friday afternoon topic: OVERDUE PROPS!

slight delay

SNL Season 28 - REVEALED!

i apologize to the FOWs of the world for being negligent in posting the fab reviews of Episode 8 (Al Gore / Phish) and the SNL Christmas Special. they will be posted tomorrow. but in the interim, the hard working duo of Nummer and Heather are back with a preview of the first brand new SNL Show of 2003. so enjoy!

unexpected buzz

i've been in meetings ALL EFFIN' AFTERNIZZ! shatts, getting back to work is proving to be harder than i had originally planned for. so what makes me happier than anything? coming back to my desk, signing onto Yahoo Mail and finding a correspondance from one of the original FOW supporters, known simply as Peabs (aka Meabs, aka Mario, aka Peabo Bryson). out of nowhizz, he submitted a sublimely tatts Top 10 list. and obvs, the second i got it i got to work at posting it. enjoy the following piece of brilliance...

ALBUMS OF TWO THOUSAND TIZZ, PEABS-STIZZ

1.) Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Missing the innocence they've known, the alt-country heroes follow-up 1999's pop portrait Summerteeth with a masterful hybrid of Kid A's minimalism, Pet Sounds' lush production, and the late 60's Beatles inner band turmoil. The story behind the album (Time-Warner owned Reprise dropped the record, saying it was commercially anemic, only to have Time-Warner subsidiary Nonesuch pick up the record a year later) makes it even more poignant, as told in the film "I am trying to break your heart:" a fuck you to the industry that took Wilco back with open arms, and thrice the dollar bills. Standout track: "Jesus, etc." (Tweedy goes all Jerry Garcia on this Steely Dan-esque beauty.)

2.) Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head
To think this band could leap this far after their breakthough debut, Parachutes, was a shock to everyone, until one listens to the record twice. Upon my second listen, Martin & Co. decided that piano should be the most prevelant instrument on the record, and rightly so, albeit simply played. Mike Kegler said best that Chris Martin is brilliant at conveying simple emotions, and he does this not only lyrically, but also musically with both his voice and keys. The guitar is a sweeping dreamscape to Coldplay's throbbing rhythm section. A big step forward for what should be the biggest band in the world. Standout track/moment: "The Scientist" and the last minute and a half of "Pollitick" (Four chord resolution shoegazing heaven.)

3.) Doves, The Last Broadcast
Fantastic. Upon hearing this record for the first time, and seeing them for the first time in June, I knew it would stand near the top of my list come year's end. Tight two-part harmonies over New Order-esque melodies, Doves' second record is much like Coldplay's-- a band hitting their stride, getting better with every note they play. TLB is at times a dance record, at other times a driving rock record, borrowing from the aforementioned New Order, Stone Roses, and Bends-era Radiohead. Standout track: the single of the year, "Pounding" (New Order decides that the Edge would be a fab choice at lead guitar. Best.)

4.) Brenden Benson, Lapalco
Whoever said that The White Stripes were the saviors of Detroit rock are sorely mistaken. While the Stripes may be getting the hype, it's Benson, the do-all Motor-City power pop god, that deserves the press (not to mention former Benson openers The Waxwings, see below). Lapalco blends the Beatles and Ben Folds; geek pop English school lyrical structures and driving fuzzed out anthems, with Benson at the helm, producing and playing most of the instruments (though live he's backed by the fantastic Well-Fed Boys, who do not look very well-fed, like their fearless leader). His first album is nearly as good; only time will tell what this talent will bring to the table, and luckily we here in Detroit have him to ourselves (for the time being). Standout track: "Metarie" (If it were a single, it would have been my single of the year. A Ringo like backbeat to slacker cliche lyrics never sounded so fresh and original. It's hi-lo-fi.)

5.) Sigur Ros, ( )
They sing in a made-up language. They lack song titles. Their album title requires the use of the damn shift key on the keyboard (twice, even). One should be annoyed with this band, but that's hardly the case, in my opinion. ( ), broken up into two halves (light and dark), builds each track into classical grandiose structures, simple melodies toppling each other until a sonic wall of sound is at it's apex. Beautiful, haunting, mysterious. Standout track: "____________" aka #8 (Reminiscent of Godspeed, you black emperor!, a roaring track with an explosive, climatic ending).

6.) Badly Drawn Boy, Have You Fed the Fish Today?
While the cover art is downright atrocious, the music (unsurprisingly) is not. Stepping slightly forward from his previous LP, The Hour of Bewilderbeast, BDB adds even more strings (if that's possible) ala the About a Boy soundtrack (see below). Ambitious, per usual, Damon Gough's eccletic and eccentric second full length record tackles such hard topics as feeding fish, buying tickets for scorned ex-lovers and watching the news the night Jeff Buckley died. Best. Standout track: "You Were Right" (BDB's ode to turning Madonna down, buying her trickets, you know, all of those important world affairs.)

7.) The Waxwings, Shadows of the Waxwings
Stormed into my top ten literally days before I came up with it. My current obsession, The Waxwings, along with Brenden Benson, are the brightest young band to come out of Detroit in years. Their second LP is a pop gem; balls out rockers, gorgeous three part harmonies, lush string arrangements. It's the British Beach Boys, via Detroit. You need to buy this record-- if you can find it. (hint: Tower, Birmingham). Standout track: "Looks Down Darkly" (Beach Boy harmonies behind a driving beat with an outro-- oh lord, that fucking outro!!-- chock full of gorgeous strings. Can't get enough of this song.)

8.) The Flaming Lips, Yoshimii Battles the Pink Robots
I'm always a sucker for concept albums, especially ones about a Japanese girl and her struggle to battle those eveil natured pink robots. While not nearly as good as their previous effort, 1999's wonderful The Soft Bulletin, Wayne Coyne and Co. have established themselves as a formidible rock power, further beyond their one mainstream hit ('94's "She Don't Use Jelly"). Clearly the "what the fuck!?!?!" record of the year by the "what the fuck!?!?!" artists of all time, the Oklahoma natives' 10th record is beautiful, strange and irresistible. Standout track: "Fight Test" (The album opener, with a can't-get-out-of-your-head chorus, sets the tone for Yoshimii's brilliance.)

9.) Ben Kweller, Sha Sha
The love child of Rivers Cuomo, Ben Folds and Brenden Benson, the 21-year old phenom Kweller has crafted a fantastic, geeky power pop album full of hooks, Weezer guitars and harmonies, and English major lyrics ("The butterfiles are passive aggressive and put their problems on the shelf; but they're beautiful. And you realize, the only thing that's real are the kids that kid themselves with the demise.") At such a young age, it'll be interesting to see how such a talent progresses. Hopefully he hasn't peaked too early. Standout track: "Falling" (The album's apex and closer, placed perfectly after you think it couldn't get much better. The chorus is perfect.)

10.) Badly Drawn Boy, About a Boy (Soundtrack)
Not entirely the followup to 2000's fantastic The Hour of Bewilderbeast, BDB's first (and hopefully not last) attempt at film scoring is beyond brilliance. While there are only maybe eight full length tracks on the record, each are beautifully structured, all worthy of their own seperate "proper" record. The instrumental interludes tie it together, strings abundant. No one since those darn Beatles have released such two fabulous records in a calendar year. Standout track: "Silent Sigh" (Perfect on both record and the big screen, it's BDB's most ambitious track to date; the popster as maetro of the orchestra and poet to the masses.)

Honorable mentions:
Ours, Precious
Ryan Adams, Demolition
Haven, Between the Senses
South, From Here On In
David Gray, A New Day at Midnight
Red Hot Chili Peppers, By The Way

Single of the Year: "Pounding," Doves (Best.)
Biggest Disappointment: Gomez, In Our Gun (Once the most promising Brit band, combining pop hooks with jam-band sensibility, this over-produced mess is a digression from 1999's remarkable Liquid Skin.)
Best Live Show: Ryan Adams (solo), State Theatre, October 13th 2002. (The rockstar at his finest-- stripped down, fucked up, perfect pitch.)
Best "Best Of" Record: Ride, OX4- The Best of Ride
Best Bar to listen to music: (tie) 5th Ave. Royal Oak (Sugar Hiccup), 5th Ave. Downtown (Sofa).
Biggest undeserved hype: Garage Rock. (Note to bands who aren't the Strokes: It's not 2001 anymore, and the White Stripes aren't that great. Oh yeah, lo-fi can still sound hi-fi and vice versa.)

a smorgasbord of links

reality television. SO good! so i'm already hooked on "joe millionaire", "the real world / road rules challenge: battle of the sexes" and "the real world." after last night, i do believe that "the bachelorette" is going to be another must-watch for the next three months or whatever. did anyone else watch that last night? did you see that there is some dude from Ferndale on the show? well Drew & Mike revealed that he was the lead singer in the legendary East Lansing band called Fat Amy that, if you recall, were thisclose to making it big along with The Verve Pipe. he was pretty funny, although some have already referred to him as "pudgy" ... here's hoping he gets a piece. did you see that chatch who gave Trista the Tiffany's bracelet? what a tool! as far as The Bachelorette herself is concerned, she's ranking about 6.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. sometimes she looks h-o-t-t-o-g-o, but other times is the vision of nast. we'll see how the season progresses, but as of right now i'm hooked. on the other hand, "Celebrity Mole" was worthless. i turned it off after the first commercial break. no Anderson Cooper = worst evs.

for this morning's links, we'll focus on music. i've got some sizzlin' links for later this afternoon, but you'll just have to wait on those. i would prefer to keep the rest of this post thematically consistent...pshaw.

• what are YOU going to be doing for the Super Bowl this year? i have no clue. one way or the other, the Halftime show will be chockfulla hotties. while Brit Brit won't be making a return appearance, No Doubt, Shania, and the Dixie Chicks are scheduled to perform. here's to hoping that Shania wears something saucy ... yum.

• have you ever heard of The Raveonettes, Kings Of Leon, The Bronx, Jean Grae, Jin, Ms. Dynamite, AFI, Loon, The Exies, or Kathleen Edwards? unless you're Maw, i'm betting on no. personally, I've only heard The Raveonettes and Ms. Dynamite. so, if you are as uneducated on these names as I am, you NEED to check out Rolling Stone's "The Next Wave: 10 Artists To Watch in 2003.

• along those same lines, music labels released approximately 27,000 CDs last year in the United States. based on the sheer volume, chances are that a number of tigs releases slipped right by you (and me!). but thanks to The New York Times, here are some "Tributaries to the Musical Mainstream" from 2002 that might be worth looking into.

• and last but not least, Topeka's favorite sons, Immerse are (sorta) back from their extended hiatus. while rumours of a Christmas time reunion show never came to fruition, it seems that the band has found some time to record and lay down a new track. here is a short clip from the top-notch FOW known as The Gorilla on the band's latest track, entitled "Pilot":
  

  ----------------------------
  To: markdgraham@yahoo.com
  From: The Gorilla
  Time: Thu, 09 Jan 2003 14:40:05 -0000
  Subject: [Immerse - Announce] New Immerse Song Posted on AMAZON
  

  Its true, Immerse hasn't been doing much lately - and it seems they will continue to not do much.
  

  I blame the media.
  

  That whole J'Lo Ben Affleck thing is very distracting, just keeping up with all the details on E!, Access Hollywood and the net takes up so much time that could otherwise be spent rockin'.
  

  Oh well, you can still download the new MP3, "Pilot" - which as always - rocks your mom.
  

  Peace and Happy New Year
  

  The Gorilla
  

  http://artist.amazon.com/immerse

friday afternoon topic

at long last, entrance to the Friday Afternoon Topic club is open to any FOW who wishes to contribute. here is an email that recently went out to prior contributors, but if you have an idea that you would like to submit, please email me at markdgraham@yahoo.com. word 'em up!

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Graham [mailto:markdgraham@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003 12:26 PM
Subject: friday afternoon topic

dear geeks, sportos, motorheads, dweebs, dorks, sluts, buttheads and righteous dudes --

happy new year. obvs. hope that 2000-thrizz is treating you in the manner in which you are accustomed. whatevs.org is up and running after a two-plus week hiatus, and once again I am calling on you, the loyal FOWs of the world, for assistance with some Piping Hot Content for all of our Sexy Bods. this week's friday afternoon topic is going to stray a little off course from previous topics. while Lists are still Hott in the year 2k3, i thought that some variation would prevent us from getting stale buzz. so here's the subject...

