i don’t ever wear headphones while walking around my neighborhood but I’m going to make an exception for listening to Mr. Cardamom on the way to the polls

tomorrow is your last day to knock some doors for zohran. i highly recommend signing up for an election day canvassing shift if you can, and especially if you have never done it before ! Zohranfornyc.com/gotv

people using ai to automate follow up emails to their requests for free labor need to be stopped

new episode of my podcast w/ @peretsky.bsky.social published today. linked below. discussing some v spooky subject matter.

EPISODE 7 a new headlines episode of critical listening is live. this time we are unpacking the major label deals w/ gen-ai companies and what they mean for music writ large. also, ek stepping down from his role as ceo at Spotify. hear it now by becoming a subscriber: www.patreon.com/c/CriticalLi...

New Yorkers of bluesky: tomorrrow/Weds night i am doing an audiofemme festival panel in Brooklyn that should be v interesting. Topic is “authenticity in the age of algorithms”(complicated) w/ Taja cheek (of L’Rain), Hannah Pruz (Gunk), Jill Mapes (hearing things) & Cherie Hu. 7pm sharp at sleepwalk

@lizpelly.bsky.social and Siri Undlin discuss “Mood Machine” during #ChippewaValleyBookFestival in #EauClaire today. Check out Liz’s book and her podcast, Critical Listening.

I have a few minutes before my first meeting of the day so let's do a mini NYC public libraries teach in. There are three NYC Public Library Systems 1. NYPL - www.nypl.org 2. Queens Public Library - queenslibrary.org 3. Brooklyn Public Library - www.bklynlibrary.org

guess i have to go to forest hills stadium for the first time (??)

kinda feel like the role of criticism is to provide a point of view other than popular crowd consensus which is what we get literally everywhere else

Hey if you join @criticallistening.bsky.social patreon you can hear me dishing about non-profit attitudes toward labor in Cambridge/Boston… And even if you don’t, you can now hear a convo btwn me @lizpelly.bsky.social and @peretsky.bsky.social about Why Sound Matters www.podbean.com/ew/pb-rd88j-...

My book Why Sound Matters is out this week! @lizpelly.bsky.social & @peretsky.bsky.social invited me to talk about it on their excellent podcast @criticallistening.bsky.social, available now wherever you get your podcasts, with one exception (you guessed it!) dadadrummer.substack.com/p/critical-l...

Liz and Max are my ideal interlocutors - delighted with how this conversation turned out! Also, they are so skilled at choosing bumper music that I even enjoyed the Galaxie bits @lizpelly.bsky.social @peretsky.bsky.social cc @yalebooks.bsky.social @yalepress.bsky.social @hillnadell.bsky.social

EPISODE 6: WHY SOUND MATTERS w/ DAMON KRUKOWSKI On the occasion of @dadadrummer.bsky.social‘s new book, we spoke about sound as material, music as labor, AI slop as a waste product of music’s financialization & much more. Hear it now by becoming a subscriber: www.patreon.com/c/CriticalLi...

some stuff coming up this week thurs oct 16 - durham NC - book talk at duke university 6:30pm sat oct 18 - nashville TN - in convo with ben Ratliff at southern festival of books 9am mon oct 20 - berkeley, ca - in convo with Jenny Toomey at uc Berkeley on creative labor in the streaming era 4:45pm

Join Jenny Toomey, @lizpelly.bsky.social & Peter DiCola for #TechPolicyWeek! 🎶🤖 How can artists keep agency & fair pay in a streaming-dominated world? Oct 20 | 4:15–6pm | 2400 Ridge Rd, 3rd Floor Board Room @BerkeleyISchool.bsky.social @GoldmanSchool.bsky.social

i think tracks made fully using gen AI should be clearly labeled in ways that actually serve the avg user - giving labels/distributors the ability to opt-in to submit metadata disclosing use of AI to be added to credits is a start but still far away from what’s needed musically.com/2025/09/25/s...

Excited to announce that @lizpelly.bsky.social will be reading from her book 'Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist' at UMAW's free show in D.C. this coming Monday Sept 29. RVSP now for your spot it's filling up fast: actionnetwork.org/events/julia...

episodes 1-5 of @criticallistening.bsky.social, the podcast i co-host with @peretsky.bsky.social, are avail everywhere but spotify. we’re starting work on eps 6-10 this week. if you would like to support this work pls subscribe here! www.patreon.com/criticallist... tysm

The book exists. First copy hand delivered by my editor at Yale, who was on his way to see Pulp in Boston! Thank you super blurb crew Jarvis Julia Heba Jeff Stephin @lizpelly.bsky.social & @simonreynolds.bsky.social PREORDER LINK: yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300...

