Yes, I used this same image the last Friday the 13th, but you know what? You're not the boss of me. I make the rules around these parts. Speaking of, the first album after the jump isn't a new release - it was released all the way back in August. But it slaps and it's new to me, so it makes the list. What will it be? What other albums will join it? Only one way to find out!

Back in November, I wrote about how close I was to hitting 100,000 songs tracked by Last.fm. I predicted that I would cross that mark in February. Turns out I was wrong, but not by much. I hit 100,000 songs today, a few minutes ago in fact. Of course, the band that brought me across the line was Neurosis, my favorite band of all time (problematic member aside). 

What will be the next completely pointless goal? 200,000 songs? Something else dumb? Actually writing another fitness-related post? Only time will tell, dear reader. 

It's Friday, and that means new music - or old new music, in one case. I've got a short list this week, as several of the albums I checked out didn't really click with me. On the plus side, only bangers await after the jump. 

Godflesh is probably my favorite band that I haven't seen live. Unfortunately,  it looks like I will never get the chance to change that, as Justin Broadrick announced today that he is permanently retiring the band as a touring entity. The reason, he explained in a recent Instagram post, is that he recently required a fairly serious abdominal surgery, and he doesn't believe that he can perform the band's intense vocal style any longer without the risk of serious damage to his abdominal wall. 

This past week, I was traveling for work, which kept me from writing up my last couple concerts. I saw Author & Punisher last Saturday, who focused on the new album Nocturnal Birding and performed at such a volume I could feel my bones rattling. And while I was traveling, I stopped into a small arcade/bar/venue in Savannah, Georgia and watched some regional death metal bands like Severed by Dawn, blurrily pictured above. ​There are some more shows coming up in the near future I hope to get to, and I don't see any reason I wouldn't be able to give them proper recaps. I also have some fitness content I plan to write up for the first time in a while. But until then, enjoy this week's picks!

It's a short one today because today has been a cluster. Enjoy! What does the image above have to do with the post? Absolutely nothing! What can I say? I was in a hurry. 

It's Friday the 13th, Valentine's Day is tomorrow, and ICE is supposedly leaving Minnesota? What a weekend! We here in MN will believe it when we see it, of course. Here's this week's promoted fundraiser. Please help if you can. 

Times are tough, and music helps keeps us sane. I have fewer picks than last week, but they're all really solid stuff. Check them out below.

At the In Lieu show at Cloudland Theater in south Minneapolis on Saturday night, one attendee walked around the crowd handing out rebel loon stickers. The show, an album release party for Minneapolis rock band Battery Eyes, was also a fundraiser for MIRAC, a volunteer organization that fights for legal rights for immigrants. This is reality of seeing a concert in Minneapolis at this moment in time. People gather to have a good time, but a good time that can hopefully do some good to help our neighbors under siege. 

For as long as is necessary, I'll open this weekly post with a fundraiser for someone affected by the federal occupation of Minnesota, then move on to the fun stuff. I will be making a donation to every fundraiser I suggest, and I encourage you to do the same. Sound good? Okay, glad we're in agreement on that.

Today's fundraiser is a rent relief fund organized by Grace Lutheran Church for families in Northeast Minneapolis (where I live) who have been financially affected by detention, job loss, or being afraid to leave their homes. You can donate here. 

​Okay, let's get to the music, shall we?

One of the disadvantages of running a hobby site is that real-life responsibilities can get in the way. That's my excuse not getting to this write up of Monday night's Agriculture show until now. That, and the fact that the mental load of *gestures broadly at everything* is completely exhausting. Late as this writeup might be, Agriculture was the show I needed as catharsis from reality.