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BONUS: A Few of My 2020 Favorite Things!
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BONUS: A Few of My 2020 Favorite Things!

Prince (of course ;), Software, Books, Music, Film, TV, and Social Media

polished solid
Jan 1, 2021
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Happy New Year’s Eve to Everyone! Here’s to hopefully a better…

2021

I wanted to commemorate what kept my spirits up these past 12 months of 2020, the year like no other. The majority of it is music-, media- or Prince-related! Let me know what kept your spirits up!


My Favorite Radio Show of 2020

Simon Harrison’s Basic Soul Radio Show has been a staple of mine for decades now. He never disappoints. Since I no longer do my own eclectic radio show, I listen to his.


My Favorite Radio Mix of 2020

Alex Attias


My Favorite Software of 2020

This year, more than any other, I used so many new pieces of software. It was bananas! However, hands down my favorite was Workflowy for keeping track of research for my writing projects or presentations. However, it’s very versatile and could also be used for a to-do list.


My Favorite Book of 2020

Hell Yeah or No: What's Worth Doing by Derek Sivers


My Top 5 Films of 2020

Sylvie’s Love directed by Eugene Ashe


The Photograph directed by Stella Meghie


Uncorked directed by Prentice Perry


Lover’s Rock directed by Steve McQueen


Antebellum directed by Gerard Bush & Christopher Renz


My Favorite 2019 Film Watched in 2020

Atlantics directed by Mati Diop


My Favorite Documentaries of 2020

Mr. SOUL! A Film directed by Melissa Haizlip


Billie directed by James Erskine


My Favorite Non-2020 Documentary Watched For the First Time in 2020

Carmen & Geoffrey directed by Linda Atkinson & Nick Doob


The Song I Couldn’t Stop Playing After Watching A Documentary in 2020

The Violinaires “The Upper Way” from the D’Angelo documentary, Devil’s Pie


My Favorite TV Show Binged-Watched in 2020

Ozark - What a wild ride!


Fargo


The Queen’s Gambit


My Favorite Gif Response to A Question I posed in 2020

courtesy of the Gif-Mistress @Darling Nisi!💜🙏


My Fav Response to Something I posted in 2020

Twitter avatar for @polishedsolidDe Angela @polishedsolid
THANK YOU @PRN4EVR for starting my day with a belly laugh! I appreciate your 😂 response! Thanks for taking the time to read ALLOVEIT and respond so wittily! Have a wonderful day and a beautiful night!💜🙏
Image

PRN4EVR @PRN4EVR

@polishedsolid @deejayumb Whew! That ain’t a thread, that’s the whole damn sweater! Plus I think you threw in a scarf, some mittens, and a pair of funky sox. “Brooks, I’m feelin like...I’m feelin like...I’m feelin like I wanna kick somebody’s ass in here!” Mission accomplished! 💜🙏🏻

November 1st 2020

courtesy of @PRN4EVR!


My Favorite Use of a Gif to Describe Listening to Prince

Twitter avatar for @IAmMissTLCMiss TLC @IAmMissTLC
I know I sound like a broken record, but... “Power Fantastic (Live in Studio)” version still gives me chills. Real chills.
Image

November 30th 2020

3 Retweets46 Likes

courtesy of @IAmMissTLC


My Top 4 Albums of 2020

J Majik’s Always Be


Slingbaum One


Yussef Dayes Trio’s Welcome To The Hills (Live Album)


Karma & Desire by Actress


My Top 3 Live Shows of 2020

Liv Warfield at Mercury Lounge on 10 March 2020🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥


Van Hunt & Nate Smith at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC on 18 February 2020


St. Paul at the Iridium in NYC on 12 March 2020


My Top 3 Virtual Concerts of 2020

Moses Sumney’s Tiny Desk Home performance of “Rank & File” is 🔥🔥🔥




My Top 4 Songs of 2020

“Hello” from the album Recepticon by Wagon Christ


“2020 Vision” on the compilation EP Outer Time Inner Space - OTIS Records by Rings Around Saturn


Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles - “Happy Days”


”Invisible” by MonoNeon


Top 5 Music Videos of 2020

Tiombé Lockhart’s “Sexy Suzy On A Sunday” feat. Bilal


”Cut Me” by Moses Sumney


Tobe Nwigwe’s “Eat”


Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes’ “Nightrider (feat. Freddie Gibbs)”


Tobe Nwigwe’s “Purple Rain Thing” feat. Lil Keke


Top 5 Video Peformances of 2020

“Crystal Smith singing God is Keeping Me”


Tom Misch’s Cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”


Disclosure making his own edit of Prince’s “The Line”


Twitter avatar for @momoboydmusicmomoboyd @momoboydmusic
here’s some Fleetwood Mac for your timeline and for your anxiety🥰
Image

November 3rd 2020

69,519 Retweets246,089 Likes

Infinity Song’s cover of “Fleetwood Mac!” This one is dedicated to my aunt, Carolyn Robinson, who alongside my uncles instilled in me my ❤️ of music!


Twitter avatar for @felipetristanFelipe Tristan @felipetristan
NYC Prima Ballerina with Alzheimer’s listens to Swan Lake and it all comes back ✨ The most beautiful video you’ll see today! 🎵❤️🩰⠀ ⠀ Spaniard ballerina Marta C. Gonzalez Valencia 2019 - Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky @nycballet⠀ ⠀ #primaballerina #alzheimers #nycballet
Image

November 8th 2020

31,833 Retweets115,746 Likes

The Power of Music: NYC Prima Ballerina with Alzheimer’s listens to Swan Lake and it all comes back!


My Top 4 Favorite Non-2020 Video Performance Watched For the First Time in 2020

“I Know I’ve Been Changed” performed by Kristen Jamison of BET’s Sunday’s Best


Alissia’s “777-9311” by The Time cover


Revive Big Band feat. Bilal "Levels (Live at Berklee)”


Hazel Scott on 2 Grand Pianos from the film The Heat's On


My Top 3 “Even Though I Watched This A GAZILLION Times in 2019, I Still Can’t Stop Watching Them in 2020” videos.

Despite the poor audio quality, I’m absolutely obsessed with this performance by West Love covering Betty Wright’s Tonight Is The Night!”


Cory Henry’s Melvin Crispell’s NYC Musical Celebration


Mohini Dey Play Prog!


My Favorite YouTube Video of 2020: Kindergarten Tea


My Favorite Prince Podcast Episode of 2020

Michael Dean’s Podcast on Prince with none other than Alan Leeds!


My Favorite Prince Book I read in 2020

Wally, Where'd You Get Those Glasses?: My Life Through the Lens from Parliament, Pendergrass and Princeby Wally Safford


My Favorite Prince Fan-Made Content of 2020

“The Once Upon A Time In Minneapolis” Documentary Series.


My Favorite Photo of Prince Posted This Year

Twitter avatar for @Ina3121Ina3121 @Ina3121
PRINCE 🔥🔥🔥 #Prince4Ever
Image

December 31st 2020

4 Retweets38 Likes


photo by Allen Beaulieu from the book Prince: Before The Rain

Everybody and their Mama always post photos of Prince, but this one stopped me in my tracks! I was already EXCITED for next year’s Prince #1plus1plus1is3 Symposium but this Controversy photo took it to a whole ‘nother level! Thanks @Ina3121!


The Best Box Set of The Year (Duh!)

Prince’s Sign O' The Times Remastered Super Deluxe Edition (13LP 180G + 1 DVD)


The Song I Listened to the Most in 2020

Prince’s “When The Lights Go Down” from The Vault (1999)


The Runner-Up to the Song I Listened to the Most in 2020

“Blue in Green” by Miles Davis from Kind of Blue (1959)


Thanks for reading! If you’re seeing this newsletter for the first time, you can read previous issues in the archive. If you are not a subscriber, please consider becoming one and/or spreading the word with your purple friends.


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P.S. A little note for myself when I read this in the future. Remember the remarkable 2 & JK photo diptych!

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