New music this week from Footballhead, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Anjimine, Bluhm, Peter Gabriel, Dan Lucas, Crooked Fingers, Jon Lampley, Special Friend, Theo Katzman, Joe Jackson and much more. Enjoy!
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So let's talk about this week's selections, starting with the opening track and album from Tedeschi Trucks Band. After a few albums where they dipped into mysticism and deep thought inspired by Hindi writings they have returned with a genuine straight-ahead rock and roll album called "Future Soul". While I really enjoyed these past few albums this new album is their bread and butter and as good as anything they've ever done.
Footballhead is a band I've been following for a while now, and their new album "Weight of the Truth" might be their best one yet. I had a real time narrowing down which songs to add to the playlist and still wound up adding 4 songs. They sound like a band with a much bigger following than they have and you should check them out.
Crooked Fingers is the on-again off-again project run by Eric Bachmann, who was the leader of the 90's alt-rocking band Archers of Loaf. Archers broke up 28 years ago and they still have a larger following than this band and that's a shame, because this new album is good stuff. I enjoyed the album "Swet Deth" and will admit I have a soft spot in my heart for any musician who, like me, started out on the sax.
The Dandy Warhols are a fun if occasionally perplexing band that's been around for quite a while now, and their now album "Pin Ups" as an album of covers, some of which are decidedly orr-brand for them. They cover The Runaways "Cherry Bomb" and America's "Sister Golden Hair" for example. They also cover The Cult's "She Sells Sanctuary".
I've known about trumpeter Jon Lampley for a while now, mostly as a side man for Cory Wong and as a band member of the band on Late Night with Stephen Colbert, plus numerous guest spots on other albums. He's a funky, soulful player and will have a new album out in June, the first single from which is called "Greener". All that said, I had no idea he could sing, and sing he does on this track. I think he's got quite the career going forward when Colbert's show ends in May.
Wretched Pinhead Puppets is another one of those bands I like but don't expect anyone else to. They're quirkey, hop styles all the time, and some of their work can be a challenge. I still collect it all though, just for myself. Their new single "Boarding the Bus" is a seriously good song and much more in line with the sensibilities I built this radio station for. I think you'll enjoy it.
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I came back three days later and discovered that I never hit "publish". But because I love you dig the joy that is Jon Lampley's "Greener" (and yes, that is Stephen Colbert you hear before the second verse):
New music from The Lemon Twigs, The Balck Crowes, The Outfit, The Sophs, Rosie Carney, Bruce Springsteen, Violet Grohl, Dead Air, Bellvie, Momo Boyd, Hannah Lew, Bridget Calls Me Baby and much more! Enjoy!
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The Black Crowes are a band that for me give one or two performances each album that is better than the individual parts and then the rest gets bogged down in lesser creativity. Their new album is no different but this time they've put both songs right up front, and I've added them both to the playlist.
If you haven't yet now would be a good time to get into the band Sub-Radio. I know I feature them all the time, but they've just re-released their first album "Same Train//Different Station" with additional tracks and it is well worth your time.
It's only her third single but Dave Grohl's daughter Violet has proven herself quite worthy to carry on the mantle of one of the most interesting acts in rock and roll. Her hew single "545" is loud, obnoxious, and even pretty. I think she's going a long long way in this business.
Would it shock you to learn that The Long Ryders still sound like The Long Ryders? I haven't always liked their work but I did find stuff to add to the radio station and if you were already a fan this album shows you why they're still one of the best at what they do.
Yes, this playlist starts with a Charlie Puth song. I've never really been all that impressed with him, but he has an additional singer on this one, Utada Hikaru - a Japanese singer I am fond of - and she sings not only in English but in her native Japanese. Not something you usually get from someone of Puth's set of skills. This once, I'll allow it.
Finally, the new Bruce Springsteen album is the first single from an album of music dedicated to the late leader of The Pogues, Shane MacGowan. I don't even know if they knew each other but Bruce's tribute is heartfelt, simple and wonderful.
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And because I love you, here's a song that I freely admit took me some time to warm up to. I now recognize it is in fact a work of genius and the video is pretty fun.
New music this week from Exploring Birdsong, GUINEVERE, Peter Gabriel, Dogstar, Frute, English Teacher, Hater, Cypress Hill and much more. Enjoy!
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Don't really feel like blogging today. My local bookstore is closing and the draft appears to be coming back. Until the federal government started holding up my financial aid I didn't register for the draft. I used my draft card as a bookmark for the novel "1984". It's still there.
The only good news I can think of is that as long as Hogsbreath is still in charge at the Department of Short Term Experience they aren't going to draft girls, and both of my children are female.
Never mind that the most kick-ass people I've ever met in my life have all been women.
