December 2006

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Britt Robson's 100 Best CDs of 2006

Filed under: Music

If you've seen my votes in other forums you know I'm prone to changing my mind, plus there will inevitable additions as things I haven't heard yet blow me away in the coming months. All that said, every one of these discs offers superb music that I won't be ashamed to claim a decade from now.

1. Ghostface Killah, "Fishscale," Def Jam.
2. Bob Dylan, "Modern Times," Sony.
3. Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch & Fats Kaplan, "Lost John Dean," Compass
4. Ornette Coleman, "Sound Grammar," Sound Grammar.
5. Christina Aguilera, "Back To Basics," RCA.
6. Greg Brown, "The Evening Call," Red House.
7. The Hold Steady, "Boys and Girls in America," Vagrant.
8. Delfeayo Marsalis, "Minions Dominion," Troubadour Jass.
9. Ali Farka Toure, "Savane," Nonesuch.
10. Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, "Dizzy's Business," MCG.
11. Nas, "Hip Hop is Dead," Def Jam.
12. Los Lobos, "The Town and the City," Hollywood.
13. Lupe Fiasco, "Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor," Atlantic.
14. Jane Bunnett, "Radio Guantanamo:Guantanamo Blues Project, Vol 1," Blue Note.
15. Big City Rock, "Big City Rock," Atlantic.
16. Bobby Previte, "The Coalition of the Willing," Ropeadope.
17. Pearl Jam, "Pearl Jam," J.
18. Dave Douglas, "Meaning and Mystery," Green Leaf.
19. Gomez, "How We Operate," Red Ink.
20. Roy Hargrove, "Nothin' Serious," Verve.
21. Tool, "10,000 Days," Volcano.
22. Branford Marsalis Quartet, "Braggtown," Marsalis Music.
23. The Coup, "Pick A Bigger Weapon," Epitaph.
24. William Parker, "Long Hidden: The Olmec Series," AUM Fidelity.
25. Bassdrumbone, "The Line Up," Clean Feed.
26. My Chemical Romance, "The Black Parade," Reprise.
27. Gnarls Barkley, "St. Elsewhere," Downtown.
28. Paul Motion Band, "Garden of Eden," ECM.
29. Michael Franti & Spearhead, "Yell Fire!" Anti.
30. Classical Jazz Quartet, "Play Rachmaninov," Kind of Blue.
31. Dave Holland Quintet, "Critical Mass," Dare2.
32. Deftones, "Saturday Night Wrist," Maverick.
33. Corinne Bailey Rae, "Corinne Bailey Rae," Capitol.
34. Sonny Rollins, "Sonny, Please," Doxy.
35. Jaco Pastorius Big Band, "The Word Is Out," Heads Up.
36. Van Hunt, "On The Jungle Floor," Capitol.
37. Chris Smither, "Leave the Light On," Signature.
38. Phil Woods Quintet, "American Songbook," Kind of Blue.
39. Madeleine Peyroux, "Half the Perfect World," Rounder.
40. Drive-By Truckers, "A Blessing and a Curse," New West.
41. Joe Lovano, "Streams of Expression," Blue Note.
42. Remy Ma, "There's Something About Remy," Umvd.
43. Ray Davies, "Other People's Lives," V2.
44. Carolina Chocolate Drops, "Dona Got a Rambling Mind," Music Maker.
45. John Legend, "Once Again," Sony.
46. Irma Thomas, "After the Rain," Rounder.
47. Scott Hamilton, "Nocturnes and Seranades," Concord.
48. Christian Scott, "Rewind That," Concord.
49. Elton John, "The Captain and the Kid," Interscope.
50. Cedar Walton, "One Flight Down," Highnote.

51. Hard-Fi, "Stars of CCTV," Atlantic.
52. Neil Young, "Living With War," Reprise.
53. The Roots, "Game Theory," Def Jam.
54. Bruce Springsteen, "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions," Sony.
55. Art Ensemble of Chicago, "Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City: Live at Iridium," Pi.
56. TV On the Radio, "Return to Cookie Mountain," 4ad.
57. Eric Alexander, "It's All in the Game," Highnote.
58. Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Stadium Arcadium," Warner Brothers.
59. Edsel Gomez, "Cubist Music," Zoho.
60. Wayne Hancock, "Tulsa," Bloodshot.
61. Clipse, "Hell Hath No Fury," Startrak.
62. Keith Jarrett, "The Carnegie Hall Concert," ECM.
63. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "Long Walk To Freedom," Heads Up.
64. Honeydogs, "Amygdala," Copycats.
65. Sierre Leone's Refugee All Stars, "Living Like a Refugee," Anti.
66. Paul Simon, "Surprise," Warner Brothers.
67. Hi-Tek, "Hi-Teknology Vol. 2: The Chip," Babygrande.
68. Susana Baca, "Travesias," Luaka Bop.
69. Zero 7, "The Garden," Atlantic.
70. Diego Urcola, "Viva," Camjazz.
71. Van Morrison, "Pay The Devil," Lost Highway.
72. Mulgrew Miller, "Live at the Kennedy Center," MaxJazz.
73. Killers, "Sam's Town," Island
74. Martirio y Chano Dominguez, "Acoplados," Rtve Classics.
75. The Dixie Chicks, "Taking The Long Way," Sony.
76. Soledad Brothers, "The Hardest Walk," Alive.
77. Tom Waits, "Orphans," Anti.
78. George Cables Trio, "A Letter to Dexter," Kind of Blue.
79. Avishai Cohen, "Continuo," Sunnyside.
80. Donal Clancy, "Close to Home," Compass.
81. Francisco Mela, "Melao," Ayva.
82. The Who, "Endless Wire," Republic.
83. Charnett Moffett, "Internet," Piadrum.
84. T.I., "King," Atlantic.
85. Terje Rypdal, "Vossabrygg," ECM.
86. Johnny Cash, "American V: A Hundred Highways," Lost Highway.
87. Jay-Z, "Kingdom Come," Def Jam.
88. Nancy Wilson, "Turned to Blue," MCG.
89. J. Dilla, "Donuts," Stone's Throw.
90. Frank Morgan, "Reflections," Highnote.
91. David S. Ware Quartet, "BalladWare," Thirsty Ear.
92. Audioslave, "Revelations," Sony.
93. Patricia Barber, "Mythologies," Blue Note.
94. Vijay Iyer and Rudresh Mahanthappa, "Raw Materials," Savoy.
95. Birdman & L'il Wayne, "Like Father, Like Son," Cash Money.
96. Chris Potter, "Underground," Sunnyside.
97. OK Go, "Oh No," Capitol.
98. Akon, "Konvicted," Universal.
99. Joey DeFrancesco, "Organic Vibes," Concord.
100. JJ Cale & Eric Clapton, "The Road to Escondido," Reprise.

Posted by Britt Robson at December 30, 2006 4:12 PM | Comments (6)

 

Dance Band tonight at the Nomad

Filed under: Local Music

"Music you can dance to" is about as inspired a gimmick as "food you poop out later." The fact that Dance Band pulls it off without seeming utterly ridiculous is a testament to their unstoppable charm. That's not to say they don't look ridiculous--I mean, isn't that the point of dancing in the first place?

What you'll get if you go: Glammy dance punk beats, a lead singer who can't keep his clothes on, and the catchiest chorus you'll hear all week: "This how you dance/This is how you dance/This is how you dance when you die." (And I'm not just saying that because my heart belongs to the Zombie Pub Crawl.) Dance Band finishes off a month of Thursday night gigs at the Nomad tonight. Omaur Bliss and Mel Gibson & the Pants round out the bill.

Did I mention how ridiculous they look ?

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 28, 2006 3:13 PM | Comments (0)

 

Three questions for Tapes 'N Tapes

Filed under: 3 Questions

by Mikael Wood

These local boys have had a heck of a year, rocketing from indie-rock obscurity to, um, indie-rock renown on the back of The Loon, re-released this year on XL Records. We tracked 'em down in Australia and requested some reflection.

City Pages: Describe the biggest change the band experienced in 2006.

Erik Appelwick: We got tighter as a band. Now I always know when Jeremy [Hanson] is going to rush a drum fill, and I know when Matt [Kretzman] is going to come across the stage and try to make me fuck up by hitting me with his tambourine.

Matt Kretzman: At the beginning of the year, playing out of town meant Madison or Chicago. Now, later today, I might be jumping into the Indian Ocean!

CP: Best tour meal?

EA: The best I can remember would have been in Nottingham, in the U.K.: mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette, incredible beef stroganoff, and a fresh-baked cheesecake for dessert. By all accounts, this was a complete fluke, because the food in the U.K. categorically sucks ass.

Josh Grier: We were in New York in July when we were on Letterman, and after the show we went out to celebrate. I had the best steak I've had in my life.

CP: What's up in 2007? More touring? Recording? Catching up on Lost?

EA: We might be touring again as soon as April. In the winter we plan to get a heaping helping of new songs on our plate and then take said plate into the studio and make the best record we can. Lost was on TV last night when I got to the hotel after our show in Melbourne, and watching it proved that I do in fact need to catch up, because I had absolutely no fucking idea what was going on.

Mere hours after the conclusion of this interview, Australian hoods robbed the Tapes' tour van, making off with, among other things, two laptop computers, a few guitar pedals, and several personal effects. Help dull the memory of their loss as Tapes 'N Tapes come home to First Avenue on Friday, Decemeber 29, with Dosh and Halloween, Alaska. 18+. $10/$12 at the door. 8:00 p.m.

Posted by Corey Anderson at December 28, 2006 9:23 AM | Comments (0)

 

It Was A Wonderful Life: James Brown Dies at 73

Filed under: Obituary

James Brown died of congestive heart failure resulting from pneumonia Christmas morning in his hometown of Atlanta. Variously known as the Godfather of Soul, the Hardest Working Man in Show Business, JB, and a dozen other nicknames, Brown's influence is difficult to overstate. Indeed, perhaps the best way (or at least the only way this stunned brain can manage) to pay him tribute during this holiday season is to imagine, a la "It's a Wonderful Life," what the world would have been like had he never existed.

The development of funk music would be severely retarded if it existed at all. All the seminal funk acts, from George Clinton's P-Funk to Sly Stone's saucy fatback to Chic's chicka-chicka thrumbeat, to Prince's purple paisleys, owed significant chunks of their sound to JB's blueprint.

Brown was arguably the greatest musical showman of the past 50 years, with some of the most revered and galvanizing stage performers--Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson come immediately to mind--overtly copying his moves.

Race relations would have been more violent and more volatile without Brown's input. His 1968 hit, "Say it Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)," became a topical and self-fulfilling catchphrase. In April of that year, he saved the City of Boston from what would almost certainly been a damaging race riot by having his concert televised there on the night after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

This musically addled white boy, and millions like me of all races, wouldn't have experienced the thrill of hearing "Sex Machine," "Cold Sweat," "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "Night Train," "This is a Man's World," and literally dozens of other songs that involuntarily had us grinding our ankles and feet into some spinning, mashed-potatoed moonwalk, hitting the orgasm scale on the geek savant meter, and not giving a shit who was laughing at us. For these and so many other things, Thank God for the life of James Brown.

Posted by Britt Robson at December 25, 2006 4:34 PM | Comments (4)

 

Pip Pip Hooray!

Filed under: Music

Just got five "Beautiful Ballads" collections from the Legacy label that dip into Sony/BMG's endless storehouse of classics, scheduled for release a day after Christmas and promoted with an eye toward Valentine's Day. Four of them--by the Isleys, Patti LaBelle, Earth Wind & Fire, and the O'Jays--are fine, and, never one to look gift horses in the mouth, I'm happy to have them.

But I'm doing backward somersaults over the "Beautiful Ballads" from Gladys Knight & the Pips. As with any great 70s soul act, GK&P, has had their hits regurgitated in a dozen different compendiums. But "Beautiful Ballads" is the very first to execute the fondest wishes of iPod illiterate folks like your truly, stacking the four blockbuster singles (tracks #3-6) that defined Knight as the quintessential female counterpart to Al Green, melding classic gospel-style testimony (with the Pips chiming in on the call-and-response) with soap operatic romance. I'm talkin' 'bout a goosebump chorus line of "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me," "Midnight Train To Georgia," "If I Were Your Woman," and "Neither One of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)," back-to-back-to-back-to-back! This is the holy grail of sacred swooning, 15 minuts and 59 seconds of incomparably bittersweet bliss. If you're not rockin', bobbin' and spinning around the room while belting out the lyrics along with Gladys, I'm not sure I want to know you.

