Your critic and co-listener // ex-Washington Post // reccos/rants/prayers/curses at thefutureisourstomake.substack.com // contact me: christopherpaulrichards at proton dot mehttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mzjwjbdg3c2hThe weird exhaustion I feel today is *ten years* of psychic clog — QAnon, Pizzagate, the manosphere, tradwives, Dimes Square, the vibe shift, MAHA, DOGE bros, White House AI slop, all of this stupid shit — beginning to wash away05 Nov 2026 03:30 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzjwjbdg3c2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mzizxi5ock2t‘70s folk vs. ‘90s emo with HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/one-question-interview-with-hiss https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/one-question-interview-with-hiss?r=7evfuk&utm_medium=ios04 Nov 2026 18:59 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzizxi5ock2thttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mzhescy5bc2h04 Nov 2026 03:08 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzhescy5bc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mzb365ntdc2cMy Sunday column is about MIDI, cosmology, and getting small, check it out https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/final-frontiers https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/final-frontiers?utm_source=app-post-stats-page&r=7evfuk&utm_medium=ios01 Nov 2026 14:59 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mzb365ntdc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mz4n6keh2k2wOn campaign t-shirts, tour merch, OutKast lyrics, Huggy Bear records, generational scream therapy and OLIVIA RODRIGO https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/childrens-music30 Oct 2026 20:38 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mz4n6keh2k2whttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3myxcqhzmnk2pD C R U ! JOIN US !28 Oct 2026 17:48 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3myxcqhzmnk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mypmxrrayk2rWith Halloween a week away, here this is the scariest music: https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/fear-of-music https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/fear-of-music?r=7evfuk&utm_medium=ios25 Oct 2026 16:30 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mypmxrrayk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3myb4tnjges26Sending love and strength to everyone grieving our friend Ann Hornaday https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2026/10/19/ann-hornaday-longtime-washington-post-film-critic-dies-66/19 Oct 2026 22:04 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3myb4tnjges26https://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3my6c35zdvc2sHonored to be one-question-interviewed for SURPLUS, a terrific new zine by the Plenty Happening crew18 Oct 2026 19:00 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3my6c35zdvc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mxmarbx52k23Sunday posts on THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE are usually for paid subscribers but this week’s is free If you subscribe — or if you’re considering it — thank you for your excellence Your readership makes a massive difference in my life. We continue! https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/rain-or-shine11 Oct 2026 14:48 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mxmarbx52k23https://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mx7muzv3fs2uSomething went wrong at the CHARLI XCX concert last week and then everything went right https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/glitched-and-screaming https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/glitched-and-screaming?r=7evfuk&utm_medium=ios06 Oct 2026 14:21 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mx7muzv3fs2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mw76s7svak2aI just saw ERYKAH BADU slow-walk the apocalypse https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/you-hang-up-first https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/you-hang-up-first?r=7evfuk&utm_medium=ios23 Sep 2026 16:43 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mw76s7svak2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mvsd626myc2oOne of the coolest things you can do in the D.C. streets is be listening to a Fugazi song when you drive through a tunnel18 Sep 2026 13:57 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvsd626myc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mvg6warp2k2iYou need to read my newsletter if you want to party with JJ thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/jjs-rsvp13 Sep 2026 18:09 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvg6warp2k2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mup54gmoxk2gHere’s my month-long review of CHARLI XCX’s “Music, Fashion, Film” https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/im-really-hurting-my-neck04 Sep 2026 14:06 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mup54gmoxk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mu6zf7ccbk23I actually don’t think it’s nice that everyone’s talking about her good deeds more than her music I wish more publications employed music journalists and critics Despite all the great writing this week, we can still see how much we’re missing right now29 Aug 2026 04:16 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu6zf7ccbk23https://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mtzsnenuns2427 Aug 2026 02:32 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtzsnenuns24https://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mtz5g2ku2s2xThis is exceptional [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Aug 2026 20:12 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtz5g2ku2s2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mtz4chj2j22xMy favorite DOLLY PARTON song makes me feel like her big pop crossover was actually a bigger step toward improving the world we share https://thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/just-when-ive-begun-to-get-myself26 Aug 2026 19:52 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtz4chj2j22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mtfj7qinlc2sThis is outstanding https://www.newyorker.com/culture/pop-music/usher-and-chris-browns-audacious-joint-tour19 Aug 2026 00:50 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtfj7qinlc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3msvht56n4c2kFriends, which search engines do you recommend now that Google entirely sucks?12 Aug 2026 15:43 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3msvht56n4c2khttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3msv6ybjwfc24Today, I’m launching a quarterly review of the BEST NEW FANZINES Submit yours for next time to THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE / P.O. Box 60182 / Washington D.C. 20039 Meantime, make a fanzine, read a fanzine, encounter a fanzine here: https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/its-always-been-someones-apocalypse12 Aug 2026 13:05 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3msv6ybjwfc24https://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3ms42jvh22s27Beautiful Sunday morning music for you on THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE courtesy of the dollar bin at Princeton Record Exchange/destiny https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/i-found-infinity-in-the-dollar-bin https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/i-found-infinity-in-the-dollar-bin?r=7evfuk&utm_medium=ios02 Aug 2026 13:08 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms42jvh22s27https://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mruk2egw6s2lProof of listening, proof of life — I just reviewed 102 recordings for THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE. Read it for free / tell a friend https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/any-number-of-quantum-positions30 Jul 2026 13:25 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mruk2egw6s2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mr3d5pfjls2kA quick review of the most widely-experienced musical performance in human history https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/halftime-hacks https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/halftime-hacks?r=7evfuk&utm_medium=ios20 Jul 2026 12:45 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr3d5pfjls2khttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mqz3j4n2vc2mSeasonal thoughts on how THE HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS sounds as new as life year round Sunday posts on THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE are for paid subscribers, but today’s is free If you subscribe — or if you’re considering — thank you for your generosity + excellence https://open.substack.com/pub/thefutureisourstomake/p/summertime-in-the-permanent-present19 Jul 2026 15:23 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqz3j4n2vc2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/chrisrichards.bsky.social/post/3mqrzulrwy225This shout out from @alanzilberman.bsky.social in the Washington City Paper’s Best of D.C. issue means a ton and then some https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/788702/best-of-dc-2026-editors-picks/16 Jul 2026 20:05 +0000at://did:plc:vsrrf5pasd3ocw6o6ilrbmd6/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqrzulrwy225