[SIC] 130: The Distinguished Order of Zerocrats

March 4th, 2021

Hi all. Another week in the creator economy, with all its attendant intrigue. As much as I talk / read / think about the whole NFT phenomenon, the more it seems like the tip of an iceberg totally unrelated to burning Banksys and hyperlimited LeBron dunk gifs. There might just be a true sea change coming. To that end, we start this week with the very smart Alex Danco’s take on NFTs as CBGB, which I found fascinating. One of those pieces that will color how you see all the stories that follow it.

Speaking of those stories, lots of suggestions this week from the [SIC] family - thanks to Ben, James, Isaac, Chris, Kevin, Tim, Paul and David for contributions, plugs, references and singalongs below. Greatly appreciated as always. And thanks especially to all of you for checking all of this out. Hope you find it useful. Feel free to pass it along with my compliments, where ever you share stuff.

No [SIC] Talks this week, but in lieu of that, check out this IG conversation between @giantstep’s Maurice Bernstein and Triple 5 Soul founder and all-around legend, Camella Ehlke. Truly an IYKYK type thing, from two legends of NYC style and culture. [SIC] Talks will be back next week, but in the meantime, past conversations are in my grid @dietznutz.

Enjoy - Ben

===== [SIC] 130: The Distinguished Order of Zerocrats =====

Start here: 

• Alex Danco’s Sunday missives are always great exercise for the brain but this piece on Schelling Points by way of CBGBs x NFTs is particularly great.  TLDR: though the NFT art thing may / may not be 2021’s Dutch Tulips, there’s bound to be an explosion of creative expression. (Two Truths and a Take)

• In service: Twitter pulls a Patreon (Platformer) and The Audio Collective (disclosure, I’m affiliated) launches feet first into Clubhouse (NYT), while via High Tea: Rec Room now pays creators in real money when they cash out their Rec Tokens. (Twitter)

• Speaking of High Tea: “FEWOCiOUS. That’s the tweet. We’re all eyes on 18-year-old FEWOCiOUS following his most recent sneaker collaboration with RTFKT. All three editions ($3k, $5k and $10k) sold out within the first seven minutes. ICYMI: that’s $3 million in seven minutes, direct to fans, without the support of any major brands.” 

• Related, from Ben Pruess: “I hate this headline. I hate this headline.”  Are hats the new sneakers? (Business of Fashion) 

Also in the World of Wearbles: 

• From James Friedman: “[You] probably already got this for [SIC]”: Thank You, Dr. Zizmor (NY Mag) 

• Not so fast, Zizmorcore: [SIC] buddy Jian DeLeon (and a gang of others) are repping the new ALD instead (Instagram) 

• From Queens to Kings: Acontinuouslean goes deep with Brooklyn-based clothing manufacturer Hertling on the challenges of manufacturing in the USA, and assures us that good things still exist (ACL.news) 

• From Michael Miraflor: "Pretty good to skim through: How Supreme-style merch drops took over fashion" (Marker). 

• How outdoor brands can widen their appeal (Vogue Business) 

• The Secret Way People Buy and Sell Secondhand Clothes (Business of Fashion) 

• Via Future Party: Adidas and Tommy Cash made some really long sneakers (Input) 

  

Brut’ed and Booted: 

• One you may have missed: the ‘anti-individualistic’ art of Jean Dubuffet, the father of Art Brut (Christie’s)

• Via Maekan: A deeper look into Yayoi Kusama's work reveals some complex findings in otherwise simple patterns. (Artnet)

• Still lifes that moved the art world: 500 years of flowers, fruit, coffee pots — and a grasshopper (Christie’s)

• From Tim Nolan: “Word Up” (Makewordart) 

• Hey, what makes a painting funny? (Frieze) 

• Corollary, via Public Announcement: Cerebral Ballzy frontman Honor Titus is a painter now and he’s serving ‘em game, set and match. (GQ) 

• S/o his dad (Dres from Black Sheep), too. One of the great unsung hip hop albums of all time. Hilarious and deep, juvenile but introspective. Plus truly inventive beat selection. (Spotify) 

Elsewhere in (Un)sung Tunes: 

• From Kevin Tachman: “The gay “Stacy’s Mom” [Myylo’s “Kissing on Your Dad”]. The bridge is pretty good…” (Spotify) 

• Corridor’s March Playlist is a vibe (Spotify) 

• [SIC] homies Franchise Magazine is on NTS with a mix by Ryan Parks aka Fit of Body and here is a playlist.  (Apple Music)

• The homies Love Injection made a fun little mix for Deep Coffee Roasters (Instagram)

• Another mag / dance crossover: Via Dada Strain: Detroit’s foremost techno futurist Jeff Mills has started a magazine called Escape Velocity (Axis Records)

• While Q Magazine: the British music monthly that folded in 2020, is relaunching as a Substack. (The Guardian) 

  

Also Sounds Related: 

• Honestly, read this and try and make sense of it. I’m still absorbing but have a feeling it’ll be an important document: An artist’s view of the “streaming industrial complex” from Jamaica, where the new rules are imposed from the outside, and the trickle-down flows extra dry. (Dada Strain) 

