Music Via Chicago

It's Been Awhile...

2008-05-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

So it's been a week since I posted anything. I apologize, but I've been really, really busy.

Luckily, in the week to come, I'm going to have a few cool articles. The first I'll have posted is a review Kanye West's Glow in the Dark tour, the second is a review of the new Cool Kids mixtape The Bake Sale. In addition to those articles I've got a few suprises in store for this week, so stay tuned!

This Week in Chicago

2008-05-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 20

Mike Ness

Location: Park West, 8PM (Tuesday AND Wednesday)

Tickets: $30, Buy HERE

Finger Eleven

Location: The Fuel Room, Libertyville, Illinois 6PM

Tickets: $25, Buy HERE

Wednesday, May 21

Eric Hutchinson with Marie Digby and Justin Nozuka

Location: The Double Door

Tickets: $12 at the door, or buy HERE

Thursday, May 22

Stone Temple Pilots

Location: Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island

Tickets: $45 + a boatload of Ticketmaster charges, Buy HERE

Saturday, May 24

Rilo Kiley

Location: The Riviera Theater, 7:30 PM

Tickets: $25, Buy HERE

Featured Show of the Week

KANYE WEST, N.E.R.D., Rhianna, Lupe Fiasco: Glow in the Dark Tour

Location: Friday and Saturday at the United Center, 7PM

Tickets: Outrageous Prices, but if you're willing to feed Kanye's enourmous ego you can buy your tickets HERE

Patrycja Humienik: In Rhythm and Words

2008-05-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

Local artist Patrycja Humienik, along with more than a dozen other local musicians and dancers, took the stage at Evanston’s Levy Center Friday evening and performed In Rhythm and Words; a show choreographed by Humienik in collaberation with some of the show's other dancers. The performance contained multiple forms of dance ranging from hip hop to belly dancing. Here are a few photos from the performance which lasted just under an hour:

While the dance portion of the performance contained an eclectic mix of choreography, the highlight for me came at the show’s introduction. Before the dancers took the stage, Humienik played an original song she wrote herself and recorded with other local musicians. The song, like the performance that followed it, contained a wide range of genres including soul, hip hop, and spoken word.

To hear a preview of the original song, Abandon the Material visit the show’s official website HERE.

In Rhythm and Words was certainly a first for me. As a huge fan of local arts, I have never before seen such a creative and unique hybrid of dance, music and spoken word. By combining multiple art mediums, In Rhythm and Words successfully bends the “laws of art” and forces the viewer to rethink how they interpret various genres of music and dance.

For those of you who missed Friday evening’s performance, you can still see the show in its final day Sunday at The Levy Senior Center located at 300 N. Dodge Ave. in Evanston. Sunday's show will also feature a special performance by Evanston's own Lars Kohlman!

The Official Barack Obama Campaign Playlist

2008-05-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

I love music. I love Barack Obama. I love making playlists.

So I’ve created a mix that lists songs in chronological order as it applies to the campaign timeline.

1. Come Together- The Beatles-2004 Democratic Convention, Key-Note Address.
This is a pretty obvious pick right? Barack’s speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention was certainly a memorable one as it put him on the map as a rising star of the Democratic Party. In the speech, Barack called on Americans to come together and recognize that while we may have multiple differences we should never forget that we are all still Americans fighting together for common values like peace, justice and equality.

2. The Rising- Bruce Springsteen- Obama’s speech announcing his bid for the Democratic Nomination.
On a cold spring morning in Springfield, Illinois on the steps of the Illinois Capital Building where Abraham Lincoln announced his candidacy for President nearly a century-and-a-half prior, Obama confirmed to a crowd of over 10,000 supporters that he was running for President of the United States.

In Bruce Springsteen’s The Rising, Bruce invites the listener to “Come on up for the rising.” Essentially, in his announcement speech, Barack was calling on Americans to do the same thing.

3. U Black, Maybe- Common- Questions about Barack Obama’s racial identity
Early on in the primary process, before Barack had gained the overwhelming support of the African American community, many people began raising questions about Barack Obama’s racial identity. Many black elitists began questioning whether or not Obama was “black enough,” while other members of the African-American community doubted that he would be able to succeed in national politics because of the color of his skin. In U Black, Maybe Chicago rapper Common discusses the complications of racial identity in American culture.

4. Rebel Yell-Billy Idol- Barack wins the Iowa caucuses
January 3, 2008 was the night forever changed the American political landscape: Barack Obama, a young, black, first-term Senator from Illinois won the Iowa caucuses. In his victory speech that night, Obama predicted that his campaign would go on to clinch the Democratic nomination for president and eventually win against the Republicans in general election. To me, Rebel Yell seems like the perfect song to fit the moment: a revolution had truly begun.

5. Heroes-David Bowie- Super Tuesday
To refresh your memories “Super Tuesday” (which ironically turned out not to be uniquely super) was the day when nearly two-dozen states held primary elections and caucuses. For both campaigns, Super Tuesday was a pivotal moment in the campaign. That evening, while Obama won more states than his rival Hillary Clinton, he fell short in several delegate-rich states like New Jersey, Massachusetts and California. By the end of the night, most political pundits were calling Super Tuesday a “split decision” as neither candidate emerged as a true front-runner.

