Alessandro Cortini instructs listeners to approach his new album “at a very high volume,” but even if you do, this song will start out softly. It follows the arc of a fire: a crackly, velvet electronic blanket builds steadily until it roars open into brandishing synths; stoked by more electronic air, they sustain and then burn out. Cortini, a Nine-Inch-Nails collaborator, is obsessed with synths in the way that your brother might have been obsessed with the guitar in high school; you can hear him poring over the instrument, tinkering to expand the limits of what it can do. As it turns out, that’s quite a lot, and Cortini’s a lot easier to listen to while you’re doing homework. Check out the full album, Volume Massimo, if you’re into it.
No matter what news outlets you follow, you’ve probably seen your faves react slack-jawed to the forthcoming Tinder TV show. Reportedly, the swipe machine is working on an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure program where you, the viewer, have to choose your mate in an apocalypse scenario. “But why,” is the common response, and the answer is shaky at best. The show may prime the pump (gross) for daters who need the extra push (gross) to get out there. And speculatively (Tinder will neither confirm or deny), it may pair users with people who swiped similarly through the adventure, giving them something to talk about on their date. This much we do know: Tinder has too much money, or gullible leadership, or both.
Match, owned by the same conglomerate as Tinder, was just sued by the FTC for fraud. Evidently, Match has been luring unpaid users into their premium tier with messages saying something to the tune of, “Check out this really attractive person! They just sent you a note.” And then when people start paying to access those messages, it turns out the “users” who had expressed interest are actually bots. That’s against the rules, of course, but what’s worse is it kicks you while you’re down— what’s more embarrassing: being catfished or being catfished by a robot? Show ’em who’s boss, FTC.
If life’s too short to waste on romance bots, it’s also too short for bad socks. Consider investing in a pair with built-in arch support, high-quality fabrics, and other thoughtful features that keep your feet comfortable all day long. Bombas has a new fall collection that includes soft and cozy Merino wool as well as tie-dye, and as always, they donate a pair to someone in need at every purchase. So get in there and find the design for you.
