For the last RFC for 2021 we have little from signed artists aside from Midnight Oil and a few more, so I'm giving you lots of indie music this week, including Ms. Kash, Evan Roth, Mike Santos, Chasing Paragon, and finishing out the year with a dance party. Enjoy!
Here is this week's list of artists, identified by twitter handle unless otherwise marked:
@therealgreydaze @sleafordmods @midnightoilband @alyandaj with @thisisovercoats @PeterHollens and @TimFoustMusic @PearlJam baiije (Instagram) @charli_xcx @_louisprince @MsKashMusic @JuliaJacklin and rvg____ (Instagram) @bridgetkmusic @corywong @Chasing_Paragon Grace Marie (No socials) ntmdbydsgn (Instagram) newmillionofficial (facebook) mikesantos.s (Instagram) Crasher with Saskatoon's very own Jared Buller-Komos (no socials I could find) N A V A (No socials) with @helinjera @evansroth @Book0fficial And we finish out the year with a grand funk dance party by @scarypockets with the legendary @Lyle_Workman
See you next year!
And oh yes, let's have a few cheap shots. I'm drinking Irish Cream.
I make no secret of the fact that I'm no real fan of Xmas music. Not that it's bad (though some of it is) but when you're not a christian it can feel like you're being carpet-bombed. So years ago I put together a list of songs I can tolerate. Some are blasphemous, some are traditional, some are funny, some are sweet. I turned it into a Spotify Playlist last year and I've updated it a bit this year. So here is Radio Free Xmas.
Enjoy.
Cheap Shots (Egg Nog if you must. I'll be drinking Irish Cream, cold and neat):
You know, when people say moronic shit like what Manchin is thinking I always wonder if they have any real concept what drugs cost. They're expensive, you stupid motherfuckers. They certainly cost more than any government program has ever given anyone.
What amazes most (and makes me laugh, I must admit) is that she says "I am forever amused by people who think it's respectful to talk about right wingers like they're barely sentient imbeciles" and then follows it up with exactly why they ARE barely sentient imbeciles.
The week before Christmas tends to be weak for new music so this is a shorter playlist, but we still got some amazing music for you, from the amazing MZee, Barenaked Ladies, House of Seb, Pomplamoosae, Cory Wong (with the rest of Vulfpeck), Chris Webby with DMX, Scary Pockets and much more. Enjoy
Here's this week's artists, by twitter handle unless otherwise noted:
@IamMzilikazi with @BrendaMtambo @PrettyLitch and @Soumyajit42 @corywong @scarypockets with Therese Curatolo and @Swattykins Darkcave (I give up trying to find him on social media) @HouseOfSeb @pomplamoose featuring @lawrencetheband @barenakedladies @ChrisWebby with the late @DMX (in what is supposedly his last recording) @napstabeth @MadsKymre @LazarDavis @JamieDupuis
The greatest single flaw that the Republican't Party has is that they believe their lies. They have lied about their opposition so much that they can't believe that what they're saying isn't true. They can't believe that people who oppose their philosophies don't do the same terrible things that they do. Both sides do it, right?
That has never been true. Both sides don't do it. But I want to talk about a specific example today; January 6th, 2021.
As we all know now, January 6th was a terrible day for the United States. There was a riot. The Capitol was invaded. The lives of our representative government were put in terrible danger. Several people died. Over a hundred police were injured. The existing administration bungled the response. Hell, it appears that the response was geared to something they weren't expecting!
Memos were drafted telling the Capital Police and the National Guard to support Trump Supporters. People were put into positions to make certain that things would go their way, and now thanks to the Select Committee investigating those terrible events I think I have an understanding of what was supposed to happen, versus what actually happened.
I think that the Republican side of the equation tried to start a fight. I think they wanted there to be violence in the streets between the Magahats and Antifa. They spent weeks putting it all together, riled up the crowd and sent them on their march towards what they believed would be protesters from Antifa assembled to support the count of the election and certification of Biden's win. If a riot broke out and blood was shed then The existing administration could invoke emergency powers and ultimately stop the count of electors.
And it would have worked if Antifa had shown up. They got the Magacrowd all riled up for a fight and then there was no one to fight with. Everything unfolds from there - pent up rage and mob mentality needs an outlet, and so they invaded the Capitol.
And this brings me back to my original point. Republicans have been saying for years now that Antifa is an organization designed to fight everything they believe in. This simply isn't true. Antifa is a philosophy, not an organization. Unlike the Proud Boys and the rest, Antifa isn't a group you join. You are either Antifa or you aren't.
You are either against fascism or not. It's a philosophy, not a club.
But they've been telling themselves for years that Antifa's an organization. A group to fight against. And so they expected to pit one group against another and only one showed up. The one they had got all riled up in the first place.
No wonder there was violence.
The response was designed to break up a fight. To break up a riot between protesters and counter-protesters. They had all of the responses geared up for it. Who to support, how to react, how the news would break. And when that didn't happen this rudderless and leaderless administration that was still in power had no idea how to react. So they chose not to. Tragedy ensued.
You can even see it in some of the Fox news reports when they claim that Antifa was there. Again, Antifa is a philosophy, not a club you join.
In a small way, I kind of feel sorry for the Insurrectionists on the ground. They were manipulated into it. But only in a small way. They must be held responsible for their actions.
But the people who put this all together? Riled up the crowd? Prepared for a different riot than the one they got?
Lock Them Up. Throw away the key.
And because I love you, have a slice from Wong's Cafe:
New music this week from Alicia Keys (!!!), Baije, Volker Milch, The Long Blondes, Lady Pills, and of course Cory Wong has to sneak in one more album for the year. Enjoy!
Here are this week's artists, by twitter handle unless otherwise marked:
@ladypillsmusic @aliciakeys floodmusic2112 (Instagram) @scarypockets featuring @astynturr @UlkarAhmadNasir baiije (Instagram) @volkermilch @MadsKymre @pomplamoose @massagetheband @Khruangbin with @leonbridges @samfendermusic with @HolHumberstone Flerr Wentyy, featuring eno (Instagram), @whoinvitedgrady, and majanoffiziell (Facebook/Meta) @corywong @BandofNOTHING @NeilYoungNYA and Crazy Horse @GreenDay @paulwellerHQ @KateJacksonLBs @BiffyClyro @AeonStation @teendaze with @Cecilebelieve Horse Show (no socials I could find - distributed by @PNKSLM)
Given how much of a fucking terf that Rowling has turned out to be I have mixed feelings about this, but I can with no shame that there's not enough Mads Mikkelson in the preview.
Did you need a sexy picture of Elliot Gould and Grover. You did. You really did.
I don't know that Jeff Bezos got people killed while he flew his penis into space, but it's worth an investigation.
I took a week off because Thanksgiving week tends to be weak for new releases, so I'm making it up to you with a long playlist! Featuring Susanna Hoffs, Oghamyst, Bowie, Le 1991, Two Horn Unicorn, The Linda LIndas, The Regrettes, Proyecto Auricular and so much more. Enjoy!
This (2) week's artists, twitter handles given unless otherwise marked:
@SusannaHoffs @Gizmodrome @scarypockets with @itsleonemusic @Soumyajit42 with Hano to97music (Instagram) featuring Steve Doctor (no socials) and @dashlrow (!!!!!) Smith/Kotzen @Le19911 Two Horn Unicorn @joycejonathan with @jason_mraz @vinylwilliams @TABIZARRO @storiesacoustic featuring Sarah Dugas @pomplamoose David Bowie @richarddawson12 and Circle @TheKVB @juliedoiron @Fine_Place_ @ProAuricular @scarypockets, this time with @CaseyBassy @CrownLandsMusic @tmorello with @BenHarper @thelindalindas @regrettesband lukacaraway (Instagram) @BulletzAudio @thelillywave @pomplamoose, this time featuring @jacarandaband and @elianabassist @massagetheband @samfendermusic @tearsforfears @p_menis @arca1000000 @geese_band @VOLBEAT @beautypill
And because I love you, witness the ENTIRE recording session of Cory Wong and the Wongnotes at Paisley Park:
New music this week from The Darkness, Sting, Moule, Scary Pockets with Cody Fry, Young Knives, Adele, Deap Valley, Ovlov, and much more. Enjoy!
This week's artists, by twitter handle unless otherwise marked:
@iamhazelenglish andrewhagarofficial (Instagram - that's right, Sammy's kid isn't on twitter) @MOULEOFFICIAL @scarypockets with @codyfry @tmorello with @BarnsCourtney wonderingwithmusic (Instagram) @BonnieLegion with @THEREALMETRO1 Darkcave (No socials. Follow on Spotify - he's been putting out an album a week) @ainsleymusic07 @Crimsonicband @youngknives with @wpgonzalez David Bowie @bridgetkmusic @OfficialSting @Adele @Convergecult with @CCHELSEAWWOLFE @ladyhawkeforyou with @broodsmusic @thedarkness @hashtagovlov @STSOfficial_1 @DeapVally David Christian & The Pinecone Orchestra (no socials I could find - distributed by @tapete @SoundSwansea @naytronix
When I was 19 years old I was a sophomore at UCLA. When I was a freshman I lived on campus but I now had my own apartment a few miles away. I couldn't afford living in Westwood, the small part of Los Angeles that is the "college town" for UCLA. That said, Westwood is where we all hung out. There were clubs and movie theaters and shopping and on a weeknight it would be bustling. On a weekend they'd shut down some of the streets and only allow people on foot.
That summer, on a night I was in Westwood, a man drove his car on the sidewalk. He killed 1 and hurt another 54. He would eventually be sentenced to 106 years in prison. He was thought to be mentally ill and he was thought to hate the police. There was no political agenda or anything, he just did it.
I didn't see it happen. I went home about an hour earlier.
What happened in Waukesha, WI this past weekend, immediately following the unjust acquittal of a teenager who had killed two and injured another, is easy to look at through a political lens. That's a mistake, but people tend to gravitate to easy. The two events do not appear to be related, but boy howdy did social media erupt about it over the weekend. I saw the suspect called "BLM Terrorist" on the kinder posts. Twitter, to my knowledge, never policed or took down any of the racist hate speech that was posted, all over the race of the suspect.
In reality is appears that the suspect has anger issues and went off the rails over a personal matter. That no excuse, but it is an explanation.
I suspect that in today's America a dangerously large number of us are mentally unstable. Over 30% of the country believes that the one thing PROVEN to be able to save their lives and end the Pandemic is actually a conspiracy to do... something.
To quote a line from a movie I saw about Jesse Owens, It's no real secret that my country is losing its mind.
I don't have a suggestion to make here. I don't know the whole story - not for what happened this weekend and not for what I missed seeing by an hour back in 1985. I'm not qualified.
But I'm sure glad than when the case from my college days that Social Media didn't yet exist.
Cheap Shots (remember, it's Monday so it's Rum Day!)
Quite the list this week, including new music from The Engagement, Sabrassi, Jethro Tull (!!!), Le 1991, Pomplamoose with Grace Kelly, NRBQ, Silk Sonic, Rod Stewart, They Might Be Giants, Gov't Mule, Walk the Moon, 10 minutes of Taylor Swift scorned (let that be a lesson to you) and much more. Enjoy!
Here are this week's artists, identified by twitter handle unless otherwise noted:
@engagementmusic @sebrassi @jethrotull @Avi_Kaplan @p_menis @Le19911 @trixiemattel Mr. H Beats with @mybandowen @ombiigizi @pomplamoose with @gracekellymusic @codyfry @idlesband @courtneymelba @silksonic @rodstewart @tmbg @Damonalbarn @makthaverskan69 @govtmuleband @TheDodos @hackedpicciotto irreversibleentanglements (Instagram) - features @moormother, @lukeostewart (I hope I got that one right), @keirneuringer, @AquilesPTY and Tcheser Holmes. Check out @intlanthem for more. @WALKTHEMOONband @NRBQHeadquarter @Pipblom @taylorswift13
Yeah, I know he's going to be out on bail by the time you read this but for the love of our nation, throw away the fucking key. At least he should be remanded after his comments once out (without bail I might add).
We start this week with my new single, but quickly move on to new music from Swivels, Scary Pockets, Abba, Joan as Policewoman (with friends), Diana Ross (!), Aimee Mann, Foxx Bodies and so much more! Enjoy!