In Obama’s speech that evening, he said “We are the one’s we’ve been waiting for” in regards to changing America’s political landscape. For me, David Bowie’s Heroes perfectly sums up the mood of Obama’s supporters that evening. In the song, Bowie sings about the desire for glory which was a feeling I vividly remember having that evening.

6. The Glory- Kanye West- Obama’s 11 state winning streak
Remember how I described the Obama campaign’s thirst for glory in the last passage? Well, by the end of February Barack Obama and his supporters were feeling on top of the world after winning the 11 post-Super Tuesday contests in February. There was a sense among many of Barack’s supporters that after going on such an extensive winning streak he had finally delivered a fatal blow to Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Thus, there is only one artist who can effectively match the overzealous cockiness that some of Barack’s supporters were displaying at the time: Kanye West

7. Gash- The Flaming Lips- Obama’s March-April Rough Patch
After stunning the political world with a massive winning streak, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign finally began to garner a few significant chinks in the armor. After losing hard-fought contests in Texas and Ohio, controversial sound bites of Barack Obama’s former pastor and so-called “spiritual adviser” Jeremiah Wright emerged on the cable news networks. Within days, these video clips and transcripts had circulated to nearly every major media market. Many who viewed the pastor’s speeches felt that it proved the Barack Obama, who was a member of Wright’s church for nearly two decades, was somehow unpatriotic. Barack’s poll numbers among white, working-class voters took an immediate hit, and as a result, Obama lost in the pivotal battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Personally, I believe the lyrics from Gash seem like an accurate depiction of the struggles Barack Obama’s campaign was facing after the Reverend Wright controversy exploded in the American media.

Is that gash in your leg
Really why you have stopped?
‘Cause I’ve noticed all the others
Though they’re gashed, they’re still going
‘Cause I feel like the real reason
That you’re quitting, that you’re admitting
That you’ve lost all the will to battle on

Will the fight for our sanity
Be the fight of our lives?
Now that we’ve lost all the reasons
That we thought that we had

Still the battle that we’re in
Rages on till the end
With explosions, wounds are open
Sights and smells, eyes and noses
But the thought that went unspoken
Was understanding that you’re broken
Still the last volunteer battles on

Battles on
Battles on

8. Take the Power Back- Rage Against The Machine- Obama Bounces Back
After weathering Hillary Clinton’s self-proclaimed “kitchen sink strategy,” Barack Obama’s campaign finally bounced back and delivered a major victory in North Carolina coupled with an incredibly narrow loss in the predominantly white, working-class Indiana. Essentially, by bouncing back with a strong performance in these two contests, Barack has all but locked up the Democratic nomination. Now, as we move onto the general election it’s time for the real revolution to begin.

As Zach De La Rocha wrote in Rage Against the Machine’s Take the Power Back:

We need a movement with a quickness
You are the witness of change
And to counteract
We gotta take the power back!

Lolla Additions Confirmed

2008-05-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

Remember when I reported here that Lollapalooza had accidently leaked the first round of lineup? Well today Lollapalooza confirmed these additions in an email. Iron and Wine, Toadies, Saul Williams, DeVotchka, and Wild Sweet Orange were all added to the lineup this afternoon.

This Week in Chicago

2008-05-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 13

Liars
Location: Reggie's Rock Club, 8PM
Tickets: $16 HERE

Your Majesty! with Does it Offend You, Yeah?
Location: The Mansion, 8 PM
Tickets: $13, Buy HERE

Saturday, May 17

Jon Langford with The Pine Valley Cosmonauts
Location: Abbey Pub
Tickets: $20, Buy HERE

FEATURED SHOW OF THE WEEK
THE CURE, SATURDAY, MAY 17, 7:30 pm
LOCATION: ALLSTATE ARENA
TICKETS: $50-65 + Ticketmaster Charges
Buy HERE

In Concert: Lars Kohlman

2008-05-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

Monday evening, local musician Lars Kohlman took the stage at Evanston's Little Theater; here are a few photos from the evening's performance:

The crowd watches in Shock and Awe as Kohlman performs

Kohlman's set contained a mix of original folk tunes and cover songs ranging from Bob Dylan to Neil Young. After entering to the dramatic Ennio Morricone anthem The Ecstasy of Gold, Kohlman immediately launched into a brilliant rendition of Neil Young's On the Way Home. Following One the Way Home, which ironically was the same song Neil Young opened with on his 1971 solo tour, was an original Lars Kohlman track entitled The Sheep. The lyrical flow in The Sheep is heavily influenced by another Neil Young track: Cowgirl in the Sand. However, the lyrics in The Sheep have an intense political connotation. In The Sheep's second verse Kohlman sings about the realities of false patriotism in America.

Hello lonesome hearted bride
Do you fly your flag with pride?
The picture you sent me of our son
It makes me proud to hold a gun

While The Sheep was heavily laced with political content, the criticisms of American culture and foreign policy were not limited to the concert’s second track. In the hard-hitting anti war anthem Shock and Awe, Kohlman compared the faults of past American generations to the atrocities being committed by our nation's leaders today, arguing that perhaps America has not learned from its own history. For me, Shock and Awe was Kohlman's best song of the evening in large part because of the vivid and intense lyrics.
In addition to the opening song, On the Way Home, Kohlman also belted out Neil Young's Down by the River, which like Kohlman's original work, contains chilling lyrics.

Overall, the evening was an enjoyable musical experience for all in attendance. At the show's conclusion, Kohlman remained on the stage and held a brief question and answer session with his audience. In the discussion, one attendee commented that he felt the music that evening leaned, at times, too heavily on Kohlman's folk-rock predecessors Bob Dylan and Neil Young. While I agree with this statement as a music critic, it should be noted that Bob Dylan, who ironically has made a huge impact on influencing the music of Mr. Kohlman, released his debut self-titled album containing multiple cover songs. In other words, folk musicians usually become successful only after building on a musical foundation constructed by the artists who came before them.

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One final thing:

It should be noted that Lars Kohlman is a close friend of mine, and while I promised him I would try to write an objective review, it’s obviously very hard to find anything wrong with a performance when it happens to be one of your best friends on stage. That being said, I still sincerely believe that the concert, which was his first, was phenomenal. While talking with other concert-goers after the show, it became quickly apparent to me that we had all reached a similar conclusion: something truly special had occurred in The Little Theater that evening.

Throughout the past four months, I have witnessed personally Lars Kohlman’s growth as both a musician and a poet. Seeing someone literally morph from an amateur guitar player to a full-fledged performing artist has truly been amazing in itself. Monday night felt like the perfect culmination of that phenomenon. But somewhere between Kohlman’s fast-paced rendition of Bob Dylan’s Mr. Tambourine Man and the vivid and heartfelt lyrics of Shock and Awe it hit me; Monday evening’s show was not a culmination of anything, rather, it was the beginning of what appears to be a fruitful and rewarding musical journey for Mr. Kohlman.

As a friend of Lars, I’m telling you to watch the video above and later listen to his full length album which he says will be recorded and released in the months to come.

As a music critic, I’m telling you one thing: This kid is the real deal.

Andrew Bird Added to 80/35 Lineup

2008-05-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

In a still unofficial announcement, the organizers of the 80/35 Music Festival in Des Moines, Iowa announced that Chicago indie rocker Andrew Bird has been added to the already fantastic lineup. Along with Bird, Jakob Dylan (yes, the less-talented son of Bob) was also announced as an addition. An official announcement of additional bands will be coming May 13.

This Week in Chicago

2008-05-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 5

Lymbyc System

Location: Empty Bottle, 9PM

Tickets: 773-276-3600

Gebhard Ullmann-Steve Swell Quartet

Location:Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington 7PM

Tickets: 312-744-6630

Tokyo Police Club, Smoosh

Location: Metro, 8PM

Tickets: At the door

Rooney

Location: House of Blues

Tickets: $13 at the door

Tuesday, May 6

Streetlight Manifesto, Zox

Location: Metro, 7PM

Tickets: At the door

Wednesday, May 7

Local H

Location: The Beat Kitchen, 6:45 PM

Tickets: Sold out

Cut Copy, Black Kids

Location: Abbey Pub, 6:30 PM

Tickets: At the door

Friday, May 9

Teen Spring Jam featuring Soulja Boy, Hurricane Chris and Lloyd

Location: Arie Crown Theater, 7:30 PM

Tickets: $47 at the door

Saturday, May 10

VHS or Beta

Location: Sonotheque

Tickets: At the door

FEATURED SHOW OF THE WEEK

MIA

Location: Aragon Ballroom

Tickets: $27.50 + Ticketmaster charges, buy Tickets HERE

Common and Ted Leo Set to Play Northwestern's Mayfest

2008-05-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

In an article posted on the official Mayfest website, the organizers of Dillo Day (Northwestern University's annual end-of-the-year music festival) have announced that Chicago rapper Common will be headlining the day-long festival. Performing before Common will be Washington D.C. natives Ted Leo and The Pharmacists. The concert will be held on Saturday, May 31 at the Lakefront Landfill in Evanston, a specific time for the event has yet to be announced.

Unfortunately, those of us who don't attend Northwestern are barred from attending the event. However, I have learned from a confidential source in the Northwestern community that if you're sneaky enough you just might be able to squeeze through security.

Stay tuned to Music Via Chicago for additional announcements regarding Dillo Day.

Throwback Thursday: Junior Wells

2008-05-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, that’s right folks: Throwback Thursday has finally made its triumphant return to Music Via Chicago. This week I’ll be taking you way back in time all the way to the year 1965 when the Chicago blues musician Junior Wells recorded his debut album Hoodoo Man Blues.

Junior Wells
Hoodoo Man Blues- Delmark Records
Rating: 6/10

Hoodoo Man Blues was the first of over 30 studio albums recorded by Chicago blues legend Junior Wells. Throughout his career, Junior collaborated with other legendary blues musicians like Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and B.B. King. However, most musical historians consider Hoodoo Man Blues to be Junior’s finest work. The album, which was recorded at the pinnacle of the 1960’s Chicago blues-boom, encompasses multiple types of Delta-style blues. On the album’s lead track, Snatch it Back and Hold It, Junior and his band establish their sound by implementing a pretty standard 1960s electric blues guitar progression. Essentially, Snatch it Back and Hold It sounds nearly identical to some of the work that Muddy Waters was producing during the same period.

The second track however conveys a drastically different sound to the listener. On the first track, Junior and his band played at a much faster pace, infusing jazz-influenced drumming with standard blues guitar and vocals. On the second track, Ships On the Ocean, Junior Wells and the band play a more depressing style of blues. In the song’s chorus Junior wails out in a cry to an ex-lover: There ain’t nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for you!

The third track on the album, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, combines the sounds of both the first and second track. Instrumentally the song has the dirty-delta sound of Ships On the Ocean, but the track’s lyrical flow mirrors the structure of Snatch it Back and Hold It. Another interesting fact about Good Morning Little Schoolgirl is that it has been covered by many musicians throughout blues history. Most notably, The Grateful Dead covered the song at multiple concerts and it appears on their most recent three-disc live box set.

After the blues-fusion presented in Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, Junior Wells launches into Hound Dog, a song that sounds like it was created to be played in a 1960’s dancehall. Next is the immensely depressing and overpowering In the Wee Hours. While the song contains few lyrics, Junior manages to do all the talking with guitar and harmonica. Junior switches off simultaneously between the two instruments, trading solos back and forth. The presence of drums and bass, while noticeable, is kept to a minimum on this incredibly dramatic track.

A seventh standout track on the album is the title track Hoodoo Man Blues. In the opening seconds of the song, Junior builds up the instruments perfectly. Frankly, this track probably should have been the first track on the album as I’m guessing it landed at the top of most of Junior’s set lists while he was touring in support of the album.

Overall, Hoodoo Man Blues hits all the standard blues album notes. When you listen to the album, notice how its sound both mirrors Junior Wells’ early blues influences like Muddy Waters and allows the reader to hear the birth of the more contemporary blues sound simultaneously. Essentially, the album fits perfectly into the Chicago blues history timeline. However, while the album is rich in historical context it is far from perfect. One major problem with the record is that instrumentally, it resembles a completely generic blues album from the 1960’s. Additionally, due to poor recording quality, many of Junior’s lyrics appear to be muffled or inaudible. Because bad recording equipment was a reality of the 1960’s blues movement, it leaves those of us who were raised in the digital music age with an occasionally annoying musical experience.

In summation, it should be noted that it was albums like Hoodoo Man Blues that created the foundation of the Chicago music scene. If it weren’t for musical pioneers like Junior Wells, Muddy Watters and Buddy Guy bringing the Delta Blues to Chicago, there would have been no blues music created in Chicago.

Looking back today, there are many of us music fanatics who long for a local musical explosion like that of the 1960’s blues movement in Chicago. Today, there are very few remnants of the old blues culture, as most of the famous blues clubs have been bought out by white business owners who pander to Lincoln Park yuppies or have just been closed down altogether. But luckily, the music of Chicago blues musicians like Junior Wells can never be bought, stolen or diminished. Thankfully, for those of us who can see past the gentrification of the Chicago blues culture, the music created during the 1960’s blues movement will live on forever.

The Cool Kids Concert (And Clothing Giveaway)

2008-04-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

The Cool Kids have been riding an unbelievably long wave of hype since the release of their hit MySpace tracks Black Mags and I Rock. Friday evening, I went to their show at Columbia College's Conway Center to see what all the fuss was about. Here are some pics from the show (Notice the black Baltimore Orioles hat Mikey is wearing, more on that later):

For those of you who are not familiar with The Cool Kids:
Mikey: white shirt, black hat
Chuck: black shirt, red hat

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Remember earlier when I mentioned Mikey's black hat? Well, near the end of the show, when The Cool Kids had already gone through their entire catalog of MySpace tracks, they filled up time by tossing some of their clothing and other accessories into the audience in an attempt to keep the crowd, made up mostly of their peers at Columbia College, hyped up. Near the end of the five minute clothing giveaway, Mikey tossed his black Orioles hat into the audience. My friend Sean, who plays basketball and is well over six feet tall, leaped up to catch the hat.

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One final thing: Flosstradamus, the DJ act that opened for the Cool Kids, nearly stole the show. I would have posted pictures, but all the images turned out to be blurry. Anyway, their set featured multiple Daft Punk remixes along with a bunch of other fun dance songs. But overall, The Cool Kids lived up to the headlining status they were given that evening. At the show, the group also announced that their long-awaited mixtape, The Bake Sale, will be hitting iTunes on May, 20. All in all, it was a fun night for all who attended.

This Week in Chicago

2008-04-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

Monday

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth with Cave and Head of Skulls

Location: Empty Bottle

Tickets: Free

Tuesday

Bloodhag

Location: Reggie's Rock Club

Tickets: 17+, $10 at the door

Yelle

Location: The Mansion, 2408 N. Kedzie

Tickets: $12

Elbow with The Watson Twins

Location: Park West, 8pm

Tickets: Free

Wednesday

Etran Finatawa

Location: Old Town School of Folk Music

Tickets: Suggested donation of $5

Bear Colony

Location: Beat Kitchen, 8pm

Tickets: 17+, Free or very cheap

Tursday

The Nightwatchman, Ben Harper, Perry Farrell, Boots Riley, Shooter Jennings, Ike Reilly

Location: Park West, 7:30 pm

Tickets: This show is a fundraiser for The Justice Fund, call 773-929-5959 for more information

Friday

Kate Nash, Trachtenburg Family Sideshow Players
Location: The Vic, 7:30 pm

Tickets: SOLD OUT

FEATURED SHOW OF THE WEEK:

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE

Location: The Vic, 7:30pm Saturday evening

Tickets: 18+, $63 + Ticketmaster charges. Buy Tickets HERE .

The Hold Steady to Complete Pitchfork Music Festival

2008-04-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

In an announcement made Friday, the promoters of the Pitchfork Music Festival announced that Minnesota rockers The Hold Steady, along with 11 other bands, have been added to the three-day festival to be held in Chicago's Union Park, July 19-21. The announcement of these artists marks the final round of additions for this year's festival.

And now, your complete P4K2008 lineup:

Friday, July 19th
Public Enemy performing It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Sebadoh performing Bubble and Scrape
Mission of Burma performing Vs.

Saturday, July 20th
Animal Collective, Jarvis Cocker, The Hold Steady, !!!, Vampire Weekend, Dizzee Rascal, Fleet Foxes, Caribou Jay Reatard, Titus Andronicus, No Age, Atlas Sound, Extra Golden, Elf Power, The Ruby Suns, Icy Demons, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Occidental Brothers, Dance Band International, Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar

Sunday, July 21
Spoon, Dinosaur Jr., Spiritualized, M. Ward, Ghostface and Raekwon, Les Savy Fav, The Apples in Stereo, Boris, Dirty Projectors, Times New Viking, Cut Copy, Bon Iver, Dodos, Extra Golden,King Khan & His Shrines, El Guincho, Fuck Buttons, HEALTH, High Places, Mahjongg

There you have it, The Pitchfork Music Festival

First Round of Lollapalooza Lineup Additions?

2008-04-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!"
-Michael Corleone

That's right; I just can't get enough of Lollapalooza speculation. So what's new in Lollaland? New artist additions perhaps? The answer for now is maybe.

If any of you have been listening to artists on the Lollapalooza music discovery page you may have noticed that the website features some artists who aren't on the official lineup. For example, the artist directory, which features the MySpace pages of all the lollapalooza artists, contains music from Iron and Wine, Toadies, Saul Williams, DeVotchka and Wild Sweet Orange. There are a whole host of reasons why these additions make sense. For one thing, both Saul Williams and Iron and Wine both had (or have)Chicago gigs already scheduled on their tour. Thus, Lollapalooza is legally barred from announcing them on the official lineup until the respective bands play their Chicago shows.

So, if you missed Saul Williams' Friday night gig at Martyr's like I did you'll have a second chance to see him along with Iron and Wine, Toadies, DeVotchka and Wild Sweet Orange at Lollapalooza this summer.

Well, probably.

OK...I Can't Resist

2008-04-21T19:18:00.001-07:00

So I know I've been posting a lot of information about non-Chicago musicians, but I just can't resist posting a link to the new My Morning Jacket single. It's called Evil Urges and it's amazing.

Listen to Evil Urges HERE

The album Evil Urges won't hit the stores until June 10, but for now, feel free to mock the horrible album art:

This Week in Chicago

2008-04-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

Colin Meloy
4/21
Park West

Iron and Wine with special guests Califone
4/21 and 4/22
The Vic
Tickets still on sale, call 773-472-0449 or 312-559-1212.

Atmosphere
4/22 and 4/23
The Metro
Tickets: $20, $22 at the door (All ages show at 6pm on 4/22, 18+ show on 4/23 at 10pm)

Joe Jackson
4/24
The Vic
Tickets: SOLD OUT

Mary J. Blige with Jay Z
4/26 and 4/27
United Center
Tickets: $59-$250, available HERE

Treaty of Paris, Cool Kids, Flosstradomus
4/25
Conway Center, Columbia College
Tickets: 312-344-7569

Cool stuff, huh? I for one, am checking out Atmosphere at the all ages show tommorow night. I'm also hoping to catch The Cool Kids on Friday.

A Terrible Week for Music Festivals

2008-04-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Ever since Prince was added to California's Coachella Music Festival lineup a few weeks ago, other festivals around the country have been scrambling to acquire some big names of their own. On Monday, the organizers of Tennessee's Bonnaroo sent out a blast email confirming the fears of many Bonnaroo-bloggers: The Allman Brothers have been forced to cancel their gig at Bonnaroo due to the illness of Gregg Allman, the band's keyboard-player and guitarist. In that very same email however, the Bonnaroo brain trusts also wrote that they had a "big announcement" coming at the end of the week in order to make up for the loss of The Allman Brothers.

