iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 20h

Doing a short reading Friday night in Brooklyn and talking to Adam Voith about his excellent new book. DM for details.

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Stanley Clarke and George Duke having serious fun in 1981

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

35 years ago Phil Ek and I were at the same Nirvana show. We talked about it and played bootleg singles for an hour on Mixcloud. www.mixcloud.com/nabilayers/n... #nirvana #90smusic #grunge #seattle

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Phil Ek and I didn't know each other in 1991, but we were at the same two Nirvana shows that year — one where Phil ran sound, one where Nirvana signed every bootleg I'd brought. 35 years later, we finally talked about it. 57 minutes, up now on Mixcloud. www.mixcloud.com/nabilayers/n...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Jon Ronson is an expert storyteller and this is a very good episode youtu.be/Ju-tbwxUD-k?...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Yes “Yours Is No Disgrace” 1971 incredible quality footage

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

For Bandcamp, I wrote about Heavy Vegetable’s wacky, precise, and incomprehensibly musical 1994 debut album. open.substack.com/pub/nabilaye...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Nabil X Nabil… finally, director Nabil Elderkin on identified. Full episode on YouTube. youtube.com/playlist?lis...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Meshell Ndegeocello describing her first musical memory on the identified podcast. Full episodes on YouTube. youtu.be/9w4vfnfxVkw?...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Metallica played 222 shows on the Damaged Justice tour. I was lucky enough to see 3 of them in SLC, Long Island, and Seattle. New Substack post on what it was like to see the same show three times as a teenager and have it hit different every time. nabilayers.substack.com/p/three-show...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Florence Shaw of Dry Cleaning is my guest on Identified this week youtu.be/qiyMswVTwDk?...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Pixies playing “Trompe Le Monde” on Letterman in Feb 1992. This was their US network TV debut. What an amazing, weird song to play, and with the full Letterman band. I count 4 guitars, and Paul and Sid’s solos are bonkers.

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Meshell Ndegeocello is this week’s guest on an amazing episode of identified. youtu.be/9w4vfnfxVkw?is

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Matt Berninger of The National is my guest on Identified this week #thenational #mattberninger youtu.be/LexWfWfnwUY?...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Happy Father’s Day to those who celebrate. Here’s a pic of James Baldwin and Roy Ayers that I don’t think is on the internet.

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Divinyls “Boys In Town” 1981 And a short Substack post about it. nabilayers.substack.com/p/you-know-t...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Quick clip from the new Michelle Zauner episode of identified youtu.be/JaCvytjwjfc

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast is my guest on identified this week (!) youtu.be/JaCvytjwjfc?...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Descendents ripping through “Marriage” 1985 in Huntington Beach, CA. Milo / Bill / Doug / Ray lineup.

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Some songs make you wait for the chorus until the very end, then it just repeats forever. Journey’s "Don't Stop Believin’” holds out until 3:32. I wrote a Substack post about these kinds of songs. What songs am I missing? Drop them below. 👇 nabilayers.substack.com/p/the-best-s...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

New York has always been a huge part of Identified, and our first guest of the new season embodies the spirit of the city and has been shaped by it: Julian Pratt of the iconic post-hardcore band Show Me The Body. Season 3 is our biggest yet and is right around the corner.

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

but I also wanted to take a step back from writing about my father as a person and just honor the music. I put a lot of energy into it, and I'm thrilled to have it out in the world.

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

My uncle Alan taught me music before I could really talk. Eight years ago we reissued his 1975 debut and it changed both our lives. His fourth album, Anthem for Peace, is out today. lnk.to/AlanBraufman

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Roy Ayers Ubiquity's "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" turns 50 today. I've spent the last few months going deep on my father's song—its unusual 50-year ascent, and why it's never quite gotten its due. Next week I have a piece in the LA Times, and I'll be talking about it on KCRW. Stay tuned.

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

My favorite mom photo: 1979 on top of Two World Trade Center.

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Wrote about some 1976 album covers that are somehow 50 years old but also timeless. nabilayers.substack.com/p/the-lost-a...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Tonight in London with Adam Buxton and Florence Shaw www.eventbrite.com/e/identified...

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Taking Identified to London for a live podcast event next week 🇬🇧 identified-london.eventbrite.com

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Sheila E. Live on the American Music Awards in 1985. Wait for the coat.

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Sad to say that the NYC snow is preventing this event from happening. Refunds are available at point of purchase. We’ll be back soon. ☀️

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

The amazing Tony Williams in 1972.

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Brooklyn! Feb 23 Identified live podcast with Allison Russell and Valerie June. tinyurl.com/identifiedpodcast

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Had a great time compiling my 100 best shows of all time. nabilayers.substack.com Bring on the arguments and Seinfeld jokes.

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

This Saturday is my 100th Substack post. To mark it, I’m working on a list of my 100 favorite shows of all time. What’s on your list? nabilayers.substack.com

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Nabil Ayers @nabilayers.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

I’m excited to announce an LA live taping of my podcast Identified with Matt Berninger of The National. Thurs Jan 29. Tix go on sale 1/23 3pm pacific. www.eventbrite.com/e/identified...