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| -rw-r--r-- | mds/blog/blog-index.md | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | mds/blog/how-i-generate-my-rss-feed.md | 108 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | mds/blog/top-2022.md | 241 |
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diff --git a/mds/blog/blog-index.md b/mds/blog/blog-index.md index 8f254d4..5d13372 100644 --- a/mds/blog/blog-index.md +++ b/mds/blog/blog-index.md @@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ # Blog Index <!--NEXT--> +1. [2023-01-06 - How I Generate My RSS Feed](/blog/2023-01-06/) +1. [2023-01-03 - Music Spotlight: My Top Album 2022](/blog/2023-01-03/) 1. [2022-12-31 - RSS - A Follow-up](/blog/2022-12-31/) 1. [2022-12-05 - CSS Themes Exist Now!?](/blog/2022-12-05/) 1. [2022-11-06 - My Markdown -> HTML Setup](/blog/2022-11-06/) @@ -14,5 +16,5 @@ 1. [2019-01-21 - First! A New Years Resolution](/blog/2019-01-21/) </article> <div id='footer'> - [RSS Feed](/blog/feed.rss) + <a href="/blog/feed.rss" rel="rss noopener" target="_blank">RSS Feed</a> </div> diff --git a/mds/blog/how-i-generate-my-rss-feed.md b/mds/blog/how-i-generate-my-rss-feed.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4aae7fc --- /dev/null +++ b/mds/blog/how-i-generate-my-rss-feed.md @@ -0,0 +1,108 @@ +# How I Generate My RSS Feed + +I only just now started supplying an RSS feed to you fine people! You can subscribe to it at [www.senders.io/blog/feed.rss](/blog/feed.rss)! + +I decided rather than manually generating the file contents I'd hook into my pre-existing publish scripts to be able to generate the RSS file. + +## Publishing blog posts - shell scripts ftw + +In [My Markdown -> HTML Setup](/blog/2022-11-06/) I touch on how I publish my markdown files into HTML for this blog. But what I don't _really_ touch on is the shell scripts that tie the whole process together. + +What I have is two, now three, scripts that feed the whole process: + +1. `publish-blog.sh` - the main script +2. `compile-md.sh` - generates the HTML output +3. `update-feed.sh` - generates/appends the RSS feed + +The `update-feed.sh` script is the new one I just added. + +`publish-blog.sh` is the primary interface, I supply the date of the post and the path to the md file and that calls compile and update to automate the entire process. + +Without going into TOO much detail you can view the latest versions of the scripts at [git.senders.io/senders/senders-io/tree/](https://git.senders.io/senders/senders-io/tree/). + +But the gist of the scripts is I parse out the necessary details, find/replace some tokens in template files I have setup for headers and footers, and concat the outputs into the final output HTML files, and now RSS feed. + +### update-feed.sh + +Source File: [git.senders.io/senders/senders-io/tree/update-feed.sh](https://git.senders.io/senders/senders-io/tree/update-feed.sh) + +This script is pretty interesting. I didn't want to deal with any XML parsers and libraries to just maintain a proper XML rss file and push items into the tree. Rather, I just follow a similar setup to my markdown generation. I leverage some temporary files to hold the contents, a static temp file for the previously generated content, and at the end swap the temp file with the real file. + +I take in an input of the publish date (this is the date from the publish script), the title, and the HTML file path. These are all already variables in the publish script, but also something I can manually supply if I need to publish an older article, or something I wrote directly in HTML. + +The core of the script is found here: + +``` +PUBDATE=$(date -d "$1" -R) +TITLE=$2 +FILE_PATH=$3 +PERMALINK=$(echo "${FILE_PATH}" | sed -e "s,${TKN_URL_STRIP},${URL_PREFIX},g") +LINK=$(echo "${PERMALINK}" | sed -e "s,${TKN_INDEX_STRIP},,g") + +# Generate TMP FEED File Header + +cat -s $FILE_RSS_HEADER > $FILE_TMP_FEED +sed -i -E "s/${TKN_BUILDDATE}/${BUILDDATE}/g" $FILE_TMP_FEED +sed -i -E "s/${TKN_PUBDATE}/${PUBDATE}/g" $FILE_TMP_FEED + +# Generate TMP Item File + +cat -s $FILE_RSS_ITEM_HEADER > $FILE_TMP_ITEM +sed -i -E "s~${TKN_TITLE}~${TITLE}~g" $FILE_TMP_ITEM +sed -i -E "s/${TKN_PUBDATE}/${PUBDATE}/g" $FILE_TMP_ITEM +sed -i -E "s,${TKN_PERMALINK},${PERMALINK},g" $FILE_TMP_ITEM +sed -i -E "s,${TKN_LINK},${LINK},g" $FILE_TMP_ITEM +sed -n "/<article>/,/<\/article>/p" $FILE_PATH >> $FILE_TMP_ITEM +cat -s $FILE_RSS_ITEM_FOOTER >> $FILE_TMP_ITEM + +# Prepend Item to items list and overwrite items file w/ prepended item +## In order to "prepend" the item (so it's on top of the others) +## We need to concat the tmp item file with the existing list, then +## we can push the contents over the existing file +## We use cat -s to squeeze the blank lines +cat -s $FILE_ITEM_OUTPUT >> $FILE_TMP_ITEM +cat -s $FILE_TMP_ITEM > $FILE_ITEM_OUTPUT + +# Push items to TMP FEED +cat -s $FILE_ITEM_OUTPUT >> $FILE_TMP_FEED + +# Push RSS footer to TMP FEED +cat -s $FILE_RSS_FOOTER >> $FILE_TMP_FEED +echo $FILE_TMP_FEED + +# Publish feed +cat -s $FILE_TMP_FEED > $FILE_RSS_OUTPUT + +echo "Finished generating feed" +``` + +Some key takeaways are: + +1. sed lets you do regex with delimiters that AREN'T `/` so you can substitute something that shouldn't actually ever show up in your regex. For me that is `~`. +2. I always forget you can use sed to extract between tokens - which is how I get the CDATA for the RSS: `sed -n "/<article>/,/<\/article>/p"` +3. `mktemp` is really REALLY useful - and I feel is under utilized in shellscripting + +The obvious cracks are: + +1. I rely SO much on `sed` that it's almost certainly going to break +2. I don't have much other flag control to do partial generation - so if I need to do something either starting partway through or not finish the full process, I don't have that. +3. Sometimes things can break silently and it will go through, there is no verification or like manual checking along the way before publishing the feed.rss + +The final two can easily be managed by writing the feed to a location that isn't a temp file and I can manually do the `cat -s $FILE_TMP_FEED > www/blog/feed.rss` myself after I check it over. + +But for now I'll see if I ever have to redo it. I don't think anyone will actually sub to this so I don't really need to care that much if I amend the feed. + +## Where to put the feed URL + +I never intended to provide an RSS feed. I doubt anyone but me reads this, and from my previous experience with gemini feed generation was a bit of a headache. + +A quick aside: I really only decided thanks to Mastodon. I was thinking during the Twitter meltdown "what if twitter but RSS" (I know super unique idea). But basically like a true "microblog". And some OSS tools to publish your blog. This got me reading the RSS spec and looking into it more - which then lead me down the using the RSS readers more (in conjunction with gemini, and Cortex podcast talking about using RSS more). + +But I've decided to just put the RSS feed in the blog index, on my homepage, and that's it. I don't need it permanently in the header. + +## Conclusion + +I didn't have much to share here, it doesn't make too much sense to write a big post on what can be explained better by just checking out the shell scripts in my git source. The code speaks better than I ever could. + +I really, really like shell scripting. + diff --git a/mds/blog/top-2022.md b/mds/blog/top-2022.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..974593e --- /dev/null +++ b/mds/blog/top-2022.md @@ -0,0 +1,241 @@ +# Music Spotlight: My Top Album 2022 + +The hype is real. I only recently wrote last years, so I bet your hype is nonexistent but for me I was writing that knowing full well there were some bangers waiting to be unleashed in this year end review! + +If you hadn't read my previous post for 2021 the link is at the bottom: + +> The winner was "KANGA - You and I Will Never Die" + +## The album pool + +As always the criteria: + +* it was released in 2022 +* it wasn't a single +* if it was an EP it has to be substantial and intentional + +And the albums are... + +* Amining for Enrike - The Rats and the Children +* And So I watch You from Afar - Jettison +* Astronoid - Radiant Bloom +* Carpenter Brut - Leather Terror +* Cult of Luna - The Long Road North +* Dance With the Dead - Driven to Madness +* Elder - Innate Passage +* Emma Ruth Rundle - EG2: Dowsing Voice +* Giraffes? Giraffes! - Death Breath +* God Mother - Obeveklig +* Jay Hosking - Celestial spheres (and various other releases) +* Long Distance Calling - Eraser +* Ludovico Technique - Haunted People +* MWWB - The Harvest (Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard) +* MØL - Diorama (Instrumental) +* Psychostick - ... and Stuff +* Russian Circles - Gnosis +* SIERRA - See Me Now +* Starcadian - Shadowcatcher +* Tina Dickow - Bitte Små Ryk +* Toundra - Hex +* Waveshaper - Forgotten Shapes + +2022's playlist (+ 2 albums from bandcamp not on Spotify): + +* [[spotify] senders' Releases 2022 Spotify Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2TCd910OyZcTjQ8l8Dc0Jy?si=efd0dc6286b84062) +* [[bandcamp] Emma Ruth Rundle - EG2: Dowsing Voice](https://emmaruthrundle.bandcamp.com/album/eg2-dowsing-voice) +* [[bandcamp] Jay Hosking - Celestial spheres](https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/album/celestial-spheres) + +## The Top 5 + +In alphabetical order: + +* Carpenter Brut - Leather Terror +* Elder - Innate Passage +* Emma Ruth Rundle - EG2: Dowsing Voice +* Jay Hosking - Celestial spheres (and various other releases) +* Tina Dickow - Bitte Små Ryk + +## Carpenter Brut - Leather Terror + +Some metal infused synthwave, Carpenter Brut managed to release a catchy and heavy banger of an album. Featuring a few guest performers, each of these tracks are unique and catchy in what I would consider a very "same-y" genre. It's nice having an infinite supply of retro synth tracks to drive to, but sometimes it's hard for one to really break through into "oh shit yes!". Typically, Starcadian is the one to do that for me, as they add an extra layer to their tracks through their music videos (each track being an "ear movie"). + +Throughout the year I found myself coming back to a few tracks over and over - especially when I was showering or doing some other short activity and I just wanted something upbeat and fun as heck! + +Some call out featured songs are The Widow Maker featuring Gunship, Imaginary Fire featuring Greg Puciato, and Lipstick Masquerade featuring Persha. I looped these three songs quite a bit. But there are quite a few more to checkout. + +### Favorite Track + +This is tough, as I looped those three songs quite a bit - each bringing their own unique energy. So I'll pick all three - my list my rules: + +* The Widow maker - feat. Gunship +This track is representative of the genre. It's synthwave to the core. + +* Imaginary Fire - feat. Greg Puciato +This is a metal track with synths. Greg Puciato (of The Dillinger Escape Plan fame) is one of my favorite vocalists and is immensely talented. This is probably my favorite because I can't get enough of his vocal style - the screams and the clean vocals! + +* Lipstick Masquerade - feat. Persha +This is a modern 80s track. This is what retrowave was designed around and while tracks like The Widow Maker are more typical of the genre, this is the song they all are basing their sound off of. This is kill pop song. + +### Special Commendation - Non Stop Bangers + +You throw this album on and it hits you with just banger after banger. I can't keep myself from dancing. Even as I listen back as I write this gemlog I am grooving in my chair! Like Kanga last year, this is just a series of tracks that just make you dance. + +### Album Link + +[[spotify] Carpenter Brut - Leather Terror](https://open.spotify.com/album/37PW0ipoWcjx3APS1MN0ql?si=HE0-siOqTsqVlJrlL9MWTw) + +## Elder - Innate Passage + +I toot'd a bit about this album, a later release in the year, this took this year end review and flipped it on its head. I thought it was wrapped up already with a separate release this year, but this makes the decision so hard. + +Elder came at us with what feels like a return to form. Having previously released Omens in 2020 and a collaboration album in 2021, Innate Passage takes the best parts of those two albums and builds on-top of more "classic Elder" albums like Lore. Elder has carved out their own niche in the genre making a blend of psych rock and stoner metal, with each release leaning harder and harder into psychedelic realms. Innate Passage has this