This is a really neat idea! This is probably a bit of a stretch, but I did start a BJJ library of sorts. If anyone's training jiu jitsu anywhere in the world, BJJ Path can help. It's me and a bunch of other black belts from my gym (and friends of ours) showing BJJ stuff, but in an encyclopedic format: www.bjjpath.com
It's free, no need to pay (but you can always choose to support - I'm really just interested in sharing the content we keep making, though).
Let me know if you ever think about it! I know it's wild to think about getting into something later in life (ahem), but it's considerably easier today than it was, say, 20 years ago. That said, I'll still love you if you never do any martial arts!
I really appreciate your focus on creating community, Kevin. Thank you for this invitation.
I just released a truly indie/DIY album on vinyl while also being a dad, working full time, and loving up our rescue pets. It took two years! 🤣 I'm proud of it...sounds great, looks beautiful, and it's gaining an audience bigger than I could've imagined. There are a few copies left. If you dig vinyl and/or want to give the gift of vinyl, feel free to check it out or contact me. https://thesizzos.bandcamp.com/album/glitter-in-gravel
Of course! I hope a ton of people check the record out.
For anyone scrolling the comments, I really enjoyed this record.. Reviewing it last month, I noted, "...but Glitter In Gravel is full of shimmering guitar, wide open spaces, and hooks at every step along the way. Sometimes, the catalyst for good music comes from bad events."
Thank you for this Kevin! I've been enjoying your writing since I discovered it a few months ago, it's reassuring to see somebody fostering a community around music discussion and writing.
I have an outlet about music in Washington State that I've been working on with a friend of mine for about a year. We're called WASH! We're small, but we do our best to provide really thoughtful coverage for music that consistently gets swept under the cracks. Eventually, the goal is to get physical distribution going, but for now we're just online. Hopefully that'll change soon!
Oh man it’s crazy down here! Bellingham’s adjacency to Western State University means it’s got a super vibrant arts scene, there’re always new acts popping up from there, like Cat Valley and The Rhetorician. It’s a little like Olympia there but a little less ideologically rigid. Spokane also has a growing rap scene lead by this guy Jango, he makes the drive up to Seattle sometimes but he always packs the house.
But the Seattle scene itself is so fragmented that there always seems to be something going on! Recently there’s this post-pandemic DIY house show circuit that was brilliant captured in Luciano Ratto’s (@luciano_ratto on Insta) photo book Taste the Floor; it’s this queer-led experimental punk scene that’s producing some absolutely wild young bands. That has my attention right now, I’m stoked to see what’s coming out of there.
Right on! We had Bellingham duo Riley's Mountain on here last fall. They made a killer EP. If memory serves, they're on hiatus right now (grad school), but I'm happy to hear the scene there is flourishing. Spokane too, for that matter!
I recently released a song written and produced by my husband (The Producer on Substack) about our baby daughter. Still working on merch for it, but it can be downloaded or streamed using this link. https://artists.landr.com/064837161952
Thank you so much for listening and the kind words! Yeah I love those headphones! They're really just baby earmuffs we got to protect her ears during our karaoke shows. She hardly wears them though, so they're more for cuteness now 😁
Kevin - I see a theme here - people doing good things for other humans - a novel idea, and not used to openly talking about it. Thanks for the platform - the link above will take you to Crossroads Prison Ministries. I openly share my story of incarceration in hopes that others will not repeat the actions that landed me there - Drinking and Driving. CPM helped me survive prison and I promised to give back. I've been a mentor for over three years and it is rewarding . But as an ex-convict, I know the feeling of remaining connected to the outside world. Please consider donating or becoming a mentor.
Kevin Thank you for this forum! Yes folks, I BrittaRiffindots (or whatever my name is!) have two albums and a single available now aaaaaand a new track out in January which I am really proud of, but it has been in the can forever! I also hope to have at least one single released each month thereafter! Please visit my website riffindots.com! Or my equally goofily psychedelic Bandcamp romp brittapejic.bandcamp.com
I would suggest to support independent musicians on Substack by buying their music. Most have links to their Bandcamp pages and physical media options. There are many to be found here, and pretty much all across Bandcamp.
I wrote about several of them recently on Earworms and Song Loops but here’s a couple direct links:
Your recent description of Miter's sound nailed it.
"Imagine if Bruce Springsteen was a shy, nerdy kid in the ‘90s fronting a lo-fi industrial band, and that band was himself. Then, add a love for odd percussion, synths, layered guitars, and spoken word storytelling, and you are about 40 percent of the way there."
Thanks for the generosity Kevin! I didn't think I had anything outside of my substack. BUT realized there is something that I would want to boost on Bandcamp. There is still time to save the Pub!
The incredible @jill is still working on it and I think we are very close to be able to say that the Substack community owns one share of a pub. The story is here: https://miter.substack.com/p/streams-of-wordsmoke
Hi Kevin - you are such a warm and generous curator - thanks for asking us... as it happens I released my debut album on 24 Nov... at the age of 57, having spent 30 years working in public schools (in the UK), with 17 of those as a high school principal... but a heart attack followed by the pandemic made me realise that life is too darn short and music was always my first love. So I gave up the day job and pursued my dream. Here it is: https://open.spotify.com/album/04yPw5yXD2USZ3Fq3gjjm2?si=xH2ngel9SKqknkVQVt7Cag
Monday, November 27: Traditionally Published Authors — If your work is being published by a publisher a) who is not you and b) gets your books into actual, physical bookstores on a returnable basis, this is your day to tell people about your books. This includes comics/graphic novels and audiobooks.
Tuesday, November 28: Non-Traditionally Published Authors — Self-published? Electronically published? Or other? This is your day. This also includes comics/graphic novels and audiobooks.
Wednesday, November 29: Other Creators — Artists, knitters, jewelers, musicians, and anyone who has cool stuff to sell this holiday season, this will be the day to show off your creations.
Thursday, November 30: Fan Favorite Day — Not an author/artist/musician/other creator but know about some really cool stuff you think people will want to know about for the holidays? Share! Share with the crowd!
Friday, December 1: Charities — If you are involved in a charity, or have a favorite charity you’d like to let people know about, this is the day to do it.
Thank you for doing this! I love this idea and will definitely be checking out all the links!
My first book through a publisher was released this past summer. It’s a local interest book on the brewery history and renaissance in my area. Quad Cities Beer: A History- https://a.co/d/6XRsCjp
Incidentally, The History Press/Arcadia Publishing does a lot of books on local interests if you have any interest on writing a book about anything local to you.
I do a lot of freelance work, and have worked with some local authors on editing, layout, formatting, and getting their books uploaded to Amazon/Kindle Direct Publishing. I have also done some ghostwriting in collaboration with a local writer/publisher. I’m planning on focusing more time on writing this year. I have been contracted by the local newspaper to write some business profiles for a special issue, as well as a yearly Nurse award issue. So, I’m already on a good track! I love writing profiles.
This is a really neat idea! This is probably a bit of a stretch, but I did start a BJJ library of sorts. If anyone's training jiu jitsu anywhere in the world, BJJ Path can help. It's me and a bunch of other black belts from my gym (and friends of ours) showing BJJ stuff, but in an encyclopedic format: www.bjjpath.com
It's free, no need to pay (but you can always choose to support - I'm really just interested in sharing the content we keep making, though).
Not a stretch at all! This looks pretty awesome.
Thanks, man! Ever do any kind of martial arts, or wrestling?
I haven't!
Let me know if you ever think about it! I know it's wild to think about getting into something later in life (ahem), but it's considerably easier today than it was, say, 20 years ago. That said, I'll still love you if you never do any martial arts!
Will do, and thank you!
I really appreciate your focus on creating community, Kevin. Thank you for this invitation.
I just released a truly indie/DIY album on vinyl while also being a dad, working full time, and loving up our rescue pets. It took two years! 🤣 I'm proud of it...sounds great, looks beautiful, and it's gaining an audience bigger than I could've imagined. There are a few copies left. If you dig vinyl and/or want to give the gift of vinyl, feel free to check it out or contact me. https://thesizzos.bandcamp.com/album/glitter-in-gravel
Of course! I hope a ton of people check the record out.
For anyone scrolling the comments, I really enjoyed this record.. Reviewing it last month, I noted, "...but Glitter In Gravel is full of shimmering guitar, wide open spaces, and hooks at every step along the way. Sometimes, the catalyst for good music comes from bad events."
https://thekevinalexander.substack.com/p/sound-advice-19october2023?
I'm always looking for new readers for my books on animation: https://www.amazon.com/America-Toons-History-Television-Animation/dp/0786476508 and https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-American-Animated-Television-Shows-ebook/dp/B07BYJ6L6W
For those that might not be familiar with David, more of his work can be found here:
https://ko-fi.com/davidperlmutter
Thank you for this Kevin! I've been enjoying your writing since I discovered it a few months ago, it's reassuring to see somebody fostering a community around music discussion and writing.
I have an outlet about music in Washington State that I've been working on with a friend of mine for about a year. We're called WASH! We're small, but we do our best to provide really thoughtful coverage for music that consistently gets swept under the cracks. Eventually, the goal is to get physical distribution going, but for now we're just online. Hopefully that'll change soon!
https://www.washmusicmag.com
Oh nice! I'm a fan of Telehealth, so that was cool to see first thing!
Just out of curiosity, after Seattle (and Olympia), what's the one scene we should all be checking out? Any particular favorites?
Oh man it’s crazy down here! Bellingham’s adjacency to Western State University means it’s got a super vibrant arts scene, there’re always new acts popping up from there, like Cat Valley and The Rhetorician. It’s a little like Olympia there but a little less ideologically rigid. Spokane also has a growing rap scene lead by this guy Jango, he makes the drive up to Seattle sometimes but he always packs the house.
But the Seattle scene itself is so fragmented that there always seems to be something going on! Recently there’s this post-pandemic DIY house show circuit that was brilliant captured in Luciano Ratto’s (@luciano_ratto on Insta) photo book Taste the Floor; it’s this queer-led experimental punk scene that’s producing some absolutely wild young bands. That has my attention right now, I’m stoked to see what’s coming out of there.
Thanks for asking!
Right on! We had Bellingham duo Riley's Mountain on here last fall. They made a killer EP. If memory serves, they're on hiatus right now (grad school), but I'm happy to hear the scene there is flourishing. Spokane too, for that matter!
I recently released a song written and produced by my husband (The Producer on Substack) about our baby daughter. Still working on merch for it, but it can be downloaded or streamed using this link. https://artists.landr.com/064837161952
Great stuff! The techno mix got me moving--and I need it this morning!
P.S. LOVE your daughter's headphones in the main image.
Thank you so much for listening and the kind words! Yeah I love those headphones! They're really just baby earmuffs we got to protect her ears during our karaoke shows. She hardly wears them though, so they're more for cuteness now 😁
https://cpministries.org/
Kevin - I see a theme here - people doing good things for other humans - a novel idea, and not used to openly talking about it. Thanks for the platform - the link above will take you to Crossroads Prison Ministries. I openly share my story of incarceration in hopes that others will not repeat the actions that landed me there - Drinking and Driving. CPM helped me survive prison and I promised to give back. I've been a mentor for over three years and it is rewarding . But as an ex-convict, I know the feeling of remaining connected to the outside world. Please consider donating or becoming a mentor.
Thank you,
Ric
Right on! I just made a donation.
God Bless!
Thanks for asking for us to share, cool to see other people’s projects! -
I run an outsider music label:
freakslabel.bandcamp.com
new vinyl release by Live For Each Moon out 12/1.
many more releases of various headspace, including Watkins / Peacock, Snake and hiss & hum.
thanks for checking it out 🚩
Sweet! I'm off to check it out now.
Kevin Thank you for this forum! Yes folks, I BrittaRiffindots (or whatever my name is!) have two albums and a single available now aaaaaand a new track out in January which I am really proud of, but it has been in the can forever! I also hope to have at least one single released each month thereafter! Please visit my website riffindots.com! Or my equally goofily psychedelic Bandcamp romp brittapejic.bandcamp.com
I second this suggestion!
I know it's an older one, but 'Semabago Lumbago' has an incredibly infectious groove.
