Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles Smoke "Picked To Click 2008" Like It Ain't No Thang

As you may have ascertained from the headline, the utterly unique, dizzyingly (not a word, but dammit, it applies) talented Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles have taken their Orange Peels and Rattlesnakes all the way to the top of the pops. And by pops, I mean to the top of the City Pages's "Picked To Click 2008", which went live late last night. The circumstances surrounding the throwback act's victory are as unique as the band itself. City Pages explains:

Forget McCain and Obama—this year's closest election came down to two righteous local ladies: Lucy and Sarah. One is the leader of ukulele-tinged Gypsy/folk/jazz group Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, while the other, Sarah Nienaber, fronts noisy pop band Gospel Gossip. It was a tough fight, as the two stayed neck-and-neck during the counting of more than 100 ballots, but ultimately Lucy Michelle reigns supreme in this year's best-new-band poll...

Due to an unusual number of ties, we ended up with a whopping 13 finalists in the top 10 this year—the most winners ever. And only one band broke up before the issue hit the stands! Ladies and gentlemen, our Lucky 13:

Read the rest of the results here.

(Jonathan Graef)
jon@minneapolisfuckingrocks.com

City Pages Publishes "Picked to Click 2007"

Click here for a complete rundown on the happenings of Picked to Click, but here is basically what went down:

Band (# of Votes):

Mouthful of Bees (68)
Gay Witch Abortion (34)
First Communion Afterparty (29.5)
Skoal Kodiak (28)
Roma di Luna (27)
Dance Band (26)
MC/VL (23)
Baby Guts (20.5)
M.anifest (18)
His Mischief (17.5)

Online-only runner-ups:

Weaver at the Loom (17)
Black Audience (16)
City on the Make, Jeremy Messersmith, Private Dancer (15)
Big Quarters, Pandemonium (13)
Mystery Palace; Now, Now Every Children (12)
A Night in the Box, Dark Dark Dark, Switzerlind (11)
Bastard Saint, The Evening Rig (10)
Beatrix Jar (9)
Dessa, France Has the Bomb, Ghost in the Water, Joanna James, To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie (8)

More to come as the story develops.

(Ian Anderson)

Is MFR Reader Tara Psychic? To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie Make Stereogum's "Band To Watch" List

Download: To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie - "A Box Twenty" (Via Stereogum)
Download: To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie - "The Patron"
Download: To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie - "Lovers and Liars"

In the comment section of Ian's piece about the 2007 edition of City Pages' "Picked To Click" series, reader Tara suggests that To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie will be one of the bands that are picked to click. Even if they aren't included on the City Pages' list, at someone else on the almighty interweb thinks that TKAPB is worthy of attention. That someone else is Stereogum, who recently featured the band as part of its "Band To Watch" feature.

When all is said and done, a Stereogum endorsement would certainly help a band to click, no? If so, nicely done, Tara.

The new album, The Patron comes out on Oct. 15th on Kranky.

MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Picked to Click 2007

Every year, the City Pages releases a "Picked to Click" list of the Top 10 best local artists and bands. This list is compiled from votes made by local musical people and is published in a big edition of the City Pages, which will not go public for at least another month.

So, my question to you is: who would be your Top 5 votes for "Picked to Click" for 2007? Post you vote as a comment below!

(Ian Anderson)