Whether or not FIXTAPE is explicitly about things being broken, Popcaan is here to make you feel better. His happy, winey dancehall reliably shines light where it’s needed, and perhaps in response to the scope of the present need, his new album has a full 19 songs to bop through (or 30, if you listen on Soundcloud). It’s also studded with delightful cameos: Among guest fixers are the Jamaican singer Jada Kingdom, Tommy Lee Sparta, French Montana, and Drake, whose label released the album. Don’t let anyone tell you art doesn’t make a difference.

At no point in the life of this newsletter did I plan to talk about Smash Mouth, but in 2020, they have finally limped on in. The news is that they are 1. still here, as evidenced by their set at the Sturgis motorcycle rally a few weeks ago, and 2. not into masks, as we’ve learned from the 100+ new Covid cases linked to the show. During the set, the audience embraced facial and spatial freedom, with no masks and no distancing, and the band was all for it. The frontman Steve Harwell is on record egging folks on through the mic: “We’re being human once again. Fuck that COVID shit.” In case you wondered what the All Stars were up to.

(The real all star here is Salaam Bhati, a public benefits lawyer who took it upon himself to adapt the “All Star” lyrics to Covid time on twitter: “Well, her breath stops coming and the coughs keep coming / Fed has no rules so I ignore the state’s while humming / Didn’t make sense not to live for fun / My mask is half off because my brain is dumb…”)

Meanwhile, the entire California Republican legislature is banned from their state Capitol during session because they were all exposed to a colleague with Covid at an indoor, non-socially-distanced, no-mask RNC viewing party (or so rumor has it). Although the senators are allowed to debate and vote from home, they’re pushing Democrats to postpone proceedings until the homebound right is allowed back in the building. Those proceedings include potential lifelines for people suffering under Covid, including a bill that would provide relief to renters in financial distress. But yeah, take your time.

Lest you think that’s the full update on “where we are on masks,” my instagram ads tell me there’s a new game in town: cloth masquerading (lol) as a bandana*, with more thorough coverage underneath. Is there a bandana-or-bust crew roving around who must look that cool? Is Burning Man** still on? Whatever. The most notable part of this Covid-preventing mask news is the disclaimer on the site: shipping may be delayed due to Covid.

*Cool mask-off product image

**VR Burning Man is currently taking place online, but more on that later