Weh-hellllll thank yoooooou!!!
I would suggest to support independent musicians on Substack by buying their music. Most have links to their Bandcamp pages and physical media options. There are many to be found here, and pretty much all across Bandcamp.
I wrote about several of them recently on Earworms and Song Loops but here’s a couple direct links:
Nolan Green/The Grassy Knoll:
https://thegrassyknoll.bandcamp.com/
Miter Music
https://miter.bandcamp.com/
Britta Pejic / Riffindots
https://brittapejic.bandcamp.com/
Michael Acoustic’s music can be found at:
https://michaelacoustic.hearnow.com/
YES!
Your recent description of Miter's sound nailed it.
"Imagine if Bruce Springsteen was a shy, nerdy kid in the ‘90s fronting a lo-fi industrial band, and that band was himself. Then, add a love for odd percussion, synths, layered guitars, and spoken word storytelling, and you are about 40 percent of the way there."
Thank you, Kevin.
Of course!
Thanks for the generosity Kevin! I didn't think I had anything outside of my substack. BUT realized there is something that I would want to boost on Bandcamp. There is still time to save the Pub!
The incredible @jill is still working on it and I think we are very close to be able to say that the Substack community owns one share of a pub. The story is here: https://miter.substack.com/p/streams-of-wordsmoke
And the single is for sale (with 3 versions of the track) is here. The deadline is early December, I believe. https://miter.bandcamp.com/album/wordsmoke
I love this Kevin, real selflessness and community building!
Hi Kevin - you are such a warm and generous curator - thanks for asking us... as it happens I released my debut album on 24 Nov... at the age of 57, having spent 30 years working in public schools (in the UK), with 17 of those as a high school principal... but a heart attack followed by the pandemic made me realise that life is too darn short and music was always my first love. So I gave up the day job and pursued my dream. Here it is: https://open.spotify.com/album/04yPw5yXD2USZ3Fq3gjjm2?si=xH2ngel9SKqknkVQVt7Cag
Listening now! For any scrolling the comments, if Jack's link doesn't work, please try this one:
https://open.spotify.com/album/04yPw5yXD2USZ3Fq3gjjm2?si=kzyP-O2WRsez4CgIIF6yWQ
The Science Fiction author John Scalzi has a similar thread each year. In his case (with a larger audience) he splits it into multiple categories (something to think about as it grows): https://whatever.scalzi.com/2023/11/24/whatever-2023-holiday-gift-guide-starts-monday/
-------------------------------
Monday, November 27: Traditionally Published Authors — If your work is being published by a publisher a) who is not you and b) gets your books into actual, physical bookstores on a returnable basis, this is your day to tell people about your books. This includes comics/graphic novels and audiobooks.
Tuesday, November 28: Non-Traditionally Published Authors — Self-published? Electronically published? Or other? This is your day. This also includes comics/graphic novels and audiobooks.
Wednesday, November 29: Other Creators — Artists, knitters, jewelers, musicians, and anyone who has cool stuff to sell this holiday season, this will be the day to show off your creations.
Thursday, November 30: Fan Favorite Day — Not an author/artist/musician/other creator but know about some really cool stuff you think people will want to know about for the holidays? Share! Share with the crowd!
Friday, December 1: Charities — If you are involved in a charity, or have a favorite charity you’d like to let people know about, this is the day to do it.
Hopefully, the community grows large enough that we can do this next year. We should be so lucky!
Thank you for doing this! I love this idea and will definitely be checking out all the links!
My first book through a publisher was released this past summer. It’s a local interest book on the brewery history and renaissance in my area. Quad Cities Beer: A History- https://a.co/d/6XRsCjp
Incidentally, The History Press/Arcadia Publishing does a lot of books on local interests if you have any interest on writing a book about anything local to you.
I do a lot of freelance work, and have worked with some local authors on editing, layout, formatting, and getting their books uploaded to Amazon/Kindle Direct Publishing. I have also done some ghostwriting in collaboration with a local writer/publisher. I’m planning on focusing more time on writing this year. I have been contracted by the local newspaper to write some business profiles for a special issue, as well as a yearly Nurse award issue. So, I’m already on a good track! I love writing profiles.