kurt-braunohler-top-ten-lps-2012
Picasa

Kurt Braunohler's Top 10 Albums of 2012 ++ upcoming dates

Kurt

This installment of Klaus Kinski Bugging Funny People He Adores For Their Top 10 Favorite Things of 2012 brings us face to face with the great comedic tornado that is Kurt Braunohler. Kurt entered a cherished spot in my heart chambers many many years ago when I first saw him performing with Kristen Schall somewhere. Since then I’ve seen him do stand-up and sketch type stuff alone or with Kristen no less than 70 million times and he has never, ever, never ever not brought his A-Game to the stage (a favorite bit, btw). His resume is extensive. Kurt has been seen (or heard) on TV on Bob’s Burgers (FOX), Chelsea Lately, Delocated (Adult Swim), John Oliver’s NY Stand Up Show, The Heart She Holler (Adult Swim), Comedy Central Presents, Jon Benjamin Has a Van (Comedy Central), Assy McGee (Adult Swim), Human Giant (MTV) and the anti-game show he hosts, BUNK! on IFC. He can also be heard on the radio on This American Life.

As far as stages, Kurt has performed at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival, Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and Chicago, New York Comedy Festival (named a “Comic to Watch”), SXSW, Bonaroo, All Tomorrow’s Parties, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (IF.Comedy Award nominee), Melbourne Comedy Festival (Barry Award Winner), the HBO Vegas Comedy Festival, the Chicago Improv Festival (“Improv Ensemble of the Year” Award Winner) and he once performed at Radio City Music Hall, but only because his comedy partner (Schall) is pretty famous. And who can forget the awesome web series Penelope: Princess of Pets? Or the fact that he hosted Hot Tub with Kristen Schaal for 7 years? Do you like wunderkinds? Then you will LOVE KURT!

Kurt’s list of favorite albums from this year, brought to life with my htmling and youtube embeddings, as well as a list of upcoming Kurt tour dates (no NYC), are yours to enjoy. BELOW.

Sleeper Agent – “Celabrasion
This southern-Kentucky-fuzzy-indie-punk-with-a-lady-singer-rock-and-fucking-roll is just perfect to listen to at full blast while plotting to steal something at a suburban mall.


Tanlines – “Mixed Emotions
“Moody sad smiles with tons of synth!” says my racist impression of a foreigner listening to them for the first time. Ex-Don Caballero if anyone remembers Pittsburgh in the 90s.


Twin Shadow – “Confess
Like Morrissey moved to Mexico City and lived in a discotheque eating only Prince records.


Dan Friel – “Total Folklore
For the commenters who will inevitably point this out, technically this won’t come out until February 19, 2013 on Thrill Jockey, but please shut the fuck up and do something else with your time like get a job or cure cancer, you boring fucking nerd. Certain tracks have been released online, and they are fucking great. Dan was one part of Parts and Labor, and anyone who was a fan of their noisy, anthemic explosions will love this record.


Cloud Nothings – “Attack on Memory
My friend and I saw Cloud Nothings at SXSW last year and it was one of the best shows I saw all year. This album is much darker and heavier than their previous releases (Wine dark like the ancient Greek sea, right?!) but still sounds super mid-nineties which is right up my alley because my alley is old as shit.


Japandroids – “Celebration Rock
If you don’t like Japandroids you hate teenage love and getting drunk in public parking lots and fuck you.


Cusses – “Cusses
Lead singer Angel Bond sounds at times like early Karen O, and sometimes like an angry sexy cat (in a good way) while the rest of the band is a super tight rocketship blasting her to a planet where everyone is attractive and wearing leather. “Good music for fucking!”


Doug Stanhope – “Before Turning the Gun on Himself
So this is the only comedy album in the list, and for good reason. Doug Stanhope is the last of the insane, brilliant stand-ups. This album is angry, drunk, super smart and doesn’t give a shit. The final track about the Killer Whale trainer who died at Sea World is possibly the best and most poignant stand up routine of this decade.


Drivewave Mix@movingsideways
This is a great chillwave mix inspired by the movie, Drive. Chris Hauselt (@movingsideways) made it and it’s been on constant play in my house since I took a now illegal internet drug and went to another universe while listening to it. You should download it and listen to it. You should also follow him on Twitter. He funny.


Survival Knife – is Justin and Brandt from Unwound and husband-wife blister-rock-team Meg and Kris Cunningham. They don’t have an album out yet, but I just got to see them at a Kill Rock Stars showcase in Portland (with stls and Kinski) and they blew the doors off the place. It’s got everything I loved about Unwound and more – including Meg singing on at least one song, which was my favorite of the set. I’m VERY excited about this album coming out. But for now, just fly to Olympia and see them live. (Fun fact/ editorial confession: I’m releasing an album on KRS next year – their first comedy album – so I’m fucking biased, ok.)


UPCOMING KURT BRAUNOHLER DATES
2/7 – 9:00PM
Arlington Draft House, Arlington VA

12/8 – 9:00PM
Arlington Draft House, Arlington VA

12/10 – 9:00PM
Paul Scheer’s Holiday show – Largo – LA

12/12 – 9:00PM
Meltdown – LA

12/30 – 9:00PM
Wonderland Ballroom – Ravere, MA – w/ Hold Steady and Lucero

12/31 – 9:00PM
Wellmont Theatre – Montclair, NJ – w/ Hold Steady and Lucero

1/18 – 8:00 PM
Tomorrow Never Knows – The Hideout – Chicago, IL

1/18 – 10:00 PM
Delocated at TNK – The Hideout – Chicago, IL

1/19 – 8:00 PM
Delocated at TNK – The Hideout – Chicago, IL

1/19 – 10:00 PM
Tomorrow Never KNows – The Hideout – Chicago, IL

1/24 – 9:00PM
Laughing Skull, Atlanta GA

1/25 – 9:00PM
Laughing Skull, Atlanta GA