Conan, New Americana, and Cartoons

Music from Rhiannon Giddens, Allison Russell & Annie Lennox, and Nathaniel Rateliff.

Greg Mitchell is the author of more than a dozen books and now writer/director of three award-winning films aired via PBS, including “Atomic Cover-up” and “Memorial Day Massacre.” Now watch trailer for acclaimed 2025 film “The Atomic Bowl.” Before all that, he was a longtime editor of the legendary Crawdaddy. At Blue Sky and Twitter: as @gregmitch. You can still subscribe to this newsletter for FREE. Sustain this newsletter by ordering one of his books.

As noted yesterday, top comics turned out at the Kennedy Center this weekend to roast Trump even as they honored Conan O’Brien for winning the Mark Twain Prize. Now here’s Conan himself that night with some barbs, and relevance of Twain today…

In wake of major Signal security leak by Trump’s team: Fake ad for new phone app, the “Hegs Blocker” via Colbert last night:

Now some new music. Just out this week, the great Allison Russell with new version of her old Birds of Chicago cut “Superlover,” with Annie Lennox and with a new political peace plea at end.

Annie comments:

For me it represents and expresses the core values of humanity, love and compassion we need to cherish and hold at the deepest level of our being.

Every day we witness genocidal destruction, with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair.

There is an additional feeling of ‘shame’ that the weapons used are paid for by countries in which we pay taxes.

Do I support the invasion of Israel on Oct 7th? - Not at ALL!!

Do I want to see the return of the hostages? Of COURSE I do.

I ALWAYS knew that there would be a terrible outcome for the people of Palestine, but never in my worst nightmares did I EVER think that Gaza would be turned into a graveyard wasteland.

Never did I imagine that International Human Rights would be completely trashed, while the world looked on.

This song appeals to our collective humanity, as a call for an end to these horrendous situations, not only in Gaza, but everywhere around the world.

I can only live in hope against despair.

Annie L

Also just out yesterday, from a kind of “reunion” album that will be out on April 13: Rhiannon Giddens and old Chocolate Drops mate Justin Robinson, “Going to Raleigh.”

Live on Jimmy Fallon this week: the ever-more-popular Nathaniel Rateliff.

Nice to see that one of best series in a long time, the timely “Adolescence,” has been most popular streamer for past couple of weeks. By the way, Stephen Graham next appears as Springsteen’s dad in the upcoming bio-pic.

Steve Brodner: