Ned Raggett
@nedraggett.bsky.social
Hi! I write about music at various spots (@thequietus.com, @thewiremagazine.bsky.social, Shfl and my Patreon, also in the past @allmusic.com, @pitchfork.com, @bandcamp.com etc. etc.). Plus podcasting about #Tolkien with friends at @bythebywater.bsky.social
Pinned
Ned Raggett
@nedraggett.bsky.social
· Nov 14
Given the very specific circumstances, I'd either check to see if I'm on drugs or if the baby is on drugs and if the latter find out where I could get some because clearly those are some gooooood drugs.
Well, it's time for some honest to god Bluesky lore.
A year ago, the site was still invite only, and one morning I posted something random and didn't think much about it beyond my own amusement.
This is the story about the #ChristianSkydivingBaby and how it completely took over @bsky.app (1/x)
A year ago, the site was still invite only, and one morning I posted something random and didn't think much about it beyond my own amusement.
This is the story about the #ChristianSkydivingBaby and how it completely took over @bsky.app (1/x)
Reposted by Ned Raggett
This excellent #documentary, A Place of Rage, is back on Criterion Channel for #BlackHistoryMonth. Rewatched it while eating dinner this evening. #BlackWomen #BlackHistory #BHM
Today I watched A Place of Rage (1991), part of Criterion’s #BlackHistoryMonth 2025 lineup. Directed by Pratibha Parmar, the #documentary features June Jordan, Angela Davis, and Alice Walker, with commentary by Trinh T. Minh-ha and Kelly Navies. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Place... #movies #BlackWomen
February 4, 2026 at 3:49 AM
This excellent #documentary, A Place of Rage, is back on Criterion Channel for #BlackHistoryMonth. Rewatched it while eating dinner this evening. #BlackWomen #BlackHistory #BHM
Reposted by Ned Raggett
Every Bitc*in ATM should be pulled into the street, doused in gasoline and set on fire
February 4, 2026 at 4:05 AM
Every Bitc*in ATM should be pulled into the street, doused in gasoline and set on fire
Reposted by Ned Raggett
Available on Vimeo in February is this half hour doc on 1940s era Memphis minister, photographer, & filmmaker Rev. L.0. Taylor . The film documents Taylor’s activism and his efforts documenting pre-civil rights era Black life in the South.
vimeo.com/158998653?fb...
vimeo.com/158998653?fb...
Sermons and Sacred Pictures by Lynne Sachs - 2025 Digital Preservation
“Sermons and Sacred Pictures: the life and work of Reverend L.O. Taylor” 29 minutes, Color and B&W, sound, 1989 2025 Preservation Restoration An…
vimeo.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:07 AM
Available on Vimeo in February is this half hour doc on 1940s era Memphis minister, photographer, & filmmaker Rev. L.0. Taylor . The film documents Taylor’s activism and his efforts documenting pre-civil rights era Black life in the South.
vimeo.com/158998653?fb...
vimeo.com/158998653?fb...
Reposted by Ned Raggett
fiona the hippo just turned nine (9). truly, time is fleeting
February 4, 2026 at 2:45 AM
fiona the hippo just turned nine (9). truly, time is fleeting
Truly men of their particular passions!
February 4, 2026 at 1:18 AM
Truly men of their particular passions!
Most excellent. Sorry we didn't chat properly then!
February 4, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Most excellent. Sorry we didn't chat properly then!
There's been some back and forth with availability on streaming over time, can't say for sure. Not a Creation thing though, given they haven't existed for over a quarter of a century.
February 4, 2026 at 1:05 AM
There's been some back and forth with availability on streaming over time, can't say for sure. Not a Creation thing though, given they haven't existed for over a quarter of a century.
Reposted by Ned Raggett
*withers away into dust*
Today my Gen Z friend and I were talking about vintage tech, and she asked me what “the box under the screen” was called. I feel BAD about how loud I shouted “THE COMPUTER???” (“No, the box the screen sits on.” “THE COMPUTER???” I shouted again, even more rattled now)
February 4, 2026 at 12:56 AM
*withers away into dust*
Reposted by Ned Raggett
NEW: Letitia James, the New York attorney general, announced that her office will deploy "legal observers" to document ICE activity in NY.
Her office says the effort is the first of its kind by an AG.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/n...
Her office says the effort is the first of its kind by an AG.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/n...
New York Attorney General to Deploy Observers to Document ICE Raids
www.nytimes.com
February 3, 2026 at 3:07 PM
NEW: Letitia James, the New York attorney general, announced that her office will deploy "legal observers" to document ICE activity in NY.
Her office says the effort is the first of its kind by an AG.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/n...
Her office says the effort is the first of its kind by an AG.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/n...
Awesome, that looks a real treat. Last saw him at the Three Lobed fest in Durham a couple of years back.
February 4, 2026 at 12:56 AM
Awesome, that looks a real treat. Last saw him at the Three Lobed fest in Durham a couple of years back.
Anyway, blast _Tremolo_ loud tonight, it'll do you good. All of it, "To Here Knows When," "Swallow," "Honey Power," "Moon Song," the interstitials, the whole thing. You can still hear everything from it playing out in eight million bands since and more to come each day. Works for me. (5/5)
February 4, 2026 at 12:53 AM
Anyway, blast _Tremolo_ loud tonight, it'll do you good. All of it, "To Here Knows When," "Swallow," "Honey Power," "Moon Song," the interstitials, the whole thing. You can still hear everything from it playing out in eight million bands since and more to come each day. Works for me. (5/5)
Oh so you're the guy
February 4, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Oh so you're the guy
"Wait...is there something wrong with the stereo?" (The song being played was "To Here Knows When.")
"Huh? Oh no, it's supposed to sound like that."
"...then is something wrong with the CD?"
I mean I can't blame her. But yeah I was already long gone and have never left. (4/x)
"Huh? Oh no, it's supposed to sound like that."
"...then is something wrong with the CD?"
I mean I can't blame her. But yeah I was already long gone and have never left. (4/x)
February 4, 2026 at 12:50 AM
"Wait...is there something wrong with the stereo?" (The song being played was "To Here Knows When.")
"Huh? Oh no, it's supposed to sound like that."
"...then is something wrong with the CD?"
I mean I can't blame her. But yeah I was already long gone and have never left. (4/x)
"Huh? Oh no, it's supposed to sound like that."
"...then is something wrong with the CD?"
I mean I can't blame her. But yeah I was already long gone and have never left. (4/x)
While I very much had my own stereo setup in my shared bedroom, there was also the shared system in the front room/den too. So I listened to it there, and soon after one of my apartmentmates (and still a friend) Xana came in. She frowned at the stereo... (3/x)
February 4, 2026 at 12:49 AM
While I very much had my own stereo setup in my shared bedroom, there was also the shared system in the front room/den too. So I listened to it there, and soon after one of my apartmentmates (and still a friend) Xana came in. She frowned at the stereo... (3/x)
So having had my mind blown into the next universe by hearing "Soon" and _Glider_ in 1990, I was deeply primed for _Tremolo_ and got it as soon as I could on American release, back when releasing CD maxi-singles over here could allow for that. Back to my shared undergrad apartment I go... (2/x)
February 4, 2026 at 12:47 AM
So having had my mind blown into the next universe by hearing "Soon" and _Glider_ in 1990, I was deeply primed for _Tremolo_ and got it as soon as I could on American release, back when releasing CD maxi-singles over here could allow for that. Back to my shared undergrad apartment I go... (2/x)
Thirty-five years. What more can I say?
The thing about the _Tremolo_ EP (and the preceding _Glider_ EP) is that both are their own distinct works, they're not just the singles from _Loveless_ in advance. You can't understand MBV without understanding them in turn.
Plus, a fave story... (1/x)
The thing about the _Tremolo_ EP (and the preceding _Glider_ EP) is that both are their own distinct works, they're not just the singles from _Loveless_ in advance. You can't understand MBV without understanding them in turn.
Plus, a fave story... (1/x)
February 4, 2026 at 12:46 AM
Thirty-five years. What more can I say?
The thing about the _Tremolo_ EP (and the preceding _Glider_ EP) is that both are their own distinct works, they're not just the singles from _Loveless_ in advance. You can't understand MBV without understanding them in turn.
Plus, a fave story... (1/x)
The thing about the _Tremolo_ EP (and the preceding _Glider_ EP) is that both are their own distinct works, they're not just the singles from _Loveless_ in advance. You can't understand MBV without understanding them in turn.
Plus, a fave story... (1/x)
I was also at this festival and specific set and can confirm. My very 1998 photo of same:
February 4, 2026 at 12:36 AM
I was also at this festival and specific set and can confirm. My very 1998 photo of same:
Reposted by Ned Raggett
"Empty Bell Ringing in the Sky No. 2” on this was recorded at Terrastock 2 in SF - possibly one of the greatest sets I’ve seen anywhere. Get it here: peltusa.bandcamp.com/album/empty-...
February 4, 2026 at 12:30 AM
"Empty Bell Ringing in the Sky No. 2” on this was recorded at Terrastock 2 in SF - possibly one of the greatest sets I’ve seen anywhere. Get it here: peltusa.bandcamp.com/album/empty-...
Reposted by Ned Raggett
BTW, if you download this bear in mind that “side 2” of the tape is first. The song order should be: Rollercoaster / Transparent Radiation / Things’ll Never Be The Same / Take Me To The Other Side / Starship / Bo Diddley Jam / Mary Anne / Revolution
So over on FB @chunkletindustries.bsky.social talked about his Spacemen 3 obsession (rightly) and shared a very clean sounding tape of them in Kassel, Germany, 1989. Enjoy. Attn. @quartzcity.bsky.social and @highway62.bsky.social and @catbus.phd and etc. fromsmash.com/WsrnG.i30j-ft
February 4, 2026 at 12:00 AM
BTW, if you download this bear in mind that “side 2” of the tape is first. The song order should be: Rollercoaster / Transparent Radiation / Things’ll Never Be The Same / Take Me To The Other Side / Starship / Bo Diddley Jam / Mary Anne / Revolution
Reposted by Ned Raggett
This is a good upgrade from the recordings of this gig that are out there. At least a generation or two up from the version that's linked here. spacemen3.blogspot.com/2016/11/spac... (surprisingly the mega.nz link in the comments still works!)
February 3, 2026 at 11:50 PM
This is a good upgrade from the recordings of this gig that are out there. At least a generation or two up from the version that's linked here. spacemen3.blogspot.com/2016/11/spac... (surprisingly the mega.nz link in the comments still works!)
Reposted by Ned Raggett
If only there were a way to prevent this sort of thing
Perhaps by heating the milk to kill bacteria
Perhaps by heating the milk to kill bacteria
This is bonkers. MAHA 'farmers' with ecoli tainted raw milk admit they really don't know how to make the stuff after all.
"Producing raw milk takes careful planning from a facility and infrastructure standpoint. Unfortunately, we learned this after the fact."
people.com/ballerina-fa...
"Producing raw milk takes careful planning from a facility and infrastructure standpoint. Unfortunately, we learned this after the fact."
people.com/ballerina-fa...
Hannah Neeleman's Ballerina Farm Halts Sale of Raw Milk Due to Bacteria Concerns: Report
Hannah and Daniel Neeleman have paused Ballerina Farm's sale of raw milk following health violations discovered during routine testing. Screenings from summer 2025 showed high levels of coliform, the ...
people.com
February 3, 2026 at 11:49 PM
If only there were a way to prevent this sort of thing
Perhaps by heating the milk to kill bacteria
Perhaps by heating the milk to kill bacteria
Reposted by Ned Raggett
Remember the incident where DHS claimed officers shot a guy because he attacked them with a snow shovel?
Yeah. It didn't happen. They shot him through the door of his own home. And then arrested him. And then lied about it. Again.
And they almost shot some kids in the process.
Yeah. It didn't happen. They shot him through the door of his own home. And then arrested him. And then lied about it. Again.
And they almost shot some kids in the process.
They just blindly shot through the fucking door.
"Additional photographs show damage consistent with a bullet fragment lodged in a bedroom wall down the hallway — suggesting it traveled between a mattress and a portable crib in a room where several small children sleep."
"Additional photographs show damage consistent with a bullet fragment lodged in a bedroom wall down the hallway — suggesting it traveled between a mattress and a portable crib in a room where several small children sleep."
"Photographic evidence from the shooting scene of a Venezuelan man by federal agents last month in Minneapolis supports the account of witnesses there – and appears to undercut the narrative provided by federal officials." www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
February 3, 2026 at 11:33 PM
Remember the incident where DHS claimed officers shot a guy because he attacked them with a snow shovel?
Yeah. It didn't happen. They shot him through the door of his own home. And then arrested him. And then lied about it. Again.
And they almost shot some kids in the process.
Yeah. It didn't happen. They shot him through the door of his own home. And then arrested him. And then lied about it. Again.
And they almost shot some kids in the process.
Reposted by Ned Raggett
Fun volunteer project for a nerd!
Who wants to go through StandWithMinnesota and add every existing listing on the website with a visible amount of fundraising and put it in a spreadsheet and add it up?
Who wants to go through StandWithMinnesota and add every existing listing on the website with a visible amount of fundraising and put it in a spreadsheet and add it up?
February 3, 2026 at 11:38 PM
Fun volunteer project for a nerd!
Who wants to go through StandWithMinnesota and add every existing listing on the website with a visible amount of fundraising and put it in a spreadsheet and add it up?
Who wants to go through StandWithMinnesota and add every existing listing on the website with a visible amount of fundraising and put it in a spreadsheet and add it up?
Reposted by Ned Raggett
Lowkey wish Nolan went full anachronistic and threw whatever into the Odyssey movie stew for the thrill of it.
Let us catch Odysseus eating Munchkins and cursing out other crews on the ocean for bad sailing, why tf not lol. Performed with 100% seriousness
Let us catch Odysseus eating Munchkins and cursing out other crews on the ocean for bad sailing, why tf not lol. Performed with 100% seriousness
February 3, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Lowkey wish Nolan went full anachronistic and threw whatever into the Odyssey movie stew for the thrill of it.
Let us catch Odysseus eating Munchkins and cursing out other crews on the ocean for bad sailing, why tf not lol. Performed with 100% seriousness
Let us catch Odysseus eating Munchkins and cursing out other crews on the ocean for bad sailing, why tf not lol. Performed with 100% seriousness
Reposted by Ned Raggett
one thing that struck me when I was learning european history in high school was how christianity would schism over literally anything
nothing changes
nothing changes
The successful nonviolence and civil rights movements of the past, as I’ve gathered from reading about them, ALSO featured a shit ton of incessant petty drama and in-fighting.
But crucially, they didn’t have social media - so this was kept far more private.
But crucially, they didn’t have social media - so this was kept far more private.
February 3, 2026 at 11:28 PM
one thing that struck me when I was learning european history in high school was how christianity would schism over literally anything
nothing changes
nothing changes