Culture Compass - Braids, Hookers and Blow, Gordon Lightfoot

Thursday

Braids

7th St. Entry

8 p.m.

$10

Braids is an experimental art-pop group from Canada who crafts their music around complex rhythmic stylings and nontraditional vocal structures. I know what you’re thinking: Isn’t that band called Animal Collective? Though similar in some sense, Braids is less reverb-y and is fronted by a female, rendering them more in the vein of, say, Björk meets Dirty Projectors. Regardless, they have a quirky sound and the entry is an ideal space to vibe on it.

Friday

 Hookers and Blow

Lee’s Liquor Lounge, 101 Glenwood Ave.

11: p.m.

$7

Breach the force field of the Dinkytown/Stadium Village bubble and catch household rocker Adam Levy’s soulful project, Hookers and Blow. Sounds fun. Don’t get caught.

Saturday

Gordon Lightfoot

State Theater, 805 Hennepin Ave.

8 p.m.

$48.50-$58.50

Yeah I know, you could drop the same amount of money on two or three modern/hyped music acts but hear me out: this could very well be your only chance to see iconic folk-pop legend Gordon Lightfoot perform live on a stage. For a man whose influence within the realm of folk music was so monumental, it’s worth it. It’s always the most nostalgic paragons that leave your hair raised.

CULTURE TO CONSUME

Listen to this: “Era Extraña” by Neon Indian

High on the musical impress list this week is the sophomore LP coming from Texas’ own Neon Indian. The album hasn’t even dropped yet, but you can stream it on npr.org. It’s a fuzzy electro-pop blend that, in addition to providing adequate dance tuneage, also highlights the vocals of our main man, Alan Palomo (that’s Neon Indian’s human name). Ride that chillwave, baby.

Drink this: Herkimer Oktoberfest

The Herkimer’s Oktoberfest has the same effect that its less cool, nonalcoholic distant cousin, the cup of hot cider, does on a crisp autumn day. It’s comforting. It’s a treat because it’s seasonal and it’s sweet (also malty in the Herk’s case). At the end of the day, though, the booze drink wins, and this robust, micro-brewed variation is a buzz-worthy choice.

Eat this: Pie on a Stick at the Mill City Farmer’s market.

First off, farmer’s markets are a sweet, sweet money saver for poor, poor college students. And this one, located in the quaint riverside area next to the Guthrie, is loaded with interesting food options. But I digress. Guys, it’s pie … on a stick!

Watch this: “Drive”

Let me inform you of a relevant actor named Ryan Gosling. You may know him from such roles as mouseketeer, the guy in “The Notebook,” a crack-smoking teacher or “being hot.” Well, he’s landed the starring role in what Netflix might call a “Cerebral Action Drama.” It’s about a stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver. A heist goes terribly awry and, life in mortal danger, he sets (vrooms) out on a gritty quest to give the bad guys a reckoning of the rogue, Gosling kind. Carey Mulligan plays his sexual attraction. Sold? Sold.

Read this: “Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman” by Patricia Bosworth

Ask yourself this: Was there ever a woman more intriguing, more politically determined, more attractive in a leotard or more endearing in goofy grandma-age rom-com roles than Jane Fonda? I suppose it’s possible, but the Jane-of-all-trades ­­­has led a pretty interesting life, which has been intelligently documented in Bosworth’s engaging biography.

In the words of a seminal songwriting genius called Mickey Avalon: “I know you wanna do (read) the Jane Fonda (book).”