iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

It was Serling who said that, and I didn't interpret any negativity – he was talking about soundboards, not audience tapes, and it's simply a statement of fact about the quality and provenance of many of the soundboard recordings that are unofficially available

100

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

There's a new way to listen to the Grateful Dead: Play Dead, a nugs subscription service that brings the band's prior archival releases – and tons of exclusive new ones – to high-resolution streaming. More about the news ft @davidlemieux.bsky.social & the team www.billboard.com/pro/grateful...

billboard.com

The Grateful Dead Launches Play Dead Streaming Platform: ‘We Want to Melt Your Faces’

The Grateful Dead launched a new subscription streaming service, Play Dead, created by nugs, Rhino Entertainment and Grateful Dead Productions.

031

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

RIP Bob Weir, the man whose voice I've heard more on record and in concert that any other. The prophet on the burning shore, a cosmic cowboy who stopped by Earth for a few decades to share his songs with us. A titanic loss, an immeasurable impact. The music will never stop. Rest easy.

1743

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Lots more new music that I loved in 2025 open.spotify.com/playlist/2SQ...

open.spotify.com

Best of 2025

020

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Favorites from a great year of shows

120

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

My favorite albums and songs – led by Geese's Getting Killed and Alex G's "Afterlife" – of 2025. Alphabetically listed, my essentials separated and bolded

150

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

Wrote about some of my favorite songs of 2025 for @billboard.com's year-end list: Water From Your Eyes' 'Playing Classics,' Alex G's 'Afterlife,' Turnstile's 'Never Enough,' and Tyler, the Creator's 'Sugar On My Tongue' www.billboard.com/lists/best-s...

billboard.com

The 100 Best Songs of 2025: Staff Picks

The Best Songs of 2025: The 100 best hits and deep cuts of the year.

010

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Wrote about two of my favorite 2025 albums for @billboard.com's year-end list: Kaytranada and Geese. My colleagues didn't share my opinion that Getting Killed is far and away the year's best album, and CERTAINLY a 2025 top 10... but that's OK! www.billboard.com/lists/best-a...

billboard.com

The 50 Best Albums of 2025: Staff Picks

The Best Albums of 2025: The 50 best releases of the year.

030

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

I get that... there is a part of me that does yearn for the old Tame days. But this was still fun imo

110

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

A new Cardi B era is upon us – and @billboard.com's latest cover is an unmissable, wide-ranging interview with ever-colorful hip-hop star www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip...

Billboard cover featuring Cardi B with the cover line "CARDI B MAKES HER MOVE"

040

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

I know, he needs to be really bold and do it in the studio

100

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Enough with the note-for-note re-records of old material. Need a Dylan album where he does barely recognizable reinterpretations of his most classic songs

270

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

Wednesday has a new album out next month, and it's one of their best. Talked to 'em about it for @billboard.com's fall preview www.billboard.com/music/rock/w...

021

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Wild how immediately social media becomes way more grating when it's A-Certain-Someone Season again

010

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

A saccharine, mediocre song that was wildly overplayed – but somewhat surprised that 15 years later, it can still engender strong opinions of any kind (and as far as 2010 goes, the indie-pop Matt & Kim stuff was way more grating and has aged even worse)

020

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

The way every post on The Other Site currently is about Edward Sharpe's 'Home' ... cooked

110

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

In 2024, Harris and the Democrats decided that refusing to move an inch to the left, or to vocally defend trans people, or to condemn a genocide was worth risking this and myriad other catastrophic policies, and that's something we should never forget

040

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Thanks for sharing and for the kind words!

110

Reposted by Eric Renner Brown

Richard B. Simon @rbsimon.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Solid, well-informed, and finely-penned rundown by @erbrown.bsky.social 👇

131

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

Hm interesting, the more you know!

010

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

Jerry's Travis Bean guitar really getting around this weekend

120

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Grahame Lesh playing Mission Control for 'Box of Rain,' Billy Strings leading a towering 'Wharf Rat,' and more highlights for @billboard.com from Dead & Company's first Golden Gate Park concert celebrating 60 years of the Grateful Dead www.billboard.com/lists/dead-c...

billboard.com

7 Best Moments From Dead & Company’s Kickoff Celebrating 60 Years of the Grateful Dead in SF

Dead & Company's performed at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on Aug. 1, celebrating 60 years of the Grateful Dead. Here are the best mooments.

