'Discover Weekly' discoveries
Originally published October 27, 2015
- With podcasts and non-fiction articles battling for my attention, plus advancing years, it's no great surprise my music listening has suffered of late. Which is why Spotify's Discover Weekly feature has been such a welcome weekly gift. Here are some additions to My Music I wouldn't be aware of without my weekly aural grab-bag...
- Anemone - The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Until now my favourite thing about this band had been the documentary Dig. This thrilling slice of 1996 lazy alt-wooze is currently running it close. (Spotify / YouTube)
- Rollerskate - Matias Aguayo. I put this one in the 'childishly, deliciously infectious' bucket along with Spoon's I Turn My Camera On and Yacht's See A Penny (Pick It Up). (If you're not familiar with either of those songs, I'd urge you to remedy that toot sweet.) (Spotify / YouTube)
- Magdalena 318 - Pixes. I'm pretty familiar with Pixies' back catalogue, so this one surprised me - it sounds like something from Bossanova, but it's actually from last year's Indie Cindy. I haven't bothered with their post-reformation stuff and this made think that maybe I should. (Spotify / YouTube)
- Apocalyptic - Halestorm. This is the kind of cheesy hair-rock belter that will always be enjoyed by Italian teenagers. (Spotify / YouTube)
- Wavves - My Head Hurts. I would have loved this punk-pop gem when I was 17, so I'm kind of glad I love it at whatever age I may be now. (Spotify / YouTube)
- California Nights - Best Coast. I've always thought Best Coast were a bit too in thrall to their influences, and this song doesn't really change my mind on that - but it does incorporate a great melody that causes me to forgive them. (Spotify / YouTube)
Curations & curiosities
- Loved these photos of abandoned, derelict old Soviet technology.
- Just in time for Halloween, here's a handy list of the Wikipedia pages most likely to give you nightmares.
- The Secret History of Thoughts is a fascinating installment of NPR's Invisibilia, looking at whether we should try and control our wayward thinkings or basically pay them no mind.
- Did you know Adam Buxton has a new podcast? I didn't. The first one sees him discussing package holiday buffet etiquette with his pal Louis Theroux. And his dad.
- Over Slack already? Here's a collection of alternative tools for team communication.
- Thought leadership, while an awful term, is an undeniably effective marketing tactic for some. Two useful links, with differing approaches to titles: How to write thought-leadership pieces that get published and don't make editors want to die; and From HBR to Mashable: How to be a guest writer on 11 popular sites.
- Here's a look at how Medium approached changing their logo.
- This is how an episode of The Simpsons is made.