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Apparently playing at the Paris airport is a thing. Recently, Air played, performing "Playground Love" for the first time in 20 years - complete with Gordon Tracks!
Supposedly the entire concert was streamed live on Twitch in partnership with Amazon Music but I've seen no clips surface. Fingers and toes crossed for more to come of this but I'm happy with the current treat.
Supposedly the entire concert was streamed live on Twitch in partnership with Amazon Music but I've seen no clips surface. Fingers and toes crossed for more to come of this but I'm happy with the current treat.
Great to see that Menomena has been fleshing out their discography with new expanded editions. Their 2003 debut, I Am the Fun Blame Monster (my favorite), has a nine track extra edition, there's a 22-track expanded edition of Friend of Foe (2007) and, now, a 21-track track deluxe edition of Mines (2010). The band is also playing a pair of reunion shows in August. If you can attend, please attend.
A wonderful interview from 2022 with Tom Persky, the self-proclaimed “last man standing in the floppy disk business.” He owns and operates floppydisk.com, a shockingly active business that still deals with a fairly high volume of disks (relatively speaking).
Persky speaks to how he got into the business, how it's still going in 2024 and, most importantly, how the floppy will never really ever die. Fingers crossed.
Persky speaks to how he got into the business, how it's still going in 2024 and, most importantly, how the floppy will never really ever die. Fingers crossed.
Sometimes you just stumble on a video of a cat yawning that's been visually processed by guitar pedals. I can't claim to understand it one bit but I certainly enjoy the results. Will seek out more in this realm of "SSTV" - Slow Scan TeleVision.
Disregard the thumbnail that belies the insightful nature of this conversation* - take some time to listen to Benn Jordan talking Spotify on the Top Music Attorney channel. It's just 21 minutes and brimming with insights and predictions about how fragile the music industry is.
There's a particularly nice bit at 4:30 talking about Spotify's house of cards with funding. Is it accurate? I dunno! But it's a good listen!
* interviewer Miss Krystle is insightful and challenging to Jordan, it's unfortunate the thumbnail is reducing them to a sex symbol.
There's a particularly nice bit at 4:30 talking about Spotify's house of cards with funding. Is it accurate? I dunno! But it's a good listen!
* interviewer Miss Krystle is insightful and challenging to Jordan, it's unfortunate the thumbnail is reducing them to a sex symbol.
The most straightforward and simple instructions I've seen on how to make a CPU. Easy.
The TinyPod is a rather clever enclosure for an Apple Watch that makes it look and behave a bit more like an old school iPod. While I find the physical portion of it to be quite intriguing (a scrollwheel that turns the watch crown!), it's even more interesting when you consider the device a "dumb phone." Because of the limited functionality of the Apple Watch, you can't do nearly as much with this little device and, thus, it won't take as much of your attention. Phone calls, music, texting, mail and a few more essentials but that's it. Sort of a walk back in time to pre-App Store.
While I'm sure we all want to embrace "self-control" as the answer to spending less time on our devices, maybe a forced limitation could be a viable alternative.
Click through the site - it's well made and insightful on what the team has made.
While I'm sure we all want to embrace "self-control" as the answer to spending less time on our devices, maybe a forced limitation could be a viable alternative.
Click through the site - it's well made and insightful on what the team has made.
CrowdStruck
a solid take on the Crowdstrike failure and how tech culture is the largest culprit to blame. Also a satisfying evisceration of Growth At All Costs and a warning sign of the future.
The Untold History of UK Post-Rock
a solid read filled with plenty of notable releases
The Substance of Style, by Matt Zoller Seitz
a series of essays on Wes Anderson from 2009 that I never saw or do not remember. Either way, looks like a good one to earmark.
I'm assuming you've spent some time with The Backrooms, The Oldest View or other liminal spaces. I find them to be a dash creepy and a bit therapeutic, oddly enough.
I had not spent much time with LOCAL 58, a series of broadcasts that feels related to the above but more alternate reality mixed with "lost transmissions." Also, far less therapeutic and more Melancholia unsettling. Still, worth a watch!
I had not spent much time with LOCAL 58, a series of broadcasts that feels related to the above but more alternate reality mixed with "lost transmissions." Also, far less therapeutic and more Melancholia unsettling. Still, worth a watch!
I've been subscribed to this @selfemeris YouTube channel for awhile now as it tends to post some deep cuts in relation to the band Self (i.e. early recordings or old promo vids, etc).
Recently they posted an entire tribute album, entitled Self-Portraits. It's fifteen covers covering a wide range of the Self catalog; a nice variety. I'm not really sure what I think of the album yet as I haven't even listened to the entire thing top to bottom but I do love the idea of a tribute album for a band that has always been overlooked.
Despite not having a strong opinion on it yet, I will say the chiptune Uno Song and bedroom lo-fi Stewardess are a nice treat.
Recently they posted an entire tribute album, entitled Self-Portraits. It's fifteen covers covering a wide range of the Self catalog; a nice variety. I'm not really sure what I think of the album yet as I haven't even listened to the entire thing top to bottom but I do love the idea of a tribute album for a band that has always been overlooked.
Despite not having a strong opinion on it yet, I will say the chiptune Uno Song and bedroom lo-fi Stewardess are a nice treat.
Never Post: Everything Old Embeds Again
Really enjoying this show. I tuned in for the vxTwitter talk but stayed glued for the Antiquities to Alt-Right pipeline. Wild!
Found myself listening to "Egg Punk" a lot recently. I'm not really even sure that definitely linked in that article is accurate. As far as I can tell it's kind of a mix of Devo, Dead Milkmen, a bit of hardcore and a dash of lo-fi drum machines and production. It's sort of a "you'll know it when you hear it" scenario for me at this point.
This Wesley and the Punks album seems to hit the spot. Tho, I'm honestly not sure if it's "Egg Punk" or an even more niche thing called "Internet Punk," as the title suggests. Who knows and who cares! I like it! I also recommend Prison Affair and their split with Snooper.
This Wesley and the Punks album seems to hit the spot. Tho, I'm honestly not sure if it's "Egg Punk" or an even more niche thing called "Internet Punk," as the title suggests. Who knows and who cares! I like it! I also recommend Prison Affair and their split with Snooper.
Terminal 1 Electro Party
what an insane combination of words: French band AIR to play Paris airport rooftop with Phoenix for Amazon Music livestream on Twitch, July 17
A Texas Bitcoin Town Health Crisis
the article is Bitcoin mining focused but really this can happen with any server farm. It is crazy that people are getting sick from noise pollutionSiegedSec chats with Heritage Foundation Exec Director
Lots of articles are being written about the hacktivist group and the response but reading the actual chat logs is the best example of how hateful AND idiotic the Project 2025 people are. That said, it is still a legitimate threat to the future.
The Age of Slop
as always, an entertaining and insightful read on our current era of... whatever this is!
Take one look at this Pixel Mirror and you instantly get it. An image is transformed into a low-resolution, pixelated, version of itself. The actual product is meant to be worn as a necklace (retailing around ~$120USD) but this article wisely points out that its actually an incredibly useful tool for artists as well, reducing images to their simplified versions.
Do click through for more examples. They're all quite neat but the cloud just summed it up perfectly for me.
Do click through for more examples. They're all quite neat but the cloud just summed it up perfectly for me.
Mobile Suit Garfield
and they say the Internet doesnt have good things anymore!
Beck on his orchestral tour, stardom in the ’90s and the hit songs he never saw coming
really pleasant and insightful interview. do read.
Here's a fun one for ya, the United States military has a system for broadcasting "Emergency Action Messages" (EAM). According to Wikipedia these messages are intended to "directs nuclear-capable forces to execute specific Major Attack Options (MAOs) or Limited Attack Options (LAOs) in a nuclear war. " That sounds scary enough but there's a type of message that takes even higher priority than the standard EAM, called a Foxtrot Broadcast or "Skyking message." Maybe you've seen the film Crimson Tide and this rings a bell... I have not.
There's plenty of reading you can do about these messages, their usage and their format. Of course, if you just want to hear one, there's plenty of recordings.
There's nothing nefarious about these messages - aside from the fact that they're coded military communications - but it's just fascinating to remember that they are happening with such regularity and that with the right equipment, anyone can hear them. They aren't quite as fascinating as a Numbers station but they're still a fun rabbit hole to explore.
There's plenty of reading you can do about these messages, their usage and their format. Of course, if you just want to hear one, there's plenty of recordings.
There's nothing nefarious about these messages - aside from the fact that they're coded military communications - but it's just fascinating to remember that they are happening with such regularity and that with the right equipment, anyone can hear them. They aren't quite as fascinating as a Numbers station but they're still a fun rabbit hole to explore.
Encountered a piece of work from Sai Clayton over the weekend at the Zeitgeist gallery. It was part of a group show of printed works on paper and really managed to stand out. Then I wandered into Green Ray and there they were again as a huge banner across the shop. Funny how that happens.
Looking through their portfolio and Instagram - @sai_tries - there's a fascinating evolution of work to see. Scroll way back and you can see a very different style of illustration and expression that slowly morphs into these athletic poses wearing traditional masks. Really great to see that creative process playing out.
Looking through their portfolio and Instagram - @sai_tries - there's a fascinating evolution of work to see. Scroll way back and you can see a very different style of illustration and expression that slowly morphs into these athletic poses wearing traditional masks. Really great to see that creative process playing out.
Ran across the works of Galen Gibson-Cornell this weekend at the David Lusk Gallery. I mention the location because seeing these pieces in person is a wildly different experience than seeing them on the screen. They are huge and have a chaotic feeling to them; each composed of posters stolen from the streets, sliced and woven back together into some brand new chaotic thing. I suggest clicking through each piece in the porfolio and maximizing the images as large as possible for proper immersion.
Also be sure to cruise over to his Instagram for more examples, including a poster suit!
Also be sure to cruise over to his Instagram for more examples, including a poster suit!
I watch a great deal of Law & Order. I'm partial to the era when Jack McCoy becomes our Executive Assistant DA over Adam Schiff but I can't deny the enjoyment of the early seasons! Watching a bit of Season 1 last night I noticed that there were episodes that used Mike Post's infamous score during the episode, not just during the intro. This led me to the original intro, set to the pilot in 1990 (tho produced in 1988). It's different but it's still an enjoyable 90 seconds if you've consumed as much Law & Order as I know we all have.
Very excited to see the (limited) return of Every Frame a Painting. This trailer promises both a new collection of video essays and a short film. It's less than 30 seconds but one of the more exciting things I've seen in some time!
I'm going to assume you've seen all the essays from this channel but on the small chance you have not - go watch them all ASAP and, truly, like and subscribe.
I'm going to assume you've seen all the essays from this channel but on the small chance you have not - go watch them all ASAP and, truly, like and subscribe.
The title - Turns out REST APIs weren't the answer (and that's OK!) - might feel a little click baity but this Dylan Beattie rundown of the history of REST, the somewhat pedantic usage of the term and the alternatives is actually quite fascinating.
The new Sayryn full-length caught my eye for the striking album art. Turns out, EGOR is responsible for the painting and has a great body of work to explore beyond that. I recommend also browsing through their Instagram to sense of scale on how large the creations are; certainly gives me additional appreciation for them.
Trufhfully, this one came my way via Instagram Ad - a petunia plant that has been "infused with bioluminescence." In other words, a flower that glows in the dark - for real! Given the source, my skepticism on the validity of it is cranked pretty high. Diving a little deeper into this Scientific American article about the creation, it seems that the Neonothopanus nambi mushroom was used for the bioluminescence and it's a legitimate fusion. Specifically:
The fungus feeds its light-emitting reaction with the molecule caffeic acid, which terrestrial plants also happen to make. By inserting the mushroom genes into the petunia, researchers made it possible for the plant to produce enzymes that can convert caffeic acid into the light-emitting molecule luciferin and then recycle it back into caffeic acid — enabling sustained bioluminescence.
The article goes on to say that people have complicated relationships with genetically modified plants but that the danger levels are low. “I cannot imagine any reason why this should be a concern,” says Diego Orzáez, a plant biologist at the Institute of Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology in Valencia, Spain. That sounds like famous last words!
Regardless, the plants are very interesting to see.
I've been friends with / a fan of Jeremy Okai Davis for over two decades. If you're not familiar with his work, take some time and get familiar - it's beautiful and poignant.
Aside from being a thoughtful and talented painter, turns out he's also a pretty entertaining emcee! His collaboration with Big Papa Warrior in DINO INTRO is just one track from a full-length record called Dinosaurs set for release on July 4th. Obviously it's a bit sillier than his painting work but it's good to see him let loose. Tune in, follow along, prepare for the full record!