Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni. ✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
Given the unruly and eccentric sonic universe that the Brooklyn quartet Gang Gang Dance have inhabited these past 5 years, it seems fairly fitting that they'd title their new, fourth album after a patron saint of the abject and afflicted. Specifically Saint Dymphna -- the martyred Celtic pagan princess who protects those who suffer from a variety of mental illnesses and neural disorders, epilectics and sleepwalkers, as well as victims of rape, incest and sexual abuse; blesser of families and institutions who strive to shield or heal the damaged from the psychic shocks and traumas of life.
With Saint Dymphna, GGD have taken a few steps toward what some would consider "accessibility." Gone are the avant jaunts into abstraction and the subsuming reverb-drenched haze that murked up some of their prior recordings. Instead, the band's sounding much more polished and linear - offering a new batch of material that twists along on serpentine, trans-global rhythms, foregrounded melodies, and awash in shimmering synth textures. And while the album is being touted as the band's "pop" or "club" move, at its core one finds the band still traveling along the arc of their own delirious and celebratory Fourth-world urban psychedelia.
Gang Gang Dance are currently touring to support Saint Dymphna, a tour that'll probably prove extensive given that the group was recently picked up for international distribution by the prestigious UK label, Warp Records. They're playing the Empty Bottle this Monday night, headlining on a bill that also features touring companion and Kill Rock Stars recording artist Marnie Stern. Tirra Lirra get things started in the opening slot. 1035 N. Western Ave. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door, and it all gets underway at 9:30 PM.
Chicago's favorite kid sister (er, um, Kid Sister) has a fab new track you can download from RCRD LBL right this very minute, for free. She's the rappinest, toe-tappinest girl on your musical block. Who needs a candy bar? This is going to get me past my 3pm slump. Go on, "Get Fresh". It's from her forthcoming album Dream Date, due out in November January 2009.
Even when I took that Ingmar Bergman film class in college, I didn't feel as compelled to learn Swedish as I do after listening to the latest album by the band Dungen. Pronounced "DOON-ghen" (or, so I've been told), the acclaimed outfit put out its fourth studio album, appropriately titled 4 this fall, and head to Chicago this coming weekend.
Listening to 4 I'm struck over an over how the lyrics, all in Swedish (granted, it's the band's native tongue), and all hardly even pronounceable by my lazy Southern tongue are simply gorgeous. Typing in a few phrases to an online translator, I discover simple lines, like the refrain in the track "Det Tar Tid" means (I think) "It takes time", which is a perfect answer to the song's breezy, yet straightforward structure. For once, I'm not hung up on memorizing lyrics (I can hardly wrap my mind around the words), but I'm focused on the progression of the songs, which is appropriate with Dungen's evolving music style on this album. Somewhere between psychedelic pop, folk music, Jethro Tull-ian flute ragas, and jam band guitar noodle, Dungen is kind of a delicious musical stew. There are piano, organ and perhaps even a xylophone in the mix, and it all works in this wonderful psych-pop melange.
Songs like "Fredag" (an instrumental piece) and "Samtidigit" with its psychedelic jams are perfect for nodding to on the train in the fall light, or rocking to as the band hits the stage this weekend at The Bottom Lounge. Tickets are $15 (adv) and $18 (door) and the show is 18+. Headdress, Chandeliers, and Life On Earth open.
Hey, hey! Right now, the first reader who writes us at contests (at) gapersblock (dot) com with the subject line "Swedish Fish!", will win a free copy of Dungen's album 4. Chop chop! UPDATE: We have a winner! Congrats to Jessica!
We all know what they say about idle hands, but I believe the concept can easily apply to an idle mind, or perhaps it applies more to the theory of perpetual motion. Regardless, I feel that if you set out to be involved in music your enjoyment and involvement will continue to grow, but if you don't get actively involved you will continue to remain idle. A mind focused on music will continue to be focused on music, and opportunities will begin to present themselves.
Minnesota's Ian Anderson is by no means idle in any way. He runs a record label, a PR company, plays in a successful band, and a writes a music blog. Starting Afternoon Records back in 2003 (the year he gradated high school), Ian has released and help record albums by some of the most talented musicians in Minnesota. Through all of his musical endeavors, Ian's passion has always been hitting the road with his band One for the Team. This past year the band signed with California's Militia Group and released their second album Build It Up.
No matter where Ian is one the road he is consistently working and always assessable. This past week we chatted on-line in preparation for his arrival in Chicago to play The Abbey Pub on November 2nd with Poison Control Center, Goldcure, and indie darlings Dressy Bessy.
Gapers Block: Your tour preparation has to be more complicated then most, how are you preparing for this upcoming 23 stop tour?
Ian Anderson: To be honest, tour has become my life. So, prepping for tour is just like anything else: do laundry, go grocery shopping, buy another season of Battlestar Galactica so I can watch in the van, and so on. My work definitely makes things hard. However, I have internet in the van, so I can do a lot of work from the road. Plus, I have a lovely staff at home doing my evil bidding.
GB: Your life is right, One for the Team has been on the road most of the last five months. Is there anything the band has added to their stage performance or learned from being on the road?
IA: Actually, a lot has changed. We are now a four-piece and I'm playing out of two guitar amps, which is pretty cool. Our set has sort of evolved into a real presentation of what we do rather than a series of songs; we rarely stop and we tend to blend our songs together. Its fun, I like it.
GB: You have played Chicago several times over the years, what has been your favorite venue?
IA: Good question. I've played at Schubas, the Beat Kitchen and Reggie's Rock Club. I like them all quite a bit, Chicago has some of the best clubs in the nation.
GB: This past Spring you signed to Militia Group. What has your experience been like with them? Do you feel your perspective is different then most since you also own a record label?
IA: Signing with Militia Group has been a learning experience. I think I give them a harder time than most, simply because I run a label as well and have high expectations. I continue to hope that working with them leads to greater exposure for One for the Team.
GB: How are things with Afternoon Records? It sounds like a big week for Now, Now Every Children. How did their recording sessions turn out?
IA: Things with Afternoon Records have never been better. We're all very excited for the new Now, Now Every Children record. I am particularly biased because I had the privilege to produce and record their album. I love it. They worked very hard and it's awesome — I'm very proud of them. It will be out digitally on 11/11, physically 12/9. Another great record to look forward to is the new Spiritual Mansions full-length, which is a beautiful pop record.
GB: I love the look of the new NNEC cover. Who is responsible for the overall artistic direction of Afternoon Records? Each of your albums are pretty unique, is there a specific AR aesthetic? How much input do the bands have?
IA: Actually, Brad Hale, the drummer in Now, Now Every Children, is one of two awesome designers we have — the other is Katie Evans. Most bands bring in their own favorite artist to work with on each release, however, Brad and Katie handle the artistic vision and image of the label.
GB: How much input did you have on the cover for Build It Up (Militia, Aug. 2008)? It is very different from the cover of One for the Team's debut album?
IA: Bradley Hale of Now, Now Every Children, does all of the art for One for the Team as well. He is crazy talented and we love everything he does. Basically, we gave him an iPod with the record on it, some headphones, and told him to have fun. It turned out great and I am very proud of the art.
GB: Writing music reviews yourself, do you read the reviews of your albums?
IA: I do read reviews of the record, but I always take them with a grain of salt. It's fun to know what people think of your work, but you can't let it get to your head positively or negatively. You just have to keep being yourself and make the music that comes naturally.
GB: After this upcoming tour, what next for Ian Anderson and One for the Team?
IA: One for the Team's big tour will round out about Feb 1. At that point, I'll start to write and demo our new record and hopefully get into the studio to record April/May. We'll have the new record out in August or September again. My first ever real book will be out in June or July, which will be fun too. I might have the opportunity to tour a bit on the book and go around the country and talk to music business students, which would be beyond cool. Beyond that, Afternoon Records will keep on releasing records!
One for the Team will be appearing at The Abbey Pub on November 2nd. Doors open at 8pm and tickets are $10 at the door and $8 in advance.
About the Author:
Jason Behrends has lived in the suburbs of Chicago his entire life. He is the creator of the arts & culture blog What to Wear During an Orange Alert. As a natural extend of the blog, Orange Alert Press was born. The first novel, Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine by Chicagoan Ben Tanzer can be found here (link). His interviews have been published by Rural Messenger Press and Tainted Coffee Press, and he is involved with three different on-line literary journals. He has been a music nerd since birth.
After the deluge of 2nd-gen, 3rd-rate Bmore styled remixes that glutted the blog-house scene a year or so ago, one couldn't be blamed for having heard enough of the Baltimore club sound. But throughout it all, the Charm City's DJ Blaqstarr stood leagues above all the come-lately carpetbagging clatter -- creating a mesmerising, hardcore dance music by intertwining the deep, minimal punch of Bmore club trax with neo-soul influences and an echoless dub-y spaciousness. It was a heady and distinctive sound -- one that soon brought MIA, the producers of HBO's "The Wire," a steady stream of DJs and artists knocking on his studio door.
This Halloween evening, DJ Blaqstarr hits Smart Bar for a headlining set, touring with South Rakkas Crew. The two artists are currently hitting spots as part of the recent Mad Decent tour, representing DJ Diplo's label. Rob Threezy and Charlie Glitch are slated to start things off in the opening slot. Doors open at 10 PM. Tickets are $10 before midnight, $15 after. 3730 N. Clark.
Can't decide what Halloween show to hit up? Here are a few ideas on what to hear at some of the music venues in Chicago:
Thursday, Oct. 30
The Abbey Pub: Pre-party your Halloween. Join a myriad of local acts as they don musical costumes to perform not as themselves! Performances include: B1G T1ME as Tom Waits, Jinx Titanix as Meatloaf, Canasta as The Decemberists, All City Affairs as George Michael, The Webstirs as Flaming Lips, The Delafields as Velvet Underground and The Getouts as Neil Young. Doors open at 8pm, show starts 8:30pm. Tickets $8 (adv) or $10 (door). 21+. The Abbey is located at 3420 W. Grace. 773-478-4408.
Friday, Oct. 31
The Bottom Lounge: Celebrate Halloween as well as The Bottom Lounge's 6th anniversary with King Khan & the BBQ Show. (Transmission will have a review with pictures from the hijinx on Nov. 1.) Opening: Women, CoCoComa, and The Goblins. Show 9pm, Tickets $10, 18+. The Bottom Lounge is located at 1375 W. Lake St. 312-666-6775.
The Metro. Get your Goth On at the Annual Nocturna All Hallow's Eve Ball with DJ Scary Lady Sarah. Sponsored by American Gothic Productions (and we don't mean pitchfork-carrying farmers, here). Tickets: $10 with costume, $15 without costume, 18+. Doors: 11pm / Show: 11pm. Tickets will be available at the door. The Metro is located at 3730 N. Clark St. 773-549-0203.
The Double Door: DD definitely doesn't take a break from its yearly musical costume show. This time around they're offering performances by: The Sleepers as Aerosmith, Blackbox as Michael Jackson, The Midnight Shows as Eddie Money, My Cold Dead Hand as The Cramps, The Slingerland Ride as Tom Waits. Tickets $10. Doors open 8pm, show 9pm. 21+. The Double Door is located at 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-489-3160.
Sonotheque: Get your dance on at Sonotheque's Dark Wave Disco Halloween featuring The Villains and residents Trancid & Mark Gertz along with Kid Color. Hosted by PaulinChicago, with visuals by Panic Films. Party from 9pm-2am. Tickets at the door are $8 before 11pm, and $12 after 11pm. Sonotheque is located at 1444 W. Chicago Ave. 312-226-7600.
The Abbey Pub: The musical costume swap continues with a whole other lineup of acts. Performances include: Dead Electric as AC/DC, Bon Motts as Tom Petty, Fringe Benefits as The Cars, Phil Angottti as The Who, Nick Tremulis as The New York Dolls, John Aselin as Tommy James and the Shondel, and Avalanche Rescue Team as the Smiths. Doors open at 8pm, Tickets $8 (adv) or $10 (door). 21+. The Abbey is located at 3420 W. Grace. 773-478-4408.
Martyrs': Enjoy mid-EVIL themed tunes from Cealed Kasket with opening support by vlad the impaler (with Martyrs' owner Ray Quinn, booking guy Bruce Krippner, and veteran bartender Jon Van Bladel). Tickets $10 (adv or door), Show starts at 10pm. 21+. Martyrs' Pub is located at 3855 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-404-9494.
Darkroom: More dancy dancy at the Darkroom's Halloween party. It's Life During Wartime's Halloween Hellection dance party with resident DJs Bald Eagle and Mother Hubbard with very special guests Shout Out Out Out Out and San Serac. Doors open at 9pm, 21+. Tickets are $12 adv/door or $10 with costume at door. Prizes will be given for best costumes, along with candy and glow stick giveaways. Darkroom is located at 2210 W. Chicago Ave. 773-276-1411.
Saturday, Nov. 1
Darkroom: Get over your candy hangover with some nice Reggae at the Darkroom. Spinning is Tidal Wave with selector Slacky J and special guests. Enjoy fresh tunes and fresh dub plates. Doors open at 9pm. Tickets are $8 (cover after 11pm) 21+. Darkroom is located at 2210 W. Chicago Ave. 773-276-1411.
There is no better time to release a dark and ominous drone album then three days before Halloween. This should give you time to obtain a copy or find a digital download before the trick or treater's come knocking. You should set a speaker next to your door and have something loud, dark, and frightening blasting through the darkness. In fact, that maybe exactly what Chicago's White/Light or their label Smells Like Records were thinking when they chose October 28th for the release of Black Acts. Two years in the making, Black Acts is a seven song journey through the thick and slow moving noise that Jeremy Lemos and Matt Clark love to create.
What I like most about White/Light is that they don't take themselves too seriously. Don't get me wrong, they are talented musicians and engineers, but there is a certainly is a lighter side to this duo. They are always joking about how drone (or drrrr-oh-oh-oh-oh-ne as they put it) bothers their parents. They also have described their music as "beautifully hilarious and hilariously beautiful". I know beauty is subjective, but for me this album is not beautiful in the conventional sense of the word. However, if you were to look at it from a purely technical standpoint there may be an inherent beauty in the layers and effects and the overwhelming force of their sound.
If you missed Lemos and Clark's performance earlier this month at The Empty Bottle you can download the entire set from their blog for free.
If the Secret Machines didn't have such a strong reputation for putting on dynamic live shows, one would be inclined to believe that their stage setup at Friday's Metro show was just an elaborate distraction to keep the attention off of the music. But as they've proven at numerous Chicago shows over the last few years, they bring the heat on stage. However, what would be the fate of their music live without Benjamin Curtis, who left to concentrate on School of Seven Bells, and in support of their weakest release yet? Luckily, newcomer Phil Karnats fills in very well as Curtis' replacement. He is not just a hired gun; his play certainly fits the Secret Machines' style of psychedelic pop music.
The Dears, who opened and were neither exciting nor terrible (photo by Kirstie Shanley)
What was troubling, though, was the stark contrast between old and new material. When the band drew from old songs, they appeared energetic, even if they hardly moved from imaginary boundaries in their ribbon enclosure, and the audience was in their corner. Selections from 2004's Now Here is Nowhere, especially "Nowhere Again", were full and vibrant. The polarizing Ten Silver Drops' tunes sounded like powerhouses. On the other hand, songs from the new self-titled album were received with a smattering of applause and what seemed like general disinterest from much of the crowd, at least compared to everything else. The easy low points were "The Walls Are Starting to Crack" and the horrendous "The Fire Is Waiting" - an overblown homage to tedious 70s psych-rock that endangered life in Metro. Momentum that had been built between audience and band was gone three minutes into the dragging riffs and meandering percussion. Chatter all over Metro sparked up and minds wandered ("Why do they have far more amps than instruments?", "Is it raining outside again?", "Why has this guy just taken the same shot 50 times?"). It continued on and on, probably for fifteen minutes, even though it felt like much longer. And a show with a fast-approaching curfew leaves little time to dick around. When they mercifully stopped, the trio walked off the stage as if that was a suitable end.