• From Isaac Dietz: This is about the most internet thing ever: [SHLOMO’S For the Summer Vol. XXX]. The aesthetic, music presentation and video / graphics editing is inspired. It’s its own trend report. (YouTube)

• And from Chris Domenick: “Jean Dawson just put this out which made me think of you. The nuance of his introspection in 7 minutes is amazing. Plus it doesn’t hurt that it looks dope.”  (YouTube) 

• Spotify is winning the podcast wars (Techcrunch) 

• Via Lean Luxe: Clubhouse Talk about Daft Punk w/ Disclosure, Zane Lowe, Todd Edwards, Nile Rodgers 22.02.2021 (Youtube) 

• Another from Isaac: "The new season of Prada women with soundtrack by Plastikman Richie Hawtin. I was surprised to find this a bit hypnotic and stuck with it. Good pandemic media. Special colors and culty haircuts." (YouTube) 

• Are old rap MP3s Hip Hop’s new hot collectible? (Okay Player) 

• Via WITI: A collection of essential Andy Weatherall mixes (Mixmag) 

• Bob Lefsetz love’s Neil Frances’s “Changes Pt 1 & 2”. And he’s right, it’s great. (Spotify)

• Joyride: the renaissance of FKA TWIGS. Having gone public about her experience of domestic abuse, FKA twigs has returned with creative confidence. Here, she to her friend and I May Destroy You creator, Michaela Coel (The FACE) 

• Via Backseat Freestyle: “Turns out, Mariah Carey is a good journalist! Here’s her chat with Cardi B for the Bronx rapper’s cover of Interview.”d

Brands Will Be Brands. 

• In the wake of Google’s announcement that they’re removing cookies, AB Inbev brands are offering free beer for data (The Drum) 

• Related: via Protocol: smart take on what Google’s new ad policies really mean (Motherboard) 

• From Paul Wallace: “Got one for your SIC:” Viewers of this year's Golden Globes were treated to a pivotal ad from Frida Mom, that championed breastfeeding in all its glory, charting the highs and lows of lactation. (The Drum) 

• Hasbro is gonna make a Universe (CNBC) 

• While Allbirds is making shoes from plant leather to get oil out of its kicks. (Dezeen) 

• And via Snaxshot:  Pepsi released line of non-alcoholic, cocktail mixers that look like a bad acid trip (PepsiCo)

Social-ologly: 

• How Do Influencers Get Jobs? It's Changing (The New York Times)

• Ergo, THE FACE launches talent agency for TikTok creators (It’s Nice That) 

• While, across Hackney: behind Unreal City, Acute Art and Dazed Media’s AR Festival (Jing Culture)  

• Digital Art Finds A Purpose-Built Platform In Rhizome and Hyundai’s Partnership (Jing Culture) 

NIFTY GANG:

• Logan Paul needs a haircut IMO. From David Bloom: he’s selling Pokemon and NFTs to cover it. (Tubefilter)

• Related: The top 10 NFT Art sales (as of last week), all of which are pretty insane. (One37pm)

• Much better aesthetically: photog and friend of [SIC] Stephen Vanasco gets in the NFT Game with (Instagram) 

Modern Ails:

• Gen Y v Gen Z: the generational battle of who could care less (Medium) 

• But maybe Slack moreso?  Email is making us all miserable (New Yorker) 

• Meanwhile, the Trevor Project, a hotline for LGBTQ youth, is enlisting the help of a sophisticated AI chatbot to train its volunteer counselors in simulated roleplay scenarios to better deal with troubled teens. (MIT Technology Review) 

• Via Maekan: ‘Deep Nostalgia’ is a platform that can turn old photos into moving videos. (Gizmodo)

Mediaers:

• Via Simon Reynolds: Henry Blodget interview: Why is Insider still thriving? Because we didn't try to be Disney  (Press Gazette) 

• Via Nieman Lab: How alt weeklies escaped total disaster (The Daily Beast) 

• Via Simon Reynolds: TheSkimm launches virtual financial literacy program "SkimmU" (Axios)

WHM FTW: 

• Glorious is a new platform celebrating women’s sport through art and culture (It’s Nice That)

• While Sports stars Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim launched TOGETHXR, a new media + commerce company. (Sports Illustrated)

Longterm Projects:

• Airspace God Kyle Chayka’s got a new book coming about “Filterworld” and we’ve got 2.5 years to contribute to it. (Substack) 

• Via Blu Dot:  The University of Southampton’s online knitting reference library spans *17* decades. 

• Coming in 2030: Boris Johnson wants to connect England, Scotland and Northern Ireland via a giant underground roundabout. (Dezeen)

Lightning Round: 

• Japan’s custom Lambo king … (VICE) 

• … Meets the Lambo of ancient Pompeiian chariots (Business Insider) 

• M is for Man Ray (Airmail) 

• Via 1440: Glow in the Dark Sharks.

• Shaq  got an ad agency (WSJ) 

• Grindr got a show (Hollywood Reporter) 

• Peter Sutherland got a K2 snowboard (Instagram) 

• Speaking of cold sports: via Snaxshot: Inductees to the Frozen Food Hall of Fame are otherwise known as  The Distinguished Order of Zerocrats. (Eater) 

  

===== [SIC] 130: The Distinguished Order of Zerocrats =====