Chris Stroffolino: January 21, 2007

1. Fats Waller, “I Wish That I Were Twins”
2. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, “Big Guns”

   The Rilo Kiley vocalist sounding a little like The Dixie Chicks-lite on this piece.
   Not bad to hear “I’ll pretend that everybody here wants peace” on a freezing day of Bush’s proposed escalation

3. Jenny Lewis, “Handle Me With Care”

   Yes, but this cover of the Travelling Wilburies doesn’t cut it for me, partially because the song itself was never that strong, or may be an example of a song that only makes sense given the various changes in lead singers, which lent its potential self-indulgence a redeeming cuteness. In Lewis’s version, the song takes itself too seriously, at least for my ears.

4. James Brown, “I’ll Go Crazy”
5. Adrienne Shelley

   Amazing actress, director, who was murdered on November 1 at the age of 40. Perhaps most known for her work in the excellent Hal Hartley films, Trust and The Unbelievable Truth, I met her through her off-Broadway work in Dave Rosenthal’s plays

6. Buddy Holly, “Everyday”

   It sounds like a holiday song. How conscious wasSteve Malkmus of his song “Silent Kid,” having similarities.

7. The Wedding Present,”Take Me”

   Well, I’m ambivalent about this; I like his voice, but that long jam that is a tepid rip-off of the The Velvet Underground’s “What Goes On,” is an act of indulgence or maybe just a savvy move knowing that their audience may not know the original.

8. Lee Michaels, “Do You Know What I Mean?”
9. Steve Malkmus and the Jicks, with Janet Weiss on drums
   Malkmus’s show at Bimbo’s in San Francisco, by all accounts his most rocking in a long time (if not ever). While much of the credit goes to Ms. Weiss, I still can’t believe his interim drummer Pete Nochisaki, who also helped kick Steve into some more rockin’ grooves this summer, played some part in a reinvigorated Malkmus.
10. Damon and the Heathens and Top Brown

    Fun live show at the WC Creamery here in Oakland (1/12/07), both bands featured trombones as well as amazing drummers to help warm the freezing weather, especially at the end of the Heathens’ show when it turned into an audience participation jam, with amazing guest vocalists. I may have to write more about these folks soon….