Author Archives: Jon Sidel

Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

I see walls / But these walls aren’t in my way / And I read words / But they don’t have much to say / I don’t listen to the cops / I wish they all were dead / Listen to the planes flying over head / Listen to the sound of the loss and gain / I just listen to the sounds of the rain

Growing up on the East Coast, I assume April will have its rainy moments—rain, hail, thunder, lightning, and being caught in a storm, dripping wet.

Now, living in Southern California, I reexperience those springtime memories of wind and rain through song. I don’t think there’s much debate, like most things in the Trump era, that many things like the weather—or even a passport—are creepy.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Circus is coming through / And everybody knows / That when you purchase a ticket / You expect to get a show

Last week, I wrote a super-long Idelic Hour column and forgot to post it on my socials. Typical of life in 2026. To keep it short, I guess the big question today is—where am I on April 24th? IE today.

I guess I’m working away, hard as I can, listening to cool tunes and spending time in my office garage with our groovy cat Nori.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Most of my Idelic column posts start with a few lines from a favorite song from my record collection. This week, I only played one old song from my collection (well, with lyrics). The song “Return To Love” is from Swedish singer-songwriter Nicolai Dunger’s album Soul Rush.

As a favor to Mercury Rev’s A&R, Kate Hyman, I had lunch with Nicolai and his manager, Per. We ate at a Hugo’s on Santa Monica Blvd. I was new to V2 Records, but from my years at Interscope, I was used to what I called a “mercy meeting.” You know, someone wants to meet the VP of A&R—Nicolai was on tour supporting Mercury Rev, and they were cool, and Kate was a friend.

A remember drinking lots of ice tea. Asking lots of simple questions. The usual A&R kind of shit. What bands you do dig? Who do you compare you music too? These two Swedes seemed happy enough. They smiled and said “Yeah, ya,” like a Swedish musician would. At the end of our meal they handed me a CD or two. I remember looking at the cover and complimenting on the artwork. I flipped the CD over and a song title caught my eye.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

There’s been some misunderstanding / And I’d like to make it right

Both of us need inspiration / And the timing must be right / We all have soul, yet nobody knows / Just how much it takes to fly / But I see my life before me / And I’d like to make a try / Maybe someone knows what fate is / Maybe someone knows just why / All I know is it’s all related / Maybe someone can explain time

I’m writing this on Friday morning. I woke up our blind kitty, Nori, trying to shake a lingering headache with coffee and Miles Davis.

April and the beginnings of Spring have “towered” over these past couple of weeks—Easter, Passover, my dad, and niece’s birthdays. I’ve broken bread with family and friends, caught opening weekend at Dodger Stadium, and got to see our Jonah toss a handful of smooth innings as well.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

And all of my friends were there / And no one cared

Say what they may, all of my friends were there / Not just my friends but their best friends too / All of my friends were there

The fools of April continue to do their thing. All in all, my vibe has been to thank my lucky stars to have a healthy family and cool friends.

I think I’ll take a Sunday bike ride and listen to this week’s Idelic set.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Good morning / This is your warning / This is your warning / You’re gonna appear before a stranger / I don’t know if you’ll be in any danger / For some are not pulled into moving cars / Some are not dragged down Fifth Avenue by the hairs in their ears / Some get away with it, some get away with it for many years / And are not punished, but some are

I’m not gonna think too much about what I’m writing this morning. After all, baseball season started yesterday, and it’s still March Madness. You might not be a sports fan, but baseball can be magical because watching it has a way of transporting a man back to the emotional state of his childhood.

Despite all the the “madness” of this March, I’ll leave this morning at that.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Life is movin’ faster, I can feel it everyday / I’ve got trouble keepin’ up with what other people say / Big problems in the world, my life’s just a social swirl

But I’ll do it tomorrow / That seems like a pretty good idea to me / What’s wrong with tomorrow? / I’m watchin’ him, but who’s watchin’ me?

If you’re wondering if Mercury is out of retrograde, the answer is YES. Whether you follow the stars or not, I believe most of us would like to cease this erratic planetary behavior. I, for one, feel a sense of optimism—maybe it’s a combo of fear and optimism—but I’m doing well this warm winter morning.

I thought I’d bring a crate of old random records along for this mix. Much of this “wax” feels like old family friends.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

I stand outside of the McDonald’s / I’m, uh, flexing my muscles ’til I explode / I hope they see me in the drive-thru lane / I, I hope they see me in the drive-thru lane

I stand outside of the LL Bean / I’m trying to get some free woman sweaters / You know what I mean? / I hope they see me in the drive-thru lane / I hope, I hope they, I hope they, I hope they

I don’t wanna pay for anything / Clothes and food and drugs for free / If it was 1970 / I’d have a job at a factory

I am a man that’s made of meat / You’re on the internet looking at feet / I hate almost everything that I see / And I just wanna disappear

I’m subscribed to your mom’s OnlyFans / I spent five bucks a month to get pictures of her flappy giblets / And I spent another ten dollars a month to chat with her on the AI chat program / It feels great

Welcome to the second Friday the 13th in a row of 2026. Let’s avoid incoming drones, and let’s make this week great.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Strange, life is strange, life is strange / Oh life is strange

Oh god, life is good / Some are fat and some are thin / Some don’t even ask you how you’ve been / No, no, no, no, no

“Stranger things have happened,” or maybe I should say the TV series has run its course. Or just the definition:

strange; comparative adjective: stranger; superlative adjective: strangest
1 1. unusual or surprising in a way that is unsettling or hard to understand.”children have some strange ideas” unusual, odd, curious, peculiar, funny, bizarre, weird, uncanny, queer, unexpected, untypical, out of the ordinary, out of the way, extraordinary, remarkable, puzzling, mysterious, perplexing, baffling, inexplicable,
way out, freaky

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Said the straight man to the late man / “Where have you been?” / I’ve been here and I’ve been there / And I’ve been in between

I talk to the wind / My words are all carried away / I talk to the wind / The wind does not hear / The wind cannot hear

Today will likely be the coldest day of 2026. After a few days of heavy wind and rain, it’s brisk and beautiful in our groovy LA canyon. Yeah, we lost power a couple of times, but I’ve found I’ve learned more from bumpy roads than smooth paths.

This week’s Idelic set was inspired by a Gomez song “Whippin’ Piccadilly.” The lyric and musical vibe just hits with with a smile.

With an after thought from last week’s Valentines listening: “We like loving yeah.” But: “There’s not enough hours in the day”

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Love be brave / No one will save you but me / And that has not yet been / The safest place for you to be

What will I do then? / Here comes a change over me / Something strange takes over me / I am brave and love is sweet / And silence speaks for him and me

I don’t recall the last time Friday the 13th fell before Valentine’s Day. I guess it hasn’t happened in the century, until today—seven times since 1970. I would say this weekend’s vibe is a mix bucket to say the least. It’s not like Valentine’s Day is always a garden of roses.

Valentine’s week is always a cool time to make a “mix tape.” Since the days of owning bars and restaurants, I’ve been more passionate about creating a V Day mix-up than going on a date after years of watching couples struggle through Valentine’s Day dinner.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

It’s cold outside / And the paint’s peeling off of my walls / There’s a man outside / In a long coat, grey hat, smoking a cigarette

Now the light fades out / And I wonder what I’m doing in a room like this / There’s a knock on the door / And just for a second I thought I remembered you

So now I’m alone / Now I can think for myself / About little deals and S.U’s / And things that I just don’t understand / Like a white lie that night / Or a sly touch at times / I don’t think it meant anything to you

Finally, the dark days of winter have hit LA. Our floorboards are cold, but I guess we needed it. Our Jonah was home much of the week fighting the flu. Honestly, LA feels like a struggle right now, but all said, the sun is peaking out.

A few old songs to keep hope alive, mixed with a grip of new releases. After all the show…must…must…

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

I’ve been waiting for hours / I’ve been through snowstorms and showers / Waiting for the lights to fade and your parents go to sleep / Then just like a randy cat into your bed I’ll creep.

Yes I remember your smell / Yes I remember, remember it well / Strange kind of animal music in the night / Crazy feeling, I just can’t explain it right.

Running around making the music industry scene for Grammy week? Does anyone care about the Grammys and the music business? Yes, apparently, there are many of us still “chasing the dream.”

In solidarity with my pals in the Twin Cities, I’ll let the music do the talking.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream / It is not dying / It is not dying / Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void / It is shining / It is shining / That you may see the meaning of within / It is being / It is being

That love is all and love is everyone / It is knowing / It is knowing / That ignorance and hate may mourn the dead / It is believing / It is believing / But listen to the color of your dreams / It is not living / It is not living

How do we transcend 2026? Dr. Google says John Lennon recommends meditation. So do I. I often take 15 to 20 minutes to sit in our canyon, lay down all thoughts and surrender to “the void.” If I’m having a cool day, I can “relax and float downstream.”

At the front of my desk are two excellent speakers. One has a post-it on it that reads, “It’s not gonna turn out like that.” The other has a fortune from cookie I got last week at Panda Express that reads, “MODIFY YOUR THINKING TO ADAPT TO NEW SITUATIONS.”

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Outside in the rain / Through the window in your mind / Out of temperature / That turns so cold / And you’re not there / Sweet lover of the day / Desert in your hands

And I wait in the sunlight / You’re everywhere and nowhere in the morning / And please stop me lying down here / Praying, praying for the rain / Waiting for the rain again / Waiting for your hands / To calmly take my eyes / Again

My friend / My friend

Hello, top of 2026. We’re in it! Rest assured, not every day will be warm and sunny, but today it’s relatively warm and sunny.

Still, the top of January has very few new song releases, so I’m gonna close my eyes and flip through a few crates to come up with a few records and a vibe.

2026: “Fight the power!”

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