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Turning old maps into 3D digital models of lost neighborhoods
good ole Sanborn Fire Insurance maps opening up a new, old, world. Pretty fascinating tbh. I would walk around in an old neighborhood with an awkward headset!
A little over ten years ago, I got an email from a guy named Matt Smith. He said he liked what I was doing with yk Records and had an album he'd just finished recording at Battle Tapes but wasn't sure how to make all the pieces fit. I loved what I heard and we worked to release The World and Ourselves in 2013. It continues to be an album in the yk catalog of releases that I feel gets highly overlooked.
Cut to: ten years later and Matt has moved from New York to LA, had a family and been generally busy with life stuff. But a second album has been percolating the whole time. I'm happy to announce that percolation will yield a brand new record this summer in the form of New Public Domain; eleven tracks of infectiously melodic pop/rock songs.
We will be releasing the first single, "Talk Talk Talk," in a few weeks but you can actually get the first morsels of music in this announcement video.
We're going to release the album on exactly the same day as his first album because.. why not?
Cut to: ten years later and Matt has moved from New York to LA, had a family and been generally busy with life stuff. But a second album has been percolating the whole time. I'm happy to announce that percolation will yield a brand new record this summer in the form of New Public Domain; eleven tracks of infectiously melodic pop/rock songs.
We will be releasing the first single, "Talk Talk Talk," in a few weeks but you can actually get the first morsels of music in this announcement video.
We're going to release the album on exactly the same day as his first album because.. why not?
Learn the Art of Dancing Dirty
As classic as it gets in terms of internet content
If You’re Reading This, Your Favorite Show Is Canceled
NY Magazine runs through all the shows canceled this year. It is wild how many of these I’ve never even heard of. Worse; some sounds very entertaining!
U.S. Approves the Sale of Lab-Grown Chicken
look, I'm not interested in eating real meat again and there are lots of questions around this BUT I hope this means we're on a path where fewer animals have to be slaughtered to keep Chik-Fil-A consumers happy.
For super fans, I am sure this is very old news but I just recently stumbled on the "lost" Paul McCartney album Return to Pepperland. As the lore tells it, McCartney was dealing with a bit of a funk in his late 80's solo career and decided to work up some songs in tribute to the 20th anniversary of Sgt Peppers. He connected with producer Phil Ramone and recorded a bunch of tracks, including the titular "Return to Pepperland" and a mash-up of The Beatles "Love Me Do" and "PS I Love You" entitled "PS Love Me Do" (that was eventually released as a Japanese b-side).
Like a lot of lost albums, there's a lot of speculation and connecting dots. I've no idea what the motivation behind the album was or if the tracks associated with the record were actually ever intended to be some grand Sgt Peppers tribute. What I do know is that there are some very entertaining bootlegs on Youtube that compile a lot of these tracks into a possible album.
The title track is quite good and some of the deeper album cuts - like "I Love This House" - are not at all what you'd associate with the McCartney sound.
McCartney fandom requires a ton of research. I'm not sure I'm ready to take that deep dive myself but I am endorsing dipping your toes in on this one.
Like a lot of lost albums, there's a lot of speculation and connecting dots. I've no idea what the motivation behind the album was or if the tracks associated with the record were actually ever intended to be some grand Sgt Peppers tribute. What I do know is that there are some very entertaining bootlegs on Youtube that compile a lot of these tracks into a possible album.
The title track is quite good and some of the deeper album cuts - like "I Love This House" - are not at all what you'd associate with the McCartney sound.
McCartney fandom requires a ton of research. I'm not sure I'm ready to take that deep dive myself but I am endorsing dipping your toes in on this one.
Blinker The Star - A Bourgeois Kitten
a blast from the 1996 past. Blinker the Star was probably best known for their Dreamworks album, August Everywhere, but this one should not be overlooked. Packs a bit more oomph, even tho the lyrics may feel a bit more naive. Hey, it was 1996!
Plants and Animals - The Jungle
sorta forgot about this band but now I'm quite pleased to see their first new record in seven years!
There's not much that needs to be said about Miniatua; the highly detailed, handcrafted, miniature scale models of classic computers.. but there is a lot to see. They are pretty tiny but the amount of detail in these things is really nuts. Each project on the site has a nice insightful breakdown of what all was constructed and it's worth spending time to pore over each one. You gotta watch the tiny lights, please.
There's also an Instagram with way more, of course.