Here are this week's artists, by twitter handle unless otherwise marked:
@animeraider (me!) @scarypockets with @theokatzman and @JESUNDEMUSIC Smith/Kotzen @vrda.music (Facebook) @robertoquirogamc (Facebook) @Swivelsbanda with Ari Venegas @JOANPOLICEWOMAN and @t_allenafrobeat and @dave_okumu_ @charli_xcx with @QueensChristine and @carolineplz @pomplamoose with @LorenBattley @ABBA @snailmail @DianaRoss @NRateliff @aimeemann (twice! I'm a huge fan) @ChimeSchool @Curtis_Harding @hanavuuu amydouglassings (Instagram) @PenelopeIsles @terracemartin @foxxbodies @MartaDelGrandi
There's also a pretty damn good video for my own song, which you can see here:
New music from all over the map this week, including Mad Sky, Touch (with their first release in 40 years), the supposedly retired David Lee Roth, Midnight Oil, The Reflectors, Deep Purple, Tori Amos, Luka Caraway, The War on Drugs and so much more. Enjoy!
This week's artists, twitter handles unless otherwise marked:
madskynorway (Facebook... er I mean Meta)
@bandmaid Touch (come on, it's their first record in 40 years - they have no socials) @STYXtheBand @kylieminogue with @JessieWare @thebandhala @TReflectors @thaogetstaydown richard.charles.edwards (Instagram) @midnightoilband @Inventioning featuring Jean-Luc Ponty and @TheJonAnderson @Kiffie8 deeppurple_official (Instagram) @ringostarrmusic @TheWarOnDrugs @toriamos @mastodonmusic @remhq @TheDoobieBros @JBONAMASSA @monlaferte @piafrausband @mjcofficial with @ClaudiaKaneUK @TheonCross (as a side note, I should point out that almost everything you hear on this track is TUBA!!!!!) @sam3vian @corywong @KonigsbergLily @Lone with Morgane Diet (No socials I could find) lukacaraway (Instagram) @DavidLeeRoth
As a fun side note, as I was putting this together and working through all of the album tracks I came up with the idea of what would be the last 3 songs - Mastadon, Tori Amos, and The War On Drugs. I listen to everything before I put these lists together. That was where I planned to end it. And then I realized that Cory Wong had recorded a new version of "Meditation", which is one of my favorite songs of late. And then I discovered Diamond Dave's song by accident - I hadn't heard a word about it.
I honestly hope that all of your children are taught Critical Race Theory. That means that all of them - ALL OF THEM - are going for their Master's Degrees.
A solid week for new music including new albums from The Pineapple Thief, Dream Theater, Jamie Dupuis, Andrew Leahey & The Homestead, Superchunk, Guided by Voices, Elton John (finally), Todd Rundgren and so much more. Enjoy!
Here is a list of this week's artists by twitter handle (unless otherwise marked):
@corywong @toddrundgren with @theroots @pineapplethief @dreamtheaternet @JamieDupuis @AndrewLeahey Rijell (no socials I could find. He's on Spotify, obviously) @alyandaj @deerhoof @realestateband @josefsalvat @mildorangemusic @eltonofficial with @yearsandyears @_GuidedByVoices @brucehornsby with strings arranged by @mooseofrob @beautypill @pomplamoose @mymorningjacket @duranduran with @CHAIofficialJPN Parquet Courts (No socials, which is surprising for a band with such a following) @clinicvoot @HeladoNegro @hand_habits @CircuitdesYeux @laluzers dinnertheband (Instagram) @superchunk notdummy (Instagram) @goodfknmorning @XenoOaklander suefoleyofficial (Instagram) @convenienceband Grouper (no socials I could find, but you should really check her out. She's released over a dozen albums and can be found on bandcamp at grouper.bandcamp.com)
Cheap Shots:
Will today's contestant on "How Much Hitler?" please come on down!
If I ever meet Don Jr. I'm going to punch him in his fucking teeth. And then get my hand sanitized, because I don't want all that cocaine getting into my system.
I honestly don't know what the fallout from all of this is going to be, if any. But I might leave the site again.
So says Judge Motherfucker. Hopefully a few of you have read the book "Presumed Innocent" to get the multiple layers to this joke. Alas, it's not really in the movie.
New music! This week includes a couple of unlikely sources (Prince, David Bowie), welcome sources (Adele, Tom Morello, Soul Rash, Finneas) and some fave I've introduced you to this year like The Ceys, Hugh Lee, Hinds, Twelve Foot Ninja ans so much more! Enjoy!
Here is this week's list of artists, with twitter handles unless otherwise marked (save for Prince and David Bowie who don't have Social Media, for obvious reasons):
@tmorello with @Refused and @Lyxzenofficial @scarypockets with @erickrasno @WhoisHughLee Prince David Bowie @kylemcevoymusic with @zachezzy, Smile High and of course the fantastic Antwaun Stanley @Adele @RemergeBand (who blocked me on twitter - I may have blocked them too as we had a disagreement - but I like this song) Madskynorway (Facebook) @ceys_music @SoulRashtheband @JasonIsbell with Steve Gorman @NeilYoungNYA and Crazy Horse @NicoleAtkins @hindsband @TAUKband @coldplay with @bts_bighit @WarehamDean @finneas onetwothree_band (Instagram) @Hayden_Thorpe @TwelveFootNinja @secretlyfurious @MikeDawesMusic with Jack Gardiner and @plinirh @JasonIsbell again with @brandicarlile and @julienrbaker and once again @JasonIsbell with Peter Levin (and I should point out that any band that covers "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" is going to get noticed by me) @p_menis
A quick story from a while ago:
In early 2002 the State Department of the United States, under the direction of Colin Powell, put out a call to bilingual business professionals to come work for him at the State Department. There would be a test, then interviews. Although I despised George W. Bush, I still respected General Powell (this was before he debased himself in front of the UN to sell the idea of war in Iraq) and in the uncertain months after 9/11 I asked if they needed people who speak Japanese. They did. I do. I applied.
The test was easy. A few weeks after that, I was flown to Washington DC for a series of interviews. I was fast-tracked because of my heavy business experience in multiple industries and because they wouldn't have to teach me a language - I could be posted within 2 months. I could move myself and my family - which was my goal at the time.