Bloggers from coast to coast began speculating Monday about who would replace The Allman Brothers. Many big names were thrown around on the blogosphere; Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Stone Temple Pilots, Tom Petty, as well as the oft-rumored Led Zeppelin. But when Thursday's big announcement finally came, most Roo-goers were left with a bad taste in their mouths.

In a message released on the official Bonnaroo website at 12:00am on Thursday, the Bonnaroo organizers announced that Widespread Panic had been added to the lineup. In most cases, Widespread Panic would be a welcome addition to any festival. However, the combination of high expectations and the fact that Widespread has been on the Bonnaroo lineup five times in seven years left many Bonnaroo fans disappointed.

To make festival-related even matters worse, Chicago's own Pitchfork music festival announced their third round of artist additions today and bland alt-rock outfit Spoon has been confirmed as another headliner at the already underwhelming festival. For more information on the Pitchfork Music Festival, visit their website HERE.

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For those of you dissapointed by Pitchfork's weak lineup or by the hefty prices of Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, I think I may have found the festival for you: This year, Des Moines, Iowa is getting its own high-quality music festival. The innaugural 80-35 festival is set to take place July 4th and 5th at Gateway Park in downtown Des Moines. A two day pass to the festival is only $50 and the lineup features big names like The Flaming Lips, The Roots and Girl Talk. In my opinion, regardless of what you might spend on gas, 80-35 is definitely the best bang-for-your-buck music festival in the Midwest.

Visit the official website HERE

Picture of the Year

2008-04-17T12:15:00.001-07:00

Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips alongside our nation's future President

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In other Barack Obama-related music news, American Rock & Roll legend Bruce Springsteen announced yesterday that he is endorsing Senator Obama for President. Read the full AP article HERE.

Album Review: Mahjongg

2008-04-14T19:08:00.000-07:00

Mahjongg
Kontpab- K. Records
Rating: 4/10

The first word that comes to mind when I think of the Chicago-based electronic band Mahjongg is “chameleon.” The band is in a constant state of change; tweaking their sound and altering their live shows to create new experiences for listeners. But alas, as all too many performers have learned, experimenting too much can often get in the way of creating good music.

Pontiac, the opening track on Kontpab begins in pretty standard Mahjongg fashion; with multiple percussion instruments banging away in unison creating an electronica-tribal kind of sound. Pontiac, while certainly an easy song to swallow, takes far too long to get to the point; the almost entirely instrumental track drones on for more than four minutes before reaching a “climactic conclusion”-why the quotes? that features a chorus occupied by what can only be described as three-piece combination of chanting, singing and mumbling. The next song, Problems, is far more appealing; the song’s foundation beat is both exquisite and dynamic. After weathering through a few minor hiccups in the middle of the song, Problems finishes off strongly with a brilliant synthesizer switch-up near the end of the track.

The fourth track on Kontpab is by far the most abstract. Tell the Police the Truth, which supposedly evokes the brutal realities of dealing with law enforcement, is one of the most laughable tracks on the album. Unlike the album’s first three songs, Tell the Police the Truth is really hard to listen to, as it contains an annoying stop-start rhythm, a Peter Frampton-like robot voice and, almost predictably, laser sound effects.

Leading off the second half of the album is Those Birds are Bats. When listened to outside the confines of Kontpab, Those Birds are Bats is incredibly vexing. However, when played in the context of the album, the track seems to carry more of a purpose. While the track is predominantly experimental, it heavily channels indie rock icons Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, specifically it taking notes from the song Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away.

Kontpab continues on through the next few tracks switching off between standard indie rock and extreme experimental sounds. One final thing worth noting about Kontpab is that the album does manage to establish some interesting symmetry between its nine tracks. The most prominent example of the album’s symmetric elements can be found at the beginning and end of Kontpab as the flow of the opening track, Pontiac, and that of the album’s closer Rise Rice match each other perfectly. While Kontpab lacks consistency and flow it does nothing to sacrifice the artistic integrity of Mahjongg. With a few minor exceptions, Kontpab is filled top to bottom with completely original and perhaps even ground-breaking material. But even though Kontpab is heavily infused with creativity, all the background static, robot voices, chanting, mumbling, and screaming prove to be just a little too chaotic for my taste.

Greatest Music Festival Ever?

2008-04-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

America sure does have a lot of great music festivals, but none of them compare to the Rock Werchter Festival in Belgium.

Check out this monster lineup (I've highlighted some standout acts) :

Radiohead, Beck, R.E.M., Moby, The Chemical Brothers, Jay-Z, Kaiser Chiefs, Counting Crows, Underworld, Sigur Rós, The Verve, Neil Young, Justice, The Raconteurs, Gnarls Barkley, Lenny Kravitz, The Kooks, The Hives, Nightwish, Mika, KT Tunstall, Kings of Leon, Editors, Ben Folds, Slayer, Hot Chip, Babyshambles, Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket, The National, Kate Nash, The Gossip, Chris Cornell, Soulwax, Digitalism, Mark Ronson, Panic at the Disco, dEUS, Vampire Weekend, The John Butler Trio, DeVotchKa, Donavon Frankenreiter, Róisín Murphy, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Air Traffic, MGMT, 2 Many DJ’s, Grinderman, Adele, Duffy, Patrick Watson, Zita Swoon, Galactic, Hercules and Love Affair, The Whigs, Cool Kids, Monza, Modern Skirts, Tim Vanhamel, The Black Box Revelation

Anybody up for a summertime Eurotrip? Tickets are still on sale HERE but unless you can read Dutch you'll have a difficult time navigating the website.

Official Rock Werchter Website

Note: Notice Chicago's very own Cool Kids made the lineup!

UPDATE: I did a little research using an online currency converter. It turns out that the full price for the festival (camping included) is only $285 (without shipping charges)!!!

Album Review: The 1900's

2008-04-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

The 1900's

Cold & Kind- Parasol Records

Raiting: 6/10

Ironically, the words “cold” and “kind” perfectly describe the first full-length album from Chicago folk-rock outfit The 1900’s. While the lyrical themes of the album deal in large part with the harsh realities of adult relationships, the instrumental aspects of Cold & Kind are much softer than the lyrical counterparts.

On the band’s highly-touted debut EP, Plume Delivery, The 1900’s music heavily relied on 1970’s psychedelic influences. Specifically, on the EP’s lead single Bring the Good Boys Home The 1900’s combined keyboarding similar to that of The Doors’ Ray Manzarek with Peter, Paul and Mary-like vocals. On Cold & Kind however, the band appears to be headed in a different direction, trading in their funky, psychedelic rhythm for a more laid back tone; playing to the strengths of the band’s female vocalist duo consisting of Caroline Donovan and Andra Kulans.

The album begins with No Delay, a short but sweet piano-driven track which also contains a melodic and beautiful string section. After the brief minute-and-a-half introduction provided by No Delay, the album launches into the poppy Georgia which containing a childish chorus during which The 1900’s lone male lead singer playfully sings “Jump for joy, Georgia!” On paper the lyric may appear to lack depth and content. However, in the context of the peppy Georgia, the statement falls in perfect harmony with the track’s overall flow.

What the 1900’s second album lacks in 1960’s and 70’s musical influence it almost makes up for in the disc’s title track, Cold & Kind. The song features two prominent guitar riffs- one of which is sloppily hijacked from The Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction. But what the band looses in originality on the lackluster Cold & Kind is quickly compensated for in the brilliant eighth track Two Ways. Two Ways gives the listener a great vibe and has the energy and presence of a solid opening track. If anything, Two Ways provides solid proof that when the band utilizes their male and female vocal harmony talents they create their best music.

After the electric Two Ways, Cold & Kind struggles mightily to re-launch itself. Supernatural, the track that immediately follows Two Ways build up nicely, but then fails to take off. The final two tracks, Wool of the Lamb and the album’s untitled bonus track continue in a similar boring fashion. In fact, the final lyric on Cold & Kind, “What else could we do?” really sums up the creative roadblock the band seemed to hit at the end of the record.

The main thing The 1900’s traded away with Cold & Kind was their musical roots. In their former years, the band had established themselves on the Chicago music scene by channeling rock and roll legends like The Beatles and The Grateful Dead. On Cold & Kind, the band travels down more of a Carol King and Stevie Nix route, which, for my personal tastes, is a pretty big error.

I guess you can consider my final assessment of the album both cold and kind: I give it 6 out of 10.

Death Cab to Play at Millennium Park

2008-04-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

In a post on the band’s website, the Seattle indie rock group Death Cab for Cutie announced that they would be playing a special job at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago’s Millennium Park.

What makes this story news worthy?

Well, since the Pritzker Pavilion is usually taken up in the summer months by the Millennium Park Orchestra, this Death Cab concert will be one of the only contemporary acts to stop by the venue this summer. Last summer for example, only two rock bands played Millennium Park; The Decemberists, who put on a free concert with the orchestra, and Wilco who played a benefit concert in September.

Tickets for the event go on sale April 19 and are $45 with $10 lawn seating also available.

Note: If you plan on grabbing some cheap lawn seats get to the park early. Last year, for The Decemberists show, we showed up about an hour before the show started and sat so far back that we could barely see the band.

As Promised...My Lollapalooza Lineup Analysis

2008-04-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

If you weren’t outside this weekend to enjoy the unseasonably warm temperatures you missed out on our city’s first taste of summer. But fear not indoor-dwellers, because the Lollapalooza organizers have blessed us with some summer fun to look forward to.

As I reported yesterday, the Lollapalooza lineup has finally dropped. Unfortunately for all of you loyal readers, I already gave away most of the surprises on this year’s star-studded lineup. However, there are a few noteworthy bands on the lineup that weren’t leaked before this morning’s official announcement:

Love and Rockets: Formed in 1985, this recently reunited alt-rock band is hitting the US summer festival circuit this year with stops at both Lollapalooza and Coachella. Love and Rockets, who take their name from the comic book series Love and Rockets, released a slew of records between their formation in 1985 and their breakup in 1999. The band’s sound has changed quite a bit since their first record which channeled a 1970’s psychedelic sound. Their more recent released have heavily relied on electro-pop and alternative melodies. Love and Rockets’ biggest single to date, So Alive, came on their 1989 self-titled release which debuted at 14 on the Billboard top 100 charts.

