Radio Free California Episode 2548, some thoughts, some shared pain, some releif

 

New releases get a bit more scarce because who wants to compete against all the Xmas music on radio, but we still have a great week for new releases, including Pastel, Little Lilith, Tori Amos with one of her patented covers, Joe Jackson(!) who appears to have a concept album coming next yer, my Australian techno frield MOULE, Josh Rouse, Juliana Hatfield, CVC, Crimson Whisper and much more. Enjoy!

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Juliana Hatfield is one of those artists that is special to me, ever since she did one album with the Lemonheads in the early 90's. Her sound has never really changed and she ALWAYS doubles her vocals, and I've always enjoyed her little snips of levity and wisdom. She's also one of the rare artists to have a hit single in 5/4 time, which is really saying something. Her new album "Lightning Might Strike" is among her best work, and is worth your time.

Pastel calls themselves Shoegaze but I wouldn't. They open this week's playlist and if that's Shoegaze they should really hire a different drummer. This is hooky pop rock with a punch and their new album Souls In Motion" was a surprise for me, and a welcome one. Well worth the listen.

I'm pretty good at following news about the former members of XTC, but I completely missed that Andy Partridge, along with Chris Braide (best known for his collaborations with Sia) and Tim Weller released an EP called "Queen of Planet Wow!" You know what, it's new to me so I'm including in here. Call me a hypocrite for adding a song that's from last year if you want, but I'm complicated and I can live with that. Nyeah.

One more album you should give some love to is Brooke Combe's new release "Dancing at the Edge of the World". The album is both a throwback and steps forward in the world of old-fashioned R&B/pop. It's worth your time.

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One little note for the few of you who check out my radio station from time to time; I have updated my Christmas playlist, which will play on motherfucking Christmas Day only!!!! I really hate Christmas music - not because of the music which is fine - but because how much we all get hammered with it from about mid-November on. It squeezes the life out of radio and I can't stand that.

And then comes the "year in review" bullshit. It can turn the month of December into a new music boneyard and it makes me crazy, because no one wants to try and compete with all the specialty programming on radio this time of year. I will not be doing that this year. I'm not sure I could limit the list to fewer than a few hundred songs, let alone 100 or a Topo 40.

I will play Christmas Music on Christmas Day and that's fucking IT. 12am to 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time December 25th. Some of the songs are the Christmas classics, some are deep rock and roll cuts, and some are sure to offend someone. "A Christmas Duel" from The Hives and Cyndi Lauper makes me laugh, and I don't care if it upsets anyone.

If you desperately need my playlist before then, you can find it here.

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So there was a mass shooting in Australia over the weekend at a Hannukah Celebration at Bondi Beach. Many dead, many more wounded and it could have been much worse if a fruit shop owner named Ahmed al Ahmed hadn't overpowered one of the gunmen. Elon Musk and his platforms tried to say that an IT professional named Edward Crabtree, a white guy, was the one who overpowered the gunman. Not only is this a motherfucking LIE it's a fabrication. Mr. Crabtree doesn't even exist. Muskrat's AI, Grok, is still pushing that narrative though.

Let's face it folks, Mr. Musk has read Heinlein, but he didn't really grok it.

I'm going to make a bold prediction here though and guess that the shooter is some right-wing lunatic with a gun fetish. You can attach this to just about any news story right now.

Fatmentia?

Apparently having ASL people presenting when he gives speeches harshes his the new/old guy's mellow. Fuck him. 

Pax Americana is over. It ended January 20th.

Apparently we can keep Dick Van Dyke, and I'm grateful for that, but not Rob Reiner and his wife. Fuck. 

Please don't read the new/old guy's statement regarding the death of the Reiner's. He's such a cnut. The White House official account also re-posted it. Every single one of these people in this White House/Administration needs a swift and painful kick in the ass.

I'd say it's a coin toss which was worse but apparently the new/old guy can't flip a coin.

Instead, read the words of Wil Wheaton. Your heart will hurt more, but it's a shared hurt, which is better than being angry at an old coot who can't flip a coin.

You might not have noticed this given all the horrific death and murder over the weekend, but Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's son, born in Minnesota and therefore a US Citizen, was pulled over by ICE and told to produce his papers after leaving a Target store. I think they've been expecting this though, because he had his US Passport with him and he was released. But given the new/old guy's recent comments about Somalia (where Rep. Omar was born) it seems like some racial profiling bullshit going on. For the record, Ms. Omar became a US citizen in 2000, the first year she was eligible to do so - when she turned 18.

I swear to dog that the very first thing the next President must do is sign an executive order changing the names of everything they have changed back to their pre-2025 status.

The Director of the FBI doesn't know the difference between a suspect and a person of interest. Again.

Apparently the United States is one of only two countries against rebuilding the containment around Chernobyl. Don't get felled out a window trying to figure out what the other country is.

Has Tom Cotton ever been right about anything? I'm guessing no.

By the way, it's worth noting that we now have young people in this country who have survived multiple mass shootings at their schools. To all those people who say that Gun Control wouldn't work, what say we try it and see if you're right? It hasn't really been done before.

Except for all of the times that it has, and it's worked.

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And because I love you, here is Caitlin Cook in a live performance from her musical made up entirely from graffiti in bathrooms. It's really fucking funny. I think we need that today.

Radio Free California Episode 2547 along with some notes and rants

 

New music this week from Blues great Eric Bibb, Flea, Night Talks, AMH, The Ramona Flowers, GLAY, Juliana Hatfield, Hana Hill, live music from Depeche Mode, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Goo Goo Dolls, Ronnie D'Addario, Thomas Raggi and much more. Enjoy!

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Eric Bibb and Flea have both release tracks in preview of albums they're putting out in 2026 and they're fantastic works. I can't wait for the full albums.

Night Talks' new album, "Running on a Cloud", took almost 6 years to make. It was started just as the Pandemic began, and they decided to slow down and give the album flow, tell a story, and make videos for each song. As a result this short 7-song album, is a breath of fresh air - they took the time to do it right. I added over half the album to this playlist.

The first thing I asked myself about the British band The Ramona Flowers is "how does a band with less than 8,000 follows on Spotify land Nile Rogers to play on the opening track of their new album, "Made By Humans"? However they did it that was certainly making a statement. The new album is good, and while there are touches of R&B throughout it's much more an indie album than that opener would lead you to believe. 

You might not know the name Thomas Raggi, but the Italian musician is the lead guitarist for Måneskin, and he recruited legendary guitarist Tom Morello to produce his first solo album, and brings along a slew a guest artists into what is really a fun and rocking album. Not only Tom Morello, but Duff McKagan, Franz Ferdinand, Chad Smith and more appear on the album, called "Masquerade". On the track I've added here you can really feel Morello's touch.

If you want a blast of songwriting skill and excellence from over the decades you should check out "Written By" from Ronnie D'Addario. This is a collection of songs curated by D'Addario's sons, who are better known as The Lemon Twigs. Todd Rundgren, Matt Jardine, Sean Ono Lennon and more contribute tracks.

Erick Semmon has curated an album of songs by great parings in rap entitled "Dynamic Duos". Everyone from Snoop Dogg to Method Man to Cypress Hill to Public Enemy to Salt n' Pepa show up and contribute.

Those of you who know me know that I famously do not care for live albums. And yet, there are three solid ones out this week; "Live at Stagecoach" from The Goo Goo Dolls, "Live God" from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and "Memento Mori: Mexico City" from Depeche Mode and all of them are solid. Goo Goo Dolls' "Broadway is Dark Tonight" is one of my favorites from the band, and haw can you pass on any rendition of "O Children" from Nick Cave?. And do yourself a favor and hunt down on YouTube Depeche Mode's live performance of "Precious". 

