dtas75: WE (I) APPRECIATE YOU

For this monumental awesome mix tape, I thought I'd celebrate by mixing some old favorites (circa a '96 mix tape I found) with newer ones. All these "early" tracks probably would've seemed a little more impressive had I released this when I constructed it more than a month ago....

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1. Dealership - "For Sale"
If someone claims to like indie pop and doesn't list Dealership in their Top 5, don't trust a word out of their MF-ing mouths. (I'm super serial here!)

2. Death Cab for Cutie - "Why You'd Want to Live Here" (+)



3. The Plastic Constellations - "Stay that Way"
Rest in peace, brothers from another mother, rest in peace.... (What makes it even more heartbreaking is that the group's "indefinite hiatus" comes right before the release of "We Appreciate You," easily their strongest set of songs to date.)

4. Atmosphere - "Shoulda Known"
Have you guys been keeping up with Slug and Ant's show on YouTube, "Paint it Gold"? Classic stuff. Make sure to at least check out the latest episode below:



5. Heiruspecs feat. Slug - "In Regrets"
Once again, Sluggo steals the show!

6. The Breeders - "Bang On"
To put it politely, "Mountain Battles" is a challenging record, so this is probably the closest we'll ever get to another Kim Deal-penned "single" in our lifetimes.

7. Fun Lovin' Criminals - "Scooby Snacks"
Doesn't it just bring you back?

8. Throwing Muses - "Portia" (+)
"Like frat boys who sleep together / We party better." (Ha!)

9. Cloud Cult - "When Water Comes to Life"
Read my review of "Feel Good Ghosts" here.

10. Psychotica - "Ice Planet Hell"
Another CMJ find from way back when.

11. Metal Molly - "Orange"
Here too.

12. Iggy Pop - "Heart is Saved"
And here.

13. The Figgs - "Blame It All Senseless"
And here.

14. Jimmy from "South Park" - "So This Guy Walks Into a B-b-b"
This is so bad, but I generally quote Jimmy around the house so....

15. Combine - "Know Regrets"
If you like noise rock, I know you're gonna dig this.

16. Possum Dixon - "Emergency's About to End"
Pop is as pop does. Love it!

17. Gravity Kills - "Guilty"
As you can see, I was feeling awfully nostalgic when I put this one together (so many weeks ago).

18. Cowboy Mouth - "Jenny Says"
Saw these guys when they opened for Cheap Trick at the state fair. Wait, wait ... I think I have a story about that somewhere.

19. Squirrel Nut Zippers - "Put a Lid on It"
Makes me wanna learn how to play an instrument -- you know, besides that plastic guitar that consumes all of my time.

20. Pluto - "When She was Happy"
Helping Canadians escape their Bryan Adams-induced shame since the early '90s....

21. Rasputina - "Transylvanian Concubine"
Marilyn Manson-approved nightmare music.

22. Ho-Hum - "One Out of Ten"
This song always surprises me: It only gets better with age.

23. Love Nut - "She Won't Do Me"
Funny stuff right here. And catchy too!

24. Drew Neumann - "Long Time Iguana (Yay! A Bong!)"
Man, talk about the psychotropic immortality blues....

25. Nine Inch Nails - "Physical (You're So)" (Adam Ant cover)
As far as I'm concerned, NIN is back in style.

Today's Moment of Zen: Reality Check '96

I'm not going to lie, this is some embarassing [EXPLETIVE DELETED]. You can't run from your past, though ... right? To my defense, I was only 13 at that time. Need proof? I found it in an autograph book I just happened to pick up at Universal Studios Florida while on a family vacation back in the day.* ... And Ruth Ruth? Really?! (I, for the life of me, can't even name one song to their credit -- maybe that will be my assignment for my next awesome mix tape.)

*This is actually the most embarassing part of the whole sad affair: I only stumbled upon the autograph book -- which Doug, Dale and the Daniel Francis Hartman signed, thank you very much -- whilst looking for my Pog collection at my parents' house. A HA HA Maybe I should've tried my luck at Geek Prom this year....

This Week's Shameless Budgeteer Plug

A Duluth contender for president, Holocaust drama "Dear Finder," three cool books, Mac Lethal and another mention of this week's online-exclusive CD reviews!

"Keep an Eye on Margot Presley (aka What's Your Point, Margot Presley?)" :: It remains to be seen whether or not Hilary Clinton will break the White House’s sex barrier, which makes Duluthian Margot Presley's turn in “What’s Your Point, Honey?” all the more intriguing. I spoke with the recent University of Wisconsin graduate about the Project 2024 documentary, which recently debuted at the Wisconsin Film Festival in Madison.

"'Dear Finder' Revisited for 10th Anniversary" :: To celebrate the first decade of the award-winning Holocaust drama “Dear Finder,” the University of Minnesota Duluth and the play’s chief architect, Tom Isbell, are revisiting it with a brand new set of players. I chatted up Isbell, who was always one of my favorite professors during my brief UMD stint.

"Book Reviews: Minnesota's Best Amateur Photographer and Two North Shore Guides" :: Brad Zellar's “Suburban World: The Norling Photos," Stephen B. Daniel’s “Shipwrecks Along Lake Superior’s North Shore: A Diver’s Guide” and Deborah Morse-Kahn’s “Lake Superior’s Historic North Shore: A Guided Tour” reviewed. While I enjoyed all three, I was absolutely blown away by the quality of Irwin Norling's prints (which showcase the postwar boom of Bloomington, Minn.).

And, in case you missed this week's shameless midweek plug...

"Mac Lethal Returns to Duluth" :: Brash Rhymesayers rapper Mac Lethal brings his Rotten Apple Pie Tour to The Venue at Mohaupt May 9.

"Also Released 3" :: Reviewed this go-round: Does it Offend You, Yeah?'s "You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into," Hungrytown's self-titled debut and the soundtracks to "Jumper" and "Penelope."

This Week's Shameless (Midweek) Budgeteer Plug

A Q-and-A with Rhymesayers emcee Mac Lethal and even more CD reviews -- all available exclusively online!

"Mac Lethal Returns to Duluth" :: Brash Rhymesayers rapper Mac Lethal brings his Rotten Apple Pie Tour to The Venue at Mohaupt May 9.

"Also Released 3" :: Reviewed this go-round: Does it Offend You, Yeah?’s “You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into,” Hungrytown's self-titled debut and the soundtracks to "Jumper" and "Penelope."

Enjoy! Oh, and steer clear of the Minnesota Zoo this summer. (I heard they just booked Hootie & the Blowfish....)

New Sloan album confirmed for June 10!

Sloan to release new album Parallel Play on June 10
April 11, 2008, 12:00 am

The follow up to last year's 30-track epic Never Hear the End of It, new album Parallel Play finds the Canadian quartet in top form. A June 10 release date and a summer U.S. tour are planned.

In accordance with Sloan's unique creative dynamics, band members Jay Ferguson, Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland and Andrew Scott each contribute three songs to Parallel Play (with Andrew clocking in at 4).

Patrick Pentland says of the Sloan process, "I think we create better separately than when we try to do it together. Some times collaboration works, but we're such different people, and all of us are capable song writers and producers, that it doesn't make sense to try to force the band to adhere to some preconceived idea of the typical rock band architecture."

Less a conscious answer to NHTEOI's ambitious unabridged length, "Parallel Play" is a boiled down continuation of the musical concepts put forth on their last album and a further exploration of the band's four-songwriter dynamic. A term taken from the science of developmental psychology, parallel play is a behavior seen in young children in which they enjoy independent activities in the company of other children, something the four boys in Sloan know a lot about.

The track listing and songwriting credits for Parallel Play are as follows:

1. Believe In Me - PATRICK
2. Cheap Champagne - JAY
3. All I Am Is All You’re Not - CHRIS
4. Emergency 911 - ANDREW
5. Burn For It - PATRICK
6. Witch's Wand - JAY
7. The Dogs - ANDREW
8. Living The Dream - CHRIS
9. The Other Side - PATRICK
10. Down In The Basement - ANDREW
11. If I Could Change Your Mind - JAY
12. I'm Not A Kid Anymore - CHRIS
13. Too Many - ANDREW

~Image and information courtesy of Yep Roc

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FURTHER READING:
"The Best Albums of 2006, Pts. 1 & 2" :: I wrote it, and Sloan topped it!

This Week's Shameless Budgeteer Plug

Cloud Cult, the Plastic Constellations, Video Vision, the Feelin Band, Miss Tess and Joel and Deborah Cooper covered this week!

"Coopers Return with 'What We Keep'" :: When Joel and Deborah Cooper come together for a collaborative art show, you know they mean business.

"Against the Odds, Video Vision Turns 25" :: Industry analysts have predicted the demise of video stores for more than a decade, but local chain Video Vision has soldiered on and weathered the storm.

"CD Reviews: Cloud Cult, Plastic Constellations, Feelin Band and Miss Tess" :: Reviewed this time around: Cloud Cult's "Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-partying Through Tornadoes)," the Plastic Constellations' "We Appreciate You," the Feelin Band's "The Sacred Play of Life" and, in brief, Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade's "Modern Vintage."

(This week's "cover" taken yesterday during the freak monsoon that hit Canal Park.)

A&E FYI: Snoodle snuggles up to Starfire

Tonya Borgeson, proprietor of Snoodle Ceramic Studio & Gallery, will have a one-off show at Starfire Screen Printing, 1131 E. Fourth St. in Duluth, from Saturday, April 19, until the end of the month.

Art work includes hand-built ceramic sculptures and copper-enameled drawings.

Borgeson will celebrate the opening of her Starfire show with a reception from 1 to 3 p.m. that Saturday.

~Image and information courtesy of Tonya Borgeson

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FURTHER READING:
"Snoodle Ceramic Studio Opens Gallery Space" -- Ceramicist Tonya Borgeson does some amazing work, and now hopefully more people will know that. Plus, her art space is right next door to Lake Superior Zoo, which is very cool.
"Homegrown Founder Launches Starfire Screen Printing Co." -- Scott Lunt's had his hand in so many wonderful projects (a very special kudos for the "Treasure Chest" CD), and what I've seen from his latest doesn't disappoint.