Our own @adlan.bsky.social will be moderating a panel on DIY music and print media in the digital age between GUNK, Secret Riso Club, and @lizpelly.bsky.social. Tomorrow evening! Come on through!

i love this beautiful song. talking is freee lilykngsbrg.bandcamp.com/track/talk-t...

off to NZ & AUS soon for book events. here's all of them! if you know anyone there let them know? aug 26- auckland @ whammy bar aug 28- melbourne @ wheeler centre aug 29- sydney @ soft centre festival aug 31- brisbane @ ima sept 1- perth @ 459 bar rosemount hotel sept 2- perth @ blue room theatre

Unlike other tech giants, many music-streaming services like Spotify are not currently taking steps to label AI-generated content. But experts say more transparency is key.

been saying this a lot in interviews lately, but i really think convincing ppl to offload putting any thought into what they want to listen to via chatbot-style prompts is as corrosive to culture as the existence of the velvet sundown or whatever (from spotify blog post)

very excited to be participating in a bunch of book festivals this fall including the Chippewa Valley Book Festival in Eau Claire oct 25! volumeone.org/articles/202...

not very good at keeping this updated this year but trying www.buymusic.club/list/liz_pel...

Perth folks, chatting with @lizpelly.bsky.social on 2 September :) events.humanitix.com/mood-machine...

YES !!! new ava luna avaluna.bandcamp.com/track/frame-...

We're raising funds for The Sameer Project, a donations based aid initiative run by Palestinians in the diaspora currently focused on the distribution of food, water, and tents in South Gaza as the Israeli blockade continues. Visit topshelfrecords.com/gaza to double your donation and learn more.

“Why Sound Matters convincingly argues that issues of music and creative labor today are rooted in a general misunderstanding of the value of sound—a vital contribution to the conversation on where music and audio culture goes from here.” — @lizpelly.bsky.social yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300...

congrats friends at @thebaffler.com. everyone working anywhere should have a union.

Really grateful for this project rn “the first installment of what we’re calling “Headlines,” diving into a few stories from across the music and tech biz press this month.” 🔥 @criticallistening.bsky.social Episode 3: July 2025 Headlines | Patreon

Bluesky posters of Brisbane, Australia: i'll be in town on August 31, 2pm at the IMA in conversation with Nicholas Carah! www.ima.org.au/ima-events/i...

We’re back with the first installment of what we’re calling Headlines, diving into a few stories from across the music and tech biz press this month. For July, there were some headlines that just seemed impossible to ignore. Listen to the episode in full at patreon.com/criticallistening

when i press play on a new record and my gut reaction is "this is so bad" and three minutes later i'm thinking "this is amazing" that's the true sign

Why are so many artists struggling in a booming music industry? New for @moreperfectunion.bsky.social youtu.be/I8zBkQFDpsg?...

Episode 3 of your favorite podcast ever by @lizpelly.bsky.social and myself is now live for Patreon subscribers at patreon.com/criticallistening and will be available on public platforms (minus the Swedish one) at the end of the month.

Excellent new video from @moreperfectunion.bsky.social and @lizpelly.bsky.social youtu.be/I8zBkQFDpsg

Why are so many artists struggling in a booming music industry? New for @moreperfectunion.bsky.social youtu.be/I8zBkQFDpsg?...

😎

attn bluesky posters of auckland, new zealand

july 29 the NYC local of AFM is hosting this virtual conversation on musicians & generative AI, and inviting all independent musicians; union membership not required local802afm.org/july29 www.instagram.com/p/DMN--N0OoG...

At Creative Time for a talk btw Kamala Sankaram and @lizpelly.bsky.social re: Liz’s ✨ book, Mood Machine, on Spotify + algorithmic listening. As we consider algorithmic vibey micro-genres, I’m thinking abt Other Music, which once existed *a block* from here + thrived on esoteric niche genres :)

writing emails teaching other music journalists how to spot gen-ai music just 2025 things

beware i have told my twin sister that the next time she gets a request for an interview about her spotify book she should just say yes and do the interview

i have two mood machine-related events in nyc next week that i am really looking forward to! tues july 15 @ prime produce co-op w/ @artcoop.bsky.social www.eventbrite.com/e/art-worlds... weds july 16 @ creative time for w/ @kamalasankaram.bsky.social hq.creativetime.org/calendar/opp...

Please join me a week from today in NYC at Prime Produce Cooperative for a book reading of “Mood Machine” by @lizpelly.bsky.social and community discussion of how we built the (art) worlds we want in the shell of this dystopic moment for culture workers! RSVP: www.eventbrite.com/e/art-worlds...