ARBird
@anthonyrbird.bsky.social
Intellectually ambitious. Knows a bit about music & buttons. No corporate streaming, Zuckerberg et al. located in deepest darkest East Kent.
Reposted by ARBird
very grateful to The Quietus for publishing this essay- on everyday fascism and the promise and problem of “beauty” as an inadequate but therapeutic response to the ugliness of the present - plus there are some thoughts on disco and Patricia Highsmith- this felt like a risk but I’m glad it’s out
January 26, 2026 at 3:45 PM
very grateful to The Quietus for publishing this essay- on everyday fascism and the promise and problem of “beauty” as an inadequate but therapeutic response to the ugliness of the present - plus there are some thoughts on disco and Patricia Highsmith- this felt like a risk but I’m glad it’s out
Reposted by ARBird
RIP Kenny Morris: original punk, Banshee drummer extraordinaire. I knew him well in the Banshees and was in touch with him recently about his memoir. Which I hope will be published. God bless you Kenny
January 15, 2026 at 6:10 PM
RIP Kenny Morris: original punk, Banshee drummer extraordinaire. I knew him well in the Banshees and was in touch with him recently about his memoir. Which I hope will be published. God bless you Kenny
Reposted by ARBird
Every year, Luminate releases Spotify data on streaming numbers, payouts, uploads, etc. The data for 2025, released today, shows that a whopping 88% of tracks on Spotify have been demonetized.
January 15, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Every year, Luminate releases Spotify data on streaming numbers, payouts, uploads, etc. The data for 2025, released today, shows that a whopping 88% of tracks on Spotify have been demonetized.
Reposted by ARBird
‘New Rose by The Damned is often said to be the first punk single, but Ubu’s debut preceded that by almost a year, and the first releases by Joy Division, Wire, Magazine and PiL by considerably more than that'
Remembering Those We Lost In 2025: David Thomas of #PereUbu
buff.ly/JzGyvR9
Remembering Those We Lost In 2025: David Thomas of #PereUbu
buff.ly/JzGyvR9
December 31, 2025 at 6:00 PM
‘New Rose by The Damned is often said to be the first punk single, but Ubu’s debut preceded that by almost a year, and the first releases by Joy Division, Wire, Magazine and PiL by considerably more than that'
Remembering Those We Lost In 2025: David Thomas of #PereUbu
buff.ly/JzGyvR9
Remembering Those We Lost In 2025: David Thomas of #PereUbu
buff.ly/JzGyvR9
Reposted by ARBird
This is Virginia Astley's beautiful new record The Singing Places. It can be ordered from her Bandcamp page, I think. One of the many delighful things about this music is that the field recordings of birds, from chiffchaff to wren, are listed in the credits in the order that each species appears.
December 29, 2025 at 4:16 PM
This is Virginia Astley's beautiful new record The Singing Places. It can be ordered from her Bandcamp page, I think. One of the many delighful things about this music is that the field recordings of birds, from chiffchaff to wren, are listed in the credits in the order that each species appears.
Reposted by ARBird
Reposted by ARBird
i post this story every christmas, and will keep doing so until it stops making me cry
merry christmas xx
merry christmas xx
A real Good Samaritan
One act of kindness that befell Leeds writer Bernard Hare in 1982 changed him profoundly. Here he tells his story.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 25, 2025 at 10:25 AM
i post this story every christmas, and will keep doing so until it stops making me cry
merry christmas xx
merry christmas xx
Reposted by ARBird
James Ransone, star of 'The Wire' and 'It: Chapter Two,' dies at 46
James Ransone, star of 'The Wire' and 'It: Chapter Two,' dies at 46
Baltimore native James Ransone was best known for his portrayal of Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO drama "The Wire."
www.latimes.com
December 22, 2025 at 8:00 AM
James Ransone, star of 'The Wire' and 'It: Chapter Two,' dies at 46
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A little flavour of #Ramsgate harbour at #Christmas. 🎥🌅🎅😀👍 #visitramsgate #ramsgateilluminations #Thanet
December 16, 2025 at 9:53 PM
A little flavour of #Ramsgate harbour at #Christmas. 🎥🌅🎅😀👍 #visitramsgate #ramsgateilluminations #Thanet
Reposted by ARBird
They played this before the revival screening this summer and it killed. Full theater, laughing uproariously.
On top of everything else, this is one of the greatest trailers of all time.
Spinal Tap - Cheese Rolling promo
YouTube video by Emory Lane
youtu.be
December 15, 2025 at 7:20 AM
They played this before the revival screening this summer and it killed. Full theater, laughing uproariously.
Reposted by ARBird
A U.S. customs officer having to go through my social media history
December 11, 2025 at 12:11 PM
A U.S. customs officer having to go through my social media history
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‘Here’s a snide way of summarising modern British history: a 400-year campaign by the propertied classes to make the English forget about the 1640s.’
Neal Ascherson on England’s monarchism problem:
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/de...
Neal Ascherson on England’s monarchism problem:
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/de...
