Tag Archives: top ten list

Music, Pop Culture

Gail’s Top 10 CDs of 2010!

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I’ll say one thing about 2010: it was a better fucking year for new music here at the Chickpad.  Some of you might recall that when compiling my “Year End” list of 2009, I couldn’t even come up with ten CDs that I could admit to having listened to, let alone liked. That was weird, but what can I say? Today’s music just isn’t yanking my chain the way new records used to get me all hot and bothered, even as recently as, say, two or three years ago. Fans of the Rad Blog know that I wrote about Art and various facets of Pop Culture exponentially more often than I ever wrote about new music or bands that were turning me on. The times, they are a-changin. By semi-switching alliances from Music to Art I know I missed out on a lot, but I did discover ten aural gems this year that I think you should have in your record collection.

MGMT, Congratulations

I tagged the sophomore effort by Brooklyn’s MGMT as Album of the Year way back when it was first released at the beginning of 2010, and my mind hasn’t changed. In 2010, who else but MGMT is releasing albums crammed full of homages to surf music and Brian Eno? No one else, except maybe…

Mark Ronson & The Business, Record Collection

Everything old is new again! The thoroughly sublime and appropriately entitled Record Collection is the best album of 80s music in twenty-five years!

Posies, Blood Candy

Blood Candy proves that The Posies are the closest thing we’ll ever see to a second incarnation of The Beatles.

Cameron Meshell, Prizefighter

Shreveport, LA in 2010 is a very long way from London, England in the 70s, but that sleepy little town has nevertheless managed to spawn singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Cameron Meshell, whose blissfully malleable vocals conjure the heady ghost of the late, great Freddie Mercury like no ouija board ever could. Discover Cameron Meshell at his finest on his knockout second full-length release, Prizefighter.

Gripweeds, Strange Change Machine

Best. Sixties. Revivalist. Band. Ever.

Ratt, Infestation

Shamelessly unapologetic worshipper of the ’80s Metal that I am, if you’d told me last year that in 2010 I’d be putting an album by Ratt, Los Angles-based icons of Hair Metal, on my list of favorite CDs, even I would have laughed you off the face of the Earth. So no one was more surprised than me to hear Ratt, valiantly holding on to most of its original line up (RIP Robin Crosby), sounding as on top of the rock world as they did in 1987, serving up a collection of classic metal songs with more visceral sex appeal and crunchy, loud guitars than you could imagine. Someone tell me where these guys are hiding their time machine.

Hawkwind, Blood of the Earth

Hawkwind have been a band for longer than most people reading this have even been alive. I am not fronting when I say that the songs on Blood of The Earth will appeal to all genres of metal, prog and hard rock fans of bands as varied as Zodiac Mindwarp, Jimi Hendrix, The Pretty Things, Yes and Nine Inch Nails. Must own!

American Bang

Except for MGMT, southern rockers American Bang are the only “new” band on this list, because they kick ass and take names. I mean, don’t they just look like they rock? If I were 25 years old I’d be in the front row of their shows throwing my panties on the stage. Plus their bass player writes a food blog!

Robert Plant & The Band of Joy

This collection of Americana covers by rock god legend Robert Plant and his amazing Band of Joy makes the list because their magical show at the Bowery Ballroom this winter was the best show I attended all year. Led Zeppelin!

 

Bryan Ferry, Olympia

It’s about his voice. Olympia hasn’t exactly checked in as a critics’ favorite, but as far as I’m concerned, the former Roxy Music front man could sing a menu and I’d get on board.

How about you guys? Feel free to leave your top picks in the comments!

Music, Pop Culture

Top 10 Most Ridiculous Black Metal Press Photos Of All Time

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black metal guy
“Dude, XYZ!”

Nothing speaks to me about the dark spirit of Halloween quite like cheesy, embarrassing Press photos of Black Metal Bands that take themselves so unbelievably seriously that they just come off like huge jokes. Here’s a really a fun list compiled by Mike Hobart of Ruthless Reviews, that goes all the way back to 2006. Mike obviously took some serious time to sort through a hefty pile of press photos to come up with the 10 most embarrassing of the lot. His commentary accompanying each photo is pretty funny as well. See the full list at Ruthless Reviews. Happy Halloween, everyone!

immortal band
Immortal (These Guys Made the List Twice!)

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Gail's Radness

Top 10 Random Thoughts of The Day

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In no particular order, as is the nature of things labeled as random.

  1. Duff McKagan has apparently left Jane’s Addiction. I had no idea he had ever joined Jane’s Addiction.
  2. People who ride their bikes on the sidewalk are complete idiots.
  3. Today I felt that 4:30 PM was too late to see a movie that’s playing at a theater farther away from my apartment than a 10-minute walk.
  4. Even though it’s past Labor Day, I am probably still going to wear my linen pants a few more times.
  5. It feels good to throw away stuff that you are no longer using , especially when it is ugly, broken or doesn’t fit anymore.
  6. 4 Chan: What the hell is that, anyway?
  7. I finally saw Inception yesterday. It is so nice to see that Cillian Murphy has finally grown into his oddly-shaped face.
  8. Wow, what the heck is going on with the Google logo today anyway? Is it the anniversary of the day they invented the Milton Bradley game Twister or the design for the Wonder Bread wrapper? Take a look at it and tell me what you think is going on
  9. The next season of Survivor debuts on September 15th. I am excited about that as long as there is absolutely no way for them to bring back Russell again. Because seriously, I hate that guy.
  10. Every day I wonder why this one particular post, Happy Birthday, Jim Morrison, is always the most popular post on this blog. Today was no exception.
Music, Pop Culture

Top Ten Random Observances from Last Night’s MGMT Show at Radio City

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    1. Hurray for the Mr. Softee truck parked right across the street!
    2. From the third mezzanine (thanks, Ticketmaster!) the band really did look like ants. It could have been anyone on that stage.
    3. They charge $5 – Five Bucks – for a bottle of Coke in this place. Geez. At least they let you take it to your seat.
    4. All female MGMT fans are between the ages of 18 and 23 and have straight, light to medium brown long hair. All of them. They are like Stepford fans, or something.
    5. As stupid as I know I look when I dance in my seat because I am too lazy to stand up, the woman next to me, who resembled a Tyrannosaurus Rex trying to do the Robot (note new fake band name: Tyrannosaurus Robot) as she danced to “Electric Feel” wins the prize for most retarded dance moves ever! Ever!
    6. Estimated percentage of MGMT fans in attendance who actually know who Brian Eno is and can name one of his albums: 3%.
    7. Attention, all people with ants in their pants: If you have an assigned seat number, please stay in it. Please do not move seats every time someone with a seat one row closer to the stage gets up to go to the can. You are annoying and I get pleasure from making fun of you.
    8. What is it with these dip-shits who compulsively need to text and send emails all throughout the show like they can’t even possibly continue to live if they aren’t in continuous contact with their friends on FaceBook and Twitter? Guys, get with the vibe of the music and pretend it’s the Seventies, when this techy shit didn’t even exist. And get a life while you’re at it
    9. If you light a match in the Ladies Room behind closed stall doors, the Radio City Toilet Police will come storming into the john and loudly threaten anyone with ears that, “If you are smoking in here, you will be kicked out!” Jesus lady, it was just a courtesy match. If you knew better, you would be glad I lit it.
    10. As we battled our way back out onto the sidewalk after the show, a random MGMT fan tapped me on the shoulder and asked if she could take a picture with me, because she likes “Pink People” and not because she recognized me as a world-famous blogger. Just being serious. I enjoyed the attention, but am unsure if she was able to get my pink Chuck Taylor’s in the frame, because honestly, they would have made  the shot.
Pop Culture

Gail’s List of the Top Ten Sexiest Men of 2010!

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Thanks to Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s starring role in the current blockbuster hit, Inception, my Sexiest Men of 2008 list has been wrangling in the site traffic in huge numbers! S-E-O! This reminded me, of course, that I had somehow managed to completely overlook compiling a list for 2009, and I certainly do have a new flock of  sexy guys that I need to talk about. Let’s see what kind of traffic I can draw with this random  mix of hotness.

 

Alexander Skarsgard
If you enjoy watching TV shows that feature hot guys who get naked just as a matter of course during each episode, then you are probably a fan of HBO’s True Blood. In this modern, gothic soap opera that makes Dark Shadows look like a Jane Austin novel, there is really never a shortage of hot man candy to ogle. Whether you dig Sam Merlotte, the shape-shifting barkeeper; Jason Stackhouse, the brainless, horny mortal; or everyone’s favorite werewolf-with-a-heart-of gold, Alcide, good looking guys are getting naked at a pretty steady clip. HBO! But no one yanks my chain quite like the revenge-seeking vampire Viking prince, Eric Northman, as portrayed by the uber smokin’ Alexander Skarsgard. As they say down south, “Mama like.”

Rusell Brand

Russell Brand
Funny guys with drug habits are sexy. British comedian/actor Russell Brand may be clean and sober and engaged (three strikes), but I’d still do it just to cross him off my list.

Johnny Weir
Gay, straight, whatever. Figure skating champion Johnny Weir is the most beautiful man on the planet. I could look at him until myheart explodess. Have you seen his Sundance Channel TV series, Be Good Johnny Weir? It’s amazing. I love him

Demetri Martin
If you have not seen Demetri Martin’s brilliant Comedy Centeral show, Important Things with Demetri Martin, then I feel sorry for all of the hilarious sexiness you are missing out on. Demetri also has very sexy hair.

Vincent Kartheiser
Vincent Kartheiser plays advertising dweeb Pete Campbell on the best show on television,  Mad Men. I’m still not sure after four seasons if I even like his character (he seems terribly insincere to me) but wash all that Brylcreem out of his hair and Vincent Kartheiser, despite the fact that he looks like he is only about 14 years old, is hot stuff.

Noel Fielding
My friend Ivy says “Comedians are the new Rock Stars!” and I don’t disagree. Noel Fielding is one half of the British comedy team, The Mighty Boosh. He makes me insane.

Susur Lee
Two words: Celebrity Chef. A man who can make delicious foods for me at amazing restaurants like Shang and entertain me on Top Chef Masters is the definition of sexy.

Michael T. Weiss
When I was in California last Christmas, I met a woman at my parents’ church who looked exactly like that character Mimi from the Drew Carey Show. After speaking with her for, oh, maybe five minutes I realized that she was completely batshit insane. But I can’t completely regret the torture of being trapped in conversation with her, because she did turn me on to DVDs of the late 90’s TV series, The Pretender, starring Michael T. Weiss, who is just criminally handsome.

Paul Rudd
If Paul Rudd were single and in love with me, he would, I believe, be the perfect man.

Owen Wilson
I can’t help but have a thing for any guy who looks like he’s taken a punch in the face and yet can still manage to make me swoon.

How about you, Dear Readers; who do you think is sexy?