"Are you hungry? Did you eat before the POLL?"_ILM Artist Poll #51_SLEATER-KINNEY (VOTING ENDS Tuesday April 22nd at Midnight CST)

My personal favorite Sleater-Kinney story: The first time I saw them, the Gossip was the opener. They were pretty new, there was an EP but I don't think they even had an album out yet. I was watching them when a friend nudged me in the ribs and gestured to our right -- Corin and Carrie were standing right next to us, and Corin had a camcorder that she was holding high up overhead to record the Gossip's set. After every song they both clapped and yelled loud. They stayed there the whole set, with Corin taping most of it. When it was over they disappeared, and the next time we saw them, 30 minutes later, they were on stage as full-on rock stars.

(They seemed short when they were standing next to us, and much taller when they were on stage. Funny how that works.)

Sent. Fuck, that was not easy.

^^I know the feeling. As I work through the ballots I keep spotting tracks and am wondering 'why didn't I vote for that one?' which is funny because on the main poll there's about 90 or so eligible songs, and on a 20 track ballot there's around a 1 in 4 1/2 chance for any song to appear, so nothing exactly is hidden. I could have done another ballot with 20 different songs than the ones I voted for, and been just as satisfied.

Anyhoo, we are now less than a week out from the deadline, so those who haven't done their duty get get crackin'!

Yeah, I had to make some painful cuts. The Woods occupied far more of my ballot than I thought it would. This poll made me revisit it, and I'm glad I did. I don't know why I'm suddenly able to hear what I couldn't hear in it earlier, but I'm hard-pressed to think of another band that went out on a higher note.

Four In, Four Counted. One track on all four.

― Damnit Janet Weiss & The Riot Grrriel (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, April 15, 2014 12:28 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Is this track still on all the ballots?

Actually, yes!

Rooting for a good turnout, but I don't know enough about S-K to vote in this one.

I have a draft ballot, but I keep wanting to substitute things. There are songs I can't believe I'm leaving off. And right now there are three albums that only have one track each on my list, which is unfair to those albums but I can't help it!

Quick thoughts on revisiting the entire catalog: Corin's voice is one of the most amazing sounds ever in rock n roll; there's never been another band with anything like the guitar-vocal interplay of Corin and Carrie -- and the interplay is so dependent on the contrasts between their voices and their playing styles that it's hard to imagine it being duplicated because I don't know how you could plan to do something like that; they wrote great breakup songs; Janet kicks ass.

just a great band, that i only got into less than 5 years ago (see me recently-ish polling sleater-kinney ~ the woods ~ the poll & sleater-kinney the hot rock poll)

i still don't like One Beat at all, and i nearly know nothing abt side-projects so looking fwd to that!

Seven ballots in, and the mystery consensus has become, uh, less consensus-y.

"Mystery Consensus Song", even.

Listened to the first Corin Tucker Band album again -- stunned how damn catchy it is! Like, some tracks could've broken into my top 20 if the main ballot accepted extracurricular songs.

Oh yes, both the Tucker Band albums are great, and surprisingly slept on critically. I seem to recall brief, positive notices in RS, Mojo etc., but nothing near the reception S-K got.

It's Thursday, and we're still sitting at seven. Since the VU poll thread has been active again as of late, today's video is Wild Flag covering "She's My Best Friend" live w/Janet on vox:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBEPhM0l5XA

this band is kinda after my time, but I made a serious effort to absorb them a few years ago. since u are low on poll numbers, I will try to submit a ballot but I may not end up with 20 - I can remember 3 or 4 off the top of my head.

I saw Excuse 17 and Adickdid open for Unwound in a basement in maybe 1992?, one of the best things ever, directly responsible for tinnitus (Unwound set only).

Planning to pull together a ballot over the weekend. Actually ended up picking up the first Corin solo album yesterday, hadn't heard either of them before.

definitely voting, just need to listen a bit and bulk up my ballot, never listened to them a ton outside of The Hot Rock

Eight In.

i'm not sure i can bring myself to vote, but this would be on my theoretical part two

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?showall=true&bookmarkedmessageid=4544770&boardid=77&threadid=123

Definitely putting my ballot together over the weekend. Revisiting One Beat and The Woods before I do so, though.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ttlFGOOJerU

Just listening to All Hands on the Bad One again as I try to finish my list. I have no idea why it's seen as one of the weaker albums they've done. I'm hopefully going to find room at least five songs from it on my final list.

It has a bunch of good songs. My fave is "Leave You Behind."

I've always liked AHOTBO a lot, but in putting my ballot together I have trouble picking out standout tracks. All the songs are good, but to me it doesn't have the highs of some of their other records.

All Hands is the one I go back to most often when I want a S-K jolt.

There's at least one track on it though where Carrie's singing lead and her voice is painfully off. :(

"burn, don't freeze" been in my head all day. the version in my head shreds a lot more than the actual recording :-(

I want to say the big problem with All Hands... is it feels to me that it's the one time they kind of slept through/coasted. The songs are fine, the playing fantastic (if anything, this is what kept me coming back for more spins for the set), the production their slickest to that point, but...intheblanks otm. I ended up voting for a couple, all from the back half of the album oddly enough.

I feel the same way about All Hands. The show I saw on that tour was weirdly disappointing, too.

I'm going through my ballot now, lots of suggestions from the thread making it more difficult for me though.

I, also, am planning to scramble a ballot together over the weekend (somehow). This kinda snuck up on me despite anticipating it for a while.

best band

"burn, don't freeze" been in my head all day. the version in my head shreds a lot more than the actual recording :-(

― wat is teh waht (s.clover), Friday, April 18, 2014 7:16 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I know what you mean, but in a way I think that's an achievement. The song has this simmering tension that is as much implied as actual. It's like an abstracted version of the barn-burners off Dig Me Out -- they were good enough by The Hot Rock to convey "rock" without necessarily doing it.

Also, I can recommend a good substitute for the drama you've been craving.

I put ''Burn, Don't Freeze'' on at least one mixtape back in the day. Love the loopy maze of guitar and vocal sounds - when people talk about the 'interplay' between Corin and Carrie this is what I think of, even if they have other songs that rock harder etc.

No idea how I'm going to keep my ballot from being like, 3/4 of Dig Me Out plus token representatives from everything else.

Think I might try doing a poll frm memory cos I loved/love S-K so much, and also cos I listened to The Corin Tucker Band's Kill My Blues and oh man that voice

Dr Casino my poll shd I do one'll be mostly Woods/Hot Rock, so

(note, I am a total fan of all the later records, have defended them on ILX before, just while you're listening to Dig Me Out it basically seems like the best, most consistent record ever)

I'm like that abt a few of their recs, while listening. Don't have time/opportunity atm

would loooooooove an extra week on this poll, just cause of life/timing (end of semester clog of conferences, going outta town for easter, etc.) but i realize every poll is like that for somebody. They just have such a good catalog, there's no writing off any albums as not part of the brushing-up process.

Their only meh album (AHOTBO, imo) still has loads of great tracks, it's like 15 tracks long. ie yeah, this is hard

Happy RSD! Still sitting @ 8 ballots. If you feel like braving the crowds, there's this sidepoll item possibly still being racked at a shop near you:

Heavens to Betsy Calculated LP (1000 copies...contains exclusive bonus track never before released)

Anyway, continue having a Sleater-Kinney Weekend!

xp AHOTB tracks will account for the majority of my worst list, and while there are songs on there that I adore (frankly, the less "typical" S-K songs, which demonstrates how autopilot much of the album felt like to me), do they match up with all my faves from Dig Me Out or Hot Rock or Call The Doctor?

I saw this band six times, not counting their Freedom To Marry benefit stint, which included an early version of "Entertain" alongside "Step Aside" and the ripping "Fortunate Son" cover, and received a fairly tepid response from the overly primped Meatpacking District crowd. I would've loved to have heard "Call The Doctor" in that context: they want to socialize you. (I will say that this poll has made me realize how much that song has always meant to me, going back to being a confused and angry queer teen, and hearing those words cracking open a way of life [for better or worse]. This was the greatest band, every show was revelatory, and I miss them. I hate Portlandia)

may i just
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J8n9R8rnB8

damn
wild flag - romance
there

11 in and counted on this final day of this most Sleater-Kinney of weekends! You've still got the rest of today, all of Monday, and all--to most of Tuesday (depending where you are) to vote.

the wild flag live show i saw was unfortunately dull

just submitted my ballot, looking forward to seeing the results. Thanks C. Grisso/McCain!

I loved the Wild Flag shows I saw! They seemed to be having so much fun. Plus they covered Television, The Ramones, and Fugazi!