Radio Free Chicago

We've Moved!

2006-10-08T23:27:00.000-05:00

update your bookmarks to: www.RadioFreeChicago.typepad.com

Bandwidth Preview: DJ LA*Jesus

2006-10-06T13:24:00.000-05:00

Finally, in our series of Bandwidth previews, we have a recent interview with the man with a plan himself, DJ LA*Jesus, whose increasing presence in the ever-growing live DJ/rock show arena, is due to his reputation as a true entertainer. With his saint-like skills behind the wheels of motion and his effervescent personality, DJ LA*Jesus is determined to get you on the floor and shake your body to salvation! How did this LA*Jesus phenomenon get started? It started Halloween '02: after resisting it for years, I'd decided to go as Jesus. I had avoided it for so long 'cause I thought it was too obvious -- I already bore a slight resemblance with the hair and beard. The "LA" was added after a dude at a party, whom I didn't know, referred to me as "LA Jesus" and it stuck. Well, folks reacted very well to it, and I had a ball, so I decided to wear the costume to some shows in the effort to get people excited and dancing. At a Flaming Lips show in May '03, one thing lead to another and I found myself dancing onstage with them. This lead to several subsequent onstage appearances and -BAH-BAM!!! it was a hit. The F'Lips even went on to include a small cameo from me in their Fearless Freaks documentary released last year. What's your philosophy when it comes to DJ'ing? It's my view that the folks on the dancefloor should be taken for a ride! They should be surprised and psyched to hear a song they love, and equally so when hearing a track they've never heard before. Good DJs know how to do that. I've always appreciated a DJ that challenges me when I'm on the dancefloor, so I try and throw things out there that may be risky -- I know that's what makes a good experience for me, and I can't be alone. Furthermore, I think it's very important to play what's true to yourself, to play what moves you. How does LA*Jesus plan to save the dancefloor? When DJ LA*J takes the stage you know it's time to really let go and lose yourself in the moment. I'm out to not only make you wanna shake what the Good Lord gave ya, I want to make you laugh, smile, feel alive. Up, Bustle and Out have a track I spin that says it all, "Dance your troubles away / every weekend you got bills to pay / BUT RIGHT NOW / Dance your troubles away..." After a recent performance, one individual commented on my myspace, "You made me see God" -- so there you go ;) If you could make a mix cd to give to God, what 3 songs would have to be on it? A mix for the big man... hmmm... "I Just Want To Celebrate" - Rare Earth "Just A Thought" - Gnarls Barkley "Kooler Than Jesus" - My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult (yeah, God's got a sense of humor, don't worry). I'm sure he does. So, what's up next for LA*Jesus? Working on remixes -- particularly a series called The Prophets of the Modern Age. The first of which, entitled "All We Have Is Now (She Moves She: 23)", places The Flaming Lips atop the beats from two different Four Tet tracks. This mix, amongst others, is available on my myspace. Also, folks can catch me live Oct 25 (w/ Flosstradamus & Mickey Avalon) at Darkroom and Oct 27 (w/Islands) at Metro. Who are you listening to at the moment? Aceyalone - "Lost Your Mind"... now the wonderous Party Shuffle has selected: "We Listen Every Day" - The Go! Team. Nice. Ah, yes, Party Shuffle, a miracle of modern science. Thanks for your time, DJ LA*J! For more miracles and to feel and breathe the dance gospel of DJ LA*Jesus, be sure to stick around after the live bands for his DJ set tonight at Bandwidth (around midnight?), sure to make a "believer" out of even the toughest music agnostic. Download: DJ*LA Jesus Mix - "Come in Out of the Corner" (MP3)

Tonight...

2006-10-06T09:01:00.000-05:00

Already have plans to see Ladytron, Sunset Rubdown, The Long Winters, etc? No problem...our party goes 'til 4a.

Bandwidth Preview: Coltrane Motion

2006-10-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

One of the first bands to hop on the Bandwidth bill was Coltrane Motion, and we are proud as hell to have them. You might be asking...who is Coltrane Motion? Shame on you. Coltrane Motion is "heartbreak you can dance to," as their press bio states. A delicious blend of "indie guitar fuzz with a mess of synths, samplers, and laptops tearing it all to pieces." RFC first caught up with the band last year and since that time these Ohio expats have continued touring and recording their asses off. This summer, they released a tour-only single, with two new tracks and a data side of the disc full of instrumentals, beats, and other goodies for people to remix, sample, etc. (They will be selling the remainder of this single at the Launch Party this Friday, and giving away the 2007 Datawaslost sampler) We can look foward to (finally) a full-length release from Coltrane Motion next Spring. After this show they will not be doing any shows till around Christmas, so don't miss out your chance to see these guys to tear it up on stage before they go back into hibernation to polish up the forthcoming full-length. -Brian J Download: Coltrane Motion - "Supersexy '67" (MP3)

Live Review: Nous Non Plus w/Hello Stranger @ Double Door 9/27/06

2006-10-05T11:20:00.000-05:00

Every few months, without fail, I thoroughly convince myself that this 80’s revival/trend/fad/ whatever it's labeled these days, is on its last breath. Not only have I been wrong every time, but I have grossly underestimated just how far people are willing to go. I comfort myself in the certainty that it will run its course eventually. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the 80’s too, but when the worst elements of a decade start to resurface it becomes just downright troubling. With this in mind, I entered the Double Door last Wednesday night. As I made my way into the main room, I glanced toward the stage to make sure I was not as late as a clock would have me believe. As I peered from the back of the room something returned my gaze from the stage and it was front and center. It was unmistakable what stared back at me, it was a key-tar. Yes, that hybrid mutt of an instrument, half keyboard, half guitar and unofficial spokesman for 80’s music. I panicked and immediately descended for safety into the depths of the lower bar. I figured I could wait this one out until the set came to an end. I am all for hearing new music and keeping an open mind but, it was too early in the night and I was far too sober to face a key-tar. I approached the bar, ordered a beer and quickly gulped some of it down to keep composed. I could still hear the music, muffled above me, penetrating my temporary place of refuge. “Hmmm” I thought, after a few minutes “it is actually a pretty catchy little number.” The bartender turned toward the only other patron below and said, “Man, that keyboardist is killer.” The patron agreed. I wondered if they even knew the sound they were hearing was coming from a key-tar. Regardless, I couldn’t help but agree with them on the matter. I decided it was my duty to go upstairs and get a closer look and I am glad I did. The band, Hello Stranger, does subscribe to that 80’s pop sound, much in the way “the Sounds” do it. Keyboard, or rather key-tar laden tracks filled with hook after enticing hook all played with a genuine vitality. All this was funneled through lead singer Juliette Commagere, who was dressed as if she just walked off the set of Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield” video, while combining Patti Smith grit with the sex appeal of a younger Debbie Harry. What can I say, I have always been a sucker for Debbie Harry. Sure they closed with "Thunderstruck," complete with a key-tar intro channeling Angus Young's classic guitar line...and sure this only cements the fact that this 80’s revival is alive and well with no apparent end in sight, but when it is done well and delivered in such effective packaging, who cares? At the very least this Los Angeles-based band allowed me to make peace with the key-tar for an evening, and that has to stand for something. I had definitely missed the buzz about Hello Stranger because by the time Nous Non Plus took the stage the crowd was noticeably smaller. I can’t recall where I first heard about Nous Non Plus, but I admittedly knew very little. Early on it became apparent that the band was not to be taken very seriously. As the show progressed, this idea only became more evident, thus the music a bit more palpable and entertaining. At times the band could rock, much in the manner the soundtrack to European Vacation could rock. After listening to a song about Paris Hilton, whose title shares the very same name as said celebrity’s infamous sex tape, I had to wonder if there was anything remotely serious about the band. Perhaps they are more of a French version of Spinal Tap, only they are supposedly not actually French. Nonetheless, the band did seem to get pockets of the crowd dancing about, including openers Hello Stranger. I suppose the music might make some good background music at a party, but I wouldn’t give it much more credibility than that. Click here for the complete photoset (Words and photos by Rory O'Connor) Download: Hello Stranger - "Take It To The Maxx" (MP3)

Live Review: The 1900s @ Subterranean 9/30/06

2006-10-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

Chicago’s very own 1900s are fantastic. They blend the best of melodic '60s pop with full rich harmonizing that makes your heart ache. Both the vocals of Edward Anderson and the two female vocalists, Caroline Donovan and Jeanine O’Toole make for songs that are like sugary sweet candy leaving sticky residues in your brain that you can’t possibly forget. The keyboard and violin always add a nice touch live as well and the new songs, which have become a more substantial part of their set, made me long for the release of an upcoming proper full length follow up to their debut ep Plume Delivery on Parasol records. My only regret is that they did not play my favorite song of theirs, “Patron Saint of Mediocre.” However, “Bring the Good Boys Home” and “A Coming Age” are always great treats.

Chicago is very lucky to have the 1900s here and one other thing I will say is that no matter how many times I see them live, I never tire of hearing these beautiful gems. Their set always seems to go too fast and end far too soon. I hope the 1900s have a really long career ahead of them with many more songs in store because it seems each new song of theirs I hear, I am just a little bit happier to call this city my home. Setlist: Bring the Good Boys Home Collex Not Wrong A Coming Age Wool Oh No Shoot to Kill Acutiplantar View the complete photoset here

All City Affairs added to Bandwidth bill

2006-10-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

If you didn't catch Carlo's comment earlier, All City Affairs have graciously agreed to join the Bandwidth bill, after our little flake-out debacle earlier left us minus a band. Huge thanks to All City Affairs for coming on board, and huge thanks to Carlo for his crazy 11th-hour booking skills. Speaking of which, Carlo also somehow managed to whip up an interview with the band already, and his post follows below...

Bandwidth Preview: All City Affairs

2006-10-04T11:37:00.000-05:00

When he's not spinning records as DJ Hugsen Kissus, or pounding away the funk beats in local 3-piece Baby Teeth, Peter Andreadis is working like a busy bee on his solo project All City Affairs. With the recent release of ACA's latest LP "Bees" on Lujo Records, All City Affairs is primed to bring it's vibrant infusion of rock, funk, reggae, jazz, and hip-hop sound to a wider audience with an upcoming tour and even a new album in the works. Peter took some time in his busy schedule to answer a few questions for RFC. How long have you been working on All City Affairs? Where did the name come from? All City Affairs has been around since about 2000. It started as a band under my real name and then became a band-band, and then became just me again with no band and called All City Affairs. I wanted to call it All City Affairs, because when I was playing with live musicians we were from all over Chicago. What are your plans for ACA? My plans with ACA are to finish the next record and play as much as I can in the fall. I'm working on booking for out of town dates. So, you perform primarily as a one man band, what can an audience expect from a live ACA show? An audience can expect me to be selling the songs in a very genuine way. When I am at home working on these tunes I can get lost in them. Really get carried away and all. Now that they are finished and I am performing them in front of people, I get the same feeling. It's my time alone up there and I'm just trying to give people the same experience of what I felt in my room at conception. What is the most difficult aspect to recording as ACA? I would say the most difficult thing about recording ACA is that there is no one there to edit but me. I have to be conscious of what is relevant and interesting and what is just musical vomit that I've decided to throw out that day? or week? After a few listens I can usually tell if a particular song will be compelling to audiences or whether it's only compelling to me, because I've created it. What inspires you as a songwriter? At the core of songwriting, the artists that inspire me are Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Sly Stone, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, and Neil Young, etc. I can listen to any number of those artists' tunes and just break down and cry at how beautiful they are. As far as sounds are concerned and production, I would say Dr. Dre, the Neptunes, Timbaland, Squarepusher, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Aphex Twin. I'm very interested in rhythmic patterns and what makes things progressive and moving underneath the melodic and harmonic structure of a song. If you don't have a moving rhythm, what do you have? You are in constant motion yourself, does that motivate your work on All City Affairs? Yes. A dominant influence on All City Affairs is my reluctance to relax. I don't like idle time. It makes me nervous. I'd rather strum out some chords on my guitar or tap out some rhythms and walk down the street and beat-box something. What's your favorite part of Chicago and the local music scene? Chicago feels like a small town. You can see the same people walking down the street everyday if you wanted to stay in the same neighborhood. If you move around a lot, like I do, you see new people. But sometimes I like to visit some old haunts and see old friends. I also like the fact that there are many, many talented musicians here and the bar is always set high. I like the pressure of knowing that there is a bit of competition. I work best under pressure, I always have. Finally, who are you listening to these days? I'm really into the new Baby Dayliner CD called Critics Pass Away. His name is Ethan and he is from NYC. Great pop tunes, with a dance floor appeal. I'm also listening to Donald Fagen's Morph The Cat, Broadcast's Tender Buttons, The Roots' Game Theory, and Ludacris' Release Therapy. Oh, and I checked out a copy of Company from the library, which was a Stephen Sondheim musical from 1970. Thanks for your time, Peter! You can "send yourself to work" on the dancefloor at The Kinetic Playground this Friday, when All City Affairs takes the stage as part of BANDWIDTH: A Launch Party Revolution. Download: All City Affairs - "Send Yourself To Work" - (MP3) Download: All City Affairs - "Man Of Modern Times" - (MP3)

Bandwidth Preview: Skybox

2006-10-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night I sat down with newly deemed Bandwidth headliners Skybox for an interview and acoustic session live from their Edgewater apartment. Download the podcast here or simply hit play on the player below:
powered by ODEO Also, be sure to check out this infectious lead single from the band's self-released debut, Arco Isis:

Skybox - "Various Kitchen Utensils"(MP3)

Live Review: Built to Spill @ Metro 9/16/06

2006-10-03T14:04:00.000-05:00

I’ve been a fan of Built to Spill for a very long time but I hadn’t expected to enjoy this show as much because I wasn’t as familiar with their recently released album, You in Reverse as I had hoped to be. I found myself really enjoying their set despite this fact, especially when they played their older songs. Yet, their newer material fit in well with the old, particularly “Goin’ Against Your Mind,” and “Liar.” There’s something to be said for Dough Martsh’s voice. It’s definitely not one you’d call classically trained or with exceptional range. Yet, it’s quality is it’s undeniable ability to be expressive and make everything feel right (even if he’s singing at the time about everything being wrong). Even while hearing the new songs, I felt like there was an emotional connection I was experiencing. This is the second time I’d seen Built to Spill and I think they’ve come even more into their own as a band. I also don’t remember them having visuals when they played the Metro in the past. It’s really the vocals that are touching and make the songs what they are vs. a real stage presence. The images that came across the screen were very imaginative and artistic and became an exceptional comliment to hearing the songs being played. At one point, a video of Calvin Johnson talking about the environment and politics took over the stage, with Martsch and the band playing instrumentals throughout it. Other highlights of the set included "Big Dipper" and perhaps their most brilliant song lyrically, "Untrustable." I would have loved it had they played my favorite song of theirs ("Twin Falls") or had they done their fifteen minute long cover of Neil Young’s "Cortez the Killer," but overall the night was really special and I couldn’t help feeling that There’s Nothing Wrong With Love.

Live Pics: Thunderbirds Are Now! @ Beat Kitchen 9/29/06

2006-10-03T06:16:00.000-05:00

I caught an early show with Thunderbirds Are Now! Friday night and caught a few pics for the photoblog. The Beat Kitchen has become a pretty impressive venue- great sound and a very well-lit stage that makes it incredibly easy to take good pictures without flash! (Thax's crusade should be about better lighting, not flash cameras!) The only difficulty this time was getting the band to stand still long enough to snap a non-blurry photo- TAN! is about as high-energy as it gets. They played a lot of older favorites like "Eat This City" and "This World Is Made of Paper," as well as debuted some new tunes from their forthcoming album, Make History. A good time, as always.

New Releases Tuesday - 10/3

2006-10-03T00:17:00.000-05:00

Another big name New Releases Tuesday...featuring new albums from the likes of Beck, The Decemberists, The Dears, Jet and The Killers. The New York Times did a nice job of profiling the heavy hitters yesterday, but there's still plenty more to check out: Ad Astra Per Aspera - Catapult (Calypso) Akron/Family - Meek Warrior (Young God) Air - Late Night Tales (Azuli) J.B. and Nicholas are the latest artists to contribute to this great compilation series created by Azuli Records. (think of it as a downtempo version of the DJ Kicks series) The French lounge masters feature a few obvious choices like Sebastien Tellier, Lee Hazlewood and Scott Walker, but they also drop a few surprises like tracks from The Band and Black Sabbath. Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 - Ole! Tarantula (Yep Rock) In 30 years of recording with the Soft Boys and solo-wise, Robyn Hitchcock's enduring brand of madcap mayhem has raced between English punk, acoustic folk and sonically lush pop. But by teaming with Seattle pals Pete Buck (REM) and Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5), Hitchcock has made a return to garage rock not heard since 1989's Queen Elvis...Buck's indelible guitar instills a chiming luster to songs like "Underground Sun" and "Red Locust Frenzy," while McCaughey provides a random, finger-snapping piano to the delightful "Belltown Ramble," which finds Hitchcock serving as the clever hobnobbing tour guide of his favorite Emerald City neighborhood. As usual, a sharp cockney twang is Hitchcock's best instrument, carving up the scatty title song as aptly as his ode to San Francisco "(A Man's Gotta Know His Limitations) Briggs" or his salute to "NY Doll," late bassist Arthur Kane. --Scott Holter (via Amazon) Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (Vagrant) Craig Finn loves books and bars. It's not just that he pinched the title of he Hold Steady's third album from the ultimate manual for boozehounds, Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" ("Boys and Girls in America have such a sad time together"), but that every leery line of every song is crammed with the wayward poetry and passion of someone who is more familiar with the bottom of a whiskey glass than the sun. Thanks to his raucous Brooklyn band, his music--louder than its predecessors this time, with a few more ballads--also happens to make a great soundtrack for an all-night bender where broken-hearts and broken bottles become one. -Aidin Vaziri (via Amazon) Kooks - Inside In/Inside Out (Astralwerks) Sean Lennon - Friendly Fire (Capitol) Make Believe - Of Course (Flameshovel) Pernice Brothers - Live A Little (Ashmont) Subtle - For Hero For Fool (Astralwerks) Thunderbirds Are Now! - Make History (Frenchkiss) Various Artists - DFA Remixes: Chapter Two (Astralwerks)

(Doh!) Bandwidth Headliner Flakes Out

2006-10-02T14:10:00.000-05:00

This is so ridiculous that I can't even get mad about it. Seriously, I should've been pissed, but all I could do was laugh when I heard the news. Barely a week before our big launch party at Kinetic Playground, came word that our headlining band, The Dirty Things, broke up and won't be able to play our gig. RFC's Chief Launch Party Coordinator, Brian J, got this message via a MySpace email message late Friday afternoon: hey brian, i hate doing this to you. things we're in utter turmoil on wednesday (if i seemed a bit strange) and we were hoping the show would lift our spirits but it didn't help. looks like we're calling it quits. i really would like to fullfill our obligations but we just can't. i can throw you some names of some bands if you like. i'm so sorry for the last minute notice but our lead singer is a bitch. i will be starting a new project and i hope to work with you again in the future. thanks so much for making it out to the show and i hope there's no hard feelings. let me know if there's anything i can do: 312-7xx-7xxx sincerely, josh Josh never did return messages from Brian or myself this weekend, so now we're scrambing to find a replacement band. "Work with you again in the future???" "No hard feelings???"Are you serious? We plastered your name all over our site, Future Perfect Radio, MySpace and any other form of media willing to list our event, and even printed up 1000 glossy flyers all with your name at the top of the bill. We did all that and you can't even return a phone call after leaving us high and dry? Wow Josh, we can't wait to promote your next band and work with you again in the future! Gossipy Update: In fairness to Josh, Brian J said that he did finally email him back this afternoon and suggested some other bands. Though, four days off, this hardly absolves the situation. Gossipy Update #2: Josh responds to my email from last Friday: ...i will attempt contacting the other guys and see if we can work something out but i will say it is unlikely. i feel terrible about this. in my defense, i want the band to carry on but the singer/guitarist does not. i'm gonna brainstorm about other possibilities...i am truely sorry for this situation.

Beck Listening Party Tonight

2006-10-02T11:17:00.000-05:00

Damn, that was quick. After Guero and Guerolito last year, Beck is already back with a brand new full-length, The Information, out tomorrow. "Be the first on your block to hear it..." by going to the official listening party tonight at SmartBar: Monday October 2 Interscope Records Presents... BECK CD LISTENING PARTY FOR THE INFORMATION FREE! / 21 & over / Doors: 6:30pm / Show: 6:30pm Come to Smart Bar and be the first to hear Beck's new album The Information (due in stores on 10/3) and enter for your chance to win tickets to see Beck at UIC Pavilion

Also, it's "Beck Day" today on the Beeb's 6Music channel, where they'll be spinning tracks from the new album as well as featuring a plethora of classic Beck jams. John Peel heir apparent Steve Lamacq will also be sitting down for a chat over tea and crumpets with the man himself at around 12p local time.

Happy Rocktober!

2006-10-02T08:10:00.000-05:00

It's back...that magical time of year known lovingly as "Rocktober." To celebrate, all this month Radio Free Chicago will be playing 20-minute Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Van Halen rock-blocks every hour! OK...not really, however today does mark the debut of the Radio Free Chicago audio player (aka "The Local Band Listening Post"), powered by Future Perfect Radio. We'll have a direct link up on the new site next week, but for now you can preview the player directy on the Future Perfect Radio homepage.

Get On The List: Junior Boys @ Empty Bottle

2006-09-29T13:05:00.000-05:00

The crack staff at Future Perfect Radio is throwing a pre-launch party this Saturday and they're giving away a pair of passes to see Junior Boys at The Bottle next Sunday (10/8). Apparently this intimate soiree is "super secret" and at an "undisclosed location," so you've got to email futureperfectradio(at)gmail.com to get the top secret password and coordinates. (Must be present to win tix)

RFC Interview: Say Hi To Your Mom

2006-09-29T09:27:00.000-05:00

When I first got Say Hi To Your Mom’s latest album Impeccable Blahs back in early August, I listened to it a lot. Since then, I’ve listened to it even more. In the future? I plan to keep on listening to it. It’s just one of those albums that demand that sort of constant attention … Not to say that’s it's needy. In fact, it’s the opposite: It’s a giver. It provides new wave beats so good they can charm those who don’t even like new wave, pop hooks that can catch the most cynical ear, and lines so sharp that they could slice a man in two before he even knows he was being cut. Since I didn’t really know a damn thing about Say Hi To Your Mom, the cd was a complete -- and completely pleasant -- surprise. Still, I needed to know more… So, I checked in with band frontman Eric Elbogen to ask him a dozen or so questions he’s probably heard a hundred times before. But, in the end? I'd like to think we both learned something… (Or else I might be writing while drunk again.) Hi, Eric. How’s it going How long have you been doing this? I started Say Hi To Your Mom in 2002. Before that I had been playing in bands for ten years and had been writing songs for about fourteen years. Wow, that makes me feel old ... You were a solo artist for your first few albums. What made you decide to change to a full band? I didn’t. Jeff and Chris had been touring with me for a couple years and we got along and they were good players and when it was time to make the record they got involved. I’m very glad they did. I actually just played my last show with them though, because they’ve decided they don’t want to tour anymore. I’m about to move away from New York too, to the west coast somewhere, at least for a while. I’ve heard you say elsewhere that Impeccable Blahs is, for lack of a better term, a concept album where all the songs are based around vampires. First off, why vampires? Why not vampires? Do all of the songs have that theme? I can certainly hear it in These Fangs, Blah Blah Blah, and She Just So Happens To Date The Prince of Darkness, but not in tracks like Sad … But Endearingly So. The theme is there in all the songs, although it is a little more blatant in some. Sad is a song about vampires interviewing their potential prey. Were you testing yourself by sticking with one theme? Not so much testing myself as much as just making the writing process a little more interesting for myself. Okay. You’re probably tired of talking about who your influences are. So let me ask you instead, how have your influences changed over the course of recording four albums? I don’t know that they have changed because of making records. They change I guess because new, great records come out and when I hear them, it’s like they are giving me the finger, saying “Ha! Beat that, you wimp.” That happened with certain Spoon records, certain Radiohead records, certain Broken Social Scene records... What the name of your band from? It’s actually my legal name, Eric Elbogen is just a pseudonym. You just went on tour with Dirty on Purpose. How did that go? (Sorry, I missed you guys play in LA.) It was great. I love those guys. And they party harder than Say Hi ever has, so hanging out with them redefined the idea of being in a rock band for me. What’s next for you? Any new tour plans or recordings looming in your immediate future? The next tour starts in a couple of weeks. It ends in mid-November, at which point I’m gonna drive all my stuff to the west coast, set up my studio and make another record. The tour after that won’t happen until March, which will be a nice break for me because we will have toured on and off for half of 2006. Last question: Who are you listening to these days? Dirty on Purpose, The Silversun Pickups, Hot Chip, Spoon, Thom Yorke, Sunset Rubdown, Tokyo Police Club, Dr. Dog, Bjork, The Long Winters, and that new Yo La Tengo record, which I think is incredible. That’s it! Thanks for your time, Eric. Say Hi To Your Mom returns to Chicago on October 13th for a gig at Schubas with The Evangelicals.

Live Review: The Sadies @ Schubas 9/23/06

2006-09-28T12:18:00.000-05:00

Fear the Sadies. Anyone who attended Schubas on Saturday night was assaulted in a most malicious, unrelenting way. I've noticed sometimes that Schubas is advertised (somewhat jokingly?) as having “hardcore honky tonk nightly.” On most nights I would be prone to question this statement, especially considering just a few hours earlier on Saturday night David Bazan of Pedro the Lion took the stage (no disrespect, though), but with the Sadies on the bill there could be no dispute. The evening began tame enough with a movie entitled Tales of the Rat Fink. The film, a documentary about the life of hot rod & custom car designer Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, leans towards the psychedelic and surreal. It is largely a montage of photos mixed with some animation. John Goodman narrates, as the voice of Big Daddy himself, and The Sadies provided the soundtrack. I have to admit, I did not watch the move in its entirety; but if anything, the film may help some understand that the name Von Dutch is much more than just fashion fodder for obnoxious celebrities. First on the bill was Heavy Trash, which consisted of Matt Verta-Ray, Jon Spencer (yes, the Jon Spencer of Blues Explosion fame) and the Sadies serving as a back-up band. They formed a cohesive unit, as does any Sadies backed band/collaboration, and ripped through every track on the Heavy Trash self-titled album with style. Jon Spencer is a very engaging performer who has the presence of a televangelist combined with the moves of a 70’s-era Elvis (sans the bloated, on-too-many-meds look). I seriously mean that as a compliment …after a slew of indie rock shows lately, he may be the most electrifying front man I have seen in months. The performance could have easily been a headlining set on most nights in most venues. This set flowed seamlessly into the Sadies later set, really making this seem more of a two set show than two different bands. After a break, The Sadies were back on stage. Much is made about The Sadies in their varying backing roles, most notably for Neko Case on the extraordinary live album The Tigers Have Spoken. The fact is the Sadies are exceptional in any package, including when they take the stage on their own. While the Sadies may not be the most mobile performers, it quickly becomes apparent that this music can stand on its own. The music does not warrant any dog and pony show, as gimmicks are simply not needed here. They blazed through tracks spanning their entire catalog, with no shortage of their trademark barn burnin’, surf style, western-inspired instrumentals. As to be expected from a Sadies show, they were joined throughout the night by a plethora of guests, including Jon Langford and Sally Timms. The ease they display in morphing into the ideal backing band for whoever steps on stage is something to behold. The evening closed, as it started, with Jon Spencer fronting the band for the last few numbers. The evening was at its most electric with this combination, peaking as Jon Spencer jumped into the crowd to finish the set. As the night came to a close I was left to consider two questions: Are the Sadies the best live act going? And how is this Canadian band able to play Americana, better than most American bands? -Words and photos by Rory O'Connor...click here for the complete photoset

For the suburban faithful out there, The Sadies are playing again tonight at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn.

Indie Rock - Hollywood Style

2006-09-28T09:28:00.000-05:00

Click here for more pics from the debut of Radio Free Silver Lake's "Let's Independent" night in Hollywood. (y'all are going to look a lot cooler at our debut party, right?)

Get on the List: Langhorne Slim @ Empty Bottle

2006-09-27T13:38:00.000-05:00

Everyone's favorite porkpie hat wearing, fresh-faced grifter bluesman, Langhorne Slim is playing The Empty Bottle this Saturday and RFC wants to get you on the list. Here's what Chief Honky Tonk correspondent Rory O'Connor has to say about Mr. Slim: Langhorne Slim was born in the 80’s and hails from Pennsylvania but his music sounds like it came right out of the dust bowl era and has roots in that urgent, desperate part of the south where Woody Guthrie once roamed and a Hank Williams once howled. Like these artists Langhorne Slim appears to have a knack for crossing boundaries and bridging gaps. While his album plays like pure Folk and Country, it feels assembled in an atmosphere of rock. RFC will get your name on the list (plus a guest) if you can answer this country rock trivia courtesty of Rory: Give us the name of that seminal Byrds album, that had Roger McGuinn trading in his jangling 12-string for a banjo. It is often cited as the very first country rock album (a dubious tag indeed!) Send your responses to: radiofreechicago(at)gmail.com. If there are multiple responses, we'll pick the 5th correct entry. An additonal winner chosen at random will also receive a Langhorne Slim signed poster. Good luck! (remember, you must be 21+ to visit The Empty Bottle)

Live Review: The Wire Festival 9/20/06

2006-09-27T09:17:00.000-05:00

Jandek’s appearance was rare…so rare in fact that when it had been announced last year that he might appear one of the days at the Wire Festival, many people bought tickets for every night of the event just hoping to catch him. Jandek played guitar with his back turned for a substantial portion of the time when he wasn’t singing and at times the vocals were very sparse and tangential. In one sense, it was a matter of free association and yet at times the words seemed more calculated. It felt like a Jim Jarmusch film; intelligent but also dreamy. It was difficult to distinguish at some times whether you were hearing music or an avant garde poetry session. We were all journeying on an unpopulated highway and we could somehow all relate a bit to the terrain of the road. Jandek sang, “Don’t know the reason I feel this way” at one point and “The hours go by but it takes a long time” at another. His audience was willing to wait for him. The songs were lengthy and sometimes circular with repetitive bass lines and intense build-ups but ultimately they made you feel they were composed after an entire night of no sleep and decaf coffee. For a brief moment, one of the bass lines hit some warmer tones that actually reminded me a bit of the feel of Tim Buckley’s Blue Afternoon and I had to wonder what kind of music he might write after seeing Jandek play if was still alive today. After all, he was so inspired at one point by the poet Lorca. The combination of poetry and music definitely left us all with images and thoughts that haven’t been as emphasized by other musicians who end up letting the music get in the way of their words. I have the utmost respect for Rhys Chatham, who has worked with everyone from Phillip Glass to Steve Reich and from Brian Eno to Glenn Branca. Yet, to be honest, I found myself being very disappointed in his set. The reason for this is mainly because he was performing as part of his heavy metal band, which featured himself on guitar with another guitarist and a drummer to create some minimalist metal that I unfortunately couldn’t relate to at all or connect with emotionally. The few times Rhys Chatham approached the microphone, he spoke with a gentle soft spoken demeanor that didn’t quite match the assaulting chords he strummed. It’s clear Rhys Chatham is an incredibly talented musician who has added a substantial amount of history to mysic with his contributions as a composer. I just hope next time he leaves the metal bit at home. Jana Hunter from Texas came out and sang bluesy songs accompanied by her guitar. She sang with a much deeper voice than I expected and she seemed so pure to me in a way with such minimal guitar effects and just a small fender amp. The Empty Bottle felt much more intimate somehow with her on stage. Tim Hecker from Vancouver, Canada plays electronic music that felt very tidal with Brian Eno-esque tones from his ambient era. To describe it, the music swarmed around the audience warmly but there was a presence lurking there amidst all of this that wasn’t as bright as it could have been. The full effect was dark at times but interesting with the unfortunate downfall that Hecker wasn’t very engaging to watch as he mainly just stood on a dark stage and pressed buttons on his PowerBook. It was definitely more of a set to close your eyes to and concentrate on listening and feeling.

Will WOXY rise from the dead...again??

2006-09-26T16:38:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: An "official" word is still forthcoming...but check out this message board post direct from WOXY's very own Shivy Shiv: An official announcement hasn't been made. We're working on it. What I can say is that we ARE coming back. The final details will be revealed shortly. There's still some loose ends and tech things that have to be resolved, but things are moving forward. I unpacked the main music library yesterday and refiled everything back on the walls of the studio, so hopefully that gives you a sense that this is the real deal!

Live Review: Wire Festival 9/22/06

2006-09-26T13:26:00.000-05:00

The Wire teamed up with Chicago’s Empty Bottle to bring us Adventures in Modern Music, a 5-day festival showcasing an experimental and diverse lineup of musicians and bands from all over the world. On this night alone, local musicians gathered with those from Oregon, France, and Brazil for an incredible night that would not have been possible if not for The Wire. (The Wire is a great UK-based magazine for experimental and outer limits independent music. It's a bit expensive, but is worth the cost as it comes with a nice CD sampler of the bands it covers.)

Spires that in the Sunset Rise I agree with the way that the Spires describe themselves: ...the music is a repellant and magnetizing swarm of harps, guitars, cello, drums, harmonium, banjo, mbira, spike fiddle, bells, and vocals. Although technically a four piece, they perfromed as a three piece, though their sound was still quite rich and full. I shouldn’t be too surprised music like this is coming out of Chicago. We do have a significant art scene here and this is definitely music created for and by artists with such emotional eccentricity that you feel literally like you’re being haunted by the sounds. The cello was especially beautiful and there were times when the vocals were like half angelic pained cries. At one point, the chilling sound of a scraping pen writing along the edge of an instrument caused shivers to creep up one’s spine. This small orchestra might be speaking for the actual Earth at times. It definitely serves as a rebuttal for all those who think nothing original is being created anymore. These aren’t anything close to pop songs but are nonetheless rewarding if embraced by the eccentric in all of us. Yellow Swans Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Yellow Swans is a two piece experimental band who seemed like they were going to put on a deafening set of noise until they submerged themselves into a more melodic form focusing on a less assaulting repetition between the guitar, pedal effects, and noise generator. Hear their songs by visiting them on myspace Colleen Colleen is actually Cécile Schott, a French artist who plays beautifully lush instrumentals by looping guitar, cello, and clarinet then fills the remaining air with the sound of wind chimes. She was just lovely while the music inspired a touching sort of emotion in me ala Clint Mansell’s soundtrack work on Requiem for a Dream, only not as dark. It’s very magical both in the live setting and on her two fantastic full length albums: Everyone Alive Wants Answers and The Golden Morning Breaks. Tetine I didn’t quite know what to expect from Brazil’s Tetine (pictured above). Eliete Mejorado came out clad in a bright golden metallic one piece bodysuit complete with a horse’s tail attached to her. Bruno Verner’s dress was much more modest in contrast but he was just as passionate while singing. They both sang and the songs were very keyboard dependent as well. They were captivating, raunchy, and created very danceable music which, even though the lyrics weren’t sung in English, was pretty easy to guess at subject matter wise. If you like CSS, check out Tetine. More coverage of the festival to come...check out the complete photoset here

New Releases Tuesday - 9/26

2006-09-26T00:52:00.000-05:00

Adem - Love and Other Planets (Domino) Akron/Family - Meek Warrior (Young God) Botch - Unifying Themes Redux (Hydra Head) The Changes - Today Is Tonight (Drama Club) After two EPs, Chicago indie darlings The Changes finally hit the big time with their debut full-length, a jangly pop affair perfect for autumnal listening. The official album release party is at Double Door next month (more on that later), though you can check them out today at the Virgin Megastore. Download: The Changes - "When I Wake" (MP3) Solomon Burke - Nashville (Shout) Four Tet - Remixes (Domino) Emily Haines - Knives Don't Have Your Back (Last Gang) Indie heartthrob and favorite front woman of hip guys and girls everywhere, Emily Haines (of Metric and Broken Social Scene), is stepping out of band format and is set to release her first solo album, Knives Don’t Have Your Back. You may hear faint traces of her other bands in this work, but this collection of songs listens more like a chapter from Emily’s personal diary, which makes sense as the album’s content is borne of four years spent living in four different cities while on tour with Metric. With stark piano melodies, and haunting vocals Emily proves her stock as one of the leading ladies in rock today. -Filter Download: Emily Haines - "Doctor Blind" (MP3) The Lemonheads - The Lemonheads (Vagrant) After a solo release in 2003, Evan Dando returns with the first Lemonheads record in a decade. Of course The Lemonheads where pretty much just Dando anyway, though it appears this record should rock quite a bit more than the Jon Brion-produced solo effort. Backing up Dando this time around are ex-Descendants Bill Stevenson (drums) and Karl Alvarez (bass). Download: The Lemonheads - "No Backbone" (MP3) Scissor Sisters - Ta-Dah (Universal) Sparklehorse - Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain (Astralwerks) Teddy Bears - Soft Machine (Big Beat) Wolf Eyes - Human Animal (Sub Pop)

Will WOXY rise from the dead?...Again???

2006-09-25T16:20:00.000-05:00

Damn, does this station have nine lives? I'll believe it when I see it, but Future Perfect Radio is reporting that the WOXY message boards are buzzing about a possible comeback via the braintrust at LaLa, a legal CD sharing service: Basically, the founder of LaLa, a pretty ingenious, legally above-ground CD sharing service that debuted a few months back, has "discovered" the smoldering ashes of WOXY and is looking to help them pull a Phoenix. This would still be in the name of his company's interests, of course, but the WOXY story would dovetail nicely with LaLa's customer friendly, more-transparent-than-not M.O. Stay tuned, we'll keep you posted...

RFC Interview: The Blow

2006-09-25T13:47:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard Portland's The Blow before, you've been missing out, son. It's the sort of smart, unconventional, highly addictive pop music that makes you realize just how much you really like smart, unconventional, highly addictive pop music. We spoke with the Khaela half of the Jona Bechtolt/Khaela Maricich duo earlier this week, while the two are in the midst of touring the country opening up for Australia's Architecture in Helsinki. And here's a look at how it all went: Hey there, Khaela. How you doing? How’s Portland treating you? Hey, Joe! I’m doing pretty good. I can't tell how Portland is treating me. I’m in Houston, far enough away that if Portland is snubbing me, I can't note the effects. Nor the potential kisses. How did The Blow first come together? Where did the name come from? The Blow has lived in some different ways, through a number of epochs. I played solo as The Blow for a few years, and Jona and I joined forces to turn The Blow into a pop duo in early 2004. The name came from the mouth of my friend's son, years ago, when he was about two years old. (He's eleven now.) They lived in a converted school bus, and the wind would blow through when the door was opened. One time he said, "Close the door! The blow!" The band started out more with more of a raw acoustic sound and then became more poppy and electronic later. That came out of the start of your collaboration together, right? Yeah, the raw stuff was me by myself. When Jona and I hooked up, the sound went pure electric. We were like, "let's make some songs, totally in the style of mainstream chart-toppers. Let's go all the way out." How did you decide to work together? Well, it was like your basic playground relationship story. It started out that we just kind of ended up playing a song together at the What-The-Heck-Festival, in Anacortes, in 2003. So, that was like the incidental first brush with love. Later that year, I asked him if he'd want to make beats for a song of mine. He said yeah, and we did it, and it turned out well, and happened so easily (for the song Hock It). This part was us talking for a minute by the water fountain. Then, our friends Steve Shcroeder and Zac Pennington set us up. They made a limited edition EP series (called the Pregnancy Series), and they asked us if we would work together and make the first EP for the series. We agreed to do it. Steve literally was the one who called me and asked me about the idea. This part was our friends pulling us each aside, and being like, "Hey, you know that he/she likes you, don't you?" And, then, it just worked out. We carved our names in the table. This is the part where I artlessly mention that Hock It and Hey, Boy are two of my favorite songs from the last few years. (I couldn’t work it in anywhere else.) Holy shit! What a compliment! Those are the first two songs we recorded together. What’s the new album like? How’s it different from the last? I wonder how the new album is different. We pretty much continued working in exactly the same way as we had before, the only difference being that there was a year or so of time in between the recording. Maybe you can listen and tell us what's different. What was the process like creating it? Ahhhh the process. Making things is wild, you know. It's the stuff of wild animals. I think when people work together, the process churns up and brings out the absolute best in people, alternating with their absolute worst. It's powerful stuff, bring new things into the world. The literal process usually goes that I lay around my apartment and make up words, and sing them to myself. And then I go find Jona and we sit at his desk and he drives the computer, and I do a fair share of back seat driving-- He will be making a beat, and I will be saying, "Hey, what about in this part we make a sound like if there were silvery fish going by?" He either does or doesn't get a little exasperated, and then he inevitably finds a way to make the perfect sound that is exactly like silvery fish. We get a little tired and we go out for tofutti cuties. What’s next for you? You’re just about to start touring? We are both about to start touring, on two different tours. Jona will be doing his solo show as YACHT, and I will be touring as The Blow, playing the music from the new record. That promises to continue for a while, and then after that? I might set up a face painting booth at a fair, or go build a house for someone in a place where there was a flood. Last question: What are you listening to right now that you like? - A cd my friend Lucas Grey made where he reads aloud from his dreams, with music accompanying in the background. - Arthur Russel: Another Thought. - Dear Nora: Mountain Rock. - That song Toxic by Brittany Spears. That’s it! Thanks for your time. The Blow's new album comes out on October 24th on K Records. You can hear tracks off of it here on their myspace page.

Introducing...BANDWIDTH

2006-09-25T00:44:00.000-05:00

RadioFreeChicago v2.0 is coming very soon and to celebrate the new site we're throwing a big bash (aka "BANDWIDTH...A Launch Party Revolution") at the Kinetic Playground on Friday, October 6th. Also joining us in the celebration festivities will be the local indie music site Future Perfect Radio, who just launched their site last month. Of course, hanging out with a bunch of Bloggers and music dorks isn't that exciting, so we've rounded up with some great local acts to keep you entertained all night long:

Skybox Coltrane Motion All City Affairs DJ LA*Jesus More details to come... ALSO, if for some reason you happen to be reading this from the greater Los Angeles area, be sure to check out our sister site's debut concert series in Hollywood tomorrow night:

Free JET Concert @ Schubas

2006-09-22T15:52:00.000-05:00

After the Lupe fiasco (reformated due to health issues) on Monday, it looks like Myspace Secret Shows is bringing another free concert to Chicago this week. On this Sunday (9/24), you can check out a free performance by Jet at Schubas. To get admission, bring a printout of your Myspace profile with Myspace Secret Shows in your Top 8. Thanks to Mike at FreeIndie for the tip. Update: Wristbands will not be distributed until 5PM on the day of the show, at the club. One wristband per person/profile.

Live Review: Vashti Bunyan @ Lakeshore Theatre 9/11-9/12/06

2006-09-22T12:20:00.000-05:00

Vashti Bunyan is delicate, magical, and enchanting. She could charm thousand-year-old oak trees in a forest to start whispering a melody. Playing with a six piece ensemble that included Helena-Espvall from Espers, Vashti filled the air with her songs and you could just tell they sounded exactly the way she wished them to. She thanked the other performers several times and expressed both her gratitude and shock that she would have the opportunity to bring her songs to an audience with such accomplished musicians playing with her. Instruments accompanying her included violin, guitar, cello, flute and more.

Vashti sang a collection of older material from 1970's Just Another Diamond Day and newer material from 2005’s Lookaftering. She also spoke quite a bit about her songs. She expressed how her newer songs were about her children while her older songs seemed to dwell on a journey of 700 miles to Scotland that she took on horseback with a man who broke her heart. It apparently took her two summers and a winter to make this journey and left a clear impression on her. She had such an intimate grace while she was speaking that made you feel like you could be listening to her speak in a small coffeehouse.

The most surprising thing about the set was how juxtaposed amongst each other the songs all took on a different feel. Being brought to life, it almost seemed as if they had been completely removed from the time element of it all. The songs just belonged everywhere in every time period, perhaps because in some respect they are very pure folk songs in what they achieve. It was a real joy to see and hear Vashti Bunyan and I do hope that more people increasingly see her worth. As in the case of some other unrecognized musicians of that genre, Sibylle Baier and Bridget St. John for example, Vashti Bunyan adds something vital to this world and it is enriching to listen to.

Click here for more photos

SET LIST:

Live Review: Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players @ Double Door 9/19/06

2006-09-22T09:44:00.000-05:00

I will attempt to follow in the footsteps of the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players performance on Tuesday night and make this review short and sweet. Failing that, I will make it short. I was fairly confident walking in to the Double Door on Tuesday night that I knew exactly what to expect from the evening’s show. After all, I had seen the Slideshow Players a little while back and I knew the premise of the band had not changed. I also watched their recently released DVD no more than 3 weeks ago. In some ways I was justified in my confidence. I believe they only introduced one new song into the mix and I was well prepared for the level of kitsch they would reach. At the end of the day though, it is safe to say my confidence was a little premature. One simply can’t be fully prepared for the oddity that is the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players. They are not an oddity in that Man Man way (that leans more towards insanity doesn’t it?). The oddness does not suck you in, but rather induces a slight confusion that subtly persuades you in and may even comfort you in some way. For starters, I was not prepared for the opening sales pitch/presentation for ("Super D"?) connectors that Jason Trachtenburg laid upon us. It would also be near impossible to be ready for his random thoughts and banter in between songs. In many ways this banter is what keeps the show moving and feeling fresh. The man is unquestionably funny and in the end, the lasting appeal of their show is its comic aspect in song, slides and banter. The whole set was short but it felt just about right. Many of the songs couldn’t have topped the 2 minute mark. The songs have a very elementary feel but can be exceedingly catchy. They are catchy much in the way a commercial jingle is catchy and I am apt to believe this is not entirely unintentional, given the nature of what they do and Jason Trachtenburg’s penchant for satirizing American consumerism. They went through all the hits such as “Look at Me,” “What Will the Corporation Do?,” “Wendy’s, Sambo’s and Long John Silver’s” and closed with the near painfully infectious “Mountain Trip to Japan 1959.” To critique this show any further would feel a bit absurd, much like their music. I will say on an entertainment level their show is a smashing success. I am not certain how long an act like this will last or can last, but I am not inclined to discuss it because the family seems wholly unaffected by such thoughts. It simply doesn’t really matter. (words and photos by Rory O'Connor)

Live Review: Jeffrey Lewis Band @ Beat Kitchen 9/20/06

2006-09-21T14:27:00.000-05:00

Who the hell is Jeffrey Lewis? I know I asked myself the same question when I heard he was opening for Adam Green. After his set, however, I was sad I never heard of him before (I guess, that's how one becomes a 'best kept secret'). The Jeffrey Lewis Band is actually comprised of two brothers, Jack (bass/keys) and Jeffrey Lewis (guitar/vocals/songwriter), and their friend Dave Beauchamp (drums). Raised by beatniks in New York and a devout comic book fanatic, Jeff plays an eclectic blend of low-fi folk rock with simplistic instrumentation that is transformed by Jeff's fantastical lyrics, which weave tall-tales from fun, to bitter, to just plain weird in such a magical fashion. The standout song of the night was "Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror," which is this rambling, stream of consciousness rant that tells of Jeff's encounter with Will Oldham on the train where Jeff is seeking the answer to the eternal question 'is it worth being an artist, indie rock star, or are you better off without it?' His lyrics are profound and hilarious and his music reminds me of The Rugburns and Daniel Johnston. Another great track was "Don't Let The Record Label Take You Out To Lunch," which is a refreshingly bitter, witty ditty about how 'you will always pay at the end of the day...because everything has a price, and you don't wanna overspend.' I also couldn't help but enjoy the two "low budget videos" he presented, which were basically Jeff flipping through this large, tattered comic book he created for a couple of songs as he sang the narration. His illustrations were well thought-out though, and complimented each track quite nicely. His voice may be an aquired taste (slight drone), but it suits his personality and allows his lyrics to shine. He is quite capable of moving from the subtle low-fi folk into more punk rock-fueled tracks without ever missing a beat. I was thoroughly impressed with his set and it was one those that totally came out of nowhere for me. These kinds of experiences are always the best kind of surprise and they're what makes going out to see live shows worthwhile. Be on the look out for a new Jeffrey Lewis album on Rough Trade this fall. Download: Jeffrey Lewis - "Williamsburgh Will Oldham Horror" - (MP3) Download: Jeffrey Lewis - "Don't Let Record Label Take You Out To Lunch" - (MP3)

More Out-takes From the Basement

2006-09-21T13:12:00.000-05:00

I've noticed the gluttony of Elliott Smith bootlegs and rarities available on Hype Machine for the last of couple months, but I'm really blown away by this latest set of tracks that have surfaced via the Elliott Smith B-sides site. I know everyone else has been raving about it, but man...that "True Love" track is beyond words. If you haven't checked out the site recently, yesterday they just posted a new version with "a more finalized vocal take." Essential listening...

Live Review: The Dears @ Schubas 9/7/06

2006-09-21T00:33:00.000-05:00

There are so many things both exquisite and painful in this world. From the first word we say to our first time on a swing to the best love we’ve ever had (and the best love we’ve never had), our lives are full of experiences that change the way we remember and keep information that hopefully helps us cope. There is a band, a very special band, that takes all of these beautiful and painful experiences and makes them into the most delicate and passionate songs the world has ever witnessed. And that band, is The Dears. This was the best show I’ve seen all year long. Simply put: phenomenal. The Dears, a six piece from Montréal, Canada are one of my favorite bands of all time and seeing them was a life changing experience. I’ve seen them twice before, once at The Double Door and another time at The Metro, and this was by far the best time of the three. Playing as if they were the voice for millions of revolutionaries bound to start feeling something, The Dears literally felt like they were making the ground beneath our feet shake. The Dears played both some old songs and some new tracks off of their upcoming album (to be released in early October) Gang of Losers, which is finally growing on me to become another favorite after I became so close to the songs off of their brilliant 2004 release No Cities Left. Murray Lightburn played with a passion no one has yet to match and the backing vocals provided by Valérie Jodoin and Natalia Yanchak provided a beautiful sense of balance to the maelstrom of emotion building up. The intensity with the way my favorite song of theirs, “22: The Death Of All The Romance” was perfect. I may have fallen to my knees and wept if I hadn’t been trying so hard to capture it all with my camera. If the Dears are coming to your city or town, do whatever you have to do to see them. Set everything aside for them because they are worth it. The Dears matter. SET LIST: Click here for YouTube clip of this show recorded by my friend José Click here for the complete photoset

Steinski Headlines This Year's Wire Fest

2006-09-20T11:46:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, this man is a hip-hop legend. Back in 1983, this record collecting ad exec dropped the first in his series of pioneering "Lessons" mixes (with fellow studio rat "Double Dee") that would later influence the likes of sample-crazed crate diggers like DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist. Known to his friends and family as Steve Stein, this cult figure better known as "Steinski" is now headlining this year's Wire Magazine Adventures in Modern Music festival at The Empty Bottle. For underground music fans, Steinski is this festival's equivalent of landing a Rory Erickson or Os Mutantes on the bill. Or at the very it least, Steinski scores them a high "Jon Brion factor" (i.e. landing an artist who doesn't really tour on your bill). As usual, the Bottle and Wire have amassed an amazing line-up of innovative and influential acts this year...plus a week of great flicks at the Siskel Center to boot! The 5 day festival kicks off tonight, complete listings and details can be found at: www.EmptyBottle.com www.SiskelFilmCenter.org www.theWire.co.uk

Live Review: Annuals @ Subterranean 9/19/06

2006-09-20T11:20:00.000-05:00

Annuals are a six piece from North Carolina, though Annuals' brainchild appears to be Adam Baker, the 20 year old singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who recorded much of their album by himself. However, Baker's lush compositions would not translate so well live if it were not for the group of fine musicians that surround him. Due to a time crunch, their set was limited to 30 minutes, but this did not deter them from unleashing some hardcore aural pleasure. With only a EP released at the moment, I have only heard a few tracks but I was thoroughly impressed with their live sound. Ace Fu, home of Man Man, has found themselves another winner, as they will be releasing Annuals full length Be He Me this fall. Their sound is gripping, loaded with emotion, and can be likened to that of Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene. This was most apparent on their song "Brother", which has a delicate opening, almost a spacey Elliott Smith vocal. Then, the barrage of grinding guitars and barreling drums power up the instrumentation to a new plateau, as Baker's screams rip through so perfectly. Their live sound was incredibly tight and engaging, and that is all due to the sum of their parts. Kenny Florence with his oversized curly fro is a freakish dynamo on guitar. Bass player Mike Robinson, who barely stood still, layered his bass lines and additional vocals so eloquently. Anna Spence, who played one of the largest KORGs I've seen on the SubT stage, added the softer elements to their powerful sound. The presence of two drumsets was definitely known with Nick Radford and Zack Oden (occasional guitar) pounding away with such intensity that never seemed to clash or feel forced. Finally, Adam Baker who orchestrated the set behind samplers, synths, and misc. percussions, completed their sound with his rich, explosive vocals. It is pretty obvious that the Annuals have the skill, energy, and creative juices to make a name for themselves, it helps that they can translate their sound to stage so successfully. Download: Annuals - "Brother" - (MP3) Download: Annuals - "Bleary Eyed" - (MP3) Download: Annuals - "Dry Clothes" - (MP3)

Live Review: Soulwax @ Double Door 9/17/06

2006-09-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

You know, the last time I saw a band perform dance songs with live instruments, I thought it was the most godawful thing I'd ever heard. Fortunately, Soulwax came out on Sunday night and shattered my impression that playing dance music with live instruments is a failed concept. To be honest, I've never really been that big of a Soulwax fan and wasn't completely sold on their new album Nite Versions, which is a reworked version of their previous record, Any Minute Now. Seeing it performed live, however, I was totally impressed. These skinny Belgians are the real deal and know how to throw a good party. I think the key was that it didn't explicity feel like any sort of live gimmick. It just sounded like really solid dance music, with the live performance factor probably adding a bit more punch. Never seeing these guys before (as Soulwax or 2ManyDJs), I thought maybe the live dance thing would certainly bring with it a little bit of a cheese factor, but that wasn't the case at all. I don't want to call it "intelligent" dance music (anybody remember "IDM"?), so let's just say you didn't have to be stupidly drunk or high to enjoy it. Maybe not quite as cerebral as say Ellen Allien matched up with Apparat, but suprisingly it wasn't that far off, either.

Two For Tuesday

2006-09-19T23:50:00.000-05:00

Looks like The Crotch (aka Liquor Park) is the place to be tonight, with two solid shows booked on each side of Damen. Over at the Double Door, The Trachtenburg Family Slide Show Players are headlining in support of their great new DVD rockumentary, The Tractenburg Family Slide Show Players Off and On Broadway. If you like your indie rock extra kitschy, this is definitely something you'll want to check out: Then over at SubT, local crazies Bird Names kick things off on a seriously strong bill of nationally-touring indie upstarts. Check out tracks from the rest of tonight's line-up below: The Annuals - "Brother" (MP3) The Annuals - "Blearly Eyed" (MP3) Airiel - "Cinnamon" (MP3) Snowden - "Anti Anti" (MP3)

New Releases Tuesday - 9/19

2006-09-19T19:52:00.000-05:00

Arling & Cameron - Hi Fi Underground (Atlantic) Bad Brains - Live at CBGB 1982 (MVD Visual) [DVD] Big Sleep - Son of the Tiger (Frenchkiss) Bonnie "Prince" Billy - The Letting Go (Drag City) Drag City sez: "his music undergoes a sea change every time he plays it again, and the sounds of The Letting Go are no exception. As “Cursed Sleep” demonstrated, all sonic elements are employed with greater subtlety, combining a twin-guitars-and-rhythm lineup with layers of backing vocals and orchestration and still creating that lonesome echo that all the best Bonny Billy records have. This subtlety allows for greater density of arrangements throughout the record, a feature that’s inspired Bonny to create for the first time ever a surround-sound version of the disc which will be sold to sonic adventurers looking for a new wrap-around joy. The stereo mix is plenty atmospheric in itself, allowing the contributions of Jim White, Paul Oldham, Emmett Kelly, Dawn McCarthy, Ryder McNair, Nico Muhly and Valgier Sigurdsson to shine in turn. However, the song’s the thing, and The Letting Go has some of Bonny’s finest. Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity (Nettwerk) Corrina Repp - The Absent and the Distant (Caldo Verde) Dani Siciliano - Slappers (!K7) Wow, new Dani and new Herbert records this year...here's the press buzz: This isn't a techno record or a dance record. Slappers is comparable to a singer-songwriter record written on the strings of a guitar, but like innovators before her, Dani prefers the 0s and 1s of electronics to balance out her voice and give the album a singular feel. Informed by Dani's own past, Slappers is full of songs of dislocation. After all, Dani started in Arizona, then spent a long period in California before finally moving to England to work with Matthew Herbert Darkel - S/T (Astralwerks) New side project from Air's JB Dunckel (aka, "the short one"). Ensemble - Disown, Delete (FatCat) ¡Forward, Russia! - Give Me A Wall (Mute) Hidden Cameras - Awoo (Arts and Crafts) Kasabian - Empire (Sony) Langhorne Slim - Engine EP (V2) RFC's Chief Honky Tonk Correspondent Rory O'Connor gives this one two thumbs up. Check 'em out next Saturday (9/30) at The Empty Bottle with Two Gallants. Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor (Atlantic) This is such a simple, yet brilliant album title that I can't believe no one has ever used it before (seriously, look it up for yourself on AMG). After a couple of botched record deals, the debut full-length finally arrives for this "Chicago-based Muslim MC." Mohair - Small Talk (Grunion) Mos Def - Tru3 Magic (Geffin) Nina Nastasia - On Leaving (Fat Cat) Working again with Steve Albini, this is Nastasia's first release for Fat Cat after two records and one reissue with Touch and Go. According to the press for the new album, "The Move From Touch and Go implies 'nothing scandalous,' says Nina, 'just moving, the way you move sometimes.'" Pere Ubu - Why I Hate Women (Smog Veil) The Capital Years - Dance Away The Terror (Park the Van) Timonium - In Ives Hall (Pehr) The Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams (Bubbles) The name of this Erand Oye side project is not a joke. I believe it was the University of Oslo that conducted the extensive study and the results actually concluded that Mr. Oye is, in fact, the whitest boy alive in the world today, narrowly beating out the dude that played Napolean Dynamite.

Live Review: Cat Power @ The Vic Theatre, 9/13/06

2006-09-19T00:16:00.000-05:00

Cat Power’s reputation certainly precedes her. Though I’d never seen her live before this night, countless tales of her extreme shyness and constant onstage meltdowns definitely left me intrigued to witness the disaster that was supposed to be her stage show. I was almost disappointed to learn that in the past year, the formerly fragile chanteuse seemed to gain some confidence and energy on stage, or at the very least had finally got on the right medication. After canceling her tour last spring due to the always ambiguous “health concerns,” my curiosity only grew. Finally, her Chicago date was rescheduled and I got my chance to assess Chan Marshall’s mental state for myself. After a late start, the Memphis Rhythm Band’s eight-plus members made their way out to play a couple of jazzy numbers on their own before they launched into the intro to “The Greatest” and Chan emerged in jeans, a button down shirt, and the most ridiculous pair of five-inch heels I’ve ever seen. “They were a gift from a friend of my in France,” she later told us. “He got them for free. He didn’t want them- he’s a small queen. He doesn’t wear heels.” Barely into the song, she started looking flustered and tapping the monitors before making a big “T” with her hands and forcing the band to quit so the sound guys could fix whatever monitor situation was bothering her. "What, a meltdown so soon?" I thought. But the band merely took it in stride, starting the song over again once Chan was satisfied, and she enthusiastically took to the mic to showcase her incredible voice. From then on Chan and the band ripped through the majority of The Greatest while she paraded around on stage, taking her shoes on and off, buttoning and unbuttoning her shirt, completely incapable of standing still or keeping her arms at her side. Even with the slowest numbers, like “The Moon,” she still danced around with her hands waving around out of time. It was as if as long as she kept moving, she’d be fine. As Chan closed out the final notes to “Where Is My Love,” the band slowly left the stage one by one, leaving Chan alone on stage to kick off Cat Power, Part II- the Solo Show. Without the burden of a band to rein her in, Chan took full liberty in letting her quirks show. Moving back and forth between the piano and guitar, she traipsed her way through pieces of her back catalog for at least an hour, playing songs at half-speed, stopping mid-tune to adjust her seat, frustratingly cutting songs off halfway through only to launch into another one. At one point she told us she was going to sing a new song about “a city that wasn’t Chicago,” but some form distraction led her to a five-minute monologue about the city, Arrested Development (complete with a pretty good Gob imitation), her shoes and the saying “what’s up, chicken butt?” before finally getting back to the music after audience members started yelling out song requests. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that I realized she never even played the song she was introducing! But even if hardly anyone in the audience got to hear a full rendition of any of their favorite older songs, no one seemed to care- the audience seemed to love everything that came out of her mouth. I guess when all you have to live up to is crying and back-turning, it doesn’t take much to excite long-time Cat Power fans. Low expectations are the key to success. The Memphis Rhythm Band returned to the stage after Cat Power’s solo ruminations to begin Cat Power, Part III- The Covers Portion. After letting the band do their own thing for a song that sounded like a blues version of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve Been Gone,” Cat Power rejoined the stage to do a number of high-energy covers, including The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” and every band’s favorite cover song of the moment, Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” Again, with the band behind her, Chan limited her ramblings and idiosyncrasies, letting the music once again come to the forefront and showing that Chan really can be a great performer when she wants to be. As “Crazy” came to an end, Chan had several of the members stand up with her for a final bow. While the band slowly filed off the stage, Chan wandered around the stage and lingered by the mic, seemingly unable to leave. It seemed ironic how a woman who spent so many years trying to get off the stage now didn’t seem to be able to leave it. I left the show with mixed feelings; Chan’s voice is amazing and it’s definitely fun seeing her enjoy herself on stage (especially in the form of her Mick Jagger impersonation), but at the point when her antics take precedence to the music, it becomes too much. When you’re getting lost in the delicate piano chords of “I Don’t Blame You” and she suddenly drops everything to run over to her guitar, it leaves a little to be desired. Click here for the complete photoset

Live Pics: Nouvelle Vague @ Metro 9/13/06

2006-09-18T12:50:00.000-05:00

Check out Rory's complete photoset here

Touch & Go's 25th: One Last Look

2006-09-18T11:02:00.000-05:00

We already posted quite a few here last week, but this weekend Kirstiecat finished uploading all 115 of her pics from the festival. Click here for the complete photoset.

RFC Interview: Dirty On Purpose

2006-09-18T00:44:00.000-05:00

It was just a few months back now that Brooklyn’s Dirty On Purpose debuted their first full-length album Hallelujah Sirens, a release so good that it immediately marked the band as one of our favorite new independent artists. Back then, we called it “dreamy, distorted rock with more than its fair share of smart pop hooks; the sort of music you want to follow you around throughout both day and night.” And its haunting, uplifting, and hook-laden tracks like No Radio, Light Pollution, and Your Summer Dress have been shadowing us ever since with no clear sign of abatement. We spoke to Dirty On Purpose guitarist Joe Jurewicz to learn more about the band. Hi, Joe. How’s New York treating you guys? Awesome. There is no better place. Well, actually there are a ton of better places. But those places don't have 24 hour bodegas or delivery services for..um... you know. How did you start? How long you all been together? We started the band in the summer of 2002, I think. George and I had a fairly large art studio that we built with a friend who was roommates with DJ, who in turn knew Doug. So we started a band. Pretty simple, it happened very quickly. It had to… We had a show booked before we had a bass player or drummer. So, we've been together a little over four years, but George and I had played guitar together for a few years before that. From reading previous interviews with you guys, it sounds like you’re all friends … or at least know how to play nice with each other. Is that true? Yeah, we're all friends, sad but true. We don't hang out non-stop or anything -- we all have pretty busy lives outside of the band -- but on any given day, at least two or three of us will be hanging out at the studio working on something. And over the last four years we have learned how to deal with each other and when to back off and all that, so arguments are over pretty quickly. Not a whole lot of blood or anything. Few missing teeth, maybe. Who or what influences your music? Our music is influenced by the combined experiences of four people. To list all of the things that influence us would take days, but to give a short answer: We try to take everything that comes at us, process it, then spit it back out at the world, hopefully sounding somewhat pleasing to the ear. You just toured with Say Hi To Your Mom. How did that go? It went great. We’re friends with those guys, so it was a lot of fun being in strange towns with a bunch of people you can hang out with. Plus those shows were booked by them, so it was a new audience for us, lots of all-ages shows that we normally don't get a chance to play. Ask Say Hi to show you the video of the lady at the gas station… They'll know what you mean. But you don’t tour very often. Why? We haven't toured very often because we all had full-time jobs up until very recently, and touring is not exactly the greatest way to make any money to pay rent. We now have a really great booker, Daniel at Inland Empire, who makes sure we don't have to drive too long between cities, so we'll be out and about a lot more now. What’s the name of your band from? It was a reference to the prevailing aesthetic in Williamsburg around the time we started the band. (Williamsburg is our neighborhood in Brooklyn. I use the term "our" very loosely, as we'll probably be forced out in a few years, by rising rent costs.) It’s by now seeped into middle America, I'm sure. You can probably go to any Wal-Mart and find jeans that are pre-ripped and dirty. In a broader sense, it's about the decline of pretty much everything. No one takes time to do things correctly [and] everything is half-assed because somebody decided one day it was cool to do things that way. "This apartment has exposed brick!" Who on earth gives a shit about exposed brick?! What’s next for you? Any new recordings in the works? Any plans to get out on the road again soon? We’re currently working on the songs for the next record, and getting ready to tour again. We will probably end up recording a lot of the next record ourselves at Death By Audio, our home studio. We learned a lot from Scott and Chris and the rest of the gang at Headgear Recording last time around, and I think we want to try and do more ourselves next time. If we could afford it, we'd use Headgear for everything… They’re amazing. But it's nice to record at home and not have to worry about paying for time. Last question: What bands are you liking the most these days? I can't really speak for the rest of the group, but I have been listening to a lot of Simon & Garfunkel. And I hear a lot of my roomate's bands, A Place to Bury Strangers and Coin Under Tongue, just sitting around the house and listening to them practice. Some other friend's bands that I am listening to lately are Jaymay, The Jealous Girlfriends, Outline Kit, The Shorebirds, The Lucky Bastards, and Th' Haint. I better stop naming them, someone will yell at me for forgetting them. Living in Williamsburg, you can't meet anybody who ISN'T in a band. Listening to music is a lot different when you are in a band I think. I tend to only listen to new stuff if I know who is making it. Otherwise, I stick to old stuff. I’m in negotiations to start a CCR cover band called Creedance Clearwater Revival Revival. Pretty sweet. That’s it, Joe. Thanks for your time. Mark your calendars...Dirty On Purpose hits the Lakeshore Theatre with The Album Leaf on November 12.

Indie Rock + Ice Cream =Tastee

2006-09-15T12:31:00.000-05:00

This Woxy's Gone to Heaven

2006-09-15T10:14:00.000-05:00

This is it...WOXY.com closes up shop today at 5 (EST). Click here to listen one last time. UPDATE: If you're feeling down about this today, this should cheer you up a bit.

