Canned Dragons

A personal weblog written by @Robert: Mere Christian, aspiring minimalist, inveterate notetaker, budget audiophile and paper airplane mechanic. 

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  • Eveningstar

    I originally posted this in 2024, but it’s not on my current blog. I just listened to this song again and I still love it, so it’s this week’s Saturday Night Video.

    Noble Oak – Eveningstar (YouTube)

    Recently, a friend on Mastodon asked followers about their first cassette purchase. I had no trouble recollecting getting Starship’s Knee Deep In The Hoopla when I was in the fourth grade as my introduction to the world of music on tape. I wore that tape out playing the all-too radio friendly songs like “We Built This City” (some might say the song was pandering — the shoutout to all the cities hasn’t aged well). Following that popular anthem in the track sequencing was “Sara,” a ballad at a time when that was almost a separate genre within a genre. Rock bands used to touring arenas had their slower, more romantic songs interspersed with the more upbeat anthemic fare on their records.

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  • Qobuz finally added the one feature I was really missing: The ability to download songs while not in the app.

  • Brandon writes about having Reverse SAD — seasonal affective disorder that occurs during the summer instead of the winter.

    Research also suggests that high temperatures might play a role in reverse SAD. Notable differences between summer and winter SAD are that summer SAD individuals may typically feel manic, whereas those with winter SAD lack energy. Georgetown University psychiatrist and professor Norman Rosenthal, who first described and coined the term Seasonal Affective Disorder, notes that the drop in temperature can be calming for those people, who might otherwise find the summer heat oppressive and agitating.

    I am totally feeling this. When it’s 100 degrees actual temperature outside, like it was today, it’s easy to feel confined and isolated.

  • The Flag by Georgia O’Keeffe via The Internet Archive

    Trying to get into the Semisequicentennial spirit.

  • Bandcamp Downsizing

    Details are scarce, but a Bluesky post has people once again wondering about the fate of Bandcamp.

    my 13 years at bandcamp are coming to an end – i’ve been laid off along with most of the remaining engineers. best job i’ve ever had, working with the best people you could ever work with. unceremonious end to quite a ride.

    — drew (@grmnygrmny.bsky.social) 2026-06-29T16:25:33.403Z

    Some are speculating that Bandcamp’s owner, Songtradr, has enough engineers to fill in the gaps and keep the service running. I would not be surprised if that were the case, and I don’t think this piece of news is necessarily an indicator that the service is shutting down, but nevertheless, it’s not a good thing.

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  • Ascension Serif

    My pen pal Adam thought I would enjoy this video and he was right. The short combines my love of fonts and of prayer books.

    The new typeface, Ascension Serif, is used with an upcoming version of The Liturgy of the Hours. The video emphasizes the pursuit of beauty in conveying the Christian message and providing inspiration.

    Fediverse reactions

  • I Set My Face to the Hillside

    Last year, I bought TNT by Tortoise on CD from a Discogs seller.1 I should tell you, this sort of activity is as sure a sign of my devotion to a particular album as any. After all, I’ve got access to high-quality digital copies of albums like this through streaming. I don’t need to seek them out on an online marketplace, where, let’s face it, you don’t always know the quality of the merchandise.2

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  • A Room You Can’t See

    Terry Godier might be something of a genius, as evidenced by his masterfully crafted RSS reader, Current, and the ideas behind it. So when I saw he had created a short documentary about musical formats, one of my favorite subjects, I had high expectations.

    Godier hits upon a lot of the problems intrinsic to streaming media in the video. When he discusses the limitations of physical media, he’s able to make them sound like desirable features.

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  • Psalm 52 by Seth T. Hahne

  • Forgotten Favorite

    Some good news came this week in the form of more Velocity Girl remastering. This time it’s a compilation of non-album tracks from various places being released by Slumberland Records. The collection is called 1989-1992 and the contents are precisely what it says on the tin.

    The first available track from the release is my favorite song by the band, “Forgotten Favorite.” Even after the remaster, it’s still a bit muddy, but I’m not sure if there is anything more the band could do apart from rerecord the track completely. It’s still a stellar song through, with a shoegaze-worthy crush of guitars that’s as propulsive as anything put out by UK pedal hoppers. Despite some muck still on the recording, the vocals are pristine, and Sarah Shannon sounds heavenly.

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