Phenomenal Kinks cover from 15 (!) years ago, bonus points for Andy Stack’s double duty on drums and keys. I think Wye Oak is still around but they haven’t released a studio album since 2018. Anyway, YouTube reminded me I really like this and now I’m telling you bastards. (Yes, I’ve probably posted this before.)
Labels Down, Frank
From Ars Technica …
The robotics startup Figure AI has been livestreaming humanoid robots placing thousands of packages onto a conveyor belt for nearly a week—a spectacle that included a robot competing against a human intern at one point.
The promotional robot demo has become a viral sensation among tech enthusiasts, spurring YouTube commenters to name the robots and the company to rapidly roll out related robot merchandise in response. Users on X have described the livestream in glowing terms, such as “the greatest product demo since Steve Jobs’ ‘one more thing.’” But despite such sentiments, it’s worth bearing in mind that even the most impressive robot demos represent narrow windows for understanding real-world robot capabilities.
Truly, we are living in the future. Oh! And don’t forget to pick up some merch!
No Tape Left Behind
According to Gizmodo …
Aadam Jacobs first took his Dictaphone to a show in May 1984, when he ventured to a venue called the Arts Bar to see British free jazz psychonauts AMM. It was the first of hundreds of shows he’d record over the coming decades, and his extensive library of bootlegs live recordings is now in the process of being digitized and uploaded to The Internet Archive. As of April 2026, there are 2,443 recordings available, with many more to come—as per ABC News, Jacobs’ complete archive contains over 10,000 recordings, which represents a lifetime’s worth of truly heroic gig attendance (and has us worried for the state of his knees).
Even Jacobs’ very earliest recordings are of surprisingly good quality, despite being recorded on what was essentially a Dictaphone. By early 1985, he’d apparently invested in a Sony tape recorder and was also given to using a full-sized tape deck, which he would bring to shows in a backpack on the off chance that the sound guy would let him plug it in.
And here’s a few gems I’ve discovered this afternoon!
- Liz Phair Live at Lounge Ax 1999-03-14
- R.E.M. Live at UIC Pavilion 1986-10-19
- Jonathan Richman Live at Lounge Ax 1996-10-02
- The Replacements Live at Riviera Theatre 1987-08-07
- The Cure Live at The Bismarck Theatre 1984-11-09
- Alex Chilton Live at Cabaret Metro 1987-12-19
- Smoking Popes Live at Elston Avenue Sausage and Music Fest 2016-06-25
- The New Pornographers Live at Hideout 2001-02-25
- Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Live at Cabaret Metro 1986-10-24
- Camper Van Beethoven Live at Cabaret Metro on 1988-07-15
An Artist’s Eye Is Evident
From the CBS Sunday Morning archives, here’s a really cool profile of Edward Gorey, which originally aired on April 20, 1997.
Mr. Gorey has been dead for 25 years!
Angine de Poitrine
Just watch.
The Curse of Frankenstein 4K Restoration
Some dude bought Hammer Films a few years ago and is restoring the catalog in 4K – from the original negatives! I found the YouTube channel and watched a few trailers; these things are absolutely stunning.
Anyway, here’s an eight-minute video explaining the process. I understood some of it.
Yarp
Interesting parallels between now and 2000 or so.
Aashish Sends Me The Coolest Shit
Are you guys jealous?
Drool
If I worked here, production would drop by about a third in the first month.
Okay, I Want One
The only catch? The Xiaomi SU7 Max isn’t available in the US, and won’t be for a while. Sigh …
