Eric R. Danton
@erdanton.bsky.social
Writer of Freak Scene, about music in #WesternMass and CT. Bylines in the Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Paste and more. IWWFJU. Ex-Hartford Courant. Knows it's only rock 'n' roll, but likes it.
https://buttondown.email/freakscene
https://buttondown.email/freakscene
Niece in Chicago: "We should get one!"
"Malort advent calendar" is already such an unhinged concept but every little window just having Malort in it really pushes it over the edge into something transcendently funny
November 16, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Niece in Chicago: "We should get one!"
Reposted by Eric R. Danton
Want Craig Finn from the Hold Steady to write you a personal postcard? It's one of a bunch of cool options available through his year's @commonmag.bsky.social postcard auction fundraiser:
event.auctria.com/deea9774-733...
event.auctria.com/deea9774-733...
Auctria
event.auctria.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Want Craig Finn from the Hold Steady to write you a personal postcard? It's one of a bunch of cool options available through his year's @commonmag.bsky.social postcard auction fundraiser:
event.auctria.com/deea9774-733...
event.auctria.com/deea9774-733...
Reposted by Eric R. Danton
New Freak Scene newsletter! This week, New Haven's Ponybird reminds us that one song can take different shapes at various moments, and Joshua David Thayer has a bold new single:
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
Freak Scene #92: Ponybird Changes Contexts on 'Fire & Stars'
Plus, Joshua David Thayer has a new single, and Erin McKeown had a change of heart
buttondown.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:54 PM
New Freak Scene newsletter! This week, New Haven's Ponybird reminds us that one song can take different shapes at various moments, and Joshua David Thayer has a bold new single:
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
What's notable about the mayor's promise of unity after winning re-election by <80 votes is that she actually got on the phone with a reporter instead of her usual practice of issuing an anodyne statement denatured to the point where it doesn't mean anything at all
gazettenet.com/2025/11/12/f...
gazettenet.com/2025/11/12/f...
Following divisive election, Northampton mayor pledges unity after razor-thin victory - Daily Hampshire Gazette
Gina-Louise Sciarra may have claimed victory in the municipal election, but her administration has a lot of work to do as it heads into a second term. Sciarra won the mayoral election by the thinnest ...
gazettenet.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:37 PM
What's notable about the mayor's promise of unity after winning re-election by <80 votes is that she actually got on the phone with a reporter instead of her usual practice of issuing an anodyne statement denatured to the point where it doesn't mean anything at all
gazettenet.com/2025/11/12/f...
gazettenet.com/2025/11/12/f...
Why start now?
Trump again claims Epstein emails are a ‘hoax’ and dismisses furor, saying: ‘I have a country to run’ – US politics live
Trump again claims Epstein emails are a ‘hoax’ and dismisses furor, saying: ‘I have a country to run’ – US politics live
US president lambasts ‘weak Republicans’ asking for answers after email release and claims Democrats are using files to ‘deflect’ from ‘shutdown embarrassment’
The US trade representative, Jamieson Greer, said that the US has “essentially reached a deal with Switzerland”, after the country was hit with a 39% tariff on Swiss exports to the US.
“We’re really excited about that deal and what it means for American manufacturing,” Greer told CNBC today in an interview. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Why start now?
New Freak Scene newsletter! This week, New Haven's Ponybird reminds us that one song can take different shapes at various moments, and Joshua David Thayer has a bold new single:
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
Freak Scene #92: Ponybird Changes Contexts on 'Fire & Stars'
Plus, Joshua David Thayer has a new single, and Erin McKeown had a change of heart
buttondown.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:54 PM
New Freak Scene newsletter! This week, New Haven's Ponybird reminds us that one song can take different shapes at various moments, and Joshua David Thayer has a bold new single:
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
New candidate for worst person alive. What a total dungheap:
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/13/m...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/13/m...
BU student says he called ICE ‘for months’ prior to Allston Car Wash raid - The Boston Globe
Nine workers were detained by immigration agents last week. Many of them hold legal status, according to their attorney.
www.bostonglobe.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:45 PM
New candidate for worst person alive. What a total dungheap:
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/13/m...
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/13/m...
Reposted by Eric R. Danton
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
November 13, 2025 at 11:33 AM
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Good lord, the Sharon Van Etten album was THIS year?
November 11, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Good lord, the Sharon Van Etten album was THIS year?
Reposted by Eric R. Danton
50th anniversary today of an album that I picked up the same week it was released, when I was a college freshman. I've got a longer chapter on Patti Smith and "Horses" in a forthcoming project, and here's a slice:
www.facebook.com/share/p/1BU6...
www.facebook.com/share/p/1BU6...
November 10, 2025 at 7:15 PM
50th anniversary today of an album that I picked up the same week it was released, when I was a college freshman. I've got a longer chapter on Patti Smith and "Horses" in a forthcoming project, and here's a slice:
www.facebook.com/share/p/1BU6...
www.facebook.com/share/p/1BU6...
My pal Ken Partridge, author of "Hell of a Hat" about '90s swing and ska, is doing a really cool deep dive into Latin freestyle, the sound that was a dance-ready club sensation in the latter half of the '80s:
The Miracle of Shannon’s “Let the Music Play”
Diving deep into the song that started it all.
lostinemotion.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:19 PM
My pal Ken Partridge, author of "Hell of a Hat" about '90s swing and ska, is doing a really cool deep dive into Latin freestyle, the sound that was a dance-ready club sensation in the latter half of the '80s:
Reposted by Eric R. Danton
This week in Freak Scene: Winterpills are back with their first new album since 2016, and it's a little different, but very good:
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
Freak Scene #91: Winterpills Return With 'This Is How We Dance'
Plus, Western Mass. trio Our Three debut with the EP 'Never Fall in Love'
buttondown.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:59 PM
This week in Freak Scene: Winterpills are back with their first new album since 2016, and it's a little different, but very good:
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
This week in Freak Scene: Winterpills are back with their first new album since 2016, and it's a little different, but very good:
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
Freak Scene #91: Winterpills Return With 'This Is How We Dance'
Plus, Western Mass. trio Our Three debut with the EP 'Never Fall in Love'
buttondown.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:59 PM
This week in Freak Scene: Winterpills are back with their first new album since 2016, and it's a little different, but very good:
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
buttondown.com/freakscene/a...
Am so rarely in the know about contemporary fine art, but I used to know Sam McKinniss when we both lived in Hartford, and I have a wonderful portrait of Aretha Franklin he painted in 2006
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/s...
With JPEGs and Oils, Sam McKinniss Paints the 2020s
www.nytimes.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Am so rarely in the know about contemporary fine art, but I used to know Sam McKinniss when we both lived in Hartford, and I have a wonderful portrait of Aretha Franklin he painted in 2006
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/s...
Reposted by Eric R. Danton
Support our neighbors! Save this info in your phone & share with friends.
See #ICE? Call the LUCE Hotline as soon as possible! We need to do all we can to protect & support our #immigrant neighbors & their families. #ImmigrationMakesUsStrong
November 6, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Support our neighbors! Save this info in your phone & share with friends.
Reposted by Eric R. Danton
Hoy ha salido esta entrevista, que es un buen resumen de mis cosas los últimos 30 años.
www.hoyesarte.com/entrevistas/...
www.hoyesarte.com/entrevistas/...
"Las canciones me salen de una forma que casi no puedo evitar" - hoyesarte.com
Estuvo al frente de Malconsejo, formidable banda de clásico pop de guitarras con la que editó dos espléndidos álbumes y un buen montón de singles que hoy son codiciadas piezas de colección. Pero lo me...
www.hoyesarte.com
November 5, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Hoy ha salido esta entrevista, que es un buen resumen de mis cosas los últimos 30 años.
www.hoyesarte.com/entrevistas/...
www.hoyesarte.com/entrevistas/...
Only in the US is it "medical freedom" to do whatever dangerous bullshit you want without regard for the impact it may have on anyone who has to interact with you.
Got this in my email this morning. If y'all see these videos on social media, please DM or tag me. I'm curious to see what people say.
November 5, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Only in the US is it "medical freedom" to do whatever dangerous bullshit you want without regard for the impact it may have on anyone who has to interact with you.
Reposted by Eric R. Danton
Was gonna say, “Ok, groomer,” but really just want to say fuck this guy forever.
November 5, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Was gonna say, “Ok, groomer,” but really just want to say fuck this guy forever.
Reposted by Eric R. Danton
Today would be a really good day to start this, which we've been asking for since February.
Please, We Need a Daily Briefing
My piece in Commonwealth Beacon Magazine
substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Today would be a really good day to start this, which we've been asking for since February.
Weird, it's almost as if a lot of Americans don't want to live in an autocracy
November 5, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Weird, it's almost as if a lot of Americans don't want to live in an autocracy
Proud to say that I voted today, including writing in Perennial for Best Live Act. I believe that's a two-year term
November 4, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Proud to say that I voted today, including writing in Perennial for Best Live Act. I believe that's a two-year term
The Seattle musician Brent Amaker is endlessly fascinating to me: he does western music, electronic music, mariachi music and now a duet record as half of Caitlin & Brent. He's so worth a deep dive profile, but who would even commission something like that?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM45...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM45...
Mirage
YouTube video by Caitlin and Brent - Topic
www.youtube.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:02 PM
The Seattle musician Brent Amaker is endlessly fascinating to me: he does western music, electronic music, mariachi music and now a duet record as half of Caitlin & Brent. He's so worth a deep dive profile, but who would even commission something like that?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM45...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM45...
I love the @perennialtheband.bsky.social lyric "Rich boys who don’t get the blues, man," because it can mean two things: they don't get the blues, or they don't GET the blues
A modest proposal: Every Halloween playlist for the rest of time should start with "Perennial in a Haunted House," end with "Perennial Meets the Wolfman" and include at least two Cramps songs in between.
perennialtheband.bandcamp.com/track/perenn...
perennialtheband.bandcamp.com/track/perenn...
Perennial In A Haunted House, by Perennial
from the album In The Midnight Hour
perennialtheband.bandcamp.com
October 31, 2025 at 7:42 PM
I love the @perennialtheband.bsky.social lyric "Rich boys who don’t get the blues, man," because it can mean two things: they don't get the blues, or they don't GET the blues
A modest proposal: Every Halloween playlist for the rest of time should start with "Perennial in a Haunted House," end with "Perennial Meets the Wolfman" and include at least two Cramps songs in between.
perennialtheband.bandcamp.com/track/perenn...
perennialtheband.bandcamp.com/track/perenn...
Perennial In A Haunted House, by Perennial
from the album In The Midnight Hour
perennialtheband.bandcamp.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:18 PM
A modest proposal: Every Halloween playlist for the rest of time should start with "Perennial in a Haunted House," end with "Perennial Meets the Wolfman" and include at least two Cramps songs in between.
perennialtheband.bandcamp.com/track/perenn...
perennialtheband.bandcamp.com/track/perenn...