Let It Go - Betraying The Martyrs
First link out of the box? A screamo-punk version of the classic Frozen ballad. I know that sounds weird but I promise you this will enrich your life. -Brian
Avery seems to love drums these days, so naturally I went straight to this album. I played this during dinner earlier this week and she was thrilled–and repetitively slammed her cup on the table to show her enthusiasm.
I'm hesitant to say this is my favorite song of the year, but that may be the truth. I have listened to this song every day since it dropped. Side note: I'm sharing a YouTube link to it whereas I usually share Spotify links. Let me know if y'all prefer YouTube for music links. - Calvin
RIP John 'Totalbiscuit' Bain, a gaming legend
Way back in the day (c. 2005) when I was basically ruining my life with a World of Warcraft addiction (sorry Katie) I fell in love with a WOW podcast featuring a hilarious, sarcastic, and ineffably optimistic brit who went by the handle "Totalbiscuit" (which apparently means something in the Queen's English that is beyond my puerile colonial brain). In the intervening years Totalbiscuit became a famous caster in the eSports scene and a very successful YouTuber. Ever now and then I'd drop in on his Twitch stream and remember how much I enjoyed his happy but demanding approach to games.
Unfortunately after several years battling cancer Totalbiscuit recently passed away. In honor of his passing check out his amazing review of some random game I've never played but would happily watch Totalbiscuit play anyway. -Brian
What It Means When Childish Gambino Says ‘This Is America’
...in which someone attempts to break down all the symbolism in that video...
The Difficulty in Defining Donald Glover’s ‘This is America’
...in which someone posits that it may not be very easy to break down all the symbolism in that video...
This is America by Childish Gambino
If you're easily offended or don't like to be shocked a little bit every now and then, don't watch this. There's your disclaimer.
This music video (if you can even call it that, I'd say it's too high concept for that designation) has been the focus of a million think-pieces on Medium and conversations I've had recently, so I wanted to share with you, dear reader, in case you haven't had a chance to see what all the fuss is about.
Personally, I think this video is art, the definition of art, actually. In case you want a definition of art, here's the dictionary's take:
the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
I've included a few hot takes below that you can read after you watch the video. Let's talk about it next time we hang out. –Calvin
Shoutout to Mike J. for sharing the weirdest and most wonderful mixtape I've listened to in a long time. This was released by Wendy's, yes, that Wendy's. Give it a listen and note the shade thrown on the rest of the big boys in Burger Land.
The Bottomless Lake - John Prine
This is from the excellent In Person & On Stage album, and it's the story of a road trip gone hilariously wrong. Prine tells such captivating stories, and on this album he tells those stories before each song, and then the song tells a related story. Give the whole album a listen, it's delightful. –Calvin
Forgotify | Discover a previously unheard Spotify track
Plays a track for you that has never ever been played before by any user anywhere. Apparently there are millions of these just waiting to be discovered. The first one that came up for me was from a self-published album of folk music from India. Some person spent some portion of their precious lifespan making that song, and I was the first to listen to it (on Spotify). And for that song in particular, hopefully I was also the last. I want those three minutes of my precious lifespan back. -Brian