Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
With much fanfare and long waits for many pleading fans on Facebook and Twitter, Riot Fest announced their 2013 lineup just now. The festival, held for the second year in Humboldt Park, is three days (September 13-15) of both new and old punk and hard rock favorites, with the addition this year of some notable hip-hop acts. The festival has added serious ammo this year with an impressive lineup that rivals many of the other major festivals coming through Chicago this summer. Some personal favorites just at a glance includes Blondie, Violent Femmes, Taking Back Sunday, Against Me!, Bad Brains, Stars, Dessa, Saul Williams, and many more. The festival is also going to be three full days in the park instead of two, and will include the same carnival theme as last year.
Three day passes are now onsale for $69.98, and three day VIP passes (which include 15 drink tickets, not a bad deal at all) are $175. You can purchase tickets here.
Check out the full list of bands after the jump:
Fall Out Boy
Blink-182
Violent Femmes
Motorhead
Rancid
Blondie
Sublime with Rome
AFI
Public Enemy
Brand New
Flag
Guided By Voices
Rocket From The Crypt
Bad Religion
All Time Low
Taking Back Sunday
Pierce the Veil
Atmosphere
The Dismemberment Plan
Dinosaur Jr.
Best Coast
DeVotchka
The Broadways
Screeching Weasel
Pennywise
The Lillingtons
Bob Mould
Against Me!
GWAR
Yellowcard
The Lawrence Arms
Say Anything
X
Bad Brains
Quicksand
The Selecter
Mission of Burma
Stars
Toots and the Maytals
Peter Hook (Joy Division Set)
Bad Books
The Devil Wears Prada
Saves The Day
Glassjaw
Bayside
Smoking Popes
Reggie and the Full Effect
Attack Attack!
The Dear Hunter
Maps and Atlases
Surfer Blood
Chuck Ragan
Dessa
Saul Williams
Empires
Mephiskapheles
Kitten
Peelander-Z
Touché Amoré
Masked Intruder
Deal’s Gone Bad
Twin Peaks
Flatfoot 56
White Mystery
Environmental Encroachment
Radkey
There was no Bulls theme song playing over the loud speakers when Kurt Vile & the Violators took the stage at Lincoln Hall on Tuesday–but there might as well have been. Vile and his crew emerged from backstage looking very much like a team as they proceeded to stomp through songs from their new album, Wakin’ On a Pretty Daze, with fierce discipline, emotion, and an added heft. Hell, even some of band members looked a little bit like Joakim Noah.
Wakin’ On a Pretty Daze reiterates many of the introspective themes already explored on Kurt Vile’s previous albums. On 2011′s Smoke Ring for My Halo, for instance, Vile would riff about making “the most outta your chill time, maaan” and figuratively taking a “whiz on the world” in a lazy-man drawl that somehow came across as contemplative when paired with the psychedelic space it was allowed float in musically. Pretty Daze fine tunes this effect with a more lyrically articulate delivery of his laid-back worldview and even more room to breathe and shift through long, expansive musical landscapes. But at Lincoln Hall, the Violators stomped through the album’s songs with yelps, screams, a lot more fuzz, and a showy confidence that led to heightened jams and crescendos.
The band played in front of a giant backdrop of icons from its Philadelphia mural that makes up Wakin’ On a Pretty Daze‘s cover image. And for most of the set, Vile and the Violators played at a rapid pace that magnified the band’s visible comfort and showiness on stage. Vile himself contributed an extra oomph to a lot of his songs with big, J. Mascis-style guitar soloing. On “Girl Called Alex”, the band pulled of a radical shift of the song’s walking chord progression into its breezy, hypnotic outro. Many band members also took on multi-instrumentalist duties, whether tinkering on a wurlitzer organ during the jammy “Shame Chamber”, or squawking on an alto-saxophone during “Freak Train”.
Songs from Smoke Ring for My Halo also felt more sure footed and confident. “Jesus Fever” had a newfound punchiness, while “Ghost Town’s” slow, towering chords crescendoed into a frenzied shoegazing finish that saw guitarist Jessie Trbovich violently swinging his guitar to produce feedback.
The Violators appropriately closed the regular set with “Hunchback” and “Freak Train”, two noisy tracks from 2009′s Childish Prodigy. But instead of “singing” the verses of bizarre characters on “Freak Train”, Vile took advantage of the song’s implicit freakiness to mostly yell, scream, and otherwise focus on leading his band into one of the most brutally noisy finishes Lincoln Hall may have ever heard–at least since Metz played the venue that previous weekend.
There was a short break in the pace during the latter half of the set for Vile to take some acoustic numbers. He sang the winking chorus of “Peeping Tomboy” in that exaggerated, lazy-man drawl now so much a part of his songwriting persona. But it was clear on Tuesday that while Vile’s music evokes a serene state of mind, Kurt Vile & the Violators are a lot rowdier as an entity on stage.
Opener Steve Gunn, from New York, provided an appropriate warm-up for the headlining set. He and his band played a versatile set featuring mostly long, finger-picked songs ranging anywhere from blues to breezy, Bert Jansch-style folk rock.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Last January on a cocaine-fueled episode of Girls, Lena Dunham’s Hannah Horvath snorted a line off a toilet seat in a club before hitting the dance floor and singing along to the perfect club anthem to recklessness. “I crashed my car into the bridge. I don’t care!” The song is Icona Pop‘s 2012 summer jam “I Love It”, which has been blowing up since its inclusion in the HBO television series. The song is now seemingly everywhere – just recently making its late-night debut on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, as well as Dancing With The Stars, Vampire Diaries, and Glee.
This Swedish DJ duo comprised of Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo met at a party back in 2009. They immediately decided to make music together and booked their first gig before they had written even a single song. In 2012, after the success of their debut US release Iconic, the pair left Stockholm for New York and LA. They’ve been hitting the festival circuit this year after finishing up a tour with Passion Pit and Matt & Kim.
Once the Gleeks have gotten a hold of a song, you’d think at this point it would just be over-saturated. But “I Love It” is just too damn catchy. By all means this is a group I’d typically hate, but Iconic is so infectious I just can’t help it. These dance-floor ready songs about ex-boyfriends and break-ups are the ultimate guilty pleasures.
While we’re all still in the early planning stages of who to see at Lollapalooza, over the next few days we’ll be highlighting a handful of bands on the Lolla roster to keep in mind. Lollapalooza is happening August 2nd – 4th in Grant Park, however all tickets besides Platinum passes are currently sold out.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Rapper Lil Wayne has apologized to the Till family for using the name of Emmett Till in an “inappropriate” lyric in his guest verse on rapper Future’s song “Karate Chop.” [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
A group recalling nostalgic images of road trips, sunshine-soaked journeys and wanderlust, West Coast outfit He’s My Brother She’s My Sister will be gracing Schubas with their presence this Friday, 4/26. Their first self-titled, seven-song EP is more rugged, recalling a quality of live precision that can only be found in in-the-moment recording, while their first full-length album released this past year, Nobody Dances in This Town, presents their sound as beachy, full and groovy.
Hailing from Los Angeles, the influence of location is evident. The riffs are psychadelic, the vocals infused with pop, blues and beach-rock. The California sun clearly made an impact on their sound, which is rhythmic and energized. Their attire evokes a snapshot from another era, flanked with psychadelic, free-spirited influences, which filters directly into their sound. Though newer to the scene, they’ve traversed America over by touring extensively, including a West Coast tour and a SXSW appearance. Their glittery pop sound is meshed with unabashed folk twang, creating the perfect blend of rockabilly jams. Catching them in Schubas’ intimate space will be a musical journey you won’t soon forget.
Take a listen to their live recording for “How’m I Gonna Get Back Home Tonight” below, which showcases their effortless sound and carefree style.
He’s My Brother She’s My Sister plays Schubas this Friday evening. The 21+ show begins at 10pm, featuring opening act Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas. Tickets are $12 online or at the door. Schubas is located at 3159 N. Southport, (773) 525-2508.
World Dance Day is back at the Athenaeum Theatre this Saturday for the annual celebration of the wide range of disciplines from around the globe. [ more › ]
Even if you can’t watch this whole short film at your desk, put on your head phones and enjoy the atmosphere that goes with these four Beach House tracks. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Record Store Day has been getting more hectic and harder to enjoy, but we’re here to help.
by Reader staff
Record Store Day, which falls on April 20 this year, has turned into a zoo. It’s no longer the domain of giddy discophiles who sweat uncontrollably upon hearing the words “limited” or “out-of-print”—those folks were overwhelmed by the crowds after the first installment in 2008.…
Record Store Day special releases include Charlie Poole’s pre-Depression banjo, the GZA’s chess set, and “Gay Fish.”
by Kevin Warwick, Peter Margasak, Miles Raymer, Leor Galil and Luca Cimarusti
At the Drive-In, Relationship of Command LP (Twenty-first Chapter) This reissue of At the Drive-In’s magnum opus—first released in 2000 on the Beastie Boys’ long-defunct Grand Royal label—is an obvious result of the band’s popular yet short-lived 2011 reunion (or cash grab, depending on your perspective). A must-have for any early-aughts posthardcore fan, Relationship of Command is a moody, restless confluence of ragged guitar melodies and Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s powerful vocals, which are trippy but not yet Mars Volta trippy.…
Takehisa Kosugi — composer, violinist, creator with electronics, Fluxus member, and founder of legendary Japanese groups Group Ongaku and the Taj Mahal Travelers (an AMM-like group who performed all over Europe and Asia, and eventually did visit the Taj Mahal), performs this Saturday at the Graham Foundation‘s Madlener House (4 W. Burton Pl., Chicago) as part of Lampo‘s Winter/Spring season. Kosugi will perform works spanning 30 years, many written for the legendary Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Cunningham, the close confidant and collaborator with John Cage, revolutionized dance as Cage did music and composition, and his dance company consistently worked with the most cutting-edge composers in the world — check out the 12CD boxset Music For Merce (New World Recordings), which features Kosugi, for proof.
In concert, Kosugi will perform four pieces of electronic music, using “homemade audio generators, ready-made sound processors and light/sound interactive materials.” Lampo’s hardy four-channel speaker setup will immerse guests in a strange, bubbling cauldron of rising and cresting electronics. The five pieces to be performed are “Cycles” (1981), “Streams” (1991), “Op Music” (2001), “Music For Nearly 90, Part-A” (2009), and “Octet” (2011).
Tickets are free, but require RSVP. Reserve tickets HERE. The performance begins and 8. Stop by a little early and take a look around at the lovely Graham Foundation building and the many free art and photography exhibits on display.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
If you’re a fan of the Rolling Stones, you definitely won’t want to miss The Chicago International Movies & Music Festival combining music and film. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The Black Dot Music Festival, hosted last September at Elastic Arts, 2830 N. Milwaukee Ave., was an inaugural gathering of Chicago’s lively — if not always noticed — African-American rock music scene. The event boasted a diverse lineup, bringing together local funk-rock stalwarts Bushoong and BabyBrutha with grunge rockers The Moses Gun and introduced relative newcomers to the scene, including Milwaukee-based folk artist LeAnna Eden.
Eden’s intimate acoustic performance quietly dominated a memorable bill of heavier rockers. Her songs seem to draw equally from folk, soul, and indie rock for musical inspiration – and her vocal style is ethereal without being overly delicate or twee. Check out “In My Dreams” below for a taste of her sound. LeAnna Eden returns to Elastic for another Black Dot hosted event, with genre-defying multicultural music collective Slowbots and singer/songwriter Kelly Campos.
We’ve cobbled together a list of some of the hidden (often more affordable) gems at the Chicago Improv Festival, as well as some of the bigger names and shows at this year’s CIF. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
To fans of harsh noise and experimental music, the name Luigi Russolo is intoned solemnly the way jazz buffs call upon Buddy Bolden in their hour of reverence. The two share a shortfall — they were innovators in their form who existed just before the advent of readily available mechanical reproduction. Russolo, a painter, theorist, and member of the Futurist art movement, created The Art Of Noises (ring a bell?), a manifesto that suggested that life after the Industrial Revolution had created an evolution not just in production, but in consumption. He believed that people living amidst the audible detritus of modern life had become more able to appreciate more complex sounds, and looks fondly toward the day when the composer “strives to amalgamate the most dissonant, strange, and harsh sounds. In this way we come ever closer to noise-sound.” He even created his own pitched noise instruments, which he called Intonarumori. The trouble is, these noise-machines were created in the mid-1910s and never really properly recorded or documented. The few acetates that exist give us only a bit more flavor of their existence than the scores of legends and second-hand stories about Buddy Bolden walking through the streets of New Orleans, wailing so loud he could be heard five blocks over.
2013 marks the 100th anniversary of The Art of Noises, and a number of celebrations are happening this year in Italy. In additional, Chicago’s avant garde music organization Lampo will also be celebrating Russolo’s shot heard ’round the heavens this Saturday (March 30, 8:00 p.m.), as Valerio Tricoli performs two pieces at the Graham Foundation‘s Madlener House (4 W. Burton Ave., Chicago). The pieces have been written exclusively for Lampo, and are tributes to Russolo and his groundbreaking ideas.
In the words of the composer, “‘An Homage to Luigi Russolo’ [is] a live electro-acoustic improvisation for electronic devices, self-built instruments, found sounds and voice. This structured improvisation will deal with all the sonic practices and possibilities suggested by Russolo in “The Art Of Noises.” A tuned noise mix that includes references to F. T. Marinetti’s free-word concrete poem “La Battaglia Di Adrianopoli,” which was sent by the author to Russolo only a few months before the conception of “The Art Of Noises” and indeed represents a major influence on Russolo’s revolutionary ideas.”
The second piece, “La Solidità Della Nebbia,” was created in part from samples of Tricoli’s homebuilt mechanical devices based on the ideas of the original Intonarumori, though different in their creation. Says Tricoli, “they aren’t really imitations of the instruments in themselves, but personal (or more “up to date” ) ways to achieve supposedly similar sounds, which are “tuned noise”. So for instance, the sound of a “Gurgler” is obtained by a mix recording of scraping metal, water, etc… Then I repeated it many times, so that i obtained a main single-pitch version of it, and then processed it accordingly with the tape machines (which is: modulate the tape speed to modulate the pitch of the “gurgling”)…”
Regardless of whether “authentic” Intonarumori are used or simulations based on the original concepts, Tricoli’s pieces (and the many other 100th anniversary performances happening around the globe) reaffirm Russolo’s original faith in modern listeners to accept harshness and complexity in organized sound in an artistic context. From the riots that broke out at his own performers to modern listeners who find beauty in abstraction, sounds and ideas that were once thought to be impossible and unbearable are now available to all.
Here is one of those early recordings of Russolo’s music. Notice that the Intonarumori’s inventor has not yet felt he was ready to unleash the noisemakers as stand-alone music, instead pairing them with a classical orchestra. Even in this context, reaction was uniformly negative, and often aggressive.
Sgt. Joseph Giambrone testified that Congress Theater staffers lied about serving alcohol when his unit arrived to investigate suspicions of underage drinking during a DJ Rusko set in the early hours of May 6, 2012.
Giambrone’s testimony came during a disciplinary hearing at City Hall Tuesday morning, the second conducted by Chicago’s Liquor Control Commission looking into alleged illegal activities at the Congress. WBEZ's Leah Pickett has more on the hearing.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Work week got you down? Feeling stressed out about the job, your bills and your family? Why not unwind with a drink? Shoenice will show you how it’s done. [ more › ]
Détective sounds like a mid-’90s indie rock band with an ear for melody, and this makes absolute sense when you consider James Greer, a mainstay of that ’90s scene, is at the heart of the band’s sound. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Reader readers build their very own jukebox.
by Kevin Warwick
“I started working at a record store when I was 15, and I’m an organizational freak, so I organize the jukebox like a record store,” explains Matt Rucins, talent buyer and jukebox hero at Schubas. “I have it by section, alphabetized within the section.…
AUSTIN, Tx—The best-laid plans tend to quickly go awry at South by Southwest, especially with these epic crowds. Yet if I missed catching a few acts I’d hoped to see on night one—Merchandise, the Black Angels, Guards—I did have a couple of great surprises in the clubs.
The first of these was a Brooklyn singer-songwriter named Laura Stevenson, who performed with her band the Cans under a tent outside a club called Holy Mountain off Seventh Street. Think of a less intense, sweeter-voiced Sharon Van Etten, but with a two-guitar, bass, drums and accordion lineup capable of unexpected eruptions of noise a la the Velvet Underground or Neil Young with Crazy Horse.
Music is in Stevenson’s blood: Her grandfather was a composer who made key early recordings of the Christmas standards “The Little Drummer Boy” and “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” while her grandmother sang with Benny Goodman. But Stevenson has a voice all her own, honed over the course of three indie albums including the latest, Wheel, released on Don Giovanni, the label that brought us Screaming Females. Hopefully she and the Cans will make just as much noise.
I was heading out the door after Stevenson’s set when another band playing on the smaller indoor stage at the same club stopped me dead in my tracks. The Holydrug Couple is a duo from the apparently burgeoning psychedelic-rock scene in Santiago, Chile. Ives Sepúlveda and Manuel Parra expanded to a trio for this gig, showcasing a sound that force-feeds that mellow ’70s West Coast folk-rock sound newly resurgent in some circles (a primary culprit: Dawes) through a freaky and evil psychotropic blender, with striking results.
Most impressive was a stunning track called “Follow Your Way” that began as a rough cover deconstructing Todd Rundgren’s “Hello It’s Me” and became a full-on interstellar-overdrive freak-out.
Most of the rest of the night consisted of unremarkable mediocrities, plus one truly dreadful act, Alabama-reared, Brooklyn-based EDM/folk-rock hybrid Phosphorescent, a.k.a. Matthew Houck, whose set was all the more painful for taking place in a big, uncomfortable, corporate-sponsored temporary party space called Hype Hotel, and for starting 40 minutes late, thereby screwing up the schedule for everything that followed.
I stayed put because I was eager to see Foxygen, no matter the delay or the unwelcoming surroundings. And the core Los Angeles duo of vocalist Sam France and guitarist-keyboardist Jonathan Rado plus assorted friends did not disappoint as they rendered onstage the brilliant tunes from We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic.
To be sure, the acoustics of the cavernous concrete space worked against the band’s intricate and sometimes delicate arrangements, as did the scent of the foul fast food being handed out by Taco Bell, one of the corporate sponsors. (Taco Bell—in a Texas city with another great mom-and-pop taco joint every 15 yards!) But if Foxygen could deliver in circumstances like that, no doubt it can do infinitely better anywhere else.
AUSTIN, Tx—South by Southwest was in year six when I first made the trip to the Texas capital in 1993 for what’s become the biggest gathering of the music world in the United States. Prompted partly by the daytime conference panels relocating that year from one of the city’s hotels to the vast, sterile and still-under-construction Austin Convention Center, I listened to considerable grumbling from veterans that, “SXSW has gotten too big for its own good—it’s lost its soul!”
I’ve heard repetitions of that complaint (or variations thereof: “too corporate/too dismissive of local bands/too political,” etc.)—every March since, but I’ve usually dismissed them. As festival co-founder Louis Black makes distressingly clear in Echotone, the 2010 documentary about the negative impact that development and gentrification have had on independent musicians in “the live music capital of the world,” SXSW was envisioned from the beginning to be as big, as broad and as bottomless a gold mine as possible.
The level of corporate hype and the number of weasels here long have been a distraction at best and an annoyance at worst; the deal-making, eruptions of egotism and endless schmoozing during the gold rush of the alternative-rock ’90s was epic. The determined music lover always was able to block all of that out and make more profoundly rewarding musical discoveries in one place at one time than anywhere else. But everything has its tipping point.
While I had some fine experiences at SXSW 2012 (see the links to those reports below), they were fewer than in years past, while the annoyance level was off the charts. I’ve been pondering why since the last fest ended, finally concluding that with many of the folks from the interactive confab now staying right through music, the film festival happening simultaneously, and Austin-bound party-crashers multiplying the number of badge-holding attendees by what must be a factor of 20 or 30, there simply are too many people here for the infrastructure to support. Cabs, hotels, and restaurants are unavailable, oversold or gauging on prices; events with any buzz at all instantly fill to capacity, and with the overall number of people being at an all-time high, the inevitable proportion of jerks in those crowds is, too.
Simply put, SXSW 2012 was less fun than ever, and I seriously questioned whether I wanted to return for another round. But return I did, and here I am in 2013 determined to once again spend the days taking the temperature of the new-millennial music industry while spending the nights searching for musical epiphanies. My plan for the latter is simple: Wherever the hype or the hipsters are, I plan to go in the opposite direction. So, no, I will not be seeing Green Day, Dave Grohl’s “Sound City” All-Stars, the Flaming Lips, Justin Timberlake or Prince jamming with Bruno Mars, thank you very much, and I hope to be the happier for it.
Getting down to business, the first panel I caught was entitled “The Rise in Image-Based Marketing,” which moderator Scott Perry synopsized as “using the visual image to market properties.” By “properties” he meant “musicians,” though the preferred word for that antiquated term now seems to be “brands.” Nate Auerbach, the self-described “music evangelist” at Tumblr, talked about the ability of brands such as Shakira to make the platform “her own,” connecting with fans and telling a story through images—and ideally nothing else. Headlines or any other text, we were told, are distracting and best avoided.
The irony here was that SXSW techies failed to get the projector to work. The planned visual illustrations for the session never materialized during the first half-hour, leaving the moderator thoroughly flustered and this particular vision for a brave new world of post-verbal communications severely compromised.
“Brands” was again the most common word uttered at the next session I hit, “Jingle Is Not a Four-Letter Word,” wherein experts explored the variety of ways musicians can sell their sounds (and souls) to corporate America as it in turn tries to sell us products we probably don’t need. Here the clarion voice belonged to a Chicagoan: Gabe McDonough, music director at the giant ad agency, Leo Burnett.
“Who benefits more?” McDonough asked, pondering the relationship between the musician and the advertising client. “It can be a nice payday when a musician gets some money, but mostly it’s the [corporate] brand: We need X, Y, and Z to get what we need to get out of this.”
What the client needs is a particular feeling that only the right pairing of music and image can create. So ad agencies work with clients to find tunes that will resonate with consumers, obtaining them either by licensing existing songs from musicians, or commissioning composers to write stuff exclusively for the project. What happens when the creator of the “perfect” song refuses to sell it for an ad? “You get as close as you can without getting sued,” said Michael Fitzpatrick, the one musician on the dais.
McDonough claimed to hate that approach. Music, he said, still resonates with people in a deeper and more profound way than anything else; this is why advertisers need it, and they want it to be “authentic.” The current economy is “devaluing” music—“the problem is one of monetization,” this modern-day Don Draper said—and for some musicians, doing what once was quaintly called “selling out” simply is a good alternative for making money while gaining exposure.
Even if the payday for an underground band is far less than the money for a superstar selling a hit song (what the panelists called “the golden Apple” model), the musician can build on the exposure from an ad to develop their… wait for it… brand. “Ultimately, building their own NBC will be way more valuable than any pop song they’ll write,” McDonough promised.
Of course, musicians have to be able to swallow their pride and emotion when hearing sounds they crafted from their hearts being used to sell, say, an erectile dysfunction medication or a dishwashing liquid. But presumably those are concerns best left to the idealists of the world, not the ad men and “futurecasters” (another word I’ve already heard three times at this conference).
Me, I always identify with the idealists, and the standing-room-only session called “The Anatomy of Amanda F—ing Palmer: An Inside Look” spotlighted a great modern example of one such heroine.
Palmer, a singular voice in the goth/alt/unique singer-songwriter underground since her earliest days with the Dresden Dolls, made big news last Spring when a crowdfunded Internet campaign raised $1,192,793 from 24,833 contributors eager to hear her latest album, This Is Theatre, released in September. Sharing the stage with her managers, her overseas/traditional record label partners at Cooking Vinyl, and representatives from Kickstarter and Topspin, the artist explained how she did it, an answer that can be boiled down to a little imagination and a heck of a lot of hard work.
“It’s a f—ing zeitgeist what’s happening now with art and crowdfunding,” Palmer said, noting that only a few hours earlier, fans of Veronica Mars hoping to see the TV show resurrected as a movie raised more than a million dollars in a few hours.
The artist’s direct connection with fans can overcome any obstacle in a new music industry reinventing itself by fits and starts hourly, Palmer believes. Of course, that relationship can be fickle, and when she ended her session by breaking out a small four-stringed instrument and paying loving homage to this most twee of axes (“Ukulele, banish evil!/Ukulele, save the people!”), this fan’s loyalties were severely torn between his Palmer love and his previously well-documented uke hatred.
Finally, the afternoon ended for me with the world premiere of Born in Chicago, a new film by director John Anderson that left very mixed feelings.
By far the most exciting parts of the documentary were the performance clips, interviews and photographic tours of the blues scene that rose on Chicago’s South Side after the post-war migration, with greats such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Rush, Hubert Sumlin and Sam Lay. But the focus is less on these legends, whose sounds remain as vital and immediate today as they were nearly 60 years ago, than it is on the first generation of white musicians to embrace, adopt and—some would say—exploit their music.
This group includes some artists and other folks who are undeniably charming (keyboardist Barry Goldberg, who co-produced the film, and guitarist Elvin Bishop), some who are much less so (Nick Gravenites and the problematic Marshall Chess, who narrates the movie) and some who died before their time (Paul Butterfield and Mike Bloomfield). For this critic, none of them ever approached the genius of the older African-American artists they often slavishly imitated, and it’s hard to deny that they were responsible for a lot of wretched and clichéd excess—the “bloofs” peddled to tourists today via the post-Belushi sanitization of these once-great Sweet Home Chicago sounds—especially in comparison to the newer, fresher directions pursued by similarly thieving British peers such as the Yardbirds, the Pretty Things, the Animals and the Rolling Stones.
“In a way, it’s very pathetic,” Keith Richards says, mulling over the question of white appropriation of black music by him and others. “But in a way, it’s also very heartwarming.”
The latter is easier to see in the loving way that Richards writes about his influences in his autobiography Life, or even in the film’s snippet of footage from that famous gig that the Stones played with Waters at the Checkerboard Lounge in 1981. But heartwarming is the last word I’d use for describing the heavy-handed, often soulless jamming of the Chicago Blues Reunion, Goldberg’s nostalgic touring act, which is given entirely too much screen time, and which will take part in a panel discussion here on Friday before another screening of the film.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Chicago hardcore legends Los Crudos played two sweaty, packed shows at Chi Town Futbol in Pilsen over the weekend, alongside two incredible back to back lineups of other Chicago punk and hardcore bands. We managed to catch the late show, which saw Distract, Culo and the Repos share the stage. [ more › ]
The South Side Irish Parade Committee put out a fundraising call on its Facebook page Monday in advance of Sunday’s parade, announcing they were selling 1,000 raffle tickets at $50 apiece, with the winner receiving the full $10,000 pot. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The Old Town School of Folk Music and Chicago’s PBS affiliate WYCC have teamed up for a brand new live concert television program focused specifically on bringing world music to U.S. audiences.
Musicology: Live from the Old Town School of Folk Music will debut Friday, April 19, at 9pm CST on WYCC Channel 20, immediately following the legendary, and similarly-themed, live music program Austin City Limits. And much like Austin City Limits, Musicology will present 45 minutes of pure live music taped in Chicago at The Old Town School’s own Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall, in addition to interviews and other cultural, historical, and musical context from the artist.
The program’s debut episode will feature the music of Brothers in Bamako, a collaboration between Malian musician Habib Koité and blues guitarist Eric Bibb.
The taping for that performance is tonight at 7pm at the Maurer Concert Hall on 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. Tickets are $25 for the general public or $23 for Old Town School members.
Visit this page for a list of the other upcoming tapings, which continue twice a month from March all the way through June. Musicology‘s debut season will include a total of 13 artists from nearly every continent.
According to a press release from the Old Town School, the program will be marketed to PBS for national distribution, and it is the first program of its kind to feature live performances focused exclusively on world music.
Chicagoist reader Justin Buege sent us this photo he took on Jan. 26 at Northerly Island when a hawk landed on his bike. We like the hawk’s “Hey Girl” pose for the camera. [ more › ]
The man who breathes life into Ron Effing Swanson comes to the Music Box to screen his new film March 9. Advance tickets are now on sale and they will sell out. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Tim’m West has shown that there’s more than one way to be a black gay man.
by David Zarley
Standing in the stark white stage lights in a darkened theater on the third floor of the Center on Halsted, stripped of a beat and sharing a spoken-word bill with a group of teenagers he’s coached on both poetry and survival, Tim’m West is doing something rare, even among musicians who’ve pioneered a sound: he’s turning his art into something bigger. West is solidly built, with a stoic countenance and a voice that begins as a low rumble, an idling diesel engine that glides into a smooth brass baritone.…
If you’re a flickr user and wish to have your photography considered for “Around Town” or other Chicagoist features, please tag your photos with “Chicagoist” and enter them into our flickr pool. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Audio engineers Tim Iseler and Jeremy Lemos on “Darth Vader’s Cock and Balls” and the Dirty Projectors at the Sydney Opera
by Miles Raymer
Miles Raymer,
Reader music writer, is obsessed with . . . Townes Van Zandt, Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos 1971-1972 For a bunch of demos and outtakes from aborted sessions, Sunshine Boy is surprisingly revelatory, as well as infinitely more listenable than such things usually are.…
Violinist and vocalist Carla Kihlstedt combines avant-garde pop, contemporary classical, and dreams in a new commissioned work for ICE.
by Peter Margasak
Violinist, vocalist, and composer Carla Kihlstedt has traversed styles and defied hierarchies for her entire career. She came into her own in the Bay Area in the mid-90s and now lives near Boston, teaching improvisation at the New England Conservatory of Music.…
This is video of all nine movements from last month’s premiere at the Ecstatic Music Festival in New York City.
Saturday at the MCA, violinist and vocalist Carla Kihlstedt will give the Chicago premiere of the nine-part song cycle At Night We Walk in Circles and Are Consumed by Fire, accompanied by nine members of the International Contemporary Ensemble. Kihlstedt wrote the piece as a 2013 participant in the ensemble’s ICElab commission program.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Organizers say the Gay Pride Parade will be separated from Pride Fest this year, with the festival taking place June 22 and 23, followed by the parade a week later on June 30. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
If there is anyone in Chicago who can remember when theaters like the Uptown, Granada and Oriental were temples for the Church of Film, it’s Roger Ebert. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
She’s Crafty, Chicago’s all-female Beastie Boys tribute band, is starring in their very first solo concert at Underground Lounge, 952 W. Newport Ave., this Friday, Jan. 18, at 8pm. Come check out MCAmy, Ken D, MagRock and DJ Sara Tea, about which one person once said, “She’s Crafty, not a novelty act.”
Your $10 cover includes a raffle ticket for door prizes; additional raffle tickets will be $5 each or five for $20 for a chance to win an iPod, an autographed Starlin Castro baseball, Bulls tickets and more.
There’s been a lot of buildup to the first big official announcement from Electronic Daisy Carnival Chicago (EDC Chicago). First the festival itself was just a rumor…then it was confirmed by dance music festival titans (and the company behind the flagship EDC in Las Vegas) Insomniac…and today (January 16) the festival announced its first details via Facebook and Twitter. However, with the “big news” was a bit disappointing in both quality and quantity.
Despite the fact that the festival is still months away (and more than likely materializing lineup-wise) the hype surrounding the announcement suggested we were finding out a little more other than the most general of information about venue, dates and ticketing. EDC Chicago posted a three-paragraph statement to its Facebook page just past noon. Here are the bullet points:
It’s going down the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.
It will take place at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.
Camping grounds will be available.
The festival will be 18 and over and will go til 2am every night.
There will be “thousands of beautiful people” there.
Here’s the thing: even though there will also be thousands of “pleasantly average” people there as well, I likely won’t be one of them. Today’s announcement brought some difficult news to a city of electronic dance music fans so used to their favorite festival being just a few L stops away. Joliet isn’t attainable for a lot of us. Sure, the Speedway will provide plenty of space for the festival to truly embrace the “electric carnival” theme but – by the looks of the comments popping up on the festival’s Facebook page – I’m not the only city dweller upset with the inaccessibility.
Maybe Chicagoans get spoiled by having an entire summer’s worth of festivals in their backyard. Maybe it’s time for the suburban kids to have their day in the sun (although it’s still an hour drive from Schaumburg to Joliet). I’m not ruling out the fact that a lot of the ticket buyers to similar festivals that take place inside city limits are suburbanites and out-of-towners, so EDC will still do fine attendance-wise. Whatever the case, it’ll be interesting to see how Chicagoland’s version of EDC pans out.
The truth is that, accessibility aside, the biggest struggle this summer won’t be for the festival goer. It’ll likely be for the festival talent booker. EDC Chicago marks the fifth electronic music-focused festival in the area and will already be competing against Chillicothe, Illinois festival Summer Camp over the same weekend. Already we know that Bassnectar will be making his third straight headlining festival appearance in Chicago (jumping from North Coast Music Festival to Lollapalooza to Spring Awakening this coming June). Is there enough talent to spread between five weekends in less than a four-month period without things feeling stagnant? Maybe the next “big” announcement from EDC will clue us in a bit more.
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals perform on Friday, Jan. 18 a the Riviera (sold out) and on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Park West with Langhorne Slim. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
I started listening to Quicksand at the behest of a friend who worked at my hometown’s one record store. Simply by their pedigree, they were a force in New York’s (post-)hardcore scene with members having done time with Gorilla Biscuits and Bold. I heard them as crisper and more melodic than those bands. Yet they were still plenty heavy, like Fugazi for metalheads. The guitars were like jackhammers. The rhythms were pummelling. Walter Schreifels’ voice exploded with rage (even sometimes on the songs I didn’t think were attacks). Their two albums, Slip and Manic Compression, are full of brutal and well-crafted tunes that have aged nicely. And they could whip up a frenzy live when everyone was clicking. (In fact, my worst pit injury came at a Quicksand show in 1995.) On Saturday, they’ll hit Metro on a reunion tour that’ll bring some old fans out from the shadows and probably even make a few new ones.
Quicksand headlines Metro on Saturday, the 12th. Single Mothers, a band from London, Ontario and not actually women raising children on their own, open at 9PM. The show’s 18+ and $29. Metro’s at 3730 N Clark.
The photographers of TimeOut Chicago decided to pay homage to what writer Ann Friedman is calling “The End of the Culture War” by re-creating classic photo moments in American history. Only, in the case of Alfred Eisenstaedt’s iconic image of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square on V-J day, the sailor is kissing another sailor. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Sasha Go Hard keeps the mixtapes coming, Fig Dish reissue their debut, and more
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
It’s only been a couple months since local rapper Sasha Go Hard released a collaborative mixtape with Il Will of M.I.C called Hip-Hop vs. Love, but she’s already hard at work on the follow-up, Round 3. A handful of producers have contributed to the mixtape, including the Odd Couple’s Tony Roche and everyone’s favorite Blackberry spokesperson, globetrotting DJ Diplo!…
Trying to tune out after a little too much family time? Here’s a few minutes of mice doing some pretty amazing tricks to get you through the rest of the work day. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Eclectic music curator: “I feel a great deal of responsibility as a DJ in this town.”
DJ Dave Matta, 30, is a key player in Logan Square’s music culture, spinning records every Sunday night at the Owl and cohosting, with Odd Obsession Movies’ Brian Chankin, a third-world movies-and-music event at the Whistler on the last Saturday of every month. He also coordinates the popular Soul Summit dance party, which takes place on the third Friday of every month at Double Door, and organizes other DJ nights centered on reggae, world music, and underground hip-hop.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Two young writers, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, are practicing minimalism as a lifestyle, sloughing off all the exorbitant material in life so that only the meaningful components remain. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The turnover to a new Mayan calendar won’t result in the end of the world Dec. 21, but reading that Vince Vaughn and Glenn Beck are teaming up to search for America’s next great documentary filmmaker makes us wish it would. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
A new dead-tree-only black-metal zine, plus debuts from Scoundrel and Moral Void
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
Chicago metal scribes Patrick Loy and Ed (he prefers to use just one name) just introduced Gossip Wolf to their zine, Black Metal of the Americas, and after reading their first few issues—the third dropped this month—we have a big heap of evil new music we’re eager to check out! The zine features metal-mag staples such as concert “reports,” album reviews, stark black-and-white nature photos, and informed interviews with serious vermin, including Virginia’s WRNLRD and San Francisco’s Otrebor, who plays “eco-terrorist” black metal on drums and hammer dulcimer as the Botanist.…
We bought a solid 25 percent of our holiday gifts last year from Ms. Mint’s Holiday Market. This year’s market, Dec. 4 at Goose Island Clybourn, will feature 25 vendors, three authors, and the ability to make your own customized gift baskets. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The live debut of furry supergroup Ratso & the Rabbits, plus new albums from Shiloh and Dark Fog
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
A year and a half ago, Gossip Wolf reported that Chic-a-Go-Go puppet cohost Ratso—often seen in the company of Roctober magazine’s Jake Austen—was starting a garage band called Ratso & the Rabbits with clothing-optional punk Nobunny and Milwaukee drum freak the Rhythm Chicken, both of whom wear rabbit masks. They’re making their long-awaited debut on Fri 11/30 at the Roctober 20th-anniversary party at Bottom Lounge.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago holds its annual student art sale this weekend. The sale kicks off with a special preview gala tonight. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Of her many talents, crying is one of Claire Danes’s best. Slackstory has taken as many of her “cryingface” scenes as they could find and put them all into a single supercut, just for you.
[ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
There is a certain way in which Sharon Van Etten has always been powerful. Her grace and elegance were never an issue in making her songs great and her live performance memorable. At the same time, it seems each visit to Chicago, her fans see a woman that is slowly transforming into someone who is stronger and who makes the songwriting seem less like simple poems and more like challenges to the psyche. We’re seeing her take control and possess more of her songs both instrument wise and lyrically even though she’s now playing with a band behind her. In other words, it still seems like it’s coming from Sharon Van Etten and even in her most cool and collected moments where she’s joking around, there’s a sense that she feels good taking herself seriously because that’s exactly what her songs deserve.
Along with this sense of self assurance comes the ability to make certain risks, which also enhances the stage presence. In previous tours when she merely had her debut album 2009′s Because I Was In Love, her live sets were kept straight forward. They were still ones to treasure but they were also more predictable in the sense that she kept to playing the songs as they appeared on album vs. changing them in any way. Van Etten is now able to wait for the mood to develop on songs like “Serpents” for example and in that space we appreciate the song more for it’s own sense of complexity. She’s rocking out increasingly more than ever too but she never seems like she’s having fun until between the songs. Instead, she seems content, nay devoted, to taking each song to its next level during the playing of it. Her sense of concentration and poise is admirable but it’s also very intriguing to watch because one feels how much she’s invested in each chord progression and word that she sings. One couldn’t be too sure where the songs were headed during the live set but it was enjoyable where she took them.
It would be remiss not to mention the band’s stellar playing throughout, however. Van Etten herself played guitar and Omnichord with three total back up band members on Harmonium, Bass, Drums, and Keyboards. There was a nice sense of them all getting along, knowing each other’s sense of timing, and even harmonizing vocally at times. The cinematic visuals of buildings, snow, trees, and other scenes of nature also helped the band seem increasingly picturesque, at times like enchanted woodland dwellers, throughout their 80 min. long set.
In addition, one can’t really speak of Sharon Van Etten without mentioning her sense of humor, which was still quite evident in between songs. Early on, she expressed some happiness and acknowledgement of the excitement in Chicago over Obama’s victory and (though most of the audience cheered) when one person yelled “F-(swear word) Politics!” the band pretended the person had yelled “Proctologist!” and started talking about seeing a Proctologist before introducing their next song, “Give Out,” which increased the hilarity of the moment. She also talked about living with her parents for a year and was really honest about the journey she’s taken in her life. When someone in the audience quipped, “I bet you saved money!,” Sharon Van Etten responded “Yes, and they saved my life.”
Not only did she show appreciation for her family but for her friends in New Jersey who spent time with her when she was writing some of her early songs in a basement and there was definitely a sentimental side that showed itself as it often did in earlier tours. It was funny to hear another devoted fan up front who was possibly seeing Sharon Van Etten for the first time emphatically exclaim “You’re really good! This set was great!” but she was probably echoing the mood and sentiment of many. We’ve all found something that can last. It’s Sharon.
Chicago Filmmakers Society, CHIRP Radio and Cinema Culture put together more than 40 international music videos, highlighting work that pushes the boundaries of form and the medium. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
“Diverse Voices in Docs” is a six-month mentorship and development program by Kartemquin and the Community Film Workshop of Chicago where emerging filmmakers of color will network, share their experiences and learn the skills necessary to bring their documentary films to life. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
If it is every music critic’s dream to play music half as good as what they want to hear in their head when they critique, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs have it made. The former writers have headed up the instrumentation behind Saint Etienne for over twenty years. The London-based electronic pop group’s sugary tunes combined with the sultry vocals of Sarah Cracknell have been a winning combination. Stepping onto the stage at Lincoln Hall last night, it was immediately clear who the star is. Stanley and Wiggs were obstructed by their mountains of gear. Backup singer Debsey Wykes blended into the backdrop in a dark dress. And Cracknell… well, she shined out front in a white glittery dress and feather boa.
On their latest album, Words And Music By Saint Etienne, from which they drew a third of the set list, the trio’s written what amounts to a love letter to music. “Popular” references numerous charting singles (and video projections showed images of popular groups from the late 1970s). “Tonight” is about the joy of seeing a great band live. “Haunted Jukebox” and “When I Was Seventeen” are bittersweet looks back on music’s impact when you’re young. Despite these songs going over well, especially “Haunted Jukebox”, the band was practically apologizing for playing new tunes instead of pulling more from their history.
But there should have been no complaints since they played older songs early and often. All night long Stanley and Wiggs switched things up just enough to not be stale, compared to album versions that everyone’s heard a lot. “Burnt Out Car” and “A Good Thing” pushed the crowd into dancing more, especially with the encouragement of Cracknell seductively shimmying with her boa. Singalongs for “Sylvie” and “He’s on the Phone” (the latter closing out the night after Cracknell polled the crowd for song selection in the encore) were a big hit, as were early singles “Spring” and “Like a Motorway.” The only drawback was the band changing the setlist a little, moving “You’re in a Bad Way” earlier than usual, and throwing off front-of-house personnel who took a while to set the cue. But it was barely a blip in otherwise a fun evening encapsulating 20+ years of Saint Etienne.
If you think Hurricane Sandy is screwing with the weather here, see the snow falling in West Virginia. Like the surfers here, Man’s Best Friend is looking at the snowfall positively. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
It was definitely a dark and stormy Thursday night but though it may have been hailing outside, Logan Square Auditorium seemed rather warn and welcoming in comparison, especially because they were playing The Kinks as the house music before the bands (that always helps the mood.)
Fitting more with the weather, Cold Cave opened up with some dark songs that are too edgy and gothy to be pop but are also too catchy to really be true goth. The five piece played for about 45 minutes and made it easy to dance in the dark while they warmed up the audience.
And, though Cold Cave seemed to have a few things going for them, their performance paled in comparison to the Divine Fits supergroup. Even the mix was better for Divine Fits, with the vocals way more prominent than the previous band’s more washed out seeming/less distinctive lyrical delivery. It’s also quite a different sort of thing to see a band with such accomplished members as those that include Britt Daniel of Spoon combined with Dan Boeckner of Handsome Furs and Wolf Parade and see them live up to the sum of their parts.
What seemed really evident was the way in which Daniel and Boeckner alternated so well showcasing their unique talents between pedal effects, hook heavy rhythms, and energetic singing. The stage presence was both dynamic and balanced with the 60+ minute performance proving a memorable win. The drumming and keyboard playing were a great support but it was Daniel and Boeckner who really shone. Boeckner also continued to modestly thank everyone for coming to the show, which came off quite endearing. And, if our hearts weren’t broken enough by the fact that these two talented handsome men would inevitably be leaving our city soon, they threw in a Tom Petty cover of “You Got Lucky” just to really seal the deal.
