Archive

Dean Wareham on Movies, Covers, and the Advantages of Connectivity

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Been a huge fan of Dean Wareham

Middle Sattre's Hunter Prueger on Sufjan Stevens, Selling Pokémon Cards, and Living in Alaska

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Middle Sattre's Tendencies might'

Fish Narc on the Pacific Northwest, the Based Mindset, and Lil Peep's Endless Legacy

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Fish Narc's (real name Benjamin

Califone's Tim Rutili on Technology, Getting Punched in the Face, and the Changing Music Press

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. I've been a big fan

Youth Lagoon's Trevor Powers on Nostalgia, Meditation, AI, and Musical World-Building

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Youth Lagoon's latest record Rarely

Baths on Writing About Sex, Video Games, and Making a Living

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Will Weisenfeld didn't have to

Nicholas Krgovich on Gardening, Reunions, and Embracing a Low Profile

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Big fan of the spacious, thoughtful, and

Ekko Astral's Jael Holzman on Climate Reporting, the D.C. Community, and Arctic Monkeys

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Ekko Astral's Pink Balloons was

Vacation time

Hey folks, gonna keep this short and sweet: I haven't taken an actual break from publishing since at least July of 2024, maybe even longer than that—so the newsletter's taking the next week off, starting today. But fear not! All will resume on February 3,

Mogwai's Barry Burns on Camaraderie, Comedy, and Bombing Onstage

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Right now I'm offering a

Classixx's Michael David on Learning to DJ, Bad Gigs, and the Art of the Remix

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Right now I'm offering a

Ivie Ani on Taking Career Risks, Afrobeats Coverage, and Late Stage Social Media

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Right now I'm offering a

Pharmakon on Screaming, Decay, and the Evils of the Art World

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Right now I'm offering a

Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley on Charli XCX, Nostalgia, and the Death of the Music Press

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Right now I'm offering a

Soccer Mommy on That Dog, TikTok, and the Love That Cats Provide

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Right now I'm offering a

Lauren Mayberry on Musicals, Hideo Kojima, and the Importance of Good Banter

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Click the link on the upper right

Hurray for the Riff Raff on New Orleans, the Pandemic, and Finding a Vulnerable Balance

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Click the link on the upper right

Rap World's Jack Bensinger and Eric Rahill on McDonald's, Indie Rap, and the Divinity of the Suburbs

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Click the link on the upper right

Cass McCombs on Early Days, Funny Songs, and Not Reflecting

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Nick León on Clubbing, DJ Fatigue, and Working with Erika de Casier

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Click the link on the upper right

Laura Marling on Nostalgia, the Fear of Death, and Self-Promotion

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And, hey, if you enjoy this and

Tapir! on Religion, 2000s Indie, Community, and Masks

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And, hey, if you enjoy this and

Pom Pom Squad on Perfect Blue, Doubting TikTok, and Studying Her Craft

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And, hey, if you enjoy this and

The Go! Team's Ian Parton on Hipsters, Indie-Pop, and 20 Years of Thunder, Lightning, Strike

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And, hey, if you enjoy this and

Bonny Light Horseman on Finding Common Ground, Recording in Pubs, and the Struggles of Parenthood

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And, hey, if you enjoy this and

Half Waif on Surviving a Miscarriage, the Failures of Healthcare, and Being One With Nature

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And, hey, if you enjoy this and

Chromeo's Dave 1 on ZZ Top, New York City, Getting Nerdy, and Reading the Critics

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And, hey, if you enjoy this and

Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart on Berlin vs. L.A., Surviving the Industry, and the Death of Music Criticism

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And, hey, if you enjoy this and

Geordie Greep on His Solo Career, Bad Music Videos, and the Truth Behind the black midi Breakup

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And, hey, if you enjoy this and

Touché Amoré on Gardening, Movies, Working With Ross Robinson, and Navigating the Promo Sea

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Keeping the intro short here because it&

Perfume Genius on 10 Years of Too Bright, New Music, Video Games, and Embracing Showmanship

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Real ones know I've been

Colin Stetson on Dog-Collar Mics, Training Regimens, and Telling Stories

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Big fan of Colin Stetson's

Tindersticks' Stuart Staples on Claire Denis, Kendrick Lamar, Neil Young, and Committing to Vinyl

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. I first heard Tindersticks when I was

Porches' Aaron Maine on 9/11, Childhood, the Future, and Embracing the Haters

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And right now I'm running

Mercury Rev's Jonathan Donahue on Nature, Psychedelia, and Finding His Strange Voice

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And right now I'm running

Illuminati Hotties' Sarah Tudzin on Tour Yoga, Winning a Grammy, and Taking the Wheel

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And right now I'm running

Charly Bliss on Guitars, SSRIs, Writing Songs Over Zoom, and Guac Being Extra

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. And right now I'm running

Horse Jumper of Love's Dimitri Giannopoulos on Slowcore, Quitting Drinking, and Duster's Brilliant Simplicity

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get one or two email-only Baker's Dozens every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. True to their musical style, Horse Jumper

Pissed Jeans' Matt Korvette on Hardcore, Keeping It Real, and Questioning the Awful

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a paid-only Baker's Dozen every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Fun fact: I saw Pissed Jeans live back in

Patrick Holland on the Montreal Scene, Bridging the Genre Divide, and DJ'ing in His Pajamas

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a paid-only Baker's Dozen every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. Big fan of Vancouver-hailing musical multi-hyphenate Patrick Holland, who

Yoni Wolf of WHY? on Vulnerability, Chronic Illness, and Performing in Israel

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a paid-only Baker's Dozen every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. WHY? have been a cultishly beloved indie rock institution

Molly Lambert on Music Writing, Grantland, the Olympics, and the End of Digital Media

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a paid-only Baker's Dozen every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. I've always been a big fan of

Colin Meloy on the 2000s, TikTok, and The Decemberists' Great New Album

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a paid-only Baker's Dozen every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. I'm running a 30% off sale for

Baker's Dozen: Queens of the Stone Age, Young Thug, Superorganism

Baker's Dozen is typically for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, but I'm doing a mix of paid and free BDs for a spell to get through my considerable playlist backlog. Also, how else am I going to give

Storefront Church on Scott Walker, L.A. Nightmares, and Competitive Magic

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a paid-only Baker's Dozen every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. I'm running a 30% off sale for

Olof Dreijer on Dance Music, Palestine, and the Pitfalls of Mysticism

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a paid-only Baker's Dozen every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. I'm running a 30% off sale for

Blue Hawaii on Trance, Tech, and the Queer Community's Embrace

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a paid-only Baker's Dozen every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. I'm running a 30% off sale for

Daniel Davies on Touring as a Kid, Working With John Carpenter, and Exploring the Technological Unknown

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a paid-only Baker's Dozen every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. I'm running a 30% off sale for

Nate Amos on This Is Lorelei, Water From Your Eyes, Ween, Tool, and Being Funny

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a paid-only Baker's Dozen every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. I'm running a 30% off sale for

Baker's Dozen: Trail of Dead, glass beach, Esther Rose

Baker's Dozen is typically for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, but I'm doing a mix of paid and free BDs for a spell to get through my considerable playlist backlog. Also, how else am I going to give

CANDY on Electronic Music, the Boundaries of Genre, and Being the BMW of Hardcore

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a paid-only Baker's Dozen every week featuring music I've been listening to and some critical observations around it. I'm running a 30% off sale for

Another Michael on Living Together, Writing for an Audience, and the Mysteries of Philadelphia

First off, allow me to sound off a huge noisemaker here, because this latest edition of the newsletter marks the 300th free post since it started in July 2020. That's crazy! I am so, so thankful for everyone who's read this over the years, as well

Baker's Dozen: Jam City, Olof Dreijer, Meat Wave

Baker's Dozen is typically for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter... OK, breaking the preamble itals vibe for a sec so we can get down to business. If you're a paid subscriber, you likely heard all this from me

Dan Licata on Jackass, Tech Decks, SNL, Joe Pera, and His Brilliant New Special

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday (this week it's coming on Saturday) with music I've been listening to as well as some thoughts around

DIIV on Money, COVID, Audience Hijinks, and the Dangling Carrot of Success

This is a free installment of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a Baker's Dozen every Friday with music I've been listening to lately, along with some thoughts around it. (The Baker's Dozen didn't go

Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes on Patreon, Elephant 6, and the Truth Behind the Outback Steakhouse Commercial

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also receive a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday with music I've been listening to along with some thoughts around it. I've been listening to Kevin Barnes&

Jadasea on Sad Raps, Getting Robbed in Barcelona, and the South London Sound

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist featuring music I've been listening to, along with some critical thoughts around it. I was really knocked out by Peckham rapper

Hovvdy on Double Albums, Career-Building, Parents, and Coldplay

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also receive a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday featuring songs I've been listening to, along with some criticism written around them—and for just a few more days,

John Carpenter on Noir, Working With His Family, Video Games, Oppenheimer, and Being Kept in the Dark

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also receive a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday featuring songs I've been listening to, along with some criticism written around them—and in April, I'm running

Sam Valenti IV on Herb Sundays, Ghostly After Dark, The Dare, Good Bits, and Embracing Cautious Optimism

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also receive a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday featuring songs I've been listening to, along with some criticism written around them—and in April, I'm running

Bullion on Collaboration, Dressing to Impress, Movies, and Hating the Music Industry

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also receive a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday featuring songs I've been listening to, along with some criticism written around them—and in April, I'm running

Six Organs of Admittance's Ben Chasny on Scenes, Folk vs. Noise, Sun City Girls, Arthur Mag, and Comets on Fire

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also receive a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday featuring songs I've been listening to, along with some criticism written around them—and in April, I'm running

The Blessed Madonna on Money, COVID, Dua Lipa, Songwriting, and Ponies in the Shit Pile

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also receive a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday featuring songs I've been listening to, along with some criticism written around them—and in April, I'm running

Crushed on CDs, Elden Ring, Portishead, and Beating the Shoegaze Allegations

This is a free installment of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a Baker's Dozen every Friday with a playlist of music I've been listening to alongside some criticism around it—and in April, I'm running a

Logic1000 on DJ'ing, Couples Therapy, Anxiety, and Berlin vs. London

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday with songs I've been listening to as well as criticism and thoughts around those songs. I was a big fan of

Julia Holter on the Beatles, Depression, Parenthood, Streaming, and the Art of Being Controlling

This is a free installment of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paying subscribers receive a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist featuring songs I've been listening to lately, along with some criticism around them. I've loved Julia Holter's music

Glitterer's Ned Russin on Feeling Lonely, Pennsylvania Punk, and Tumblr

This is a free installment of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday, along with criticism and thoughts around the music I've been listening to lately. I loved Ned Russin's 2021

