It’s the summer anthem we needed.
Straw Into Gold/Belated Catchy Tuesday
This song uses something very close to Pachelbel’s bird-brained Canon for its verses, then, unlike the original, actually does something with it.
Rip It Up
We may never know what happened to Elvis.
If only I knew some well-connected Memphians.
Enjoy Mr. Pop.
Are You Loathsome Tonight?
I think I could put almost any modern country song here, as they are nearly all appalling. The dopey two-step beats, the horrible twang, the cowboy hat affectation, the utter lack of curiosity or twist in the songwriting – i.e. it’s funny that you love your country when you haven’t explored it beyond your barn.
Enjoy!
Are You Lonesome Tonight?
Yes, hopes Sam Kinison in a classic rant. He sings surprisingly well.
RIP
Lamont Dozier, age 81, pop genius of Holland/Dozier/Holland team.
Creem Archive
Creem has archived every issue of its magazine and you can access it for free for a short time (the rest of the month, maybe?). It’s fascinating. I only remember reading a handful of issues back in the day. I think by the 80s it was mostly hair metal. The recent documentary was also really good.
Archive is here.
I Want One!
Seriously, how cool is this?
We go hands-on with an exclusive first test of Hasbro’s upcoming Selfie Series that allows you to put your own face on a 6-inch action figure! Here’s how the app works to create a 3D scan of your head, and the customization options for hair, color, and your figure body of choice. We take a close look at the resin 3D print quality of these made-to-order portraits and discuss the technology that makes these custom figures possible.
Get on the mailing list here and download the app while you’re at it.
This Shit Is Punk Rock
This looks pretty good. Renfield, didn’t you play there?
“Nightclubbing” is the first-ever documentary about the renowned New York City nightclub Max’s Kansas City (1965-1981) which had an indelible impact on the worlds of music, fashion, art, culture and the creation of the city’s punk rock scene.
Featuring rare footage of Iggy & The Stooges, New York Dolls, Sid Vicious and Wayne/Jayne County & classic footage from Johnny Thunders/Heartbreakers, unique archival footage and exclusive interviews with Alice Cooper, Jayne County, Billy Idol, Steve Stevens, music journalist/Patti Smith Band guitarist Lenny Kaye, late New York Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain, Warhol superstars Penny Arcade & Ruby Lynn Reyner, Suicide’s Alan Vega, Bad Brains H.R. & Dr. Know,
Stimulators’ Denise Mercedes, Nick Marden (and their then-12-year-old drummer, future Cro-Mag Harley Flanagan), Twisted Sister’s Jay Jay French, D Generation’s Jesse Malin, Blondie’s Frank Infante, Dead Boys’ Jimmy Zero, Stiv Bators’ girlfriend Cynthia Ross, Mickey Leigh, Shrapnel/Monster Magnet’s Phil Caivano, Punk Magazine founder & Ramones album cover illustrator John Holmstrom, Mink Deville’s Louis X. Erlanger, American Hardcore author Steven Blush and a who’s who of New York’s rock scene of the time, including Elliott Murphy, Bob Gruen, Peter Crowley, Neon Leon, Leee Black Childers, Donna Destri, Sonny Vincent, Phillys Stein and the fabulous Jimi LaLumia.
All Your Face Are Belong To Us
For $29.99 a month, a website called PimEyes offers a potentially dangerous superpower from the world of science fiction: the ability to search for a face, finding obscure photos that would otherwise have been as safe as the proverbial needle in the vast digital haystack of the internet.
A search takes mere seconds. You upload a photo of a face, check a box agreeing to the terms of service and then get a grid of photos of faces deemed similar, with links to where they appear on the internet. The New York Times used PimEyes on the faces of a dozen Times journalists, with their consent, to test its powers.
PimEyes found photos of every person, some that the journalists had never seen before, even when they were wearing sunglasses or a mask, or their face was turned away from the camera, in the image used to conduct the search.
I’m sure that this technology will only be used for noble pursuits.