Been working on this one for awhile and I'm quite happy to kick off summer with the news: yk Records will be releasing We Are Really Rocking Now, Haven't We? - a Best Of compilation from The Privates.

If you are not familiar, The Privates were a Nashville band from 2003 to 2010; releasing two albums and two EPs in that time. The band was comprised of Dave Paulson, Ryan Norris, Rollum Haas and Keith Lowen - all members of other bands around town (The Pink Spiders, Lambchop, The Features, De Novo Dahl - respectively). They didn't play out too often but, when they did, it was beloved.

Personally speaking, I've listened to their four releases countless times. Their work was always just the right balance of upbeat energy with melancholy introspection. Tongue-in-cheek lyrics with truly pained longing. Always a good mix.

Two new songs were recorded by the band and the previously released tracks were remastered. It sounds great, even if you're unfamiliar with the band.

I've got more to say about the album art but, for now, just go pre-order the LP. We'll be unleashing new music from it soon enough!

I have seen several of these over the last few months and am very intrigued by them. I tend to design *while* I am developing, not in a linear fashion, so I never get to try them out. Intrigued tho.

At this very point in time, June of 2024, there's a great deal of advancement in the realm of Generative AI to Video. In a year, maybe this won't make any us bat an eye. In two, most certainly not. But for right now, the advancements are impressive and ongoing.

The lobabobloblaw’s libabiblibrary is a YouTube channel offering various gems emerging from that tech. Pieces like Brutal were created with SD3, Luma Dream Machine and Google MusicFX. It looks pretty dang real. Same goes for this blobfish; disgusting but veering hard into reality. Still noticeably not real but getting there.

I'm sure there are thousands of channels and twitter accounts and other repositories showcasing this sort of thing but I am enjoying this one. I have to assume other channels don't have Virtua Fighter Star Trek, After Marge, The Simpsons 3D Sitcom, or Aliens devouring breakfast. The further back in the channel you go, the rougher these examples get but I think that's just a sign of something to look forward to.

I truly do not recall the last time I just browsed through a design studio portfolio. It's been too long! Given that CSA Design was established in 1989 and has a body of work recognized by just about every publication you can think of, I don't think this is new to anyone (but me). I appreciate that their site showcases a very limited amount of work despite them having 35 years of experience! There's plenty there to inspire but not so much that you quit before you even start.

I'm swooning, in case that wasn't clear.

Really enjoyed this Hobbes animated short, Dial Tone. Great style, textures and color palette. The music and sound design is by Upright T-Rex Music - whom I always biased towards - and I think they took it up ten notches. Great stuff, especially for just a literal minute of your time.

Recently stumbled on this lyric video for "The New Richter Waltz" from Craig Benedict Valentine Badynee (aka CBVB). Something about his voice sounded a bit familiar and then I connected the dots that he was the frontman for PAS/CAL, an indiepop band from the early 2000's that I quite enjoyed. Good to hear him back at it.

Ever since Epic acquired Bandcamp (and definitely since Songtradr Acquired Bandcamp from Epic (laying off lots of staff)), I've kept my eye on Bandcamp alternatives. Thus far, Bandcamp has held steady with no noticeable service interruptions or changes in functionality. I'm pessimistic but we're about 8 months into the new ownership and waters seemed to have calmed.

In the wake of those changes, several competitors sprung up. One that I've been keeping my eye on is Nina Protocol, aka Nina. It's a very slimmed down experience and largely focused on electronic music, but it seems to be doing well. They just launched a mobile app that has some nice slick interactions!

The Nina service is still quite young but it's great to see them continue growing. Maybe throw a bookmark at their editorial and dip in every once and awhile.

This Daily Dungeon game is a fun little treat that changes every day. Not much to explain here, just move the little guy around the dungeon and see if you can decipher the puzzles. Viola, fun!

via Forest

I am a little biased in my interest here because Anjali was CEO of Vimeo but, regardless, it is quite interesting to hear the approach on ad supported broadcasts. Everything old is new again?

