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bradluen
@bradluen.bsky.social
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https://bradluen.substack.com/
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bradluen.bsky.social
bradluen @bradluen.bsky.social · 25d
My albums of 2025 include South Americans bricolaging the past (their own or D. Dibaba's), elders showing decreasing deference to the kids as they pass 100, one (1) of the year's most acclaimed LPs, and at the top, South Africans who are extremely unamapiano:
bradluen.substack.com/p/45-favorit...
45 favorite albums of my 2025
A year of small numbers (doot doot)
bradluen.substack.com
bradluen.bsky.social
Plenty I didn't know even amongst the English-language stuff, like the first record banned by the Beeb for dick jokes. An overarching point as usual is how early recorded music became international (also that people everywhere loved Hawaiian instruments; the Magnetic Fields woulda cleaned up in '33)
January 23, 2026 at 8:02 PM
bradluen.bsky.social
Yi Yi update: upon a third viewing (the first since my twenties), maybe Rules of the Game good
January 23, 2026 at 7:35 AM
bradluen.bsky.social
You wonder if that'll convince the Indiana state legislature that it might be useful for their flagship university to have a Statistics Departmert
January 20, 2026 at 3:43 AM
bradluen.bsky.social
Spoilers for my poll: Favorite singers

3 votes:

Beyoncé
Billie Eilish
Hilda Tloubatla/Mahotella Queens
Sabrina Carpenter
Willie Nelson

4 votes:

Chappell Roan
Olivia Rodrigo
Rosalía

5 votes:

Katie Crutchfield

6 votes:

CMAT
Tyler Childers

And your winner, with 7 votes:

Adrianne Lenker
January 19, 2026 at 9:11 PM
Reposted by bradluen
natepatrin.bsky.social
somehow over these last couple weeks I was able to finish this, a look into Serengeti's beloved Ultimate Chicago Guy alter ego Kenny Dennis, and it was strangely therapeutic being able to lose myself in Midwestern rap lore storytelling for a while
The World of Kenny Dennis
Read Nate Patrin on The World of Kenny Dennis
theshfl.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:50 PM
bradluen.bsky.social
Last day to vote! We finally got an album vote for Taylor (for the first time in two years), so if you swing that way you won't be alone!
bradluen.bsky.social bradluen @bradluen.bsky.social · 9d
If you have fulfilled your Peoples Pop Poll responsibilities and need to scratch your voting itch, come vote in my 2025 music poll! Instructions screenshotted below, or go to my Substack if you do not object to Substacks:

bradluen.substack.com/p/the-15th-a...
Vote for your favorite music of 2025! Albums: Split 100 points among your top 10 albums of 2025. No less than 5 points and no more than 30 for each album; whole numbers only. You may include older albums that in your judgment had their greatest impact in 2025. Singles: Name your top ten singles. If you listened to a song/track outside of the context of an album, it counts as a single. Asterisk rule: You may put an asterisk by one single to give it an extra half-point. If you don’t put an asterisk by any single, the half-point will go to the first single you name unless you state your list is unranked. The asterisk doesn’t have to be assigned to your number one single (you might decide to vote tactically.) EPs/mini-albums: Name up to five EPs or mini-albums. Assign an average of 2 points to each of these EPs, with each entry getting no less than 1 point and no more than 5; no zeroes. (So if you name one EP it gets 2 points, while if you name 5 EPs you can split 10 points.) It’s left to your judgment as to what counts as an EP/mini-album, but “shorter and fewer tracks than The Beatles’ Second Album” (26:25, 11 songs) is a good rule of thumb. Vote for EPs in the albums poll as well if they have given you comparable pleasure to your favorites there. Special category: Singers! Who are your current favorite singers? Name up to five (if you list more, names after the first five will be ignored.) Rappers may be eligible if you think they’re “melodic” enough. No points for rankings; I’ll just count things. Anyone reading this is eligible and encouraged to vote. Ballots from the kinds of people who don’t usually vote in music nerd polls are especially encouraged. Three ways to vote: Post your ballot as a comment on this [Substack] post. If you want to plug a longer or better annotated list elsewhere, please include a link. Post your ballot in the relevant thread in the (private) Expert Witness Facebook group. (To join the group, email me and we’ll work out how to do that. Be warned that if you got a Best New Music from P4K, someone or another has probably made fun of you in there.) Email your ballot to bradluen@yahoo.co.nz with “Expert Witnesses Poll 2025” in the subject line. Deadline: Sunday 18th January at 11:59 pm in some existent time zone.
January 18, 2026 at 8:18 PM
bradluen.bsky.social
If you have fulfilled your Peoples Pop Poll responsibilities and need to scratch your voting itch, come vote in my 2025 music poll! Instructions screenshotted below, or go to my Substack if you do not object to Substacks:

bradluen.substack.com/p/the-15th-a...
Vote for your favorite music of 2025! Albums: Split 100 points among your top 10 albums of 2025. No less than 5 points and no more than 30 for each album; whole numbers only. You may include older albums that in your judgment had their greatest impact in 2025. Singles: Name your top ten singles. If you listened to a song/track outside of the context of an album, it counts as a single. Asterisk rule: You may put an asterisk by one single to give it an extra half-point. If you don’t put an asterisk by any single, the half-point will go to the first single you name unless you state your list is unranked. The asterisk doesn’t have to be assigned to your number one single (you might decide to vote tactically.) EPs/mini-albums: Name up to five EPs or mini-albums. Assign an average of 2 points to each of these EPs, with each entry getting no less than 1 point and no more than 5; no zeroes. (So if you name one EP it gets 2 points, while if you name 5 EPs you can split 10 points.) It’s left to your judgment as to what counts as an EP/mini-album, but “shorter and fewer tracks than The Beatles’ Second Album” (26:25, 11 songs) is a good rule of thumb. Vote for EPs in the albums poll as well if they have given you comparable pleasure to your favorites there. Special category: Singers! Who are your current favorite singers? Name up to five (if you list more, names after the first five will be ignored.) Rappers may be eligible if you think they’re “melodic” enough. No points for rankings; I’ll just count things. Anyone reading this is eligible and encouraged to vote. Ballots from the kinds of people who don’t usually vote in music nerd polls are especially encouraged. Three ways to vote: Post your ballot as a comment on this [Substack] post. If you want to plug a longer or better annotated list elsewhere, please include a link. Post your ballot in the relevant thread in the (private) Expert Witness Facebook group. (To join the group, email me and we’ll work out how to do that. Be warned that if you got a Best New Music from P4K, someone or another has probably made fun of you in there.) Email your ballot to bradluen@yahoo.co.nz with “Expert Witnesses Poll 2025” in the subject line. Deadline: Sunday 18th January at 11:59 pm in some existent time zone.
January 14, 2026 at 7:35 PM
bradluen.bsky.social
2026 classic wrestling thread

new followers: (i) sorry (ii) hashtag to block: #GWE

Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano 1/31/90. Not a perfect match, but a good exercise for youngsters is to explain why this is better than <2020s 5-star match of the week>. Hint: rhymes with "smelling". Better: Liger (4½*)
Jushin Liger vs Naoki Sano 31/01/90
Dailymotion video by Keese
www.dailymotion.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:00 AM
Reposted by bradluen
brazilbeat.bsky.social
FBC, Assaltos e Batidas – For the Lusophone in your life who wanted another House of Pain album.
January 7, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Reposted by bradluen
pattonoswalt.bsky.social
In true Béla Tarr fashion, he took 70 years to die and it was a more or less continuous take.
sightsoundmag.bsky.social Sight and Sound magazine @sightsoundmag.bsky.social · 17d
Béla Tarr, 1955-2026 🤍
January 6, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by bradluen
alexshephard.bsky.social
"Renee was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” her mother said. “She was extremely compassionate. She’s taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being.” www.startribune.com/she-was-an-a...
‘She was an amazing human being:’ Mother identifies woman shot, killed by ICE agent
Renee Nicole Good, 37, lived in the Twin Cities with her partner.
www.startribune.com
January 7, 2026 at 9:57 PM
Reposted by bradluen
lmaojank.bsky.social
It’s broken containment because even the one slightly con white dude in my friend group thinks it’s bad and the officer should face charges over it. The video is that blatant.
January 7, 2026 at 8:31 PM
bradluen.bsky.social
wait Djo is Steve Harrington? man I do not know anything
January 7, 2026 at 9:29 AM
bradluen.bsky.social
2026 book thread:

Janis Tomlinson: From El Greco to Goya: Painting in Spain 1561–1828. Makes the case that court painters like Sánchez Coello and the German Mengs are worth a glance when you're at the Prado, though even the book seems to think them most interesting as context for Velázquez and Goya
Painting: Anton Raphael Mengs, Portrait of Queen María Luisa as Princess of Asturia (c. 1765), Prado. Janis Tomlinson: "Unfortunately best remembered as the aging visage of [Goya's] Family of Carlos IV, the young María Luisa was described as a charming and multilingual conversationalist – and as a civilizing influence on her husband."
January 7, 2026 at 3:16 AM
bradluen.bsky.social
Facebook Pazz and Jop results were 1. Wednesday 2. Horsegirl 3. Geese, if you want to know what indie music biz lifers* were into last year

*not derogatory, it's a noble calling
January 6, 2026 at 11:25 PM
bradluen.bsky.social
Boy I missed the boat on gqom in the 2010s, didn't I

www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_TN...
January 6, 2026 at 9:31 AM
bradluen.bsky.social
Brad's 2026 comics thread:

Franquin, Jidéhem, & Greg: Z Is for Zorglub/The Shadow of Z (tr. Jerome Saincantin.) Good old (and not too problematic) plot-keeps-a-plottin' France-Belgian adventures. Franquin draws great character art and funny animals, and Zorglub's a fun supervillain/buffoon.
Comic page from Z Is for Zorglub (1959–60), reissed by Cinebook), written by Franquin & Greg, drawn by Franquin & Jidéhem. The Zorglcopter takes off, leaving a Z-shaped trail. The Count of Champignac muses: "I have a confession to make: I've always found Zorglub amusing!… Worrisome too, of course…"
January 6, 2026 at 7:45 AM
Reposted by bradluen
brazilbeat.bsky.social
OK. For most of the past decade I'd listen to a couple of hundred or more Brazilian albums, review some, and do year-end wrap ups. No more. Doesn't mean I never listen. So here's a thread that will unfold over a few days on what I heard from Brazil 2025. I'll start with what I liked most.
January 6, 2026 at 3:52 AM
bradluen.bsky.social
NMIXX's "Blue Valentine" is my song of the year and one of the great progressive pop hits. Is it better than "I Got a Boy"? I think so: the pieces join more naturally, the feeling's deeper. Is it better than "Biology"? Knowing the People's Pop electorate's beliefs I'll neither confirm nor deny that
January 5, 2026 at 10:14 PM
bradluen.bsky.social
some African #THETENX5 ideas:

Sun-El Musician & Samthing Soweto: "Akanamali" 🇿🇦
Reniss: "La Sauce" 🇨🇲
Master KG: "Skeleton Move" 🇿🇦
Simmy: "Umahlalela" 🇿🇦
Davido: "Skelewu" 🇳🇬
Riton & Kal-Lo: "Fake ID" 🇬🇧🇳🇬
Khaled: "C'est La Vie" 🇩🇿
Rachid Taha: "Zoom Sur Oum"? "Happy End"? 🇩🇿

other suggestions?
January 5, 2026 at 9:18 AM
bradluen.bsky.social
My 21st or 35th annual singles list features hits/misses from all over Africa (but little in Arabic), the Americas (only one from Mexico), and Asia (only one from India), with entries sung in Māori and Hancha Kuin (but zilch in Chinese) Plus: not enough country!
bradluen.substack.com/p/99-lives-2...
99 Lives 2025
20th anniversary edition!
bradluen.substack.com
January 4, 2026 at 8:43 PM
bradluen.bsky.social
As usual I have little to say about current events that won't jeopardize my Green Card. "Illegal wars are illegal (and bad)" and "blatantly illegal wars are blatantly illegal (and bad)", I guess.
January 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM
bradluen.bsky.social
This has probably the best case for the Geese defense I've seen, if one wants to be fair to them (you may not)
joeydaniewicz.bsky.social joey daniewicz @joeydaniewicz.bsky.social · 21d
JOEY'S TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2025
Songs are fun, but this is the list that really matters to me. Was up all night polishing this one.
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for the TV articles next week.
joeydaniewicz.com/2026/01/02/a...
Joey’s Top Ten Albums of 2025
There’s only tree-six-foive days a year, and I don’t want you here.
joeydaniewicz.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:26 PM
bradluen.bsky.social
Ten great artworks I saw last year

Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog
Casper the Friendly Ghost (in a winter robe and hat) in front of the painting Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (c. 1817) in the Met's exhibition Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature, March 2025 https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/caspar-david-friedrich-the-soul-of-nature/exhibition-objects
January 1, 2026 at 11:03 PM
bradluen.bsky.social
#2025FavSingles

let's do one more and call it a year

OsamaSon: "Inferno"

See, Americans can do avant-rap as well as Asian women! Occasionally!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho5i...
OsamaSon - Inferno
YouTube video by OsamaSon
www.youtube.com
December 30, 2025 at 1:37 AM