WaterCoolerGossip

Here are our top 25 lists finally. Also check out the Product Shop lists: Albums, EPs, and Singles.

1) The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
When I first heard Boys and Girls in America, I don’t think I would have predicted it would be my favorite for the year. I thought that the polished production and careful arrangements violated the realness of my favorite bar band. But Craig Finn has left his lyrical stomping grounds of the Twin Cities and the characters that he knew there and The Hold Steady is musically reaching farther than their local dives. Their territory has gotten bigger and so has their music. The songs are still set in bars and at parties – and fueled by booze and drugs – but these stories could be happening all over America.

2) The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
The Thermals made a leap of faith by ditching the lo-fi simplicity of their three-chord assault and even adding some keyboards, which took their sound out of the garage and into the studio. Hutch Harris spent more time crafting these lyrics than he has in the past and even tried to cut down his rampant cursing. But this leap was not without reason; the resulting album is an apocalyptic vision of a fascist religious state. This album really resonates with me considering our current government. I also appreciate their DIY punk aesthetic that goes all the way down to the collaged album covers.

3) TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
When I listen to TV On The Radio’s Return To Cookie Mountain, I try to imagine what Cookie Mountain would be like. I see a thick wooded forest covered in a blanket of dark fog with the rickety cabin at its peak, overlooking a huge metropolis below. Inside this one-lamp shack, there are reassembled transistor radios, exposed circuitry, and loose woofers from busted speakers. When all of these salvaged devices sing together, the haze over the mountain thickens. Tuned Adebimpe’s falsetto singing is similar breeze. That might sound like a bunch of BS but this album is vivid and tireless. However, the cookies will remain a mystery.

4) The Blow - Paper Television
The Blow have four albums, I am not sure why I have not heard of them before their last, Paper Television. Even more boggling is that Khaela Maricich used to be a part of K Records labelmates The Microphones. When I saw her perform at the Fader House during CMJ this year, I was hooked. Khaela is an unassuming Northwestern, who got on stage clad in fleece jacket and clutching only a microphone. She is a casual singer too, but she can spin the everyday mundane thing into a clever lyric, even if it is not in perfect pitch. Her songs are almost like monologues set to music. Just add Jona’s beats, which strike a happy balance between The Neptunes, The Post Service, and The Knife, and you get the folktro (yes, I made that up) duo know as The Blow.

5) Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
Zach Condon is a gypsy. He grew up in Albuquerque, traveled through Europe after high school, and then moved to Brooklyn. So naturally he stumbled upon Balkan gypsy music. The lush orchestration of ukuleles, accordion, trumpets, tambourines, and strings combined with his unwavering voice is both foreign and familiar. Gulag Orkestar is a serene portrait of his travels through pop songs he found in European folk tunes.

6) Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope
7) The Knife - Silent Shout
8) Hot Chip - The Warning
9) Man Man - Six Demon Bag
10) Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
11) Vetiver - To Find Me Gone
12) Archie Bronson Outfit - Derdang Derdang
13) Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time
14) Liars - Drum's Not Dead
15) Matt & Kim - Matt & Kim
16) Brightblack Morning Light - Brightblack Morning Light
17) Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
18) Islands - Return To The Sea
19) Tom Waits - Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards
20) Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
21) Pela - Exit Columbia Street
22) Build to Spill - You In Reverse
23) ¡Forward Russia! - Give Me A Wall
24) Herman Dune - Giant
25) Joanna Newsom - Ys


Here's Charles' list...

MY TOP 25 ALBUMS OF 2006, OR MORE LIKE: MY TOP 2 + THE REST

A few thoughts/notes to preface this name dropping show:

1) My music universe runs about 4 genres deep: (1) indie rock; (2) punk/emo; (3) hip hop; (4) commercial pop/r&b. I’ve probably given a spin to every major release from these 4 categories this year. I’m really just seeking exciting music, in whatever form.

2) I don’t really connect with electronic-driven music. I like The Knife, Hot Chip, The Blow, but see it all as just something to dance to. It’s tough for me to find the heart in any of it.

3) For the most part, indie pop doesn’t really do much for me. Bands like Peter Bjorn & John and Belle & Sebastian just sound too sparse and too cute for me. It’s catchy, but I’d rather listen to catchy popular music (J.T., Beyonce, Cassie, etc.).

4) Very few new artists leave a lasting impression on me these days. Annuals? Like em. Tokyo Police Club? Like em. Lupe Fiasco? He’s aiight. But looking back at year-end, they were all just something new to listen to. I put these albums in heavy rotation and enjoyed them for a few weeks, then moved on to the next big thing.

5) It’s tempting to empty out new music recommendations onto a year-end list. And while I listen to quite a bit of obscure stuff, my favorite albums of the year were all fairly well publicized. So I don’t think you really have to dig too deep to find the “best new music”. Here’s a short list of new faves that missed the cut: Cinemechanica, The Kingdom, Oh No

6) My criteria for this list is simple: it’s the music that impacted me the most in 2006. The thing about music is, if it doesn’t really connect with you somehow – if it’s only catchy – it becomes disposable. And honestly, I love everything on this list, but beyond my Top 2 (The Hold Steady and The Thermals), I didn’t really feel a strong connection with anything else this year. So with that said, here’s my Top 2 + the rest…

1) The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America
This was a record made for the people. I memorized every word. I saw them live and jumped my little heart out. I not only loved this album, I lived this album. Just as 24 Hour Revenge Therapy was my soundtrack to being 13 years old growing up in San Francisco, Boys and Girls in America has become my soundtrack to being 25 years old trying to make it in New York.

2) The Thermals – The Body, The Blood, The Machine
I love that The Thermals made a big sounding record without any gimmicks. They didn’t beef up the production, experiment with new sounds, bring in guest collaborators. They just stuck with what works, and made it work better than ever.




3) ¡Forward, Russia! – Give Me A Wall
¡Forward, Russia! get labeled post-punk, but have more in common with post-hardcore acts like At The Drive-In than they do with Joy Division or Gang of Four. “Fifteen Pt. 2” is the best screamo track of the year. Plus, Tom Woodhead does the meanest “mic whip” in a live act since Cedric Bixler-Zavala.



4) Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Almost every track on Fishscale is a hit, but “The Champ” wins out as the most triumphant hip hop joint of the year. Too often, you hear young MCs trying to make this track before they’ve really arrived. Ghost paid his dues, hustled his way to the top, and “The Champ” is the sound of him rightfully claiming his throne.



5) Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury
Between Lord Willin’ and Hell Hath No Fury, Malice and Pusha T have popularized enough new slang to write their own Clip-tionary. These cats are so trill, they just grindin’, all they do is wamp! wamp!






6) Silversun Pickups – Carnavas
The best commercial rock album of 2006. It just happens to be on an indie label.

7) The Roots – Game Theory
Fuck a mash-up. ?uestlove & Co. one-up every riff-rock beat by slicing up their own tracks organically. And props to Black Thought for reinventing himself as the new Chuck D.

8) Lily Allen – Alright, Still
Lily Allen is so damn charming. If you don’t like her, you’re probably trying to not like her.

9) Justin Timberlake – FutureSex/LoveSounds
It’s great to be self-aware and have great taste and all. But I don’t ever want to take music so seriously that I can’t enjoy something like this. If you’ve set foot on a dance floor these past six months, you’ve probably seen how “SexyBack” and “My Love” (in its various incarnations) kick the energy up to another level. And you can play FutureSex out for another year, cause it has another 5 singles left in it.

10) These Arms Are Snakes – Easter
TAAS understand what 96% of post-hardcore bands don’t get these days—which is, to scream, you have to know what you’re screaming about. Never once does their anger seem forced or misguided, and as a result, there is some real emo-tion here.

These Arms Are Snakes – Crazy Woman Dirty Train (mp3)

11) Mew – And The Glass Handed Kites
If you don’t get into this album right away, give it 10 more spins. Cause once you get into it, it’ll cast a spell on you.

12) Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton – Knives Don’t Have Your Back
This is the sound of pain. I’ve read reviews complaining that Emily Haines never picks up the pace, but if she had, it wouldn’t have felt right. This is a mood piece, and has found a place in my collection alongside Grace and Let It Die.

13) DJ Drama & Lil Wayne – Dedication 2
Best rapper in the game? That’s a stretch. But on this mixtape, Lil Birdman outshined some other dude calling himself King of the South. Weezy flipped on all of us with “Georgia…Bush”. The stage is set for Tha Carter III as the most anticipated rap release of ’07 – and no, I’m not forgetting Detox.

14) Nelly Furtado - Loose
Loose probably gets left off most year-end lists cause only half the album is worth listening to. But I like half this album better than a full album of anything lower on this list. After churning out 3 of the hottest singles of 2006, Loose could also drop 3 of the hottest singles of 2007: “Do It”, “Glow”, and “Wait For You”

15) Camp Lo - Fort Apache (The Mixtape Album)
What does Camp Lo have to do to get some respect in the rap game? Uptown Saturday Night has been deceptively influential in the world of jiggy rap. Let’s Do It Again was a gem of a follow-up that fell victim to Industry Rule #4080. It’s only fitting that this mixtape came in under the radar. I hope Camp Lo gets some decent promotion (or at least a Pitchfork plug or three) when their next LP drops, cause this is crossover rap that will bump anywhere: on the radio, in the clubs, from hipst__s’ MacBooks.

Camp Lo – Bed Rock (mp3 – recommended to anyone who likes Clipse)

16) Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones
I loved Fever To Tell back in 2003. I can’t bring myself to listen to it anymore. This may not be a popular opinion, but I’m glad YYYs moved away from post-punk. They’ve lost some momentum temporarily by abandoning the sound of the moment, but the shift towards straight up rock-n-pop should give them more longevity than The Strokes and The Rapture, who are stuck in the same tired sound.

17) Thursday – A City By The Light Divided
This is emo music for twenty and thirty somethings. It’s heavy stuff. I don’t think emo has ever sounded so mature. I would love to see bands like Brand New and Taking Back Sunday take a larger step toward this direction as they grow older.

18) The Game – Doctor’s Advocate
The Game is just getting comfortable as the new King of the Left Coast. Doctor’s Advocate shows he’s not afraid to show a little levity, and that should help keep him at the top for a while.

19) T.I. - King
When are people going to figure out that T.I. of 2006 = Ja Rule of 2001? For all his swagger and charisma, there’s not much to T.I. beyond that voice. But King works cause you got that voice backed by high-budget production. I’ll probably end up tossing King into the bargain bin as I did with Pain is Love, but for a five month span in 2006, this was my go-to rap album.

20) TV On The Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain
It’s a tough pill to swallow, but when I was in the mood for it, Cookie Mountain was some of the most powerful music I heard in 2006.

21) Bound Stems – Appreciation Night
This album is all over the place, but one of the more exciting releases I’ve heard this year. I think Bound Stems would be best served in the long run if they tighten up their sound, lose the tendency to break every song down into an indie pop hook, and just make really accessible mathy-rock as they do on “Risking Life and Limb for the Coupon”.

22) Amerie – Because I Love It, Vol. 1 (Mixtape)
I have a crush on Amerie, so I may be biased. The beauty of a mixtape is there’s no pressure to manufacture a hit. Amerie sounds so loose here. Has Beyonce, Ciara, or any other R&B diva ever spit with this kind of fire? This mixtape may do her more justice than her forthcoming LP, where she’ll again be restricted by the standard verse-hook-verse-hook-dance break/rap cameo-hook.

Amerie – Blow (mp3)

23) Sunset Rubdown – Shut Up I Am Dreaming
Spencer Krug is all heart. Even when I have no idea what he’s talking about (horsemen? kids sacrificing eyes? say what??), I’m still feeling it.

24) Man Man – Six Demon Bag
Man Man are in a genre of their own – it’s caveman music. You need to listen to it a lot before it stops being annoying, then you’ll start loving it.

25) The Blood Brothers – Young Machetes
You probably need to have ADHD to love The Blood Brothers. So I guess it’s time to pick up my Adderall prescription...

Posted by 3xWes at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(AFI @ Berkeley Square in 1996; photo by Chris Bellew)

Growing up in the SF/Berkeley punk scene, I always heard about the mystique of ’77 and the year punk rock was born. I wasn’t around for the birth of punk, but I was around for the mid ‘90s punk revival. And as time has passed, I've grown to think of ’94 in the way I used to hear about ‘77. What I loved about punk rock was that every band played with a sense of purpose. Every show at Gilman Street/Berkeley Square - regardless of how good/sloppy the band was - was a satisfying experience. Cause it wasn't only about the music, it was just as much about the spirit...

So splash that hairspray onto your spikes, clip those safety pins to your bomber jackets, lace up those military boots, fix the broken needle to play those scratchy 7”s, play some hedgecore in the front yard, hop on that mini bike, stop by Streetlight to dig for out-of-print Lookout! releases, pick up the latest issue of Flipside, don’t forget to look up shows on The List, fill up some water bottles so we don’t dehydrate at Berkeley Square. And let’s travel back to Berkeley circa 1994 – 1995…

The Bands That Started It All

Operation Ivy – Vulnerability (mp3)
You know how some kids grow up playing baseball in their backyard, and they pretend to be Roger Clemens and Ken Griffey, Jr? For the past fifteen years, Berkeley kids forming punk bands in garages imagine they could be Jesse. Lint. Matt. Dave.

