Jump to new releases, new music discoveries, or things to read.
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It’s a text-heavy week here. I’ve read a lot of great stuff in the past seven days. Short pieces more than books, so if you’ve got 15 mintues to spare, check out the fiction about adoption, or the memoir pieces about small-town friendships or early-onset dementia. The music that surprised me most this week was the random find Punchbag and the record from Kee Avil.
I also am relaunching the newsletter format this week – a shorter version of this post. Sign up below.
Anyway: I hope you find something you like here, and if you’re inclined, get in touch.
Want just the essentials in your inbox? OK:
New releases
This is new music that I like from bands I’ve written about recently, but it’s too soon to warrant a whole new post. Or it’s promising early releases from acts that have yet to release something substantial.
All of these artists are in the playlists on this page
New singles
- Sham Family released a surprise new single called React from their upcoming album and it rips
- Cut the Kids in Half released A Good Man Died. I like the sound of this one, kind of early Wolf Parade-y
- Casual Smart released debut single It Doesn’t Get Any Easier – lo-fi, his-and-hers vocals, it’s calm and lovely
- Kathy Katouzi released the single Afterparty. It sounds very 2024.
New music discoveries
If you want to hear a couple tracks from each of these, I’ve made you a mixtape you can find on this page
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Kee Avil – Spine
Montreal
This album is weird, sinister, and captivating. I can’t really describe it but I love it.
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Suzy Clue – Remember Me / Holy Touch
NYC
She’s released two 90’s influenced alt-rock songs and they’ve been stuck in my head for days
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Sunken – Charm
London, UK
The recent stuff from this indie act kind of defies genre, but it’s all great
Books and Blog posts
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Weekender – May 31, 2024
Weekly review – new releases from old favourites, and a recap of the posts from the past 7 days.
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“Hi, I’m Sarah McLachlan, and I’m about to ruin your day”
She’s about to start her first tour in a long time. The NYT gives her a nice profile piece
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“Superstitions are all I have to protect you.”
Read Esther Hayes’ award-winning short (short) story
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“what the fuck are you doing moving to New York? This place is dead, you’re too late”
Line of Best Fit has a great profile of Been Stellar
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The Day After (1983 TV movie)
The cultural impact of this was enormous, and it holds up pretty well today. Annie Jacobsen’s excellent Nuclear War: A Scenario reminded me of this TV movie from the 1980s, and it’s on YouTube in full: This starts slow and has a real After-School Special vibe to certain sections (especially the barbershop scene around the…
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Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen
It’s a new take on The Day After, and I couldn’t put it down
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“The pace of Internet Time has slowed down”
Dave Karpf and others suggest that maybe tech is just plateauing
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Walden Two by B.F. Skinner
B.F. Skinner has some terrible ideas about utopia. They make for incredible reading, just not in the way he intended
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“Palcoholics” by Jake Maynard
Jake Maynard writes about how bromances are formed over booze and whether the two are inextricable.
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“What Time Is It?” by Jeff Wood
Jeff Wood on early onset dementia. Don’t read this in public.
Till next week, y’all. Don’t be afraid to say hello.