New year, new albums, new tours—at least 2025 is on track to be good for music if for nothing else

Zappagram 142: New song from Butch Bastard, plus catch him on tour with Father John Misty soon, RIP Garth Hudson and David Lynch, stream FireAid on Jan 30, Spotify (still, really) sucks, and much more

Not much happens in the world of music over the holidays, nor during most of January, but as February (and my birthday) approaches, signs of life begin to emerge from the industry.

New albums and promotional tours are announced. Singles from those new albums start to drop. We start getting little glimpses into what the year has in store for us, musically speaking, and, therefore, we make little mental notes about things to look forward to. Those things help and go a long way, carrying us through the doldrums of winter and the insanity that lies ahead from a world—quite literally—gone mad.

I want to encourage everyone to lean into the music (and all other things in which you find joy and comfort) because life is short, and we’re going to need all the solace we can find in the days ahead. Lean on others—your loved ones, your community…hell, perfect strangers—oftentimes, love and support come from the most unlikely places.

But never fail to remember that music is therapy, and supporting …