Daily Log

Woke up after 8, but couldn't go back to sleep. Got up around 9. Finished reading the Neiman book. Thinking about the genocide essay. Didn't bother even trying to go back to bed, so came down around 9:30. It's going to be a long day. Music Week post is almost done, so that should go up today, fairly early. Meanwhile, I'll work a bit on the jigsaw, then breakfast, then see what I can do.

Email (164 unread in inbox, looks like 13 from today):

• Substack: Music Week (10:1): 2 likes.
• Brian Morton: Thoughts on Tennessee.
• Robert Christgau: Xgau Sez: October, 2026. So no making up for missing September. Didn't include my jazz question.

Daily Log

Came down at 11:45. Reading Neiman: against Marxism, but in favor of socialism. Could be worth a post on its own. Did the cutoff for Music Week. Plenty albums rated (40), but only one new A-list, plus one old music from the 1996 search. Decided I would play Kevin Sun this morning. If it (actually two albums) rates, I could still have time to pick it up. Otherwise, I may try Tinashe again, but I doubt another spin will move my mind. In any case, Music Week must go out today. I'm leaning more and more toward actually writing up the "gentler genocide" piece, so that may be next.

Email (277 unread in inbox, most old):

• Substack: Loose Tabs (9); shareable assets; 1 like; 1 comment ("That's a lot of truly worthless people in that photo."); stats: 1 like, 1 comment, 1 restack, 136 email views, 24 other views. Music Week (10:1); shareable assets; September 2026 stats: 161 subscribers (+6), 1157 post reads (-45).
• Karen Kurtz (Farmers Insurance): Thanks for being a great customer. Actually, we're just stuck, and none too happy for that.
• Chuck Eddy: . . . And a Dollar Short (For a Few Dollars More): This got me interested enough to click on "150 Best Albums of 1991," but you have to have the Substack App to "claim your free article."
• Robert Wright: The Singularity is Clear: Part III: The Inexorable Logic of International Governance. "Inexorable" only if you assume a happy ending. Some reason to doubt that.
• Mike Konczal: Is The Actual Inflation Rate PCE and High or CPI and Low? We normally fight about what goes in the basket; this is a debate about which is the correct overall measure.
• Tom Carson: Our Nixon (obituary from 1994). Key line: "Oh, how we hated him!" And: "There are still millions of people in their forties and older whose political self-esteem is founded on their hatred of Nixon."

Music Week

Expanded blog post, October archive (in progress).

Tweet: Music Week: 40 albums, 4 A-list

Music: Current count 46680 [46640] rated (+40), 31 [25] unrated +6).

Advance Music Week appeared October 3 on Substack as Music Week (10:1). It is also archived here. My cutoff was done before the Substack post, but the introduction is revised/rewritten.

New records reviewed this week:

• 1-800-Mikey: In Yun (2026, Goner): [sp]: B+(*)
• RJ Chesney: A Southern Man (2026, Man of Straw): [sp]: B+(**)
• Mike Dana Jazz Orchestra: Farther (Still) (2025 [2026], Origin): [cd]
• Defcee & Steel Tipped Dove: We Will Be Brief (2026, Fused Arrow): [sp]: A−
• Daniel DeLorenzo: Can You Not (2026, self-released): [cd]: B+(**)
• Dinosaur Jr.: Near There (2026, Jagjaguwar): [sp]: B+(*)
• FaithNYC: Love Is a Wish Away (2024, Creation Youth): [sp]: B+(**)
• Diego Figuerido: Horse Blues (2026, Arbors): [sp]: B+(**)
• Chad Fowler/Eri Yamamoto: Polkadots & Moonbeams (2024 [2026], Mahakala Music): [bc]: B+(**)
• Shelley Hirsch/Christian Weber/Alfred Vogel: Vanish (2024 [2026], Boomslang): [sp]: B+(**)
• Katseye: Wild (2026, HYBE/Geffen, EP): [sp]: B+(**)
• Azar Lawrence: Turn the Music Up (2026, Trazar): [cd]: B+(**)
• Carla Marciano: Daydreaming: My Beloved Father Giovanni (2025 [2026], Challenge): [cd]: B+(**)
• Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves: Dedicated to You (2026, Blue Note): [sp]: B+(*)
• Gretechen Parlato: The Wise Ones (2026, Edition): [sp]: B+(*)
• Houston Person: From the Heart (2026, Arbors): [sp]: B+(***)
• Polyfillas: An Assortment of Punk Originals (2026, Dangerous): [cd]: A−
• Julian Davis Reid and Circle of Trust: Mercy We Need (2026, Too Lost): [cd]: B+(*)
• Andy Sheppard: Salt Catchers (2025 [2026], ECM): [sp]: B+(*)
• Bria Skonberg: Indigo (2025 [2026], Cellar): [sp]: B+(***)
• Skyzoo & Apollo Brown: Luxury Tax (2026, First Generation Rich/Escapism) [sp]: B+(**)
• Wadada Leo Smith: Constellations and Hemispheres (2017-22 [2026], Burning Ambulance Music): [bc]: B+(***)
• Tinashe: Popstar (2026, Atlantic): [sp]: B+(***)
• Tres Hongos: More Chips (2024 [2026], Relative Pitch): [sp]: B+(**)
• Lex Walton: Ultimate Love Forever (2026, Sub Pop, EP): [sp]: B+(**)