Real Estate's Martin Courtney and Alex Bleeker on Money, Streaming, Coming Together, and the Bygone 2010s

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist with music I've been listening to along with some thoughts and critical writing around it. I've known Real Estate&

IDLES' Mark Bowen on Getting Rejected by Geoff Barrow, Suffering the Grammys, and Facing Misconceptions

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers ($3/month, $30/year) get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist along with some music criticism written around what I've been listening to. IDLES are fascinating to me because

Actress' Darren Cunningham on Chess, Parenthood, Minecraft, Clubbing, and the Beautiful Game

This is a free installment of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist along with criticism around the music I've been consuming lately. Darren Cunningham is what the Brits would call a proper legend; as

Grandaddy's Jason Lytle on Animals, Stepping Away from Touring, and the Toxicity of Social Media

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist that includes music I've been listening to lately along with some thoughts around it. Upgrade to paid I've been a

Baker's Dozen: PACKS, $uicideboy$, Water From Your Eyes

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist once a week with music I've been listening to as well as some criticism around it. Today, the Baker's Dozen

Militarie Gun's Ian Shelton on NOFX, Angry Fans, Hardcore, and Politics

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist once a week with music I've been listening to as well as some criticism around it. I'm running a sale

Jonathan Garrett on Pitchfork's Early Days, the End of an Era, and the Perils of Professionalism

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist once a week with music I've been listening to as well as some criticism around it. I'm running a sale

Baker's Dozen: Ecco2k, Bullion, Kash Doll, and a New and Exciting Update

Baker's Dozen is usually a weekly thing for paid subscribers, but today it's free! This is something I do on weeks where I don't have other free content planned, and I like to occasionally give people a taste of what you get when you

Baker's Dozen: Flume, Narrow Head, the National

Baker's Dozen is usually a weekly thing for paid subscribers, but today it's free! This is something I do on weeks where I don't have other free content planned, and also, I've had a lot of free subscribers sign up recently, so

Owen Ashworth on Songwriting, San Francisco, and Running One of Indie Rock's Best Labels

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist featuring music I've been listening to lately along with criticism around it. And, for the holidays, I'm running a

Cole Escola on Amy Sedaris, DIY, Broken Ecosystems, and Their Great New Special

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist featuring music I've been listening to lately along with criticism around it. And, for the holidays, I'm running a

George Riley on Raves, the South London Scene, and the Power of Delusional Self-Belief

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist featuring music I've been listening to lately along with criticism around it. And, for the holidays, I'm running a

Cafuné's Noah Yoo on Going Viral, Music Writing, Touring With Chvrches, and Touching Grass

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist featuring music I've been listening to lately along with criticism around it. And, for the holidays, I'm running a

Andrew Savage on Painting, Working with John Parish, and Beating the Slacker Allegations

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also receive a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday with music I've been listening to lately alongside some thoughts around it. Huge longtime fan of Andrew Savage, I think

L'Rain's Taja Cheek and Ben Chapoteau-Katz on Hockey, Vacations, Radiohead, and the Mysterious Allure of the Saxophone

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist every week with music I've been listening to, along with some thoughts around it. L'Rain's Taja Cheek joins

Miya Folick on Quitting Drugs, Watching Gossip Girl, and Getting Bored With Pop

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday, along with some music criticism around the music inside. I thought Miya Folick's Roach was an underrated record this year,

Jonathan Rado on Mourning Richard Swift, Working with the Killers, and the "End" of Foxygen

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday with music criticism around songs I've been listening to lately. Jonathan Rado is a fascinating figure to me in the world

Sen Morimoto on Sooper Records, Chicago, the Music Press, and Sonic Synthesis

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday with music I've been listening to, as well as thoughts around that music. I quite enjoy Sen Morimoto's

Frost Children on the Midwest, Bloghouse, New York City, and the Sentience of Bob Dylan

You are reading a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist every week with songs I've been listening to, as well as some written criticism and thoughts around those songs. And we&

Little Hiatus Update

Hello! Just hanging a note on here that the newsletter's on a brief pre-holiday hiatus while I catch up on some things...will be back to publishing the week after Thanksgiving, after some chats with paid subscribers it looks like I will probably be going back to one

Beirut's Zach Condon on Mental Illness, Not Touring, Being Pigeonholed, and Going It Alone

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also get two Baker's Dozen playlists every week featuring music I've been listening to, along with music criticism around that music. I've been a longtime admirer

Teenage Halloween's Luk Hendricks on Hot Sauce, DIY, and the Magic of New Jersey

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paying subscribers also get two Baker's Dozen playlists a week, which include a collection of music I've been listening to along with some critical thoughts around the music itself. And,

Beach Fossils' Dustin Payseur on Touring With Post Malone, Band Fights, Parenthood, and the Early 2010s

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paying subscribers also get two Baker's Dozen playlists a week, which include a collection of music I've been listening to along with some critical thoughts around the music itself. And,

The Drums' Jonny Pierce on the Past, Facing Childhood Trauma, and the Essence of Vulnerability

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paying subscribers also get two Baker's Dozen playlists a week, which include a collection of music I've been listening to along with some critical thoughts around the music itself. And,

Bombay Bicycle Club's Jamie MacColl on Relationships, Collaboration, the UK Music Press, and Tackling Cybercrime

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get two Baker's Dozen playlists every week, which come with music criticism and musings around music I've been listening to. And, hey, I'm running a week-long

DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ on Long Albums, Lo-Fi House, and Pursuing the Pop Dream

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get two Baker's Dozen playlists every week, which include music I've been listening to lately along with accompanying thoughts and/or criticism around it. It's

Squirrel Flower on Chicago, Creativity, COVID, and Surviving as a Musician

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paying subscribers also get two Baker's Dozen posts a week, which include a playlist of music I've recently been listening to and some thoughts around that music. Ella Williams'

Loraine James on Emo, Starfield, and Finding the Voice That Fits

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers typically get two Baker's Dozens a week—BUT! The newsletter is going on vacation starting today. I'll return the week of October 16th, business as usual. Loraine James

Animal Collective's Brian "Geologist" Weitz on Songcraft, Touring, Misconceptions, Money, and Passing Music Down

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get two Baker's Dozen playlists a week, featuring music I've been enjoying recently as well as some commentary around it. NOTE! The newsletter will be going on

Roosevelt on Imposter Syndrome, Remixes, and the Cultural Politics of Singing in English

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also receive two Baker's Dozen posts a week featuring a playlist of music I've been listening to recently along with some thoughts around it. If you haven'

Alan Palomo on Humor, Filmmaking, the Music Industry, and Looking Back at Looking Back

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get two Baker's Dozen playlists a week along with music criticism around the music in the playlist. If you've been a paid subscriber and have not been

Bibio on Nostalgia, Guitars, Perfume, Group Chats, and Chasing the Dream of the Real

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also receive two Baker's Dozen playlists every week, along with music criticism around the music contained within. If you are a paid subscriber and have not received the playlists in

Housecleaning Post

Just two quick things really: 1. No Baker's Dozen today! That's right, only one this week, apologies—but it'll be back to regular two-a-week frequency next week, which will be a busier week than usual around these parts too. 2. If you're

Field Medic on Sobriety, Tattoos, Working with Chris Walla, and the Insatiable Creative Urge

This is a free installment of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get two Baker's Dozen playlists per week as well as some music criticism around the music in those playlists. Kevin Patrick Sullivan's work as Field Medic caught my

Speedy Ortiz's Sadie Dupuis on Collaboration, DIY, and Musicians vs. Music Criticism

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a twice-weekly Baker's Dozen playlist with music I've been listening to along with some criticism written around that music. Right now I'm running a sale

Jeff Rosenstock on Aaron Carter, Video Games, Bleakness, and the Ups and Downs of Doing It Live

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get two playlists + music criticism every week in the form of the Baker's Dozen—and, hey, I'm running a sale for Labor Day! $1.50/month for the

The Clientele's Alasdair MacLean on Miles Davis, Nostalgia, the Music Industry, and the Future of the Clientele

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paying subscribers also get a twice-weekly Baker's Dozen playlist of music I've been listening to recently, as well as some thoughts and criticism around that music. Alasdair MacLean and the

Pelican's Trevor DeBrauw on Metal, Touring Realities, and The Challenges of Being a Music Publicist

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paying subscribers also receive a twice-weekly Baker's Dozen playlist, along with thougths around the music I share. And, hey, guess what—I'm running an annual subscription sale for my birthday,

Jessy Lanza on Socializing, Self-Obsession, R&B, and Feeling Outside the Club

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paying subscribers get two Baker's Dozen playlists a week, along with some thoughts around the music featured within. And hey—it's my birthday tomorrow (July 28, to be exact)! So,

Mount Kimbie's Kai Campos on Bombing Live, Making Money, and Feeling Out of Place at the Club

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get two Baker's Dozen playlists a week, which include music I've been listening to and some thoughts around it. Last year, electronic pop auteurs Mount Kimbie released MK

Palehound on Vulnerability, Dropping Out of College, and Learning by Teaching

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter—and right now I'm running a sale on annual subscriptions, which gets you two Baker's Dozen playlists a week for the grand total of $21 per year, down from the

The Japanese House on Breaking Up In a Throuple, Feeling Genderqueer, and the Power of Perspective

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter—paid subscribers also get two Baker's Dozen playlists every week, along with some critical thoughts around the music. Subscriptions are $3/monthly and $30/yearly, and you won't be disappointed

The Album Leaf's Jimmy LaValle on San Diego Days, the Locust, Working with Benson and Moorhead, and His Storied Career

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, which focuses on music but also looks at popular culture at large. Paid subscribers get two Baker's Dozen playlists every week, alongside music criticism and musings around that music. Jimmy LaValle'

Week Off Notice

Hello! This is a brief update to say that...there will be no updates this week. Sometimes I need to make relatively last-minute calls to take a week off from newsletter posts due to personal matters, and this is indeed one of those weeks. Regular posting will resume next week,

Man On Man on Queerness in Indie Rock, Controversy, and Community

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get two Baker's Dozen playlists every week, which include music I've been listening to as well as some thoughts around it—and, hey, I'm running a

Juan Wauters on Living in Uruguay, 2010s Memories, and the Fear of Change

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paying subscribers also get two Baker's Dozen playlists every week, featuring music I'm listening to lately along with some thoughts around that music. Way, way back in 2009, I briefly

Protomartyr's Joe Casey on Getting Robbed, Confronting Grief, and the Poison of Nostalgia

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also receive two weekly Baker's Dozen playlists along with critical musings around the music. A little bit of Last Donut lore: Joe Casey of Detroit indie rock greats Protomartyr was

Baker's Dozen: Paramore, Drake, and Saint Etienne's Eternal Influence

Today's Baker's Dozen—a weekly thing for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter—is free! This is a taste of what paying subscribers get at least once, sometimes twice, a week beyond what I usually share on here for

Baker's Dozen: Kimbra, EARTHGANG, and the Curious Case of Gwen Stefani

Baker's Dozen is typically for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, but today it's free to give everyone a taste of what paying subscribers get every week. (To those subscribers—there will also be one sent out on Friday,

Baker's Dozen: Leon Vynehall, Tee Grizzley, and Hauntological Mourning

Baker's Dozen is usually a weekly thing for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter—but today it's free for all to read, for those who want a taste of what you get when you sign up for a paid

Michelle Lhooq on Drugs, Death, and the Eternal Quest for Counterculture

This is a free post for Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a weekly Baker's Dozen newsletter featuring a playlist of music I've been listening to lately, along with some music criticism around it. Oh, hey, speaking of paid

Avalon Emerson on Buying Music, Arthur Russell, and Her Incredible New Album

This is a free post for Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, which spans interviews with musicians to arts and music criticism. Paid subscribers also get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist of music I've been listening to lately, along with thoughts around

Jana Horn on Fiction, Faith, and the Ups and Downs of Teaching

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist along with critical musings around the music. Jana Horn's don't-call-it-a-debut (but, call it a debut) Optimism was really intriguing to

Jaime Brooks on Elite Gymnastics, the Internet, and the End of the Music Industry

Housekeeping matters out of the way first: This is a free post for Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, paid subscribers also receive a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist with critical musings around the music on it. But wait, there's more! I'

Baker's Dozen: Aimee Mann, Bad Bunny, and Limp Friggin' Bizkit

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music along with some stray thoughts around all of it. I haven't sent one out in a while due to migration processes moving to this new platform, but guess what—all

Frankie Rose on Going to Beauty School, Her New Album, and What Indie Really Means

Frankie Rose has a great new album out, it's called Love as Projection. I've enjoyed her music throughout the years and, if you've been reading the newsletter for a while, you know I love checking in with indie artists that blew up in the

Avey Tare on Touring, Nirvana, Animal Collective's Legacy, and His Great New Solo Album

This is a free installment of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also receive a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist with music criticism. If you like what you've seen but can't commit to a subscription, I appreciate you reading

Baker's Dozen: Superwolf, Lil Mariko, and True Growers

Baker's Dozen is a regular thing for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, featuring a playlist of music I've been listening to lately and some thoughts around it. Israel Nash, "Howling Wind" Just a song with some

Coming soon

This is Last Donut of the Night, a brand new site by Lawrence F Fitzmaurice that's just getting started. Things will be up and running here shortly, but you can subscribe in the meantime if you'd like to stay up to date and receive emails when

Baker's Dozen: TOBACCO, Megan Thee Stallion, and Slight Comebacks

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, where I share music I've been listening to as well as some thoughts around it. Cryogeyser, "Foreigner" More grungegaze, yes, but kind of a

Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch on Parenthood, Cancelling Their Tour, and Giving Back Through Music

‎This is a free post for Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist in their inbox every Friday. If you can't subscribe, I appreciate you reading regardless—here's my Ko-Fi if you want

Baker's Dozen: Denzel Curry, Camila Cabello, and Hiding in Plain Sight

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a bunch of music I've been into, along with some thoughts around that music.‎ Camila Cabello, "Hasta Los Dientes" [ft. Maria Becerra] I sat through at least half of Camila Cabello'

Baker's Dozen: DRAM, Girlpool, and Echoes of the Past

Baker's Dozen is typically for paid subscribers, but I do them sometimes for free subscribers too, typically when I have a surplus of playlists queued up. This is one of those times! There'll also be a BD for paid subscribers on Friday, as usual. If you

Baker's Dozen: Wet Leg, Chief Keef, and Small Things in Big Packages

Baker's Dozen is a regular thing for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, featuring some music and some thoughts about that music. Wet Leg, "Too Late Now" Amazing closing track for an album, especially that last minute. This record

Baker's Dozen: Father John Misty, Kelly Rowland, and Coldplay's Weird Era

Baker's Dozen is usually for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, but today it's free. A lot of people have signed up in the last few weeks, so it's a good time to give those new readers

Baker's Dozen: Camp Cope, Fog Lake, and Indie-Electro Conspiracy Theories

Baker's Dozen is for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. It includes a weekly playlist along with some thoughts around the music he's (I've) been listening to lately. ‎‎Zíur, "It's Complicated" Wasn'

My 134 Best First Watches of 2022

This is a free post on Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist, along with accompanying thoughts and observations about music in general. Subscribe According to Letterboxd, I watched 366 movies in 2022. That number is

Baker's Dozen: Kacey Musgraves, Toro Y Moi, and Echoes of SOPHIE

Baker's Dozen is for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, featuring a playlist of stuff I've been listening to lately as well as some thoughts around it.‎ Porridge Radio, "Trying" Lights out! Porridge Radio! Turn that shit

Mailbag: What Working in Music Writing Has Done to My Love of Music

This is a free post from Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday, along with some thoughts and criticism around the music in the playlist. Subscribe Hello! Maybe you follow me on Twitter and are

Baker's Dozen: Blue Hawaii, Drakeo the Ruler, and Nice Surprises

Baker's Dozen is a weekly feature for paid subscribers where I share music I've been enjoying, along with some stray observations around it. Happy holidays to those who celebrate, and also to those who don't! ‎‎Steve Lacy, "Atomic Vomit" Steve Lacy went

The Reds, Pinks, and Purples' Glenn Donaldson on Indie-Pop, Jewelled Antler, and the San Francisco Scene

This is a free installment of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday, with music I've been enjoying as well as some thoughts around it. Subscribe Earlier this year, Glenn Donaldson's

Baker's Dozen: Chris Crack, Jane Birkin, and Good Music for Bad Times

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, which comes with a playlist of music I've been listening to lately as well as some stray thoughts around them.‎ Jubilee, "Call for Location"

Röyksopp on Staying True, Embracing the Mystery, and Their Incredible Career

‎This is a free installment of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also receive a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday, along with some accompanying music criticism. Subscribe A bit of housekeeping before we move forth here: For the last, I don'

Baker's Dozen: Sudan Archives, Mount Eerie, and Some Good Old-Fashioned Indie Rock

Baker's Dozen is a regular thing for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter; it comes with a playlist and some stray thoughts around the music I've been listening to lately. All newsletter continues to be donated to the National

Baker's Dozen: Sada Baby, Anna Meredith, and Posting an L

Here's another free installment of the Baker's Dozen, which is usually for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. (Paid subscribers: Another one will go out for you on Friday.) Next week I plan on publishing an interview with Röyksopp,

Baker's Dozen: Boldy James, Miranda Lambert, and Unfortunate Echoes

Baker's Dozen is a regular thing for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter, featuring a weekly playlist and some attendant criticism around it. Heads up—I'll be traveling a little next week, so the Baker's Dozen will

Baker's Dozen: Sally Shapiro, Jimmy Eat World, and Ridiculous Name Changes

Baker's Dozen is usually for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter—but this installment is free for all to read. All newsletter revenue continues to be donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds; we've raised $3,313.73

Baker's Dozen: BLACKSTARKIDS, Eartheater, and Curbing Your Enthusiasm

Baker's Dozen is for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's newsletter Last Donut of the Night. All newsletter revenue is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds; we've raised $3,160.13 so far. Cam, "Girl Like Me" Very straightforwardly

Washington Post Pop Critic Chris Richards on Starting Out, Keeping It Going, and Looking Towards the Future

This is a free installment of Larry Fitzmaurice's Last Donut of the Night newsletter. Paid subscribers also get a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday with critical writing; all newsletter revenue is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds. We've raised $3,

Baker's Dozen: Floating Points, Metronomy, and Some Block-Rockin' Beats

Baker's D‎ozen is for paid subscribers of Larry Fitzmaurice's newsletter Last Donut of the Night—it's a weekly collection of music in playlist form along with some critical musings around that music. All newsletter revenue is currently being donated to the National Network

Baker's Dozen: Foxes, Caroline Polachek, and Kim Petras' Perpetual Ascension

Baker's Dozen is a regular thing I, Larry Fitzmaurice, do for paid subscribers—but today it's free because I yet again have a huge backlog I'm trying to get ahead of. (I mentioned my name here because a recent subscriber recently pointed out that

Baker's Dozen: Future, Fort Romeau, and Barely Phoning It In

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music along with some thoughts around it. I didn't send one last week because I was on vacation, sorry! But I'm back now. I'll probably do two

Alex Frankel on Holy Ghost!'s Future, His DFA Days, and Artists Knowing Their Worth

‎This is a free newsletter installment; paid subscribers receive a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist along with some critical musings on the music within it. As of now, all newsletter revenue is being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds; we've raised $2,946.41 so

Baker's Dozen: Chromatics, Ego Ella May, and a Hilarious Drake Feature

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share music I've been enjoying along with some thoughts around it. All newsletter revenue is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds; we've raised $2,946.41 so far. Weatherstate,

Baker's Dozen: Spencer Krug, Jay Glass Dubs, and a Funny Disclaimer or Two

Baker's Dozen is typically for paid subscribers, but I do free installments on occasions where I have a lot of playlists backed up—and I've been dealing with a serious backlog. (These can be harder to write the "older" the playlists are, too.) Also,

Baker's Dozen: Kevin Gates, Hana Vu, and Impressive Rebounds

Hey, long time no see! Just kidding. Baker's Dozen is a regular thing for paid subscribers where I share some music as well as some thoughts around that music. All newsletter revenue is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds; we've raised $2,

Baker's Dozen: Some Left-Field 2020 Sounds And Trad Stuff From The Present

Baker's Dozen is usually for paid subscribers, but today I'm doing a free edition for everyone to read. I've been donating all newsletter revenue to the National Network of Abortion Funds. $2,860.53 has been raised so far, I'm in the

Baker's Dozen: Raveena, Guided by Voices, and Instant Nostalgia Hits

Baker's Dozen is a regular thing for paid subscribers where I send out a playlist of music I've been listening to recently, along with some thoughts around it. There'll probably be a few free Baker's Dozens coming up as I've

Mailbag: How Do I Listen to Everything?

