New music from Peter Gabriel, Chris Reed and the Anime Raiders, Silk Daisys, senses, Mini Trees, Rocket, Maya Sakamoto, Squeeze, Ryan Adams, Bluhm, GUV, Maggie Lindermann with The Warning, Ergo, Bria and much more. Welcome to 2026, and Enjoy!
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Well we didn't have to wait very long this time for new music from Peter Gabriel (it was 3 years instead of 16). Like with his last album "i/o" he will be releasing new tracks from "o/i" on every full moon, and I'm guessing every new moon as well given he's doing both "Darkside" and "Brightside" mixes again. Given his 50 year SOLO career it's great to hear he's still doing amazing things.
There are actually only a few releases in 2026 so far. There's the Peter Gabriel song of course my song and a couple more, but most of the music this week was released in 2025. This brief break before the dam bursts and we're flooded with new music (usually the third week of January) gave me a chance to dive into albums I've missed and overlooked. There is always great stuff that out there but these days you do have to go looking for it.
Silk Daisys, who were going to be the opener this week until Peter Gabrial dropped his surprise single, are a band out of Atlanta Georgia and their sound evokes what was coming out of Georgia back in the 1980's, and that's a good thing. Their debut album is out now, and they're encouraging folks to buy it from bandcamp, so I will encourage that as well.
senses is a duo from somewhere, who claim they met on Craigslist. I actually discovered them in YouTube, where I saw a live clip of them performing the song "tiptoeing", which is a pop-rock banger. So I dug into them a bit and while their output mostly consists of singles and EPs their stuff is high-quality, and worth your time if you like this type of music.
Mini Trees call themselves "Living Room Pop" and I suppose that's as good a label as any. They sound to me like a slightly more upbeat version of Billie Eilish, and it works. I didn't like every track on their new album "Slow It Down" but I liked enough tracks to include them in this week's playlist.
Rocket's new album "R is for Rocket" came as a surprise to me. I had heard them before but had never thought their work was all that special. That changes with their new release, from which I've added more than one song to the playlist. This is one of those bands that you need to go back to and give it another listen. You won't regret it.
GUV has been around a while, although under different names. He was Young GUV and before that Young Governor, but as he explains it, "first as Young Governor, then Young Guv, and now GUV (“I'm not so young anymore, three letter band names are cool, and I'm tired of being mistaken for a rapper.” He is also still a member of No Warning. His new single is so solid that I think of it as what we used to call "double-sided A" and I've added both songs to the playlist.
Some other releases worth noting is new music from Squeeze, who appear to be in the midst of releasing a concept album, YUNGBLUD apparently leaving Aerosmith behind to hook up with Smashing Pumpkins, and I must admit that I'm in there as well, as the closing track. I'll talk about that separately.
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Okay, there is so fucking much wrong and to unpack about the new/old guy's invasion of Venezuela that I may go on for a bit here.
First of all, it's illegal. Most White Houses run their operations by at least a few lawyers before they take action, but whomever they're getting advice from is criminally bad and should be disbarred. More likely it's just another toady who would rather give the man a blow job than admit they don't know what they're doing or go against the grain.
Second of all, this is the exact type of order that Senators such as Mark Kelly warned against. While the operation was carried out, it is worth noting that Admiral Alvin Holsey, the man in charge of Southern Command, did resign shortly before this plan was executed and that his replacement, Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan L. Pettus, is from a different branch of the Military.
Third, we've kidnapped a leader of a foreign nation. Despite everything the administration is saying, his Vice President and the same people are running the country and not us. Yes, the man was under indictment in the U.S. but this isn't the way you get people to come stand trial.
Fourth, we've apparently decided just how much oil is worth going to war over. While others in the administration keep saying different things the man at the top, who just can't keep a secret, said outright that we're going to confiscate all the oil.
Fifth, we may have just turned over the moral high ground to China, because all they have to do is NOT invade Taiwan while Russia and the U.S. invade other countries. That's going to play big on the international scene.
Sixth, this operation is all Putin need to justify invading Ukraine. This is something the new/old guy has wanted to do for a while anyway, but both us and them have seats on the Security Council.
Seventh, what's to stop ANYONE from trying to do this to us? This administration has been committing war crimes, and if indicted at The Hague this action has set the precedent of allowing anyone else to come and kidnap him to stand trial. The man spends half of his time living at a Golf Course. How hard could it be?
Eighth, this seems have given Ambassador Hucksterbee the impetus to say that Iran is also on the table. I should point out this this right-wing batshit-crazy "Christian" is the ambassador to a Jewish nation talking about the overthrow of a Muslim one. Remember, this fuckstain wants the Apocalypse to happen.
Ninth, they have named Cuba, Greenland, Mexico and sometimes even Canada as "Next". All of this is insane. We tried to invade Cuba once, and it went quite badly and came the closest to World War III as we've ever come. How are we supposed to hold Mexico if they keep claiming that we can't even secure the border between the two of us? Greenland? They're part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a part of NATO. And Canada I should remind you, is still technically owned by the British even though they operate in complete autonomy. It's like they're begging to be indicted at The Hague. Did Jack Smith return there?
Tenth, from the interviews given thus far by Cabinet level officials it is obvious that most of these people are unqualified for their jobs. None of them understand in any way that they have ALL committed crimes here. But special attention should be given to Whiskey Pete Hegsbreath. In his interview with the new CBS "Anchor" (it was clear that he wasn't interesting in anything other than giving a blowjob on air, and he started his job a day early to do it) it was quite clear that he has no idea what happens next.
Eleventh, we're not running Venezuela. Their government still stand, they have an interim President who was the Vice President, and their entire political structure is unchanged. They also haven't surrendered, and we didn't leave troops behind to enforce anything.
12th, the new/old guy keeps saying the oil countries are going to run things. How? They don't have any infrastructure for such a thing in the country, and the oil still belongs to Venezuela. They can stop it from being sold, but anything else means troops on the ground, and lots of them, to enforce this. It will only be American troops as well, because there is no way that any of this gets U.N. approved. OH, and has any of the Oil Companies in question said that they want to do this?
13th, among the crimes Venezuelan President Maduro has been charged with is "Ownership of a Machine Gun". If he bought it before 1986 it's legal, but this is a US Federal Crime. In order to get a conviction he will have needed to own it at some point while in the United States. As near as I can tell he has only been in the US once before, in 2006 to address the U.N. General Assembly. Did he have it then? Did they let him have a machine gun while in transit to New York?
14th, They abducted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, but the indictment unsealed over the weekend also named their son Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra. I notice he wasn't brought with them. He is a sitting member of Venezuela’s National Assembly. Also indicted is Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosado Cabello. They didn't abduct him either.
15th, You may not have been aware of this, but the people we kidnapped and brought to New York for trial weren't Mirandized. They were not read their rights. The judge may have to toss the case on a technicality. At the very least there is grounds for an appeal and at most there isn't even a pretense of a fair trial, which is about the most American thing ever.
More to follow, I'm sure.
#EpsteinFiles. I will be adding this hashtag to every political post I make for the time being. The White House says the Canada is difficult to work with. Canda responds with our President is a pedophile.
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I sincerely hope you're vaccinated against Measles. A super-spreader event has happened at that idiotic Creationist Noah's Ark exhibit in Kentucky. Even if immunized there is a phenomenon called "Immunization Amnesia" that you should be aware of.
Also, the new/old guy's multitasking is again involved in projects that have nothing to do with the country: the remodel of "The Presidential Golf Course", which is at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Remember when prior Presidents played golf? It was usually there. The new/old guy has never played there.
For those of you who pay any attention to the Daily Wire (I don't) it's worth pointing out that their host called International Law "fake and gay". Don't get your news from pre-teens.
Please stop giving praise to MTG while she's still in congress just because she's against the actions in Venezuela and she's had a very small awakening. She's still the same anti-trans pro-forced birth jackass she's always been. She's a monster. Insert parable about a broken clock here.
In a brilliant fake, Ukraine tricked Russia to giving them Half a Million Dollars, all of which went to the war effort.
I am noticing a rightward shift in how arguments are being framed at the former msnbc, now called ms now. Waiting to see how Rachel Maddow weighs in tonight.
By the way, have you seen the New Year's Eve data dump of the Jack Smith congressional testimony? The new/old guy should be in a prison sell. It's all there.
Did you also notice that the "secure room" where the operation was run from was in a curtained off space in the White House (I assume) and not the Situation Room? That ongoing operations are being run from a golf course in Florida?
By the way, as of 5:30PM Pacific Standard Time there isn't a single Epstein story on the front pages at ms.now or cnn.com. Think about where you get your news from. Even fucking CBS.com still had one story.
Sean Austin, Sam himself, is now the President of the Screen Actor's Guild.
This administration is one of violence. The receipts:
Did anyone else see that Mexico ran a commercial during the Critic's Choice awards for their avocados?
By the way, the chief opposition leader of Venezuela is María Corina Machado, who the current administration has ruled out for running things for the US in Venezuela. The reason why is that she won the Nobel Peace Prize that the new/old guy so coveted. He's a jealous bitch.
Venezuelans deported from the US under this administration can now apply for refugee status and return. So, to quote a person I know, "all those people we were rounding up at the places of work and deporting last week can now apply for refugee status to the USA from USA since we're running Venezuela now? Something something frying pan, fire."
Did you know there was a futures market that wagered on the potential scenario that came to pass over the past few days? One single anonymous person invested $50K and made nearly half a million. Insider trading, anyone?
Why is the new/old guy getting IV drips every day?
So Tim Walz is dropping out of the race for a second term as Governor of Minnesota, and that's a shame. Run for President, Mr. Walz. I'd vote for you.
I spent some time in Europe this past fall and let me tell you, every time someone found out that I'm an American the look of sadness and pity that came over people faces...
Hilton Hotels have cancelled room reservations for ICE personnel, so... yay?!?
The new/old guy has said vile shit about people who have died in the past few days, including a legislator in Minnesota and a Kennedy. Fuck dat guy.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been dissolved. Say goodbye to all that television you love - to be replaced by pledge drives.
The Speaker of the House, Milquetoast Johnson, and his crew's days seem to be numbered. Don't hold your breath though.
It appears that instead of court-martialing Senator Mark Kelly Secretary of Booze Pete Hegsbreath will instead be reducing his rank. Keep in mind that Kelly retired from the military at the rank of Captain. I'm speaking out of turn here as I never served in the military, but shouldn't the rank you retire at be the rank you keep?
And because I love you, here is "Love Locks" from my new album Frankfurt am Main.