There's also an Instagram with way more, of course.
The Internet Is Already Broken
Not a positive read but a cutting, worthwhile, one. I see a little silver lining tucked in here but I also just enjoy the vitriolic truth.
Look, I'm not going to suggest you sit down and watch a six hour long YouTube video but if you were prone to do such a thing, I would certainly suggest adding this Zelda 2 PC Enhanced Remake walkthrough to your list.
According to the author's insights, it's a full rebuild of the game using GameMaker that includes widescreen views, bug fixes and lots of quality of life enhancements. What the blog post doesn't say is that it's also got hours of new map areas, dungeons and other general "adventure" baked in that feels completely like the original game.
I recognize that there's a great deal of nostalgia at play here but I can't help but be impressed that someone rebuilt a (somewhat maligned) game from 1987, fixed it and added loads to it for the pure fan service. I recognize this happens a lot with ROM hacks but this one feels especially legitimate. Maybe even worth 6 hours of your time.
According to the author's insights, it's a full rebuild of the game using GameMaker that includes widescreen views, bug fixes and lots of quality of life enhancements. What the blog post doesn't say is that it's also got hours of new map areas, dungeons and other general "adventure" baked in that feels completely like the original game.
I recognize that there's a great deal of nostalgia at play here but I can't help but be impressed that someone rebuilt a (somewhat maligned) game from 1987, fixed it and added loads to it for the pure fan service. I recognize this happens a lot with ROM hacks but this one feels especially legitimate. Maybe even worth 6 hours of your time.
Scarr's Pizza's x Nike Air Force 1 Sells for Over $100K
I love this pizza place in the lower east side but I can not comprehend why these shoes sold for this much. I’m not a shoe culture guy but this seems especially nuts!
8bitworkshop
“Learn how classic game hardware worked. Write code and see it run instantly.” - intrigued!
Ex-Autolux Member Eugene Goreshter Arrested in 2019 for Attempting to Import Cocaine From Mexico
this is wild to say the very least.Ever wondered how a QR code works?
nice, readable, breakdown
Tim Robinson and the Golden Age of Cringe Comedy
ITYSL was a tough one for me; often just way too much to handle. This profile gives some nice perspective and a reminder that the show is worth finding the gems, which will open up enjoyment to all the rest of it.
The Summer of Cyber, 1995
Nice reminder that there’s a quartet of films from 1995 that’s you should put on your list. Also, Strange Days. Incredible quote about ChatGPT in here too.
US urged to reveal UFO evidence after claim that it has intact alien vehicles
I am loving this recently blast of UAP gossip
Midjourney is an endless source of entertainment. Case in point; here's what it thinks Garth Brooks and Gwar may look like combined together. Fittingly coined Gwarth Brooks. I'm a particular fan of top right.
This Curbed piece, Mining the Milton Glaser Archives, is a bit of background information about an SVA exhibit showcasing some of the fifty-five years of sketches, designs and drawings from Glaser studio on 32nd Street in NY. That exhibit is already closed but the article has a load of examples worth taking a peek at - the sketches are delightful and the prototype illustrations (like that pre-Bob Dylan piece) are just magnificent.
Glaser's work is always inspiring. Might be time for me to pick up the Milton Glaser: POP book.
Glaser's work is always inspiring. Might be time for me to pick up the Milton Glaser: POP book.
Randomly stumled into this GIFs of the 80s tumblog and spent way too much time with it. Is it nostalgia bait? Yes, absolutely. Is it an enjoyable deep dive regardless? You betcha.
‘Lost’ Illusions: The Untold Story of the Hit Show’s Poisonous Culture
Surprise! The smash hit show that slowly unraveled into confusing disappointment was a mess behind the scenes. I suppose not so surprisingly at all.Slide to Unlock
Stick with it. The challenge ramps up delightfullyUltros - Reveal Trailer
“A cosmic sci-fi exploration adventure” - have not seen a game that looks like this before.'Bizarro World'
A delightful little tale of becoming the best Tetris player, everRodney Mullen - First EVER Darkslide
1993. Even as a very casual skateboarding fan, I find this iterative approach very compelling.The Breeders - Divine Hammer, Live on Conan 1993
TBH I think bands rarely sound very good on TV (especially in 93) but this is unstoppableFour-Byte Burger
A pain staking recreation of a lost Amiga illustration from the early 80s. Could be unbelievably droll but it’s shockingly compelling. A worthwhile waste of time.