But I am going to leave you with a video, and because I love you and this is awesome, have some jazz harp:
New music this week from Starbenders, Big Wreck, Social Distortion, The Intersphere, American Football, Nothing, Suzi Quatro, Sub-Radio, Bruno Mars, GoGo Penguin and so much more. Enjoy!
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The first band I want to bring to your attention is The Intersphere - a band I wish I had discovered three years ago when their album Wanderer came out. I caught on to their new single "Time to Deliver" and was impressed enough to check their back catalog and their album "Wanderer" is a bloody great album. I even added the title track to the playlist. Yes, I know it's not a new song but hey, its my radio station and I can break a rule now and again.
The new album from Starbenders, The Beast Goes On, is worth exploring if you are a classic rock type of listener. Over the course of the past few months almost every song from the album has been released as a single and I've been adding them bit by bit. Check them out.
Big Wreck's "The Rest of the Story" came out at the end on 2025 and is gaining some momentum. It's a hard rocking album with interesting ideas and unexpected grooves that are worth checking out.
Of course I added Social Distortion's new single, "Born to Kill". I'm a Social D fan from way back in the day, and it's looking like they haven't dropped a step in the years since I last saw them $@$#%# years ago.
I'll be honest, I've never really been a fan of Gorillaz. It always seemed to me to be an extreme overreaction by Damon Alburn (lead vocals and primary songwriter) to be different from his work in Blur. The concept of cartoon characters as the members of the band isn't novel - I've used it myself - but they at least do that part well. I have changed my mind about their new album, "The Mountain". It's not the most radio friendly material but it's honest and heartfelt and a great listen. They've also done their visuals proud, with a video that combines THREE of the songs from the album into a single narrative (which I think is a first); "The Mountain" "The Moon Cave" and "Sad God". I've posted the video at the and of this blog entry and it's well worth your time.
I still find the song "Clint Eastwood" boring as hell though.
Suzi Quatro's new single had to be added of course. It's not ground-breaking by any stretch but it's worth remembering that Ms. Quatro is the ORIGINAL heavy rocking front-woman.
The Legal Matters are a power-pop band from the mid-west of the United States and their new album "Lost at Sea" has some real gems. They remind me somewhat of Jellyfish and other bands of that era, but with a 1970's pop flair. They're worth your time.
Finally, I need to address an Elephant in the Room situation, the inclusion of the new song by Gnarls Barkley. CeeLo Green (the group's lead singer) got himself into trouble a few years back (2012) with a sexual assault charge that was eventually reduced and he pled no contest to. That's guilty. He's done his time and served his sentence and apologized, but does that excuse it all? I have no fucking clue and I suspect neither do you. We weren't there. By the same token, some of his public statements from the time are pretty fucking deplorable, and the fact that this is work with Danger Mouse instead of his solo career can be read in a million different ways.
I'm not qualified to judge. It's that simple. Listen to the song, skip it, do as you please. If I didn't know it was CeeLo singing I wouldn't even give adding the song a second thought. The song is pretty good. Is the singer a decent human being? Hell if I know. I'd love to know your thoughts - I could very well be in the wrong for including it and if so, you should call me out on it.
Playlists can be changed.
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Just how much stuff can get thrown at the world in the effort to distract from the Epstein Files?
I mean, we're at war with Iran now, and the man who insisted on getting his own Peace Prize has now instigated more regime changes during his terms than any other President. There's talk of war crimes, running out of defensive missiles, and no real strategy involved here.
But I do notice it was started within hours of the Clintons giving their testimony regarding Epstein, and both of them walking away unscathed while opening up more questions about the old man who just put us on a war footing.
Of course, this has been brewing for a couple of weeks now, as anyone who paid any attention to recent troop movements should have noticed that we moved a fuckton of assets into the region. The fact that some people gambled and won fortunes on the bombings isn't as "insider trading" as you might think, although the fact that a forum to place the bet even exists is troublesome.
You know who is against war in Iran? An awful lot of MAGA. Hell, when he was still alive Charlie Kirk was against it. (Was he silenced? Come on you MAGAfucks, run with it baby!!!!!)
Did you know there was a mass shooting just yesterday, in Austin Texas?
But what I think I'm most disturbed by about these past few days is the normalization of all of this, bust because he managed to kill Supreme Leader Khameni, who had been running Iran for decades. Everybody wanted him gone and welp, he's gone. I'm not sure this changes anything but leadership in many countries have gone on record supporting his "removal".
Folks, the process matters.
Did you know that the State of Kansas, where some of my own family is from, just told all Trans people in the state to turn in their driver's licenses? Identification cards? Birth Certificates? They were never going to stop with the fucking bathrooms.
Oh and by the way, do you have all of your online storage backed up? Lots of the major players have servers in the Middle East. I know of at least one data center run by AWS (Amazon) that has been bombed. And did you know that AWS leases server space to the Israeli military? All I can tell you is that I'm really glad I moved my cloud storage away from AWS years ago.
I think it's also worth pointing out that a whole fuckton of AI computing power is in data centers in the Middle East. Why? Because they were first off the ground with what's called "Hyperscale" buildings that have enormous power usage (enough to power a small city - which is what AI takes) and they had the power available. I notice that several AI platforms have had issues today.
Kuwait shot down three F-15 airplanes belonging to the United States today. We have bases in Kuwait. The pilots all survived fortunately, but in all seriousness this is proof that there is no real plan here. Part of Logistics is coordinating between the various powers involved so that shit like this doesn't happen. Wasn't Hogsbreath a Logistics Officer? Oh yeah, he was just a Captain. And important job - and even vital - but it doesn't train you for stuff like this, and he fired the people who would know.
Just so you know how things can go sideways quickly in ways you can't predict, I have a friend whose father (who lives on the East Coast of the US) goes to Vietnam every few years. It's a long flight and he's getting up in years, but he always goes. And just this weekend he has had to scramble because his connecting flight was in Dubai. He's now flying the other direction. It's a longer flight, but he has no choice now. Thanks to the events of this weekend it's not safe to fly through the Middle East right now.
Didn't think of that, did they?
By the way, does the old man have Shingles? I'd bet a large sum of money that he never got vaxxed for it. Get vaxxed. I did and beyond a sore arm for a couple of days I was fine.
Speaking of unvaccinated people, we may have a real problem now that Measles and Polio are back: no one knows how to treat them. We had eradicated these diseases for long enough that no one gets trained on how to fight it, and Doctors have no experience with it. The ones who knew how are mostly gone, and today's Doctors have never seen it before. If you get Measles the odds are you're going to be mis-diagnosed, just because you'd be your Doctor's first patient with it.
Oh, and do you know who the Crime Administration sent to preside over the UN Security Council today, while everyone else is busy doing war stuff at Mar-A-Lago? Melania. Seriously, Melania. Looks like that "documentary" is gonna need a coda.
New music from U2, Mutemath, Sugar, Howling Bells, Golgo Bordello, Highdrive, Shale, Roberto Quiroga mc, Scary Pockets, an unexpected remake from Beck and much more. Enjoy!
Sorry that I forgot to post this. I've had quite the week in my personal life. So as the meme goes, "This is Fine".
Yes, there are a surprising number of songs in French this week. I was turned onto a playlist called "Montreal Chill" and there's tons of good stuff on it. Also new jazz stylings from Flea, Momoko Gill, and music from Melissa Etheridge, Annahstasia, PONY, Broke Royals, Alien Boy and much more. Enjoy!
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Yes, the "Montreal Chill" playlist led me to a
number of interesting bands. I am always open to finding new music. There is a
track in Norwegian toward the end of this week's selections.
I am so looking forward to Flea's solo album. Each track out
so far has surpassed the previous, and his version of Frank Ocean's
"Thinkin Bout You" is in my opinion better than
the original.
I had never heard of jazz multi-instrumentalist Momoko Gill
before this past week, and what a week of exploring I have done. If you want
some great grooves and some social justice, I recommend her highly.
Alien Boy was another new find for me. Some jangly pop that
comes out like some of the lesser-known bands from the 1980's like Material
Issue.
Although I only added one song from her album, I must
recommend to you "To Whom It May Concern" by Jill Scott. It's nice to
hear some real old school R&B, which appears to be making a comeback. See
also the album "Expansions" from Tall Black Guy and Zo! and the
forthcoming live album from Annahstasia.
Two female icons of the business, each quite different from
the other, dropped new music this past week, which is how we wind up with
Melissa Etheridge and Kim Gordon on the same playlist.
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Not much to say today, save that the Epstein files are so
much worse than anything we've yet heard. It's been a long weekend and I'd
rather spend it with my wife than culling political stories.
But I'm looking forward to my subpoena as I am very much
ANTI-ICE on social media. Come and get me ya fucks.
But until then, because I love you, here's the video that
was commissioned for the amazing track Flea gives us this week:
New music this week from Bellvie, Cory Wong, The Linda Lindas, Incredible new discovery The Molotovs, Big Big Train finally releases their concept album "Woodcut", Lande Hekt, Steph Strings, Ratboy, an epic from Crown Lands, IST IST, I'm With Her, Stanley Simmons and much more. Enjoy!
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Let's start with this: Stanley Simmons? The children of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS having their own band is one thing, but where the hell did those amazing vocal harmonies come from? Do not go in expecting it to sound anything like their fathers - they blaze their own path and if this first single is any indication we should expect some pretty amazing stuff to come.
I only discovered Bellvie this past week and I must share them with you. So far they've only released a few singles but they're all in the same vein as this week's opener and I think you'll like them.
I have to give a shoutout to You Tube "Behsist" Danny Sapko for turning me on to The Molotovs, who dropped a new album this past week and I added 4 songs to the playlist. It's as if The Wonder Stuff and The Jam had a baby, and left it to be raised by The Ramones. I could have added every song from the album "Wasted on Youth" is one of the most consistent and rocking debut albums from that scene to come along in decades.
As they've hinted for months, Big Big Train's new album "Woodcut" is a concept album, and as such it's hard to pick out single songs to play because they go back and reference themselves again and again throughout the album. But if you're into a good story concept and a fan of progressive rock, Big Big Train is one of the best in the business.
Steph Strings is a singer/songwriter from Melbourne who is a mix of blues, progressive, Celtic and folky fingerstyle guitar playing whose latest "Feel Alive" is a step up for her. If this is your bag you should check her music out.
Of course I added the Linda Lindas cover of "California Sun". They're a Southern California band and they've grown so much in the past few years since we first added "Racist, Sexist Boy" to the playlist FIVE YEARS AGO!!!!!
I keep hoping for a new album from Crown Lands, and they have once again defied expectations by releasing an 18 minute "single" called Apocalypse. Like everything else they've done, it's as if Rush had come back, but with a nod to their Native roots and were only two people. The fact that they can play what they do live with no additional musicians or pre-recorded material is downright astonishing.
You may have seen I'm With Her perform their version of Paul Simon's "Obvious Child" on Colbert's show (or elsewhere) and the arrangement is fantastic and unique and I am grateful that they released it as a single. I have of course added it to the playlist.
Cory Wong's new album is finally out and there are some barn burners in there beyond the singles previously released. Still, nothing beats "Lisa Never Wanted To Be Famous", which is included in this collection and which I added to the playlist last week.
Lande Hekt is another up and coming artist that I had a hard time only picking 2 songs from to add to the list. Her vocal stylings come from the likes of Lush or The Sundays (a favorite of mine from back in the day) but her songwriting has veered a bit into jangle pop and she sounds more confident than she did on her debut a couple of years back.
Finally, Joe Jackson and Bruce Hornsby drop new singles the same week that sounds like the same stylings as they had in their peak days? I am there for that!
Finally, there is an Irving Berlin song on this week's list. "When that Man is Dead and Gone" was written as a commentary on Adolf Hitler, and no we can use it for the man who kept a copy of one of his books on his nightstand. I present to you the new version from Lizzy and the Triggermen.
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JD Vance got booed at the Olympics. At impressive decibels too. There ain't no sugarcoating of it, he is not well-liked anywhere. And quite frankly the eye-liner wears off onto the rest of us.
In all honesty, I'm actually willing to believe that the DOJ memo that addresses Epstein's death by suicide that is dated the day before he died as a simple clerical error. We've all done it, put the wrong date down on something and sent it out before fixing it. But the DOJ does need to explain it, without burying it in the same lies they've been burying everything else they say about the contents of the release.
Frankly, I'm more concerned about all the Tech Bros - and I do mean all - having dinner with Epstein after he was released from prison the first time he was convicted of soliciting child rape. Something that to a person they've all denied.
For the record, I'm not in The Epstein Files. I never even heard of the guy until the mid-2010's. The nice thing about being on the West Coast and nowhere close to rich.
On the flip side though, four of the 5 people in the video I've attached at the bottom of this week's post are. Only Amber Ruffin is left out.
Uncle Sec-Def Hogsbreath says that Hunter Hess should be thrown off the Olympic team. So have others, including the leader of the Crome Administration. Hess' actual words? “It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now. there’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of and I think a lot of people aren’t. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the US.”
That's about as American as it gets, I think.
So In understand there was a big sportsball game yesterday, between two teams I care nothing about. Still, an excuse to make Monkey Bread and Pigs In Blankets will be taken. Who won?
Speaking of that Sunday, the place I do my grocery shopping has a Home Depot next door. I was really concerned that ICE would be parked out there while I was picking up last minute ingredients as they did threaten to be here specifically on this day. Instead there were a number of police "shops" parked at various points instead. I guess ICE chickened out.
Democracy might die in darkness, but the Washington Post dies up Jeff Bezo's ass.
Anyone else still having trouble calling the former MSNBC by it's new moniker? Anyone else remember the days when the "MS" part of that name stood for "Microsoft"? Not only is "ms.now" more than a little bit clunky, it's also kind of tied to for former head of one of the early Tech Bro companies that is also ensnared in the Epstein files. They need a new name.
