{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1", "title": "Canned Dragons", "icon": "https://avatars.micro.blog/avatars/2026/21/1612628.jpg", "home_page_url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/", "feed_url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/feed.json", "items": [ { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/17/205358.html", "content_html": "

Jay Peters reports for The Verge about the year-over-year rise in the number of CDs being purchased.

\n
\n

The data suggests that “the CD has been recontextualized from a functional audio format into an affordable collectible,” Luminate says. “This behavior underscores that for younger generations, the act of buying physical music is as much about aesthetic ownership and direct financial support for the artist as it is listening to the music on the product itself.”

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\n

The surprise here is that approximately half of the Gen Z and millennials buying CDs don’t even own a device on which to play them. It’s still about that connection, though. I admitted the other day that I sometimes listen to a CD even when I could just as easily (more easily even) stream the album.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-17T20:53:58-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/17/205358.html", "tags": ["Noise","Tech"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/15/dave-kendall-creator-and-host.html", "content_html": "

Dave Kendall, creator and host of MTV’s 120 Minutes, has passed away.

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\n

The British-born Kendall conceived 120 Minutes after joining MTV as a producer, pitching the network a dedicated program for the punk, post-punk, goth, synth-pop, ska, and other underground sounds largely ignored by corporate rock radio. 120 Minutes debuted on March 10th, 1986, and Kendall later served as its host from 1989 through 1992. “By far the most important thing about 120 Minutes was that it acted as a distribution channel for organic musical produce, if you will,” Kendall told CONSEQUENCE in a 2016 interview. “The only other outlet for non-mainstream music at the time was a few local college radio stations.”

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Apparently, Kendall was the force behind getting the show greenlit. You know he must have had to push just to get a terrible time slot like 12am on a Sunday night. I think I learned how to program my VCR just so I could record 120 Minutes. It was a school night, after all.

\n

Matt Pinfield, the last to host the show, offered a tribute on Instagram.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-15T21:26:00-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/15/dave-kendall-creator-and-host.html", "tags": ["Noise"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/13/goran-kajfe-subtropic-arkestra-avin.html", "title": "Goran Kajfeš Subtropic Arkestra \u0026 Avin Omar", "content_html": "\n

One problem with posting your listening habits on a periodically updated Now page is that those habits can literally change overnight. A couple of days ago, I updated my /now page, only to get deeply into a Swedish jazz EP very shortly after.

\n

Though this new 3-song Bandcamp-only EP is from Western Europe, it couldn’t sound more Eastern. The time signatures borrow heavily from Eastern musical traditions. By far the biggest Eastern sounding element, though, are the vocals from Kurdish-Swedish singer Avin Omar, which are absolutely gorgeous. Heavily textured and rich with emotion, Omar’s voice adds authenticity and weight to the recording.

\n

From the Bandcamp description:

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The set of three tracks features the original compositions “Desmala Min” and “Monsoon”, latter with lyrics penned by the Iraqi Kurdish poet, Şêrko Bêkes (1940-2013). Additionally, the band & Omar tackle the re-arranged traditional composition “Sulemani” to epic effect. Avin Omar shines all the way through as the brilliant soloist of this set, leaving the listener to long for more.

\n
\n

As the text continues, you can always hit “play” again. I have been doing just that.

", "date_published": "2026-07-13T19:07:44-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/13/goran-kajfe-subtropic-arkestra-avin.html", "tags": ["Noise"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/10/in-another-in-a-seemingly.html", "content_html": "

In another in a seemingly endless supply of misguided moves, the administration is putting in place a new federal rule under which a college program must prove that it’s gradautes earn more than if they had never enrolled or lose access to federal loans. This administration is so focused on money it’s inconceivable to its leadership that there could be any other purpose to an education.

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“We know we need nurses. We know we need journalists. We know we need early childhood educators,” he said. “We don’t know how many artists we need, but I can guarantee that if you eliminate access, we will impoverish our cultural life nationally.”

