Dowdydiva

ALL HAIL CHRIS KNOX

2009-07-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

Chris Knox from the Enemy, Toy Love, the Tall Dwarfs, the Nothing and solo had a massive stroke June 11.

Thank the deity of your choice, the universe or coincidence he's still with us and in physical therapy now. You can track his progress here. Yes, I leave a lot of comments there. So what?

Anyway, you can help him by buying the tribute CD that will be coming out, or just go to SmokeCDs.com (use the currency converter, Yanks!) and order some Chris Knox music!

Update

2009-07-01T04:59:00.001-07:00

Had major lady problem surgery, so both I and Germaine Greer are the female eunuchs

Heart crushed to death when giraffe print coat (up to 18 wears for a CPW of $1.94) was faded by the drycleaners. I got $25.00 credit at both Macy's and the cleaners, and a little coat for $17 that's similar, but STILL. Oh, well, I can garden in it, and walk the dog when I get him/her in it.
Killer Bats show at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Spain, taped by WFMU, hear and download it here. They play most of their new album, the Guilty Office.

Still geeking out about Flight of the Conchords.

later!

More NZ Musical Goodness

2009-03-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

Another band who has been a favorite of mine for, oh my goodness, 25 years! The BATS.

Here's their first video, filmed in 1984.

And the lovely, bittersweet but optimistic "Smoking Her Wings"

And their new recording, the Guilty Office, is pretty spotless as well.

Dead CMC

2009-03-10T05:14:00.000-07:00

My current FOTC obsession has got me revisiting New Zealand bands I already love, or may have overlooked. Right now I'm finally starting to "get" the Dead C.

Here's a great clip from YouTube the NoiseNoiseNoise blog. Jeezus, talking about Suicide with the Dead C on national TV. That guy better get up every morning and kiss the fucking ground in gratitude.

And be sure to read the comments - there's the usual YouTube "you suck" prattle, but some really good information about the taping of the show.

SICK.

100th Post and a couple of new articles

2009-03-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

Only took me four years...

Steven Wilson's "Harmony Korine" Song of the Day for NPR.org

Great video for "Korine"from Lasse Hoile, who's directed previous Porcupine Tree and Opeth clips.

Paul Metzger Anamnestic Tincture LP review for City Pages

Plz to enjoy!

A Couple of Things I Did in January

2009-03-01T17:41:00.000-08:00

Review of Nomo for NPR's Song of the Day.

Voice Pazz and Jop Poll Ballot for 2008

Poll alignment for 2008, courtesy of The War Against Silence.

Guns, TVs, VCRs...

2009-03-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

These have been around awhile, but I love bad local commercials. And parodies of bad local commercials with standup comedian and FOTC cast member Arj Barker even better.

Tax and fees may apply...

Really, really!

2009-02-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

I submitted two Corn Weenie remixes to WFMU's Corn Weenie Remix Challenge. The track "Corn Weenie", a mainstay on Station Manager Ken's Wednesday show, is really entitled "Learn How to Speak Hawaiian" and involves painter Michael Proft exhorting over the 1957 track "Haun Melee" (Sway with Me) by Mohammed el Bakkar.

Mine are the following:
Cecile: Lady Man Lady Hermaphrodite2 Mix

Ceciles Oinky Spiky Conchordic Bass and Drum Mix

Mine are kind of rough, but not bad for being my first 2 mixes with Garage Band.

All the other ones are great, too! If I have to choose a favorite, I have to say Genghis Jung's pretty, postpunk track "Now You Can Sing The Song (Corn Weenie)".

MS Walk 2009

2009-02-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

I am making my take on MK Carroll's Coffee Cup Cozy to raise funds for the 2009 MS Walk. For a minimum $5 donation, you can get one of these lovely wool/polyester blend crocheted cozies. Just wash them with some mild dish soap or baby shampoo and air dry, and they are a snap to keep clean.

If you would like to pledge, please click here. I will be happy to mail them to anyone out of town. Also, if you want colors not shown, let me know, I'll do the best I can.

Thanks for your help!

ETA: You can also just give me some damn money if you're allergic to wool, or the concept is too girly for you. I won't say no.

Pandering to the Fanbase

2009-02-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

Now that I have now become a semi-insane Flight of the Conchords fan, I was going nuts trying to find a picture of Jemaine Clement with a puppy to try and work the dog-themed angle which seems to have overtaken this blog.

Forcing myself to look at hundreds and hundreds of images with no luck at all, I feared the blog gods were working against me
- they must have known that image was far too dangerous for the health and well-being of millions, who probably would have burst into dust at that sight. I found an alternate answer in HBO's own companion vblog to the show, hosted by Mel (played by the brilliant Kristin Schaal). Here's a still of Mel with, er, "Jemaine":

Here's the whole clip, with bad Bret refusing to sit still in her lap, and her being crushed. The dog, I mean, but really I think that's the plot of most of episodes. Brilliant stuff.

Cute Dogs with Ferocious Names - #1 in an occasional series

2009-01-30T05:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome Shiloh Shepherd Danzig, who was this past Thursday's Puppy of the Day. Here we see him desecrating the corpse of a leaf. Bad dog, I mean good boy!

CPW Update 1-28-09

2009-01-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

Neiman Marcus brick red cashmere turtleneck sweater - $61.00 (sale price and shipping)
divided by 19 = $3.21

Style & Co giraffe Print short trench coat- $35.00 (sale price) divided by 11 = $3.18/wear
(retired until spring)

Eddie Bauer cassis colored cords - $19.99 (sale price and shipping) divided by 21 = $.96/wear

Now the cords can drop off the tracking list - let's see how much longer the more expensive items take to amortize. I know all ya'll are absolutely riveted.

Doggerel

2009-01-28T19:32:00.000-08:00

random cute Australian Shepherd at Ren Fest pet adoption booth

On WFMU today, Ken played a video loop of Stains, the Aussie Shepherd who was on last week's It's Me or the Dog, becoming hypnotized by a plate of cupcakes. I can't get it to come up on his playlist, but it goes something like this.

Then Kenny G. aired his brilliant remix show of the inaugural poem. and someone calling themselves "Cupcake Dog" posted this charming parody of Elizabeth Alexander's opus in the comments section:

All around us are snacks. All about us are sandwiches and cupcakes, frosting and sprinkles, each of our cupcakes on our tongues.

Someoone is baking a cupcake, frosting a cupcake, leaving it on the countertop, not watching it while it cools.

Say it plain: that many have died for this pastry. Howl the names of the dead that brought us these cakes. Brought out the mixing bowl, preheated the oven.

Picked the wheat, gathered the eggs and milk, baked cake by cake the spongy desserts, that they would leave to cool while I jumped the counter.

Some live by do unto others, then split, others by no harm done or take no more than will be noticed.

What if the mightiest word is cupcake?

CPW Update 1-23-09

2009-01-23T05:35:00.000-08:00

CPW Update 1-08-09

2009-01-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

Neiman Marcus brick red cashmere turtleneck sweater - $61.00 (sale price and shipping)
divided by 17 = $3.50

Style & Co giraffe Print short trench coat- $35.00 (sale price) divided by 11 = $3.18/wear
(retired until spring)

Eddie Bauer cassis colored cords - $19.99 (sale price and shipping) divided by 17 = $1.14/wear

Funniest dog-authored blog

2009-01-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

Here..

Excuse the brevity, I'm experimenting with posting from the iPod touch.

Santa loves me!