By the way, there is only one Trans person in the Epstein files - a woman who was mocked by a lot of people who should now be aware that Epstein paid her a healthy settlement. Justice? No. Vindication? Fuck yes.
Did I watch the game? No. I did turn in to see Coco Jones sing "Life Every Voice". Like many a singer who came through the Disney Factory, she can really sing. Green Day was kinda tame, and kinda sped-up. For the record, the lyric that NBC censored on Green Day was "Mindfuck" and not "MAGA". "Mindfuck" is the original lyric. They don't say "MAGA" every time they perform the song.
I paid zero attention to the national anthem. It is a terrible piece of music. That's a musical judgment and not a statement on the content, although they do always cut out the part about slaves, don't they. From a musician's point of view, it's just a terrible song.
Also for the record, although I don't speak any Spanish, I'm pretty sure that there was a pointed attack at how slow the power has been restored in Puerto Rico during the Bad Bunny set.
With a little luck by the time you read this the Monks who have been walking across the country for the past few months will have finished their walk, arriving in Washington D.C. having started in Texas.
You need something to compare the fact that the head of the Crime Administration is mentioned in the Epstein files over 38,000 times? In the entire saga Harry Potter's name, in any form, shows up 1,094 times.
Apparently Meta/Facebook sells dorky sports sunglasses like Google Glass now? Claude is trying to replace ChatGPT? And TurboTax is telling me that my dog is going to die? I don't have a dog!
I am so into the fact that at the Super Bowl the following lyrics were sung, just in Spanish:
My dick is on the run and I want that you hide it for me Grab it like a bong She popped a molly 'cause it gets her horny She fucks in the Audis, not in the Hondas, ey (Tra) If I fuck you don't call me (Tra) Cause this is not so that you love me, ey (Tra) If your boyfriend doesn't suck your ass For that don't blow him
Or so I have been told. Again, I don't speak any Spanish. For all I know he just sang "Sir, this is a Wendy's " for 15 minutes. I did like the "all Americas" bit he did though.
By the way, Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin - all of whom performed in the show - are not in the Epstein Files.
And of course Ms. Maxwell took the 5th before Congress. Did anyone really expect otherwise? Or her follow-up condition that she would spill all only if her sentance was commuted?
The ad run by survivors of the whole Epstein empire was not psyops, you fucking morons.
And because I love you, Have I Got News For You US Version has gotten even better:
New music from Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg, Peter Gabriel, Cory Wong and Theo Katzman, CLEWS, Whitelands, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Kula Shaker, The Korgis, James McCartney and so much more. Enjoy!
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At the bottom of this post I'm going to put two videos, both of them behind the scenes looks at the Peter Gabriel track and the Cory Wong/Theo Katzman track. I find the stories of how these songs came together fascinating.
Gotta give it to both Bruce and Billy for potting out protest songs about the Nazi attempted takeover of Minneapolis by our own government on the SAME DAY. The fact that they're both great songs is just a bonus.
I need to introduce you to a London band called Whitelands. They're called shoegaze in their homeland but to me they sound closer to jangle pop like Lush was like in the 1990's. They just released their fourth album "Sunlight Echoes" and it's their best work yet and very much worth your time. I've added three songs from this album to the playlist this week and it hard to stick with just three.
I have been a fan of Toad the Wet Sprocket going all the way back to the days when they were a local band in Santa Barbara selling tapes at their shows. There was no chance I'd pass on their new acoustic album, and it's as solid as anything they ever do. Included in this collection is a new version of "Little Heaven", which comes from the soundtrack to the movie for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as many songs you might already know. It's worth it.
If you want some quality blues, you need to take a look at the new album by Eric Bibb called "One Mississippi". It's a solid effort reminiscent of the greats and the song I've added to the playlist this week is the least blues-sounding track on it. I have added other tracks from when he was just releasing singles leading up to the new release.
And I have to introduce you to yet another band from Australia made up of sisters called CLEWS (remember the "S" at the end - trust me). Originally from Mollymook and now based in Sydney, Lily and Grace Richardson have very strong harmonies, great songwriting and remind me of how good a ballad can be when put together properly. Their album "What's Not To Love" may be their strongest yet and it's about time they broke out of Australia and into the rest of the world.
There is a 2024 release in this week's playlist. The band is called Violet Outburst and so far this is their only wide-scale release. I'm pretty sure you haven't heard of them - hell, I hadn't until last week. They kind of remind myself of an acoustic-leaning version of the Alarm. It's good stuff.
One final album I want to give a shoutout to is the new album from DZ Deathrays called "Easing Out of Control". This is a straight-ahead rock and roll album and I've been adding singles going back into last year. Now that the full album is out I recommend you give it a listen.
