Have you ever been the best and nothing could possibly stop you? I guess some people call this “living life”.
Even if you are the best, it may not feel like it sometimes.
Hang in there, friends, I believe you’ve got the goods. All we need to do is usher in a new era where artists can exploit wealth, rather than the other way around.
This is the dawning of the age of Aquaman.
Time to start believing in yourself. Get up and walk out that door. Go to a restaurant. Eat at that restaurant. Come home and watch some good old TV.
The fate of the economy may depend on it. Don’t let your country down.
Episode 002 is here for you, Becky.
ROLE CALL!!!!!!!! (NOT SIC)
Episode 2 stars some of the best there ever was, and if you don’t subscribe to these folks, I don’t want to know you.
is back as Delbert Chondroitin. There is a bit less Delbert that you might be expecting, but honestly, what were you expecting? Jimmy is a gem and a certified genius, or so I have read. Check out his visceral fiction here.Next, we’ve got
. I can’t say enough about how great Kevin’s Substack is for discovering and thinking about music. You don’t have to be a snob (like me) to enjoy it. What I mean is that Kevin has a welcoming approach and never makes you feel like you don’t know enough.Kevin knows more than you do, but that’s not the point, music is a never ending chocolate fountain of beauty. You can never know it all, so dip in your strawberries…?
I partially escaped the algorithm and it is due to On Repeat and the many other excellent music writers cranking out the words about the hits right here on Substack.
Speaking of discoveries, Kevin is featuring the Madison, WI-based-indie-duo Red Pants in this episode. I wholeheartedly agree that this song and this band accomplish guitar-soaked indie rock goodness with the right melodies and emotions to get the people going. The song sticks with me and the video is brilliant too. See if you can figure out how they shot it and if you can spot Kevin.
I am ecstatic to feature
’s One Word Short: Follower. Honestly, it’s too good—which is often my response to Taegan’s work. People should have to go to an off-site undisclosed location to view One Word and then be studied for several months afterward to evaluate the effects. Fortunately, this isn’t the case and you can see it all at 1word.ca. This One Word accomplishes a lot in a short amount of time and I recommend watching it repetitively to let some of the cinematic nuance and the message sink in.Oh heck, the amazing
makes an appearance. Did you know that Peter is the OG, #1 Labelabel Co-President/Artist/Signee? This show probably doesn’t exist without Peter giving me some initial confidence and encouragement. So blame him! I’m probably doing his work a disservice here by presenting the video and only one song. “Cats” is one of my personal favorites, but they are all good and they all come with original songs, insights and “reductions” inspired by great works of art. So, it’s also educational.Do you know who is one of the best, most accomplished and most interesting musicians on Substack that you likely don’t know about? It’s
. There are many inventive and excellently produced instrumental tracks and I am just scratching the surface of Nolan’s catalog. This particular piece “Orange”, was part of a series of video/music mashups that he performed live during a residency at the venerable NYC club, Pianos. This work is inspiring to someone like me thinking about the connections between video and sound production.Last and certainly not least, Labelabel Artist/Co-President
hits hard with his poetic and musical offering, “Non Fungible Tchotchkes”. Along with being a musician, poet and educator, Angel is a long-term champion of people. His writing resonates with a deep knowledge of music and a powerful message that rings true. I’m honored to have his work in this piece and I split it up a little so that a segment can also be included in a future episode. Sorry!All of this work reminds me that the best thing that you can do here is invest your time in the work of others, along with creating your own personal expression. Both are important. Substack collaborations have helped me pay close attention to work that I find interesting and cool, resulting in great rewards.
Not financial rewards, but fuck that anyways. In my very first post, I stated my goals as: make a bunch of money or take down the system. Watch out system.
Speaking of the future, Episode 3 is rumored to feature LEGENDS such as,
, , , , along with more from Delbert, and more TBD.I’ve got plans and I am not telling you what they are unless you ask me VERY nicely. Who will be the next star of the email screen be? Maybe you?
Peace, my forever homies.
RS
SALON DU MONDE, FREMONT, 002