Screeching Weasel – Falling Apart (mp3)
Screeching Weasel are really from Chi-town. But their influence is threaded throughout East Bay pop-punk and has carried onto the emo bands of today. Before Screeching Weasel, punk songs were mostly limited to two topics: (1) politics; (2) angst. It took a fanzine writing kid to make it punk to sing about girl problems.

Essential SF/Berkeley Punk (’94 – ’95)

Rancid – Radio (mp3)
For me, this was the song. The song where music became more than just sound. One month after I first heard “Radio” in ‘94, I started digging for Op Ivy bootlegs. And the rest is history…

Jawbreaker – Want (mp3)
24 Hour Revenge Therapy pretty much ruled the Gilman Street scene in ’94 – I’ve already shared three tracks. “Want” is from Jawbreaker’s 1990 debut Unfun. Blake Schwarzenbach’s vocals sound so painful here – so painful it led to throat surgery two years later.

Swingin’ Utters – Storybook Disease (mp3)
When pop-punk, skate punk, even ska-punk were the sounds of the moment, Swingin’ Utters were a throwback with their working class ’77 style punk. The Streets of San Francisco is one of the best albums from this era.

AFI – I Wanna Get A Mohawk (But Mom Won’t Let Me Get One) (mp3)
AFI sounded like a mess when they first arrived in ’95. It was the presence of a 19 year old Davey Havok that kept them from being dismissed as another mindlessly thrashing hardcore band. “I Wanna Get A Mohawk” became a local anthem, pretty much telling the story of every suburban punk kid’s life.

The Mr. T Experience – Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba (mp3)
MTX took the Screeching Weasel pop-punk formula a step further, daring to be silly at a time when being punk and being silly were mutually exclusive.

J Church – Analysis, Yes, Very Nice (mp3)
J Church was the hardest working SF punk band of the ‘90s, pumping out 15 or so LPs and EPs, plus countless 7”s and compilation appearances. Their archives have aged surprisingly well, with their indie-tinged pop-punk style.

Face To Face – Disconnected (mp3)
Face To Face played this style of melodic alterna-punk that I’m surprised didn’t catch on with more bands. “Disconnected” was a crossover radio hit in ’95, driven by an anthemic, universal chorus: “You don’t know what you want/It may take you years to find out”

Merry Punk Rock X-Mas (Op Ivy Rarities)

Operation Ivy – Hedgecore (mp3)
Various live recordings of "Hedgecore" are floating around. This version is from the Seedy compilation and the best quality recording I've been able to dig up. Hedgecore was our local punk rock sport, involving intentionally jumping into/over bushes, sometimes with skateboards and bikes.

Downfall – North Berkeley (mp3)
Downfall was a short-lived ska-punk project formed by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman in between their Op Ivy and Rancid stints. Here’s their only official release, from the awesome Can of Pork compilation.

Posted by Charles at 05:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The way I view hip hop songs can generally be broken down into 3 simple equations:

1) hot beat + hot rhymes = hot track
2) hot beat + wack rhymes = hot track, but disposable
3) wack beat + hot/wack rhymes = generally unlistenable

My hip hop joint of the winter is The Game’s “Wouldn’t Get Far” (mp3 at A Different Kitchen). It’s “Dreams of Fuckin’ an R&B Bitch” circa 2006, name dropping rap video honeys with a cutting recklessness. The Kanye beat is hot, but it’s The Game’s punchlines that really sell this track. If this were Tony Yayo spitting his empty braggadocio, this track would be listenable but nothing special. So my point is: beats > rhymes, but rhymes still matter, and punchlines are still relevant in the state of hip hop 2006.

This edition of Rewind brings me back to Big L. Before getting cut down in ’99, I truly believe that L was the most legit contender out of a pack of challengers (Jadakiss, Prodigy, Raekwon, etc.) to the Holy Trinity. L flowed with the smoothness of Jay-Z, with rhymes laced with the punchlines and shock value of a young Redman.

L made his entry into the rap world in ’92, repping D.I.T.C. on two classic posse cuts: Showbiz & AG’s “Represent” and Lord Finesse’s “Yes You May” remix. Batting lead-off on “Represent”, L’s sheer enthusiasm on the mic placed him a cut above his counterparts with a similar metaphor style:

I flip fast on foes with fabulous fantastic flows
L is the rebel type, I'm rough as a metal pipe
Fuck a Benz, cause I could pull skins on a pedal-bike!

L’s first LP and his only properly recorded LP, Lifestylez Ov Da Poor and Dangerous, was released in ‘95 to little promotion and fanfare. By the time I went digging for it in ’98, it had already gone out of print. According to Wikipedia, Lifestylez is widely regarded as an “underrated hip hop classic”. I don't know about that. Lifestylez leads off with two classic joints, “Put It On” and “MVP”, but progressively gets dragged down by some throwaway beats from Buckwild and Lord Finesse. And Buck is one of my fave producers from the mid to late '90s, but clearly he was saving his Grade A material for the likes of Biggie ("I Got a Story To Tell") and AZ ("Ho Happy Jackie").

As much as D.I.T.C. has meant to the art of hip hop, the truth is they may have been L’s downfall. L seemed destined to rise into the world of above-ground rap, and always seemed contained by D.I.T.C.-style sparse, jazz-influenced beats. I’ll always wonder: What if Dre had recognized L as his first East Coast protege? What if The Neptunes or Timbaland had lended L a track that matched his fire on the mic?

Following a spat with Industry Rule #4080, L really started to emerge during a span in the late ‘90s, shining on a self-released 12” (“Ebonics"), numerous D.I.T.C. guest appearances, recurring freestyles on the Stretch & Bobbito Show. All set to blow, and according to Jay-Z, on the verge of a deal with Roc-A-Fella. We’ll never know what would’ve become of L, but we still have these gems he left us with…

From Lifestylez Ov Da Poor and Dangerous:
Big L – Put It On (mp3)
Big L – MVP (mp3)

From The Big Picture:
Big L – Ebonics (mp3)
Big L – Flamboyant (mp3)

Posted by Charles at 10:18 AM | Permalink

The Knife do Christmas once. They are still riding off of the song they recorded back in 2000 call "Christmas Reindeer." The song is a bit like "Reindeer" from their first album but with bell instead of a guitar solo. I wonder what Christmas was like at their house growing up as brother and sister.

DOWNLOAD
Christmas Reindeer (MP3)
DIY Cover Art (PDF)

Posted by 3xWes at 09:31 AM | Permalink

I wrote up a review of New Young Pony Club's show at the Modular Holiday Party over at Product Shop. Thanks to Abbey at Punk Photo for the pics. Also by request again...

DOWNLOAD
Ice Cream [Comets Remix] (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 06:20 PM | Permalink

(Jawbreaker at Gilman Street, sometime in the early '90s; photo from San Francisco Audio)

When did we start referring to old school rap as old school? I mean, back in the ‘80s, ABC rhyming/boom bap/high-top fades/four-finger rings were on some next shit. Surely, nobody was referring to any of it as “old school” back then. Reason I mention this is cause I’ve been listening to a lot of emo from the ‘90s lately (Jawbreaker, Sunny Day Real Estate, Texas is the Reason, etc.). Given the state of emo in 2006, is it fair to lump these earlier emo bands into the same category?

In its formative stage, if there was a general message to emo, it was to take punk rock and remove all the style/attitude/bullshit from the equation. The emo sound was emerging out of a punk revival movement, at a time when punk was becoming synonymous with juvenile/obnoxious (Green Day, Offspring, etc.). Is anyone still listening to Dookie or Smash these days? Jawbreaker’s 24 Hour Revenge Therapy never came close to that level of popularity, but it still holds up 12 years after its release.

I went through a brief phase around 8th – 9th grade (back in ’94 – ‘95) when I fell in love with this sound (though the term “emo” hadn’t really caught on yet). At the time, I was a kid torn with contradictions. Going to a magnet school, stuck in these shitty advanced classes; but going to all ages punk shows at Berkeley Square/Gilman Street, writing for punk zines (that’s like the mid ‘90s equiv. of blogging), not caring much for school-related activities. Torn somewhere between hating the system and learning to embrace responsibility. I loved punk rock but didn't really care for being a punk, and bands like Jawbreaker/SDRE/TITR/etc. gave me something I could identify with. Now, about 3 – 4 musical phases later in my life, at a time when I'm mostly disinterested in the latest in indie rock, I find myself coming back to emo. But the emo of the ‘90s, not the emo of 2006.

So, the question I have is: Is it time we can start classifying old school emo as its own sub-genre? I’m just gonna start referring to it as pre-emo.

From 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, my fave album of all time:

Jawbreaker – Boxcar (mp3)
It only takes the first line for Blake Schwarzenbach to form a mission statement and call out every overnight punk of the early ‘90s (you know the type): “You’re not punk and I’m telling everyone/Save your breath, I never was one”

Jawbreaker – Indictment (mp3)
Back in the pre-internet buzz era, it was crucial for bands to make it in their local scene before having a chance of breaking nationally. This was probably the closest thing Jawbreaker had to a hit single, making it to heavy rotation on SF/Bay Area college radio back in ‘94. I remember how genuinely stoked I was when Live 105 gave it a few spins.

Jawbreaker – Ache (mp3)
I don’t know if I really got this song when I first heard it as a 13 year old. Now, at age 25, after living in 4 different cities in 4 years, this captures exactly the way I feel lately: “These days, the people I love are spread so far apart..."

More essential pre-emo:
Sunny Day Real Estate – 48 (mp3)
Braid - Divers (mp3)
Cap’n Jazz – Oh Messy Life (mp3)
Christie Front Drive – Long Out (mp3)
Cursive – Sucker & Dry (mp3)
Texas is the Reason – Something To Forget (Version II) (mp3)

And I would consider the following to be essential pre-screamo:
AFI – God Called in Sick Today (mp3)
At The Drive-in – Initiation (mp3)

P.S. Thanks Wes for having me over as a guest blogger.

Posted by Charles at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Here at the office, we are pleased to welcome Charles to the watercooler. He has a wide range of musical tastes, but will mainly be writing about bands older than blogs. Look out for his upcoming posts.

Posted by 3xWes at 02:59 PM | Permalink

While their Swedish rivals are busy pumping out quality indie rock, Finland is making some real innovations in choral music.

Finnish artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen collected the pet peeves and angst-ridden pleas of people in Helsinki and then composed this choral work around the list of complaints. Music composed by Esko Grundström.

Posted by 3xWes at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

"Momentum, that's a hell of a thing at rock concerts," says Ryan Adams after a stage tech began fiddling with one the pedals or chords at his feet at the end of their opening song on Tuesday night. The crowd began to chatter and the guy in front of me wouldn't quit talking to his girlfriend about the Robin Hood song, meanwhile these two older die-hard fans glared at him obviously thinking "Not this idiot." Ryan's three nights at Town Hall enticed a mixed bag of fans from message board power posters to casual Brian Adams fans, all of whom were expecting a different concert. What Ryan and the boys delivered were their jam-band songs with even a few in alternate versions, which would excite the more dedicated Ryan scholars.

But I can't say that these were everybody's favorites. May I present exhibit A (click to enlarge)—one of the current polls at the RAA message board, which currently has 645 votes (I can't even freakin' vote because I am not part of the forum), asks what's the "Best Song on Jacksonville City Nights?" None of the songs played from that album were even in the top five. Granted the band was not going to repeat two of the more "popular" songs played the previous night and Nora Jones join him for "Dear John," but that night Ryan was not taking orders. One guy shouted a request and he replied, "I'm sorry sir, what can I get you? Would you like a diet coke with that?"

I am in no way saying that the show was bad, I enjoyed it from start to finish. And his ramblings about a conversation with Doctor Who and an explanation of the Quiet Riot band name with a story about wizards in a convenience store were hilarious. Still, the set list Tuesday night was only sufficient but nothing to drool over. However, for those like Qbertplaya, who had the stamina and good fortune to attend all three nights, Tuesday was just part of one long complete show.

So I am typing with one hand because I fractured my right pinky metacarpal in at football game at Prospect Park. I don't even play football but whatever. At least I have these Holiday Parties to look forward to and still don't have to leave Brooklyn. Who likes eggnog?

DFA HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA
Friday, Decmber 8th @ Studio B (259 Banker St, Brooklyn) $5 (tix)
- James Murphy & Pat Mohoney
- Tim Goldsworthy & Tim Sweeney
- Andy Butler (Hercules & Love Affair)

With the new LCD Soundsystem album The Sound of Silver on the way, maybe we will get a taste here. You can't front on the $5 but you should probably get tickets in advance.

MODULAR X-MAS PARTY
Saturday, December 9th @ Williamsburg White Room (South 3rd and Roebling, Brooklyn), 10pm, $8 adv (tix)
- New Young Pony Club
- The Juan McLean
- Tim Sweeney