Now, I'm absolutely convinced that the roars that followed weren't for what had just happened but instead for what was about to happen. As bad as the set had ended, the inevitable encore was its perfect counter. "Alone, Jealous and Stoned", "Lightning Blue Eyes", and "First Wave Intact" (all old, of course) were amazing. It was like in the two minutes they were off stage they remembered how to excite a thousand people. They were heavy without trudging and meticulous without boring. Josh Garza had direction while brutalizing the drums. Phil Karnats and Brandon Curtis looked to be enjoying themselves. The audience was ecstatic as they rocked out. And that's how to end a performance.
"We laughed so much our chests caved in" is an interesting way to begin an album, but it doesn't sound at all out of place on Roommate's We Were Enchanted. The electronic instrumentation plus the wonderful strings laid out like pop, indie-rock or even contemporary classical at times is what makes this album a pleasure to hear with surprises throughout. I've never heard a record before with so many out of left field instruments sounding like they're meant to be played at the same time. Who else is playing güiro and keytar on the same song? What about Game Boy and harpsichord? (With this in mind, I would love to know what "brownie*" means in the liner notes for "New Steam." Speaking of that tune, there are elements of it that are awfully close to "March of the Siamese Children" from The King & I.) The 8-minute title track encompasses many of the features that make this the fullest-sounding Roommate record yet, though it's the simple "Night" (strangely enough, also the one that almost doesn't sound like it belongs) and closer "Isn't Radio" that stick out most. Kent Lambert and company have created an album that takes over the air and captures the listener's imagination.
Note: Roommate's Kent Lambert wrote in explaining the brownie: "The brownie is a homemade musical instrument created by David S. Moré (a sound artist/musician once based in Baltimore who now lives in Chicago). It's basically a Brownie Super 8 camera box with metal springs mounted on/in it and two contact mics--one suspended in a spring inside the box and the other stuck to an inside surface of the box. The mics output to 1/4" jacks that can be connected to mixers, pedals, etc. The springs can be struck with mallets (Mr. Moré made his from barbecue skewers and superballs) to make deep, gonglike sounds. Also mounted on the top of the box are three steel strings which can be tuned to various spooky notes." Also, the above photo should be credited to Sarah Gross.
Roommate plays at the Bottom Lounge this Sunday, October 26, with the Judy Green, Jeff Harms and Rock Falls. Admission is $9 at the door. (That's $2.25 per artist.) The show begins at 8PM.
What would the result be if three talented musicians allowed there ideas and unique sounds to come together in moments of spontaneous exploration? Not exactly like free jazz, but a sonic exploration, an adventure in song and form. Chicago's Pillars and Tongues, Evan Hydzik, Elizabeth Remis, and Mark Trecka, find as much joy and satisfaction in the process as they do they product, but as a listener you get a strong sense of soul in their experiments. As its core, I imagine you could call this gospel music, but only in the most primal sense of the word.
Last week this trio released Protection, their debut for Chicago's Contraphonic, a four track conversation, a musical dialog, pushing the idea of structure to its furthest levels. First performing together years ago as part of Static Films, on stage they execute both prepared and improvised work, responding to the environments in which they are playing. Tonight they make one last appearance in Chicago before spending the next month touring France and Italy.
Here at Transmission, we're looking to add to our ranks with some of the best music writers Chicago has to offer. If you're into telling the world about your favorite new band/album/DJ/music event, then keep on reading.
Aaron Brink (ABX) and Steve Reidell (STV SLV) just want you to dance. They're not a band, and they're not really DJs either. Rather than wasting time trying to classify themselves the duo has concentrated on utilizing their keen ears and technological savvy to create booty-shaking music on their laptops. Together, they're known as the The Hood Internet, a self-certified internet platinum duo that specializes in creating catchy mashups of hot indie rock songs fused with hip hop jams. They've garnered praise from Blender and New York Magazine's Vulture Blog, as well as scored high-profile gigs at the South by Southwest (SXSW) and Monolith music festivals. Through it all, they've retained their internet sensation status by being refreshingly prolific and posting all music on their website: thehoodinternet.com. I spoke to The Hood Internet about their music, the blurring of lines between musical genres, and how wild David Banner is.
GapersBlock: Where did the idea for the mashups come from?
STV SLV: It kind of started as a joke. We had heard some mashups of equally silly proportions to the ones that we do and we thought we could do just as well or better. So, we just decided to go for the gold.
ABX: I did one of them on a whim. I had some free time and remixed a Clap Your Hands Say Yeah track with a Clipse track just for fun. Steve had this blog that he wasn't doing anything with and we decided that we would post mashups for our friends to download. It sort of took off from there, but it was supposed to be a here and there type of thing as a joke. But, it expanded pretty quickly.
GB: When making these mashups, do you feel like you are re-arranging songs, or do you feel like you are creating a whole new sound?
STV SLV: It's just more of a re-imagination. Like a different take or a different idea. It's not re-establishing it or making it better, it's just a different thought behind it. There are a lot of hip hop remixes and a lot of remixes in general nowadays. This is just another angle, another way of hearing things.
GB: All of your songs are categorized as one artist or group "versus" another artist or group. Is there any competition between the two of you?
STV SLV: No, no, no. There's no competition. We a team.
ABX: Good question. I don't think we really get competitive with all the stuff because we're doing this together. It's not like we make a big deal about whose tracks are whose, or that when we play live we only want to play our own tracks because the stuff that he does feels like the stuff that I do. It's all pretty similar stuff. We're working together, so I would say no, there's no competition.
GB: How about The Hood Internet vs. Master P? What are the chances of that happening?
STV SLV: [Laughs.] In terms of New Orleans, No Limit is alright, but Cash Money is my New Orleans stuff. I would be more likely to go after the CMR angle than the No Limit Soldiers. No disrespect, and rest in peace to Soulja Slim, but it's Cash Money till we die, baby.
ABX: There aren't any immediate plans. I'm thinking of this one Master P a capella track, but it wasn't one of his popular songs. It was something that was really bad. I'm trying to remember what the song title was. Yeah, I don't know about that. Are you a big Master P fan?
GB: No, not particularly. I find him to be extremely amusing.
ABX: Yeah, he is amusing. The thing is, with some artists that are so funny, there's kind of no way to improve on that. He might be so over that top that we just couldn't do anything with it.
GB: How do you feel about people criticizing DJing as more of a synthetic, rather than organic, form of music? Some people feel like DJing is not authentic because the DJ is not playing an actual instrument.
ABX: I think I can relate to that feeling about DJing. For a long time, I wasn't into going to see someone DJ because it didn't feel like a real performance to me. In some ways it still doesn't. I get much more excited about musicians performing and actually playing instruments than I do about seeing someone spin records or play stuff off the computer, which is totally what we do. I think what I enjoy is...There's something about DJing well and playing music that people want to hear and the whole crowd atmosphere that I think is cool. If it's a dance party, it's a dance party and that's fun. I think that's more of what we try to do. More than putting out something artful, we try to play stuff that people are going to like. It seems like there's less art to it, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.
STV SLV: Well, with computers nowadays and things like Ableton Live, Serato, and Traktor, it's like "are you really just up there pressing play?" It's kind of about the end result. It's about making people dance and enjoying the party. You can do that with a live band, but you can also do it with DJing because people like to hear songs that they know and they like to dance to that kind of stuff. There's obviously the question, as I mentioned before, of whether people are just pressing play. I'll tell you what, I saw Justice and I'm pretty sure their whole set was canned, as they say. From start to finish, they may have applied some affects along the way, but...If it is or it isn't, that's not the question because the end result is what counts for people. What they hear and what they want to respond to and dance to. They're two different worlds.
GB: What did you grow up listening to?
STV SLV: Everything. I was growing up listening to The Beatles. My parents were really into The Beatles so I listened to a lot of that. I kind of graduated from that into alternative rock. Being from Minnesota, I listened to a lot of Sigur Rós and Hüsker Dü and The Replacements. I got into all sorts of avenues like punk rock and hip hop and jam bands. I really listened to a lot of everything.
GB: Is hip-hop dead?
STV SLV: That's a ridiculous question. How can anyone even answer that? Nas is the only person you could ask this question. I hereby defer this question to Nas, who is not present.
GB: What do you think of the current hip-hop scene in Chicago?
STV SLV: Clog the shit in Chicago right now. The Cool Kids, Hollywood Holt, Mic Terror, Kid Sister. There's obviously a lot of excitement about that, but there's still a lot of people that have been around for only a minute. Like Dude 'N Nem or Do or Die. Of course, Kanye West is a superstar. We all know that. You got up-and-comers like Yea Big and Kid Static. It's a really good scene.
GB: How was SXSW (South by Southwest) this summer? (Note: The Hood Internet graciously blogged a tour diary from SXSW 2008 for GapersBlock Transmission, check it out here.)
STV SLV: SXSW was a really good time. We played a lot of good shows, met a lot of good musicians, got wasted. There's pretty much the standard stuff. The highlight is that we met Lance Armstrong. Live Strong.
STV SLV and ABX meet Lance Armstrong
ABX: It was great. That was my first time there, in Austin. We got to see a lot of cool bands, do a lot of DJ sets the three days that we were there. It was busy but lots of fun. A lot of cool people come down to that stuff. The wildest thing that happened was we caught a set by David Banner, and he was out of control. [Laughs.] He spent half the show in the audience. He was putting girls up on his shoulders, talking about how much he loves white people, getting out of control. He was taking people's chains off their neck and wearing them around. That was the highlight I think, about as wild as Austin got for us.
David Banner at SXSW 2008 (photo by The Hood Internet)
GB: Do you think people living in the hood access your site on the internet?
STV SLV: [Laughs.] Yeah, I'm sure. We got a lot of friends on MySpace and the Facebooks. That's plural. There are people from all over that are into it. I guess it's hard to say. We appeal mostly to the internet. There are probably hood portions of the internet.
GB: Do you feel like you're riding the wave of mix tape artists like Lil' Wayne right now?
STV SLV: We've gotten a lot of press and a lot of love from the internet. We wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the internet. We throw a lot of stuff to the wall, see what hits, what people like, what people don't like. Our site definitely posts a lot of tracks. We have a lot of quality, we have a lot of quantity, and there's a fine line between the two that we teeter on.
GB: ABX, you reside in New York and STV SLV is from Chicago. Is it difficult creating music or coming out to shows sometimes?
ABX: Not for the most part. We're pretty much in constant contact through email or talking on the phone. It doesn't necessarily take a lot of staying in touch. Pretty much on a day-to-day basis, I'll make my track, and he'll make his. There really hasn't been an issue of us using the same stuff or anything like that. For the live shows it's maybe a little more difficult. Obviously, we have to be in the same place to do the shows, so this means a lot of time spent in airports and flying around just to do a show. Other than that, it's not like we have to have practice or anything like that. I think it goes pretty easily.
GB: Back in 1981, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five opened for The Clash, and they got booed off the stage. Do you feel like we're kind of past that, or do you think a lot of people are against hip hop and rock merging together?
STV SLV: I don't know, music is progressing in a lot of ways since Grandmaster Flash and The Clash toured together. I don't think that kind of thing happens anymore. There are audience members who can ruin that sort of thing. They want to hear one thing and they have no tolerance or patience for anything else. No, I don't think that animosity exists any more. It might in small pockets, but on the whole...it's more of an open-minded world nowadays.
GB: Is that similar to how rappers love Fall Out Boy?
STV SLV: Well, that's a Roc-A-Fella thing. Def Jam. That's a Jay Z thing. But, that's it. Before loving Fall Out Boy, a lot of rappers, you would see them on late night television shows saying they were into John Mayer. The boundaries are being shattered. It's not about being into only one style of music anymore.
ABX: Yeah. I think that's been going on for a while. I think the dialogue between the two genres has gotten better. There was rap rock and stuff like that. But, I think that there are definitely people who are opening up to different kinds of music like rock, hip hop, dance music, all those things. I think there's more room to like a variety of things and people are diversifying their interests. I think that's a good thing. I don't know if it necessarily means that something's going to continue to a point where there's too much overlap between those worlds, and I think that's fine. I think most people like to keep them separate. The indie rock stuff I listen to and the hip-hop I like—I like to keep them separate. So, I think combining the two isn't something that will overtake that. But, I also think that many people like to combine things that they like, and that's basically what we do.
GB: Do you feel like you appeal more to the hip-hop crowd or the indie rock crowd?
STV SLV: That's hard question. We play to both, you know. Like a Saturday night at Subterranean is definitely a hip-hop crowd. At the Hideout it's probably more of an indie rock set. People seem to respond to it on both levels. So, the answer is C.
ABX: I'm going to guess more to the rock listeners. I think we appeal most to people who like both. That would be my first answer. But, if I had to pick between the two, I would say that...I think on both sides there are people that feel pretty strongly about whatever they're into and don't like people messing with their songs. Some people might not be into that. I think with the rock listeners, we're changing the songs pretty drastically. So, I think there's less for them to have beef with what we do, and maybe not so much with hip hop.
GB: Where do you see The Hood Internet in a year from now?
STV SLV: It's a fun form of music, but mashups are already a genre that is looked upon with a raised eyebrow. That's okay. We're having some fun with it playing these shows. In a year, it's hard to say. People could just be like "oh my God, it's done," and that could be it. The backlash could have already begun. Hopefully, we'll progress onto different things, like making more remixes for people and doing more production work. It's hard to say, I don't know.
GB: Are there any plans in the future for an album that would hit the stores?
STV SLV: Probably not. Unless we got a whole lot of clearance, it would be pretty hard to do. We're sampling very large, if not entire, portions of people's work to create what we do. I don't think we would be able to get away with charging money for that. Everything will continue to go up on the site for free, as it always has.
GB: Do you guys have street cred?
STV SLV: I would like to defer this question.
ABX: [Laughs.] No, not at all. At least I don't think so. I don't know, I can't say I've been on the street to find out, but next time I'm on the street I'll check it out.
The Hood Internet dropped their third big mixtape earlier this week. You can download it from a variety of sources listed on their website along with past mixes. They're also hosting BOOTIE CHICAGO (a bootleg mashup party) tonight, 10/23 at Sonotheque, 1444 W. Chicago Ave. Tickets are $8 at the door and special mix CDs will be given away all night.
Raf Miastkowski is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago and a former intern at The Onion's A.V. Club. He enjoys obsessing over the White Sox, kung-fu movies, and chicken wings.
Chicago's Tirra Lirra released their debut ep Breathe Bodies back in August of 2007 on Static Station Records. They mix traditional rock with pounding, almost tribal, rhythms, modular synthesizers and samplers. Chris Mathis, Jared Sheldon, Tony Janas, Brian Hank Henry have been playing shows around the city for the past two years, and with each performance improving on the primal nature of their sound. Last week the boys found themselves in New York playing with fellow Chicago outfit Magical, Beautiful. Not being in a band myself, I can only image the feeling of being on tour, and introducing a whole new audience to your live sound. When I asked Tirra Lirra about their experience in New York, they had this to say, "Our show this past weekend @ Death By Audio in Brooklyn was blessed by a 10 story neon VOTE OBAMA sign on the building next door, and our first encounter with THOTH of the Angel Tunnel in Central Park. Expect us to channel one or both on Saturday at the Bottom Lounge".
Tirra Lirra will be performing the Saturday (Oct. 25th) at The Bottom Lounge with Chicago's Clique Talk and Fujiya & Miyagi. The show starts at 9:00pm, and tickets are $15. This is an 18+ show.
Well, not it, per se, but Diplo's coming to the Abbey Pub Thursday, Oct. 23, which means plenty of opportunity to dance your face off. The renowned DJ, whose work has led to collaborations with Santogold and Martina Topley-Bird, will be joined by Abe Vigoda, Boy 8 Bit, and Telepathe. Abe Vigoda (No, not that one. I wish.), for one will be promoting their new album, the edgy-and-happy-about-it Skeleton. Should be a good show, yo.
Chances are you heard a fair amount this past spring about the so-called Chicago Promoters Ordinance, and about how -- after rapid grassroots mobilzation from the city's cultural community -- the Ordinance was tabled for a later date.
But in the face of the city's current budget woes, as municipal powers look for ways to fill a $496 million-dollar budget deficit, you can expect they'll be looking for a lot of ways to squeeze out revenue -- tapping into whatever resources that seem viable. Which most likely means that the Ordinance could be making a re-appearance at the earliest opportunity.
