The Gothamist is reporting the sad news that Gem Spa, the iconic NY corner store that has been a fixture at St. Marks Place and Second Avenue for around 100… Read the rest of the article: Legendary East Village corner store, Gem Spa, closes its doors
A couple of days ago, Thomas Dolby posted this video to Twitter and YouTube of a track called "Corona and the Pirate Twins," a spoof of his 1982 hit, "Europa… Read the rest of the article: In quarantine, Thomas Dolby's kids turn dad's hit "Europa…" into "Corona…"
Yesterday saw the online premier of a mini-episode of a new animated comic series based on the classic Gilbert Shelton underground comic, the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. As a hippie… Read the rest of the article: Furry Freak Brothers coming this fall, voiced by Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Pete Davidson, and Tiffany Haddish
I am obsessed with this new track and cool video from DC's severely underappreciated punky art rock band, Beauty Pill. The song, called "The Damnedest Thing," is from their forthcoming… Read the rest of the article: Gorgeous new song by DC's Beauty Pill
Simon Chandler writes on Forbes: Gun advocacy and conservative groups are responsible for astroturfing the reopen America campaign that has swept the US in recent days, according to research from… Read the rest of the article: Is anyone surprised?: "Reopen America" is an astroturf campaign
Did you know that the entire 40-year catalog of the punk rock label of note, Dischord, is available on Bandcamp for free streaming? While free, they're hoping listeners will download… Read the rest of the article: Legendary punk label Dischord Records has entire catalog online for free
The Facebook group Rock and Blues Club has a fun photo album of rock n' roll icons when they were youngins. See baby Brian May clutching a teddy bear, Neil… Read the rest of the article: Rock and rollers' baby and kid pics
Fellow ancient nerds like myself likely have fond memories of Steve Jackson's now-classic game of global conspiracy and high-weirdness, Illuminati. I still have, and cherish, my copies of the original… Read the rest of the article: Steve Jackson Games posts solo rules for their classic card game Illuminati
Science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson (Red Mars, New York 2140, Aurora) has a fascinating piece in The New Yorker on how the pandemic is opening our thinking up to… Read the rest of the article: Kim Stanley Robinson on how the coronavirus is rewiring our imaginations
I had seen Bowie and Cher's disco goofball Young Americans medley from her show, circa 1975 (where David still manages to rise about the cheese), but I can't believe that,… Read the rest of the article: Bowie's intense performance of "Fame" on the Cher Show 1975
Nebula-75 is a new "puppet lockdown drama" being made by some of the folks at Century 21, the Gerry Anderson studio that was responsible for "Supermarionation" programming in the 60s… Read the rest of the article: Nebula-75, a new puppet lockdown drama from the folks that brought us Thunderbirds, Stingray, Fireball-XL5
Celebrated poet and publisher, Janaka Stucky (Ascend Ascend), has launched a very unique and promising project on Kickstarter. It's called Ekphrastic Beasts. What the hell does ekphrastic mean? Ekphrastic writing… Read the rest of the article: Amazing-looking artist-created D&D bestiary on Kickstarter
Today, Robert Fripp launched Music for Quiet Moments, a 50-week series of ambient tracks he'll be recording and releasing at home. If the first piece is any indication, this will… Read the rest of the article: Robert Fripp launches weekly ambient music series
Too soon? By way of Donald Bell's Maker Update comes this game where you send a shopping cart into a market in search of TP. The simulation was designed by… Read the rest of the article: Pandemic hoarding sim: Manic Toilet Paper Shopping Simulator
Well, this was inevitable. Image: YouTube
In a fitting follow-up to Carla's post of "The Liar Tweets Tonight," I bring you the spooky parodic vision of "Ghost Donald in the Sky." The track is part of… Read the rest of the article: More fun Trump-era parodies with "Ghost Donald in the Sky" and bonus tracks
Atlas Obscura has rounded-up seven different libraries that offer online virtual tours.
My friend Rodney Orpheus (he of the legendary darkwave electronica band, The Cassandra Complex) has been doing a terrific weekly streaming show, called Desert Island Nerds. The premise is that… Read the rest of the article: Rodney Orpheus' pandemic oasis, Desert Island Nerds
This is just too adorable for words. Kermit T. Frog, self-isolating in the swamp, sings his big hit, "The Rainbow Connection," while accompanying himself on banjo. Complete with him turning… Read the rest of the article: Kermit the Frog sings "Rainbow Connection" from quarantine
Soon after the sheltering-in-place orders started being issued, this wonderful song (and video) from Donald Fagen's 1982 Grammy-nominated solo album Nightfly began popping into my head. All these weeks later,… Read the rest of the article: Shut in sounds: Donald Fagen's "New Frontier"
