#dan brooks

[luxe-pauvre]

There has been a lot of discussion about what music criticism is for since streaming reduced the cost of listening to new songs to basically zero. The conceit is that before everything was free, the function of criticism was to tell listeners which albums to buy, but I don’t think that was ever it. The function of criticism is and has always been to complicate our sense of beauty. Good criticism of music we love—or, occasionally, really hate—increases the dimensions and therefore the volume of feeling. It exercises that part of ourselves which responds to art, making it stronger. 

Dan Brooks, Culture Needs More Jerks

[jacobwren]

“And there is something wrong with popular culture in the 21st century, isn’t there? You don’t have to be a middle-aged punk to think that it feels less surprising and alive than it once did. The entertainment industry in general and music industry in particular have become exceptionally good at selling the maximum number of units, but selling units is not what music is for. As flawed as the idea of “selling out” was, it captured one incontrovertible truth: only a fool would write a song to make money. You write a song to surprise yourself, to give other people what they never knew they wanted. Perhaps what is missing from popular culture in the 21st century is sufficient contempt for those who give us what we asked for already.” - Dan Brooks

[tamapalace]

R2-D2 Tamagotchi Gets Official Star Wars Review

We love a collaboration, but the collaboration of the Star Wars R2-D2 Tamagotchi is something real special! The help celebrate the official release the Star Wars website featured an article about the release and also a review on their news page.

The article reviews the key features of the R2-D2 Tamagotchi, and how this is a first ever for the Tamagotchi brand! The article reviews how you’ll take care of Artoo, watch Artoo evolve, see supporting characters, and keep Artoo safe from Jawas! The article also features commentary from the writer, Dan Brooks personal experience with the R2-D2 Tamagotchi which we love. Amazed at the amount of detail the small Tamagotchi has, and how the graphics really encompass the brand, citing there are tons of characters and vehicles to see and interact with. The characters, including Yoda and Wicket look adorable, and the two shells themselves are perfect! Some of the pixel artwork is featured throughout he article as well.

We really like that Dan calls out the custom sounds the device makes for the R2-D2 Tamagotchi. They pitch and tones of Artoo are very much accurate from such a small speaker. It really helps you feel that you are taking care of an actual droid! Wrapping up the article, Dan states that if you’re a Star Wars fan, taking care of this R2-D2 Tamagotchi is a rewarding experience! The more they paid attention to Artoo, the more surprises they found, and the more invested they became! Be sure to check out the full article here.

[starwarsclassical]

https://www.starwars.com/news/the-last-jedi-speaks

[dreamsofconsciousnessmetal]

In the 90s, we worried about Nirvana 'selling out'. I wish that concept still made sense | Dan Brooks

Big data has helped the music industry sell us only what we already like – but the results are less alive and less surprising, says Montana-

[z34l0t]

http://combatblog.net/or-how-about-a-fucking-scientist/

(Blog post from 2017; terrifyingly relevant now)

[movingtothefarm]

The Collapse Is Coming. Will Humanity Adapt?

An evolutionary biologist and a science fiction writer walk into a bar... and mull over survival.

The following conversation was recorded in March 2024. It has been edited for clarity and length.

Peter Watts: In this corner, the biosphere. We’ve spent a solid year higher than 1.5 degrees Celsius; we’re wiping out species at a rate of somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 annually; insect populations are crashing; and we’re losing the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, no matter what we do at this point. Alaskapox has just claimed its first human victim, and there are over 15,000 zoonoses expected to pop up their heads and take a bite out of our asses by the end of the century. And we’re expecting the exhaustion of all arable land around 2050, which is actually kind of moot because studies from institutions as variable as MIT and the University of Melbourne suggest that global civilizational collapse is going to happen starting around 2040 or 2050.

In response to all of this, the last COP was held in a petrostate and was presided over by the CEO of an oil company; the next COP is pretty much the same thing. We’re headed for the cliff, and not only have we not hit the brakes yet, we still have our foot on the gas.

In that corner: Dan Brooks and Sal Agosta, with a Darwinian survival guide. So, take it away, Dan. Guide us to survival. What’s the strategy?

[z34l0t]

Is Måneskin the Last Rock Band?

The Italian group has become a global sensation — by giving Gen Z a taste of a genre that might have already taken its final breath.