$5 gigs, not $10m deals: the story of US punk label Dischord Records | Music - The Guardian →
My all-time favorite record label.
Blog
beabadobee - Fake It Flowers Live #livestream - YouTube →
If you are a sucker for 90s-influenced indie rock like Beach Bunny, Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail, and Hatchie you will love this.
QAnon, Conspiracy Theories, and the Rise of Magical Thinking →
Very good explainer on conspiracy theories and thinking.
A Record 76% of Americans Can Vote by Mail in 2020 - The New York Times →
Come on New York. We stick out like a sore thumb.
What ARGs Can Teach Us About QAnon – mssv →
QAnon fascinates me (and confounds and scares me), probably because I enjoyed ARGs in the early 2000s. A good read.
Run The Jewels Return! - Broken Record with Rick Rubin →
A super good conversation.
Kate Tempest – People’s Faces Lyrics →
I learned of Kate Tempest through Joe Talbot’s awesome web show… this song was released in 2019, but it’s so perfect for 2020.
Almost one-third of Florida children tested are positive for the coronavirus | TheHill →
“They are seeing there is damage to the lungs in these asymptomatic children. … We don’t know how that is going to manifest a year from now or two years from now,”
Sounds like in-person school is a good idea.
Is free speech under threat from ‘cancel culture’? Four writers respond - The Guardian →
Professional consequences start off dire for the people who are cancelled en masse by structural racism. At least old white dudes get the respect of being cancelled on a case-by-case basis.
Good responses from all four writers.
Bully - Every Tradition - YouTube →
Another new one from Bully. So good.
Reopening Schools in NJ- Educator Concerns →
An even larger list of questions from teachers. SO many issues. It’s not as simple as “we need to open.”
Free Speech
ending the charade – Fredrik deBoer →
So how can someone object to an endorsement of free speech and open debate without being opposed to those things in and of themselves? You can’t. And people are objecting to it because social justice politics are plainly opposed to free speech. That is the most obvious political fact imaginable today.
Pretty sure no one is against your ability to say things, just that there are consequences for saying things (an even more obvious fact) and that, holy shit, people are finally being held to account for the racist, misogynist, hateful stuff they say (and do) and if enough people feel that way, maybe you finally feel the repercussions. If you feel that forces you to censor yourself or limits your free speech, that is on you. There are plenty of soapboxes for you to spout your bullshit.
BALLEY TV - Episode 3 with Billy Bragg & Arlo Parks →
A great episode of Joe Talbot’s (IDLES) web series where he talks with fellow musicians during the pandemic. Love Billy Bragg!
Dirty Projectors: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert : NPR →
The new songs are so good!
Local educators urge their peers to be actively anti-racist - buffalonews.com →
The kids and I accompanied my wife to the educators rally in downtown Buffalo this evening. Super inspiring. Glad the kids got to see it!
IDLES - GROUNDS (Official Video) - YouTube →
So good. Perfect soundtrack for 2020. Can’t wait for the new album!
Police: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - YouTube →
Crucial. Watch the whole episode.
Senate Votes to Allow FBI to Look at Your Web Browsing History Without a Warrant - VICE →
Sanders and any other Senator who didn’t show up for amendment vote should be ashamed.
Avenue 5 - Airlock Scene - YouTube →
Pretty much America right now.
Seminal punk label Dischord’s entire catalog is now free online →
“Free” is a bold headline, as it’s pay-what-you-can and the money does go to the artists. Definitely worth checking out. Some of my favorite bands of all time.
The Case Against Impeachment Has Nothing to Do With Impeachment - The Atlantic →
An excellent historical look at the lengths politicians have gone to shore up white (and usually male) minority power.
As Fast as Her - Chicago Blackhawks - YouTube →
This is Zoey’s fifth year playing youth/girls hockey and my second as a volunteer. I’m so glad she has role models like Kendall Coyne and the Buffalo Beauts to look up to every time she steps on the ice.
Beyond Fracking: Oil-and-Gas Industry’s Toxic Waste Is Radioactive - Rolling Stone →
Between this and climate change, the only moral and logical choice is a Green New Deal. Any argument against is simply (short-term fossil fuel industry) profits over people.
Ian MacKaye: Full Interview (AUDIO ONLY) - House Of Strombo - YouTube →
Such a good conversation.
The New Mutants - Official Trailer →
Comes out April 3rd. I dig it.
Writing Feeling Into Song With Sharon Van Etten (Rebroadcast) - 1A →
Great interview. This makes me love @sharonvanetten even more. Hope she comes to Buffalo some day.
Why the Clash’s ‘London Calling’ Still Matters - The Ringer →
One of my fave albums of all time. Will be listening today.
Sacha Baron Cohen Uses ADL Speech to Tear Apart Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook →
The ultimate aim of society should be to make sure that people are not targeted, not harassed, and not murdered because of who they are, where they come from, who they love, or how they pray.
The 2010s Have Broken Our Sense Of Time →
Or more simply, the algorithm:
You can find yourself wondering why you’re seeing this now — or knowing too well why it is so. You can feel amazing and awful — exult in and be repelled by life — in the space of seconds.
Shady at best, criminal at worst.
Video: Watch Sharon Van Etten Play The Tiny Desk : NPR →
SO good. I don’t know how she plays Seventeen every night.
The Delusion and Danger of Infinite Economic Growth - The New Republic →
Extreme weather events, melting arctic ice, and species extinction expose the lie that growth can forever be prioritized over planetary boundaries.
The Consumerism Curse – On my Om →
“Fundamentally, it is a business model that is flawed —- capitalism is still functioning on the premise of endless resources.”
Also, endless growth and endless waste. None of which are sustainable. Yes, capitalism has improved the quality of life for many people. It has also left many behind – through inequality, oppression, and overwork.
Between inequality, climate change, and resource depletion something needs to change. I doubt America would ever go for socialism, so I am hoping for some kind of compassionate capitalism that blends elements of capitalism, socialism, and social justice. It’s going to take a bold vision and a lot of work – just hope we’re up for it. Time is running out before huge change is forced upon us by nature.
How Politics Can Make You Sick - Elemental →
Just as an official impeachment inquiry of President Trump begins, a new study finds 38% of Americans were already stressed out by politics, with 11.5% saying they’re so stressed it’s making them physically ill, even if only a little.
I’ve talked to numerous friends about this subject. Based on the responses, I’d guess those numbers are low. I’m definitely in both categories.
The oral history of Veruca Salt’s American Thighs — The A.V. Club →
This took me back to high school and freshman year of college. Absolutely love this album.
Introducing ‘1619,’ a New York Times Audio Series - The New York Times →
Crucial listening. Please give up 45 minutes of your life each week to follow this series. We grow as a country when we learn about the lives and history of our most marginalized.
88 Important Truths I’ve Learned About Life →
Super good list.
A Message From the Future With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez →
Visit for the amazing art, stay for the vision of a forward thinking economy and just society that tackles climate change head on.
George Lakoff: Don’t Think of an Elephant - YouTube →
Excellent and insightful talk. Via: Do By Friday, episode 126
Song Exploder: Sharon Van Etten →
Such a great episode from one of my favorite artists.
Americans Borrowed $88 Billion to Pay for Health Care Last Year, Survey Finds →
I’m not sure how anyone can think the status quo is sustainable.
The danger of ‘I already pay for Apple News+’ - TechCrunch →
A good counterpoint to my post from today.
re: Apple News vs. RSS – Snakes and Ladders
Apple News vs. RSS – Snakes and Ladders →
Guess what you see when you look at your RSS reader? Exactly what you chose to subscribe to. Neither less nor more.
Agreed, 100%. I think the problem with a lot of these Apple News silo posts is that it’s portrayed as a binary choice. It’s not. You can use Apple News and a feed reader, which is what I do…
Apple News, for me, is where all high volume and mass media subscriptions go (so magazines fit well here) and my feed reader (Feedbin) is for everything else, plus any site where I don’t want to miss any post.
