Liner Notes (March 8th, 2019)

Another week down.

In this week’s roundup I share my thoughts on new music out this week, and what I’ve been listening to (Maren Morris, Sigrid, The Get Up Kids), and go through the various movies and TV shows I watched this week (Aquaman, If Beale Street Could Talk, Shoplifters). There’s also a playlist of ten songs I loved this week and a recap of various website improvements I made this week. The supporter Q&A post can be found here.

Read More “Liner Notes (March 8th, 2019)”

The Optimism of Uncertainty

Howard Zinn, writing in 2016:

I have tried hard to match my friends in their pessimism about the world (is it just my friends?), but I keep encountering people who, in spite of all the evidence of terrible things happening everywhere, give me hope. Especially young people, in whom the future rests. Wherever I go, I find such people. And beyond the handful of activists there seem to be hundreds, thousands, more who are open to unorthodox ideas. But they tend not to know of one another’s existence, and so, while they persist, they do so with the desperate patience of Sisyphus endlessly pushing that boulder up the mountain. I try to tell each group that it is not alone, and that the very people who are disheartened by the absence of a national movement are themselves proof of the potential for such a movement.

Liner Notes (February 15th, 2019)

Valentines Day

This week sure went by fast.

In this week’s roundup I talk about launching our new Giphy feature and what’s next on my forum to-do list, give some thoughts that have been swirling around in my head about the entire Ryan Adams situation, and then go through quite a bit new music. I tackle how surprised I was by the new Set It Off album, and offer brief thoughts on new records from Betty Who, One Ok Rock, Tyler Hilton, Stand Atlantic, Millencolin, SWMRS, and more. Then I go through my usual weekly media diet (basically two documentaries I loved this week), share ten songs I loved this week, and share my sadness at a brewery I love closing down. The supporter Q&A post can be found here.

Read More “Liner Notes (February 15th, 2019)”

Liner Notes (February 8th, 2019)

Snow

For some reason something is messed up with the login system on the main website right now, so, I’m going to make this version of Liner Notes available for everyone while I try and sort out what’s going on. This week’s roundup includes updates on what I’ve been working on around the website, some thoughts on albums and singles released this week, my usual media diet recap, and a playlist of ten songs I loved this week.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I’ll be bundled up by the fire trying to avoid the predicted snow storm. The supporter Q&A post can be found here.

Read More “Liner Notes (February 8th, 2019)”

Liner Notes (February 1st, 2019)

The first day of February is here.

In this week’s roundup, I talk about the process of starting to think about a Chorus.fm homepage redesign and the tools I’ve been using to brainstorm. I share another AppleScript service I use a lot and rant about Instagram ads that feel especially exploitative. Then I go through some music I listened to this week and share my thoughts after a very Star Trek heavy media diet. There’s also a playlist of ten songs I loved this week, and the supporter Q&A post can be found here.

Read More “Liner Notes (February 1st, 2019)”

Liner Notes (January 25th, 2019)

Beer

All of the news today made it much harder to focus and write this.

In this week’s edition, I talk about switching finance apps, share a little “link to” service I use on the Mac, offer thoughts on the new Mark Hoppus/Alex Gaskarth song, revisit So Long, Astoria, and give some first impressions of the new Better Oblivion Community Center album. Then I go through my usual media diet from the past week and share ten songs I loved. The supporter Q&A post can be found here.

Read More “Liner Notes (January 25th, 2019)”

Liner Notes (January 18th, 2019)

I cut the tip of my finger while cooking dinner the night before I sit down and type the most I do all week. That was some brilliant work on my part. In this week’s roundup, I offer brief early thoughts on the new PUP record, pontificate about Blink-182 working with The Chainsmokers, re-listen to The Ataris and Zebrahead, and go through the rest of my musical diet from the past week. The entertainment roundup is mostly thoughts on more Batman comic books and needing a little break from overly dramatic movies after last week. The supporter Q&A post can be found here.

Read More “Liner Notes (January 18th, 2019)”

Liner Notes (January 11th, 2019)

Mixtape

In this week’s newsletter I write about my search for the best Mac Last.fm scrobbling app, Linea Sketch, two Shortcuts I really loved this week, being known as “that AbsolutePunk.net guy,” the new album from FIDLAR, Tarakany!, and listening to stuff from our staff “best of 2018” list. I also run through my usual media diet from the past week, including a lot of depressing (but good!) movies (like Minding the Gap), and give my thoughts on the final two trades in Scott Snyder’s Batman run. There’s also a playlist of ten songs I loved this week and my usual sarcasm.

The supporter Q&A post can be found here.

Read More “Liner Notes (January 11th, 2019)”

Jason Tate’s Top Albums of 2018

The Best of 2018

Another year is in the books, and I must say, this was one of my favorite years for music in a long while. I felt like I was discovering new music, or a new album to fall in love with, on a regular basis. And then the albums that ended up connecting with me, really hit me. It’s comforting to know that even when the rest of the world can feel like a mess, music still can find a way to cut through and make things feel a little better, if only for the duration of a great song.

After much deliberation, I’ve put together my favorite music, movies, tv shows, books, and apps from the past year. I’ve included playlists where appropriate, and I hope you’ll find something that will connect with you the way it has me.

Read More “Jason Tate’s Top Albums of 2018”