And speaking of YouTube, I have to finally give a note about the band AMH. They have been releasing YouTube shorts where they randomly pick an object from a modified spinner and decide to write a song about it. They show the whole process and while it's contrived and possibly staged the end result is actually some pretty good songs. There's no new album yet, but several singles and worth checking out.

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I've noticed a trend as of late to refer to the Supreme Court as "The Calvinball Six". I rather like that, and will use it myself.

To be honest I find it hilarious that the new/old guy pardoned an allegedly crooked Democratic Party congressman under the impression that he would switch parties out of loyalty, only to run as a Democrat again. So he's mad that a Democrat remained a Democrat. I find it funny/sad/etc. because the real story is the corruption, not the loyalty, and these people obviously don't get that.

So you're telling me that the guy who actually put Jim Kirk into space can't keep himself from polluting a protected Lagoon?

If anything that MTG said in her 60 minutes interview is actually true I would expect there to be a "Truth Social" explosion of paranoid rantings at a Napoleonic level in the next couple of days. Oops! It's already started.

Someone I know on Social Media who calls themselves "Bix" gave me this link to an article from the point of view of a Canadian State Department official. It's worth reading despite the click-bait (and completely accurate) headline of  "We will never fucking trust you again".

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And becaue I love you, here is a quick reminder that the late David Crosby was one of the best.

Radio Free California Episode 2546 and a few thoughts, plus my love letter to Frankfurt am Main

 

New music not only from me, but also Pacifica, Juliana Hatfield, Japanese artists B'z, GLAY and Hikaru Utada, White Reaper, Mating Ritual, IST IST, GUNMOLL, Craig Finn, The Saints and much more. Enjoy!

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I've had a few busy days because of my music career and the not-too-subtle reminder that I'm not a young man anymore, so I haven't been paying all that much attention to the news. That said...

There are members of this administration who appear to have committed war crimes. We should give them the due process they denied to others. At The Hague.

I don't want to know about the RFK, Lizza (whatever) sex thing. Ew. Nothing personal, but I have never given a rat's ass about any personal escapades of people in the limelight. I don't know who is married to who, who dates who, who fucks who and so forth because I just don't care.

The new/old guy is clearly in failing health. Can we all start taking that seriously?

Oh by the way, I have reason to believe that the pardoning of that drug trafficker who used to be President of Honduras has something to do with Próspera. The new/old guy never does anything that doesn't lead to money in his pockets.

By the way, Broligarchs thinking that Ayn Rand's ideas can be put into practice as a private society better learn how to pave streets and dig trenches. Someone's got to do it and if you only bring in rich people, somebody rich is going to have to do it.

On another topic, I do notice now that much of the press that the current Pentagon is willing to talk to is made up of people who couldn't even get jobs in the current administration, but tried. Matt Gaetz, Laura Loomer, James O'Keefe, and Jack Posobiec are now in the Pentagon Press Pool.

I will leave this with some good news - if the Republican Party has to fight tooth and nail and spend all their money on a district their guy won by 22 points just last year, Democracy still has a chance.

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And because I love you, here is my love letter to Frankfurt am Main, called "Ausstellungshaus". Read the description for the video on YouTube for the full story.

Radio Free California Episode 2545, plus a few notes

 

New music this week from home town favorites Slow Coast, Cory Wong with Stephen Day, Lake Street Drive with Tiny Habits, LOREN, The Salt Collective, Spock's Beard, Aerosmith with YUNGBLUD, Manic Street Preachers and more. Enjoy!

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At last a band I've been championing for some time and not just because they are based a stone's throw from me is Slow Coast, whose new album "Home of the Restless" has finally dropped. This is an album that in the old days would make stars out of them. I've added 4 songs over the past year that appear on this album, and I'm adding another 4 this week. This is a great band and the album is well worth your time.

Lightning in a Twilight Hour is a mouthful of a name for a band but get past that. They have a new album called "Colours Yet to be Named" and it's full of melancholy exploration of sound and I've pulled a couple of songs from the narrative for this week.

In Virtue's new album "Age of Legends" might seem to be a fantasy tale only because it is. It's a hard rocking album with ideas drawn from ancient Italy and Greece, with a few nods to Tolkien and the link. Now lots of band have done this, but In Virtue's album is a Drop D hard rock standout and worth a listen.

Spock's Beard has dropped a new album called "The Archeoptimist" that is a serious reminder that they are the kings of Progressive Rock. The last two songs are a combined 30 minutes

Quite a few remakes out this week, from Aerosmith along with YUNGBLUD covering their own "Back in the Saddle Again", Lake Street Drive and Tiny Habits covering "Leaving on a Jet Plane", Austin Brown with Tumer Willis doing Christopher Cross' "Saling", and Courtney Hadwin's reimagining of Black Sabath's "Changes". Rob Zombie is dropping new music, and so are Manic Street Preachers. Prince's fantastic album "Around the World in a Day" has been given an update and a second disc filled with remixes and new mixes of songs you already know (I added the new mix of "Pop Life" last week).

And here I'm going to plug an album that's not coming out until January - a double disc set called "The Weapon And The Shield", a compilation with over 30 songs from artists big and small including me. If you want a sneak peek there will be online listening parties on December 1st (for the first disc) and December 5th (for the second disc):

I will post the link for the listening party as soon as I have it on my socials (CounterSocial, Bluesky, Tumblr), or you can follow the project on bandcamp and be e-mailed the link the day of the show. I actually recommend this method. I am not on Xitter, TikTok or Instagram and am only rarely on Facebook so those are not the best places to follow me.

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Speaking of Listening Parties, there will be one for my own new album coming out in January. "Frankfurt am Main" is a rock/jazz album of instrumentals (mostly) inspired by our stay in the city the album is named after. Although my work is readily available at most of the usual places I also have a bandcamp page. You can bookmark the event now if you'd like by clicking here. 

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The contents of this blog have not been translated from Russian.

If your saving can be obliterated by a change in the rules of a game then they weren't real to begin with.

As mentioned above, I'm not on Xitter so I never saw this, but this has to be one of the greatest self-owns of all time. Of all people, Elmo the Musk exposed that Overseas actors are propping up MAGA.

It should be noted that while the cases were dismissed against Comey and James, they were dismissed without prejuduce - which means they can be brought again if the administration can do it correctly. 50/50 odds for now.

You know, maybe the press should be talking to Senator Lindsey Graham to see what he thinks about Secretary of Whiskey Hegseth threat to court-martial Senator, Astronaut and War Hero Mark Kelly for simply reminding soldiers of their Constitutional Oath. Graham is a JAG Officer.

No offense to James Carville, because he was the right man at the right moment, but if the new/old guy is "collapsing" then I'm going to "sit back and watch". I want to give him a push.

Has "Big Balls" fled back to Canada yet?

And because I love you even I have to admit this is cute:

Radio Free California Episode 2544, and do you remember how Q-Anon started?

 

New music this week from Blondshell, chokecherry, Mourn, runo plum, Ed Harcourt, Red Lennon, Silversun Pickups, The Church, Prince, Noble Son and much more. Enjoy!

If there was ever a band that could help break the stranglehold that the English language has over alt/pop/rock it's Mourn, a band from Barcelona whose new album "Letra Ligada" (Linked Letter) is a certifiable banger. Every single track on the album is solid, full of hooks and worthy of you attention. At this moment in time they have very few followers outside of Spain, and we need to change that.

chokecherry is a band I've been following for a while as they've dropped single after single, and at long last they've dropped a full album called "Ripe Fruit Rots and Falls". Now that a full album is out there 5 songs from it are in the rotation at the radio station. I'm a fan and I think you will be too. To me they're like what Smashing Pumpkins could have evolved into if they hadn't gotten so obsessed with synthesizers.

Blondshell's new album "Another Picture" is well worth your time as well, a solid alt-rock effort that should in a just world translate to radio play on the Alternative radio stations. Save for all the words they'd have to edit out.

And I also want to highlight runo plum's new album "patching", which is a laid-back affair of melodies and some experimenting with chord changes that I found enjoyable.

Add to that new albums from Cheap Trick (who have never lost a beat in my mind), Monalisa Twins, Lyric Jones, The Korgies, Thee Headcoats and their sister band Thee Headcoatees, and a greatest hits album from Blackberry smoke with some previously unreleased music we wind up with a pretty good week. And I'll be honest, I didn't know I needed a 9 minute of Prince's "Pop Life" until I heard it.

Finally, I have to give a shoutout to an album that's not on the playlist - the soundtrack to the Broadway play "Waiting for Godot" with Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves by Ben and Max Ringham. There's nothing pop about it, but I found it fascinating to listen to.

Addendum: I'm on this playlist too! I am finally releasing a rock/jazz album - instrumental - which people who have known me in real life have been insisting I do for many years now. The first single, "Skyscrapers and Skateparks" is now available wherever you get your music. The album, "Frankfurt am Main", will be out in January.

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I usually write about whatever news is going on at the beginning of the week right about here, but there's really now only one story isn't there? Despite about 50 different attempts to Wag the Dog the whole sordid Epstein business just won't go away, and it shouldn't.

Do you even remember what the genesis of Q-Anon was all those years ago? It was that there is a political elite that traffics in children. One guy even invaded a pizza parlor convinced that there were children hidden in their basement - a basement they didn't even have. The Q-Anon movement pre-dates MAGA, and I think a lot of people have forgotten that because MAGA simply absorbed the Q-Anon movement, claiming it was their own. The Q-Anon people are easily swayed by conspiracy theories, and the MAGA movement capitalized on that.

Thing is, the original Q-Anon folks are starting to realize that the MAGA movement is led by members of the very child sex-trafficking ring they always suspected was there. They're not woke, but they're starting to wake up and they're pissed that they've been lied to. Q-Anon was there before MAGA, and they want their suspicions answered. Hell, just look at Margery Taylor-Greene. She was Q-Anon before she was MAGA.

I suspect that this scares the hell out of a whole lot of people - people currently in power - because they're all implicated. And I'm certain that there are a number of Democrats in these files too and they should be prosecuted and exposed the same as anyone else. It's just that I think that most people on the left side of the political spectrum have a sense of shame and I'd be surprised if any of them are still living public lives.

And that's the rub, isn't it? This scandal seems to be ensnaring mostly Republicans because they're still in the public eye, and they'll be the most publicly shamed.

Remember Dennis Hastert? He's not a cautionary tale - he's a trend. He went to prison, is on the register, and is still paying restitution to this day.

It should happen to them all.

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And because I love you, here is the video for my new single, "Skyscrapers and Skateparks". Watch it on YouTube to learn the full story behind it.

Radio Free California Episode 2543, and a few thoughts

 

There is usually a small inhale of breath when the Grammy nominations are announced, so we have a smaller list of releases this week. Still a strong week though, with new music from Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, White Lies,  Kanadia, The Mountain Goats, The The and much more. Enjoy!

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First of all, how am I so late to the party when it comes to the band Kanadia? "The Fire That's Tearing Through Our Home" is an excellent new record, and looking back at their previous releases they're all just as strong. I highly recommend checking out this band.

Singer Militia Fox has a new single and it's a banger (a remake of the Bryan Adams/Tina Turner hit "It's Only Love") featuring Corey Glover and Vernon Reid of Living Colour as well as Nuno Bettencourt. I've included the song on this week's playlist. But man oh man is the video fuckin' awful. These are people with real talent - TWO well-known shredders on the guitar and TWO great vocalists. The video is 100% AI generated, and even worse that that it's lazy. It doesn't even try to show what the performers are doing, but it does show their own version of the performers. Stay away from the video - it will sour you on the song, which is actually very very good.

Mavis Staples has a new album out and her voice is as strong as ever. I have to admit that only one song, the opening "Chicago", really grabbed me, but it's really nice to see her still going.

Finally I need to air a pet peeve. There is an artist named Pina Jones who has been releasing a lot of music lately to benefit Artists Against Injustice. Nothing wrong with that, even though I do not find her work enjoyable myself. But she's been using Julian Lennon's support of the organization to claim that he's also on her songs and as a result her songs show up as releases by Julian Lennon - which they are not. I have no idea if this is being addressed but I do notice that since this started a few of those tracks have vanished from his discography.

Careful what you lend your name to my friends - take it from someone whose work appears on 3 separate charity albums.

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I've been making a point of telling people this past week that it's time to turn the car keys over to the next generation. It's not just that the Democratic Party won so many elections, it's that most of the winners are YOUNG. At least younger than the average lawmaker. They have figured out how to win, and if winning is what we want, we should let them drive. Hell I'm in my sixties, younger than the average Washington D.C. Lawmaker, and I'm too old for this shit.

And then 8 "Moderates" went and threw the whole game away. Angus King of Maine actually said that "standing up to the new/old guy didn't work". Yes it did. It was working. It was.

Yes it was. Yes it was. To quote Doonesbury from the 1970's:

We were winning this. Hands down winning, and you fucked us. Are you so out of touch that you were believing the media? The media isn't "left wing" despite what so many people say.

This was all on the Republicans. On the new/old guy. It was their fault and they were bungling it with every statement, every stupid comment, every step they took. And you gave them a win without getting anything in return. Sure, you've forced the Senate to vote on the ACA Subsidies in a month or so, but quite frankly no one ever remembers the votes they didn't take. And the House sure as fuck won't take it up. Not while Pornhub Johnson is in charge. Even the MAGA diehards were starting to see that the people they've been worried about and complaining about the most were actually the people they voted for.

All that you've successfully done here is prove that you're out of touch, and it's because you're listening to people who have the ability to take time out of their days to reach out to you. The rest of us are working for a living and you aren't listening to us. To them.

The Clinton days are done. Over with. They're a quarter-century behind us. We don't need people of that era writing our laws and negotiating on our behalf. This is the Obama generation. This is the generation AFTER Obama. You should be listening to them, not to people whose main issues come from the previous century.

Because as they've shown us this past week, they know how to win.

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And because I love you, here is the video for the first Kanadia song on this week's playlist:

Radio Free California Episode 2542, the election and thoughts on passing the torch, plus the death of a mostly evil man

 

A smaller playlist this week but we're not skimping on quality. New music from IST IST, Mellon-Collie, Swim School, The Belair Lip Bombs, Guided By Voices, Indoor Foxes, Mercury Teardrop, The Charlatans and more. Enjoy!

I'm only going to recommend two albums this week, one of which is the new one from The Belair Lip Bombs, called "Again". This is their second album and in my eyes it beats the dreaded "Sophomore Slump" with solid songwriting and performances. They're also now signed to Jack White's label, so I would presume that will mean more exposure, which they deserve.

There is also the new album from LØREN, "The Waits". Nice pop/alt writing there that's worth the listen, but I'll admit that the release format is confusing. It's a 3 disc set despite the fact that it's only 8 songs and clocks in at under 23 minutes.

Most of what I've featured this week comes from singles, and you're of course welcome to hunt them down - it is after all what I did.

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So this is being posted a day late. Election Day here in the United States, but first...

Dick Cheney is dead. Until the current assholes came along, he was easily the most evil person to hold nationwide elective office in this country. I know this is hard to fathom for the youngsters, but this is the guy who once shot a friend in the face and the guy he shot apologized. He is the first (and so far perhaps only) congressman to tell a colleague to go fuck himself on the record. He dressed as a Darth Vader like villain for Barack Obama's swearing in ceremony. He orchestrated the Iraq War. Both of them. He's the man who floated the idea of Presidential Immunity as a weapon (and not just as a defense) which has put us into the mess we're in today.

He is also absolute proof that you can't trust The Lincoln Project. The Lincoln Project likes this guy. They just don't like the new/old guy.

Anyway, although I hated the man he had a family that was close that included a gay daughter and a former congresswoman the new/old guy would love to lock up in prison. The man was FIERCELY loyal to them both and protective of them, and I give him credit for that. Condolences to the Cheney family.

Believe it or don't there are thousands of elections today, most of which you won't hear anything about. Resolutions, local mayors and councilmen, judges. Democrats aren't going to win them all but it would be splendid if they won at least a majority of them.

This of course includes proposition 50 in California and Zohran Mamdani in New York City. We must win them BOTH, even if the old guard frets about the consequences of both. Fuck all of them. The party needs new blood and Mamdani represents that. It needs new thinking and like him or not Newsom in California represents some of that. The old guard needs to step aside already.

And it looks like one of the best of the old guard is preparing to do just that. I think if Proposition 50 passes in California Nancy Pelosi will retire. She has been one of the most effective people in Congress ever, the best vote counter, and quite frankly compared to Hakim Jeffries is a lion to his sheep. She's earned a nice retirement but we need someone of her strength and fierceness in her place. I'm not certain San Francisco has anyone like that right now. I'm not sure anywhere does.

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And because I love you, here are the basics of how to make cheese and onion pie. Personally I would cook the onions for longer and use a sharp cheddar, and add a bit of nutmeg. I had these at a stall in London and I'd go back there every day if I could.

Radio Free California Episode 2541 and a fateful trip to Europe.

Back to regular updates and woo boy this week is a doozy! New music from Veronica Fusaro, Julian Lennon, Courting, Mammoth, Sigrid, Ea Othilde, Samantha Crain, The Len Price 3, Spiritual Cramp, Maggie Linemann, Mourn, Call It Off, Bjork, Catbear and much more! Enjoy!

We're getting into the busy season for new music. All the prestige albums get released this time of year, hoping to remind people that the Grammy Nominations are just a couple of months away. We've got a few contenders this week in my opinion.

Let's start with Veronica Fusaro, a Swiss/Italian singer whose new album "Looking For Connection" has just dropped and from which I've added 5 songs to the radio station, 3 just this week. She's a sensation in Europe and I think she's ready to blow up in the US as well, with a solidly rock and pop album with vocals reminiscent of the best that alt-pop-rock has ever offered.

Julian Lennon has dropped an EP called "because.." and at only 4 songs it packs a punch that reminds us of his best days, when he both did and didn't sound like his famous father. His voice really doesn't sound like that anymore, but the songwriting chops are still there.

Courting has the best long album title of the week with "How to Thread the Needle and Come Out the Other Side to Tell the Story, Or: Lust for Life". This is a confident new album from the trio that rocks, funks, and defies expectations more than once and is well worth your time.

Mammoth is of course the work of Wolfgang Van Halen, finally allowed to use the name he has always used for his band. He has the famous chops but his songwriting and vocal style are a touch more radio friendly than his father's work ever was, with a few tips of the hat to Foo Fighters and others. His latest is a wonderfully rockin' album worth the listen.

Sigrid's third album, "There's Always More I Could Say", lets you know she isn't kidding. You can tell from the production values that she's Scandinavian (there's that "ABBA/Roxette" production and it's hard to miss) but the singing is very much a rock and roll voice, and this is her best work to date.

I had never heard of Ea Othilde before this week, and I now have everything she's released. Her new album, "I Will Not Be Like That", has a sound much like those rare moments when Souxie and the Banshees sounded happy. The new album is well produced and highlights the more ethereal parts of her voice while not being afraid to experiment in the instrumentation.

Samantha Crain comes to us from the Choctow Nation and believe it or not you've probably heard her music in the background of that TV show you keep meaning to watch. She reminds me a lot of Robbie Robertson (as a solo artist) which I can't really explain without you listening to her, but there are influences from all over the globe in her music and it's catchy and well worth your notice. Her most recent album is called "Gumshoe" but she dropped a new single this week called "Cherry Plum" that you shouldn't miss.

And where the hell has The Len Price 3 been all my life? They're a throwback to the jangly pop rock of the 1980's, Like crossing The Jam with The Byrds. "Misty Medway Magik" is pure jangle pop gold.

I have to give some love to local band (for me) Spiritual Cramp and their new release, "Rude". What if The Ramones were fronted by a shouty David Byrne? With a few nods to Green Day and The Clash and a couple of name drops that would only make sense to those of us in San Francisco. The new album is tons of fun and also lets you know that the punk ethic is alive and well in the next generation.

And finally I have to mention the band Call it Off, who have released their own version of Taylor Swift's album "Thirteen". Yes, the whole album, reimagined as a power pop rock album. It shouldn't work, and sounds like it should veer into parody and yet it works. Just goes to show that if the song is solid it can work in just about any style.

Image what the rest of the year is going to be like.

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If I may, allow me to make my way to an announcement.

The following may or may not be true, but there are photos...

So towards the end of September I went to England at the invitation of a long time friend who was working on a new album. He had a song he had written way back in the 1980's when we lived in the same town and occasionally jammed together, and he had always promised that if he turned this one riff we used to play into a full song he'd invite me to play on the record. He kept his promise and so I kept my promise to play. I don't enjoy flying, but me and my wife hopped onto a 10-hour flight and I was there for the session.

I have no idea if/when the song will come out, but this all led to a cascade of other events. I have a cousin who lives in France and works in Paris, so we extended our trip and caught the Eurostar - which I highly recommend doing if you get the chance - and spent a few days in Paris. I didn't get to see as much of the city as I would have liked, but that's mostly my fault and I did make it to Notre Dame and I got to take a picture of Rue Amelie:

If you know, you know.

Anyway, one of the inside jokes in my band is that when we tell people where everyone is that we say "Jim Christopher is probably at your local bar and has been there as long as anyone can remember". Thing is, at the time we were planning this trip he had been in Germany for a few months busking for his drinking money and staying at various hostels, which is something he loves to do. When I let my friends know I would be spending a little time in Europe he said, "Come out to Frankfurt you'll love it here".

I'll be honest, Frankfurt wasn't even on my mind when it comes to Germany. Admittedly, I'd never been but there's Berlin, Nürnberg, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne... places to draw a musician. Frankfurt has more of a reputation as a business oriented town - so much so that they joke that the skyline should be called "Mainhatten", as its skyscrapers are situated on the River Main. But we booked a funky hotel called "Moxy" and decided to spend a few days there.

Frankfurt am Main is a fantastic place. Yes, it's a business hub but it's also a place of old world traditions, architecture, and a feel that keeps telling you that this place is home. Jim was right, but he had an ulterior motive - he had been living upstairs of a recording studio for a couple of weeks and without telling me he invited all of the various members of the Anime Raiders to come out.

