Ok, look, we know it’s a shitstorm out there. We offer no commentary apart from the obvious position: we stand with Ukraine. Otherwise, we’ll do what we always do—try to offer a quiet, silly place for a bit of a breather from, you know, *gestures at everything* this. Hope we can help.
This week—Lego birds, dive bars and DJ booths.
Now is the time. Here is the place. This is The Cut.
We found this bit in the New Yorker strangely fascinating. How is it that the same bit of news or information can be perceived differently depending on the method in which it’s delivered? We believe this is still relevant as we move from blogs to Substacks, Facebooks to TikToks, podcasts to—well, more podcasts, as far as we can tell.
The Medium Is Still The Massage
A little bit of loveliness. Art from humble means. Always make sure there’s some Lego in your house. It’s useful for all sorts of stuff.
Editor Rob had a tiny role in his professional capacity in bringing the Architects At Abbey Road project to fruition. They’re one of the most interesting heavy bands around and their story is equally fascinating. Dig up a track or two. Do we have to tell you to play them loud?
Staying with the Music Desk for a moment, we really enjoyed this deep dive into—well, a deep dive. Into a cake, to be precise. Into one of the most famous cakes in rock, to be more precise. No, not the one on the front cover of that Rolling Stones album, although it is pretty fab. Baked by Delia, doncha know.
We are, as a group, not drawn to the posh side of town, especially when it comes to finding a place to hang with a beer or several after work. No, we prefer a joint with a bit more of a divey vibe, where we can people-watch and air out our inner Bourdain. What defines that dive bar feel, though? Well, allow us (or rather, Alicia Kennedy for Bon Appetit) to enlighten you. No need to thank us, but the next round’s on you.
Look out, time for some comics. First up, we were very drawn to this new venture, a kind of companion to the venerable Tharg’s Future Shocks in 2000AD. Short and sharp tales with a skiffy twist. Like the best snacks, we guarantee one won’t be enough.
There have been many Opinions Regarding The Book Of Boba Fett, mostly negative (we thought the show was fine, if a bit slow to get going). Does the Galaxy’s Deadliest Bounty Hunter really need all that back story? We believe there’s no getting away from it now as Disney wring their IPs dry. As ever, you have to leave it to the comics world to get this stuff right. Here’s ND Stephenson with a lovely take on the early life of the Diamyo of Tatooine.
Then there’s this killer short from Daniel Warren Johnson which packs more emotion and action into a few pages than seems entirely fair. It’s a stonker, and all the more powerful for the lack of dialogue.
Dance music has always been guided by technology, a machine-driven groove. We’re not just talking about the methods of production. Distribution of the music is arguably more important. DJs controls the floor from their booth, but how they do it and the kit they use has been key in how they shape the sound of the music and the journey everyone takes through the course of the night.
One for the animation nerds out there, but equally fun for those of us curious about story, character and all the juicy stuff. Disney have released a very comprehensive guide into their bespoke methodology for animated film production, taking as a guiding text the brilliant Encanto. We found it all too easy to get lost in the side streets and fun little piazzas dotted through the site. Go on, dig in, get a bit lost. It’s worth the delve.
How Disney Make An Animated Movie
Bread is one of the most simple and complex foodstuffs we have. Flour, yeast, water. That’s it. So what happens when you swap one of those basic ingredients for something a little more—electrolytey?
And finally. Rule number one—never read the comments. It’s just not worth the psychic load and will leave you feeling significantly worse about humanity. Except on this occasion, when the comments are absolutely the point. Please read on and remember, add more garlic.
It’s rotten when Exit Music is just that—a tribute to an artist who has moved on down the road. Mark Lanegan hit the city this week, leaving behind an extraordinary catalogue of solo albums and killer collaborations (this tribute from Isobel Campbell is beautiful and heartbreaking). Mark’s music has been on constant rotation on the office stereo since the news of his passing landed. It feels in some ways that he left way too early, but his life was always conducted hard and fast, dancing with the dark-eyed lady until he finally gave up and let her take him home. There are so many songs we could have played. If you’re a fan, let us know which one you would have chosen.
See you next Saturday.
EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS 