Although I often post here about how much I love Regina Spektor (an awful lot), I don't do it without good reason. Tonight, she'll be playing at the Paramount and I couldn't be more thrilled.

She's an unconventional songwriter whose songs don't always follow a structure and she can go from abrasive to sweet and gentle and back in matter of a seconds. One of her concerts is like reading a series of short stories - each song has a different perspective or tone or ideology; although her newest album, Far, is the most emotional, it's tough to say that it's the most personal. Live, she's perfectly lovely and charming and isn't afraid to pull songs out of her entire catalogue (I think each time I've seen her play, she's performed "Baby Jesus" - see below - although it hasn't appeared on one of her albums).

Have I also mentioned that she's really lovely?

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Did I just type that headline? Really??

It's true, we have a pair of tickets to give away to a VERY lucky TIG reader to see my queen of rock and/or roll at the Paramount on November 3. Regina Spektor is one of my very favorite artists as she her combine nonlinear songwriting with a harmony that is lovely when it needs to be and jarring when it's called for.

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Last night I saw the film (500) Days of Summer at SIFF - it's a romcom starring Zooey Deschanel and it's pretty cute but the film got on my good side immediately when they played the song "Us" by Regina Spektor over the title sequence. That made me think of how I only have to wait two more weeks for a new album from my favorite singer-songwriter.

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Although I don't fully understand the "Shortlist" awards, they have announced their, ahem, shortlist for the 2006 award. The Shortlist award is "a peer-selected award that recognizes the most creative and adventurous albums of the year" (um okay) and made their 10 album nomination list. The winner will be announced "in May". I get the impression it is an attempt to be an American version of the "Mercury Prize" in the UK but maybe I'm just not a big fan of extraneous awards anyway.

The nominees are Band of Horses, Beirut, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Cat Power, Girl Talk, Hot Chip, Joanna Newsom, Regina Spektor, Spank Rock, & Tom Waits.

Indeed, a motley crew.

Thanks to a live webcast stream, now we can see all the great bands playing Coachella this weekend without having to deal with the lines, portapotties, drum circles, and $10 bottle of waters.

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'Tis true that she is my favorite artist in a post-Sleater-Kinney world, and for good reason.

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I'm so proud of the Pacific Northwest music scene, as she has given us some of the best records released anywhere (although Suburban Kids, Art Brut, Manhattan Love Suicides, and Graham Coxon — I love you like a sister).

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