Recent reissues, compilations, and vault discoveries:

• Cameron Brown and Dannie's Calypso: Remembrance (2011 [2026], Sunnyside): [bc]: A−
• Jon Waine: Second Skin (1975-1983) (1975-83 [2026], Corbett vs. Dempsey): [bc]: B+(***)
• John Larkin: Before Scatman: Early Sessions (1978 [2026], Iceberg, EP): [sp]: B+(*)

Old music:

• Lola Beltrán: Voz E Inspiracion (1975, Peerless): [yt]: B+(**)
• Daniel DeLorenzo: Trio (2017, self-released): [bc]: B+(**)
• Fine Young Cannibals: The Finest (1985-89 [1996], MCA): [sp]: A−
• Fine Young Cannibals: The Finest: The Rare and the Remixed (1985-89 [1996], MCA): [sp]: B+(*)
• F.S.K.: International (1995 [1996], Sub-Up): [sp]: B+(**)
• Violeta Parra: Las Últimas Composiciones De Violeta Parra (1966, RCA): [sp]: B+(***)
• Astor Piazzolla: Sonfonia De Tango (1955, Disques Vogue, EP): [sp]: B+(**)
• Scatman John: Scatman's World (1995, RCA): [sp]: B+(*)
• Idrissa Soumaoro & L'Eclipse De L'I.J.A.: Le Tioko-Tioko (1978, Eterna): [sp]: B+(**)
• Zuhura Swaleh/Matano Juma & Orchestra Morning Star: Karama Zijiri (1973, Pwani): [yt]: B+(**)
• Caetano Veloso: Bicho (1977, Philips): [sp]: B+(***)
• Yellow Magic Orchestra: Yellow Magic Orchestra (1978, Alfa): [sp]: B+(*)
• Yellow Magic Orchestra: Solid State Survivor (1979, Alfa): [sp]: B+(**)

Unpacking: Found in the mail last week:

• Stephen Braude With Yamara Band: Big Dipper (self-released) [10-01]
• Roni Eytan: Melody People (PKmusik) [10-30]
• Giveton Gelin: Island Dreamer: III of III (ID) [11-01]
• Clay Giberson: Moment's Notice (Origin) [10-23]
• Danny Green: Let the Music Happen (OA2) [10-23]
• Clarence Hines Jazz Orchestra: Along the Way (OA2) [10-23]
• Devra Hoff: Baile as Baile (AUM Fidelity) [10-16]
• Reza Khan: Shadow Dancers (Painted Media) [10-30]
• James Brandon Lewis/Red Lily: Calling Antonin (TAO Forms) [10-23]
• William Parker: Waltz for Gregory (AUM Fidelity) [10-09]
• Matthew Shipp/William Parker: A Whole System Of (TAO Forms) [11-06]
• Ron Vincent: Ray's Hat Trick (Origin) [10-23]

Daily Log

Woke up after 10, and came down at 10:50, after reading Nieman on Gaza and starting the chapter on "woke." More hip pain than I've had since Monday, so I took some ibuprofen along with the usual acetominiphen. Rain stopped, skies are blue, and it's 60F outside. Laura asked for the heat to be turned on, but I'm not feeling the need as yet. Nearing completion of the Substack bit on Loose Tabs. Surely I'll get that done today. But work may be slow, both because I'm starting slow and because I'm expecting Doug to come over to work around the house. I want to trim some dead branches from the ash by the street. I also want to hose down the siding and windows, and clear the clutter from the flat roof. I might expect to work on this, but the way I feel right now, I may just turn him loose. New jigsaw puzzle. This one is going to go a bit slower. Mostly grays, although details will emerge when we look closely. I'm probably putting Music Week off to tomorrow. I did move the new reviews to the October archive, so it will be "(10-1)" instead of "(9-5)."

Email (261 in inbox, many from yesterday):

• TomDispatch: David Vine: The Pentagon's Secret Budget

Daily Log

Slept ok: over 6 hours, AHI 1.5, 100 score. Read a good chunk of Niemann on selling the Red Scare, or Bernays on propaganda. I put Loose Tabs up last night, with minimal fanfare. I'm working on a Substack piece to go with it, but didn't get very far. I'll work more on that today. I won't worry about Music Week until tomorrow: no problem, as my floating date seems to have centered on Friday, and I've been slow accumulating reviews this week.

Email: looked at some stuff, but didn't take notes.

Sep 2026