Pop Loser: Pretty Woman’d at the Curiosity Shop

Welcome back to Pop Loser! This week, Kelly Clarkson feuded with a Brooklyn curiosity shop over an animatronic bird, Britney Spears dropped an unreleased song from Britney, and Mariah Carey saw The Last Supper. I’ll share my go-to album for the fall season. Plus, Halloween came early—the trailer dropped for the new documentary about the Shaggs.

This Week in Music:

This week in Strangerland, I attended the new Styled by the Streets exhibit at MOPOP which features two of Lil Kim’s iconic wigs (gasp!). Dave Segal wrote about some new music you shouldn’t miss. Eva Walker shared the goth magic of classic blues in her Dear Hendrix column. Plus, Jullianne Bell and I unleashed the second installment of our Scarecrow Psychotronic Movie challenge picks, offering a fucked-up movie recommendation for every day of October. Stay tuned for week three, dropping this Thursday. 

Kelly Clarkson got Pretty Woman’d at a curiosity shop. It’s a tale as old as time: famous singer/talk show host drives “all the way” to Brooklyn with the hopes of purchasing a $15,000 animatronic bird, but is “looked at” by the store clerk as if she can’t afford it. This is what happened to Clarkson on Saturday, and she took to X/Twitter to expose Art of Play, a boutique toy shop slinging a “unique collection of home goods, puzzles, games, toys and books.” The shop swiftly responded, explaining that “Molly,” the “one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton,” is permanently attached to the wall and is not for sale. Clarkson fired back with another lengthy post leveled at the shop owner, “You’re not only rude, you’re also a liar.”

Notably, “Molly” was created by Seattle-based automata builder Bliss Kolb, who offers a menagerie of wooden crank-operated birds and insects made to order on his website. Perhaps Clarkson should reach out directly. 

Last Friday, Britney Spears released a never-before-heard 2001 song co-written with then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake. The unfinished track, titled “She’ll Never Be Me,” features background vocals by Timberlake and is being released in honor of the 25th anniversary of her third album, Britney.

The trailer for the new documentary about the Shaggs dropped. Directed by Ken Kwapis—whose filmography includes episodes of Freaks and Geeks and The Office—We Are the Shaggs shares insights from two of the Wiggins sisters as they reflect on the time their father forced them to start a band. Their 1969 album, Philosophy of the World, would later become a favorite of Kurt Cobain and Frank Zappa. 

Olivia Rodrigo announced (via a photo from a recent video shoot) that her new song “Expectations,” featuring Chappell Roan, will be out this Thursday. As singer-songwriter Eliza McLamb commented, “God featuring Jesus release the Bible.”

Speaking of Olivia Rodrigo, she owns Meg White’s Elephant dress. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Rodrigo revealed that she spent an “exorbitant amount of money” on the white Gunne Sax dress worn by White Stripes drummer Meg White on the cover of Elephant. What exactly is “exorbitant”? Well, according to Julian’s Auctions, the dress sold for $25,600. Rodrigo also shared that she had planned to wear the dress at the inaugural Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival, but backed out because it was “too fucking hot.” Adding, “Maybe if I do Daisy Chain in the winter, I can wear it.”

Now, take a deep breath and enjoy…Mariah Carey viewing Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.

Music Events Worth Your Hard-Earned Money This Week:

King Youngblood, The Cosmic Neighborhood, The Detractors Oct 14, Hidden Hall, 6 pm, 21+

Diminished Men, Fungal Abyss, The Sheen, Nosretep Oct 15, Baba Yaga, 7 pm, 21+

Doja Cat: Tour Ma Vie World Tour Oct 15, Climate Pledge Arena, 7:30 pm, all ages

As Many Weirdos As Possible: Celebrating the Pacific Northwest Music Scene (1985-1995) Oct 16, Town Hall Seattle, 7:30 pm, all ages

Babe Rave Oct 16, Kremwerk, 10 pm, 21+

Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert 40th Anniversary Oct 16, Moore Theatre, 7 pm, all ages 

somesurprises, Ilyas Ahmed, Morgan Henderson Oct 16, Chapel Performance Space, 7:30 pm, all ages

DJ Shadow Celebrates 30 Years of Endtroducing Oct 17, Paramount Theatre, 8 pm

Imperial Teen, Kids on a Crime Spree Oct 17, Barboza, 6:30 pm, 21+

Spooky Scary Ballot Initiatives: Punk Show & Costume Party with Flesh Produce, Beautiful Freaks, Fruitless Worship, Tripe Oct 18, Vera Project, 7 pm, all ages

Digable Planets: Blowout Comb 30th Anniversary Tour Oct 20, Neptune Theatre, 8 pm, all ages

NICE AS F*#K ft. Jenny Lewis, Erika Forster, Tennessee Thomas Oct 20, Nectar Lounge, 5 pm & 8:15 pm, 21+

The Songs That Keep Me Up at Night:

“To B Without A Hitch” by Bridget St. John

Autumn has arrived, which means it’s time to pull out Bridget St. John’s 1969 folk album Ask Me No Questions. I like to think of it as the autumnal companion to Nico’s wintry Chelsea Girl.

Untitled (from Constellation) by Liz Harris

Liz Harris (aka Grouper) has announced a new album of film scores titled Music For Two Films About Water, to accompany oceanic shorts by the artists Tanja Engelberts and Takashi Makino. The first release, made for Makino’s Constellation, is a 21-minute-long ambient work with sparse piano and crashing waves—ideal for reading, writing, or sulking in the bathtub.

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