As Sun-Times music critic Jim DeRogatis describes it, the Chicago Promoters Ordinance (aka the "Event Promoters Ordinance," or Chapter 4-157) constitutes "a full-on war against the music community." But that's only one part of the larger picture. In case you hadn't followed the details very closely, the Ordinance would have a detrimental effect on culture in Chicago that would extend far beyond the indie music and dance scene. It would also affect the city's art and performance venues of every stripe -- including theater, comedy, literary events, as well as alternative arts spaces and galleries. In short, the scope of the Ordinance would effectively sever this city's cultural life at the roots.
By way of a recap, local multimedia producers JaGoFF and TheRecordIndustry have put together their own video documentary Chicago's Promoters' Ordinance Kills Independent Music. Shot over the past summer and quickly posted for viral circulation, the documentary features interviews with Jim DeRogatis and Chicago Tribune music journalist Greg Kot; as well as commentary by a bevy of other Chicago scene-movers including Shawn Campbell from CHIRP, DJs Derrick Carter and James Lauer, Galapagos4 hip-hop DJ/producer Maker, and plenty of other figures from Chicago's multi-faceted cultural landscape.
The video's long on testimonials, but also features some excellent info and commentary -- most notably an extensive walk-through of the Ordinance provided by Henry H. Perritt Jr. As a law professor and cultural advocate, Perritt subjects the Ordinance to a relentless critique in terms of its legal and cultural ramifications, and offers the verdict that the thing is both "unconstitutional" and "just plain bonkers."
Stay tuned, because we'll most likely be seeing more of the Chicago Promoters Ordinance in the future. And that'll probably end up being sooner than later.
Chicago (by way of Orlando) emcee PJ Sumroc will release his debut album, PBR, on November 4th via The Secret Life of Sound. The first single, "Just One Hit", was produced by k-the-i???, and this video was shot in various parts of the city. Among those locations, the most notable is Stray Dog Recording Co.
After standing outside in the rain, the decked out crowd for Hercules and Love Affair's Chicago debut was drenched inside Metro. Outlandish makeup and hairdos had been battered by downpours and hail. But thirty seconds into the music, the crowd was doing their best to dance themselves into dryness. Singer Nomi was a fine substitute for Antony Hegarty, especially carrying vocals on the coming-of-age single "Blind." The other singer Kim Ann didn't seem to mind being upstaged, but didn't falter on her lead vocal opportunities. Between what sounded like a "Billie Jean" sample tossed in during their Chicago house homage "You Belong" and an out of left field cover of Blue Öyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper", Hercules and Love Affair showed a knack for surprises as well. The encore of "Hercules' Theme" featured a ridiculously thick groove and evolved into musical chaos with all elements coming together as the band sucked the last ounces of energy from the crowd at 1:30am.
Early on it was clear that the live horns and rhythm sections would be the backbone of this performance. The trombone and trumpet accompaniment was high in the mix with some strong early funk influences. The percussion and bass glued songs together during an almost seamless 50-minute sequence that encompassed the bulk of their set. It's no coincidence that the non-stop action was reminiscent of the early disco and house music parties that leader Andy Butler has recreated quite well on their debut album. The band isn't just lucky to pull off a similar vibe during their shows. It may be sad at times (though serious downers like "Iris" weren't played), but this is most certainly dance music. And on this night it was done almost as well as it can be.
It was three years in the making, but this past May Chicago's The Atomica Project released their sophomore album, Grayscale. It is a beautiful album filled with down tempo electronic beats, and unlike their debut, a heavy dose of live instrumentation. Wade Alin is the man behind the programming, and when I talked him back in June he had this to say about Grayscale. "The concept of the album is definitely inspired by Chicago and all of its climatic highs and lows. The Midwest in general has some top notch storms. They're dramatic and sometimes unforgettable." Dramatic and unforgettable much like the vocals Lauren Cheatham, who has been compared to Tracey Thorn on more than one occasion. Lauren's voice has a certain strength in its delivery, but she also has the ability to adjust to softest moments of the tracks. The lead single from Grayscale is called "Gravity", and it is perfect example of what this duo has to offer.
The Atomica Project will be performing TONIGHT @ Darkroom with Woven and Panda Riot. The show starts at 8:00pm and the cover is $7.
As we approach two major events in the next few weeks, Halloween and Election Day, it is time for children regardless of age to dress up as their favorite character, politician, monster, etc. In offices buildings across the country adults will be joining in on the celebration and acting like the children they once were. Through the thin walls of my beige cubicle I can over hear departments planning their themes and costumes. On Tuesday, one department had voted on dressing as their favorite political figures (how exciting!), and they had McCain, Obama, Palin, Bidden all covered. On Wednesday they were told that the "climate was too politically charged" and they had to settle for dressing as the folks from Grey's Anatomy. That phrase stuck in my head for a while, "Politically Charged", what does that mean? What would happen if someone came to work on October 31st dressed as John McCain? Would there be violence? Seriously, it is Halloween!
The duo Aleks and the Drummer is comprised of Aleksandra Tomaszewska (vocals/keyboards) and Deric Criss (drums). They released their debut EP, May a Lightning Bolt Caress You, earlier this year. The album is a dark carnival of melodic organ synthesized tracks punctuated by Criss' stampede percussion and Tomaszewska's lyrical eerie operatic voice. It's difficult to describe what Aleks and the Drummer sound like exactly, but singer Tomaszewskas doesn't keep her music influences a secret. Between the band's ensemble compositions Tomaszewska threads in a dark and lyrical cover of "Co mi Panie Dasz," an early '80s hit from a Polish pop band, Bajm.
Bajm and Maanam were among the first Polish bands to make the switch from strictly acoustic to electronic sound. In fact, experimental and electronic music came to Poland much later than the rest of Europe. Even as late as the 1970s when Germany and France were experimenting with synthesizers, Poles tuned in on "Piwnica Pod Baranami", a cabaret founded by Piotr Skrzynecki located in the basements of a palace in Krakow.
Sung poetry and strong female vocalists like Ewa Demarczyk (who sang both in Russian and Polish) are symbolic of era. It was only later, that pioneers of Piwinica Pod Baranami, musicians like Czeslaw Niemen introduced a more experimental sound, tinkering with layering and the synthesizers. The introduction to psychedelic rock enraged the Socialist authorities with its Western influence, but Polish experimental bands like Gudonis Komendarek came to the light and there was no stopping them in the early '80s when bands like Maanam and Bajm took the plunge into electronic music.
Aleks and the Drummer's Tomaszewska invited me to peek at her record collection and reminiscence about the early days of Polish '80s bands. She sifted through the records at her apartment, pulling out classics like Maanam, Bajm, synthesizer experimentalists like Klaus Mitffoch, Kora Pudelski, synth-organ players like Gudonis Komendarek, and bands like Madam or 1984, packaged in the standard dull socialist cardboard slip that many Tanpress records sported at the time. This is Polish music at its best, she tells me, before the melodic synth riffs fill the room. Tomaszewska has been tracking these records for years. "I found old Polish mix tapes that my mom had been erasing over with English lessons when we immigrated here from Poland." Tomaszewska explains, "the cassettes had band names penciled in on the label." She searched them out in record stores in Krakow and London.
May a Lightning Bolt Caress You (photo by Aleksandra Tomaszewska, drawing by Nathaniel Murphy)
"I always wanted to play music," Tomaszewska answers when I ask about her background. "When I was really young I used to hide in the closet with the blanket over my head and record myself singing but then listened to it and erased it right away." Her first break came in 2005 when she performed at "Polonia Star," (a Polish version of the American idol organized by Polvision TV). She was hesitant at first, but her cover of solo "Do Lezki Lezka" won her a second place for best voice. "It was a good experience to get out in front of a large audience," she explains, "I had to train my voice in a way I hadn't before; I won a ticket to Poland and the prize money I ended up spending on a PA system for the band."
"My initial idea for the first album, was to do covers of Polish bands, it was a good place to start from. I was rehearsing with a band, we didn't have a name, and only a few unfinished songs, people come and went and took what songs we had with them. I had to move for a job to San Francisco for a few months and realized that if I had my own songs at least I could take those with me. Polish covers gave me a good place to start from and a base of listeners who I knew would be interested in what I was doing."
