[SIC] 207: Feel-good tunes for feel-bad times

Volume 4, Number 51

You don’t have to support [SIC] with a paid subscription.  But you CAN pay, if you want to. Go right ahead. I’m into it. Monthly or yearly, or founding support. Paid subscribers get an additional [SIC] Sundays newsletter each week. And founding supporters get invited to a dinner at my house in NYC with special guests. Next one’s in September.

Feel free to share, too.

---

Hi all.

As long time readers know, I am a real sucker for novel new terms, dumb turns of phrase and puns, puns, puns. So when [SIC] homie Tyler McCauley showed up in my inbox with “Dinky Disco” in his The Unskippables newsletter this week, my interest was piqued.

As Tyler writes, “Dinky disco is dance music that never breaks into being a full-on banger, an erudite and slimmed-down dance offering built for rooftops, texting people hoping there’s a Labor Day thing you can crash, and trying to pretend you’re still working even though you’re upstate.” Ergo: the DINKY DISCO 101 playlist on Spotify, which works just as advertised. Very vibey.

Anyway, the just-so-ness of that criteria brought to mind a key assertion of this Experimental History post I found via Public Announcement: You'll forget most of what you learn: Learning is all about vibes.

The thought was reinforced shortly thereafter by a text from [SIC] Talks alum Jeff Carvalho, linking the “Best doc I’ve watched all week” [Italo Disco: the Sparkling Sound of the 1980s] on Arte.TV. If anything was ever a vibe, it was Italo. Not a little Dinky-adjacent, either.

My contribution to the vibes? [SIC] Song of the week: Give Me Your Love by Girl Ray. Listen while you scan the links. And speaking of contributions, thanks to Jeff, Jeremy, Celeste, Iolanda, Piers, Avery and my father Hugh. Greatly appreciated from all of you (and very welcome from the rest of you reading, too).

Final note: the weekly “Breakfast Club” I do on Wednesdays in Greenpoint starts up again next week (Aug 31), if you’re convenient to Brooklyn. Everybody’s invited, and group is always interesting and everyone pays their own way. Let me know if you’d like to join and /or be put on the email reminder list by replying to this email or sending a DM - I’m @dietznutz on everything, pretty much.

OK, and now the links….

My son got a summer job at a fantastic movie theater upstate. This is the triple header this weekend. NineteenSeventyEigthyNinetyThree all over again.

======[SIC] 207: Feel-good tunes for feel-bad times======

The World

• We Need to Talk About How Good A.I. Is Getting / NYT via Morning Consult

• This week, Sony Japan announced the launch of the largest virtual talent development and management project in history / Music Business Worldwide via Beats and Bytes

• And yet… Capitol Records walks away from AI rapper project, offers 'deepest apologies to the Black community' / The Hill via Morning Consult

• There’s a marketplace for human-written A.I. prompts that go into helping A.I.s work better / Twitter via Garbage Day

• What Adults Don't Get About Teens and Digital Life / Wired

• Relate: A teen’s journey into the internet’s darkness and back again / NYT

• The vast majority of Asian American Gen Zs feel they don’t belong / The Guardian via After School

• S/o to [SIC] homie Brian Hanly: Gen Z shows TikTok what life’s like on Wall Street—and banks don’t know what to do / Bloomberg via After School

• 'I don't even Google anymore, I TikTok': How TikTok became an aesthetic generator /Glossy via Morning Consult

• Hence why brands should treat TikTok more like a search engine than a social media platform / The Drum

• How Americans Woke Up to the Reality of Digital Life in 2022 / NYT via Morning Consult

• The Future of Democracy Is Now at the Top of Midterm Voters’ Minds / Vanity Fair

• Inflation Is Up Everywhere, But How Much Depends on Where You Live/ Businessweek via Ritzholtz

• Are unions responsible for the decline of unions? 🙃 / Quartz

• OnlyBans is a new game developed to help players learn about the challenges facing online sex workers / Hyperallergic

• A new approach to fighting homelessness in Seattle is working / NYT

• Wild: the '94% myth' at the root of why American roads are designed to be more dangerous than in other parts of the world / The Atlantic via FoT