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\n

It’s amazing that we could devalue and disincetivize these professions even more, but here’s a way to do it as well as adding to the bureaucratic load.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-10T22:00:00-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/10/in-another-in-a-seemingly.html", "tags": ["Politics"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/09/poptimus-prime.html", "title": "Poptimus Prime", "content_html": "

Freddie deBoer writes about how poptimism has achieved so much success because of the cultural context in which it was born. A culture that considers it wrong to have standards that can identify one thing as better than another is fertile ground for the elevation of terrible art. That’s why we have record reviews that treat pay-for-play pabulum like Rebecca Black songs as if they were written by Neil Young. It’s a culture that feeds our desire for comfort rather than challenge.

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The studios and record labels and platforms figured out that comfort sells and risk doesn’t, and simply gave us what the spreadsheets demanded – and what the spreadsheets demanded was familiar, free of ambiguity, and made for children. It’s surprising how well these three adjectives work across mediums and genres, by the way. Star Wars movies are familiar, free of ambiguity, and made for children. Zombie TV shows are familiar, free of ambiguity, and made for children. Modern pop music, adolescent and thudding and written by Swedish 40-year-olds with a taste for literalism, is familiar, free of ambiguity, and made for children.

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deBoer has made the infantilization of our culture a frequent topic in his writing. We are steeping in it, and this century, the trends have only gotten worse.

\n

Via Alan Jacobs

\n

\"Neil

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-09T22:00:00-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/09/poptimus-prime.html", "tags": ["Culture"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/09/freedom-fuel-gas-stations-sound.html", "content_html": "

Freedom Fuel gas stations sound like a J.R. Ewing scheme.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-09T08:30:36-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/09/freedom-fuel-gas-stations-sound.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/08/im-glad-i-dont-like.html", "content_html": "

I’m glad I don’t like lobster or I might have been tempted to act on the skate shop owner’s recommendation of the lobster rolls at Dollar General.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-08T12:15:40-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/08/im-glad-i-dont-like.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/07/sticker-selection-from-the-skate.html", "content_html": "

Sticker selection from the skate shop.

\n\"\"\n", "date_published": "2026-07-07T18:49:45-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/07/sticker-selection-from-the-skate.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/05/bought-the-hype-and-started.html", "content_html": "

Bought the hype and started reading Galahad and the Grail Merlin’s Isle by Malcolm Guite 📚.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-05T18:22:02-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/05/bought-the-hype-and-started.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/03/the-atmosphere-plugin-for-wordpress.html", "content_html": "

The ATmosphere plugin for WordPress doesn’t work most of the time. I posted a review to that effect on the plugin page and it was deleted by the moderator because it was taken as “reporting a problem.” So basically, you can only leave positive reviews of WordPress plugins or they will get removed?

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-03T17:42:24-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/03/the-atmosphere-plugin-for-wordpress.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/03/brandon-writes-about-having-reverse.html", "content_html": "

Brandon writes about having Reverse SAD — seasonal affective disorder that occurs during the summer instead of the winter.

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Research also suggests that high temperatures might play a role in reverse SAD. Notable differences between summer and winter SAD are that summer SAD individuals may typically feel manic, whereas those with winter SAD lack energy. Georgetown University psychiatrist and professor Norman Rosenthal, who first described and coined the term Seasonal Affective Disorder, notes that the drop in temperature can be calming for those people, who might otherwise find the summer heat oppressive and agitating.

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\n

I am totally feeling this. When it’s 100 degrees actual temperature outside, like it was today, it’s easy to feel confined and isolated.

\n", "date_published": "2026-07-03T17:28:00-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/03/brandon-writes-about-having-reverse.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/07/03/bandcamp-downsizing.html", "title": "Bandcamp Downsizing", "content_html": "

Details are scarce, but a Bluesky post has people once again wondering about the fate of Bandcamp.

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\nmy 13 years at bandcamp are coming to an end - i’ve been laid off along with most of the remaining engineers. best job i’ve ever had, working with the best people you could ever work with. unceremonious end to quite a ride.
\n\n
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Some are speculating that Bandcamp’s owner, Songtradr, has enough engineers to fill in the gaps and keep the service running. I would not be surprised if that were the case, and I don’t think this piece of news is necessarily an indicator that the service is shutting down, but nevertheless, it’s not a good thing.

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TuneFountain has a piece on the layoffs, but unfortunately, they don’t have any more information than the rest of us. However, they do frame the potential scope of the losses well.

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For musicians, this is not only about headcount. Engineers are part of the invisible machinery behind Bandcamp: checkout pages, payment tools, storefronts, security fixes and the small artist features that make the whole thing usable. When those teams shrink, artists notice the risk even before anything breaks.

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Many of us count on Bandcamp. I use it to share as well as buy music. Although my subscription to Qobuz allows me to purchase songs and albums, they are often more expensive there than on Bandcamp.

", "summary": "Details are scarce, but a Bluesky post has people once again wondering about the fate of Bandcamp.\nmy 13 years at bandcamp are coming to an end - i’ve been laid off along with most of the remaining engineers. best job i’ve ever had, working with the best people you could ever work with. unceremonious end to quite a ride.\ndrew https://bsky.app/profile/grmnygrmny.bsky.social/post/3mpgvo7l2v22t Some are speculating that Bandcamp’s owner, Songtradr, has enough engineers to fill in the gaps and keep the service running. I would not be surprised if that were the case, and I don’t think this piece of news is necessarily an indicator that the service is shutting down, but nevertheless, it’s not a good thing.\n", "date_published": "2026-07-03T11:54:20-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/07/03/bandcamp-downsizing.html", "tags": ["Noise","Tech"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/28/ascension-serif.html", "title": "Ascension Serif", "content_html": "

My pen-pal Adam thought I would enjoy this video and he was right. The short combines my love of fonts and of prayer books.

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The new typeface, Ascension Serif, is used with an upcoming version of The Liturgy of the Hours. The video emphasizes the pursuit of beauty in conveying the Christian message and providing inspiration.

", "date_published": "2026-06-28T21:53:00-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/28/ascension-serif.html", "tags": ["Faith"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/28/this-morning-my-power-briefly.html", "content_html": "

This morning, my power briefly went off, which took out my Dyson fan. Despite having an error code on the screen, I went through the Dyson app, their chat and the website to find out what the issue could be with no success. With Claude, I had the fan back working in under 5 minutes.

\n", "date_published": "2026-06-28T09:11:35-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/28/this-morning-my-power-briefly.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/27/i-set-my-face-to.html", "title": "I Set My Face to the Hillside", "content_html": "
\n \n
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Tortoise - I Set My Face to the Hillside (YouTube)

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Last year, I bought TNT by Tortoise on CD from a Discogs seller.1 I should tell you, this sort of activity is as sure a sign of my devotion to a particular album as any. After all, I’ve got access to high-quality digital copies of albums like this through streaming. I don’t need to seek them out on an online marketplace, where, let’s face it, you don’t always know the quality of the merchandise.2

\n

I like to have physical copies of my favorite albums, though, for multiple reasons. TNT fits in that category. My wife asked what kind of music Tortoise was, and well, that’s a good question. The most common answer would be post-rock, but that seems a bit limiting.

\n

On “I Set My Face to the Hillside,” from TNT, the band adds a bit of Western influence to their spare jazz. The negative space in the song emphasizes the quiet and reflective instrumentation. Guitar lines have plenty of room to breathe like every expression has been carefully contemplated. This live video, while giving the viewer some strange angles, emphasizes the intricate dynamic between the members of the band. It’s a dynamic that underscores the cohesion that makes such expressive instrumental music possible.

\n

Via Opus

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    \n
  1. \n

    I also own a copy on snow white vinyl. ↩︎

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    2. \n
  2. \n

    I bought a Pizzicato Five CD a couple of years ago that was listed as very good condition but looked like it had bong water spilled on it, which I doubt happened in transit. ↩︎

    \n
    3. \n
\n
", "summary": " Tortoise - I Set My Face to the Hillside (YouTube)\nLast year, I bought TNT by Tortoise on CD from a Discogs seller.1 I should tell you, this sort of activity is as sure a sign of my devotion to a particular album as any. After all, I’ve got access to high-quality digital copies of albums like this through streaming. I don’t need to seek them out on an online marketplace, where, let’s face it, you don’t always know the quality of the merchandise.2\n", "date_published": "2026-06-27T16:50:24-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/27/i-set-my-face-to.html", "tags": ["Noise","Saturday Night Video"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/27/the-economist-looks-like-it.html", "content_html": "

The Economist looks like it has some interesting pieces and I think I would enjoy their coverage, but I’m a lot less likely to subscribe to a publication that doesn’t allow me to share articles for discussion.

\n", "date_published": "2026-06-27T14:56:27-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/27/the-economist-looks-like-it.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/25/fade-to-blue.html", "title": "Fade To Blue", "content_html": "
\n\"\"\n
\n

Naz Hamid has redone his website. The impetus seems to have been changing from a color palette that has been adopted as the de facto standard among LLMs. He worried that his visitors would think it was something coded on vibes. So he switched to blues.

\n
\n

I paused to think about what I found inspiring at this time, and what feels fundamentally me. The answer lay in a mix of blueprints, indigo dyes, and selvedge denim. Add in some mid-century Americana via compartmentalized typography, and here we are. In hindsight, I’ve used shades of blue a number of times with Weightshift, but had left it behind. The blues are back.

\n
\n

The site looks good and, even though I have played around with the Claude color palette myself and find it quite pleasing, it’s nice to see something different.

", "date_published": "2026-06-25T20:05:08-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/25/fade-to-blue.html", "tags": ["Tech"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/24/a-room-you-cant-see.html", "title": "A Room You Can't See", "content_html": "

Terry Godier might be something of a genius, as evidenced by his masterfully crafted RSS reader, Current, and the ideas behind it. So when I saw he created a short documentary about musical formats, one of my favorite subjects, I had high expectations.

\n

Godier hits upon a lot of the problems intrinsic to streaming media in the video. When he discusses the limitations of physical media, he’s able to make them sound like desirable features.

\n
\n

A record has a stopping point. It sounds like a flaw until you spend 15 years inside things that never stop.

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It has come to the point where we are able to see the downsides of progress in music distribution. We have lost some valuable elements in pursuit of convenience.

\n\n
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\n\n

A Room You Can’t See - a documentary (YouTube)

", "summary": "Terry Godier might be something of a genius, as evidenced by his masterfully crafted RSS reader, Current, and the ideas behind it. So when I saw he created a short documentary about musical formats, one of my favorite subjects, I had high expectations.\nGodier hits upon a lot of the problems intrinsic to streaming media in the video. When he discusses the limitations of physical media, he’s able to make them sound like desirable features. ", "date_published": "2026-06-24T20:22:46-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/24/a-room-you-cant-see.html", "tags": ["Noise"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/21/roses-by-widowspeak.html", "title": "Roses by Widowspeak", "content_html": "

\"Roses

This one has been highly anticipated and doesn’t fall short. Widowspeak is incredibly consistent, so anyone looking for a new sound will be disappointed. However, if you’re eager to hear a New York band sound like California’s Mazzy Star, sun-drenched and desert-parched, you’re in the right place.

\n", "date_published": "2026-06-21T22:36:27-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/21/roses-by-widowspeak.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/21/my-son-had-no-idea.html", "content_html": "

My son had no idea I had been shopping for a faux plant for my desk yesterday when he gifted me this Lego chrysanthemum for Father’s Day.

\n

\"\"

\n

I’ve decided to cultivate live plants on the wall across from my desk, where my stereo equipment is, since it gets a good amount of sun and plants seem to do well there. My desk is well shaded (which is great to prevent glare) and better suited for faux plants.

\n", "date_published": "2026-06-21T12:20:20-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/21/my-son-had-no-idea.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/21/musk-hijacked-the-government-to.html", "content_html": "
\n

Musk hijacked the government to destroy these missions and dehumanize these people in service of the total lie that it would make the government more efficient. Of course, there’s a big difference between “efficiency” and incompetence. An agency isn’t more efficient if it doesn’t exist; it’s simply been murdered. A fire department with no firefighters looks good on a balance sheet if you can ignore that the city is ablaze.

\n
\n

The World’s First Trillionaire Is A Killer - TC Sotteck, The Verge

\n", "date_published": "2026-06-21T08:29:18-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/21/musk-hijacked-the-government-to.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/20/psalm-by-seth-t-hahne.html", "content_html": "

Psalm 51 by Seth T. Hahne

\n\"\"\n", "date_published": "2026-06-20T08:41:11-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/20/psalm-by-seth-t-hahne.html" }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/20/forgotten-favorite.html", "title": "Forgotten Favorite", "content_html": "

Some good news came this week in the form of more Velocity Girl remastering. This time it’s a compilation of non-album tracks from various places being released by Slumberland Records. The collection is called 1989-1992 and the contents are precisely what it says on the tin.

\n

The first available track from the release is my favorite song by the band, “Forgotten Favorite.” Even after the remaster, it’s still a bit muddy, but I’m not sure if there is anything more the band could do apart from rerecord the track completely. It’s still a stellar song through, with a shoegaze-worthy crush of guitars that’s as propulsive as anything put out by UK pedal hoppers. Despite some muck still on the recording, the vocals are pristine, and Sarah Shannon sounds heavenly.

\n\n", "date_published": "2026-06-20T08:30:00-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/20/forgotten-favorite.html", "tags": ["Noise"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/18/wired-magazine-has-the-success.html", "content_html": "

Wired Magazine has the success story of the Anti-Spotify, AKA, Qobuz.

\n
\n

Qobuz now has 1.2 million active monthly users, and its streaming revenue shot up 45.7 percent in 2025, compared to 8.8 percent growth in overall paid music streaming. Around a third of its revenue now comes from the US, its biggest market. Those are still teeny numbers next to Spotify (293 million paid subscribers) and Apple Music (more than 100 million).

\n
\n

People who have Qobuz typically have little but good things to say about it.

\n

The newest differentiator is the refusal by Qobuz to provide AI slop on their platform. While Spotify has become inundated with AI music and even impersonators, Qobuz has taken a firm stance against it.

\n

If anyone is interested, I have two free months of Qobuz studio to give away.

\n", "date_published": "2026-06-18T18:41:13-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/18/wired-magazine-has-the-success.html", "tags": ["Noise"] }, { "id": "http://canneddragons.micro.blog/2026/06/17/ive-been-getting-car-sick.html", "content_html": "

I’ve been getting car sick when trying to read in a vehicle in motion since I was a kid. Little did I know, my favorite computer manufacturer has a solution for that, which was brought to my attention by this piece in The Verge. The technology is called Vehicle Motion Cues.

\n
\n

According to big-S Science, this type of vehicle motion sickness is caused by the eyes staring at a static display while the inner ear feels the car turning, braking, and accelerating. Motion Cues solve this by placing dots around the periphery of the display that move in harmony with the motion of the car. When the car turns right, the dots sweep across the screen to the left; when the car brakes the dots slide forward.

\n
\n

I can’t wait to try this out, especially on a long trip.

\n", "date_published": "2026-06-17T19:17:25-04:00", "url": "https://social.canneddragons.net/2026/06/17/ive-been-getting-car-sick.html", "tags": ["Tech"] } ] }