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If you teargas kids you're not the good guy. But Pizza Luce of Minneapolis appears to be among the good guys.
One thing that is clear from last Friday's infodump of Epstein Files: Mr. Epstein helped fund 4chan and /pol, which is where both the Tea Party and MAGA and QAnon were born, and that all of those people were heavily involved in his child trafficking operation. It's also spelled our pretty clearly that the head of the Crime Administration finger-fucked children.
Sickening beyond belief. Guess what suckers? There was/is a wide-spread child trafficking/child porn ring, and they're made up of the very people who told you other people were doing it.
Even I didn't think it was as bad as it turns out it was.
Dear Tea Party/QAnon/MAGA: You are complicit. They made you their followers. They are your abusers. They still are. They're going to hell, and they're taking you with them.
There are two reasons they blamed everyone else. One is that it worked. The other is that they are so depraved and sick that they simply can't believe that everyone doesn't act the same way they do.
Kick them in the groin. Repeatedly. Until they stop.
On a side note, Canada wouldn't let Epstein move there. Looks like the same thing might happen to Musk as well.
If the leader of The Crime Administration covers the Kennedy Center in gold bullshit we're going to need to remodel after his remodel. The man has no taste.
The special election in Texas, with a newly-designed and gerrymandered district, swung 23 points to the left, electing the Democrat. More of this, please. Also, didn't the man in the crime castle enthusiastically endorse the Republican one day before pushing him into his personal memory hole?
I usually don't watch the Grammys at they tend to be about record sales and not actual quality of work, although they have surprised me a few times (hello Jon Batiste!) but I have to give a hearty congratulations to Lola Young. I told you all 3 years ago she was going to be big and it's nice to be right about this sort of thing for once. But it looks like Trevor Noah is gonna get sued for a not-so-hot Epstein joke.
Measles appears to have migrated south into Texas. Vaccinate your kids, dumbasses!
In case you missed it, Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has returned to podcasting/streaming, where he can be ignored by a much larger audience. He did however manage to get the head of the Crime Administration on the phone, who has now publicly declared that all elections should be nationalized. Maybe there are parts of the Constitution that he hasn't tried to wipe his ass with, but at this point I don't know what they are.
Is it just me, or do others think "Julia Louis Dreyfuss" for a few seconds when Tulsi Gabbard shows up on our screens? I didn't even watch the show and I miss Veep.
A shocking number of NFL players seem unaware that Bad Bunny is an American, based on reporting from The New York Times. Apparently the NYT is also unaware of this, based on the same reporting.
According to a Reddit thread (I'll take your word for it - I have no intention of utilizing that site) many of the newer ICE employees are upset because they haven't been paid and haven't received health insurance. No wonder they're so grouchy. Maybe they should put that signing bonus towards their health insurance - oh wait, did that come out of their base pay? The Crime Administration has a habit of doing that already.
Senior Citizens in Boca Raton, Florida, are offering to hide the Haitians who are their health care givers ala Anne Frank. Many of them are Holocaust survivors and understand the stakes. Pity that there are 350,000 Haitians who have lost their protected status.
I could have done without knowing what the Alfalfa Club Dinner is.
And to the cowardly fucks who sent a bomb threat to the grade school Liam Conejo Ramos attends: Good guys don't send bomb threats to schools.
Speaking of Liam Ramos, have you read the judge's order to release him? It contains phrases such as "Apparent also is the government's ignorance of an American historical document called the
Declaration of Independence" and "Civics lesson to the government" and "With a judicial finger in the constitutional dike" and "Jesus Wept".
Ammon Bundy, who led TWO different armed standoffs with the US Government during the Obama Years, has come out against the tactics of ICE.
Director Brett Ratner's "Melania" is now officially the worst movie ever made. Whatever happened to Ratner to put him all the way out here we probably will never know - He did a bunch of music videos, the remake of Red Dragon, a couple of lesser "X-Men" movies and the Rush Hour series but now he's just another name in the Epstein Files. Maybe someone will make a documentary about it.
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And because I love you here are two videos, both behind the scenes. First, Cory Wong and Theo Katzman (btw, Cory is from Minneapolis):
New music this week from Olivia Dean, Queen's Pleasure, Deaf Havana, Tessa Rose Jackson, Cory Wong with Cody Fry, Starbenders, Shepherds Reign, Vulfmon, Scandal (the Japanese one), Elujay, The Kites, Angel Names and much more. Enjoy!
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I admit that we're still digging out a few gems from 2025 as we finally start getting new releases in earnest for 2026, but that will diminish over the next few weeks. One album that is definitely a brand new one is The Lighthouse from Tessa Rose Jackson. She is a film composer who splits her time between Amsterdam and London, and has released pop music under the moniker "Someone" but has decided to release music under her own name and the new album is a great and moody piece. If you're looking for a rocker or something to get you on the dance floor this isn't for you, but if you want to have a warm drink and curl up by the fire this is a great album.
One artist I missed from 2025 is Olivia Dean. Her album "The Art of Loving" came out back in September but I admit I would have never heard it if not for YouTube music critic Todd in the Shadows. I went back and gave the album a listen and I have to agree, it's one of the better British R&B albums to come along in a while. I've added two tracks from it to the playlist, and I recommend listening to the whole thing.
There is a song on this playlist that is probably the most unique artist I ever feature, "Toa" by Shepherds Reign. This is a New Zealand-based band that sings in Maori. I know that I'm ignorant of the culture (aside from the opening of any game featuring the All Blacks) and there are likely other bands out there who do this, but this is the one I know, and it looks like they're going to have a new album this year, so stay tuned.
There is an alt-R&B artist on the playlist named Elujay, whose song "Circles" you will find towards the end of the playlist. It might just be me getting old, but I'm not really a fan of the singing style he uses. That said, the songwriting is pretty stellar, and for that alone he deserves a listen. That and his Spotify Profile just says "Dachsund Dad".
Joseph, despite their name, is a pop-pop/rock outfit from Oregon with some success under their belt already. They've been releasing and stacking up singles for the past year - so much so that their "singles" have as many as eight songs on them. You should check them out.
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Where are the Epstein Files, motherfuckers?
Two murders in Minnesota in the space of a month by Federal Agents, and no arrests. I recognize that making arrests is difficult when the Federal Government is destroying evidence, but how about Obstruction charges? You want to impress me? Start arresting these balaclava-wearing terrorists hiding in Federal clothing.
I do admit that there are two stories in this whole fucking mess that give me hope:
1) Republican Chris Madel has dropped out of the race for Minnesota Governor, calling what's happening in his state an abomination, and that he can't be part of a party that does this shit.
2) Reverend Rob Schenck, one of the leaders in moving this country towards Christian Fascism as founder of Faith and Action in the Nation’s Capital set in motion the very things that got power couples and rich people in Washington DC to convert to Conservatism which was then hijacked by MAGA et. al. to supporting Fascists... (that was terribly constructed but you see the point)... well the man has seen the light. He disbanded his organization, gave his considerable wealth away (he earns a living driving for Uber instead of running a Megachurch) and is trying to repair the damage. He joined the protestors in Minneapolis. To those who say that god sometimes uses flawed men for his good works, I point out that before he gives them those works he FIXES them.
So hope does linger, although both of these men have a long way to go.
Given his comments after a conversation with Governor Walz, whose reputation he has spent a couple of years trashing, I notice that the head of the Crime Administration tends to agree with whomever he spoke with most recently. He has even gone so far as to demote the Nazi dress alike that was running the operation in Minnesota. Quite the Zelig, our President. (Oooh, a Woody Allen reference comparing to the President? Read into that what you will).
Yes, it's true. Fox "News" really did run a chyron that said that the administration "...Cuts U.S. Aid to 3 Mexican Countries."
These are not the best of times.
And because I love you, and yes I've played this one before, but here is my own song, Love Locks:
New music this week from Cory Wong, Ash, Ellur, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, HUNNY, covers by both Ghost and The Beaches, Peter Gabriel dropping a very different mix of the single from just 2 weeks ago, Alice Merton, ISTA, Angel Names and much more. Enjoy!
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Ash is a band that's been together for a long time now, and their latest export from Northern Ireland is "Ad Astra", a witty and strong album full of hooks and just basic rock and roll. We've added a couple of tracks from the album to the playlist this week and I think you'll enjoy them.
Canadian artist Alice Marton graces us with a new album called "Visions", full of gently (and occasionally not so gentle) pop full of heart and life. We've added a couple of songs from this album as well.
Man/Woman/Chainsaw gets my absolute respect for the best new idea for a band name I've run across in a while, and their music backs it up. They've mostly been releasing singles as of late and the song "Only Girl" has been added to the playlist. They're eclectic - they do not stick to any one style and if you're adventurous you should check them out. They'll change direction with each new track.
A couple of unlikely but worth it covers come this week: "It's A Sin", which is Ghost's cover of the Pet Shop Boys hit, and The Beaches cover "I Ran (So Far Away)" which was a hit for Flock of Seagulls back in the day.
I will also note that just like his last album, Peter Gabriel is releasing two version of each song from his next album - "Dark Side" mixes released every full moon and "Bright Side" mixes every new moon. This leads to the release of the "Bright Side" version of "Been Undone" and it's a very different mix. You'll want to compare and contrast, I promise you.
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If we invade Greenland we have to give up our claim to the U.S. Virgin Islands and either let them become independent or give them back to the Danish. There's a treaty. This would include Epstein's private island by the way.
