When I see a Kickstarter campaign exceeding their desired amount by 6x I have to assume something worthwhile is happening. Such is the case with Radio the Universe, a forthcoming game from 6e6e6e that blends classic Zelda style gameplay with some dark science fiction themes through a female protagonist. The cut scene art looks great, the gameplay looks familiar and yet still compelling and the entire campaign writeup is hilarious (read all the rewards regardless of your interest - so funny).

Sometimes I worry about posting too many Kickstarters because it can seem like a drag to have people constantly asking for money to accomplish a thing they, theoretically, could do on their own (maybe). However, I tend to think of them more as Artistic Enabling Super Early Pre-Orders more than anything else. Having looked through all the material already available for this game, I can't wait to get my hands on it. Read on.

Kevin pointed me to the portfolio of Craig Campbell and I'm loving all the projects! Super simple but very efficient. Oh, he also makes music and has a great blog. Get into it.

Normally I'd reserve a link only post for the new sidebar but this Phantom Time Hypothesis that Baldwin sent over to me is too good to not highlight as much as possible. Here's the general idea:

It proposes that periods of history, specifically that of Europe during the Early Middle Ages (AD 614 - 911), did not exist, and that there has been a systematic effort to cover up that fact. Illig believed that this was achieved through the alteration, misrepresentation and forgery of documentary and physical evidence.

Like all good conspiracy theories, there is plenty of interesting evidence to back up the claims but, ultimately, it's going to be hard to swallow. That being said, is it really that hard to believe that some powers that be could have fast-forwarded the calendar years to "look" nicer?

If you're intrigued, dive right in.

Amir gave me the heads up on Little Bits - a Lego-like constructor sets that lets kids (and Adult Kids) create super simple circuits. The intro video spells out the concepts real clearly but I suggest taking some time to dive into the site's Community Projects area just to see a taste of all the great things people have built. Making a Confetti Cannon in an afternoon? Yes please.

Have you ever imagined one of your favorite album covers re-worked into a KISS-esque metal tribute? You know, like Fleetwood Mac's Grim Rumours or Herb Alpert's Perma-Frost & Other Delights? There are some real absurd gems throughout.. so keep scrolling.

via Sean.

free track

I'm posting these videos from the past so that in the future you can enjoy them in the present. Follow that? It doesn't matter. This playlist is weird but I think there's something good in there for you to enjoy. If I missed something crucial, I bet it's viewable here.

• NFL Bad Lip Reading - glad to see them branching out into mocking more forms of television. Approved.
• KLOL 101 - a lot of videos these days ape the 70's / 80's video aesthetic, I'd love to see this sort of graphic collaging become more commonplace. Get on it, Internet.
• My Heart Will Go On - nothing like a recorder solo to brighten up your day. It's an endurance challenge for the ages. via Paige.
• Big Time Pranks with Dan Klein - check out this hilarious prank call to Bumble Bee Foods. Super funny.
• True Facts About Morgan Freeman - not entirely hysterical but when it hits, it's real good.

Okay, hopefully you found something good in there. Bear with me, I'm in the past! This stuff was all funny and relevant when I cobbled it together.. don't blame me that time has soiled it.

Have a good weekend.

Photographer Dabney Morris has a load of great images in his portfolio but I just recently stumbled upon this set of Jensen Sportag. The fog and lighting combo is pretty much perfect for the band. When you're done there, dive into more - they're all great.

I'm not sure what to think of the soon-to-launch Video Podcast Network. The site looks great, the talent - Adam Corolla, Comedy Bang Bang, Paul Scheer, etc - is all reputable but the concept of watching a podcast live during the taping seems a bit odd to me. Maybe for a straight talk show situation it's fine but there are plenty of podcasts I listen to where NOT seeing the face behind the voice is incredibly important - i.e. almost any episode of Comedy Bang Bang. So, I'm not sold yet but I'm curious to see more.

My friend Jon gave me the heads up on Songza the other day and I've been digging through its offerings. Basically, the site is a bunch of curated playlists - not picked by algorithms or friend recommendations but by "music experts." You can go as broad as Krautrock or as specific as Songs from Apple commercials - there really is a good broad range of music collections. Curated music is so hot right now. The only downside I see thus far is that the site design is kinda overly safe. It was described to me as "music curated by SEARS" and I can't disagree in terms of visual presentation. However, content is King and they've got plenty of goods.

Been enjoying this track from Photo Ops - "It Makes Me Cry." The video is a nice excursion in the world of indie filmmaking. On the whole, the song is solid and the catch in the singers voice is just right. It's on Bandcamp as well if you'd prefer the non-visual version. Definitely looking forward to the full release in Feb.

Remember when Flash first came on the scene and creative types made all sorts of experiments showcasing what you could do with the tools at hand? Well, Form Follows Function is kind of like that except it uses only HTML5 and keeps things real tasteful. The navigation is superb and this Flipclock is super nice. It's blowing my mind that it's native in the browser. Sometimes things get out of hand but it's always good to see what is possible.

vilemonkey

lanymphet

I'm off to Salt Lake City for the next few days to partake in my first Sundance. The crew and I will be taking in some movies, enjoying the city and, hopefully, meeting some filmmakers interested in getting their films directly into the hands of fans. I'll do my best to keep up with tweets and whatnot for the sidebar but, ideally, I'll be too busy! I've got some posts queued up for tomorrow and, of course, Friday Videos will be around.

For today, go give the new Roy Ira a listen (it's on Spotify if you prefer that) and then read the latest issue of NATV.

Maurice Guégan

mihaifrancu

you will never die.

Pieter Léon Vermeersch

Bob Mould has been making music for a long time. His work in Husker Du and Sugar are, among some, legendary. I can listen to Copper Blue anytime and always enjoy it. So, when VHX had the opportunity to distribute the concert film See a Little Light, we pounced on it. The film is now available to order for just $10 and includes performances from Dave Grohl, Britt Daniel, Ryan Adams, No Age and the man himself, Bob Mould.

Obviously this appeals to a bit of a niche audience but if you're a fan of Mr. Mould and his catalog of works, I think it's safe to say you'll enjoy this.