After three days of interviews and sessions they said they would tell me where they wanted to post me. Osaka? Tokyo? Okinawa? Hokkaido?
YEMEN.
I speak Japanese rather fluently. That was the whole idea behind applying for this in the first place. No, we want you in Yemen.
Take a moment and google what Yemen was like in 2002. I'll wait.
I was married with two young children. I wasn't going to drag them to fucking Yemen. I said so, albeit more politely. I wasn't going to leave them behind either. I'm not that kind of father or husband.
They were rather insistent about it. So I tanked my final interview on purpose, with Colin Powell listening in on a speakerphone. Japan or nothing. I got nothing.
I never met the man in person, and all he ever got to think about me is that I'm a complete fuck-up. You know what? I'm okay with that.
On a side note, my wife and younger daughter both met him many years later on a flight from San Francisco to Washington D.C, and they said he was friendly and easy-going.
General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and mostly respectable man died today of complications from COVID-19. He was fully vaccinated according to his family, and of course the anti-vaxxers are jumping all over that. Never mind the fact the the man was elderly, very sick with the worst cancer imaginable (blood cancer), had a heart condition, It's important to also note that COVID itself didn't kill him - but catching it when already so sick certainly wasn't good for him.
Okay, that sounded a lot better in my head than on the page. You get what I mean. He was already in Walter Reed when he caught COVID. As much as I hate to say it, COVID probably only sped things up by a few days. Hey, look at me arm-chair doctoring!
Okay, reel it the fuck back in. I'm not a TV Pundit for a reason.
No matter what you may have thought of the man, he was a leader and accomplished historic things long before the Iraq fiasco. He was the real deal.
He didn't deserve this. Any of this.
Because I love you, here is the video that led me to discovering Tauk, featured above:
This week's new music comes from all spectrums, from Sam Fender to Nandi Bushnell to Trivium to Elton John to Pomplamoose to Cody Fry to even Tears for Fears!!! Enjoy!
Here is this week's artists, twitter handles unless otherwise marked:
@samfendermusic @TriviumOfficial @scarypockets with @Moorea_Masa @Nandi_Bushell with Roman Morello and @tmorello wanderingwith (Instagram) featuring @musicbyscarIett @p_menis and ramonsanzgarcia (Instagram) @GussiMartin @arca1000000 with siamusic (Instagram) @yorkamusica with @gepegepegepe and @LidoPimienta @eltonofficial with @DUALIPA and @Claptone_ @melvinsdotcom @BandofNOTHING @codyfry and @benrector @pomplamoose and @thelittleidiot theinnocencemission (Instagram) @carolynwonderla @RealKurtElling with @charlie_hunter @PTXofficial screensavermusic (Instagram) @papurwal @Kiffie8 @tearsforfears
Full disclosure: I'm working on a remix of a song from @Kiffie8's new album which is only available on Bandcamp at the moment. Hope to have it ready in the next week or so.
Also, the lyrics to track 19 are much filthier than I remembered upon a second listening. Hell of a groove though.
From Mad Sky to Sting to Illuminati Hotties to Yes to Swivels to Elton John dueting with Stevie Wonder to Ministry doing their best work in ages to The Specials dropping ska for an album (!) this is a fantastic week for new music. Enjoy!
Here is this week's list of artists. Twitter handles unless marked otherwise:
Mad Sky (they're on Facebook, but I couldn't get their page to load. They need to fix this - because this song could take them places. @OfficialSting @scarypockets with @colinjamieson_ @ainsleymusic07 @PuddlesPityP @animeraider (hey, that's me!) @yesofficial https://soundcloud.com/rijell (Soundcloud) @JasonIsbell with @BrittNicx and @johnpaulwhite @storiesacoustic featuring @theokatzman and @JESUNDEMUSIC @deepseadiverbnd and Damien Jurado @GaryOlsonMusic @eltonofficial with @StevieWonder @Swivelsbanda @illuminatihotts Tirzahmusic (Instagram) @thespecials @ducksltdband @hovvdy2000 @audiobooks_hq @bscoutsband @TheLathums @WeAreMinistry The Body with @big_brave_
And because I love you, here is the silly little video for my own track above:
From a scorchingly good new album from Poppy to remake mashups by Scary Pockets to new music from Dream Theater, Rod Stewart Ada Lee, Woody Goss, Deerhoof plus much more this week's list is a great listen. Enjoy!
Here are this week's artists, twitter handles unless otherwise noted:
@dreamtheaternet @poppy @tmorello with @bmthofficial @PARALINE_band Darkcave (again, no socials) @scarypockets featuring Therese Curatolo @woody_goss @regrettesband @mtl_bar @deerhoof @scottbradlee and @NicoleAtkins @eltonofficial and @charlieputh @gunsnroses Zsocca @rodstewart @pomplamoose @alessiacara @MacMerge @natimbruglia @TheShivas @ColdWarKids @adaleamusic @XAmbassadors @PSB_HQ with @EERAmusic ashley_shadow_jamz (Instagram), signed to @felte_label
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Cheap Shots (Monday is Rumday):
I think that MTG is a closeted gay woman. When she wants to shout at men she sends surrogates but when she wants to argue with a woman she does it herself. She's Tsundere.
Not gonna lie, this is an eclectic one. Some established artists, some new, a piece of a punk opera, several instrumentals, two tracks I sing backing vocals on, some orchestral work, a spiritual (sort of), some swearing, some EDM and much more. Enjoy!
Here is this week's list of artists, Twitter handles unless otherwise noted:
@CrownLandsMusic @KSulton (I sing 4 notes on this song, along with a multitude of others!) @codyfry (I sing tenor and bass parts as part of the Lonely People International Choir) @LBuckingham @_JoseGonzalez_ @monoofjapan @FUCKEDUP @ColdBeatSF @felicebrothers @smokebellow @WesleyStace @bluntbangsbangs @MonnoneAlone @minitreesband @PuddlesPityP @Crimsonicband @HouseOfSeb @BobbyLeeBoogie with @Mia_Doi_Todd Rijell (no socials that I could find) @JasonIsbell and the 400 Unit with @johnpaulwhite @wpgonzalez @JOANPOLICEWOMAN with @t_allenafrobeat and @dave_okumu_ damienjuradomusic (Instagram) @ogshelbylynne @AvlisSatori
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Believe it or not, I'm old enough to remember Vietnam. I was just a kid, but I had neighbors who had been there. A couple of them were pretty messed up by the experience. Hell, we as a nation were pretty messed up by the experience.
