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Stewart Smith

@drstewartsmith.bsky.social

Writer: jazz, improvised, experimental, Scotland & the avant-garde @ The Wire, Bandcamp, The Quietus, We Jazz, Guardian. Associate lecturer Newcastle University. Musician. He/him. 🇵🇸

444 Posts803 Follower768 Folgt
Stewart Smith@drstewartsmith.bsky.social · yesterday

New Wire! I report from StopOver4Berlin, where curators Ingrid Laubrock, Julia Hulsmann & Christian Lillinger offer a taste of the city's proposed jazzhaus. Plus LP reviews: Tyshawn Sorey & Pat Thomas, Josh Berman, Nick Mazzarella, Henry Threadgill (Zooid & trio with Vijay Iyer, Dafnis Prieto).

The Wire Magazine@thewiremagazine.bsky.social · yesterday

The Wire 511 is out now! Featuring Space Afrika on the cover, plus Nuno Canavarro, Lucy Liyou, Jad Atoui, Rump State, Primitive Percussion Youth Orchestra, Darla Quintana, Jennifer Herrema’s Invisible Jukebox, and much more. Pick up your copy here: thewire.co.uk/shop/

Nate O@nateo.bsky.social · 2d ago

The UK commentariat and political class are almost exclusively a wealthy, politically powerful and insular group, many of whom landowners/landlords, and almost every last one of them despises the working class, minorities, migrants, queer people, and disabled people. That’s why they love Rod Liddle

Malt Lick Nursery@maltlicknursery.bsky.social · 3d ago

"Music is spiritual. Music is certainly way up there on that level. That's one of the things that has attracted me to music is that all of the possibilities of things that can happen." Happy Birthday Roscoe Mitchell born August 3, 1940

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Zack Polanski@zackpolanski.bsky.social · 3d ago

Very disappointing from the new Prime Minister, very much sounding like the previous PM. These are among the world’s most vulnerable and desparate people. They need safe routes and humanity from responsible politicians, not grandstanding. This isn’t doing politics differently.

Burnham pledges to be "relentless" in curbing small boat crossings
Helen 🏳️‍⚧️✊🏻💕@mimmymum.bsky.social · 2w ago

Stop Sex Matters spreading transphobic hate @goodlawproject.org have identified 46 examples, including harassment and discrimination, which they think break charity law. Email the Charity Commission and the culture minister now, and make sure they stop charities spreading hate.

Stop Sex Matters spreading transphobic hate

The anti-trans pressure group Sex Matters are running a campaign of hate, spewing abuse online and in the media – and putting trans people in danger. Sex Matters say they work to “protect everybody’s ...

action.goodlawproject.org

Lee Hurley@hleehurley.com · 2w ago

This might sound like I only care about trans people but the fact is how Burnham opts to treat trans people will tell you exactly how he will treat everybody else eventually. You can poo-poo that if you want, but you're wrong.

Lee Hurley@hleehurley.com · 2w ago

My support (as much as it matters) depends on the ending of trans segregation in the UK. That's the litmus test. If he's willing to stand up to the anti-trans activists, this country might have a chance. If he isn't, it's just more of the same and he'll buckle on everything, inc rough sleeping.

Alejandra Caraballo@esqueer.net · 3w ago

JK Rowling through her TERF organization, Beira's Place have sent Amnesty International a demand letter seeking a full retraction of their report, a public apology, and a bar to future criticism of gender critical groups as anti rights orgs. If they don't comply, they'll commence legal action.

