May there be at least five songs you discover in 2026 - and May we all meet here in 12 months to celebrate another year alive. Oof - and happy new year.

Still love knowing that Siouxsie has ‘songwriting credit’ on this (and hopefully gets a couple cents in the tip jar each time it’s played)

The only time I’ve ever actually liked how AI was used:

And I think I’ve listened to each album under 5 times each. Just all promise, no deliver. Not mad, just disappointed.

Because the singles are so damn good. Remember them with me:

Finally - if you’ve made it this far - a note about the disappointments of the year. Namely, Mayhem by Gaga and More by Pulp. The lead singles off of these albums were stunning. Like, I listened to Abracadabra/Disease/Die With a Smile & Spike Island SO MANY TIMES before the albums were released.

“Hummingbird” Fresh & Onlys

Current listen. I discovered I don’t know the magic words to have Siri favorite a song for me while busy - so I had to go through 2h of history to find this.

Feels Like: runway taxi en route to a long-overdue vacation

“Mind Lapse” Beige Banquet

For all the same reasons I really like Total Control.

Feels like: the best song you heard from the other room when TeleTunes was on, Sunday morning, November 1990.

“Eternal Prison” / The Humane Society

One of thousands of no hit wonders from garage rock comps of the 60s which Apple has figured out that I like very much.

Feels like: waiting for the dentist to come in after the hygienist has cleaned your teeth - and you know it’s gonna be unpleasant

“If it’s all the same to you, babe” Luther Ingraham

Amazing Northern Soul blip

Feels Like: Gnarls Barkley’s way cooler grandpa tells you stories over dinner

“Saintless” TV Priest

I don’t love these guys - they feel like a bit of a copy of things I like more.

Feels Like: wistfully staring over your steering while while driving away from a job you just quit.

Almost everything I like is mid-tempo minor key rock. Welcome to a mess of that:

I am dreading putting together a series of work IG posts for the rest of the month, so I’m gonna stall that chore by posting some of the fun new-to-me songs of 2025

who will be the first political assassin to make money off of their bet that a politician will die