It's hard to know what day it is or what I'm supposed to do; this is what it is to live in America right now. Last week, when the House threatened to defund D.C. public services as part of the federal spending bill, which includes my daughter's elementary school, I went blind with rage… you know, in addition to everything else happening. (The bill passed, but the Senate spared D.C.) One of my few outlets has been music: I levitated when Jorja Smith performed "On My Mind" at The Anthem, took my kid to see the jazz supergroup ARTEMIS (she loved it) and spun Embrace's "Do Not Consider Yourself Free" relentlessly: "But as long as there are others held captive / Do not consider yourself free." It's become a prayer. —Lars Gotrich, vikingschoice.org

P.S.: What a weird time to promote anything, but I wrote some very short liner notes for a Morella's Forest tribute comp called From Dayton With Love...From Others. (I previously wrote very long liner notes for the Super Deluxe vinyl reissue, which appears to be out of print.) Morella's Forest made sweet and fizzy '90s dream-pop inspired by Curve and Velocity Girl, with a bubbly sense of melody and drama. Tess Wiley, Fine China and The Throes appear, as do newer bands like Cigarettes for Breakfast and Weak Sheep. Once there's a preview track on Bandcamp, I'll include that in a future mixtape.