Welcome to Another Thought

On consumption, "content," discontent, and slowing down

All day, I’m consuming. And so are you. Our lives are built around it.

We’re constantly taking in “media.” Music, videos, social media, more music, more videos, music in the background while watching a video, short videos, long videos, a long video about the problem of all of us watching too many short videos, a short video about why it’s bad to watch short videos, and then short videos are banned. And then they’re not?

What a time to be alive and experience it all.

I’m not sure what there is to say about all of that. Scary? Maybe. But within all of this mania that we consume daily, some really fantastic art is being made. And despite our existential crises, I think there’s value in giving art deep consideration and not letting it pass us by. Art reflects the world around us and it’s good to dwell on these ideas. Our world has become an endless scroll (I believe I’m adding to it right now!) It’s a radical act to slow down and really think about the stories and ideas we are “consuming” daily.

Another Thought is my attempt to do just that. To slow down and really think about the things I’m consuming, the things that I like or stick with me in some way. Taking it further, I want to understand why I’m drawn to these works and ideas and how it resonates with my own life. We each have unique lived experiences. While mine may differ from yours, we might find we have more in common than we think. Or maybe you’ll take something away from my thoughts that never even occurred to me. I can’t wait to find out.

One of the things I love most is to share something that excites me with others. Often times, that’s music. I’d like to use this newsletter as a place to share music and art (and other things) that are inspiring me, in hopes that others will find it and it’ll do the same for them. When something sets off a spark in you, why wouldn’t you want to share?

In each edition of Another Thought, I’ll explore big ideas and pieces of art through essays, comics, and illustrations. You’ll also get some quick recommendations for music, movies, books, and other things I’m “consuming” that I think you all might appreciate too. There might be some surprises from time to time too.

Thanks for coming along. Let’s slow down together.

– Dusty

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Stray Thoughts

At the end of each edition of Another Thought, I’ll share a few quick thoughts on things I’ve been loving lately. Here’s a taste.

LISTENING: MIKE - Showbiz!

I’ve been listening to MIKE for years and have always found something meditative about his writing and performance. The New York-based rapper has been putting out music since he was 16 years old and emerged right away as a refined, thoughtful soul. His starting point fits the adage of “wise beyond his years.” A decade into his career now, he’s only gotten wiser.

There’s a steadiness I’ve always loved listening to MIKE. Not just in that he’s dependable always to put out a great project, but in the way he writes and performs. His voice feels like a constant, a steady pulse to hold onto whether the beat is laidback or spastic. Which is a great skill to have, considering how adventurous his beat selection is and how he makes most of those beats himself under the alias dj blackpower.

Listening to MIKE feels like meditation. I can throw his albums on loop for hours. It’s music not led by hooks but hooks you in with his subdued intentionality. But as you lean in and let the music hit you again and again, you’re treated to beautiful poetry about grief, joy, and prayers to the universe. His latest album, Showbiz!, continues this meditative spirit. I’ve already listened to it a dozen or so times and I still feel like there’s more I haven’t unlocked. But in the spirit of Another Thought, I’m excited to keep spending more time with it and letting the music and ideas wash over me.

WATCHING: Kneecap (2024)

Music biopics have become a genre of their own. And most of them feel the same. There’s only so many times you can watch the same “rise and fall” arc before it starts to get old, even with a great soundtrack. I’ve proudly held the belief that Weird Al’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is the most thrilling and honest music biopic in recent memory (a film in which he dates and gets assassinated by Madonna). But Kneecap might actually prove a worthy challenger to Yankovic.

With blurred lines of fact and fiction, the film tells the story of the Irish rap group Kneecap. Being upfront, I did not know much about the group going in. They’ve stirred controversy over the years for their lyrics glorifying their sex, drugs, and car bombs lifestyle. But really, Kneecap is a story about the preservation of language. The group advocates for the preservation of the Irish language in the best way possible – by using it. By speaking to their plights, in their language that’s on the brink of extinction, they spark a controversial movement for the greater good. It’s thrilling, hilarious, and poignant. And yeah, has a killer soundtrack.

We’re living in an era where “the truth” matters more than ever and is something to be fought for and preserved (seriously, sound the alarms). So it may sound hypocritical to praise a movie in which it’s unclear what actually happened and what didn’t. But music biopics have never really been about the truth. Self-mythologizing among artists has been rampant from Robert Johnson to Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain, and on and on. Movies like Bohemian Rhapsody and Straight Outta Compton clearly, uh, embellish. I’m of the mind that if these movies aren’t going to be accurate, they should at least speak clearly to the spirit of the artist. Kneecap does that many times over. From ketamine-fueled performances, high-speed chases, and righteous debauchery, at the very least you will leave the film with a clear understanding of what Kneecap is all about. While they may be called Kneecap, they show themselves to be a group with a serious backbone.

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One last thing – I’m publishing a book this year! It’s called 20th Century Ambient for Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 Genre series. I’ll share more about the book down the road (and maybe give some peeks behind the scenes). In the meantime, you can pre-order it here.