The Tonearm
@thetonearm.com
celebrating music journalism
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putting a needle on the cultural wax
an online journal of unexpected music + culture → thetonearm.com
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putting a needle on the cultural wax
an online journal of unexpected music + culture → thetonearm.com
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The Tonearm
@thetonearm.com
· Mar 20
The Tonearm is an online journal of unexpected music and culture, a shared exploration of what it's like to create cool + meaningful things.
Check out our latest articles + podcasts: www.thetonearm.com/linkinbio/
and don't forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Talk Of The Tonearm ✨
Check out our latest articles + podcasts: www.thetonearm.com/linkinbio/
and don't forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Talk Of The Tonearm ✨
Discussing his 'walking memoir,' Things Become Other Things, writer and photographer Craig Mod reveals how walking thousands of kilometers across Japan generates the mental space where his ideas develop.
Focused Technology—The Deliberate Practice of Craig Mod:
@craigmod.com #booksky
Focused Technology—The Deliberate Practice of Craig Mod:
@craigmod.com #booksky
Focused Technology—The Deliberate Practice of Craig Mod
Discussing his latest work, 'Things Become Other Things,' the writer and photographer reveals how walking thousands of kilometers across Japan generates the mental space where his ideas develop.
www.thetonearm.com
January 13, 2026 at 1:45 AM
Discussing his 'walking memoir,' Things Become Other Things, writer and photographer Craig Mod reveals how walking thousands of kilometers across Japan generates the mental space where his ideas develop.
Focused Technology—The Deliberate Practice of Craig Mod:
@craigmod.com #booksky
Focused Technology—The Deliberate Practice of Craig Mod:
@craigmod.com #booksky
"As a vocalist, he sang 'Truckin’,' harmonizing with Garcia on one of the group’s most quoted lyrics: 'What a long, strange trip it’s been.' Here’s a look back at his own journey."
Bob Weir — A Life in Pictures (gift link):
Bob Weir — A Life in Pictures (gift link):
Bob Weir: A Life in Pictures
The Grateful Dead guitarist, singer and songwriter was a bedrock of the band that became a psychedelic institution.
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 11:45 PM
"As a vocalist, he sang 'Truckin’,' harmonizing with Garcia on one of the group’s most quoted lyrics: 'What a long, strange trip it’s been.' Here’s a look back at his own journey."
Bob Weir — A Life in Pictures (gift link):
Bob Weir — A Life in Pictures (gift link):
"The 145 notebooks in the collection hold lyrical drafts, dreams, film script ideas, and song sketches, along with personal notes scolding himself for not practicing his instrument more."
Tom Verlaine Was a Mystery. His Archives Reveal More of His Story (gift link):
Tom Verlaine Was a Mystery. His Archives Reveal More of His Story (gift link):
Tom Verlaine Was a Mystery. His Archives Reveal More of His Story.
The Television frontman died in 2023, leaving behind boxes of music and notebooks that are now headed to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:45 PM
"The 145 notebooks in the collection hold lyrical drafts, dreams, film script ideas, and song sketches, along with personal notes scolding himself for not practicing his instrument more."
Tom Verlaine Was a Mystery. His Archives Reveal More of His Story (gift link):
Tom Verlaine Was a Mystery. His Archives Reveal More of His Story (gift link):
Until the House Dissolves, by Airships on the Water
1 track album
airshipsonthewater.bandcamp.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:45 PM
"We know that so many people are just now starting to come up for air through this disaster. They're just now starting to figure out what they need and what kind of assistance they might benefit from."
After the LA wildfires, musicians still face a long road to recovery: www.npr.org/2026/01/09/n...
After the LA wildfires, musicians still face a long road to recovery: www.npr.org/2026/01/09/n...
January 12, 2026 at 6:45 PM
"We know that so many people are just now starting to come up for air through this disaster. They're just now starting to figure out what they need and what kind of assistance they might benefit from."
After the LA wildfires, musicians still face a long road to recovery: www.npr.org/2026/01/09/n...
After the LA wildfires, musicians still face a long road to recovery: www.npr.org/2026/01/09/n...
Reposted by The Tonearm
Absolutely horrible news. Matt was a major contributor to the unique sound that helped Black Midi's debut shine through. RIP.
faroutmagazine.co.uk/black-midi-m...
faroutmagazine.co.uk/black-midi-m...
Black Midi's Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin dead at 26
Black Midi guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin has died aged 26, which his family have confirmed and said was after "a long battle with mental health".
faroutmagazine.co.uk
January 12, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Absolutely horrible news. Matt was a major contributor to the unique sound that helped Black Midi's debut shine through. RIP.
faroutmagazine.co.uk/black-midi-m...
faroutmagazine.co.uk/black-midi-m...