Tomaszewska kept close to her roots and her vision. It's only been four months since the release of their debut EP, but Tomaszewska is already planning for their next two albums. Her plan she says is to confirm the sound they've been working on, but also bring in more layers to the music. She elaborates jumping into an inspired array of visuals, "I always imagine different things when I hear music. I used to love the Beethoven tape I got from my father. I heard the trumpet and thought 'Here is when the queen enters. '"
"On our last album," she explains, "we worked with New York producer Dave Sitek who's also known for working with bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I'm interested in experimenting more with the process, working in the studio and bringing in more sounds," Tomaszewska adds, "like the sound of a dog barking". She jokes, "and I want to bring in a French horn with a steady synthesizer base." Then with a smirk after a moment of contemplation, "I want to find that Polish construction worker with incredible accordion skills who's floating around Chicago somewhere. I met him. He showed me his hands and said, 'see how rough they're getting?'"
Aleks and the Drummer perform at the Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western) as part of the Underground Film Festival's 9th annual Jukebox of the Dead featuring on October 31st at 9:30pm. Tickets are $12 adv. $15 day of show. Also appearing are Detholz! and The Hood Internet.
About the Author:
Beatrice Smigasiewicz moved to the States in the '90s. She studied art in Berlin and Krakow but is now happy to be in Chicago, working on a Soviet documentary archive.
Local trio and thrill Jockey recording artists Pit Er Pat aren't averse to playing home-town gigs, so chances are you might've caught them playing at the Hideout or elsewhere lately. In case you haven't, the word on the streets for a while has been that they've altered their sound recently -- specifically that frontwoman and vocalist Fay Davis-Jeffers has largely set her keyboard aside in favor of a guitar, and that the band's moved into territory that bears a "dub reggae influence." Judging from the band's new High Time CD, which releases on Thrill Jockey this week, there's more than a little truth to the rumor.
Yes, Pit Er Pat has largely abandoned their prior post-rock/fusion cocktail lounge sound; the one so richly crafted and fleshed-out via John McEntire's production of the band's last LP, 2006's Pyramids. What chiefly remains, however, are the band's frail, elusive melodies -- except now they're intertwined with some roots-rocker grooves that give drummer Butchy Fuego and bassist Rob Doran something meatier to tuck into. And the pair seems to enjoy themselves on tunes like "Evacuation Day" and "Copper Pennies" as they tie and untie various rhythmic knots and guide the tunes through unexpected and crafty transitions.
Has it been a while since you've seen a fun, wackadoo band? Well, I'm not promising anything, but there's a good chance Bearsuit will fit the bill. The UK sextet are touring in support of their latest album, OH:IO, which conjures up images of space suits, pep squads, and Camera Obscura. What I mean is, Bearsuit is twee enough for those who like to put hats on their cats, and yet is enough of a screamy freakshow to placate the irony-friendly ex-punkers. Featuring girl/boy vocals and styles ranging from space pop to electro-bop and punk rock, if anything, their performance should give you something to talk about the next day.
So you thought you had already met you folk-pop quota for month? Well, hopefully you can make an exception for the upbeat strum and squeal of Portland's Jared Mees. As the co-founder of Tender Loving Empire, a media and arts collective, a record label, a publishing company, a gallery, a concert production house and a custom screen printer, Jared was in control every piece of his second full-length album, Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money (stream the album here). From the production to the incredible screen printing, this album is a perfect extension of the aesthetic TLE has been building over the last few years.
Accompanying Jared on the album and on the road is a collection musicians known as The Grown Children. There is percussion/drum work from Ezra Holbrook (The Decemberists, Dr. Theopolis), viola and string arrangements by Jordan Dykstra, (Marriage Records, Valet, Atlas Sound), accordion, piano and organ from Eric Gilbert (Finn Riggins), and vocals by Megan Spear as well as contributions from a host of others. Together these musicians play a fun brand of indie folk pop that when mixed with Jared's insightful and witty lyrics becomes quite addictive.
Now in the midst of a new European tour, Chicago's electro-tribal "irritainment" pioneers Mahjongg are releasing a new single via the K Records label. The a-side, "Free Grooverider," features a different sound from that of their recent album; with the group serving up some a dose of bouncy, Kraftwerkian synth-pop. The track's title, however, is intended as a topical protest and homage devoted to one of techno's leading innovators, DJ Grooverider.
I recently asked Chicago's Nick Butcher what he was looking to accomplish with his latest album, Bee Removal (Hometapes), and his answer was in the form of a question, "How far can you push the format until it falls apart?" Listening through the quiet spaces of Bee Removal I would say he has pushed it pretty far, but nothing has fallen apart. There is structure and melody and gentle movement inside the seven songs on this full sized vinyl LP. A vinyl LP that is icy white to match the hand-screened illustration by Chicago's Chris Kerr, and to add some surface noise this adventure in sound. It is an album that you need to explore while perfectly still in the center of your room on a dark and chilled October night.
Nick is probably more well-known for his work with Nadine Nakanishi and their print shop and studio called Sonnenzimmer. A one time intern at The Bird Machine, Nick has a unique style of creating concert posters, and together with Nadine they have worked The Sea & Cake, Cocorosie, RJD2, Menomena, The Walkmen, and more. Now that Sonnenzimmer is up and running, and making incredible prints, Nick is finding more time to work on his personal paintings and exploring sounds.
Bee Removal is an album that requires focus, but the deeper you look into the sounds that have been created the more you will want to explore. There were only 500 albums pressed, and you can visit Hometapes for more information.
Back some 8 years ago, DJ C (aka Jake Trussell) was runnin' t'ings on the experimental fringe of the Boston dance scene -- recording under the moniker Electro Organic Sound System and being a prime mover in Beantown's network of junglists, trip-hoppers, and leftfield turntablists via his affiliation with the Toneburst Collective.
More recently, C relocated to Chicago about 18 months ago. He frequently spins around town at clubs like Lava and Subterranean, hosts a radio show on WLUW -- all the while continuing to run his own Mashit label from his new home base. Now via the Mashit label site, Trussell's serving up the free downloadable "Mas Hits" collection; a selection of assorted remixes, mashup antics, and a few assorted web-only remixes that's he's leaked through various sites over the past year or so.
As a seasoned junglist, C has an expert sensibility for craftily chopped beats and depth-charge bass, making a good portion of the tracks far more serviceable for dancefloor purposes that the standard mashup fare. And while there's a fair amount of prankish whimsy and silliness throughout, Trussell manages to bring some top-notch bouncement on some of the selections; especially with the bhangra/jungle/Timbaland bump of "Ooh Wadda Doo Dadda" and the Bmore/dancehall jawn "Prerogatives Change." The download also features a few bonus tracks that includes a couple of full-on jungle rollers, as well as his remix for MIA's "U.R.A.Q.T."
To get a sample or to download the whole of "Mas Hits" for free, go to the Mashit website (or just go here).
Who doesn't loves kittens and toy piano's? Well it is clear that singer/songwriter Russell Baylin is a fan, and as his latest band My My My prepares to release their first album, Little Cat Plays the Alpha Rave, you can't help but smile at that cute little kitten. My My My claims to be suitable for fans of the supergroup New Pornographers, and that is not completely off target, but there are clearly a few more influences in Baylin's sound. His voice has a depth and clarity that is very distinctive and enjoyable, and when mixed with the beautiful harmonies of Sarah Snow the results are magnetic. A perfect example of this can be found on bouncy duet "Middle Age Hardware and Youthful Indiscretions", which has me spinning in circles and jumping up and down. Where the rhythms generally stay up beat, the mood of the album shifts between light and dark, but it can all be shiny kittens and toy pianos. Ultimately, Baylin is one of the strongest unsigned singer/songwriters that I have heard in quite sometime, and Little Cat Plays the Alpha Rave is an album worth checking out.
My My My will play a record release show for "Little Cat" this Saturday, October 11 at Subterranean with Baby Teeth and Oh My God. Doors open at 9:00 and the show begins at 9:30. Tickets are $12 and this is a 17 and over show.
It's not always easy to drag yourself to a show on a "school night." Yet when the show happens to be Jamie Lidell, it's worth the schlep. Wednesday night caught the British-born, now Berliner producer and neo-soul singer at Metro. If you ever get the chance, don't pass up this multi-talented performer who sings like a cross between Stevie Wonder and Amy Winehouse and flips out smooth and tasty beats across five tracks simultaneously. Overarching playful, Lidell's retro-future electronic soul fusion left a stamp of upbeat positivism on the audience, one that's hard to forget.
