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WATCH

Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande


Every so often a documentary comes along that leaves one wondering: How have I never heard of this before? A primary example is Searching for Sugar Man, the 2012 film about musician Sixto Rodriguez, who, though popular in South Africa, never picked up steam in the U.S.—that is, until the documentary hit theaters. In a similar tune, Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande tells the story of a short-lived 1970s British funk group who faded into obscurity after a handful of hits (such as “The Message”). Then, starting in 1989, up-and-coming rap artists and groups like De La Soul and the Fugees began sampling their tracks. Today, Cymande holds that coveted reputation of “your favorite artists’ favorite artist,” as proved by the documentary’s interviews with fans such as Mark Ronson. Like Rodriguez, Cymande is finally getting some well-deserved recognition. (player.bfi.org.uk) —Jack Sullivan

WEAR

Cubitts


Most of the best-looking glasses seen on Londoners come from Cubitts. The brand, named after the street that founder Tom Broughton lived on when he moved from Leicester to Camden Town, opened its first shop in Soho in 2014. Now there are boutiques all over England (with 11 in London alone) offering comprehensive eye exams for under $100 and stylish, high-quality frames in all sorts of intriguing colors. Current favorites include Kember, for optical, and Plender, for sun. And there’s good news for New Yorkers: Cubitts’s first U.S. store is opening at 103 Mercer Street on April 25, and those who can’t make it to Lower Manhattan can replicate much of the shopping experience online. (from $200, cubitts.com) —Ashley Baker

STAY

Villa Copenhagen


The Hotel Sanders has long been the gold standard in Copenhagen accommodations, but a recent stay at the newish Villa Copenhagen proves that there’s another appealing option in town. Located in the city center—adjacent to Copenhagen Central Station, for all you metro die-hards—it occupies the former headquarters of the Danish Post and Telegraph Company, which was blessed with high ceilings and oversized windows. The cozy Danish-modern rooms (with extremely comfortable beds and a comically robust pillow menu) are only part of the fun. The appeal of the 82-foot lap pool and sauna is only rivaled by the absurdly lavish breakfast spread. And, yes, those kardemummabulle (twisted cardamom buns) are served fresh from the oven. Best of all: the price, which leaves plenty of budget left over to go crazy buying Cecilie Bahnsen at Lot 29. (from $297, villacopenhagen.com) —Ashley Baker

LISTEN

“To Fall in Love with You”


Most songwriters have unreleased music. Sometimes there’s a good reason for that. But other times there’s enough quality material that’s never seen the light of day to constitute an album or, in the case of Bob Dylan, an entire second career. Even after exploring Dylan’s 17-volume bootleg series, you’re just at the gate to the hinterland, ready for the real ride to start. Nighttime YouTube deep dives will dredge up live performances and studio versions of unpublished, dreamlike songs that seem too good not to have appeared on an LP, never mind a bootleg. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear “To Fall in Love with You,” Dylan’s great echoing ode to romance, calling to you across those lightly traveled airwaves. And if you listen closely enough, you’ll hear not only a perfect love song but one yearning to say to you, “I Shall Be Released.”(youtube.com) —Nathan King

LOOK

Luncheons on the Grass


Modern art introduced herself to the world on May 15, 1863, when Édouard Manet showcased his painting Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe—featuring two clothed men and two women (one nude) having a picnic—at the Salon des Refusés in Paris. Part landscape, part portraiture, part still life, Manet’s oeuvre was considered vulgar and lacking in finesse by the public upon its debut. One critic said his brushstrokes might as well have been done with a “floor mop.” A century later, Pablo Picasso, who thought that Manet’s brushwork was intelligent, attempted to re-create his own Cubist version of the meal al fresco. Now art friends, curators, and historians Jeffrey Deitch, Aruna D’Souza, Marina Molarsky-Beck, and Thomas E. Crow have come together to create Luncheons on the Grass—a slim coffee-table book featuring re-interpretations of Manet’s infamous Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe by 35 contemporary artists, including Picasso. ($35, rizzoliusa.com) —Carolina de Armas

READ

Friends in Napa


In Sheila Yasmin Marikar’s work as a journalist—for AIR MAIL as well as for The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Fortune—she often writes about luxury, from the Turks and Caicos real-estate boom to the odd rise of hotels throwing their own music festivals. The subject of her new novel, Friends in Napa, is in a similar vein: six friends take a trip to Napa Valley for the opening of a high-end winery. Endless alcohol allows long-repressed grudges to come to the surface. When someone ends up dead, everyone is all too quick to point fingers. ($16.99, barnesandnoble.com) —Jensen Davis

Issue No. 248
April 13, 2024
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Issue No. 248
April 13, 2024