We were all suddenly in the same place for the first time since before the Pandemic, and with a recording studio at our disposal. So we jammed, all of us save for Jim using equipment belonging to the studio. We jammed a LOT. While my wife explored the city we played, bounced ideas off each other, and found ourselves leaning into the feel of the place, and especially towards more prog rock sounds and styles. Kyousuke noticed it first, and started minimizing what he was playing, emulating Bill Bruford. I played keyboards and guitars, plus a few instruments I had never tried before, like a whammy bar clavinet.

We recorded a LOT. My wife took a ton of pictures and we would use the pictures as an inspiration for what we were jamming to. Hours and hours worth of material.

And it's now my job to edit it all together into a group of songs. I've been working on that since we got back to my home studio. The album will be mostly instrumental - making it the second instrumental album I've done in a year. The difference is that this one rocks out.

This celebrates the city we worked in, and the joy of collaborating and recording live. Oh, there are overdubs. I had Jim record more than one harmony line over the original guitar solos he played, and I've put in some effects and extra keyboards, and there isn't a single performance here that isn't an editing of multiple takes into a single cohesive unit.

And so now I get to finally announce that we have a new album coming:

I can't yet tell you when it will be out, although I'm shooting for towards the end of the year (you know, for Grammy eligibility). The first single is ready and I expect to announce it next week. I'm still working on the rest. As with "The Overnight Train" I want the album to have a flow to it, and there are still a few things I need to iron out. I'm hoping that by releasing a single now it will light a fire under my ass to get it done.

I love mixing. It's probably the thing I love most about making new music - shaping the sounds into a finished product, taking the bits and pieces and fitting them together so they work, going through the various takes and deciding what works best and where. But reaching the point where you call it finished can sometimes be difficult - the urge to overwork it is pretty strong. To keep fussing with it and trying new things, and I've got so much material to work with.

I'll get there.

But I fell in love with Frankfurt am Main, and I will return there someday.

Radio Free California, the lost month. Also a few rants about things, and my part in a world-wide protest.

 

I was gone for a month, so this playlist encompasses all the music that would have been Radio Free California 2537 through 2540. Lots of good stuff. 204 songs all in all.

New music from the past month from Rubi Ate the Fig, Call It Off, Courtney Hadwin, Social Order, Parcels, Robert Plant, Sarah McLachlan, Lola Young, Little Quirks, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Darwin, Ida Maria, Jacob Collier, Call it Off, Adult Leisure, Taylor Swift, Say She She, The Autumn Defense, David Gilmour, All Time Low, Hinds, Mammoth, Catbear, The Criticals, Vance Joy, The London Suede, The Antinomy Insurgency, Halima, IST IST, BBBL, .38 Special, The Fearless Flyers, alyona alyona, BEAT, Theo Katzman, Frute, The Besnard Lakes, Sprin, dodie, Jay Som, Haircut 100, Boz Scaggs, The Amazons and so much more that it boggles the mind! Hours and hours of new music!

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Of all the new albums released in the past month, there are highlights in my opinion. Here are some of them:

Rubi ate the Fig is a prog band with a middle-eastern flair in their music. I've been waiting for their new album "Desert Electric" for some time now, and it doesn't disappoint. I've added 3 songs from the album to the playlist.

And of course the new Lola Young album "I'm only Fucking Myself" is a great album, and a worthy follow-up to her previous. I told everyone a couple of years back that she is going places, and it's nice to have been right about it.

Ida Maria is something of a rock and roll throwback, and her new album "Seven Deadly Sins +3" is exactly that - 10 songs built around the basic concepts of breaking every rule imaginable, and rocking hard while doing it. 

Adult Leisure is a band with pop sensibilities and a bit of an alt-rock attitude that I've covered before. Their new album is called "The Things You Don't Know Yet" and is well worth your time.

Do you really need me to tell you anything about Taylor Swift, Spinal Tap, Robert Plant, or David Gilmour, all of whom dropped new albums over the past 4 weeks? They're all great albums.

Social Order is a band from Las Vegas that has dropped a few singles in the past with pop/punk/synthwave ideas, and their new album would feel right at home in the British invasion of the 1980's, and yet feels like music of today as well. They dropped an EP's worth of singles in the past few weeks, and you should really check them out.

I could go on and on and on. I picked one hell of a time to take a break from the internet.

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Of course I wasn't taking a break to do nothing. I have been involved in 2 secret and special projects, one of which required me to spend some time in Europe. Yeah, life is rough. That said, I can finally break the news on one of these projects, "The Weapon and the Shield".

This is a compilation of 37 songs by various artists from all walks of the world, coming together with a collection of protest songs, with all proceeds going to Amnesty International. The artists are being slowly revealed on the bandcamp page, with the album available for pre-order December 1st. It official release date is schedule for January 1st, 2026. Yes, I'm on this collection.

More details to come, including on-line listening parties in December. The collection was curated by English Synthwave artist Kiffie, who I have featured here before.

Cover Artwork by The Ordinary Walter:

As for the other project? I'll be talking about that soon enough, but not today.

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So Kitara Ravache is out of prison. I feel safer already.

No, I haven't seen the video of the new/old guy's response to the No Kings protests this past weekend. I probably will at some point because I watch Colbert, but I'm going to avoid it for as long as I can. That said, if you needed any further proof that teenaged boys are running things this is probably all you need.

This was my local No Kings protest:

The flag rotated.

It's still pretty unlikely that the Epstien Files, in whatever form they exist, are going to be released in this country. But it looks like the UK is marching full steam ahead, so we may still get to see them. And ick, ew.

Camp Pendleton did hold a live fire exercise for the couch fucker during the protests (which were nowhere close to each other), and Governor Newsome did close a stretch of the highway (against the new/old guy's orders) while this was happening. Good thing too; a shell detonated prematurely and shrapnel hit a highway patrol car that was part of the Vice Presidential Motorcade. That's twice now that the new/old guy has tried to have his number 2 killed.

I should not, for the benefit of the current Speaker of the House, that the newly elected (and confirmed) congresscritter can't do her job, because you haven't sworn her in. Coward. Dude, can you even tell when you're lying anymore?

Look, I'm no fan of John Bolton. I think his ideas are terrible. But treason? Not a fucking chance.

Why is it that every time that amazon experiences issues on line that it's a "DNS issue"? You'd think that they would have that sort of thing addressed by now.

Now that actual demolition has begun on the East Wing of the White House so that the new/old guy can building his stupid fucking ballroom, how are the crews getting paid? The government is still shut down, near as I can tell, but in all fairness to the government Trump does have a history of stiffing contractors.

Oh, in case you didn't notice, there is no peace in Gaza.

Letitia James was indicted over a mistake on a single mortgage. The new/old guy is a real estate developer. How many mortgages do you think he has? Think they're all perfect?

Now that they've successfully brought back polio, measles and smallpox, the MAGAsshats want to bring back... SLAVERY!?!!? What the ever-lovin'-fuckin'-fuck is wrong with these people?

And because I love you, here is a tribute to the late Anthony Jackson, one of the greatest bass players to ever live, the reason that 5 and 6 string basses even exist, and the first electric bassist to say that you can use effect pedals when playing bass ("For the love of Money" by the O'Jays - give it a listen).

Radio Free California Episode 2536, news about this site & updates, cheap shots and more

 

New music this week from Adult Leisure, Robert Plant, Sparks, Lola Young, I'm With Her, Sunflower Bean, David Byrne, Lady Gaga, Home Free, Robbie Fulks, Jana Varga and much more. Enjoy!

It is with no small amount of sadness that I have to let you know I will be taking a few weeks off. I don't want to, but I don't see how I can fit putting out new playlists while I'm on the road, and I'll be on the road for a month doing my real job. You know, being an actual musician.

To be blunt, I'm going to be too busy and when it comes to these playlists I'm a one person shop. I'm afraid the new music is going to pile up while I'm gone. I'll still be on the lookout for new music - I do that every day - put putting the playlists together is going to have to wait.

I imagine the first one when I come back is going to be a doozy.

Anyway, this will be the last Radio Free California for a few weeks. If you're dying for new music you can try a few things: Discover Weekly on Spotify - the more you like/favorite the better the algorithm gets at finding music you like, including older music you might have missed. There is also allmusic.com, which tracks new album releases from just about everyone out there. Don't be afraid to take a deep dive on you tube or other social networks either - sure, there's lots of crap out there (especially on the old bird site) but sometimes you find something golden.

Surf the web, like we used to in the old days.

As for this week, the new album from David Byrne is some of the best and occasionally silliest music he's ever done. It's easily his best solo work.

If you dig blues I must recommend the new album from Walter Trout called "Sign of the Times". He's an old-fashioned guitar slinger, and the music pretty good.

The Korgies are still around! Despite not having had a hit in 4 decades they're still working, and have just released an album where they update 16 of their previous releases, including a nice reworking of "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime", which was their biggest hit in the US.

As many of you know, I'm no real fan of Country Music, and yet I have two country artists on the playlist this week. First up is Robbie Fulks, who is more alt-country/indie pop than straight ahead country, and there's stuff on his new album I like. Secondly, Home Free is continuing their current dive into Sea Shanties and Maritime Music with their cover of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", which they have spruced up in a respectable fashion.

Jem Records has continued their tradition of releasing albums of indie artists covering other artists, and a band I only discovered last week is on the latest compilation honoring David Bowie, performing "I'm Afraid of Americans". Yes, The Airport 77s return this week.

And finally, Saint Etienne has just put out what is supposed to be their final album, called "International", and it's a return to their early works from back in the 1990's and it's a welcome return. If you remember them from back in the day then you're going to like this one.

And again, I can't wait until the new Robert Plant album comes out - which will happen while I'm gone. Don't miss it - what I've heard sounds great.

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A sign I saw over the weekend read, "If I need to listen to a Recovering Heroin Addict for medical advice I'm turning to Keith Richards".

So according to the Speaker of the House the new/old guy was a deep undercover FBI informant for a "Democrat Hoax". For an avowed Christian, he bears false witness an awful lot.

I missed this because of course I would, but apparently Tucker Carlson attempted to "out" Pete Buttigieg as STRAIGHT. There is so much to unpack there - Tucker needs help. Psychiatric help.

On a personal note, I had a doctor's appointment rescheduled because the doctors at the office I was going to had their hands full with POLIO PATIENTS. Fuck me, in all my years I'd never seen someone with an active case of Polio, not even when we collected dimes by going door to door when I was a little kid. I can't claim that any more.

Happy Star Trek Day.

Also, Happy Xena: Warrior Princess Day.

That birthday greeting written to Jeffrey Epstein by the new/old guy that the new/old guy claims doesn't exist? It was given to congress today. The Wall Street Journal is reporting this, complete with a picture. But it's the WSJ, so who knows if it's true?

I had to pay my first tariff this past week. $12.00 on an item that cost $19.99 and is coming from all of 10 miles outside of the U.S. Vancouver is closer to me than the U.S. Capitol is.

Oops! The Speaker is back-tracking on his statement about undercover informants.

But the new/old guy is still a rapist.

Now that victim blaming/shaming is in full effect over the shooting at the CDC offices a few weeks back, are they saying that the CDC's skirt was too short? It was summer, for fuck's sake.

It's worth pointing out that while the new/old guy wants to accuse people with multiple mortgages with fraud, he's a real estate developer and has over a hundred mortgages himself.

For those of you screaming "yahoo" over Gavin Newsome, for those of us in California we've had better Democratic Governors, including Jerry Brown, and the country didn't elect them either.

According to the current SCOTUS, your skin color and accent are now probable cause, which can and will be used against you.

There are already people out there claiming that it's not his signature in the Epstein Birthday Book. Yes it was you fucking idiot. Or was it Auto-pen?

If you're trans and on Medicare get ready to find other healthcare if you can. Your current healthcare is going bye bye.

The Secretary of Defense is guilty of Stolen Valor. How is that playing with the troops?

One New York Mayoral candidate's Social Media savvy is top notch.

And because I love you, may I introduce you to The Olllam:

See you in a few weeks!

Radio Free California Episode 2535, a bonus track, lies and the lying liars who tell them and much worse crimes, and some joy in video form

Yeah, I took Labor Day off. I'm allowed to. Great crop of new music from Rebecca Sugar, Vistas, The Beaches, Divorce, The Beths, The Grip Weeds, Drink The Sea, Daisychain, Jane Varga, BBBL, Belinda Carlisle, and much more. Enjoy!

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So did you know that the creator of Steven Universe is also a musician and performing artist? I didn't. And then this week I stumbled across the video for "Ice Water", done by a small animation studio in her style, and I was hooked. Her new EP is worth it's weight in gold and I highly recommend it. The video is at the bottom of this post.

I was actually going to pass on The Beths. Their new single didn't impress me and I got a couple of tracks into the full album wondering why I bothered. The reason I bother is for the deep cuts, which are often better than the singles. Such is the case here, and it also forced me to go back and listen to the tracks I initially dismissed, and taken in context they are much improved. They're work checking out.

Vista's new album "Cut the Cord" is a stunningly good album, start to finish. I had already loaded several of the songs from that album to my various playlists and to the radio station, and I've added a couple more today. The whole album is relentless and is one of the best albums of the year so far.

The Ndlovu Youth Choir is one I stumbled across by accident because I'm a fan of a cappella music. The song I've added is with a full band, but there's another track on this same EP that is a daring reinterpretation of "Bohemian Rhapsody". I will put a link to the video at the end of this post.

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I've added an extra song to the radio station this week, "Big Crime" by Neil Young. It's a live recording from a soundcheck before a Chicago show and it's not on Spotify due to his ongoing fight with the streaming service over podcasts by fascists they host.

Here's a link to the song directly, which you can download.

Lyrics:

No more great again
No – no more great again
There’s big crime in DC at THE White House
Don’t need no fascist rules
Don’t want no fascist schools
Don’t want soldiers on our streets
There’s big crime in DC at THE White House
There’s big crime in DC at THE White House
Got to get the fascists out got to
Clean the white house out
Don’t want soldiers on our streets
There’s big crime in DC at THE White House
There’s big crime in DC at THE White House
No more great again
No – no more great again
There’s big crime in DC at THE White House
There’s big crime in DC at THE White House
No more money to the fascists
the billionaire fascists
TIME TO BLACKOUT THE SYSTEM
no more great again
No – no more great again
TIME TO BLACKOUT THE SYSTEM
There’s big crime in DC at THE White House
There’s big crime in DC at THE White House
NO MORE GREAT AGAIN
No NO MORE GREAT AGAIN
There’s big crime in DC at THE White House
There’s big crime in DC at THE White House
NO MORE GREAT AGAIN
NO NO MORE GREAT AGAIN

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In my entire adult life I've never used a non-chain pharmacy. That might have to change as the two major chains where I live have decided to not offer COVID-19 Vaccinations in 16 states - coincidentally the 16 states with the highest increase in infection rates this year. I'm getting vaccinated myself, this Saturday.

So I guess that the new/old guy is still alive, sort of. I have to wonder if he's got some sort of Dorian Gray situation with all of the tacky gold shit they've strung up all over the White House. It's looking more and more like a Saddam House than the White House at this point.

