Art by neondemon.jpg
My talented friend Luciano Oliveira, (AKA neondemon.jpg) has created this lovely portrait of my two cats and me! Includes nods to Hello Kitty, Lush, The National, Ash, The Smiths, and even my mobility aids! I love it.
If you love it, too, you should check out his art portfolio or follow him on Instagram. He is open for commissions!
I liked Rumors of My Demise, by Evan Dando, but I don’t know if I’m biased because so much of it was nostalgia for the Boston music scene of my youth! Also, a lot of the book involves places and people from Boston/Cambridge/Martha’s Vineyard and I’m a born-and-raised Masshole! The first time I met Dando was at a Godstar show at Man Ray in Cambridge, MA. He walked up to me and said, “Hi! I’m Evan!” and was clearly high. In Rumors, he’s frank about all of his drug use, anxieties, and sleep disorder. The book was well-written and fast-paced. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Since I was a kid, I’ve loved learning about different cultures and places via postcards and pen pals. My first pen pal was Cédrine from Tarbes, France. Now, thanks to The Internet, I get to talk to folks all over the world!
For several years now, I’ve spoken with my Brazilian “pen pal” Luciano almost every day. We joke that we’re “music twins” because we love so much of the same music. We first bonded over our love of Ash and since have found that we both adore Jessica Lea Mayfield and many others.
This past September, I saw Jessica Lea Mayfield open for Lucero. After Mayfield’s set, I got to speak with her and told her all about Luciano (he’s one of her top ten listeners on Spotify!). Neither of us had a Sharpie, so instead of signing the CD booklet I brought or the vinyl I bought, she wrote to Luciano with a pink pen on a random postcard for The Friendly Toast that I had with me!
Long story short: Luciano was inspired by me to write about his Top 25 Albums of 2025! There’s some overlap, which is no surprise given that we’re music twins, but I’ve also discovered some new tunes. You can find it on Tumblr and his blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
Needless to say, I think Luciano is very talented. Check out his art portfolio or follow him on Instagram! And cross your fingers that Ash, Jessica Lea Mayfield, and more artists make their way to Brazil!
Here are 50 favorite songs of 2025 that helped me get through the year, available on Apple Music and Spotify. A friendly reminder to anyone who didn’t read Liz Pelly’s excellent Mood Machine: Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist-if you find something you like, please support the artists by buying their music/merch and by seeing them in concert.
Looking for some tunes to add to your Christmas playlist? Check out my “Step Into Christmas” playlist on Apple Music and Spotify! It includes bangers from Emmy the Great & Tim Wheeler, The Linda Lindas, and The Darkness. Plus classics from The Pogues (feat. Kirsty MacColl), Pearl Bailey, and Julie London. And there are some brand new tracks from Laufey, Ash, and Hilken & Melissa (feat. Kay Hanley).
Pop Culture Omnivore 