Winter's first arctic emergence is expected tomorrow. It's time to settle in, brew some warm beverages and relax. For me, it's time to start thinking about some winter-flavored tunes rope into the ol' playlist. The guidelines: none other than songs about snow. No linking to Snow Patrol, though. That would be cheating.

Listen to these songs that celebrate the white stuff, and kindly leave your own choices in the comments.

5. The Pernice Brothers, “Pisshole in the Snow.”
Joe Pernice is a master of the pop song, both upbeat and gentle. The warm guitars in this one act as a bulwark against the cold outside. This tune is also, beyond any question, the most romantic song ever to include the word “Pisshole.” Hear the song streaming by clicking on the “Discover a Lovelier You” album cover here.

More songs with YouTube videos after the jump.

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Madlib, Peanut Butter Wolf and friends
November 29, 2007
The Foundation
Review by Jordan Selbo

The Stones Throw circus came through like a breezy wind Thursday night, wafting its peculiar brand of indie Hip Hop over an appreciative crowd that ran the gamut from nerdy rap head to slightly-cooler-but-still-not-that-cool rap head. All the pieces were in place--smoked-out beats that thumped and nodded in thick clouds of J Dilla’s ghost; a colorful cadre of flashy but ultimately one-dimensional MCs that did what they did well, and then let the beats speak for themselves; and finally, a goofy ringleader in Peanut Butter Wolf, nonchalantly running things with his absurdly random sidekick the Arabian Prince (of NWA semi-fame) … all off a fancy laptop, no less (fans hoping for displays of turntable virtuoso were sorely disappointed, as in addition to the digital soundtrack, the advertised master DJ J Rocc was not in attendance). In the predictability of its fantastical nature, perhaps, lies the Stones Throws appeal.

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Vast Aire and Copywrite at Whiskey Junction
Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007
Review and Photos by Jeff Shaw

It's a cold Tuesday night after midnight, and one of the most influential independent rappers of the past 10 years is waiting to go on stage. The weeknight crowd at the Whiskey Junction is thin -- a few dozen perhaps, much less than rooms he usually plays.

Vast Aire doesn't care. The Brooklyn-based legend is back on tour.

Whiskey Junction made some noise for Vast Aire and Copywrite Tuesday night. Click here for more photos.

It's been a waiting game. When Vast and Vordul Mega formed the duo Cannibal Ox and released groundbreaking LP The Cold Vein in 2001, the impact was felt throughout the underground hip-hop community. Here were two artists with different styles combining to paint bleak, intricate lyrical pictures. Then, Vast's 2004 solo release Look Mom ... No Hands showed a more playful side, highlighting his creative wordplay skills. Deceptively simple lyrics melded with keen observations and pop culture references to create a memorable first LP. With cameos from MF Doom, Blueprint, Aesop Rock and others, the record left fans wanting more.

Holding court before the show starts, Vast tells them that the wait is almost over. He talks affably to anyone who comes around about his forthcoming projects (a new solo album, Deuces Wild; a group effort with fellow Brooklyn rapper Karniege called Mighty Joseph, and another collaboration with New York MC Genesis).

His tour mate, the well-respected Ohio MC Copywrite, approaches. It's time to go on. They head to the front of the room.

And they tear the place down, performing with the same energy as if there were 1,000 people somehow packed into the Junction. Vast's laconic, smooth baritone contrasts well with Copywrite's fast-paced staccato flow. The crowd might be sparse, but it is dedicated and knowledgeable about the material, and if Vast is dismayed by the turnout, it never shows.

When it hits 2 a.m., show promoter Nick Oz practically has to force him from the stage. This is a man who lives and loves hip-hop, and whether there are 36 people in the building or 36,000, he's back.

Before he and Copywrite took the mic, Vast sat down with me for a few minutes. Here is the resulting Q&A, after the jump:

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Perhaps you read my review of local sketch comedy troupe The Other Side Project. Perhaps you were intrigued by my comment about how the video elements of the performance added to the show. Perhaps you were even considering attending their second (and last, for now) gig at the Bryant Lake Bowl tomorrow (Thursday) night.

Or perhaps not. Either way, I think you'll enjoy this video of their "So You Think You Can Impress a British Person" skit.

Local girl made good Diablo Cody, a former City Pages contributor and current Hollywood hot property, has been nominated for a 2008 Independent Spirit Award for her screenplay for Juno, which opens in the Twin Cities December 14. The Best New Screenplay nomination confirms some of the early buzz about the film and Cody, who is already the subject of Oscar speculation. Juno also received three other Independent Spirit nominations: Best Feature, Best Director (Jason Reitman), and Best Female Lead (Ellen Page). The awards ceremony honors independent films with budgets under $20 million. It will be televised February 23 on the Independent Film Channel and AMC.

Meant no chance to see Anthony Bourdain last night at the Triple Rock. He packed the joint and dozens more were turned away. But he's all over the local airwaves. Mary Lucia talked with him on The Current yesterday. Channel 9 had him in studio this morning. And Kerri Miller interviewed him on today's Midmorning show. (One stunning revelation from the Miller chat: he quit smoking!) Bourdain will also be signing books at MOA this afternoon.

One only has to tune in to the Travel Channel's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations to see that in the past two years the man has truly become a globetrotter. Hardly a regurgitation of the Zagat-approved restaurants of the cities, Bourdain dines on the street, with locals in hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and even occasionally at private residences. His show, much like his writing, can be hilarious, critical, and endearing—all in one segment.More >>

... and it is funny there.

They've individually performed in lots of venues as actors, stand-up comics and practitioners of the improvisational arts. Now, they've formed like Voltron into a collective entity bent on ruling the sketch comedy universe. Or maybe they just want to make you laugh. They're called The Other Side Project, and they debuted at the Bryant Lake Bowl last night.

Pass the Scooby Snacks, Fake Doctor Bob: Pilgrim Elvis is in the Mood to Party. Click here for more photos.

The ensemble, composed of eight actors and one video person, ran through an hour-long series of sketches with wild characters, meta-humor that punches right through the fourth wall, and even one nostalgic nod to a classic Looney Tunes bit.

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Michael Tisserand is the former editor of Gambit Weekly and author of The Kingdom of Zydeco. His new book is Sugarcane Academy: How a New Orleans Teacher and his Storm-Struck Students Created a School to Remember. It's an eloquent, moving chronicle of how Tisserand's family and friends struggled to piece their lives back together in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He'll be reading from the book at Magers & Quinn on Sunday. I spoke to him last week by phone from his new home in Evanston, Illinois.

City Pages: What are you doing in Evanston?

Michael Tisserand: I have been writing, to this point at least, only about New Orleans. I was the editor at Gambit. But that first week of Katrina I sort of became a writer again. At this point I haven't stopped doing that, writing about New Orleans. As odd as it seems I've been living in Evanston and writing about Louisiana

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Compared with other holidays, Thanksgiving hasn't inspired bards overmuch. There are no traditional hymns, no instantly identifiable music associated with the day save possibly various football broadcast bumpers.

Nevertheless, here and there we find certain songs that -- in lyric or in spirit -- fit the theme of the day. For the first installment of a new, recurring blog feature, we hunted down five such songs for your Thanksgiving listening pleasure.

We plan to do a similarly-themed post once a month or so, with songs about different themes and events during the year. Use the comments to talk about the songs, or to suggest your own potential additions to the list.

5. Adam Sandler -- The Thanksgiving Song
Before Adam Sandler's magnum opus about Hannukah, there was his fractured effort about Turkey Day. Performed on Saturday Night Live with a brief assist from Kevin Nealon, Sandler's silly song may be the first holiday hymn to mention both Mike Tyson and venereal disease -- though hopefully not the last. (Due to NBC's video fascism, you can't see the original version, but this live version has the same feel. Note to the Peacock: Information wants to be free, tough guy.)

4. William Burroughs -- A Thanksgiving Prayer
Feeling thankful? Got a warm sensation of fellowship with other human beings? Smiling after watching the Sandler video? William S. Burroughs can take care of that for you. Okay, it's a spoken-word piece and not a song. If Kurt Cobain had lived longer, I'm sure he'd have performed musical accompaniment to this the way he did Burroughs' "The Priest They Called Him." Sadly, Cobain killed himself, possibly after listening to this concentrated burst of depressing.

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