To understand Lidell just look at his pants. Long and flowing black-and-white striped cotton things, like pajama bottoms. Not so unlike those stocking caps you see in a Dr. Seuss story, only they were stocking pants, overflowing onto his funky pointy black shoes with silver buckles. And to complement this silliness Lidell had on a white tunic-like shirt. Clearly the guy doesn't take clothing seriously, almost like an afterthought. But boy can the guy sing. What Lidell creates onstage reflects the two halves of his musical identity — one part electronic music producer, the other part neo-soul singer. He switches between belting out songs with unabashed emotion, like "Another Day" and "Wait for Me" from his recently release album Jim, to performing in one-man band fashion, from his amalgam of equipment that included two Powerbooks, mixer, fader, sampler and more.
Audience members were of the fashionable, stylish variety. Band members kept the playful theme running high in various costumes — the saxophonist in a red, full-length kimono, guitarist wearing a white jumpsuit and cape. At one point during a particularly free wheeling jam, the drummer jumped down into the audience with a tambourine, rocking along with the boisterous audience. The feel good factor in a Lidell show overall infectious, you can't help but sing and dance along.
Robert Beatty is known primarily to many noiseniks as the electronic blood flowing through the band Hair Police. For many years, Beatty, an original member of the group, honed his craft within the band's tumultuous live shows and increasingly frightful live shows, fighting through the drums, guitar, and vocal vomit to conjure waves of shortwave attack signals and deep-space transmissions of fear and agony, coaxed out of low-tech and decidedly home-modified instruments.
As the group honed their nefarious crafts and grew more adept, Beatty's electronics, originally primitive and beepy (triggered by a primitive set of drum machine pads), grew increasingly assured and multi-tonal as he attacked his machines with renewed purpose. Along with his many other band projects, such as Eyes & Arms of Smoke and Sick Hour, Beatty inaugurated his solo project, Three-Legged Race, as an all-electronic ode to the final transmissions from a submarine, sinking deep into the sea with no hope of recovery. Furthermore, his work scoring for the films of Takeshi Murata further reinforces Beatty's desire to travel with equal confidence within academic or visceral music circles.
This Saturday (October 11), Lampo presents a program of Beatty's work as Three-Legged Race, debuting two new pieces, "Falling Order I and II," for the crowd. Devotees of Beatty's recent work will notice the word "order" as a recurring motif, such as the pieces on his highly acclaimed LP for Tone Filth, Living Order/Mourning Order. It suggests Beatty's redoubled commitment to compositional techniques, in direct contrast to his more improvisational gestures in Hair Police and other groups.
The new Lampo space is located at 216 W. Chicago Avenue. The show begins at 9 p.m., and admission is $12.
Make no mistake, the Chicago quartet Chandeliers are enamored with keyboards and tricky beats in a big way; but thankfully they don't have much truck with the sort of electro or that chincey, flat blog-house fare that's so glutted the indie market these past two years or so. Comprised of various members of local outfits like Icy Demons, Bronze, and Bablicon, they're one of many local projects that's spiraled out of the South Loop-based Shape Shoppe network. After numerous appearances about town and putting out a 3-song EP, Chandeliers have made their full-fledged recording debut with the recent stateside arrival of their debut LP, The Thrush.
With the opening track "Mr. Electric," Chandeliers lay their aces on the table, giving the listener a strong sense of what's in store. The music glides on a spacey shimmer inspired by vintage Italo-disco, with slight electro and synth-pop nuances billowing to the fore every now and again. The more crafty and complex underpinnings of the band's em-oh, however, reveal a deeper debt to early 70s jazz-fusion and astro-funk (a la Headhunters-era Herbie Hancock). Beneath all the sheen and shimmer, Chandeliers delight in the interplay of contrasts and balances -- the interplay of playing warm tones off versus cold, luster over grit, hefty riding shotgun with lite, and often floating crafty rhythmic shifts and sleights-of-hand against stark drones and subtle modulations.
This year Chicago had numerous corporate sponsored tours come through town. Each tour had its own headliners and advertising and high ticket prices and service fees, and so on. We, as fans, attended these tours not because we wanted to support the advertisers, but because we hoped that we were in someway supporting the musicians. However, we never know how much of our money is actually filtering to the bands. If this bothers you then Baltimore's Dan Deacon has come up with an interesting solution.
The Baltimore Round Robin Tour is a completely unique concept, and has equally unique individuals participating in it. The basic principle is that a collection of bands will set up around the perimeter of the venue with the audience standing in the center. Each band will perform one song per round until the show is completed. It's a live mixtape unfolding right before your eyes. There is no headliner, no front row, no back row, essentially a community of musicians playing together.
Not only are they playing together, but they are also traveling together in "Veggie Powered" bus. That is a bus that operates on waste vegetable oil, you know the stuff that restaurants have used in their fryers. In fact, they have put Jana Hunter in charge of oil management. She has recently put out a call for oil, "For those of you interested in attending the Round Robin performances, there is this definite opportunity to get in sans paid ticket. We need oil to power our school bus. Bring us oil, get in free". You can contact Jana for details (jana [@] whamcity.com).
Each stop of the tour will feature two separate performances. The first being the "The Eyes Night", a night of a mixture of folk, noise, theatrics, improvisation, music that is spiritual, dreamy, and peaceful. This night will feature Beach House, Creepers, Ed Schrader, Jana Hunter, Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, Lexie Mountain Boys, Nautical Almanac, Santa Dads, Teeth Mountain, and Wzt Hearts. This night's fall on Fridays and are a nice way to unwind from a stressful week. Saturday night is a different story, and a night filled with dance and foot stomping energy. This night is called "The Feet Night", and features Adventure, Blood Baby, Dan Deacon, The Deathset, DJ Dog Dick, Double Dagger, Future Islands, Height, Lizz King, Nuclear Power Pants, Smarthgrowth, and Video Hippos. Also, mixed in through out each night will be bands dubbed as "Weird Round".
As an added bonus the members of the tour have put together a compilation CD that can be downloaded for free from their website.
The veggie powered bus rolls into Chicago this Friday, Oct. 10th, at The Epiphany Episcopal Church (presented by Empty Bottle) located at 201 S. Ashland Ave. As with most shows held at Epiphany this is a rare All Ages show. Tickets are $8 each night and the show begins at 6pm.
At last night's My Morning Jacket show in Iowa City, singer Jim James fell headfirst into the crowd and was hospitalized. Tonight's Jim James solo performance at a Barack Obama Victory Fundraiser has been cancelled and My Morning Jacket's sold out Chicago Theater shows later this week have been postponed. There's no word yet on a rescheduling.
If you really need to see a show on Thursday and/or Friday, may I suggest STNNNG and Cougars at the Beat Kitchen, Kid, You'll Move Mountains and the Fake Fictions at the Bottom Lounge, Silver Jews at Metro or Stereolab at the Vic?
At the time of his death in 1992, the 40-year-old cellist, composer and experimental dance-music auteur Arthur Russell left behind an enigmatic musical legacy -- one that included a few (largely overlooked) albums of songs and compositions, a string of quirky disco tracks, and a backlog of some 1000 tapes of unreleased and unfinished recordings. Having connected the dots between American minimalist composition and disco's dancefloor permutations, Russell created music that rode on chromatic shifts and dislocated rhythms -- a music that seemed at the same time both insular and expansive in mood, that existed like a lover's whisper that fills your head, like the melodies of a man singing softly to himself as he drifts across an ocean of sound on a boat of his own making.
It would take much of the rest of the music world a decade or more to catch up. Thanks to the recent efforts of the Audika label, more of Russell's work has become available in the past five years. Still, so long after the fact, Russell's music continues to amaze and baffle listeners; influencing a new generation of songwriters, while leaving fans and critics alike wrestling with descriptives.
And now comes Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell, the new documentary by filmmaker Matt Wolf that arrives in Chicago this weekend for a limited run. The film offers an overview of Russell's life and work, featuring rarely-seen archival footage and interviews with various friends, family, and collaborators who knew and worked with Russell throughout the years. Also among the interviewees are Jens Lekman, composer Philip Glass, as well as author and sound artist David Toop.
