Of Grey and Blue Skies
We are under a draught warning here in New York City, so we cannot enjoy the endless row of gorgeous fall days as much as we should. When it finally started raining this week, we were happy to see water drops on the windows and the wet terrace floor reflecting the city lights.
For me, blue sky and sunshine do not fit well with November and December anyway. Low-hanging clouds and muted daylight make the festive illuminations on the streets and at home shine even warmer and cozier. We are looking forward to the holiday season, which – hopefully – gives everybody time to slow down. Indeed, at glamglare we will enjoy the drying-up stream of emails for a few weeks.
Social media has changed significantly in the nine years we have operated glamglare. In the beginning, Facebook was king; honestly, I miss it. With very few exceptions, all musicians maintained a page there. Our Song Pick of the Day features were easily liked and shared, and our page gained followers steadily.
Since then, Facebook has become irrelevant in music, and Instagram has taken over as the leading social network for musicians. Sharing links to content is limited there, which makes it a challenge for blogs.
On the other hand, Twitter was ideal and revered by some musicians but has become an apocalyptic wasteland since it became “X.” That is a loss for the internet because real-time sharing of short messages has been useful for many purposes, including music discovery and artist/fan communication.
So what is next? Threads, Mastodon, and Bluesky try to take Twitter’s place. However, Threads uses the dreaded Meta-Algorithm to select what it shows you, and Mastodon is overly geeky. So, will Bluesky take off? Since the US election, the service has been soaring, but it remains to be seen whether people solely want to give X and its owner a lesson or because there is a genuine desire for a new social network.
Another big caveat: Bluesky is a for-profit company that has yet to monetize its service. Once they do, will it lead them on the same downward trajectory as every other social network before?
Anyway, we are on BlueSky as @glamglare.bsky.social. If you are, too, please follow us.
B of Briz calls herself a “masked rapper” from Bristol, England, where she received a PhD in Philosophy. Her new album An Encyclopedia of Patriarchy (Incomplete) (Spotify | Apple Music) is an intriguing piece music. Her vocal style is less rap than speak-singing, and the artful beats fall way out of mainstream hip-hop. Lyrically, B of Briz does not joke: in 13 tracks, she lays out the patriarchal behaviors of men that are so destructive to women and ultimately to themselves.
https://youtu.be/OSbdHUKwrb8?si=TnNTsTDSfvUx6wtP
If that leaves you hopeless, Jayda G and her Here’s Hoping podcast to the rescue. In the recent episode *Defining Healthy Masculinity* , her guest Ben Hurst talks about what could be behind the behaviors B of Briz is rapping about, and you can remediate them. This is of particular interest to Jayda as she is expecting a baby boy.
glamglare favorites
Listen to glamglare favorites on Spotify or below on YouTube.
Five Songs from the 2nd Wave of The Great Escape Artists
From Australia comes South Summit, a five-piece that takes from rock, reggae, and hip-hop beats but fits their music, we chose the mellow “Exceptional.”
Not holding back is Clara Kimera, with her take on the darker side of pop with “King Jester.”
The German duo Zimmer 90 creates electro-pop that is soothing and very pleasant, just like “feel like we used to.”
Another Australian on our playlist, but this time more on the pop side of things: Nick Ward. Good falsetto vocals get me every time! Listen to “Shooting Star:”
British singer/songwriter Nectar Woode draws from her Ghanaian heritage in her vibrant, beautiful creations. “Good Vibrations” is the perfect example.
Song Pick of the Day
Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube and Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features or subscribe here to receive them into your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.
- Karisa - Sin City
- Fiona-Lee - When I Wake Up I’m Sad
- Adult Leisure - Kiss Me Like You Miss Her
- dalloway - Hangover
- The Laughing Chimes - High Beams
Nine Photos of an Exhibit and Nature
Last Saturday, we enjoyed Fall in Central Park once more and even spotted a red-bellied woodpecker, whose head is actually more red than its breast. Later, we went to a preview of MoMA’s newest exhibit, honoring Lilly P. Bliss. The American art collector and patron played an essential role in founding the Museum of Modern Art. Find out more about her and the exhibit here. What stayed with me was her desire to remain out of the spotlight and that all her possessions needed to be destroyed after her death. Hence, there is little to be seen about her personally, but the beautiful artwork she collected, which can still be admired today, speaks volumes.
To end on a brighter note, I also sneaked in a sunset photo taken on Monday at the seaport. Enjoy!
Photos: Elke Nominikat