The occupation of Minnesota continues, although the people have scored some victories. Pocket-sized Nazi Greg Bovino has been shipped back to California, and there has been a talk of a drawdown of federal forces in the state. We continue to resist, and there is much you can do to help, even if you live outside of the state. Minnesota-based sci-fi author Naomi Kritzer, who also writes insightful political guides every election season, has put together a great post about what you can do to help fight the occupation. Read it here. 

There is much work still to do. As always, we will not be able to meet the challenges if we don't continue to make space for joy. Music remains my joy, and it gives me comfort to share that joy with you.

Minnesota remains in the midst of a crisis orchestrated and perpetrated by a hostile and malevolent federal government. We continue to resist, and we continue to find release and joy in music and art. Below are some new releases giving me strength. 

Minneapolis is a city under siege. But Minneapolis is also a city of art, and we haven't turned our back on that just because the federal government has declared war on us. In fact, our love of art is foundational and part of our resistance to tyranny. For evidence of that, simply look to the annual Art Sled Rally that was also held this weekend. For Minneapolis, art is catharsis. I need that as much as anyone here, so on Sunday night I popped down to my favorite coffee shop/skate shop/music venue/resistance hub Pilllar Forum to catch the first Minneapolis show for Chicago-based band ​Griefeater. 

As I write this, a hostile force is brutalizing my city. They've shot at least two people so far, one of them fatally. Hundreds more have been beaten, gassed, and detained. Thousands have been harassed and intimidated. And, of course, our president has threatened to make things even worse from here on out. 

In response, the people of Minneapolis have banded together rather than breaking apart. Citizens are forming ICE watch squads and patrolling immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. Donations are pouring in to people and groups affected by the occupation. Hotels where ICE agents are staying are treated to high-decibel demonstrations all night long, and the federal building where all detainees are taken has become the site of a constant protest. 

This brief summary is nowhere near adequate to describe what is going on in Minneapolis right now. A friend of mine wrote about it with much more depth and eloquence, which I invite you to read here (free signup). 

We are all suffering, and trying to find ways to cope with the intensity of it all. I still find solace in music. Below, share with me the small respites. 

Happy(?) 2026, y'all. It seems impossible that this new year is only nine days old - I could swear that it has been 2026 for at least 47 days. At the end of last year, I was hopeful that better days lay ahead. Now I've committed to letting myself devolve into a feral bog monster and running off to live in a swamp. Such is the vibe in America these days. At least we've got some new music, right? There haven't been a ton of notable releases in these long 47 days, but there are a few things helping me stay sane these days.