cryptique

Always loved this one ... it does sound a little "80s dated" these days, but it's still a great tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYoTMxVzQ-A

(unfortunately it cuts off a few seconds too early)

Staying with my power pop stuff... I may be the only one who thinks this is a perfect pop song, but I love this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp8BwBjsZp8

A new one:

A power pop gem: I would have preferred to post "Sunshine Tonight," but couldn't find a suitable version to post. But this is the track that precedes it on the excellent album Godspeed The Shazam.

This is one of my all-time favorite pop songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLn6pUOd5CE

A two-fer:

I didn't think "Fire Away" was too bad ... maybe not up to North Hills quality, but decent.

A great band, but I think I like Grant-Lee's solo stuff better, honestly. Not that I won't go see GLB if they come through...

It's pretty good, though it doesn't really do their live show justice. Eight tracks: That Western Skyline God Rest My Soul Love Is All I Am So Well Bedside Manner When My Time Comes Peace In The Valley How Far We've Come Recorded 17 November 2009 at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, DC. I tried to buy it by itself last night, but the merch guy said he couldn't really sell it -- that I had to buy their album, and the live disc would be a throw-in with that purchase. I already have the album, of course. But I did not have it on vinyl. edit: ...and I did not realize until just

I don't expect those ratings to hold up much past the first week, but it's good to see that Conan can beat Leno, even if it's under special circumstances.

Last night I went to two shows at two venues in one building with six bands (of which I saw five). THE POSIES played the Magic Stick in Detroit. They were the middle of three bands, but they were the act I was there to see. I'm a longtime fan and they just released a fantastic new album, plus I don't get to see them all that often so I try not to miss any opportunities. The opener was Aqueduct, a Seattle group who are just enough in the Posies' vein that they held the attention of the early arrivers pretty well. I'm not familiar with them, but their performance will probably cause me to ch

Damn, those guys were amazing. There was some musical chairs at the venue -- the bill at the big theatre-size venue got moved to the nightclub-size venue, which bumped Dawes/Vetiver/Peter Wolf Crier to the Café (which now has a stage that I had not previously been aware of). The Café is pretty tiny (if you know Schuba's in Chicago, it's kind of like that, but a bit smaller, both in stage area and audience area). I found an empty chair at a table about twenty feet out and off to the left. From my vantage point, the keyboardist was hidden behind the PA. Great set -- much of North Hills, with

His latest "minion" is Steve Stone, fyi ... long-suffering former sidekick of Harry Caray in his senile/even-more-drunk-than-usual years.

Hawk has his issues, but I'll take him over Joe Buck (or Joe Morgan) any day.

Yeah, there's some confusion going on. The Posies now seem to think they're playing the Magic Stick, when all along they've been scheduled for the Majestic Theatre. I just called the venue and the person who picked up the phone said that Dawes is indeed playing in the Café. I don't know how the hell they're going to make that work -- the place is tiny, with no obvious place for a stage (though I think I know where they'll put it). Could make for an awesome show, if it works out. I worry about sound bleeding down from the Magic Stick upstairs.

I'm hopeful that this is a way of getting rid of Morgan, who's an idiot, and re-signing Miller.

Joe Morgan dumped by ESPN Jon Miller too? Why?

I should say that I'm assuming I'll see them tomorrow ... I'm pulling a double, going to the Posies/Brendan Benson show, then dashing over to the Dawes show. Shouldn't be a problem -- they're at opposite ends of the same complex (the Majestic and Magic Stick in Detroit), but I have to hope the timing works out right (I think Benson is headlining, so I may abandon his set after a few songs to go see Dawes).

Well ain't that some shit.

Seeing them tomorrow night for the first time, and very much looking forward to it. I've made the same Jackson Browne comparison with some of the songs on North Hills. And no, that's not a bad thing.