Ed Mazzucco & Laura Mazzucco (Shelflife Records, Tears Run Rings, Autocollants)
Our new kittens Diego & Mo (pictured above)
The Autocollants Reunion
Japan vacation
Highspire “Crushed”
The Cords
Quickly Quickly “I Heard That Noise”
Stereolab “Instant Holograms On Metal Film”
The Blue Herons “Demon Slayer” single
Vinyl Williams “Portasymphony”
Teenage Daydream book
The Umbrellas are proud to present our top 5 most played songs of tour. Various songs we’ve either heard at gas stations or just can’t seem to get out of our heads. Ever wonder what we are listening to driving up to the gig? It’s likely one of these here tunes.
1) J^ke – “this is what falling in love feels like” (2021)
2) Leikeli47 – “Girl Blunt” (2018)
3) Rascal Flatts – “Life is a Highway” (2006) , but we should mention Tom Cochrane’s original holds a place in our hearts
4) Rich Gang – “Lifestyle” ft. Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan (2014)
5) Chris Lane – “I Don’t Know About You” (2018)
Alicia Hyman (Jeanines)
The new Tony Molina record (On This Day) and touring with Tony Molina and Lightheaded
The Cassie Ramone record from 2024 (Sweetheart)
Biscuit and Heidi (my cats!)
Road tripping with Rob and Amelia (Jeanines/Lightheaded UK tour this past summer)
The End of Romance – Lily Meyer (Feb 2026)
Constantly – GG (graphic novel)
Frannie Choi poetry
My friends Zoë and James and their band Time Thief
Kendall Jane Meade
Best Movie: Train Dreams
Best Live Shows: Hannah Cohen, Oracle Sisters, The Ladybug Transistor, Mekons, Peter, Bjorn & John
Best Tour Memory: Visiting the Frank Lloyd Wright museum and Historic District in Chicago
Best Book: Nice Girls Don’t Win by Parvati Shallow
Best Doc: It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley
Best Reason To Release An Album: I made my album SPACE to process complicated feelings around my divorce, but the best part of the process was that it led me back to growing and nurturing my musical community (not to mention my chops).
Best Songs Of The Year: “Long After Midnight” by Flock of Dimes, “Elderberry Wine” by Wednesday, “My Full Name” by Madison Cunningham and every single song on West End Girl by Lily Allen.
Glenn Donaldson (Reds, Pinks and Purples)
Music continues to be the only thing worth your time…some 2025 gems:
Vulture Feather – It will be like now
Maxine Funke – Timeless Town
Necks – Disquiet
Husker Du – 1985: The Miracle Year
Swiz – Complete Discography
Dania – Listless
Obscuress – Maltha
Christina Carter – Like a Bayou to its Gulf
Drunk Elk – Clear Skies in Effect
Matthew Smith Group – S/t
Caroline – 2
Scrabbled – Plough through the Rust
Lois Maffeo
January – Alan Sparhawk dancing and spinning around at the end of his show in Seattle. Physical release to begin 2025!
February – Listening to List of Demands LP by Damon Locks
March – Singing Strumpet with The Linda Lindas in Seattle.
April – Yo Yo A Go Go panel discussion at Evergreen. Recognition of some hard work that was disguised as magic-making.
May – Listening to the DJ Game radio show on KVMRx.org. DJ brothers Thom and Greg Moore astonish one another with wild hits.
June – Whales came to the Olympia end of the Salish Sea!
July – 25th anniversary of The Transfused – a panel discussion at the library on the queer rock opera conceived and produced in Olympia in 2000. Hear the prophecies of the anti-trans, oligarchical 2020s? I do!
August – Making a real time birthday playlist for a special person. Just call out the songs and hit play!
September – Watching Kicking Giant start their set at Northern Sky Festival by summoning a thunder storm!
October – Portland Frog! (And listening to When Boys Cry by Selector Dub Narcotic.)
November – ASMR Dumpling Making Theater in Tacoma by artist Yixuan Pan
December – Mark Robinson’s astonishing setlist. Hydroplane!
Calvin Johnson (K)
Katie Alice Greer “Talk to Leslie”
Hifi Sean “Waiting for the Sun” (Plastique Recordings) 12″
Ghost Bitch Bruise Tattoo
MC Yellah & Deb Master Gaudencia (Hakuna Kulala) LP
Alga Alga CS
DJ Holographic House in the Dark (Through the Veil) LP
Fostex Nest Accidental Music: Live At Le Voyeur (Little Giant Recording Co.) CS
Heavenly “Portland Town” / “Someone Who Cares” (Skep Wax) 7″ 45rpm
Katy Pinke Strange Behavior (Glamour Gowns Records) LP
Nick & the Nod The Lackey Circle (Chicken Shack Records) LP
Damon Locks List of Demands (International Anthem Recording Co.) LP
Little Angry & the Sweets Screamin’ Inside Your Heart!!! (Antiquated Future) LP
Uncomfortable Police Hazmat Kat (Teen Beat Records) 7″ EP
Briana Marela My Inner Rest (AKP Recordings) CS
Wild Billy Childish & the Chatham Singers “Step Out (Alt)” / “Upside Mine” (Spinout Nuggets) 7″ 45rpm
Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket)
Some favorite books
Margaret Ross, Saturday (the song cave)
Alex Dimitrov, Ecstasy (penguin)
Keiler Roberts, Preparing to Bite (drawn and quarterly)
Alice Chadwick, Dark Like Under (biblioasis)
Ella Frears, Good Lord (rough trade)
Richard Siken – I Do Know Some Things (copper canyon)
Terry Banks (Dot Dash)
Shows:
Bad Moves – final show, Black Cat, July 26, 2025
Tony Molina — Comet, October 16, 2025
Trupa Trupa – Quarry House, February 27, 2025
Burn Kit – Ottobar, April 16, 2025
Books:
David Hajdu, Positively 4th Street
John Clellon Holmes, Go
Peter Carroll, Odyssey of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade: Americans in the Spanish Civil War
Records:
Various Artists, Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65
Sharp Pins, Radio DDR
The Pale Fountains, Complete Virgin Years
Kevin Alvir – MOST ADORED of 2025:
– Zohran Mamdani
– Sharp Pins – “Balloon Balloon Balloon” & “Radio DDR”
– Tony Molina – “On This Day”
– Horsegirl – “Phonetics On & On”
– Golden Apples “Shooting Star”
– Good Flying Birds – “Talulah’s Tape”
– Idle Ray – “Even in the Spring”
– Pee-Wee As Himself (documentary)
– Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake (mind bending young adult animation)
– the Simpsons (revisiting. haven’t watched since the 90s.)
– Superman (movie) (we need hope, yeah?)
Read 2025 list: Rob Pursey on his favorite T-shirts
Read 2025 list: Theresa Kereakes on things she adored this year