For those of you too young to remember the experience, just take a look at the movies of the time and for nearly two decades after. It was a military failure, and over 52,000 Americans died in the experience.Hundreds of thousands came home scarred, and faced the additional issues of being called baby killers and worse. It took time before we as a nation could separate the soldiers from the mission - something we're much better at now.
I knew a man who lost a leg in Vietnam who would tell people that he lost the leg in a car accident - just so they wouldn't know he was a soldier.
We as a nation were scarred. I'm not sure we ever recovered.
Which now brings me to COVID-19, and what we're facing now.
The death rate from COVID is ELEVEN TIMES what Vietnam was. Nearly 73% more people have died from COVID in under 2 years than have been buried at Arlington in over 150 years.
Do you honestly believe we're not going to be scarred by this?
I am no expert in psychology, but I remember the scars of Vietnam. I remember the scars of 9/11. Neither of these tragedies were of the scale and scope of this Pandemic, and what's so much worse is that this time actual science and medicine have been politicized and weaponized. The fight against a medical disease has good guys and bad guys. Where does that make any fucking sense?
It is where we are. The country was ruled for 4 years by someone with the expressive ability and cognitive skills of a toddler and so the fight has been reduced to that. "Who's the good guys? Who's the bad guys?"
No, god fucking damn it! This isn't good versus evil but it's being expressed this way.
We have gone to war with ourselves and not with the disease that's killed so many people and I'm not sure that we CAN recover from this. We've taken medical treatment and turned it into a political fight and for that the people who have made it so should be damned for all time.
So how are we going to deal with it?
If past is prologue... probably quite badly.
Cheap shots, because you're probably not drinking enough:
Chris Rock getting COVID shows that people can't tell the difference between comedy and reality, and that you should never look at a "trend" on twitter.
New week, new music! This week includes Kasim Sulton, Reckless Kelley, AJ & Aly, Guided by Voices, Saint Etienne, Heartless Bastards, Jerry Gomes, The Vaccines, and much more! Enjoy!
Here is this week's list of artists - twitter handles unless otherwise marked:
@KSulton Darkcave (I wish he'd post socials - he's put out a lot of music this year wanderingwithmusic (Instagram) @alyandaj @katrowbeeshow @recklesskelly @josefsalvat @hello_BOYO_ @whereisMUNA with @phoebe_bridgers @_GuidedByVoices @bobpetesarah @sleighbells @amylandsniffers @AndrewWK @thevaccines @colleengreen420 @heartlessbstrds @KeroKeroBonito @iamjuliabardo @SLOTHRUST david.zott with jjmus.ic (both Instagram) @mamaclars @tigeraband Morgan Mincer with Shukran Isiah Jacobs (no socials I could find - they're on Spotify) @kati_jayde with KOHL Jerry Gomes (no socials I could find - they're on Spotify) Deep Seeded (no socials I could find - they're on Spotify) Gerry Finian (no socials I could find - they're on Spotify) ZsoccA (no socials I could find - they're on Spotify)
In case you're wondering, the last few bands I found by accessing a site called Slaps.com, which is a social media site for musicians with released material.
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Tomorrow is the deadline/election day on the Recall of Governor Gavin Newsome, something which I urge all Californians to vote NO on. And now I bring the receipts:
You hear horror stories from all across the nation now that school is back in session about teachers and staff and especially children getting sick with COVID-19. It's horrible, frightening, and nothing we should subject ANYONE to, but especially not our children and their teachers. Yet in many states it's now actually illegal to require masks or vaccinations.
California allows mandates for both, and does mandate masks. In San Francisco everyone is masked, and everyone over the age of 12 needs to be vaccinated.
I'm going to take one school district, a very large one, and give you some statistics. The School District for the City of San Francisco, 4th largest in the state, has been back to school for a month now and the numbers are downright astonishing.
New cases: ZERO. Cross-contamination cases: ZERO. Potential Mass-spreading events: ZERO.
And why is that? Mandatory vaccines - at a compliance rate of 92%. Mandatory masks.
IT FUCKING WORKS.
All of the major candidates to replace Governor Newsome have stated that they want to do away with these mandates. This will get people - CHILDREN - killed. Fuck 'em all. Gavin has done right by us, and for that he deserves to keep his job.
And because I love you, here is amazing bassist Tony Levin with his own band performing a classic King Crimson song, and a completely new way:
What a week! Music from multiple award winners Sean Waterman and Saahas, plus NEW music from ABBA, Styx, YES, DMX, Moby, Sting, Remerge Band and so much more. ENJOY!
Here the listing of this week's artists, with twitter handles unless otherwise noted:
@seanwaterman @Saahas16 @ABBA @STYXtheBand @yesofficial @NicoleKMusic @DMX with @Bootsy_Collins, @TheIanPaice, and Steve Howe of @yesofficial
@MsKashMusic @BesnardLakes @corywong with @DirtyLoops doing not only a Michael Jackson but possibly the first ever Euphonium Solo in pop music @scarypockets featuring @Swattykins and @LizzyMcAlpine @ainsleymusic07 @hello_BOYO_ @charli_xcx @SammyBrue @thelittleidiot (Just love Moby's twitter handle) @OfficialSting @MonaLisa_Twins @Imaginedragons @suunsband Motorists (I couldn't find any socials - check them out on Spotify, etc.) pearlandtheoystersband (Instagram) @jimmytamborello @meatbodies
@RemergeBand
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So this is the point where I usually rant on politics and injustices, but today I want to talk about something I did this past weekend. I went to an awards ceremony. I'll get back to my usual stuff tomorrow/later.
I was up for 4 (well, 5 - but the 5th was an accident) awards at the Indie Music Channel awards and I won 1 - Best Alternative Band. It was cool.
The first two artists featured above are the artists who beat me in my own categories, You gotta give them love, but I want to just feature a single artist in another category: Rap/Hip-Hop.