Mark Davis, a congressional candidate in Florida, bought the domain "Nazi.us" and implanted a re-direct that takes you to the website of the Department of Homeland Security. Try it yourself.
It does feel like we're doing a speedrun of Germany's invasions of the late 1930's and early 1040's, doesn't it?
We might already know by the time I publish this, but is the 11th Airborne being put on standby to invade Minnesota or Greenland?
Rasmus Jarlov is a member of the Danish Parliment. He was interviewed by ms.now (formerly msnbc) and they played a clip from Stephen Miller about the US position on Greenland and... here are his exact words: “I hope he’s kept away from young women, because that’s the mentality of a rapist. You can’t defend yourself, so I’m going to take you. That’s basically what he’s saying.” Chef's kiss.
The new/old guy's letter to Denmark really comes across like the monologue by Don John in Much Ado About Nothing. A coincidence, I'm sure.
I have to admit that typing "the new/old guy" instead of saying his name does get tedious. I think from now on I will refer to them as "The Crime Administration".
And because I love you, here is a recent full concert from Nanook, a band based in Greenland that is so successful on their home turf that more than 1 in every 10 people in the country owns their debut album. I have huge respect for them because the refused a record deal because the label wanted them to sing in English. They don't.
New music this week from Glom, J.H.M., The Cords, Sydney Sprague, Bruno Mars, Vulfmon, Luis Cato, The Sherlocks, The Protomen, Bad//Dreams, Frute, Cameron Sonnier, Charli Lucas, Bottle Rockets and much more. Enjoy!
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I've been turning people on to the artist known as Glom for a while now. Glom is a Brooklyn based indie band that is part 90's alternative, part pop, part shoegaze, and very creative at melding all those sounds. They've been releasing singles for quite a while now but have finally released a full album called "Below". Over the course of time I have added 8 of the 10 tracks on my playlists. Highly recommended.
Sydney Sprague describes herself as moving "through life with guitar in one hand and an anxiety disorder in the other." What she has is great songs going in directions you might not expect. Her first album, "maybe i will see you at the end of the world" would get notice for the title alone, but she has earned respect from the critics and is putting in a pretty heavy touring schedule. Her new album "Peak Experience" is no sophomore slump, and it's very much worth your time.
The Protomen have at long last released "Act III" in the ongoing saga that makes up much of the band's material. Subtitled "The City Made Us" this is yet another unpredictable and captivating winding through the streets that only the Protomen could live in, an if you're a fan of their hijinks you should really check them out.
For those of you who listen to the Radio Station I will point out that there is a an extra track. My friend and British Synthwave artist Kiffie release as a single the song "Stand By", as a response to some of the horrific stuff happening in the US and elsewhere. It's available through his bandcamp page, https://kiffie.bandcamp.com/. You should also check out the collection of protest songs known as "The Weapon and the Shield" that he put together and that we're both on. https://theweaponandtheshield.bandcamp.com/
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It's really difficult to put into words just how incredibly crazy these past 12 days have been as an American. We've been watching the current administration go from "leaning Nazi" to "Full Nazi" and now that they're actually quoting Stasi propaganda as if those are American values we have to admit it, we live in the Nazi States of America.
And ICE agent murdered a woman just trying to drive. The video you see that actually shows the real intent and motive from the shooter that you may have seen on the news or on the internet came from his own phone. And it's not the first time an ICE agent has killed since this madness began.
Armed thugs are going door to door looking for illegals. We're at the "hide our neighbors in the attic" stage of the process now. Suddenly our neighbors are Anne Frank and her family.
We invaded another country, kidnapped their president, and our "leader" is now claiming we run the country - despite the fact that we have no people there to actually administrate anything.
And let's not forget that the current "Commander in Chief" is a raging pedophile. The evidence is right there people.
I have rarely been as conscious of the privilege that I hold in being a White Male in this country.
And I'm having a difficult time telling the difference between the government crackdown on the protesters in Iran and the government crackdown on the protesters in Minnesota.
I have many friends who live overseas. At the moment 3 of my bandmates live outside of the US. I have family overseas in Europe, Canada, New Zealand... and I find the attraction compelling. But my friends who live overseas don't understand why we don't just take to the streets and get the bums thrown out. You know, a general strike or tractors in the streets of Washington or millions upon millions marching.
The thing is, many governments overseas are designed to be forced to respond to such things. The American political system doesn't. It doesn't have to, because elections are on a fixed schedule, and the current checks and balances are so weak that they might as well not even exist. Until elections happen there isn't much that can be done.
So we have another year of this. We're not going to survive another year of this. Not without scars.
And because I love you, have something nice that from Minneapolis:
