I recently became aware of San Francisco's Martin Olive - a photographer, dispensary owner and all around man about town. He even had a little viral moment last year regarding a response to some cat-caller on the street.

I stumbled across Olive because his friends are raising funds after he was shot. I know that's a shocking way to share brand new information about a person but there it is. I look forward to his recovery.

Last October, General Trust released GT1 – a compilation of all of the music he had released up to that point, along with a cassette only bonus track and a fantastic performance video for “If I Could Change Your Mind.” All good stuff. That release actually closed out the first "era" of General Trust, now begins the second era.

Breaking the seal on 2025, General Trust unveils “Apologia” – a brand new single available on Bandcamp and Ampwall this week (and YouTube, Nina, Artcore, Mirlo and Soundcloud). The track will hit traditional streaming early next week. The track continues General Trust’s evolution and expansion through dark, foreboding compositions driven by synth and pop sensibilities. Only time will tell how this new era folds but it’s starting off with a gripping offering.

I help produce a podcast called Devalued; a show about the balance between art and money. There are many great episodes - Damon Krukowski! Steve Albini! Mary Mancini! Suzanna Cianni! - but, of course, I recommend subscribing and listening to them all. Most recently, host Michael Ackley got caught up in a work obligation and I had to step in as substitute! Swapping Michael for Michael, a classic switcheroo. In this episode, we talk Radio Power with Jason Moon Wilkins and Emily Young - the Program Director and Events Director (respectively) of WNXP. They were kind enough to chat for a lengthy amount of time and provide lots of insights into how radio is still relevant in the music industry, how they strive to be a bi-directional part of the Nashville community and how artists can benefit from radio play.

With all the talk of streaming's abysmal royalty rates and the exhausting march towards automation (see The Ghosts In The Machine), it's incredibly refreshing to hear from these two about how much human involvement is required to make the station work as well as it does. I was quite happy to be a part of the interview, hope you enjoy it!

I was always an avid fan of The Books, the collage / sample-based musicians with four excellent albums and a load of delightful b-sides. I'd read rumors that they disbanded around 2012 in an unpleasant way. Half of the band - Nick Zammuto - released solo music but I always wondered what happened.

This 2018 Interview with Paul de Jong - the other half of the band - doesn't really give much insight into why the band broke up but it does provide some insights into their creative process that I'd never read before. Here are a few excerpts from de Jong I rather enjoyed...

Regarding The Books sample library:

A large part of The Books' creative process consists of finding, choosing and combining the right samples. On an album like The Lemon of Pink are hundreds, maybe even thousands. 'It could be a few words, a sigh or a whole minute of babble', De Jong explains. 'Background noise or a musical note. As long as it's interesting and I have the idea that I want to have something to do with it.' De Jong now has a gigantic archive in a kind of coach house behind his house, in which everything up to the digital age is welcome, from VHS tapes to cassettes and LPs. 'But nothing is mainstream, everything is obscure. For example, there are no feature films in there, only instructional tapes, from education, the medical world or the church.' The archive consists of about 350 boxes, which De Jong digitizes one by one. For this purpose, he has built a setup of ancient computers in a separate room. 'All they have to do is absorb video or sound. In the title, De Jong types out as many words from the fragment as possible. 'Then you can simply find samples later with Microsoft's search system.'

On the lack of looping samples:

'When I listen to how samples are used nowadays, I feel very related to how hip-hop cuts and loops. In The Books we never really looped, because I am absolutely convinced that you have to change something when you repeat it. If you repeat a recording identically, your subconscious immediately notices that. That does not mean that you hear more, but actually that you get used to it the second time and hear it less the third time. You hardly hear the essence of the sample anymore, but know it. That does create a lot of space for other elements, such as text, which occupies an essential position in hip-hop.'

There's plenty more but I'll let you go read it yourself.

Stumbling on this was a nice reminder to revisit all of the old releases from The Books but also a gentle nudge to listen to the latest solo material from both de Jong and Zammuto.

