First Blog of 2026!!

 Happy New Year everyone!! Here goes!!


"Lou Reed Was My Babysitter" by Jeff Tweedy:  A striking contrast to the other two following entries on my list in a few ways. It starts with L, not W, the performer of the song is white, not Black, it tells a statement, not a question (the other two both ask "Who?"), and it goes more towards alt-rock and folk-rock than it does to vintage R & B vibes. This makes "Lou Reed Was My Babysitter" a vibrant entry to start off 2026!! Even the title of the song says a lot!! The Patron Saint of Alt-Rock has long deserved his own song, and Jeff Tweedy finally gives him one! Does it sound like Lou Reed?! Yeah, it kinda does! It has a very laconic, dry rock sound that goes halfway between laid-back folk-rock and jagged, experimental alt-rock. The song contains rather obvious references to songs like "Rock and Roll," and other more oblique references to various Lou/Velvets songs, possibly evoking "Sister Ray" in its opening lines. Tweedy repeatedly says "The dead don't die" in the song (a total of 35 times, if you can believe it). What does he mean by "the dead don't die"?! No one really knows, but my best guess is that Tweedy is immortalizing Lou Reed in a way that is at once reverent and defiant, like the best songs from both The Velvets and Wilco are able to do!

"Who Knows" by Daniel Caesar:  One of two R & B-oriented entries on this list, and also one of two songs that asks "Who?" Of the two "Who?" songs on here, though, Daniel Caesar's is the more reflective one. The song is also that rare yet sublime combo of soul and folk music, the way "River" by Leon Bridges is. "Who Knows" is a vulnerable song that asks whether it is worth it to stay in a relationship in an age of uncertainty when it comes to romance and trust. As its title implies, "Who Knows" never comes around to answering its question, but it also seems oddly comfortable in its uncertainty.


"Who's That?" by Brother Wallace:  Our other "Who?" song of the New Year (Who Year?!). This one is more vibrant and spunky than the previous entry, on the other side of the R & B spectrum, almost gospel-like but with funk riffs and sax playing lifted straight from an early '70s soul song. From the lyrics of the song, though, I'm not sure if Brother Wallace is trying to evoke vibes of curiosity or jealousy, or perhaps both. The lyrics seem to center around a woman who is cheating on him, and Wallace wants to know who the person is she's with. But instead of condemning his partner, Wallace seems almost intent on knowing who this new person is, as though it's more like a game than it is an accusation.