🎵 December 2025

That’s a wrap.

🎁 And, here we are now…a quarter-century into the new millennium 🎉

Clovis, California July 4, 2019

📸 flannery lundgren

Feeling happy this morning. This is my favorite holiday and 25’s a significant number, an important milestone. The silver jubilee is for celebrating redemption and new beginnings. When you turn 25, apparently your brain reaches full maturity. So perhaps 2026 is a pivot and turning point in this timeline we find ourselves in? I’d like to think so, especially as optimism swells over New Years — even as suspicion looms and worry lingers.

I’m leaning into the idea that better things are ahead…because the alternative is a just harder, more miserable road. We only get so many waking hours each day to manifest joy and fight for best possible outcomes.

We saw Marty Supreme last week and I was stunned by the chaos and the filmmaking — enraptured by the metaphor. All the absurd landmines traversed in his insane pursuit of table tennis greatness. As we seek after our own dreams and resolutions in 2026, we must also deal with our personal faults and baggage we drag around. When conflicts arise, we still must figure out a healthy way through. When unsavory characters block our path or shun us, we find work-arounds. When the world seems to conspire against us, we keep going and believing. We continue our effort to create good things for the world.

This is my final playlist — #12 — and wow, the year soared by like a jet flyover. A lot happened that we are still processing. Thanks to all the bands and songwriters. Thanks to all you artists, filmmakers, writers and thinkers out there who make our journey a little easier. For those of you still listening, thank you for following along. This month brought so much great music, that we’re going out on a high note.

It begins with the final, sublime Daniel Lopatin cue in Marty Supreme — the guy behind Oneohtrix Point Never. This bit of music is so emotional and effective, because the chaos is finally over. A new beginning — apropos for January one.

And I break one of my rules for track two, with a song from ‘71. It’s brand new to me and I’m guessing new to a lot of you who loved Sentimental Value. Easily one of my favorite movies of the year — it’s also an amazing use of needle drop. The track just might become my go-to gospel song, written by the man singing, Thomas Lee Barret.

🎵 Nobody knows all the trouble I’ve seen 🎵

You’ll also find a great cover from The Afghan Whigs, showcasing Greg Dulli’s unmistakeable wail. Chore Boy’s collab with Salem is kind of unbelievable — eerie, moving and original. It pairs so well with the new, dark Charli XCX collab track with John Cale narration. A track that’s featured in the forthcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights.

Also, new tracks from This Is Lorelei, Health, Ratboys and J Mascis.

Two brand new stunners from Black Swan Lane’s great new LP The Messenger appear. Jack is one of the best, most prolific songwriters I know, with twelve records released under BSL. This is heartfelt post-punk and sophisticated songwriting. Three BSL songs appear in Coral’s radio show in our film ABOVE THE TREES. You can rent, buy or share this film now on our streaming platform Joma.Film.

Shoring up the last playlist are two brand new versions of older songs. Everything is coming full circle. These are tracks I fell in love with over twenty years ago — the incredible Hold Steady storysong Don’t Let Me Explode and the sublime, re-imagined Andvari from the great Sigur Rós record Takk.

Find the December playlist on both Apple Music and Spotify

In 2026, I’ll be doing something completely new here as we finish post-production and release our new film Pelican out into this wild world.

Thank you for subscribing to our list and helping us make movies. Wishing you all fresh, new beginnings and leaving you with the very last Calvin & Hobbes strip from ‘95.

Happy New Year!

Gary

By Bill Watterson, December 31, 1995