / Mousey - nope
A grey, rainy and cold Tauranga day greeted me this morning. A moody start that was perfectly accompanied by the soundscapes of Motte 'Cold + Liquid', and a cup of a coffee I've be sitting on for a while - the East Java from @chilled_out_coffee
The afternoon choons was brought to me by Mousey with 'My Friends'.
Motte has an amazing talent at filling space with sound, and creating a sense of movement with music. The greatest example of this is the title track 'Cold + Liquid' that starts with a bass line that acts as the single theme throughout the song as other strings, vocals and synths are brought in to fill the room you're sitting in with something bootty. It's large - best played loud.
It was perfect coffee making music for this amazing anaerobic natural from East Java. A really approachable coffee that has a wee bit of the fermented funk, while also allowing the other sweetness to shine.
Mousey is alright - a mix of indie pop and rock stuff that was a bit okay overall but not my cuppa.