Overdue Props!

here's your shot to let the world (or at least the five other people who read this site) know about something that you find to be criminally underrated, altogether unknown or largely forgotten. i would like to get a few sentences (or perhaps a paragraph or two -- pick your poison) from you that you feel deserves more props. maybe it's The Slurpee, maybe it's Sela Ward's tremendous beauty, maybe it's "Press Your Luck", maybe it's scissors. i don't know, that's where you come in. where do you see a cosmic injustice in the doling out of props? THAT'S what i want to see.

per usual, you have until 2pm on Friday afternoon (1.10.03) to complete this task. that's 49 hours and 40 minutes to reflect and write, which should be plenty of time. as usual, i'm not looking for a thesis on this stuff, whatever you feel is sufficient will do. also, please send me your FOW nickname (self-appointed, obvs) if you have not already had one assigned. just email me and we'll be straight as a gate.

now go forth and Blaze Trails, my little cowboys and cowgirls! hee HAW!

oxox
-uncle grambo

and it is written!

it is only january 8th and already we have a "musical trend" for 2003. according to David Samuels over at Slate, the next big thing will be "The Return of Mope Rock". he writes "There's a new generation of mope-rock bands, including Interpol, Matt Pond PA, and My Favorite. They are very clearly descended, respectively, from the Psychedelic Furs, the Cure, and the Smiths." well kiddies, Interpol turned up on quite a few of this year's Top 10 Lists (including the #1 spot on MacK10's list and #2 on the The Glamorama Best of 2002 Wrap-up) and they're playing at The Magic Stick on Saturday, so i'd say that equals a must-see show. has anyone heard of Matt Pond PA or My Favorite? any buzz?

separated at birth!

oh that Davis!

all social engagements are temporarily postponed

ah Best Buy, how i missed you! from the day after Thanksgiving through the new year, you were swamped with incompetent morons and parents looking to buy "Jonah's Veggie Tales" for their kids. while my love for you stayed strong, i knew that we needed this time apart. combing your aisles in search of hott DVDs became a chore. a wise man once told me, "if you love someone, set them free." so i let you go for the last six weeks, but when i came strolling in your doors at lunch today, you welcomed me back like a long-lost lover -- tender, caressing and willing to get a little freaky deaky. untz.

so this is an official announcement that my post-work plans will be put on hiatus for awhile, as i just purchased Season 3 of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", as well as $9.99 copies of "Rush" and "Bad Influence" (as recommended by Kegzies of Glamorama fame). instead of tossing back Jager shots and romancing the hunnyz, i will be curled up on the couch with a mug of hot cocoa and the Scooby Gang. and the best part? it was all free! thank you Santa Claus, you truly are the original (and huggable) Fat Bastard.

back to bloggin'

after a two week hiatus, i'm back and freshly tigs. hopefully you FOWs out there found alternate means of getting your news, but judging from the batch of "where's whatevs.org?" emails i got over break, maybe that wasn't the case. regardless, i am back to bring you salvation and buzz from media outlets coast to coast. read on, but more importantly, rock on!

• oops they've done it again! the final nominations for the 45th annual Grammy Awards were released this morning. oy. while these nominations are assuredly bland and sometimes downright preposterous ("Nellyville" for Album of the Year???), there are some tigs nominations. Eminem racked up a bunch of nominations (Record & Album of the year), as did other whatevs.org faves such as Springsteen, Vanessa Carlton, and, uh, well, that's about it. all the chicks will be happy to hear that John Mayer scored nominations in the "Best New Artist" and "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" performance, one of which he's sure to win. guaranteed. more to follow on this developing story...

• over the break, film fans in the Detroit metro area experienced a major change in local criticism. the 800 pound gorilla of local movie coverage will remain The Freep's Terry Lawson, but there was a changing of the guard over at The Detroit News. as The Grizz reported on Christmas Day, Tom Long will replace Susan Stark as the lead DetNews film critic. While I rarely (if ever) agreed with Starkie's reviews (or her ridiculous system of rating films by roses -- wtf?), it's worth giving her some props. Her official retirement column is a nice look back at her career, and you know that there was no way she would bust out without releasing her top 10 films of 2002. congrats to Tom Long, here's hoping that The News can make some strides to catch up with The Freep's far superior film department. and just as i say that, Long has a feature in this morning's paper called "A Big Fat Movie Box Office" that is exactly the kind of thing that readers in the Motor City will respond to. good show!

