The Umbrellas: here is our end of the year list, we decided to rank gas stations!
The Umbrellas were on the road ALOT (possibly far too much) this past year. Given this, what better way to wrap up 2024 than a retrospect of where we spent a majority of our time, gas stations…?
One9 – This fueling station we believe is a newish franchise. The whole sign and exterior looks like it was designed by a silicon valley software developer. They have hot food items, a lot of car accessories you wouldn’t normally find (like hub caps), and the latest trending food items. Nick tried an Oreos Coca-cola and commented that it tasted like cleaning supplies.
Kum & Go – Ha ha ha … get your mind out of the gutter! This midwest franchise only has a few locations, but each one is more charming than the last. Generally friendly staff who don’t mind you giggling when you bring one of to their “Kum & Go” t-shirts up to the counter to purchase.
Sinclair- That dinosaur logo is cool! Maybe it has to do with the fact that these are not terribly common in the bay area, but whenever we stop into one there’s an indescribable sense of nostalgia and whimsy. It feels like an old-timey gas pump attendant dressed in all white with a newscap is going to pop out from behind the big fiberglass Dinosaur they have on display. While other chains have rebranded or updated their logo … that dino has always remained, plastered on their fueling pumps.
Buc-ees – An allegory for what America is: Large, overwhelming, and hundreds of bathroom stalls. A must-stop for anyone driving through the south or mid-west. What more is there to say that hasn’t been said by bands and short-form video influencers alike? Matt says to make sure to try the Brisket sandwich. Pro-tip: skip the prepackaged bagged jerky and go straight to the counter for the fresh stuff.
Love’s – Love’s is like a reliable old friend that will always be there for you. Love’s doesn’t judge you when you’ve had one too many hard seltzers and you stumble around looking for their mini-tacos. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to catch the Love’s x Del Taco combo. Love’s would never dream of thinking illy of you! Hot showers, hot food, and hot deals (each location has a discount food rack of unsold seasonal items). Through and through The Umbrellas are a Love’s band. So spread the love and stop into your local Love’s the next time you need to top off your tank.
Kid slang! 2024 – Claudia Gonson (from the Magnetic Fields)
Huzz- attractive…non derogatory
Fine Shyt- sexy person, non derogatory
Link- hooking up
Bop- ho, derogatory
Buss – really great
Eats (“that eats”), ate up- really great
Cooked -done for
Cooking -doing well
Gyat- ass
Rizz -charisma, your ability to pull
Pull- your game, your ability to attract people
Game- your ability to get people to have a crush on you “she’s got game”
Low key – verbal tic, like “like”
Chalant – extrovert, over sharing, not mysterious
Non chalant – mysterious
Dip- leave
Crash out or tweak – I’m gonna lose it
Glazing- over praising
Tuff- good
Peter Momtchiloff (Heavenly, Would-Be-Goods, Tufthunter):
Best trailside vittles of 2024
- Ox and Finch, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow (with the Would-be-goods)
- Taberna La Concha, Calle Cava Baja, Madrid (with Jessica and Heavenly)
- Donde Augusto, Mercado Central, Santiago de Chile (with Heavenly and Anto)
- Kouraku, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles (with robot)
- Souvla, Hayes Valley, SF (with the Umbrellas)
- Old School Pizzeria, Franklin St, Olympia (with Heather and Pat)
Daniel Handler / Lemony Snicket: For whatever reason, my attention span seemed to increase this year. For example:
Best long poems I read or reread this year:
Liu Shang, “Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute”
Matthew Rohrer, “The Others”
John Ashbery, “The Wave”
Annelyse Gelman, “Vexations”
Alice Notley, “In The Pines”
Laura Henrikesen, “Laura’s Desires”
Best long songs I liked this year:
Gerard Cleaver, “The Process”
Destroyer, “Bay of Pigs”
Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell, “Mutron/Arabian Nightmare”
Nichuminu, “Aberraciones y Milagros”
Matmos, “Ultimate Care II”
Yukihiro Fukutomi, “5 Blind Boys”
Prince, “Automatic”
Julie Underwood: Your Girlfriend Made You A Mixtape
My favorite books I read in 2024:
- Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk by Kathleen Hanna
- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
- The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne
- Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley
- Long Island by Colm Tóbín
- Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino
- My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand*
- Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
- The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters*
- The Rachel Incident: A Novel by Caroline O’Donoghue*
*originally released in 2023
+ My favorite albums of 2024
- Beyoncé – Cowboy Carter (tie)
- Charli xcx – Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat (tie)
- Waxahatchee –Tigers Blood
- The Hart Quartet – self-titled
- Cassandra Jenkins – My Light, My Destroyer
- Fontaines D.C. – Romance
- Rosali – Bite Down
- The Umbrellas – Fairweather Friends
- Jessica Pratt –Here in the Pitch
- Kate Bollinger – Songs From A Thousand Frames of Mind
Ed Mazzucco / Shelflife Records, Tears Run Rings:
10 songs I listened to a lot in 2024
Colle – Green Edge
Crimson Whisper – Joshua’s Gaze
Dummy – Soonish…
Mo Dotti – Really Wish
Memory Drawers – Hart
Mahogany – A Scaffold
The Horrors – Lotus Eater
Seefeel – Sky Hooks
Caribou – Come Find Me
Chris Cohen – Wishing Well