i refused to use streaming services at all for a long time because i wanted a sense of ownership over my music library (even if in a nebulous digital kinda way) & i would say it’s great for so many reasons , it’s slightly more inconvenient but it’s honestly pretty easy to just download music from bandcamp/rip from cds/torrenting sites & manually put it into your phone from itunes. you get to think a bit more about what you’re putting in your library (or from your library into your phone) but you also get to hold onto things in a certain version & protect your archive from the whims of streaming services & copyright claims .
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gonna echo some other folks by saying local file storage is the best. you can go the soulseek or bandcamp route, but I'm also an advocate for ripping from soundcloud and other sites when necessary. having files to work with gives you so much more control over your library in terms of where you source music from (streaming platform exclusivity is the worst), how you sort it (METADATA RULES LET ME CHANGE THEM ID3S BAYBEE), and how you consume it.
my system is a master itunes library that i've maintained for like 15 years now that I prune every so often as my tastes change and I offload things I don't listen to anymore. I also don't have access to all of it all the time since I only sync certain playlists to my phone, which forces me to self curate and decide what to add to my library, what to sync and take with me for daily listening, and what to delete. I love moments where I can sit down, cash out on a bandcamp cart, arrange them in my library by genre and decade and such, and then serve it up for shuffling in the car later.
music consumption was at its peak when libraries were like spreadsheets, the only trappings i want with my music is itunes visualizer (RIP 😢)
Jul 30, 2024
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invest in a NAS, download all ur music from soulseek, rip cds, buy music on bandcamp etc,, also use ibroadcast or foobar or something to stream it & organize everything, i use ibroadcast its built like apple music except you stream your own collection by uploading everything via the web app/dedicated upload software
Jan 24, 2024
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literally so much better than streaming, its just as portable but it feels like a true personal collection, its way more whole, u can find more music, also not dependent on internet access or algorithms
Jan 24, 2024
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there’s that little jolt of joy when you discover that you’re having the same experience as another person
4d ago
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it’s the perfect length for me to watch after work , i can start a movie at 11 or even 12 & get to bed at the (mostly) reasonable hour of 1:30 at the latest . sometimes i will extend this to 100 or 110 min if i‘m feeling indulgent or ambitious .
i could watch an hour of tv but this gives me a whole story in only a little bit more time .
Sep 11, 2024
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morning
go to george st diner for breakfast if you’re in the east end , the people are the best there & i’ve never had a bad meal , they also turn tables at a truly impressive rate while never making you feel rushed .. real professionals at work 🫡 [irish breakfast is fantastic in all 3 sizes it’s offered in] -> {afterwards go across the street to window shop at haven if you’re into beautiful but expensive clothing}
in the west end go to the federal it’s quick & reliable & cute , small menu but nothings bad [cubano & eggs federal are standouts for me]
if you want a coffee i think hamers is the best in the city , they really care about what they’re doing & the prices are surprisingly reasonable in a world where a coffee can easily scrape $10 if you’re not careful ... rooms coffee also has a couple locations across the city & the spaces are thoughtful & beautiful & filled w/ the city's creative directoriest types
afternoon
ossington is a ridiculous street but there’s a couple great stores there if you like shopping , lost & found is great for high end basics & i miss you is one of the best designer consignment stores in the city . sonic boom probably has the biggest vinyl selection in the city but it’s also home to toronto‘a only genuine film photobooth , it’s so cute & fun to squeeze into the booth & get a little strip of photos to take home
while around there you can walk around bellwoods & watch the dogs or get some great fruit & oysters from the farmers market if you’re there on a tuesday & head down the street to get a glass of wine at grape witches gorgeous back patio [they’re open from noon]
you could also head west to high park which is huge & a great place for a picnic or a stroll
museum wise the textile museum is small but always has something that takes my breath away , truly special exhibitions if you’re into textile arts
for a snack stop by le’s sandwich [cash only] for a stunningly cheap & surprisingly good banh mi from the owner’s living room or make the trip up to st clair to go to futura granita + gelato exceptional vibrant flavours & unmatched textures .. best in the city & so worth the trek
evening
if you’re west you can go roncesvalles & catch a movie at the revue [the citys best theatre] , just go see whatever is playing the editorial team there is fantastic & the crowd is always fun ! pre movie you can browse vinegar syndrome if you’re into under seen/under distributed movies of all varieties , lots of beautiful re editions here by the house label as well as others
for a nice dinner go to stop or mhel my two favourite restaurants in the city , seasonal & chef driven , both have small but passionate & kind teams who really care about the food & experience , definitely worth the admittedly high price to portion ratio , beautifully considered dishes & drinks but no fussy pretension behind them .
more mid priced options are le swan or bar vendetta [both from jen agg the city’s most publicly opinionated restauranteur who is also one of the best] , dotty’s or cafeteria [one of the new dinner/dance club hybrid spots that are mysteriously becoming a thing here now] cafeteria in particular is headed by eric mcdonald who has been my favourite chef since she blew my mind with what she was doing at sakai bar a few years ago
for drinks go to archive or little jerry for beautiful & interesting wine [little jerry in particular has fantastic warm sound & atmosphere & great vinyl dj’s setting the tone] or black dice for a fun japanese rockabilly cash bar
this is so long sorry … but i love my city & i especially love the food & drink scene/community here i think it’s really something special 🥲
Sep 17, 2024