Craigslist Is Ugly, Janky, Old School…and Unbeatable

Jason Tate

Justin Peters, writing for Backchannel:

Craigslist remains good enough, and that’s a big problem for its competitors. Buying and selling used furniture isn’t something that you do every day, or even every month. It’s a sporadic activity, which means that most people will have limited opportunities to become familiar with AptDeco and its fellow startups. “I think that most people use Craigslist because they don’t think they have another choice,” says Fagiri. “So, ultimately, you know, we provide a better service than Craigslist.” Though that might be true, it also might not be enough.

YouTube TV

YouTube
Jason Tate

YouTube has announced their new live TV offering dubbed “YouTube TV”:

Well, we’ve got some good news! We’re bringing the best of the YouTube experience to live TV. To do this, we’ve worked closely with our network and affiliate partners to evolve TV for the way we watch today.

And:

A YouTube TV membership is only $35 a month and there are no commitments—you can cancel anytime.

Interesting.

Matt Skiba Interviewed for The Truth Barrel

Jason Tate

Matt Skiba of Blink-182 and Alkaline Trio was on a recent episode of The Truth Barrel podcast:

Grammy-nominated guitarist and vocalist for Blink-182 and Alkaline Trio, Matt Skiba, joins Neil and Gabby in The Truth Barrel to discuss his career, his relationships, and the life philosophy that has led to his success. It’s not what you’d expect. In this powerful interview, he discusses facing the disappointment of his father when he decided to become a musician, the exact moment he quit drugs and alcohol, the surprising reason he asked a bandmate to leave the group, and what it was like to take over as frontman for one of the biggest bands of its genre. Along the way, you’ll learn Matt’s secret for staying positive, connected, and powerful – and the difference between a nice person and a good person. Hint: A good person isn’t always nice.

It’s a really interesting episode. Recommended.

Max Martin Interview

Max Martin
Jason Tate

Max Martin doesn’t do many interviews, so when one shows up, it’s almost always a must read. Jan Gradvall, writing for Di Storytelling:

Three examples of current Top 40-tracks – all three with Max Martin as co-composer. The only driver who doesn’t seem to be listening to Top 40-radio is Max Martin himself.

”No, I rarely listen to the radio”, says Martin while driving. ”Most of the time, I tend to listen to my own stuff, whatever I happen to be working on at the moment.” What he listens for is details that could be improved. Is the bass too loud? Is the intro too long?

On his phone, Martin plays a demo that world-leading artist X just may record. It’s followed by a song that might be recorded by world leading-artist Y. When Martin asks me what I think, it seems like he’s more interested in what my body language is telling him than in what I actually say. Later on, I’ll find out why.