Oh geez.

I missed the deadline for Pazz 'n' Jop. My favorite albums and singles were sitting in a .doc on my computer; I just never turned them in. It slipped my mind, what with last-minute shopping and time spent in airports and cringing as Mom doled out copies of SPIN to relatives (I wrote about gypsy music for the end-of-the-year issue). Then there was the consumption of too much meat and candy, which resulted in a trip to the hospital. Fortunately things have settled down, I'm back home, and the patient--not me--is recovering.

And I made my lists so I damn well better show them off (especially since years as lame as 2006 make simple top tens quite the chore.) Here's to a much better 2007. I can tell you right now, the new Brother Ali is awesome.

Albums
1. The Hold Steady Boys & Girls in America
2. TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain
3. Envelopes Demon
4. Be Your Own Pet Be Your Own Pet
5. Camera Obscura Let's Get Out of the Country
6. Yo La Tengo I Am Not Afraid Of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
7. Forro in the Dark Bonfires of Sao Joao
8. Thom Yorke The Eraser
9. Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere
10. Beirut Gulag Orkestar

Singles
1. "Ring the Alarm" - Beyonce
2. "SexyBack" - Justin Timberlake
3. "Dance Like a Monkey" - New York Dolls
4. "Ain't No Other Man" - Christina Aguilera
5. "Phenomena" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
6. "Wind It Up" - Gwen Stefani
7. "Don't Know Why (You Stay)" - The Essex Green
8. "Irreplaceable" - Beyonce
9. "LDN" - Lily Allen
10. "Black Sweat" - Prince

Yes, two Beyonce songs.

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at January 3, 2007 7:28 PM | Comments (3)

 

More Christmas songs should tell us to "wave 'em like you just don't care"

I didn't want to let the holiday season slip by without posting this great video which features dancing, rapping Christmas trees. The Japanese girls inside the costumes are called Halcali, and yes, this is a Christmas song. In Japan, Christmas is a romantic holiday like Valentines Day, so the lyrics are about the joy of being with someone--and the shame of being alone--on Christmas Eve. (YouTube has a version with subtitles but I find the original plenty entertaining what with the choreography and falling feathers and such. Plus, it's a catchy little song.) The evening is celebrated with Christmas Cake, a sponge cake decorated with whipped cream and strawberries, which may explain the song's title. Or not. I once spent Christmas in Tokyo but hell if I knew what was going on. Without further ado: "Strawberry Chips."

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at December 22, 2006 11:44 AM | Comments (2)

 

Transistor blast

I reckon I better take advantage of YouTube before the copyright police sue us all and we're left with a site full of amateur Jackass clips and footage of the baby doing, OMG, the cutest thing ever! First thing's first--the video for this blog's namesake. Check out Babyface Partridge's righteous indignation at being forced to categorize his music. Rawr.

And in current pop news, it's nice to see someone benefiting from the fact that a) this has been a dismal year for music and b) no one's willing to pay for it anymore. If you want to sell CDs, you better target an audience that's under 15 or over 50.

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at October 26, 2006 11:04 AM | Comments (0)

 

How a Resurrection Really Feels

It only took five weeks of listening to Time Warner's on-hold message (and leeching weak, unreliable signals from our passwordless neighbors), but we finally have WiFi. Feels good to be back.

Settling into our Brooklyn apartment has kept me pretty busy. I spent this week merging and alphabetizing our CD collections. It's satisfying to see the library filled out (those gaps in my Luna catalogue--gone!) and we have a lot of stuff to get rid of. (How often do two people move in together and have duplicate copies of Forest for the Trees?) But such a task brings up major questions. If you have two copies of an album do you keep the attractive , liner note-accompanied, store-bought version or the promo in the cardboard sleeve which takes up less space? Do bands starting with "los" go under L? What happens when we get more CDs, which we have absolutely no room for? So much on my mind these days.

Also: I still have nightmares about that scene where Constantine Maroulis climbs over the couch.

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at October 10, 2006 9:29 PM

 

Friday Random Ten

Busy weekend. Tomorrow I'll spend the day racing around town with Brother and Sister and check out the opening of the new Smitten Kitten in the evening. Then on Sunday I'm hanging out with my fellow local rock writers on Homegrown. And at some point I'd like to get my extended 2005 music list out of the way so everyone knows just how disappointed I was with the new Broken Social Scene and New Pornographers albums. Phew.

1. "Ambulance" - Blur
2. "Let's Spend the Night Together" - David Bowie
3. "Everything Hits at Once" - Spoon
4. "Jackson Cannery" - Ben Folds Five
5. "Liquordelic" - Tipsy
6. "Get Real Paid" - Beck
7. "Sail to the Moon" - Radiohead
8. "Tick" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
9. "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Garmes" - Of Montreal
10. "Narc" - Interpol

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at January 6, 2006 4:50 PM

 

In lieu of the Friday shuffle...

Your Pazz & Jop albums ballot was submitted as follows:

1. Hold Steady - Separation Sunday - French Kiss (25)
2. Kanye West - Late Registration - Roc-A-Fella (15)
3. Stars - Set Yourself on Fire - Arts & Crafts (15)
4. Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike - Columbia (10)
5. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - Naturally - Daptone (10)
6. Darkness - One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back - Atlantic (5)
7. Ghosty - Grow Up or Sleep In - Future Farmer (5)
8. Metric - Live It Out - Last Gang (5)
9. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better - Domino/Epic (5)
10. Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll - Fierce Panda (5)

Your Pazz & Jop singles ballot was submitted as follows:

1. Kanye West - Gold Digger - Roc-A-Fella
2. Go! Team - Bottle Rocket - Columbia
3. Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone - RCA
4. Hold Steady - Little Hoodrat Friend - French Kiss
5. Beck - Girl - Geffen
6. Amerie - 1 Thing - Columbia
7. Will Smith - Switch - Interscope
8. Madonna - Hung Up - Warner Bros
9. The Game - Hate It or Love It - Universal
10. Hal - Play the Hits - Rough Trade

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at December 30, 2005 4:30 PM

 

Fun is always blurry

Here's my ballot for the Strib's local music poll. As you can see, my top 10 albums haven't changed in the week since I first came up with them. Amazing, no? (Here's a shot of the dance party that erupted during a set by Haunted House at Brother and Sister's Summer Camp in July.)

Albums
Atmosphere You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
The Birthday Suits Cherry Blue
The Blind Shake Rizzograph
Dessa False Hopes
Chris Koza Exit Pesce
Halloween, Alaska Two Tall to Hide
Mint Condition Livin' the Luxury Brown
STNNNG Dignified Sissy
Vicious Vicious Don't Look So Surprised
White Light Riot The Dark Is Light Enough

Songs
Brother and Sister "B-E-S-T S-I-S-T-E-R E-V-E-R"
Gay Beast "Multi-Purpose Anti-Form"
Fitzgerald "How Far North?"
Mike Gunther and His Restless Souls "No Leg to Stand On"
Vicious Vicious "Here Come Tha Police"

Live acts
The Birthday Suits
Brother and Sister
Gay Beast
The Plastic Constellations
STNNNG

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at December 19, 2005 1:41 PM

 

Friday Random Ten

This week my big brother joins in the fun. Hey hermano, we need to get you some non-Japanese music recorded within the last five years.

1. "Eight Line Poem" - David Bowie
2. "Black Cadillacs" - Modest Mouse
3. "Slow Hands" - Interpol
4. "Recycled Air" - The Postal Service
5. "Say It Ain't So" - Weezer
6. "When You Sleep" - My Bloody Valentine
7. "Lions" - Tones on Tail
8. "Nude on the Moon" - Tipsy
9. "Statecontrol" - the Hives
10. "Late" - Kanye West

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at December 9, 2005 3:11 PM

 

Friday Random Ten

Thanks to some friendly pestering on Corey Anderson's part, I'm bringing back my Friday shuffle. I spent last night frantically entering song titles into iTunes (something I'm usually too lazy to bother with) so as not to bore you with entries like "Track 7" - Kanye West. In other news, I'm a Lostoholic. I'm not sure what will happen when I run out of season one episodes, but I think it will be something akin to Charlie's heroin withdrawal.