An Oakland Rapper named Ms. Kash swept the Rap/Hip-Hop categories, winning every single award. I wasn't going to include her track because it's older, but I'm betting you didn't know it so it's my list, my rules, and I do what I want. You should hear it, and see it.
So because I love you, here is Ms. Kash, with Reign:
As some of you know, I'm a working musician. This means that I record and release singles, EPs and albums, and I have been known to do a live show here and there. But there are places I won't play - and yes, it's political.
I'm of an older generation, where protests are done with our feet and not with the internet. I have marched, although not as often as I probably should. But I have boycotted. Boy have I ever.
Back in the 1980's, Stephen Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band organized a boycott of the biggest performance venue in Africa, Sun City. Sun City was in South Africa and the point of the protest was to protest Apartheid. Until you can stop being racist fucks, we're not playing this venue, no matter how much money you offer us.
This was a big deal, as Sun City at the time was the biggest resort on the continent. It was a hangout for the wealthy and I'm told it was a great place to perform. Little Steven (as he was better known then) used his platform as a member of the most prominent band in the world to get people to stop performing there. He released first a single, then a full album to help fight racism in Africa.
This certainly didn't end Apartheid, but it was part of the construction of the effort that eventually led to its destruction. It elevated the issue into the mainstream international press, which had been ignoring it for decades.
For my part, I took part in the protests that led to my college, UCLA, to divest from South Africa until Apartheid was gone.
And now I feel it's time to do it again - right here in the US.
Given everything happening in generally Republican controlled states, from stupid COVID policies to voting racism to abortion, is anyone interested in doing a version of "I ain't gonna play Sun City" aimed at certain places in the US?
I am.
So in the spirit of "I ain't gonna play Sun City" here is where I ain't gonna play:
Texas: I have friends in Texas, but given the state's racist anti-voting laws, stupid COVID policies and that they're the first state to legalize vigilante anti-abortion tactics the state as a whole can go fuck itself.
Florida: The state is racing with Texas to see who can kill the most people with stupid COVID measures, has revoked voting rights after voters gave them to the disenfranchised, and their stance on minority voting is appalling. I know a guy who is moving his business, and several hundred jobs, out of the state over this.
Georgia: This is a hard one for me, as I have friends I've known for decades who live there, doing important work. But the state as a whole has decided that the legislature can overturn elections if they don't like how they went, so this is a no for me. I might consider making an exception for a venue in the Tyler Perry universe, but the state as a whole is a big no for me.
Alabama: See the reasons above. I have friends here too and the things I hear from them are horrific.
Mississippi: Same.
On voting rights alone I could add another 25 states.
Let's be real though - if I'm the only person who does this nothing will change. Most people have never heard of me and that's unlikely to change anytime soon. That's no reason not to try. Who knows? Maybe Little Steven will read this.
But the thing is, where this really concentrates, aside from little pockets everywhere, are in the former Confederate States and Texas. So I ain't gonna play there.
Not until they get over this horseshit.
And because I love you, here is Little Steven's effort. I mean, just look at the people he got to be involved:
Digging pretty deep into the indie scene this week with Darkcave, Erica Nickalls, Steve Gunn, Cicada Theory, Mack-L and much more, plus stalwarts like Deerhoof, Cory Wong with Dirty Loops, CHVRCHES and much more. Enjoy!
Here is this week's list, by twitter handle unless otherwise marked:
@scarypockets with Corey Frye Darkcave @tmorello with @Phantogram @corywong with @DirtyLoops @Erica_Nockalls @KMerrillMusic @deerhoof @mildorangemusic @BandofNOTHING Goat (who have no socials I could find but that might be a language barrier thing. Their new album is a great pun and they are on the roster of @RocketRecording) richard.charles.edwards (Instagram) @halsey @BRMadjv with @ilsey @CHVRCHES @SteveGunnMusic @SoAveMusic @madidiaz @IndigoDeSouza @breeze_bpm with @cadenceweapon _mack_l (Instagram) with @wardom14 @CLosArmy2 @Marisamusic with @williamtylertn @cicadatheory @XJ0VANNAMUSICX alonso2082 (Instagram) @UlkarAhmadNasir @spellsandcurses (although this isn't new music you may not know of them - and you should)
And because I love you, here is the video that made me discover Spells and Curses, which sounds nothing like the song included above and is why I love them:
Welcome to another stream of brand new music, including new music from Kool & the Gang (?!!?!!), Mae Powell, Kasim Sulton, Devo's Garald V. Casale, Dirty Loops, Deafheaven, Herb Alpert, Wolves in the Throne Room and much more! Enjoy!
Here are this week's artists, twitter handles unless otherwise marked:
@iamhillhunter @minaokabesings @KoolntheGngLIVE (why don't they have a blue checkmark?) @PTXofficial with @ATEEZofficial taurus.woman (Instagram) @hellothesuperm1 (these guys are mates and friends of indie music) @KSulton @Gvc3Casale @DirtyLoops with @corywong justusproffit (Instagram) Darkcave (no socials) Talizman (check them out on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5q6Xms5Hfletevi6Kugr3a) trukay360 with Wonndonn (both Instagram) @HerbAlpert @BRMadjv with @taylorswift13 @_GuidedByVoices @melvinsdotcom @futureislands @deafheavenband @JakeBugg @shanandtheclams @joyformidable @WainBright @JamesMcMurtry @WITTR_official
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I have been watching the developments of the spread of COVID-19 in the south with alarm and disgust. It was all so damned easy to prevent and the leadership of those states just ignored it, or purposely went the other way. The governments of these states have gotten people sick and killed. It's revolting and these people should be put on trial for it.
But I don't live there. I live in California, which has done pretty well overall given the circumstances. We've had mask mandates and vaccination mandates and while they haven't been popular with everyone they have kept infection rates down. We have high counts of people getting sick but that's because despite everything you've heard there is no exodus from the state. We are the state with the highest population and have been for decades. Just in sheer numbers the count looks high.
But in terms of a percentage of the population, California has had a much easier time than the states of the South. Our beds aren't overrun, and the Delta variant hasn't grabbed a foothold here as it has in other places. Hell, our infection rate is going down as of this writing.
That could all change, and in the stupidest way imaginable.
As many of you are aware, it is strangely easy to get an initiative on the ballot in California, and it is easy to get a public official recalled. As a result our governor Gavin Newsom, is facing a recall early next month. This is mostly being pushed by Republican forces - people who don't like mask mandates, vaccine mandates, or anything good for that matter. The leading Republican candidate to replace the governor has said repeatedly that he'd abolish all mandates, like Texas and Florida have done.
I don't live in Texas of Florida on purpose you jackass. I live here.
Texas and Florida have had horrific increases to their infection and death rates. They're out of ER beds. There is a hospital in Florida with an ICU waiting list of over 100 people - that's for everything, not just COVID. Another town is Florida has started water rationing, because they need the supply for liquid O2 creation. You know, for ventilators.
There is a hospital in Houston that now has TWO triage ICUs in their parking lot; one that they're running and another run by the US Military. They're begging medical professionals to come to their state because they just don't have the people to handle everything. The town of Iraan (pronounced Ira Ann) had a positive rate for COVID of 40%. The entire town has been shut down as a result.
And there are people who want to do this to California.
FUCK NO.
The state of California has most of it's Republican base in Central California. That's where Devin Nunes and Kevin McCarthy are from, just as examples. Thing is, the infrastructure for healthcare is not as great there as it is in Los Angeles or the San Francisco Bay Area. Central California is still mostly rural. There are people who live 100s of miles from hospitals, and in some more metropolitan areas there simply isn't the hospital capacity to handle a large influx of patients.
This is all important because Gavin Newsom could get the most votes and still lose the election. Due to the rules in California we are actually voting on TWO items; 1) do we keep him or throw him out effective immediately and 2) if we throw him out who replaces him? Gavin Newsom has to get 50% +1 vote to keep his job but there are 46 candidates on the ballot to replace him and he's not on it. It's theoretically possible to become Governor with less than 3% of the vote.
There isn't a single candidate on that slate that should be trusted with a houseplant, but the man in front is a Radio Talk-show Host and frequent Fox contributor named Larry Elder, who is about as insane as they come. He wants to get rid of the mandates and do a number of other things that would set the state back decades. He's a fucking moron and has about 26% of the full share of the candidates who could replace Gavin Newsom.
So Gavin could get 49.9% of the vote and LOSE to a man who will get 26% of the vote. It's fucked up but that's the system as it presently exists. It needs fixing but that isn't going to happen in time for this election.
Every living past Republican Governor of California is in favor of masks and mandates. They've ALL gone on record saying so. But none of them are running. The Republican party isn't as sane as it once was.
So there's only one thing to do - and that's to make sure that Gavin Newsom isn't recalled. He needs more than 50% of all voters to vote NO on the recall. This is an off-period election and generally that favors Republicans. But due to the pandemic and the fact that we haven't been trying to hinder the votes of everyone who isn't white, rich and male this is primarily going to be a mail-in ballot election - which favors the Democratic Party.
In other words, who the fuck knows how this is going to go?
Unlike those other states, I live here. I have most of my life. I've lived in the Big Valley, in Los Angeles, in San Francisco. I know the state quite well. this is my home, and no malfunctioning motherfucker of a human being is going to put the lives of my family, friends, neighbors, or anyone else for that matter at risk just because they have an agenda. Not in my state.
I Gavin loses and this man does what he does what he says he will, I'm taking his ass to court.
You want to live like that, there are places you can go. This is MY turf. you anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers can go fuck off.
And because I love you, have another track from Devo's Gerald V. Casale:
A solid week for new music including new releases from The Killers, Darkcave, a reissue/remix from Canadian Benjamin Russel, Dream Theater, Jennifer Hudson channeling Aretha, Joan Armatrading as relevant as ever, and so much more. Enjoy!
Here is this week's artists, twitter handles unless otherwise marked. A few of these artists have no social media presence at all. You should find a way to follow them anyway:
@thekillers @mtl_bar @dreamtheaternet @animeraider (hey, that's me covering in the most garage way possible my favorite @theposies song) @BonnieLegion with @wav_Dr and Al Black Darkcave (https://open.spotify.com/artist/0iefjja3WZkaWgPKxczG65) wanderingwithmusic (Instagram) with @musicbyscarIett @alyandaj with @stlucia @vdra.music (facebook) @p_menis with ramonsanzgarcia (Instagram) and Jack Bucarey (no socials I could find) @TriviumOfficial @eltonofficial with @DUALIPA and mixed by @pnau (who has been doing some amazing remixes of John's music) @FarCaspian with @hello_BOYO_ @IAMJHUD @ArmatradingJoan (of whom I have always been a fan) @JadeBirdMusic @samiatheband with @jelaniaryeh baiije (Instagram) @firehillmusic The 260 (who are so new they don't have a socials presence yet except at Slaps.com, which is really an inside the industry place. Here they are on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wW2XYeV65DHBqlfFaiV56?si=5qdrJ4kEQJ25kOXmwhes4g&dl_branch=1) Dan Siegel (who appears to be too busy putting out jazz albums to have a socials presence)
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While you all have been distracted by Saigon 2.0 I hope that you're also aware that the COVID-19 Pandemic is at the worst level it's ever been at in the United States. I think we're now required to stop using the phrase "avoid it like the plague" because obviously we won't.
There were more than a quarter million cases yesterday and over a thousand dead. Children are catching it now and there are states in the South that have made it illegal to even tell you if an outbreak has happened at your child's school.
By the way, children are catching it at a rate that is so much larger than the rate children caught Polio that it boggles the mind. For those of you who don't remember, we mobilized the entire nation to fight Polio. Every single person got vaccinated when it was their turn, and Polio got wiped out.
The fact that we can't even seem to want to make the effort to do the same thing again is just fucking criminal.
The state of Texas has put into play a traveling morgue to handle all the dead.
South Dakota cases have increased 185% since the start of Sturgis.
Over 4,000 children have caught COVID in Georgia since school started.
Meanwhile, here in California the COVID surge, including the Delta Variant, is slowing down because we have a higher rate of vaccination and we wear masks and many places are requiring proof of vaccination to enter their businesses.
And yet we're the only one of the states listed above whose governor is in danger of losing his job from a recall.
Freedom isn't something you deserve. Freedom doesn't mean you get to do what you want. Freedom is fucking hard work.
Freedom doesn't mean you get to be a whiny-ass bitch because you aren't getting your way. Freedom doesn't mean you get to give advice that is going to lead to getting other people sick and/or killed. That makes you a dick. Freedom doesn't mean you get to infringe upon the freedom of others, and that's what the unmasked and unvaccinated are doing.
It's not freedom you're celebrating. It's being a selfish piece of shit. Fuck you.
It's amazing to me the sheer volume of people who equate selfishness with freedom. Perpetual toddlers.
Grow the fuck up - because if you won't, your kids don't.
And because I love you, here's some new Pentatonix to try and cheer you up:
Tracks 2-7 are all of the nominees for various alternative music categories for the Independent Music Awards. Yes, I'm one of them. Also new this week is some amazing funk from The Steoples, Remakes by Tom Morello with Bruce, a Paul McCartney remix featuring Idris Elba and so much more. Enjoy!
Here is the full roster, with twitter handles unless otherwise marked:
@thesteoples Big Mess (find them on Spotify) @seanwaterman @Rickypersaudjr @Saahas16 Songwriting Shane (Again, check Spotify) @animeraider (hey, that's me! I got 4 nominations for this song) @tmorello with @springsteen and this dude named Eddie Vedder @scarypockets with @drh3 @brycevine with @lovelytheband praxoficial (Instagram) @Khruangbin with Mang Dynasty @PaulMcCartney and @idriselba @_GuidedByVoices Sunset Lights (check the out on Spotify) @LiarsOfficial @creepercultuk (positioning themselves as the spiritual successor to Meatloaf) theumbrellassf (Instagram) @GeoffreyOConnor with Sienna Thornton (couldn't figure out her socials) Boyracer (No socials to speak of but follow them on your favorite streaming service - they've been around a while) @laurastevenson @liamkazar @aportableradio @cutsnheals with @SparklySpookay
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Cheap shots (remember, Monday is Rum day):
The desire to punch Rand Paul in his motherfucking face is a natural one. It's okay. You just can't give in to it.
New music from Ergo, Bria, Flood, Hala, Prince, Bonnie Legion, Los Lobos, Son Volt, a lovely older track from Dionne Faris and even I show up! Enjoy!
Here is the complete list of this week's artists, twitter handles unless otherwise marked:
@arielposen with @corywong @scarypockets with @Judith_Hill (and one of the most unique Beatle's covers I've ever heard) @ergobria @alyandaj @animeraider (hey, that's me - also doing a cover) @Crimsonicband floodmusic2112 (Instagram) with KJ Cunningham (no socials) @KMerrillMusic @theknocks with @Weezer and @royalandtheserp @thebandhala @KidSimius with @hindsband Prince ('nuff said) @BonnieLegion avlis_satori (Instagram) @bleachersmusic @torreslovesyou @LosLobosBand (one of my favorite all-time bands) @sonvoltmusic @DotAllisonmusic with Sarah Campbell and Amy Bowen @totallyDusted Guardian Singles (no real socials, but they're signed to @trouble_in_mind) @blues_traveler with Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, who appears to have deleted his socials @kolezzzanka @DionneFarris (I was reminded in the past week how much I love her work, and so I'm sharing this track from her first solo album)
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So I'm going to rant about about the unvaccinated, after having spent a day in their midst (not by choice, but it had to be done).
You want to freedom to be unmasked. You want the freedom to not get the shot. You do it in the name of Freedom. FREEDOM!
News for you asshole, that's not freedom. That's selfishness. But you only recognize it as freedom because you're only thinking about yourself. Consider this: I'm vaccinated. If they offer a booster shot I'll fucking get it as soon as I humanly can. But here's the thing, I can still catch COVID-19. So why should you care?
The vaccine does a great but incomplete job of preventing the virus, but the great success with the shots is in the fact that you don't get seriously sick if you've been vaccinated. I might catch it, but I'll be okay. The vaccinated aren't dying from this anymore.
But you're fucked.
If I go out unmasked you could DIE. If I go out masked, you could DIE. You all get the guidelines wrong.
The social distancing guidelines apply if BOTH PARTIES ARE MASKED. 6 FEET IF YOU'RE BOTH MASKED. It's 25 feet if only one of you is masked. It's even further if neither of you is masked. No one reports that part and it makes me fucking furious.
And it's for no more than 20 minutes indoors EVER.
Look it up if you don't believe me. Use the CDC's site.
If I have COVID and am masked and you're unvaccinated and unmasked, you have a 25% chance of catching it under the 6 foot social distance guideline. 1 in 4. Do you feel that lucky, every time I take a breath?
Because you're rolling the dice with every breath you take, or I take. It resets with each breath. Statistically speaking, you're going to get sick.
More than 1 out of every 10 Americans has gotten this fucking thing.1 out of every 535 has died per the official count, and some states aren't reporting all cases anymore. You KNOW someone who has gotten sick. You KNOW someone who has died, even if you live in one of the smallest towns in the country.
I had to be hospitalized for a non-covid infection July of last year, which I've talked about in other posts. When I told the nurse that I never went out unmasked she replied, "It's airborne". When I said I didn't go out she replied, "It's airborne". When I said I social distanced she replied, "It's airborne".
The disease doesn't fucking care about your misinterpreted "Freedom". It's going to try to kill you anyway. You know what else is airborne?
AIR. Air gets through masks perfectly. It's filtered, but it isn't 100% effective - just mostly effective.
Freedom isn't freedom unless it applies equally to EVERYONE. Ask any person of color. If it doesn't apply to everyone then it's just selfishness and segregation. If you can't see that then what the hell did you study in grade school when they talked about... well... anything?
I'm calling you a moron, you fucking idiots.
I want the freedom to not worry if I'm going to kill you because I simply exist. Get that through your thick motherfucking skulls.
And here's one more thing to consider - Children are catching COVID. But they can't be vaccinated yet, so you're getting them sick. Getting them killed.
More children have caught COVID than caught Polio in it's WORST YEAR, and we vaccinated everyone. EVERYONE. EVERYONE.
EVERYONE.
Get your fucking shot. Because thisisn't freedom.
But because I love you anyway, have some World Order:
