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Contest Thu Sep 02 2010
Contest: Crowded House @ House of Blues!
New Zealand's Crowded House was born from the ashes of Split Enz, the Kiwi new wave giants. With personnel crossover, including Neil Finn who's always pounding out earworming melodies, it's easy to hear similarities between the two. But where Split Enz were frenetic, Crowded House is just a pop band. They're not terribly raw, though they can be rambunctious. The melodies are nearly perfect and the lyrics are often painfully personal. Across six albums (two since reuniting in 2007, including the new Intriguer), Finn and his bandmates have consistently delivered sugary pop with some darkness and humor as balance. As a live band, they've been reunited long enough that they're far from rusty. Even though they do have a new album out, it's expected that they'll be bringing the hits to House of Blues on Sunday.
James Milne, who's worked with the Reduction Agents, Brunettes, Okkervil River and now the New Zealand supergroup BARB, records under the name Lawrence Arabia. His latest Chant Darling showcases strong influences ranging from T. Rex to Booker T.
Lawrence Arabia opens for Crowded House on Sunday at House of Blues, 329 N Dearborn. The show's 17+, starts at 9PM and tickets for $48. But Transmission's giving away a pair of tickets to this show. So email contests@gapersblock.com with "Don't Dream" in the subject line for a chance to win. [Update: A winner's been picked for the tickets. Congrats, Christine!] [Update: The goods keep rolling in. We also have 2 signed CDs of Lawrence Arabia's Chant Darling to give away. So let's go with a simple subject line like "Chant Darling" for those. Note: The ticket winner can't also win a CD. Update: We have our CD winners. Thanks to all who entered!]