It should also be mentioned, in terms of a performance, that despite a few technical difficulties Britt Daniel had from time to time with broken guitar strings, etc, he kept the flow going exceptionally well and seemed to be overall enjoying his time with Boeckner more than this writer/photographer has ever seen him enjoy any of his own Spoon shows over the past 8 years. His showmanship wasn’t lost but in addition, he seemed so incredibly comfortable, as if this was truly fun and all that other music was much more work for him. It just proves that when you work with people you really like and respect, you tend to enjoy that work more and thrive creatively. Divine Fits so far only have one album (A Thing Called Divine Fits) but hopefully they will have more to give the world in future days.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Researchers from the University of Rochester’s Baby Lab wanted to see if impulsive behavior in young children was influenced by the reliability of the environment they were in. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Chicago online radio station CHIRP is focused on the power that independent music has to transform our lives. CHIRP fills the airwaves with music selections crafted by local DJs and advocates for an emphasis on more underground music, highly local-focused, and frequently undiscovered. Discovering new music can occur through the airwaves or in the record store; If you’re an avid record collector, there’s no better feeling than locating that one record you’ve been searching for, and the first time you place the needle on the edge of the album, hearing that crisp sound emanate from the speakers.
So what happens when you merge the sponsorship of Chicago online radio darling CHIRP with the pursuit of discovering your favorite new records, and locating old favorites? At what event can you spend hours sifting through records at a discounted fee, like a thrifty treasure hunt dotted across our city? That would be the 2nd Annual CHIRP Record Crawl, happening this Saturday — a magical day devoted to scouring boundless record shelves, searching for that prized album to complement your collection at six notable Chicago record stores.
Start your day at one of two locales, where you’ll pick up your Record Crawler badge. Badges can be picked up at Le Café or Atomix, depending on where you’d like to begin the route. Not only will these six record store locations offer you a plethora of recorded gems, but you’ll also gain access to CHIRP Record Crawler-only discounts. The Crawl will be held for seven hours, with specified hour-long time slots for each record store and a break for lunch, giving you plenty of time to browse through the extensive collective record ensemble afforded to you.
Wondering how to participate? Simply email RSVP@chirpradio.org by 6pm on Friday, Oct. 19 in order to gain a much-coveted spot, as spaces are limited. See below for the day’s schedule, in two versions depending on where you choose to begin the journey, with both routes crossing paths at a BYOB gathering at saki. If you’re a record-collecting, vinyl-loving, turntable-spinning music fan, this is one event you’re not going to want to skip.
South to North Route:
10-11am – Badge check-in at Atomix
11am-noon – Permanent Records
noon-1pm – Reckless on Milwaukee
1-2pm – Logan Hardware
2-4pm – Travel time and lunch
4-5pm – Dave’s Records
5-6pm – Laurie’s Planet of Sound
Last year I flipped for Chad Valley‘s Equatorial Ultravox EP. Its dreamy Balearic pop was fresh, crisp and ethereal yet also made for dancing. Now Hugo Manuel is returning with a full-length under the Chad Valley moniker. Young Hunger builds on Equatorial Ultravox by flooding ears with synths, complex beats and a slew of layered vocals. And it doesn’t hurt to have similarly-minded guests like Active Child, Glasser, El Perro del Mar and Twin Shadow scattered through the album. (The latter’s “I Owe You This” is especially delightful.) On stage, Manuel’s voice shines. It’s easy to hear how someone would think there’s some studio trickery/manipulation going on, but his voice carries as smoothly in person as on the record.
Chad Valley headlines Schubas on Saturday, the 20th. Chicago’s Mister Lies opens at 10PM. The show is 21+ and $10. Schubas is at the corner of Belmont & Southport.
For years, it’s sounded as though experimental, prog-rock Pennsylvanians Circa Survive have been searching for something. Anxious guitar melodies slice through songs like a machete cutting into a forested unknown. Anthony Green’s vocals call to mind feelings of discontent, wonder and uneasiness and the band’s rhythms possess the endurance and strength that has carried their career through a eight year journey. So it’s no surprise their newest album Violent Waves‘ cover art features a caricature-sized ship sailing across a cloudy and ominous globe surrounded by the depths of space.
It’s still not clear if Circa Survive has found what they’re looking for but with the release of Violent Waves it’s clear they’ve reached creative transcendence in the most literal sense. Tired of the music industry rat race, the band cut the chord on record label or producer ties with this new album, recording, producing and releasing the it all on their own (and with a tempting $5 price tag).
Even with a long history of success behind them, a bit of their frustration with the industry and life itself comes off on Violent Waves. Sounds crash down with more intensity that on albums past and singer Anthony Green has traded a mellow yet driven tone for one with more sarcasm and bitterness. While this might not be the group’s most solid effort to date, this records sees the five piece trying more new things than ever. Jaunty tunes with an acoustic core like “Phantasmagoria” proceed slightly jazzy electric tracks as found on “Think of Me When They Sound.”
What Circa Surive might be best known for is their ability to bring their complex songs to life, doing them justice in a live setting. They’ll be doing just that this Saturday, Oct. 20, at The Vic Theater. Tickets to this show are sold out but those who managed to pick one up in time are in for a true treat. The show begins at 7 p.m.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Though you can’t deny the baroque-pop craftsmanship of earlier efforts — full of elaborate and often gorgeous sonic constructions that some compared to Van Dyke Parks and others to a campfire Radiohead — Grizzly Bear sometimes was undone by its own precious cleverness and hipster emotional detachment on its first three records, including the 2009 breakthrough Veckatimest. Yet you ventured that opinion at considerable risk of poking the bear’s beyond-devoted fans — just check out the rabid snarl of the comments on my two-star review of that album.
The super-fans have been out to maul again when any critic has suggested that part of the success of album number four, a laborious three years in the making, is the select injection of a little Coldplay here and there, most notably on “Yet Again” and “A Simple Answer.” But that’s just snobbishness. Boston-to-Brooklyn transplant Edward Droste and his three bandmates always needed a well-placed hint of arena-rock stomp and grandeur to balance the more fragile, claustrophobic and prissy passages — a little pop to balance the prog, if you will — and Shields benefits from it the way the right Super 8 film would if instead it was shot for Imax.
Grizzly Bear has hardly abandoned its fascination with melancholy moods and complex, sometimes serpentine sound structures, and Droste’s plaintive voice still reminds me of Jeff Buckley at his most slippery. But the more straightforward drive of the best songs here (with much of the credit going to drummer Chris Bear for his wide dynamic range and broad percussive palette), the slightly more accessible lyrical musings of Droste and fellow songwriter Dan Rossen (they’ve said they collaborated more on this album, shooting to be more immediate or—their word—“sloppy”) and that aforementioned embrace of a more expansive, more rocking approach all are for the best.
The band doesn’t always succeed; “What’s Wrong” and the closing “Sun in Your Eyes” are abject failures, so Byzantine they’re just coldly alienating. Yet when the band does connect, as on the aforementioned "Yet Again" and “A Simple Answer” or the even more hard-hitting “Speak in Rounds” and the buoyant “Gun-Shy,” it never has sounded better.
Caroline Davis, a spectacular saxophonist 20 years in the making
by Peter Margasak
Caroline Davis had been a saxophonist for nearly 20 years before she decided to focus her energies on playing jazz full-time. For more than a decade Davis, 31, was an academic first and foremost, but after earning her PhD from Northwestern University in 2010, she began cultivating her talent in earnest—and it’s blossomed spectacularly.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Throughout White Rabbits‘ career, their detractors have often said, “If I wanted to hear that sound, I’d just listen to Spoon.” On their latest album, Milk Famous, the Brooklyn band seems sick of the comparisons. They veer in a different direction. The punchy indie-rock that they’ve lived on is still present, but it’s not overwhelming. Songs like “Hold It to the Fire” and “Heavy Metal” dial things down a notch yet are still complex and satisfying. On the other side of the coin is “Temporary” that’s dominated by its quick pace and sudden changes. Where White Rabbits’ strength lies, though, is in their performances. The six-man band has a frenetic nature as each member moves from instrument to instrument, sometimes even mid-song. It’s almost like each person in the band is saying to themselves “I have one chance to play [instrument] tonight; I might as well make it good.” And more often than not, they certainly do. Gapers Block is giving a pair of tickets to see White Rabbits on Wednesday, the 17th. Write to contests@gapersblock.com with “Milk Famous” in the subject line for a chance to win.
White Rabbits headlines Lincoln Hall on Wednesday, the 17th. Chicago’s Save the Clocktower, whose new Through the Glass album is a really fun listen, opens the show. It’s $15, 21+ and starts at 9PM. Lincoln Hall’s at 2424 N Lincoln.
Keith Rowe plays guitar. He plays it on its back, on a table, using piles of raw materials (springs, bows, coins, credit cards, steel wool, wood strips) to resonate the strings. In 2012, this is hardly uncommon, but in 1966, when Cronos-like Ur-free improv group AMM recorded their debut, it was like saying you eat your dinner with a windshield wiper. Rowe’s relentless push to the edges of abstract sound and telepathic improvisation (as well as that of his former AMM colleagues Eddie Prevost, Cornelius Cardew, and others) built a cottage industry of abstract improvisers who are serious, humorless, and often proprietary in their explorations. Not so Rowe…at a solo performance hosted by Lampo in 2001, he ended his set — 45 minutes of enveloping, genuinely alien atmospheres — he asked the crowed with a big grin whether anyone else wanted to “have a go” at playing his rig for a while. No one stepped up — attempting our own rendition would have been like taking Yo Yo Ma’s still-warm-from-use cello out of his hand and farting “Happy Birthday” into the resonators. (His selective use of shortwave radio during long, serious improvisations also helps to incorporate the outside world into an inherently isolationist art form.)
Following a second solo performance at Lampo in 2005, Rowe returns this Saturday with another Lampo performance, performing a composition titled “City Music,” written for him by Chicago composer Frank Abbinanti. The performance takes place at the Renaissance Society in Hyde Park (5811 S. Ellis Ave, Cobb Hall 418). Admission is FREE, no RSVP required, and the performance begins at 8:00.
Here is an excellent clip that not only allows Rowe to show of hiss techniques, but also lets him speak about the genesis of his style.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The CSO musicians’ strike is over, the Cubs lost 101 games, and this
column celebrates its 1-year anniversary — how to celebrate? Go hear some music.
Chicago Chamber Musicians
In the city’s only major celebration of the 150th anniversary of Claude Debussy’s birth, Chicago Chamber Musicians will present a multi-concert, multi-venue festival devoted to this master of Impressionism. Among some of the rarely performed works are favorites that include sonatas for cello and violin, the piano trio, as well as the shimmering Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and Suite Bergamasque for solo piano (the famous “Clair de Lune” is a thing of austere beauty). Check the website for ticket info–some admission is free. Begins October 1, runs through October 21. Multiple venues.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Music lovers were still whistling Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” melody 30 years after its premier when Brahms sat down to compose his first symphony in 1854. Wracked by self-doubt and public expectations that Brahms would carry Beethoven’s musical torch, Brahms labored over his score for 21 years before its premiere. The work is unusually dark for a first symphony, adopting the tone of his hero, but full of the Romantic melodies that characterize Brahms’ style (he would later become a spokesperson for arts education). The program also includes the Double Concerto for violin, cello, and orchestra featuring Renaud and Gautier Capuçon. Audience and orchestra favorite, Bernard Haitink, returns to conduct. Tickets start at $34. October 18-20, 8pm. Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago.
Third Coast Percussion
No other group is quite like Third Coast Percussion, and Chicago is lucky to have this quartet of mallet swinging, drum pounding musicians. Aside from being top quality musicians, the members of Third Coast tour the country with their array of traditional and found instruments, perform in the rain in Millennium Park, and are active in community arts education projects in Chicago. Third Coast will perform the music of composer and visual artist Marita Bolles at North Branch Projects, a communal arts and bookbinding space. Saturday, October 20, 7pm. North Branch Projects, 3550 W. Lawrence, Chicago.
Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante
One of Europe’s finest early music ensembles comes to University of Chicago’s new — and much needed — Performance Hall for a program of Baroque music from Italy, France, and Spain. Performing on Baroque instruments, Europa Galante‘s style derives much from its enthusiastic leader, violinist Fabio Biondi, delivering energetic and graceful performances. If you love Baroque music, you’ll love this concert; if you don’t love Baroque music, this concert might change your mind. Tickets are $25, $5 for students. Tuesday, October 30, 7:30pm. Performance Hall, Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St., Chicago.
~*~
Programs, artists, and prices subject to change. Tickets subject to availability.
Hear a great concert recently? Have a tip on an upcoming show? Talk about it in the comments.
About the author: Elliot Mandel plays cello, attends lots of concerts, writes reviews, takes pictures, and loves October baseball.
As part of our Fall 2012 Getaway Planning Guide with American Express, we’ve created some suggestions for your long weekend in NYC with an eye on the can’t-miss sights, bites, and events of the season—many of which are available with special discounts and promotions through American Express—ensuring you make the most of your time in the Big Apple.
The Empire Hotel
WHERE TO STAY:
This fall, American Express is offering a wide array of travel deals at some of New York City’s most popular hotels.
There’s a plethora of excellent hotels in the city that range in budget and location. Your best bet is to zero in on the neighborhood you think you’ll spend the most time in, and choose your favorite option there! For instance, if you’re interested in checking out Williamsburg, the Wythe Hotel might be up your alley.
WHAT TO DO:
Fall is a time of year in the city that woos even those who live in NYC full-time—”During the month of October, closer to the second or third week, you’ll start to see the colors change in Central Park,” says Lewis, “which is truly breathtaking.” Everywhere you’ll want to go in the city is accessible by the subway system, and you can purchase an unlimited pass that will last the long weekend for just $30.
Discovering Columbus (Sam Horine)
After you walk around some of Central Park’s 800-plus acres, check out the new public art exhibit just at the southwestern entrance: Discovering Columbus, which re-imagines a statue of Christopher Columbus that rises 75 feet above a busy roundabout as Columbus standing in a fully-furnished living room. Visitors, who can reserve tickets at the Public Art Fund site, can climb up six flights of stairs and see Columbus in his digs.
NYC is also constantly playing host to big festivals, and there are two big ones in October: The NYC Wine and Food Festival, which draws world-class chefs for special dinners, talks, and presentations, and the CMJ Music Marathon in mid-October, a festival celebrating emerging musicians, that takes over the city’s coolest venues.
The Brooklyn Flea is a destination for scavengers looking for antiques and great buys as well as those looking for delicious food with its Smorgasburg offshoot. There are various locations in Brooklyn (DUMBO, Fort Greene, Williamsburg). And if you’re in DUMBO, take a spin on Jane’s Carousel, a completely restored carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park, in a dazzling glass building designed by Jean Nouvel—it’s a stunning view of lower Manhattan from there.
Beginning on October 24, the Museum of Modern Art will be exhibiting a pastel drawing of Edvard Munch’s The Scream for six months. The other three versions are in Norwegian museums, and this one—recently bought at auction for $120 million—will be a chance to see the groundbreaking work.
A holiday window (Sam Horine)
In mid-November, the New York Botanical Garden’s wonderful Holiday Train Show goes on display—trains travel through the conservatory on twig bridges replicated New York crossings like the Brooklyn Bridge and past buildings and landmarks (Grand Central Terminal, the Statue of Liberty) built from bark and leaves.
“Nothing is more fantastic than the holiday displays along Fifth Avenue in the department stores which tend to pop up around mid-November,” adds Lewis. “Taking a stroll past Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Saks is always a remarkable experience. Stop by Rockefeller Center and watch the workers prepare to set up the Christmas tree, and people ice skating in the park.” Other standout holiday windows are at Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, and Bloomingdales.
Pork Slope
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK:
Perhaps you’ve heard a little something about this, but Brooklyn is in the midst of a Renaissance, and that certainly includes the culinary scenes. Our top picks for recently opened Brooklyn restaurants are Dale Talde’s Brooklyn-style roadhouse bar Pork Slope in the Park Slope neighborhood (which serves a sandwich called the porky melt, a shrimp po’ boy and other tasty items), Reynard in the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, which is the neighborhood’s culinary leader’s most sophisticated project yet. (Tip: Take the elevators to the rooftop bar for cocktails and sweeping, unobstructed views of Manhattan.)
You’ll also find Joe Carroll’s Baltimore-inpsired fish shack, Lake Trout, a little deeper into Williamsburg, featuring unfussy but delicious fried fish sandwiches. Pok Pok NY, which originated in Portland, now has a new spot along the waterfront in Brooklyn, and serves inventive Thai food such as charcoal rotisserie hen and Chiang Mai sausage.
Ginny’s Supper Club (Katie Sokoler)
When in Manhattan, we recommend stopping by the newest venture from the owners of popular Lower East Side restaurant Fat Radish, Leadbelly, for artisanal cocktails, oysters, and their delicious Moroccan nut spread served with warm pita bread. Uptown, in Harlem, Marcus Samuelsson is leading the Harlem revival with his take on soul food at Red Rooster (there’s also a Sunday brunch) and its sultry downstairs lounge, Ginny’s Supper Club.
If you’re looking to splurge at one of the city’s finer Michelin Star earning established, consider the fall prix-fixe menu at chef Paul Liebrandt’s Corton in TriBeCa, which is less costly than their regular menu but just as impressive. For the best—and probably most expensive chicken—in town, head to NoMad. The foie gras and truffle-stuffed chicken is $79 (there’s also a $26 sandwich version at lunch) and the elegants quarters also feature a gorgeous library bar. If you’re looking for a burger, there’s the seemingly ubiquitous Shake Shack, with locations around the city. Another burger option is the Burger Joint, a hidden gem located inside Le Parker Meridien.
If you’re looking to brunch (and who isn’t?) make a reservation at Norma’s (also at Le Parker Meridien), any of the Sarabeth’s locations in the city, an always-busy standby, or brave the line at Clinton Street Baking Company on the Lower East Side.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The 2012 MacArthur Foundation Fellows were announced Monday. Recipients include a Northwestern University history professor and the founder of International Contemporary Ensemble. [ more › ]
The metal veterans in Doomsday drop their first record together in November, Dead Already releases a milestone comp, and Joan of Arc taps Dmitry Samarov for album art
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
Crusty local metal five-piece Doomsday includes (count ‘em!) four former members of Blake Judd’s revolving-door black-metal outfit Nachtmystium: guitarist and vocalist Jon “Necromancer” Woodring (cofounder of Usurper in 1993 and currently bassist for death-metal trio Bones), guitarist Jeff Wilson, drummer Zack Simmons, and vocalist Zion Meagher.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
This map, courtesy of the Big Map Blog, shows Illinois as “The Sucker State.” Curiously, the nickname has nothing to do with our penchant to elect governors who find their way to prison. [ more › ]
Tilly And The Wall have been pretty quiet since their last album was released four years ago. Those were heady times, huh? The notion that it was OK to dance had infiltrated the indie community, and the airwaves were full of energetic bands looking to carve out a spot under the disco ball. Oh wait, that was ten years ago. Or last month. So we guess not much has changed. Which is fitting because neither has Tilly And The Wall. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
WZRD 88.3 FM, Northeastern Illinois University’s non-commercial, freeform student radio station known for playing an eclectic array of musical genres, was suspended from the airwaves this summer and replaced with an automated playlist.
On June 29, student DJs, known as the “Wizards,” were called into a meeting on short notice by the Office of Student Leadership Development. Its former director, Sharron Evans, distributed a memo stating they were thereby banned from the WZRD office, canceling their scheduled radio shows, until further notice.
“We were handed a list of incredulous accusations,” Jonathan Extract, a NEIU student and WZRD DJ, said.
According to Extract, Evans accused the station as a whole of misplacing important documents, misappropriation of $200, and “a lack of advancement of the station.” He says that the two latter accusations have already been cleared up with the Federal Communications Committee (FCC).
Since NEIU is the legal owner of WZRD, they have the right to temporarily take the station’s regular broadcasting off the air for whatever reasons they see fit. But the university is remaining fairly tight-lipped about the lockout.
NEIU spokesperson Dana Navarro says that the university is currently “working with two committees to assure the long-term success of WZRD and the student organization that operates it.”
One of the committees, composed of members of the Student Government Association, is currently reviewing WZRD “for potential violations to its bylaws and charter.” Various members of the NEIU community make up the second committee, which is determining possible solutions for the future of the station.
The administration hopes that both committees will conclude their review during the 2012 fall semester in order to reinstate WZRD radio as soon as possible.
Extract speculates that the university is planning to “reformat and repurpose the station.” He says the student government and administration at NEIU have circulated multiple polls to the student body asking which specific genres they would like to hear on the student-run station. According to him, none of these surveys included the option of continuing the freeform radio format.
In the meantime, the exiled Wizards have been lobbying a petition to bring back true WZRD radio. They also produced a newspaper to spread the word of their plight across NEIU’s campus, and the city at large.
In an effort to keep the spirit of WZRD radio alive, they have been airing their programming on other stations. Every Sunday night at 6:30pm, the Wizards hold a slot on WNUR 89.3 FM, Northwestern University’s radio station.
This is not the first time WZRD has been suspended from the airwaves since its inception in 1974.
In 2005, NEIU’s student radio station was temporarily shut down due to an expired license. The university was fined and the Wizards were forced to stop broadcasting until the issue was resolved with the FCC.
The most recent conflict leads the Wizards to believe a similar situation could occur. The station’s license, which requires a four-month period for renewal, is set to expire in December.
