Concert Watch- February Edition

This is something i'm gonna do around the beginning of every month.  Here is a list of noteworthy concerts coming up in the Twin Cities...

• Feb 6th- The Decemberists @ State Theater
• Feb 8th- George Clinton, Heatbox @ Cabooze
• Feb 13th- Robyn, Diamond Rings, Natalia Kills @ First Ave
• Feb 14th- Justin Townes Earle, Jessica Lea Mayfield @ First Ave
• Feb 15th- Motorhead, Clutch, Valient Thorr @ First Ave
• Feb 16th- Galactic, Corey Henry, Corey Glover, The Bridge @ Cabooze
• Feb 17th- Carnage @ Cabooze
• Feb 20th- Old 97's, Those Darlins @ First Ave
• Feb 23rd- Morcheeba @ First Ave
• Feb 24th- Baths, Braids, Star Slinger @ 7th St Entry
• Feb 26th- Yann Tiersen, Breathe Owl Breathe @ Cedar Cultural Center
• March 2nd- Weedeater, Zoroaster, Lungs @ Triple Rock
• March 3rd- Dropkick Murphys, Against Me @ First Ave
• March 3rd- Murs, Tabi Bonney, Whole Wheat Bread, Ab-Soul, DJ Foundation @ Fine Line
• March 8th- Girl Talk @ First Ave
• March 9th- Girl Talk @ First Ave
• March 10th- Cold War Kids, A Lull @ First Ave
• March 11th- Crystal Castles, Teengirl Fantasy @ First Ave
• March 15th- Ice Cube @ First Ave
• March 25th- The Residents @ Cedar Cultural Center
• April 1st- DeVotchKa @ First Ave
• April 2nd- J Mascis, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Fauna @ 7th St Entry
• April 4th- Bright Eyes, Titus Andronicus @ First Ave
• April 5th- Bright Eyes, Titus Andronicus @ First Ave
• April 5th- Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O., Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers @ 7th St Entry
• April 14th- Subhumans, MDC @ Triple Rock
• April 17th- House Of Pain, Slaine @ Cabooze
• April 17th- Tobacco, Beans, Shapers @ Triple Rock
• April 18th- The Budos Band, Charles Bradley @ 7th St Entry
• April 20th- Rusko, Doorly @ First Ave
• April 23rd- The Black Lips, Vivian Girls @ Varsity Theater
• May 7th - Yacht @ Triple Rock
• May 11th- Captured By Robots!, Delicious Pirate Monkeys @ Triple Rock
• May 19th- CSS, Sleigh Bells @ First Ave
• May 19th- Neon Indian @ 7th St Entry

Official Top 10 Of 2010

since everyone likes lists, here is my attempt to list and rank my top 10 full length LP's of the year.. I am merely ranking these based on how much I preceived myself to enjoy them throughout the year last year.

1. Evelyn Evelyn- "Evelyn Evelyn"
2. El-P - "Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3"
3. Sleigh Bells - "Treats"
4. Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma"
5. The Sword - "Warp Riders"
6. Mono/Poly - "Paramatma"
7. Das Racist - "Shut Up, Dude"
8. Tobacco - "Maniac Meat"
9. Laurie Anderson - "Homeland"
10. The Black Keys - "Brothers"

How did I manage to forget these? More Best Of 2010- Forgotten Edition

Yeah, it's hard to keep track of all this music I listen to, but there's no logical reason as to why my brain forgot to include these albums on my best of last year lists...

Awol One & Ecid - "ARE..."

This album isn't stellar, nor is it one of my favorite Awol albums, but it's still dope. I don't really like Ecid as an emcee too much, I find him a little spastic and unnecessarily nerdy sounding, but his beats are solid as hell, and him and Awol are a good collabo match.

Baths - "Cerulean"

This guy doesn't fit in with being on Anticon records, and I probably would have never checked this out otherwise, but this is some soothing, laid back music that I find hard to describe. It's not rock, it's not electronic, it's not instrumental, but the lyrics almost seem inconsequential and just part of the atmosphere.

Diplo - "Chasing The Dragon"

This is just a DJ mix, but a very uncharacteristic one for him. It's all funk and soul, mostly stuff that's been sampled by someone already, to give an atmosphere of familiarity, so it doesn't come off like a super eclectic DJ Shadow mix or anything.

Tech N9ne - "Collabos: The Gates Mixed Plate"

This seems to have become a yearly series for him to do these Collabo albums in addition to his regular albums. I don't like this one as much as Sickology 101 or Misery Loves Kompany, but that doesn't mean it isn't still the shit. Strange Music as a label just sets the bar high for quality no matter what.

MGMT - "Congratulations"

This one is more rock oriented than their breakout success from a couple years ago "Oracular Spectacular", which is what they needed to do. I thought they sounded a bit like they were biting Of Montreal before, especially the way their vocals were recorded, but they kinda put the vocals in the background on this one, and created a less synthy sound that more resembles a slick version of a hippie jam band. It works.

J Dilla - "Donut Shop"

Stones Throw put out this 6 song EP as either a free download, or a vinyl release that doubles as Serato controllers on the flip side of the records.

Brian Posehn - "Fart & Weiner Jokes"

I think he's a lot funnier nowadays than he used to be a few years ago. I like his dorky brand of stand-up.

Skream - "Freeizm"

I love when people give stuff away for free, and it's some of their A-list matierial and not some leftover BS.

Mono/Poly - "The George Machine EP"

I think he should have just put these 3 songs on the full length album. They fit.

The Bird & The Bee - "Interpreting The Masters Vol. 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall & John Oates"

I really like her voice, and these covers are fun. I kinda hope they continue with this series and make more cover albums of other artists.

Georgia Anne Muldrow - "Jyoti-Ocotea"

This isn't as strong as her other recent releases, and this is an EP that they are selling for full length price for some reason, but it still deserves to be on a Best of 2010 list becuase even her OK matierial is still great music.

Erykah Badu - "New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh"

How I forgot to mention one of the best albums of the year by one of my favorite artists is beyond me. Erykah makes music that is so far ahead of everyone else in her genre, it's astounding.

"Secondhand Sureshots"

They filmed this short documentary about a couple people in the L.A. beat scene- Daedelus, Nobody, Ras G and J.Rocc. The concept is that they had to go to their favorite record shop in L.A. and buy 5 records whose prices cannot total over $5 total and then make a new composition sampling those records. It gives a slight peek into these guy's creative processes. After they were done, they pressed the songs up on 4 records that all have artwork you have to join together, and then snuck them back into cirulation in the stores they got the old records from. So some some super lucky people ended up with some very exclusive vinyl one day while shopping, and the artwork of those albums will probably never be rejoined together again. I like that they sell you the DVD and CD as one package, it makes sense.

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - "The Social Network Soundtrack"

What you'd expect to hear from him making a movie score. Havn't seen the movie yet to see how it fits in the film though.

8Ball & MJG - "Ten Toes Down"

This is the best thing they've done since they left Suave House in 1999. This album seems more reality based than their older matierial. Apparently this came out on T.I.'s record label which is kinda fuckin weird.

Four Tet - "There is Love Inside You"

Just a stellar album, through and through. He hits many ranges of the electronic realm on this one, all while maintaining his unique thumbprint on it all. I'm actually surprised this album didn't make more noise in the music world than it did. It just kinda snuck out and nobody talked about it.

Top 100 of 2010 from my iTunes

Here is my most listened to songs during last year... Not including what I listen to in my car, which is CD's... It's interesting to me what songs I inadvertanly play repeatedly...

1. "Beatles Bitch" - Mono/Poly
2. "Vortex Cookies (fLako Remix Instrumental)" - Robot Koch vs. Cerebral Vortex
3. "Rebel Within" - Hank Williams III
4. "Red & Yellow Toys" - Mono/Poly
5. "Rill Rill" - Sleigh Bells
6. "Re-Up" - Joker & Ginz
7. "Since You Were Gone" - Chromeo
8. "People Are Strange" - Das Racist
9. "Girl (Bit-Rate Variations In B-Flat Remix)" - Beck
10. "Beasts In The Basement" - Reso
11. "Drunk With A Loaded Pistol" - El-P
12. "Blood Of A Young Wolf (Remix)" - Buck 65
13. "Distance" - Computer Jay
14. "Lamborghini Meltdown" - Tobacco w/ Zackey Force Funk
15. "He Hit Her So She Left" - El-P
16. "Maintain (Mike Slott Rewerk)" - Computer Jay
17. "Spend, Spend, Spend" - The Slits
18. "Dirtbox" - Harmonic 313
19. "Meanstreak (In 3 Parts)" - El-P
20. "Rubber (Flying Lotus Unprotected Sex Mix)" - Mr. Oizo & Gaspard Auge
21. "Tricycle Express" - Mr. Oizo & Gaspard Auge
22. "Calvin's Hard Lemonade (Instrumental)" - J-Zone
23. "Lick The Witch" - Tobacco w/ Rob Sonic
24. "Reckoner" - Radiohead
25. "Sweet Shop" - Doctor P
26. "Kids" - Sleigh Bells
27. "Anneurysm" - Felt
28. "Interview With The Double Man" - Buckethead
29. "Drums" - Bumps w/ Guilty Simpson
30. "Shorty Said (Gordon Voidwell Remix)" - Das Racist
31. "Where's My Chippy?" - Tim & Eric w/ DJ Douggpound
32. "Street Trash" - Tobacco
33. "Side 8 (Big Gums Version)" - Tobacco
34. "Hot Fire" - Oh No
35. "ZOo00OOm" - Hudson Mohawke
36. "Kill Your Co-Workers" - Flying Lotus
37. "Misunderstood" - Krizz Kaliko
38. "Warface 2010" - Jakes
39. "Iron Lemonade" - Black Moth Super Rainbow
40. "Rubber" - Mr. Oizo & Gaspard Auge
41. "Neville" - MC Chris
42. "Push It (Remix)" - Kid Cut Up
43. "Couscous" - Mr. Flash
44. "You Ain't It (Lazer Sword Remix)" - Themselves
45. "No You Don't" - Islands
46. "Driving Down The Block (El-P Remix Instrumental) - Kidz In The Hall
47. "Jahjah" - fLako
48. "Tron" - Joker
49. "Everytime I'm With You" - Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse w/ Jason Lytle
50. "Jump Fence, Run, Live" - El-P
51. "Smile The Day After Today" - Black Moth Super Rainbow
52. "Whores: The Movie" - El-P
53. "I've Been Trying" - DJ Shadow
54. "Big Bang" - Aesop Rock
55. "Honkey Tonk Part I" - Bill Doggett
56. "Rondo Alla Turca" - Woody Phillips
57. "Shelia" - Mr. Oizo & Gaspard Auge
58. "Eleanor Rigby" - Booker T. & The MG's
59. "Yang Yang" - Anika
60. "Smile Back" - Dez & Knobs
61. "Combination Pizza Hut & Taco Bell" - Das Racist
62. "Fucked Up" - Lil Wyte w/ Juicy J
63. "Diamond Head" - James Pants
64. "Anxiety" - Krizz Kaliko
65. "Turk Mex" - The Gaslamp Killer
66. "Cockney Thug (Caspa Remix)" - Rusko
67. "Crown On The Ground" - Sleigh Bells
68. "Sports! (Dance Club Remix)" - Tim & Eric
69. "Motorlicker" - Tobacco
70. "SlowDown" - Trolley Snatcha
71. "Inertiatic ESP" - The Mars Volta
72. "Play Doe" - Joker & Rustie
73. "Deadbeat Summer" - Neon Indian
74. "Hood Sentence" - Guilty Simpson
75. "3klane" - Jakes & Joker
76. "Don't Cry" - J Dilla
77. "The Tale Of Clarence Baskerville" - High Rankin
78. "Massage Situation" - Flying Lotus
79. "Fair Weather Friends" - Daedelus
80. "Everyone" - Astrobotnia
81. "Chick Habit" - April March
82. "Super Gum" - Tobacco
83. "8 Bit Baby" - Skream w/ Murs
84. "Run The Heart" - Sleigh Bells
85. "Driftwood" - James Pants
86. "Novocaine For The Soul (Moog Cookbook Remix)" - Eels
87. "Oh No" - Girl Talk
88. "You Can't Hold A Torch (Instrumental)" - J Dilla
89. "Dead Fun" - Tobacco
90. "Singapore" - Tom Waits
91. "Where Your Eyes Don't Go" - They Might Be Giants
92. "Treats" - Sleigh Bells
93. "Mr. Chips" - Rusko
94. "Agony" - Eels
95. "Beep 04" - Koushik
96. "83 Wildin" - Edan
97. "006" - MC Chris
98. "Purple City" - Joker & Ginz
99. "Nightcall" - Kavinsky
100. "Sleep Walk" - Santo & Johnny