High volume, multi-topic sites in feed readers are a nightmare, so that’s where Apple News can provide value. For Apple News to work well, you need to do a couple things:
In General Settings > News, check the ‘Restrict Stories in Today’ to only display stories from channels you follow.
Subscribe to a good number of channels and topics. I am up over 60 at this point…
Use it! The more you read, love, and dislike stories, the better your device gets at recommending things to read.
No, Apple News is far from perfect. It IS closed, no read/unread state, no portability, there are minimal controls for changing the reading experience, etc, etc. (Text IS selectable and shareable on my device, so not sure where that negative came from…)
Ultimately, I want journalism to survive and prosper in the Internet age. We need it, now more than ever. The current model obviously isn’t working (advertising supported anything promotes clickbait, as we’ve all seen) and I don’t think a $10+ subscription for every site/thing under the universe is the solution either.
The Apple News+ bundle is a tremendous value if you are interested in even a handful of the publications involved AND Apple can provide enough of a market for it to possibly benefit the news industry – revenue that isn’t dependent on advertising, so that’s at least a start. I’m not sure it’s the best idea or the solution, but time will tell. In the end, if it gets the masses used to regularly paying for digital content, then I am all for it.
About one-third of Americans say using blackface is acceptable - Pew Research Center →
How can a legit research service use both ‘sometimes’ and ‘rarely’ as options on this? Regardless, the results are sad.
90s Hardcore Photo Party (Upstate New York Edition) - No Echo →
Check out some of my photos from the 90’s hardcore scene in Western New York and surrounding areas! More here.
Our precious Earth and the lunar far side – Dwingeloo Radio Telescope - CAMRAS →
Awesome pictures!
Maggie Rogers | House Of Strombo - YouTube →
Great interview and a couple acoustic songs, including a Whitney Houston cover.
Les Savy Fav brought the full crazy to Elsewhere (pics, video, setlist) →
Probably my favorite live band. We saw them many times over the years, including a New Year’s Eve show in Seattle. I booked them for a basement show in Buffalo just as we were moving to Seattle – I wish I was able to stick around to see that mayhem.
Amazon’s Wish List with Stacy Mitchell — Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes — Overcast →
Interesting episode on Amazon’s growth and how it’s wielding power to get even bigger.
Maggie Rogers - Light On (La Blogothèque – Live in Paris) →
I like this version better than the recorded. So good.
shame - Full Performance (Live on KEXP) - YouTube →
Love Songs of Praise – it’s one of my faves from 2018. Hope to see them live someday!
Dirty Projectors: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - YouTube →
So good. If I was a talented musician, this is the band I’d want to be a part of… eccentric, R&B influenced indie rock.
Here are the most infuriating details of Amazon’s HQ2 deals →
If this deal goes through in NY, I am off Amazon. No more. Quarterly profits > $1.5B since Q4 2017. Bezos’ wealth +$36B this year. WTF.
Watch The Deadly Class trailer: assassin academy for teens - Polygon →
Can’t wait for this show.
Saba: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - YouTube →
Saba’s Care for Me is one of my fave’s from this year.
In Praise of Mediocrity - The New York Times →
Tim Wu on having hobbies:
Lost here is the gentle pursuit of a modest competence, the doing of something just because you enjoy it, not because you are good at it.
If the Point of Capitalism is to Escape Capitalism, Then What’s the Point of Capitalism? →
The capitalist, ironically enough, is trying to earn his freedom from capitalism — just like everyone else. The only difference is that he’s a step closer
J. Cole - Album Of The Year - Freestyle - YouTube →
Seeing J. Cole tonight! So excited.
Bully - Full Performance (Live on KEXP) - YouTube →
Seeing Bully tonight – so excited!
SPACE ALERT™ – An Apple Shortcuts Text Adventure – UARRR.org →
This is pretty amazing and a super creative use of Shortcuts. Hope there’s more like this coming!
Hat tip: @ismh
Captain Marvel’s helmet/mohawk movie costume is the result of a bet - Polygon →
Love DeConnick’s run and McKelvie’s design.
Thinking about Attention — CGP Grey →
Found myself nodding in agreement throughout the 11+ minute video. Worth a watch!
Liked: The Fast and Frugal Needs of the Online Reader - Hapgood →
Check for other coverage, find the original, investigate the publisher. But unlike much information literacy, these concerns are bonded to quick web-native techniques that can be practiced as habits.
Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online → Super excited to be able to play some of my favorite NES games from childhood. And my kids are the same age I was then, so I get to share with them as well!
The House that Came in the Mail - 99% Invisible →
This is a pretty cool story. Our house was built in 1920 and has many features similar to these Sears houses, though ours isn’t one. See the Sears Archive for images of every model.
Hat tip: @ayjay
An Avalanche of Speech Can Bury Democracy - POLITICO Magazine →
It’s not speech per se that allows democracies to function, but the ability to agree—eventually, at least some of the time—on what is true, what is important and what serves the public good.
Apple Music Gains Better Organization of Releases on Artist Pages – MacStories → Lots of changes to artist pages on Apple Music. Big improvements!
Death Cab for Cutie cover Frightened Rabbit’s “Backwards Walk” (listen) →
A very nice tribute to Scott. Still can’t believe he’s gone.
Congrats @manton! Sunlit is how I post photos to my blog and now we get an Instagram-like feed in the app. There’s no better time to join Micro.blog. If you have a blog, there’s no excuse – it’s free! If you need a blog, hosting is a mere $5/month.
“White Fragility 101” | Crooked Media →
A great episode and reminder: regardless of how you feel, it’s easy to be complacent when you have privilege on your side. Large scale change needs continued action and education by all. 🎙️
Read: Elizabeth Warren’s speech unveiling new anti-corruption bill - Vox →
Between this and the Accountable Capitalism Act, Warren is on fire. A 2020 bid has to be in the works…
Commentary: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez becomes the Sarah Palin of the Left - CBS News →
I wish current members of Congress were held to as high standards as Ocasio-Cortez.
We Want Comics: LOST – Multiversity Comics →
WANT. I loved LOST so much – probably the last time I watched a “live” TV show every week. Comics would be a perfect way to wrap up loose ends & add depth.
Own your content
Manton Reece - Infowars and the reluctance to curate →
Manton hits the nail on the head:
Facebook and YouTube are conflicted about how to handle this because their model is wrong. Unlike podcasts and blogs, which can live at a custom domain and move between hosting companies, videos on Facebook and YouTube are served directly on those platforms. If the videos are blocked, especially by YouTube which controls nearly all video on the web, there’s no obvious migration path away.
and:
The solution is clear: post to your own site, encourage other people to get their own domain name, and support smaller social networks like Micro.blog that are empowered by design to curate.
Seattle venue Showbox may be torn down for apartments →
Bummed for the Seattle music scene! My wife and I spent many nights at the Showbox when we lived in Seattle.
Micro Monday - Episode 19: @endonend →
My first podcast! A little nervous to listen, though I guess I already lived it once.
Preview of Sunlit 2.2 | Manton Reece→
I am so excited for the next version of Sunlit. Exactly what I was hoping for from Manton, in terms of direction, when he launched version 2 a few months back. Also appreciate the feature in the demo video! :)
DEADLY CLASS | First Look | SYFY - YouTube →
So excited for this… one of my all-time favorite comic books.
Liz Phair and Brad Wood take a look at Divorce Song.
“Gideon Falls” Trailer by Lemire and Sorrentino – Multiversity Comics
So excited for this! Jeff Lemire has been my favorite writer over the last few years. Out March 7th on Image Comics. 📚
Exclusive: “Gideon Falls” Trailer by Lemire and Sorrentino – Multiversity Comics→