A friend sent me this NOLA Embroidered Hat for my consideration and I was quite pleased. Digging further into the creation, it was created by Chishan Jao, a brand designer out of New Orleans. I am enjoying a deep dive through the portfolio of Jazz Fest illustrations, Experiential Branding and adorable package designs. Very solid work, top to bottom.

Vaporwave comes in many flavors but one style I had not yet encountered is the Grocery Store variant. Yes! We're Open is twelve soothing tracks overheard through the various aisles while you browse. It would be understandable to call this muzak but it's not quite that. Like a lot of vaporwave, there's a lo-fi production quality to it that evokes a slightly unnerving atmosphere. Similar to The Backrooms, there's just something ominous about it.

Despite that underlying vibe, I enjoy it! It's good background music while you work as it does transport you to some other strange place. IMO, it's best to start with Track 2.

Thanks to attending SXSW more than once, I'm signed up to an infinite number of PR emails about new releases from bands. It's a lot of noise and I don't envy any publicist trying to break through that but, occasionally, something does break through. I know nothing about Atlanta band Applesauce Tears but their latest release, Balcony Confidential, is an immersive and captivating listen. The largely instrumental album is cinematic, psychedelic and dripping with vibes. If you're a fan of Of Montreal, Black Moth Super Rainbow, reverb-y sax solos and a wash of synths, I think it's a safe bet you should hit play on this one.

Turns out they have twelve albums and have been at it since at least 2010. It's a delightful new discovery all around.

I found an old note to myself to look up the album Electricity from Tobias. It's an excellent blend of bedroom production, shoegaze-y guitars, noise and pop sensibilities. It's right up my alley.

As luck would have it, the first search result pointed me towards Catalog - a platform for selling your music directly to your fans. It's a cousin to Bandcamp, Ampwall, Nina, Artcore, Mirlo, et al. Curiously, it seems that they relaunched themselves as recently as Oct 2024. As far as I can tell, they may have started off as an NFT type site and now they're angling for a wider marketplace. Regardless of the history, I'll be keeping an eye on where it goes.

HarmonyCloak is a concept for combating generative AI music.

"At its core, HarmonyCloak functions by introducing imperceptible, error-minimizing noise into musical compositions. While the music sounds exactly the same to human listeners, the embedded noise confounds AI models, making the music unlearnable and thus protecting it from being replicated or mimicked. "

It's kind of a poison pill for AI Music. The examples on the page are pretty convincing to the idea - you, a human being, do not notice anything in the "Cloaked Music" snippets but an AI trained on it produces less than acceptable results. It's a fun idea to think on and fascinating samples to listen to.

There have been other projects tackling similar problems with similar tactics. You may recall Nightshade was meant to introduce imperceptible noise to images that would make it impossible for an AI to train on the data and give good results. Again, fascinating to read about but I'm unclear on the adoption rates.

The core issue at play here is copyrighted material being used to train models with zero compensation to the original creators. Wanting to combat that from the inside is a sensible path to explore.

If you aren't already subscribed to the Jez Burrows newsletter, Dept. of Enthusiasm, get on board! This latest transmission - Twenty songs from 2024 - is a real treat. As all of the posts have been!

Thirty-four minutes of The Commercials of David Lynch ranging from a Calvin Klein series, Georgia Coffee (a Twin Peaks classic), Michael Jackson Dangerous intros, Alka Seltzer Plus, Barilla Pasta, Parisienne cigarettes and so much more. I don't think it's surprising that a director that worked for nearly fifty years has such a diverse body of work but I do find it surprising how many Lynch tropes appear in these; music, actors, shot compositions, etc.

It may seem odd to share an eleven year old interview with someone but it struck me as one of the more honest and comfortable interviews I've seen with Richard Ayoade. Generally, I catch him causing madness on a chat show or deadpan hosting his own show or even humbly lamenting a BAFTA, he's quite deadpan and guarded. Here he has a bit of that but less performative. It's pleasant to see.

Charlie Brooker has had a hand in creating some of my favorite series - Black Mirror and Nathan Barley specifically. This gaming memories video seems like an odd topic to discuss with him but he's, obviously, quite the gamer. For someone that understands technology as well as he does, I can't say I'm surprised.