According to Navarro, the university has already completed the FCC application for the license’s renewal.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Rapper Common says he wants to arrange a peace summit with teen rapper Chief Keef “to help change the climate of violence in Chicago.” That seems like a good idea, as tensions between the two camps continue. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Most critics and worshipful fans (which usually are one and the same) take ol’ Bobby Zimmerman way too seriously.Yeah, sure, of course: At age 71, marking his 50th year as a recording artist and with 35 studio albums to his credit, the man from Minnesota is a living legend and a bona fide Amer
Fortunately for the postal carrier on this route, the feline of the house seems more interested in receiving the junk mail than in protecting his home from invading mail men. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Tortoise’s Jeff Parker on Billy Eckstine and engineer Ken Brown on MarioBataliVoice.blogspot.com
by Peter Margasak
Peter Margasak, Reader music critic, is obsessed with . . . Huong Thanh, L’Arbre aux Rêves (Buda) Huong Thanh gained international attention through a series of cross-genre collaborations with jazz guitarist Nguyên Lê, setting traditional melodies of her Vietnamese homeland to slick, thoroughly modern arrangements.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Bill Cosby has had it with you kids today. He’s going to show you all how it’s done, man. Back in his day, people listened to good music, and people knew how to dance.
[ more › ]
Ira Glass proved to be as self-effacing, likeable and self-effacing at the Music Box this weekend as his “Sleepwalk with Me” partner Mike Birbiglia was in the film. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
John Kass today directed his contrarian ire toward the old Prentice Hospital building. Vacant since 2007, the fate of architect Bertrand Goldberg’s only hospital designed for his hometown will be a test for City Hall. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
On this date in 1990, a tornado tore through the Chicago suburbs, killing 29 people, injuring 353 people and causing $165 million in damage. [ more › ]
George Clinton, Nona Hendryx, the Chosen Few DJs, and more at the African Festival of the Arts
by Luca Cimarusti
Now in its 23rd year, The African Festival of the Arts has grown to become Chicago’s largest neighborhood festival. Held in Washington Park, it honors the African diaspora with four days of attractions from several continents—arts, crafts, dancing, food, music, and more.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Continuing with our effort to catch up on noteworthy releases from recent weeks, we have two strong dispatches from alien lands—one from a singer and songwriter’s dark night of the soul, the other from a band dedicated to putting a Brooklyn spin on the sounds of Nigeria.Passion Pit debut
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran talks to Mia Park of Chic-a-Go-Go
Duran Duran was rooted in the British New Romantic movement, which was defined as much by foppish wardrobes as by music. But despite the band’s synthesizer-heavy studio sheen and pastel-drenched look, early smashes like “Rio” and “Hungry Like the Wolf” were big, riffy rock songs with hooks as broad and muscular as anything by the uber-butch hard-rock bands they were eclipsing.…
Chicago is losing another music venue since it’s come to light Ukrainian Village club Darkroom is closing it’s doors September 1. According to a source of ours, there will be new owners but it’s unclear what their plans for the space will be. In our personal experience the club served an important role in helping local bands hone their skills and taking a risk on inviting lesser known touring groups onto their stage. Competition in Chicago is fierce though and the room’s size made it difficult to fill considering most major acts that would play a comparable space would get snapped up by other venues. And recent hotspots like the musc room at The Burlington and the opening of Township only made the fight for talent even more difficult. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Black dove deep into his anger and frustration at government, society, culture, and even his audience. The rage Lewis exhibits in his Daily Show rants has become his stock in trade at this point and he wallows in it like a pig in slop without letting it fully consume him. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
When he’s not rubbing elbows on the Brown Line, Mayor Rahm Emanuel likes to get out. Or so one would gather from this Daily Beast article that bears his byline. [ more › ]
Although cute pet videos are the currency of the internet, periodically a small child will capture our attention. Or in this case, a toddler will march right into our hearts. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
If a person camped out at the Empty Bottle for seven nights straight, they’d almost be guaranteed to see seven shows that shared nothing but the same small, corner stage. It’s a venue known for its eclectic taste and a bent toward the fiercely independent, and yet on Saturday it will open its doors for an event that will be somewhat of an outlier to its already fantastically peppered scatter-plot and will make Empty Bottle history.
It’s guaranteed to be one of the most unique shows of the weekend. Each artist gets a 30-minute time slot, and the music will range from a performance of work by experimental composer Iannis Xenkais by the Maverick Ensemble to Falzone’s meditative solo improvisation, Sighs Too Deep For Words. It’ll be a great chance to exercise your brain (and ears — prepare for dissonance!) before you exercise your booty when Windy City Soul Club invades the Bottle later that night.
A few important notes: If you’re going, go early. Thirsty Ear performers will be playing Ben Vida’s “Liminal Bends” from various corners of the venue before the show begins, starting at 4:15pm Also: consider biking. Not only is Tom Skilling predicting beautiful weather, but in partnership with the Active Transportation Alliance, if you prove to the doorman you biked (show him your helmet or other paraphernalia), he’ll let you in for $5 instead of $10.
The Thirsty Ear Festival will take place at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., on Saturday, August 11, at 5 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m. Admission is $10, $5 with proof of bike.
About the author: Timothy A. Schuler is a writer, editor, and essayist. He’s written about Congolese trance music, homelessness in Hawaii, idea culture, and everything in between. More of his work is online at timothyschuler.com.
Last year’s full-length debut from Chicago band Save The Clocktower, Carousel, melded an impressive amount of indie-rock sub-genres into a cohesive whole. The band celebrates the belated release of synth-driven sophomore effort Through The Glass Friday at the Double Door. [ more › ]
Lil Mouse is a 13-year-old rapper from the Wild 100s. He’s already recorded several videos, the first when he was still 12. His latest track, “Get Smoked,” has attracted attention for its glorification of popping pills, selling drugs, having sex, shooting people and other activities not usually associated with barely teenaged kids.
“This warrants an investigation,” said Che “Rhymefest” Smith, a Chicago rapper who ran a spirited but unsuccessful campaign for alderman in the 20th Ward. “This has clearly crossed over into child pornography when you have a 13-year-old child rapping about sex and about violence and drug selling. They are probably already under investigation.”
Whether it’s child pornography or not is debatable (there are no explicit acts performed in the video, only allusions to sex), but it is rather disconcerting seeing a kid whose voice hasn’t changed yet rapping about these topics. Kris Kross this is not. However, is it really all that surprising when one of the biggest sensations in Chicago hip hop is Chief Keef, who raps about the same material at 16? Surely Keith Cozart was coming up with his rhymes three years ago — he just didn’t have the media attention yet. Now that it’s here for Chief Keef and his crew, it makes sense that some of the younger members of the scene would get noticed, too.
Mitchell blames the trend on record labels “exploiting the violence,” but as far as I can determine Lil Mouse is not yet signed — and the whole scene has grown up and made it big not through label promotion but through artists self-releasing videos on YouTube.
Smith is trying to turn the tide with “The Pledge Mixtape,” a collaboration with the Black Youth Project and Power of Purpose. The album, to be produced by Smith, is a 13-song compilation album of songs from various local hip hop artists “taking back their communal power through music.” I’m not sure how much a mixtape that specifically excludes songs with violent imagery will make a difference, but giving opportunities to more positive musicians can’t hurt. Investing in schools and extracurricular activities in the Wild 100s, Lawndale and other impoverished neighborhoods would help a lot more.
Meanwhile, the surest way for the pubescent rapper trend to come to an end (or, really, go back underground) is for another city’s hip hop scene to rise to prominence. This is Chicago’s minute, but the clock is ticking.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The legendary 2000 film antecedent of the current crop of teen-on-teen slaughter epics is smart, dark, twisted, violent, gory and hilarious, and became a cult classic without ever being officially distributed in the U.S. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
A few years back three graduates from the National Taiwan University of Arts produced this short animation of a little girl’s encounter with unfamiliar surroundings and her imagination. [ more › ]
On Friday, Experimental Sound Studio will host a benefit show for local drummer Frank Rosaly, a prolific local musician whose car, containing much of his equipment, was stolen last week. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Drummer Frank Rosaly gets robbed, Zath debuts on vinyl, and Gnarfest brings the punk to Lolla weekend
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
Ubiquitous improvising drummer Frank Rosaly has become the latest Chicago musician hit by thieves. Friday afternoon Rosaly, who lives in Ukrainian Village, went to find his car—a dark blue ’98 Honda Civic—only to discover it had been stolen.…
This video is a great example of what happens when you set smart-alecks loose with lots of footage of the Mayor of London, editing software and a bone to pick over the absurd spending and hassle of hosting the Olympics. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Like drudgy noise punk that could serve as a post-apocalyptic soundtrack? Catch Mayor Daley tonight at Reversible Eye when they perform their newest album Sand Bath. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
In an event so diverse I don’t know whether to post it in Transmission, A/C, or Book Club, SYGC performs Thursday at the Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western Ave.) along with Cloudbirds, and Angelina Lucero.
Their performances are part of Curbside Splendor Publishing’s event “Words & Music,” with readings by authors Joe Meno (writer of Hairstyles of the Damned, and Office Girl,) Patrick Somerville (The Cradle,The Bright River,) and Jac Jemc (My Only Wife.)
This event is free with RSVP on Facebook and will have a raffle to benefit Chicago Writers House. Music, writing, and philanthropy all in one event!
A Lady Gaga sighting at the Chicago Diner, plus new releases from Mayor Daley, the Odd Couple, and Airiel
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
Looks like Ms. Bad Romance wasn’t quite done with Chicago after her backstage cameo at Pitchfork. On Fri 7/20, midafternoon patrons at the Chicago Diner in Boystown were treated to a hot dish not usually on the menu—Lady Gaga!…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Get your dancing shoes on and head downtown tonight to the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park for the first night of SummerDance’s 16th season. [ more › ]
Not only will the audience get to hear the work of some very talented ladies with Women Who Open Doors, but it will be a night of sharing wisdom and experience. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Famespotting at Pitchfork, plus possibly temporary good-byes from Favorite Records and Mannequin Men
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
Spotted at last weekend’s Pitchfork Music Festival: On Friday Coco Gordon Moore (18-year-old daughter of Sonic Youth’s Gordon and Moore) stopped by the HoZac Records table to drop off a demo by her band, Big Nils. (This Wolf took a spin around their Bandcamp page, and it sounds like they have the HoZac aesthetic down cold!)…
Instead of taking quick a bus down to Union Park last weekend, the lineup at Forecastle Fest tempted us to drive the whole way down to Louisville. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The Shams Band is kind of like the Chicago alt-rock tradition squeezed into a joyful country-folk setting. On Monday night, the band kicked off their July residency at Schubas with Charleston, South Carolina’s Shovels & Rope and Chicago’s Jeremy David Miller. The headlining Shams mixed up their set with older tunes and new ones from the just-released Cold City.The hillbilly banjo romp “Travel By Sea,” on which Paul Gulyas turns his guitar into something more akin to a skronking Appalachian fiddle, started like a tune straight from the Bill Monroe songbook but ended more in the vein of hardcore.
In a different decade, “Breadwinner” could have been a raunchy Southside blues jam, while the pensive walk-down of “Cause You Can” and its last line (“this whole sad city full of fools, just waiting to be your man”) recalls the songwriting from Dylan’s Nashville period. The Shams know how to twist a good joke out of a country song — just like Gram Parsons did 40 years ago — but they also have a knack for heartfelt sing-alongs. The album’s title track has one line in particular that all Chicagoans should keep dear to their heart next winter: “You dream of California and I dream of Chicago.” Kind of says it all for this town.
Jeremy David Miller (photo by Davis Inman)
First up on Monday’s bill was Chicago’s Jeremy David Miller. “That’s a song, y’all,” he summed up succinctly after singing “All I Want To Do Is Dance” with his wife, Rebecca. Other songs, most of which can be found on the 2011 album, Lepus, are lovely high country fare such as “I Don’t Blame Him.” The Millers could just be Chicago’s answer to Johnny and June or Gil and Dave.
Shovels & Rope (photo by Davis Inman)
The feather in the Shams’ cap for these first of four Schubas dates was Shovels & Rope, the rootsy duo that seems to be traversing the country about once a month. Cary Ann Hearst’s voice was not in full force on Monday night, though something about a touch of laryngitis made her pipes even more primal, free, and fun. She took the reins on “Kemba’s Got The Cabbage Moth Blues,” “Gasoline,” and “Boxcar” before taking over drums for the Michael Trent-helmed “Keeper.”
Stay dialed for next Monday night, when Chicago’s Derek Nelson and Elephant Gun join the party.
Upcoming The Shams Band shows at Schubas:
7/16 with Derek Nelson & The Musicians and Elephant Gun
7/23 with Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes and Young Jesus
7/30 with Archie Powell & The Exports and Young Hines
Each Monday night show starts at 8pm. Tickets are $6. 21+ Schubas is located at 3159 N. Southport Ave.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
In 1980 brothers Dennis and Jimmy Flemion started the lo-fi art-rock duo called The Frogs out of their home city of Milwaukee. Dennis disappeared during a boating trip in Wisconsin on Saturday. [ more › ]
Chosen Few Picnic: Linda Clifford, Leroy Davis, Louie Vega, Chosen Few DJ’s (Wayne Williams, Alan King, Jesse Saunders, Tony Hatchett, Terry Hunter and Andre Hatchett) Kevin Hedge, Roy Davis, Jr., South of Roosevelt, Gary Wallace, Steve Price.
7:00am | Jackson Park at 63rd Street and Hayes
The Advent, Steven Tang, Frankie Vega, Merrick Brown
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Last year’s festival (which celebrated the early stars of film such as Louise Brooks, Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo, Marion Davies and Janet Gaynor) was one of the stronger festival lineups in recent memory. This year’s festival isn’t as top to bottom strong as last year, but still has some gems worth viewing. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Chief Keef shares the spoils with sis, City of Win launches a mix-tape series, and more
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
East-side drill-scene wunderkind, YouTube sensation, and brand-new Interscope signee Chief Keef is having the best summer of any 16-year-old in the history of the known universe. How do we know?…
Black Lips, Man or Astro-Man?, Derrick Carter, and more at this weekend’s West Fest
by Luca Cimarusti
West Town’s big-time summer shindig goes down Sat 7/7 and Sun 7/8 on Chicago between Damen and Wood, with an excellent main-stage music lineup booked by the Empty Bottle. Atlanta garage punks the Black Lips headline Saturday, after sets from outer-space surfers Man or Astro-Man?, Pet Lions, Stagnant Pools (see Soundboard), He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, and others.…
Beyond West Fest: the Chosen Few Reunion Weekend, the International Festival of Life, and more
by Luca Cimarusti
Chosen Few Reunion Weekend What started in 1990 as a small picnic featuring a group of old friends from the early days of house music has grown into a four-day festival that includes a kickoff at the Shrine on Thu 7/5, a preparty at the Mid on Fri 7/6, an afterparty at L26 on Sat 7/7, and a sendoff show at the Shrine on Sun 7/8—and of course the picnic itself, which runs from 7 AM to 8 PM on Sat 7/7 in Jackson Park and is expected to draw roughly 20,000 people. Performers throughout the weekend include Al Ester, Linda Clifford, Wayne Williams, Louie Vega, Kevin Hedge, Leroy Burgess, and of course the Chosen Few DJs (Wayne Williams, Alan King, Jesse Saunders, Tony Hatchett, Terry Hunter, and Andre Hatchett).…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Get ready to shred some serious air! Air guitar is back in Chicago this Friday at the Metro. The Air Guitar Regional Competition will feature competitors from all over the Midwest, all vying for a spot at the US championship competition which will be held this year in Denver.
Tickets are available for the 9pm show at the Metro here. Doors open at 8pm.
Still not convinced you should go? Check out the interview with reigning US champion, Justin Howard — or as he is known in the air guitar world, Nordic Thunder — for some convincing reasons to head to the show.
Notes from the Master
What does air guitar mean to you?
Air guitar has given me a purpose in life and one in which I can talk about unapologetically. It’s not just the physical act of playing the air guitar, dressing up like a hairy Viking, or shedding blood on stage that I see as my life’s purpose. Instead, it is everything that surrounds the actual performance itself. Air guitar has allowed me to literally travel the world, learn words in foreign languages (although mostly dirty), make friends, tell stories, hear stories, make strangers laugh and really learn to wring as much joy out of life as I possibly can.
When I first started competing in air guitar I heard US Air Guitar co-commissioner Kriston Rucker say, “Air guitar is like a vessel. It’s up to you to decide what goes in it.” I thought that statement was a little heavy at the time, but as I prepare to enter my 7th year as a member of the air guitar community, I have taken away from it something very personal. I honestly believe everyone deserves to be happy in life. No matter what it might be, everyone deserves to find his or her “vessel” and it is their responsibility to then fill it with what makes him or her happy. I’m very lucky in that I have found mine and that it just so happens to be air guitar.
What have you learned this past year as US Air Guitar Champion?
This past year I have learned that being the greatest air guitarist in all of the United States is pretty awesome. I was on “Lopez Tonight,” traveled to Germany to perform for college professors and scientists, toured Finland for two weeks, even got to open for Hall and Oates and The Roots at a music festival in New York. I even got my own trading card! I’ve also learned that there is a power that comes with being the champ, and I’ve tried to take that power and do some good with it. Air guitar is about promoting world peace, and I have done my absolute best to do my part. I may not be moving mountains, but I promise I am trying my best. I do this by giving it my all to bring joy to others, and to try to share the love that I have for air guitar with strangers. There is something really incredible about sharing happiness with someone, and being able to see it on their face. Especially when that happiness is being delivered by an invisible guitar. I’ve gotten to play air guitar with large groups of children on a few occasions, and I was even a guest to a musical therapy class in Finland. This man and his wife use musical therapy to work with children who are mentally disabled. To be a guest in one of his sessions was absolutely amazing. It has been one of the absolute most amazing experiences I have ever had. I guess in short, it has been life changing being the US air guitar champ. It has honestly given me a new outlook on life.
What is the most common response you get when people find out you are the US Air Guitar Champ?
The most common response I get when someone finds out that I am the national air guitar champion is usually laughter. Then they say “are you serious?” It’s great though, because it has allowed me to really geek out and talk about air guitar and how powerful it is. It’s also great to talk about air guitar to people in the elevator at my job. Where I work is very professional, so when people ask me about my air guitar adventures and I see their faces light up I get really excited. It’s really awesome.
Go back seven years: What was your very first time on stage like?
Well, I am not the same person I was seven years ago. So that person who was on stage for the first time then is a totally different person now. The way I approach air guitar now is a lot different. I’ve learned a lot from competing, meeting and hanging with other air guitarists. However, that rush I got being on the stage the first time is the same rush I get now. I also get the same nerves and feel like I am going to puke before I begin a routine. Those feelings of anxiety/adrenaline/nerves have not changed one bit. That’s part of the fun though, because it is only in those moments I get those feelings. As weird as it sounds, it’s like a drug. You crave those intense emotions. I must say though, I never ever imagined in my wildest dreams that I’d be where I am now in my air guitar “career.” It’s pretty surreal to think about the opportunities that I’ve been given because of acting like a total idiot.
Can you describe to a first-time air guitar competition goer what they will see/feel at the Metro on Friday night?
A first time air guitar goer is in for a real treat. You’re going to see a comedy show, a rock concert, a weird interpretive dance routine and a fierce competition. You are going to see people who are not ashamed of who they are, and people who celebrate being “weird.” It’s an amazing thing to witness. You’re going to have your face hurt from laughing so much, and your throat sore from screaming. You just might even convince yourself to sign up when it comes back to town next year. I promise you will be entertained, and you will have one of the most fun nights of your life.
Any surprises up your sleeve for the show on Friday?
I don’t have any real surprises up my sleeves for Friday, but for the first time at the Metro I will be doing something I’ve never done. When competing I get 60 seconds to go balls to the wall. On Friday I’ve got 5 minutes. I’m performing one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time edited down track for track, in order, to a 5 minute neck breaking routine. If you want to know what album I’m doing, you’ll have to come to the show!
Do you have your eyes set on the World Championship this year?
My eyes are absolutely set on the World Championships this year! I’ve got a long road ahead of me though. There has never been a US Air Guitar champion to win back to back titles at the finals. So the deck is not stacked in my favor. However, I plan on going harder this year than I have ever gone before. I’ve got a new move I will be unleashing during my first round performance that has the potential to really screw up my back. I’ve tested it out in front of an audience in Finland back in April, and the response was good. My body will hate me for it, but the crowd will hopefully dig it. I really need to step up my game this year if I want to retain the title. Regardless of whether or not I win the US championship title again this year, I plan to fly to Finland in August for the world championships. They have a dark horse competition the night before the world finals. If I win that, I will be able to compete in the world finals with over 20 countries from around the world.
Why should every Chicagoan go to the show on Friday?
Every Chicagoan should come to the Metro on Friday to experience a really great time! I can go on and on about how awesome air guitar is and why you should see it… but in all honesty, you need to see it to believe it. You really do. So if someone is even the slightest bit curious about what the show might be like, they should come.
Any other words/thoughts for readers?
I’ve been the Chicago regional air guitar champion four times now. I must say, it’s been an incredibly fun run and I couldn’t be more honored to represent our fine city on the air guitar stage. I’ve met so many awesome Chicagoans playing air guitar and I’ve discovered that OUR city has the finest air guitar fans in the entire country. Without the people of Chicago who support air guitar and my long haired bearded dorky self, there wouldn’t be air guitar to watch in Chicago. So I would very much like to say thank you to every single person who’s come to an air guitar show, or who has cheered me on while I play my invisible instrument on stage. Friday night there will be a new champion in this city, and I hope you all are as good to him or her as you have been to me.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Supreme Cuts create the kind of beats that are making pop music sound like the underground
by Miles Raymer
When Mike Perry and Austin Keultjes, aka Supreme Cuts, show up to talk to me at Joy Yee in Chinatown, they’re visibly exhausted from spending the day moving into a new practice space just north of Pilsen. They haven’t eaten since they woke up, and when our meal arrives the interview is derailed temporarily as Perry and Keultjes concentrate intensely on wolfing down a staggering amount of Chinese food.…
Veteran beneficiaries of major-label hype and longtime critical darlings both, Fiona Apple and Regina Spektor seem like women that only a mook could fail to applaud: They are smart, passionate, ambitious, musically challenging, lovably quirky and supremely self-empowered—everything a great pop
If you’re a flickr user and wish to have your photography considered for “Around Town” or other Chicagoist features, please tag your photos with “Chicagoist” and enter them into our flickr pool. [ more › ]
This weeks edition of the filter sees a techno-heavy Friday in Chicago, led by an appearance at Smartbar from FUNCTION of Sandwell District fame, as well an appearance from Dialated Peoples turntablist extraordinaire DJ BABU at the Shrine. Our pick of the weekend comes courtesy of the fine selectors at A Love Supreme, as they return this Saturday with another installment of their monthly boogie down, welcoming hometown hero RAHAAN back from yet another overseas jaunt.
Of course, much, much more on the list… Make sure to get out for the get down on what’s looking to be a beautiful weekend in Chicago!
Friday June 22
CHOONGA CHAANGA ¦¦ Featuring Mathias Matthew
10:00pm | Downtown Lounge
Dive Bar Deep: Noleian
9:30pm | The Sovereign Liquors
DJ BABU (Dialated Peoples/Beat Junkies) + ITCH13 & SHAZAM BANGLES
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
There’re countless female singers who strap on a guitar, write a few catchy tunes and get one of them in the background of a network television program or Hollywood movie. But there’s a streak of wildness in Audra Mae‘s uptempo Americana that’s separated her far enough from the pack that she’s not just another pleasant but forgettable voice. With her excellent backing band, the Almighty Sound, Mae’s latest album delivers on the glints of promises in her music over the last few years. It’s full-steam ahead for this Oklahoman who’s been honing her craft in Los Angeles. (Fans of Sarah Borges who’ve been looking for more twang need to check out Audra Mae.)
Audra Mae opens for Cory Branan at Schubas on Tuesday, the 26th. Briar Rabbit opens the show at 8PM. It’s 21+ and $10. Schubas is at the corner of Belmont & Southport. Gapers Block’s giving away a pair of tickets to this show. Write to contests@gapersblock.com with “Audra” in the subject line for a chance to win.
The Patio is in danger of being shuttered again. Unlike the Portage Theater, it isn’t because a church wants to convert it into a house of worship, but because of the advance of technology. [ more › ]
On days like this when we need a kick in the ass to get through the day, we turn to the one and only Nature Boy. Here’s 15 minutes of Ric Flair going nuts as only the 16 time world champion can. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The evening of Loops and Other Variations began with Ensemble Dal Niente performing Donatoni’s “Hot” Fausto Romitelli’s “Professor Bad Trip Lesson 3″ and an arrangement of Deerhoof’s “Eaguru Guru.” The non-Deerhoof pieces were both creative and climactic at times keeping the audience on the edge of their seats as if watching a Hitchcockian thriller. Still, it was quite strange to be present for the indie rock and listening to classical compositions. It made sense mainly from the perspective that Deerhoof has always created music that is both interesting and innovative and, with the arrangement of the Deerhoof song, it tied the two performances together nicely.
Deerhoof did not play with this orchestra and their set was fairly similar to previous sets in Chicago except there was just something special about the night where they seemed energized more than usual filled with chemistry between them and with Satomi Matsuzaki in constant motion dancing, kicking, jumping, and with an absolutely gleeful disposition as the songs took shape as if she were having the time of her life. Their hour long set seemed to go by incredibly fast and, though their set was incredibly satisfying, it seemed like their fans would have stayed to hear them play all night considering the remarkable treat their performance was! The San Fransisco band (in one incarnation or another) has technically been around for 15 years and 11 studio albums but tonight’s performance made them seem like they were just getting started in giving the world something great.
Want to get a behind-the-scenes look at a great orchestra? The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Riccardo Muti (last seen at Wrigley Field) are holding a rare open rehearsal during Make Music Chicago. Watch the CSO rehearse Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 in preparation for its final concert series of the year. The open rehearsal is free and open to the public, but tickets must be reserved by calling (312) 294-3000.
Catch the CSO’s free rehearsal on Thursday, June 21 from 10am-12:30pm at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.
What will you do this weekend? Pick one or three: Taste of Randolph, Six Corners BBQ Fest, Fiesta Boricua, Festa Pasta Vino, Chicago Pizza Fest. [ more › ]
By this point, you’ve undoubtedly seen the onslaught of hype behind the massive Spring Awakening taking over Soldier Field this weekend. As their touting of the current prevalence of “EDM” is in good hands, this weeks quick edition of The Filter pays heed to a couple other noteworthy events, notably Neo Soul songstress Jill Scott and British techno icon Dave Clarke‘s appearance at Smartbar. Check the list below, and keep cool on this hot summer weekend in Chicago!
Friday June 15, 2012
Jill Scott, Doug E Fresh
7:00pm | Charter One Pavillion at Northerly Island
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The Fader and vitaminwater have teamed up for their uncapped series of mystery shows that’ll come to Chicago on Thursday, June 14. Last week’s performance in Los Angeles featured Rick Ross, The-Dream and Zola Jesus. Hmm, who might it be in Chicago… ? If you’re the curious type, you’ll want to RSVP. Even if you’re not, it might be a good idea. Afterward, vitaminwater’s Youtube channel will be updated with exclusive content. The show starts 8PM at 1052 W Monroe.
It’s bad enough we have to be stuck here at the Chicagoist offices on such a great day (dagger eyes at Chuck Sudo). At least we have this Shiba Inu puppycam to help make the day even better.
[ more › ]
The event, which takes place Saturday and Sunday, is dedicated to the recent “EDM” phenomenon, with a specific focus on the aggressive end of the spectrum. Electro and dubstep are the most represented genres this year, with popular acts Skrillex, Afrojack, A-Trak, Benny Benassi, Diplo, and Moby leading the way. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The perennially touring local Chicago psych-band Netherfriends teams up with ShowYouSuck, one of the city’s most jovial and enterprising rappers, to funk up Harry Nilsson in a recently released video for “Full of It”. Plus: ShowYouSuck goes to DePaul. [ more › ]
With the City launching their new FREE “Loops and Variations” series in Millennium Park, we’ve decided to run a special Thursday edition of the filter (We’ll still be running with our standard Friday- Sunday Picks on June 8th). It’s been approximately 10 years since we’ve last seen Chris Clark here for a Warp records tour appearance at the Metro, and its been almost as long that Jan Jelinek last appeared (with Thomas Fehlmann) over at Empty Bottle. Now you get to see them all for free with the added bonus of Casino Versus Japan in the Pritzker Pavillion. A lovely evening out if we do say so ourselves.
Here’s a list of today’s other fine events:
Bassweight feat. JOE NICE * CHRIS WIDMAN…
Today at 10:00pm | Smartbar
BNJMN with Savile presented by MiM @ Com…
Today at 9:00pm | Crimson Lounge
DΞ∆†h DiSCO!! Famous Zombie Costume Rage
Today at 10:00pm | Debonair
DLCTBL NYTZ – Mark Grant, Jevon Jackson
Today at 10:00pm | Jerry’s Wicker Park
Loops and Variations: Chris Clark, Jan Jelinek and Andrew Pekler and Casino Versus Japan
Today at 6:30pm | Pritzker Pavillion in Millennium Park
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Can you remember the first music that scared you? Maybe you were too young when you first heard the eerie, mournful peal of bells that started Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath” coming from an older brother’s bedroom, or you covered your ears in reflexive terror at Vincent Price’s infernal laugh at the end of “Thriller.” Or maybe you’ve never been scared by music! This might be all on me, but I remember (and cherish) every moment that a song put the fear in me, every time that a collection of sounds, melodies, or emotions pushed me away, maybe not to return for years after. Ringo screaming “I got blisters on my fingers!” at the end of “Helter Skelter.” The alien-sounding whale song in the middle of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes.” Bob Mould’s flayed-alive shriek in Husker Du’s “Beyond the Threshold.” In some cases, I couldn’t listen to the song again for days or weeks afterward. In a few rare cases, I still can’t return. In every case where I do return, I return stronger, more calloused to frightening, bracing music, but also a little desensitized. I no longer see demonic sea creatures baying for vengeance during “Echoes,” just four well-paid Brits in a studio twisting knobs and going, “oh, jolly good one, Roger!”
But the track that unsettled me for over a decade isn’t from the UK. It’s from our neighbors to the north, Wisconsin. And this Thursday, they’re coming to finish me off.
Like many pre-internet music fanatics, I discovered the world of noise and experimental music from the RRRecords catalog, helpfully advertised in the classified section of Option magazine the early ’90s. Unlike all the other record store and distributor ads in the back, RRR made no effort to soft-sell you with a snappy sales pitch. “Experimental electronic music, often of a confrontational nature,” it said, simply, followed by a list of bands whose names sent a cold shiver down me. I’d never heard of any of them, couldn’t imagine what they sounded like. Half of the project names weren’t even in english, and another quarter weren’t even words! (“What the hell is a ‘Gerogerigegege’?!?!”) It was too tantalizing to resist. I wrote for a catalog, which arrived two weeks later and shed NO light on the situation. Unlike every other catalog ever, the RRR catalog featured no descriptions, no press blurbs, nothing. Just band, release title, format, and price. Nowhere to dip your toe in. Until I got to a special offer the last page.
“The RRR Taste Test Cassette Sampler Series” was my rosetta stone. Predicting MP3 samples by 15 years or more, this was a set of 10 cassettes (40 minutes each) featuring 2 minute samples of 20 different bands/albums in the RRR catalog, each helpfully announced (and pronounced) by store/label owner Ron Lessard. Each tape was $2. So, for $20 in 1992 money (plus shipping), I could get a tiny taste of 200 bands in mixtape form. I wrote the check, hand shaking with excitement.
Nearly every band on the set was what you’d call difficult listening. Atmospheric drones, academic tape music, primitive synth-punk, imposing modern classicism. But a few of the tracks legitimately freaked me out. One was a track by a sax/sax/guitar unit called Borbetomagus, from their album “Barbed Wire Maggots.” The other is playing this Thursday at the Empty Bottle.
Boy Dirt Car‘s “He Tore Out His Eyes” (from the Live Without A Body 2LP, RRRecords, 1988) shook me to my core. A truly bleak wasteland of sound, there was no propulsion to speak of, no beat to hang onto. Just dull, headachey static, punctuated with what sounded like far-off CB radio transmissions, the sonic equivalent of a stagnant pond. Over top, a voice slowly, painfully chanted the track’s title, over and over. “Heee torrrre out his eyyyyyes…” while a second voice shrieked in response. “He torrrrrrrrrrrre out his eeyyyyyyyyyyyyyes!” Again and again. It was the end of the end of days, and here was the last man on earth, not willing to end it, but ready to end the pain of seeing. I just listened to it again, and even after years of building up my sonic immune system, “He Tore Out His Eyes” still jolts. Though other tracks would have more propulsion, more song structure, this is, to me, still Boy Dirt Car at its best — abraded disgust from the rust belt of the Midwest.
Boy Dirt Car was founded in 1981 by Darren Brown and Eric Lunde after they met Glenn Branca at a Chicago experimental music festival. Other band members revolved in and out through the ’80s, including Keith Brammer and Dan Kubinski of Die Kreuzen. Sometimes sounding like an American analogue to Einsturzende Neubauten (who they famously blew off the stage at Chicago’s Metro, of would have, had they been allowed to play at full volume by a touchy sound guy), at others like the mutated birth-twin of Chicago’s Illusion of Safety, Boy Dirt Car clanged their way across the states in hopes of wider recognition. They released the bulk of their records on the aforementioned RRRecords label (Lowell, MA), shuddering to an initial stop around 1988 with Eric Lunde’s departure. (The previously-unreleased 1987 album Heatrig — Lunde’s last with the band — finally popped up in 2001 via Australian indie Lexicon Devil.)
Brown re-formed BDC in 2007 (after years of concentrating on his other project, Impact Test) with the release of the surprisingly low-key Spoken Answer To A Silent Question CD, while Lunde released scads of insanely limited cassettes and vinyl missives, showing his interest in Burroughsian tape cut-up, degraded location recordings, and home-built musical technology like the shRAD, a jerry-rigged civilian version of the police’s Long-Range Acoustic Devices, or “sound cannons.” In 2010, Boy Dirt Car re-tooled and returned with the Familia LP on their After Music Recordings, a return to glory that more resembled the witchy malevolence of the classic albums than Spoken Answer.
This year, BDC put the pedal to the metal and released a new album with deep roots. It’s a split LP with fellow Wisconsin psych-rock band F/i (who have shared BDC members over the years), and it alludes to BDC’s first vinyl record, a split LP with the same participants nearly 25 years earlier. In addition, the group is celebrating their 30th anniversary by going on their first full fledged tour in many years, stopping at Chicago’s Empty Bottle this Thursday. But wait, there’s more.
Remember Eric Lunde, the erstwhile former BDC member who split from the band in 1987? Well, he’ll be there, too, performing solo! It’s like the Sex Pistols/Rich Kids or XTC/Shriekback pairing you never even imagined asking for. Eric’s recent output has increased from a steady tumble to “avalanche” range in the last two years, with dozens of tapes, CDrs, and CDs coming out on various labels, many of them on his own Trait Media Works label, including Animal Mirror Self Mirror, a CD on the Chicago-based Crippled Intellect Productions label. His recent 3CDr/DVDr boxset, Localized Noise-Induced Transmissions: The Athens Project, creates a noisy sonic cartography based on a commission from the Athens Museum of Contemporary Art, combining field recordings with performance and theory. The DVDr contains a final report explaining the process and execution.
Eric Lunde
As if all that weren’t enough, local noise father-figure Jason Soliday will be releasing his debut CD for Crippled Intellect, titled Nonagon Knives. Karl Paloucek, a longtime BDC member and solo artist in his own right, will open. His live “rig” over the past few years includes tinfoil, sewing machines, scrap iron, water, and pianos. He sets up a surreal yet specific audio space and just lets it reside. It all fits, trust me.
Boy Dirt Car/Eric Lunde/Jason Soliday/Karl Paloucek
Thursday, June 7
9:30 p.m.
Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western)
$8
Even though it’s a lovely day outside, right now there are babies, all across Chicagoland, indoors. Possibly even eating lemons for the first time. [ more › ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The Bears of Blue River, folksy Chicago band, have just returned from touring, and released their last album, Dames, in 2011. Their sound is light, fun, and refreshing, perfect for a sunny Chicago day. They’re in the process of creating their next album, and they’ve taken an innovative approach to its concept. The Bears of Blue River have decided to let their fans create the design for the album art, and the winner of this contest could be you! Take a listen to one of their songs, “Blue Ribbon,” below to get inspired:
The contest prize features some pretty nifty items, including number 1 of a 250-set hand-numbered pink vinyl, a framed copy of the winning artwork, and a personal shout out to you in the album liner notes to say thanks. Beyond the prizes for the winner, the band wanted to make sure that everyone who submitted an entry felt their gratitude; each person that enters the contest will also be recognized in the album liner notes. Pretty cool, right?
Contest entries can be sent in the form of photographs, paintings, illustrations and digital artwork, so there’s plenty of room for variety and creativity within your design. Send your finished product to The Bears of Blue River by June 30 for consideration via email or standard mail at the contest’s website, where you can find further details and specifications for your entry.
Safety Fifth, the new album by Mucca Pazza, Chicago’s number one punk marching band, comes out June 12 on Electric Cowbell Records. That very night, they’ll be celebrating with a concert at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia. Tickets are $15 online or at the door — if there are any left. Above is a music video for “Boss Taurus” off the album (is that a “Bitchin’ Camaro” allusion?)
We dug up some old photos of the scenic Evanston campus to help them celebrate the 162 years of good ideas that would follow that first one. [ more › ]
The work-in-progress that is The Filter continues during this unusually spring-like start of June. The usual house and techno fix is fed with some residual stateside performances from DEMF and Mutek artists, and the street fests are in full swing as well, making their presence felt with some neat performances at Do-Division. For our pick of the week, we excitedly indulge our experimental side: NYC post-rock experimentalists BATTLES bring their always intense live show to Bottom Lounge for an early show.
Edit: The Battles show was just rescheduled on the Bottom Lounge site to June 14th, and has been marked as rescheduled on the Battles website as well.
If there are any upcoming events that ya think we should know about, feel free to message us through our CONTACT page, or with an email to info[at]meiotica.com
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Shedd Aquarium’s Pacific white-sided dolphin gave birth last night to a bouncing baby dolphin. Gender has not been determined yet, so it doesn’t have a name either. They can tell us the calf is about three feet long and weighs about 25 pounds. Mother and baby are both doing well and will remain under 24-hour observation for several months. [ more › ]
Musical obsessions of Cheer-Accident keyboardist Dudley Bayne, Reader music editor Philip Montoro, and multi-instrumentalist Boris Hauf
Philip Montoro, Reader music editor, is obsessed with. Witch Mountain, Cauldron of the Wild This four-piece from Portland, Oregon, pairs clean female vocals with charcoal black guitars and dilated, doomy riffs.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
If you haven’t seen it yet, Google today is honoring the 78th birthday of electronic music pioneer Robert Moog with a playable doodle/theme of his famous Minimoog synthesizer, an instrument that changed the world of popular music every bit as much as the electric guitar.In fact, the last Google
Those subscribers to the early Meiotic newsletters back in 2002-2003 will recall our Chicago event recommendation email signatures, and our linking to m50′s local event page (which he still keeps up to this day), as well as to the old Modsquare site, amongst others.
With the slew of attention that electronic music has garnered over the past few years, so comes an inundation of shows and events riding the wave of popularity. To help sift through the sometimes daunting array of Chicago events, we’ve decided to revive that early helping hand in the form of a weekly Meiotic weekend event filter. Aptly titled and tagged as The Filter , we’re looking to help people key in on tasteful, innovative electronic music events in the Chicago area.
The Filter’s first run comes on an interesting holiday weekend as many locals trek to Detroit for Movement, and to Montreal for Mutek. Chicago certainly doesn’t sleep though; here’s some nice options that will keep you moving this weekend.
FRIDAY 5/25
The Shrine 3 Year Anniversary featuring DE LA SOUL:
Ironically, our first suggestion for the filter is not necessarily electronic in influence. For their 3 year anniversary, the fine people over at the Shrine have brought in none other than co-patriarchs of the Native Tongues collective, De La Soul. Veritable godfathers of hip hop’s golden era, if you don’t know them by now, do yourself a favor by familiarizing yourself with their catalogue of classics and checking out what will be a show high in positive, creative energy, harkening back to the roots of a musical art form.
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FRIDAY 5/25
Version 12 Wrap Up: Chandeliers, DeepSleep, DJ Smooth & Delicious
@First Trinity Community Center | FACEBOOK
(643 W. 31st Street)
The 12th edition of Version fest wraps up it’s Bridgeport installation this weekend. Friday’s show over at God’s Closet is headlined by Chicago electronic/synth outfit Chandeliers.
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SATURDAY 5/26
People Of Rhythm welcomes a special Chicago benefit for CHEB I SABBAH
A tribal dance party encompassing the various tasteful perspectives of world electronic music, brought to you by the folks at People of Rhythm and the Freakeasy. The event is a benefit for World Electronic music stalwart Cheb I Sabbah who last year was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer.
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SUNDAY 5/27
QUEEN!: Memorial Day Weekend feat. FRANKIE KNUCKLES
(Classic House)
@ SMARTBAR
A dj set from none other than classic Chicago house icon Frankie Knuckles. Nuff said.
Much has changed for Apparat since his early days with Shitkatapult. Now touring with a full band and a more rounded out sound, the former Ellen Allien & Modeselektor collaborator will show Chicago that change can be good. Local support form Endian and the fine selectors over at Abstract Science.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The Rainbow Body label returns, Big Science finishes its first LP, and Redgrave drops an EP
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
Local label Rainbow Body has been dormant for about a year—main man Chris Sloan has been finishing grad school and planning his upcoming wedding—but it’s getting back into gear. Next month the label will drop the third LP from weirdo pop act Golden Birthday, Blue Island; the band will celebrate its release at the Empty Bottle on Mon 6/25.…[ Read more ]
Posdnuos of De La Soul talks to Chicago MC and activist RhymefestFor a brief moment in the late 80s and early 90s the New York-based Native Tongues crew made braininess and political consciousness the coolest qualities in hip-hop culture—and then gangsta rap exploded and put an end to all that. There were a lot of great groups under the Native Tongues banner—A Tribe Called Quest, the Jungle Brothers, Black Sheep—but De La Soul were arguably the most fun.…
Corbett vs. Dempsey’s reissue label, a Kickstarter for a Yakuza doc, and a release party for a live Empty Bottle comp
by Peter Margasak, Miles Raymer and Kevin Warwick
JAZZ | Peter Margasak For much of the past decade John Corbett has devoted himself to shining a light on overlooked visual art of the mid- to late 20th century with Corbett vs. Dempsey, the gallery upstairs from Dusty Groove that he runs with Jim Dempsey.…[ Read more ]
Parts of the Kennedy had rolling closures for delegate caravans which were not as disruptive as the media seemed wanting to make them out to be.
Grocery store parking garages had more security than usual
Music Culture-wise, shows and events went on as usual, with busy nights reported from Empty Bottle, Lincoln Hall, Smartbar, Grandbar, and the Love Supreme shindig. All in all, our guess is most peoples general weekend plans weren’t disrupted, outside of some commute delays if they had to travel through downtown, or if they had planned to visit the Museum campus.
Here are some links to more coherent thoughts on the weekend:
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Donna Summer, one of the most successful singers of the 1970s and perhaps the most important female artist in the history of electronic music, died this morning after a battle with cancer.
MIXOLOGY highlights dj sets from around the web that we enjoy listening to. As a result, we believe this will contribute to the betterment of society through the fine listening experieince.
Old Meiotic co-hort and recently Denver-based Andrew Kevins played an event this past March at Beatport HQ (Yes, they are his new bosses as well). Featuring tracks from the likes of Metronomy, Thomas Brinkmann, Efdemin/DJ Koze, Moodymann, and Frankie Knuckles, his track selection nicely runs the electronic gamut in proper Meiotic fashion.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Bubblegum punks Redd Kross, psych-rock legend Roky Erickson, and more at HoZac Blackout 2012
by Miles Raymer
The annual HoZac Blackout festival returns for the second time since being reincarnated in 2011 after a four-year hiatus. This year the Blackout—and likely the actual blackouts of the many inebriated garage-rock fans attending—will stretch over three days, Fri 5/18 through Sun 5/20, at the Empty Bottle.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
As dream teams go, the crew of Chicago club and concert veterans recently assembled to run the newish Rogers Park venue Mayne Stage can rival Marvel Comics’ legendary Avengers.Located at the former site of the Morse Theatre, Mayne Stage was completely remade in 2009 in a spare-no-expense, $6 million
The eighth annual Riot Fest has tapped some of the biggest names yet for its raucous stages. The first round of acts announced by promoters includes Rise Against, Iggy and the Stooges, Elvis Costello, the Offspring, Gogol Bordello and the Jesus and Mary Chain.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
As the promoters of the end-of-summer punk-rock blow-out Riot Fest gear up to begin announcing the lineup for their eighth annual shindig, they also are hoping to expand yet again by taking the festival outdoors to Humboldt Park on Sept.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Inexplicably garnering more love than she has since her 2002 debut from corners that previously have long since grown indifferent and/or fallen asleep, hipster coffee-house chanteuse Norah Jones pairs with the previously infallible Danger Mouse on her fifth studio album, expanding on the exquisite c
From Flosstradamus to Kanye West, artists are catching heat for uncleared samples even when they give their songs away
by Miles Raymer
In early February production duo Flosstradamus—Josh “J2K” Young, who lives in Chicago, and Curt “Autobot” Cameruci, who’s left for Brooklyn—finished mixing a song called “Total Recall.” After spending the better part of a decade building a reputation in the international dance-music scene as DJs and remixers, they’d decided to focus on their own compositions—in November they’d released their first EP of original material, Jubilation, on the Fool’s Gold label.…
Bitchpork comes back for 2012, Engine merges with Soma Studios, and more
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
Bitchpork was supposed to end its run last summer, but the massive DIY alternative to the Pitchfork Music Festival is returning for another year. Gossip Wolf has the scoop on some early confirmations on 2012′s three-day bill—including Detroit garage band Tyvek, New York psych group PC Worship, and locals such as noise veterans Panicsville, solo synth-and-drums project Psychic Steel, and one-man “ghoulcore” act Gas Mask Horse.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
This blog will leave the TV critiquing to the TV critics, but one thing we can say with certainty is that in its fifth season on AMC, Mad Men is on a roll with its musical selections and cool inside-rock references, from Megan Draper’s performance of “Zou Bisou Bisou” a few weeks back, to t
Ben Vida’s otoacoustic experiments, Naledge’s degree in social work, and Bobby Broom’s first album of originals
by Bill Meyer, Miles Raymer and Peter Margasak
EXPERIMENTAL | Bill Meyer When Ornette Coleman plugged in and got funky after decades of playing acoustic free jazz, he called his game-changing 1975 album Dancing in Your Head.…
With her 2008 debut Santogold, the vivacious Santi White earned more than her fair share of comparisons to M.I.A., as if pop might only have room for one high-spirited woman bringing world rhythms into the realm of electronic dance pop.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Chicago house music is the sound of global pop today. In the 90s, though, it was on life supportuntil a new wave of producers got its groove back.
by Michaelangelo Matos
“You’re as relevant as your last mix.” That’s a line for a DJ to live by if ever there were one.…
I’ve followed and championed Damon Albarn through all of his many musical journeys. But his new album, Dr. Dee, is a plodding, ponderous, joyless mess.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
As someone who’s followed and championed Damon Albarn through all of his many musical journeys—Blur and Gorillaz, of course, but even the Good, the Bad & the Queen and Mali Music—I wasn’t necessarily daunted by the prospect of the leading British auteur of the alt-rock generation
The self-released Vava Voom is an impressive example of a talented visionary drawing connections to electronic dance music’s past while breaking ground for the future.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Though, it should be needless to say, electronic dance music never has gone away, forever mutating and evolving in sometimes rewarding and sometimes redundant ways, these sounds haven’t been such a focus for the corporate music industry since the late ’90s, when they bubbled up from raves to draw th
Lord licenses its doom metal to a pole dancer, and the Whistler launches the covers series Playing Favorites
by Jessica Hopper and Leor Galil
Chicago doom-metal band Lord is getting into the movie business, sort of. “Rise Into the Stars,” an epic cut from the group’s 2011 self-titled debut, will appear on the soundtrack to Chicago Rot, a locally produced indie horror flick that’s in the works.…
Chris Reifert of Autopsy talks to Scott Carroll of Cianide
Bay Area death-metal band Autopsy, founded in 1987 and split in 1995, have been reunited full-time since 2010, and their 2011 LP Macabre Eternal landed on plenty of year-end best-of lists. Influential but hardly famous in the 90s, Autopsy are now revered as pillars of “old-school” death metal, alongside the likes of Possessed, Terrorizer, Obituary, and Chicago’s own Master.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Current musical obsessions of the Numero Group’s head researcher, Reader staff writer Peter Margasak, and the Hideout’s talent buyer
Peter Margasak, Reader staff writer, is obsessed with. Peeping Tom, Boperation (Umlaut) For its second album, this Swedish-French trio expands to a quartet: saxist Pierre-Antoine Badaroux, bassist Joel Grip, and drummer Antonin Gerbal are joined by German trumpeter Axel Dörner.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Kelly Hogan has been Chicago’s sweetheart for more than a decade now, perhaps the brightest star in this city’s roots-rock firmament. Now with a stellar debut on Anti- Records she gives us a masterpiece.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Though she first made her impact on the music scene in Georgia in the ’90s, first as the golden voice of the star-crossed Jody Grind and then as a member of the Rock*A*Teens, Kelly Hogan has been Chicago’s sweetheart for more than a decade now, perhaps the brightest star in this city’s roots-r
A great free album from hip-hop duo the Promise, a new variety show at Saki, and a birthday party for half of Football
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
Local hip-hop producer Mulatto Patriot has released The New Deal—an LP whose progress this Wolf reported on almost two years ago—under the name the Promise (his duo with MC Squair Blaq). Last week they finally threw the album up on Bandcamp, and if it weren’t free, we’d be mad we had to wait so long for something so damn good.…
In Philippe Falardeau’s Monsieur Lazhar, an Algerian refugee copes with grieving students
by J.R. Jones
In this French Canadian feature by Philippe Falardeau, a standard liberal tale about an inspirational teacher gradually deepens into a quiet study of how grief works its way through a community. The death of a young grade school instructor shocks her students and colleagues alike, though, as one child astutely observes, the institutional response speaks more to the adults’ trauma than the children’s.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The left turns on Blunderbuss, include a lot more piano than guitar and flashes of a lyrical specificity unusual from such a celebrated craftsman of myths, mysteries and fabulous lies.
Nashville singer-songwriter Paul Burch talks to Jon Langford of the Waco Brothers
Chicago favorites the Waco Brothers and Nashville singer-songwriter Paul Burch have traveled in the same circles for years, and both have made records for Bloodshot. Though their output is quite different—the former is loud and woolly, the latter gentle and measured—they share a deep regard for old-school country.…
New releases from Bible of the Devil and Gas Mask Horse and a Chinese classical concert at the Cultural Center
by Miles Raymer, Leor Galil and Peter Margasak
METAL | Miles Raymer Bible of the Devil has been a Chicago institution for as long as I’ve lived here, with a seemingly nonstop show schedule and a devoted audience, drawn equally from metalheads and hard-rock fans, whose particular nostalgia is for the days when Iron Maiden was the biggest thing on earth.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
A little practical guidance for choosing among the nearly 300 special Record Store Day releases
by Miles Raymer
There are two main ways to approach Record Store Day: You could celebrate like the devoted record geeks for whom the holiday was at least partly invented (and like the opportunistic eBay scum who have since latched onto it), gathering intelligence on which stores are stocking which exclusives and camping out in front of them for hours before their doors open. Or you could do what I do: cruise around, check out the most interesting-looking events, and see what stuff those stores have left after the rush.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
A retrospective LP from defunct punks the Pows and new music from Mister Lies and Fake Limbs
by Jessica Hopper and Leor Galil
There are so many awesome Record Store Day releases this year that this Wolf will probably go broke buying all the good stuff. At the top of Gossip Wolf’s list is Permanent Records’ latest, a retrospective LP from the Pows called Once With Snot & Blood.…
The Touré-Raichel Collective vs. Music From Saharan Cellphones: foreigners make better music when they aren’t making it for you
by Bill Meyer
Recordings from the North African desert and the Sahel, which borders it to the south, have been a staple of the world-music marketplace ever since Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré released his eighth, self-titled album 24 years ago on World Circuit. With its fingerpicked guitar figures, which recall American country blues, Ali Farka Touré resonated with audiences raised on rock, even though its rhythms and lyrics are rooted in Africa.…
The Chicago Park District this afternoon finally released its new 10-year and possibly eternal contract with the massive Lollapalooza Music Festival to this reporter and others who’d filed Freedom of Information Act requests.All of its pluses (primarily added income for city, county and state govern
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The new contract that will keep Lollapalooza in Grant Park through 2021 will yield more money for city, county and state governments. But city officials blew the opportunity to eliminate other unfair advantages that the Daley administration gave the politically connected concert in its original sweetheart deal, and to correct problems these create for the city’s permanent music scene.
Only three days before a Deleterious Impact/Public Nuisance Hearing set to take place on the venue, a fight during a hip-hop show at the Congress Theater Friday night prompted a response from more than two dozen police and fire officials and shut down Milwaukee Avenue for several blocks in both directions.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Even in this golden era of self-obsessed superstars desperate to provide something for everyone, you’d be hard pressed to find an example of anyone in greater need of the ability to focus, self-edit and learn to distinguish her strengths from her all-too-obvious weaknesses.
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Serengeti’s trio with Sufjan and Son Lux, a benefit for Susan Stursberg of Gold Star, and more
by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil
Chicago-bred rapper Serengeti (aka David Cohn) has been on a tear lately. Last month his new trio with Anticon labelmate Son Lux and Sufjan Stevens, s / s / s, released its debut EP, a collection of schizoid pop tunes called Beak & Claw.…
Don’t worry, Tumblr isn’t turning creators into mere regurgitatorsit’s injecting new blood into an old remix culture
by Miles Raymer
Tumblr might seem like a pretty innocuous Web platform—like a more media-rich Twitter, it allows users to share photos, videos, text, links, audio, and quotes, plus follow other users doing the same thing. But it’s already being accused of heinous crimes against culture.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
CIMMfest’s attractions include Bobby Bare Jr., Kids These Days, and more than 40 film programs
by Luca Cimarusti
The Chicago International Movies & Music Festival, better known as CIMMfest, is back for its fourth year, bringing more than 40 film programs to venues in Wicker Park and Logan Square from Thu 4/12 to Sun 4/15. Of course, there’s live music too, mostly in the evenings.…
Jaime “El-P” Meline and Emmanuel “Million Dollar Mano” Nickerson couldn’t be more different, at least as far as their images go. El-P is a respected elder in the underground rap world, with a well-deserved reputation as a serious dude that he’s earned both with his music and with his outspoken criticism of industry politics.…
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
The news that Mayor Rahm Emanuel, in an effort to better understand the Chicago music scene, had rented a rehearsal space and was inviting musicians to drop by and chat after his band had jammed first zipped around the Net early last week; my friend and WBEZ colleague Tony Sarabia forwarded the mess
Chicago singer, songwriter, rapper, home-recording enthusiast and man of mystery Willis Earl Beal has emerged to display raw talent, potential and most of all, endearing eccentricity.
Influential slide guitarist Tampa Red recorded 335 sides of hokum and jump blues between 1928 and ’53 but died largely forgotten in ’81
by Plastic Crimewave[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
Mary Timony of Wild Flag talks to Chris Thomson of Coffin PricksWild Flag is made up of some of the most respected punk-slash-indie musicians of the 90s, with a lineup that’s sort of a late-period riot-grrrl who’s who: Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney), Janet Weiss (Quasi, Sleater-Kinney), Mary Timony (Autoclave, Helium), and Rebecca Cole (the Minders). In Wild Flag they take the ethos and attitude of their previous bands and infuse it with an irresistible pop sensibility.…[ Read more ][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
The latest on the Sea and Cake, Zapruder Point, David Daniell & Doug McCombs, and the fledgling Girl Group
by Jessica Hopper and Leor Galil
An ambitious new local cover band called Girl Group—which will play songs by 60s girl groups, natch—has 19 members so far, and it’s still growing. “I love 60s girl groups, but I’ve never heard of 60s girl groups that had all the instrumentalists be women,” says lead singer and main schemer Shana East.…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
The weird world of Internet-famous Bay Area rapper Lil B
by Miles Raymer
In 2006 a teenage Bay Area rap group called the Pack released the single “Vans.” Essentially a four-minute free advertisement for the shoe company of the same name, it combines an infectious, minimalist beat and a confusing hook: “Got my Vans on, but they look like sneakers.”…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
Our (fairly) regular roundup of Music & Arts related news from Chicago-based web media, featuring thoughts and insight from some of the city’s most dedicated writers.
Alderman Proco Joe Moreno and disgruntled neighbors aren’t the only ones questioning the quality of security at the Congress Theater: Electronic dance superstar Bassnectar, who’s performing a sold-out show…
Kool & the Gang’s Robert ‘Kool’ Bell talks to the Eternals’ Wayne Montana
Few bands dominated the R&B charts in the 70s and 80s like Kool & the Gang. The group emerged from jazz beginnings in Jersey City in the 60s to become one of the heaviest and most successful funk bands on the planet, scoring massive hits like “Jungle Boogie,” “Hollywood Swinging,” and “Higher Plane” that relied mostly on fat horn riffs, deep grooves, and the ingenious bass lines of group leader Robert “Kool” Bell.…
In striking contrast to the preferential treatment accorded Lollapalooza, neighborhood, non-profit and community music and arts festivals are having a…
A preview of A John Cage Festival, a posthumous party for Sandy Bull, and a birthday bash for Underground Communique
by Peter Margasak, Bill Meyer and Kevin Warwick
CLASSICAL | Peter Margasak September 5 is the centennial of John Cage’s birth, a landmark in the classical world—throughout the year concerts, lectures, and other commemorations will honor his music and philosophies.…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
As he faces a Deleterious Impact/Public Nuisance Hearing at City Hall, Congress Theater owner Erineo “Eddie” Carranza maintains that his frequently criticized venue is “no better in condition or no worse in condition” than other…
Though it can be admired for filling a void in the local music scene by booking underground sounds and hosting independent concerts that might not otherwise find a home in Chicago, the Congress Theater is notorious among…
Lead guitar on Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love?”, Jody Williams is gigging again after 35 years.
by Plastic Crimewave[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
Disappears side projects, an Usher remix for Flosstradamus, a departure from Anatomy of Habit, and more
by Jessica Hopper and Leor Galil
Disappears kicked off A European tour this week to support Pre Language (Kranky) and will spend much of spring on the road, but they continue to maintain a slew of side projects. John Congleton (St. Vincent, Explosions in the Sky) recently mixed the band’s collaboration with drone duo White/Light, and drummer Steve Shelley will release it on his Vampire Blues label in the fall.…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
It’s official: After his job as this city’s best ever programmer of free live music was twice eliminated by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in the span of less than a year, Michael Orlove is moving on to greener–and hopefully more grateful–pastures. Here is the press…
Defunct DIY venue Summer Camp immortalizes its final show with a live seven-inch and DVD
by Leor Galil
On May 14, 2011, I was one of 100 or so people who squeezed into the tiny basement performance space in the back of Logan Square DIY venue Summer Camp. We stood shoulder-to-shoulder, and condensation from the low-hanging pipes dripped on us—or onto the floor, where it mixed with sweat, rainwater tracked in from the downpour outside, and God knows what else to make treacherous slick spots.…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
Stephin Merritt talks to Kelly Hogan about White Castle, Hootie the Owl, and why he can’t do dragStephin Merritt has been the chief songwriter for plenty of bands over the years—the 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, the Gothic Archies—but he’s done his most enduring work, and earned his reputation as a modern-day Cole Porter, with the Magnetic Fields. The band has existed for more than two decades, and on the new Love at the Bottom of the Sea (Merge), Merritt returns to its electronic foundations—a shift away from the more conventional instrumentation on the band’s three previous albums (all for Nonesuch), though the songs do include elaborate acoustic overdubs.…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
Steve Mizek on unreleased music, Tal Rosenberg on Fleetwood Mac, and Mica Alaniz on 90s R&BTal Rosenberg, Reader digital content editor, is obsessed with. 70s Fleetwood Mac performances on YouTube Chuck Eddy calls a 1976 performance of “World Turning” “Zeppelin disco.”…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
South by SouthWest turns the city of Austin, Texas into one of the world’s largest and most chaotic music festivals for a week each March. It’s a daunting event to tackle as a concertgoer, but it’s near impossible to give it its due as a…
The fourth and final night of SXSW 2012 was not off to the greatest musical start. The first act I caught was Kat Graham. Known mostly for her role as Bonnie Bennett on Vampire Diaries, she’s been dabbling in music while acting…
The level of insanity at SXSW cannot be overstated. The term “hipster Mardi Gras” has been used frequently, but it’s far more than that. Advertisements covered everything, down to the cocktail napkins in bars and the walls of music venues. Crowds willingly submitted to “branded experiences” for the chance at a free Jay-Z show. Tom Morrello of Rage Against The Machine led an “Occupy” styled sing-along. Rumors swirled that Terrence Malick was shooting scenes for his new film with Christian…
Thursday, Day Two, was my first day on random international band watch. I decided to head to some international showcases. My first stop was at the German Wunderbar lunch at Parkside Restaurant, where DJs Apparat, Bonaparte, Coma, Touchy Mob and more spun tues. I can’t tell you who was on when I was there nor did it sound distinctly German, but the tasty fare and friendly folks made it a fun stop. Next I ventured to Taiwan, by way of 6th Street. Inside Soho Lounge, the female-fronted The…
Thursday Bruce Springsteen delivered the keynote address at the SXSW Music conference. Since The Boss is one of the most contentious perennial debates on Sound Opinions, I asked hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot to weigh in on the speech. Will Jim rip it to shreds? Will Greg call Bruce a genius? Watch the videos below to find out.
AUSTIN, TX—Sharing a place on the short list of rock’s very best “dark night of the soul” masterpieces—right up there with Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night and the third album by the…
AUSTIN, TX—We’ve gotta give the Boss this: Though his much-anticipated keynote address at SXSW 2012 was rife with as much mawkish sentimentality as his music at its absolute hokiest, the man alone at a lectern—armed only with an acoustic guitar…
In a tacit admission that Lollapalooza’s original long-term, tax-free deal with the city, crafted in part by Mayor Daley’s nephew Mark Vanecko, was inequitable and possibly corrupt,…
AUSTIN, TX—With the crowds larger than ever—thanks to the burgeoning interactive soiree lingering as the music attendees arrive—and the corporate presence more ubiquitous and obnoxious than this blogger has witnessed in 20 years of covering this event—a temporary four-story tribute to/advertisement of…
Tuesday at SXSW is crossover day, when Interactive and Film are winding down and Music is just revving up. As a result there are a number of sessions that don’t neatly fall into any one category. Anthony Bourdain did a session on social media, Pitchfork threw a party for the Interactive conference and Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo talked about composing for television and film.
Mark Perro of the Men talks DIY, country music, and the impossibility of plagiarism in punkSince debuting with the self-released 2009 EP We Are the Men, the Men have been bound by an oath to subvert the punk status quo. Even within a single album, these Brooklyn dudes leapfrog from genre to genre with relentless, caustic energy—and on the brand-new Open Your Heart (Sacred Bones) they make their biggest jump yet, bringing a little bit of country into the mix.…[ Read more ]
Reissues of Feedtime’s four classic LPs, Alex Chilton’s first solo recordings, and Tav Falco’s debut with Panther Burns
by Peter Margasak
Feedtime The Aberrant Years…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
Tomeka Reid and Hear in Now, Super Minotaur’s first LP, and Lord Mantis’s vile Pervertor
by Peter Margasak, Leor Galil and Philip Montoro
JAZZ | Peter Margasak Over the past few years, cellist Tomeka Reid has become an increasingly important part of the Chicago jazz and improvised-music community, playing in several high-profile groups, including Mike Reed’s Loose Assembly, Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble, the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, and the AACM’s Great Black Music Ensemble.…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
A generation brought up on the new technology of television was shocked last week when it was announced that Davy Jones, the lead singer of The Monkees, had died. Andrea Lenaburg brings a story from her youth…
Julian Malone goes solo, Owls reunite, and Baby Teeth drops a fourth LP
by Jessica Hopper and Leor Galil
Last week local rapper Julian Malone left rising hip-hop crew 2008ighties. He says he talked to them privately first, but on Mon 2/27, when Fake Shore Drive publicized the split in a post about Malone’s “Who’s Top Now,” lots of people mistook the song for a 2008ighties dis track.…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
Jazz pianists Robert Glasper and Justin Dillard talk “fire alarm music” and warm, fluffy SteinwaysWith his well-crafted new album, Black Radio (Blue Note), pianist Robert Glasper puts a spotlight on the reality of most contemporary jazz musicians: they’re not interested in playing just “jazz.” On most of his records he’s added flourishes of hip-hop and modern R&B, but this one goes all the way, with instrumental solos kept to a minimum and vocals on every cut—including contributions from Erykah Badu, Lupe Fiasco, Ledisi, and Yasin Bey (aka Mos Def).…[ Read more ]
Local release roundup: cerebral grooves from beat maker Radius, enlightened bangers from BBU, and more
by Miles Raymer
Radius Sleeping Wide Awake…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
Jazz pianists Robert Glasper and Justin Dillard talk “fire alarm music” and warm, fluffy SteinwaysWith his well-crafted new album, Black Radio (Blue Note), pianist Robert Glasper puts a spotlight on the reality of most contemporary jazz musicians: they’re not interested in playing just “jazz.” On most of his records he’s added flourishes of hip-hop and modern R&B, but this one goes all the way, with instrumental solos kept to a minimum and vocals on every cut—including contributions from Erykah Badu, Lupe Fiasco, Ledisi, and Yasin Bey (aka Mos Def).…[ Read more ]
Friday marks the start of South By Southwest 2012- universally known simply as SXSW. The little conference that began in Austin, Tex. in 1987 has grown into a cultural and corporate behemoth that is virtually inescapable each March. Nearly 50,000 people will travel to…
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed against him for allegedly violating copyrights by playing “Eye of the Tiger” at campaign events.
A defense filing in U.S. District Court in Chicago denies any wrongdoing and says recordings played of the Rocky III anthem constituted fair use. Monday’s filing also raises jurisdictional issues.
The federal lawsuit filed recently by Rude Music Inc. contends Gingrich has used…
Over the last three years, the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival has become an increasingly vital merger of sound and vision, and the few films announced so far for 2012 hold considerable promise.
Taking place at several venues in Wicker Park and Logan Square from April 12 to 15, the fourth annual four-day “celebration of outstanding films, intense concerts, incredible DJ/VJ events, daring live score performances and more” once again will showcase “what music and movies…
In honor of the Tenth Annual Chicago Flamenco Festival, which is going on right now, Jerome and Global Notes contributor Catalina Maria Johnson listen to some flamenco fusion.
For a schedule of the festival’s events, click here.
Whether the subject is contraception or M.I.A.’s middle finger, America wants to keep women in line
by Miles Raymer
Internet leaks of songs by major artists have become so commonplace—and faked leaks such an integral part of the publicist’s tool kit—that hardly anyone makes a fuss over them anymore. But on February 20 what looked like coordinated leaks of a remix of Rihanna’s “Birthday Cake” featuring Chris Brown and a remix of Chris Brown’s “Turn Up the Music” featuring Rihanna sent pop-culture observers the world over into paroxysms of disgust, titillation, and horror.…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
More Pitchfork picks, emo people watching at the Promise Ring, and new orch-pop from Panoramic & True
by Jessica Hopper and J.R. Nelson
On Tuesday the Pitchfork Music Festival announced its first confirmed acts, though surely regular readers weren’t surprised by much—weeks ago Gossip Wolf called Willis Earl Beal and Cloud Nothings and guessed Grimes. Topping the bill so far are Vampire Weekend, Feist, and Godspeed You!…[ Read more][ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]
Well hello sir; it’s good to see you again.It seems like just yesterday that one of our all time favorite guests during the YFL and JACKSON era of shows – one Mr. Alfred Darlington, aka DAEDELUS - graced us with a virtuoso monome performance in signature dandied-out attire.
The Los Angeles based Darlington – whose prolific output over the years for the storied likes of ALPHA PUP, EASTERN DEVELOPMENTS, PLUG RESEARCH, MUSH, and recently for LA beat scene compatriot Flying Lotus’s BRAINFEEDER imprint – continued his hot streak of releases for NINJA TUNE in 2011 with the Bespoke full length and the Overwhelmed ep, with nary a slowdown in sight.
Known as much for his uniquely playful-but-intricate electronic musical take as he is for pioneering the use of the monome controller, it’s the latter that never fails to surprise. So much so, that his interweaving of bass-laden, headnod-inducing tracks with unexpected dancefloor classics (read: stardust), would punctuate two of our more raucous nights in the YFL & Jackson event series.
Suffice it to say that we’re looking forward to re-making his acquaintance this Friday as the fine folks at THE MID feature his live electronic monome prowessness, alongside fellow beatmavens EMANCIPATOR and LITTLE PEOPLE.
Jim DeRogaitis has updated his Pop N Stuff blog over at WBEZ with more on the internal downsizing/consolidation drama going down at the Chicago Office of Tourism. The results are not good for those of us who appreciate the fine work the team over at the Cultural Center has done over the past decade.
When the news of Simon Cowell’s will be partnering with Jada Pinkett-Smith to produce a “DJ Idol” show hit the web this week, we threw up in our mouths a lil bit just like most of our friends. Obviously, everyone has their own input and takeaway on this, but we find this piece from the fine folks at TheQuietus to be particularly on point:
If you haven’t already seen the multiple Facebook event posts out there about this party, consider this your notice. A collection of heads from the mid-nineties heyday of Chicago “rave” have returned for another in the series of Come2Gether revival events, this time at the Mid. Featuring a trio of headliners (McBride, Johnson, Hyperactive) and a lineup of mainstays from the era (Vega, Werner), this promises to be a blast from your big-pants past. Get your whistle on!
The French techno stalwart returns to Chicago for a heralded live set at the Mid, alongside cohorts Benjamin Rippert and Scan X.
We start the year off with a handful of events we’re supporting at the Mid which we hope to see you at, beginning with a live performance this Friday January 13th from none other than French techno visionaire LAURENT GARNIER. On the heels of 2011′s IT’S JUST MUSIK live DVD, the FComm labelhead is joined by fellow Parisian techno juggernauts Benjamin Rippert and SCAN X.
Admission is free before 11pm, so make sure to get in early!
Longtime PERLON RECORDS staple SAMMY DEE returns to Chicago with his new label ULTRASTRETCH in tow as he makes his debut appearance at the venerable SmartBar. He plays alongside Frankie Vega and Matt Main in whats sure to be one helluva night.
Culturally inclined Chicago music patrons can breathe a sigh of relief; the schedule for the Lunchbreak Music Series at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion is out, and though the fall/winter reorganization at the CCC was cause for a certain amount of concern, this news coupled with the New Music Mondays schedule all but confirms a smooth transition of duties from the former Department of Cultural Affairs to the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture.
The artist schedule is a stylistically diverse one, including artists from the realms of Classical, Jazz, Blues, Indie, Roots/Americana, and beyond. That said, we are particularly excited about the Friday and Saturday lunch time bookings: Chicago House takes centerstage on Fridays, and Saturday’s Electric Picnic brings more diverse electronic sounds to the fray.
Including such dancefloor luminaries as Frankie Knuckles, Farley Jackmaster Funk, and Heather, CHICAGO HOUSE Fridays launch on June 3rd with hometown stalwart Ron Trent. ELECTRIC PICNIC Saturdays will feature the varied likes of the Bomb Squad, Luke Vibert, and Tycho, culminating with the Rephlex Records 20 year Anniversary on Saturday September 3rd. The full schedule is listed below, but make sure to regularly check the Millennium Park website for updates!
Friday, June 3 – Chicago House: DJ Ron Trent
Saturday, June 4 – Electric Picnic: DJ Traxman + Chicago Footwork
Friday, June 10 – Chicago House: DJ Heather
Saturday, June 11 – Electric Picnic: Spacetime Continuum / Cheap and Deep
Saturday, June 18 – Electric Picnic: Luke Vibert
Saturday, June 25 – Electric Picnic: Poirier
Friday, July 1 – Chicago House: DJ Frankie Knuckles
Saturday, July 2 – Electric Picnic: Bomb Squad
Saturday, July 9 – Electric Picnic: Tycho
Saturday, July 16 – Electric Picnic: The Opus + The Makers of Sense
Saturday, July 23 – Electric Picnic: Christopher Willits
Saturday, July 30 – Electric Picnic: Radiohiro & MC Zulu
Friday, August 5 – Chicago House: DJ Lego
Saturday, August 6 – Electric Picnic: Son Lux
Saturday, August 13 – Electric Picnic: Casino Vs. Japan
Saturday, August 20 – Electric Picnic: John Hughes and Guests
Friday, August 26 – Chicago House: DJ Lady D
Friday, September 2 – Chicago House: DJ Farley Jackmaster Funk
Saturday, September 3 – Electric Picnic: Rephlex Records 20 Year Anniversary Party
Day 3 of the Avant_MUTEK Chicago events ends the celebrations on a high note with a monster double bill of headline-worthy avant-garde electronics: a rare “Live Surround” performance from Germany’s MONOLAKE, coupled with a Chicago debut of Deepchord’s heralded offspring project, ECHOSPACE. DJ sets from Chicago indie electronic mainstays KARL MEIER & CHRIS WIDMAN round out this line up of international and local pillars! NOTE: Early-bird tickets available for $12 online at the METRO/SMARTBAR website!
Regular $15 tickets available at the door.
Monolake is Robert Henke, a Berlin-based producer of sophisticated electronic dance music that represents the ideal synthesis of computer-driven musical experiments and dancefloor rhythms. Founded in 1995 by Henke and Gerhard Behle, Monolake is currently Henke’s solo project after Behles left the act to concentrate on his duties as head of the Ableton music software company. Emerging from Berlin’s legendary Chain Reaction/Hard Wax collective, Henke has since released 6 full-lengths and numerous EP’s on his own Monolake/Imbalance imprint. Monolake’s music is indebted equally to both dub and minimal techno–drawing comparisons to Maurizio and Vladislav Delay–while incorporating elements of drum & bass and academic computer music. Cool, restrained, and undeniably rhythmic, the project feeds the fluidity of bedroom ambience into the pulsations of club life, pushing elements of these disparate genres to their limits. Henke’s work as co-creator and conceptual designer of Ableton’s popular “Live” software has revolutionized electronic music performance and in 2009 he was appointed professor of sound design at the University of Arts, Berlin. Monolake’s Chicago appearance features his Live Surround performance, an ongoing research project that explores notions of space and depth in sound (traditionally concerns limited to the production studio), in the non-static and unfocused club environment.
…the aural equivalent of a glass-and-steel skyscraper, and I’m repeatedly sucked in by its grandeur.
The deep, immersive echo chamber that sits at the center of DeepChord’s signature Echospace series may appear inspired by the genre-defining work of first-wave dub technoists that appeared on the Chain Reaction label in the mid- to late-90s. But it’s also work that’s quintessentially building upon the Detroit scene where it was born, and that divine marriage of roots and vision make the work at once so highly considered, so timeless, and so pertinent. A Detroit-Chicago collaboration between prolific and low-key ambient dub-techno producer Rod Modell (Deepchord) and Steven Hitchell (Soultek), Echospace released a series of 12″ singles on England’s Modern Love label, all of which were compiled on a CD named after the series, The Coldest Season. The same year, the duo also issued a pair of singles on Lee Purkis’ Fortune8 label, as well as an additional release on echospace[detroit]. As with much of Modell’s output, Echospace’s material is deeply rooted in the Basic Channel/Chain Reaction school of dub-techno, emphasizing deep throbs and alternately soothing and unsettling ambience .
Chris Widman is a Chicago DJ that defies easy classification. As host of the weekly radio program Abstract Science since 1997 and Smartbar resident DJ, he is at the forefront of breaking new styles, crossing genre lines and re-introducing forgotten music. When DJing for the dancefloor, Widman mixes a diverse array of sounds–dubstep, techno and detroit electro among them–to create his own form of sonic warfare, designed to both entertain and challenge audiences. This versatility and depth has seen Widman DJ with acts including Amon Tobin, Kode9, Moderat, Monolake, Nightmares on Wax, Plaid and Skream. Widman also records and performs live with Colin Harris as Quadratic.
For the full-listing of Avant_MUTEK 2011 events, click HERE.
Day 2 of the Avant_MUTEK Chicago series showcases a collaborative multimedia performance by locals FRANKIE VEGA & SEVRON, as well as a different, dance-oriented side musical side of Montreal’s STEPHEN BEAUPRÉ, who performs his own audiovisual project, GEMMIFORM, the night before as part the Avant_MUTEK Chicago opening showcase at the Chicago Cultural Center.
More than 10 years of active participation on the Montreal scene has converted Stephen Beaupré into an uncontestable dj/artist in the world of Canadian music. Attracting attention with his Crackhaus project, for which he collaborates with his friend and fellow artist Deadbeat, Steve has managed to gain recognition as a solo artist with his EP Dirty Lipreading on the upstart Montreal label Musique Risquée, launched by Akufen and Vincent Lemieux. 2006 brought the release of his first solo album, the masterful Foe Destroyer, released on both Musique Risquée and MUTEK_REC. Stephen has been busy releasing a series of remixes and EPs ever since, on labels such as Circus Company and Wagon Repair.
A vinyl enthusiast with a true passion for igniting a dance floor, Chicago’s Sevron has spent the better part of fifteen years obsessively building an enviable record collection. His enthusiasm for new and unique electronic sounds has always been matched by his love of classic dance music. As a cofounding member of the Chicago-based promotional group No Affiliation, Sevron has been a force behind many memorable underground and club events over the last decade.
Immediately following our free opening concert at the Cultural Center, we invite you down to The Mid to continue the Avant_MUTEK Chicago celebrations featuring Denmark’s TRENTEMOLLER, NYC based multi-instrumentalist composer DORIT CHRYSLER, and rising Chicago producer DECIMAL.
Denmark’s Trentemøller initially made a name for himself by skating the line between minimal techno and and electro-tinged house, often crafting epic songs that catered to both the mind and the body. In 2010, Trentemøller garnered attention for the severe left turn taken on his second album, Into the Great Wide Yonder. He’ll be performing his live band project for his Avant_MUTEK Chicago appearance!
Best known for her theremin style, composer/musician Dorit Chrysler also has a prolific recording and performing career as a vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, producer, and engineer. Making her professional vocal debut at Austria’s Opera House Graz at the age of seven, Dorit would eventually move to New York, fronting a number of notable bands, including New York rock quartet Halcion. Embarking upon a solo career in 2000, Dorit has since performed in American and European venues ranging from notorious dives (CBGB) to concert halls (Disney Hall in LA & Vienna Konzerthaus) to famed music festivals (Roskilde, Ottawa Bluesfest, Phonotaktik). A typical concert features both popular and experimental compositions. Always showcasing her trademark vocal and theremin styles, Dorit also sometimes plays harmonium, harmonica, air-synth, and keyboard in her sets.
With a multifaceted electronic sound characterized by melodic elements and unexpected musical turns, Chicago based artist David Spacek’s DECIMAL alias has garnered international accolade and attention in a dauntingly crowded sea of electronic music artist/producers. Influence from a steady musical diet of house & techno in the midwest underground rearing it’s head, David’s years of experience as a live performance artist has given his music a unique perspective, resulting in multiple releases for the likes of Soma Recordings, Enemy Records, and appearances on a multitude of mixes (Fabric# 38). Add to that releases under his ABERRANT moniker as well as other burgeoning projects, the future for David and his DECIMAL project is bright indeed, and his performance at Avant_Mutek Chicago is one to watch for.
The Avant_MUTEK: Chicago series kicks off with a FREE CONCERT at the Chicago Cultural Center’s PRESTON BRADLEY HALL, featuring the US premieres of two brand-new audiovisual works by respected Montreal artists GEMMIFORM FEATURING THE BANJO CONSORTIUM, and sound artist THIERRY GAUTHIER’s NORD/SUD project.
Initiated by Stephen Beaupré, Gemmiform is a coalescence of his electronic music, the acoustic improvisations of The Banjo Consortium (guitar, flute, accordion, mandolin), and the work of visual artists Nancy Belzile (experimental animation film), Patrick Bernatchez (drawing), and David Fafard (digital imaging, video, VJ live performances). The muted and underlying dimensions of the lived experience is the main theme of this presentation drawing from subjects of timeless relevancy—genesis, growth, metamorphosis and decay, desire, joy and loss, mythos and the natural world, of which the image of a bud, the gemmiform, is a perfect synthesis. The basis for the visuals is an alluring imagery that stems from low tech production re-articulated and supplemented with digital effects. The music uses organic elements of acoustic instruments, field and vocal recordings, before combining them with synthesized methods in order to emphazise the life within the final work. Exploring the relation of the electronic devices with the figurative, the organic, and the narrative, this presentation is organic and fragile, contemplative and emotional, yet still critical—a sensuality, a marrow, a gritty merging.
Handy on guitar, keys and machines – the soft and hard ones, multi-disciplinary artist Thierry Gauthier is also well versed in the visual – from digital photography, film and video, to painting. His deep and accomplished resume includes composition and music production for films, videos, television series, documentaries, multimedia, theatre and installation. He’s also a mastering engineer as proficient in punk rock as traditional electroacoustics, or granular synthesis. Gauthier is currently at work on a series of audio-visual, non-narrative, abstract animations derived from acoustic and electronic sound sources, and photographic and synthetically produced imagery. There is a new language to be discovered in these sensorial minglings and Gauthier is as concerned with the effects and expressive possibilities of synergetic art, as with its movement, light and intensity.
Thierry will be presenting his brand-new project, entitled Nord/Sud – a figurative audiovisual composition that represents nature and the survival instinct with anxiety, tension and nostalgia. The work evolves from microscopic to macroscopic and follow the links of the food chain. The images were taken during winter in Costa Rica, Mexico and Quebec, and the music is made from field recordings, prepared piano, bowed cymbals and synthesis.
As you may have noticed from the Facebook posts, Resident Advisor event pages, and the mini-site on Mutek.org, the Avant_MUTEK experience is returning to Chicago this April. Following the success of Avant_MUTEK’S first Chicagoland foray, the program expands from one day in 2010 to three days in 2011, and continues exploring the artistic boundaries of advanced music and digital art via provocative, playful performances from some of the most highly esteemed names in the electronic music world. Of course, we are again partnering with our Montreal friends in the effort, along with our Chicago based cohorts at the Chicago Office of Tourism, React, Abstract Science, Metro/Smartbar, and People of Rhythm.
If you haven’t yet seen the Mutek mini-site, click this link. Otherwise, here’s a quick rundown of events, including web and social media links:
Avant_MUTEK Chicago Day 1 | 21.APR.2011
6:30pm @ Chicago Cultural Center 78 East Washington (map)
It’s hard to believe it’s been eight years since we booked Matthew Dear for his first solo gig in Chicago back in 2003, just after his first Jabberjaw single was released on Perlon. He had actually dj’d here as part of a couple Ghostly tours in 2001 and 2002, so we had hoped for a live performance, however Matt’s PA wasn’t tweaked to where he was performing it out on a regular basis.
Fast forward now to 2011, and the talented Dear has fully realized multiple incarnations of equally intriguing live performance for his various monikers. Luckily for us here in Chicago, the fine folks at REACT are bringing him over to the new West Loop venue the MID where as Matthew Dear’s Big Hands, Dear’s vocals are intertwined with electronics and live instrumentation. He’s tweaked this live presentation on a multitude of worldwide jaunts, so we’re really looking forward to taking in what Matthew & co. have come up with for this particular tour.
Chicago electronic outfit LOYAL DIVIDE opens the space at 8pm, while local heads-done-well LEE FOSS and ORCHARD LOUNGE transition the dancefloor after the Big Hands set. As a sidenote, Frankie Vega and Marc Meiotic will be hosting at this, and though they have an occasional penchant for shoegazing whilst taking in moving live performances, they’ll likely be found all around the dancefloor for this one. Join them, why dontcha?
Tickets are available for $10 at the following link:
Since we typically have cobwebs and fog from NYE strolling about our brains for a couple weeks after ringing the new year in, we figured several things to be probable truths:
There are others who would likely be in the same blurry position.
It would be quite nice to get said others together for a quaint and cozy night of warm beats and libations in a not-so-clubby-or-basementy environment.
It would also be nice to get a collection of fine Chicago dj’s together – sans pretense, of course – to play some fun tunes for their (and our) friends in said not-so-clubby-or-basementy environment.
So we decided to ask a several old friends and fine Chicago dj’s – Jerome Derradji (Still Music), Michael Fabiano (DJ MF), Frederick Zahm vs. Gianna Hardt (Souvenir / Forte – tag team set), Frankie Vega vs Matthew Martin (InYourSystem / Meiotic – tag team set) – to kindly bring their selecting talents to the cozy confines of the SubT Lounge(the downstairs part, stupid) and travel the house / disco / dub / techno highway.
Thankfully, all said dj’s responded yes to the invitation… we hope that you do as well.
Just thought we’d get this in now so you can get a jump on marking up your brand spankin’ new 2011 calendars; Chicago will once again be graced by the uncompromising techno genius of Birmingham UK’s Anthony Child, better known amongst electronic music aficionado’s as SURGEON. As such, it’s only fitting that we assemble a collection of classic Chicago techno heavy hitters to round out the line up: KARL MEIER of Fear of Music/Interrupt Media notoriety takes to the decks, while techno mainstay FRANKIE VEGA closes out the evening. And in what is another great coup of the evening, Koncept’s JOHN PATTERSON rears his head from a year long hiatus, adding to what’s sure to be one of 2011′s highlight events.
Needless to say, we’re pretty excited about this one. Check the gallery along with this intriguing July 2010 interview from the superb online publication, TheQuietus.com :
When Rajko Müller’s BEAU MOT PLAGE (Playhouse) was released to an unsuspecting public in 1998 under his ISOLÉE moniker, little did he know that it would cement him in electronic music lore amongst house and techno connoisseurs worldwide. Two years later, he would release to acclaim a full album’s worth of material (Rest, 2000), but sprinkling only three singles in the years following, Rajko would not resurface in earnest until 2005, releasing the universally lauded full length WE ARE MONSTER(Playhouse).
With recent singles on Dial and Mule Electronic, as well as a forthcoming full length slated for release on his ol’ pal DJ Koze’s PAMPA imprint, ISOLÉE brings his heralded live performance to Chicago for the first time since 2005, to the delight of Chicago’s discerning underground electronic music enthusiasts.
Additional performances on the evening include a live set from QUADRATIC (Chris Widman and Colin Harris of Abstract Science). Drawing influence from the likes of Luke Vibert, Monolake, Orbital, Si Begg and Deadbeat, the duo will be playing a slew of new material to keep the dancefloor primed. A first-time tag team set from Chicago techno stalwart FRANKIE VEGA & No Affiliation / Meiotic resident SEVRON starts sets the music off, while a special visual projection performance from artist KAWA provides a visual backdrop for this Thursday night multimedia special!
Meioticast002 is finally available for your aural consumption and digital download, and we know that you’ve been sitting on the edge of your seats in anticipation since 001?s release earlier in the year. Truth be told, the reason for the long gap in time since the first podcast is simple: we’ve been lazy.
That said, we’re still really excited for this one as we’ve finally been able to reel in Chicago ex-pat and Meiotic cofounder Albert. from a busy summer that included walking down the aisle in Chicago, honeymooning in Paris (below right) , graphically designing things for work, and throwing shows with his upstart Seattle crew, Condiment.