CPW Update 1-01-09

2009-01-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

CPW Update 12-2-08 - and consignment

2008-12-02T04:56:00.000-08:00

Neiman Marcus brick red cashmere turtleneck sweater - $61.00 (sale price and shipping)
divided by 13 = $4.69

Style & Co giraffe Print short trench coat- $35.00 (sale price) divided by 11 = $3.18/wear
(retired until spring)

Eddie Bauer cassis colored cords - $19.99 (sale price and shipping) divided by 12 = $1.66/wear

My conclusions on cost per wear? I'm going to continue tracking these items until they hit the magical .99 mark. But really, I can't say my opinions are changed, and in fact, it's made me more of a cheapskate for certain items. If you are like my sister, who will buy a $200-300 purse, carry it every day for three years and gift it to a deserving relative while it's still nice, more power to ya.

But I think most of us who are interested in clothes like some variety, and if you are going to go that route, your best bet is to find the best quality for the absolute lowest price. And either wear them right into the ground, or consign them while they still have a lot of life left in them.

Speaking of that.....

I ended up taking far fewer items into the consignment store this past fall than last time. I focused on separates and shoes. I had a couple of choices rejected, which then ended up at the Goodwill . But with five fewer items than last time, I realized $26.00. This seems the best way to go, cause I'm not going down that eBay trail unless I have to.

And why do I go to TurnStyle instead of Plums, the plus-sized consignment store?

* The place looks cleaner and there's far more merchandise
* There's plenty of traffic - it's a busy strip mall in Roseville on the highway
* I do NOT have to make appointments for consigning on a weekday - I just walk in right when consigning hours start
* They will cut me a check on the spot

Haven't tried Elite Repeat, but that may be next on my list.

Whose house? Smudge's House!

2008-11-24T04:53:00.000-08:00

My buddy, Duluth-area Shih Tzu Smudge (aka Smudge Wudgel, the Wudgel, Wudgely Woo, and Who's a Fuzzy boy? Is it you? Is it you?) was gracious enough to allow his family, dear friends of mine, start a blog for him.

Funny, that tends to be my preferred sleeping position, too - the bed linen burrito. Mmmmm, mmmm, mmm.

Read about him here.

CPW Update 11-11-08

2008-11-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

Neiman Marcus brick red cashmere turtleneck sweater - $61.00 (sale price and shipping)
divided by 11 = $5.54

Style & Co giraffe Print short trench coat- $35.00 (sale price) divided by 11 = $3.18/wear

Eddie Bauer cassis colored cords - $19.99 (sale price and shipping) divided by 9 = $2.20/wear

Cords remain the same, they've been languishing in my laundry basket for a while. That will soon change.

Memory of Monroe Scottie Rescue

2008-10-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

A fun day with these prickly, stubborn dogs that I adore and hope to adopt someday. Memory of Monroe Scottish Terrier Rescue put on a great event on a rainy September 13 at the Carver County Fairgrounds.

A pair with an old-school clip - they look like Skye Terriers the breed that were the grandpas to the Cairn, West Highland White Terrier and the Scottish Terrier.

A blended family of rescue dogs of different ages, and a sassy Westie ringleader. A couple of Scottie/Westie owners say that the Westies start the mischief and the Scotties trot along.

A really moving ceremony for the rescues that have passed on - the white balloons are for Wheaten Scotties and Westies, the black for black and brindle Scotties. Before the ceremony began, a pastor gave a moving blessing for the deceased and asked for a moment of silence. That must have been for the humans, because all of a sudden we heard:
"WOOFOFOFOFFFFFFFARFWOOOOFWOOFWOOOWOOOOOOOF" from all the Scottie pens outside. They are small dogs, but have big, deep voices!

A parade of all the Scottie rescues placed this year. It was pouring rain, but the dogs didn't care. They had their noses in the grass. Forget about any formation!

After such a full day, we were all kind of tired.

Cost Per Wear Update

2008-10-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

The CPW Update
Now that fall's here, we're seeing out cost per wear drop:

Neiman Marcus brick red cashmere turtleneck sweater - $61.00 (sale price and shipping)
divided by 8 = $7.60

Style & Co giraffe Print short trench coat- $35.00 (sale price) divided by 9 = $3.80/wear

Eddie Bauer cassis colored cords - $19.99 (sale price and shipping) divided by 9 = $2.20/wear

All of them getting down to a reasonable cost-per-wear without years and years of ownership.

It's also worth stealing a look at the latest InStyle magazine for November's Fundementals of Chiconomics feature. Some of it's fluff, but there is an excellent quiz on "What's The Real Price" that's kind of the flip side of cost per wear. The more you use the items and the more minimal care the item has, the item the more points you get.

My cords, for example, scored 160 points. Multiply the price (19.99) by 1.6 and you get $31.00. Yet, that's still far below the list price of $60 - if you do the math on the list price, they should be worth $96.00 to you. But that still doesn't justify full price in my mind.

A combination of both methods should work well, but if you have to pick one, go with Cost Per Wear.

Northeast Parade Pics

2008-07-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

I took a ton of pics from the Northeast Parade a couple of weeks ago. Of course, I manage to miss our great next door neighbor, 101 year old Mary Marino, who was the parade's Grand Marshall, but I'm sure there are some out there. Heck, the thing was rebroadcast twice or three times on local TV.

Here's a couple to start, more later. This is one of the "chicks on sticks".

And here's me messing around with sepia and whatnot for the Klondike Kates:

This was the first year we went - it was a little long (121 participanting groups and over two hours) but really well worth it. We'll be regulars next year!

The CPW Update

2008-07-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

I was doing a semi-scientific study on how fast clothing truly gets down to "pennies per wear" as the fashion enablers claim. Here is what I purchased during winter/spring clearance, and here's how it's going - thank goodness for a cool June:

Neiman Marcus brick red cashmere turtleneck sweater - $61.00 (sale price and shipping)
divided by 6 = $10.16

Style & Co giraffe Print short trench coat- $35.00 (sale price) divided by 7 = $5.00/wear

Eddie Bauer cassis colored cords - $19.99 (sale price and shipping) divided by 7 = $2.85/wear

I put them away for now, but once the fall hits, you'll see those CPWs drop.

Still, come on about "investment dressing". If you're not buying hardcore couture, bespoke, Hermes accessories or exquisite vintage, clothing is not a traditional investment. Shopping lady at Talbot's who was rooting through the sale racks with me the other day - I don't care what Stacy from WNTW says, I'm still waiting for that red chambray jacket to go down another 20%.

Cost Per Wear

2008-06-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

This has been a huge rationalization for people to buy items that are more high-end or designer than their normal budget. But when you sit down with the numbers, it's quite the startling discovery.

I figure the outer edge of pennies per wear is .99 cents. If you buy something that is $500, to get it to "pennies per wear" at the highest level, you must wear it 501 times! That perhaps makes sense if you are:

* buying suits
* buying good quality outerwear
* buying glasses
* buying practical or specialty footwear - good boots or pumps that can be resoled over and over again, etc.
* you are one of those people who TRULY uses one bag or tote until it falls apart

Lucky editor Andrea Linnett boasts that her beat-up up Louis Vuitton duffel is pennies per carry, and Budget Fashionista Finney claims that her sale Burberry trench got down to $1.50 a wear - with those kind of items it's completely plausible.

Still those can afford $500 suits often have enough stuff to keep the cost of wear on the new item higher for a while.

I decided to track three recent purchases to see how long it will actually get them down to "pennies" per wear.

Neiman Marcus brick red cashmere turtleneck sweater - $61.00 (sale price and shipping)
divided by 5 = $12.20/wear

Style & Co giraffe Print short trench coat- $35.00 (sale price) divided by 5 = $7.00/wear

Eddie Bauer cassis colored cords - $19.99 (sale price and shipping) divided by 4 = $4.99/wear

I'll see more wear on the coat and sweater as it gets colder - I got the good prices because they were seasonal clearance deals. Thanks to the unusually cool summer, my cords should be close to the pennies per wear mark by the end of the summer.

The most expensive cost per wear item in my wardrobe?
An Evan-Piccone black sheath dress with flutter sleeves and a tie in the front for $40. It was "mother of the bride" city.I wore it exactly once. And I ended up consigning it and it didn't even sell in the 90 day period. Rather, it went on clearance or to a thrift store which = $0 for the Diva.

Best cost per wear item in my wardrobe?
I"m not counting donations, that isn't exactly fair, but I would have to say the Target black nylon topper coat that cost $17.99 in 2004. I have easily worn it a hundred times in the past four years. It is still in fine shape (I got the giraffe coat because I just wanted to change it up) and it's 18 cents a wear at this point.

I think the point I am trying to make is that the old adage, "buy the best quality you can afford" is solid advice. However it makes sense to find that stuff which is truly well made and forget about the designer name. It helps if it is machine washable - or you dry clean it rarely. I have a couple of blouses that must be commercially dry cleaned. I wear them a lot, but thanks to that, their cost per wear isn't what it could be.

But if you can afford it, and it's lovely and it makes you happy, consider it a quality of life purchase. That's what I say; to myself when I suck my teeth in another dry cleaning bill.

A ray of...

2008-02-19T04:52:00.000-08:00

Absolutely terrific Patti Smith performance of "You Light Up My Life" on a 1979 kids show, courtesy of Mark D.

The Glaze of Manliness Part 1

2008-02-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Well, this is a first - I've been sent plenty of CDs to review, but never cosmetics. But through a series of fortutious circumstances, and a profile picture of Voivoid on my MakeUpAlley account, I've been sent a sample of ManGlaze's two nail polishes for review.

Billed as polish for men, ManGlaze's draw is that its product isn't glossy. The price on the polish is clever, and not too spendy: $6.66. It is "Big Three free" (formaldehyde, tolulene and DBP). The marketing is a little Maxim (a scantily clad female in a collar and Su Catwoman makeup slurping lasciviously at a bowl of milk) meets Big Daddy Roth (the cartoons by Joe Simko channel RatFink quite a bit.)

The first polish I tried was JailHouseRock. It's a matte, gunmetal grey with a definite blue cast that I think makes it wearable for more people than a straight grey. It is not a smooth, creme polish, and while there's some metallic texture to it, it's not a frost, either. (ManGlaze also makes a black, Harum Scarum, which I will report on later.)

I applied the polish in the following variations to 1) test wear under different circumstances, and 2) serve as a safety net as I am not used to "free-bottling" it anymore. The testing involves just the usual knocking about - kitchen cleaning, cooking, drinking, listening to Viking metal, watching American Gladiators, riding the bus - i.e. the usual wear and tear in my action-packed life.

Pinkie and ring finger - just the polish
Middle finger - polish and Creative Stickey basecoat
Index and thumb - polish, Creative Stickey and Poshe topcoat

Intially, it looked very good with a topcoat, which might be defeating the purpose as much as putting a couple of strips of bacon on a Boca Burger. I might have to try it with Chanel Azur (this awesome shimmery blue topcoat) over it.

This should make the ManGlaze guys about as excited as their little sisters dressing up their GI Joes in their American Girl doll clothes and forcing them to have tea with Teddy and Bunny.

The wear for JailHouse Rock, even without base and topcoat was pretty typical for most polishes on me - I put it on a Friday night and took it off on a Tuesday. It had chipped some along the sides, but that's fine for most rockers, teenagers and people who are not compulsive about chips like me. Like I said, I just plain old like Jailhouse Rock's color, and will wear it again. After a return to some more girly colors, I'll report on Harum Scarum.

They Come In Colors

2008-01-30T18:05:00.000-08:00

Wow, Too Fat For Fashion used my question. Of course, I wasn't so amusing. But, yeah, I do want some slightly colorful tights for spring. I am sooooooooo neutral-ed out. So I've got royal blue, scarlet red and maroon tights on order from We Love Colors. Will report back with the result.

But I will not wear them with these shoes! At least I don't think I will...

2007 in Retrospect

2008-01-26T05:53:00.001-08:00

Voice Poll

Idolator Poll

My disappointingly high placement on the All-Idols charty-thing.

I am very stupid because I forgot to vote for Camille's charming Le Festin for best track. Oh, well. Here it is. Look at Remy's little pink ears while you listen and enjoy.

Matt Zaun Memorial Music Show

2008-01-15T04:25:00.000-08:00

Press release from the Mutant Music/Heliotrope/Redukt crew:

The Matt Zaun Memorial Music Show

What: Januarys installment of the ongoing REDUKT series has undergone changes in both name & concept, becoming the Matt Zaun Memorial Music Show, featuring music by many friehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifnds & collaborators of Zaun, a percussionist and designer, who died suddenly of heart failure in his sleep at age 31 in November. The spirit & style of this event reflects his eclectic taste in music.

Matt Zaun Memorial Music Show
Featuring performances by: International Novelty Gamelan, Best Friends Forever, Everybell and Whistle, Alpha 61, Paul Metzger, Cupid, Sean Connaughty and Jason Kesselring, Forgotten Works, Dave Onnen and Rob May, and Adam Backstrom.

Tickets: $8; all ages. Tickets available at the door only. All proceeds to be given to the Zaun family of Fargo, North Dakota.

When: Fri., Jan. 18, 7 p.m.
Where: Ritz Theater
345 13th Ave. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
612-436-1129

Matt Zaun, RIP

2007-11-08T04:27:00.001-08:00

From friends of Dowdydiva, the band Salamander:

Our dear friend Matt Zaun left us in his sleep yesterday, far too soon.
He was with friends in Eau Claire, having just seen the Black Eyed Snakes.
No excessive debauchery, no nihilistic behavior, simply going to sleep and not waking up.
It is currently just a painful mystery; hopefully answers will come to us in the weeks to come.
He was my bandmate in more than one project, he was my good friend. I know he was a good friend to some of you as well, and he was the definition of True Friendship.
He was one of the best designers I have ever known, and one of the finest percussionists I have ever had the pleasure to hear, watch or collaborate with.
The sadness of his death is impossible to process.
You were loved by many, my friend.

Matt's design skills and music can be sampled here, [and here] though just a tiny sliver of his massive body of work is on display:

-- from Erik Wivinus

I wrote about Salamander a couple of years ago. I remember showing up at their practice space and Matt having an icy-cold six pack of beer, but no opener. Until someone rescued us, we ended up trying every stationary object in the room to get that beer open. Laughing the whole time, I may add. That incident didn't make it into the final article, but still always brings a smile to my face when I think about it. Rest in peace, Matt.

Consignment Stores? I'm still not sold

2007-09-17T05:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, plus-sized ladies in the Twin Cities, please go to the Roseville Turn Style store and BUY. MY. STUFF. It's been two weeks, for Pete's sake! It's in great shape. Dowdydiva needs cash to buy this cute blouse at Macy's that will probably be gone by the time it hits 40% markdown.

We now return you to your regular programming.

UPDATE: I got the blouse, and wore the hell out of it well before the consignment stuff sold. But most of it did sell, and I realized a big $20. The separates seem to do a lot better than the dresses, so I'm thinking either donate or eBay as a lot when I have castoffs again.

Song of the Day is Me covering the Tree!

2007-06-05T04:36:00.000-07:00

Right here.

Pitiless Television

2007-03-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

Interesting article on Bravo TV acquiring Television Without Pity.

The whole bit about "oh, the moderators only clamp down on off-topic posts and bad grammar" is perhaps a bit naive. Perhaps really naive. In my personal experience, the mods are human, under a lot of pressure, and aren't immune to personal likes and dislikes. Some people get cut a lot of slack, some don't.

