I'm going through Downbeats from 20+ years ago, when all the labels were reissuing remastered versions of their deep catalog on CD for like $10-12. Now we can get many of those same albums again, but only on vinyl and only if we want to pay 3-4x the price. The early aughts were good for jazz nerds.

One of my favorite moments of Laura McGrath's Middlemen is when Andrew Wylie tells Kissinger that ppl thinking he's a war criminal is a bad look & he should change the narrative by writing a book about China. His reason? To use Kissinger's book as a gateway into getting into the Chinese market.

Not even a second thought: Dwight Yoakam's Guitars, Cadillacs, etc etc.

Stop Calling Me Frank@stopcallingmefrank.bsky.social · 5d ago

You have a month to write a 33 1/3 book about the album of your choice. Which record are you going to write about? (No previously covered albums allowed; new shit must come to light: see below.) (For all books in the series: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/33_1/3) (H/t @monostich.bsky.social

A lot of European publishers do not fool around with their book design. Even the most difficult theoretical academic nonfiction can get the similar treatment as Absolution does here. It really is mind blowing to see what book designers in Europe are doing.

Jeff VanderMeer@jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 5d ago

Just got copies of Einaudi's Italian edition of Absolution. Wow. Translated by Cristiana Mennella. The artist is Lorenzo Ceccotti and the inspiration here is the biologist's expedition in part 1 of the novel. Just a stunning cover. Amazing.

Finland doesn't exist.

James Ball@jamesrball.com · last mo.

I like this. Go on, let's get a few more: what's your low stakes conspiracy theory?

Guitarists and pedal nerds: is the guitarist at the beginning of this track using a chorus or a flanger? I keep going back and forth - my chorus/flanger pedal is weird and it does each separately and a combo of them, so my ears are tricking me. Thx.

I Loves You Porgy, by Ella Zirina and Teis Semey

from the album Dark Yellow: Music for Two Guitars

agsrecordings.bandcamp.com

Um, 50-60 years ago my grandfather was operating heavy machinery, working on oil rigs, and whatever other kind of related work he could find. 100 years ago my great grandparents didnt have jobs because surviving in the Appalachian hollers was work enough. Is bootlegging a job?

Revan@revan.eurosky.social · last wk.

Enough “what would you do on the commune questions” If you got sent back 100 years and were given your grandparent’s job, what are you doing?

Can confirm, this does indeed, rip.

Peter J Woods@awasteofredmeat.bsky.social · last wk.

Camila Nebbia & Chris Corsano- Six of Seven Ways Towards Becoming Undone And this is part 2 of corsano rippers I've heard recently and its even more ripping than the previous rippers relativepitchrecords.bandcamp.com/album/six-or...

Meanwhile, my colleagues at Duke got laid off. I guess the financial crisis wasn't as existential as Duke told us it was when they started looking for who they could let go. People at Duke clinics have been replaced by kiosks who do the appointment check in process.

Anna Kornbluh@annakornbluh.bsky.social · last wk.

CHOP FROM THE TOP 14 of the University's highest-paid officers and employees earned more than $1 million in FY 2025, with nine making more than $2 million Duke’s strategic realignment included layoffs+buyout offers that led to the departure of nearly 600 staff. dukechronicle.com/article/duke...

The cool thing about The Odyssey is when our cat Monsignor Waffles finally learned the glory of being a too big cat in a too small box.

Too many, not enough of them were/are good. Need to purge. Too much hat, not enough cowboy.

Discogs@discogsofficial.bsky.social · last wk.

How many CDs have you added to your collection in 2026?

So in the Publishers Marketplace book deal listings a "major deal" is in the seven figures. How much would a "swell deal" be worth?

Not that I really give a shit about ESPN anymore, but I really like the part where the head of it is concerned that they "don't cover college football enough." That's never been my experience with ESPN, but I'm just a book worm.

