A look at midwestern and Chicago bands and the evolution of shoegaze—with some interesting definitions and ideas about intent:
“‘I think more generally of what we make as amplifier sound system music,’ says Dim singer-guitarist George Joseph Miller IV. ‘I know the term ‘shoegaze’ was originally meant as a dig, but it’s ironic how it speaks to the way the music is performed versus the way it sounds … Our focus is the immersive physicality of the sound and losing ourselves in that … ’”
How does our shoegaze grow? - Chicago Reader
As this noisy rock subgenre has surged in popularity, young midwestern artists—Sunshy, Griefeater, Interlay—have played a key role in its evolution.
chicagoreader.com
‘ “I could look out the window and just enjoy the view,” he said. “But when I’m looking out the window, just enjoying the view, it’s like, ‘Oh, wow, a meteor. Oh, wow. Look at that. Man, there’s a flash there. What’s that?’ And, ‘Oh, look at that, a volcano going off.’ It’s like, ‘OK, where’s my camera? I got to record that.’” ’
1 Astronaut, Many Cameras and 220 Days of Amazing Images From Space
Don Pettit brought a photographer’s eye to orbit, capturing the artistry of the cosmos and our planet.
nytimes.com
“The share of wealth held by families in the top 10 percent has reached 69 percent, while the share held by families in the bottom 50 percent is only 6 percent … (When future income claims from Social Security benefits are excluded, the bottom 50 percent hold only 3 percent of total wealth.)”
And wealth increases for that bottom 50% have been in the form of “illiquid assets” that can't be used to pay bills and other increasing expenses.
American Wealth Is at a Record High. Sentiment Is Low, and Falling.
A surge in U.S. wealth has been driven by stock and home values. But the gains are concentrated at the top, leaving others in a sour economic mood.
nytimes.com
“But all of us are in some industry, industries which have their own presses and events. Now is the time to do everything we can to lay the groundwork for bandwagoning into an adversarial stance when the time comes.”
Forming an Opposition Media Bloc in the Network Era
Media is a crucial tool for building solidarity among opposition to authoritarian rule.
liberalcurrents.com
“When Vance says that Denmark is not protecting Greenland and the base, he is wishing away generations of cooperation, as well as the NATO alliance itself. Denmark was a founding member of NATO, and it is already American’s job to defend Denmark and Greenland, just as it is Denmark’s job (as with other members) to defend the United States.”
The Imperialism Has no Clothes
JD Vance in Greenland
snyder.substack.com
“If you entered media or image-making in the ’90s — magazine publishing, newspaper journalism, photography, graphic design, advertising, music, film, TV — there’s a good chance that you are now doing something else for work.”
The Gen X Career Meltdown
Just when they should be at their peak, experienced workers in creative fields find that their skills are all but obsolete.
nytimes.com
“At the exact moment when Donald Trump and his MAGA allies are actively dismantling democratic institutions and working to silence critics, a group of Democratic Senators have decided to collaborate with Trump’s supporters to make it easier to censor speech online.”
Democratic Senators Team Up With MAGA To Hand Trump A Censorship Machine
At the exact moment when Donald Trump and his MAGA allies are actively dismantling democratic institutions and working to silence critics, a group of Democratic Senators have decided to collaborate…
techdirt.com
“The library’s entrance is on the Vermont side. Previously, Canadian visitors were able to enter using the sidewalk and entrance on the American side …
“… About 60% of the building, including the books, is located in Canada.”
US blocks Canadian access to cross-border library, sparking outcry
US officials claim move was to curb drug trafficking while Quebec town says it ‘weakens collaboration’ among nations
theguardian.com
The experience of post-War, Cold War, and post-Communist Hungary, two Viktor Orbans, and fears and hopes for democracy in the U.S.: “Neither individuals nor nations escape history for long, and with Mr. Trump’s election, history threatens to barge into our American democratic sanctuary with a vengeance.”
Opinion | Why I’m Not Giving Up on American Democracy
The free and decent country that saved my family from Soviet Hungary is now under threat.
nytimes.com
