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Song of the Day- Julianna Zachariou- “Dreamer Dreamer”

 Best of 2025, Los Angeles Events, Los Angeles Music, Music, Musicians / Bands, Spotify Playlist
Jan 122026
 

Julianna Zachariou- Dreamer Dreamer

This song by Julianna Zachariou was released as a single in 2025 and can be found on her latest album. It was also one of my selections for Best Songs of 2025.

Last May, Zachariou discussed the challenges of surviving as a working musician, how little artists are paid by streaming services, and more on KPBS‘s podcast The Finest. As a member of the United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW),  she is advocating for better pay from these streaming companies. The podcast is worth a listen (or read the transcript) and she also performs a few of her songs live.

She is currently on tour and will be playing at Healing Force of the Universe in Pasadena on Sunday, 1/18/26.

Song of the Day- Alex G- “Afterlife”

 Best of 2025, Los Angeles Events, Los Angeles Music, Music, Musicians / Bands, Spotify Playlist
Jan 052026
 

Alex G- Afterlife

This song is from Alex G‘s 2025 album, Headlights.

On Saturday, 1/10/26, he will be one of the artists playing at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles for Artists for Aid‘s benefit concert.  All proceeds from this show will support the Sudanese American Physicians Association and the Palestine children’s relief fund equally.

Best Songs of 2025

 Best of 2025, Los Angeles Music, Music, Musicians / Bands, Spotify Playlist
Dec 312025
 

Every year I put together a list of my choices for the best songs released this year. These are songs I went back to repeatedly, even while checking out other artists for the monthly playlists.

The playlist includes some familiar favorites like Big Thief, Panda Bear, Ty Segall, and Open Mike Eagle. Older bands like Swervedriver made the list, along with younger artists like up-and-coming New Orleans rapper La Reezy. This time around jazz fusion also made an appearance with a song by Thundercat, and one from British band GoGo Penguin featuring Daudi Matsiko.

2025 was an intense year for many people. Depression and anxiety are topics in the lyrics of several of the songs. But there is also plenty of joy in this playlist too, or at least, making the best of it when you can. I hope you will check it out and make some new discoveries!

December 2025 Spotify Playlist

 Best of 2025, Los Angeles Music, Music, Musicians / Bands, Spotify Playlist
Dec 302025
 

Wet Leg- catch these fists

Every month I listen to the majority of bands and musicians who are playing in Los Angeles and select some for a monthly playlist. It includes a variety of genres and usually newer work by the artist.

The song above is from UK band Wet Leg‘s 2025 album, moisturizer.

Below are December’s selections-

Song of the Day- Automatic- “Black Box”

 Best of 2025, Los Angeles Events, Los Angeles Music, Music, Musicians / Bands, Spotify Playlist
Dec 292025
 

Automatic- Black Box

This song is from LA band Automatic‘s 2025 album, Is It Now?.

On Sunday, 1/4/26, they will be part of a lineup of bands playing at The Regent Theater in Los Angeles for LA Fights Back- a benefit concert for CHIRLA.

November 2025 Spotify Playlist

 Los Angeles Music, Music, Musicians / Bands, Spotify Playlist
Dec 232025
 

Jordan Patterson- Racecar

Every month I listen to the majority of bands and musicians who are playing in Los Angeles and select some for a monthly playlist. It includes a variety of genres and usually newer work by the artist.

The song above is by Jordan Patterson, from her 2025 debut album, The Hermit.

Below are November’s selections-

 

 

Artist Birthdays- Jean-Michel Basquiat

 Art, Art Shows by Location, Artists, California Art Shows, Drawing, Los Angeles Art Shows, Mixed Media, Painting / Painters
Dec 222025
 

Jean-Michel Basquiat was born today, December 22nd, in 1960. The painting above, Untitled (1981) is currently on view at The Broad in Los Angeles.

From the museum about this work-

Many of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s paintings are in some way autobiographical, and Untitled may be considered a form of self-portraiture. The skull here exists somewhere between life and death. The eyes are listless, the face is sunken in, and the head looks lobotomized and subdued. Yet there are wild colors and spirited marks that suggest a surfeit of internal activity. Developing his own personal iconography, in this early work Basquiat both alludes to modernist appropriation of African masks and employs the mask as a means of exploring identity. Basquiat labored over this painting for months — evident in the worked surface and imagery — while most of his pieces were completed with bursts of energy over just a few days. The intensity of the painting, which was presented at his debut solo gallery exhibition in New York City, may also represent Basquiat’s anxieties surrounding the pressures of becoming a commercially successful artist.

In the video below (also from The Broad) LeVar Burton discusses the work and its possible connection to Basquiat’s childhood and family.

Flashback- Florida Art Shows- Kimowan Metchewais at USF Contemporary Art Museum

 Art, Art Shows by Location, Artists, Florida Art Shows, Photographers / Photography, Tampa
Dec 192025
 

While reading through the recently released list of artists selected for next year’s Whitney Biennial, I was very happy to see Kimowan Metchewais on the list. I discovered his work when it was part of USF Contemporary Art Museum‘s 2023 exhibition, Native America: In Translation.

The exhibition included a slide show of Metchewais’s polaroids that was particularly captivating. The images in this post are just a few favorites. For more on the artist, this Aperture article from 2023 is very informative.

Below are a few more selections-

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