Drew Magary@drewmagary.bsky.social · 2w ago

ESPN cutting a bunch of established professionals loose to become a poor man’s Barstool isn’t the happiest of developments awfulannouncing.com/espn/new-col...

Lots of things have made me feel old recently, but this 25 year release-a-versary (is that a thing?) maybe makes me feel the oldest. Some good memories tied to album.

PopMatters@popmatters.com · 2w ago

25 YEARS AGO: The Strokes released their heavily hyped 'Is This It' The Strokes have a great sound, and the album is lots of fun, but they are not the saviours of rock 'n' roll, nor are they even remotely cool.

I had a great time talking w/ jazz multi-instrumentalist Roger Glenn for POW Mag on the occasion of the reissue of his scorching jazz/Latin/funk album Reachin'. He's one of those cats who you've heard even if you don't know his name. The flutist on Donald Byrd's Black Byrd, that's him. Come through.

It's All in My Head: An Interview with Roger Glenn

The jazz legend returns with a forward-thinking new collection.

powmag.net

Wow, this game and it's soundtrack and how the whole thing came together looks amazing. I can't wait to kill cockroaches as the Fatboi Sharif character.

Wallace@exalclaw.com · 2w ago

Beatdown City Survivors has one of the most fitting licensed soundtracks this year. The game makes listening to NYC's underground rap scene while playing as them just work! My latest on why, as well how it came together based on my chat w/ @shawndoublea.bsky.social: exalclaw.com/beatdown-cit...

This is a great piece. If a store has ordinary not expensive stuff locked up I sure as shit am not going to buy it there.

Marc Masters 🌵@marcissist.bsky.social · 2w ago

"The great lotion lockup was a corporate moral panic, which has been a disaster for their profits and for the rest of us a degrading enshittification of running basic errands."

Who wants to be in my new noise band called New Jersey Milk Crate Recovery Act?

He's more gold leaf than man now, twisted and evil.

Adam Parkhomenko@adamparkhomenko.bsky.social · 2w ago

i thought things were getting carried away and then saw this

This was the first time my mom saw Messi play and had never heard of him. "I don't see what's so great about him. He didn't do anything."

The two greatest drummers ever, Meg White and Animal

The FIFA anthem might be the worst fucking thing I've ever heard. I wonder which verse outlines the bit about building stadiums with slave labor.

This is 100% about making sure that only the wealthy can afford to go to college and creating a massive underclass who cannot get a college education.

NPR@npr.org · 2w ago

If an undergraduate program's graduates don't earn more than workers who never went to college, that program could be cut off from federal student loans. But is a degree just about making more money?

"How'd the gig go?" "Ok, I played a solo in a key a tritone away from the key it was supposed to be in and I couldn't hear it but other than that, it was hunky dory."

I've got an outdoor gig this evening and the heat index right now is 106. It's gonna feel great. Thankfully no smoke here. At least there's that.

I've been stalked by a cougar, accidentally came up on a sleeping bear, and unwisely stared down a bull moose from 50 yards. But the thing that scares me most are ticks. They make me shudder. Among other things, we need more opposums.

Princeton University Press@princetonupress.bsky.social · 3w ago

Writing in @nytopinion.nytimes.com, @jmingle.bsky.social, author of Gaslight: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Fight for America’s Energy Future, argues it's time to "go to war" against ticks. Read more:

New Orkestra Akokan out today. Smoking.

América!, by Orquesta Akokán

8 track album

share.google

Agreed. When I was an acquiring editor, I always saw contracts education as a key part of my job. There are good reasons for the terms in standard publishing contracts and most financial terms are tightly bound within industry standards. But ask the questions!

Michelle Chen@michellechn.bsky.social · 3w ago

Author #1: "Contract looks fine! I'm ready to sign!" Author #2: "I don't fully understand this part of the contract. Can you explain what it means in layman's terms? Also, would you be open to a slight increase to the royalty rate?" Pro Tip: Be Author #2.

Durham did it again!!!!