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January 30, 2006
They leapt, and threw their hands in the air; they just didn't care.
I already dragged you through my list of the best albums of '05 like a cranky child at a supermarket, so now here's my Best Shows of 2005 list (with runners-up): Best Shows of 2005 1) 6/4 Kraftwerk Riviera 2) 5/24 Dove The Note 3) 4/24 The Organ Subterranean 4) 4/14 David Thomas / David Grubbs / DJ Drew Daniel Sunset Tavern, Seattle 5) 4/16 U.S.E. Vera Project, Seattle 6) 5/2 Faun Fables Schubas 7) 7/16 - The Go! Team - Intonation Fest, Union Park 8) 3/26 Slint Park West 9) 9/30 Architecture in Helsinki Empty Bottle 10) 7/17 The Hold Steady - Intonation Fest, Union Park Some shows that were also real good... 4/23 The Wedding Present Double Door 11/3 The Oranges Band Beat Kitchen 8/29 Sleater-Kinney Temple Bar Music Centre, Dublin, Ireland 11/8 Susan Howe and David Grubbs Fulton Recital Hall, University of Chicago 5/12 Gang of Four / Radio 4 Metro 6/10 Cheap Trick Ravinia 7/9 Shellac / Dianogah / Telenovela Subterranean 7/14 Royalchord The Hideout 7/15 Royalchord WHPK 88.5 FM Pure Hype show 8/5 Kid 606 / Eats Tapes Abbey Pub 8/13 My Dad Is Dead Empty Bottle 11/19 Annie Hayden Abbey Pub 3/5 Gays in the Military Big Horse
January 18, 2006
Have You Seen This Guitar, pt. I
Years ago I lost my axe. It's one of my all-time faves, so I'm trying to locate it now. Someone saw it a few months ago, so I know it must be somewhere in the Chicago area. Have you seen it? Do you have it? The Cryptic Semaphore is offering a generous reward. Help a neighbor out. Detailed description follows.  Heavily modified Cortez Strat, early '80s? Natural wood finish; maple neck. Extremely beat up. White pickguard. Telecaster volume knob in middle position. Red momentary ground switch in lower position. Top position empty. Seymour Duncan '59 PAF "zebra" pickup in bridge position. Seymour Duncan chrome Minibucker in neck position. No middle pickup (space filled with foam). Pickup selector bent at 90-degree angle, electrical tape on end (no knob). Five springs in trem recess. Bullet truss rod. Two black plastic roller string trees on headstock. Oblong brass plate that reads SQUELCH nailed into face of guitar behind bridge. White DISCONTINUED sticker over logo on headstock. May also include neon green thin nylon strap, generic black Tolex case, MXR Pre Amp pedal.
January 15, 2006
Marriage Court ~ Circuit Court of Cook County ~ Illinois
Certificate of Marriage This certifies that Justin McKinley Niimi and Tamra Marie Wysocki were united in marriage by me in Cook County according to the laws of the state of Illinois on the 14th day of January in the year Two Thousand Six Marcia Ball, Judge
January 08, 2006
New Radio Zero poster!
 Mike and I now have a totally rad new poster for our radio show, courtesy of DJ Shoebomber. Download it as a PDF here. (For our show web site, click the Radio Ĝ link in the link bar at the top of the blog, or just click here.)
January 07, 2006
Chicago Reader 2005 Albums Top 10
Mine's toward the middle. Surprisingly varied, I gotta say: maybe 40% of this stuff I've either never heard or never heard of. Kudos to Philip Montoro for his inhuman work on this. {What the crits say}
January 01, 2006
J. Niimi, your votes have been recorded.
Pazz & Jop 2005 albums ballot Point values follow each entry. 1. M.I.A. Arular (XL) 10 2. Run the Road (Vice/Atlantic) - 10 3. Bloc Party Silent Alarm (Vice) - 10 4. LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem (DFA) - 10 5. Electrelane Axes (Beggars/Too Pure) - 20 6. Why? Elephant Eyelash (Anticon) - 10 7. Danger Doom The Mouse and the Mask (Epitaph/ADA) - 10 8. Pernice Brothers Discover a Lovelier You (Ashmont) - 10 9. Colder Heat (Output) - 5 10. The Chap Ham (Lo) - 5 (No singles ballot this year) Just plain ran out of time. Barely got the Albums ballot in, finishing it at my desk at my day job with 15 mins. to spare before the deadline. Runners-Up (still in progress): Including reissues, albums that aren't 'albums', best-ofs, collections, release-date technicalities, or releases too short in length to qualify... Dalek - Absence (Ipecac) Kelley Polar - Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens (Environ) The Fall - The Complete Peel Sessions 1978-2004 (Castle US) Basement Jaxx - The Singles (XL) The Beta Band - The Best of (Astralwerks) Wilderness - Wilderness (Jagjaguwar) The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday (Frenchkiss) Jens Lekman - Oh You're So Silent Jens (Secretly Canadian) High on Fire - Blessed Black Wings (Relapse) British Sea Power - Open Season (Rough Trade) Lady Sovereign - Vertically Challenged (Chocolate Industries) The Oranges Band The World & Everything in it (Lookout) Datarock - Datarock (Young Aspiring Professionals) A Frames - Black Forest (Sub Pop) The Russian Futurists - Our Thickness (Upper Class) Comet Gain - City Fallen Leaves (Kill Rock Stars) The Field - Things Keep Falling Down 12" (Kompakt) Pedro Early Pedro (Melodic) The Go-Betweens - Oceans Apart (Yep Roc) Githead - Profile (Swim) Office - Q & A (reachoffice.com) Vitalic - OK Cowboy (PIAS) The Books - Lost and Safe (Tomlab) M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us (Mute U.S.) Wolf Parade Apologies to the Queen Mary (Sub Pop) Orange Juice - The Glasgow School (Domino) Rodd Keith - Saucers in the Sky (Roaratorio) I Like Yellow Things: MSR Madness Vol. 5 (WFMU's Beware of the Blog) Rat a Tat Tat, America!: MSR Madness Vol. 6 (WFMU's Beware of the Blog) Tocotronic - Pure Vernunft Darf Niemals Siegen (Superpitcher/Wasserman mixes) 12" (Kompakt Pop) Annie - Anniemal (Big Beat) The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike! (Memphis Industries) Headlights - s/t EP (Polyvinyl) Slowdive (reissues) - Just for a Day/Souvlaki/Pygmalion (Sanctuary) Boards of Canada - The Campfire Headphase (Warp) And if all this gives you wood, you're gonna pitch one over my other Top 10 of 2005 in the Jan. 6th issue of the Chicago Reader. Try to contain yourself 'til then. -- J. P.S. You know what's neat, though? The New Zealand Listener recently asked me to tell them about 2006. Details imminent.
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