Don't let anyone tell you that the web isn't fun anymore. You have to look a little harder for it and you have to be willing to make time for it now but it's out there. Evidence: YASLY, Tamara Chu and inspired by Susan Kare.

I've no idea if Sarah Sherman actually sent this audition tape to SNL to secure her place in the cast but it's a blast to watch regardless of reality. Enjoy.

I've become a regular listener to Blank Check with Griffin and David, a rather enjoyable film podcast. They've been covering the works of David Fincher recently and touched on The Social Network, citing Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's score as particularly crucial to the impact of the film (the score did win an Oscar after all!). From there, the algorithms took notice of my interests and recommended I check out this clip of Reznor using the Swarmatron, an electronic device that is featured heavily in the score. It's eerie and entirely unique.

Of course, that led to a deeper dive into the Swarmatron. Turns out it is a handmade device by the company Dewanatron, two cousins with the last name Dewan and an affinity for creating instruments. This introductory video walks you through the Swarmatron, their history, their passion for the craft and some other devices. I particularly enjoy the Dual Primate Console; a synthesizer that requires two primates to operate successfully.

I love how the founders appear very buttoned up and serious about their craft but there's so much humor and delight running through everything. This interview with Leon Dewan demonstrating the Swarmatron at a convention is excellent evidence of that.

As intended, the Internet provides links upon links through subjects you knew nothing about but can be delighted by what you find on the other side. Hope you continue further with the Swarmatron.

shoegaze, proper psychedelic sprawl and a healthy pinch of Sonic Youth. delish.

been listening to BTS for about 25 years and this new record is one of the best in awhile. worth considering backing.

VICE covers a lot of insane stories but this one feels especially nuts

Back in April I heard about the upcoming "AI Pin" - a new device that integrates into your life similar to how Google Glass or Apple Watch do but in an entirely new form factor. I said back then that it looks like a Star Trek communicator badge and I stand by that.

Now, the device has been announced. It's been developed by a company called hu.ma.ne, which includes a bunch of ex-Apple folks. It costs $699 and has a $24/mo subscription fee. Not cheap but I could also see it being a lot more expensive.

The announcement and demo video has a bizarre tone. It's very calm, almost comatose, but that lack of flashiness shows the device working in real time. This isn't a proposal, this is the device actually listening to the wearer, fetching information and returning answers in real time. It does feel a bit stilted but I think there's an upside to that vibe.

I love the form factor. It's not a watch, it's not a pair of glasses, it's just a badge you wear. Refreshingly new. Okay, it's a brooch but it's still a nice new approach. I also love the Light Interactions that project on to your hand. Will that be visible in daylight? I've no idea but it's innovative in a way that I must respect.

The unfortunate part of this thing is calling it the "AI Pin." The name feels like it's leaning into buzzwords. Why not call it The Badge? Or PinPal? I'm spitballing here but so much "artificial intelligence" is just a piece of software searching your email - it's not really what people think of as "AI."

I digress. Wearable and pervasive tech is an inevitability and they seem to be doing a good job of tackling the privacy issues that come with it. Overall, I find the device quite intriguing and applaud them for the innovations they're bringing. Can't wait to encounter one in person and keep up with various developments.

If you have not watched the OpenAI DevDay Keynote, I suggest you carve out 45 minutes soon and do so. The whole AI landscape is moving incredibly quickly and it's pretty fascinating to watch. Unlike the blockchain exploits of recent years, the AI explosion feels much more relevant and far less like snake oil. There are flaws and concerns but, on the whole, it feels more positive.

Regardless of your viewership of that particular video, you should read this Ben Thompson piece entitled The OpenAI Keynote which serves as a summary of the event, some of the important announcements and, more importantly, an inspection on the return of the keynote generally speaking. It also speaks a good deal about consumer behavior and makes some light predictions on where OpenAI is headed. It's smart, informative and measured - excellent traits all around.

This piece over on Dazed Digital about some recently unearthed Polaroids from Hackers is from 2020 but it's new to me! It's focused on the fashion of the film; specifically how Roger K Burton put together the costumes. I was quite pleased to learn that Wigstock was an influence on Burton's choices, as well as the more obvious influences of Club Kids and classic British punks. Great read.

listen to Hand Wires for some delightful ambiance via synths. me likey.

a graphic interface for stable diffusion. Kind of like Yahoo Pipes but for interacting with a generative AI. Have heard many good things

an excellent monospace AND sans typeface. love that it was designed specifically for developers and designers in mind.