Posted by Britt Robson at December 22, 2006 11:30 AM | Comments (0)

 

Playboy loves First Avenue

Filed under: Local Music

Told you we read it for the articles: Playboy.com's "A-List" (we swear we called dibs on that name long ago) lists Minneapolis's own First Avenue as one of the ten best rock clubs in America. The big black bus station joins the likes of the Empty Bottle in Chicago, Emo's Austin, and the Mercury Lounge in New York on the list.

Not too surprising, sure, but nice all the same. Here's what they said:

This former Greyhound bus depot has endured numerous name changes, shifts in ownership and even a bankruptcy since holding its first concert in 1970. But its permanent place on the historic register of American rock clubs has never been in doubt. This place is a temple to Minneapolis rock, and not just because the spacious, circular room and stellar views make good shows seem transcendent. It's been a testing ground and steady supporter since the '80s, when locals like the Replacements, Husker Du and Prince became national stars. Twenty years later, the club hasn't atrophied. The Entry Stage is just that for today's younger, inexperienced bands. And many current Minnesota acts--like the Hold Steady, Tapes 'n Tapes and the rappers on powerhouse label Rhymesayers--rose through the ranks via some well-received shows at First Ave.

The venerable toilet-topper also proves it did its homework by listing Brother Ali and Dosh as local acts to watch.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 18, 2006 5:47 PM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Monday 12/18

Filed under: Local Nightlife

In Flames @ First Avenue

From today's A-List: "These four heavy acts span both the globe and metal's stylistic spectrum; not sure how they ended up together, but each is worth checking out. Headliners In Flames are heavyweights in Sweden's Gothenburg scene, which means they thrash with sensitivity and tune. Alongside At the Gates, they've influenced every young metalcore band ever. Italy's Lacuna Coil were doing the melodic female-fronted goth-metal thing long before Evanescence. Their latest, Karmacode, isn't as good as Amy Lee's new one, but it does feature a deliciously gloomy cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence." The Sword, from Austin, churn out hipster-approved, Sabbath-indebted sludge that manages to swing every once in a while. And similarly sludgy Seamless are fronted by Jesse Leach, who used to play in Killswitch Engage."

All ages. $21/$25 at the door. 5:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Roe Family Singers @ 331
Bizarre @ Station 4

Check out the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 18, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Weekend Edition (12/16-17)

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Mr. Dibbs & DJ Abilities @ Triple Rock

From Saturday's A-List: "Dibbs: Cincy native, occasional Atmosphere DJ, metal as fuck, recruited by El-P to provide scratches on his upcoming album I'll Sleep When You're Dead, co-founder of the annual hip-hop geek-fest Scribble Jam, and owner of the most vicious goatee to ever hover over the wheels of steel. Abilities: Reps Minneapolis, regional champ at the DMC DJ battle contest in '99 and '01, turntablist half of local super-scientific battle-rap monster Eyedea & Abilities, recruited by El-P to provide scratches on his last album, Fantastic Damage, mixtape fiend, and possibly a ninja. Both DJs on the same bill: Batten down the hatches, for the love of God."

With Jimmy2Times & Plain Ole Bill and Espada & DJ Mike the 2600 King. 21+. $10/$12 at the door. 9:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Saturday

Shadow Cabaret @ Patrick's Cabaret
Melvin Taylor @ Famous Dave's
Bee Gee's Tribute @ Turf Club
Robert Robinson @ Benson Great Hall
Robin and Linda Williams @ the Fitz
Three Days Grace @ Myth
Irv Williams @ AQ
Doomtree Blowout Jr. @ Triple Rock
JoAnna James @ 400 Bar
Scream Club @ Big V's
The Brass Kings @ 331

Sunday

Allen Toussaint @ Dakota
Fuck Party @ 7th St.
Disney on Ice @ Xcel

Go to the A-List!

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 16, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Friday 12/15

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Imogen Heap @ First Avenue

From today's A-List: "Something of a P.J. Harvey for the PG-13 set, Imogen Heap is a British beauty who first made stateside waves as half of the electro-folk duo Frou Frou (Americans will recognize "Let Go," their contribution to the Garden State soundtrack). The other half of that group was Madonna producer Guy Sigsworth, and popular perception held him responsible for Frou Frou's luscious sound while disregarding Heap as simply the pretty singer. Her bitter response was 2005's Speak for Yourself, an entirely self-produced, self-released affair that contained the single "Hide and Seek," easily the best a cappella radio hit since Shai's "If I Ever Fall in Love." She returns to the Twin Cities in support of her re-released debut, 1999's I Megaphone, which serves as proof that she's as adept with a grand piano as she is with Pro-Tools. Opening is loopy San Francisco beat-boxer Kid Beyond, who sounds like he's got a 12-piece orchestra and a couple of turntables inside his skull."

18+. $20. 7:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Jessy Greene (CD release) @ Triple Rock
Cowboy Curtis @ Turf Club
Dakota Dave Hull @ the Cedar
Trashy Little Christmas @ Lee's
Dance Band @ 7th St.
Quarter Acre Lifestyle @ BLB

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 15, 2006 6:45 AM | Comments (1)

 

City Planner: Thursday 12/14

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Gogol Bordello @ First Avenue

From today's A-List: "'Gypsy punk' is an evocative distillation of Gogol Bordello's aesthetic, but it's also just the tip of the iceberg. When frontman Eugene Hutz left the Chernobyl-damaged Ukraine in the '80s to make his way to Brooklyn, he picked up along the way an impressive repertoire of cross-cultural styles and a busload of musicians who shared his passion for Romany-rooted, international-minded wedding band/performance group/wild-ass party music. Though Hutz has a singing voice somewhat reminiscent of an Eastern-European Joe Strummer, the typical Gogol Bordello record makes Sandinista! sound downright provincial. Their live shows are lunatic spectacles of debauchery that resemble an Iggy Pop show done in immigrant vaudeville style."

With Valient Thorr and Dan Sartain. All ages. $15/$16 at the door. 6:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

DJ Lady Miss Kier @ Foundation
Koerner & Glover @ 400 Bar
Lura @ the Cedar

More at the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 14, 2006 6:32 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Wednesday 12/13

Filed under: Art/Museums

3Qs with "Level_13" curator Jamie Schumacher

Exhibition curator Jamie Schumacher offers City Pages a few pithy pixels about how the painting, sculpture, sound, and digital art in Altered Esthetics' "Level_13" reflects, refracts, and builds on a body of video game culture that's growing faster than the national debt.

City Pages: There's an abundance of compelling art based on—or in—modern video games. So why does "Level_13" focus on the classics?

Jamie Schumacher: My generation grew up with a type of art that was different than the forms that preceded it. Unlike cartoons and paintings, video games were art you could play with. "Level_13" recognizes the tremendous role video games of the '80s had on an entire generation of artists, designers, writers, and gamers.

CP: Two pieces in the show are actually playable, but neither is for sale. Does that reflect video games' non-commodity-based essence, in the sense that their merit is grounded mostly in experience?

JS: I believe that has more to do with the artists' connections to the creations rather than a perceived notion about commodity value.

CP: Do you think video games can be great art?

JS: Video games have tremendous power to generate art that is not only beautiful, aesthetically balanced, and expressive, but also appealing to an impressive--and at times addictive--degree. Video games, especially role-playing games, are like incredibly enhanced installation art. With a little less latex and wood.

--Rod Smith

"Level_13," a 30-artist exhibition inspired by classic video games, runs through December 21 at Altered Esthetics. Free. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Tuesday; also 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursday.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 13, 2006 6:44 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Tuesday

Filed under: Local Nightlife

El Vez @ First Avenue

From today's A-List: "Visually, 'Mexican Elvis' is the Clash and Public Enemy re-imagined as a Zapatista Las Vegas revue, complete with pompadour, pencil 'stache, and female dancers. Musically, he's the P.D.Q. Bach of rock 'n' roll. His sonic and political jokes are so fast and rich, they're a pop-culture nut's dream: One medley from a previous 'Mex-Mas' tour quoted Jimi Hendrix's 'Fire,' Elvis's 'Burning Love,' the Doors' 'Light My Fire,'and the Trammps' 'Disco Inferno' within seconds--a live mash-up that would fall flat if his band weren't so good. Expect a Santa outfit among the numerous costume changes."

With Human Hands. 18+. $10/$12 at the door. 7:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Benefit for Crazy Amy @ Foundation
Cafe Scientifique @ Varsity

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 12, 2006 6:09 AM | Comments (0)

 

Tuesday at the Foundation: A Benefit for Crazy Amy

Filed under: Local Music

From The Foundation's website:

Amy has been a staple on the hip hop scene in Minneapolis for years. She works tirelessly for organizations that she believes in by raising money for their causes. Not only is she a friend to our musical community, she is a friend to the community at large. Recently, Amy was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. She needed and received an emergency procedure that may have saved her life. Since she is such a devoted friend, we've decided to throw this benefit in hopes of helping her get through this drastic change of life. We love Amy and ask that you come down to help support and listen to some good old fashioned hip hop music!

Performers at the benefit include Slug, I Self Devine, Prof & Rahzwell, Big Quarters, Black Belt Jonezin', Try-D and many more. Admission is $10 for this 21+ show; doors open at 9:00 PM.

Posted by Nate Patrin at December 11, 2006 4:19 PM | Comments (1)

 

City Planner: Monday 12/11

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Sean Lennon @ First Avenue

From today's A-List: "Friendly Fire, the new sophomore disc from John Lennon's youngest son, should prove to those who doubted the twentysomething charms of his 1998 debut that Sean inherited more than his dad's fortune. A self-consciously mature step away from the debut's haphazard salad-bowl vibe, Friendly Fire shows off Lennon's songwriting chops with dreamy folk-pop tunes that utilize plenty of studio-nerd texture. But they're really about handsome melodies and heartfelt words; the CD feels timeless and familiar in a way any Beatles fan can recognize. Opener Jim Noir, from the north of England, plays homemade orchestral pop without the aid of an actual orchestra."

18+. $15. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Jeremy Enigk @ Varsity
Jingle Ball @ Myth
Ann Hampton Callaway @ Dakota
Hoobastank @ Fine Line

These events and more at the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 11, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

VH1 loves Coach Said Not To

The wise and discerning bloggers over at VH1's reliably hilarious Best Week Ever gives big love to Minneapolis rockers Coach Said Not To, whose "Jive and Claims" remains a classic struggling artist anti-anthem in the mode of Daniel Johnston's "Story of an Artist" and the Chills' "Song For Randy Newman, Etc." Check out the VH1 blog here, and check out Coach Said Not To Saturday at the 400 Bar.

Posted by Jim Walsh at December 10, 2006 10:04 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Weekend Edition (12/9-10)

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Root for Earl @ Station 4

From Saturday's A-List: "Earl Root is the patriarch of the Twin Cities metal scene. For two decades, he has hosted Root of All Evil, a Sunday-morning metal marathon that runs from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m on KFAI-FM (90.3 Minneapolis, 106.7 St. Paul). In addition, he was the proprietor of Root Cellar Records in St. Paul until it closed up shop in 2004. Root's also played in numerous tinnitus-inducing bands over the years, including Disturbed, Aesma Daeva, and God-Awful. What's more, despite his affinity for songs about Satan worship and vegetable masturbation, he's a really nice guy. Lesser known is the fact that the metal maestro has been sick from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for five years. Recently Root's health has taken a turn for the worse, necessitating additional treatment and undoubtedly resulting in astronomical medical bills. This benefit will, of course, feature numerous metal bands, including Impaler, Sirens of Titan, and Vicious Violet."

21+. $10. 3:00 p.m. Donations are also being taken here.

Elsewhere

Saturday

Atlantic Starr @ Trocaderos
Blueground Undergrass @ Cabooze
Hubert Sumlin @ Famous Dave's
Low/Fog @ First Avenue
Bridge Club @ Hexagon
Mason Jennings @ 400 Bar
Otep @ 7th St.
The Hidden Cameras @ Triple Rock
Winter Blanket @ Turf Club
Hopefuls @ Nomad
Trashy Little Christmas @ Lee's

Sunday

'For New Orleans' release party @ Kitty Cat Klub
Rock the Cradle @ C.T.C.

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 9, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

Where Were You When John Lennon Was Murdered?

Tell us here.

Posted by Jim Walsh at December 8, 2006 9:31 AM | Comments (6)

 

City Planner: Friday 12/08

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Shadow Cabaret @ Patrick's Cabaret

From today's A-List: "'What you are seeing here are the crippled products of madness, impertinence, and lack of talent,' declared Adolf Ziegler, president of the Reich Culture Chamber, of 'Entartete Kunst' (translation: 'degenerate art'), the 1937 Munich exhibition meant to exemplify works unbefitting of Nazi Germany. Shudder to think what Ziegler would have thought of 'The Shadow Cabaret,' in which artist provocateur Patrick Scully and friends reprise the cabaret scene that existed before the nasty deterioration of German society. The show features dancers, musicians, and performance artists tangled in a web of past, present, and future reflections on art and politics. Scully, who has lived in Berlin, tells stories of his experiences there, while dancer Kats Fukasawa confounds gender and transcends cultural identity, and Laurie van Wieren explores such characters as the notorious Anita Berber, known in Weimar Berlin as the Priestess of Depravity. Transgender artist Venus and transgenre music groups Brass Messengers and Dreamland Faces round out this transgressive alt-holiday event."

$8. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Anita Baker @ Orpheum
God Damn Doo Wop Band @ Hexagon
Byther Smith @ Famous Dave's
Joanna Newsom @ 400 Bar
John Lennon Tribune @ First Ave.
The Who @ Xcel
Blueworm Records showcase @ 7th St.

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 8, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Thursday 12/07

Filed under: Local Nightlife

The Ex @ Triple Rock

From today's A-List: "Tear up that bus ticket, put the kibosh on that 'sick' call to work, and cancel all other plans to ditch out to New York or Chicago or who-knows-where: The Ex are finally playing Minneapolis for the first time in their 27-year history. This band of Dutch anarchists has made a career of mixing angular post-punk and calculatedly stumbling polyrhythm with poetic, political lyrics, and they've made it sound as natural and essential as drinking a glass of water. The band's artistic openness is, for lack of a better word, democratic--collaborators include members of ICP Orchestra, Tortoise, Sonic Youth, the late cellist Tom Cora, and lately Ethiopian saxophone legend Getatchew Mekuria--and it's born out of a desire to see, understand, and comprehend this nutzoid ball of rock rather than to expand their renown. Do not miss this. At frickin' last."

With DJ/rupture, STNNNG, and the Agenda. 18+. $10. 9:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Menstrual Tramps @ 7th St.
Medeski et al @ First Avenue
Aerosmith/Motley Crue @ Target Center

This and more at the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 7, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Wednesday 12/06

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Les Georges Leningrad @ 7th St. Entry

From today's A-List: "When Canada's government voted last week to recognize the separate nationhood of Quebec on the basis of its unique culture and French heritage, the members of Parliament probably didn't have Montreal's Les Georges Leningrad in mind. But they should have. This cheeky synth-noise trio has all the bombast, visual splendor, clownish spirit, and (ah, hell) "uniqueness" of a Cirque du Soleil troupe, without any of the precious Euro-schmaltz. Plus, as with their aesthetic forebears Erase Errata, you can dance to LGL. Their third and latest release, Sangue Puro (on the German experimental label Tomlab), is less weird but more ambitious than anything they've done yet. Here's to making "Mammal Beats" the new Quebecois national anthem."

With circuit-bending wizards Beatrix*Jar. 21+. $7. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Forward Russia @ Triple Rock
Gov't Mule @ O'Shaughnessy
Senses Fail @ First Ave
Level_13 @ Q.arma Building
Kevin Kling @ Guthrie

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 6, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Tuesday 12/5

Filed under: Local Nightlife

The Lemonheads @ 400 Bar

From today's A-List: "When I showed up at Evan Dando's lower-Manhattan apartment building a few months ago for a chat about the new Lemonheads disc, the doorman at the front desk informed me that Mr. Dando was running late but that he was expected back any minute now. "Mr. Dando"--I got quite a kick out of that, as I presume Dando himself would, considering his long history as a scrappy Boston punk with a knack for writing songs about the eternal joys of getting wasted. The Lemonheads, which Dando recorded earlier this year with two members of the Descendents, doesn't sound like a Mr. Dando record. It's fast and loud and catchy, more like the early Lemonheads stuff than the jangly folk-pop hits that made Dando a darling of the 120 Minutes set."

With VietNam and Hymns. $18/$20 at the door. 21+. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Mark Yost @ Magers & Quinn
Javier Trejo @ Terminal Bar
The Darkos @ Turf Club

More at the A-List. Go there now!

