Running the WOTT music podcast exposes me to a great deal of music I likely wouldn't have stumbled into on my own. Once such recent discovery is the work of Good Service, who's work is exemplified in this bonkers collage video for Summer Muses. It's a dash of indie pop, a smattering of shoegaze and juuust the right balance in the production between being glossy and being DIY. The whole record is quite good. Consider that my endorsement for your enjoyment.
Browsing the portfolio of Hiroshi Nagai is an interesting experience. The images within are stark, simple and steeped with nostalgia, though a second look lets you know there's plenty of details and texture at play that you could overlook. I particularly enjoy the Architecture pieces for exactly that reason. They almost read like posters you'd see in a classroom but there's that intangible something that still speaks to me.
As the site doesn't provide much insight into the artist himself, it behooves us all to get some context and learn about his history studying under illustrator King Terry and how many of these images have adorned album covers since the early 80's. There's even a new Light in the Attic compilation showcasing new work from Nagai.
There's a wealth of work to discover and it only gets better when viewed in its original setting.
Paige steered me towards this discussion on Slow Internet. It starts as a callout regarding the new Telegram app and how it contains a "Slow Mode" for preventing messages being sent too quickly; presumably forcing a bit of mental pause and reflection but goes in some interesting directions from there. By and large, there is a consensus that the Social Internet is killing our attention spans and, possibly more devastating, harming our ability to feel satisfaction.
Instead of just favoriting the Tweet and hoping you see it, I wanted to take special care to point out that you should find some time (whenever convenient) to flip through the responses. Personally, I find myself spending less and less time on any social networks and I do feel the FOMO from it, a sensation that I'm not particularly fond of.
Starting to feel like there’s a possibility I’ll be happy soon but I’m hoping deep seated issues from my childhood will keep me from being boring- fingers crossed!
I remember reading this article when I was 17 years old and feeling like my hometown, which I had long wanted to desert, was suddenly being legitimized as “cool”. https://t.co/8G2OlIu3Pt
Yes, another Garth Brooks GIF as our cover image. Are the videos below related to the above Shruggie? Only one way to find out.
Thought Diaries "Enjoying Stuff" - Adult Swim often does small little short films but they generally lean into the "wow, that was weird" category. This one is shockingly optimistic. via Davis.
Purple Mountains - Darkness and Cold - David Berman passed away this week. He wasn't an artist that I had much of a connection with but he clearly meant a lot to a lot of people. Sad to see someone go so early. I take it as a signal to dive a bit deeper into his back catalog of Silver Jews work. This song / video are fun, albeit clearly melancholy.
Green Shirt Guy - During a bit of a ruckus at a Tucson City Council Meeting (voting on becoming a Sanctuary City, which some residents, apparently, didn't care for) this man in a Green Shirt is highly entertained. He is a silver lining of goodness in these dark times. Seriously.
Happy to announce that all around troubador Stone Jack Jones will be releasing his fifth album, Black Snake, on yk Records. The album was produced with longtime collaborator Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney, TMBG) and a host of Nashville notables - including, but not limited to, Patrick Damphier, Rodrigo Avendano, Kyle Hamlett, Gyasi, Scott Martin and KAtie Banyay. If those names mean nothing to you, you're missing out on some great music.
The first single, "Mary Mary," premiered on Glide Magazine but I've posted the song here, as I know an additional click to get you to listen to music may be a bridge too far. It's been described as "psychedelic country noir" and I couldn't be more excited to be involved with an album worthy of such classification.
In our newest episode, we talk with author and historian @AuntB about—and I hate how timely this is—white supremacist terrorism in 1950s and 1960s Nashville. Despite the heavy material, Betsy is a joy to catch up with. https://t.co/PlWntaFZqB