• i've ALWAYS wanted something like this -- are the music labels getting smart? The New York Times is reporting that there is a new service that offers made-to-order CDs from Dawson's Creek! Users of www.dawsonscreekcds.com will be able to create their own individual CDs of music that is featured on the show, most of which is never officially recognized in the show's credits. tracks will be identified with descriptions like "Episode 207: Song plays while Jen and Chris are in the hot tub." users will be able to create CDs with up to 14 songs for only $11.95...buzz!

• more news to follow as the day progresses, but i just want to say that Monday nights are my new fave night to watch TV! did y'all catch "Joe Millionaire"? where in the F did the casting peeps at Fox find all those ridiculously nasty skanks? but more importantly, i hope that you were watching the latest incarnation of "The Real World / Road Rules Challenge." instant classic! puck cries ... AND beats his wife! david is a crackhead! melissa HATES julie the mormon! so many grudges revealed!

grahammy's 2k3: music edition

happy 2003 to every FOW from sea to shining sea! thanks for your patience with me over the last few weeks, tonight is the first time that i've checked email or even so much as LOOKED at a computer screen since december 21st or so. i've spent the last few weeks on a massive interstate bender, but now i'm Rested, Relaxed and ready to `Rite. that being said, i'm going to have an assload of work on my desk when i roll in tomorrow morning, so this will likely be the day's only update. fortunately for you, some FOWs were kind enough to contribute their own personal recap of the best that music had to offer in 2002 ... thanks and mad buzz are to be bestowed on MacK10, APLarcadia and Damore, their entries are in the subsequent posts below. drum rizz plizz ...

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2002

Close But No Cigar: Flaming Lips, "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots"; Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band, "The Rising"; Underworld, "A Hundred Days Off"

10) Badly Drawn Boy, "About A Boy Original Soundtrack" - Stands alone as a great album, but works even better after you've seen the film.
9) Weezer, "Maladroit" - I bashed this album incessantly after its release ... now that six months or so has passed, give it another whirl and you won't be disappointed.
8) Breeders, "Title TK" - Sloppy, slurred, messy and unpolished ... perfect!
7) Moby, "18" - 'Twas in vogue all year to dis the little bald man, but there's still something stirring about his work to me.
6) Luna, "Romantica" - Their finest hour since 1995's "Penthouse", followed up by an equally stellar EP ("Close Cover Before Striking").
5) Imperial Teen, "On" - The best power pop album you'll hear until Fountains Of Wayne finds a record label ... and they love The Prime Ministers!
4) Badly Drawn Boy, "Have You Fed The Fish?" - Badly Drizz was quite possibly the Artist of the Year, and his craft keeps getting better from album to album.
3) Red Hot Chili Peppers, "By The Way" - They could've sold more records by faking the funk, but instead they chose to go out and make the most beautiful LP of their career, certifying John Frusciante as the guitar genius of our generation.
2) The Streets, "Original Pirate Material" - If you go in expecting "The British Eminem", you're going to be disappointed ... because Mike Skinner just might be better. Stutter speaking about booze, geezers, lost relationships and life on the dole, this album reminds me of DJ Shadow's "...Entroducing" in its sheer originality.
1) Coldplay, "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" - Outside of The Verve and Radiohead, Mr. Paltrow and the rest of Coldplizz could go toe to toe with any BritPop act from the last 15 years and knock them out. Spin Magazine described this record pitch perfectly as "trance for people who like guitars" ... as long as you don't read that statement literally (don't go pop a few pills and lay back in the grass listening to Chris Martin's falsetto), there probably isn't a better description of this record. The album's strength is simple. In plain English, IT'S CHOCK FULL OF GREAT SONGS THAT GET BETTER AND BETTER AS TIME PASSES. What more could you possibly want?

