Friday night, I’m back at Club Underground and, this week, we’ll be celebrating my birthday, so stop by Grand Star Jazz Club and say hi. Advance tickets are available now, but you can also get yours at the door. Party starts at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, December 5, and it’s 21+. The Grand Star is located at 943 N. Broadway in Chinatown’s Central Plaza, right next to the Bruce Lee statue. 

And, heads up, I’ll be back in the new wave vs. darkwave room at Klub Nocturno on Saturday, December 20, at Catch One. This is an 18+ event and tickets are available now on Dice.

This Saturday, December 6, is Analog Outlaw, the physical media fest that has become a favorite of mine. It’s over at 2220 Arts + Archives from noon until 5 p.m. and boasts an amazing list of vendors, including Ann Magnuson, MutMuz Gallery, Hat & Beard Press and more. Bibliomancers, the L.A.-based publisher that specializes in themed collections of paperback book covers and ephemera, will be launching a new title, High Crimes, Cult Minds, which is a sequel to Cults That Kill, at the event and I talked to Astraleyes, who is also a co-founder of Analog Outlaw, about the project. 

Read: BIBLIOMANCERS: CURATION THROUGH DIVINATION

I know everyone has been sharing their albums of the year this week. Mine is probably going live next week, along with my list of my top bangers for 2025. In the meantime, though, I posted a little list of the political songs that I loved this year.

I thought this was an important list to post first because politics aren’t brand safe. You’ll risk alienating the people who disagree with you. You might scare off the companies who would otherwise want to work with you. Blah blah blah. But, at a certain point, if you’re someone with a platform, be it music, art, film or writing, you will need to ask yourself, “Am I a brand? Or am I a human being who actually gives a shit about what’s happening in the world?” Hopefully, the latter is the answer. 

Read: BEST OF 2025: THE YEAR IN POLITICAL SONGS

More to come next week. Until then, I hope to see you on the dance floor Friday night at Underground. 

Liz O.