This is a free newsletter post; paid subscribers also receive a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist on Fridays along with some music criticism around it. All newsletter revenue is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds; subscribers have donated $2,743.86 so far. Subscribe I&

Baker's Dozen: M83, Charli XCX, and Songs I Can't Stop Looping

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing I do for paid subscribers where I send out a playlist of songs I've been enjoying, along with some thoughts around those songs. All newsletter revenue continues to be donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds; we've

Baker's Dozen: Lizzo, DIIV, and Albums I Never Want to Hear Again

Baker's Dozen is usually for paid subscribers, but I did another one. As I've already let my paid subscribers know ahead of time, in general I'll be doing more free Baker's Dozens moving forward—they're fun for everyone (I hope)

Baker's Dozen: 2 Chainz, Empath, and Metalcore Red Herrings

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers—who get two this week, along with the free BD that was published earlier this week! Lucky you. All revenue is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds as long as I can continue to afford

Baker's Dozen: Christina Aguilera, AJ Tracey, and Hyperpop Writ Large

Baker's Dozen is usually for paid subscribers, but this one's for everyone to read. (I usually do free Baker's Dozens when I have a considerable backlog of playlists to post—which, yes, that's where I am right now.) ‎All newsletter revenue is

Baker's Dozen: Danny Brown, Ducks Ltd., and Julia Roberts Going In

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share music that I've been listening to and/or enjoying, as well as some thoughts around that music. As long as I can afford to, all revenue from the newsletter is being donated to the

Baker's Dozen: Nia Archives, Oso Oso, and Tricky Rhythms

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music I've been listening to lately, along with some stray thoughts around that music. As long as I can afford to, all newsletter revenue is being donated to the National Network

44 Thoughts on FKA Twigs, Phoebe Bridgers, Drinking, Beyoncé, Nick Jonas, and the New Pop Chaos

This is a free post; paid subscribers also receive a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist featuring music that I've been listening to lately, along with some critical thoughts around that music. As long as I can afford to, I'm donating all newsletter revenue ‎to the

Baker's Dozen: Charli XCX, DJ Python, and Funny Voices

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I send out a collection of music I've been listening to lately, along with some thoughts around that music. All newsletter revenue is currently going towards the National Network of Abortion Funds; I'll be

Baker's Dozen: Silk Sonic, Nilüfer Yanya, and Another Questionable Weezer Song

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music I've been enjoying recently, along with some thoughts around that music. All proceeds from the newsletter are currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds; $1,870.01‎

Panda Bear and Sonic Boom on the Internet, Social Media, Cancel Culture, and Searching for Optimism

This is a free newsletter installment; paid subscribers also receive a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist with music criticism. All newsletter revenue is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds, we've raised $1,870.01 as of today. If you like what you'

Baker's Dozen: Snail Mail, Pink Sweat$, and New Spins on Old Sounds

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music I've been enjoying as well as some thoughts around it. All revenue generated from paid subscriptions is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds.‎ Snoh Aalegra, "

Spencer Krug on Working at a Bagel Shop, the Wolf Parade Hiatus, and His Incredible Career

This is a free post; paid subscribers also receive a Baker's Dozen playlist every Friday along with some extra music criticism. All revenue from the newsletter is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds;‎ we've raised over $1,600 dollars so far. Subscribe

Baker's Dozen: Beach House, Yeat, and Artists Whose Other Thing I Like More Than Their Main Thing

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share music I've been listening to along with some thoughts around it. All revenue generated from this newsletter goes towards the National Network of Abortion Funds; so far subscribers have donated over $1,600. Def

Baker's Dozen: Cousin Stizz, Styles P, and the Whole Big Thief Thing

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share music and some thoughts around it. All revenue is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds, we've raised over $1300 so far. Ada Lea, "my love 4 u is real&

Varg²™ on Sweden, Sincerely Yours, Therapy, and Being the Bad Boy of EDM

This is a free newsletter installment. Paid subscribers get a Baker's Dozen playlist and music criticism every Friday. All subscription revenue is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds; we've raised over $1,300 so far. Varg²™ is an interesting guy to me,

Baker's Dozen: Jazmine Sullivan, Spoon, and Last-Minute Likes

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music I've been enjoying as well as some thoughts around it. All revenue generated is currently going to the National Network of Abortion Funds. So far, we've raised $1319.

Baker's Dozen: Saba, Spiritualized, and Worthy Left Turns

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share music I've been listening to lately, along with some of my thoughts about it. All revenue generated from the newsletter is currently being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds. Somos, "Temporary

Baker's Dozen: Mitski, Tegan and Sara, and Terrible Stuff I Can't Resist

Baker's Dozen is usually for paid subscribers, but (as I recently informed my paid subscribers) I'll be doing more free Baker's Dozens too, partially so I can keep giving free-to-read readers an idea of what they'll get with a paid subscription. All

Baker's Dozen: E-40, Cate Le Bon, and Aging Without Missing a Beat

Baker's Dozen is a regular thing I do for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music I've been listening to, along with some thoughts around that music. All proceeds generated continue to go to the National Network of Abortion Funds. Bob Mould, "Baby

Alan Braxe and DJ Falcon on Family, Skateboarding, Bloghouse, and Their Incredible Careers

‎This is a free newsletter installment. Paid subscribers also get a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist (along with some attendant criticism) on Fridays. If you don't want to or can't subscribe, I appreciate you reading—here's my Ko-Fi if you want to tip.

Baker's Dozen: PinkPantheress, Lana Del Rey, and Misguided Pop-Rock Cynicism

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers ‎where I share music I've been listening to along with some thoughts around it. Thanks to all for the feedback earlier this week, every single one of you is far too kind and I'll be

A Brief Apology and a Bit of Informal Feedback-Seeking

Hello! If you're getting this, it's because you're a paid subscriber. Some of you may have asked yourself on Friday, "Where is the Baker's Dozen?" I too found myself asking the same question late Saturday night, when I went into

Baker's Dozen: Death Cab for Cutie, Babyface Ray, and New Surprises From Artists I Don't Like

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music along with some critical thoughts around it all. I didn't do one last week because I was traveling, but I'm back now. I may be doing more of

Baker's Dozen: Grouper, Burna Boy, and Another Pop Sea Change

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music I've been listening to, along with some thoughts around that music. All subscription revenue is being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds as long as I'm

Baker's Dozen: Coldplay, Parquet Courts, and Writing About Stuff I Said I Wouldn't

Baker's Dozen is typically for paid subscribers, but I did another free one this week. Why? Well, largely because I have a few playlists queued up already, and other work has kept me from the type of nitty-gritty planning that scheduling out free newsletters typically requires. So I&

Baker's Dozen: Lil Baby, YUNGBLUD, Giveon, and Revisiting a Disaster

Baker's Dozen is a thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music I've been listening to along with some thoughts around it. All subscription revenue's being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds u‎ntil further notice ($147.06 donated

Baker's Dozen: Lil Nas X, Anaïs Mitchell, and Turning a Corner on Bad Artists

Baker's Dozen is usually a thing for paid subscribers, but today it's free for everyone. As long as I'm financially able to, all revenue from paid subscriptions is being donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds. Don't worry, paid subscribers—there&

Baker's Dozen: Beyoncé, Blood Orange, and New Versions of the Same Old Thing

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music I've been enjoying along with some stray critical thoughts around it. Until further notice, 100% of paid subscription revenue will be donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds. Ada

37 Thoughts on Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Music Writing, Animal Collective, Indie, Grizzly Bear, the XX, and How Things Change

This is a free newsletter post. Paid subscribers also get access to a weekly Baker's Dozen post, which comes with a playlist and assorted critical musings on the music I'm currently listening to. All proceeds from paid subscriptions will be donated to the National Network of

A Note Regarding the Imminent Overturning of Roe V. Wade

Last night, the news leaked that Roe V. Wade is likely to be overturned by the Supreme Court soon. It's devastating news that will endanger the safety of people who need abortions across the country, and as with so many things that have happened over the past several

Baker's Dozen: Baby Keem, Ed Sheeran, and Music That Brings People Together

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing I do for paid subscribers where I send out a playlist, along with thoughts on the music I've been listening to lately. Reptaliens, "In Your Backy‎‎ard" Reptaliens' new album is called Multiverse—tres chic, very Doctor

Christian Lee Hutson on Elliott Smith, Reality TV, and Finding His Voice

‎I spent a lot of 2020 listening to Christian Lee Hutson's Beginners, and his new one Quitters (get it?) is quite good as well. We hopped on the phone a while back to talk about his music, making music, and—of course—watching TV. Subscribe Upgrade to paid

Baker's Dozen: Little Simz, Silverbacks, and a Good Mike Jones Joke

‎Baker's Dozen is a thing for paid subscribers where I send out a playlist of songs I've been listening to weekly, along with some stray thoughts around those songs. Hudson Mohawke, "Monte Fisto" I love Ross Birchard and have stayed in touch with him

PUP's Stefan Babcock on Songwriting and Surviving the Music Industry

‎I love PUP and think they're one of the best rock bands going in North America right now. They have a great new album out, The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND, and I was happy to talk to vocalist/guitarist Stefan Babcock (not to be confused with fellow Canadian and

Baker's Dozen: Wednesday, iann dior, and the 411 on Music That Sounds Like 311

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing where I send out a playlist to paid subscribers, along with some thoughts around the music I've been enjoying lately. This one's coming later than usual! Sorry, weird morning. Lorde, "The Man With the Axe" I

Katy Kirby on Religion, Touring, Texas, and Happy Accidents

Katy Kirby's Cool Dry Place was on regular rotation last year, a great indie album with sneakily sharp songwriting. I got on the phone with Katy a few weeks before SXSW, so obviously we're a little temporally out of place publishing-wise here, but I don'

Baker's Dozen: The Killers, BbyMutha, and Music I Get But Don't Love

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of what I've been listening to lately, as well as some critical thoughts around it all. Foxing, "Cold Blooded" Draw Down the Moon is probably the closest I've

Baker's Dozen: MoMa Ready, Fever Ray, and the Limits to the 2000s Revival

Baker's Dozen is a weekly feature for paid subscribers where I share music that I've been enjoying recently along with some scattered critical thoughts around it. Sess the Problem, "Taxi Vibe" Another one from the Taxi Sampler 01 compilation, which is really just all

Destroyer's Dan Bejar on the Music of His Incredible Career

‎Dan Bejar's music as Destroyer really clicked with me when I was 19 and listening to City of Daughters constantly. After playing that out enough, Destroyer's Rubies made a lot more sense to me, and I've loved his work ever since even though (as

Baker's Dozen: Fickle Friends, Freddie Gibbs, and Good Artists Teaming Up With Bad Artists

Baker's Dozen is a thing I do for paid subscribers where I send out a weekly playlist, along with some scattered critical thoughts around what I've been listening to lately. Khalid, "Scenic Drive" [ft. Ari Lennox and Smino] Khalid is like the aural version

Baker's Dozen: Molly Nilsson, Billie Eilish, and the Return of the Real Music Revival

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers—but not today, I'm doing a free one for everyone so that free signups can get an idea of what the paid tier entails. Don't worry paid subscribers, I'll be doing another one

