The hottest Influences Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Literature Topics

What's Past is Prologue

Dada Drummer Almanach • 62 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🎶 Music Influences
  1. Longstanding venues like Café Oto give adventurous and song-based musicians a rare, sophisticated audience, but such places are disappearing because of rising rents and the loss of independent ownership.
  2. A multi-night residency lets musicians live in a neighborhood and build local relationships. Exploring Stoke Newington’s hidden histories showed how generations of nonconformists feed creative life there.
  3. The encore recordings from those nights feature unexpected cover versions shaped by this particular group of collaborators, and they’re being released as a Bandcamp exclusive.

a close read of my MFA statement of purpose

sweater weather • 4166 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
📚 Literature Influences
  1. A statement of purpose for MFA programs is about explaining your reasons for pursuing the degree.
  2. In writing, the concept of 'purpose' can be elusive and complex, leading to a struggle in articulating one's creative goals.
  3. Regardless of the challenges faced during the MFA program application process, it's essential to stay true to your writing ambitions and seek to make those aspirations a reality.

Artists Outside Their Comfort Zones, 1.0

Life Since the Baby Boom • 2075 implied HN points • 02 Jul 25
🎶 Music Influences
  1. Artists can surprise us by stepping outside their usual styles. For example, Ella Fitzgerald covered a hard rock song, showing her versatility.
  2. Many musicians have covered popular songs in unexpected ways. It's interesting to see how different artists put their spin on classics.
  3. Covering songs can add humor and variety to music. Artists like Lawrence Welk and Andy Williams took on rock songs that you wouldn't expect from them.

Inside the Writerly Life of Joan Didion

MILLER’S BOOK REVIEW 📚 • 1159 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
📚 Literature Influences
  1. Joan Didion's early writing experiences shaped her as a writer since childhood, emphasizing the importance of practicing and developing writing skills from a young age.
  2. Joan Didion's keen attention to sentence structure and style was influenced by authors like Hemingway, Conrad, and James, showcasing how studying others' works can inform one's writing.
  3. Joan Didion viewed writing as an integral part of her thought process, using writing as a tool for exploration and self-discovery, and recognizing the impact of her writing tools on her thought process.
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Rosie Carr (Interview)

Flow State • 569 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🎶 Music Influences
  1. Rosie Carr combines homemade instruments with field recordings and trip-hop percussion in her music.
  2. Gardening and ambient music can both have a meditative effect.
  3. Rosie Carr draws influences from a variety of musicians in her compositions.

5 Questions With: Seablite

On Repeat by Kevin Alexander • 412 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🎶 Music Influences
  1. Seablite is a Bay Area-based indie-pop band influenced by early '90s Brit Pop and Shoegaze.
  2. Their latest album 'Lemon Lights' showcases a more experimental and mature sound for the band.
  3. The band members have diverse musical influences ranging from Blur and Ride to dance records.

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Flow State • 609 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
🎶 Music Influences
  1. Ryuichi Sakamoto was a talented Japanese composer and pianist with a diverse body of work.
  2. His music ranged from pop to film scores to experimental electronic music.
  3. Sakamoto's creativity and talent have inspired many around the world.

SUSS (Interview)

Flow State • 471 implied HN points • 25 Oct 23
🎶 Music Influences
  1. SUSS creates ambient country music by blending ambient and instrumental country influences.
  2. The band has evolved through lineup changes and now focuses on more abstract pieces.
  3. The members find inspiration from a variety of artistic disciplines outside of music.

The deeper significance of Steely Dan's name

Expanding Dan • 471 implied HN points • 05 May 23
🎶 Music Influences
  1. Steely Dan got their name from William S. Burroughs and his book 'Naked Lunch.'
  2. The band's name, referencing a dildo, symbolizes themes of transgressive art, masculinity, and falsehood in their music.
  3. The dildo reference was a provocation that added to the band's contrary mythos and made them stand out.

Raspberries, Surprise! Your Fave Rock Stars Love the 1970s Power Pop Kings!

Front Row & Backstage • 452 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
🎶 Music Influences
  1. Many famous rock stars like Lennon, The Boss, Axl Rose, and Dave Edmunds love the 1970s power pop band Raspberries.
  2. Raspberries are considered pioneers of power pop, featuring catchy tunes, jangly guitars, and harmonies.
  3. The Raspberries had an impact on music history, inspiring modern acts, receiving critical acclaim, and even drawing admiration from legends like John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen.