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 5, 2006 5:58 AM | Comments (0)

 

Corpus Obscurum named one of the best blogs you're not reading

Filed under: Blogs/Web

Minnesota ex-pat Rex Sorgatz, purveyor of pop culture factoids and emerging online trends at his blog Fimoculous, has compiled the Best Blogs of 2006 that You (Maybe) Aren't Reading—thirty notable blogs that find themselves in the online version of the witness protection program. We're honored to find the City Pages blog, Corpus Obscurum, saluting those whose accomplishments far exceeded their fame, ranked #5 on the list that also includes Cute Overload, Metafilter, and Starbucks Gossip. Our compliments to Mr. Sorgatz for the acknowledgment and the page views.

Posted by Corey Anderson at December 4, 2006 2:49 PM | Comments (1)

 

City Planner: Monday 12/4

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Blind Boys of Alabama @ Guthrie

From today's A-List: "The Blind Boys were supposed to give the final musical performance at the old Guthrie last March, but bad weather scuttled the gig. Now they're back at the new joint with a holiday show based on their 2003 Christmas album Go Tell It on the Mountain, a genuine charmer that matched the Boys' classic gospel harmonies with a slew of higher-profile musical guests. It's a strategy they've used effectively since hooking up with Peter Gabriel's record label Real World about five years ago, but it's been hardly necessary. Sixty-five years (!) into their career, the Boys--still led by founding members Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter--easily conjure spirit so ferocious and harmonies so rich they would inspire even the meanest humbugger to mend his ways. Or at least quit the Bush administration."

$36. 7:30 p.m.

Elsewhere

+44 @ First Avenue

Go to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 4, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Weekend Edition (12/2-3)

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Doomtree Blowout @ First Avenue

From Saturday's A-List: ""I think if you're not angry at something, living in America right now, then you're not paying enough attention," said Doomtree's Dessa in City Pages last year, and more than swing voters seem to have come around to that viewpoint. Once a cottage industry of home-burned EPs and punk-friendly local shows, the Doomtree hip-hop collective now looms as a national subculture, with P.O.S. putting forward underground rap's best new pierced face--giggling, radicalized, hungry for the next adventurous beat. The other dozen-odd Doomtreers--including MCs Mike Mictlan, Sims, and Cecil Otter--each put their distinct stamps on this sensibility, and watching the personalities in collaborative flux is a treat live. With forthcoming albums galore, much of tonight's music will be new, with the added bonus of a fleet of breakdancers, happening-like visuals and decor, surprise guests (friends in Rhymesayers?), and a charitable cause, with 10 percent of proceeds going to People Serving People, one of the largest providers of emergency housing in Minnesota."

Saturday. 18+. $10/$12 at the door. 8:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Saturday

Guns n' Roses @ Target Center
Create, Destroy, Repeat @ Rosalux
British TV Ad Awards @ Walker
Annual Art Sale @ MCAD
Dosh @ Turf Club
Hockey Night @ Whole
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes @ Triple Rock
Michael W. Smith @ Xcel
Ouija Radio @ Uptown Bar

Sunday

James Sewell Ballet (closing) @ the Ritz
T.I. @ Target Center
subdudes @ Fine Line
Bodyworlds (closing) @ Science Museum
45th Annual Indoor Marching Band Concert @ Northrop
Jordis @ Rossi's
Roma di Luna @ 331

Head on over to the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 2, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

City Planner: Friday 12/1

Filed under: Local Nightlife

Twisted Sister @ Myth

From today's A-List: "One of the most satisfying MTV moments ever occurs during the video for Twisted Sister's 'We're Not Gonna Take It.' You know, when the guitar-slinging son growls, 'I wanna rock,' and blasts his ex-military dad out the window. Because of that rock classic, and because lead singer Dee Snider also turned out to be an able radio jock, Twisted Sister have retained a grudging respect while other hair metal bands of the '80s decayed into a joke. Question: Can Twisted Sister's integrity survive a tour in support of their latest release? How about if that release is titled A Twisted Christmas? That depends on your desire to see silly interpretations of classic holiday carols by an aging metal band."

With Avian. All ages. $40/$50. 5:00 p.m.

Elsewhere

Concert for Kateri @ the Cedar
The Roches @ the Fitz
Whisper in the Noise @ 7th St.
The Pines @ 400
Student Art Sale @ MCAD

This and more at the A-List.

Posted by Chuck Terhark at December 1, 2006 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

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