Ears on Bowie, Eyes on Minnesota
Plus, I played drums on a new punk EP
Good morning. I didn’t have time to finish the longer piece that I had planned for this free newsletter, in part because some recent reading and current events forced me to reconsider my approach to the subject. Instead I’ll keep today’s dispatch brief and highlight some links that I think you might find interesting.
First, I enjoyed reading a variety of pieces commemorating the 10th anniversary of David Bowie’s death. Here are three in particular that I think you might like too:
Jeremy Gordan’s reflections on the experience of reporting Bowie’s death captures not just the specifics of that moment but also the digital media landscape at large in the mid-2010s. As a fellow TweetDeck veteran, a great deal of this rang true for me.
Carl Wilson chose to reprint his 2016 Bowie obit, still a great read in the present day.
Finally, Gary Suarez wrote about how David Bowie’s 90s material intersected with the rising popularity of both industrial rock and hip-hop for his newsletter Cabbages.
In addition to reading about David Bowie, I have been thinking a great deal about the situation unfolding a few states north of me in Minnesota. If ICE’s siege of the Twin-Cities also occupies your thoughts, I’d encourage you to follow this linktree which I found courtesy of the homies in Another Heaven.
Ok, that’s all for now, my cat has demanded that I stop typing. Please enjoy the fresh tunes below.
# # # # # The Promo Zone # # # # #
🚨 🚨 🚨 NEW SESSION WORK ALERT🚨 🚨 🚨
In 2023 my friend Ivan Belcic of the band Kosmogyr hired me to play drums on the debut EP from his new punk band Vernon. I was happy to oblige. I recorded these five songs in an afternoon at Dan Rico’s basement studio (RIP). I’m proud to say that I knocked out these tracks in at most three takes each. Hire me. Vernon play high energy melodic punk rock with big cheeseburger choruses, think something along the lines of The Gaslight Anthem, Alkaline Trio, maybe a little Against Me. If you’ve attended or considered attending Riot Fest, this one is for you.
The first Ferrn show of 2026 is on the books! On February 28th we’re headlining a show at Cobra Lounge with Jack Riedy, Daydream TV, and Soft Fiction. This will be my first time playing at Cobra Lounge. Our last show with Soft Fiction was a blast, and I’ve wanted to rock with Daydream TV since moving to Chicago. I’m not familiar with Riedy, so I’m excited to become acquainted. Early rehearsals suggest that we’ll have some fresh material ready for this one, so grab your ticket now!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Listening Diary ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Listen to this year’s diary on Apple Music.
“Pour The Henny” by Mobb Deep (Infinite, 2025)
It’s brick out here in Chicago, so you know I have to blast some big coat heavy boots music.
“Float” by Jay Som (Belong, 2025)
Great drum groove here, and I dig the dramatic 80s rock / early 00s emo combo in the songwriting. From what I’ve gathered Jay Som’s career has shifted more to side-player and production work, which for me at least makes her mainline work all the more interesting. That polymetric guitar line after the first chorus is the mark of a true pro at work.
“Trust In Events” by Cocojoey (Stars, 2025)
If you fired up Stars based on my comparisons to 90s prog metal in my Best Albums of 2025 list and didn’t make it past the uptempo dance tracks that open the record, try this tune instead. The chorus of this song stopped me dead in my tracks when I first heard it. One of those rare cases of shifting time signatures making the music catchier. Trying to keep up with the rhythm of the vocal melody makes me feel like a cat chasing a laser pointer.
“Go Go Steam” by betcover!! (Yuki, 2025)
I shared this tune in my top 2025 list, but in case you scrolled past it then here it is again. I didn’t mention in that previous blurb that betcover!! also remind me more than a little of The Mars Volta. That effected guitar line in the chorus? Very reminiscent of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. The drums and piano also play with a high speed intensity that would fit right in with Deloused era Volta.
“Life” by Fire-Toolz (Private Angel Message, 2025)
Fire-Toolz & Cocojoey team up on a cover of a background theme from The Weather Channel. Somehow I suspect that the djent rhythm guitars were not part of the original composition. We owe a lot of musical pleasure to the diligent and unheralded work of library music composers, so it’s cool to see their compositions highlighted in new contexts.