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Plus lots of links to other good stuff that didn’t (yet)Too much? Not enough? Let me know what you think.

Hi! You’re here! Thank you.

I’m back, slightly better organized than I was last week. This is a proper newsletter.

Late last year in a bit of whimsy I threw my name in to be a Polaris Music Prize judge. They said they’d announce by the end of January, but zero. I do think I’ve seen them creeping my website this week though, so hope is not lost. Hey Polaris team, if you get the newsletter: Let’s do this. (they don’t get the newsletter)

Anyway, there’s enough here, onto the links:

“We should start planning”

This NYT profile of the the Murdoch family’s legal drama, If you haven’t seen it floating around out there, you will. It’s life imitating imitatting art imitating life.

This article about El Mocambo, a top 5 Toronto music venue, is a bummer (and not only because it keeps reffering to ‘the’ El Mocambo). It’s headed into receivership, and the dipshit that bought it ruined it. He admits it was a midlife crisis purchase: “I don’t have that background in the music business, other than going to shows.” Investment bankers, man.

Let’s get bored

This is an interesting piece about the value of boredom. I thought it would bring up the idea that kids are never bored anymore and what that might mean, but I guess someone else will write that one.

Pat Finnerty is back

Don’t let the delivery fool you, Finnerty knows a ton about music, even if you’re laughing too hard to hear him mock Machine Gun Kelly covering Country Roads. I didn’t know that song existed, but Finnerty makes it fun:

Judith Butler says a lot of smart stuff

Here’s an interview with Judith Butler (“Who’s Afraid of Gender?”) that’s worth your time. They cover gender issues, Trump 2.0, Palestine and other minor, conflict- issues.

lucky break seeks lucky break

indie-alt-folkster lucky break has been a blog fave for a long time, and she’s aiming for a Tiny Desk concert. The audition is a great version of “Red Balloon”.

Youtube sucks for creative people too:

I (rightly) harp on music streamers, but this piece on the economics of a YouTube channel is just as depressing.

Reading:

All the books were in translation this week: Jhumpa Lahiri’s short stories (very good), Olga Tokarczuk’s take on The Magic Mountain (meh), and Alia Trabucco Zeran’s novel about a domestic worker in Chile (hell yes).

Read this short memoir by Alex Marzano-Lesnevich. It made me cry. Then read the other five in this week’s Shortlist.

Listening:

Some great features this week. Featurette (electro pop from Toronto), PALES (dance punk from France), Cardboard (indie rock from London) and t l k (<undefined> from London)

The Setlist is a beast too, in a couple senses of the term. it’s 27 songs, it’s like 90 minutes long. You can’t find a track on there that’s not great though. Highlights to me are Ribbon Skirt, Aya and Punchbag, but narrowing it down to three was the hardest part of the week.

Hit the red button below to dig in. It’s long and it’s good. Apple Music or Spotify

Get the playlists

Something you think I should hear or read? Reply or click here.

There are a bunch of new records in the queue, so look for Truman Sinclair or the Velveteers. I also haven’t listened to the new Heartworms album yet. It’s also gonna be genre fiction week, with some sci fi, a murder mystery and a quirky book I just loved.

Thanks for being here.

-hugh

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