A professor at the University of Chicago created a new tool called "Nightshade" which functions as a poison pill for generative AI when scraping your images for training data. The idea is that by injecting a special set of pixels and invisible data into an image you could cause an AI to misinterpret your image, thus saving it from being used correctly for training.

I've looked over research preview and agree with the idea of the tool - it'd be nice for artists to be able to opt-in or out of training data - but I'm not convinced this would actually work.

My skepticism aside, it's a topic worth pondering in more depth. Obviously AI is skirting a lot of copyright issues and potentially hurting a lot of artists in a myriad of ways. That's not to say it's a black and white issue - AI is beneficial as well - but this is an area that is a brave new world. How can we train these machines to be useful but also provide credit to those created the foundation? I fear the answer may be "legislation" (of which I am even more skeptical) but we'll just have to wait and see.

they show you a horse, their AI reads output of your brain waves and then guesses what you're thinking. scary accurate!

Given that this was posted to YouTube some twelve years ago and the show is from thirty-three years ago, this is probably a bit of old news but, hey, it's new to me! I was just randomly served this Nine Inch Nails show from 1990, recorded in full glorious VHS quality. If you've ever seen the official video for "Head Like a Hole," the vibe of this show will feel familiar - lots of tape and detritus everywhere, plenty of flopping about and more dreadlocks than you can count. I say all of that affectionately.

Hope you enjoy as much as I do.

2023 has been a slow year for my long running Nashville music podcast, We Own This Town: Music. Lots of work obligations and not enough spare time to actually compile, record, edit and release new episodes. It happens but I was hellbent on getting out the annual Halloween episode.. and I'm happy to report, I did!

Dark Delights is a two hour mix of Halloween songs all from Nashville artists. The first hour is a bit more upbeat and "jovial," while the second hour dives deep into darker and more atmospheric soundscapes. I'm quite happy with how it turned out.

Even if you have no interest in listening to a Halloween mix, please listen to the first 2 minutes of the episode as I introduce it as "Michael Bleeds." It's an intro that I look forward to writing and performing every year because it's absolutely idiotic but oh so fun. I think you'll enjoy.

A friend recently steered me towards The Head Hurts but the Heart Knows the Truth; the debut album by a band called Headache. It's full of trip hop vibes and extremely reminiscent of that one Primitive Radio Gods song from 1996; minus the BB King sample and actual singing. It's mostly a laid back record filled with compelling lyrics delivered in a very British manner.

The Bandcamp page cites the credits for the record as:

Produced & mixed by Vegyn, all lyrics written by Francis Hornsby Clark.

The record label version of the same page contains a bit more interesting insight (emphasis mine):

Produced & mixed by Vegyn, all lyrics written by Francis Hornsby Clark, and performed by AI. Artwork by Cali DeWitt.

Those very British vocals are, in fact, not a human at all but a facsimile of a human. It's a very clever use of text-to-speech and a pretty believable implementation. If you didn't know, you probably wouldn't notice.

I consider myself a casual Pavement fan but still find this incredibly impressive. A fun dive from an obvious Superfan.

From the guy that brought you Absurd Trolley Problems, comes Internet Artifacts - a virtual museum of historical Internet ephemera. If you've ever wanted a walk down memory lane starting from ARPANET and going all the way through the iPhone, this is for you. Heck, even if that's not something you think you've ever wanted, I bet it is! Give it a whirl!

via waxy, of course.

To start, I have no idea who Devon Rodriguez is, nor have any context on their popularity on social media. I am sure I have seen some of their videos just by virtue of being online but my familiarity is near zero. The same goes for writer Ben Davis, who wrote a review of Rodriguez's recent art show and got massively piled on his fans.

Fortunately, its not necessary to know who either party is to enjoy this opinion piece, The World’s Most Popular Painter Sent His Followers After Me Because He Didn’t Like a Review of His Work. Here’s What I Learned. In it, Davis spells out exactly what happened but more importantly provides the context around art criticism in general and how Rodriguez's internet fame is part of his art, whether he realizes it or not. It also touches on "parasocial relationships" - in which fans of a person think they are actually friends with that entity when, in fact, they are not.

It's a bit of a lengthy writeup but well worth the read. Soak it in and then go have yourself a meaty conversation with a real life friend about how weird the Internet is. It's so weird.