Upcoming Album Releases
Jan. 18 Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared by Deerhunter
Mint by Alice Merton
The Unseen In Between by Steve Gunn
Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten (Atlantic review)
Heard It In A Past Life by Maggie Rogers (NPR feature)
Assume Form by James Blake
Jan. 25 Feral Roots by Rival Sons
Feb. 1 Gallipoli by Beirut
Encore by The Specials
Feb. 15 Triage by Methyl Ethel
March 8 There Will Be No Intermission by Amanda Palmer
April 26 In The End by The Cranberries (Rolling Stone article)

TV
Jan. 17 Grey’s Anatomy

Other Upcoming Events
Feb. 7 Michael Cohen to testify before Congressional committee.

In Other News
• Caught in the trade war, navigating the shutdown (NPR Marketplace)

Did you ever get the feeling that music has gotten away from you? How many SNL musical guests have you watched and wondered when music became so irrelevant, so much flash, so much backing tape? Have yinz crazed a new record that isn’t Cardi B but that isn’t country music talked over snaps either?

Hi. Rob Baird here. I gotcha.

Seriously. Baird’s new album, After All, released today, is real music. Highly recommended.

In Other News
• Jimmy Page Before Led Zeppelin: 20 Great Sixties Session Songs (Rolling Stone)
• Joe Biden is the Hillary Clinton of 2020 (Vox)
• How To Get More Channels with Your Indoor Antenna (Disable My Cable)
• Trump Literally Did Not Understand What a Shutdown Would Do (NY Mag)
• The Shutdown Is Mitch McConnell’s Fault

Upcoming Album Releases
Jan. 18 Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared by Deerhunter
Mint by Alice Merton
The Unseen In Between by Steve Gunn
Remind Me Tomorrow by Sharon Van Etten
Jan. 25 Feral Roots by Rival Sons
Feb. 1 Gallipoli by Beirut
March 8 There Will Be No Intermission Amanda Palmer

TV
Jan. 17 Grey’s Anatomy

Other Upcoming Events
Feb. 7 Michael Cohen to testify before Congressional committee.

Some Year-End Lists Just For Fun
• Bah Hambug, Now That’s Too Strong: The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping” Is the Best Holiday Song of All Time (The Ringer)
• Barack Obama lists his favorite books, music, and movies of 2018 (Boing Boing)
• NPR Music Staff Picks: The Best Of 2018
• My 30 Favorite Albums of 2018 by Vinod Shankar (Spotify)
• Best Albums of 2018 (Metacritic)
• 50 Best Albums of 2018 (Rolling Stone)

From the Frank Zappa album Finer Moments

Fools Rush In
The Hard Way

Here’s a little Zappadan miracle…Natalie Prass…

In Other News
• 19 things to look forward to in 2019 (CNN)
• The Great Performances of 2018 (rogerebert.com)

It’s day nine of Zappadan good people, and this morning was a crisp clear mid-30s that makes you draw a breath when you first encounter the naked air. Gorgeous day. Just gorgeous.

I reckon I’m focusing on a cut from Sleep Dirt because it’s the one Zappadan’s newest stars, Alex and Alexa, reviewed on night eight.

What a weird album, but that figures, as it was one of those released by the record company to settle a contract. Probably issued a bit out of the oven too soon. This track, however, is pretty astonishing. I might have to look for this on the original vinyl though to make sure I’m hearing the original poop.

Dear Suzette,

I hope you don’t mind, but when I need an authoritative voice, I borrow yours.

It’s weird because I live in Rochester, NY now, and I am by anyone’s perception a Yankee through and through, but when I need a YAWP, I use your voice. And it has a drawl that’s from Smithfield, NC.

I mean I left your employ so many years ago that my resume just tucks it under its butt at this point. But I still use your voice. Because you were so good that your voice to me ascribes assertiveness and competence. Because you were those things. You personified those. And I still have no other way to bark that out to other humans but to impress your inflections.

How you said “how are YOU.” How you said “BYE.” How you hit the low part of your voice when you made your point. How you just said the word “sense.”

You are a short, unexpectedly strong woman. And you did news in a small Southern town with weird attitudes about all that. I remember you as the toughest I’d ever seen. You were cool and smart and way above the muck in which you worked. And your voice is my authority. Probably 15 years later.

That’s how good you are. Suzette Rodriguez, you are the best. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Your former reporter.
Aaron B. Pryor