Um, wow. Even "Walking Tall" might be a lie?

I want this guy to narrate every Democratic Party political ad from now until the end of time.

Hours after being told by a Judge that the military invasion of Los Angeles is illegal the administration says that they will now invade Chicago. This isn't going to stop until these judges start throwing people in jail. Maybe start with the doddering old fool who thinks Baltimore is in Illinois.

Oh by the way, the lawyer that the current administration is using to sue Harvard on the basis of antisemitism is himself a Harvard Graduate and huge motherfucking antisemite.

I know that Kristy Noem is all upset that her CBS interview edited out her lies, but I'm more upset that they weren't called lies in the actual broadcast. Look folks, it's real easy: "We have edited the interview for length and to eliminate all the lies". See? Easy.

If you look, you can find video from a couple of days ago where the dumber of the new/old guy's sons has a sumo match in a practice ring. Because I follow Sumo I can let you in on a couple of facts: First, that was a lower-ranking wrestler he "fought" - you can tell by the color of the mawashi. 2nd, the real sumo wrestler hardly had to try. He toys with him for a moment and then carried him out like a rag doll. 3rd, Eric had an illegal start.

Meanwhile, while I was writing that Paragraph, the new/old guy posted on his own social medial site bragging that he had just killed 11 people. There's video, and no I'm not going to link to it or show it. I'm not going to spoil the joy of the videos that follow.

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And because I love you, here is the video to the Rebecca Sugar song "Ice Water", which was added to the rotation this week. The video is amazing, and yes, this is the same Woman who created Steven Universe".

And because I promised above, here is Ndlovu Youth Choir's interpretation of a Queen masterpiece:

Radio Free California Episode 2534, and can we start calling them liars now?

So much to listen to! New music from The Warning, The Airport 77s, Stress Dolls, Davey Lane, Water From Your Eyes, TOPS, Amy Milan, David Coyd, David Gilmour, Blackberry Smoke, sombr, DarWin, The Goo Goo Dolls, Superchunk, Scary Goldings and much more! Enjoy!

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How I went this long without discovering The Airport 77s is beyond me. They're a great band and their album "Don't Let Go" is a master class in rock/pop gems. They're well worth your time. They're based out of Washington D.C. and deserve your attention.

The Warning have released a live album and movie from a concert in Mexico City, and I say that the music fuckin' rocks! They are an impressive hard rock trio and sing most of their lyrics in English, but it's obvious just upon hearing it that their fanbase in their home country is strong. The album is one of the better live albums out there (and I say this not being a fan of live albums) and I hope to see the accompanying film soon.

Water From Your Eyes is an eclectic band and won't be everyone's taste, but they remind me of some of the more experimental power pop bands of the 1980's and 1990's. They refer to the new album as being about "time, dinosaurs and space". Think Blade Runner meets WALL-E. The songs I added to the playlist this week are among the more mainstream, but if you're into giving the odd a try, I do recommend them.

Sofi Tukker earlier this year released an album called "Bread". This past week she released "butter", which is a re-working of the original album but in very different styles, with a special emphasis on Bossa-Nova. If you liked the first album you should really check out the second - it's a worthwhile look at the mindset of an artist.

It appears that we have a new Cheap Trick album coming, their first since being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Alas, Bun E. Carlos isn't back and probably won't be at this point, but the early buzz is that the new album ranks up with their best work, and the first single certainly doesn't disappoint.

 

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Dear Democratic Party:

I know it's in your DNA to be polite and fight within the rules, but Newsome's attacks and over-the-top sarcasm is working. But Newsome has flaws and for the life of me I don't see him as Presidential Material - and I've voted for the guy more than once.

Are you actually afraid to call someone a liar? They lie and lie constantly, and lie about just about everything. They lie constantly and the closest anyone ever get is to say that "the facts just don't back that up.": I've heard that phrase a lot.

You need to hit back. Hard. Call out every fucking lie as a LIE. Not Fake News, not a mis-statement, not a distraction, but a LIE.

Because every single one of them is a fucking liar, and they need to be called out to their faces by the Party, by the Media, and everyone with a modicum of common sense. They will continue to lie and double-down and triple-down because they cannot accept the idea that they're wrong. 

In their minds they are NEVER wrong, and until it's proven we're all fucked. They use their lies over and over and over again until people start to believe them.

You can do the exact same thing by calling them liars. It will take time and effort, but it does work. It's what they've done to us.

And I get that you don't want to drop down to their level. But this isn't doing that. This is calling out liars and the lying liars who lie them.

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And because I love you, how about some Posies?

Radio Free California Episode 2533

 

New music this week from Sarah McLachlan, Robert Plant, Coach Party, Juicy J & Endea Owens, Luna Li, NewDad, VOLA, Social Order, State Cows, .38 Special & Train, Kula Shaker and much more! Enjoy!

Talking about music I have to start with the collaboration between Hip-Hop artist Juicy J and Upright Bassist Endea Owens. Their new album "Caught Up In This Illusion" is such a breath of fresh air that I recommend it to anyone, especially people who aren't fans of hip-hop. The addition of Endea Owens makes all the difference in the world.

Juicy J is a founding member of Three 6 Mafia, who won an Academy Award for their song "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" from the movie "Hustle and Flow". Endea Owens is best known as the bassist for the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and she's a monster on the upright bass. Check out this performance of "Lunchtime" with Cory Wong during a commercial break. The two of them have put together an album that's sublime, a bit jazzy, and full of surprises.

The new album from Molly Tuttle, "So Long Little Miss Sunshine" is an album worth your time. I've been adding singles from this album for a few weeks now, and they're all centered around the song "That's Gonna Leave a Mark", which I've added this week. Well worth your time.

Gino Amato has released what is now his second album of covers, all remade as Latin influenced music. The version of Peul Simon's "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard" is a real winner, but I couldn't resist his version of the classic "Windmills of Your Mind", which you must admit already lends itself to a Latin feel.

I have to admit that I come to Luna Li a bit late to the party. Her 2024 album "When a Thought Grows Wings" has been reimagined and the results are quite good. 

I think it's well established that I'm not a fan of country music, but I couldn't resist the semi-comedic stylings of Jonny Fritz, which I was introduced to thanks to Justin Hawkins (rides again.... againnnnnnnnnnnn).

I can't honestly say that I've been a fan of Cass McCombs, but I do like his new album and added a track from it. And did anyone have .38 Special and Train doing a song together?

And finally, I so cannot wait until the new Robert Plant album comes out late September.

No politics this week. Even I get sick of it. But because I love you, what the hell. Here's that performance I referenced earlier:

Radio Free California Episode 2532, and Land of the free my ass

New music , the supergroup BEAT, swim school, Beach Bunny, Sunset Rollercoaster, Jeff Tweedy, We Are Scientists, Field Medic, Big Freedia, Teenage Dads, Red Rum Club and much more. Enjoy!

Lots of diverse and fun stuff here. First of all, there is BEAT - a supergroup made up of Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel's Band, King Crimson and much more), Adrian Belew (King Crimson), Danny Carey (Tool) and Guitarist Steve Vai. They all really get to stretch here, and I can't wait for the full album.

I'm With Her's full album came out a couple of weeks ago, but they've done the old-fashioned thing and released another single after the album. Remember when that's how every release worked? Ah, well. They're coming to my adopted hometown to play at a festival shortly, and I plan to go see them.

Home Free has been teasing their "Sea Shanty" album for a bit now, but they're also including more modern songs, like this amazing cover of Billy Joel's "Downeaster Alexis". I know for a fact that there will be a cover of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" as well.