'The Man Who Planted Trees' Was an Impossible Task

Animation Obsessive • 3049 implied HN points • 20 Feb 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Influences
  1. Frédéric Back made a significant impact in animation through his film 'The Man Who Planted Trees'.
  2. The film, 'The Man Who Planted Trees,' took Back five years to make and was a labor of love that symbolized the good humans can achieve.
  3. The task of animating 'The Man Who Planted Trees' was a challenging and historic endeavor, showcasing Back's dedication and artistic brilliance.

Audio Archaeology, 1973: The Legacy of Jobriath as Morrissey, Numan, Def Leppard Remember

Front Row & Backstage • 393 implied HN points • 08 May 23
🎶 Music Influences
  1. Jobriath was a pioneering openly gay rocker signed to a major label in the 1970s, but faced challenges due to homophobia
  2. Influential musicians like Morrissey, Numan, and Def Leppard have been inspired by Jobriath's music and image
  3. Despite his initial hype and record deal, Jobriath's career struggled due to lack of promotion and personal struggles, leading to his untimely death

Grading Extropian Predictions

Maximum Progress • 373 implied HN points • 03 Jun 23
🔬 Science Influences
  1. Extropians are a group of influential futurists with high-profile members.
  2. Extropians made predictions with mixed accuracy, often being overly optimistic.
  3. Some Extropian predictions showed potential for accuracy, but overall their optimism sometimes led to incorrect forecasts.

Audio Autopsy, 1986: XTC "Season Cycle" from Skylarking LP, Produced by Todd Rundgren

Front Row & Backstage • 334 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🎶 Music Influences
  1. XTC's song 'Season Cycle' from the 1986 Skylarking LP is deeply influenced by 1960s music and the Beach Boys.
  2. The album 'Skylarking' by XTC was a loose concept album produced by Todd Rundgren.
  3. The songwriting and recording process of XTC, especially during their Dukes of Stratosphear project, showcased a creative homage to 1960s music.

The Novelist and the Fighter Pilot

Don't Save Anything • 216 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
📚 Literature Influences
  1. The writer James Salter and a man from the author's church were revealed to have known each other from their time serving as fighter pilots in the Korean War.
  2. Flight in the early 20th century transformed human perspective, influencing art and bringing a new aesthetic, like the discovery of perspective in drawing in the 15th century.
  3. The author reflects on the influence of Salter's work but also recognizes the importance of not idealizing an artist, appreciating the lessons drawn from different individuals, like Bob Boyd.

Lessons in narrative compassion

The Leftovers • 19 implied HN points • 07 Jan 22
📚 Literature Influences
  1. The book 'Dance Move' by Wendy Erskine uses third person narration, creating a detached, observer-like perspective that allows the stories to almost tell themselves.
  2. The stories in 'Dance Move' predominantly take place in intimate interior spaces like kitchens and living rooms, focusing on the everyday joys and sorrows of characters, rather than grand events.
  3. Wendy Erskine's writing style, influenced by authors like Chekhov, shows a compassionate approach to storytelling that prioritizes character depth and authenticity over sensationalism.

My top ten Latin American short stories

The Leftovers • 19 implied HN points • 09 Sep 21
📚 Literature Influences
  1. Latin American short stories have a unique charm and connect closely to storytelling traditions, often outshining longer novels in the region
  2. Authors like Jorge Luis Borges, Juan Rulfo, and Gabriel García Márquez have created exceptional short stories celebrated for their depth and impact
  3. These stories delve into a range of themes, from literary experimentation to societal issues, offering readers a rich and varied reading experience

A Conversation with Andrew Boryga

Political Currents by Ross Barkan • 11 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
📚 Literature Influences
  1. Writing a novel can be a long, evolving process, with Andrew Boryga spending ten years to develop 'Victim,' which started as college short stories and transformed into a multilayered narrative.
  2. Characters in novels don't need to be fundamentally good; Boryga intentionally crafted complex, imperfect characters like Javi in 'Victim' to avoid traditional, simplistic portrayals.
  3. Authenticity in storytelling is crucial; Boryga aimed to portray the Bronx as he knew it, weaving the beauty, pain, and humor of the community into his novel 'Victim.'