Reposted by The Tonearm
Some quick words for Morton Feldman’s 100th.
The Feldman Century
Quick thoughts on slow music
open.substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Some quick words for Morton Feldman’s 100th.
Reposted by The Tonearm
Today's new episode of The Tonearm Podcast features vibraphonist, marimbist, and composer Patricia Brennan discussing her stunning new album 'Of The Near And Far' on which she uses constellations as the foundation for compositions that blend jazz, classical, and post-rock …
#JazzSky
#JazzSky
Patricia Brennan: Vibraphone, Astronomy & New Compositions
Vibraphonist Patricia Brennan discusses her constellation-based compositional system, blending jazz, classical, and alt-rock on Of The Near And Far.
podcast.thetonearm.com
January 11, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Today's new episode of The Tonearm Podcast features vibraphonist, marimbist, and composer Patricia Brennan discussing her stunning new album 'Of The Near And Far' on which she uses constellations as the foundation for compositions that blend jazz, classical, and post-rock …
#JazzSky
#JazzSky
"Through six decades with the Grateful Dead and its latter-day incarnations after the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995, Weir contributed just as much when he wasn’t the player in the spotlight."
Bob Weir Was the Dead’s Invisible Thread (gift link):
Bob Weir Was the Dead’s Invisible Thread (gift link):
Bob Weir Was the Dead’s Invisible Thread
The songwriter, guitarist and singer, who died at 78, animated the Grateful Dead from within.
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:00 PM
"Through six decades with the Grateful Dead and its latter-day incarnations after the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995, Weir contributed just as much when he wasn’t the player in the spotlight."
Bob Weir Was the Dead’s Invisible Thread (gift link):
Bob Weir Was the Dead’s Invisible Thread (gift link):
From producing Galaxie 500 and Low to his new ambient masterwork '...and the crimson moon whispers goodbye,' Shimmy-Disc founder Kramer reflects on spontaneous composition, the spiritual dimensions of reverb, and finally achieving his personal 'Rothko Chapel.'
A Conversation with Kramer:
A Conversation with Kramer:
Don't Fear the Reverb — A Conversation with Kramer
From producing Galaxie 500 and Low to his new ambient masterwork '...and the crimson moon whispers goodbye,' the musician and Shimmy-Disc founder reflects on spontaneous composition, the spiritual dimensions of reverb, and finally achieving his personal 'Rothko Chapel.'
www.thetonearm.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:30 PM
From producing Galaxie 500 and Low to his new ambient masterwork '...and the crimson moon whispers goodbye,' Shimmy-Disc founder Kramer reflects on spontaneous composition, the spiritual dimensions of reverb, and finally achieving his personal 'Rothko Chapel.'
A Conversation with Kramer:
A Conversation with Kramer:
"Over time, Sinéad O’Connor would come to recognize 'The Holy Spirit' as music itself, an animating oversoul bringing the piano to life, a direct channel to the divine."
I Want to Be Haunted by the Ghost:
I Want to Be Haunted by the Ghost:
I Want to Be Haunted by the Ghost
Sinéad O'Connor & The Holy Spirit of Music
jasonpwoodbury.substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 12:45 PM
"Over time, Sinéad O’Connor would come to recognize 'The Holy Spirit' as music itself, an animating oversoul bringing the piano to life, a direct channel to the divine."
I Want to Be Haunted by the Ghost:
I Want to Be Haunted by the Ghost:
"… [doomgaze] can refer to My Bloody Valentine-esque stunners performed at a snail’s pace; depressive, faintly grungy lo-fi racket; post-metal enshrouded in pot smoke; or something else entirely. Even the bands’ guesses are as good as ours, even among those who self-identify …"
Blissful Noise, Bad Vibes: A Doomgaze Primer
From Jesu to Faetooth, these are the bands to know.
daily.bandcamp.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:31 AM
"… [doomgaze] can refer to My Bloody Valentine-esque stunners performed at a snail’s pace; depressive, faintly grungy lo-fi racket; post-metal enshrouded in pot smoke; or something else entirely. Even the bands’ guesses are as good as ours, even among those who self-identify …"
As the lines between mainstream and underground continue to dissolve online, artists carrying the "vibe of the internet" create music that reflects the web's original wild freedom rather than its corporatized present.
Postmodern MCs — What Makes a True Internet Rapper?:
Postmodern MCs — What Makes a True Internet Rapper?:
Postmodern MCs — What Makes a True Internet Rapper?
As the lines between mainstream and underground continue to dissolve online, artists carrying the "vibe of the internet" create music that reflects the web's original wild freedom rather than its corporatized present.
www.thetonearm.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:45 AM
As the lines between mainstream and underground continue to dissolve online, artists carrying the "vibe of the internet" create music that reflects the web's original wild freedom rather than its corporatized present.
Postmodern MCs — What Makes a True Internet Rapper?:
Postmodern MCs — What Makes a True Internet Rapper?:
"For me, the world is often auraculous or 'ear-marvellous' – full of noises, which, to cite Caliban in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, 'give delight and hurt not.”
How to enjoy the music and sounds of the world that surrounds us:
How to enjoy the music and sounds of the world that surrounds us:
‘Ear-marvellous’: how to enjoy the music and sounds of the world that surrounds us
A fuller appreciation of the sounds that surround us can transform your life
www.theguardian.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:45 AM
"For me, the world is often auraculous or 'ear-marvellous' – full of noises, which, to cite Caliban in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, 'give delight and hurt not.”
How to enjoy the music and sounds of the world that surrounds us:
How to enjoy the music and sounds of the world that surrounds us:
"Equally devoted to cowboy story-songs as much as he was to zigzagging melodies, Weir, who died at 78, was a creatively restless soul who helped flesh out the Dead’s music in multiple ways."
Bob Weir — 10 Essential Songs (gift link):
Bob Weir — 10 Essential Songs (gift link):
Bob Weir: 10 Essential Songs
The guitarist, singer and songwriter, who died at 78, cut his own path among his elders in the Grateful Dead, and beyond.
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 4:00 AM
"Equally devoted to cowboy story-songs as much as he was to zigzagging melodies, Weir, who died at 78, was a creatively restless soul who helped flesh out the Dead’s music in multiple ways."
Bob Weir — 10 Essential Songs (gift link):
Bob Weir — 10 Essential Songs (gift link):
On the album 'Won't Believe In Dust', Alta Vista moves past the country songbook that sparked their formation, embracing everything from calypso bounce to free-flowing post-bop and the belief that laughter belongs in the creative process.
Highbrow Meets Lowbrow in Alta Vista's Musical Blender:
Highbrow Meets Lowbrow in Alta Vista's Musical Blender:
Alta Vista's 'Won't Believe In Dust' Playfully Blends Genres
On their second album 'Won't Believe In Dust', the instrumental trio moves beyond the vintage country songbook that sparked their formation, embracing everything from calypso bounce to free-flowing post-bop while sharing a belief that laughter belongs in the creative process.
www.thetonearm.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:45 AM
On the album 'Won't Believe In Dust', Alta Vista moves past the country songbook that sparked their formation, embracing everything from calypso bounce to free-flowing post-bop and the belief that laughter belongs in the creative process.
Highbrow Meets Lowbrow in Alta Vista's Musical Blender:
Highbrow Meets Lowbrow in Alta Vista's Musical Blender:
"Flo is in the greenhouse today with avant-garde artist, musician, + filmmaker Laurie Anderson. … As the pair plant out crocus sativa bulbs they compare strange counting habits, their very different takes on AI, and Laurie’s time hanging out with Andy Kaufman."
Digging with Laurie Anderson and Flo:
Digging with Laurie Anderson and Flo:
Digging with Laurie Anderson and Flo
Flo is in the greenhouse today with avant-garde artist, musician and filmmaker Laurie Anderson. Laurie is an enduring creative force who has been at the fore...
www.youtube.com
January 11, 2026 at 11:45 PM
"Flo is in the greenhouse today with avant-garde artist, musician, + filmmaker Laurie Anderson. … As the pair plant out crocus sativa bulbs they compare strange counting habits, their very different takes on AI, and Laurie’s time hanging out with Andy Kaufman."
Digging with Laurie Anderson and Flo:
Digging with Laurie Anderson and Flo:
Reposted by The Tonearm
Posted this a few times on the Bowie anniversary but not over here so here’s one of my favourite tributes of that day, from the organist at Kelvingrove Museum.
January 10, 2026 at 12:07 PM
Posted this a few times on the Bowie anniversary but not over here so here’s one of my favourite tributes of that day, from the organist at Kelvingrove Museum.
"Unbelievably, it’s been 10 years since David Bowie died … Then came Prince in April and Leonard Cohen in November, and there wasn’t enough left to hold the world together after that. If everything seems off, it’s because we’re living in the posthumous."
A decade after David:
A decade after David:
A decade after David
Rest in stardust: A new doc and an old appreciation
carlwilson.substack.com
January 11, 2026 at 8:46 PM
"Unbelievably, it’s been 10 years since David Bowie died … Then came Prince in April and Leonard Cohen in November, and there wasn’t enough left to hold the world together after that. If everything seems off, it’s because we’re living in the posthumous."
A decade after David:
A decade after David:
I can feel the waves, by frances chang
1 track album
destinyisadog.bandcamp.com
January 11, 2026 at 7:46 PM
“Country music aims straight for the heart and when it misses, it misses really badly. And that’s the stuff that makes the most noise and takes up most space… There’s a soulfulness to country music that can elude you if you just look at the big picture.”
Emmylou Harris on her garlanded career:
Emmylou Harris on her garlanded career:
‘There’s serendipity to my story’: Emmylou Harris on Gram Parsons, her garlanded career – and her dog rescue centre
Ahead of her final European tour, the US songwriter discusses her unlikely life as a country star, seeking advice from Pete Seeger – and why retirement isn’t on the cards just yet
www.theguardian.com
January 11, 2026 at 6:46 PM
“Country music aims straight for the heart and when it misses, it misses really badly. And that’s the stuff that makes the most noise and takes up most space… There’s a soulfulness to country music that can elude you if you just look at the big picture.”
Emmylou Harris on her garlanded career:
Emmylou Harris on her garlanded career:
Reposted by The Tonearm
"@kirinmcelwain.bsky.social's exploratory album 'Youth' turns toward crystalline feedback, chaotic oscillators, and intentionally harsh tones to express the feelings of desire and shame occupying the same cognitive space." - @thetonearm.com
www.thetonearm.com/kirin-mcelwa...
www.thetonearm.com/kirin-mcelwa...
Kirin McElwain: Harsh Tones and 'Youth' | The Tonearm
Cellist Kirin McElwain's exploratory album 'Youth' turns toward crystalline feedback, chaotic oscillators, and intentionally harsh tones to express the feelings of desire and shame occupying the same ...
www.thetonearm.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:25 PM
"@kirinmcelwain.bsky.social's exploratory album 'Youth' turns toward crystalline feedback, chaotic oscillators, and intentionally harsh tones to express the feelings of desire and shame occupying the same cognitive space." - @thetonearm.com
www.thetonearm.com/kirin-mcelwa...
www.thetonearm.com/kirin-mcelwa...
"[This violin] carries the memory of resilience in the face of destruction. Every time I play it, I am reminded of how the people of Los Angeles rose with humanity, generosity and grace during a moment of profound loss.”
In the Path of a Raging Wildfire, a Luthier’s Precious Wood (gift link):
In the Path of a Raging Wildfire, a Luthier’s Precious Wood (gift link):
In the Path of a Raging Wildfire, a Luthier’s Precious Wood
Mario Miralles spent decades acquiring the spruce and maple for string instruments worthy of Yo-Yo Ma and Gustavo Dudamel. Then he was forced to evacuate.
www.nytimes.com
January 11, 2026 at 3:01 PM
"[This violin] carries the memory of resilience in the face of destruction. Every time I play it, I am reminded of how the people of Los Angeles rose with humanity, generosity and grace during a moment of profound loss.”
In the Path of a Raging Wildfire, a Luthier’s Precious Wood (gift link):
In the Path of a Raging Wildfire, a Luthier’s Precious Wood (gift link):
Today's new episode of The Tonearm Podcast features vibraphonist, marimbist, and composer Patricia Brennan discussing her stunning new album 'Of The Near And Far' on which she uses constellations as the foundation for compositions that blend jazz, classical, and post-rock …
#JazzSky
#JazzSky
Patricia Brennan: Vibraphone, Astronomy & New Compositions
Vibraphonist Patricia Brennan discusses her constellation-based compositional system, blending jazz, classical, and alt-rock on Of The Near And Far.
podcast.thetonearm.com
January 11, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Today's new episode of The Tonearm Podcast features vibraphonist, marimbist, and composer Patricia Brennan discussing her stunning new album 'Of The Near And Far' on which she uses constellations as the foundation for compositions that blend jazz, classical, and post-rock …
#JazzSky
#JazzSky
"Many fans believed those livestreamed concerts might be the band’s unbilled farewell engagement, but few could have guessed the conditions under which Weir powered through what turned out to be his final gigs."
Bob Weir, Grateful Dead Singer, Guitarist and Co-Founder, Dies at 78:
Bob Weir, Grateful Dead Singer, Guitarist and Co-Founder, Dies at 78:
Bob Weir, Grateful Dead Singer, Guitarist and Co-Founder, Dies at 78
Singer-songwriter-guitarist Bob Weir, a cornerstone of the Grateful Dead and the band’s many latter-day offshoots, has died
variety.com
January 11, 2026 at 12:46 PM
"Many fans believed those livestreamed concerts might be the band’s unbilled farewell engagement, but few could have guessed the conditions under which Weir powered through what turned out to be his final gigs."
Bob Weir, Grateful Dead Singer, Guitarist and Co-Founder, Dies at 78:
Bob Weir, Grateful Dead Singer, Guitarist and Co-Founder, Dies at 78: