R.I.P. Woxy.com 2004-2006

Indeed, this does suck, but it's not like we didn't see it coming. This is the moment all of us hoped would never come. After plugging away at this for the past two years, it’s become pretty clear that operating woxy.com as a stand-alone Internet "radio station" is not going to cut it...Barring something exceptional happening in the next two weeks, we will silence our broadcasts on Friday, September 15th.

Soulwax Preview

Belgium's #1 sibling DJ duo Soulwax (aka 2 Many DJs) are back with a brand new release, Nite Visions, and a full North American tour next month. The new record is said to be "interpolations and reinterpretations of tracks taken in most part from their highly acclaimed ‘Any Minute Now’ album– replayed and reworked, twisted to work on the dancefloor and a homage to the extended 12” format." The corresponding tour is said to bring about "as much debauchery that you can fit into one evening." Well, well, well...we shall see. The Nite Visions tour hits Double Door on September 17th. In the meantime, bump this preview track on your bangin' laptop speakers: Download: Soulwax - "Miserable Girl" (MP3)

Live Review: Gran Bel Fisher @ Park West 8/29/06

Some might want to lump Gran Bel Fisher into the pool of popular singer/songwriters on today's airwaves, but to do so would be a mistake. He has a unique voice and intelligent songwriting that sets him apart from the likes of a Daniel Powter or a James Blunt. Gran Bel Fisher, a rocker from Ohio writes reflective songs that soar, supported by a strong baritone voice, sweeping piano and twangy guitar. With the difficult task of opening for UK soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae, Gran Bel Fisher and his cohort Josh Krajcik on additional guitar delivered a well-suited set of songs off of his recent LP, Full Moon Cigarette. A great debut collection of well-written, thoughtful piano ballads as well as classic rock-driven tracks akin to The Doors and Led Zeppelin. Gran Bel Fisher spent the majority of the set behind the 88 keys, however he did step up next to Josh to perform a few songs on guitar. It definitely helps to have a talented guitarist like Josh Krajcik on your side, together they created a smooth clash of interwoven guitar, that came crashing together so perfectly on the song "Dazey Day". There was mellow, understated eloquence on "Bound by Love", where Fisher's vocals reveal glimpses of Jeff Buckley. Though, it was the closing song "Full Moon Cigarette" that really stuck a chord with me, further exploring his ethereal vocals and carefully plotted piano opening, it was easy to hear his vision come to fruition as the song progressed. This was a fine outing by a promising young songwriter, and one who has a maturity to his music well beyond his years. You can catch Gran Bel Fisher when he comes back to Chicago on September 24th @ Schuba's with Ari Hest. Setlist: Far Cry Moment Edible Crash and Burn In Dreams Bound By Love Dazey Day Full Moon Cigarette

Live Pics: Corinne Bailey Rae @ Park West 8/29/06

Corinne Bailey Rae has an impeccable, soulful voice that separates her from the crowd. She has the performance intensity of Fiona Apple, in terms of the deep seeded emotion that she pours into her songs and that powers her gorgeous voice. She is fully committed on stage, shifting from the humble smile after an applause to a quiet seriousness as she embodies her songs. She has the beauty and the depth of Billie Holiday, and a variety of influences from Led Zeppelin (she even covered "Since I've Been Loving You") to Erykah Badu, that makes her such an amazingly well-rounded singer/songwriter. Such a beautiful show. You can preview her self-titled debut, Here .

Click here for more photos of Corinne Bailey Rae.

RFC's Katrina Coverage: One Year Later

Since virtually every media outlet in the country is exploring "Katrina: One Year Later" stories this week, thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and dig out clips from RFC last year at this time. My analysis? Mike Myers looking insanely constapated while Kanye went on his rant about Bush is still 100x funnier than anything he ever did on SNL. Also, George W. Bush is still an idiot. Part of me thinks he really doesn't "hate black people" per se, it's more like he just doesn't care about poor people and (still) refuses to admit that the country has a huge poverty problem. Then again, if Katrina hit Texas and there were a bunch of good ol' boys drowning, the conspiracy theorist in me thinks the rescue efforts would have been one helluva lot swifter. Anyway...here's the clips we ran last year: ---- Kanye does Chicago proud once more If you missed it this weekend, Crooks and Liars has the video clip of Kanye West's teleprompter-defying speech at the live Concert for Hurricane relief. "I hate the way they portray us in the media. If you see a black family it says they are looting if you see a white family it says they are looking for food...George Bush doesn't care about black people." Apparently, NBC wasn't too pleased with Kanye's improv, Crooks and Liars reports that his remarks were edited out of the West Coast feed of the broadcast. ---- Kanye/Dubya Remix I generally don't use Wonkette as a source to find hot new Mp3's, but yesterday on the site I found this genius Kanye West "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People" remix by The Legendary K.O. Check out the timely soundsystem banger set to Kanye's "Gold Digger" single here. You can also pick up a matching ironic faux-vintage t-shirt with the "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People" slogan here. Hey, who said politics wasn't any fun?? ---- Yo, FEMA raps! Of course, we here at RFC strive to be fair and balanced in our reporting, so we'd be remised not to present this hot rap joint from the Fed's point of view. Click here to bump the "FEMA for Kidz Rap" as featured on the FEMA.gov website. In case you don't have any speakers close, here's a sampling of some of the rhymes that FEMA MC Scott J. Wolfson is spittin': People helping people is what we do And FEMA is there to help see you through When disaster strikes, we are at our best But we're ready all the time, 'cause disasters don't rest. Word.

New Releases Tuesday - 8/29

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds [40th Anniversary Super Deluxxxe Edition Gold Plated Audiophile CD/Dolby Digital 5.1 DVD/Hi-Res 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo Laser Disc/Dolby HX Pro Stereo Cassette/Mono 8-track/4-Disc Quadraphonic 180-gram LP set in limited edition fuzzy package] (Capitol) First 1000 copies also include actual locks of Brian Wilson's hair. Check out Stereogum for exclusive preview bonus material. Bob Dylan - Modern Times (Sony) Sorry, no Hi-Res 96kHz/24-bit PCM stereo mixes available here. However, if you pay a few more bucks for the "bonus edition," you get also get a DVD with 4 videos. M. Ward - Post-War (Merge) Merge records sez: "The fifth M. Ward album and his most absorbing yet. Its songs unravel their world-wearied tales of life, love, and human kindness with an innate and special grace, helped in part by the very talented friends who join him on this record, such as Neko Case and Mike Mogis, as well as old "Monsters Of Folk" touring buddy Jim James (My Morning Jacket)." Hear the new material for yourself live next Friday (9/8) at Metro. The Roots - Game Theory The Roots' join the Def Jam roster and earn 4-star credentials from The Guardian, who say its their best work yet.

RFC Interview - The 1900s

One of the local bands that has received the most buzz this past year has been The 1900s. Baring a sound that's as classic as their name, this indie pop sextet (an octet if you count "the birdz") has garnered comparisons to such legends as The Zombies and Love. RFC recently caught up with lead singer Edward Anderson to find out more. When you write songs, is it a collective process or is there someone who usually ends up taking the lead? Are you careful to give everyone input or would that just get too challenging with such a large band? It depends on the song. Everyone steps up when needed. You've said in previous interviews that many of you in the band have similar music tastes and backgrounds, but has there ever been any great moments when someone puts on an album that no one else has ever heard before? A few months ago Charlie started playing the song "Roscoe" by Midlake in his car. I nearly lost my shit when I heard it. It sounded so fucking incredible I just couldn't believe it. A few days after becoming obsessed with "Roscoe" we learned that we were going to be opening for Midlake at the Mercury Lounge in NYC. That was a big moment. Another great moment was when we all first got together and we listened to the entire Belle & Sebastian catalog (but skipping "Chickfactor") and masturbated the whole time to it. You've said before that you chose than name the 1900s because of nostalgia for the century past. If you could change one thing about our present day what would it be? Nothing. Similarly, what are your feelings about the future of both the world and music in general? Is it something you look forward to? You have no choice but to move ahead unless you want to kill yourself or drink and do drugs until you lose all touch with reality... which is what some of our songs are about...which can be found in the future on our album…which is something to look forward to. What is one great thing about being a part of the Chicago music scene? My favorite thing about being part of the Chicago music scene is getting wasted and hanging out with all these crazy people who play music in this city. Just shooting the shit, talking a little business, and hearing about all the great stuff they're up to. Songwriters and musicians are not usually very stable or normal people, which always makes things interesting. I really get so excited when I hear that these bands are doing well, and I'm usually kicking down their doors for them to give me copies of their new records. On the practical side, we've been lucky enough to befriend very amazing and talented people who are willing to go out of their way to help us, which has ruled - and we haven't even had to give away too many bj's. Not too long ago, you toured for your EP Plume Delivery outside of Chicago and I was wondering how you found the experience of opening other cities up to your music? If a band plays in the forest, and no bloggers hear it, does it make a sound? On the other hand, New York was much more enthusiastic than I'd imagined. They liked us for the reason I thought they would hate us: we don't stand on stage looking bored and trying to seem cooler than we actually are. We just go for it, and I guess that was refreshing for them. Overall, this is an area we need to explore much more, the road is still green for us. "Patron Saint of the Mediocre" seems to be the real stand-out track on Plume Delivery. Was there anything special about the way this song was created or a special inspiration for it? That's certainly our most debated song so far, and it was something we wrote as a band. We've gotten tons of reviews saying that "Patron Saint" is the weakest on the Plume Delivery EP cuz of its length and wankery. For others it is the standout track. I'm in the middle; I think it probably could have been done a little better, but in the end its shambly-ness is kind of the point. Originally I sang the song, but pretty much on the last day of recording I had Jeanine give it a go - a great move because her voice has a base sensuality to it that kind of feels like an unholy seduction, which is prefect because the song is about holy seduction.

Touch & Go 25th Schedule Announced

Friday, September 8 9:00pm - !!! 8:00pm - Ted Leo + Pharmacists 7:00pm - Girls Against Boys 6:00pm - Supersystem 5:00pm - The Shipping News Saturday, September 9 9:00pm - Shellac 8:40pm - Big Black 7:45pm - Manor Astroman? 6:50pm - Scratch Acid 6:30pm - Sally Timms 6:00pm - Negative Approach 5:40pm - PW Long 4:55pm - Didjits 4:35pm - Jon & Kat (Mekons/The Ex) 3:50pm - Killdozer 2:55pm - The Ex 2:35pm - Tim & Andy (Silkworm) 1:50pm - Pegboy 12:55pm - Uzeda 12:00pm - The New Year Sunday, September 10 9:00pm - Calexico 8:00pm - Pinback 7:00pm - CocoRosie 6:05pm - The Black Heart Procession 5:45pm - Brick Layer Cake 5:00pm - Seam 4:40pm - Tara Jane ONeil 3:55pm - Three Mile Pilot 3:00pm - Enon 2:00pm - The Monorchid 1:00pm - Quasi 12:00pm - Arcwelder

Thax All Folks!

Time Out Chicago has an interesting short interview this week with our beloved local rock show poet laureate Thax Douglas, who will soon be officially leaving the Windy City for greener pastures in New York. Asked about the lack of support he felt he's received here Thax sez, "Yeah, that's basically why I'm moving. They're tolerant, but not supportive. Bands are - and most venues - but Chicago is under the stronghold of this "indie-stry" - type crowd." An "indie-stry" - type crowd? Good one, Thax! However, I wonder if he's referring to the crowds at the shows or just the local scene in general? Reading this interview kind of got me thinking...is Thax actually good at what he does or was he really just a nuisance all this time? I've seen him a million times, but probably only actually listened to his poems a handful of times. He's been such a ubiquitous figure at shows I think I just started just to tune him out after a while. It's like, "oh boy...here comes Thax again," and then I would either drift off or turn away and go back to talking with my friends. If anything, the local scene being "tolerant but not supportive" was probably just due to overexposure. However, I'd be curious to hear from actual poetry aficionados out there if they think we're truly losing an underappreciated local treasure or whether we should start warning venues in New York immediately. Thax's Chicago farewell tour started last night at the Sub-T and continues through September 4th. Check out www.myspace.com/thaxdouglas for the complete itinerary.

New Sunny Day Real Estate!

Ok...not really, but we did just get in this great new track from Jeremy Enigk's (that's pronounced ee-nihk, by the way) new solo record, World Waits, which won't be hitting store shelves until October. Enjoy! Download: Jeremy Enigk - "Been Here Before" (MP3)

Live Review: World Party @ Park West 8/22/06

Some things are better left unseen. I'm a firm believer in this, especially when it comes to reunion tours. Going to see a band who hasn't played in years (or even decades) always seems like an exciting prospect, but the shows almost never live up to expectations. Inevitably, the band is not going to sound as good as you remembered (selective memory or not), and then there's the visual shock of seeing the heroes from your youth suddenly fat, gray and balding. It seems all these reunion shows ever do is shatter any sort of fan-boy mystique I've built up in mind about an artist. It's a sort of grown up equivalent to discovering that not only is Santa Claus not real, but the guy in the suit all those years was the creepy old guy from down the street that always smelled like cough syrup. Nonetheless, upon hearing that World Party was touring the States this summer and coming to Chicago, I couldn't resist. Essentially a one-man band consisting of music savant Karl Wallinger backed by various supporting members over the years, World Party has always been somewhat of an obscure favorite of mine ever since high school. Not so much obscure in the fact that the band was completely unknown and never sold more than 100 records at a time, but obscure on the level that I never really knew anyone else that was a fan. Occasionally I'd run into someone who had heard of Goodbye Jumbo (World Party/Wallinger's commercial and critical breakthrough), but I sure as hell have never been able to debate with anyone about what are the best tracks on Egyptology (World Party's major-label swan song from 1998). Not only has World Party been a cult favorite of mine for all of these years, I realized they were one of only a very select few of favorite bands that I had yet to see play live. Needless to say, I had to throw any reservations out the window and check out this performance. To be fair, this was hardly a "reunion." World Party was always just a performance moniker for Karl Wallinger, so it's like not the band ever broke up. However, this was Wallinger's first appearance in Chicago in about 8 years or something and World Party had literally dropped off the face of the Earth for the past 5. Unfortunately, it was not a planned vacation for Wallinger. In February of 2001, he suffered a massive aneurysm that put him out of commission for two years. As a fan, I really should just be happy that the man is still alive, let alone able to tour. However, I still couldn't get past how bad he looked at this show and how fat...err, I mean flat this performance was. I don't mean to mock the afflicted, but I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Wallinger walk on stage. He literally has become a pudgy and gray old man. It may not have been so disconcerting (the guy is now 49 years old after all) if it weren't the fact that all of the press photos for this tour and the domestic release of his Dumbing Up record earlier this year still depicted a skinny and suave Wallinger who looked only slightly older than the man from the "Is it Like Today?" video. I probably could have got over my superficial hang up a lot easier if it weren't for the fact that the performance was every bit as disconcerting as Wallinger's physical appearance. There was just no spark; it felt like I was watching a World Party tribute band or something. The vocals sounded pretty much the same and the band essentially played everything note for note, but there was that emptiness you get when watching a dorky cover band happily bounce from hit song to hit song without any change of tone or emotion. As much as I'd like to put all the blame on this backing band that clearly was assembled only recently for the purpose of touring America, Karl certainly was not without blame himself. Overall, the energy and spirit wasn't there, and at one point he actually had to bust out a lyric sheet and performed a song ("Here Comes the Future") karaoke-style with a piece of paper right in front of his face. The one highlight of the night, though, seemed to be completely unscripted. At the beginning of the set there was a guy in the crowd who was shouting out requests for "Thank You World." Around the middle of the set, Wallinger actually obliged the request (I'm pretty sure I heard him mumble, "this next one's for...") and proceeded to play it solo acoustic-style. Judging by the somewhat awkward body language of most of the band members during the song, this wasn't just Wallinger dedicating something that was already in the planned set list. As it became apparent that he was, in fact, going to play the entire song and not just a short acoustic snippet, the band eventually started to lightly noodle along. Adding credence to my "the supporting band sucked" theory, this mostly solo performance was by far the most inspired moment of the night to me. There's no doubt Wallinger's serious ailment drastically affected both his physical and mental capabilities and more than likely he's still trying to recover from it. As much as it is a huge accomplishment for him to be back on the road, I still would almost rather he had followed the Brian Eno-school of recovery (i.e. don't tour anymore, dive even deeper into studio work) rather than playing out the rest of his days on the rock star senior circuit that could eventually reduce World Party to playing state fairs and casinos. That being said, I still wish Karl and Co. all the best and I still would highly recommend picking up the "new" record, Dumbing Up, which also includes a great bonus DVD containing the entire World Party video anthology. SET LIST: Put the Message in the Box Is It Like Today? What Does It Mean Now? When the Rainbow Comes Best Place I've Ever Been I Thought You Were A Spy She's the One Love Street Who Are You? Here Comes the Future Vanity Fair Thank You World Sweet Soul Dream Is It Too Late? Way Down Now (Encore) It Is Time Ship of Fools Click here for the complete photo set

One More For the Road

Also released on this busy new releases Tuesday is an impressive live comp from Seattle's KEXP. Don't think it's available at any stores locally, but you can pick it up on KEXP.org. Here's the complete track listing: Live at KEXP Volume Two Lyrics Born - Callin’ Out Gang of Four - What We All Want Thievery Corporation - Warning Shots Tapes ‘n Tapes - Insistors Sleater-Kinney - Jumpers Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Walking to Do Death Cab For Cutie - Crooked Teath The Decemberists - We Both Go Down Together Zero 7 - Home Common Market - Connect For M.I.A. - Galang Band of Horses - The Funeral The Wedding Present - Ringway to SeaTac Editors - Munich Skullbot - Lookout Bright Eyes - At the Bottom of Everything Trashcan Sinatras - Weightlifting Aqualung - Brighter Than Sunshine Drive-By Truckers - World of Hurt Patti Smith (with Lenny Kaye) - People Have the Power

RIP Li'l Wally Jagiello

Rock and roll had Elvis. Polka had Li’l Wally Jagiello, pioneer of the Chicago-style polka, who passed away yesterday at the age of 76. -LetsPolka.com

New Releases Tuesday - 8/22

Jason Molina - Let Me Go, Let Me Go, Let Me Go (Secretly Canadian) I wanted badly to revisit the type of songs I did on my more experimental albums The Pyramid, The Ghost, and Protection Spells. I put this project together in the last days before I began what was a long and harrowing move back to Chicago. I wrote these songs as well as the half dozen or so that did not make it over the course of 3 mornings in Bloomington, Indiana and recorded them one after the other in the order they were written. -Jason Molina Download: Jason Molina - "Get Out Get Out Get Out" (MP3) Mountain Goats - Get Lonely (4AD) While Get Lonely takes the mood (read: professionalism) of Sunset Tree as a starting point, it's a much less compelling record. Note the title's jokey take on Elvis Costello's Get Happy!!!; is Darnielle distancing himself from the sincerity of the autobiographical Sunset Tree? Sort of, but not really. Darnielle maintains his mastery of the mundane—can anyone else compare a choir of angels to "marbles being thrown against a mirror" quite so convincingly?—but the poetics are lost on some truly forgettable melodies...Get Lonely is by no means the disaster that Lou Reed's spin on Poe, The Raven, was, but it's similar in that both records' lackluster songs do disservice to the overt literary quality of the lyrics. -Slant Magazine Watch: The Mountain Goats - "Woke Up New" (YouTube) Primal Scream - Riot City Blues (Sony) Damn, the press push for this record just keeps getting worse (which I guess is appropriate for this one). With Riot City Blues getting its domestic release this week, I found this genius piece of promotion on MySpace yesterday. If you buy their album via Filter Magazine you get a free "Country Girl" wife beater!?! Who are the ad wizards who came up with this one? And what's up with that wacky band photo? Are they acting out a scene for improv or something? Ratatat - Classics (XL) Not really sure why these guys are getting so much buzz. That "Wildcat" song was kind of amusing the first time I heard it, but after like the 3rd listen it becomes annoying as fuck. I think I'm refusing to like this band because I'm just so tired of this brand of ironic new wave electro dance rock. It's just so overdone and uninspiring. Granted this music is supposed to be light-hearted and fun, but there just doesn't seem to be a shred of depth, originality, or real emotion here...to me it just seems fueled almost entirely on ironic posturing. For example, remember Daft Punk's "Celebrate?" That song was totally cheesy and very retro-tastic, but it actually did make you want to celebrate, you know? It was complete ear candy to the dance floor, but there was some real emotion and energy packed in that song that could even make a jaded music junkie like myself smile (at least for the first 100 some times I heard it). I don't get anything remotely close to that with Ratatat. All their music does is make me vaguely tap my finger on the can of PBR that I'm vaguely enjoying. New Releases Tuesday returns with a vengeance! Lots more new releases out this week... Eric Bachman - To The Races (Saddle Creek) Broadcast - Future Crayon [B-sides and rarities collection] (Warp) Crooked Still - Shaken By A Low (Signature Sounds) Cursive - Happy Hollow (Saddle Creek) J Dilla - The Shining (Stones Throw) Judah Johnson - Be Where I Be (Flameshovel) Electrelane - Singles, B-Sides & Live M. Ward - Post-War (Merge) Amy Millan - Honey From the Tombs (Arts & Crafts) Miss Derringer - Lullabies (Sympathy For The Record Industry) My Brightest Diamond - Bring Me The Workhorse (Asthmatic Kitty) Nouvelle Vague - Brande A Part [domestic release](Luaka Bop) Jennifer O'Connor - Over the Mountain, Across the Valley, and Back to the Stars (Matador) OutKast - Idlewild (Arista) Pajo - 1968 (Drag City) Razorlight - S/T [domestic release] (Universal) Snowden - Anti-Anti (Jade Tree) Starsailor - On The Outside [domestic release](EMI) The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine (Sub Pop) Uzeda - Stella (Touch and Go) Chad VanGaalen - Skelliconnection (Sub Pop)

Putting the "Radio" back in Radio Free Chicago

One of my main priorities in launching the forthcoming RadioFreeChicago.org v2.0 was to put the "radio" element back in Radio Free Chicago via podcasts, featured DJ sets, and streaming audio. In working to test out some platforms and build up a cache of material for the official launch, I've dug out some old tapes (OK..they're actually CD-Rs) from my days at WLUW and am editing and encoding them to MP3/podcast form: Free Form Set 9/1/03 powered by ODEO A college radio time warp to almost exactly 3 years ago, this is a set from September 2003 and features what were mostly (if not entirely) new releases at the time. In true free-form radio fashion the set varies from avant-rock ala David Byrne, Frank Blank and BRMC to more experimental/electronic sounds ala Eric Truffaz, Lonesome Organist and Kraftwerk. Set ends with an achingly beautiful track from the seriously underrated band, Firewater. Halcyon Nights 6/24/03 powered by ODEO I'm still debating exactly how and what I want to program on the new RFC podcast channel, but there's a very good chance I'll be resurrecting this show. This set features some prime IDM beats courtesy of King of Woolworths, Four Tet and Beneath the Autumn Sky. Look for brand new material and other sonic goodies in RFC's podcast section when RFC v2.0 launches next month, but in the meantime you can subscribe now and enjoy some summer re-run classics from the vaults.

More with Matthew Herbert

I know y’all out there are avid Newcity readers, but just you case you didn’t pick one up this week, I’ve got a great interview in there with Matthew Herbert who’s in town this week promoting his latest sonic masterpiece, Scale. Don't get me wrong, it’s not that I think I’ve achieved journalistic greatness with this article, it’s just that Herbert was a really interesting interview. It was one of those rare occasions where the personality not only lived up to the mystique, but it actually lead me to appreciate the artistic output even more. Even if you’re not a fan of dance or electronic music, you’ve got to appreciate the amount of thought and effort this man puts into his craft. (and if you are a fan of this type of music, you've got to appreciate how he's able to make these amazingly complex sounds and politcal statements into a record that you can enjoy just as much while shitfaced on Sparks late night at Sonotheque) I probably ended up with enough material for two Newcity features, but as usual, their loss is RFC’s gain. Here’s some additional excerpts from my conversation with Matthew Herbert: The new album is a statement against the oil companies and our relentless pursuit of fossil fuels. It’s a timely subject, but then at the same time it’s one the world has been struggling with for a quite a while. What made you decide to pursue this topic at this particular moment? (continued) The problem is that our consumption of oil is going dramatically upwards, it’s not going down. And our discovery of new oil has fallen rapidly for years. And it’s whether that adjustment is going to be extremely dramatic, bumpy and terrifying or it’s going to be smooth…but I don’t seem to see much preparation for it politically unless it’s going on backstage or something. So consequently it’s quite a strange time to live through with that knowledge that we’re living through one of the most glorious moments of human civilization in terms of access to resources…and also it’s great failure as well. Tell us about your "Personal Contract for the Composition of Music" and why you decided to bend the rules a bit for Scale. The main part of the rules is basically to take as much responsibility for every sound and every decision on the record, not just rely on the technology. Basically one thing that we have a real problem with (well, another thing that we have a real problem with) is we are not taking responsibility for our actions. Music is the one place where I have that possibility...to organize my world according to my own rules. So rather than sample other people’s music, I do it myself. But because with this record I wanted to make a point about distance and scale…a distance between the things we consume and where they come from (and the consequences of that), I wanted a record to be made by somebody else. So basically every sound on the record was recorded by my assistant, Alexis Smith. At the same time, there was an answering machine that we set up and we had maybe 200 messages from people around the world leaving a sound, which I used on the record. The end result is that I can’t take full responsibility for every noise on this record. And that’s kind of a deliberately political action. But the spirit of it roughly remains the same in that I’m not sampling any other people’s music. (from the press release) "Scale also features live drums recorded in bizarrely diverse conditions: under the sea, in a hot air balloon, in a labyrinth of subterranean caves, and in a car travelling at 100 miles per hour. "I wanted to record them on fire as well," he says, "but we never got around to doing that..." So, how do you record drums in a hot air baloon?? There’s video of it at MatthewHerbert.com… We waited three months for the right weather. (it’s not often you wait for good weather when recording an album) We jumped in the balloon with as many drums as we could fit in (which was a very small number because it’s a small basket), just go up, record real quickly, and come back down again. Finally, tell us a bit about your "Country X." It’s a virtual country where you can immigrate to…anybody can join. You can immigrate because you believe what it stands for. Not because you were born somewhere, not because you were born into privilege… It’s a place where we have the opportunity to describe a new way of organizing ourselves. And a place where we can do so without risk of violence against us or physical danger or something. Consequently it ends up being two things…it’s a way to resist the way power is used by our governments and corporations and things like that. At the same time, it’s a place to kind of invent a new space, you know? A place to imagine the world differently. Matthew Herbert will be performing a live DJ set tonight at Metro as a part of Summerdance 2006. Admission is FREE...so no excuses for missing this one. Also, for you downtown cubicle dwellers, Herbert will be stopping by for a chat at the Borders on State today at 12:30. Download: Matthew Herbert - "Something Isn't Right" (MP3)

More Festival Hijinks This Weekend

Check it out this weekend at South Union Arts...Joe at Radio Free Silver Lake recommends Fred Thomas (Saturday Looks Good To Me) on Sunday night.

Live Review - Silversun Pickups @ Schubas 8/13/06

After the release of their unbelievably strong EP from last year titled Pikul, it seemed that Silversun Pickups were poised to become the next big indie rock hype. It maybe didn't happen quite as quickly as I thought it would, but now with their debut full-length under their belt and out in stores, I think it's a just a matter of time before this L.A.-based band truly hits the big time. This impression was only furthered by their live performance I witnessed at Schubas this past Sunday. Their songs are just too good and their live presentation is just too damn infectious for them not to become more popular. In fact, I would put good money on them returning to Chicago to play a much bigger venue next time around. At the very least, I know they wouldn't have any trouble filling a bigger space in terms of sound. One of the main reasons that I like championing the Silversun Pickups is because I like the fact that they're more from the punchy "alternative" school of rock ala Smashing Pumpkins and Pixies rather than the fey and whiny "indie" school of rock that has dominated the scene the past few years. Thus, I don’t really think Schubas was the best venue match for this band, as I think their sound was literally too “big” for the room. The quaint confines of Schubas pretty much just washed out leader Brian Aubert’s crunchy guitars and screamy vocals into a blur of noise. (although this problem was significantly corrected by wearing ear plugs) On the other hand, I think Silversun Pickups and Metro would be a match made in heaven. If it hasn’t been done yet, I would seriously recommend someone from the band’s label or management crew send over a press kit to Joe Shanahan ASAP. (guys…let me know how it goes, we’ll make it a “Radio Free Chicago presents…” show). In addition to the band’s big sound overall, I was also really impressed by Aubert’s stage presence. While his supporting cast seemed more than content to quietly rock out in the shadows, Aubert was the quintessential front man, charming the audience with funny quips in between songs and then stirring the masses into a frenzy with his passoined vocals and boundless energy on stage. He almost seemed to have a bit of a Jeff Buckley-thing going on…certainly in terms of charisma, and maybe even with a slight physical resemblance. SET LIST: Check out the full photo set from the night here Download: Silversun Pickups -"Well Thought Out Twinkles" (MP3) Watch: Silversun Pickups - "Kissing Families" (YouTube)

KEXP coming to Chicago

After sponsoring local shows here for the last couple of years, the KEXP crew is finally making the flight to O'Hare themselves next month when they'll be hosting a three day stint of live broadcasts at Engine Music Studios in Bucktown. Here's the official lowdown from KEXP.org: Chicago was the big winner of our city-to-city challenge during the Fall 2005 Pledge Drive. As promised, John Richards and Cheryl Waters will be bringing the Morning Show and the Midday Show to the windy city, broadcasting live from Engine Music Studios, in Bucktown. Check back for details on a listener party. Signup to watch John and Cheryl broadcast live, feauturing live performances from bands each day. There will also be a listener party at The Darkroom in Chicago on Thursday September 7th....stay tuned for more details.

Lolla grosses $8 mil!

(Via Brooklyn Vegan) Lollapalooza "grossed nearly $8 million in ticket sales, with total paid attendance of more than 166,000...Attendance was 52,000 the first day, 56,000 the second day and 59,000 the third day, when headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers closed the event." [Yahoo]

Live Review: Dirty Pretty Things @ Schubas 8/11/06

After The Libertines fell apart in 2004 amidst the torrid relationship between Carl Barat and Pete Doherty (Baby Shambles), both went on to cultivate their respective projects. From the ashes of the Libertines, Barat enlisted former band member Gary Powell as drummer, Doherty's replacement Anthony Rossomando on second guitar as well as Cooper Temple Clause bassist Didz Hammond, to create the Dirty Pretty Things. After a thoroughly enjoyable set by the quirky indie pop outfit Scissors For Lefty, who flirt with a fun mix of 80's new wave, Brit pop, and hints of Bowie, the Dirty Pretty Things rushed the stage. Due to a recent injury that Barat sustained to his collar bone, he was unable to play guitar for much of this US Tour, so with the help of The Paddingtons Josh Hubbard on guitar, they were complete to unleash a heavy dose of Clash-inspired rock-n-roll on the sold-out crowd at Schuba's. Thrashing through a setlist that consisted of songs off their new album Waterloo to Anywhere, they made my list of loudest live experiences, coming in a close second to The Dirtbombs. They started off the set with "Deadwood", a head bob inducing track that riffs on the classic Libertines' sound, which set the bar pretty high for the rest of the night. I must reiterate that the Dirty Pretty Things were really loud in a good way. I am trying to distinguish whether the few moments of aural discomfort were due to this damn wisdom tooth rupturing in my mouth or whether the impressive sound they projected was too large for Schuba's intimate space. Either way, this is as close as most people will come to seeing The Libertines again and the fact that it was such an intimate venue sweetened the deal. From the amusing rugby-like rock huddle before most of the songs to get everyone started on the right page (most likely for Josh's benefit), to the engaging stage presence and camaraderie they all shared, to Barat decked out in a make-shift sling fashioned from a Union Jack flag, they definitely came to put on one hell of a show. They were armed with an arsenal of great tracks, "Bang Bang You're Dead", "You Fucking Love It" and "Deadwood" were among the stand-outs. Other highlights of the night include the surprise treat of not one, but two Libertines' songs ("Death on the Stairs" and the closer "I Get Along"), and a very special performance of "France", where Barat removed his arm sling to play guitar for the only time during the set. A special thanks to the bartender for supplying me with cups of ice to numb the pain and allowed me to enjoy the show! Setlist: Deadwood Doctors & Dealers If You Love A Woman Wondering Gentry Cove Bloodthirsty Bastards You Fucking Love It Gin & Milk Death On The Stairs - (The Libertines) The Enemy Last Of The Small Town Playboys Bang Bang You're Dead Encore: France I Get Along - (The Libertines) Download: The Dirty Pretty Things - "Deadwood" (MP3)

New Releases Tuesday - 8/15

The new releases summer drought continues...this week nothing but Pete Yorn, Christine Aguilera and (muthafuckin) Snakes on a Plane: The Album. "If you think the movie looks awful, wait 'till you hear the soundtrack!!" In other new releases news, while desperately skimming Web sites for something of interest out today I found out that the Reckless on Milwaukee recently installed new carpeting for your shopping pleasure! I always go back and forth as far as which Reckless I think is better, but this totally puts the Milwaukee store over the top. Now instead of smelling like musty carpet and dirty hipster B.O., this location will now just smell like B.O.

Live Review: West Fest 8/12/06

RFC's Senior Street Festival Correspondent Kirstiecat reviews local favs Bobby Conn and Califone at this weekend's West Fest: It wasn’t until after a few songs when it became clear that the momentum was gathering with a bit more in favor of a rock compnent vs. a more laid back folk sound. Although there wasn’t much banter between songs, an audience member who incessantly yelled out, "Play some AC/DC" got them to laugh a bit as they kept reassuring him "Don’t worry...It’s coming up. We do originals as well as covers." It’s unusual to say the least to see a band rocking out that hard with a violin player. I can see people who love the film Hedwig and the Angry Itch loving them, but I guess I’m more of a Breakfast on Pluto type of girl...

Live Review: Bleu @ Elbo Room 8/10/06

Well, two years later and the fire is still hot. Bleu with his comrades The Everyday Visuals, stopped off to deliver the goods at the Elbo Room last night. After a quick set by The Everyday Visuals, who have a snappy pop rock sound that is very complimentary to Bleu, he launched a 12 song set that included songs off his two LPs Headroom and Redhead as well as some yet to be released material. The muppet of a man with large mutton chops kicked off the night with a new song, "Boy Meets Girl", a quirky Jack and Diane-esque track that displays a bit of his sense of humor, "its like Twisted Sister meets Mister Mister...its like Jesus Jones and The Rolling Stones in a game of twister." Followed up with one of my personal favorites "Watchin' You Sleep", this sweet urban lullaby makes stalking seem like a completely acceptable way to meet someone. Bleu's voice is truly remarkable, hovering in his upper register and sliding up to a beautiful falsetto wherever possible. One of the many songs that showcased his vocal abilities was the track "Go", which he co-wrote with Zac Hanson. "Go" is such a great song that can send shivers down your spine in all of it's pristine expansiveness. Though many have catergorized Bleu as powerpop, with influences and comparisons ranging from Elvis Costello to Jellyfish, he showed off a little bit of his soul side, with two new songs "I Won't Fuck You Over This Time", and "Kiss Me". Channeling James Brown, he literally jumped off the stage with mic in hand and sought out a few girls to serenade, as he belted out "kiss me, kiss me" and letting out Prince-like "ooo's" and "oh's" with amazing dexterity. One of the truly inspiring moments of the night, was when he requested utter silence for "The Penguin Song", a short ditty he penned for his girlfriend played on a mini acoustic guitar with no amplifier and sung with no mic, reminiscent of an early Beatles tune. The night ended with an unplanned encore of "Trust Me", still worn out after "Kiss Me", he got lost on the lyrics a couple times, and invited everyone up on stage to sing back up on the "na-na's", it was like a family reunion of sorts, or a make shift Get Up Choir. Overall, it was a pretty spectacular outing, seeing the new songs live definitely made the prospect of his new album A Watched Pot all the more enticing. Setlist: Boy Meets Girl Watchin' You Sleep 3's A Charm We'll Do It All Again Go I Won't Fuck You Over This Time I Won't Go Hollywood Penguin Song Somebody Else Get Up Kiss Me Encore: Trust Me Download: Bleu -"Save You From Yourself" (MP3)

SXSL (South By South Loop) this weekend

So maybe you thought the Pitchfork Fest was a bit too self-indulgent, Intonation had too much hip-hop and Lollapalooza was just too damn big and corporate. Well, have I got a festival for you: Cal's Fest - SXSL (South By South Loop) Easily Chicago's number one sleazy rock bar (rated 4 stars by sleazybars.com!), Cal's Liquors/Bar downtown at the corner of Wells and Van Buren is having their very own outdoor fest (in the alley) this weekend boasting two full days of music for the low, low price of 5 bucks a day (suggested donation). OK, so you might not recognize all of the names on the bill, but this fest is definitely guaranteed to rawwwk!

Final Act Named at T&G Fest

Stereogum reports that Monorchid is the final act to be secured for next month's Hideout Block Party/Touch & Go Records 25th B-Day extravaganza. The post-hardcore indie rockers originally disbanded in 1997, but the Southern Records website is touting that Monorchid will be returning with a brand new album soon. In the meantime, check out the preview track below: Monorchid - "X Marks The Spot: Something Dull Happened Here" (MP3)

Live Pics: Wolf Parade w/Frog Eyes at Metro 8/8/06

Updated in the Live Photo Archive, are pics from Tuesday's Wolf Parade show at Metro. About the performance, Nicole sez: "A little sloppier [than previous Schubas performance] with less-than-perfect sound, the band still kept the energy high, played a couple of songs we weren't treated to at Schubas ("Grounds for Divorce," "Killing Armies"), and heard a few new tunes, one that involved keyboardist Spencer Krug taking his turn at an acoustic guitar. Frog Eyes were totally on..."

Live Review: Tom Waits @ Auditorium 8/9/06

Oh, me. Oh, my. Such an amazing performance transpired on the stage of the Auditorium Theatre on Wednesday night, after waiting in a long will call line, and after everyone made it to their seats, the lights finally went out almost a half hour past the scheduled start time, and the dim mood lighting came up on a stage quarantined by a large taupe curtain with a slit right down the middle. Large shadows of the band projected on the curtain sauntered towards the audience as they made their way through the slit, a simple theatrical device borrowed perhaps from his time with Robert Wilson. Tom Waits took his place on a dusty square platform in a single spot as his hands reached out and squeezed the air. Then, the band (featuring Duke Robillard on guitar, Larry Taylor on bass, Bent Clausen on keys, banjo, percussion and Casey Waits on drums) began to play "Make it Rain" and off he went grunting and yelping like a howler monkey dressed up like a Southern preacher begging for the gods to let it pour. Though his signature voice has the delicate tone of a handful of gravel, it lends itself beautifully to the selection of songs he chose to perform. He continued his set that was loaded with songs from his last release Real Gone, but treated the audience to some classic standards as he wandered about the stage like a hunched over marionette. Among the 22 song parade, which included two encores and the nasty tease of a third encore that never came to fruition, there were so many highlights of the evening that its almost blasphemous just to mention a few...but here's a sampling nonetheless: After a balls-out rendition of "Hoist that Rag", "God's Away On Business", and "All The World is Green", the band left the stage and 88 keys were brought out. Waits sat at the piano in a single spot and was joined only by Taylor on upright bass. He indulged us in a few stories about Chicago, like how the last time he was here he stayed at the Wilmot Hotel on Sheffield/Belmont. His response to finding out that it was no longer there was a simple heartfelt, "don't you hate that?" "It's like in '9th & Hennepin,' I mention that" he said, "someone says, oh, Hennepin, my wife got some sandals on Hennepin... Jesus, sandals!... I was shot on 9th and Hennepin... I was in the middle of a pimp war, these 11 year old pimps, too young to carry guns throwing silverware at each other.." This funny banter preceded a beautiful offering of "Tango Til They're Sore". Then, commenting on Chicago's own Wiener Circle, he mentioned on his first visit he was called "dickweed", an hour later, it was "shitbag", and by the time they were leaving it was "old man." He said he went back the next day and "she was pleasantly nice to him, so he had her fired." "It's the rules" he said, "you have to keep your standards." An amazing version of "Tom Traubert's Blues" followed, which splashed a bittersweet smile upon my face each time he sang "...Waltzing Matilda." But, it was the spoken word performance of "What's He Building In There?", that really tickled my Waits-bone, a voyeuristic anomaly about a curious man and his mysterious neighbor, a man named Doolittle. The band sprinkled the background with a soundscape of effects that resembled sawing and a neighing horse at times, as Waits weaved the scenario, dropping a "goddamnit, what's he building in there" at every turn. It was a moment of pure hilarity and intrigue. He encored twice first with the sad and poignant "Day After Tomorrow" and the clap happy "Singapore", then again with "Whistling Past the Graveyard." Then out of nowhere he played the very appropriate "Time", and it was time, time, time to go, though they waited an awfully long time to turn the lights back up. Such a remarkable performance, I almost didn't want to leave, longing to stay and soak up as much as I could before being ushered away... Set List: Make It Rain Hoist That Rag Shore Leave God's Away On Business All The World Is Green Falling Down Tango 'Til They're Sore Tom Traubert's Blues Eyeball Kid Down In The Hole Don't Go Into That Barn Shake It Trampled Rose What's He Building In There Who's Been Talking / 'Til The Money Runs Out Murder in the Red Barn Lie To Me Baby Get Behind The Mule Encore 1: Day After Tomorrow Singapore Encore 2: Whistlin' Past The Graveyard Time

An Open Letter to Ryan Schreiber of Pitchforkmedia.com

UPDATE: No word yet from Mr. Schreiber himself, but I did a get a nice message from Fork managing editor Scott Plagenhoef who was kind enough to go back and fix the invisible hyperlink and give RFC a co-credit on the piece. (full letter posted in "comments" section) So Pitchfork is no longer "dead to me," but Ryan Schreiber, you're still on notice!

RFC Interview: BLEU

After a two year hiatus from touring, musician/producer BLEU is making his way back to Chicago with a headlining show tonight at the Elbo Room. This Bostonian melody maker, whose unique vocals and keen sense for power pop composition, has been likened to Queen, ELO, Jellyfish, and John Lennon. He is currently working on a new album "A Watched Pot" which we can only hope will be released sooner than later. I had a chance to ask him some questions before he embarks on his summer tour. You've recently made the move out to L.A., what triggered this change of scenery? It was time for a change of pace, I've been in Boston for a long time and it's been absolutely incredible. I'm gonna miss it tons but, I'm a firm believer in mixing things up. There are untapped opportunities for me in California, plus the weather's pretty swee-heet and I have a bunch of amazing friends and musical co-horts out there who've been proding me to join them for years. I'm excited, there's a furtive power-pop scene and lots of good sushi. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's been 2 years since you last played in Chicago. In a nutshell, what's been happening in the life of Bleu? Ooof..that's a big question. Basically, I've been doing what I always do (except play chicago of course): writing, producing, mixing, making records (for myself and others, as well as side-projects), and performing (albeit more locally). I lived on an alpaca farm for a while too, helped birth a couple! Nutty. You are currently working on a new album entitled "A Watched Pot", how would you describe the sound and mood of the new album? When can we expect a release? I have no idea when this record will be released, unfortunately it's in limbo right now. As far as the "mood" of the record, well I guess there's more "soul" influenced stuff this time around, but still lots of singer/songwriter and pop elements. It's perhaps a bit more "mature". Basically, I consider it to be the best productions of the best songs I've ever written. This is the record I always wanted to make. Besides the new Bleu album, you have been keeping yourself quite busy, producing The SnowLeopards' new album, and working on side projects, one being the cleverly titled L.E.O. , an ELO inspired band. How much of an influence has Jeff Lynne had on your work? Are there any other great influences on your music? Yes. I have been very busy with other stuff while i'm trying to free "a watched pot". I'm proud to say that the L.E.O. record is coming out this fall on Cheap Lullaby Records. It's a really neat collection of songs; performed by a sort-of power-pop collective that used Jeff Lynne as a jumping-off point. I'm a huge fan of his and other quirky producer/musicians like Jon Brion, Mutt Lange, Daniel Lanois, etc. You have earned quite a reputation for crafting songs with a great pop sensibility, how do you approach the songwriting process? It's always different, sometimes I start with a lyrical idea, a hook, or a story-line; sometimes with a musical idea, a melody, chord progression, or even a groove. Some songs are extremely personal, while others are just meant in the spirit of fun. I guess the only over-arching theme is my love of the art (and craft) of songwriting, everything i do is directed towards that. Who have you been listening to these days? Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Puffy AmiYumi, The SnowLeopards, the Wizard of Oz soundtrack, new Tom Petty (produced by Jeff Lynne). What can we expect from your live show? A little of everything. I'm going to do some very intimate acoustic stuff, some of my eBand (with the various loops, and what-not), and some full-band rockers. And I'll be playing plenty of new and old songs. I'm really lookin' forward to it! I'm definitely looking forward to it as well. You can catch BLEU and his friends The Everyday Visuals, who will be his backing band tonight at the Elbo Room, tickets are only $5.

An Open Letter To Ryan Schreiber of Pitchforkmedia.com

Dear Ryan: Last week when you asked for my photographer's contact info because you wanted to use a couple of the Pitchfork Festival shots that were posted on Radio Free Chicago for your very own coverage, I thought I was doing you a favor. I guess I could've been like, "how much are they worth to ya?" Or perhaps I should’ve got all competitive about things and refused to release any of the pics. But none of that really crossed my mind at the time. Our sites are like apples and oranges. We're local and focus on live music, you're national and focus on album reviews. Not to mention I've respected your work for years and was just flattered that our coverage attracted your attention. So, even though I got back to you right away, was more than happy to comply with your request and forwarded you Rory's info, why do I feel like I got totally taken advantage of here? Yes, technically, you did follow through with what I asked. Rory got the photo credit, Radio Free Chicago got a link. But c'mon, could you have hidden the hyperlink any better? No bold or underscore on Rory's name...not even a different font color to give even the slightest indication that there's a link there. Furthermore, the piece is solely credited to "Pitchfork Staff," (which is a glaring inaccuracy) so why would anyone even think to look for an external link where there may be more pictures elsewhere? The point being is that I obviously agreed to let you use the pics because I thought we'd be getting a mention and a nice boost in traffic in return. This is pretty much standard practice these days when trading content between Web sites, no? I would think you, of all people, would understand and appreciate this concept. So why would you bury the link in a non-descript spot that you know is going to lead to virtually no hits for us? Most of all, why would you not even bother to put a quick "thanks to Radio Free Chicago" in your intro or at the very least in a footnote at the end? Come to think of it, you didn't even reply with a quick "thanks, man" via email after I gave you my blessing and forwarded you to Rory?!? I don't get it...there's no competition here, right? Pitchfork certainly isn't in danger of losing thousands of readers to Radio Free Chicago. You struggled in obscurity for many years trying to get Pitchfork off the ground, no? Why wouldn’t you want to support fellow underground music journalists like yourself in the local community? I could be wrong, but it seems like there's some seriously unwarranted competitive paranoia going on here. Speaking of which, what was the deal with the clamp down on the press at your festival? Photogs were only allowed to shoot during the first 3 songs, we were banished from the artist/VIP section and given the saddest press area/tent that I've ever seen. To be fair, I guess I don't know how directly involved you were with the festival logistics, but I found it ironic that of all the times I've had press privileges at concerts and other events, I probably received the least amount of access at the Pitchfork Festival...a festival run by a press outlet! You'd think of all the concert/festival organizers in the world, you guys would be the most sympathetic to giving the press easy access and ample amenities. So, I don't know what's going on over there at Pitchfork HQ these days, but it seems to me that your success has, in fact, totally gone to your head and you need to loosen up a bit. I first sensed this odd paranoia with the way you handled (more like ignored) your split with Intonation. Then, at your own festival, I got this odd feeing that you were limiting press access so that no one could trump your own coverage. Then I thought, "nah...the heat’s just messing with my head, reading into this waaaay too much." I even gave you the benefit of the doubt when I saw you didn't mention Radio Free Chicago in last week's piece. I was angry at first, but then I thought..."well maybe he was in a hurry to finish it, overlooked it, forgot, etc." So I dropped you a line and asked if you could highlight the link better and give RFC credit at the bottom. No reply. “Well, maybe he’ll add a quick note later…” Nothing. Damn, did my conspiracy theory actually have some validity? The reason I was drawn to your site in the first place years ago was because of its irreverence and honesty. It was completely refreshing in the world of the stale, boardroom-approved reviews found in the likes of the modern day Rolling Stone and Spin magazines. For years I defended Pitchfork to friends, co-workers, drunk dudes at bars, etc. who always bitched that you guys were all pretentious, self-important pricks. "No," I always said, "it's not the staff themselves, it's the readers’ fault for taking their reviews too damn seriously." Well, either things have changed, or I've just been flat out wrong this whole time. You've still got a great thing going on over there at the 'Fork, and judging by the massive crowd that you drew to your festival, I don't think you're in danger of becoming irrelevant any time soon. So don't fuck it up by getting all insular and cocky atop your little indie rock empire. Otherwise you're in serious danger of just becoming that same type of bullying big media outlet that you once seemingly rallied so hard against.

Live Review: Kelley Stoltz @ Lollapalooza 08/04/06

I left half way through the Eels' amazing set (which included an awesome cover of Peaches' "Rock Show" and Tom Waits' "Jesus Gonna Be Here") and headed over to one of Lollapalooza's smaller stages nestled in the shade, to catch a solid set by multi-instrumentalist and DIY-rocker Kelley Stoltz. One of the more humble performers at Lollapalooza, maybe in part to the modest crowd of 50 who witnessed his 45 minute set on Friday afternoon, he approaches performing with a San Francisco carefree folk attitude: commenting on the beautiful weather, taking time between songs to listen to the city sounds & traffic, and showing his gratitude after each song with a hearty "thanks, folks." Stoltz with his four piece backing band floated through a warm set consisting of songs off his most recent release Below the Branches and his 2003 release Antique Glow. Stoltz's songwriting and ability to create catchy melodies was on full display. His songs are delicate beauties that recall the simpler days of music, on the song Ever Thought of Coming Back (his advice song to Jesus), he shadows the harmonies and feel good vibes of the Beach Boys with glimmers of his wit in the lyricism. Though the song that really struck a chord with me was Memory Collector, a sweet and simple piano driven recollection song, that showcases his voice and knack for off kilter harmony and lyrics. His performance and personality definitely make his songs very approachable, he may not be breaking new ground in terms of style, but he is extremely skillful in the crafting and performance of his songs. Aside from The Raconteurs' stellar set, in my opinion, Kelley Stoltz was one of the standout performances in Lollapalooza's Friday lineup. Download: Kelley Stoltz - "The Sun Comes Through" (MP3)

New Releases Tuesday - 8/8

Unless you're an Ani DiFranco fan, another really slow week as far as new releases go. La Rocca - The Truth (Dangerbird) I guess I had always discounted these guys as just another generic American indie rock band, but it turns out they're actually from the U.K.(though L.A. has become their adopted home). Also, once you skip through their gratuitous rawk/indie pop anthems, they actually show a bit of personality and originality as you dig deeper on this debut record. Not a genius record by any means, but something worth a second listen on a slow week. Download: La Rocca - "The Life" (MP3) The Cure - Head on the Door [Deluxe Edition] (Rhino) The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me [Deluxe Edition] (Rhino) The Cure Top [Deluxe Edition] (Rhino) Rhino continues their "deluxe" reissues of classic Cure releases, remastering the original tracks and including an extensive second disc for each featuring outtakes and rarities. Not recommended for the casual fan who once owned a used copy of Staring At the Sea in college. Download: The Cure - "In Between Days" (MP3)

Lollapalooza via YouTube

Who was it that said recently that Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" is the "Hey Ya" of 2006? I think it's official now...(though somehow I'm not tired of it yet??)

Lollapalooza via Cubicle: Editors

RadioFreeChicago (4:16:24 PM): these guys have like one album...how are they still playing? roc998r (4:17:27 PM): one album, they probably get a good 45 min set in (band starts playing "Fingers in the Factories") RadioFreeChicago (4:16:47 PM): oh no...this is the one song by them that I can't stand RadioFreeChicago (4:17:34 PM): the chorus to this song suuuuuuucks! roc998r (4:17:56 PM): wow yeah this song does suck, i remember this chorus RadioFreeChicago (4:18:13 PM): here we go.... RadioFreeChicago (4:18:25 PM): lalala...lalala... roconnor98 (4:18:33 PM): should we start jumping around back here RadioFreeChicago (4:18:45 PM): dude can I borrow your lighter? roc998r (4:18:59 PM): they must like it if they are closing with it. for the kids. You gotta let the kids have their fun RadioFreeChicago (4:19:07 PM): oh yeah RadioFreeChicago (4:19:13 PM): rawwwwk! rocr998r (4:19:22 PM): totally! (song ends...lead singer throws something into crowd) RadioFreeChicago (4:20:00 PM): free guitar pic?? sweeet! roc998r (4:20:37 PM): makes it all worth the 65 for the ticket (feed goes silent) RadioFreeChicago (4:20:47 PM): they need lame commentators here now like they do at football half-times roc998r (4:21:26 PM): Ha, that would be great. "You were just watching editors rock grant park." "those guys are hot jim" RadioFreeChicago (4:21:34 PM): exactly RadioFreeChicago (4:22:29 PM): "comin up next we've got Umphrey's McGee...or as the kids call 'em, 'Umprhrey's' I hear they're jam-tastic..ha ha" RadioFreeChicago (4:23:09 PM): "let's go to our reporter on the field with the post show analysis" roc998r (4:23:42 PM): "Well I wouldn't want to be the band that has to follow up editors." "Don't forget this show is brought to you by...

R.I.P. Arthur Lee

Dave from Diary of a Subcultural Refugee reflects on the life of psychedelic pop icon Arthur Lee, who passed away today at the age of 61. First Syd, now Arthur...who's next? These things always happen in 3's, after all.

Lolla Preview: Sleater-Kinney

Headlining tonight's line-up is Sleater-Kinney, who, barring a reunion tour a few years from now, will not only be making their last live Chicago appearance tonight, but also playing their second to last live show ever. Check out BrooklynVegan for some amazing pictures of their last stand in New York as well as links to other critical reviews.

A Whole Lolla Love

I think this has already been well publicized, but if you're bored at work today and not heading out to Grant Park, you can still catch the action on the official Lollapalooza Webstream here.

I Wanna Rawwwwwwk!

Kirstiecat wraps up her Pitchfork Music Fest coverage with an extensive photo and critical review of Day Two.

New Releases 8/1-8/7

Hardly anything new out this week. The record industry must be on summer break....anyway, here are a couple of gems that slipped through the cracks this week. Monsieur Gainsbourg - The Originals (Verve Forecast) Companion release to the Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited tribute album from earlier this year that featured Franz Ferdinand, Cat Power, Michael Stipe, Jarvis Cocker, etc. Even if you missed that one, this still makes for as good as Serge greatest hits collection as there is out there. Check this one out, everybody needs at least one Serge album in their collection. Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players - Off and on Broadway (Sarathan Records) [DVD] Watched this last night and loved it. If you're not familiar with the band, the Trachtenburgs consist of "dad" on vocals/keys, the 12-year old daughter on drums and "mom" working the visuals via a slide projector. As an added bonus, they sometimes even cook veggie cuisine on stage and feed lucky members of the audience. It's all kitschy as hell, but it's almost impossible not to fall in love with this band after watching this DVD. Overall, it's really more of a rock doc than live DVD, though there are numerous live performances in their entirety featured in the main film, and even more in the extras section. Check out the madness for yourself live and in-person next month (9/19) at Double Door.

The Most Photogenic Award from Day Two Goes To...

Liars!! Congrats to Angus and the boys! (Rory recaps Day Two in pictures here)