Item #1: There's more Day's Plays up at my blog. If you're looking for some musical fortification, inspiration, investigation, or emancipation, have a look. The series is ongoing for the foreseeable future.

Item #2: In collaboration with Lisa E. Harris, Flutist Nicole Mitchell continues her Afrofuturist journey with Earthseed. It follows Xenogenesis Suite and Intergalactic Beings among her works derived from and directly inspired by Octavia Butler's Parable novels. Mitchell is among my favorites (I had the pleasure of attending this utterly captivating performance) and this release is emblematic of her force and charisma as a performer and composer. 

Item #3: Om Malik on music and memory, and Spotify versus Other Music (the record store). He makes some good points about the distinctions between algorithmic curation and listener discovery. 

Item #4: Teju Cole on Robert Adams from October, 2018. Clear thinking on great, intentional photography.

Item #5: A thoroughgoing piece on the presence of bots in social media. I'm not surprised to know there are bots out there but I'm frequently surprised by how effective they can be.

Item #6: Did you know the Spike Lee's first draft of Do the Right Thing was handwritten? Unbelievable.