Albert drops this lovely mix for us, which we gather was inspired by a lovely season… enjoy!
Tracklisting:
track – artist [label]
1. soon my love – lump [contexterior]
2. cremita – lauhaus [remote area]
3. want your money (dyed soundorom rmx) – wolf + lamb [wolf + lamb]
4. nasty’s party (jamie jones edit) – electric jones [hot natured]
5. slow motion slam – yakine [robsoul]
6. me sabe a porro – basti grub, aldo cadiz [desolat]
7. mi cabeza – nicole moudaber [monique musique]
8. mandara – anthea, alex celler [cecille numbers]
9. mrs creamy – arnaud le texier [safari electronique]
10. house gangster (phil weeks dub) – wally callerio [magnetic]
11. hypnotic house heroes II (sensé loves porn mix) – dj sensé [casa del soul]
12. eightball – djebali, dan ghenacia [freak n chic]
13. sing – deetron [circus company]
14. all ears (mr g rmx) – shenoda [hypercolour]
15. love nasty – rob mello [classic]
16. can’t let you go (marc bernardi rmx) – harmony funk [clone]
“Together with Laurent Garnier, Aphex Twin and Richie Hawtin, Rotterdam’s Speedy J helped define Techno since 1991 with albums like Ginger, G Spot, Public Energy No. 1 and Loudboxer – spearheading labels like Plus 8, Novamute and Warp.
His latest projects span the audio-visual pioneer work of Umfeld, his label Electric Deluxe, his Event Series Electric Deluxe presents, and his upcoming Album Project Open Collabs.
Speedy J performances fuse live PA and Digital Djing, subversive electronics and peak time Techno, using Traktor and other Software technology on 2 laptops to create a fully integrated set.”
Suffice it to say, we (In Your System, Meiotic and Smartbar) are all pretty darn excited to have Jochem in town for one of three exclusive North American dates. Two special tag team sets bookend the night; Frankie Vega and Sassmouth take to the decks for a set, and Meiotic’s own Audiophile and Matthew Martin also join in on the tag team activity. This is all taking place at the venerable SMARTBAR on Halloween Friday, so costumes and early arrival are strongly encouraged!
Our friends at NO AFFILIATION are bringing back Dandyjack and Sonja Moonear for a return JUNCTION SM performance. If you were there for the last one they put together, you know that this one will be rockin as well!
Meiotic, In Your System, and Peoplemuver present the second in the EXPOSITION music and art series featuring a live performance from the highly acclaimed experimental electronic minimalist composer/producer THOMAS BRINKMANN.
Famed for productions on his own Max Ernst and Suppose labels, Brinkmann gained a name in the experimental and techno community for his full-length remixes (or as he terms them, “variations”) of material by Richie Hawtin and Mike Ink. With recent releases on Curle, a new SOULCENTER album on Shitkatapult, and an upcoming contribution to a new Richie Hawtin project, Thomas continues pushing to new creative depths in sound. With a wealth of new material to draw from, this Chicago exclusive is even more highly anticipated.
Additional performances on the evening include a tag team dj set from ex-pat BRANDON INVERGO and IYS honcho FRANKIE VEGA, along with sets from scene vet KARL MEIER and a long awaited set from Koncept crew dj SABEO.
EXPOSITION #2 will also be offering a HOSTED GALLERY RECEPTION featuring complimentary wine offerings selected especially for the event by the fine folks at Red and White Chicago.
Only a handful of $12 presale tickets are being made available for this event, so we please do urge you to pick up your tickets in advance, exclusively through RESIDENT ADVISOR ticketing.
DETAILS:
• START TIME: 10pm
• LOCATION: The event will be held at a northside gallery location. Exact details will be emailed to ticket holders and RSVP’rs on DOS.
In celebration of the Chicago arrival of Sonar – Barcelona, Spain’s highly esteemed festival for Advanced Music and Multimedia Art – three longtime Chicago staples (Abstract Science, In Your System and Meiotic) invite you to the SECRET SON@R gallery presentation and musical exposition.
This late breaking exclusive features none other than the world renown techno juggernaut ROMAN FLÜGEL. A pillar of the Ongaku / Klang / Playhouse label triumvirate, he’s best known as a partner in the infamous ALTER EGO project and their 2004 anthem ROCKER, but his compendium of releases since the mid-nineties, and festival destroying performances firmly place him in electronic music’s upper echelon.
The evening will also feature a strong slate of local support. A dj performance from scene staple Gianna Hardt, as well as two exciting local tag team dj performances: Abstract Science’s Chris Widman partners with Illmeasures/freakeasy rep Striz, while Meiotic’s Hernan Sanchez and Sevron team up for another set of tag team collabor-action.
CAPACITY IS VERY LIMITED, and a number of discount advance tix are being made available for $10 exclusively through Resident Advisor ticketing(link below). This event will include include a hosted gallery reception from 11:30 to 1am featuring artwork from select Chicago based artists. Full event details will be sent on the day of event.
ROMAN FLÜGEL (of ALTER EGO)
Playhouse / Ongaku / Klang Elektronik Labels
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also featuring performances from:
CHRIS WIDMAN | DJ STRIZ | GIANNA HARDT | HERNAN | SEVRON
and visual art projections from KAWA
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Hosted gallery reception – Gallery displays from select Chicago artists and
complimentary Goose Island offerings 11:30pm – 1am.
A vinyl enthusiast with a true passion for igniting a dance floor, Chicago’s Sevron has spent the better part of fifteen years obsessively building an enviable record collection. His enthusiasm for new and unique electronic sounds has always been matched by his love of classic dance music. This blend of innovation and classicism, along with his superior technical skills, has kept dance floors on their toes since 1998. A master of all things funky, Sevron’s DJing commands the attention of a room. Whether his sets are rooted in deep dubby minimalism, soulful grooves, jackin’ Chicago rhythms, cutting-edge techno, or a fusion of these elements, they possess a spontaneity and eclecticism uncommon amongst his musical contemporaries. As a cofounding member of the Chicago-based promotional group No Affiliation, Sevron has been a force behind many of the most memorable underground and club events of the last decade.
Friday, September 3rd The Quintessential Detroit Sound Selecta MIKE HUCKABY
(From Detroit :: Deep Transportation/Native Instruments)
Also featuring local selectors JEFF PIETRO + SEVRON
And Branded Resident JUST JOEY
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Martini Ranch | 311 W Chicago | 21+ | 10p-4a
Tastemaker, Educator, Sound Designer, Motor City Proponent; Mike Huckaby has done much for Detroit electronic music. The man behind the legendary Record Time store has gathered an encyclopedic knowledge of music. He is one of those rare guys who know all the roots and culture of electronic dance music, seeing beyond the hype and divisions in the scene, knowing exactly what this music is.
With productions for labels like Rick Wade’s renowned Harmonie Park outfit, London’s Cross Section and of course, his own DEEP TRANSPORTATION and S.Y.N.T.H. imprints, Mike has literally been flown around the world, spreading the sound of Detroit through his eclectic, soul inflicted dj performances.
Having floored the worlds most respected festivals and nightclubs, Mike returns to engage the ears and sway the hips of Chicago at Martini Ranch. Highly regarded producer and old friend JEFF PIETRO (UNLTD, Borrowed Language) supports on the night, along with longtime Meiotic collaborator/latest resident SEVRON. BRANDED resident dj JUST JOEY starts off the night with a heavy dose of Chicago house flavor.
Release party for the inaugural effort on Borrowed Language — UNLTD’s “Billion Black” EP!!!
Featuring DJ’s:
Israel Vines
Jeff Pietro
Karl Meier
Andrew Solomon
Hosted By:
Gabe Palomo, Tomeeo & Kuya
This Thursday finds us celebrating the release of UNLTD’s “Billion Black” EP, the much anticipated inaugural effort on the fledgeling Borrowed Language imprint. Rather than infuse our own little blurb, we’ll simply let the label’s press release speak for itself:
“All music is essentially a borrowed language; indebted to its forebears, but dependent on those who care about it to expand and perpetuate it. With all this in mind, Borrowed Language, a new label not based out of any city in particular, seeks to give something back, instead of contributing to the morass of disposable lifestyle music. Dedicated to releasing forward-thinking material irrespective of genre, Borrowed Language brings you the first release by Chicago’s UNLTD. Emphasizing thoughtful sound design and arrangements, UNLTD delivers 4 tracks of futuristic techno hybrids, spacious with depth and scope to spare. ”
Yes, we’re excited. You should be excited as well.
Allay Soul (I <3 House Wednesdays) celebrates 5 years of bringing the Chicago get-down this Wednesday with the genius that is Detroit’s THEO PARRISH. With a raw musical sincerity rarely conveyed via turntables and a mixer, lesser disc jockey’s can only dream of taking their listeners to the the musical high ground where Theo’s dj sets simply reside. Never restrained by the simplistic boundaries of genre, expect a groove inflicted dancefloor excursion unlike anything you’ve heard this year. Co-headliner GENE HUNT brings his signature Chicago flow to the decks, while PAUL HARRIS, FLAVIO, andresident SEAN STRANGE round out the Wednesday night line up.
Hot on the heels of last year’s initial stateside “SonarSound” one-day events in New York and Washington DC, the Catalan art and experimental music festival returns to United States, this time descending upon the Windy City from September 9 through 11 for three days of music, panels and workshops.
Full details will be announced soon Line Up and venue details have begun to be announced at http://www.sonarchicago.com , with more details to be announced soon.
It’s gonna be a great fall season here in Chicago!
Our favorite dj and yours, the sublime DANIEL BELL returns to Chicago on May 7th as the In Your System — Meiotic — Swing Shift collabs continue over at Green Dolphin Street. Joining Dan will be Chicago Teamsters veteran and DotBleep honcho JUSTIN LONG, a special tag team set from InYourSystem dj’s FRANKIE VEGA and JOHNNY ARMSTRONG, and Meiotic’s very own MATTHEW MARTIN starts the night off with a signature mix for the headbobbers and bootyshakers. Gonna be a night of fantastic music from start to finish.
We’re excited to announce that we’re starting up our own podcast series, aptly titled the “Meioticast”. Our first episode features none other than Andrew Kevins, who drops an eclectic, diverse mix. Including tracks from the varied likes of Madlib, Moodymann, Isolee, and Nightmares on Wax, this mix nicely paints a colorful map illustrating the various soundpaths that the Meiotic crew’s tastes travel.
Tracklisting:
Montara – Madlib/Bobby Hutcherson
WorkinOnIt – J Dilla
Freaky MF – Moodymann
Pussy Shepard – Guillaume and the Coutu Dumonts
Milk and Honey – Filburt, Good Guy Mikesh (Basket Mix)
Desde Rusia – Mathias Aguayo
Amigos Comeme – Rebolledo
Party Faktor – Federico Molinari (Robert Dietz Disco Desafinado Mix)
Enjoy Music – Reboot
Nomads – Cle (Mathias Tanzmann remix)
I Called U (The Conversation) – ATFC
Make You Crazy – Veltengruber
I Love Nobody Else – Spencer Parker
Mushrooms – Marshall Jefferson (Noosa Heads Remake)
Beau Mot Plage – Isolee (Freeform Reform Parts 1 and 2)
Fast Tongue – Slow Hands
Soul Purpose – Nightmares On Wax
featuring AKUFEN (From Montreal | Musique Risquée, Perlon, Mutek, Force Inc) STEPHEN BEAUPRÉ (From Montreal | Musique Risquée, Circus Company) LEO 123 (From Chicago | Dark Party, Mush, Old Tacoma) LIVE HERNAN SANCHEZ (From Chicago | Meiotic)
JEFF PIETRO (From Chicago | fear of music NY)
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For the first time ever, MUTEK is making a preview stop in Chicago. The MUTEK festival – celebrating it’s 11th anniversary this year from June 2 to 6 in Montreal, Canada – has distinguished itself as an international rendezvous for original and avant-garde programming, with interests in both the experimental and the playful sides of digital creativity. As the Mutek festival experience is truly one of our favorites in the world, we’re hoping to expand its awareness in Chicago, and to perhaps sway some uninitiated friends to come along to the beautifully intriguing city of Montreal, Quebec for a couple musically enlightened and inspiring days at the beginning of June. The festival’s 2010 tour features two pillars of Mutek: Montreal cut-up house luminaries AKUFEN and STEPHEN BEAUPRÉ. Chicago based beatsmith LEO 123, Meiotic mainstay HERNAN SANCHEZ , and Fear of Music’s JEFF PIETRO round out the evenings varied line up.
Adding another element to the event is the ABLETON 101 Workshop, hosted by MacSpecialist at 7pm. This Workshop Series includes interactive demonstrations, practice exercises, professional tips and valuable resources from producer, drummer, and multimedia artist Thomas Faulds.
Following the Ableton workshop will be a special technology reception. Ableton Inc, MacSpecialist and other product specialists will be set up and on hand to engage attendees with word about their solutions, providing access to them and assisting with questions. Also featured will be a preferred choice panel of end users, displaying their own midi controllers and gadgets haling from favorite picks from the market place, rare discoveries all the way to custom built.
Our favorite dj and yours, DANIEL BELL returns to Chicago on May 7th as the Meiotic – In Your System – Swing Shift collabs continue over at Green Dolphin Street. Joining Dan will be veteran Chicago jack JUSTIN LONG, an IYS tag team featuring FRANKIE VEGA & JOHNNY ARMSTRONG, and Meiotics own MATTHEW MARTIN. Full details to come… keep checking out the Event link below for full event details.
Ok… so this is coming up fast, but to say that we’re pretty thrilled about the Avant Mutek tour making a pit stop in Chicago is an understatement, to say the least. As Mutek is truly one of our favorite festival experiences in the world, we’re hoping to convince our fellow Chicago heads to head visit one of our other favorite cities in NA - the lovely city of Montreal, Quebec – for a couple musically enlightened days at the beginning of June.
We’ll post full details here soon, including info about the Ableton workshop and vendors, but in the interim, peep the flyer for details! Check the full event details on the Meiotic, Facebook, or Resident Advisor event pages… Advance tix available via the Resident Advisor page as well!
If like us, you’ve had some extra time on your hands and recently browsed to the site on your sassy mobular talk device, you may have noticed that the words & links & letters are sized just right. The Meiotic site has gone mobile…
At 27 years of age, Thomas Erdmann aka Popkan continues to push his unique sound into the new decade and beyond. Heavily influenced by artists like Thomas Bangalter, Derrick Carter, Green Velvet and others after attending underground events in the late 90′s, he picked up a part time job to support his new love for underground dance music production. In 2002, Thomas joined the Meiotic Electronic Music & Arts promotions group based out of Chicago. In 2005, he joined Textone, an online netlabel showcasing acclaimed artists from all over the world. He would later release music on other international net labels such as Clever Music, Intoxik, and Exposed Audio just to name a few. From there he found himself playing at some of the Midwest’s hottest underground clubs and events. He is currently working on music for Detroit based Random Access Recordings, Chicago Hip-Hop group Rebl Music, and a house music project with friend James Turner.
Exposed to various forms of electronic music through Chicago’s mid to late 90’s rave scene, Matthew’s tastes would be influenced by the vast musical knowledge of his friends Karl and Ken Meier, Dave Siska, Josh Werner, Israel Vines, and Zachary Lubin. Further honing his DJ skills and refining his sound, Matthew would then join the like-minded Meiotic collective. Infusing his dj sets with a mixture of techno, house, and electro emanating from the Detroit – Chicago – Berlin triumvirate, Matthew’s ability to acknowledge the past while championing the present has allowed him performances all over the city of Chicago and the Midwest. From underground events at lofts, rooftops, warehouses, and basements, to such known nightclubs as Smartbar, Sonotheque, Empty Bottle, Lava, Vision, and Zentra, Matthew has performed alongside some of the most heralded names in electronic music; Daniel Bell, Derrick May, Deetron, Dave Sumner aka Function, Joel Mull, Alexi Delano, Los Hermanos, Michael Mayer, Gui Boratto, Angel Alanis, Mike Dearborn, and Troy Pierce, just to name a few.
From the sounds of old salsa, cumbia and merengue records emanating from his parents’ home stereo as a child to the jacking raw beats of early Chicago house which provided the soundtrack to his teen years, Hernan’s early exposure to the musical output of Chicago’s diverse cultural communities awakened within him a lifelong passion for music and movement. Throughout Hernan’s time at university and beyond, Chicago’s influential music scene & quality record stores fed his voracious appetite for electronic sounds of all sorts- industrial, musique concrète, IDM, film soundtracks- to complement the beckoning throb of Chicago’s house dancefloors. However, it was upon his exposure to the work of artists such as Baby Ford & Ricardo Villalobos that Hernan discovered the sound which possessed the darker character he sought from other genres, but retained the enticing warmth & sexiness which he had previously found solely in deep house.
Over a decade later, this sound still resonates within him and drives Hernan to ignite floors across Chicago’s underground dance scene with his tasteful selection of current and classic productions. Hernan’s sets feature a focused attention to detail as he synthesizes engaging dialogues between tracks, all the while maintaining a sensual & propulsive energy to captivate the dancefloor. The percussive afro-caribbean pulse which held such presence throughout his formative years continues to serve as inspiration, flavored with Hernan’s touches of mood, a thick low-end, and the engaging polyrhythmic musical approach of his Latin background.
An established fixture of Chicago’s thriving techno/house scene both on the decks and on the dancefloor, Hernan continues to play at numerous underground events as well as at high-profile venues including Smartbar, Sonotheque, Lava, Vision, and Lumen. He has also played alongside a diverse range of leading talent, whose names include Akufen, Derek Plaslaiko, Dave Aju, among others.
A Chicago native recently transplanted to the northwest, DJ Shift’s (Albert Loo)initial forays into electronic music were heavily shaped by the industrial and new wave sounds championed by the city’s Wax Trax Records. He would then later be inspired by the 90’s Midwest rave scene where his musical vocabulary grew as he was exposed to legendary djs such as Derrick Carter, Derrick May, Surgeon, and Richie Hawtin. When the Midwest rave scene died in the late 90s and along with it the techno sounds that Shift had found himself leaning more and more towards, he and his friends started the successful Meiotic crew (www.meioticpromotions.com) in 2002 and worked with like-minded members of the Chicago dance music community toraise awareness of artists they felt had not received the proper exposure to North American audiences. As a DJ who is open to all music, Shift draws upon disparate influences and experiences to create sets that ebb from the sublime minimal to funky to banging, with a focus on forward thinking tracks that retain a strong dancefloor edge. This sensibility has blessed Shift with gigs in Chicago and Detroit and the pleasure of opening for artists such as Michael Mayer, Dan Bell, Losoul, MANDY, and Jeff Mills. Currently, Albert is involved in the northwest scene with a new crew named Condiment where he continually strives to perfect his craft while keeping the floor shaking.
Andrew was initially drawn into music as a child after many raids of his father’s vast rock vinyl collection, which ranged from the Beatles to Pink Floyd to Hendrix to Joy Division. Andrew purchased his own set of turntables as a freshman in high school back in 1996 and began practicing the art of mixing records immediately after. Initially mentored by a successful hip-hop DJ while playing various mobile gigs and parties in high school, these experiences taught him the art of reading crowd response through music. Andrew’s experiences in music soon began to change. Attending the Drop Bass Network Parties in Wisconsin along with a number of parties throughout Chicago, Detroit, and across the states, he became equally influenced by Kurt Eckes’ legendary Drop Bass parties and family techno campouts, as well as Richie Hawtin’s heady parties of the second half of the nineties. The various sounds of house, techno, electro, hip-hop, and IDM became a sort of obsession for Andrew and friends, following the movements at various events across the country, from Chicago to Detroit, NY to LA.
Aside from his current focus on mixes, remixes, re-edits, synthesis, and MIDI-based performance, Andrew also maintains his passion of creating mixes of music through DJing. With a love of all “great” music, his DJ sets can very versatile and diverse, ranging from downtempo, dub, idm, hip-hop, rock, soul, disco, house, techno, and everything in between, depending on the crowd and atmosphere. Andrew makes a point to steer clear of genre pigeonholing and saturation, but always likes to reference his electronic influential roots of Chicago, Detroit, New York, Berlin, Cologne, Manchester, and Chile in his DJ sets and production work. He has opened for artists such as Ellen Allien, Modeselektor, Michael Mayer, Matthew Dear, Jeff Samuel, Solvent, and Skoozbot, among others.
With having held full-time positions at Shure Audio, Steinway Piano, and Native Instruments, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Audio Arts and Acoustics, these positions have allowed Andrew to continue on in an intimate relationship with music and audio. Andrew currently works full-time for the Berlin-based Native Instruments in Hollywood, California.
It’s no coincidence that our first “new” event post of the year is essentially the first event that we’ve been excited about in a really long time. The first 120 party is going down on February 27th, and yea… it’s gonna be the bidness. There’s gonna be a special space setup and a mini cocktail menu, but add Rick Wilhite of the 3 Chairs from Detroit for some proper disco action, and well… sold.
Southside Disco stalwart Rahaan, Still Music impresario Jerome Derradji, and our favorite latin floorrocker Hernan Sanchez on the bill as well… double sold.
Eight years of partaking in Chicago electronic music culture and we’ve finally decided to update the Meiotic site. As usual, we’ll be making tweeks here and there over time to provide a nicer browsing experience. We’ll also over time, migrate the content from our previous site, which we’ll still make viewable for old times sake.
Photos by Sara Pieper
Sgt. Joseph Giambrone testified that Congress Theater staffers lied about serving alcohol when his unit arrived to investigate suspicions of underage drinking during a DJ Rusko set in the early hours of May 6, 2012.
Photos by Kirstie Shanley
WZRD 88.3 FM, Northeastern Illinois University’s non-commercial, freeform student radio station known for playing an eclectic array of musical genres, was 
There’re countless female singers who strap on a guitar, write a few catchy tunes and get one of them in the background of a network television program or Hollywood movie. But there’s a streak of wildness in 
It’s official: After his job as this city’s best ever programmer of free live music was twice eliminated by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in the span of less than a year, Michael Orlove is moving on to greener–and hopefully more grateful–pastures. Here is the press…
