Spirograph

An interesting critical reconsideration of Spirograph - the design toy any kid from the seventies will remember. I spent a fair amount of time with Spirograph, and enjoyed the hell out of it, but now I have to agree with the notion that it really wasn't unlocking creativity.

Mudcrutch

Before Tom Petty formed The Heartbreakers and launched his very successful career, he was a member of Mudcrutch, a regional Florida bar band that played mostly cover songs for hordes of rowdy drunks back in the early 70's. Suddenly, Tom has decided that Mudcrutch should live again.

This sounds like a cool movie plot.

Hitsville UK

Fantastic online archive of vintage UK punk and new wave single sleeves.

My heart = warmed.

Space Collective

When the world starts to feel dark and hopeless, visit The Space Collective - if there was ever a website overflowing with inspiration and illumination, it's this one.

Black Sun

Massive starling flocks in Denmark. Amazing.

Reef

How do you create a reef sixteen miles off the coast of Delaware? Obviously, you dump hundreds of old New York City subway cars into the ocean.

Anniversary

On this day in 1976, the first Ramones record was released. That single slab of vinyl impacted me in ways that still resonate, 32 years later. It stands as the most important cultural influence of my life, a complete eye-opener and beacon for a different world view.

The Ramones, and the debut season of Saturday Night Live, took my hand and sent me towards better things.

Electronic Gospel

David Byrne and Brian Eno are collaborating again, 28 years after hooking up to create one of the most creative and influential records ever, "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts". A new album (to be released on Nonesuch) is due later this year. Even more stunning is the news that they're actually going to tour as well, performing a healthy amount of Talking Heads material.

Story here.

Very Early Ramones

Ramones performing "Judy is a Punk" at CBGB's in 1974, a full 2 years (!) before their debut album dropped from the sky and changed my life.

Down

A riveting story about a guy who got stuck in an elevator. Seriously.