Someone pledged a whopping $240 during my show this morning! So all my begging was not for nothing. The drive continues through Friday, so you still have time to call in or pledge online. If you do, when they ask you why you listen, tell them it's because of Nicole, the greatest DJ ever. In fact, if you call in today, you get entered into a drawing for 2 tickets to see the Smoking Popes, Robert Pollard, AND the Strokes, as well as a free dinner for two at the Heartland Cafe (as you'll hear me say again and again, if you download the show later tonight). So if you win, you can take me! Or, I'll be answering phones Thursday night from 8-10pm, so feel free to call in then too.

Ah, how about that. I was almost hoping they wouldn't review this album at all.

I often say how I generally have no problem hearing my favorite indie songs on commercials, UNLESS it's a Hummer commercial (damn you, Ratatat!). Apparently, that's the reigning feeling in the music biz, too.

Tomorrow's show should be fun- expect a Tuesday morning dance party while we ask you to donate money to WLUW as our February pledge drive comes to a close this week. Check out WLUW.org to see the pledge gifts we have to offer and to donate online, or listen up and call in tomorrow morning to help me reach my hourly pledge goals. One of the gifts with any donation over $35 is a CD marker/cleaner/opener, and it's pretty freakin' cool if you ask me.

Here's a new show to be excited for- The Wrens with Tapes 'N Tapes @ Schubas, Saturday April 29!

I noticed that Pitchfork had stopped linking it's reviews to insound.com and started linking them to something called "ampcamp.com." I was wondering what on earth that was, and now it's been revealed: it's Neighborhoodies new incarnation of their online music retail biz. Interesting.

The Onion AV Club is doing a cool new regular feature where they ask a few important people to put their iPod on shuffle and tell them about the songs that come up, no skipping. This week's got David Cross and Isaac Brock. I'd be scared about some of the random tracks that would come up if I was asked to do this- I just know that amongst all the awesome stuff I have on the Pod, it would be the "Build Me Up Buttercup" and Mariah Carey's cover of "Against All Odds." Yes, I have both of those songs.

Wow, this buzz band lasted all of two minutes.

Lots of people are talkin' up the new Destroyer album, including Pitchfork and the Salon.com music critic, many going so far as to compare him to Bob Dylan, for reasons I'm not quite sure I understand. I've tried to get into Destroyer with little avail, including being totally underwhelmed by his live show opening for the New Pornographers (though I did heartily enjoy the increasingly drunken performance Dan Bejar later gave with the Pornos). I feel like there's something I don't quite "get" about Destroyer, and maybe if I could figure it out, I'd be a huge fan too. I think I need a Destroyer fan to explain to me what the appeal of his music is, and since Salon is posting a free download from the album over the next three days ("the three best tracks" he says), I'll give them a try and see if they stand out over everything else I've heard. If I still can't get into it after that, it'll be time to give up.

Meanwhile, Kevin Federline looks on the bright side of life.

Matt Le-Khac reports James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem cock-blocked him on Friday at the Optimo concert. He claims he was having a nice conversation with keyboardist/vocalist Nancy Whang before it was interupted by Mr. Murphy. I was at the concert with him and saw all the players in the story but did not witness the reported incident.

Maggie O'Meara reports a Madison girl convergence. Will this overdue PFFR reunion finally result in the destruction of our accursed enemies, the MisFits? I have had enough of Pizzazz's constant attempts to upstage us.

Stars w/ the Elected

Stars
Originally uploaded by Nicolemc99.

My time away from the show scene definitely showed last Friday, after having to go back home for the tickets I forgot and leaving my earplugs at home. But this was definitely a great show to kick start the new year. Sadly, after attempting to take a picture of the Elected early on, the Metro Nazi bouncers told me that picture taking was not allowed that night by the request of "the talent." Ok, seriously? So I was able to get a few pictures discreetly from the back, but not as many as I would have liked.

The Elected is the side project of Rilo Kiley guitarist Blake Sennett, the smallest man in indie rock. He definitely tried to make up for his small stature with a killer moustache and a big, big voice. Their music is country-tinged pop, and was a nice warm-up for Stars.

I've been a Stars fan for a couple of years now, but this was my first time seeing them live, and they did not disappoint. Singers Torquil Campbell (who looked just like Richard Linklater) and Amy Millan were adorable and charismatic, and with the help of the Metro light system and great sound, they put on a really good show. The band was energized and excited to play, and it really made a difference to the audience. They ran through virtually all of their best material from their last two albums, Heart and Set Yourself on Fire, wrapping things up with their first "hit" of sorts (and my favorite song), "Elevator Love Letter." Pure pop bliss.

Gwyneth Paltrow = Yoko Ono?

Jake Ryan or Lloyd Dobler?

Looking for something to do on Friday? The actor who played Pedro on Napoleon Dynamite is DJing at the Apartment! Which you can file under the WTF?!?! file.

My coworker has announced her distaste for the font Comic Sans ("It's just unprofessional," says Deb). Luckily, there's a website that feels her pain: bancomicsans.com. This website is hilarious.

Radio Free Chicago night at the Big Horse this Saturday!

Also, check out the special Valentine's day mix tapes we put together over at tinymixtapes- there's something for everyone!

Happy Valentine's Day! This morning's show was a ton of fun; I always love doing the theme shows because they bring in the callers. Tapes 'N Tapes got a good reception, probably because it rules. I also played a song off the new Belle and Sebastian, which I must say I heartily enjoyed.

Next week I'll be off while I take an exam, but I'll be back Feb. 28 with a special Tuesday morning dance party to celebrate the upcoming WLUW pledge drive, which starts next Monday and runs for two weeks. Pledge everyone, so I'll still have a show next year!

Lollapalooza update: it's going to be 130 bands (more than twice of last year) over THREE days, August 4-6, and will stretch as far north as the Petrillo Band Shell. Hopefully that will minimize the sound bleed!

The big Valentine's Day show is tomorrow, and I've got much of my playlist ready and raring to go, a mix of love is great/love sucks songs to get you through the morning, no matter what your take on V-Day is.

Tapes 'N Tapes: this is my first great album of 2006. Good ol' quirky indie rock just like I like it, a la Modest Mouse, Wolf Parade, and the Starlight Mints, completely lacking in pretension and bursting with joy and youthful exuberance. Haven't stopped listening to it all day.

Tapes 'N Tapes: the Menomena of 2006.

Hot WLUW news:

We're happy to announce that Ryan Schreiber, founder and managing editor of Pitchfork Media, will be launching a new radio show with us, beginning next
Wednesday. The show will be called 'Distortions,' and will air Wednesdays from 2-4 PM. The focus of the show will be new music -- mostly advance material.
There also will be some music news, and as the show develops, possible live appearances by bands.

I think it's high time I met him! I think I'll have to tune in online to see what it's about.

One of my (older) coworkers just asked me how, if I listen to music that isn't on commercial radio, do I find out about music?

I told him the Internet, and the radio station.

Then he said he's not that into music. He's so cute :) .

Looks like local duo The Like Young have been signed to Polyvinyl, which should perfectly fill the void the Mates of State left when they switched to Barsuk (every label needs at least one super adorable married couple singing quality pop tunes with harmonies. Worry A Lot was definitely one of the better local releases of last year (or was it 2004? I got it last year in any case) and I'll be interested to see what their next album sounds like, now that they're moving up in the world.

Speaking of, I wonder what the new Mates of States album will sound like as well . . . I haven't been as up on my twee lately. Should I get the new Belle and Sebastian?

I saw the video for the Strokes' "Juicebox" the other day and I had to turn it off half-way through. I thought it had so much potential when I saw David Cross was in it (as an obnoxious commercial radio DJ who introduced them as "Stroke" and their song "Juicy Juice"), but the video just got gross and raunchy (guy vomiting out of a cab, girls making out) and the song did absolutely nothing for me- it was some sort of weird attempt at rocking really hard or something. Sad.

Here's an interesting interview with the National that touches on their tour with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and how they dealt with having half the crowd leave in time for their set every night. They're coming back to the Double Door (alone) March 24, and I'll be glad to see them without a bunch of jerks talking in the back. That album is so amazing.

Also, can you guess which two band members are brothers?

You have GOT to be kidding me! I've been looking forward to this show for weeks!

Of course, considering her history, I shouldn't be so surprised, right?

Looks like the Rolling Stones' totally tame Super Bowl half-time show last night was still time-delayed and actually censored due to "sexually explicit lyrics." Seriously?

My Google home page quote of the day:

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."

-Hunter S. Thompson

This Tinymixtapes news story is hilarious: apparently Ariel Pink is asking for people to sign up to be his backing band in each city he is touring in. There's no auditions or anything- just the first to email him gets to be his band, and they'll meet up the day of to "practice." Judging by the time I saw Ariel Pink open for the Animal Collective, this probably won't have much of an impact on the music, since I had no idea what on earth was going on anyway. After checking out the Ariel Pink website, it sounds like he'll be doing the first half of the show solo and the second half with the "band of the day," who have to supply their own instruments and amps. He's got a Schubas date coming up February 18- it could be you!

The Village Voice's Pazz and Jop poll, the final and supposedly most definitive year-end best of that compiles ballots from 795 music critics, is finally out, with Kanye on top. Following close behind is Sufjan and MIA.

I mentioned last week that I'd be helping out at Radio Free Chicago while Brad's in LA. Feel free to check it out this week for a couple of posts about some upcoming events going on in Chicago.

And so the summer festival lineup releases begin. Info for Bonaroo the yearly joining of jam and indie:

The fifth annual three-day camping and music festival will be held on June 16-18, 2006, on the same 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville. Tickets for the 2006 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will go on sale Saturday, FEB 11, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time through Bonnaroo.com. For more information, go to Bonnaroo.com:

Radiohead, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Beck, Elvis Costello & the Imposters, Death Cab for Cutie, moe., Bright Eyes, Buddy Guy, Damian Marley, Ben Folds, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Matisyahu, G. Love & Special Sauce, My Morning Jacket, Cat Power, Medeski Martin & Wood, Nickel Creek, Gomez, Atmosphere, Blues Traveler, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Dresden Dolls, Son Volt, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Rusted Root, Devendra Banhart Band, Mike Doughty, The Magic Numbers, Seu Jorge, Dungen, Andrew Bird, Devotchka, dios (malos), Marah