Plenty of hard news out there, let's have a little respite with some Friday videos. That's the belated David Lynch as Jack Dall above - a helluva fine performance. If you haven't watched these Lynch acting clips, do that next.

For now, let's enjoy some more distractions:

• Gordon Keith interviews Zach Galifianakis - maybe I've seen these before but enough Internet Time has passed that I've forgotten. Keith is a masterful deadpan absurdist - a perfect match for Galifianakis. There's plenty more of these if you wanna dive further.
• I Am Cat (Launch Trailer) - I doubt I'll ever actually play this but I enjoy knowing it exists.
• What We Do in the Shadows Alternate Endings - If you haven't seen the final episode yet I wouldn't say this spoils anything. The finale actually broadcast three alternate endings depending on when you watched. They're all compiled here and quite fun.
• The 5000 Fingers Of Dr. T - a 1953 film written by Dr Seuss (story, screenplay, and lyrics). I'd never heard of it but it looks perfectly bonkers.
• Halcali - Baby Blue - I mentioned the work of Nagi Noda the other day.. here's a music video from them featuring a lot of Pandas with some surprising turns.
• Nintendo Power Raw Footage - you may have seen the clips of this previously but a solid 19 minutes of people talking on the phone from the late 80's is an excellent salve for whatever ails you.
• UFO Exclusive (1978) - do I expect you to watch a nearly 2 hour documentary from the late 70's about UFO's? No. Do I hope that you'll jump ahead to the 5:26 minute mark and watch the psychedelic intro that unfolds? Yes, yes I do.
• Fix their hearts or die - a little wisdom from David Lynch as Gordon Cole from The Return.

If that wasn't quite enough for ya, go scroll through these house photos - little treat for ya if you keep an eye out.

The announcement of David Lynch passing was not surprising but certainly a bummer. As a director, writer, painter, artist and all around personality - I have severe fondness for him. I am sure there will be countless, eloquent, eulogies in his honor. I look forward to them.

I'd like to take a moment to appreciate the man's acting. He didn't do a ton of it but when he did, it was always a treat. Here are a few moments I love.

• Sammy Meets John Ford - having Lynch in a Spielberg movie was likely on noone's bingo card but his tiny cameo here is unforgettable. I could watch this on repeat. Of course, there's a story behind it (Cheetos are involved).
• Jack Dall, not that kind of funny - Obviously Louis CK was involved in some truly grotesque and unforgivable behavior but casting Lynch to berate him was not one of them. "Be funny"
• Gordon Cole, a small mexican chihuahua - Twin Peaks introduction to Lynch's FBI character; a hoot.
• Every time Gordon Cole says What The Hell - warning, some gruesome imagery in this one but Cole's line delivery is perfect.
• David Lynch's Weather Report 12/16/22 - there are so many of these that are good.
• David Lynch being a madman for 8 minutes 30 seconds - okay, not acting here but his personality is on perfect display. The absolute best.

These are amusing moments but hearing Lynch speak on daydreaming or meditation or feeling art; all well worth digging up and soaking in.

In the wake of Bandcamp's sale to Epic and subsequent acquisition by Songtradr, a number of alternatives have sprung up. I've talked about Nina and AmpWall specifically but there are many more!

One that came across my radar recently is Subvert - a "Collectively Owned Music Marketplace." At this time (Jan 2024), there's not much to speak of in terms of tangible tools or marketplace but there are a litany of good ideas. You gotta start somewhere!

Specifically, they have a lofty Roadmap that forecasts a collectively owned legal entity that could expand well beyond a digital marketplace. There's lengthy documentation about their governance, polices and ownership plans. There's a forum with some interesting conversations happening around all of the above.

It's a work in progress but the primary focus at the moment seems to be that they are raising funds with Vouchers - an alternative and transparent approach to gathering finances outside of the Venture Capitalist system. The Voucher options are fairly straightforward - donate early and get additional "credits" once the service launches. Those credits would be used in place of paying fees to Subvert (their example: a platform fee is waived b/c it's already been prepaid).

All and all, it sounds interesting. Their graphic design is on point and they are working in the open; two things that are hard to say about Bandcamp. But it's still way too early to know what will come of this lofty thought exercise! In the meantime, I'll continue to keep an eye on it, be supportive and see what manifests!

A smattering of various music I've encountered lately that may be appealing to you. I'm betting on it. Froghat - Wave Files! A free surfy mix tape from Froghat!
This five song release is less of a formal offering and more of a sampler to introduce you to the freewheeling, good time, vibes of Froghat. The project is the pseudonym of Nicholas Clark, aka Minnowland, a musician, animator and all around enjoyably creative guy living in Chicago. The man has multiple monikers! And the surf music is a delight. Straight into regular rotation for me.

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Power Pants - PP7
Truth be told, I know very little about this Winchester, Virginia band but three things caught me immediately. First, they self-identify as Egg Punk - which we have previously established I'm a fan of. Second, they have priced this release so that the cassette is $9 and the digital is $100 - giving a healthy nudge towards buying that tape. Respect. Lastly, and most importantly, the record is a high energy blast of memorably lo-fi song bursts. The longest song is 2 minutes flat and each one is enjoyable start to finish.

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Crave On - Fantasy Hall
There's something about Crave On that calls to me in a deep seated way. It is difficult to articulate but Patrick Orr's languid vocals combined with the surprising arrangements of each song feel like they've emerged from another time and place - possibly a more Metropolitan past. Like I said, articulation on the appeal eludes me but I'm transfixed by it.

They're a Nashville band and fall into the category that so many artists in Nashville do - they deserve a wider audience. I'm sure that's true of any city with a talent pool but I can easily hear Crave On opening for Wilco or playing to a transfixed audience at the Newport Folk Festival. I hope that happens for them but, in the meantime, I'll just do my best to spread the gospel.

Recently, I've been enjoying the transmissions of This Newsletter Cannot Save You - an every-other-week newsletter of music videos, short films and experimental art. Their end of 2024 edition contained a number of immersive works and also this 2024 Music Video Favorites playlist. I haven't been through them all yet but I'm excited to dive in.

If you haven't read this 404 Media piece covering Suno AI CEO Mikey Shulman's dumb remarks about music creation, I suggest you get your eyeballs on it! Here's the meaty bit:

“We didn’t just want to build a company that makes the current crop of creators 10 percent faster or makes it 10 percent easier to make music. If you want to impact the way a billion people experience music you have to build something for a billion people,” Shulman said on the 20VC podcast. “And so that is first and foremost giving everybody the joys of creating music and this is a huge departure from how it is now. It’s not really enjoyable to make music now […] It takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of practice, you need to get really good at an instrument or really good at a piece of production software. I think the majority of people don’t enjoy the majority of the time they spend making music.”

Look, I am not quick to criticize AI technology - I'm often an advocate for it and rally behind how it can make many insurmountable goals achievable for many folks. For instance, making music! I'm not a musician and don't have a lifetime of training and experience to help me do so. Tools like Suno and its ilk make that possible. I've used Google Labs to create music beds for my own podcast. I get the utility. All that said, I think this guys remarks are tone deaf and he clearly drank the VC investment Kool-Aid. Suno couldn't even exist without all of the musicians that came before it - a truth for all training data.

The larger point that's interesting to ponder here is the idea that technology should remove all friction. That certainly seems to be the position Shulman is making. Find audio editing laborious? Use AI instead. But the difficultly of learning an instrument is exactly why it's rewarding. Drawing is hard but you get better over time. This is true for all creative endeavors, even for those that have preternatural talent. Lowering the barrier for entry can be a good thing but as I get older, I find the argument towards removing all friction to be rather childish.

Thanks to the snow last weekend I finally gave myself time to fully comb through the yk Records Discogs listing and make sure every official release had a home there. Broadly speaking, it's all there!

Truth be told, I find Discogs terribly difficult to navigate and I find the community over there to be aggravatingly pedantic. But there's no denying that their annoying level of detail results in properly cited data and, more often than not, a well-vetted tome of information. I'm happy to have YKR be a part of that!