01. The Cribs
02. Kanye West
03. Atmosphere
04. Jay-Z
05. Arctic Monkeys
06. Sage Francis
07. Blur
08. Kid Cudi
09. Morrissey
10. The Hold Steady
11. Why?
12. Wale
13. Gorillaz
14. P.O.S.
15. Murs
16. Doomtree
17. Dessa
18. The Replacements
19. Aesop Rock
20. Wilco
21. The Streets
22. Taking Back Sunday
23. The Killers
24. Lifetime
25. Buck 65
26. Paul Westerberg
27. Les Savy Fav
28. Bloc Party
29. The Smiths
30. Art Brut
31. The Plastic Constellations
32. The Hood Internet
33. Lifter Puller
34. Descendents
35. The Stone Roses
36. Felt
37. The Strokes
38. Lupe Fiasco
39. Plain Ole Bill
40. Madvillain
41. Alkaline Trio
42. Dillinger Four
43. El-P
44. The Libertines
45. F. Stokes & Lazerbeak
46. All
47. Har Mar Superstar
48. Outkast
49. Babyshambles
50. BK-One
1. How did you get into 29?
My oldest friend StP Sarah tried in vein to turn me onto The Smiths back in highschool. Of course, I was much too concerned with when Lagwagon was coming to town to give a though to some old British band with an obnoxious lead singer.
Fast forward a couple of years. I was on a drive from Red Wing to Duluth and I really wanted something new to play on the drive. Oddly, when I pulled up to Best Buy the chorus from "Hand In Glove" turned up in my head (even though I hadn't heard it in at least three years). I picked up a copy of Louder Than Bombs and played it four times over the course of the 4 hour round trip.
Since then I've turned my brother into a Smiths devotee, dropped countless drinks while playing drunken iPod karaoke to their records, and even had sex with at least 3 different girls while listening to their records. Pretty fruitful relationship considering they've been broken up since I was 5.
2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22?
The first song I heard by Taking Back Sunday (like most of us, I think) was, "Cute Without The 'E' (Cut From The Team)). Their Tell All Your Friends album came out just as I was getting out of my punk rock phase, yet I'm still a fan of that one and the albums they've put out since. To someone who's not an emo fan, I'm sure they sound cliche and terrible. To those of us that were, it's easy to see how their songs stand out over someone like, say, Thursday
Sidenote: I think it must have been about the third time I went out with NYC Sarah, she, Phil, & I went over to Pizza Luce in Uptown (I was in Roseville at the time, she in Highland Park). I drove over, but I'm pretty sure Phil and I had too many Summits, because I know she drove back. In our intoxicated state, we turned up, "Cute Without The 'E'" about as loud as we could and valiantly tag-teamed the vocals just as they are on the record while Sarah watched in horror. Remarkably, within a year she was debating marrying me. I'll never understand my life.
3. What's your favorite lyric by 3?
Favorite Atmosphere lyric? "These alleyways and these street lights have seen my best days/before I was a germ learning how to misbehave/all the way to the grave/Southside is my resting place..."
4. How did you get into 49?
I got into Babyshambles purely from my love of The Libertines. Pete Doherty's new band can't touch his old one, but the highs are nearly as high (no pun intended).
5. How many albums by 13 do you own?
I own four albums by Gorillaz: S/T, G-Sides, Demon Days, & Plastic Beach
6. What is your favorite song by 50?
My favorite BK-One song is probably "Call To Arms." Great beat that builds from a bassline to some crazy Brazilian horns. And I Self kills it.
7. Is there a song by 39 that makes you sad?
How could any Plain Ole Bill song make me sad? Not only is his mixtape stellar, but I've seen him rock NYC as P.O.S.'s touring DJ and rock MPLS at Triple Double Tuesday. He also works at Fifth Element, is one of only two Squawk Box residents to pet Margo (along with Dessa), and his favorite sandwich is the Old School Tempeh at The Wedge. Nothing about Plain Ole Bill makes me sad.
8. What is your favorite song by 15?
Shiiiiitttt... This is the same answer I gave a couple years ago to this question. My favorite Murs song is still "Silly Girl." Here's what I wrote about this song when I posted it as one of my favorites of the 2000's:
Another personal choice. This song has so many lines that have become regular fixtures of Phil & my conversation that I’ll have to break it down.
1. “I’m at where I’m at and I’ma be where I’ma be and that’s about all you need to know…”
When girls text one of us at random or when we’re out painting the city gold.
2. “It’s not hot, it’s not cute, it’s not getting you anywhere, and it’s about to get you fired…”
Usually referring to the slightly angrier text follow-up text from aforementioned girl when the first text is ignored.
3. “One day at the crib she gonna let you break ground…”
Um, self-explanatory
4. “That’s how it be when your falling in…um… I wouldn’t say that…”
Ha! We’re bad people.
5. “Silly little girl, simple little girl, you didn’t want me when I wanted you…”
Instant “my girl and I broke up and I’ve gone super-fucking-emo” antidote.
6. “I took Tasha to the Hyatt, oh yeah, I went there again…”
As far as I know neither of us has actually brought a girl to the Hyatt. Or even set foot in a Hyatt. Still, fun line to drop.
7. “That story about that cow and that milk ain’t a fact, ‘cause if you wait too long that milk goes sour, and I like my lovin’ hot no more cold shower.”
I played this song specifically for that line while driving Phil and his girl home from Minnehaha Lanes once. There is nothing as fun as an inside joke between two people when there’s four people in a car.
9. What is your favorite song by 5?
My favorite Arctic Monkeys song is still "Mardy Bum" (although, "Cornerstone" is a close second). It's a brilliantly poppy song that sands off the rough edges of the guitars on Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Plus, the lyrics concern the story of how Alex Turner's significant other gets angry at him for being late despite the fact that it wasn't his fault at all. He implores her to remember when they would, "Laugh and joke around, remember cuddles in the kitchen just to get things off the ground" while conceding that those things are, "Right hard to remember on a day like today when you're all argumentative and you've got that face on..."
I mean, who can't relate to this situation?
10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy?
I wouldn't say any Sage Francis song makes me happy on its own merits, but I have great memories of rolling around with Phil while listening to "Runaways." These memories make me happy, so I guess that counts.
11. What is the worst song by 40?
The worst song by Madvillain? Fuck, who could tell? That whole album runs like one long, bizarro track with MF Doom drifting in and out of Madlib's canvas of beats. I dunno.
12. What is your favorite song by 10?
While their distaste for Minnesota (and disappointing new album) have combined to dull my love for The Hold Steady, I still love "Hot Soft Light." "I was Lyndale South, man, I was kicking it with cousins..."
13. What is a good memory you have involving 30?
While I was living out in New York Art Brut played a five night stand. Sarah and I went and caught the finale of the stand and it was a great time. I wrote a whole blog post about this back when it happened. For more details, scroll thataway.
Specifically, though. I remember everybody at this show enjoying it thoroughly, the band included. Oddly, with just a song or two left, the dude behind me yelled, "Hey Eddie!" (referring to the lead singer Eddie Argos). When Eddie looked over the guy threw up his middle finger and yelled, "Fuck you!" It seemed to be kind of good natured, but the look on Argos' face is still burned in my brain. He looked genuinely hurt!
14. What is your favorite song by 38?
My favorite Lupe song is probably still "Kick, Push." I do have a very special fondness for his song "Go-Go Gadget Flow." I mean, the first line of the song is, "I'm from a city in the Midwest, best city in the whole wide, wide world..." Ya'll know I eat that shit up.
15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy?
Y'know, Aesop Rock's music usually ain't the happiest. I remember when he started his Twitter accounted and someone wrote, "Oh, Aesop Rock has a Twitter? Get ready for tweets about doom & cigarettes..."
The song "Pigs" (the secret track on Aesop Rock's None Shall Pass LP) does have a line or two that makes me happy. Specifically, " I don't really know the working details of your tribe, I know that's one ugly fucking tie..."
16. Is there a song by 25 that makes you sad?
Plenty of Buck 65 songs make me feel sad, but his song "The Floor" (from Secret House Against The World) is sad enough to make Ted Leo want to kill himself.
17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23?
Favorite Killers song? Good one. As those of you have read Flatbasset before know, I'm a huge Killers fan. Their hooks will live in your head for days. I suppose if I had to pick, I'd go with "When You Were Young." Phenomenal guitar, great hook, snarky lyrics, sounds incredible coming from a car stereo.
18. What's your favorite lyric by 11?
Favorite Why? lyric? C'mon! I'll keep it to Top 5:
05. "I conquered my old childhood silence and now the world is my lit confessional marquee..."
04. "I wish I could feel close to somebody but I don't feel nothin', now they say I need to quit doing all this random f...."
03. "Your cat clawed out my eyes while I was distracted by your smile, now my sockets sit like empty catcher's mitts waiting...
02. "There is no paved street worthy of your perfect Scandanavian feet..."
01. "I'm lucky to be under the same sky that held the exhale from your first breath..."
19. Who is a favorite member of 1?
While it's hard to separate the different members of The Cribs (I mean, they are brothers), I'll go with Gary Jarman. His brother Ryan is the one who makes all the headlines (Twitter feuds, near-death experiences at the NME Awards, dates Kate Nash), his singing voice is rough.
Small anecdote to explain my position: I went and saw The Cribs at The Varsity Theatre a while back. At one point, Ryan Jarman wandered over to a piano that sat at the side of the stage. It was well out of tune and not mic'd (up as it is just part of the ambiance), but that didn't stop a drunken Ryan from banging out an improvised, rambling ballad. As Ryan finished up, Gary said (in his dry British accent), "Good one, Ryan. Let's hope none of the bootleggers got here tonight." (This joke was much funnier than the drunken antics of his brother. If you know me, perhaps you understand why I like this story.)
20. Is there a song by 14 that makes you happy?
There are plenty of P.O.S. songs that make me happy, but I'm gonna put "Purexed" at the top of the list. Any song that has the line, "Hush, let 'em try to find the beauty in your face..." in the chorus will top my lists forever.
21. What is a good memory involving 27?
Oddly, I have no "good" memory involving Les Savy Fav. I think this stems from the fact that I've never seen them live or even listened to their records with anybody else present. They do always remind me of StP Sarah, which I suppose counts as "happy" most of the time.
22. What is your favorite song by 16?
My favorite Doomtree song is still "Gander Back." Just P.O.S., Sims, & Mictlan going bananas on the grimy beat. If anybody ever complains that Twin Cities hip-hop is just a bunch of people ripping off Atmosphere, send them this song, then un-friend them.
23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47?
Jesus, this is the third time I've mentioned StP Sarah in this post. I think the first Har Mar Superstar song I ever heard was "Baby, Do You Like My Clothes?" I hope that makes her laugh.
24. What is your favorite album by 18?
I know most people will say Let It Be is their favorite Replacements album (and if you ask me another day, I might agree), but I'm gonna say Tim today. The hat trick of songs at the end ("Left Of The Dial," "Little Mascara", & "Here Comes A Regular") are so good that you just want to start the record over again.
25. What is your favorite song by 21?
As of today, I'm going to say my favorite Streets song is "The Sherry End." The whole song is about how great it is when you're out with a circle of really close friends. How a joke turns into an inside joke turns into merely a knowing look. "When a good night flounders and it's over, how good it was I tend to know, by adding up or rounding down, the evening's count of jokes..."
This one is stupidly personal because it reminds me of all the inside jokes Phil and I had that no one else gets. Fortunately Mikey Boy Crisis and I have developed a pretty good repertoire now. Brodie Croyle!!!
26. What is the first song you ever heard by 26?
What was the first Paul Westerberg song I ever heard? I have no clue, but I'm willing to bet it was "Dyslexic Heart." In fact, I hope it was.
27. What is your favorite album by 3?
My favorite Atmosphere record is You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having. It's the perfect balance between a fully realized album and a very good mixtape. I love the way Ant bridges the gaps between songs with snippets of beats and other random audio rather than ending the song then starting a new one.
Plus, this record has three tracks that show every relevant side of Slug.
01. "Say Hey There" - The stereotypical "emo-rap" song that everyone hates on Atmosphere for. Outside of that stereotype, though, it's a phenomenal "fuck you" break-up song. In fact, I remember specifically putting it on a mixtape I made for an ex once while we were in that "we'll try to be friends" phase. Believe it or not, we did not remain friends.
02. "Get Fly" - One of those positive jams that Atmosphere never gets enough credit for. When that piano hits my car stereo I can't help but smile and roll down the windows.
03. "Smart Went Crazy" - Wonderfully abstract collage of what it's like to be pushing 30 in Minnesota. Large failures, small successes... Probably my favorite Atmosphere song.
28. What is you favorite song by 2?
Even though I'm obsessed with Kanye's new record right now, I think my favorite song of his is still "The Glory." It's a great "being famous kinda sucks, but it's also kinda incredible" rant that has classic lines like, "When you meet me in person, what do you feel like? I know, I know, I look better in real life!"
If you have this track, put it on and try to tune out Kanye. This is a criminally underrated beat.
29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32?
I only just heard The Hood Internet for the first time a couple of months ago over at The Depot (no, not the one on 7th St.). If my memory is correct it was a mash-up of Modest Mouse and someone from a YouTube clip, but I'm not sure. This definitely happened at about 3:00 AM.
30. What is you favorite song by 8?
My favorite Kid Cudi song is still "Pursuit Of Happiness" w/MGMT & Ratatat. I've had so many drunken singalongs to this one that I've lost count. It's very liberating after you've maybe said one too many stupid things at the bar or sent one too many drunk texts to sing along with lines like, "People tell me slow my roll, I'm screamin' out, 'fuck that!'" Hmmm... Perhaps Kid Cudi's an enabler.
31. How many times have you seen 17 live?
As a solo artist and at random Doomtree related shows I'll bet I've seen Dessa perform live at least a dozen times.
That being said, I see her all the time. When I moved back to MPLS I moved into the building next to hers. I see her all the time. Like I mentioned, she's the only artist on earth that has the approval of both Robert Christgau & Margo Basset. Of course, only one of their opinions actually means anything.
32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy?
Most of The Libertines songs make me happy, but if I had to pick just one I'd go with "Don't Look Back Into The Sun," a b-side from their I Get Along EP. If The Replacements and Blur had a bastard child, it would be this song.
33. How did you get into 12?
I got into Wale completely on a whim. When I got back into hip-hop 5 or 6 years ago I was really just on that indie shit like the skinny, white, bearded walking cliche that I was. After a while I realized that their isn't any shame in liking mainstream hip-hop. I felt like Wale did a nice job of straddling that line, so I started downloading his mixtapes.
34. What is the worst song by 45?
I'm not going to say that any song from F. Stokes & Lazerbeak's Death Of A Handsome Bride is bad, but I suppose if I had to rank them I'd put the album opener "Too" as the "worst." I mean, it's acapella. Stokes kills it, but hip-hop without beats is like sex without a Smiths record (sorry, that's a joke for anybody who's actually slogging through this whole post).
35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34?
The first Descendents song I ever heard was "Coffee Mug" from the Punk-O-Rama 2 album that Epitaph put out way back in the day. Though it was a solid track, but when I saw the "When I Get Old" and "Lucky" videos over the next few months I was hooked.
36. What is the first song you ever heard by 15?
The first song I ever heard by Murs was "Bad Man." Thanks to my dude Phil for turning me on to 3:16: The 9th Edition. Still one of my favorite hip-hop albums.
37. How many times have you seen 42 live?
Remarkably, I have never seen Dillinger Four live. I realize I just lost a ton of MPLS-cred points, but fuck! I mean, they only play twice and year and it's always at a sold out Trizziple Rock. Plus, I had to work, I ran out of gas, my bike got stolen, the busses weren't running and I had holes in my shoes! It wasn't my fault!
38. What is you favorite song by 36?
My favorite Felt song is "Gangster Ass Anthony." Just Slug and Murs boasting over a lush Ant beat. I mean, this is pretty much why they created this Felt thing anyway, right?
39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28?
The first Bloc Party song I remember hearing is "I Still Remember" from A Weekend In The City. Remarkably, I got through all of the hype about Silent Alarm without ever actually hearing it. Regardless, if you want to turn someone on to Bloc Party, play "I Still Remember." I feel like that one is destined to be on any "100 Greatest English Love Songs" list that NME feels like publishing.
40. What is you favorite album by 7?
You know, for years I considered Parklife my favorite Blur album but you know which one I put on when I'm in a "Blur" mood? Think Tank. I maintain that this is one of the most underrated albums of the 2000's. They were forced to take a slightly different approach after Graham Coxon left and they kinda became Radiohead-light, like Coldplay, only the exact opposite. They embraced the electronics and the sideways melodies of the Kid A/Amnesiac albums and filtered them through Damon Albarn's pop sensibilities. "Out Of Time," "Good Song," & "Battery In Your Leg" are all classics. And "Sweet Song" is in my top 10 songs of all time. Absolutely heartbreaking.
41. Is there a song by 31 that makes you happy?
Pretty much every Plastic Constellations song makes me happy, but I'll go with "Black Market Pandas" as the best of them (if only because I like yelling "South Minnesoooooottta!" in my car.
42. What is your favorite album by 41?
I think my favorite Alkaline Trio album is Good Mourning. It has a leg up because it was the first of their albums that I owned, so it became the bar.
This was the first album where they sanded off the rough edges and kinda made a pop album. I know this alienated some of their "punk" fan base, but, y'know, fuck them. Punks are dumb. And I love a good hook. Plus, it has "Blue Carolina," one of my favorite love songs ever.
43. What is your favorite song by 24?
I only have one Lifetime album, their self-titled comeback album. I suppose I would put the album opener "Northbound Breakdown" as my favorite.
44. What is a good memory you have involving 33?
Well, I didn't get into Lifter Puller until after they broke up, so I can't say I have many happy memories of them specifically. When I was living in NYC with no friends and no job, I did spend an inordinate amount of time trying to penetrate their epic storyline. And I wonder why I never actually made any friends out there.
This isn't really a memory, but I did use their template as the basis for that other thing that I write. This relationship will pay off eventually.
45. What is your favorite song by 35?
My favorite Stone Roses song is "I Am The Resurrection." If you think Kanye's mix of ego & insecurity is crazy, you should listen to Ian Brown. "I am the resurrection and I am the light, I couldn't ever bring myself to hate you as I'd liiiii-iiiii-kkkeee..."
46. Is there a song by 9 that makes you happy?
There are plenty of Morrissey songs that make me happy. Fuck it, I'm picking two.
01. "You're The One For Me, Fatty" - What can I say? Listen to it. Tell me it doesn't make you happy.
02. "Such A Little Thing Makes Such A Big Difference" - Wildly underrated. And ode to the little, underappreciated things (and if you've heard my 'little things/big things' theory, you know why I appreciate it). And so dryly quotable.
"Such a little thing, a gentle tone of kindness, or written words on paper, can you write?"
47. What is your favorite album by 4?
My favorite Jay-Z album has always been The Blueprint. A hungry Jay-Z, a bunch of great beats (headlined by young and also hungry Kanye), and no guest stars (except a random Eminem appearance near the end)... I mean, what more could you want? Plus, "Heart Of The City (Ain't No Love)" is the greatest song Jay-Z will ever record (and you know he's got some classics).
48. Who is a favorite member of 39?
Who is my favorite member of Plain Ole Bill. Um, his sampler?
49. What is the first song you ever heard by 43?
I bough El-P's I'll Sleep When You're Dead without ever hearing him before, so the first song I heard was the album opener "Tasmanian Pain Coaster" w/The Mars Volta. Been hooked ever since.
50. What is your favorite album by 21?
My favorite Streets album, like most people, is A Grand Don't Come For Free, which is, inarguably one of the greatest hip-hop concept albums of all time. The story of the deceptions, the breakups, the fights, & the drugs while hovering in the British lower-middle class is bizarrely compelling.
Alright, I'm tired now. If you made it this far, thanks.
