Niko Stratis - The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman (2025)

With a title like this, how was I gonna not read it? I could read books by trans women about rock music until I die. Alas, this is the only one I know of.

So, naturally, what is dad rock? My first thought was the music my dad, or my partner’s dad, or any stereotypical, white, cishet, US-American father would listen to. Stratis admits to initially leaning the same way, but ultimately subverts expectations and goes based on vibes, specifically honing in on what she describes on her blog as “someone taking what they have learned, through time and skill and failure, doing their best to impart that knowledge as an act of communal guidance.” In that way, dad rock is whatever she wants it to be, and it transcends gender and age. It is perhaps no coincidence that my dad likes most of the bands cited in the book, or he probably would if he listened to them. Incidentally, they’re pretty much all white and cis. Then again, my own list of trans inspiration tunes is also very white and cis.

At any rate, it’s no surprise to find chapters on Wilco, R.E.M., or Fleetwood Mac, but the real treasures are the deeper cuts, like The Mountain Goats, Neko Case, and Sharon Van Etten (even if she mistitled “We Are Fine” as “It’s Alright”). I have to admit, I was especially surprised by Haim, Julien Baker, and Waxahatchee, all of whom are younger than Stratis (and, except for Este Haim, me). But viewed through the lens of artists that want to share the wisdom they’ve learned through experience, it all makes sense. There is a great mix of artists I already knew and loved, artists I sorta knew and now know better, and a few that were new to me. Because of the variety of subgenres and generations, that will probably be true for anyone interested enough to read it. She finally sold me on The Mountain Goats, she reminded me that The National did have a couple solid albums once upon a time, and she reaffirmed my love of “Fake Plastic Trees”.

I love the way Stratis combines stories from her life with stories about the bands and their songs, even if her personal connections to the music generally have more to do with alcoholism, loneliness, depression, and economic struggle than with explicit queerness, transition, or femininity. But that’s part of the beauty of it: Stratis becoming who she is today is a summation of all these things, and of course no trans person’s journey follows the same path. Surviving bullying, isolation, gruelling labor, and grief is how she became who she is now, and music is an ideal vehicle to carry her through it all. It’s a pleasure to hear her interpret these songs through the lens of the struggles she went through and share the wisdom she’s gained from them. And I like that she stuck to the bit and assigned a song even for the final chapter, which was mostly just acknowledgements!

Score: A-

Chromatic Apparition - Zwischen den Jahren

I've released a new album! I've been sitting on it for nearly a year but it's time to share it. It's a sort of spiritual successor to Preserve the Absurd, which is to say it is improvisational and mostly instrumental. I don't know what it is exactly, but I like it enough to share it. I hope you like it too.

There are six tracks of varying lengths and moods, created with guitar, bass, ebow, drum samples, and lots of analog synthesizer. I started working on "Lorbeerblätter" in 2021 at the same I was making "Orbit" and kept recording bits and pieces as time, energy, and inspiration allowed. I'm happy it's finally out in the world.

2025 in Review

Musically, 2025 treated me well. I finally have been going to more shows again and actually reviewing most of them! I saw a lot of great concerts, including several from bands that put out my favorite records of this year and the last. I also went to the opera for the first time and wrote my first theatrical review. And on top of that, Soltero released a new album that I appear on!

Here are my favorite releases of 2025:

• Ian Fisher - Go Gentle - Ian’s album-length memorial to his mother, who died after a long battle with cancer, is honest, uplifting, and moving. It’s heavy, but it doesn’t wallow or feel weighed down. It’s a great set of songs that offer some comfort in trying times. He also released “Con Artist Narcissist” and “Will You Will Be”. The former kinda speaks for itself, and the latter is a critique of AI. Both are great. They’re a throwback to his more directly political writing, but even sharper and bitterer.
• Genau Genug Orchestra - Enough - Dave Benjoya is a regular Soltero collaborator so of course I’m biased, but I love all the little worlds his songs inhabit. The genres shift faster than I can process, and the wordplay moves even faster than that. The arrangements are as splendid and nuanced as the politics.
• Greet Death - Die in Love - Slowcore-shoegaze with a variety of influences, mostly splintered into two distinct sounds: thick distortion with gloomy vocals (from Logan Gaval), and sweeter pop with meek vocals (from Harper Boyharti). They are joined in abject sadness. I’m reminded of Merchandise. “Emptiness Is Everywhere” is beautiful and makes me miss my family of origin.
• The Last Dinner Party - From the Pyre - Not quite as exciting as last year’s Prelude to Ecstacy (which I came late to), but their sharp drama and elaborate arrangements shine. I appreciate their gender politics, and Alan Moulder’s mix is superb, especially for the vocals.
• Lutzilla - Nebenbei retten wir die Welt EP - A couple songs are recordings in higher fidelity from the First We Tape Manhattan mini-album from 2022, but the real gems are the new songs. Lutz’s critiques of capitalism and social media continue to ripen, as does his voice. I love all the backing vocals and extra musicians. It’s a much fuller picture than anything he or they have done yet. And Uli’s bass tone continues to be fantastic!
• Mogwai - The Bad Fire - Certainly darker than As the Love Continues (2021), but the quality is just as high as ever. They continue to pack a lot of emotion into their music without relying on many words. They also released the soundtrack to The Bombing of Pan Am 103, which is dark, not very dynamic, and trapped within the confines of the form.
• Nation of Language - Dance Called Memory - The shoegaze and Cocteau Twins moments are sparser than advertised, but I love them regardless. Their last album, Strange Disciple (2023) didn’t excite me as much as the first two, but this time around they did a great job bringing new influences to their standard successful model.
• Chappell Roan - “The Subway” - I didn’t find “The Giver” particularly exciting, but this is a perfect slice of queer pop with great little touches all over. Her voice is in fine form.
• Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory - s/t - Wow, collaborating with her own live band has truly brought out the best in everyone involved. “Indio” is the only dud. I love the synthier arrangements and Devra Hoff’s foregrounded bass. The direct, humanist, socially conscious lyrics resonate with me.
• Stereolab - Instant Holograms on Metal Film - Six years after reuniting, they finally have a new album! It’s more in line with their latter-day material, which is to say it’s a bit formal, stiff, and clean. The fidelity is superb, and the wide array of synthesizers is impressive, but I wish there was more raw energy, noise, and excitement. Sadier’s lyrics are still on point, but her phrasing is tight and restrained. I know she can still shout “La Resistance!” on stage, but I miss that here. Regardless, it’s still Stereolab, and the music is beautiful, intricate, and captivating despite my complaints. The non-album double single “Fed Up with Your Job” / “Constant and Uniform Movement Unknown” is similar, but I like that they’ve brought back their chaotic discographical abundance. (There’s even a tour-only 7” single that I missed and still haven’t heard!)
• Wednesday - Bleeds - The country-shoegaze, pedal steel + distortion strategy is a winner. The harsh realism of the songwriting makes it all the more emotionally devastating, as if the two most visible members breaking up wasn’t enough on its own.

Here are a few honorable mentions:

• The Chameleons - Arctic Moon - See the live review for details. The album has some great songs, but there are only seven total, perhaps because they’re all so unnecessarily long. It’s better than last year’s EPs, which felt a bit slight, especially since 6 of their 8 songs were just rerecordings of some of the band’s earliest songs. It’s great to have Reg back in the fold; he also did the album artwork in their classic vein. (The Where Are You cover, on the other hand, is awful.)
• James David Fitzpatrick - I Feel Pretty Good About It [EP] - three “spontaneously composed” pieces of layered guitar with some analog synth and field recordings. Quite similar to Cup Collector and equally pleasant.
• Geese - Getting Killed - A bit overhyped, but it undeniably rocks. Cameron Winter’s voice grates on me a bit and the buzzing picked bass bugs me. Nonetheless I enjoy the chaos.
• Pale Blue Eyes - New Place - After two solidly impressive shoegaze-pop albums, I suppose expecting a third on the same level was optimistic. It’s still good, but not as exciting or fresh. The lyrics are simpler and the arrangements more predictable.
• Kassi Valazza - From Newman Street - 60s-indebted country-folk-psych that reminds me of Quilt and the lazy heat in Austin.

And here are a couple other 2025 releases that I have opinions about:

• Big Thief - Double Infinity - Well, they dealt with the departure of their bassist by going maximalist. Certainly getting Laraaji on most of the songs is a coup. Regardless, it’s a bit by the numbers, even if the vibe is as warm as ever.
• Peter Murphy - Silver Shade - I hate the obviously AI-generated album art, but for his first proper studio album in 11 years, it’s better than I expected. It’s not unlike Lion (2014) and features the same core crew of collaborators, but it’s sonically a bit richer. The best songs are the aggressive opening salvo of songs featuring Trent Reznor and the sweet closing duet with Boy George. The middle gets a bit bogged down and repetitive. It might help if the lyrics were a little more approachable.

I also caught up on some more great records from 2024 that I’d initially overlooked:

• Deary - Aurelia EP - Blissful blend of shoegaze and dreampop in the vein of Slowdive. Their s/t EP from 2023 is also solid and leans a bit more Beach House.
• Isolation Berlin - Electronic Babies - “Ratte” is so relatable, and “Verliebt in dieses Lied” captures a magical feeling. But the heavy parts get a shade too dark for my taste.
• Sunshy - I Don’t Care What Comes Next - MBV ripoff, but so good. Focuses on the upbeat, brighter side, but still full of heavy distortion. Pretty middling lyrics as expected for the genre.

Radiohead - Live 2025.12.09 Uber Arena, Berlin, Germany

This was night two of a four-show series at a cursed venue. Since the first two nights last week in Copenhagen were canceled due to Yorke’s throat infection, I was a bit concerned how this would play out. It’s also their first tour in seven years, and there’s been no indication of new recordings. With plenty of solo and side projects, it hasn’t been clear that Radiohead would ever be a functional unit again. Sometimes you have to take the opportunities when you get them.

The band performed on a circular stage in the middle of the pit, initially surrounded by projection screens. After two songs, the screens lifted above the stage to reveal the band, accompanied by an additional percussionist, Chris Vatalaro. I almost couldn’t tell that nine years had passed since the last time I saw them, and the setlist was fairly similar. In fact, they played the same set as two shows prior in Copenhagen, merely substituting “How to Disappear Completely” in place of “Like Spinning Plates”. They’ve made a pattern of alternating between two sets with minor variations as they go along. (Naturally, someone has made a spreadsheet.)

It’s hard to judge whether I got the better or worse variant. “Nude”, “Pyramid Song”, and “Exit Music” were great, even if Colin’s fuzz bass could’ve been more present on the lattermost, but I got the weaker Bends songs. (I would’ve loved “Planet Telex” or “Just”!) If I have a real complaint, it’s just that there was a certain predictability to the song selection. I suppose asking for b-sides or unreleased songs like I got in 2012 would be too much to ask, but, like, why’d they take “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, “Climbing Up the Walls”, and “Nice Dream” out of rotation? What about any of the songs unearthed for the OK Computer or Kid A Mnesia reissues? They didn’t even really play any songs with room for chance or improvisation, like “Everything in Its Right Place”. I was hoping for some curveballs, a little more risk.

That said, they have so many great songs that they can play two sets full of bangers and safely ignore the obscurities. I finally got to see “Let Down”, albeit in a tamer arrangement that somehow lacked some of its usual uplifting energy. “Airbag”, “You and Whose Army?”, and “No Surprises” are always welcome. “Sit Down. Stand Up.”, “Optimistic”, and “How to Disappear Completely” were slightly less obvious choices that I enjoyed, although Jonny screwing up the drum machine threw the first for a loop. “There There” was a strong closing number.

But the mix, at least where I was sitting, was surprisingly bad. The bass was terribly boomy, which turned the mids into mush. The higher-powered, heavier songs like “Ful Stop”, “The Bends”, and “Bodysnatchers” were a mess, and the vocals were rendered inaudible for those. For the quieter songs, the balance was better, and those songs tended to work better. Yorke’s voice was in great form despite the recent cancellations, and I always love Ed’s (and Phil’s!) backing vocals. I was hoping for more analog synth, but Jonny just used it to control a drum machine. Regardless, it’s still cool to watch him run between so many different instruments, particularly the lovely ondes Martenot.

My other complaint was even more situational: I was happy to have a seat, but my section unusually stayed seated for the most part, and for once I really wanted to dance. My position in the venue was such that I mostly just saw Colin’s back as he locked his gaze with the drummers, which also threw me out of the experience a bit. At least Thom came around to the back for some of the acoustic numbers.

Despite the distractions, I was still captivated and sang along with just about every song. The band kept up a brisk pace, blasting through 25 songs with hardly a pause. They hardly spoke to the crowd, but then again, they rarely do say much. Their songs tend to speak for themselves. It struck me during the show just how bitingly critical and politically powerful so many of their songs are. While one can criticize the finer points of the individual members’ politics, how could anyone doubt which side they stand on? Song after song harkened back to past outrages while presciently describing those of the present day.

Maybe I came into the show with too high of expectations. The first two times I saw them in St. Louis were some of the best concerts I’ve seen, and it’s hard to match that. The circumstances did not align to give me another transcendent experience. I wish I’d been able to see and hear the band in more ideal conditions, and I wish I could’ve moved my body more freely. Oh well. I still had a blast.

Here’s the setlist:
01. 2 + 2 = 5
02. Airbag
03. Jigsaw Falling into Place
04. All I Need
05. Ful Stop
06. Nude
07. Reckoner
08. The Bends
09. Separator
10. Pyramid Song
11. You and Whose Army?
12. Sit Down. Stand Up.
13. Myxomatosis
14. No Surprises
15. Optimistic
16. Bodysnatchers
17. Exit Music (for a Film)
18. Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Encore:
19. Let Down
20. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
21. Idioteque
22. Present Tense
23. How to Disappear Completely
24. Paranoid Android
25. There There

Score: B

P.S. Thanks to Mirah!

P.P.S. Kraftwerk played at the Music Hall next door on the same night!

Agitation Free - Live 2025.12.01 Kesselhaus, Berlin, Germany

Agitation Free were one of the premier kosmische or “krautrock” bands of the early 70s, but they never quite reached the same levels of acclaim as some of their contemporaneous peers. (I’ve complained about their absence from the canon more than once.) They were creative, explorative, and skilled such that they made three classic albums with varying levels of experimentation. They might not have pioneered entirely new genres like Can, Neu!, or Kraftwerk, but they reached beyond the standard progressive rock of their time and made a series of mostly instrumental, psychedelic jams of the highest class. They also launched the careers of Christoph Franke (who left for Tangerine Dream), Ax Genrich (who left for Guru Guru), composer Michael Hoenig, and Lutz “Lüül” Graf-Ulbrich, who subsequently played with Ash Ra Tempel, Nico, and 17 Hippies. After breaking up in 1974, they reformed sporadically, releasing two new studio albums in 1999 and 2023, neither of which quite reached their original heights.

After missing some prior opportunities, I wasn’t gonna miss this one. The remaining original-era band members are not young. Guitarist Lüül and drummer Burghard Rausch are the only two left after Gustl Lütjens died, Michael Günther departed, and Michael Hoenig opted to stop touring. Lütjens and Hoenig still contributed to the last album, Momentum, but the live band now features guitarist Axel Heilhecker (from the Food Band) and jazz keyboardist Tim Sund. Bassist Daniel Cordes (who also played with 17 Hippies) has been with the band since 2013.

Although Lüül was positioned in the center of the stage, was the only one to address the crowd, and is the closest thing to a leader of the band, I was surprised how many of the guitar solos and melodies he left to Heilhecker, even on the older songs. Lüül often stuck to purely rhythmic parts, although he also played some joint lead parts and used an ebow on a few songs. Heilhecker played quite well, but his style is quite flashy and lacked some of the subtlety and expressiveness that graced their best work. Sund and Cordes both filled their roles with skill, but neither stood out as much as I might’ve hoped. Sund preferred the digital synth sound of his Korg Kronos rack, which I found a bit too mechanical. I rather enjoyed the warmth of his analog setup when he deigned to use it.

The weakest link was unfortunately Rausch. He might’ve been the one to drum on all their albums, but he had a bit of trouble keeping up. To be fair, he played at a fairly high intensity for the whole set. I can easily forgive losing a stick once or twice, but I was disappointed when they didn’t all hit the big drop of “Rücksturz”, which I attributed to Rausch. That took away a lot of the energy from one of their strongest, heaviest jams.

They played the entirety of Momentum, two cuts from 1999’s River of Return, three tracks from their debut Malesch (1972), and their signature song “Laila” from 2nd (1973). All of the early songs were excellent, and most of the newer ones were good, even if some of them didn’t capture the same psychedelic charm. I liked that all of the songs, old and new, were not set in stone, but rather served as springboards for exploration and discovery. I could see the members regularly exchanging looks and signals with one another. I loved the communication I could both see and hear in how they traded parts.

Agitation Free might not be at the top of their game, but they’re still quite good. They’re all still talented musicians, and I appreciate that they’re still going and putting out new music. I even preferred the live experience to the studio versions of the new songs, and they did justice to their old songs. Their lights and projections helped keep things interesting, too. I wish they varied their setlists more, but I don’t blame them for sticking to a standard they can use as a springboard.

Here’s what I remember of the setlist:
01. Nouveau son
02. Lilac
03. Levant
04. You Play for Us Today
05. In Da Jungl
06. Ala Tul
07. Nightwatch
08. Nomads
09. Shibuya Nights
10. Laila
11. Momentum
12. Rücksturz

Encore:
13. 2 Part 2

Score: B

Thanks to Mirah!

Soltero @ Trixtrr on December 5

Next Soltero show: December 5 at Trixtrr with Halfsilks! Doors at 8, we play at 9, Halfsilks at 10. DM for address (near Schlesi).

And I'll be singing with my choir tomorrow at V36!

Nation of Language / Westerman - Live 2025.11.21 Columbiahalle, Berlin, Germany

I’ve loved Nation of Language since their first album, but for various reasons relating to the pandemic and my health, I wasn’t able to see them live until now. I’m sad it took four album cycles to make it happen!

Westerman opened the show. He was joined by one backing musician, Daniel McIntyre, who handled backing tracks, synths, and some guitar. Westerman himself played electric or acoustic guitar on most songs and of course sang. His songs felt a bit sparse, and they rarely trascended their singer-songwriter trappings. The highlight was a song where Daniel played with some sort of ebow-like sustain on his guitar for a really cool and noisy swell effect. Their final number was the only one with an actual drum machine beat, which injected some much needed juice into the song. Otherwise I found them to be rather plainly in the middle of the road with little to hold my attention. The cocaine vibes weren’t helping.

[Nation of Language.]

Nation of Language were thankfully another story. They had the benefit of a better light show on top of the stack of synths and a great bassist, and Ian Richard Devaney’s voice was in top form. They opened with the opener of their new album Dance Called Memory, “Can’t Face Another One”, and while it’s obviously an emotionally heavy song and not their most upbeat musically, it still already burst with life and energy compared to Westerman’s set. They ultimately played half of the new album, all of which worked well on stage. I loved the My Bloody Valentine-style glide guitar on “I’m Not Ready for the Change”, although I missed the Cocteau Twins-style guitar of “Now That You’re Gone”. They also played half of their last album, Strange Disciple (2023), and while I find it their weakest album so far, the live renditions were just as good as the rest.

They also played a handful songs from their first two albums, some of which (“September Again”, “Across That Fine Line”) worked like classic synthpop anthems. Just about every song was a winner. Aidan Noell’s programming and synths carried most of the weight, but I loved the pulsing drive of Alex MacKay’s Peter Hook-style, chorus-laden bass. Devaney’s occasional guitar was usually just a bit of extra texture, although on occasion (like “In Your Head”) he let loose with a louder storm of noise, and he also occasionally drifted over to the synth rack and added a part alongside Noell. The biggest (or perhaps only) surprise came during the encore when Noell came to the center of the stage to perform “Sharevari”, a Number of Names cover that she recorded (with LCD Soundsystem’s Nancy Whang) for a single in 2022. Devaney and MacKay operated the synths and offered backing chorus vocals. That made for quite a change of mood into a more straight techno direction. I wouldn’t have enjoyed a full set of that, but for one song it was a welcome addition.

I’ve always accused Nation of Language of drawing heavily upon their forebears like OMD and New Order, and while I like that they’ve brought some new influences to their latest album, their live set still stays pretty true to the mold. I can’t even complain, though, because I love what they do, and they brought such a consistent and solid version of it to the show. The grooves were great and they brought a great energy to the parts that weren’t programmed. The crowd was dancing the whole time, myself included. It was a lot of fun!

Here’s the setlist (with help from here):
01. Can’t Face Another One
02. Sole Obsession
03. Rush & Fever
04. I’m Not Ready for the Change
05. Under the Water
06. September Again
07. On Division St
08. Wounds of Love
09. A New Goodbye
10. Across That Fine Line
11. Inept Apollo
12. Stumbling Still
13. In Your Head

Encore:
14. Spare Me the Decision
15. Sharevari [A Number of Names cover]
16. Weak in Your Light
17. The Wall & I

Scores:
Westerman: C-
Nation of Language: A-
Dance Called Memory: B+

Thanks to Mirah!