Pictures From The Road

Driving along Highway 2 in the Okanogan Highlands. Washington State. Heading east toward Spokane.

A taxidermied brown bear in my dad's neighbor's house. Cashmere, Wash.

Wallace, Idaho. Silver capital of the world.

Wallace is the center of the universe. New York City, Brangelina, please take note.

Tobey, before a hike to Trout Pond at Chico Hot Springs. Pray, Mont.

Kitten therapy. Oberlin, Ohio. For the record, I did not adopt this little guy.

11:14 AM ET | 08-31-2009 | permalink

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Video: ThunderAnt's 'Closed'

If you haven't seen this already, we posted a new ThunderAnt video last week.

You can check it out at Thunderant.com.

Warning: this video contains explicit content.

And don't forget to follow ThunderAnt on Facebook!

10:57 AM ET | 08-31-2009 | permalink

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NYC: First Dispatch From My New Home

Here I am on my first Monday as a New York City resident. I've got a cup of Portland's Stumptown coffee on the table in front of me, and a bicycle that's driving me mad because it won't fit anywhere but on the ceiling.

I meant to blog from the road, but underestimated the level of exhaustion and lack of consistent wi-fi access. Pray, Mont., for instance, where I stayed at the fabulous Chico Hot Springs, didn't even have A/C in the rooms, let alone a sweet Internet connection. And sorry if I couldn't muster the nerdiness -- or insanity -- to blog on my iPhone while soaking in a public mineral bath. I did have the energy, however, to purchase an alcoholic beverage by the poolside bar, but that didn't involve typing or the fear of plunging pricey electronics into 110-degree water.

So please forgive me if I have to write this entry as more of a summation than a play-by-play journal.

Let it be known that I've never driven across the U.S. as a mere traveler. Every mile I've ever traversed in a car (outside of the West Coast, of course) was as a musician in a member of a touring band. In other words -- and scoff if you will at this term -- I was always on a "business trip." So, without the pressure of performing each night or having work to do, it opened up the U.S. as some kind of lazy and sprawling adventureland. Mining towns? Check. Wall Drug? Yes. Sandwich shops off squiggly highways that name each item after a dog breed? Well, of course. (I ordered the Black and Tan Coonhound.) Sleeping in, hikes with the dog, crashing at friends' parents' houses, soaking in their hot tubs, and eating closer to the food pyramid than ever before? Did it. And all of that happened on or around I-90. I basically picked one vein of road and stabbed needles into it a hundred different ways.

As for the music in the car, it was the least consistent of any of the travelers present. Rarely did the songs provide motivation or inspiration -- or, more importantly, stave off sleep or restlessness. There were a few mixes on hand, most of them too worn and familiar to be of much use. What I thought would be reassuring (Led Zeppelin, The Zombies or The Magnetic Fields, for instance) only made me anxious. Strangely, it was songs that I wouldn't listen to in most other contexts that underscored the momentum of the trip: Big Country's "Big Country," Jackson Browne's "The Pretender," anything by Neil Diamond. Basically, I was programming my own radio station, trying to make the music feel surprising, random and somewhat novel.

In the end, I downloaded a somewhat asinine book onto my iPod and came up with the idea of truckers' reading groups.

Growing up and living in the Pacific Northwest for the past 34 years has informed all of my experiences and opinions about music fandom and criticism, about artistic aesthetics and philosophy. So, what happens now that I'm living in New York? Well, I still think I'll explore the world from the perspective of a Northwesterner. Perhaps, even, I'll be able to make more sense of Washington and Oregon, now that I can observe and miss them from afar.

10:54 AM ET | 08-31-2009 | permalink

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MM is Moving--Please Stand By

For the past few days I have been packing up a four-bedroom house in Portland and preparing to move into a one-bedroom apartment in New York City.

Today I get into the car for my trek east.

I'll blog from the road if there is Wi-Fi on Mt. Rushmore. And I'll keep you posted on all things Cracker Barrel.

Goodbye, Portland. I love you.
I can say with absolute certainty: I'll be home soon.

11:30 AM ET | 08-19-2009 | permalink

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Punk Rock Monikers: Hey, Snake, How's It Going?

Remember in junior high or high school, when you sat around thinking of your punk name? Or when you were forming your band and everyone wanted to change their last name to the same thing -- you know, like the Ramones -- or tried to get their new last name to form an alliteration with their first? Puns, of course, were also encouraged.

Even if you yourself weren't seeking out a new identity, everyone knows someone who woke up one day and asked people to start calling them "Spike," or whose last name went from "Smith" to "Comet" in a matter of hours.

I mean, why wouldn't you want a punk name when some of the greatest players from the most incendiary and influential bands gave themselves the coolest monikers ever? Joe Strummer, Bono and The Edge, Lux Interior and Poison Ivy, John Doe, D.J. Bonebrake, Iggy Pop, Johnny Rotten, Pete Shelley, Tom Verlaine, Stiv Bators, the list goes on and on.

As for me, the most obvious punk name would have been Carrie-Oke, but it was already taken by an acquaintance down in the Bay Area. (Thank God!) "Carrie Kinney" stuck around for a while, but my grandparents' guilt trip was too much, and I settled on my given name.

Please share the craziest or coolest punk and alternate names of people you've known over the years, your own punk name (if you have or had one), and some of the best and worst famous punk names of all time. For example, remember when Kim Deal went by Mrs. John Murphy on Come on Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa? Amazing.

1:11 PM ET | 08-12-2009 | permalink

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And The Winner Is...

It's official. The winner of the Monitor Mix Video Blog Theme Song Contest is:

Darling New Neighbors!

Darling New Neighbors' members hail from Austin, Texas, and consist of Elizabeth Jackson (vocals, accordion, bass, violin), Amy Moreland (lead guitar, bass, vocals) and Karl Lundin (drums). Check out their MySpace page for more information.

Here is their MM video blog theme song:

Congratulations to Darling New Neighbors, and thanks to everyone who voted -- and, of course, to all of the finalists.

As for my promise to the winner that they would get to "touch a NPR personality in a non-sexual way," let's just say that I'm in negotiations with the Car Talk guys.

Some of you are probably wondering who I voted for in the contest. Well, I voted for Ricky Cancro, whose song I absolutely loved. In fact, I still go back and listen to it about once a day. It was tough for me to choose between Cancro and David Crane, whose song made me laugh each and every time.

Listen to Ricky Cancro's ditty here:

Thanks again, everyone!

12:04 PM ET | 08-12-2009 | permalink

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Video Blog Theme Song Finalists -- Last Chance To Vote

Voting ends tonight at 11:59 PT for the Monitor Mix Video Blog Theme Song Contest! If you haven't yet voted, or if your favorite song is lagging in the polls, then now is your last chance to forward this link around the workplace, tell friends and neighbors, and get the word out.

Right now, it's Leah Pritchard and Darling New Neighbors in a close race for first place. But could Ricky Cancro come from behind and take the prize in the end? Vote!

Listen to the songs and vote by clicking here.

12:58 PM ET | 08-11-2009 | permalink

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If You Said The Particles, You Were Right!

Good work, sleuths! Apparently, technology does provide all of the answers.

It seems that everyone who figured out that the song in yesterday's video was by a late-'70s Australian band called The Particles, found the answer by typing the lyrics into a search engine.

When I visited Australia in 1994, I was lucky enough to spend my first month in Sydney with Stephen O'Neil and Fran Gibson from The Cannanes. In addition to their immense generosity as hosts, they gave me multiple Cannanes LPs, along with two fantastic 7" singles by The Particles (a band that Stephen played in from 1982 to '85). The latter are records I have never seen in the U.S., and they are two of my most prized vinyl possessions.

The Particles' music is hard to come by, but fortunately for us, The Cannanes' music isn't. They're still playing and putting out records, so check them out!

Thanks again to Fran and Stephen.

I'll make Name That Tune harder next time. Or, at least, I'll try. And perhaps I'll come up with a prize for the first correct answer. It's getting serious around here.

Pictures of the Particles single I included in the video:

The Particles:

12:14 PM ET | 08-11-2009 | permalink

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When Lego Met Spinal Tap

From The New York Times, Aug. 10, 2009:

In 2007, when Coleman Hickey was 14, he made a stop-action film using Lego pieces and figures to depict a concert performance of the song "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight," by Spinal Tap, the parody band featured in the 1984 mock documentary This Is Spinal Tap.

Hickey's video was watched more than 82,000 times on YouTube, but when Spinal Tap wanted to include the video on an official live DVD, Lego refused to give permission. Lego cited the fact that Spinal Tap is an adult-themed band, whereas Lego's chief audience is between the ages of 6 and 12.

As the Times article goes on to mention, there have been more egregious and inappropriate uses of Legos over the years, from videos wherein Lego figures buy guns to kill each other to Girls Gone Wild-inspired parodies. (Yes, it was called Legos Gone Wild). By those standards, a Spinal Tap-meets-Lego world seems downright wholesome. Plus, how many of Legos' younger users would ever even see a Spinal Tap concert DVD? For that matter, how many adults will see this thing?

As the now-16-year-old Coleman Hickey points out -- the kid's family owns more than 42,000 Legos, by the way; I mean, how much more loyalty could you ask for? -- he wishes the brand had a bit more sense of humor. I agree; at least I think I do. Or perhaps Lego is cooler than anyone else for standing up for kids and sticking to its tiny toy guns.

You can read the entire article here.

11:48 AM ET | 08-11-2009 | permalink

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Hey, Sleuth, Name That Tune

Isn't it frustrating when technology can't provide all of the answers? Or when we can't simply use Shazam to tell us who or what we're listening to?

Personally, I don't mind a little mystery. A few of you might know the following band and/or song featured in this (admittedly whacked-out) video. If you do, then this quiz should be easy. But if you don't recognize the sounds in the video, then the endeavor might be more of a challenge.

If you do figure it out, let us know the process (i.e., you sent the video to a friend of a friend who knew the answer immediately because he grew up with one of the band members, you own the 7", or I put this song on a mix tape for you 10 years ago).

Good luck with your snooping!

Oh, and this video reminds me: Don't forget to vote for your favorite Monitor Mix Video Blog Theme Song!

Hey, Sleuth, Name That Tune! from Carrie Brownstein on Vimeo.

3:07 PM ET | 08-10-2009 | permalink

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John Hughes, Maestro

As you no doubt know by now, director John Hughes has died.

Before there was the Garden State soundtrack or Sofia Coppola's music savvy and coolness -- and well before Juno -- there was a John Hughes film and all the glorious music therein. For anyone who was a kid or a teenager in the '80s and '90s, it was John Hughes who first married the loves and lives of teens -- of misfits, cool boys, awkward girls, nerds and distant, distracted parents -- with songs that made the characters' lives, and by proxy our lives, vivid. A Hughes soundtrack was perhaps not as epic as a Valley Girl or Some Kind of Wonderful soundtrack, but there was always the song, the one that became indistinguishable from the film itself.

Here, then, are some of my favorite bands and songs from John Hughes movies:

Continue reading "John Hughes, Maestro" »

7:55 PM ET | 08- 6-2009 | permalink

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Video Blog Theme Song Finalists

It is with great pleasure and gratitude that I present to you the Monitor Mix Video Blog Theme Song Contest Finalists!

After listening to all of the fabulous entries, I have narrowed the field down to 10. Please give a listen to the theme songs below and then vote for your favorite band or musician. Voting is open for a week, after which we'll have a winner.

Feel free to leave comments, spread the word, re-post the poll and rally for your top pick.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to write, record and send in a song; it was very difficult to choose only 10. Here, then, are the finalists:

Brain on Fire:

David Crane:

Nathan L. Miller:

The Hilarious Posters:

Leah Pritchard:

Ricky Cancro:

Meg Ruddick:

Darling New Neighbors:

Warmth Storm:

Estelle Caswell:

4:18 PM ET | 08- 4-2009 | permalink

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Danzig Reads!

The words "welcome to my book collection" have never sounded creepier!

Thanks to Michael for the link.

And if you haven't already watched ThunderAnt sing the Misfits' song "Bullet," you can watch that by clicking here:

3:01 PM ET | 08- 4-2009 | permalink

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Stretch To The Music!

Right now, I am going through all of the Monitor Mix Video Blog theme-song entries -- which are fantastic, by the way. It's been hard to narrow them down! I hope to have my favorites posted by the end of the day or early tomorrow. In the meantime, however, here's a little something for you to watch.

2:20 PM ET | 08- 4-2009 | permalink

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Concrete Jungle Discs

First of all, thanks to everyone who has submitted songs for the Monitor Mix video blog theme-song contest. The deadline is tonight at 11:59 PT, so you still have time to enter! I can't wait to listen to all of the entries and share my favorites with you.

But now, down to serious business: Monitor Mix HQ is moving to New York City! It's a temporary move, but a very real one, and I'm faced with a lot of decisions. I won't bore you with tales of the amazing garage sale I had this past weekend, or the fact that I get sad every time I step out into my garden, but I will ask for your help on a subject about which you know a lot: music.

I've sold off or packed all of my CDs for storage; I've loaded the content of the ones I can't live without onto my computer. That's right: Not a single CD is coming along to NYC. Yet I can't seem to part with the glorious and tactile experience of vinyl. Here is a picture of the albums that I currently own:

There is no way that I want to move (or could move) these albums across the country. Most of them will be stored and well cared for in my absence, but I want to bring at least one box of LPs along with me. But which ones?

I've always hated the notion of Desert Island Discs (DID), the hypothetical game wherein you're stuck on an island and can only bring 10 records. Little did I know that one day I actually would be heading to an island, faced with the very task of choosing the music that is most sacred to me. Luckily, in this modern age, the majority of what I want to hear will be on my computer. But nevertheless, there are some LPs that bring me comfort, or that I just like keeping around. (It's a little late to hire an intern to convert all of my vinyl to MP3s, and why would I want that anyway?)

So here's what I've come up with so far. I'll keep the reasoning personal because it's often merely arbitrary, nostalgia-based, or just how I feel at this very moment:

Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
The Wipers, Is This Real?
George Harrison, All Things Must Pass
The Clash, London Calling
The Clash, Sandinista!
The Grateful Dead, American Beauty
Thelonious Monk, Straight No Chaser
Led Zeppelin, III
Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti
Bruce Springsteen, Darkness on the Edge of Town
Dusty Springfield, Dusty in Memphis

Any suggestions? What would you hold on to if you were in my position?

1:12 PM ET | 08- 3-2009 | permalink

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