Chris McMahon
@chrismcmahon.bsky.social
Software QA, bass player, guerilla ukulele. Southern gentleman. Western canyoneer. Writer. Founded QA practice for Wikipedia/Wikimedia Foundation and Salesforce Foundation. Ex-Thoughtworks too. Y2K made my career.
I met Willie Dixon once when I was a baby bass player. The man had some gravitas. It's one of my favorite absurd musician stories but it's too long for bsky.
#morningmusic
For all those departed, those yet to depart (🙏?), and those we hope to stick around for awhile, The Binky Griptite Orchestra with "Dead Presidents", written by Willie Dixon in 1963.
"Well ain’t broke but I’m bad bent
Everybody loves a dead president"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJGm...
For all those departed, those yet to depart (🙏?), and those we hope to stick around for awhile, The Binky Griptite Orchestra with "Dead Presidents", written by Willie Dixon in 1963.
"Well ain’t broke but I’m bad bent
Everybody loves a dead president"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJGm...
Dead Presidents by The Binky Griptite Orchestra | B-Side
YouTube video by BRIC TV
www.youtube.com
February 16, 2026 at 3:51 PM
I met Willie Dixon once when I was a baby bass player. The man had some gravitas. It's one of my favorite absurd musician stories but it's too long for bsky.
recording basic tracks/scratch vocals for "Conchita Mi Vida", the tragic ballad of a man who only wishes to get high after work but his girlfriend has lost the lighter
February 15, 2026 at 7:45 PM
recording basic tracks/scratch vocals for "Conchita Mi Vida", the tragic ballad of a man who only wishes to get high after work but his girlfriend has lost the lighter
@themountaingoats.bsky.social you would like this I think.
#morningmusic
Dr. Ricky Dillard is Senior Minister of Church Worship and Music Administration at Ebenezer AME Church in Chicago. From their just released album w/ renowned bassist Ron Carter. Carter turns 89 this May.
It's a 3-day-weekend hump day for some. Rejoice a bit.
youtu.be/_LXajGVIkCk?...
Dr. Ricky Dillard is Senior Minister of Church Worship and Music Administration at Ebenezer AME Church in Chicago. From their just released album w/ renowned bassist Ron Carter. Carter turns 89 this May.
It's a 3-day-weekend hump day for some. Rejoice a bit.
youtu.be/_LXajGVIkCk?...
Ron Carter, Ricky Dillard - Sweet, Sweet Spirit (Audio)
YouTube video by RickyDillardVEVO
youtu.be
February 15, 2026 at 4:31 PM
@themountaingoats.bsky.social you would like this I think.
Y'all might be interested, the studio we were in today is where the Mavericks made their last record. It's a funky room. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjls...
The Mavericks ‘Moon & Stars’ In The Making - Episode 1
YouTube video by The Mavericks
www.youtube.com
February 14, 2026 at 11:42 PM
Y'all might be interested, the studio we were in today is where the Mavericks made their last record. It's a funky room. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjls...
Recording studio whereee
February 14, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Recording studio whereee
Reposted by Chris McMahon
Proud of Clara’s reporting here. And the support from the rest of our politics team that spent nights covering hearings at the Roundhouse so she’d have time to dig into this during a busy legislative session.
NEW: The family of Texas businessman and political candidate Donald Huffines have been identified as the owners of Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch in southern Santa Fe County, which was purchased in 2023 by a limited liability company. sfnm.co/4aB9Rpj
Texas businessman running for office owns Epstein's Zorro Ranch in Santa Fe County
The family of Texas real estate businessman Don Huffines, a Republican running for state comptroller, purchased the property through an LLC.
sfnm.co
February 13, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Proud of Clara’s reporting here. And the support from the rest of our politics team that spent nights covering hearings at the Roundhouse so she’d have time to dig into this during a busy legislative session.
$30B seems like a lot. www.anthropic.com/news/anthrop...
Anthropic raises $30 billion in Series G funding at $380 billion post-money valuation
Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.
www.anthropic.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:33 PM
$30B seems like a lot. www.anthropic.com/news/anthrop...
Longtime Tucson AZ resident here. The lines on maps do not correspond to any actual borderlands communities.
I grew up in Detroit. Windsor was just another community in the area, one with the best Chinese food and the great indy movie theater I tried to impress artsy girls by going to. I didn't even need ID to cross the border. The lines on maps do not correspond with how life works in those areas.
Trump thought his threat to block the Detroit-Windsor bridge to punish Canada would thrill the base. But here's a shocker: Working people in Michigan actually like the region's economic interdependence with Windsor!
Some thoughts on what this says about MAGA follies:
newrepublic.com/article/2064...
Some thoughts on what this says about MAGA follies:
newrepublic.com/article/2064...
February 12, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Longtime Tucson AZ resident here. The lines on maps do not correspond to any actual borderlands communities.
BRB buying a cajon, a kick drum pedal and a foot tambourine...
#nightmusic
Bassist Jason Howard, aka Great Blue Heron, is originally from the Prescott / Flagstaff part of central Arizona. He has several shows in the Seattle area, his new home base, over the next few weeks. Gregg Allman wrote this in 1970.
Have a great evening.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EoT...
Bassist Jason Howard, aka Great Blue Heron, is originally from the Prescott / Flagstaff part of central Arizona. He has several shows in the Seattle area, his new home base, over the next few weeks. Gregg Allman wrote this in 1970.
Have a great evening.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EoT...
Great Blue Heron - “Midnight Rider” by the Allman Brothers
YouTube video by Great Blue Heron
www.youtube.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:41 AM
BRB buying a cajon, a kick drum pedal and a foot tambourine...
If you are even remotely ukulele-adjacent you owe it to yourself and to those you love to check out these song books. They're a great resource.
Did we tell you we've made a new book of songs? This is our 14th book and brings the number of songs we have to just under 750.
This book has some absolute classics. What do you think?
www.moselele.co.uk?page_id=42052
This book has some absolute classics. What do you think?
www.moselele.co.uk?page_id=42052
Songbook 14
Download Moselele Songbook 14 or get all of the songs from our databaseIf you would like to listen to the songs from the book, then please use the Spotify playlist Download from here – Mosele…
www.moselele.co.uk
February 8, 2026 at 4:23 PM
If you are even remotely ukulele-adjacent you owe it to yourself and to those you love to check out these song books. They're a great resource.
Reposted by Chris McMahon
Cool that people are covering this again. Would be cooler if they’d bothered to read any of the existing work on it (i.e., you know, mine) before getting basic stuff wrong.
February 7, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Cool that people are covering this again. Would be cooler if they’d bothered to read any of the existing work on it (i.e., you know, mine) before getting basic stuff wrong.
RIP Fred Smith variety.com/2026/music/n...
Fred Smith, Bassist for Television, Dies at 77
Fred Smith, bass player for the influential proto-punk band Television, died Thursday. He was 77. The band confirmed his death on Instagram.
variety.com
February 7, 2026 at 12:21 AM
RIP Fred Smith variety.com/2026/music/n...
Reposted by Chris McMahon
Digable Planets on Front Porch?!
Happy Black History Month!!
Happy Black History Month!!
February 5, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Digable Planets on Front Porch?!
Happy Black History Month!!
Happy Black History Month!!
I was just listening to this with the idea of doing an acoustic vocal+bass+percussion cover of it. I think we can pull it off.
February 5, 2026 at 11:06 PM
I was just listening to this with the idea of doing an acoustic vocal+bass+percussion cover of it. I think we can pull it off.
Y'all may not remember the perfect app that was "Yo" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo_(app)
February 5, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Y'all may not remember the perfect app that was "Yo" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo_(app)
True sad fact: The Navajo Code Talkers Museum exists. It's inside of the Burger King in Kayenta AZ, and I recommend visiting if you are going that way www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_n...
'We're running out of time': Urgency builds for long-awaited Navajo Code Talkers museum
Navajo Code Talkers Museum Inc., with the help of former state Rep. Anthony Allison of Fruitland, is trying to secure a new fiscal agent for the project.
www.santafenewmexican.com
February 5, 2026 at 3:49 PM
True sad fact: The Navajo Code Talkers Museum exists. It's inside of the Burger King in Kayenta AZ, and I recommend visiting if you are going that way www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_n...
Reposted by Chris McMahon
Another hundred-year-old newspaper is going under.
The Gallup Independent is a small-town paper. It wasn't influential except in western NM. But it feels like such a loss for the community, including the Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo.
The Gallup Independent is a small-town paper. It wasn't influential except in western NM. But it feels like such a loss for the community, including the Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo.
'Shutting it down': Gallup newspaper will publish final edition Saturday
Publisher Bob Zollinger said financial considerations led to the decision to shutter the paper his father bought in 1964.
www.santafenewmexican.com
February 5, 2026 at 7:36 AM
Another hundred-year-old newspaper is going under.
The Gallup Independent is a small-town paper. It wasn't influential except in western NM. But it feels like such a loss for the community, including the Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo.
The Gallup Independent is a small-town paper. It wasn't influential except in western NM. But it feels like such a loss for the community, including the Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo.
Long ago I reviewed books for the Boulder (CO) Weekly. Mostly I got 1/4 page and didn't get paid but sometimes I got 1/2 page and $50. And free books! Shouting about great obscure books was a blast but so was slagging blowhards who richly deserved it like John Updike and Anne Rice.
I'm still processing the news. I loved this gig so much. Getting to shout about great books by especially newer authors has been one of the most uncomplicated sources of joy in my life, and I'm gonna be sad about this for a long time.
the Post news is gutting for many reasons, but I can’t help focusing on the books section—how great it was, and how essential. So many worthy books barely get reviewed. I’ve had authors reach out to thank me because mine was the only post-pub coverage they got. Just awful for readers & for writers.
February 5, 2026 at 5:28 AM
Long ago I reviewed books for the Boulder (CO) Weekly. Mostly I got 1/4 page and didn't get paid but sometimes I got 1/2 page and $50. And free books! Shouting about great obscure books was a blast but so was slagging blowhards who richly deserved it like John Updike and Anne Rice.
Reposted by Chris McMahon
Some of us independent journalists and newsletter writers were talking about the devastating Post layoffs and were thinking-- would folks find it useful at all if we held a little information session on the ins and outs of going indy, starting + running a newsletter or website, etc?
February 4, 2026 at 11:36 PM
Some of us independent journalists and newsletter writers were talking about the devastating Post layoffs and were thinking-- would folks find it useful at all if we held a little information session on the ins and outs of going indy, starting + running a newsletter or website, etc?
If you know anyone at WaPo who got laid off, @beehiiv.com is offering one year free premium subscription to anyone affected, no strings www.linkedin.com/posts/tyler-... (disclaimer, I work for beehiiv, and this is one reason why)
Thinking about everyone impacted by the layoffs at The Washington Post.
If you ever thought about going independent, we're happy to offer a year free on beehiiv — no strings attached.
I know th...
Thinking about everyone impacted by the layoffs at The Washington Post.
If you ever thought about going independent, we're happy to offer a year free on beehiiv — no strings attached.
I know that b...
www.linkedin.com
February 4, 2026 at 6:26 PM
If you know anyone at WaPo who got laid off, @beehiiv.com is offering one year free premium subscription to anyone affected, no strings www.linkedin.com/posts/tyler-... (disclaimer, I work for beehiiv, and this is one reason why)
Reposted by Chris McMahon
Cool to see Patreon taking the much overdue step of building out newsletter support. But I wonder how they convinced those folks to move to Patreon over a platform that lets them bring their paid subscriptions with them.
February 3, 2026 at 4:12 AM
Cool to see Patreon taking the much overdue step of building out newsletter support. But I wonder how they convinced those folks to move to Patreon over a platform that lets them bring their paid subscriptions with them.
I am jamming bass+voice with a stranger this afternoon and I am extraordinarily excited about it for a whole lot of reasons.
February 1, 2026 at 7:05 PM
I am jamming bass+voice with a stranger this afternoon and I am extraordinarily excited about it for a whole lot of reasons.
oh hey iReal is on here @irealproapp.bsky.social
after who knows how many decades as an Apple user I made my first purchase from the App Store. I'm going to work out with a singer who wants to do a bunch of standards in custom key signatures so I bought iReal www.irealpro.com It's pretty nifty.
iReal Pro - Practice Made Perfect
The most popular music practice app on earth just got even better. Master your art by practicing with a realistic band that can accompany you in any song or style, whether you’re writing your own or a...
www.irealpro.com
February 1, 2026 at 12:32 AM
oh hey iReal is on here @irealproapp.bsky.social
I may or may not have been doing heroic amounts of LSD at the time.
I bought this when it came out and wore out the grooves.
Brian Eno and David Byrne's album My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts was released on February 1, 1981
January 31, 2026 at 8:12 PM
I may or may not have been doing heroic amounts of LSD at the time.