The Black Keys: This rock-blues duo from Akron, Ohio is going to have a hard time outdoing their performance at last year’s Lollapalooza where they played as the opening band for headliners Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals. Fortunately, the release of their fifth studio album, Attack and Release, has provided them with some hard-hitting and bluesy new material to play.

Mark Ronson: If you own a radio or watch MTV you should be familiar with the work of Mark Ronson. Ronson, who is a Grammy award winning producer, has a day job collaborating with artists like Amy Winehouse and Kanye West. But now, Ronson is taking is own show on the road. Labeled the “King of Mash-ups” by many music critics, Ronson should bring some hot new remixed tracks to Lollapalooza this summer.

Cat Power: As the daughter of a blues musician it’s no wonder that Cat Power has achieved so much in her musical career. Now, 13 years and eight albums deep, Cat Power is on top of her game after being plagued by alcoholism and random cases of stage fright that at times had caused her to cut tours short. In addition to her large library of music, Cat Power has made a career out of reforming 60’s and 70’s rock and roll tunes. Her most recent covers album, Jukebox, features songs originally performed by Janice Joplin, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and James Brown. If your looking for some Cat Power to listen to, I'd definetly recommend checking out her rendition of (I Cant Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones.

The National: Originally ruled out of playing Lollapalooza by most music bloggers, The National have become the biggest surprise act of Lolla 2008. Formed in 1999 in Brooklyn, New York The National channel bands like Interpol and Bruce Springsteen. While their first three albums gave the band a small cult following, the release of 2007’s The Boxer put The National on the mainstream indie map. The bands lead singer, Matt Berninger is known for his deap and distinctive baritone voice. Currently, The National is touring arenas across the country opening alongside Modest Mouse in support of REM.

Explosions in the Sky: Known for their extremely moving and emotion-filled live shows, Explosions in the Sky are primed to be one of the highlights at this year’s festival. The band’s music is entirely instrumental and reminds many of the Icelandic trance-rock band Sigur Ros. While the band is relatively unknown to most casual music fans, they did garner some mainstream media attention when they were asked to write the soundtrack to the 2004 film Friday Night Lights.

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Obviously, these are only seven on the 89 bands announced thus far for Lollapalooza. I would certainly suggest checking out the full lineup HERE.

Overall, I feel that this is a pretty strong lineup. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing legendary performances from bands like Radiohead, Kanye West and Rage Against the Machine along with strong supporting performances from many of the midsized acts I mentioned above. One major qualm I have with the lineup however is that the middle bill (which included the bands I listed above) is much smaller than in years past. Last year, the middle bill of the lineup featured big bands like My Morning Jacket, Patti Smith, The Roots and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs among others. It appears, to me at least, that this year Lollapalooza organizers unloaded a disproportionate amount of money on headliners and left little for booking midsized acts. Thus, the majority of the lineup is occupied by relatively unknown, yet still awesome bands. In comparison to other Summer music festivals, Lollapalooza still has to be considered “top of the line.” If you haven’t made it there yet, trust me; there’s nothing better than listening to one of your favorite bands with the beautiful Chicago skyline in the background.

UPDATE: Your Lollapalooza 2008 Lineup

2008-04-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Your 2008 Lollapalooza Lineup in Full

Radiohead-Rage Against the Machine-Nine Inch Nails-Kanye West-Wilco-The Raconteurs-Louis XIV-Love and Rockets-Gnarls Barkley-Bloc Party-The Black Keys-Broken Social Scene-Lupe Fiasco-Flogging Molly-Mark Ronson-Cat Power-The National-G. Love & Special Sauce-Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings-Explosions in the Sky-Brand New-Gogol Bordello-Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks-Dierks Bentley-Okkervil River-Amadou & Mariam-Blues Traveler-John Butler Trio-Girl Talk-Your Vegas-CSS-Eli “Paperboy” Reed & the True Loves-Battles-Steel Train-Jamie Lidell-Bang Camaro-Butch Walker-The Blakes-Mates of State-Tally Hall-Spank Rock-White Lies-Brazilian Girls-Magic Wands-Chromeo-Electric Touch-Duffy-Innerpartysystem-The Kills-The Postelles-Rogue Wave-The Parlor Mob-The Go! Team-Bald Eagle-Mason Jennings-Krista-The Gutter Twins-Ha Ha Tonka-Yeasayer-Witchcraft-Grizzly Bear-We Go To 11-MGMT-Sofia-Talvik-The Weakerthans-Booka-ShadeSantogold-Black Kids-Black Lips-Dr. Dog-Nicole Atkins & the Sea-The Ting Tings-Kid Sister-Office-The Cool Kids-What Made Milwaukee Famous-Does It Offend You, Yeah?-The Whigs-Manchester Orchestra-Foals-Uffie-The Octopus-ProjectCadenceWeapon-Ferras-De Novo Dahl-Noah and the Whale-Margot & the NuclearSo and So’s-K’NAAN-Serena Ryder-Newton Faulkner

Not to brag...but who called Lupe Fiasco?

Analysis to come tomorrow after the official announcement at 8am on Q101