TOP 10 SINGLES OF 2002

Just A Bit Outside: Alanis Morrisette, "Hands Clean"; Tok Tok vs. Soffy O, "Missy Queen's Gonna Die"; The Paybacks, "Just You Wait", No Doubt, "Hella Good"; Badly Drawn Boy, "You Were Right"

10) Underworld, "Two Months Off"
9) White Stripes, "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground"
8) Vanessa Carlton, "A Thousand Miles"
7) Golden Boy feat. Miss Kittin, "Rippin Kittin"
6) Red Hot Chili Peppers, "By The Way"
5) Justin Timberlake, "Cry Me A River"
4) Chemical Brothers, "Star Guitar"
3) No Doubt feat. Lady Saw, "Underneath It All"
2) Coldplay, "The Scientist"
1) Eminem, "Lose Yourself"

TOP 10 SHOWS OF 2002

Good Times That Fell Just Short: Dave Clarke @ DEMF - Underground Stage; John Mayer @ Meadowbrook Music Festival; Luna @ Majestic Theater

10) Sasha & Digweed @ State Fairgrounds
9) White Stripes @ Royal Oak Music Theater
8) Stacey Pullen @ Porter Street Station
7) Underworld @ Clutch Cargo's
6) The Breeders @ Magic Stick
5) Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band @ Palace Of Auburn Hills
4) Fountains Of Wayne @ The Shelter
3) The Strokes @ Chene Park
2) QOTSA @ The Shelter
1) Richie Hawtin @ City Club

ET CETERA ET CETERA

Mack10's Best of 2002

Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 14:29:58 -0800 (PST)
From: MacK10
Subject: Best of 2002
To: markdgraham@yahoo.com

Hello Kids-

It is definitely that time of year - time reflect on the stuff that made us shake our booties, boogie a bit while driving our car, and made us raise our fists. There were some things that made us gag, puke and cringe... but that's what made this year what it was. I hope lots of hella cool goodness surrounded each and every one of you this year. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for 2003. It's time to kiss 2002 goodbye.

Top 10 Albums of 2002:
10. "1,000 Kisses" - Patty Griffin
9. "Jennie Bomb" - Sahara Hotnights
8. "The Last Broadcast" - Doves
7. "The Joy of Sing-Sing" - Sing-Sing
6. "Demolition" - Ryan Adams
5. "Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone" - The Walkmen
4. "7 Worlds Collide" - Neil Finn
3. "Daybreaker" - Beth Orton
2. "A Rush of Blood to the Head" - Coldplay
1. "Turn on the Bright Lights" - Interpol

*Honorable Mentions:
"Viva Death" - Viva Death
"Sea Change" - Beck
"Beautysleep" - Tanya Donelly

Top 5 Reissues/Best Ofs/Anthologies,etc. of 2002:
"Land (1975-2002)" - Patti Smith
"Best of Siouxsie & The Banshees" - Siouxsie & The Banshees
"Forever Delayed" - Manic Street Preachers
"Eli and the Thirteenth Confession" - Laura Nyro
"New York Tendaberry" - Laura Nyro

Top 10 Singles of 2002:
I have two singles from No Doubt in my list this year. Interesting. It partly has to do with the videos. Gwen Stefani is one sassy vixen and I adore her. Who doesn't want to be her friend? Who wouldn't want to be married to Gavin and have a dog named Winston? Anyways, No Doubt did something good this year. As for the rest of 'em, it was all about style, class and funk for me.

10. "Underneath It All" - No Doubt
9. "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" - Ms. Dynamite
8. "Sweetness" - Jimmy Eat World
7. "What About Us?" - Brandy
6. "Lose Yourself" - Eminem
5. "No More Drama" - Mary J. Blige
4. "Addictive" - Truth Hurts
3. "There Goes the Fear" - Doves
2. "Hella Good" - No Doubt
1. "Work It" - Missy Elliott

Top 10 Shows for 2002:
10. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — February 6, 2002 @ the Palace
9. Jimmy Eat World — September 24, 2002 @ the Royal Oak Music Theatre
8. Elvis Costello — June 7, 2002 @ DTE
7. Ryan Adams w/Tegan & Sara — October 13, 2002 @ The State Theater
6. Rush — August 11, 2002 @ DTE
5. Queens of the Stone Age w/Trail of Dead — September 13, 2002 @ St. Andrews
4. Coldplay — August 2, 2002 @ the Vic (Chicago)
3. Interpol w/Midwest Product — September 27, 2002 @ the Magic Stick
2. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — April 27, 2002 @ the State Theatre
1. Ryan Adams w/Leona Naess — March 15, 2002 @ the Majestic

Hypes, disappointments, lame stuff:
Shakira (2nd year on the list)
Nyla — Britney's restaurant bombs
Yngwie Malmsteen threatens lady on flight to Tokyo — "Youf unleashed a faahhking fury! See you in Tokyo bitch."

