iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Grabs you from the lede and doesn't let go.

Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Maybe it's not about "brand," @usatoday.com. Perhaps it's the realization that rallying around hate doesn't pay the bills.

Screenshot of USAToday promo with the headline "Has Trump lost his mojo? Rural voters sound off on Democratic wins."

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Ah, how the anecdotal rises above the scientific in the search rankings.

Screenshot of two search results regarding drinking sparkling water to combat acid reflux.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

So much for not politicizing our government agencies.

Screenshot of the USDA's Economic Research Service website that says, "Due to the Radical Left Democrat shutdown, this government website will not be updated during the funding lapse."

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

They apparently furloughed the data, too.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Wow, that ruling profoundly disrupted Google.

Screenshot of YouTube screen saying "We are experiencing problems with our servers. Please try again later."

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Hopped on Twitter for the first time in a while and was surprised at the number of people still posting there. This post from Frank Luntz elicited a mostly ridiculous, ignorant batch of responses from people who don't understand how endowments work.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Wow — love this thank-you card!

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

17. Osibisa, S/T (1971). World grooves in a Santana vein — multiple perspectives blended into a timeless jam of horns, woodwinds, percussion and organ. #MWE

Osibisa cover from their debut album. It’s a Roger Dean painting of flying elephants.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

16. Nine Inch Nails, “Add Violence” (2017). The second part of Reznor’s late 2010s EP trilogy. His blend of melody and chaos here, continuing the edge-of-cliff sanity of “Hesitation Marks,” is the perfect soundtrack for these times. #MWE

Cover of Nine Inch Nails’ Add Violence EP, features a faded machine control panel with a number of buttons, knobs and meters, including one that says “add violence.”

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

15. Montell Jordan, “This Is How We Do It” (1995). Sexy ‘90s hip-hop with addictive New Jack sensibility in the groove. Some lyrics have not aged well, but overall, a joyous ride sonically. #MWE

Album cover of Montell Jordan’s This Is How We Do It with a photo of his serious face.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

14. Bon Iver, “For Emma, Forever Ago” (2007). Gentle layered vocals provide the embrace of a campfire. You’re outside the cabin with him, singing along in the circle, forgetting the rest of the world. #MWE

Cover of Bon Iver’s first album showing a tree through a frosted window.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

13. Fontaines D.C., “Romance” (2024). Channeling the best of ‘90s alternative, this music offers intimacy and majesty. A satisfying place somewhere between Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Roses. #MWE

Cover of Romance album by Fontaines DC, featuring a painted heart with a sad face.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

12. Halsey, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power (2021). Halsey shows off her range and power on this impressive departure from her usual chart fare. Producers Reznor and Ross add an edge and experimentation vibe, which opens her to spaces of industrial-tinged pop darkness. #MWE

Cover of Halsey’s If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, with her on a golden throne holding a baby. Her left breast is exposed, an homage to the Madonna.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

11. The Church, “Starfish” (1988). Deceptively accessible, this album remains true to its college alternative/indie roots with subtle fills and asides at unexpected moments. The real gems here are the smooth guitar lines, which venture into varied realms without losing the listener. #MWE

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

10. Fiona Apple, “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” (2020). The sparse instrumentation and lightly processed vocals are disturbingly bare, and by the end, the ferocious poetry leaves you breathless, exhausted, spent. One of the best albums of the decade so far. #MWE

Cover of Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters album from 2020 with a photo of her left eye wide open and frantic

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Watch for this “On Being” episode when it comes out. Such an incredible conversation between Krista Tippett and Justin Vernon about truth and meaning.

Krista Tippett interviews Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) at On Air Fest 2025 in Brooklyn.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

9. Heartworms,”Glutton for Punishment” (2025). Impressive debut showcasing Jojo Orme’s energy and songwriting prowess. The edge and emotion that sparks Tori Amos or PJ Harvey comparisons: Strong artistic vision that pushes while pulling you in. #MWE

Artistic image with a black circle and asterisk on a white splash of paint. Cover of Glutton for Punishment by British artist Heartworms.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

8. Debbie Harry, “KooKoo” (1981). Extends the Blondie Autoamerican universe into Chicworld. Bernard and Nile add polish but smooth out some of Debbie’s (and Chris Stein’s) ferocious edge in the process. Better than expected, and yeah, that’s an H.R. Giger painting on the cover. #MWE

Debbie Harry cover painting from her debut solo album KooKoo shows her face large pins through her cheeks

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

7. Grace Jones, “Inside Story” (1986). Jones’ storytelling really shines here. Like many artists, she embraced the synths and drum machines of the era, but her authentic, underprocessed vocals combined with perfectly chosen guitar lines and world beats avoid falling into Jan Hammer irrelevance. #MWE

Grace Jones computer image from her 1986 album Inside Story

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

6. Kendrick Lamar, “GNX” (2024). Just like Kendrick’s incredible Super Bowl performance, this wide-ranging release has so many layers that it requires return visits. The bounce and lyricism have curb appeal as well as depth under the hood. #MWE

Cover of GNX by Kendrick Lamar shows him leaning against a Buick GNX.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

5. World Party, “Egyptology” (1997). I slept on this band way too long. This album, with its gorgeous vocal harmonies and varied song structures, show there’s so much more to them than “Ship of Fools.” #MWE

Album cover of Egyptology by World Party show a guy holding a mummy case

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

4. Boston, “Walk On” (1994). No Brad Delp vocals? Just know there is a four-song “suite” that includes two separate instrumental intros to tracks called “Walk On” and “Walk On (Some More)” (no, really). Laughably bad. #MWE