RFC Interview: Soulwax

2006-09-15T00:57:00.000-05:00

Sunday night, Belgian electro rockers Soulwax (aka 2ManyDJs) roll into Double Door in support of their latest album, Nite Versions, a 2ManyDJs-style reworking of the 2005 Soulwax release Any Minute Now. RFC recently caught up with Stephen Dewaele, one half of the sibling duo, to find out more about the new album, their current "Radio Soulwax" tour and the intricacies of working under two different musical guises. You guys are quite well known for remixing other people's work, what was the inspiration to go back and remix yourselves for Nite Versions? We liked the idea that during the 80s bands would go back into the studio and re-record their tracks so they could be played in nightclubs. We took it one step further and decided it would be a challenge to then also play them live...which is what we do when we have a Radio Soulwax night [in Belgium], we play live as Soulwax then we DJ as 2ManyDJs and bring along friends. For those not familiar with your work, explain the difference between Soulwax and 2ManyDJs...(obviously Soulwax=rock, 2ManyDJs=dance...but that line seems to get blurred a lot, especially now with Nite Sessions) There is no line for us, but I can see it is confusing to a lot of people. Soulwax is a rock band who use a lot of electronics live and who decide to remix themselves and call that Nite Versions so they could confuse the rock kids by playing dance versions of the Any Minute Now album...2ManyDJs are two guys playing other people's music. How did you guys come to be good friends with New York's LCD Soundsystem? Was it perhaps a mutual admiration of Daft Punk? We were the only two people who DJ'd during all the first LCD shows, that's how we became friends. Plus we all share a passion for espresso, studios, vinyl...and, yes, Daft Punk. Speaking of Daft Punk, tell us more about your cover/remix of their "Teachers" track that kicks off Nite Versions They do a shout-out to their dance heroes and we do the exact opposite by naming all the rockbands that have been an influence on Soulwax. Also, they use a drum machine and synths and we use live intstruments...it seemed like a good idea. Tell us more about this current North American tour that you've dubbed as "Radio Soulwax presents..." (I hear there will be an extensive amount of live instrumentation and DJ work?) Well, we've started playing Nite Versions live as a band and it looks like 4 Europeans in white raving with live instruments. At the end of the night, we close as 2ManyDJs. It's supposed to be one big party...hopefully. (SPEED ROUND) Why is Belgian beer so damn tasty? We are the only two Belgians who don't drink beer Has Daft Punk ever played at your house? No, but I wished they did...although that pyramid wouldn't fit in my house Favorite U.S. club or venue? Lit (NY) Besides yourselves, who is your favorite sibling-led band? The Kinks What are you listening to as you complete this interview? Yellow Magic Orchestra Download: Soulwax - "Miserable Girl" (MP3)

RFC Interview: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

2006-09-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

After seeing them play Wicker Park Street Festival, I quickly realized the potential of this band, whose album Broom is not only filled with songs you can sing along to, but with songs who have lyrics worth paying attention to. There’s an underlying melancholy to some of them as well, a bit like in the case of Shout Out Louds. As a part of an extensive North American tour, SSLYBY will be hitting the Double Door stage this Saturday (9/16).

I’m really enjoying many of the songs off of your album Broom. House Fire in particular really gets to me lyric wise. Was that based on something that really happened or more just a metaphor for an experience of a relationship? I wrote it thinking about a house on fire..literally. That’s what the music sounded like. I never finished the lyrics, so John Robert did. He thought it was more of a metaphor and he came with some weird shit and I couldn’t think of anything better. We’re usually better at mumbling the lyrics so know one can tell what we’re saying. But we got busted on this one. I noticed you have demos for new songs on your MySpace page. Can you talk a little bit about plans for a new album? Yeah, we’re recording everything on our own again. We have 10 or 12 songs ready. We thought we were gonna buy expensive microphones, but we realized our friend B.A. can get them from a college in town. So B.A. is gonna come over to Will’s house and we’re gonna record the new CD in Will’s staircase and piano room. Our goal is not to spend a single penny. Actually, I just made that up. How do you like Polyvinyl Records as a label? Do you find they are supportive of your material? Polyvinyl is rock solid. We’re scurred of the future, but they help us plan things out. They’ve never complained about any of our songs. Who are some of your favorite musicians and bands to play with? Locally, there are a lot of band we love to play with. Sweetwater Abilene, Cindy Woolf, Jonathan Bentley, etc…. and there a lot more we still haven’t played with. Nationally, we like playing with Catfish Haven. Sound Team was cool to tour with, too. We want to see Pheonix real bad. I’m curious as to what the music scene is like in Missouri? Is it a real community? Do you feel music is supported there in general? I think Springfield’s music scene is better than LA, Chicago, New York, and London combined. Any place feels like a community if you have a lot of friends and you go to the same bar. But all the bands get along here and we help each other out and stuff. Honestly, I don’t want indie music to get too big here. I’d rather go see a country band than an indie band. But we get our fair share of both, so I’m not complaining. On your website, you claim that you are the third best band on Weller Street in Springfield, Missouri…which leads me to wonder and ask what you consider to be the first and second best? The first best is one of Elvis Presley’s guitar players. His name is John Wilkinson. He played 1,000 shows with Elvis and he lives across the street from Will on Weller. The second best is Grace Bentley, Will’s cousin. Of course, I have to ask the dreaded “Where did your name come from?” question. I’m hoping for a really great story here… I thought of it at the mall. It’s sorta meaningless. Boris Yeltsin was on my mind because he had just resigned and I felt sorry for him or something. So “Oregon Girl” was in the television show the OC. What was that like for you guys-hearing that in a television show? Do you have any feelings about songs in TV shows, films, and/or commercials? It was real weird. We watched it at a hotel lobby in Denver and I think we got in an argument about something dumb afterwards. Then we played a show for 5 people and they all really liked us, but we got paid $20 and we ran out of money the next day. We almost gave up and drove home, but Will wrote a funny story and we decided to keep touring. You list myspace influences as “pony and moody.” Can you talk a little more about the bands you guys love and some bands that inspire you in particular? Pony and Moody are two fictional characters we made up. As far as bands….we’re inspired by Wharf and Thinking Version. Those are our two high school bands.

Ruminations on Why the Touch and Go 25th Anniversary/10th Hideout Block Party Wasn't a Total Loss

2006-09-14T11:15:00.000-05:00

So it’s Saturday evening and I’m in the lot across from the Hideout, getting pee spilled on me and watching babies crack their heads open on concrete, and I’m seeing a bunch of punks and listening to music that doesn’t particularly interest me, and I’m feeling out-of-place and self-consciously testosterone-deficient, and I’m thinking, why the hell am I here? I’m thinking, why am I not sitting on my couch, sipping hot cocoa and working on my great American novel? Then this nerdy little guy and a few of his old friends appear before the crowd, and there’s an undercurrent of electricity among us all, and we shut up and listen. He says in summation that when people talk about the history of music, they tend to jump from the Sex Pistols to Nirvana, but some important music was made in between those two eras, and it’s about gosh-darned time we paid tribute to it, and it’s about gosh-darned time Corey Rusk got his due. Then the nerdy little guy and his old friends start playing some noisy punk rock and I start banging my head, and the people around me start banging their heads, and I’m surprised we don’t knock each other out, and I’m surprised our bodies don’t collapse into piles of boneless goop due to the intensity of the atmosphere. Steve Albini alone is a reason why the Touch and Go 25th Anniversary/10th Hideout Block Party was not a complete waste of time; however, his mantra of respect and appreciation, which was reflected by all of the participating bands and made apparent by the large (and greatly international) crowd, was the true reason for such a festival and made a young whippersnapper like me feel as if this was some sort of private party I was mistakenly invited to. So the number one reason why the TGHOBP shindig wasn’t a total loss? Well, the label probably deserved tribute and attention ten or so years ago, when some of the bands in attendance were more relevant, and when some of the bands relevant now were making the first rumbles of their musical innovation. Touch and Go is a part of Chicago’s musical history, and of punk rock’s musical history, but it is also a testament to Corey Rusk that he has worked to diversify the label over the years so that it remains fresh and influential. Indeed, when the weekend lacked in musical and ambient brilliance, it worked to rectify itself with the sense of community these bands felt, and their appreciation for a man who undoubtedly changed their lives. Now, to specifics. For every few performances that were less than inspiring, there was one that was pretty special. The Big Black reunion was awesome (even though the band obviously didn’t want to do it), and word on the street is that I missed a fun set by Man…Or Astroman? because I was claiming my spot in the crowd for aforementioned reunion, and I’ve also been told that missing Girls Against Boys on Friday night was my big loss. But as everyone expected, at the forefront of the festival’s highlights was Shellac, who capped off the time-capsule of a line-up on Saturday with a set that was raw and powerful. Albini had a somewhat uptight stage presence and a dry sense of humor that made his vigorous guitar strokes seem all the more explosive. Todd Trainer sounded and looked maniacal on drums, and with his cache of flowers and stage-sauntering added a wonderful sense of bizarre zaniness to the performance. For his final act, he selected a few lucky ladies from the crowd to join the band in what was my first (and most likely last) witnessing of a cymbal quintet. The set climaxed with the profound “Billiard Player Song,” which left the crowd half-stunned. Albini sang poignantly about the criminalization of a “crazy” woman, and whether or not she is to blame for her own fall from grace: "He promised her anything/ He never had to deliver/ He promised her everything/ Ask yourself if you could do better.” The tune was haunting and moving and compelled one fan to shout aloud what we all were thinking: “Beautiful.” CocoRosie is about as mismatched with Touch and Go as I am, but their melodious and gorgeous set provided a nice contrast to all of the weekend’s guitar rock and made them one of the standout performances of the Block Party. Sierra and Bianca’s blend of pop, folk, and hip hop was unleashed grandly in the massive setting, casting a delicate luster on us all. Sierra’s instrumentals on acoustic guitar and harp, and her operatic vocals meshed with Bianca’s trinket-playing and smoothly percussive voice to create a stirring and sexy performance in the chilly twilight. They ended the set with “Japan,” which had the band romping around the stage singing “Everybody, just hold hands!” Their quirky, subtly perverse music and strong femininity was truly inspiring.

Another highlight for me was Friday night’s closers !!!, who worked hard to get the somewhat aloof crowd dancing. Front man Nic Offer was his usual psychotic disco self, and seemed to take it personal if he saw people who weren’t shaking their asses. At one point he jumped into the crowd and was body surfed around then thrown back onstage. Afterwards he shouted, “You fucking punk rockers! I was coming out to dance with you, and you thought I was crowd surfing!”

(photo by Marcia Detterline) Pinback was perhaps not up to their usual topnotch form; however, it was apparent that Rob Crow was a bundle of nerves as he kept filling up the band’s onstage downtime with rambling nerdspeak and awkward interactions with the crowd. He admitted being self-conscious, playing for so many people and mingling with some of his personal music heroes. It was endearing to see him acting so bashfully, but all of his energy was released in their closer “Summer in Abaddon,” during which Crow’s voice cracked through his screaming, and he tossed his guitar around like a teenaged demon punkster. So yeah, it was sucky times, it was good times. My schizophrenic experience perhaps coincides with Touch and Go’s own recent tendency towards bi-polarity. The bulk of the label’s roster I find rather uninteresting; however, I’m sure a lot of the punks who claim I’m a jackass because I’m not into hardcore wouldn’t have been caught dead jumpin’ and jivin’ to !!! or swaying sensually to CocoRosie. Such is the difficulty with a label having a sundry playlist: you can’t please all the people all the time. Conversely, this diversity is also Touch and Go’s strength. It could easily have become a stagnant label. It could easily have only brought out one type of person last weekend. Instead Corey Rusk chose to grow, and I chose to risk my own comfort for the chance to celebrate a part of underground music’s history and future.

Live Pics: Touch & Go 25th, Day Three

2006-09-14T00:11:00.000-05:00

COCOROSIE

ENON

QUASI

RFC Interview: Nouvelle Vague

2006-09-13T16:37:00.000-05:00

Among the numerous great shows that seemed to have landed on this random Wednesday, French-loungesters Nouvelle Vague return to Chicago to play Metro in support of their latest album of bossa-new wave covers, Bande a Part. I recently corresponded with the band's mastermind Marc Collins for a feature last week in Newcity, here's the raw Q+A from the session: I was really surprised to hear about the new record and now another North American tour, because, well...Nouvelle Vague was supposed to be a one-time project. What was the turning point that made you realize this could blossom into something more than just one album? The success! More seriously, it was the fact that we realised that a lot of people really loved the project...for the sound, the voices, the style, etc. Nouvelle Vague became like a real artist who has toured and its a good way for me to put very personal ideas of production and arrangements into a well known project. Stepping back a bit...what exactly was it that lead to the creation of the Nouvelle Vague project in the first place? I wanted to prove that post-punk bands, even if they only knew 2 chords, have written beautiful and classic songs which can be arranged in different directions Tell us about the new record...you've expanded your cover reperetoire a bit? But unfortunately you've lost Camille Dalmais who's now become a solo star in France? I don’t think I've expanded the repertoire, it’s still what was “new wave” for me in '82 when i was 14. We recorded 3 songs with Camille for this new album but unfortunately we could’nt find an agreement with her label... I've heard great things about your live show...what can we expect this time around? Any great memories from the first tour? To have played all over the world...Bangkok, Los Angeles, Rio, Moscow, etc. We really enjoyed the american shows last year, this time we bring more songs and more musicians...there will be visuals too. What's your favorite Nouvelle Vague cover so far? Difficult to say..."In a Manner of Speaking," because of Camille’s interpretation [and] "Let Me Go" and "Friday Night Saturday Morning" because of the melancholy in them.

Live Review: Man or Astro-man? @ Touch & Go 25th Anniversary 9/9/06

2006-09-13T15:44:00.001-05:00

Definitely one of the most prolific bands of the 90's, Man Or Astro-man? released 10 albums in 7 years, toured in various forms and clones, but it hasn't been since 1998 when the original lineup of Star Crunch (Brian Causey) on guitar/occasional vocals, Birdstuff (Brian Teasley) on drums, and Coco the Electronic Monkey Wizard (Robert DelBueno) on alternate-universe bass/electronics and Dr. Delecto (Jeff Goodwin) on bass played together, if you overlook the reunion show in Alabama they did on Sept. 6 as a warm up to the Touch & Go performance. Apparently, they have been kept in cryogenic storage for the past 8 years, and Corey Rusk thawed them out to "save the world" but it was only the anniversary show they needed to play. They blasted onto the blacklit stage, overflowing with various dayglo spiraling cords, decked out in Man Or Astro-man? flight jackets. The first few songs of the set sounded a bit messy, it seemed they needed a little more time to thaw out. Technical problems plagued their video components among other effects, so I could barely make out the faint projections of the sci-fi and old government film clips from where I was standing, which was a little disappointing. However, after they showered the crowd with hundreds of mini glowsticks, they really picked up the energy and the sound tightened up, and they roared through the better half of their set in true form. Their signature blend of surf guitar ala Link Wray and intergalactic space themes with various electronic effects, sampling, and crazed theramin mixed with their zany stage antics all added up to a thoroughly entertaining set. Man or Astro-man? really know how to end a show, during the last song Coco wheeled out this tall, homemade Tesla coil, and stalked about the stage like a cartoon mad scientist as he plugged it in, creating a cool spectacle, as Birdstuff disassembled his entire drumset and tossed into the crowd whilst the band continued to play. Definitely a sight to be seen, this giant Tesla coil buzzing its blue lightning zaps as all these drum pieces go surfing above the crowd, and the entire band falling about the stage. It was pure Astro-magic. After which Man or Astro-man? was placed back in cryogenic storage and some lucky fans walked away with a piece of history, or at least pieces of their drumset. See you in another 25? Photos courtesy of Kirstiecat. Check out her other photos from Touch & Go 25th here.

Ruminations on Why the Touch and Go 25th Anniversary/10th Hideout Block Party was Crap