061

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Big Grateful Dead 60th anniversary shows in San Francisco but without Steve Silberman feels wrong

1210

Reposted by Eric Renner Brown

woodsist rumors @woodsistrumors.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

Answers questions about Gizz as a jamband (namely it’s impossible since they are Australian). Great insights from Jello Biafra as well.

072

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

In a just world, it's Fallon who would've been canceled, not Colbert

Via Twitter:

@jimmyfallon: It's a Jorts Summer!! And it's also Will Ferrell's birthday. You know what has to be done. [video of Fallon dancing in jorts]

060

Reposted by Eric Renner Brown

K.G.L.W. of the day @kglwoftheday.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

A choice nugget from a solid piece. Somehow the "are they/aren't they" question still does not feel definitively settled. (For the record, I don't care if they're called a jam band, just keep being excellent to each other at the shows.)

As Mackenzie points out, jam band culture "just doesn't exist" in Australia, and King Gizz has never considered itself part of that world. "We don't see ourselves as a jam band, per se," Walker says, though he adds that "one thing that's kind of cool about that crossover is if people are calling us a jam band, or we've all of a sudden been taken under that umbrella, that we are bringing something really different to the sphere." In other words, he says, "we're not a band that ever listened to Phish," but could be "a new version of what would constitute the traditional jam band."

093

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Listening to Phish on the way to the Alex G gig

030

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

There are so many honest, dedicated people working in the live events and venues sectors. But the intimidation tactics of a bygone era do still hang around. Whatever the outcome of this specific case, I'm glad these business practices remain under scrutiny, even under a biz-friendly administration

020

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

When Harris ran a campaign refusing to distance herself from the deeply unpopular administration she was part of, refusing to defend trans rights, refusing to take a principled stand on Gaza, she knew these decisions would depress her base and possibly lose her the election – and went ahead anyway

040

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

The common argument for supporting centrists and the Democratic establishment is that at the very least, they'll protect Americans from the worst aspects of Republican rule. If the Democrats can't fulfill that basic task, there's little utility for them as a party

180

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Days like today are why so many progressives and leftists were so upset in 2024 about Harris' half-baked, morally bankrupt campaign (and Biden's egotistical choice to remain in the race for so long). If Democrats lost the White House, it was going to have grave consequences and, well, here we are

1110

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Please, someone make a sampler guide to this new Springsteen release, I can't be the only person who likes Springsteen but simply can't do several hours of archival material from him (or maybe I am, considering how many Springsteen fans are true obsessives)

321

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

By this same logic, bathrooms, air conditioning, heat – any basic necessity could be discounted as a line-item that adds to the bottom line for fans. Water is extremely cheap and everyone needs it to survive

010

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

All venues should always provide all attendees free water always, and especially in the summer. Really screwed up that this isn't standard procedure universally

0234

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

And wrote about my two favorite songs of the year – Alex G's 'Afterlife' and HAIM's 'Relationships' – for @billboard.com's best songs of 2025 so far! www.billboard.com/lists/best-s...

billboard.com

The 50 Best Songs of 2025 So Far (Staff Picks)

Our staff's 50 favorite songs from 2025 so far, including Bad Bunny, Doechii and Sabrina Carpenter.

100

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Wrote about Bad Bunny and Whatever The Weather for @billboard.com's best albums of 2025 so far list (though I should note that, love these as I do, they're not in my personal www.billboard.com/lists/best-a...

billboard.com

The 50 Best Albums of 2025 So Far (Staff Picks)

Our staff's 50 favorite albums from 2025 so far, including Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga and Playboi Carti.

100

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

When The Wizard of Oz lands at Sphere in August, audiences will hear it like never before – here's how the team behind the production updated the iconic film's audio for the state-of-the-art venue www.billboard.com/pro/sphere-w...

billboard.com

How Sphere Reimagined Audio For ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ To Help The Movie ‘Break New Ground’ Again

For Sphere's new production of The Wizard of Oz, the Las Vegas venue's team reimagined the film's audio to match its technical capabilities.

020

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Erics and Eriks can find common ground in thinking the spelling Erick is idiotic

000

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Loved talking with @thebanderson.bsky.social about his meticulously researched, deeply engaging new book – it drops tomorrow and is essential reading for any Deadhead! www.billboard.com/pro/grateful...

0102

Eric Renner Brown @erbrown.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Very much not the point I was making, obviously if someone dies who did shitty things, that should be foregrounded when talking about them

100