Has anyone else noticed that familiar voice in the Target commercials for leatherwear? (Oh, shut up, so we’ve been watching too much TV lately. ‘Tis the season for nesting, OK?) It is, in fact, Miss Mary Lou Lord singing her version of Daniel Johnston‘s “Speeding Motorcycle.” If that didn’t make you run right out and buy yourself a zippy little cowhide number at the bull’s-eye superstore, maybe it will send you to your local (independent) record retailer to pick up Live City Sounds, her full-length due in January 2002. The eternal busker did, of course, record it live in the subway, and, yes, it’s all covers. . . . Speaking of supporting your local indie record outlets, we shouldn’t have to twist your arm to get you down to Sonic Boom‘s new Ballard location for opening weekend: We’d pay to see the Shins (Friday at 6 p.m.), Lanterna (Saturday at 5 p.m.), and Dear John Letters (Sunday at 5 p.m.), and that’s in some smoky, shoulder-to-shoulder, “Don’t you wished everybody used Dial?” bar. You can catch those bands for free, up-close and personal, at the new Boom, and, obviously, you don’t have to be 21. It’s 2209 N.W. Market , now skedaddle. . . . Calling all Cavers: Nick and the Bad Seeds are back, rescheduled for April 22 at the Paramount Theatre. Think we’re jumping the gun? Not so—tix have already gone on sale. . . . If you’re looking for a reason to visit N.Y.C., have we got a good one: Twisted Sister, along with the Ace Frehley Band, Anthrax (who, contrary to the dumb joke running around, have not changed their name to Basket of Puppies), Sebastian Bach (yesss!), Overkill, and surprise guests will be playing an all-star W.T.C. benefit called “New York Steel” at the Hammerstein Ballroom Nov. 28. Unless you really want to see what the last 15 years has done to Dee Snyder, though, we’d recommend skipping the front row. . . .

Bevis Frond fans, rejoice! Rubric Records is set to rerelease their classic and previously unavailable back catalog in phases, now through early 2002. . . . Fans of the Tindersticks, however, don’t have much to celebrate; drummer Al Macauley has walked out on the band, reportedly for good, due to “exhaustion.” The band had to play a show in Berlin last week without a drummer and plan to continue with either session musicians or a rearranged, drumless set. . . . Since we were out of town last week, we weren’t able to report some very sad news: Rob Mitchell, the founder of Warp Records, died. Reportedly, cancer claimed the life of the man responsible for breaking innovative acts like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Boards of Canada, Autechre, and more. . . . Which Seattle band recently won the heart of local rock-star-in-hiding Pete Buck? None other than the fabulous Turn-Ons, with their T.-Rex-meets-the-modern-jive vibe and ultrachic aesthetic. A recently completed EP should satisfy the cravings of the label reps who’ve been sniffing around, and if things work out right, perhaps Mr. Buck will be sitting behind the board of their next full-length; he mentioned in a recent interview that he’d “love to produce one of their records if they’re interested.” Oh, twist their arm. . . . If you’re a fan of that man-hunting bony barrister Ally McBeal, then check out the major musical stars creator and fanboy David Kelley has lined up for the show’s new season. If you, like us, find the show’s ceaselessly neurotic, teeth-gnashingly quirky little Skeletor intensely irritating, you may still want to tune in this week for scheduled guest star Boz Scaggs (a personal Kelley favorite). Not enough for ya? Well, the show that’s already featured the likes of Tina Turner and Sting (we know how stadium superstars love to play martini bars in Boston) will also host Mariah Carey(!) on a

yet-to-be-disclosed date in the near future. We hope She of the Delicate Mental State gets up there and starts railing against J.Lo like she has recently in the press, but we’re keeping our expectations for any unscripted outbursts low. And, no, we’re not done yet—none other than Jon Bon Jovi will also appear, but not as himself. The singer-turned-actor is scheduled for a nine-episode run, most likely as a post-Robert Downey Jr. pick-me-up for poor, dissed Calista. . . . We haven’t seen it yet, but we’ve heard reports that the new Stephen Malkmus video for “Jo Jo’s Jacket” includes such highlights as a completely bald Malkmus and a backup band made up entirely of cats. The freak behind it all? Video auteur Shynola, responsible for Radiohead’s “Pyramid Song.” . . . We’re so goddamn hyped-up about this weekend’s double whammy of the Shins with Preston School of Industry (at Graceland on Friday) and the Breeders (Saturday at the Croc), we’ve just peed ourselves. How embarrassing. Well, our tiny bladders simply weren’t made to handle all this excitement, but our laptops sure were, so we promise a full report next week. Until then, happy Halloween, kiddos. . . .

Send news flashes, sightings and bitchy bits to nights@seattleweekly.com.