"Thank you. Drive safely. Don't kill me."

I love him so much, I don't even care that he isn't wearing a belt. 

Radio that you see with your eyes

Check out Lightning Love on Break Thru Radio. They do a little studio session and then apologize for being bad at interviews. I love them.

Two sweet shows this Saturday in Hamtramck

I don't care which show you go to, just spend your money in Hamtramck. Baby needs new shoes:

If this quote from bassist Karen Neal's recent Real Detroit interview doesn't make you want to go to this reunion show, I am not sure what would: "On our second tour of Europe, we pissed all over Bad Religion's dressing room. They were assholes. We were drinkers back then, we were pretty wild." Plus Betty Cooper opens! It's a sure thing.

You could also head to the New Dodge to see a delightful selection of indie rock goodness courtesy of Destroy This Place and friends. I'm particularly intrigued by Haunted House: not only is their name seasonally timely but, by what I'm hearing on this here YouTube video, their sound absolutely qualify as "Smiths-like." I totally approve.

Hush Hush

BREAKING: Aimee Mann is adorable.

Do It Your Goddamn Self

The DIY Street Fair is this weekend in Ferndale! Are you going? You should. It will be fun.

RuPaul's Drag Race: The Musical Legacy

Considering the surprise Top 40 success of RuPaul's dance hit "Supermodel," it shouldn't surprise me how many RuPaul's Drag Race contestants have tried their hand at music making. It's been almost 20 years since Ru Paul topped the Billboard charts, so America is clearly ready for the next drag singing sensation, right? 

But if there's one thing I've learned from my Drag Race immersion therapy (my girlfriend and I devoured seasons 2-4 in just a few weeks time), there's a really good reason why most drag queens stick to lip synching. But that fact didn't stop a handful of Drag Race winners and also-rans from turning out some tunes. Although it probably should have in some cases. 

Let's take a look at some of the songs these divas created and decide whether these ladies are musically fierce or musical failures:



Tyra Sanchez - "Look At Me"
Tyra Sanchez may have been the winner of Season 2 (Raven was robbed!), but if there's one thing we learned about her during the show it's singing is something she should probably never do. Somehow this obvious fact was lost on her. Tyra. Seriously. "Look At Me" is the reason Beyonce is ignoring your calls. This song should not exist. Verdict: Musical Failure



Tatianna - "Losing Control"
Despite her touchy defensiveness and penchant for hooker-wear, I had a soft spot for Season 2 also-ran Tatianna. I was surprised to find that she has not one, but three singles available on iTunes.  Sadly the underdog with the really, really short skirt also makes music that falls really, really short. She showed a surprisingly funny side on the show with a spot-on Brittany Spears impression, but her songs are all totally void of any humor and just sound thin, cliched and forgettable. Verdict: Musical Failure



Pandora Boxx - "I Wanna Have Some Fun"
Pandora Boxx was one of my favorites on season 2. I like the fact that out of drag you'd just think he was some nerd on his way to the comic book store, and as a drag queen she's funny and self-effacing, but still pretty and not a total cartoon. Her music reflects that as well. "I Wanna Have Some Fun" is better than most of the songs RuPaul's Drag Race contestants have subjected us to, but many of these ladies have set the bar pretty low, so that's not saying much. Extra props for the Samantha Fox "Naughty Girls Need Love Too" nod. Verdict: Musically Fierce



Jessica Wild - "You Like It Wild"
If there's one thing I learned from Ru Paul's Drag Race, it's that everybody in Puerto Rico is apparently a drag queen. Jessica Wild was one of my favorite contestants from Season 2 because out of drag he was so cute and had such a sweet personality. "You Like It Wild" is basically an introduction song - you can easily picture Jessica Wild taking the stage and stomping down the runway to it. Or at least up the rickety stairs to the make-shift stage of a sketchy gay bar. Verdict: Musically Fierce



Sahara Davenport - "Pump With Me"
Maybe I've been around too many new mothers recently, because "Pump With Me" sounds like the name of a song the American Academy of Pediatrics would commission to promote breast feeding. I don't think that's what Ms. Davenport was going for. Although her voice isn't Tyra-horrible, she should stick to her amazing ballet-inspired dance moves and abandon her musical ambitions. Verdict: Musical Failure



Shangela - "Call Me LaQuifa"
Shangela was one of my favorites on the show, and her "Call Me LaQuifa" totally rules. Like DJ Assault in drag, the song is a collection of crazy Shangela dialogue snippets set to an infectious beat. I hope this is played every single night at every single gay club in the country. Verdict: Musically Fierce



Raja - "Diamond Crowned Queen"
Raja was the winner of Season 3 and I loved her avant garde fashion sense and androgyny. Although she won the musical challenge in which each queen had to perform a RuPaul song in a different musical style, I think her win had more to do with style and showmanship than it did her singing talent. Sadly, Raja apparently didn't see it that way. "Diamond Crowned Queen" is as awful as it is creepy. It's like a chopped and screwed Lords Of Acid song that just won't end. She has another song "Sublime" which is only slightly better. No more singing, Raja. Verdict: Musical Failure




Manila Luzon - "Hot Couture"
Manila was far from my favorite of Season 3. Too bitchy and too quick to look down on some of the other contestants. So I'm surprised that she managed to turn out a really good song. It's obvious that auto-tune is her best friend, but vocal assistance aside, "Hot Couture" is damn catchy. I could see RuPaul performing this song. Which is basically the highest praise I could give a drag queen's song. However, she should really quit while she's ahead: her other song, "Best Xxxcessory," is a hot mess. Verdict: Musically Fierce




Willam - "Chow Down"

Season 4 introduced us to Willam, but before we really got to see a whole lot of what she had to offer, she was disqualified and sent home for violating the show contract (her husband came to visit her at the hotel which is an apparent no-no). We may never know how far she would have gotten on the show, but musically speaking, she's a total Drag Superstar. "Chow Down" is a tongue-in-cheek take down of America's most politically polarizing fast food joint set to the tune of Wilson Phillip's "Hold On." What's not to love? She's also got a few other hilariously inappropriately numbers like "The Vagina Song" and "Love You Like A Big Schlong" that show she's got a more than a few pervy musical tricks up her skirt. Verdict: Musically Fierce

So there you have it. Hopefully these songs will tide you over until RuPaul's Drag Race Allstars starts in October.

For some reason, people still make tribute albums

So I finally got around to listening to Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute To Fleetwood Mac. Part of the reason it's taken me so long is that I'm just woefully behind on new music releases. I blame this on a recent Radiolab obsession. Have you listened to that show? So good. I downloaded their app and have been making my way through the episode archives. (Although, confidential to Robert Krulwich: No more mentioning how you dislike the word "awesome." Ugh. We get it already. Jesus.)

The other reason I have procrastinated listening to Just Tell Me That You Want Me is more obvious. It's because, no mater how hyped they are (and they're always way hyped), tribute albums are usually terrible. Even the songs by the artists you like are usually a let down. There are one or two good songs, and a whole lot of filler. And the "filler" songs can range from forgettable to just offensively bad. But as an overall listening experience, tributes don't tend to have a lot of staying power. Just look the used "Various Artists" bin the next time you go to a record store (I mean, if you ever go to a record store again). I promise, it is filled with multiple, dusty, unloved copies of the following compact discs:

If I Were A Carpenter (Only good songs: Shonen Knife's "Top Of the World" and Sonic Youth's "Superstar.")

Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams (Only good songs: Soul Asylum's "Summer of Drugs" and Evan Dando's "Frying Pan." Some will argue Pearl Jam's "Crazy Mary" should be included here, but that's just stupid.)

Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (Only good song: The Cure's "Purple Haze.")

Ecomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin (Only good songs: none.)

Of course, you might be thinking, "Oh, Laura. Those albums came out in the 1990's. Most people were not even born yet, let alone listening to "compact discs." Fine. Here's a more recent example: 

Rave On: Buddy Holly (Only good song: Patti Smith's "Words of Love." And it's not even all that great. I'm just kind of in love with her.) 

But! Just Tell Me That You Want Me is different. Well, at least different enough to make it surpass my admittedly very, very low expectations. There are two songs that are immediate stand outs: Antony's "Landslide" and the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy/Matt Sweeney version of "Storms." It helps that those are also two of my favorite Fleetwood Mac songs. I also already knew and loved the extensive cover song repertoire of both Antony and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy going into this.

The sure sign for me that this is a pretty solid collection: I only hated two of 19 songs. MGMT and the Entrance Band's contributions just don't do it for me. MGMT's version of "Future Games" is a tedious nine minute Moon Safari-era Air rip off. No thanks. And the Entrance Band is still on my shit list for playing way too fucking long when they opened for Sonic Youth a couple years ago. And their take on "The Green Manalishi" is as tedious and wank-filled as all the songs I saw them play live. Plus they're from L.A. so there is very little chance I will ever give them a fair shake.

So there you have it. If you like any of the artists on this tribute record, Fleetwood Mac, or penguins I'd recommend giving it a listen. By its very nature, it won't stand the test of time, but it offers some sweet moments for the present. Take them in before Just Tell Me That You Want Me gets deposited in the dusty, digital used bin in the sky.