Baker's Dozen: Mach-Hommy, Faye Webster, and Terrible Trends in Pop

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing where I send out a playlist for paid subscribers, along with some thoughts around the music I've been listening to lately. ‎ Aya Nakamura, "Mon Lossa" [ft. Ms Banks]‎ Aya Nakamura's Aya was a grower for me,

Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen on His New Solo Album, the Late 2000s, the Grateful Dead, and the Future of Grizzly Bear

‎I've always loved Daniel Rossen's songwriting, from his work in Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles to his solo catalog—which is getting expanded next month with the lovely, dense, and fascinating You Belong There (out April 8 via Warp). Daniel's also a paid

Baker's Dozen: Juicy J, Dawn Richard, and Some Light Trendspotting

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music I've been e‎njoying recently, along with some scattered critical thoughts around that music. Deaf Club, "Catching Flies" The debut album from Justin Pearson's latest band

L'Rain's Taja Cheek on Touring in COVID, Animal Collective, and the Music Industry

I, like many others, loved L'Rain's Fatigue from last year. I also saw Taja's tweets about hitting the road as 2021 was winding down—and Omicron was creeping into view—and I realized I hadn't had a solid convo with anyone yet

Baker's Dozen: Charlie Puth, Baroness, and Some Stuff I Don't Like

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I send out a playlist as well as some of my stray thoughts on the music in the playlist itself. Mamalarky, "Fury" The Mamalarky record from 2020 was quite good, the type of spiky indie rock

Animal Collective's Josh Dibb and Brian Weitz on Influence, Togetherness, Intimacy, and the Future

‎Animal Collective are one of my favorite bands from the last 30 years, and over the course of my career I've developed an easy rapport with all four of them. (Longtime newsletter readers will probably remember the interview with Noah "Panda Bear" Lennox that I published

Baker's Dozen: Waxahatchee, Gunna, and the Befuddlement of Burial

Baker's Dozen is a regular thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of some music I've been enjoying recently along with some stray thoughts around that music.‎ ‎ Blaqbonez, "BBC (Remix)" [ft. Tiwa Savage] Blaqbonez' Sex Over Love wasn't the

Porches' Aaron Maine on Creating in the Pandemic, Collecting Unemployment, and His Label Deal

‎I loved Porches' new album All Day Gentle Hold!, it was one of my faves of last year and I have enjoyed his music at large even when others haven't—but the record felt like a creative breakthrough for Aaron Maine, a sense of new life breathed

Baker's Dozen: Hot Chip, Rodeola, and an Old-Skool Tune

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music I've enjoyed lately, along with some stray thoughts around that music. New Pagans, "Yellow Room" Here's an example of a band I would've expected

How to Dress Well's Tom Krell on Los Angeles, Patreon, and the 2010s Indie Bubble

I've always loved talking to Tom Krell and listening to his music. We caught up late last year amidst his tinkering on new projects and talked about his experiences in the music industry as well as what life's been like over the past few years. You&

Baker's Dozen: Kali Uchis, BENEE, and Tom Morello For Some Reason

Baker's Dozen is a regular thing for paid subscribers where I share some music I've been enjoying as well as some thoughts on it. I did one for free yesterday, and this one's just for the heads. ‎‎Joyce Wrice, "So So Sick"

Baker's Dozen: King Von, Brandi Carlile, and an Oldie That's a Goodie

Baker's Dozen is a regular thing where I share some music I've enjoyed recently along with some stray thoughts around it. Usually it's for paid subscribers, but this one's for everyone (there'll be another one for paid subscribers too). If

Baker's Dozen: Palehound, POORSTACY, and a Really Long Song

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share some music I've been enjoying as well as some thoughts around that music. Moneybagg Yo, "Ion Get You"‎‎ Another track from Moneybagg Yo's catalog, which—as I've talked

28 Thoughts on the Weeknd, Misogyny, and Constructing Persona as an Escape

‎ 1. Another questionable music writing ritual that the pandemic has killed off, for now at least: Listening sessions. For those who don't work in the music industry or music writing (one hand washes the other, obviously), listening sessions are—were—exactly what they sound like, but they could

Baker's Dozen: Yohuna, Yelawolf, and Some of My Favorite Songs of 2021

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing I do for paid subscribers where I send out a playlist of music I've enjoyed recently, along with some stray thoughts on that music. Despite this week's title, this is not a best of 2021 list—feels like

34 Thoughts on LCD Soundsystem, Music Writing, and the Changing of the Guard

1. As time becomes an ever-increasing blur blah blah, a decent way to mark  "where we're at" has been through pop cultural occurrences that line up with unfortunate neatness alongside stages of the pandemic. It's impossible to separate the opening days of COVID-19 in

Baker's Dozen: Pip Blom, Cakes Da Killa, and Some Really Corny Stuff

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist as well as thoughts on some music I've enjoyed lately. Jaz Elise, "Radio" The Golden Hour is one of a few pop albums this year that were overlooked, which is

Baker's Dozen: Future, Holy Motors, and Familiar Over the Unfamiliar

Baker's Dozen is usually something I do for paid subscribers, but today I'm doing one for free. (There'll be a second Baker's Dozen on Friday as well for paid subscribers; next week the newsletter will take a break, as I'll

Baker's Dozen: Carl Stone, Kylie Minogue, and Bands I Thought I Didn't Like

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I send out a playlist along with my thoughts on some music I've enjoyed recently. Kishi Bashi, "Cascades" Kishi Bashi has popped up in my inbox and has been mentioned by other NYC-based musicians

!!!'s Nic Offer on Going Out, Social Media, and Keeping It Real

This is a free Last Donut of the Night post; for $3/mo or $30/yr, you can support this publication and receive a weekly Baker's Dozen playlist along with thoughts on music I've been listening to. If you'd rather give a one-time tip,

Baker's Dozen: Timelost, Lil Tjay, and the Effortlessness of DJ Koze

Baker's Dozen is a thing I do for paid subscribers every week where I send out a playlist of music I've liked lately, along with some stray thoughts around those songs. YG, "I Was on the Block" [ft. Valee and WESTSIDE BOOGIE] Basically just

30 Thoughts on Lana Del Rey's "The Greatest," Kanye West, Lorde, Billie Eilish, and a Year in Retreat

Subscribe 1. So this is the year-end, and I don't feel any different. Sorry, I had to. (Fwiw, as with last year, I am not doing any year-end lists on here, mostly because I'm still working my way through tons of 2020 releases. I will go

Taraka on Living With Snakes, the End of Prince Rama, and Being Misunderstood

I followed Taraka's career as 1/2 of Prince Rama when the band was still active,  and earlier this year she self-released her solo debut Welcome to Paradise as the first entry on her own Rage Peace label. Between starting her own label, returning as a solo artist,

Baker's Dozen: Napalm Death, Katy Kirby, and More Bad Rap That Gets a Bad Rap

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing where I share a playlist of music I've been enjoying as well as some thoughts around all of it. Carly Rae Jepsen, "Everything He Needs" Carly Rae Jepsen is frequently at arms' length for me — or maybe

Rina Mushonga on Parenting in the Pandemic, Her New Single, and the Whiteness of the Music Industry

I really loved Rina Mushonga's 2019 album In a Galaxy, and she recently released a new single "To Be the Birds" as well, so now was as good a time as any to talk to her. She was gracious enough to dial in from her London

Baker's Dozen: Alex Lahey, No Age, and Terrible Rappers

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing I send out to paid subscribers where I share a playlist of songs I've been listening to lately as well as some thoughts around those songs. Subscribe brakence, "argyle" I've posted about brakence's music

The Dodos' Meric Long on Searching for Bigfoot, Living in Oblivion, and the End of the Dodos

The Dodos have always been a band I've appreciated, and they have a new album out tomorrow, Grizzly Peak. I hopped on Zoom with frontman Meric Long as his native Bay Area had just experienced a touch of rare rain, so we almost immediately started talking about the

Baker's Dozen: 13 Songs and an Update on the Future

Baker's Dozen is typically for paid subscribers but today it's for everyone, mostly because I want to give readers an update on what's to come. Don't worry, it's not dramatic! But I know that there's been a dearth

Baker's Dozen: Lydia Ainsworth, Lil Yachty, and Stuff That Sounds Like Saint Etienne

Subscribe Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing where I send out a playlist of music I've been listening to lately along with some thoughts about it. Usually it's for paid subscribers, earlier this week I did one for everyone—now we're back

Baker's Dozen: Leno Banton, Young Nudy, and Bands Whose Older Albums I Like More

Baker's Dozen is a thing I usually do for paid subscribers, but today it's free. If you like what you're seeing here and you'd like to get one of these weekly, please click the button below to subscribe, it's $3/

Baker's Dozen: Sondre Lerche, BLACKPINK, and Dreaming of Dreamville

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing where I share a playlist and thoughts on music I like with paid subscribers. I took a week off last week because I was traveling, sorry. Next week there'll be two Baker's Dozens—one free, one paid—partially

Hand Habits on Songwriting, Getting Personal, and Wanting a Better Future

I love Meg Duffy's music as Hand Habits and think their new album Fun House, out later this month, is well worth your time. We caught up over the phone last month right before Meg headed out to band practice with Perfume Genius for their upcoming tour together

Baker's Dozen: Cool Ghouls, Heavy Steppers, and a Few Left Turns

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing where I share some music I've enjoyed lately in the form of a playlist, as well as some assorted thoughts around that music. Overmono, "Clipper (Another 5 Years)" Really like these guys, I remember reading at some point

Baker's Dozen: Curren$y, Skylar Spence, and a God-Tier Sample

Baker's Dozen is a weekly feature for paid subscribers where I share some music I've enjoyed recently (in the form of a playlist) as well as some thoughts around all of it. Sam Amidon, "Hallelujah" Always had a soft spot for Sam Amidon, especially

Fire-Toolz' Angel Marcloid on Screamo, Meditation, and Our Relationship With the Internet

Angel Marcloid has been making really fascinating music forever now—I was just listening to her latest album as Nonlocal Forecast the other day—but she's gained a lot of attention in recent years because of her Fire-Toolz project, which mashes together a lot of seemingly sonically disparate

Baker's Dozen: Caroline Kingsbury, Nils Frahm, and Stuff I Used to Do in College

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing I do where I share music I've enjoyed recently along with a playlist containing all that music. It's for paid subscribers only, sometimes I do it for everyone but not today. Dogleg, "Neon Glow" (Glass Beach

Baker's Dozen: Ecco2k, Chester Watson, and Interesting Pop Music That Isn't Quite Good

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paying subscribers where I share a playlist of music I've enjoyed lately as well as some stray, mostly focused thoughts around the music in that playlist. Ecco2k, "In the Flesh" It's not that I don&