This 2020 piece from Robin Sloan entitled An App Can Be a Home-Cooked Meal really hit the spot for me today. In it, he describes the process of developing an app he created for his family called BoopSnoop. You can't install it. No one can except his family members.

It's a charming story but his insight at the end discussing how writing code and learning to cook are similar really struck me.

When you liberate programming from the requirement to be professional and scalable, it becomes a different activity altogether, just as cooking at home is really nothing like cooking in a commercial kitchen. I can report to you: not only is this different activity rewarding in almost exactly the same way that cooking for someone you love is rewarding, there’s another feeling, too, specific to this realm.

Perfectly succinct, insightful and exactly how I feel.

If you've ever driven through the Holland Tunnel or the Lincoln Tunnel in NYC, you've likely noticed the very thin, raised, sidewalk running the length of the entire path. Presumably, this is for service members to traverse the area without being in the street. What wasn't clear to me, is that there was once a track up there that used to power little "catwalk cars" for police officers.

When I first saw these images, I assumed it was an AI creation but, nope, they're real! Look at this Getty images photo - adorable. They were first placed into service in 1954 and could go up to 12mph. In 1960, a second gen was introduced that could go 35mph! It seems they lasted in limited capacity until 2011 when they were fully retired. A shame really, I'd pay extra to traverse the Lincoln tunnel in one of these bad boys.

• LIFE ad
• Retired Catwalk Car

Advice King always brings the heat but this is an especially good reminder for anyone thinking 2024 is a time to make a statement by not voting.

This Jensen Sportag track, 2x2, came out in 2009 but the group has revived it for the 15-year anniversary. There's new artwork and a fantastic visualizer video. I think at this point in this blog's lifetime, it's clear that I am a sucker for this kind of retro analog aesthetic and it pairs, oh so nicely, with this track.

Podcast interview with a staple of the high end Nashville music scene

Pinning this long read for future enjoyment. Also did not know filmmaker Gareth Edwards had a regular column about forgotten computing pioneers

Every single internal alarm I have is ringing as I read through the Superpower site. I think it's fair to be skeptical of any startup that makes such claims like: "The world’s most advanced digital clinic to help you live longer, prevent disease, and feel your best." This is not an endorsement of their goals or manifesto (tho I do agree with anyone who says that the current American health system is a mess).

What I do endorse is the web design here. It's beautiful and immersive! Scroll your way through this thing and you'll encounter a transition from white to black via a very particular gradient that is incredibly memorable! How often does that happen?! Not very.

So, yea, be skeptical but enjoy the visual feast. via Chad.

Dropout CEO Sam Reich talks with FastCompany about the massive shift that the company underwent in their transitions from College Humor to Dropout. I have not spent a considerable amount of time with either - just the occasional viral clip here and there - but I am impressed and refreshed by Reich's take on growing a business. It it absolutely bonkers that hearing a CEO say he wants to grow slowly and carefully is impressive but that's the world we live in. Dropout's commitment to employee owned equity and ensuring stability is exactly what you want everyone to be shooting for.

TIL that director Gary Hustwit - of Helvetica, Objectified, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart - has a new documentary on Eno. Suffice to say, I'm quite intrigued. Brian Eno has done so much in the last fifty years, it will be a helluva feat to see how Hustwit weaves it all together.

There's some announcements on Facebook from various parties and an official Hustwit page. That's really all you need!

I mean, how are you NOT going to read it?

I have one complaint about the portfolio of Nada Hayek - I want to see the images bigger! Way bigger! There is a stunning combo of striking simplicity and minute detail that makes you want to pore over each and every one.

If you're clever, you can do a little manipulation on the URL images to achieve those goals.

Obviously I'm kidding about the complaints. There are none to be had. This work is wonderful. I randomly stumbled across it from this Fake Fruit album cover and quickly discovered there are many other covers to appreciate. Follow them on Instagram @sloppyjohansson.