Two Playlists Walk Into A Bar
With an Intro, a Harlow and a Hawk...
To all the friends who bugged me to do this… you win!
As for the “me” portion of that statement — I’m Nick Barat. Professionally known as DJ and producer Nick Catchdubs, co-founder of Fool’s Gold Records.
The label just turned 15, old enough to be a surly New York City teen. She’s hitting an Elf Bar somewhere while I type this.
Along with making, playing and releasing music over the last two decades, I’ve worn the hats of writer, editor, creative director, graphic designer and videographer (I also sold beepers at Woodbridge Mall, but that is a story for another post ). I’m currently developing projects for film and television.
So why add a Substack?
At the end of the day, I’m an enthusiast.
While every surviving social media outlet becomes less and less fun, actively discouraging the sharing of links and words (amongst other hateable algorithmic decisions), this is a place to double down on ‘em.
Riffs, musings, recommendations, self promotion and/or flagellation.
BTS, WIP, and lots and lots of tunes.
I’m planning to post weekly. Not sure what the “paid” tier will become (feet) but feel free to throw some ones if you are so inclined (feet) (jk).
Finally… OnlyFans for people who read!
UNIDENTIFIED FLYING PLAYLIST is a (now weekly!) new release roundup, named after my last record.
It’s fun to put together, helps me remember songs, and has a professional utility that I can’t ignore — a public-facing snapshot of my tastes (won’t say “brand” but sure) as selector, creator and Fool’s Gold guy.
It’s not a free-for-all data dump, more a Haribo Starmix of left-of-center (center-left? It’s a coalition!) hip-hop and electronic music that stands out to me for whatever reason, trunk rattlers and brain melters alike.
At the end of the day, it is very “Nick Catchdubs.”
GUITARISH, on the other hand, has the songs that twist my ear outside of any club-centric, promotionally useful context.
I started the playlist while Spring cleaning my Spotify likes and sensing a unified vibe from the keepers. Noisy singer/songwriter types, Warped Tour parking lot goblins, emo bedroomers, Sam Ash enthusiasts…
My own personal 120 Minutes.
I get a lot of joy out of discovering, sequencing and listening to it — and now, thanks to the same affliction that powers this newsletter, you can too!
Favs in this installment include English Teacher (take me to Cemetery Chippy) and $uicideboy$ sidepiece DUCKBOY, who last year alone dropped two extremely short and catchy EPs to play loud while getting face tatted.
Dive in (to the playlist, not the tattoo parlor, but feel free to multitask).
Originally had a detour in there about Jack Harlow…
Is Jackman cool? Cringe? Does it matter?
Drake has made a stadium-sized career dancing “on the tantric edge of taste,” to borrow from Caroline Polachek, and we’re (mostly) fine with it. Why not The Boy’s Kentucky mentee?
His pre-fame Atherton High School MIMS freestyle won me over.
Also: “Joker Wedding.”
If you’re having fun, you’re all right in my book.
Anyway, there was some light hand-wringing about how I’m no Harlow snob, and would happily give Young Missionary’s latest a zigga zigga or three in the appropriate sparkler-atop-the-champagne-bottle setting (into “Truffle Butter,” into Bad Bunny, into that Coi Leray remix of “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See”… we’re in some jiggy weeds here) but wouldn’t add the number one song in America to Unidentified Flying Playlist because blah blah blah.
The bit never reached escape velocity. But “Lovin On Me”… a bop, right?
Whatever Mos Def said about Target, but as the highest form of praise.
50M views and counting on a dog-filled video (directed by FG intern alumni) where even the thotties are wholesome. A bag for Cadillac Dale and a Lord Farquaad shout out!
I can enjoy this earworm (primarily in the car or kitchen) while agreeing with perspectives on the subject from Scaring The Hoes and Frost Children.
We are all many-layered onions.
Regarding taste: Hudson Hawk is back on Hulu.
I loooooove Hudson Hawk. Knew it was a legendary box office bomb since childhood, but never actually watched it until a few years ago.
Campy adventure? “Aye yo” meatball-isms? Vague patina of DaVinci Code conspiracy theorizing? All that plus a cast and crew including Andie McDowell in peak rom-com charm mode and Richard E. Grant at his scene-chewingest — not to mention Sandra Bernhard, some delightfully roid’ed out henchmen, and the creatives behind Heathers and Die Hard.
It was as if someone made a film (Food Emporium voice) just for meeeee.
Tone is challenging for any project — let alone one that was by all accounts “troubled” — but what these oddballs ended up making (intentionally or not) is pitch perfect for a certain type of silly goose.
“How am I driving? 1-800-I'm-gonna-fuckin'-die!”
This is not Return Of Bruno: The Movie, it’s something else bizarre and sublime. Pop some Josh and throw it on.
Follow it up with Peacock’s equally imaginative / divisive / wine friendly Mrs. Davis, or Sly and Wesley in Demolition Man (also written by Daniel Waters), which I’m sure you already know and love if you’ve made it this far.
I rescued a great issue of Cinefantastique from the Amoeba cheapo bins recently, dense with (surprisingly catty) production tidbits on DM, Nightmare Before Christmas, Addams Family Values, and Acción Mutante, a Almodovar-produced practical FX bugout I am excited to watch in 4K.
The point is — like what you like!
“In a New York movie, you don’t need to concern yourself with logic or logistics.”