And as for the S/M dynamic, being an adult and relatively sure of myself, I found that less than "charming". I also resent really nice, smart people being portrayed as whiners in this article because they started alternate sites. I've met some amazing people there who I still keep in touch with, and I enjoy posting occasionally, but it hasn't been the TWoP I practically lived on for a couple of years in, well, at least a couple of years.

But for setting the standard for a high-volume, original site with a really creative identity, they have been unsurpassed. There's a reason they are so popular. And why I still check in about once a week.

Cleaning out the Cobwebs

2007-03-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you need to clear your head of the avant woodwind abstractions, the laments of the wanna-be Viking , Ibiza dance anthems and, yes, even the Scorpions.

Lately I've been drawn to music that's cleaner and more minimal, like modern furniture for the mind - all the electronica stuff I intellectually appreciated when my buddy Jason from Detroit would tape it for me in the mid-90s, but now I'm starting to really dig.

I'd been listening to this one Techno/house station on Pandora.com, and this instrumental disc had been showing up in heavy rotation. I loved it because it was clean, simple, and often very witty and melodic. So, I bit the bullet and bought it.

Kind of like Pell Mell but more minimal and no guitars. That gently twisted feel...

New Career Path

2007-03-08T04:43:00.000-08:00

All I need is the right five-note synth riff, a one-word name, ProTools to boost my lack of talent, empowering lyrics that sound like they're penned by a 15 year old girl, and Ibiza will be mine! And then the dancefloors of the world. And maybe DJ AM level fame? DJ PMS. I like the sound of that. As long as I can avoid gastric bypass surgery and keep the skanky starlets at bay, it'll be all good as the kids say.

Can you tell I've been listening to the Hi-NRG station a lot on Pandora.com lately? I've also been trying to fine-tune my Scorpions-based radio station, but it keeps trying to sneak in these dumbass emo bands with really long names and even longer song titles.

Speaking of internet radios, give WFMU some of your moneys - they're fundraising. Fortunately, apart from Todd-o-Phonic Todd (love the music he plays, can't take the yelling!), their pitches are reasonably low-key, and they are pulling great stuff out of the vaults. They have drawings for great on-air premiums too (boo, I mailed mine in).

My Top Ten This Year

2006-12-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

I sent it off and was too dopey to keep a copy, so hopefully this will all jibe. But, jeez, it's not like the world will end if it doesn't.

Ablums!
Voivod - Katorz
Lamb of God - Sacrament
The Left - Jesus Loves the Left
Zebulon Pike - Zebulon Pike II: The Deafening Twilight
Korpiklaani - Tales Along This Road
Witchcraft - Firewood
The Keene Brothers - Blues and Boogie Shoes
Enslaved - Ruun
BellRays - Have A Little Faith
Rebel Meets Rebel - Rebel Meets Rebel

Snigles!
Dragonforce - Through The Fire And The Flame
T.I. - Why Ya Wanna
Satyricon - K.I.N.G.
BellRays - Have A Little Faith
Katatonia - Soil's Song

Records that will make next year's top 10 no problem:
Michael Yonkers and The Blind Shake: Carbohydrates/Hydrocarbons
The next Korpiklaani record

Biggest Disappointments:
The segue between Grupo Fantasma and Enslaved Minneapolis never got to hear because my DJ gig at Loring Park was rained out. Phooey.

And...someone please remove the brain parasites from Bubba Sparxxx and Timbaland's heads so they can kiss and make up for "Deliverance: Part II". "Promiscuous", bah. "Miss New Booty", my, er, ass.

Resolutions:
Will buy Agalloch CDs (weird Portland Viking-metal acolytes) and new Ornette Coleman CD, as well as Windur and "Wolverine Blues" era Entombed. Will spend less on shoes this year and more on music. Unless the shoes are really, really cute.

Slayer didn't make any of my top ten this year (unless we can pretend it's 1988 and South of Heaven just came out). But I got a really cool pic of Mr. Tom Araya whilst being pelted by snuff cans during the Unholy Alliance tour. Hint: When the bouncers say "NO FLASH PICTURES", they are not kidding around.

That Witchcraft Got Me, Keep Going Round and Round

2006-11-20T04:15:00.000-08:00

Pictures I got at the Witchcraft show on 11/16/06.

They put on a remarkable show - the music's about six time tighter and more energetic than the discs, and singer Magnus for all his Ozzy/Roky-esque angst is a regular goofball onstage - real relaxed and kind of whimsical. And silly: When a song started with a big Neanderthal kind of chug, he pounded on his chest like King Kong along with the music. They did a Pentagram cover ("When the screams come") and rejiggered "Her Sisters They Were Weak" so much off the first album, my companions and I swore it was some kind of brutal Fairport cover.

Anyway, a great, great show. I played around with the wonderful and frightening world of my flash on my now way-obselete camera and I have to say the screwed-up pictures look cooler in a way. More probably later.

Vintage Powerage

2006-11-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

This is something I wrote a long, long time ago for Your Flesh. Now their site is up, and Bon lives!

I won't tell you the story of the time I missed seeing Bon and AC/DC on a dock in Sydney Harbor by 5 minutes 30 years ago because it always depresses me. I did grab a photo from my mom's house of that fateful day, though, and if I can find the blame thing, I'll post it. The milling 1976 Aussie teens are even more awesome in retrospect.

Here's the image (from the essential AC/DC site, crabsodyinblue.com) that almost single-handedly warped my life into the weirdness it is today:

Lamb of Godliness

2006-10-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

Lamb of God on the Unholy Alliance Tour this past July at Wilkins

Review of the new Lamb of God CD which in addition to being a pretty damn solid artistic success, has actually hit the Billboard Top 10. When both genres are at their best, metal and rap are musical meritocracies: The cream does rise to the top.

Here's the erudite Greg Burk's take on it.

Still, I really, really wish they would work on their live show. It's so unfocused and doesn't do them justice. They have a streak of four (five if you count their incarnation as Burn the Priest) great damn albums going. If they could only get some more of their studio precision onstage, they'd be unbeatable.

Radical Self-Promotion

2006-08-23T03:34:00.000-07:00

If Killdozer (who I actually really love) can get a tribute album, I think it's time Hagerstown, MD's finest, the Left had a revival.

Here's my review of a great new collection.

Bona Fide Records has some samples. Worth your time, for sure.

Be a part of the Wild-er-ness

2006-08-21T05:06:00.000-07:00

Funny, funny clip from the Finnish "forest people" folk-black-metal band, Korpiklaani. As Mr. Kurt would say "Like Enslaved - if they had a sense of humor." Except, as the Korpiklaani boys are fond of pointing out, the Vikings had this terrible proclivity for pillaging and burning the forests of Suomi in back their conquering days.

"Hunting is going on!"

Great show tomorrow

2006-08-21T04:59:00.000-07:00

From many people.
Always a treat to see Yonkers and the genial GST.

TUESDAY NIGHT MUSIC SERIES FOR IMPROVISORS AND EXPERIMENTATION
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACADIA CAFE...THE CORNER OF FRANKLIN AVE, AND NICOLLET AVE IN MINNEAPOLIS
TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2006...8:15 PM TO 11:00 PM
COVER CHARGE...$3.00

1ST SET...PHIL BELKNAP (CIRCUIT BENT TOYS)

2ND SET...MICHAEL YONKERS (GUITAR)

3RD SET...GST-PHIL BELKNAP (GUITAR), SEAN SMUDA (GUITAR),
TONY WATERCOTT (BASS), DREW MILLER (BASS), JOE CLINE (DRUMS),
BOB DEBOER (TRUMPET), DENNIS ROBERTSON (SAX)

The Diva meets the Fashionista

2006-08-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

Some throwaway comment I made in between obsessive visits to Makeupalley.com made the Budget Fashionista's archive. Look for the big red nail polish bottle, then the first comment in tiny print. Kewl.

Voivoidesque self-promotion

2006-08-17T04:55:00.000-07:00

Here's my review of Voivoid's new album for City Pages. It feels more like the Saints, thanks to its exuberantly rotten mood. It's the best post-punk whatever record I've heard in a while, and you'll find it in your "heavy metal" section.

The line shoulda been "it's as much as about winter warriors in a Tolkien story as Space Oddity was about stranded astronauts, which is sort of but not really". Oh, whatever, minor nitpick. Rest in peace, Piggy.

Top Ten In Norway

2006-08-15T04:57:00.000-07:00

No, really. Satyricon's K.I.N.G. debuted at #7 there. Which probably meant all their friends bought it.

It's pretty creepy and kind of funny for a $1.99 budget. They should jot down a few notes over at MTV's Hot Topic, I mean Headbanger's Ball.

OK, so I'm going to try smaller posts, but more frequently. Sort of like the dieter's version of blogging... Wish me luck.

The Burk(e) Supremacy

2006-05-23T04:45:00.000-07:00

You all should be catching VH1's "Heavy: The Story of Heavy Metal" because it features genius jazz/metal/noise scribe Greg Burk as one of its talking heads. Here's his latest on the festival of Ozzmociousness, and metal shows in general. Episode one has him detailing the elaborate home-brewed prosthetic that allowed Black Sabbath's Tommy Iommi to play guitar after a terrible industrial accident and change all of our lives. Don't know about the weird, possibly wrong, spelling of his name, tho.
I just hope they put on Lonn Friend, and maybe even do their homework and get the tireless Martin Popoff as well.

But I love that Greg Burk the best. There. I said it.

Grant McClennan, RIP

2006-05-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

He passed away May 6 in his sleep.

Poptones' memorial.

Never the greatest singers, the Go-Betweens always had a way with a delicate, memorable melody and an awkward, evocative lyric. While their later stuff was hit and miss to me, the early 80s trio of "Send Me A Lullaby", "Before Hollywood" and "Spring Hill Fair" would be envied by many a lesser band. (Hell, most of them would have amputated limbs to write "Cattle and Cane".) McClennan's most interesting work to me after the Go-Betweens was his collaboration with the Church's Steve Kilby, the maddeningly uneven Jack Frost. At their worst, the duo magnified each others' flaws, but when they were on, there were stunning beautiful songs like "Running From The Body" and "Civil War Lament" that are worth scouring the bargain bins for. A veteran of that uncalculated era when art, punk and pop made gawky and yet lovely new hybrids; we'll miss him around there parts.

Weird Dream

2006-04-26T05:38:00.000-07:00

I had this weird dream last night where I was telling Ronnie James Dio that while I liked him as a person, I really didn't like Dio all that much. I think he gently shamed me into looking for a copy "Dio's Greatest Hits" (which I don't think even exists) at Wazoo Used Records in Ann Arbor. Which, incidentally, had been turned into some kind of weird Pottery Barn open-air flea market. I actually had the record in my hand, but the crush of people in layered tank tops and designer flip-flops moved me away from my 25 cent prize. Then I woke up.

Holy diver, I gotta stop listening to hardradio.com at work like six hours a day. I've been gone too long at the bottom of the sea.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat

2006-04-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

I actually try to post something I wrote ages ago, and Blogger keeps spitting it back up like a baby expressing its displeasure at strained peas. Phooey.

Mario: Bare Simmer

2006-04-24T05:18:00.000-07:00

This was something I wrote about two month ago and didn't post. Don't know why - it's pretty good. And knowing Food Network, they'll rerun this about ninety times in the next few months.

I was sucked into watching Mario: FULL BOIL last night on the Food Network, and frankly, unless you want to watch an ad for his food/cookware line, decide that you will eat at every one of his restaurants once Powerball comes through for you, or see some really nice tile being laid, skip it.

Taking elements of the genius Boiling Point with egomaniac Gordon Ramsay, Mark Burnett's flawed The Restaurant, and Fine Living's always entertainingly hectic Opening Soon, we get shots of Mario zipping along on his scooter, visiting schools, yelling at plumbers, tasting new desserts for his new haute cuisine Italian restaurant. Oh, rush, rush, rush a book signing. Hi-ho, hi-ho, gotta adjust the seasoning in his new take and bake pizza line.

But where is the angst? Batali is a head chef, and an exacting perfectionist. Surely someone's going to fuck up, and we're going to see the jolly old chef lose it - just a little. Nope, thanks to the magic of spin control and good editing, he just slides from one catastrophe to another.

About the only struggle we get is poor partner Joe Bastanich looking like his head is going to cave in from the pressure. He's the one who gets to sweep up the debris from Mario's jetsetting. And he looks none too excited about it. I wouldn't be either. Pass on this one.

Michael Yonkers Last Twin Cities Live Show

2006-02-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

For all intents and purposes, this is IT. Get there if you can.

TURF CLUB
st. paul, mn
february 12th...sunday
music at around 9:30 pm

The Blind Shake
Michael Yonkers (11:30)
Skoalkodiak
Huge Rat Attacks

Best Super Bowl In Recent Memory Not Starring The Boring Patriots

2006-02-06T03:54:00.000-08:00

Hey! And the Stones were decent - they let Woody play slide guitar in front of a billion people.

Awwwww...Only #699?

2006-02-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

Missed the "cool kids table" (in my world) by one place in the annual Pazz and Jop Critical Alignment Poll.

To the three free jazz heads/nail polish freaks out there

2006-01-24T05:26:00.000-08:00

According to the nail polish grapevine, the Lippmann Collection is discontinuing "Bitches Brew" - the only nail polish I know of that commemorates Miles Davis's controversial incorporation of rock elements into his music. When I first ordered it through Nordie's helpline (I had to score the supercute Xmas polish "Holiday" and it wasn't on the website), the sales clerk burst into laughter. When I ordered my archival backup, I wisely chose the website - fewer comments from the peanut gallery.

However, "Nefertiti" is still available. I think Lippmann is honoring Wayne Shorter's composition, but it gives me a giggle to think that it also references Cecil Taylor. This gold is super-cute underneath a bright red, or a garnety brown like, say, Bitches Brew. Jazz-y, one might say.

Nail polish

2006-01-11T07:15:00.000-08:00

What Color Nail Polish Best Fits You?

Your Nail Polish Color is Black

How you're unique: There's nothing about you that isn't unique

Why your style rocks: You are a total indie chick... and you can pull it off

What this color says about you: "I'm a trendsetter and don't care what anyone else is doing!"

Ya, well, that, a kick in the noggin and five cents won't buy you a cup of coffee anymore. Only a headache.

Funny, and I almost never wear black polish. The one I have has silver glitter in it. I actually prefer maroons and rusts like this:

OPI Charge It in Milan

Derek Bailey RIP

2006-01-04T04:23:00.000-08:00

We lost a great one. Obit from the Guardian. (Thanks to Mr. Kurt who tipped me to it.)

While I perhaps didn't know Bailey's work as well as I should have, I'm certainly familiar enough with his influence on his artistic and spiritual children. Gonna pop on Outcome, that CD he did with Steve Lacy a while back, and just ponder the fingerprints those men put all over improvisational culture.

Children of the Calhoun Surf a.k.a. gig

2006-01-04T03:53:00.000-08:00

Big Surf CD Release Party with guest Michael Yonkers
The Hexagon Bar
2600 27th Ave S., Minneapolis
January 7, 2006
21+
Music at 9:00 p.m.

Hosts: Ron and Jean from KFAI's Radio Rumpus Room
(Here's a great interview/performance from Yonkers from, yikes, is it four years ago now?)

Vincent Schiavelli RIP

2006-01-03T03:18:00.000-08:00

I'm shocked to see how easily the obits skip over the veteran character actor's work as a respected writer on the food of Sicily. "Award-winning"? The dude won a James Beard award for his writing - the Pulitzer of the food world. When I still read Gourmet, I'd be entranced by his passionate, informative writing on the subject of Sicilian foodstuffs.

Schiavelli at the 2002 Oscars with wife Carol Mukhalian

Here's a nice press release for his final book , which I now feel the need to own.

Fine obit from Playbill. For the volatile, fickle profession of acting, "continuously employed" is a darn good legacy. His colorful, passionate second career in his 40s and 50s is equally good. Condolences to his wife, and his whole surrogate family in Sicily.

Der Voice Polsk

2006-01-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

This year's model, hastily typed out on a cybercafe computer in Houghton, MI. But it was a pretty decent year, even for hermits like me.

1. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing - Lava
2. Opeth - Ghost Reveries - Century Media
3. Salamander - Bent Hemlock - Camera Obscura
4. Paul Metzger - Three Improvisations on Modified Banjo - Chair Kickers
5. Enslaved - Isa - Candlelight
6. Gary Higgins - Red Hash - Thrill Jockey
7. System of a Down - Mezmarise - Sony
8. Sentenced - The Funeral Album - Century Media
9. The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell and Back - Atlantic
10. Various Artists - New Thing! - Soul Jazz

Bubbling under, just barely:
Todd Tamanend Clark - Nova Psychedelia 1975-85
Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution
Grupo Fantasma - Movimiento Popular (special $1 Target reissue)
Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyze

No singles, the iShuffle kind of put a kibosh to my radio listening, apart from 'FMU once a week when I'm at a real computer with Windows Media and a headphone jack 'n' stuff.

Happy Newt Year

2006-01-01T07:29:00.000-08:00

I want a panel van with huge speakers so I can go blasting Nazareth's "Hair of The Dog" throughout the quiet, hungover Minneapolitiptoetan neighborhoods.

I think I'll take the chorus as my mission statement for '06:

Now you're messing with a sonuvabitch.

clink-clink-clink-clink

Arrested Development Cancelled

2005-11-16T04:49:00.000-08:00

Well, it was about two and half years in coming, but that doesn't make it any easier. Fox finally cancelled one of the funniest, best written shows on TV. It gets frustrating when you watch things religiously, turn friends on to it, and still...this. I didn't want to believe it when the TiVo said, "no future episodes are scheduled". I thought it was just holiday rescheduling.

It's going to take a lot of analrapy for me to get over this. May the dimbulbs at Fox get naught but deluxe Cornballer sets for Christmas. Enjoy the grease burns, folks!

Oooh! I forgot!

2005-11-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

Add Gopher Bar coney islands to the "plus" column.

Not So Good Things About St. Paul.

2005-11-10T03:47:00.000-08:00

1. Katsu Sushi is no more.

2. Neither are about 75% of the places that were open when I last worked downtown.

3. I can't do that shortcut through the back of Galtier Plaza anymore because there's a restaurant there now.

4. Walking around at lunch feels like walking around in a tidy, but post-apocalyptic world.

5. Smoking ensures that I will never set foot in Big V's or the Turf Club again. Puking after gigs when you are healthy and not drunk sucks. (Yes, I support everyone's right to smoke. I also support my right to not throw up and have a place to go to besides the Acadia.)

6. Nothing to spend money on except food. (This should also be added to the "Good Things about St. Paul column.) And picture-framing places.

7. What the heck's up with that little Scottish place on 5th Street? Is it open or what?

8. Vibrant St. Paul neighborhoods with lots of activity nowhere near where I work.

Good things about St. Paul

2005-11-09T04:25:00.000-08:00

Work brings me back to DT St. Paul on a regular basis for the first time in 10 years. I have a love-hate relationship with the place. But let's concentrate on the good, shall we?

1. Tanpopo Noodle House! Completely uncrowded at noon Tuesday.

2. Plainly clad denizens make me look like more of a fashion star than evah.

3. Empty streets make it easy to power-walk at lunchtime.

4. Working Windows Media player makes it possible to listen to 'FMU while I work. Now I know what all you kids are talking about. And, Santa, I need that Estron disc.

5. Steep and Brew - for the last dozen years, the friendliest coffeehouse in the Cities, no matter who's manning the foamer nozzle.

6. Great sushi at Sakura and Katsu.

7. The Four Inns - yummy home cooking that will put you in a happy food coma.

I'll think of more once I do some more prowling around DT. And chowing of couse.

Up-d8 yr lynx.

2005-11-09T04:15:00.000-08:00

Superb music blog I really need to add to my links section once I root through the virtual shoebox that was sent me. Meanwhile, enjoy. He's justifiably flipping out about the Todd Tamanend Clark reissue. Good man.

Lying Fallow

2005-11-07T04:43:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been nuts, and I've been recovering from them. Posting will resume, er, pretty soon.

later.

Rosa Parks 1913-2005

2005-10-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you Miss Rosa, you are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you Sister Rosa Parks.
We’ll sing it again
Thank you Miss Rosa, you are the spark,
You started our freedom movement
Thank you Sister Rosa Parks.

-- The Neville Brothers - "Sister Rosa Parks"

More gigs, you lucky people

2005-10-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

From the O.G. in GST

"...[1st set - Tim Kaiser]
Duluth based sonic performance artist Tim Kaiser
returns to the Acadia. Kaiser's compelling and
ethereal soundscapes are created on unique instruments
that he designs and builds.

For more about Kaiser's work, go to:
http://www.timkaiser.org

[2nd set - AntiGravity]
- Dean Granros (guitar)
- Pat O'keefe (winds)
- Steve Goldstein (laptop)
- Scott Fultz (saxophone)
- Jacqeline Ferrier (cello)..."

And for your GBV fans and/or lovers of superior photorealistic painting:

"...Creative Electric Studios presents paintings
and sculpture by Tobin Sprout,
Guided by Voices guitarist, songwriter and
'four-track-wizard.'

Opening reception (with Tobin Sprout present):
tomorrow October 21st,
6:30-11pm

Show runs through Nov. 11th..."

Me and the mister blew in for a minute on Friday, and saw a well-curated exhibit of some of Sprout's best work. But didn't see Mister Sprout his own self. And we didn't have $6000 lying around so we could purchase the brilliant "White Villa". So we consoled ourselves with Shrunken Skulls at Psycho Suzies.

Here's a few images of Kaiser's homemade instruments from earlier this year.

Michael Yonkers show 10/28 cancelled

2005-10-20T04:16:00.000-07:00

From the man himself:

"...the gig at the Hat Trick Lounge
october 28th (friday)...
PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND and
MICHAEL YONKERS...
has been CANCELED by the booker for the club.

the reason given is that, they did not believe we could draw enough
people, and ..." i am not sure that yonker's music is well matched to the Hat Trick format and audience". he may be correct on that.
too bad though. nice venue. nice people..."

Paul Metzger on WFMU

2005-10-20T04:10:00.000-07:00

Paul Metzger appeared on WFMU's Stochastic Hit Parade with Bethany Ryker in early October when he was touring the East Coast. Haven't had the time to sit down with the audio stream, but L. Ouch tells me there's some nice interview segments at the one hour and ninety minute marks.

Stupid AOL Headline of the Day

2005-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

"Oy Vey! Rabbis Angry About New Madonna Song"

AOL headlines give respectful credence to extremist Christian viewpoints on every topic, no matter how addled. Why is it when Jewish scholars have substantial beefs (well except for the part about predicting heavenly revenge against her) against La Ciccone's commercialization of the Kabbalah, it's turned into some kind of Borscht Belt joke?

Quit with the stupid gags, AOL. Or go all out. Let's see how
"Achtung! New Pope tells Priests To Get In Line" plays with Middle America.

Fair's fair, man.

Gigs!

2005-10-05T03:47:00.000-07:00

October:

Peter Brotzmann / Nasheet Waits Duo
concert at the Minneapolis College of Art + Design
2nd Floor College Center
Oct 13, 2005 / 9:30 pm
$10 / free for MCAD students
2501 Stevens Ave S
Minneapolis MN 55404

Michael Yonkers at the Hat Trick Lounge October 8 and October 28

Cleophone show by Dave Krejci: Acadia Cafe
Tuesday, October 11, 8:00 p.m.

And...from Terry Eason:

"...the return of Agents Of Fortune, the Twin Cities BEST Blue Oyster Cult tribute band! It'll Black and Blue at the Uptown Bar Friday October 28 with Dumpster Juice doing Sabbath..."

Eason will also be playing with Paul Metzger at Creative Electric Studios November 4th at Creative Electric Studios in Nordeast Minneanapolis.

Screw "best new band". Old dudes rock

Diana Watters

2005-10-05T03:28:00.000-07:00

I am so very, very sorry to hear about the passing of Diana Watters. Although I'd never met her, I had enjoyed her work so much over the years.

Our paths crossed once indirectly - she did the great photo that accompanied an article I did on Michael Yonkers about three and a half years ago.

I shoulda said this much earlier, but thanks Diana.

Record Geek Nightmare

2005-09-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this sound great, jazzheads? A collaboration between onetime Joe McPhee guitarist Raymond Boni, and former President of the Czech Republic Václav Havel? It's on Hat Hut records, called Intermediary and has a cool yellow abstract cover. The chemistry between the two is unbelievable: Boni makes magnificent noises from his six-string, and I never knew the Prez could play clarinet so sweetly.

Alas.

You know you've been collecting records for too long when you dream about ones that don't exist.

Happy John Coltrane's Birthday!

2005-09-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Some might say, pop on your copy of Giant Steps or A Love Supreme, but I love Interstellar Space, so I'm sticking with it.

If you want a loving variation on Space, there's Nels Cline and Gregg Bendian's marvelous Interstellar Space Revisited. Or if you want to keep it theoretically local, check out the gorgeous version of "Seraphic Light" from Eyvind Kang and Michael Bisio's MBEK, released on MPLS' own Meniscus Records.

Or, if you're in San Francisco, visit the Church of Saint John Coltrane. Or in LA, go see Mike Watt, as devoted an acolyte as there ever was. A love supreme, indeed.

Bangeth Thine Head

2005-09-23T04:29:00.000-07:00

2nd Non-Blogger sent me a copy of the (now unavailable for free, unfortunately) NY Times article on the heavy metal. Two main points are discussed - how metal's both punkier and smarter than it was. Well.

The punk rock sensibility is absolutely nothing new to metal - it is what wrought thrash/speed metal in the 80s - the big four bands (Metallica/Megadeth/Anthrax/Slayer) and their childrens were completely influenced by the DIY 'n' dirty sensibility of the Sex Pistols, Black Flag, the Clash, Discharge, etc.

And, Prog-metal has always had a literary edge, albeit sometimes more toward HP Lovecraft and Anne Rice than I'd like. Ulver, whose latest has been mentioned as something noteworthy, has been doing literarily inspired stuff for years. As for high-minded, Amorphis did a concept album on Finland's national poem-cycle the Kalevala, oh, about eight years ago.

The Slate article I posted earlier still has the edge. But now I gotta hear Sunn O))) - people seem to either loathe them or worship them. Always a sign of some kind of quality.

Here's my record review on metal historians and brainiacs Opeth.

Still More Top 10 for you

2005-09-18T06:19:00.000-07:00

3rd Non-blogger checks in:

"Um...I'd happily give you a list, except I really don't have one at the moment. I can sing the theme songs of a million kids' shows to you, and I can kinda-sorta listen to The Current (and sometimes even catch the backannounce!), but the kids are keeping me out of my records. And I don't have an iPod...*sniff*.

Here's a substitute list. One song that really speaks to me at the moment, and the track list of an album I am devoted to completely (and have actually been listening to).

"Leonard Cohen's Never Gonna Bring My Groceries In" by Nancy White, off MOMNIPOTENT -- Songs for Weary Parents (brilliant album, actually)

And the collection of delicious covers by The Church, off of their album A Box Of Birds

1 -- The Faith Healer
2 -- It's All Too Much
3 -- Hiroshima Mon Amour
4 -- The Porpoise Song
5 -- Decadence
6 -- The Endless Sea
7 -- Friction
8 -- All The Young Dudes
9 -- Silver Machine
10 -- Cortez the Killer"

Life Under A Rock

2005-09-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

I'm buried in a mountain of writing for CP and the ATU newsletter, so posting will continue to be light for a while.

Here's a show I would go to if I could:

Venue: Acadia Theater
Date: Tuesday, September 13
Time: 8:00

=========================
3rd set - idee fixe

- Philip Mann (cello, moog)
- Ryan Reber (electronics, vocals)
- Joel Longtine (percussion)
- Greg Schaefer (kalimba, trumpet)

from earlier this year:
http://www.breakevenrecords.com/mp3/idee.mp3

=========================
2nd set - Michael Yonkers

ALL guitar, no vocals

=========================
1st set - a starr egg

- Taras Ostroushko (guitar)
- Greg Schaefer (guitar)

And, hey, Survivor starts Thursday. Already?!?! Thank goodness I have TiVo....

More Top 10 for you

2005-09-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

On Mark's suggestion, I and one of my non-blogger buds posted our selections last week. Now 2nd Non-Blogger comes in with his choices:

"...not really "obsessed over" but in the last week or so these have
stopped me in my tracks.

Willie Parker I Live The Life I Love
Morton Subotnick Silver Apples of The Moon
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum SPQR (This Heat cover)
Ray Charles I'm Movin' On
Okan Lost
Laurie Anderson Born, Never Asked
The Carter Family Winding Stream
Professor Alex Bradford and the Bradford Singers Leak In The Building ..."

Weird Coincidence...

2005-09-02T03:58:00.000-07:00

... that two of my favorite albums in the last two years or so have the same title.

Opeth - Deliverance
and
Bubba Sparxxx - Deliverance

Fortunately, the only common thread the two albums have is that they are made by pale-complected, carbon -based lifeforms on Planet Earth. That thought is somehow very comforting to me.

Watch, though. Knowing my luck, Bubba will hire on Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson to produce his next disc, and over in Scandinavia we hear:

"Sweden! Take your shirt off and swing it 'round your head like a helicopter!"

Okay, I'll bite.

2005-08-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

Mark has thrown down the gauntlet.

Here's the deal: "List ten songs you currently are obsessing over -- any genre, any format, etc. If you have a blog, do it there; if you don't, do it here. " Here = the Dowdydiva comments section.

These are the songs that when they appear on my iShuffle, get repeated 2-4 times.

1. Enslaved - Isa
2. Lee Dorsey - On Your Way Down
3. Neil Young - Rocking in the Free World
4. AC/DC - Down Payment Blues
5. Salamander - Galleon
6. Bubba Sparxxx - Overcome
7. Porcupine Tree - Halo
8. Sentenced - Vengeance is Mine
9. Kyuss - Green Machine
10. Gary Lucas - Overture to Tannhauser

Kate, Keith, and four-mystery-non-bloggers, I await your choices. You don't have to use your real names...