As Preston Lovinggood took the stage, acoustic guitar and white sweet towel in hand, he did not look the part. I don't know if it was the well-trimmed hair or the clean shaven face or maybe the sweater worn over a button-up shirt, but he really did not fit the look the of the rest of the band. He talked about how they were glad to be back in Chicago, and how they had spent a month here back February playing a residency at Schubas. Wild Sweet Orange then proceeded to play every song in their catalog, and completely blow the crowd of maybe 90 people away. After that I don't think anyone care what he looked. What draws you into the music of Wild Sweet Orange is the passion, energy, and sincerity that Preston brings to each and every song. Through out the performance the emotion was visible across his face and in his voice, and the band matches that intensity every step of the way. The first of two big surprises came as an electronic beat arose just before Preston launched into "Ten Dead Dogs", and it remained through out the song. It served as almost remix version of the original. The second surprise was the closing track. Preston asked the audience if they wouldn't if they closed on a softer note (having just played "Tilt"), and the crowd applauded the opening notes of "Sour Milk". What was interesting is the band joined in in full force half way through the song, and really rocked what it typically a quiet acoustic song. Preston thanked the crowd, and said everyone had made the launch of their fall tour an enjoyable one.
Opening the show was Chicago's Otter Petter, and they were extremely fun and entertaining. I had never fully understood the Ben Gibbard references until I saw Michael Pritchard perform live. The sound is as if Ben Gibbard had moved to Chicago and decided to play dusty bar room rock, and there is nothing wrong with that. After Otter Petter, Audrye Sessions changed the mood lighting with bright white Christmas lights. The California group filled the room with their effects and experiments. Every second of their performance was filled with sound, and some of those sounds were quite exciting. For example, I can't remember the last concert I attended with an accordion player. They were the loudest performance of the night, and for me the most surprising.
Wild Sweet Orange will be on tour with Audrye Sessions through October, and then they will open a few shows for Counting Crows before spending the last leg of the tour with Margot & The Nuclear So & Sos. The tour ends where it began at The Bottom Lounge on November 22nd. Image above by Dominick Mastrangelo (taken at the Bowery Ballroom in New York in May).
As my colleague Jason pointed out, there is a definite issue with Top 100 lists, especially as you wonder just what the hell the pollsters are thinking about with the inclusions of some, exclusion of others and placement of any.
This Monday, VH1's Hip-Hop Honors 2008 inducts their 2008 class and, as a bonus, decided to rank the Top 100 Hip-Hop Songs of All Time. Given that hip-hop is a genre of music that's almost 30 years old, there have been a number of entries in the pantheon, as well as no shortage of disagreement online and off.
Chicago's Big Two (it would be four if Twista's commercial success been more widespread and Da Brat wasn't female or down with Jermaine Dupri) are represented on the list, and the argument about their placement and song selection would center on, well, how odd they are.
Common Sense (as he was, back in the Resurrection days) placed with "I Used to Love H.E.R." at #69 and Kanye placed with "Gold Digger" at #20. Let the debate commence.
Peace to Stereogum for actually printing the list out.
Among the corn and college students, Champaign's Headlights have managed to create quite a bit of buzz lately. Not only they embarking on a 23 stop European Tour this month, they are also providing the theme music to CNN's election coverage. That's right, all of CNN election promo will feature the song "Get Your Head Around It" taken from their 2008 album Some Racing, Some Stopping. You can check out one of the promos here. In addition, Champaign's Polyvinyl records just announced that the Headlight's will be releasing a remix album on December 9th featuring remixes by several of their friends including Chicago's Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.
[MP3] Headlights - Cherry Tulips (TJ Lipple Remix) from Remixes
Headlights will be perfoming at Schubas with Helicopters and World's First Fyling Machine TONIGHT at 10:00pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.
KEXP in Seattle has been counting down the top 903 albums of all-time over the last few days, and something shocking just happened. Sandwiched in between Alexi Murdoch's Time Without Consequence (#681) and Whiskeytown's The Ballad Of Carol Lynn (#679) was the Chicago classic Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I know it is hard to please everyone in a fan based voting system, but I find it hard to believe that there are 679 albums better than Wilco's best. In fact, while Sons and Daughter's (677) and Ratatat (676) play, it is clear we need a recount! Regardless, if you are tried of debating Palin vs. Biden, check out the rest of the countdown at KEXP.org, and start debating Wilco vs. The Meat Puppets.
Otter Petter, whose members include brothers Michael (guitar,vocals) and William Pritchard (drums), Jojo Yang (keyboards and vocals), Raphael
Dussaussoy (guitar), and Alex Barandi (bass), came together in 2005 with the intention of playing indie pop and playing it well. Over the last three years that is exactly what they have done. Releasing their debut ep that same year, this Chicago band started to gain a local following and by the end of 2007 they had tour East Coast and finished recording their debut full-length album. On January 22nd they self-released Fireflies and Lamp Lights which is a perfect blend of roots rock, sugary pop, and more complex indie rock. As they continue to tour and record they grow as a unit, and into a solid fixture of the Chicago scene.
Otter Petter will be opening for Audrey Sessions and Wild Sweet Orange this Sunday at Schubas. The show starts at 8:00pm and tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. This show is 18+.
So, which one of you's Jesus?: Lydia Lunch with fellow Jerks Bradley Fields and Gordon Stevenson, 1977.
With its recent release of the comprehensive CD anthology Shut Up and Bleed and the companion DVD Video Hysterie: 1978-2006, the Chicago-based experimental music label Atavistic aims to offer a chronicle of the early work that established Lydia Lunch as a doyenne of the underground NYC post-punk music scene of the 1980s. As a collection of recordings by Lunch's first two groups, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks and Beirut Slump, the CD's release follows on the heels of a one-off TJ&J reunion gig that took place at The Knitting Factory back in June, as well as the recent publication of Byron Coley and Thurston Moore's co-authored volume No Wave.
Admittedly, Lydia Lunch has had an unwieldy legacy. Cultishly iconic and influential, her status doesn't quite fit anywhere specific. Too art-damaged, amusical and nihilistic to be "punk," too snarlingly toxic to be "goth," too existential and misanthropic to be a precursor for Riot Grrrl-iness. Just plain difficult, in every respect. Which is how she'd prefer it -- i.e.: Up yours with your labels, your niches, your attempts to make everything 'fit' into some sense of accepted, make-believe societal order. Life, for many of us, just isn't anywhere near that easy or 'neat.'
This kind of difficulty was often the point of late '70s NYC No Wave coterie, especially the music of Teenage Jesus & the Jerks. Jagged and disjointed, off-puttingly raw, it involved a confrontational (if not antagonistic) relationship with the audience or listener -- deliberate guerilla-theater "it sucks to be you if you came here looking to be entertained" type stuff.
"If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll get more of what you got."
Minnesota's Jonathan Nelson, whose radio program Some Assembly Required has been heard on WLTL LaGrange, waited ten years to release the follow-up to his debut album as Escape Mechanism. However, his timing could not have been better. His self-titled debut, recorded in part in Chicago while attending Columbia College, was released 1998, and featured a style of sound collage composition utilizing only 100% recycled parts. The result was an incredible journey in sound using dialog, found sounds, and music samples. It was around that same time (January 1999) that Nelson started his radio show, Some Assembly Required, that to this day is dedicated to "artists and groups who work with bits and pieces of their media environments, and giving something back to the cultural landscape from which they so enthusiastically appropriate".
His new sound collage album, (Emphasis Added), was released yesterday, and carries a message that is unmistakably a product of the current state of our government, economy, and our attitude in general as consumers. I've thought for a while now that more can be said in a well placed sample then in a well-written song lyric, and Nelson proves that idea to be correct. Taking chunks of audio from what sounds like motivational tapes and various movies, Nelson is able to tackle consumerism and politics, but also adds a great deal of humor and wit. With a line like, "People are worshiping sunglasses and orgasms", you realize quickly "What's Happening". He is calling for change, and at same time telling everyone to lighten-up, relax, smile, take a look around and then start moving in the right direction. My favorite track is called "Oh Well", and is just a fun little romp with coral swing singers, Susanne Vega samples, and a doo wop back bone. It's just plain fun!