Sunset Rollercoaster is a band from Taiwan (they sing in English) with a new album called Quit Quietly that is an alt-pop marvel, and well worth your time. 

I'm not one for Gospel music for the most part, but Big Freedia's new album "Pressing Onward" is a direct swerve towards the format from an LGBTQAI+ viewpoint, and it's a revelation. I dare you to get through these tunes without tapping them toes and snapping them fingerbones.

The new album from The Black Keys is also more fun than I had expected. They're branching out from their usual sound and in many cases that works. There's one track that's actually piano based - which is crazy for a band made up of a guitarist and a drummer.

There are a lot of artists worth your time this week, so please check them out.

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Something terrible is coming.

Washington DC is now effectively under Martial Law. We're not heading towards fascism, we're already there. Do you honestly think that the mugging of one white kid is worth this type of reaction is a city where the crime rate has been going down, no matter how many lies say otherwise?

Do you honestly think that they'll stop at Washington DC? Chicago, are you next?

The official website of the Congress of the U.S. has been deleting portions of the Constitution from its website. Article 1, Sections 7 through 10, are now gone.

Compare:
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/

to the Original:
https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/full-text

You really have to ask yourself why. A democracy loving country wouldn't do this. A free-speech loving country wouldn't do this. But fascists would.

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Here is what the Republican-controlled Congress has deleted from the on-line version:

Section 7: Legislative Process

All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills. Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.

Section 8: Powers of Congress

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow Money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States; To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries; To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court; To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations; To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces; To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions; To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful Buildings;-And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Section 9: Powers Denied Congress

The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.
The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it. No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken. No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.
No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Section 10: Powers Denied to the States

No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.
No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

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And because I love you, here is BEAT, performing the same song as on this week's playlist live:

Radio Free California Episode 2531, and the myth of Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

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Quite a bit of live music this week from artists such as David Gilmour, Snarky Puppy, Scorpions, and Peter Gabriel, plus new music from home town heroes Slow Coast, Kate Pierson, Buddy Guy, Umphrey's Mcgee, Slow Reader's Club, Radio Free Alice, Wisp, Renee Rapp, Laura Groves, Prizm and more. Enjoy!

So David Gilmour will be releasing a new live album in the fall and of course he teases it with a 10+ minute opus. Meanwhile Scorpions are celebrating 60 years as an active band with a new live album, while Peter Garbriel will be releasing a new live album full of music he doesn't perform anymore.

Buddy Guy is 89 years old and still working as hard as he ever did. The new album is full of bluesy gems and well worth your time.

I hope to someday soon see a full album from Slow Coast. They've only released a few singles so far and I've liked all of them. Their band photo on Spotify was taken 2 blocks from my house, which always makes me smile.

You'll notice a ton of Umphry's McGee near the end of this week's playlist. That's because while it's broken into five pieces with separate titles it's actually only one song, called "Out of Focus" For those of you who listen to my radio station I've re-edited them all together. There might be micro-second pauses between songs if you play them from here. It looks like their new album, out in the fall, will be full of stuff like this. You can listen to the Radio Station through this link, and the playlist above will be on repeat all day Wednesday. 

Oh, and I forgot to mention, Bryan Adams also released a live album, full of songs I'd never heard before. along with two more full of songs I do know . I don't know his full discography though, so I could have missed a few albums along the way.

Finally, Snarky Puppy re-released their fantastic album "We Like It Here" completely re-mixed and with alternate takes. I've added the song "Lingus" to the playlist because of that jaw-dropping keyboard solo. You have an internet, go look it up. There are people in the band looking on in shock.

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I think the United States has lost the right to call itself the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave". We have secret police sweeping people off the streets. Religious freedom in the office space is gone, if you work for the government. The President of the United States is extorting Universities, Companies, News Organizations and more for more glorious coverage. The openness and diversity of our culture is under constant bombardment, and so far everyone to come under scrutiny has given in. Our transition to a Police State is already more than half way complete, and we haven't lifted a finger to stop it.

That isn't brave. 

That isn't free.

The economy is in the toilet and is about to get much worse, and because the bipartisan office that shows how many jobs get added to the economy each week the child in charge fired the person in charge of putting the figures together. Wonder what he's going to do when he discovers that it's a whole team that puts those numbers together. I hope everyone over there has brushed off their resumes.

Tech seems to be growing - faster than power can keep up with it.

We were once the country everyone looked to as an example of what could be done. But now dozens of countries have better health care, dozens of countries have better individual freedoms of speech and assembly, and as we withdraw back into our own borders all of the assistance we have given for the decades - and I think most Americans have no fucking clue just how much that is - much of the world we used to help is falling into chaos.

But half the country isn't paying any attention to any of that. They're quite comfortable in believing and living the lies they've been spun. And the other half isn't really doing all that much to dissuade them, beyond looking on in sheer disbelief.

To my fellow American, if you've ever asked yourself what you'd do if Nazis tried to take over the U.S. what are you doing right now? Reading a fucking blog?!!?!?

G.W. Bush was gifted at the big lie - that what he said was true, that it had to be true, and if you say it often enough it actually is true. Think Weapons of Mass Destruction - which never existed, and so on. But he was careful about it and focused only on a few specific items. This administration lies about Everything.

It's not just the President, but everyone under him. They all lie, about different things, and they feel that like Bush II is they say it often enough it must be true.

Thing is, in the long haul it didn't work for Junior - just for long enough to get through the current crisis. He didn't actually live in this altered reality, and he left politics after his terms so we don't give it a lot of thought anymore. These current assholes are convinced that their lies are where we live, and no evidence to the contrary will be accepted as the truth.

Something every living ex-president, and most of the ones who came before, has in common is that they don't seem the limelight. The new/old guy can't seem to live without it. He thinks of his Presidency in terms of ratings, and as long as he's in the spotlight he doesn't give a damn.

He says the economy is great - he's wrong. He says we have deals with most countries - we don't. He claims we're respected overseas - we aren't. He says the residents of Greenland want to be US Citizens - they don't. He says that a man is a gang leader - when he isn't even a member. He says he's getting great reviews for paving over the White House Rose Garden - and that isn't true, save for all the people who also live in this fake world.

This is quite frustrating to all of us who live in the real world. Nothing will fix this. He isn't going to change. The people around him aren't going to change. They're going to keep on doing this until they are stopped, either by their world collapsing around them, by the ballot box, or the bravery of the American people.

The first option could happen, but probably not before the country is so damaged that it will take decades to recover. The second option could work, but that day is a ways off at the moment, and if they haven't rigged the game before that next election comes. So that leaves option 3.

So what are you doing? Are you free to do it? Are you brave enough to do it? Or are you, like me, living in a world where if we tried it would cause harm not only to ourselves, but to our friends and families as well. I myself support 4 people and 2 cats, and I'm always going to think about them first. I imagine that most of you are in the same boat. For most Americans, it isn't fiscally possible to be that brave. We have become slaves to the wage, because we have had no other choice. That's a whole discussion to be had at another time.

Some "Land of the Free" this turned out to be.

No one has "I had the moral high ground" written on their tombstone.

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No AI was used in the creation of this Blog post.

I am aware that the current DoJ has opened an investigation into Jack Smith. Trust me, while they're going to talk about it over and over and over again they will not bring it to court unless they are massively stupid, which we can't rule out. Taking him to court means he would get to present the evidence he collected in his own defense, and they sure as fuck don't want him to do that.

And because I love you, here's a track I left off the playlist but you should really hear: