Nate Patrin 🎧

@natepatrin.bsky.social

2975 Followers 815 Following

StP, MN | '77 born | he/him | enthusiast as in "patron of the arts" "The music began again and was much improved." -Kurt Vonnegut 'Versions and Subversions: the Cover Songs That Changed Music' out soon https://www.upress.umn.edu/author/nate-patrin/

the BK logo ("You're as booty as they come") and slogan ("And you dress like a geek.") made to reference De La Soul's "Bitties in the BK Lounge"
a black screen with white sans-serif lettering reading: Sunday May 11, 1980 6:55 am if you immediately hear the Herbie Flowers bassline looking at this then that makes two of us
an enthusiastic Homer driving in his car with far-less-enthusiastic Bart, Lisa, Nelson, Milhouse, and Janey as passengers. He is holding forth on '70s rock: "The stage was now set for the Alan Parsons Project, which I believe was some sort of hovercraft."
"The yearning for the past often lands us on the somewhat hollow nostalgia of ephemera: if we can’t have the nineties back, we can build a life of things that might feel transportative. I have no right to judge, really. I push physical media on anyone who will listen, ranting about the need for hard drives and for ways to store the things you love because, one day, they may not be accessible on streaming anymore. I have a CD player in my home, a VCR in a closet. But I’m also inclined to think about the work that older devices demand of a person compared with the frictionless present day, when we are told that any and all content is at our fingertips (a myth, but a myth that sells.) And I can’t help but think of the reality that there are many significantly larger and more consequential inconveniences that Americans, plainly, do not have the heart or stomach for. One example might be the inconvenience caused by a mass political uprising, one that risks the security, safety, and comfort of its participants. I have seen glimpses of people’s threshold for that level of friction. I think, for instance, of the summer of 2020, when a protest movement collided with the first COVID summer and people’s material needs—at least in my community— weren’t being met. And so, for almost a month, after being on the streets all day, protesters would go and sew masks at night, or make care packages for elders, or do grocery runs to fill pantries, and many of us did that at the cost of our own sleep, or our own time with loved ones at home, or we did it in betrayal of our desire for convenience, ignoring the temptations of the couch and the latest streamable binge."
a combo of That Fucking Lead Poisoning Chart every smug millennial here loves to use every time a poll shows Gen X being assholes, and the sad worker thumbs up "YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO" poster from the first episode of Futurama.
this is my admittedly paltry CD shelf, what with most of my collection being on a hard drive now (though I have a decent vinyl collection too). there is no way I can catalogue all these in an alt-text but suffice it to say it’s a kind of broad cross-section. lots of Chemical Brothers and Rahsaan Roland Kirk and reissue comps galore and so forth. Plus the James Brown Star Time box set on the bottom shelf under a Ray Charles collection and a PIR comp.
clearsky informing me that I have been added to a list of "AI Haters": "Subscribes to anti-AI blocklists or otherwise seems poorly disposed for productive conversations." yeah no shit buddy
middle-aged 1960s Abe Simpson, in A-shirt and blue slacks, is sitting in his recliner watching Super Bowl III on TV while middle-aged 1960s Mona Simpson in pink mod housedress looks on irritably. Abe is grumbling -- again, this is about Super Bowl III -- "If people don't support this thing, it might not make it." Also that dingy olive/rust striped wallpaper is remarkably/fittingly hideous, wow
Bart Simpson in a tie-dyed shirt, hanging out in the Simpson family backyard pretending to be a hippie: "Peace, man. Groovy. Bomb Vietnam! Four more years! Up with people!"
millennial co-presidents Stephen Miller and J.D. Vance
a flyer reading “BLACK FLAG KILLS ANTS ON CONTACT”. a bunch of their fans threw eggs at Adam Ant during an instore around 1981
the little teal/avocado-tinted photo of an astronaut holding and looking at a 12" that I have to deal with seeing when a Discogs page is down
an unused mockup for the potential cover art for Nirvana's "Serve the Servants" single, drawn by Kurt over a box of Manischevitz matzo ball soup. Little X-eyed Nirvana logo faces are added to the matzo balls and everything, it's amazing
from the Simpsons episode "Homer's Phobia": Barney telling Homer "Better yet, Bart could shoot a deer. That's like shooting a beautiful man." except instead of "a deer" it's "Columbo."
a blocklist that I am on with four other people (so far) by some poster named "ady on a bike" Liberal Scum Less than useless, these people actively hold progress back by supporting Nazis. I. Uh. I don't think that's correct. What with the Nazis kind of having a problem with my people and all.
from LyricsVault: 1971 Performer Gloomys Title I'm a bum I just lie here down by the river Watching the ships go drifting by Takin' a swallow out of my bottle Rolling a cigarette, let my thoughts fly Happy am I, don't have to think of tomorrow I'm a bum Happy am I, ain't got no troubles and sorrow 'Cause I'm a real darn bum Oooh! Sometime ahead right in the near future I'll think of a girl who's thinking like me Bummin' around, we'll have us a good time Laughing and living is all that we need Happy am I, don't have to think of tomorrow I'm a bum Happy am I, ain't got no troubles and sorrow 'Cause I'm a real darn bum Oooh! Up in the country people get nasty Watching this longhaired bum go by I don't care what they all are sayin' Keepin' myself just out of the line Happy am I, don't have to think of tomorrow I'm a bum Happy am I, ain't got no troubles and sorrow 'Cause I'm a real darn bum Happy am I, don't have to think of tomorrow I'm a bum Happy am I, ain't got no troubles and sorrow 'Cause I'm a real darn bum Oooh! Contributed by the author: Andreas Neumann
The singles winners of the Village Voice Pazz & Jop Poll, 1999: Singles 1. TLC: "No Scrubs" (LaFace) 2. Eminem: "My Name Is" (Aftermath/Interscope) 3. Len: "Steal My Sunshine" (Epic) 4. Madonna: "Beautiful Stranger" (Maverick) 5. Backstreet Boys: "I Want It That Way" 6. Cher: "Believe" (Warner Bros.) 7. Smash Mouth: "All Star" (Interscope) 8. Ricky Martin: "Livin' La Vida Loca" (C2/Columbia) The Roots: "You Got Me" (MCA) 10. Santana Featuring Rob Thomas: "Smooth" (Arista) 11. Kid Rock: "Bawitdaba" (Atlantic/Lava) 12. TLC: "Unpretty" (LaFace) 13. Fatboy Slim: "Praise You" (Astralwerks) 14. Beck: "Sexx Laws" (DGC) 15. Q-Tip: "Vivrant Thing" (Arista) 16. Ol' Dirty Bastard: "Got Your Money" (Astralwerks) Rage Against the Machine: "Guerrilla Radio" (Epic) 18. Christina Aguilera: "Genie in a Bottle" (RCA) 19. Juvenile: "Back That Azz Up" (Cash Money/Universal) Britney Spears: ". . . Baby One More Time" (Jive) 21. Basement Jaxx: "Rendez Vu" (Astralwerks) Limp Bizkit: "Nookie" (Flip/Interscope) Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Scar Tissue" (Warner Bros.) 24. Moby: "Honey" (V2) Len, Backstreet Boys, Smash Mouth, Santana/Thomas, Kid Rock, Limp Bizkit, RHCP, and Moby's entries are all circled to indicate "no thanks"
the bit from the Simpsons episode where he figures out his own religion and is reclining on the couch in a bathrobe smoking a cigar, except he is smugly professing "BOY... EVERY GENERATION IS STUPID EXCEPT MINE."
a screencap of a newscast's aerial shot of the massive crowds gathered by the MN State Capitol in St. Paul. I repeat: ST. PAUL.
A VR shopping spree game show goes awry. To quote Robinson’s character in “Pink Balloon,”… what’s the joke? Is it that VR is disorienting? Is it that we’re all essentially meat sacks with eyes and it’s a miracle that we figure out how to navigate the world in these bodies? Or is it that Ayo Edebiri deserved better?
holding a can of Polar Seltzer cranberry clementine in my left hand but without making it too far because the can looks partially crushed despite not having been opened
Philip Hiscock, when interviewed by The Star, suggested that fan death's prevalence in Korean beliefs and its potential as a euphemism contributed to the idea's continuation, "Traditional fairy legends (or) contemporary UFO abductions are used for things that are either inadmissible or untellable in present company. The fact that fan death is well known in Korea (and) can be used to postpone explanations or cover up the truth is very interesting and a very traditional way of going about things."
Listen, I have a pretty good CD/LP collection, but this is my main MP3 drive: 124,918 files, 1,157.6 GB, and enough music to play for 358 days, one hour, and 48 minutes uninterrupted. I will have an uninterrupted year's worth of music by the end of the year at the latest. That's... kind of nuts, honestly.
a calendar for August 2026. On Friday, August 14, I have superimposed the cover of Funkadelic's 'Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow'.
the cover to Company Flow's single "DPA (As Seen on T.V.)"/"Simian D AKA Feeling Ignorant (ft. Ill Bill)"/"Simple" on Def(initive) Jux. The design is a video screen featuring a woman with her lips pursed, mounted on a skeleton wielding an aerosol can like she's blowing it out. The background looks like a hazy, warped, damaged city skyline. It's based on the cover to the paperback of 'Ubik'. See next slide.
Rally driver Erik Carlsson sitting at the side of a forest road looking kind of like a grumpy John Candy. He is seated on the grass, helmet perched on his left knee, resting his head in his left hand while he holds a beer in the other. In the background we see why he is exasperated: the red #25 Saab 96 he'd been driving in a rally has overturned onto its roof, door slightly ajar.
exit polls for the 2024 election. The pertinent info is that white millennials voted for Donny Deals 54-44 while Black/Latin Gen Xers were 14-84 and 48-51 respectively
a black and white crowd pic from the Kamasi/Sanders/Allen show at Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse, 2016. A fairly diverse cross-section of people who all look like they don't remember being scared of nuclear war
a Power User I will refer to only as SHUTYOURHOLEMACHINE lists his five bands he can't fucking stand as "the talking heads" x5. This was like a month ago. It's like his thing, I guess. Which, fine, the quote he posts has three pop-punk bands and Billy Joel twice. I have Limp Bizkit. But you can just say it and not make it a Schtick. And if he dares come for 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts' I will not break upon him, he will break upon me
a Spongebob meme where Patrick (dressed like a dad?) is captioned "BOOMERS: YOUR MUSIC TASTE IS TERABLE [sic]" with the response is "ALL GENS: WELL YOUR MUSIC IS-" followed by a sequence of Spongebob wandering around looking kind of brain-locked. Also RIP Steve Hillenburg 1961-2018)
Google AI being Google AI: ""Terrifying Randy" usually refers to WWE superstar Randy Orton during his "Legend Killer" or 2009 heel runs, known for his unpredictable, sociopathic character, and signature RKO. Alternatively, it refers to MLB pitcher Randy Johnson, nicknamed "The Big Unit," feared for his intimidating 6'10" stature, 100+ mph fastball, and intense on-field demeanor."
A 'Walgreens' neon sign with the 'W' burned out. Hi Records' finest, everyone
a toy saxophone with colorful keys
a smiling Andre 3000 in red beret, round black-framed specs, denim jacket, and an overall aura of "yeah you think I'm weird but tough shit". (flute not pictured)
whitebruh with a pompadour and a stache getting all smirky. You may want to call him a hipster but I guarantee this man is deeply uncool
a poster on my office wall of a show I went to. It's Mike Watt and the Jom & Terry Show, featuring a photo of Watt holding a bass and the other two band members hanging out next to him. They're all looking jovial. A VW Beetle is parked behind them and I am wondering if it's the same one from the cover of Double Nickels. Also, other details: 1) 9/28/2001 -- not only shortly after 9/11, but after I was fired from the first job I had as an autonomous apartment dweller 2) SPECIAL GUEST COBRA VERDE. I forget what they sounded like. 3) 7th St. Entry! Yes, that's right. Not the mainroom. (Hence the two shows, I suppose.) Who was playing it? On 9/28 it was My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, with Professional Murder Music opening. On 9/29? El Vez with Curtiss A. OK, sure. 4) $8 ADV/$10 AT THE DOOR. CDs cost more than that back then! Cripes.
me finally unsubscribing to LinkedIn emails. getting better every day in every way
I am not a meme person but this kind of fits my m.o. right now. It's that protective soldier meme where he's taking bullets and grenades and knives and a missile(?) (why not an arrow too?) and is on fire and bleeding and all that Apocalypse Now stuff. Arms outstretched, defending a sleeping child. You know the deal. Above the soldier: "ME YAMMERING ABOUT MY FAV COVER SONGS". Above the child: "POTENTIAL DOOMSCROLLERS"
some pepper-beardo with a stoic face, St. Paul Saints trucker hat, Harry Caul glasses, jean jacket, and J Dilla shirt flashing the peace/V sign as a sort of salute. Now you know who's been clogging your feed with music videos
Kurt Vonnegut's picture of an asshole, except It Me
Kurt Vonnegut's somewhat inaccurate drawing of a beaver from 'Breakfast of Champions'
from Vonnegut's 'Breakfast of Champions': "here is my picture of an asshole." And it is exactly that. I forget exactly how old I was but it was between ages 10-12. This probably explains far too much about me.
Krusty the Clown in his Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison outfit holding a guitar and defensively apologizing: "HEY, HEY, I KID. I KID 'CAUSE I LOVE." Not Weezer though, just regular folks
Dave Wyndorf of Monster Magnet looking like Dave Wyndorf of Monster Magnet. He is discussing Redd Kross's "What They Say", Poobah's "Mr. Destroyer", and Groundhogs' "Split Part One". I already knew that Redd Kross and Groundhogs were my jam so this is an endorsement I can trust. I mean, I don't need to transcribe what he says. Just know that the man who recorded "I'll See You In Hell" thinks they are rad as hell. ("I'm sold.") More in the followup.
the cover of Poobah's 1976 (Bicentennial!) LP 'US Rock'. They're dressed like Minutemen (the 18th Century ones, not the Jam Econo boys from Pedro) and the lettering is in a stars and stripes motif. (Well, technically, stripes and stripes. Go figure.) Anyways let's start tossing shit in the harbor
I wish I could convey more of this image than what I just said in the caption. Just picture what "Black Sabbath But Youngstown" might look like in stark black and white with dramatic flashlight-horror-story underlighting. Ladies and gentlemen, Poobah. Thank you Pere uWu. Dope username BTW. Now I'm going to listen to Dub Housing.
Two people from Seattle who share a birthday and also tragic fates. On the left, Bruce Lee in 'Enter the Dragon', looking determined to wreck Han's shit even though he caught a bad four-claw scratch* on his right pec. On the right, Jimi Hendrix, dressed like the leader of the world's coolest marching band and smoking either a cigarette or the kind of zaza that gave him the idea to write and record "Machine Gun". I know 'Enter the Dragon' was 1973 but pretend the picture is from Marlowe or somethng.
ok gimme a sec. I'm just looking at this like what the fuck. all right. two consecutive posts. One is a reply to the other. Here's the text: 1) "One thing I've been learning lately, if far too late in life, is that who cares if a musician has a shitty attitude about relatively innocuous things or hates bands I like. It shouldn't be a dealbreaker because Henry Rollins might think Beck sucks if I love a bunch of albums this guy played on." This includes a link to the Wikipedia page for drummer Jim Gordon. The thumbnail is just a photo of his torso in a button-up shirt. 2) "on the other hand I don't think I have any problem with this" the post includes a link to the Bandcamp page for Kim Gordon's album 'Play Me', featuring her lower body in black leather(?) shorts and her semi-bare thighs featuring the words "PLAY" and "ME" respectively. Her arms are hanging down by her sides. THE TWO PICTURES LINE UP PERFECTLY TO LOOK LIKE A PERSON FROM COLLARBONE TO KNEE. I DID NOT INTEND THIS. I NEED TO LIE DOWN.
Bongo, the one-eared rabbit from Matt Groening's legendary anthropomorphic comic 'Life in Hell'. He's sitting in a chair and looking surly because it's probably the 1980s and Reagan is being Reagan
the back of a no parking sign with some solid advice emblazoned on a repurposed postal sticker. it reads “DIP OUT OF WORK TO PLAY”. Some art deco and mid century modern towers appear in the background along with a bridge in the lower left corner. It’s overcast but nice out, take my word for it
the honest to goodness Mississippi dang river. there’s some tugboats and (maybe) barges off in the distance. even with bare trees and party cloudy skies it feels invigorating
Tank Girl: Who'd you use to be? T-Saint: A cop. Tank Girl: Figures.
"What movie do you think of when you hear 'Sounds of Silence'? What song comes to mind when you think of 'The Graduate'?" "Music writing and film writing are seldom as accessible and as rigorous as they are in Nate Patrin's 'The Needle and the Lens'" - @matoswk.bluesky.com "Lovers of film and music will be delighted with how Patrin brings the two together." -PUBLISHERS BY GOD WEEKLY
the Amazon page for my most recent book 'The Needle and the Lens: Pop Goes to the Movies from Rock 'n' Roll to Synthwave" (Nov 28, 2023) by ME. The good news: I've got a cumulative five star review from three reviewers there. The bad news: I also have a sub-4.0 on Goodreads. The frogurt is also cursed. (and to think I used to get annoyed with gratuitous Simpsons references. Now I Know.)
pro wrestlers John Cena and Eddie Guerrero hanging out at an Asian restaurant eating some kind of soup and appetizers. John is on the left wearing a black ballcap reading "Pipe Fitters" and a white t-shirt with the Hieroglyphics 3-eyed face logo in black. He is smirking at the camera with pursed lips all "Yeah I knew him before Gorillaz." Eddie's on the right, turning to the camera with a smile like "yeah, he won't shut up about Del."
that Dune poster meme everyone's doing. I put in "dune methane/ Dee-dee-da-da-dee-dee-dane" as a tribute to A-Plus's hook in the track of the same title
@anrque 4 years ago Thanks for posting. This unreleased album was mentioned in the book "Bring That Beat Back: How Sampling Built Hip-Hop" as a Prince Paul related project. I had a hard time finding anything other than a couple write ups on the web and wanted to hear it. hey that's my book
a Mark Ecko-designed shirt based off the poster to John Boorman's 'Point Blank' featuring a stylized design of Lee Marvin's determined face and a super-foreshortened hand holding a revolver. There's some concentric circles behind him. Beige fabric, wigged-out psychedelic green/purple/orange highlights. Pretty good movie too.
Homer Simpson's standing in a courtroom wearing a suit and a Blue Öyster Cult medallion, which he looks upon with pride. This is from a post-'90s episode so this is probably one of the few actually funny bits.