I just agreed to help deliver the Star Tribune to my fellow Duluthians early Sunday morning. (The Strib is offering its paper free for a weekend or two in an attempt to bolster Duluth subscriptions.) Anyway, it will be practically pre-morning (4 a.m.) when I arrive at the DNT to pick up the stash. I only tell you this because apparently I've gone nuts, and this may be my last communication with anyone outside of my new, padded "bedroom."
"Cover art" taken during a freak snowstorm near Broomfield, Colo., before my shift at Verizon roughly a year ago.
1. The Wrens - "Faster Gun"
Tonight these guys are playing a benefit show in New York for Planned Parenthood, Roe on the Rocks, which I find interesting. What's not to love about Secaucus' finest?
2. Atmosphere - "Tears for the Sheep"
Speaking of Slug, have you seen his new video with P.O.S.?
3. Ozma - "Your Name"
The end of "Tears" segues nicely into slice of "mellow gold."
Why'd these guys have to break up? Weezer should've been the first to go!
4. The Polyphonic Spree - "Mental Cabaret"
While nothing will probably ever live up to their cover of Nirvana's "Lithium," this new material is as good as anything else they've done.
p.s. The Spree should come back to "Las Vegas" -- that was just surreal. (The musical guests are typically acts like the Black Eyed Peas, Jewel, etc.)
5. Sleeper - "Nice Guy Eddie"
To the casual listener (there I go again...), this sounds like just another number from Elastica's darling debut.
6. Pretty Girls Make Graves - "Bring It On Golden Pond"
File under: What ever happened to these guys? They started out so promising....
7. Combine - "Know Regrets"
Another one of those CMJ "finds" from early junior high. To be enjoyed at maximum levels, for sure.
8. Aqueduct - "Heart Design"
If my wife says this sounds like something they'd play on "Grey's Anatomy," I guess that means David Terry will be a rich boy soon enough.
9. Eddy Grant - "Electric Avenue"
Woody's Wood-Fired Pizza and Watering Hole. The Arvada one. It's for lovers. Where Fat Tire is legal. Pepperoni rolls. To die for. Slight intoxication. Good times.
10. Death Cab for Cutie - "Flustered/Hey Tomcat!"
I-94. Heading to St. Cloud. From Fargo. Best Friends Forever were gonna be in town. They were. Good show. Bad, bad blizzard way back.
OK, I'm done. (For now.)
11. The Gallows - "Side Street Shuffle"
In this weekend's paper, I likened this song to Lifter Puller tearing through certain points of the Beach Boys' catalog. And I was totally sober. I apologize.
12. Electric Light Orchestra - "Rockaria!"
I wish Jeff Lynne would teach me how to play this one.
13. Carmine - "Your Biggest Fan"
If you find this album anywhere outside of a bargain bin, take it up to the man and laugh in his face. Not that it's not worth more, but I can't say I would pay one cent more knowing what I know.
14. Brandon Wiard - "I'll Write These Songs"
This guy's really awesome, and he lives only two doors down (Michigan), and he's opened up for Mason Jennings, and, and, and ... I'm out of breath.
15. The Doobie Brothers - "It Keeps You Runnin'"
Last-minute filler is the best. I mean, it's not like you can go wrong with the Doobies!
You can?
No. Way.
Screw you, pigface ... don't tread on Jeff "Skunk" Baxter.
16. Black-eyed Snakes - "Rise Up" ("Green Fever 2003" vers.)
Personal apocalypse? Here's your soundtrack.
17. The Black Crowes - "Cosmic Friend"
I know you're only supposed to "get" stuff like this (or "Hey Tomcat!") if you're on LSD, but I like it anyway.
18. Orbit - "Medicine"
The weirdest thing happened to me one time in Fargo (come on, everybody, all together now: "How weird was it, Matt?") ... err, anyway, it was weird: I met someone else that liked Orbit. I [expletive deleted] you not. Before him (I think his name was Troy something*, worked at UPS with me), I hadn't even met someone else who had ever heard of them!
Like all good tales, his girlfriend moved to California and, against his parents' wishes, he followed.
That actually sounds a lot like a plot for a good Orbit video.... I mean, I'm sure their record label would greenlight it if they found at least ... five other fans.
19. The Plastic Constellations - "Smallest Skyline"
TPC rocks the party that rocks the party-party. I sure wish they were playing with P.O.S. tonight -- that would be totally kewl.**
20. Charlie Parr - "Bullfrog Blues" ("Green Fever 2003" vers.)
I don't think Charlie likes me anymore (I called him "disgustingly humble" in the Budgeteer), but I hope I'm just being paranoid. He's one of the most talented musicians these ears will ever hear and -- bonus! -- he's one of the few musicians that would actually make for a good neighbor.
How's that for a Minnesota Nice compliment, eh?
21. The Doors - "The Soft Parade"
I think it's kind of sad when people get down on the Doors. This song (and album) was great. A nine-minute epic that doesn't suck? That's rare.
Very nice percussion throughout, too -- the "best part of the trip," as Jim might say.
22. OK Go - "Let it Rain"
A good closer for any season. Terrific.
*I want to say Algar, but I must let you know I've watched "Wayne's World" at least 300 times.
**In an effort to attract younger readers, I decided to start using words that make me sound as if I graduated from the University of North Dakota.***
***Oh, snap.
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