THIS is a CLOSE-UP?

2006 was the first full year that I'd been cut off from the music retail teat since 1990, but somehow I managed to go here and there, from one state to another, and see some shows. Some were magnificant, some fell into the "just a show" category, but here's how the year shook out: The National / The Cloud Room [Intersection, Grand Rapids 3.23] Electric Six [Magic Stick, Detroit 4.1 Editors / Stellastarr* [Magic Stick, Detroit 4.13] Coachella Music & Arts Festival [Empire Polo Field, Indio, CA 4.29/4.30] Secret Machines [Magic Bag, Ferndale 5.14] Movement: 06 [Hart Plaza, Detroit 5.29] Intonation Music Festival [Union Park, Chicago 6.24/6.25] Gnarls Barkley / Peeping Tom [State Theater, Detroit 8.7] Steely Dan / Michael McDonald [DET Energy Music Theater, Clarkston 9.2] Lindsey Buckingham [Emerald Theater, Mt. Clemens 10.22] Mobius Band / Baby Dayliner [Intersection, Grand Rapids 10.23] Electric Six [St. Andrew’s Hall, Detroit 11.4] Aside from the usual

I visited Arizona twice in three months way back in 1996. I saw one of the biggest forest fires I'd ever seen when I was there in May of that year, but I've never seen something like this: And this is happening in America , gang. The first of what I'm sure will be many more to come. (And I, for one, welcome our new climate change overlords.)

David and Stephen Dewaele are the brothers that comprise the electronic pop group Soulwax , but they also have made a name for themselves over the past decade as mash-up pioneers 2manydjs . Instead of releasing another compact disc approximating their lively and ass-shaking (and quite funny at times) live set, they decided to create a multimedia project called Radio Soulwax. Now available as an iPad app, Radio Soulwax offers hour-long thematic mixes, set to some of the entertaining visuals that often accompany their live shows. It's the next best thing to being at one of their shows, and my iPad is happier for it. (I'm currently listening to & watching coverversioncovers, including an insane riff on Falco called "Rock Me Jerry Lewis" followed by a disco version of "Tubular Bells." Some sweet shit.)