• Also wild: first there was Line, now there’s the Ring: ZN Era proposes encircling Burj Khalifa with an elevated "continuous metropolis” in Dubai / Dezeen

• Architects could "easily" prevent billions of bird deaths a year caused by collisions with glazed and mirrored buildings / Dezeen

• A wave of climate scientists, educators, and activists are using social media to combat misinformation and inspire action / Climate Creators to Watch

• In Wuhan the Yangtze river is running so dry that local residents are taking walks on the river bed / Gettr via Chartbook

Trends

• Apprenticeships are trending / Axios

• And so are hallucinogens / Axios

• Psilocybin regimen found to reduce alcohol consumption by more than 80% in patients exhibiting alcohol use disorder in pilot study / NYU Langone via 1440

• Social justice is the new religion / The Atlantic via After School

• Corollary: fave author W. David Marx breaks down his new book Status and Culture in advance of its September 6th release. [SIC] has pre-ordered, you should too / Culture: An Owner’s Manual

• Why luxury brands are making prop comedy part of their advertising and product strategy / WSJ

• The Curse of the Millennial Hotel / The Melt

• How the chief metaverse officer is shaking up the C-suite / The Drum

• The Future of Online Marketplaces / Retail Dive

• Laura Reilly from Magasin made an AMAZING live document of shopping insights originally crowdsourced via IG stories / Google Docs

Style

• From Piers Fawkes: The dirtbag boyfriend is 2022's hottest accessory; sleazy and dishevelled men reign supreme / i-D UK

• Gen Z is ‘shopping to sell’ luxury brands as an inflation hack / Bloomberg via After School

• Can Luxury Bags Be Smart Investments? With bags from coveted brands like Hermès and Chanel fetching hefty sums at resale, an alluring asset class may be in the making / BoF

• Why Messaging Is Luxury’s Superpower. In luxury, it’s the story that carries the value, not the product. If brands don’t get their messaging right, the consequences can be disastrous / Jing Daily

• Tiffany Levels Up With League Of Legends Partnership / Jing Daily

• While watch brands keep the crypto faith / NYT via Upstream

• While in contrast, from Piers Fawkes: “GUCCI lost a trademark battle with CUGGL in Japan.” This is interesting/ Quartz

• From Avery Booker: “Wanted to send along a copy of [The Jing Guide to Brand Collaboration in China] I co-wrote with my colleague Sadie of Jing Collabs & Drops. We interviewed people like Jimmy Choo, Daniel Arsham, and Jeff Staple for it and I think it turned out pretty interesting. Hope you'll think so too! / Jing Daily

• Has Fashion Reached Peak Collabs? EDITED data unpacks the crowded collaboration space / Edited via Public Announcement

• How Jigsaw picked up the pieces. Data, digital and vibrant ‘dopamine dressing’ have made the brand covetable again / FT

• From Celeste Blewitt: “Iconic 90's Y2K fashion, TikTok 90's/2000s fashion followers will be drawn to these very particular trends of the times” [12 Reasons Why Zara Tindall Should Be Your 2000s Style Icon] /Tatler)

• Another from Piers: Making Matilda Djerf a Household Name / NYT

The Arts

• Web3’s Gritty Underground Art Scene / Tezos

• From Piers: A brilliant new ‘art fort’ brightens up Hadrian’s Wall / The Guardian

• Corollary: Want Safer Streets? Cover Them in Art / Reasons to be Cheerful

• The Irreverent Advocacy of General Idea. The collective’s retrospective at the National Gallery of Canada extends from foundational mail art to hard-hitting installations about HIV/AIDS / Frieze

Entertainment + IP

• The cult of A24 / Vulture

• Fast Company’s Joe Berkowitz decided to explore AAA24, A24’s membership program. I’m a member, and I got the shorts, too. In navy. / FastCo via Lean Luxe

• Also here’s every A24 movie, ranked / Vulture

• The number of video podcasts has grown almost 30% between Nov 2021 and June 2022, and that trend looks set to continue / The Drum

• 7 podcast incubators keeping an ear out for the sound of tomorrow / The Drum

• How Wall Street Confessions' Founder Is Bringing Her Instagram Secrets to a Podcast / Trade Secrets

• The podcasting problem hiding in plain sight: Listeners don’t stick around  / Sounds Profitable via Nieman Lab