Gareth David of Los Campesinos! on Football, New Music, and the Freedom of Independence

Los Campesinos! have long been a favorite band of mine, and I've been in touch with frontman Gareth David over the last few years in various digital forms as well. I was delighted that he was interested in doing what ended up as a wide-ranging hour-plus interview touching

Baker's Dozen: Tink, Empath, Flock of Dimes, and Music I Like That Everyone Else Seems to Hate

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share music I've been enjoying as well as some assorted thoughts about it. If you've noticed a lack of non-Baker's Dozen posts, that's not an accident—I've

Baker's Dozen: Moontype, Shy Glizzy, and What It Takes to be Babyface

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of stuff I've been listening to as well as comments on the music that's featured on it. Slow Pulp, "Idaho" This is what I meant when I said

Baker's Dozen: Helena Deland, Field Medic, and Music That Sounds Like Other Music

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist of music as well as my scattered thoughts on the music itself. Ben Howard, "What a Day" Best song on an album that's worth checking out if you're

Baker's Dozen: Oliver Coates, ScHoolboy Q, and Old Faves Still Delivering

Baker's Dozen is usually a thing for my paid subscribers where I post a playlist and some thoughts around the music in the playlist. Today it's free for all readers! (Typically it goes out on Fridays, but last week's was delayed until today due

Camp Cope's Georgia Maq on Giving People Vaccines, Frightened Rabbit, and Why She Doesn't Like Her Solo Album

I really like Georgia Maq's songwriting, both as Camp Cope and through her solo music. When she hopped on Zoom with me a few days ago, she'd pretty much gotten straight out of bed and managed to conduct an entire interview while feeding both of her

Baker's Dozen: Giveon, Tomberlin, and Being Out of Step With Justin Bieber

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist as well as a bunch of assorted thoughts on the songs in the playlist. Sometimes the thoughts are short, sometimes they're not, but they're always there regardless. Future Islands, "

Baker's Dozen: Metz, Virtual Self, and the World's Most Stressed Out Gardener

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing where I share a playlist as well as whatever I am thinking or not thinking about the music in it. It's for paid subscribers only, smash the subscribe button below if you want it. Subscribe Touché Amoré, "Exit Row&

31 Thoughts on 2017, Frank Ocean, Lil Peep, Lorde, and Pop's New Emotionalism

1. In the summer of 2017, my sister-in-law was diagnosed with brain cancer. I'm not going to give a blow-by-blow of what me and my wife's family experienced over the following year, for multiple reasons—but when we first found out that something was wrong, there

Baker's Dozen: Moodymann, The Tallest Man on Earth, and Reflecting With Nick Jonas

Baker's Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist as well as a bunch of assorted thoughts about the music in that playlist. This week it's free, but if you want to receive this weekly you gotta subscribe. Subscribe ZULI, "

Baker's Dozen: Rian Treanor, Bruiser Wolf, and the Zen of Kurt Vile

Baker’s Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist and some thoughts on the music I’ve been listening to. Mr. Mitch, "Did We Say Goodbye" The king of weightless grime returns. Lovely sense of (extreme Mark Fisher voice) nostalgic decay on

Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay on LUMP, How Things Have Changed, and the Freedom of Being Small

Laura Marling and Tunng's Mike Lindsay make really intriguing music on their own, and as LUMP they continue that tradition together. I was happy to talk to them about their second album as a duo, Animal, which comes out at the end of this month—and we talked

Baker's Dozen: Control Top, Seth Bogart, Yves Tumor, and New Music Aging Poorly

Baker’s Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist and some thoughts on the music I’ve been listening to. Rudoh, "Mo Money" Another one from the More Rice comp, love the breakbeat here. Buy it on Bandcamp! Lot of good tunes.

The Directors of Slow Machine on Making One of 2021's Most Fascinating Films

I rented Paul Felten and Joe DeNardo's debut feature Slow Machine last month, and you should too. It's a bewildering, surprisingly funny, and completely unpredictable thriller that also features acting turns from Eleanor Friedberger, members of Gun Outfit, and Chloe Sevigny. Slow Machine is one of

Baker's Dozen: Yves Jarvis, Bad Boy Chiller Crew, and a Brief Complaint About Concert Tickets

Baker’s Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist and some thoughts on the music I’ve been listening to. Saint Guel, "Still Life" Listen to this song on Bandcamp. Another heater from the Harvest Vol. 1 comp, which I highlighted last

Gotye on the Enduring Brilliance of the KLF

While working on the recently-published-by-Stereogum oral history of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," I did a follow-up interview with Wally to run a few different facts by him, including the milestone of his song tying Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road&

Baker's Dozen: Rita Indiana, Duke Deuce, and—I Can't Believe I'm Typing This—Kings of Leon

Baker’s Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist and some thoughts on the music I’ve been listening to. Danny L Harle and DJ Mayhem, "Shining Stars" Incredible song off a frequently dazzling album. DJ Mayhem is an alias for Hudson

Erlend Øye on the Return of Kings of Convenience, Tinnitus, and the Legacy of His DJ-Kicks Mix

I first heard Kings of Convenience's music—wait for it—because of Hollister. I bought an issue of CMJ in the Paramus Park mall store that had a sampler that included "Failure," from their incredible 2001 album Quiet Is the New Loud, which I immediately purchased

Baker's Dozen: Lil Zay Osama, Toni Braxton, Rx Papi, and One For TikTok

Baker’s Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist and some thoughts on the music I’ve been listening to. Jerge, "Orange" Last Magic Tape 100 cut, promise. Listen to that perpetual build! Would sound good in a crowd outside. Lil Zay

Twin Shadow's George Lewis Jr. on Mental Health, Going Indie Again, and Reflecting on the Past

For a time, I'd see George Lewis Jr. everywhere. In the years between two interviews I did with him—one controversial chat for Pitchfork in 2012, and another more contemplative convo for the FADER in 2014—the 38-year-old singer and songwriter behind Twin Shadow would pop up where

Baker's Dozen: Cassandra Jenkins, Jasiah, SG Lewis, and the War on the War on Drugs

Baker’s Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist and some thoughts on the music I’ve been listening to. Ten Ven, "Free" Another Magic Tape 100 cut, will probably end up highlighting one more in the next installment. Trashy piano-house ain&

Goat Girl's Lottie Pendlebury on Activism, Awareness, and Making One of the Year's Best Rock Records

Goat Girl by Holly Whitaker and Flo White Goat Girl's On All Fours is one of my favorite albums of the year so far. The London quartet's second album builds on the promise of their debut with thicker textures and hypnotic songwriting, with dance elements seamlessly

Baker's Dozen: Chuck Johnson, Eyehategod, Sun June, and a Song I Like From an Artist I Don't

Baker’s Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist and some thoughts on the music I’ve been listening to. If you're reading this, obviously, it means you're a paid subscriber—so follow along closely for a sec. I'

On Disclosure's Settle and Revisiting Criticism

1. A friend and colleague recently half-joked, half-expressed-with-dread to me that Pitchfork's recently-introduced (and Spotify-powered) Reviews Explorer tool means that readers might be more likely to access the older reviews they'd written for the site. Of course, neither of us knew that Pitchfork would follow up

Baker's Dozen: Another Michael, Van She Tech, Coldplay, and My Favorite Rap Verse of 2021 So Far

Baker’s Dozen is a weekly thing for paid subscribers where I share a playlist and some thoughts on the music I’ve been listening to. (It's free this time because it's been a while. Trying to do another one for paid subscribers at the end

In This (New) Home On Ice

OK! If you're seeing this in your inbox right now, it means that I've (more accurately, my new platform's) successfully imported my subscription list over to Letterdrop, which is—tah-dah—my new and post-Substack platform. If you're confused as to why I

Sorry's Asha Lorenz on Weirdness in the Pandemic, Avril Lavigne, and Irony

Sorry courtesy of Domino Records I love Sorry, you know this. I got a chance to hop on the phone last month with Asha Lorenz about the band’s new Twixustwain EP as well as some other topics, and now you get to read it. I was supposed to see

Baker's Dozen: The Body, H.E.R., Mouse on Mars, and That Time Neil Young Went Punk

Baker’s Dozen is a regular thing where I share music I’ve been enjoying along with some stray thoughts. I guess Bandcamp Friday is tomorrow? I recently bought Mush’s Lines Redacted, kind of extroverted post-punk vibes, maybe you’ll like it. https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5KFurRAmRJBn9J2Kklc3Wi

Illuminati Hotties' Sarah Tudzin on Studio Wizardry, Creativity, and Having a Sense of Humor

Sarah Tudzin courtesy of Mariah Russek Fun fact: That pooch in the pic with Sarah Tudzin—singer, songwriter, musician, engineer, and the mastermind behind adventurous emo-leaning outfit Illuminati Hotties—made a few appearances during our phone conversation for this interview next month. Good pooch! I’ve loved Tudzin’s music

Baker's Dozen: Pooh Shiesty, Logic1000, Palberta, and the Return of the Return of the Notwist

Baker’s Dozen is a regular thing where I share music I like or find interesting as well as my thoughts on it. It’s not on streaming so I couldn’t include a track in the playlist, but I’d highly recommend checking out FAUZIA’s flashes in time

Dntel's Jimmy Tamborello on Breakdancing in Third Grade, Creativity, and His Fascinating Career

Courtesy Morr Music Jimmy Tamborello has had a fascinating and expansive career as Dntel, not to mention his involvement in The Postal Service. I had no interest in talking to him about The Postal Service, but I was very interested in talking to him about Dntel—specifically, his gorgeous new

Baker's Dozen: Jarryd James, PinkPantheress, Classixx, Doja Cat, and the Rule of Weezer

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. I have been very busy lately but these will be going

19 Thoughts Around Broadcast's Tender Buttons

1. I said on Twitter recently that there were a few bands releasing albums in 2021 that remind me of Deerhoof—who are, obviously, still operational and still making very interesting music—but I think the comparison proved too specific (even though I feel like I’m going to be

19 Thoughts on the 2000s and Framing Britney Spears

1. Everyone’s thinking about the 2000s lately! I (extremely superior voice) have been thinking about them for the better part of the last 12 months. I mentioned that 2004-era indie in general seemed to be in the air recently in one of the very first newsletters I sent out.

