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.