Sad Farewells:
John Entwistle
Timothy B. White
Peggy Lee
Jam Master Jay
Waylon Jennings
Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes
Dee Dee Ramone
Juan Garcia Esquivel
Rosemary Clooney
JOE STRUMMER
Herb Ritts

Best of 2002... thank you ladies and gentleman.

Rock & Roll!
xoxo
MacKenzie

APLarcadia's top10

Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 14:10:59 -0500 (EST)
From: APLarcadia
To: markdgraham@yahoo.com
Subject: top10.

UncleG--
this was torture. believe it or not, i've never actually made a top10 list before. i've definitely made mental notes of favorite albums year to year but i've never had to rank them. below are the albums that had the greatest impact on me this year and spent the most time in my player which i feel is the ultimate judge of worthiness. here 'ya go:

1. pearl jam - riot act
2. sonic youth - murray street
3. doug martsch - now you now
4. brendan benson - lapalco
5. spoon - kill the moonlight
6. QOTSA - songs for the deaf
7. sigur ros - ()
8. sleater-kinney - one beat
9. flaming lips - yoshimi...
10. doves - last broadcast

very, very honorable mentions:
supergrass - life on other planets
neil halstead - sleeping on roads
ani difranco - so much shouting, so much laughter (live album)
patti smith - land (greatest hits, b-side, demos)
...trail of dead - source tags & code
pretty girls make graves - good health
bright eyes - lifted ...
beck - sea change
eddie vedder - live at royce hall. all tomorrow's parties. 3.15.02 (bootleg that got incessant play)
wilco - yankee hotel foxtrot
sparta - wiretap scars
coldplay - a rush of blood to the head

damore's 10 of '02

From: Damore
To: markdgraham@yahoo.com
Subject: Damore's 10 of '02
Date: Thu, 26 Dec 2002 13:49:26 -0500

MG D-lite, here are my top 10 favorite discs of 2002, along w/ the reserve squad:

1. Doves, "Last Broadcast" — Chock full of tasty anthems. Official soundtrack of '02. 2003 buzz: Backing Mr. Adams in Abbey Rd studios on future release?
2. Coldplay, "Rush of Blood" — Much like Doves, made huge strides musically. Can they get much better yet?
3. Rich Ashcroft, "Human Conditions" — Brilliant follow-up to debut AWE. Beautiful, beautiful music.
4. Ryan Adams, "Demolition" — Can't seem to write a bad song. Feels like 3 outstanding EP's somehow blended into one great album. The slower tunes are the gems.
5. Badly Drawn Boy, "About a Boy" — Blows away 'proper' follow-up to Bewilderbeast (Although that is is top-shelf too). Greatness in spite of supporting a Who Grant movie (just kidding--no really).
6. Wilco, "Yankee" — Greater appreciation of all the genius & struggle that went into this record having seen I am Trying to Break Your Heart.
7. David Gray, "New Day at Midnight" — Darker album from the master of comedown. Proves that sad Mr. Gray is as good as happy-go-lucky Dr. Gray.
8. Sigur Ros, "( )"
9. Haven, "Between the Senses" — Brilliant debut start to finish. Produced by Johnny Marr, managed by Joe Moss of Smith's lineage...Enough said.
10. Brendan Benson, "Lapalco" — Catchy power-pop goodness. The ballads are even better than the jams.

Honorable Mentions: The Music, "The Music"; South, "From Here on In"; Badly Drawn Boy, "...Fed the Fish?"; Soundtrack of Our Lives, "Behind the Music"; Ours, "Precious"; Chemical Brothers, "Come w/ Us"; Ben Folds, "Rockin' the Burbs"