Neal Ascherson | No Kings
England doesn’t know how to say: ‘No Kings.’ Instead, it says: ‘Not this one, but perhaps his brother or his son...
www.lrb.co.uk
December 6, 2025 at 4:33 PM
‘Here’s a snide way of summarising modern British history: a 400-year campaign by the propertied classes to make the English forget about the 1640s.’
Neal Ascherson on England’s monarchism problem:
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/de...
Neal Ascherson on England’s monarchism problem:
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/de...
Reposted by ARBird
SOTL posted a 2016 tour diary this week. I never mourned someone famous i had never met until Brian died, there’s a void in my heart knowing I will never see this band again. truly I hope everyone in this world feels this way aboit one artist at some point in their life. youtu.be/I5zCV7RJR50?...
Stars of the Lid in Europe (2016 Tour Diary)
YouTube video by STARS OF THE LID
youtu.be
December 6, 2025 at 12:41 AM
SOTL posted a 2016 tour diary this week. I never mourned someone famous i had never met until Brian died, there’s a void in my heart knowing I will never see this band again. truly I hope everyone in this world feels this way aboit one artist at some point in their life. youtu.be/I5zCV7RJR50?...
Reposted by ARBird
I put it to you that Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” is not merely the worst Christmas song but is also in fact the worst song in the history of recorded sound.
December 4, 2025 at 1:15 PM
I put it to you that Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” is not merely the worst Christmas song but is also in fact the worst song in the history of recorded sound.
Reposted by ARBird
Reposted by ARBird
We really need a Link Wray historical marker at the old Fredericksburg VA armory where he performed Rumble for the first time. I always think about his line in Shine A Light about stopping at a country store on Route 301.
November 22, 2025 at 5:58 PM
We really need a Link Wray historical marker at the old Fredericksburg VA armory where he performed Rumble for the first time. I always think about his line in Shine A Light about stopping at a country store on Route 301.
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Salami Advent Calendar, Czech Republic. podnikovka.cz/uzeniny_c103...
November 20, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Salami Advent Calendar, Czech Republic. podnikovka.cz/uzeniny_c103...
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Deeply moving/human experimental music / noise / field recordings from Beirut artist Yara Asmar. Listened to this obsessively since first hearing a few weeks ago.
My album of the year I think.
Yara Asmar - everyone I love is sleeping and I love them so so much (2025)
My album of the year I think.
Yara Asmar - everyone I love is sleeping and I love them so so much (2025)
November 19, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Deeply moving/human experimental music / noise / field recordings from Beirut artist Yara Asmar. Listened to this obsessively since first hearing a few weeks ago.
My album of the year I think.
Yara Asmar - everyone I love is sleeping and I love them so so much (2025)
My album of the year I think.
Yara Asmar - everyone I love is sleeping and I love them so so much (2025)
Reposted by ARBird
'They do not want my kind of pictures in their paper, spoiling their day.'
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
‘It’s been a cesspit, really, my life’: war photographer Don McCullin on 19 of his greatest pictures
At 90, McCullin has spent seven decades recording conflict and tragedy – while escaping snipers, mortar fire and capture. He reflects on pain, pride and regret
www.theguardian.com
October 29, 2025 at 2:53 PM
'They do not want my kind of pictures in their paper, spoiling their day.'
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Reposted by ARBird
Reposted by ARBird
Read about Ernst Stavro Blofeld's White Cat of Evil! the audition for his screen debut in From Russia With Love; his semi-retirement & thoughts on his stand-in's freak-out in You Only Live Twice; his unsatisfactory comeback in Spectre etc
CATS ON FILM (kindle or paperback)
"possibly the greatest book ever"
"one of the finest pieces of specialist film scholarship published in recent years”
“Bonus: includes My Day by Jones, AKA Alien from the cat's PoV. Fun!”
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1978038747
"possibly the greatest book ever"
"one of the finest pieces of specialist film scholarship published in recent years”
“Bonus: includes My Day by Jones, AKA Alien from the cat's PoV. Fun!”
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1978038747
September 25, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Read about Ernst Stavro Blofeld's White Cat of Evil! the audition for his screen debut in From Russia With Love; his semi-retirement & thoughts on his stand-in's freak-out in You Only Live Twice; his unsatisfactory comeback in Spectre etc
Reposted by ARBird
‘At his best, Brian Eno is a model of how to inhabit the role of unlikely national treasure with verve and mischief; at other times you may wonder how exactly he went from playing Cornelius Cardew to producing Coldplay.’
Ian Penman: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Ian Penman: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Ian Penman · Infinite Wibble: Brian v. Eno
At a time when most conversation about the arts remained stuck in an Oxbridge common room, Eno was a one-man laboratory...
www.lrb.co.uk
September 25, 2025 at 8:10 PM
‘At his best, Brian Eno is a model of how to inhabit the role of unlikely national treasure with verve and mischief; at other times you may wonder how exactly he went from playing Cornelius Cardew to producing Coldplay.’
Ian Penman: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Ian Penman: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Reposted by ARBird
