I took a little excursion to Cheapo on Snelling Ave yesterday and scored a few CDs I'd been looking for, and some I didn't know I was looking for:
Shannon Stephens, Shannon Stephens (reissue)
Meat Puppets, Up on the Sun
Koko Taylor, Queen of the Blues
Steve Reich, Triple Quartet
Valgeir Sigurðsson, Ekvílibríum
Conway Twitty, Silver Anniversary Collection
and, best of all,
Black Dice, Beaches & Canyons. My collection of the Black Dice albums is now complete!

Not intentional, but that's pretty danged eclectic if you ask me. But! Shannon Stephens was covered by Bonnie Prince Billy, who is on the Sigurðsson album. Siggurðsson has also worked with Björk, who in turn has recorded with Kronos Quartet, who performed the title Piece on the Reich album. The Meat Puppets have covered Twitty. Black Dice has a song called "Kokomo" which isn't necessarily not about Ms. Taylor. Most people who buy Black Dice probably buy Conway Twitty at the same time, right?

The last CD I put back was Luomo's Paper Tigers, which is quite different than the rest of the above as well. Hmmm, Listening to that track again, I think I may have put the line too short.

Have a good weekend all, and share your random list, please!

Have a random and nice Friday!

Based on the last few weeks' comments and a few random other albums, I've checked out:

• Beck's Sea Change: I just don't get it. Beck sings like Kanye rapped in his first big single. But Kanye had an excuse: his jaw was wired shut.

• Purity Rings' Shrines: Digging it, I didn't hear the similarities to Grimes based on their first single, but over the whole album I do. More varied vocally and beatwise than Grimes' dubbed-out vox over a house beat. Would this be considered post-post-dubstep? Sounds like someone took the folk and hip-hop out of Various's The World is Gone.

• Matthew Dear's Black City and Beams: I think he's figuring out what to do with his vocals. I sampled his first vocal album Asa Breed back when it was released, and the over-bassed vocodered crooner-raps bugged me, especially over more than one song at a time. So I kindof dismissed him, and the first song I heard from Black City seemed comically creepy. But this week I heard this song(SFW, but with mildly suggestive images) and I realized he pulled off what Plastikman never did before he hung up the name: House Producer adds his effected vocals and it sounds natural. The newer album, Beams is brighter, and has some decent places, but doesn't come across as all that great.

• Cory Branan's Mutt: The second-newest Bloodshot artist (behind Murder By Death), and I hadn't heard anything of it. Pretty good, I think a lot of WGOMers would like him: countrier blending of Springsteen ballads and Sun Kil Moon, with just enough Tom Waits to show:

  (If you have typical WGOM tastes,) Listen here.

What's on your mind or in your random 10?

So it's Friday, eh? Post your random ten list accordingly.

So, I finally put up one of my remixes of Arvo Pärt's "Magnificat" on Soundcloud. I did this a while ago, using really simple technology on purpose. It's really more a sketch than anything. I dig it anyways. Hoping Daneeka's Ghost or Nibbish digs it.

Otherwise, what's on your players today, fine folk?

This cold is kicking my butt. I'm going to work because the office is nearly empty and hanging at home would be worse. Share your lists.

A few things:
1. Dolfish is touring this fall. He's playing the "Amsterdam Bar and Hall" in/near downtown St. Paul on Thursday, Nov. 29. That's a week after Thanksgiving. I don't know what cover will be (if there will be). Also playing: We Are the Willows.

I mentioned Dolfish once before, but, short songs that hit like the best Fiction 59 Spookystories. He packs more weight, depth, humor, regret, and human weakness into a very affecting two minutes than I've heard just about anyone else fit into a full album. I guess it's singer-songwriter stuff, but his instrumentation isn't like that, and his voice sounds like a gruff woman. I dowloaded his one release to date, the free EP "Your Love Is Bumming Me Out," without any idea what was on it (I think HHT shared a bill with him in Columbus and linked to it), and it grabbed me and hasn't let go. I really think you should go download it now and listen to it. If you don't like it, you're out what...? $0 and 8 minutes. Anyways, I'm excited for this show, it's all I've got on my fall calendar so far (music-wise).

2. Animal Collective released an album this week and I haven't even tried to listen to it. Enthusiasm fades, I guess. SPIN had a list they compiled of 127 artists that inspired them (mostly musicians, but not entirely). I liked seeing Gas, the Orb, Basic Channel, Black Dice, and Vladislav Delay listed. I've never listened to Gas, but I've been listening to the Burger/Ink album the past week between Dolfish and Pete Tosh. (The Ink half of Burger/Ink is Mike Ink who is actually Wolfgang Voigt a/k/a Gas.)

3. I swear I had one more thing I wanted to say but, I guess not.

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Now please share your list.

My internet's finally working regularly, but I've got no thoughts. Put down a random ten and maybe I'll have some...

I went to the Ha Ha Tonka/Murder by Death show last night. I think I went to bed an hour ago. I am wrecked; I had some things I remember wanting to write in this space, but now I can't think of any of them. Distract me by sharing your random ten please.

Thanks for the link to the Will Oldham interview, E-6. In an odd coincidence, I was listening to The Essential Nina Simone as a I read it.