• Welcome to the NFT era of music / The Drum

• Elsewhere in confessions: How Softcore Porn Penetrated Mainstream Media / Hyperallergic

• Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney on the pressures of owning Wrexham. How did two Hollywood stars who barely knew each other end up co-owning an obscure soccer team in Wales? They explain./ The Athletic

• From Celeste Blewitt: “Intriguing discussion into the gaming development and creative sector [and] how it is burgeoning in Australia” [Global Success Of Cult Of The Lamb Showcases Australia's Video Game Talent] /The Guardian

• Stanley Tucci will host the first ever Soho House Awards 2022 / Soho House

• While [SIC] homie The Kid MERO Returns to Audio With Formula One Live Show / The Hollywood Reporter via Morning Consult

Platforms & Influencers

• Influencer marketing platform Aspire has launched a “reverse” creator marketplace that empowers creators to choose which brands and campaigns they want to work on / Aspire via PSFK

• Gen Z women are flocking to Geneva, which combines all the best parts of the internet, creators say / Insider

• From Iolanda Carvalho: “Go figure...! 😉 Instagram Tests BeReal Copy\/ Gizmodo

• Or put another way; Instagram is prototyping a BeReal murder clone / The Verge via After School

• Brands like Chipotle and E.L.F. are chasing buzz on BeReal, but will the love affair last? /Fastco via After School

• To wit: Stop using BeReal like Instagram / The Verge via Morning Consult

• Because? They built their businesses on Instagram. Then the platform changed / CNN via Morning Consult

• Related: To prevent homegrown content creators from leaving, Twitch is ending its longstanding exclusivity clause for partner streamers, allowing them to broadcast on competitor platforms / The Verge via Morning Consult

• Dangerous, because VTubers are making millions on YouTube and Twitch. Even Tony the Tiger is now a virtual streamer. / TechCrunch via Morning Consult

• Corollary: More Than 'Weird': Roku Embraces Original Programming / NYT via Morning Consult

• The Gaming Influencers No One Is Talking About / TwoFiveSix

• Notable b/c per TayLo: niche internet micro celebrities are taking over the internet. As online fame fragments, 'nimcels' represent a growing faction of the attention economy / WaPo via Morning Consult

• On the horrors of Cameo’s commercial advertising branch / Dirt

• Netflix Inc. will not run advertisements during new original movies or kids programs on its upcoming ad-supported service / Bloomberg via Morning Consult

• Spotify Built a ‘House of Audio’ in Lower Manhattan / Marketing Brew via Beats and Bytes

• More building, from Jeremy Toeman: “We just launched www.pikawho.com - its a “guess the Pokemon” micrograme” / PikaWho

• Noted Pokemon Stan Jake Paul Bets on Himself / NY Mag via Morning Consult

Marketing & Advertising

• “Branding is no longer the opaque art it once was”: Could DAOs alter the make-up of the creative industry? / It’s Nice That

• MSCHF’s got Rihanna selling ketchup as makeup / HighSnobiety

• How DTC cremation company Solace is building a brand in the death business / Ad Age

• 9 ways marketers can lure the best creative agencies / Ad Age

• What Does It Take to Reverse an Ad Agency's Hustle Culture? / Ad Week via Morning Consult

• Anonymous agency interviews reveal juniors eager for attention – and seniors on their phones / It’s Nice That

• The technology that makes you sound more American and whiter. A Silicon Valley startup offers voice-altering tech to call center workers around the world. Is it fighting bias - or perpetuating it? / The Guardian via Morning Consult

• Shades of Sorry to bother you… / Wikipedia

• From TikTok and Roblox to 'Game Of Thrones,' how DuoLingo is using trends for viral marketing / Digiday

Media Business

• Major news brands are not working aggressively enough to align their distribution strategies with Gen Z’s latest news consumption habits / Morning Consult

• Younger viewers shun traditional TV channels as 90% opt for streaming services / The Guardian via Nieman Lab

• Global ad market faces 'car crash' next year amid cost of living crisis / The Guardian via Morning Consult

• How BuzzFeed CRO and [SIC] homie Edgar Hernandez is preparing for a recession while seeing signs of recovery / Digiday Podcast

• For instance: DTC advertising hasn't cooled off as much as once thought. More than a year after Apple’s ATT move, DTC is expanding again, with TikTok the primary beneficiary / Digiday

• How NowThis became a social media news powerhouse  / Press Gazette via Nieman Lab

• 4 ways publishers can nurture their communities / Simon Owens

• Not like this: 20% of the New York Daily News has quit in the past 3 months, and the union blames Alden Global Capital / New York Post via Neiman Lab

Metaverse & Web3

• Forrester’s Ready Player Brand: Marketing In The Metaverse report purports to hold the keys to succeeding in this new digital frontier / Forrester

• Performance analysis of large brand' NFT projects on Ethereum Blockchain / Dune via Milk Road

• Just Do It. An Overview of Nike's Web3 Strategy - Comprehensive look at Nike's aggressive approach to engaging in this market, at a far greater level than their competitors, the author argues / Spatial Awareness via Web3 Newsletter

• Unpacking How Louis Vuitton Has Web3 in the Bag - this deck explores LV's efforts in gaming, blockchain, their alliances and artistic partnerships / Hype Research via Web3 Newsletter

• On the ground at FWB Fest:  Friends with Benefits meet IRL / Dirt

• Corollary: Heidi Klum has been busy creating depictions of Bored Apes for large events, and will soon be dropping her own collection / ArtNet via The Drop

• Mars partners with ‘NFT supergroup’ Kingship for limited-edition M&M’s / The Drum

• New York Fashion Week NFTs will unlock show invites and products  / Vogue Business

• Meet Me in the Metaverse IRL: It’s Nice That invites future-facing creatives to reimagine design classics / It’s Nice That

• The Merge: Fred Wilson reviews what he sees are the benefits of Ethereum moving from proof of work to proof of stake / AVC via Web3 Newsletter

Food & Drink

• Post Malone Launches New Drinking Game / Rolling Stone via Morning Consult

• And Pitchfork tried the Pavement Pierogi / Pitchfork

• While KFC in Australia hosted a pop-up fine dining restaurant that served an 11-course meal inspired by everyday menu items / Contagious

• Gum brands are chewing on a new approach by employing ingredients like CBD and vitamins, while also removing the plastic in their gum / Thingtesting

• What's the Difference Between Natural, Vegan, Organic, Biodynamic, and 00 Wine? / Bon Appetit

• Six Of The World’s Most Valuable Spirits Brands Are Chinese / Jing Daily

• The most popular cocktail in each state / Top Agency via 1440

Miscellany

• Should we be trying to create a circular urine economy? / Ars Technica

• Amazingly not a piss-take either: Airtrick E-Skates are powered skates that you strap to your shoes / Substack via The Micromobility Newsletter

• Elsewhere on skating, from Hugh Dietz: “Hope you see this [Tripping Over my Own Feet by Rodney Mullen]” / Sour Milk

• Cultural intelligence" as a factor behind your talent, and talent-spotting  (From 2017) / Pocket via Marginal Revolution

• Because: good conversations “have lots of doorknobs” / Experimental History via Marginal Revolution

• From Jeremy Toeman: “This is cool” [A startup is using recycled plastic to 3D print prefab tiny homes] / Insider

• While a couple and their dog cycled 4500 miles around Europe to create a giant GPS-mapped bicycle to raise awareness for climate change / Explorers via The Micromobility Newsletter

Things to Do

• NYC: Go to Meme in the Moment on Saturday night for Garbage Day’s Ryan Broderick and a host of others getting all meme-y / Caveat

• LA: [SIC] Talks alum Justin Staple’s American Rapstar premieres and you should go / IG

• And Metro Art invites artists working in film, video, animation, and the moving image to submit qualifications to showcase their work on digital displays in Metro stations in Los Angeles County. Hyperallergic

======Book of the Week======

Miranda July: Career Retrospective

I was annoyed that The New Yorker was all old stories this issue - until I started reading them. The issue is great. In particular, Miranda July’s “Roy Spivey” is a gem, and it reminded me to dig her retrospective out and revisit it. I love pretty much everything she does, but the book always strikes me with the depth and breadth of her wackadoo genius. Necessary material.

======[SIC] 207: Feel-good tunes for feel-bad times======