2006-09-12T20:32:00.000-05:00

Last weekend the, ahem, finest from the city of Chicago came out to see the, ahem, finest from the Touch and Go label in what turned out to be, at least from the perspective of this chief Chicago Outdoor Indie Rock Festival Correspondent, a pathetic weekend with few (albeit beautiful) highlights. Surprise, surprise, the number one reason why the festival was a drag was the crowd, which made about every moment I wasn’t savoring music quite uncomfortable. Perpetrator numero uno? Cool People. I am not cool for a number of reasons. Firstly, I make a point to not get drunk when I go to shows when I actually intend on listening to the music. I do not try to be loud and obnoxious in an attempt to impress my friends and any potential lays. This rule would apply to every show I attend. Drunk people are annoying, especially when you are not drunk. I think everyone at The Hideout Block Party was drunk, except for me and my friends who sipped water and apple cider. Secondly, I don’t smoke cigarettes. I am not cool enough. When I was in high school, I wasn’t cool, so my friends were too busy doing math homework to try to convince me that I should smoke, because it’s the cool thing to do. Cigarette smoke is stinky, it gives you cancer, and it makes me sneezy and coughy. I am thirdly not cool because I don’t wear tight pants. I am fourthly not cool because I don’t wear hats. I am fifthly not cool because I don’t wear sunglasses at night. Ok, so perhaps I am just ranting. So what. I think the majority of music fans out there have these same complaints about shows. Cool people are annoying, frightening, and rude. When you’re trying to involve yourself with a performance, cool people only distract your attention, no? Because they make themselves seen and heard, no matter where they go. It is a matter of their survival. Cool music fans are not music fans at all. They are cool people. They are society and trend fans. Perpetrator numero duo: old people. Yes, as a modern rock fan, I have a right to dis old people. If the Who could do it back in sixty-five, then I can do it now. By old people I don’t mean people over thirty. By old people I mean people who are over thirty who act like they are nineteen. Old people annoy me. These are people who were cool people twenty years ago. They spent so much time being cool twenty years ago that they have nothing better to do now than to grow beer bellies, graying soul patches, and garish attitudes. Like cool people, old people are rude. An aging punk rocker in the crowd behind me decided that he was going to whip out his aging penis and fill up three beer cups with his urine, and then dump them beside my shoes. Old people also frighten me. And they bring their children to parking lots where there are drunk cool people, dense crowds, and loud music that will destroy their ears. Most horrible H/O//T/G moment of the weekend? A man in front of me had his daughter (maybe 18 months old) on his shoulders. He was rocking to the music, having a good ole time. Well, he lost his grip, and the girl fell five feet to the pavement, landing on her head. Oh, how I felt like rocking out after that happened. Now let us get to the real reason this anniversary party was thrown together: the bands. Touch and Go isn’t a huge label. They’ve had maybe 100 bands signed to them over the past 25 years. How many of these bands are functional and relevant to the modern underground music scene? Maybe 25. I’m not discrediting the merit most, if not all, of these bands had in their own heyday. Nor am I discrediting the profound influence they had on a lot of modern musicians. But the fact is that this was not a block party celebrating and promoting modern music; this was a tribute, and therefore the emphasis was on reunions and reflections. There is of course nothing wrong with a festival devoted to paying tribute to Touch and Go; indeed, Corey Rusk deserves much praise, and it was a nice opportunity to see amassed in one place the effect the label has had on the city; nay, the world. But for an underground rock fan, born in the same year as Touch and Go, it didn’t make for a spectacular event. First, let us take a look at who was not at the festival: Blonde Redhead, TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs – three of the most powerful indie rock bands to come around in the past decade. Now let’s look at who was there: Arcwelder, Didjits, The Monorchid. Yeah, I don’t know who they are either. Personally, the biggest musical disappointment of the weekend was Black Heart Procession, whose dark pop rock has been nursing my depression for several years now. I’ve never had the opportunity to see them before, so they were one of the acts I was most looking forward to. Well, they blew it. They blew it big time. Vocalist Pall Jenkins had as much charisma as my elbows. On second thought, my elbows are rather soft and cute. So never mind. Pall Jenkins was boring. He didn’t smile, he didn’t wince; he sang lifelessly, but not in the way that makes Black Heart Procession’s albums so delectably dreary. He sang with no tragic romanticism. He looked bored and awkward. During “The Spell” he didn’t even have a guitar to hide behind. He reminded me of a nine-year-old kid who sings solo in a grade school talent show. He looked nervous and impassive. A few songs into the set they brought in a backing female vocalist and struck the opening samba riff for “Tropics of Love,” and I thought, hey! Here we go. Some spice. But no. No spice. The female vocalist sang off key, and the band shuffled along laboriously. They even played a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky.” Yeah. Good times. Now let us discuss for a bit who can make even great performances suck: sound guys. The sound for many of the performances was not so good. Vocals were overpowering, guitars were soft for a few songs, then suddenly loud. Quieter instruments were completely drowned out. Even by the end of Sunday the sound guys had not gotten the hang of it, so that Pinback sounded pseudo-punk metal instead of indie pop. So jeers to the Block Party sound guys. Finally, the Block Party was crap because it was in a parking lot on Wabansia. A tiny parking lot. There was no escaping the cool people. I felt like I was in a prison yard. A dirty prison yard. The garbage cans were few and far between, and there was a litter of squashed plastic cups covering the ground that made horrendous noises as people scuffled along the pavement. There were no patches of grass on which to rest my lazy, spoiled ass. So yeah, the Touch and Go 25th Anniversary/10th Hideout Block Party was crap. For the most part. It was two single-spaced pages worth of crap. But I hate to be such a downer, so I will not let the good parts go unmentioned, as the good parts were rather exciting. So stay tuned for ruminations on why the Touch and Go 25th Anniversary/10th Hideout Block Party wasn’t a total loss.

Live Pics: Touch & Go 25th, Day Two

2006-09-12T20:00:00.000-05:00

MAN...OR ASTROMAN?

SCRATCH ACID

SALLY TIMMS

JOHN LANGFORD

NEGATIVE APPROACH

PW LONG

New Releases Tuesday - 9/12

2006-09-12T19:23:00.000-05:00

Hellooo fall! The concert festival season is done, the kids are back in school and the new releases are back on the shelves in force. This week kicks off what is arguaby the best time of year for new music and today alone you can practically find enough quality albums to keep you occupied 'til Christmas. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the top names out today, followed by the rest of the list below: Indie Album Leaf - Into The Blue Again (Sub Pop) Black Keys - Magic Potion (Nonesuch) Richard Buckner - Meadow (Merge) Catfish Haven - Tell Me (Secretly Canadian) Electric Six - Switzerland (Metropolis) Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye (Domino) Magnolia Electric Company - Fading Trails (Secretly Canadian) Mars Volta Amputechture (Universal) Mooney Suzuki The Maximum Black EP (V2) REM - Best of the IRS Years (EMI) TV on the Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain (Interscope) Viva Voce Get Yr Blood Sucked Out (Barsuk) Xiu Xiu - The Air Force (5RC) Yo La Tengo I Am Not Afraid of You, and I Will Beat Your Ass (Matador) Electronic/Dance Basement Jaxx - Crazy Itch Radio (XL) DJ Shadow - The Outsider (Island) Mouse On Mars - Varcharz (Ipecac) The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love (Universal) Soulwax - Nite Versions (Modular) Oh yeah, and a couple others you may also want to check out today: (according to Insound.com) Angela Desveaux - Wandering Eyes (Thrill Jockey) Blood Meridian - Kick Up The Dust (V2) Capitol Years - Dance Away The Terror (Park The Van) Coach Fingers - No Flies On Frank (Locust Music) Dead Moon - Echoes of the Past (Sub Pop) Draft - In A Million Pieces (Epitaph) Envy Insomniac Doze (Temporary Residence) Eric Matthews - Foundation Sounds (Empyrean) Ethan Rose - Ceiling Songs (Locust Music) Favourite Sons - Down Beside Your Beauty (Vice) Fields - 7 From The Village (Vice) Great Lakes - Diamond Times (Empyrean) Heavens - Patent Pending (Epitaph) Hedley - S/T (Capitol) Hella - Acoustics (5RC) Indian Jewelry - Invasive Exotics (Monitor) Matches - Decomposer (Epitaph) Miss Violetta Beauregarde - Odi Profanum Vulgus Et Arceo (Temporary Residence) Mono & World's End Girlfriend - Palmless Prayer/Mass Murder Refrain (Temporary Residence) No Wait Wait - About You (Chairkickers Music) Now It's Overhead - Dark Light Daybreak (Saddle Creek) Page France - Hello, Dear Wind (Suicide Squeeze) Radio Citizen - Berlin Serengeti (Ubiquity) Simon Dawes - Carnivore (Record Collection) Sugarcult - Lights Out (Fearless/V2) Tall Firs - S/T (Ecstatic Peace) Two Ton Boa - Parasiticide (Kill Rock Stars) Wax On Radio - Exposition (Downtown) Woven Hand - Mosaic (Sounds Familyre) Young Widows - Settle Down City (Jade Tree)

RFC Contest: Win 2 Tickets to see Adam Green!!

2006-09-11T16:13:00.000-05:00

RFC has teamed up with Rough Trade America to give away a copy of Adam Green's new CD Jacket Full of Danger and Two (2) Tickets to see Adam Green at the Beat Kitchen on 9/20. Adam Green has been stirring up plenty of buzz overseas, making friends and fans along the way with his peculiar wit, keen lyrics, and the mature sound of his latest effort. And we want to give you a chance to experience his sharp music and lively stage show for FREE!!! THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO ENTERED! Winners will be selected at random from entries with correct answers. Winners will be announced and notified on September 18. For the Beat Kitchen show, Adam is accompanied by fellow Rough Trade artist Jeffrey Lewis. Chicago favorites Canasta will also play.

RFC Recommends: Cellmates

2006-09-11T15:06:00.000-05:00

Cellmates is a local Chicago act with more heart and texture than most labels have in their entire roster, and yet they are without a record deal themselves. At the center of the band are Mandy Ellis and Erik Osborn, whose musical relationship began in 2002 on a Milwaukee rooftop just hours after they met. The pair eventually relocated to Chicago and formed Cellmates in 2003, adding musician-friends to the lineup as the group progressed. Cellmates creates a lulling brand of string-infused, epic folk, perhaps akin to A Silver Mt Zion but more natural and modest. Allow me to be an elitist music critic and label them the bashful yet surly twins borne from the seeds of Efrim Menuck and Will Oldham. The sound at this group’s core is formed by poignant tunes that are escalated to a level of heroic artistry by the candid drone of Osborne’s voice and the unfurling of acoustic weavings that knit a delicate fabric of understated passion. The music of Cellmates is sincere, at times haunting or affecting, and strikingly beautiful in its lucently-covered nakedness. Cellmates plays with Jump Rope for Heart and Boo Hiss tomorrow night (Tues 9/12) at South Union Arts. Download: Cellmates - "A New Day In War" (MP3)

Live Pics - Touch & Go 25th, Day Two

2006-09-11T10:25:00.000-05:00

THE EX DIDJITS

UZEDA

THE NEW YEAR

Photos by Kirstiecat...click here for more.

Live Pics - Touch & Go 25th, Day One

2006-09-11T00:10:00.000-05:00

!!! TED LEO GIRLS AGAINST BOYS

Don't Forget Your Map!

2006-09-08T13:27:00.000-05:00

Click here to get your officical Touch & Go 25th Anniversary/Hideout Block Party 2006 map.

Yes, this festival is in an empty parking lot, so make sure you're wearing some comfy shoes, and yes, The Hideout is located right across the street from the City of Chicago Streets & Sanitation Fleet Management Center. Yeah, it's not very pretty, but would you really want to see the return of Shellac any other way? Any other questions??? (what can I bring, where can I park, etc.) Click here.

RFC Interview: The Panda Band

2006-09-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

Coming from Perth, Australia The Panda Band are gearing up to take over the US with their twisted, melodious indie pop rock in the form of a North American release of their long-awaited debut, This Vital Chapter, on Filter US Recordings (9/12) and a potential US tour. During a break in their Australian tour, songwriter/singer/guitarist Damian Crosbie took time to answer some questions for RFC. Where are you currently at? Any favorite moments from the tour? I'm at home today as the Perth shows are this weekend. The tour's been amazing so far, so many highlights, but the second night in Sydney was a bit special. Some extra sing-along magic that night. Any plans for a US tour? We had to postpone our US tour plans coz the album took longer to finish but we should make it there before the end of the year still. I do hope and pray. How would you describe your music, it's feel and sound? Are you influenced by anyone in particular? Our music is quite filmic, as I tend to gain alot of inspiration from musicals and documentaries. Some songs are quite dream-like but still retain a spooky intensity which is amplified live. We all have such varied influences that it would be misleading to choose one, and probably more informative to people to name bands we remind listeners of. The usual names dropped are Pink Floyd, The Kinks The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Super Fury Animals, Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, etc. Have you heard of them? Ha! You get the idea. But most agree we're no retro band, we don't look like Oasis or anything, we look and sound like The Panda Band. We all come from Perth, which is a very isolated, spread out, young and un-spoilt city on the west coast of Australia. It's the only city on the west coast of Australia! It's kind of like San Diego, and people say we sound like our location. How did approach the songwriting process on your debut album This Vital Chapter? (Which sounds amazing by the way) I take a lot of different approaches to creating songs, and this helps keep it exciting for me and help the songs have their own identities. Some come from a lyric idea ("We've Got The Face Of The Earth"), some a melody (like "Spanish Bride"), some from messing around with some random sounds on my computer("A Call To Your Arms"). It's never the same. Who are you listening to right now? I've been listening to Harry Nilsson As Time Goes By (...the complete Schmilsson in the night). It's wonderful. Another of my favorites is a fellow Perthian Jeff Strong, he's like a cross between Prince and Bob Dylan, mesmerising. What's next on the agenda for The Panda Band? Some shows here in Perth this weekend then off around Australia again with the Sleepy Jackson on their album tour, it's gonna be a lot of fun. Is there anything you would like to say to the people of Chicago? You have a beautiful city, I visited a couple of years back to check out Oak Park and the Frank Lloyd Wright gear...I can't wait to play some shows there. Thanks for your time, Damian! The Panda Band's debut This Vital Chapter hits the shelves September 12, in the meantime you can hear samples on their Myspace.

The Decemberists Take To The Road

2006-09-07T14:28:00.000-05:00

Colin Meloy and his band of literate indie pop virtuosos have announced tour dates in support of their upcoming album The Crane Wife, which promises to mystify with a few prog-ish tunes as well as deliver the hooky pop goods. Look for it October 3rd. You can preview the first single "O, Valencia" on their Myspace. The Decemberists stop off in Chicago at the Riviera on November 11th, with Alasdair Roberts supporting. View all their tour dates.

KEXP kicks off Chi-town broadcasts

2006-09-07T13:37:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: Doh! Technical difficulties have kept any of the Chicago live remote performances from airing yet. However, the fill-in DJ back in Seattle keeps saying that Cheryl and John will be on the air via Chicago very shortly. Guess will just have to stay tuned... KEXP kicks off their live Chicago broadcasts tomorrow morning and the "Where the Music Matters" crew has assembled an impressive line-up of local talent for their live radio sessions. Here's the schedule: Thursday 9/7/2006 9:00AM Jon Langford 11:00AM : Devin Davis 1:00PM : The Ms 3:00PM : Walter Meego Friday 9/8/2006 9:00AM : Catfish Haven 11:00AM : Scotland Yard Gospel Choir 1:00PM : M. Ward 3:00PM : The Changes Saturday 9/9/2006 3:00PM : Sally Timms 5:00PM : Eleventh Dream Day 7:00PM : Moxie Motive Also, tomorrow night (Thurs) KEXP will be hosting a listener party for its devout local listeners at The Darkroom starting at 9pm. Here's the line-up according to the Darkroom website: -Live music from The Sonnets, The M's, and surprise guests! -DJs Yin and Yang (Skid from Ladies and Gentleman and Dave from The Assembly) to spin throughout the evening -DJs John Richards and Cheryl Waters will be present visiting with listeners -Doors open at 9PM. Admission is free.

Live Review - The Avengers @ Beat Kitchen 9/3/06

2006-09-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

The Avengers are a band that first gained notoriety in 1979 when they toured with The Sex Pistols. (Steve Jones also did some production work for them) The Avengers are fronted by Penelope Houston, a feminist lead singer who knows how to captivate an audience. She was joined on this tour by Greg Ingraham, an original Avenger, on guitar as well as two members of The Plus Ones. Luis Illades, the drummer for The Plus Ones, held a great tempo throughout both sets and bassist Joel Reader was so enchanted on stage that he kissed Penelope a few times very sweetly. The chemistry between Joel and Penelope was really visible as they even at one point sang together from the same microphone.

Hailing from San Francisco, The Avengers had never toured the Midwest or East Coast until now. Instead, they remained close to their city, forcing others to yearn from afar. The Avengers played a few of their more well known songs including “Teenage Rebel,” “American in Me,” and “Corpus Christi” but also pulled off a great Rolling Stones cover of “Paint it Black.” It was a great night of punk music overall between The Avengers, The Plus Ones, and The Effigies, but what truly sets The Avengers apart from many other punk bands is in and of itself the presence of a female lead singer. Penelope Houston destroys that faulty notion in the music industry that women can’t rock out. With her half punk/half garage rock sound she towers over the audience bound to hang on her every word. With the presence she has, it’s hard not to look up to her.

Plus, who can’t but help love a band that posts the following on their Myspace page:

A NOTE FROM THE AVENGERS: While it’s flattering to have a lot of Myspace friends, we’d like to mention that we’re not interested in having any racist, sexist, fascist or homophobic friends. If you consider yourself one of these please DO NOT send a friend request. Also anyone who voted for Bush can just take their Avengers CDs and… cash them in at the used record store, right now. Everyone has a right to their beliefs and everyone has a right to choose their friends.

SET LIST: Click here for the complete photoset

Live Review - Radio Birdman @ Double Door 9/2/06

2006-09-06T11:06:00.000-05:00

Radio Birdman is a recently re-formed band that not only has two amazing classic albums from the late 70s/early 80s, but also a brand new album released earlier this year. Radios Appear(1977) and Living Eyes(1981) are both masterpieces in their own right that helped inspire many other bands of the Australian punk underground. However, as I listened to their new album, Zeno Beach, I found myself hoping they would play ample tunes off of this one live as well. Zeno Beach as a whole sounds more accessible and polished even as it maintains it’s rough edginess. After a few times through, I found myself craving to here Rob Younger’s vocals on “We’ve Come So Far” (To Be Here Today) or the excellent Tek guitar rift found in “Remorseless.” Oddly enough, on “Die Like April,” the vocals are even a little reminiscent of Ian McCulloch of Echo & the Bunnymen. I’m making a point of declaring how much I enjoy some of these songs because I want to make it clear that Zeno Beach holds up with their best material off of their two previous full-lengths. Radio Birdman did play both older favorites and new songs, though, to put on an intense and engaging show. It’s a really special thing to be able to see Radio Birdman, not just because of their legendary history but also because this is their first ever US tour. I found myself not only loving the songs themselves but watching happily as Younger danced a bit and gazed out amongst us with fiery eyes throughout the duration of their set, which was at least 75 minutes long. The energy of their playing made them a real tour de force to see live and those who have yet to see them, you are in for a real treat.

If you are unfamiliar with this history of Radio Birdman, read about it here...if you would like to hear songs, Radio Birdman now has a Myspace page.