The first page of a formal, typed legal letter dated 14 July 2026. It is addressed to the leadership of Amnesty International UK: Helen Horton (Chair, Amnesty International UK Section), Sandy Ruthven (Chair, Amnesty International UK Charitable Trust), and Kerry Moscogiuri (Chief Executive). The contact information and phone numbers in the top-right corner are redacted with a large black block, and a footer at the bottom is also blacked out. ​The subject line reads: "BEIRA’S PLACE | AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL UK PUBLICATION DATED 8 JULY 2026". ​The body text states that the sender acts on behalf of Beira’s Place, a sexual violence support service for women in Edinburgh and the Lothians. It asserts the legal right under the Equality Act 2010 to provide single-sex services and references the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers to define "woman" by biological sex. The letter strongly objects to page 20 of a newly published Amnesty report titled "A growing threat; the anti-rights movement in the UK", which allegedly categorizes Beira's Place as an "anti-rights organization." The letter calls this categorization "grossly offensive and entirely without foundation."The second page of the formal legal letter, maintaining the same clean, typed layout with a heavy black redaction block covering the footer at the bottom. ​Under the heading "Defamation and Malicious Publications (Scotland) Act 2021", the text argues that labeling Beira's Place as "anti-rights" is defamatory and legally actionable. It claims the report has caused severe damage, including threatening correspondence and a 600% spike in hostile website traffic. The text notes that Beira's Place, with the support of its founder J.K. Rowling, will not allow its reputation to be tarnished. ​Under the heading "Remedies", the letter lists legal demands to avoid litigation, including: ​A permanent withdrawal of the Amnesty report and its methodology. ​A public letter of apology on the homepage of Amnesty’s website, apologizing to Beira's Place, its staff, and service users, as well as acknowledging the protected belief that sex is real and immutable.The final page of the typed legal letter, featuring a large black redaction box covering the signature block in the middle and another covering the footer at the bottom. ​The page contains the conclusion of the legal demands, including a third remedy requiring Amnesty to commission an external investigation into how the report was published. ​The letter warns that if Amnesty does not agree to these terms, counsel will be instructed to prepare for court action. It concludes with a note that J.K. Rowling, as founder of Beira's Place, will make a formal complaint to the Charity Commission or other appropriate regulator and supports other listed gender-critical organizations taking their own legal actions. It signs off with "Yours faithfully" before the blacked-out signature block.
Abigail Thorn@theabigailthorn.bsky.social · 3w ago

This is why the Philosophy Tube episode on conversion therapy in Britain was so carefully worded and went through lawyers first! It’s difficult to educate the public on topics that rich and powerful groups do not want people to know about

Alejandra Caraballo@esqueer.net · 3w ago

Amnesty International put out a major report documenting the influence of UK based anti trans gender critical organizations and their funding. Within hours, GC groups threatened defamation lawsuits and Amnesty was forced to pull it down. Proving the point they're anti rights. Anyways, here it is.

The National@scotnational.bsky.social · 4w ago

It’s places like these which have enabled Glasgow to become one of Europe’s great cultural cities. Spaces for creativity which are inclusive, community-led and free of the worst aspects of commercialisation are critically important – they are our cultural infrastructure, Patrick Harvie ✍️

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Stewart Smith@drstewartsmith.bsky.social · 4w ago

Really enjoyed the latest Simon Reynolds. He’s really sharp on the politics of “dreaming” ie it’s reductive to say it’s simply apolitical, quiescent etc. But I did find this quote from a young Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3 hilarious in its cluelessness: the birth of Gen X indie centrism?

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Dan Sohege@danielsohege.bsky.social · last mo.

Of all the idiotic and irresponsible ideas this government has come up with this must take the cake. A self selecting group of people massively undertrained and under prepared to evaluate what are often nuanced and complex situations for asylum appeals. www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...

Public to decide asylum cases as Mahmood pledges to speed up decisions

The Home Secretary will set out plans for a new independent body made up of people from a range of backgrounds with training similar to magistrates.

standard.co.uk

The Tonearm@thetonearm.com · last mo.

"GLARC (Greater Lanarkshire Auricular Research Council) has been documenting the weirder fringes of Glasgow’s music scene and beyond for a decade now, carving out a distinctive space that has little to do with the city’s established indie scene." The Strange World of… GLARC:

The Strange World of… GLARC | The Quietus

Stewart Smith offers ten points of entry – including Still House Plants, Quinie & Harry Gorski-Brown – into the strange world of Glasgow label, Greater Lanarkshire Auricular Research Council

thequietus.com

The Quietus@thequietus.com · last mo.

Stewart Smith offers ten points of entry – including Still House Plants, Quinie and Harry Gorski-Brown – into the strange world of Glasgow label, Greater Lanarkshire Auricular Research Council The Strange World of… GLARC buff.ly/fhmeoGy

Photograph of assorted objectives and foodstuffs on a formica table surface. There are some loose, unassorted coloured letters to the left and in the middle, some that have been arranged to spell out: 'GLARC'.
Stewart Smith@drstewartsmith.bsky.social · last mo.

GLARC is one of the best things to come out of Glasgow: a stylistically omnivorous, politically radical DIY tape label who introduced the world to Still House Plants, Quinie & more. Had a great chat with founders Joel White & Gordon @thequietus.com thequietus.com/interviews/s...

The Strange World of… GLARC | The Quietus

Stewart Smith offers ten points of entry – including Still House Plants, Quinie & Harry Gorski-Brown – into the strange world of Glasgow label, Greater Lanarkshire Auricular Research Council

thequietus.com

jeff@jazyjef.bsky.social · last mo.

RIP Jeff Schlanger (1937-2026) The artist was a long-time presence at jazz shows in NYC, especially Arts for Art concerts & Vision Festivals. He was often in the front row & made spontaneous artworks during performances. His death was announced by Clay Art Center. Four covers by Jeff Schlanger

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