Upcoming Shows

2005-08-30T03:36:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday's show at the Acadia, (courtesy of Jaron Childs):

davu seru (percussion) - he has animals where we have hands
charles gillett (guitar) - operating the lock and dam system of granular flows jaron childs (alto saxophone) - effacement de saxophone

milo fine (solo clarinets) - "cast all thou hast into the fire, even unto thy shoes"

tuesday august 30th
acadia
1931 nicollett ave. s.
8pm
$3

This Saturday :
Paul Metzger - solo banjo
331 Club - Minneapolis
9:00 p.m.
Free

The Clearance Gods, they smile upon me, yes they do

2005-08-27T05:11:00.000-07:00

In the past two weeks, little treasures (perhaps returned from other stores) have popped up on the 80% sale rack at Field's:

1 plum colored knit Grace sleeveless shell - was $59, now $11.

1 black knit Grace trumpet skirt - was $79, now $15.

And the steal...
1 Ralph Lauren knit black cardigan with a polka dot silk satin front and little pearls for buttons - was $159.00, now $7.88. I saw versions of the sweater in brown and navy that didn't thrill me. But black? That works. Who the hell cares that I have to dry-clean it once in a blue moon?

And the old saw is true - if you want to find TJ Maxx or thrift store prices at the department store, you gotta visit often.

Now to wait for the bathing suits to drop down to nothin'.

Nik-E, So Addictive

2005-08-23T04:18:00.000-07:00

I'd be soooo much more excited about the "real women" Nike ads, if they actually made their workout gear in plus sizes, or at least larger than "large". I'm kinda tired of the bland/dowdy selections available for us full-figured gals. Well, I'm not supporting global imperialists like Phil Knight, so my considerable P.C. street cred is intact (fit of tubercular coughing). Yay, me.

Adidas at least let Missy Elliott design some shoes and streetwear for them. And her stuff went up to XXL. Damn. I wish I would have moved sooner. Those cammo pants were cute. Off the hook. The shizzle? Whatever you darn kids are saying right now.

Renaissance Festival Fashion Tips

2005-08-22T04:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, you can get a fine jerkin or a one-size-fits-most barwench costume at the Ren Fest, but don't rule it out for your everyday fashion needs, either.

Purses
Yes, there are the cheesy leather drawstring bags and clunky renditions of "mundane" flap bags. But there are also well crafted leather bags in soft, drapey leather with a modern shape. And for prices ranging from $60-150, it's darn good for a day bag in leather.
Jewelry
Pass on the stamped out pewter dragons you can get at a head shop, kitschy porcelain cameos your grandma would give to Goodwill, and the standard bead 'n' wire danglies that anyone with a pair of pliers and some ambition cranks out by the gross. Keep searching. If you see a fair costumed maiden with a necklace you love, ask her where she got it. Chances are it's right there at the fair. That's where I found a fantastic fused-glass jewelry line, Imbroglio. The jewelry seems kind of gaudy on the website, but trust me it's not. It's bold, but it has a lot of subtlety and variation in the colors. Anyhoo, what I'm trying to say, is that I would have never stumbled on this place (it's located in the back of a stained-glass booth, which I generally avoid) if I hadn't asked about it.
Belts
Mostly chunky rocker belts here, but you can pick out the leather, the buckle, and where the holes go. If you keep it oiled, it will outlive you. Bonus: It will hold your sword nicely if you are bedeviled by marauders.
Tailors
Yes, from the days of old. Who do that sewing thing. With the needle? Those places the fashion magazines tell you to go get your pants hemmed at? Well, you might not want to waste their time with hems, but if you can't find the dress you want, or you need to revamp a vintage garment for RIGHT NOW, these are good folks to chat with. Just be polite, and stick to local tailors.

Not that we are dismissing Renaissance fashion. Far from it - the laced bodice is a girl's best friend, regardless of body type, and who can resist a man in a breeches and a pirate shirt?
1492 is now, man!

Style in Your Pocket

2005-08-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

I am trying to pare my wardrobe down to a lean, mean stylin' machine. So I've been hitting the books for inspiration. The magazines sure aren't any help: I am truly fed up with Real Simple and In Style coming up with "The Best Look For Plus Sizes". That's crazy - with my, er, small tracts of land, Buddha belly and skinny, long limbs, I don't wear the same clothes as a classically voluptuous friend who has heavy upper arms and shortish legs. (What's odd is that In Style's own book acknowledges that and features a wide array of body shapes.)

Apart from the aforementioned In Style Guide, Lucky's Shopping Manual, and What Not to Wear's What You Wear Can Change Your Life, I've been finding great inspiration in Kendall Farr's The Pocket Stylist (Gotham Books). Here's an interview with Farr in Fashion Tribes that summarizes the book, and features her commentary on this year's fall collections.

Farr categorizes the female form into three shapes (and three "curvy" variations). No hourglass or egg or triangle comparisons here - the groupings are smaller on the top, smaller on the bottom, and in between. Her advice to the three larger body types is equally no-nonsense but useful, being completely realistic about the lack of options out there, but optimistic about the outcome.

The book's just loaded with delightful Anja Kroencke illustrations. Kroencke, the only reason I pick up InStyle these days has a way with a beautiful line, a colorful but not eye-shattering palette, and stylish details. My husband compares her to Shag, but for fashion.

kroencke illustration for Nippon Vogue this past December

There aren't any images of her plus-sized ladies in the handful of Stylist illustrations on her site. But trust me, they are wonderful - stylized Valkyries with the same perfectly flowing hair and swingy fabrics as her size zero subjects. Sure, it's an idealized worldview: The illustrations have no flabby arms, poochy bellies or saddlebags, but that doesn't bother me. It's nice to be included for once, even if it's a mere fashionable fantasy.

Hellbent for Pleather

2005-08-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

Article from Slate saying it's a-OK to like heavy metal again. Of course, most of the bands mentioned are pretty great Enslaved's Isa, in particular, is pretty damned insane - the title track marries the greatest faux-Smashing Pumpkins riff to a Muppet-Animal growler of a chorus. Other screwy, way-Viking-damaged bands are Finland's Sentenced and Amorphis, who actually did a concept album about that most Finnish of epic poems, The Kalevala. (They also parted ways with their suave lead singer, and are getting back to the "death" sounding vocals again. Watch my interest wane.) Many of these delightful discs were burned for me by Mr. Kurt, to whom I am indebted. (No thanks for that link to The End Records, though, my bank account is hurtin'.)

So, this means I'm sort of riding the wave of the whole-zeitgeisty thing for once. Hell, yeah, I'll pimp, I mean, loan myself out as a tastemaker. Any takers? You can get the whole metal/token female angle in the same piece!

Scottish Fair Pics

2005-08-16T05:16:00.000-07:00

All taken sometime in July on just a broiling hot day.

I'll kind of dole these out - I managed to get some interesting ones. Or, at least interesting to me...

Oh, how Clan Mackay must be proud of their fictional Vic, cutting deals with the 1-9ers, "accidentally" killing suspects and appropriating Armenian drug money. And not really being Scottish in the first place.

A line of pipers! To the barricades, or at least the beer tents!

More cute little UK cars than the Italian Job!

AOL Headline of the Day

2005-08-15T03:25:00.000-07:00

On Phil Mickelson's lead in the PGA Tour:

"Five Holes From Glory".

Ha. I am twelve.

CP is cleaning house

2005-08-09T03:41:00.000-07:00

Brainpower State will be archived on the CP Site, my last new post should be there sometime this weekend. They're downsizing, something I know a lot about working in HR 'n' all.

Starting Out

2005-06-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

I hope to start this as a kind of adjunct to my City Pages weblog, "Welcome to the Brainpower State". Not much to tell you right this second.