almost ethereal feeling - especially in their opening track Catastasis. + +I think, however, they've left the doom and stoner metal behind. Dead Roots Stirring and Elder (self titled) were certainly "Doomy" and in that "doom/stoner" metal overlap. Lore, Reflections of a Floating World are both still very "stoner metal". But is playing psychedelic-metal with a big muff automatically stoner metal? I think since Omens they're probably, as a band, firmly outside of the stoner metal field - and more soundly in some psychedelic/prog metal genre? + +They introduce themselves as such in their website actually! + +<figure> + +> genre-pushing rock band that melds heavy psychedelic sounds with progressive elements and evocative soundscapes. + +<figcaption><cite>--- [https://beholdtheelder.com/elder-bio/](https://beholdtheelder.com/elder-bio/)</cite></figcaption> +</figure> + +"Merged In Dreams - Ne Plus Ultra" is the track that flips this whole argument on its head and shows that regardless, they're still very much a metal band and one that you'll absolutely be head banging too, horn up \m/. + +### Favorite Track + +I think "Merged In Dreams - Ne Plus Ultra". A nearly 15 minute track that has everything in it you expect from Elder. + +### Special Commendation - Excellent Vinyl Record Cover + +I LOVE their record covers when they do the circular inserts. You can display this vinyl with having 3 separate views through the port, which while purely aesthetic - it's very nice! + +The quality of the vinyl release was great, though I find any non-black Vinyl has a 33% chance of being slightly warped upon arrival. I am going to stick to traditional black vinyls from now on sadly. It's too freaking often + +### Album Link + +[[spotify] Elder - Innate Passage](https://open.spotify.com/album/5XClGjeje4c3qPjbtT898K?si=PFgsT8S_TD6hu4dwbFp3Jw) + +## Emma Ruth Rundle - EG2: Dowsing Voice + +Her second album in her "Electric Guitar" series - Emma Ruth Rundle (ERR from here on out) has released "Dowsing Voice" a haunting follow-up to last years Engine of Hell. Holy holy HOLY hell, this album is an impactful, artistic, just WOW. It's hard to describe. I was listening to it for this review and my partner, sitting behind me relaxing, said "What the hell are you listening too, this is scary!". And scary, emotional, and difficult it is. ERR stretches the use of the "electric guitar" title, as the focus here is the additional layers and voices added on-top of the main tracks. + +An experimental release that, at this time is only available on bandcamp, is one I don't put on frequently, but when I do am fully captivated. If you like artistic records - please check this out. + +### Favorite Track + +Probably: Keening into Ffynnon Llanllawer - I love the guitar(?) part and the wailing/vocalization. It's haunting. As a recording is amazing. + +Though "In the Cave of The Cailleach's Death-Birth" is the /best/ track. Put some headphones on and give this a listen! Just amazing. + +### Special Commendation - Album Art + +This album, IS ART, but the album art is just... really suiting the music. + +### Album Link + +[[bandcamp] Emma Ruth Rundle - EG2: Dowsing Voice](https://emmaruthrundle.bandcamp.com/album/eg2-dowsing-voice) + +## Jay Hosking - Celestial spheres (and various other releases) + +This is an interesting pick. Having released JUST in time for this year, this is an album I have been engaging with in many, many ways. Firstly, I am a patron of this performer via Patreon. They make music videos (audio only performance videos of the songs) that they compile into albums. Last year's album is probably my actual favorite and likely SHOULD'VE snuck into the top 5 because of the final track alone, which was an emotional and just epic banger of a track (Linked at the bottom of this review). + +Celestial spheres is a compilation of 8 synth jams. Jay bills these as semi-improvisational, and while the YT channel is a synth nerds dream of these informative performances, the songs stand on their own. This one is no exception. Using various different pieces of hardware synths, grooveboxes, drum machines and traditional instruments - each track is unique while still carrying this /energy/ and style. It's so easy to hear Jays tracks and know it's him. + +I've been following him for years and really enjoy the music he makes, and the community he's built up around his music. Due to the disconnected nature of the singles (releasing effectively as YouTube videos prior to the album drop) it's difficult to ultimately rate these in these lists since I don't get a chance to really enjoy them /as an album/ until the end of the year (the past two times happened like this where they came out around the end of the year). And on my playlist "Future, Tense" is present as it's a "2022" album according to Spotify, but was out on bandcamp in 2021, and that's when I was gifted it by Jay. + +So yeah - this whole section is like "disclaimer disclaimer" but if you like groovy, typically instrumental synth music - check it out. + +### The various other releases + +This year Jay released a few albums actually which I didn't want to include separately. If you enjoy this album (which was mostly comprised of 2022 music, so was the primary focus) check out the other albums: + +https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/album/cinematic-works +https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/album/away-music-for-a-productive-day +https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/album/home-music-for-a-productive-day + +### Favorite Track + +Without out a doubt it's Nychthemeron. It's truly a wild track, with so much happening in it. I suspect it was his favorite too since he made an actual music video for it: + +[[youtube] Jay Hosking - Nychthemeron (Official Music video)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka-xE3Qo3dA) + +### Special Commendation - Each track has a live performance attached to it! + +If you enjoy videos - these each have a corresponding YT video linked at the bottom of the bandcamp page. + +### Album Link + +[[bandcamp] Jay Hosking - Celestial spheres](https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com/album/celestial-spheres) + +## Tina Dickow - Bitte Små Ryk + +Tina Dickow (sometimes credited as Tina Dico, depending on the release) is a fantastic Danish singer songwriter. Since her first solo album she's really found a way to elevate what is just folk indie pop. Her songwriting, arrangements, and performances are always so rich. She knows when to strip the song back - like Chefen Skal Ha' Fri - while, has certainly a lot happening beneath the lyrics - mixes them back a bit to let the layered vocals cut through as the song builds. Each song has so much to listen to! Picking out various instruments, layers, yet every song would work performed just her and her acoustic guitar. I find her style of pop music to be very engaging for that reason. I don't often listen to this style of music, but the production behind each track is so good it hooks me in. That and her beautiful voice - which drew me in first. + +It's a bit harder to talk about this album given the language barrier (I do not speak Danish!) Which is a shame, since her lyrics are often what I love about some of her previous albums. I've read the translations and done my own as a learning exercise, but there is a layer missing which is a shame given how strong this album is as whole. + +I've spoken about Tina before in two previous gemlogs +([Music Spotlight: Awesome EPs](gemini://senders.io/gemlog/2021-04-27-music-spotlight-awesome-eps.gmi) and [5x5 Playlists](gemini://senders.io/gemlog/2021-05-18-5x5-playlists.gmi) (both gemini:// links)) +and is one of my absolute favorite artists of all time. I've been slowly collecting her entire discography, which can be tricky, given a lot of copies are out of print and the remaining stock/used copies are often in Europe. (And that 5x5 playlist is very telling given most of those artists have been featured in my top albums lists and were winners! Is this foreshadowing?!) + +### Favorite Track + +I shouldn't have introduced this section - it has been so hard each time! I think the title track, Bitte Små Ryk. It's got everything there, and is representative of the albums sound. + +### Special Commendation - Lovely + +This whole album is lovely. There is emotion here too, and while I don't speak the language its often very clear. But I love Tina and her music. It's lovely and hits this spot in me thats just warm. + +### Album Link + +[[spotify] Tina Dickow - Bitte Små Ryk](https://open.spotify.com/album/6YV4Gomk4iy0dUyVqPDN7T?si=e3wO7G3XTI-ZIwhOSCswJA) + +## My Top Pick + +This year has been especially hard, since I spent so much time listening to 2021s releases which are some of my favorite of all time. And between 2021 and 2022 (and mentioned in my 2021 spotlight) nearly every one of my favorite artists released an album. So I have been blessed with a lot to listen to. + +Anyone following me on mastodon may have seen Tina Dickow just owning my entire wrapped campaign, but with Elder releasing their album after the data collection stops for wrapped, that certainly isn't telling the whole story. + +And it wouldn't be a top album list if I didn't mention Starcadian being consistently in the top 10 year after year, just narrowly missing the top 5 - though technically, this release was in my 2020s list, as it was available then, but had since been pulled, and was released "officially" in 2022. Looking at what I can see it's the same tracklist, but the "inspired by" credits are entirely gone from the 2022 release. + +### Elder - Innate Passage + +Each year picking the winner is hard. Part of the reason I do this is I don't really add stuff to the list I don't like. A LOT of music comes out each year, and I add what I listen to. I don't listen to music I don't like - so by nature of the process - each album is a "top album" for me. + +But the top 5 is usually a mix of "omg obvs" and "yeah turns out I threw that on way more than I expected" (Carpenter Brut). But its really always a fight between those "obvs" - this year was Elder and Tina Dickow. Their releases were seriously top tier and repeat listens. + +Tina came in with the advantage of releasing in April, and Elder JUST released theirs at the end of November. But I did some math on my mastodon breaking down the comparison. Elder came at us with a longer albums, under half as many tracks, and over 2x the average song length (about 10min/track). + +They didn't waste a single second (neither did Tina) but just being such an accessible album - just direct pure energy and power - BOOM! It was great. + +### This should've been a tie + +Honestly, I was ready to call it a tie. I am actually writing this minutes before posting it, because that's how undecided I am and how close this is. + +Tina Dickow deserves the number one slot any other year, and both her and Elder's albums I hope to see more of in the next few years! Both are classic albums in their discographies (both albums of which I own and spin regularly). I forced myself to pick, and just knowing me, my tastes, and all the stuff I said above - I went with Elder. But seriously, listen to this record - Tina manages to pack so much musicality in carving out a unique sound and just amazing style. I love her <3 :) + +And if her music isn't your jam - check out her guest tracks on the Zero-7 stuff - angelic voice. + +## Conclusion + +I am REALLY disappointed I had to choose between Elder and Tina Dickow this year. Similarly, last year I had Raised by Swans, ERR, and Kanga! And our winner in 2020 was Bell Witch. These ARE my top six favorite musical artists currently active. + +I'll talk about music trends and my tastes later on. But I just wanted to emphasize how much of a banger these last 3 years have been musically and I am grateful I get to share these with you here. + +I am really excited for 2023! + +## This year's playlist (2023) + +[[spotify] senders' Releases 2023 Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4zgdFBZslkcEq0xYFyME7U?si=4bc2bf7d015c4254) + +## Links + +If you use gemini:// you can check out my previous posts (until/unless I decided to port those over too) + +* [[gemini] Music Spotlight: Top Album 2021](gemini://senders.io/gemlog/2022-11-30-music-spotlight-top-album-2021.gmi) +* [[gemini] Music Spotlight: Top Album 2020](gemini://senders.io/gemlog/2021-03-21-music-spotlight-top-album-2020.gmi) + + +Thanks for reading! I don't always crosspost - I am trying something out :) + |