SET LIST: ENCORE:

RFC Interview - CX KiDTRONiK

2006-09-06T00:47:00.000-05:00

Formerly known as DJ KID K.U.T. in the 80s, leader of the Atlanta super group K.I.N. in the early 90s and DJ and producer for the Further MCs in the mid-90s, CX KiDTRONiK is truly a veteran of the underground hip-hop scene. After working with some of the scene’s best over the years, CX finally made his solo debut on wax earlier this year with KraK AttacK, a brilliant concept record that’s every bit as poignant as it is raunchy. This week, CX is embarking on a virtual mini-tour of Chicago, starting with a gig tonight with Flosstradamus and Kid Sister at the Sub-T. RFC caught up with CX last week via email to discuss more. So, what's up with all the "krak" on your record? Have you been outside lately? Somebody had to do it!!! The time is crazy. Krak is the iller killer, - the thriller...and the C.I.A. and the destruction of society and the mind is the more obvious motivation for the theme. Krak's taken over the world! Plus, everybody and they moms is rapping about crack now, and it's the hot new slang word that just sounds great when you say it. So I just had to flip it and salute, as well as question the ladies of low-rise wordwide - "the new cleavage" - and the feeling you get from viewing it, licking it and/or smoking it. You've got some seriously hardcore beats, frenetic cuts and samples, and even some dissonant noise on this record. Do you have a name (or at least some descriptive words) for your sound? I've been having a hard-time finding the words to describe this record to other people. Also, what's the recording process like for a record like this? My partner EKG and I call the Deuce Gangsta (my band) sound "punk-rap," but if you have had a hard time describing it to people, that's cool too, and it should be just called the sound of KraK attacKING. Most of the album was just me bringing in beats to the studio on a homemade CD, and then cats would yell on 'em, and we would add and chop up shit from there. I also tried to bring some of the lovely ladies of krak world in the studio to help the rapper's themes stay on course, but that didn't always work out too well. This is your solo debut on record, will this be your first solo tour as well? What is the live show going to be like? No, this is not my first solo tour...I have toured with my Tortoise family and my Antipop fam solo, but this will be one of the first with EKG/Deuce Gangsta and the KraKANAUTS - the female bootyKraK dancers. The show will be crazy. I use a K-Station synthesizer, an MPC 1000 beat box and my infamous secret weapon: The Coby CX FX Cassette Walkman - made famous by Isotope 217 with the album title, "Who Stole the I Walman" after I did a crazy tour with them and The Eternals. You've got a looong list of collaborators on this record...how do you know them/who are they/where do they come from, etc. Most of the cats is friends or old crew - like Zion I, Tchak Diallo and EKG are all from my Atlanta days, as is Saul Williams. But Ramm:Ell:Zee is a rap pioneer who I have always wanted to work with, and I was lucky to get the routine "Tricky Dick" on my album, which is an old routine from the Bam and Flash days. Tell us about some of your other projects I want to make an alternative soundtrack album to the movie Miami Vice with Jan Hammer- like on some Pink Floyd/Wizard of Oz-type shit. But for now, my partner Saul Williams and I are finishing up his next album- mostly produced by Trent Reznor with me adding 808 boom bass to joints. And me and Trent are also going to do a new version of my favorite Nine Inch Nails song, "Mr. Self Destruct, Part 6," for the next KraK attacK album: KraK attacK 2: Back KraK with a Vengeance. Anything else coming up in the future? I will have a quick U.S. tour jumping off with Zion I in late November/early December, so watch out for that by staying tuned to my Websites: CXKiDTRONiK.com or MySpace.com/CXKiDTRONiK. I've also got a candid photo contest going on now for the next album cover so people from all over the world can become KraK reporters and send in photos. In addition to tonight's show at Subterranean, CX hits the Empty Bottle Saturday night opening for current Blog darling Girl Talk and then darts up north to The Abbey on Sunday for a headlining gig with Kid Static.

Live Review: Gosling @ Schubas 9/1/06

2006-09-05T15:56:00.000-05:00

And the award for best reincarnation of a band goes to...Gosling (the band f/k/a Loudermilk). After Loudermilk's last release in 2002, the band went into hibernation, ditched the Motley Crüe tones and mod haircuts, picked up some keyboarding skills, developed a new sound and rebirth themselves as Gosling. The band members are the same: singer/guitarist Davey Ingersoll, guitarist/keys Mark Watrous, bassist Shane Middleton, and drummer Isaac Carpenter, but the music they are creating as Gosling is a refreshing departure, full of volatile, indie punk rock with a blend of brit pop grandeur. Gosling's sound is incredibly tight live and you can't help but feel the energy emanating from the stage. Carpenter is a master behind the drums, pounding a barrage of beats that fuel their new, infectious sound. Middleton provides some slick bass lines adding to the fullness with great effect. Watrous deserves a medal for his double duty on guitar and keyboards, switching smoothly and effortless between the two keeping the flow going, especially on the piano heavy song "The Burnout" which has considerable vamps that truly define the song. Ingersoll is one of few singers who can actually pull off screaming vocals without sounding annoying, in part to his ability to scream in scales which was evident on the David Bowie cover "Cat People (Putting Out The Fire)" (recorded for the Underworld:Evolution S/T), where his high-powered outbursts kept climbing past expectations. I would liken his voice to that of Ian Svenonius with doses of a Billy Corgan and Iggy Pop. Besides the aforementioned tracks, another highlight was "Mr. Skeleton Wings", a juicy track full of sex, fame, & death with driving guitar, effervescent vocals, and thumping piano. The entire set was an exciting display of their lyrical charm and technical skill. They put on a spectacular show, armed with the expressive, jangly goodness of their recently released album Here Is..., outshining the headliner with their energy and collective talent. There is no doubt Gosling will be headlining their next jaunt through Chicago. Setlist: Here Is... Mr. Skeleton Wings Worm Waltz I Am The Avocado Waiting For The Sun The Burnout Cat People (Putting Out The Fire) Sinking Ship One Hand Two Hand

New Releases Tuesday - 9/5

2006-09-05T01:06:00.000-05:00

Grizzly Bear - Yellow House (Warp) Warp records continues to expand in to the indie rock realm with the signing of these Brooklyn lads...or should I say lad? All the tracks on this record were recorded by singer/songwriter Edward Droste in his bedroom and are said to have been "fuelled by a bout of post-relationship inspiration." Droste later added a full band and they're now hitting the road with TV on the Radio (10/9 at Metro). Kinky - Reina Third record from the popular Latin alt-rockers. Check them out live today live on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic. Pinback - Nautical Antiques (Ace Fu) "A selection of rarities from 1998 to 2001" from San Diego's beloved Pinback.

OK, Please Stop

2006-09-01T13:18:00.000-05:00

I was going to go off on a long rant today about how I really liked OK Go when they used to play around town all the time about 5 years ago, but now hate everything they stand for. However, Jim Dero summed up my thoughts about the band perfectly in one sentence today in his column about the MTV VMAs: ...Power-popsters and JC Penney's pitchmen OK Go proved again that their propensity for shtick knows no bounds as they lip-synced to 'Here It Goes Again' while doing a choreographed dance routine on four treadmills". As if becoming more known for their wacky ironic dance routines than their music wasn't obnoxious enough, they are now prominently featured on JC Penney's ads. Seriously. They didn't just license one of their songs, they actually appear in the ad! I can't remember exactly how it goes, but I think they're on a poster in a high school locker, and then the poster comes to life with them playing the song. C'mon guys, JC Penney? I don't know what the "kids" are into today, but when I was in high school, JC Penney was easily the lamest place in the mall (i.e. where mom shops) and I really doubt things have changed much. If you're going to whore yourself out, at least hold out for something like a Target or a Best Buy. Well, I guess those aren't really department stores...maybe shoot for Macy's next time? On the other hand, compared to how lame everything else is on MTV, The New York Times actually gives kudos to OK Go today. Well, I guess they do have a point there, but that's not saying much.

Quickie Album Reviews

2006-09-01T00:40:00.000-05:00

Ray LaMontagne - Till The Sun Turns Black (RCA) With the release of his sophomore album, Mr. La Montagne proves it was no fluke, he is the real deal. A more focused and restrained affair than his first, it is nonetheless a glorious piece, with gorgeous baroque string quartets and tasty brass fills that never overwhelm, only compliment his amazingly haunting vocals. This album only cements his place among the great troubadours of all time. -Gabriel Burger Comets On Fire - Avatar (Sub Pop) Jampacked with sound, yet earthy and full of soil, retro, yet future-looking, Avatar is a beautiful, big record. While it may be their most accessible album to date, it still carries many challenges for the more discerning of listeners. A leap forward. -Gabriel Burger Primal Scream - Riot City Blues (Columbia) Taking another break from the electronic world, they return to the ground they previously mined with Give Out But Don't Give Up, but to better effect. A swaggering, bluesy record, with plenty of sing-alongs, Riot City Blues is a perfect party record, not meant to be studied, only boogied to. -Gabriel Burger

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

2006-08-31T16:32:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-31T12:01:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-31T00:14:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

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.

Live Review: Eagle*Seagull @ Memories 8/25/06

2006-08-30T09:47:00.000-05:00

I don’t usually talk about the venue of where a band plays, but indulge me on this one because I’d never heard of Memories in the five years I’ve been living in Chicago and steadily attending shows. It’s located on the NW side of the city around 4100 North Cicero and is, literally, a neighborhood bar. For every negative thing was an equally random positive thing. It’s regulars were the opposites of hipsters. Behind the bar (stocked with only a couple of selections of beer) was a list of people who were no longer allowed in the club, which included two previous bartenders. (It sort of begs the question, “What exactly does one have to do to get kicked out?”) There was no soap in the women’s bathroom but instead a giant framed film poster of Magnolia (which, of course, is one of the best films of all time). It’s smoke-inhalation-poor-light-atmosphere made the wait almost unbearable. Yet, the house music between band sets was perhaps the best mix of pivotal punk rock music I’ve heard in this city including songs from X, The Clash, The Ramones, The Germs, and more. Eagle*Seagull is a seven piece band hailing from Lincoln Nebraska. Although their self titled record was released on the Paper Garden Records label, they do share some similarities in terms of sound with other bands from the Nebraska area on Saddle Creek. I think in some ways it would be wrong to categorize their music as “emo,” but mainly because that genre has gotten a bad wrap as of late. (At one point, it may have meant more expressive and emotional but people now tend to dismiss it as whiny white boy music from my experience.) It would be accurate to say that the vocals of Eli Mardock are often pained and visually intense, with a strong resemblance to Robert Smith of The Cure. “Your beauty is a knife I turn on my throat” is one glaring example and their album is perhaps a touch more emotional than the average indie rock fare. Simultaneously, you sense a real layered sound, between the guitar and keyboards especially. In addition, Britt Hayes is an especially skilled drummer with a great sense of how to make even the quirkier rhythms work. Live, their forty minute set seemed to go by way too fast. Highlights included “Photograph,” “Your Beauty is a Knife I Turn On My Throat” and, at the very beginning of the set, “It’s So Sexy.” Many of the songs were sped up a bit and even the more emotional songs came off as catchy and dance music for those who like post- pop. The violin playing of Carrie Butler added a real special touch to the songs as well. As an additional treat, they played a brand new song that began with a dreamy opening and sped up with increasing momentum featuring the lovely female vocals of Carrie Butler. You can hear their songs by visiting their Myspace page. Also, check out the side project of guitarist and backup vocalist Austin Skiles called Bright Calm Blue if you’re looking for a harsher sound more reminiscent of Cursive or The Blood Brothers.

RFC's Katrina Coverage: One Year Later

2006-08-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-29T00:53:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-28T09:01:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-26T10:25:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-08-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-08-24T16:20:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

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

Live Review: Alog @ Empty Bottle 8/17/06

2006-08-23T12:48:00.000-05:00

Alog is atmospheric and dreamy with minimalist music that has slowly added effects to it in order to create something complex as it is simplistic, which is to say that it’s something you have to listen to for awhile to understand why it works. It is, to be sure, music you have to be patient for. While it is rewarding, it is not easily accessible. I cringed at first when I saw band members Espen Sommer Eide and Dag-Are Haugan come out with laptops because there’s a certain aesthetic to watching people play an instrument vs. pressing a keyboard button (which I guess is why we don’t have rock shows inside offices). In addition, fellow Norwegian artist Kim Hiorthøy had unfortunately done just that when I saw him live a couple of years ago opening up for the lovely Mum. Even though I had enjoyed Hiorthøy’s music that night, I felt a little disappointed overall. Luckily, I was put at ease right before Alog’s set when two guitars were also brought out; both a regular guitar and one without a headstock were used. In addition, a Thndtrix (which is an instrument invented and hand built by Alog) was used which looked like a small box and sounded a little like a fuzzy electronic theramin to me. Another instrument that was used was a midi-based sax that controlled various samples on the laptop, which I found interesting both in theory and in practice. In one song, there was almost a heart beat-like sound and in another the guitar tunings were slowly tweeked during the song to remind one of a slowly adjusting camera whose image goes in and out of focus. At times, it was a surprisingly organic feeling electronic symphony. Check out the bizarre but captivating video to Alog’s "Secret Flash" by clicking in the center of their website. Check out their songs by visiting their Myspace page

RFC Interview: Earlimart

2006-08-23T12:46:00.000-05:00

No conversation about the LA independent music scene would be complete without mention of Earlimart, one of the East Side's brightest and most influential mainstays. And beyond Earlimart's significance as a band, lead Aaron Espinoza is also known for his production and engineering work (The Breeders, Grandaddy, Irving) and helping start The Ship collective, a group of local bands who not only practice and record at the nautically-themed studio in Eagle Rock, but ... gasp, is this really the every-crumb-for-himself City of Angels?! ... help each other out. We recently spoke with Espinoza about all of these things. And more. Hi, Aaron. So, you just released a limited edition 7" on Suicide Squeeze Records with two songs off of your new album and an exclusive track for them. (And their new 10th anniversary two-disc cd comp has that extra track on it, too.) You’ve said in a previous interview that you when you're engineering you want the music to sound like the time you had while making them, whether you were drunk or sober or sad or happy or rich or poor. What were you during these three songs? Let's see... Pretty much drunk, happy and rich! How’s the rest of the album coming along? What was your experience creating and recording these songs? Well, it's pretty much finished… just a few more songs to mix. This record was pretty difficult. It's taken the longest to finish (write and record, etcetera). About 9 months officially. Kinda like a pregnancy. It definitely has been very up and down for us in the past year. Getting out of our deal with Palm, shopping for a new deal, getting two deals, losing two deals, huge writers block, losing band members, gaining band members, getting engaged!, getting beat up by the bouncers at El Cid. The list goes on and on. Good and bad. How are they different from your earlier albums? Would you still call it end-of-the-movie music? I dunno... Maybe more like between Act II and Act III music. A bit more pivotal? A turning point in the story. I don't know. It's been really great to get to the end of this thing. Through all the hard stuff the band endured, it's made us closer, creatively and personally. It's much more of a collaboration between Ariana, Joel and I than ever before. Pretty great. When’s it due out? Well, as these things go... We are still currently unsigned, so don't know the exact answer for that question. We’re hoping very early next year. The sooner, the better. How did The Ship collective come together? In the beginning (in 1998), it was a necessity for us. We needed a place to record, rehearse, and hang out. That's what The Ship studio basically was... Earlimart, Irving, Pine Marten, Silversun Pickups. Nobody was making records for us back then. And early on... not a lot of people came to the shows, so we became our own little support group. Recording, playing together, crying on each others shoulders. That sorta thing. Now I think The Ship has changed a bit. The bands and artists and friends associated with it have all gone on to do a bunch of great stuff outside of our little group. Silversun and Irving don't always record at the ship, The bands tour nationally and internationally, bunches of people come to the shows. Everybody has found some level of success within their own thing [and] I think that's great! I think that was the whole point of starting this in the first place. How do you balance out your time between your engineering work and your own music? I'm trying to do a bit more of the engineering/producing stuff lately. When Earlimart released Everyone Down Here and Treble, we toured constantly for three years. That kinda took me out of the studio for a while. Now we've got some down time before the next release, I'd like to record some other bands or have more bands working at the ship besides Earlimart. I guess I just try to find time between making Earlimart records and driving from California to New York over and over. What’s your favorite song that you’ve ever worked on? Why? That's tough... I really have a fond memory of working on this e.p. that was a Grandaddy/Earlimart collaboration. It was a lot of fun and not fun all rolled into one. It was really about working with people really close to me: the Grandaddies and the Earlimarts. Just a real big weird family. The idea was that the members of Earlimart would work on a couple of Jason Lytle's songs and vice versa. I think it was a total of five very long days at The Ship. A couple years ago now, maybe? But there was this one tune that Lytle had I Heart California, and it was so fucking good. Period. It was really really fun to watch/record Davey (Earlimart) playing drums on the song and Ariana (Earlimart) singing back ups in an Arnold Schwarzenegger-style voice, "I love California." It's seriously so so fucking good. I hope that e.p. comes out soon. But that's a whole other conversation. What’s next for you? The finish line. Last question: Who are some of your favorite bands in LA right now? Besides the obvious... I like Giant Drag, Tigers Can Bite You, and The Eagles. That's all. Thanks for your time, Aaron. Now, here's the title track off of the Answers & Questions 7" on Suicide Squeeze Records. Download: Earlimart - "Answers & Questions"

One More For the Road

2006-08-22T17:02:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-22T13:15:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-22T00:24:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-21T12:54:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-21T00:33:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-18T19:20:00.000-05:00

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.

TV on the Radio: The Lost Interview

2006-08-18T00:26:00.000-05:00

Like a sundial, the New York City subway system found purpose with the sun. The heat fell through sidewalks, collected in the rails and kindled the metropolitan train grid to an electric coil, simmering everything ground level to a walking fever. I flew in from Chicago for a wedding. This time, the airplane losing my bag was very helpful; in that week the summer of 2003, happily dislodged from my effects, I wore my friend’s coveted Nugent shirt all week and propelled wherever I could—a very merry almost-24-hours of it with TV On The Radio. With my recording device safe in my still unproduced luggage, I asked them over lunch to write mission statements on napkins and tried my memory with the adventures that ensued: more lunch, opening for Café Tacuba at the Bowery ballroom that night and the magic of Brooklyn for the lovely rest of it. The folks over at Under the Radar for whom I was writing the piece for, wanted more quotations. TV On The Radio was releasing their first EP, Young Liars on Touch and Go Records. Some of this interview appeared in the article, most did not. So here you go, fall in love. Subject: urgent: my editor wants more 'exact quotations' from you Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 21:14:46 -0700 (PDT) thank you thank you thank you for your mission statements. (damn kids, you done handed me poetry.) & i read your lyrics to a friend on the phone. she hadn't realized they weren't poems until i told her. she then says she wants to be friends with you. it's beautiful stuff, that. what's your writing process? that's incredibly nice of your friend to say, and she can prove her friendship by picking us up at the Port Authority if ever we are "in trouble". Most of EP, lyrically, was scribbled in notebooks and muttered into four-tracks and answering machines before they were real songs. I think it's a pretty typical process. It starts by getting incredibly frustrated by a situation, any situation, coming to an impasse with the real world and what you can do about it, and realizing that laying that frustration out in words and then setting it to music is ultimately more productive than taking a crowbar to someone's headlight or drinking or watching tv. It's not always frustration, though. It can be elation. Writing and playing, creating, its just a good outlet to be outofyourmind depressed, or inspired or happy or lecherous without bugging the hell out of your friends or courting a prison stay. any author/s you were thinking of while writing it? Rumi. Mystic poetry was really appealling to me when we were writing last time. Most of the poetry that I've read of his is about a longing for a connection with ...the infinite, or that nameless faceless thing, this oh of course oh eternal yess bliss, but yearning for that as you'd yearn for a lover, and getting it. Everyone should read some Rumi. I swear I'm NOT a hippie. He predates the hippies by a few centuries. It's great. Other authors? Raymond Pettibone, James Baldwin, Charles Schulz, E.E. Cummings and Banana Yoshimoto figure in there somehow, but most of the lyrics were scraped together from journals. I don't know. Sorry to talk about yearning like that, but these poems are REALLY good. I'm not a hippie. we talked about david's poetry compilation at lunch. how much are you influenced by words in your music, and in general? I love words. They've ruined everything. there's some speak mixed in your songs. it reminded me of walking down metropolitan ave. listening to the hispanic women in the street. what was the impetus? That was a recording of some people I used to know telling a joke that to this day I haven't been motivated enough to translate. I'm pretty sure that someone, possibly me ,was being ridiculed. It's something about a stunning dress and a cow that no one wants, and for some reason it goes with the song. creepy. come to think of it, all songs on the ep remind me of walking around brooklyn at night, like that night after your show when we were trying to decide where to go. did you have this in mind? We made a lot of it in Brooklyn at night, so that might be it. My friend Marc, who used to live in the loft we recorded in wrote me and said that the ep reminded him of the place in the dead of winter, streetlights shining in through taped up windows, unpainted dry walls, exposed wires, rough floorboards and lonliness. Then he said it was strangely uplifting at the same time, just like us not getting evicted the month after was strangely uplifting. I agree with both you. There's some brooklyn on it. adding to this, fact #4 is brooklyn, ny. would you care to explain? (or have you explained this enough already?) No, I don't think we've explained it at all, yet. Fact # 3 was that the night we finished the ep, our upstairs neighbor called the landlord and requested that Dave be kicked out of the building for being too loud, and the landlord went for it, so fact #3 was basically that David Andrew Sitek and TV on the Radio are too loud for the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, because as everyone knows, you move to Williamsburg for the wine shops, the tree lined streets and, of course, the eerie artless silence that pervades every overpriced air conditioned rentmare from sassy Bedford Ave to New Bushwick Lane. It's petty, but it's our petty and we're proud of it. i noticed TVOTR played a live soundtrack to a film showing in Brooklyn. what was the film, and how did you like it? has TVOTR done this before? will you do more? No, we played before a film festival at Rooftop Films, here in Brooklyn. However, we'd be down to play soundtracks during silent film screenings. So, yes we've never done it before, but we'd like to do more. any comments, questions? We will be touring all over this America in November. Our website will have the info soon. Also, "Magsaysay" is a name that everyone should learn at least twice. So cool. so, can i write about you needing a nutritionist? Please. A full page ad. "Wanted: Someone to monitor TV On The Radio's blood sugar/ fried food intake. " It needs to stop. The bad nutrition NEEDS TO STOP. Written by J.R. Magsaysay, who says, "thank you tunde adibimpe, you are god's green..."

Live Review: The Birmingham Sound @ The Hideout 8/12/06

2006-08-17T12:59:00.000-05:00

My friend John Ciba is amazing. In addition to giving me countless recommendations for different albums these past couple of years, he’s also done something that is more important than what most people do in their entire lifetimes. Traveling between Chicago and Birmingham, he’s been working to release the songs created through Neil Hemphill’s music studio. Hemphill has unfortunately passed away but the music is still a living testament to not only his work but the vitality of these amazing musicians and the music of Birmingham in and of itself. Bringing together such amazing soul singers such as Ralph ‘Soul’ Jackson and Roscoe Robinson made The Birmingham Sound an awe inspiring occasion that Chicagoans were lucky to experience. The evening began with Todd Hembrook and the Hemispheres who played classic soul songs discussing the topic of love complete with sax and keyboard to compliment the bass, guitar, drums and soulful singing. They prepared the audience with their covers of instantly recognizeable soul songs. Adam Fitz (above) took the stage and sang a couple of songs before bringing up Ralph ‘Soul’ Jackson (pictured at top) who then took over. The saxaphones stayed with him throughout his powerful delivery and you felt like you were witnessing something vital because, even if the songs weren’t as immediately recognizeable as classic soul songs, they should be. After hearing them, it was incredibly persuasive that these songs should be learned by heart and be made a part of your life. Ralph ‘Soul’ Jackson was a tour de force singing his heart out at a youthful intensity you might expect of someone in their 20s or 30s. He worked the audience and brought up women to sing with him as well, exhibiting quite a charisma. Roscoe Robinson (right) was also exciting to see and hear. He was joined by a couple of other great musicians at different times on stage including Otis Clay and Howard Scott. Between seeing so many of these great soul singers, you really felt like you were witnessing something special but it wasn’t just the music you were hearing. You were also experiencing a sense of community. If you weren’t able to pick up the newly released material at the show, you can find them at Dusty Groove. If you are in the Chicago area, you can also hear John Ciba and James Porter spin some amazing soul at The Hideout (which is a perfect place to have this in my opinion) through East of Edens Soul Express. Click here for the complete photoset from the night.

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

2006-08-17T00:11:00.000-05:00

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)

RFC Interview: Helio Sequence

2006-08-16T12:20:00.000-05:00

Portland’s Helio Sequence is a pop music army of two made up of Brandon Summers and Benjamin Weikel, a duo are well known for both their bombastic live performances and super sonic EP and albums (the last on Sub Pop). In the middle of work on their third CD, Brandon somehow found time to answer a volley of questions -- both enthusiastically and extensively. (Which is in a word? Rad.) Hey, Brandon. How’s Portland treating you? I love that town. The people are so damn nice. Yeah, Portland's great... Everyone knows everyone... So, correct me if I’m wrong in my facts here: You two began playing together in a makeshift recording studio at a music store you both worked at back in tenth grade. Benjamin and I both worked at a small independent music store in Beaverton, a suburb of Portland, called Beaverton Music. It's actually a musical instrument store, not a record store. Mostly band instruments and some guitars, basses, and drums. Our boss was a really cool guy and would let us have run of the shop after hours. It was a small store with two rooms. We'd clear the floor of one of the rooms and use it as our practice/studio space. We'd stay up literally all night and work on music...writing, practicing, recording, hanging out. A lot of times we'd work until seven or eight in the morning and just sleep at the store for a couple of hours before opening again at nine... or maybe go get coffee and just skip the whole sleep thing. It was always kind of a coffee-fueled marathon. Did you know each other before then? What made you start up the band? I actually met Benjamin through his younger brother Paul. Paul and I were good friends in middle school and still are to this day. He's a drummer as well and we played in bands together. Depending on how you look at it, it's kind of an endearing or embarrassing story about how the Helio Sequence came together... I was sixteen, this was in 96... I was asked to play at a family picnic and at that time the band that Paul and I were working on kind of fell apart. Benjamin had a keyboard project that he had been working on and really wanted to try some of the songs out in a live setting so we all sat down and worked out a couple of long "pieces" and wrote another for the show... I don't know if I'd even call them "songs" ... They were about 8 or nine minutes long and all instrumental... Paul and I played guitar, Benjy drums, and the keys were sequenced. Benjamin came up with the idea of live sequencing, which to us at that time seemed really novel and has really been the backbone of Helio Sequence since the beginning. It was really cool and inspiring and the Helio Sequence grew from there. (Actually we weren't even called "Helio Sequence" then...the original name was "Grendel".) Paul left the band to pursue drum corps and Benjamin and I carried on. He did play guitar on a song on Love and Distance ("So Stop") though. The amazing thing is that we have a video of our first performance! Someday we'll post it on our website!! The whole thing went down at a sort of ghetto amusement park/carnival called Oaks Park outside of Portland to give you an idea of the strangeness of the event. What music would you play there? Well, like I was saying, Beaverton Music wasn't a record store but we did have free reign to put whatever we wanted on the big PA that served as our stereo. If you walked into the store in those times you'd be bound to hear all of the stuff we were listening to and being influenced by then blasting through the PA: My Bloody Valentine, Mouse on Mars, Talking Heads, Miles Davis, The Beatles, The Who, Aphex Twin, Stereolab, Holst, Coltrane, Bowery Electric...too many to mention all of them. We're both music junkies and there's always something new we're listening to. Then, after you quit the store to tour, you moved your operations to various family basements and garages. Where do you work on your music now? It was pretty rough when we quit our jobs to start touring. In effect we lost our practice space, recording studio, and overall place of inspiration. Beaverton Music was really such an incubator for our band. When it came time to really sit down and begin working on what would be Love and Distance we were in a hard position. We'd been touring A LOT to make ends meet and support Young Effectuals and realized that here in Portland we had literally nowhere to practice or record. We were still able to write at home but tying it all together and getting it recorded was a different matter. And we actually do a lot of writing in the studio and playing live and fleshing ideas out and there was nowhere to do this. But events really fell together and Isaac Brock was very kind and lent us his practice space at the time. In about three weeks we recorded the basic tracks for most of the songs in Isaac's garage... most of the guitars, keys, drums. I took some of the songs home and worked out and recorded guitar ideas and vocals in my apartment. And Benjamin and I got together and finished the vocals and overdubs and all of the mixing in his parents basement in rural Washington. The album really came together in a lot of different settings and environments over a long period of time. Going into the recording of this new record we realized that we needed a place to call our own, a home base... something more stable and conducive to our meandering sense of creativity. In March, we set up our studio in the basement of an old dance studio we've leased and have been working on the new record there since. How do you feel like your sound evolved over the years? In the beginning of Helio Sequence, we were very focused on texture, sonic effect and "the sound" of music. Songs were basically written over and around sonic conceptions. As time goes on I've become more focused on writing songs from a more elemental place... something where if you played it on an acoustic guitar it would have the same power as a fully arranged song... a song where the power lies not only in the arrangement and sonic quality but at the root. I think as Helio Sequence has progressed we've become more song oriented. I've had a real awakening over the past few years listening to Bob Dylan. Music means something different to me now than before. There's just a new depth I feel. I think that both Benjamin and I are really set on bridging the idea of a big sonic sound with elemental songwriting... and although this sounds kind of paradoxical, Helio Sequence has always been about creating something from disparate sources... melding things... combining things.... skewing things... to create something kind of off kilter and hopefully new. I imagine you guys spend a lot of afternoons and nights hiding out in the studio, experimenting with new sounds and compositions. Is that an accurate assumption? Whats your recording process like? I know it sounds crazy, but we work every day of the week from 10-6 in the studio. And we both have home studio set-ups at home where we can work on things during the weekends, nights, and evenings. We'll take chunks of time off to work at home on songs and stuff like that during the week too. This is a new thing... We used to work more evenings and nights. This record has been a bit different than the others in the writing process so far as well. In the past Benjamin would have a pretty well-structured keyboard song and we'd work from there.... arranging and writing the "song" live and in the studio. For this record it's been more based on loops as far as keyboards go... a more simple repeating chord pattern/part that Benjamin will bring to the table. We'll jam on the loop in the studio until we both have an idea of what we're doing... a verse/chorus or structure idea or a couple of parts. Then, we'll make a rough recording of that loop. I'll take that file home and put it on my computer and essentially write a song from the loop. Lay down guitars, overdubs, and vocals and arrange the song and what not. Then we'll meet up at the studio together and discuss what's working and finish the song together. This way of writing seems to lend itself more to song writing becasue if the vocals and the structure are down first you can think about how to complement and offset them with the arrangement rather than competing with what is already in the mix when adding vocals as the last thing. Of course, this isn't the only way, but seems to be what's going on so far. There are songs that I've brought to the table fully written that we'll then work out together and the same for Benjamin. In the end, I'm sure there will be a bunch of different processes that we use to get this record done, just like in previous records. Which do you like more: playing live or in the studio? I don't like one more than the other. I just love music. I love listening, playing, writing, eating, breathing, living music... everything. What’s next for you? We're deep in the thick of recording a new record which will be coming out on Sub Pop in early 2007. Like all of our records, this one is shaping up to be different than the one before it... Any touring plans? Nothing definite right now, but we may go out do a few shows in fall? We're really concentrated on getting this record done first and foremost. I do know we're playing a show in Portland this September though for the MusicFest NW Festival. I'm really excited to share the stage with two people who I have A LOT of respect for and both of whose music I LOVE: Jeremy Enigk and Britt Daniel. Last question: What current bands are you listening to these days? Current bands... Do you mean "new" bands? Well, I'm always listening to new stuff and old stuff all at once really. I just went through a big Van Morrison kick and have been listening to Moondance, Astral Weeks, Veedon Fleece and Saint Dominic's Preview a lot. And Neko Case's new record Fox Confessor Brings the Flood is absolutely amazing. Benjamin and I went to see her when she came through Portland and she is the real deal. Also, a friend just gave me Johnny Cash's last record American Recordings V as a gift. I love his cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" and his cool version of "God's Gonna Cut You Down." And I picked up a copy of Lou Reed, John Cale, and Nico Le Bataclan '72, a live acoustic recording from Paris...really cool. Oh and Daniel Johnston, Rufus Wainwright, Os Mutantes and Talk Talk's Laughing Stock. And of course a lot of Helio Sequence as we sit in front of the monitor speakers and record the new record! That's it! Thanks for your time, Brandon. Download: Helio Sequence - "Everyone Knows Everyone" (MP3)

Live Review: Califone @ The Hideout 8/13/06

2006-08-16T00:50:00.000-05:00

Califone played to a sold-out Hideout crowd Sunday night. The set featured some new tracks from the upcoming album Roots & Crowns, but focused on the tried-and-true blues-folk experimentalism that has made them one of the Chicago underground’s greatest darlings.

Tim Rutili, Califone’s mastermind, was an unassuming presence on the stage, unafraid of sharing the spotlight. Onstage he possessed a quiet charm and a concentrated but not overwhelming passion. He switched between his guitar and his keyboard and sang in his raspy, strong but subtle drawl, which is perhaps the greatest living rock voice in the city.

Midway into the set two members of The Bitter Tears lent their brass wizardry to the performance, turning an already solid sound into a wall of thick, chaotic ramblings, harnessed and shaped by the musicians into powerful folk tunes.

Thankfully, a violin for Califone does not mean what a violin in a folk band usually means. Jim Becker spent most of his time strumming and pounding and tapping his various guitars and banjo, but he picked up a violin for certain tracks, such as “Michigan Girls” and plucked away, leaving the fiddling in the barn.

The highlight of the show came at the midway point with the song “Horoscopic. Amputation. Honey.” The performance began innocently enough with Rutili singing softly at the keys and Becker, along with percussionists Joe Adamik and Ben Massarella, backing him modestly. Eventually the song built and The Bitter Tears joined in; each member of the group worked independently to make his own sound. Becker struck his guitar strings, producing hollow, resonant feedback. The trombonist and trumpeter blared random ringing brass notes. Rutili did various sounds on his keyboard and shouted into a pick-up. Adamik and Massarella played diverse, intricate rhythms on various percussion instruments, a sound which culminated in them coming together on a single, solid, pattern pounded simultaneously on two drum kits. What brings many people to Califone is its blend of traditional folk and modern experimentation. Perhaps the Hideout set could have been made more interesting and lively with a performance that favored the band’s more innovative side; however, concentrating on its blues roots did not make for a less successful show. It highlighted the simple and pure musicianship Califone owns, proving that to be a successful artist all you really need is a guitar and some talent, and perhaps a little honesty. Download: Califone - "Qtr Horses (live '04)" (MP3)

KEXP coming to Chicago

2006-08-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-08-15T13:03:00.000-05:00

(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

2006-08-15T02:23:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-15T00:27:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-14T11:59:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-14T00:42:00.000-05:00

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

2006-08-11T16:50:00.000-05:00

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!