There are a lot of newsletters out there. One of them is Today in Tabs - a rundown of Internet highlights for a given day with plenty of color commentary that is legitimately amusing. There's plenty of entertainment out there in the form of Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc but there's nothing more pleasant than an easy referenced list of absurdity. Sure, no one needs more email but this one is worth it.

Keeping on that Fat Tuesday celebration tip, here's a playlist from some pals of mine that sets the mood. If ya like what you hear, you can catch them weekly on the Nashville Mixtapes show. I do recommend.

Hey, it's Fat Tuesday today! Over the past few years, I've really grown a real affection for all things New Orleans and the massive culture of celebrations involved with Mardi Gras. With COVID-19, this year is a bit different and official Mardi Gras parades were cancelled. However, NOLA residents made the best of it by creating a new tradition called Yardi Gras; in which homes are decorated in the style of the traditional floats to keep the party going.

This Yardi Gras Walking Tour is a great introduction to the concept. It's 30 minutes but really a fascinating look at the work being done across the city to keep their traditions going.

Beyond that, I'd also recommend the official NOLA.com 2021 Mardi Gras Videos. It's three parts - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 - that goes through a massive amount of history of the parades, the different Krewes that have formed over the years and, of course, The Mardi Gras Indians; hands down the most fascinating piece of New Orleans culture.

Enjoy an indulgent Fat Tuesday and watch six hours of videos! You earned it.

Been a minute since I had enough cobbled together videos for a Friday Videos. Weekly just doesn't feel like a pace I can sustain anymore. I mean, I am 42 now. Makes sense that I'd falter a bit in my old age. But enough lamenting and explanation!

If you have not already, please take a deep dive into the GIF works of Alexandre Louvenaz. They are a beautiful nightmare, each and every one.

And on to the videos. Enjoy!

• Thom Yorke Was Raised in a Barn - perfectly stupid.
• David Lynch Swears - I fully believe that Lynch swears better than anyone else. Top 5 on the Planet.
• Wakey Wakey - remembered this 2018 Don't Hug Me I'm Scared clip recently and discovered that the show this was meant to tease is still happening.
• 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted a Culture Trailer - this is deserving of its own post but please watch this trailer and if you are in the unfortunate position to know any homophobic individuals, make them watch it a few times.
• 10 Hours of Infinite Fractal and Falling Shepard's Tone - Endurance Challenge! How much of this can you handle? Maddening.
• Buying a Pizza with Bitcoin, 2011 - it's hard to believe this video even exists and double-y difficult to acknowledge that it's 10 years old.
• Matt Berry Mashup - been gorging on What We Do In the Shadows lately and it's just further proof that Matt Berry is endlessly entertaining.

Stay safe out there. Keep wearing the dang mask.

"I got tired of waiting for Weezer to release another album so I made one myself" -Billy Cobb

I can't tell you how frequently I see Weezer news announcing some new album that is laden with the author's hope that maybe, just maybe, it'll get back to that Weezer sound they love. They're always disappointed. It's been 25 years since the release of Pinkerton and folks are still holding out hope that they'll come back around. Hell, even Weezer themselves are planning on an album inspired by Weezer.

I occasionally dip my toe into the contemporary Weezer waters. I've heard a few tracks from OK Human but even the title makes my skin crawl. That said, I recognize it's just not for me anymore. Pop culture does not allow me to avoid it entirely but I am comfortable not caring one iota. All that said, stumbling upon Zerwee and Zerwee, Pt 2 has been a real treat. Artist Billy Cobb is actively and openly aping the early 90's Weezer sound in both releases. In interviews he states how carefully he's constructed the songs to have all the "right" Weezer ingredients and I'd confidently say he's cracked it.

Are both these releases shamelessly appealing to nostalgia? Yes. Am I okay with that? You betcha.

If Weezer actually released an album in this style I'm sure folks would flip but they've done it. I'd love to see Billy Cobb take this experiment through to the next logical step - making Weezer inspired music that somehow delivers an original twist to the formula. Just have to wait and see.. maybe it'll take 25 years but I'll be tuned in.

Very happy to announce the debut single from No Stress is out today via yk Records. "Freedomlove" is streaming exclusively on Bandcamp and can be picked up along with a pre-order of the full debut EP, Prelude No. 1. I've been following No Stress on Instagram and Twitter for a long time. He plays keys for The Alabama Shakes, is half of the jazz duo Concurrence and is an all around enjoyable person. I was flattered and excited to be given the opportunity to work with him on this debut EP and I am positive that anyone reading this will enjoy it as well.

The track will be on streaming services next week and the album will be released on March 2nd, 2021. Treat yourself and give "Freedomlove" a listen now.

I've been enjoying a casual dive into this YouTube series Songs that Changed Music from Produce Like a Pro. Each episode is roughly 15 minutes long and does a good job of covering the topic in both a broad way and with plenty of insightful specifics. I'll recommend starting with Talking Heads: Remain in Light but the full playlist is worth a click through.

The Lost Media Archive is a fan-run wiki service compiling a giant list of works that have been lost to the cutting room floor or hidden from wider release for one reason or another. It's a Fandom site so browsing it is laborious but the content within can be pretty compelling.

With the recent news that Evan Rachel Wood was abused by Marilyn Manson, the site posted about a "lost" film he made in the 90's that was so horrendous, his management forbade him from releasing it for fear of jail time. I won't link it but it's confirmation that the "act" you assume Manson is playing is not an act. He's awful.

On a lighter note, you can peruse musings about 2001: A Space Odyssey Cut Scenes, the original Dr. Strangelove Pie Fight ending or the supposed Kurt Cobain Ren & Stimpy Theme Song.

It's a rabbit hole that often comes with a lot of speculation but that's part of the entertainment.

My feelings on Miley Cyrus (like most) is pretty mixed. I've found plenty of her music and antics to be not my flavor but, inversely, I think Her Dead Petz is a worthwhile listen and Nothing Breaks Like a Heart is legit good.

Anywho, she recently did a Tiny Desk (Home) Concert and made a literal tiny room to perform from. I generally think of this series as more "reserved" for less mainstream artists but it's admirable to see a higher profile artist doing something different with the format. At the very least, watch the first song of her performing Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You" - which she definitely makes her own.

I promise I'll keep Miley Cyrus posts to a minimum moving forward.

DRKMTTR Radio is a podcast extension of the DIY-inspired music venue DRKMTTR in which they put together a playlist of music that fits the vibe of the venue. Pretty simple and straightforward concept but the thing is, DRKMTTR (the venue) has a superbly eclectic roster of artists that play their space (when venues are open). The podcast reflects that and, I gotta tell ya, I always find something new and great when listening. There's no shortage of ways to "discover" new music these days. Every streaming platform out there is throwing recommendations at you left and right but there's something about the human curation that Kathryn Edwards brings to the playlist that just fits my taste.

TLDR: I'm a fan of this show, you probably will be too.

Hear it on the web, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, etc. etc.

This new Louis Prince video for "The Number Thirteen" is checking all the boxes for me right now. The dithered animations by Joel Plosz are perfectly executed and the song makes me think of Luke Temple / Here We Go Magic (two artists that stay in regular rotation).

Not a ton to say here except it's great, enjoy it.

Every week I publish a podcast of local Nashville music caled WOTT Music. The name may not be all that memorable but each and every week it serves as a nice testament to the diversity of sound coming out of Nashville that is decidedly not country music or singer-songwriter based. I'm proud of every episode but some episodes feel extra exemplary in the variety they showcase. This is one of them. Maybe the start of the year is just ripe with new releases or maybe I was just lucky to catch the right songs at the right time.. I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it's a great playlist that runs the gamut from dark psychedelic rock to gritty soul to hard hitting hip-hop to tranquil ambient and many points in between.

Even if you're not a Nashville resident, give it a listen just to introduce some quality new music into your life.

Inauguration Day for President Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris felt good, real good. Like, I Can't Believe This Is Happening Good. I look forward to a more positive path ahead and, frankly, intensely hope for days on end where I don't have to think about politics.

For this weeks distraction playlist, I thought I'd do something a little different. I generally scour around for quick blasts of stupid entertainment but with the proliferation of social media, you're likely getting a firehose of that anyway. So, this week I'm going to post a bit more long form content that may lead you down some rabbit holes. I might also add in some stupidity but why not try something a little different.

Enjoy!

• The Tiny Doors of the US Capitol - thinking about the Capitol lately comes with a bitter taste, let this be a bit of a salve. Weird little doors everywhere apparently.
• Guests Making Conan Laugh - there are several more compilations of guests cracking up Conan and they're all quite entertaining.
• Driving Around Lower 9th Ward (NOLA) - this channel is comprised of loads of videos just driving around neighborhoods in various cities. These destinations tend to be lower income and are often noted as "hoods." This could be seen as some sort of racial exploitation but from watching a few, I am confidently positive that is not the authors intent. All told, it's like a ridealong in the Google Street View car.
• TMBG on Leno, 1992 - I find myself revisiting lots of old They Might Be Giant performances lately. This Apollo 18 performance on Leno is a remarkably full band playing "The Guitar" and "The Statue Got Me High."
• Elizabeth Olsen: "No" Is a Full Sentence - the Off Camera chats are always great. I particularly loved this Elizabeth Olsen chat; especially given her family fame and the context of being part of the MCU.
• Can You Spot What’s Wrong with These Phrases? - a Key & Peele sketch that embraces that stupidity I mentioned earlier.
• Why This Chair is On So Many Album Covers - I may have linked this previously but it's worth a revisit. Seven and a half minutes researching why this particular rattan chair has persevered in popularity over decades.
• Fruit Bats - Hummer - did you know Fruit Bats covered the entirety of Siamese Dream? You can find 2 or 3 tracks floating around on YouTube but the full record is a vinyl only release (at this time). Pretty swell.
• Shortest Video on Youtube - entirely satisfying.

Stay safe out there. Keep wearing the dang mask.

I've been enjoying the variety of works offered from the Hashimoto Contemporary Gallery. They've been sharing these works from Penny, a UK artist that, according to their bio, gave up a career as a neurosurgeon to give chase to the worthy pursuit of cutting holes in paper.

Self-deprecation aside, I love this kind of manipulation. It does a great job of waffling between absurdist fun and meaningful reflections on the corrupt power of capitalism. All that and is amazingly intricate. Give the full body of work a gander.