Video Fri Dec 05 2008

Video: "Buck Town (City of Wind)"

Here's a video for "Buck Town (City of Wind)" by Primeridian featuring Naledge of Kidz in the Hall, shot and directed by Pugs Atomz.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (1)

Random Fri Nov 07 2008

Tortoise's Spooky Ruben visit

A little afternoon video delight. What does Tortoise/Sea & Cake drummer and percussionist extraordinaire John McEntire do while on a break from a recent show in Toronto? (It ain't a run for Tim Horton's, that's for sure.)

[via]

— Anne Holub / Comments (0)

DVD & Video Wed Oct 15 2008

This is Thriller

A nicely produced video of Rhymefest and Robbie Fulks' Thriller cover at the Hideout Block Party last month, put together by KoneeROK.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)

Review Wed Oct 01 2008

Laceration Nation: Atavistic reissues classic Lydia Lunch material

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.

Continue reading this entry »

— Graham Sanford / Comments (0)

Artist Thu Aug 14 2008

Follow-up: Rhymefest Releases "Stolen" Video

As we told you about last week, Chicago indie hip-hop emcee Rhymefest issued a pretty bold statement when he was prepping listeners for the release of his new video. The video, which is for his new track "Stolen," stated officially circulating this past Tuesday, and here it is:

Civil war...genocide...refugees...blood diamonds. Yep, Rhymefest definitely isn't treading lightly with the narrative this time around.

Continue reading this entry »

— Graham Sanford / Comments (0)

DVD & Video Sun Jun 22 2008

Review of Work Series: Musician DVD

Ken Vandermark, part of an emerging avant-garde jazz canon, is a musician. In this well-edited documentary DVD in the Work series, he has a lot on his plate doing what he loves to do. This is less about him as a microcosm of jazz than it is about the challenges of playing music that isn't hugely commercially successful and dealing with the goings-on surrounding it.

This hour-long documentary follows Vandermark through private time composing new work, to rehearsal, to preparation to being on the road, and pretty much those steps in between that signifies the hustling aspect of being a touring musician. We see him packing and loading the van for stops around the world, and only once or twice do we see him nod off, which probably adds to his mystique of being one of the hardest working musicians alive today.

As for the music, there are two performances featured, which will give newcomers ideas of just where he is these days, but the focus of the movie isn't on the music per se, and that's a refreshing change from tour documentaries, taking the viewer behind the scenes into how the artist conducts business, plays with others, and deals with the grind. Enjoyable, but I doubt it's illuminating for anyone who has a friend who's a musician doing gigs in any of Chicago's small venues and is doing what they have to do to keep the music going. And despite appearing in more than 100 albums, Ken Vandermark is just that; working to keep the music coming.

The DVD is available at the Work Series online store, and is available for rent at quite a few indie rental places in this fine city.

— Troy Hunter / Comments (0)

Artist Wed Feb 27 2008

Mahjongg & The Weeping Eye Of Providence

Trailing the release of their new album Kontpab by just a few scant weeks, the Chicago electro-punk outfit Mahjongg recently started circulating a video for their tune "Teardrops":

Posted on YouTube just over a week ago, the video appeared with the foreboding caption: "Cycle of the Symphony of Destruction." The tagline might either be an ironic salute to Metallica, or it might have something to do with the clip's artistic indebtedness to Kenneth Anger's cult film Lucifer Rising. Or perhaps neither.

To see Mahjongg operating in a somewhat less shadowy manner, you can also check out their old appearance on Chic-A-Go-Go here.

— Graham Sanford / Comments (0)

DVD & Video Wed Jan 23 2008

Wig Out with Dan Deacon

Remember this summer at the Pitchfork Music Festival? And how ridiculously hot and crowded it was and how everyone packed in like proverbial sardines to hear Dan Deacon play his kaleidoscopic electronica? And how everyone got crazy-happy until the set was shut down by fire marshals? (Let's just say there were too many sardines in the tin can.)

Well, his performance/DVD showing will be completely different from that. For one, it'll be far more frigid outside. And for two, Deacon will be at the relatively far comfier Lakeshore Theater to show Ultimate Reality, a collaborative DVD he did with Jimmy Joe Roche. Ultimate Reality will play on a giant screen, accompanied by Jeremy Hyman (Ponytail) and Kevin O’Meara (Video Hippoes) live on drums.

And before your thoughts turn to Pink Floyd and laser pigs, let me throw this at you: Ultimate Reality's content is Deacon's music set to a psychedelic montage of Arnold Schwarzenegger films. Enough said. The show is on Friday, Jan. 25 at 9 p.m., and it'll only set you back $8.

— Kara Luger

Artist Mon Dec 03 2007

Fancy Knucklework

As Miles Raymer recently detailed in the Reader, Kid Sister and crew recently produced a video for Sis's track "Pro-Nails." The video's now been released via Youtube, so check it out...

Made here in town (at the Nails R Us on Western Ave) for a modest $3K, the song and video features a cameo from Kanye West, who stopped by the shoot to join in on the some finger dancing.

— Graham Sanford

DVD & Video Mon Oct 29 2007

Of Poor Gods and Unclad Emperors

Okay, Chicago Punk Rock 101 time. Anyone with a sense of this city's indie music history knows Naked Raygun. Formed in 1980, they were once this city's most formidable reps on the national punk scene, banging out their own brand of "blast furnace monomania" and influencing the sound of countless bands around the country. Strictly textbook, as they say. And by now, even the half-attentive know that the band has reunited "for good"--back in action for the past year or so, playing occasional in-town shows and doing a little touring from time to time.

This month Naked Raygun will be playing Riot Fest at the Congress Theater for the second year running, headlining on November 17. But next week sees the release of What Poor Gods We Make, a DVD overview of the band's history. An exclusive screening of the documentary will be held at Reggie's this Sunday evening, with copies of the two-disc set will be available for sale before the thing properly hits the streets on November 6. The band will reportedly be on hand for some hobnobbing, as well. An afterparty featuring a bunch of other noisy young things will follow. 2105 South State Street. 7pm. The screening is all ages, the afterparty is 18 and up. (312) 949-0125.

[video]: Naked Raygun - "Rat Patrol" (from What Poor Gods We Make)
[video]: Naked Raygun - "Surf Combat"

— Graham Sanford

DVD & Video Tue Oct 02 2007

You know you're famous when. . .

Tracy Letts is having a good year. His latest play, August:Osage County, was universally lauded by critics as the next great American masterpiece and will open at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway this month. Now, this Pulitzer Prize-nominated actor/playwright can add immortalized in song to his long list of credits.

You may find this video deplorable. I think it's hilarious and brilliant. Either way, it's a foul-mouthed hip-hop tribute to Mr. Letts and his total awesomeness by local comedy duo, The Southern Mothers.

Seriously, though. This video contains tons of cursing. If you have children, and don't want them to hear this language, send them away.

— Nicholas Ward

DVD & Video Mon Aug 13 2007

Be a Part of a Delmark DVD

You've got four upcoming chances to be in the audience for an upcoming local label Delmark records artists' live CD/DVD tapings in Chicago.

- Friday, Aug. 17 - Byther Smith performs at 11pm at Natural Rhythm private social club located at 2000 W. 59th St. (the corner of Damen and 59th). Byther's guitar and vocals will be backed by Anthony Palmer on rhythm guitar, Greg McDaniel (Floyd's son) on bass, and James Carter (Willie Kent's nephew) on drums. Usually this is Jimmy Burns' hot backing band. Call 773-776-9285 for more info.

- Saturday, Aug. 18 - Little Arthur Duncan and the Back Scratchers with special guest vocalist Little Al Thomas play from 9pm-1am at Rosa’s Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage. The Back Scratchers are Illinois Slim (who played with Eddie Taylor) and Rick Kreher (who played with Muddy Waters) on guitar, EG McDaniel (Floyd’s son) on bass, and Twist Turner on drums.

- Monday, Aug. 20 - Dave Specter with vocalist Sharon Lewis, "Texas Fire" and Brother John Kattke (keys), Harlan Terson (bass) and Marty Binder (drums) from 9pm-1am at Rosa’s Lounge, 3420 W. Armitage.

-Tuesday, Aug. 21 - Dave Specter with Jimmy Johnson, Tad Robinson, Brother John Kattke , Harlan Terson and Marty Binder at Buddy Guy’s Legends, 9:30pm-1:30am, 754 S. Wabash.

— Anne Holub

DVD & Video Tue Nov 14 2006

Premiere: "American Roots Music: Chicago"

Last weekend, The Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark St) opened "Chicago Roots Music," an exhibit that explores the city’s ties to the jazz, blues and gospel styles that immigrated here from the South, as well as the "insurgent country" and folk scenes Chicago has more recently fostered. In conjunction with the exhibit, WTTW11 will premiere the documentary "American Roots Music: Chicago," a locally produced episode in the acclaimed PBS series of the same name. "American Roots Music: Chicago" is narrated by Chicago native Harold Ramis (famously Egon in "Ghostbusters"), and explores Chicago’s ties to jazz, blues, gospel, folk, polka and country through archival footage and interviews with locals like Studs Terkel, Jeff Tweedy, Jon Langford, Fred Anderson, and Muddy Waters. "American Roots Music: Chicago" premieres Thursday night at 9 pm.

— JP Pfafflin

DVD & Video Mon Oct 16 2006

Ten Years Caught on Video

We told you last week all about the brand new Bloodshot Records 10th Anniversary DVD that's out in stores now. You can head on out to the Darkroom and catch it for yourself, for free, tonight. There will be "drink specials", big ole video projections from the DVD and some fine Bloodshot folks around for you to carouse with along with special dj sets and perhaps special guests. Details in Slowdown.

— Anne Holub

DVD & Video Thu Oct 05 2006

A Free Bloodshot, Just for You

Nothing is better than free and we've got you covered right here. You'll get a copy of Chicago music label Bloodshot Records 10 year anniversary DVD Bloodied But Unbowed: Bloodshot Records' Life in the Trenches which we reviewed this week delivered right to your door (before it goes on sale to the public on Tuesday)! All you have to do is be the first to email us at inbox (at) gapersblock.com with the subject line "Bloodshot Through the Heart" and you'll be lucky lucky lucky. [Update: Congrats to Maggie, our winner! Keep on reading Transmission for more chances at free stuff.]

— Anne Holub