Cleaning out the basement today and found this a day late

“.. Members of the group Patriot Front ride the metro on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence in Washington, D.C.” @reuters.com

America is just a word but I use it

Massive hell yes to this. Natalie is the greatest

Had the craziestsexiestcoolest time at the TLC musical now playing at D.C.’s Arena Stage and was happy to write about it for The Guardian www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/j...

It’s tough to pinpoint the exact moment when Ella Langley’s hit single “Choosin’ Texas” grew bigger than country music, bigger than the singer’s starriest aspirations, bigger than the state of Texas itself, but like the universe, its expansion continues, writes @chrisrichards.bsky.social.

As zeitgeisty pop songs go, I feel like ELLA LANGLEY’s “Choosin’ Texas” has grown massive enough to contain the vast unknowability of Texas itself — and I wrote about it for @notus.com www.notus.org/this-hugely-...

Happy first day of summer open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

What this review of Patti Smith’s “Bread of Angels” for the Times Literary Supplement doesn’t mention is that I loved the book so much, I bought a copy for my dad for his birthday www.the-tls.com/lives/autobi...

I’m so honored by this recognition. I’m also looking for work! The Washington Post laid me off earlier this year. Deep thanks to the SFJ for elevating arts criticism in this tumultuous moment. Deep thanks to everyone for reading my stuff and spreading the word.

Amazing to be a part of POW MAG this week of all weeks. Read and subscribe and read! substack.com/@powmag

Do Jeff Bezos, Matt Murray, Will Lewis next pls

G O O D M O R N I N G open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

Honored to be on this list ! ! Deepest gratitude to Of Note With so much flux in music criticism right now, I’m a writer who appreciates every reader and a reader who appreciates every writer

Took a walk through reality with LIFTED and got schooled on the Altmansound, the Tuscany-Canterbury Drone, Sun Ra jamming on “Dumbo,” the duo’s new album “Movie,” and more open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

Love this short reflection of Rollins / an incidental anecdote that says much more than it lets on. "There’s very little experience behind a childhood crush. It’s almost entirely a thing of intuition, of wonder — a decision that’s somehow been made for you."

When I walk the streets of my (neighboring) hometown of Annapolis, Maryland, I like to imagine a young SONNY ROLLINS in love open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

An interview with Jeff Parker about his storied residency at ETA, his experience collaborating with Flea, music’s unknowable ability to change the mood of a room, the influence of Wayne Shorter, and his latest, "Happy Today." By the great @chrisrichards.bsky.social www.powmag.net/p/jeff-parke...

I’m 2x hyper-grateful to have been able to speak with JEFF PARKER for POW MAG ! ! open.substack.com/pub/powmag/p...

Awesome! Subscribe!

Listen to this record/subscribe to this newsletter/have a good week open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

this is tonight ! / come thru ! / D C R U !

Playing records at ASL w Kim Coletta and John Davis, we’ll bring the Vace, you bring yrself and a cool beverage, D C R U !

Went on a walk with MARTYN to talk about music as something we can step into. His new album, “Music for Existing,” is truly fantastic open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

Here’s where you’ll find me at the WOLF EYES show open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

The Sleeves album on @12xurecs.bsky.social is so good and so unlike anything else rn. Great chat btwn them and @chrisrichards.bsky.social here. thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/open-to-an...

I asked THE SLEEVES about the perimeters of their fabulous new album — close, delicate music that invites us to wonder about the borders of existence and/or which string is best open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

Mina is elite

Jonathan Williger has improved my scene-world-life and his rising experimental music label OUTSIDE TIME can improve yours open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

D.C. peeps, I'll be in conversation with @bushmeatsound.bsky.social this Wed:

Today is my birthday and you can help me celebrate by subscribing to my newsletter THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE where I just wrote about a life-changing bday present given to me at age sixteen — a vinyl copy of “Personal Best” by TEAM DRESCH open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

Every Sunday morning I send a little thank-you to the paid subscribers of THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE and today’s is one of the most exquisite songs I’ve ever heard open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

MM on MN HC !

I asked LANDOWNER for advice on surviving tour vis-à-vis surviving America open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

Thanks to the Musicscope podcast for inviting me to go deep on Q and Not U lore www.buzzsprout.com/2011780/epis...

Took a walk with ANALOG TARA and learned so much about the teachings of Pauline Oliveros, the boundaries between rhythm and noise, the long path of electronic musicking and more Tara’s fabulous new recording, Life of the Mother, is out today open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

I drove to NYC to catch the CRAZY SPIRIT reunion and had the kind of transformative experience that I didn’t expect open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

New album from STATION MODEL VIOLENCE is straight-up inspiring and so was this correspondence with the great punk mind Daniel Stewart open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

Introducing a new Sunday morning mini-column for the paid subscribers of THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE Thank you for making this work happen xo xo open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

I asked KATIE ALICE GREER about music as place-channeling and her answer really floored me open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

I went on a walk with Mac Kennedy of POISON RUÏN in the rain, through the mud, into the future open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

This is tremendous

Proof of listening, proof of life: I reviewed 100 recordings for THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE Thank you for reading, for subscribing, for telling a friend open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

Honored by the laughs-tears-joys-fears that cellist JANEL LEPPIN shared in this interview which felt as broad as her music open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

I saw GUTTERED on Saturday night and felt gratitude for our scene and hope for the young thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/when-the-s...

Didn’t intend for this to become movie week with my newsletter but my friends in BLACK EYES invited me to see ‘Undertone,’ a horror movie about sounds (and podcasts) thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/at-the-mov...

If the best thing about awards season is arguing for the snubbed, here’s one last shout for NALA SINEPHRO’s exquisite soundtrack to ‘The Smashing Machine’ open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

You, an adult, don’t have to like the music of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...

Glad this story is being told but I’m extremely disappointed that it fails to mention that The Washington Post has laid off nearly all of its arts critics A decades-deep legacy of arts coverage has been destroyed here and it hurts our city and our world www.nytimes.com/2026/03/14/b...

I asked the NYHC lifers in SHINING SEA about their most vivid New York noise memories and was transported by their answers open.substack.com/pub/thefutur...