Cover of Boston’s fourth album, Walk On, shows the guitar spaceship exploding out of a mountain.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

3. The Chameleons, “Script of the Bridge” (1983). The post-punk, pre-goth structures in this stellar debut — reverb-drenched melodies and slight synth atmospheres — make you wonder why this band wasn’t as big as The Cure, especially since there is optimism and hope amid the exploratory angst. #MWE

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

2. Gil Scott-Heron, "Pieces of a Man" (1971). The jazz inflections provide the smoky intimacy of an artist who demands you pay attention, listen, engage. The album offers much beyond the poetry, too: drums, piano, bass, in an ear-wrapping mix. Fave: Home Is Where the Hatred Is. #MWE

Gil Scott-Heron's album cover of Pieces of a Man, which is a head shot of him looking away, off camera.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

1. Joy Division — "Unknown Pleasures" (1979). The echoed distance and flat vocals put listeners immediately at unease. By "New Dawn Fades," the incessant bass and thin sticky drums have wormed their way into persistence. The second half will terrorize you. Fave: Interzone. #MWE

Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures, album cover with computer generated imagery of sound waves that look like mountains

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Imagine if we learned the art of ignoring his words and focusing on his actions.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

One aspect to keep in mind: Meta abandoned third-party fact-checking only in the U.S. It still uses independent fact-checkers elsewhere in the world. transparency.meta.com/features/how...

Text screen shot that highlights Meta is abandoning third-party fact-checking in the United States but keeping independent fact-checkers in Europe.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Is double breaking news like super secret probation?

Screenshot of New York Times Threads post that says "breaking news" twice in a row before providing the summary of the story about a federal judge upholding the use of racial preferences.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Wow. The acoustic version of “Interstate Love Song” on the new Purple Rarities album is absolutely beautiful. Scott Weiland’s vocal is perfect.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

we interrupt your feed for an update on our Meta manipulation

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Here's a real-time counter of Bluesky users so you can gleefully watch the number rise. bcounter.nat.vg

Screenshot of counter that shows how many users are on Bluesky. It's up to 20,713,767.

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 23/02/2024

17. #MWE Fiona Apple, "When the Pawn..." (1999). Apple asserts her identity on this sophomore release by expanding and progressing well beyond the structures of her successful debut. So many spectacular musical scenes in these songs that defy categorization. Fave: "Limp." 10/10

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 23/02/2024

16. #MWE Everlast, “Whitey Ford’s House of Pain” (2018). A reliable chronicler of the street, Everlast has lost a step here, with too-familiar clichés and the occasional stumble into pop. But when he hits, it's a knockout. Faves: "Don't Complain," "The Culling." 6/10

Everlast album, Whitey Ford’s House of Pain

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 20/02/2024

15. #MWE July Talk, S/T (2012). The vocal clash of Peter Dreimanis' deep growl and Leah Fay Goldstein's lilting melodies is jarring but captivating. Spurred by a tough backing band and solid lyrics, the Mentos-and-soda duo occasionally blend in unexpectedly perfect ways. Fave: "My Neck." 7/10

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 15/02/2024

14. #MWE Lucy Dacus, “No Burden” (2016). It isn’t just her distinctive voice or her driving guitar or her lyrics; it’s how she meticulously constructs her songs to leverage each of the elements to greatest effect. The best #MWE find for me so far. Fave: “Troublemaker Doppelgänger.” 10/10

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 15/02/2024

13. #MWE Carly Simon, “Hotcakes” (1974). A capsule of ‘70s sap. Simon sings beautifully and is backed by a solid musician corps, including then-husband James Taylor. But most of the songs feel bleah, meh and yeesh; she’s at her best taking some musical risks. Fave: “Mockingbird.”5/10

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 15/02/2024

12. #MWE Superchick, "Beauty From Pain 1.1" (2006). Spirited Christian pop-punk with the occasional puff song thrown in to please the masses. The band is most enticing in punky declaration-of-independence mode. Faves: “Anthem,” “One Girl Revolution (Battle Mix).” 6/10

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 15/02/2024

11. #MWE Iron Maiden, "Somewhere in Time" (1986). A musical whirlwind of intricate guitars surrounded by Nicko McBrain's precision drumming and Adrian Smith's driving bass. Bruce Dickinson's operatic wail isn't for all tastes, but he delivers on the vocal promise of "Wasted Years" throughout. 7/10

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 15/02/2024

10. #MWE Cheap Trick, S/T (1977). The music on the debut shows off the band's chops as a tight, talented bunch, a harbinger of great songs to come. But the unhinged lyrics — the textual version of Nielsen's wide-eyed tightrope stare — leave you with a smirking unease. 7/10

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 15/02/2024

9. #MWE Icon for Hire, S/T (2013). Take some Paramore, swirl in the stutter grind of In This Moment and add a dash of The Pretty Reckless. Just when you think you've got the band pigeonholed, out comes another dove from the sleeve. Highlights: "Cynics & Critics," "Pop Culture" 7/10

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Jonathan Groves @grovesprof.bsky.social · 15/02/2024

8. #MWE Mazzy Star, “So Tonight That I Might See” (1993). A smoky basement Gen X jam with angst drifting in a haze. Everyone knows “Fade Into You,” but it’s the restrained explosions of “She’s My Baby” and “Wasted” with Hope Sandoval’s waning melodies that draw the deepest fear. 7/10

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