Baker's Dozen: Kasper Marott, The Dirty Nil, Rebecca Black, and More Hyperpop Than You Could Ever Ask For

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. Lot of hyperpop this week, whatever that means (I do think

Kip Berman on His New Album as the Natvral, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Parenting, and New York City

Kip Berman by Remy Holwick Kip Berman—formerly of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart—has a new album out April 2 as The Navtral, and it’s a fascinating switch-up from the sound that you might have come to expect from him. Instead of mining Slumberland-era indie-pop, this

Baker's Dozen: Buck Meek, Terminal Bliss, Sleaford Mods, and the Agony of Ashnikko

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. Sorry it’s been so long since the last one! https:

The Future of This Newsletter on Substack

There’s a thousand reasons why this is the only installment of Last Donut of the Night going out this week, but most of them lead back to why I’m writing this right now. Depending on how online you are beyond reading this particular newsletter with a level of

The Antlers' Peter Silberman on Losing His Hearing, Finding Inner Peace, and Brooklyn Indie in the 2010s

The Antlers by Shervin Lainez Nothing is really underrated these days because so few things are even “rated” to begin with, but I’m regardlessly and always saying that people aren’t talking about the Antlers enough. The New York group led by Peter Silberman has made some of the

Panda Bear's Noah Lennox on Parenting in the Pandemic, Tomboy at 10, and Dreaming of a Better World

Painting by Hugo Oliveira, photography by Fernanda Pereira I wanted to talk to Noah Lennox for this newsletter because he’s one of a few musicians I’ve been in contact with over the years where, during the pandemic, I’ve found myself thinking about how he and his family

Baker's Dozen: To All the Raves I've Loved Before

Baker’s Dozen is usually a weekly thing I do where I share music I’ve been listening to with my paid subscribers. But this week I’m doing a different thing! For starters, it’s free to read this week (I do this every so often, sorry paid subscribers,

19 Thoughts on DJ Koze's "Seeing Aliens"

1. One of the most common things I heard anecdotally from music writers in 2020 was that they had a hard time checking out a lot of new music—and when they did, they usually gravitated towards “softer” or “quieter” sounds. Very understandable, in that whatever anyone decides to “do”

Lokey on YouTube, Getting in Trouble for Playing Diablo II, and His Beatific Trance Sounds

Lokey by Malin Efua 27-year-old Swedish producer Lokey just put out a beautiful EP on YEAR0001, Isolation Works, Vol. 1. On the release, he dives deeper into trance and jungle sounds than ever before, making for another wonderfully curious entry in the catalog of one of the most interesting labels

This Week and Next Week

“Hey, where’s this week’s installment?” Well, it was coming, along with a Baker’s Dozen…and then it didn’t. For the first time since I started this newsletter last July, I’m taking a week off from publishing. The reasons are simple and mostly personal but definitely

Baker's Dozen: Lomelda, Gatecreeper, R.A.P. Ferreira, and the Best Coldplay Cover You'll Hear This Week

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. Also, it’s my brother’s birthday today! Happy birthday Kevin.

William Tyler on Looking Inward, Hauntology, the Nashville Bombing, and the Gorgeousness of Decay

Photo courtesy of Merge Records One thing I learned while talking to William Tyler recently: He does not, in fact, have a co-production credit on Mary J. Blige’s 2017 song “Survivor.” Someone needs to update his Wikipedia! Of course, that’s not why I wanted to talk to Tyler.

Baker's Dozen: Bebel Gilberto, 03 Greedo, Secret Machines, and Why I Was Right About Katy Perry

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. Some non-streaming-service stuff I’ve enjoyed since we last talked: this

Max Tundra's Ben Jacobs on Creativity, His Musical Language, and Why He Said He Wouldn't Make Music as Max Tundra Anymore

Back when you couldn’t just pull anything up on streaming, I really wanted to hear Max Tundra’s Mastered by the Guy at the Exchange. Every description I’d read of Ben Jacobs’ 2002 breakthrough sounded right up my alley, but it was hard to track down. Eventually, I

Baker's Dozen: Kathleen Edwards, Flo Milli, Bright Eyes, and How I Feel About "drivers license"

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. Some non-streaming-service stuff I’ve enjoyed since we last talked: this

Baker's Dozen: Oneohtrix Point Never, Wilco, Dominic Fike, And—I Can't Believe I'm Writing This—A Sam Smith Song

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. Sometimes I’m listening to stuff that I can’t playlist

Alex Zhang Hungtai on Breaking His Hand, Grief, Quitting Drinking, and the Legacy of Dirty Beaches

Photo by Brian Echon I interviewed Alex Zhang Hungtai twice while I was at Pitchfork back when he was still making music as Dirty Beaches, and both conversations were immensely rewarding beyond the work itself. We’ve kept in touch online since as Hungtai’s moved on from DB and

Baker's Dozen: Dear Nora, Gulch, Skullcrusher, and #BrandyDeepCuts

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. Lots of mostly 2020-focused playlists for a while still! Will be

19 Thoughts on Arcade Fire's Reflektor

1. Sometimes I come up with the first paragraph of these posts way before I sit down and write it, other times I just sit down and start writing stuff and see what comes out. This installment was firmly in the former category before I took a walk and realized

Baker's Dozen: Lianne La Havas, Quit Life, illuminati hotties, and Some Guy With an Awful Haircut

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. I know this one’s going out a week late in

A Quick Note Or Two

I had a few ideas for a newsletter installment today but none of them made sense and some of them seemed better to think on for a little, and that’s fine. I’m not doing any year-end content either because I’m still listening to a lot of 2020

Nathan Micay on Being a Personal Trainer for DJs, Trance Music, and His Beautiful "Industry" Score

Back in 2015 (I think?), I was in Hudson Mohawke’s London studio profiling him for a cover story for The FADER. In between watching Tim and Eric clips and watching HudMo tinker with what would become his album Lantern from that year, LuckyMe co-founder Dominic Flannigan played me some

Baker's Dozen: Coriky, SahBabii, Omar Apollo, and a Whole Bunch of Electronic Music

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. A little more electronic music on this than usual, realized there

Baker's Dozen: Rufus Wainwright, Nuvolascura, Jasmine Infiniti, and Good Songs on Bad Albums

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. A brief respite from the negativity of Wednesday’s installment! https:

Jam City on His Fantastic New Album Pillowland

This Tweet in the Queens of the Stone Age micro-discourse on Twitter from a few weeks ago stuck with me: I always remember Josh saying in an interview a band’s first record should be a solid statement of what they are, the second should stretch that out and experiment

How Much New Music Is There Even Gonna Be In 2021?

I kicked off this newsletter earlier this year by asking whether music writing could survive the pandemic, and near the end of this year wondering whether we’re about to receive drastically less new music from artists next year. Here’s what Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard told

19 Thoughts on "Like a G6"

1. Before we begin, here’s an exclusive picture of my Twitter followers when I announced that I’d be writing a 19 Thoughts on “Like a G6.” 2. A few months ago (or was it a few weeks ago? Who knows anymore) I listened to “Like a G6” a

Baker's Dozen: Cecile Believe, Special Interest, Chloe x Halle, and the Ongoing Saga of Dirty Projectors

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. These basically replace year-end lists, fyi. Not sure I’m doing

19 Thoughts on How To With John Wilson

Photo courtesy of HBO 1. How To With John Wilson is a TV show that, even though a lot of people I know are really into it, is still catching on with most people. So even though it’s a documentary series that I don’t really consider “spoiler-y,” it’

Baker's Dozen: Gum Country, Jessie Ware, Nana Grizol, and the Stupid Stuff I Still Like Anyway

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. It even happens on Thanksgiving! https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/

Speaker Music's DeForrest Brown, Jr. on Growing Up, Music Journalism, and Finding His Incredible Sound

Few electronic records released this year have kicked me in the side of the head the way Black Nationalist Sonic Weaponry did. DeForrest Brown, Jr.’s second release as Speaker Music arrived with no warning on Juneteenth of this year, and every time I’ve returned to it I’ve

Baker's Dozen: Yaya Bey, Jockstrap, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, and a Song My Brother Asked Me to Listen to

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists, as well as whatever else I want to comment on. https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3XXTj54wBBy4vNBV86Ty5G Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever,

Soccer Mommy on Leaving Social Media, the Problem with Livestreaming, and What She's Been Up to Lately

Soccer Mommy by Brian Ziff I’ve been listening to Soccer Mommy’s Color Theory nonstop all year. It’s obviously one of the best indie rock albums in a year that’s had a surprising number of good indie albums that have indeed rocked—it has a classic and

Baker's Dozen: Bibio, Baths, Brigid Mae Power, and the Most Surprisingly Enjoyable Release of 2020

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists, as well as whatever else I want to comment on. I used to call it a “franchise” because I haven’t

2013: The Year Everything Changed, Part 7

This is the seventh and final installment of a series of essays about how 2013 marked the point in which popular music and the culture around it changed forever. You can read the first six installments here, here, here, here, here, and here. Thanks for reading. Was Beyoncé’s self-titled

glaive on Dark Souls, American Football, Hyperpop, and How It Feels to Be 15 Right Now

I wrote a little earlier this week about Lil Peep’s influence continuing to snake its way through pop music, and glaive is certainly an example of that. The 15-year-old North Carolina-based musician’s songs sound sharp and glitchy, with flecks of 100 gecs’ fractalized electro-pop as well as melodic

Baker's Dozen: Lady Gaga, Wares, El Alfa, Christian Lee Hutson, and a Prince Song Too

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly feature in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists, as well as whatever else I want to comment on. But, really, is there anything else going on to even talk

19 Thoughts on Machine Gun Kelly's Tickets to My Downfall

1. I’ve been thinking a lot about what celebrity looks like after (waves hand in the air) all of this. At the beginning of the pandemic, it seemed like the notion and function of celebrity had quite possibly and finally proved to be useless—and I do think we’

Baker's Dozen: 2000-2009 Concertgoing Edition

I know I said Baker’s Dozen was taking a week off, and that turned out to be half-true: I usually load the playlist with new-ish music from the last few years that I’ve been enjoying, but for this special edition I’m drawing from the artists featured in

19 Thoughts on The Last of Us Part II

1. “Hey, I thought this was a music newsletter!” That’s true, but it’s also anything I want it to be. Today, it’s about video games. (Also, this isn’t the first time I’ve written about video games here—then again, if you aren’t a subscriber,

All the Concerts I Can Recall, 2000-2009

There are things I don’t like about concerts. Sometimes they can be too late. Other times they can be too crowded. If it’s a festival, they can be too hot. (Concerts are generally never “too cold.”) If it’s Governor’s Ball, you have to walk back and

Baker's Dozen: Charli XCX, Romy, The 1975, Polo G, and Why I Can't Escape Moby

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly franchise in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists, as well as whatever else I want to comment on. https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4OifFZg1mswda7OhnSObwN The 1975, “Nothing Revealed

Annie on David Cronenberg's Crash, Karate, and Her Hopes for Her Children

Annie via Hildegunn Wærness Back when it actually took some hard-earned cash to hear music that came out in other countries, I threw down what must’ve been at least $25 for a copy of Annie’s first album Anniemal. (I was 16 or 17 at the time, so it

Baker's Dozen: Bad Bunny, Lil Durk, Hayley Williams, and Love for the Libraries

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly franchise in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists, as well as whatever else I want to comment on. This one was supposed to go out yesterday, but I was

2013: The Year That Everything Changed, Part 6

This is the sixth installment of a series of essays about how 2013 marked the point in which popular music and the culture around it changed forever. You can read the first four installments here, here, here, here, and here. The next and final installment will be about Beyoncé’s

Baker's Dozen: Fire-Toolz, Kehlani, Avalon Emerson, and the Drake Album That Time Forgot

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly franchise in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists, as well as whatever else I want to comment on. Yes, that includes Drake. https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/03i7mHLmGF1lvH26wCQn2f

Can Two Wooden Speakers and a Subscription Change Live Music?

