Andreas Weith, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (Swabian village Eberhardzell, Germany )
Good morning! I’m publishing this piece early to give you plenty of time to read it before you get snockered.
I wanted to take a moment to share my plans for 2026 and let my readers know that I will continue to explore music beyond the borders of the United States. There will be no reviews of American music this year, and any requests to review American artists will be saved in a Word document and ignored for the foreseeable future.
As I don’t want to be seen as singling out Americans, I will henceforth ignore the music of any country led by a right-wing government or dictator. I had planned to review two albums featuring Chilean music and continue my exploration of Argentina’s rock scene, but those plans have gone kaput. I loved my three visits to Chile, and we had made the country our backup plan in case Ireland was engulfed in a war—but seeing pictures of Chileans wearing “Make Chile Great Again” baseball caps made me want to puke, and the voters made it crystal clear they don’t want immigrants like Alicia and me to dirty their country. Crossing over the Andes, I had been on the fence regarding Milei, but his support for U.S. policy regarding Venezuela crossed a red line with me. Yes, Maduro is a total asshole, but war never solved anything, and only the innocent suffer in the end. I’m sick and tired of far-right dick-waving.
No, I’m not egotistical enough to believe that my ban on those three countries will change a fucking thing. I simply don’t feel comfortable celebrating the artistic achievements of any country that embraces authoritarian values.
My “plan” for 2026 is not so much a plan as it is a wish list. In addition to the possibility of a continental war, I may leave my job at the EU if funding for human rights takes a back seat to defense, or if the politics continue to sour and Von Leyen is unable to convince EU leaders to accept the truth that the United States is not an ally but a dangerous adversary. The Grand Cheeto’s accusation that Europe is falling apart because we’re not racist enough—combined with his backdoor attempts to give Putin all he wants—confirmed that the USA is not a friend but a serious threat to our way of life (as also confirmed by The Economist in the article “More Reasons for America’s Friends to Plan for the Worst: A strategy that scorns Europe, bullies Latin America and is vague on Asia.”) All this instability may result in having to abandon my weekly schedule at some point, which will really piss me off. On the plus side, Ireland was recently named one of the five safest countries in the world, so I may be able to avoid the worst of the storm. For those who thought I was crazy to abandon the paradise known as the French Riviera, it turns out that I was ahead of the curve.
The wish list for the first half looks like this: Canada (9), England (8), Australia (3), Ireland (2), Scotland (1), Brazil (1), Senegal (1), and Mexico (1). I pushed back my follow-up reviews of Leonard Cohen to spring, as I don’t think I can handle Songs from a Room and Songs of Love and Hate in the dead of winter. The good news for fans of Canadian music is that by delaying Leonard, I now have the opportunity to take a deep dive into the music of The Tragically Hip. I have also warmed up to Rush, removed them from my no-fly list, and will publish my first review in March.
Regarding the second half of the year, I’m taking a wait-and-see approach due to the continuing collapse of international law triggered by the United States. If the world is still functioning next summer, I’m fairly certain that Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and Brazil will be well-represented, and assuming they manage to stem the rise of far-right populism, I would like to explore the music of Germany, Spain, and the Nordic countries.
Over half of the upcoming reviews feature artists suggested by readers or those identified as underrated by participants in response to my recent invitation. So, thank you all for helping me expand my horizons, and let’s hope for a miraculously great New Year!
First of all, best wishes to you and your family in 2026.
Given that this is your blog, you are naturally free to choose whatever parameters you see fit up to and including not reviewing “American music” and “American artists” in protest of the Trump Administration.
Yet this begs the question as to what constitutes “American music” and “American artists”.
For example, how does The Band fit into this equation? The group consisted of four Canadians and one American. Does Levon Helm’s presence in the group make them “American artists”? Let us also consider that much of their music can arguably be classified “Americana”. Would this also render them verboten?
Now let me add Neil Young to the conversation. While Canadian born and currently residing in Canada, he also holds American citizenship. Does this put him on the ineligible list? If that is the case, then what of his outspoken opposition to the Trump Administration? Or does nationality negate ideology?
Let me put it another way. If your principal argument against reviewing “American artists” and “American music” is the toxicity of the Trump Administration, then it makes all the sense in the world to avoid spotlighting musicians who support Trump’s toxicity such as Kid Rock, Lee Greenwood or Gloria Gaynor. But if your ban extends to “American artists” who oppose Trump then I fail to understand your rationale because it makes no distinction between demagogues and dissidents.
Your ban also takes in a multitude of deceased artists who having nothing to do with Trump and would very likely oppose him if they were still with us. In other words, I don’t see why Trump and his policies should be held against the likes of Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Richie Havens, David Ackles or Sister Rosetta Tharpe among far too many to mention.
I realize you are now expanding your parameters to “ignore the music of any country led by a right-wing government or dictator”. In which case, it is conceivably possible you may add Canada to your no-go zone should their voters see fit to elect the Tories in the next federal election. Yet it must be said that the citizenry of certain countries may be in a better position to change the ideological inclination of their governments than others by virtue of an independent civil society with strong public institutions.
For those countries who do not have a thriving civil society or have weaker public institutions, I fail to see the virtue of boycotting the music of a country led by a right-wing dictator if the music emerging from that country is written in protest of said right-wing dictator.
Of course, your blog, your rules. Nevertheless, I hope you will give consideration to this commentary in the spirit in which it is intended.
The Band has been on my no-fly list forever, but I would review a band with a majority of Canadians, like the New Pornographers. I don’t plan on doing any more reviews of Neil Young or Joni Mitchell, regardless of citizenship. Tories don’t bother me in either England or Canada because they’re not far-right politicians with a goal to destroy democracy. If we were in the 80’s and Ronald Reagan was president, I would still be reviewing American musicians even though I would have disagreed with his views on everything. As I’ve said before, I do not feel comfortable reviewing the music of authoritarian countries because I would be validating a culture that spews hatred of immigrants, LBGTQ people and non-white races. Going back in time to review American artists of yesteryear is a painful exercise because that America no longer exists and it makes me very, very sad. It’s not about Trump per se; it’s about a country that has completely lost its way, and both the voters and the Democrats made that possible. I can’t pretend that the country I grew up in still exists and I refuse to give even a subliminal message that says everything’s okay in the States because they used to have Miles, Elvis and Connie Francis.
Reviewing music from countries protesting a dictatorship is problematic, because by protesting they are putting their lives on the line, and I wouldn’t want to do anything to put those people at risk, even with my very modest influence and reach—and I don’t think my support via a music review would help their cause anyway. That situation is more suited to a Chick Riff.
I see a paradox. On one hand, you make the case that you “do not feel comfortable reviewing the music of authoritarian countries” on the grounds that you “would be validating a culture that spews hatred of immigrants, LGBTQ people and non-white races.”
However, on the other hand, you also oppose reviewing protest music from those same countries “because by protesting they are putting their lives on the line” and “you wouldn’t want to do anything to put those people at risk.”
I understand your desire not wanting to put people in danger. Yet it seems to me that people who are protesting said authoritarian governments (be it through movements, manifestos, music or any other form of expression) have already put their lives at risk and know this all too well. In an age of growing authoritarianism, the voices of dissidents ought to be amplified. Particularly so if those voices challenge hatred against immigrants, LGBTQ people and non-white races.
On a separate note, the jury is out on Canada’s Tories. They have become considerably more MAGAfied since the trucker convoy in 2022 followed by the emergence of Pierre Poilievre. But having failed to unseat the Liberals last year, Poilievre faces a leadership review. It is more likely than not he will survive the review unless there is another floor crossing which produces a Liberal majority government for Mark Carney. Then all bets are off. Yet even if Poilievre does not survive his leadership review there is a good chance the Tories could choose someone even more pro-MAGA.
With that, I look forward to your music reviews for 2026.
I’ll let the Canadians in the audience weigh in on the possibility of going MACA, but to the point, there is no paradox. The raison d’être of this blog is the exploration of popular music from the 1920’s on, and I only review albums three years after their release to ensure timelessness, historical value or lasting cultural relevance. I have no intention of reviewing contemporary music, so any current protest songs would not appear on my radar until well after they have served their immediate purpose.
All the best. What’s going on is awful (to put it mildly). My plan is to consume less booze because it messes with my sleep, and there is plenty to disturb that as it is. I will pet the fur-people (4 cats and a dog) a lot, practice my guitar as much as I can, love my wife and father and watch out for my friends. You and Alicia take care of yourselves.
So glad to read that you are going to do a “deep dive into the music of The Tragically Hip.” IMO – they are a criminally underrated band and never got the recognition that they deserved.
My base line is ’70s prog rock with some blues, rock, opera, old country and gospel added to the mix. Occasionally rap, but usually just when I’m working out.
I totally agree about The Tragically Hip. If they’d been better marketed in the States they could have been huge but they were lumped in with the jam bands instead of the grunge bands or the alt rock crowd. Those would have been a much better fit. But we love The Hip in Canada because they stayed true to their roots and wrote about Canadian stories and they stayed home never moving to the US the way other earlier artists had to do. The same applied to Rush whether you like them or not. And The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive before them.
I agree. I’m planning to review all the Hip’s album in chronological order, at a rate of one every six weeks. The Guess Who is scheduled for June and BTO for July. As noted, Rush gets a review in March.
Excellent. What changed your mind about Rush?
A bit of self-reflection. I tend to like voices in the middle-to-low range and Geddy’s high voice turned me off. When I was putting together a plan for 2026, I read more about the band, realized their significance and said to myself, “You’ve got to get over this voice thing.” Then one part of my brain woke up and yelled, “Hey, stupid! How can you penalize Geddy when you have reviewed all of Radiohead’s albums and wrote two positive reviews of Yes albums! Tom Yorke and Jon Anderson have high voices, dipshit!” I’m starting with Moving Pictures because I felt the need for more progressive rock reviews, and we’ll see where I go from there.
The era of Rush that I appreciate is from 1981-1987 and begins with “Moving Pictures” so I look forward to your take on it.
I’m surprised you were on the fence about Milei!
I was fooled by his belief in free love!
Just between us…. Thick as a Brick II is, after passion play and the original TAAB, in that order, the third best thing Ian ever spit up. No, really.
I am utterly shocked, but incredibly excited, to see you remove Rush from your no-fly list! Thank you for providing something to look forward to in 2026.
You must review as you see fit needless to say , UK music for now falls into your criteria, if the UK Conservative party won the next GE , would that be the end of reviewing UK music?
I’d be more worried about Reform than the Tories, but even then the parliamentary system would hold them in check.
I hope you’re right that it would…
Not the remotest chance the tories will win!
You obviously have the right to review whatever you wish (and I’ll read it anyway, because you’re a damn good music writer), but I’d like to point out for your intenational readers that a quarter of a billion Americans DID NOT vote for this regime. They either voted for other candidates in 2024 or, for one reason or another, did not vote or could not vote. American artists (including many from the famously more conservative country music industry) are by and large struggling *against* the ascendant far right, not embracing or supporting it. Look what’s happening at the Trump-controlled Kennedy Center now.
That is all — happy and prosperous new year to everyone!
I completely get your antipathy towards most things American. Where do you stand on US artists who, right now, probably wish they were anything but? John Mellencamp, Steve Earle and The Boss have fought the good fight over the years, and made some very good records in doing so. Further afield to less satanic polities, the altrockchick take on The Netherlands’ Supersister, Denmark’s Burnin’ Red Ivanhoe and Germany’s Can, Amon Duul II and Tangerine Dream would be more than welcome. Best for the season.
Art and politics should not be mixed.
Why win the far right the elections? Left goverments disappoint the voters. The left ignore the problems of the ordinary people. Ignorance and arrogance is the main problem. Today the lefties betray their own values.
For 40 years I voted left, now I don’t.
Victor
Perhaps Shakespeare, Dickens, Orwell, Huxley, Steinbeck, Atwood, Solzhenitsyn, Sassoon, Picasso, Ernst, Banksy and, er, Jeffrey Archer would disagree with your notion that art and politics should not be mixed. Not to mention all those ghastly woke rock stars, eh? Perhaps if your name’s Ted Nugent you get a pass. And I wonder why you think anyone should lose any sleep over your voting intentions? Keep politics out of rock music threads, that’s what I say.
Your policies are correct and you remain articulate and laser focussed to the point of inspirinig acute envy. Viva Mexico. The best current band in Mexico is ‘Belafonte Sensacional’ and concert tickets for you and your lifemate will be my gift to you when you get you get to Mexico City. Have you read Roberto Bolaño?
If Roberto Bolaño wrote anything that is not for the ages, it hasn’t been published in English. (My Spanish, alas, is primitive.) “2666” matches the greatest achievements of Tolstoy, Melville, Joyce, Woolf, and Bellow.
Happy New Year to you, altrockchick, and to everyone here!
At first, I misread what you wrote as Roberto Bolaños, the legendary comedian creator of Chapulín and El Chavo, with the latter being easily the biggest sitcom ever in all of Latin America!
Happy New Year!
I have a Soy Piedra review coming at the end of May. With the workload at the EU and the hours spent on research and writing, I haven’t had time for Bolaño. I haven’t read a novel in three years! Don’t know when I could make it to Mexico City, but I love the place.
Happy New Year.