1. "Let's Kill Ourselves" - the Ponys
2. "Road Movie to Berlin" - They Might Be Giants
3. "Police and the Private" - Metric
4. "The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore" - PJ Harvey
5. "Calendar Girl" - Stars
6. "Imperial Teen" - Imperial Teen
7. "The National Anthem" - Radiohead
8. "It's the End of the World as We Know It" - REM
9. "Kissing the Lipless" - the Shins
10. "Holland, 1945" - Neutral Milk Hotel

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at December 2, 2005 11:49 AM

 

Buy this car to drive to work, drive to work to pay for this car

Wow, a whole month without posts! I think that's a record for me. But as some acquaintances can attest, I've been busy, not to mention unusually stressed for someone as cool as me. Anyway, here are some things I've been meaning to tell you.

1) For wonderfully realistic fake blood, mix non-dairy creamer, red food coloring, a few drops of blue, and corn syrup. And if you cut up Fruit-by-the-Foot strips and let them soak, they'll fall apart and you've got--tada!--clotted blood. The drippy chunks look great hanging out of a zombie's mouth. I know it's a week late but earmark it for next year.

2) It's a good thing I'm not a guy because I'd never be satisfied with any woman who isn't Emily Haines*. At Metric's Ascot Room show, she gave off this uninhibited, sassy vibe that reminded me a bit of Karen O. Although with Emily, there's little chance that she'll spit beer on you. And I like that.

*I suppose I could settle for Anna Waronker, Jane Wiedlin, or Jenny Lewis. But other ladies need not apply.

3) I need a car. It would help me see shows at the Turf Club (and, really, anywhere in Minneapolis during the winter months when I don't feel like biking/bussing). Got any tips? Let me know.

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at November 4, 2005 6:16 PM

 

Something Wicked etc.

What with the sick tummies at Cirque du Soleil, you'd have been better off checking out Sleepytime Gorilla Museum this weekend. They too had an otherworldly circus vibe and a guy suspended above the stage in a box. The band was a bit more metal-influenced than Cirque du Soleil, though. (I'm assuming; I've never seen the Cirq.) The guy in the box was sort of a sideshow act - the Last Human Being! - which seemed like a rip-off of the opener, the Billy Nayer Show. (The plot of BNS's 2001 film, The American Astronaut, focuses on the clandestine trafficking of a Real Live Girl!) But it was still a great show and BNS are the best bass/drums/autoharp combo I've ever seen. Afterwards, I asked Cory why their tour has a stop in Oshkosh and he said, "I like Wisconsin. I fell in love with a girl from Milwaukee." It turns out he's currently working on storyboards for his next movie, Werewolf Hunters of the Midwest. Aww, warm fuzzies for the Midwest. Long story short, if thrashy and theatrical is your bag, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum are back on Friday to open for Les Claypool's Quest show.

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at October 4, 2005 3:34 PM

 

Lists exist so I can complain

Because my boyfriend and I live 1100 miles apart, we talk on the phone a good 12 hours a week. Because we're dorks, we have lots of conversations like this one.

L: I got the new Spin today.
K: What's on the cover?
L: "20 Greatest Innovators of the Last 20 Years" Wanna guess who made it?
K: Sure.
L: Okay. Go.
K: Beck.
L: Good one, just a sec... [flipping through pages]... uhh... wait, hang on... hmm... he must be in here somewhere... umm... Whoa. Beck is not on this list.

Now I like Spin and many people associated with it, and I'm accustomed to their sometimes half-assed lists. (Remember a couple years ago when they published the 40 Most Influential Artists and left out the Pixies? Insanity.) But look at who did make the Innovators list. Krist Novoselic? Noel Gallagher? Brandon Flowers??? If you know who Brandon Flowers is, well, hello Spin reader! Why else would you be able to identify the lead singer of the Killers? I read the interview for some insight into why he's so innovative but all I got out of it was 1) He doesn't like people who make money selling Killers' crap on eBay. 2) He likes David Bowie a lot. 3) He didn't start that feud with the Bravery. So here's my list of people who didn't make Spin's, despite being more innovative than Brandon fuckin' Flowers. (Spin threw in a few non-musicians so I did, too.)

1. Beck
2. Spike Jonze
3. Kathleen Hanna
4. The Flaming Lips
5. Run-D.M.C.
6. Karen O
7. Prince
8. Liz Phair
9. Dr. Dre
10. Radiohead
11. Wes Anderson
12. De La Soul
13. Trent Reznor
14. Danger Mouse
15. Madonna
16. Sonic Youth
17. Jon Stewart
18. Mary Ellis-Bunim & Jonathan Murray
19. Missy Elliott
20. U2

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at September 29, 2005 5:06 PM

 

So very, very tired

Everybody's talkin' 'bout the MMAs so here's my two cents: they were more fun in St. Cloud. Traveling together by bus, everyone giddy and obnoxious on the way there, drunk and obnoxious on the way back-it really created a sense of camaraderie. Plus, people couldn't leave halfway through (the size of the audience that stuck around for Mint Condition last night was pathetic). Of course, it would've helped if the show had kept on schedule and ended an hour earlier. But I don't remember watching the clock in St. Cloud. Everyone was too busy dancing.

There were some great moments though, like watching Conrad accept his lifetime achievement award. STNNNG were amazing from the moment they exploded over Lori Barbero's introduction. They blew away a lot of people who never would have seen them otherwise. Also excellent: Nachito Herrera, Mint Condition, and Kid Dakota.

And, oh yeah, City Pages won the Print Media award. Again. Honestly, why do they pit a newspaper that's been around for two and a half decades and has a distribution of 130,000 against websites and zines (how do websites become "Print Media" anyway)? Please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying they don't deserve to be in the same category as us. But they do deserve a fair chance. Why not hand out two awards for music coverage? One for Strib vs. Pi Press vs. CP vs. Pulse. And one for HowWasTheShow vs. MisplacedMusic vs. Rift. If there's no change in the ballots next year, I'm starting a "Don't vote for City Pages" campaign.

p.s. I took pictures but my computer at work doesn't have a USB port. Stupid outdated PCs... I'll take care of them at home but in the meantime, check out David's.

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at September 22, 2005 4:34 PM

 

I'll let you lick the lollipop

My blog's been transferred to Movable Type, meaning there's no longer anything saving you from my blurry, poorly lit concert photography. More to come...

Just got back from CMJ in New York and it really is the frustrating pain in the ass everyone says it is. I was mainly there to follow a few locals but the best non-Twin Cities show I saw was Amadou & Mariam, a blind Malian couple (currently living in France), who play jubilant Afro-pop. The Hiro Ballroom looked like an airplane hangar strewn with dozens of Japanese paper lanterns and Amadou & Mariam played beneath the head of a Chinese dragon puppet. A multicultural event, indeed.

Also, I love this store. The website doesn't do its non-stop-Technicolor-birthday-party decor justice. The place is frickin' huge and its crammed not only with candy, but with other stuff that only looks or smells like candy. And where else can you lay down a couple grand and walk away with a jewel-encrusted Pez dispenser? As I sat there, tackling a $10 Cheesecake Fantasy sundae and pitying the poor counter girls who have to listen to "Lollipop" and "I Want Candy" all day, the overhead soundtrack grew stranger. "Brown Sugar?" "Tootsee Roll?" by the 69 Boyz? I kept hoping for "Sugar Walls" but it never came.

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at September 19, 2005 4:13 PM

 

I promise not to get too High Fidelity on you

Filed under: Imported

Thanks again to everyone who helped with the list. The voting booths are closed. Now it's up to Hicksy's abacus to tell us what's what.

And while you wait, peruse the CD-R Go! I designed for my 12-year-old brother. I owe too many people mix CDs. With any luck (and a lapse in my usual laziness) I'll play catch-up and post more tracklistings here.

Posted by Lindsey Thomas at August 24, 2005 5:01 PM