What does Elton John know that everyone else doesn’t? That’s the question I asked myself, with a touch of facetiousness, when the legendary singer-songwriter decided to postpone his farewell tour to 2022 due to—who the fuck am I kidding, you know what it’s due to. When

2013: The Year Everything Changed, Part 5

This is the fifth installment of a series of essays about how 2013 marked the point in which popular music and the culture around it changed forever. You can read the first four installments here, here, here, and here. The next installment will come on Tuesday, October 13, and it’

Tune-Yards' Merrill Garbus on Marxism, White Supremacy, and Finding Hope in Listening

Tune-Yards by Pooneh Ghana I’ve long admired Merrill Garbus’ work as Tune-Yards. Along with her partner Nate Brenner, Garbus has made some of the 2010s’ most thought-provoking and strident-sounding pop music, sometimes polarizing audiences that come in contact with how it sounds as well as the values she represents.

Baker's Dozen: Declan McKenna, Ana Roxanne, BUMPER, Lorenzo Senni, and Big Sean Without Big Sean

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring weekly franchise in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists, as well as whatever else I want to comment on. https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/7hIkgT293PcH72PfsKwLEq Declan McKenna, “Humongous” I

19 Thoughts on Nostalgia in the Pandemic Age

1. In the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic—not the period of time pre-March in which the virus was already spreading and our government was basically pretending it didn’t exist, but those first few weeks of hunkering down in fear of what was to come—a profoundly annoying

19 Thoughts on Sufjan Stevens' The Ascension

1. Is The Ascension the best album of the year? It’s certainly a serious contender in a year during which there has been, by my estimation, some stiff competition. There’s been Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters and Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher; Dogleg’s Melee is one of

Baker's Dozen: Fleet Foxes, Serengeti, keiyaA, and Why Today's Newsletter Is Late

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring franchise in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. Usually it happens weekly. Sometimes it’s a little late. I’ll

Kingdom on a Decade of Influencing Club Music

Through his solo productions and work with artists like Kelela and Dawn Richard, through his releases for UK dance label Night Slugs as well as his own Fade to Mind imprint: Ezra Rubin’s Kingdom project has defined a decade of club music, providing some of dance music’s most

Perfume Genius on Video Games, Social Media, and Returning to the Stage in the Pandemic Age

Mike Hadreas courtesy of Camille Vivier As the pandemic stretches on with no conceivable end in sight, artists are finding ways to perform for fans in a way that doesn’t involve associating oneself with Kevin Spacey-affiliated tech companies or just basically trying to get a bunch of people killed.

Baker's Dozen: Fiona Apple, Rina Sawayama, Laura Marling, and the Idiocy of Travis Scott's McDonald's Thing

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring franchise in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. Usually it happens weekly. If it doesn’t? I’m sorry. (Trying

2013: The Year Everything Changed, Part 4

This is the fourth installment of a series of essays about how 2013 marked the point in which popular music and the culture around it changed forever. You can read the first three installments here, here, and here. The next installment will come on Tuesday, September 22, and it’ll

19 Thoughts on Radiohead's In Rainbows

1. Now that we all have less lived experience than ever and the same amount of collective imagination we had before when it came to critical thinking (not high), “Song of the Summer” debates have become more insufferably uninteresting. “WAP”? Hasn’t been out long enough, wasn’t as ubiquitous

Baker's Dozen: Sam Hunt, Roddy Ricch, PUP, Rod Wave, and the Post-Post-Post Punk Revival

Baker’s Dozen is a recurring franchise in which I share a playlist of songs I’ve been enjoying lately, along with commentary on said songs and artists as well as whatever else I want to comment on. Usually it happens weekly. If it doesn’t? Hey man, it’s

2013: The Year That Everything Changed, Part 3

This is the third installment of a series of essays about how 2013 marked the point in which popular music and the culture around it changed forever. You can read the first installment here, and the second installment here. The next installment will come on Tuesday, September 15, and it’

Jeff Rosenstock on Long Island, Cartoons, and Just How Fucked Up Shit Is Right Now

I do believe that Jeff Rosenstock’s No Dream is the Long Island-hailing, L.A.-residing (he left Greenpoint to move there this year) pop-punk veteran’s best album yet. It’s certainly in the sphere of my favorite albums of the year right now (for those not keeping track,

19 Thoughts on Sorry's 925

1. For the rest of our lives, we’re all going to remember the last few social obligations we bowed out of (that is, if we were smart enough to) right before the pandemic really kicked into high gear. For me, it was Sorry’s first U.S. show(?) at

2013: The Year That Everything Changed, Part 2

This is the second installment of a series of essays about how 2013 marked the point in which popular music and the culture around it changed forever. You can read the first installment here. The next installment will come on Tuesday, September 8, and it’ll (tentatively) be about Miley

Don Giovanni's Joe Steinhardt on Discovering DIY, Bandcamp, and Surviving the Music Industry

Since it was founded by Joe Steinhardt and Zach Gajewski in 2003, Don Giovanni has maintained true independence as a label while releasing myriad records by bands like Waxahatchee, Priests, Laura Stevenson, Shellshag, Screaming Females, and Downtown Boys. It’s all the more impressive that Steinhardt has since accomplished this

Baker's Dozen: Half Waif, Nicolas Jaar, and All the Times I've Been Mistaken for Zach Galfinakis

A few years ago, I got obliterated on Twitter for saying I didn’t “get” jazz—so much so that I had to delete the tweet! By far the worst reaction I’ve ever gotten for anything online, and if you follow me on Twitter, you know I’ve had

2013: The Year That Everything Changed, Part 1

There’s no such thing as a bad year for music. Plenty of good music comes out every year, whether it’s shoved in your face or buried in the crevices for you to find yourself. But if you’re the type of person who spends every 12 calendar months

Mike Kinsella on Owen, American Football, and His Career as an Emo Legend

Photo of Mike Kinsella by Chris Strong Mike Kinsella is a great example of an artist who’s been doing their thing for a while and has influenced multiple generations of emo and indie rock artists. As a teenager, the first and canonical American Football album was discussed amongst peers

19 Thoughts on Phoebe Bridgers' Punisher

1. “I know why you chose 19,” my wife said with a smirk when I published the first installment of what is now, I guess, another franchise of this newsletter. I was genuinely perplexed, for at least a moment or two, until I realized what she was implying: I’d

Baker's Dozen: Kehlani, Potty Mouth, Waxahatchee, and Where I'm At With J Hus

A few Baker’s Dozens ago, my brother texted me and said, “This song on your playlist sounded especially good.” Then he texted me an audio file of him flicking his doorstop against the speaker of his phone. Turns out he was ripping on Move D and Benjamin Brunn’s

What Is the Future of Live Music?

Having trouble viewing this tweet? Click here to open original tweet. At this point, it seems abundantly clear that—at least, as far as the United States is concerned—we’re going to be living in the midst of some form of the COVID-19 pandemic for years, vaccine or no

Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino on the Highs and Lows of Crazy For You

Last month was the ten-year anniversary of Best Coast’s indie-pop classic Crazy For You, the debut album from Bethany Cosentino’s band that propelled her to the front lines of indie stardom practically overnight. Time moves a little funkier than usual these days, so Best Coast are celebrating this

Baker's Dozen: Kero Kero Bonito, Lil Uzi Vert, Yves Tumor, and Getting Closer to Getting La Dispute

If you’re one of the few who subscribe to this newsletter that doesn’t follow me on Twitter—don’t. (But seriously: don’t.) Okay, for real this time: I announced yesterday that, a month and change into this newsletter’s format, I’m changing things up for the

Nite Jewel's Ramona Gonzalez on Being the First Chillwave Artist

Ramona Gonzalez courtesy of Tammy Nguyen Last year, I wrote a piece for Pitchfork on the legacy of chillwave. A few days after it was published, I saw this Tweet from Ramona Gonzalez, who’s written and recorded as Nite Jewel since the late 2000s: yet another history of chillwave

Washed Out, Khruangbin, and the End of Chillwave

Washed Out photo by Blair Greene There’s a beautiful sunset on the horizon, but it’s not real. It’s a backdrop offering a faux-natural contrast to the purely technological glow of a sample pad under the chin of Ernest Greene, the 37-year-old musician behind the Washed Out project.

Baker's Dozen: Juice WRLD, Y La Bamba, 100 gecs, Lucy Gooch, and Why I Don't Like Dua Lipa

If you’ve been reading this newsletter regularly over the past four weeks, you’ve probably noticed some sort of natural posting rhythm that I’m trying to establish: critical essay-ish stuff on Tuesdays, interviews and/or “Here’s some music I’ve been listening to” ruminating on Thursdays. When

19 Thoughts on Taylor Swift's folklore

Image via Taylor Swift/Republic Records 1. Stans, a plea if you come upon this: it’s my birthday. Try to have a heart. 2. folklore was the first Big Pop Cultural Thing that I was genuinely intrigued to check out since the pandemic began. I ultimately didn’t care

Richard X on Working With M.I.A., Annie, Pet Shop Boys, and His Brilliant Career

This is a big one. Bucket list-level, for me.

The Allegations Against Burger Records and Its Artists

lured_by_burger_records This platform will serve as a space where people who were preyed on by those affiliated can come forward anonymously and we will share your story. We support you, we will organize, and we won’t be silenced further. July 18, 2020 Doesn’t feel right

Protomartyr's Joe Casey on Drinking, Feeling Sick, and What Could Disappear

And more music I've been listening to. It's gonna be a regular thing.

Society Has Progressed Past the Need for Katy Perry

Or has it?

Death Will Bring Change(?)

Also: an incomplete rundown of my favorite music of 2020 so far.

Is Music Writing About to Die?

Not really. I don't say that with any certainty mostly because trying to do this for a living is like constantly hovering over a body you found in the street, sticking your finger under the nostrils to see if that's breath from the body's

The Answers to Every Question You've Ever Had

Well, maybe just a few questions. And answers.