We’ve turned a corner, Readership. The Spring Equinox was on the 20th, while the 25th was Lady Day, in old calendars the starting point of the New Year. Our windowsills are filled with seed trays, with a cluster of Cosmos already poking snouts above the surface. The cherry tree’s in bud, and our Geum Totally Tangerine is already popping up bright and cheery. Easter’s round the corner, so the garden furniture is getting a dust-off and airing. It’s quite likely the first barbecue of the year will happen next weekend, too. I love this time of year, full of promise and portent. There’s a lot of stupidity and venal bullshit floating around right now. In a spring garden, you can at least get a moment of respite and just—breathe.
Wherever you are, whenever you are, however you are, welcome to The Swipe.
Rob is reading…
Speaking of venal bullshit. Here’s Michael Braddick on the Tangerine Tyrant and how he may have engineered his own downfall. We can all but hope, and pray he doesn’t bring us all down with him.
Rob is watching…
SNL UK. The team, including bright lights in the writing room and some of our smartest improv and stand-up talent, have smashed it. Early days, I know, and we shouldn’t judge on one episode. But the warmth, positivity and optimism I’m seeing from commentators who would delight in bashing the effort gives me hope. Let’s keep the funny coming!
Rob is listening…
Like Paul Westerberg, I never travel too far without a little Big Star. Daisy Glaze may not have the immediacy of September Gurls or Thirteen but it has drama and movement, a vibe which lives with you, widens your step and broadens your smile. When that chiming guitar rolls in—o my soul, now we’re rocking.
Rob is eating…
Burrata. Can’t resist if I see the stuff on a starter menu. It’s soft mozzarella with a creamy inside, for goodness sake, what’s not to love? Team it with some wedged heritage tomatoes, something crunchy and nutty (crushed hazelnuts work especially well, I find) a scatter of herbs and salad leaves and a citrussy dressing and you’re set up for a good time. A cheeky slice of toasted sourdough on the side? Don’t mind if I do!
Rob’s Low-Key Obsession Of The Week…
SNL UK is off to a good start, but comedy fans are also blessed with the second season of Last One Laughing. A simple, evil idea—pack a studio full of funny people and try and get them to make each other laugh. Last one with a poker face wins. The current front runner has to be Diane Morgan, deadpan and deadly. Watch this and see how long it takes you to collapse. I lasted all of ten seconds.
Lauren J Joseph for Vittles on the simple pleasures and comforts of a department store cafe. No need to convince me, they always feel like an oasis of calm and sanity, and certainly more affordable than your chain coffee concessions.
A magic coffee and a sticky iced bun, please.
Who else could offer the last word on Zuckerberg’s Metaverse debacle than the man who invented the term in the first place? Neal Stephenson is gracious here, but anyone with the ability to parse subtext will spot the quiet satisfaction in every word.
The folks who made mashups cool are still producing, still curating, still creating. Everything The Kleptones offer is up for grabs at a pay-how-you-feel level on Bandcamp. I recommend you show them a little love alongside a bit of coin. Don’t know where to start? The 24 Hours and Uptime/Downtime duology will freshen your aural headspace up nice and clean. But don’t shirk on the newer offerings, there’s plenty to love.
I’m delighted to see London’s clogged artery Oxford Street is going traffic free from next year. It’s a good start, but let’s cast an eye across the channel and see how Paris has become a more beautiful and useable city once the decision was made to clear the cars out.
James O’Brien has always struck me as a rare voice of reason in the raging mosh-pit of talk radio. in an interview for The New World, he’s clear and sharp on how our fourth estate has frankly fallen apart. What, if anything, can we do about it? Well, it all comes back to the money. If you don’t like what’s being said, stop reading and make sure the bad actors don’t get any of your hard-earned.
It’s hard to contextualise this brilliant bit from Heather McCalden for Dirt, except to note it seems like she’s describing a condition Alvin Toffler described as future shock. We live in a world science fiction authors of the fifties and sixties would not recognise, but would understand instinctively. Horror and wonder coming at you in one high-pressure stream.
On that subject, Spencer Chang gives a clean, neat overview on how China uses the internet. It’s—very different to what we’re used to, generated from a starting point which embraces the mobile experience rather than desktop. It’s worth reading his other diary entries on his travels in the country. A real eye-opener.
A silly, two minute distraction to finish on. I won’t say any more. Just click through and find your own set of Wilburys.
The Time Travelling Wilburys Generator
I’m afraid we’re running a little short this week—plans and celebrations afoot for C’s birthday, so I’ve run out of time. By way of apology, let’s Outro with a lovely bit of jangle and glow from Dillard and Clark. That’s Gene Clark, by the way, once a Byrd who found his own way to fly after he left the group. The coda on this track is utterly gorgeous. Enjoy.
See you in seven, fellow travellers.
EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS 