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

Lollapalooza 2008 Headliners Confirmed

2008-04-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

According to Jim DeRogatis, the Chicago Sun Times music critic, industry sources have confirmed the headliners of Lollapalooza 2008.

And now, take a deep breath; your heads are about to explode:

Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against The Machine and Kanye West.

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Other confirmed acts include Chicago indie rock heroes Wilco and Jack White's alt-rock side project The Raconteurs. The official lineup will be released Monday morning (but will likely leak at least a day in advance).

Dino Jr., Ghostface and Raekwon Among Big Names Added to the Pitchfork Music Festival

2008-03-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, the Pitchfork Media elitists released the first round of artist additions for their annual summer music festival set to take place in Chicago's Union Park, July 18-20. The artists added thus far are:

Dinosaur Jr.
Ghostface and Raekwon (Of Wu Tang Clan performing together)
Jarvis Cocker
Apples in Stereo
Dirty Projectors
Cut Copy
Jay Reatard
King Khan & His Shrines
Fuck Buttons
Ruby Suns
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
Occidental Brothers Dance Band International

For the rest of the Pitchfork lineup CLICK HERE

I'll have more analysis of these artist additions later on today, but right now I'm going down to Wrigley Field for Opening Day!

Throwback Thursday: Common

2008-03-27T06:37:00.000-07:00

For my second Throwback Thursday article I’ve selected Chicago rapper Common’s second studio album Resurrection.

For those of you who are new to my blog, Throwback Thursday is a weekly review of an album made by a Chicago artist from a previous decade.

Common
Resurrection- Relativity
Raiting: 9/10

Common Sense, as he was known for most of the 90’s, was a rapper with an old-school flow at a time when a new generation of hip hop was dominating the airwaves. For a relatively unknown rapper like Common, making an album like Resurrection was a pretty big risk to take. On his first album, Can I Borrow a Dollar?, Common’s lyrics dealt, in large part, with Chicago street culture. However, the lyrics on his second effort Resurrection, took a far more serious tone.

The album is split into two sections. The first half of the album is entitled East Side of Stony, while the remaining tracks are labeled West Side of Stony (As a reminder to all of you geographically-challenged Chicagoans, “Stony” refers to Stony Island Avenue, a street on Chicago’s South side). Throughout the album, Common has spoken word segments that, when pieced together, depict the story of life on Chicago’s troubled Southwest side.

While the album technically begins with the title-track Resurrection, it is birthed thematically through the second track, I Used to Love H.E.R., a track that compares the rise of modern hip hop to Common’s relationship with a woman. Lyrically, I Used to Love H.E.R. is an extraordinarily eloquent and informative depiction of the rap music industry.

I met this girl when I was ten years old
And what I loved most, she had so much soul
She was old school when I was just a shorty
Never knew throughout my life that she would be there for me

As the song opens, Common establishes how he began his relationship with rap music. In the second verse, Common describes the climax of his relationship with music. Specifically, he illustrates how hip hop culture led him to discover his true identity as an African-American.

Did a couple videos and became afrocentric
Out goes the weave, in goes braids, beads, medallions
She was on that tip about, stopping the violence
About my people she was teaching me
But not preaching to me but speaking to me

This is where the true impact of I Used to Love H.E.R. truly sinks in. For Common, music is more than just something that he enjoys listening to. For him, as it is for many of us music junkies, music is a means by which a person finds their identity. Specifically in regards to Common, hip hop introduced him to black culture- its history and its people.

But as is the case with most romantic relationships, the break-up is the most emotion-filled part. In Common’s case, his break-up with music came with his favorite rappers who, according to the lyrics, are west coast rappers. Essentially, Common is concluding that while many popular rappers may have achieved mainstream success, they were only able to do so by shedding their former identities in exchange for a fake gangster culture.

Now she’s a gangsta, rolling with gangsta bitches
Always smoking blunts and getting drunk
Tellin’ me sad stories, now she only fucks with the funk
Stressin’ how hardcore and real she is
She was the realest, until she got into show-biz

Let’s face it, whether you’re a hip hop fan or not, these are sentiments we can all relate to. We’ve all had that experience of losing a friend because of outside and uncontrollable sources-like, for example, popularity. But for those of us who do listen to quality hip hop, I Used to Love H.E.R. conveys ideas that we have all experienced personally.

There are 13 tracks that follow I Used to Love H.E.R., however, while it is near the beginning of the album, I Used to Love H.E.R. is truly the centerpiece of Resurrection. On the album, I Used to Love H.E.R. is the track that most accurately depicts, through humanizing music, the theme of personal identity.

Throughout the rest of the album, there are several stand-out tracks. One example can be found in the beautiful poetry of This is Me, a track near the end of the album which features a looped sample from rapper KRS who in the background of the song sings; I love the way I am, can’t nobody out here change me. In the context of the record, this track works in perfect harmony with the opening tracks of the album which deal in large part with the struggle to find one’s identity. The lyrics in This is Me provide a conclusion to the struggle. This is Me conveys a sense of confidence not found on the album’s earlier tracks.

A final track worth noting is Chapter 13 (Rich Man vs. Poor Man) which features two rappers portraying different characters; Common represents a poor man while his partner YNot raps on behalf of a rich man. Back and forth throughout the song, the two MCs trade barbs including this hilarious exchange which refrences Chicago’s section 8 housing program:

Common:

See I make money, money doesn't make me
I'm a reflection of my section and my section 8

Ynot (in response):

I own 8 sections of the world, where I'm sexin' 8 girls
To have them comin' in 8 seconds

While the track continues on with humorous one-liners, the broader meaning of the track really symbolizes what Resurrection is all about: Overcoming personal struggle, outside influences and other distractions to be an individual.

According to Common, he named his second album Resurrection because his first album was hated by hip hop fans and music critics alike. Supposedly, the album was intended to symbolize Common’s rise from the dead and climb to the top. But for Common, Resurrection was really more of an induction. After its release in 1994, Common began to attract a broader nationwide fan base. But unlike the rappers that came before him who sold their souls to the record companies, Common stayed true to his roots.

Album Review: Crucial Conflict

2008-03-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

Crucial Conflict
Planet Crucon- Buckwild
Raiting: 2/10

From the moment I saw the album in Best Buy I had a bad feeling about Crucial Conflict’s fourth studio effort Planet Crucon. For starters, the album art is pretty ridiculous; the cover features the group’s four members posing in front of a planet, presumably “Planet Crucon,” which appears to be some weird hybrid of Mars and the Sun. On the back cover, next to the track list (which is a joke in itself and features hilarious song titles like Wangin’), is a portrait of the four members dressed up in a combination of space alien garb and standard gangster clothing.

Unfortunately, the complete insanity isn’t limited to the album art. The record’s opening track, Planet Crucon, sounds like it was produced with multiple variations of the same dial tone. The previously mentioned Wangin’ is even worse. The song’s hook features the same obnoxiously deepened voice originally made famous by the Disturbing Tha Peace rapper 1-20. In fact, as the song progresses on, the track really begins to sound like it belongs on a Ludacris b-side collection.

The tracks that follow on Planet Crucon contain lyrics heavily laced with standby hip hop themes; the complications of hustling and drug dealing are addressed in City Streets, a track that channels Memphis rap crew Three 6 Mafia. Additionally, the glories of pimping are conveyed in the hook-driven track Guess I’m a Pimp.

Throughout all of the generic hip hop however, Planet Crucon does manage to produce at least a few decent tracks. One example of a stand out track on the album is By the Time which features a hook sung by funk legend George Clinton. Following By the Time is one of the album’s more serious tracks, Change. On Change, Crucial Conflict really perfects the balance between the song’s beat and the individual rappers’ flow. Unfortunately however, these two highlights just aren’t enough to bail out the rest of the record. After Change, the album degenerates back into the ring tone beats and terrible flows that make up the body of Planet Crucon.

My biggest qualm with Planet Crucon is that it does a poor job of showcasing the talents of Crucial Conflict’s individual members. For example, multiple members of Crucial Conflict excel at maintaining an exceptional flow. This talent is rarely showcased on the record. In addition, the group is very good at timing their hooks. But unfortunately, while their hooks are well-produced, they lack any meaningful lyrical content whatsoever.

The members of Crucial Conflict were pioneers in Chicago’s hip hop explosion. Along with artists like Common, Da Brat and R. Kelly Crucial Conflict paved the way for other Chicago rappers to make it in the music industry. But today, Crucial Conflict appears to be shell of its former self. Instead of maintaining their 90’s underground sound, Crucial Conflict opted to sell out their unique music in order to make something that was playable on mainstream radio. As it stands today, Crucial Conflict is faced with a truly crucial conflict; do they want to be remembered alongside the cheapened and generic hip hop found on MTV? Or, will they opt to be recognized primarily as pioneers of the Chicago hip hop revolution? Unfortunately, Planet Crucon seems to indicate the former.

UPDATE: List of Lollapalooza 2008 Confirmed Acts

2008-03-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

Confirmed by Major Media Sources:

Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Dierks Bentley, Bloc Party, Does it Offend You, Yeah?, John Butler Trio, Yeasayer, Noah and the Whale, Pcaso Tha Artist, and Flogging Molly,

Confirmed by Other Sources:

Black Lips, Nicole Atkins and the Sea, Bang Camaro, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, CSS, Gnarles Barkley, MGMT, The Cool Kids, and Jimmy Eat World.

As for some other Lolla-related hunches I have...

-I'm guessing that in some form, Lupe Fiasco will be appearing at this year's festival. I chatted with Lupe for a few seconds at a record signing in December and asked whether he planned on playing Lollapalooza again this year. He told me he really hoped he could play, but that he hadn't heard anything from the Lolla organizers. My guess is that if the second hottest rapper in the Chicago rap game still wants to play, Lollapalooza organizers will be rolling out the red carpet for him.

-Along with the Lupe, there have been a lot of rumors swirling around about Kanye West. In an interview with WGN's Dean Richards, Lollapalooza brain trust Perry Ferrell dropped some hints regarding the third "major headliner." Watch this interview and decided for yourselves, but I smell a possible first-time CRS performance at Lollapalooza 2008. (You'll need to fast forward for a little over a minute on the interview link to get to the conversation with Perry Farrell).

-My third hunch is that Rhymefest, another Chicago rapper, will be performing at Lolla 08 in a special performance with punk rock marching band and Chicago natives Mucca Pazza. I heard through a third party source closely linked to Mucca Pazza that the band would be backing Rhymefest for what promises to be a very special Lolla show.

-Finally, Jack Johnson will not be at Lollapalooza this year.

Lollapalooza's official lineup is being announced on April 7th.

I'll have more updates as they come in.

Throwback Thursday: The Smashing Pumpkins

2008-03-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

For the first edition of Throwback Thursday, the weekly review of an old album from a Chicago band or artist, I’ll be discussing the Smashing Pumpkins’ breakthrough album Siamese Dream.

Smashing Pumpkins
Siamese Dream- Virgin
Rating: 8/10

The Smashing Pumpkins are regarded by most music critics and historians as one of the biggest bands in the 1990’s. Additionally, most critics agree that that it was the Pumpkins’ second album, Siamese Dream, that put them in the mainstream of Alternative music culture. While their first effort, Gish, contained hard-hitting singles like Siva and Rhinoceros it lacked the overlapping guitar riffs that drive the Pumpkins’ more accomplished work. Finally, Siamese Dream solidified The Smashing Pumpkins claim to being the premier Chicago band during the 1990’s.

The lead track on the album, Cherub Rock, opens with a quiet drum roll. Eventually, after a mere twenty-second introduction, the track launches into complete guitar mayhem. As if the overpowering distortions of the guitars weren’t enough, lead singer Billy Corgan’s lyrics provide the song with an added edge. In this case, the lyrics to Cherub Rock deal with mob mentality and mind-control.

Freak out, and give in
Doesn’t matter what you believe in
Stay coolAnd be somebody’s fool this year
cause they know who is righteous, what is bold
So I’m told

Specifically, it appears Corgan is singing about how the music industry, journalists and record execs alike attempt to control the way people listen to music.

The second track on the album is a contradiction in itself; Quiet is anything but quiet. However, while the track is heavy metal at its core, Quiet doesn’t cease to encompass beautiful vocals coupled with a brilliant bass and guitar balance. The overly-distorted guitar combined with the stand-out bassline creates a musical irony that fits perfectly in a heavy metal song named Quiet.

Next is Today; another song containing dueling and contradictory themes. While Corgan sings happily about living in The greatest day I’ve ever known, the chorus drives home some very different sentiments;

I wanted more
Than life could ever grant
Bored by the chore
Of saving face

While Today is certainly one of the more complicated songs on Siamese Dream, it is usually regarded as one of the album’s stand-out tracks.

In reality, the first three tracks of Siamese Dream set a formula of sorts for the rest of the album to follow; hard rock driven by overlapping guitars with soft, melodic moments in between. A fourth noteworthy track on the album is the hit single Disarm; an acoustic guitar track which features a beautiful string section and chilling lyrics;

Disarm you with a smile
And leave you like they left me here
To wither in denial
The bitterness of one who’s left alone
Ooh, the years burn

A final song worth mentioning is Mayonnaise; a track built like a single that never made it onto main stream radio. As is the theme of the album, Mayonnaise is led off with a melodic guitar serenade before quickly exploding into a powerful arena-rock song. Between the Zeppelin-like guitar introduction and the softly-spoken yet painfully depressing Billy Corgan lyrics, Mayonnaise is Siamese Dream delivered in one song.

Siamese Dream is an album laced with brilliant ironies and contradictions, both lyrically and musically. In Today, Corgan sings sarcastically about having a positive outlook on life. Yet, he also conveys continuously throughout the lyrics the pains and obstacles that stem from depression. In a musical sense, even the album’s more optimistic tracks have a dark musical overtone. In most cases, the sense of depression is derived from the deep, bruising guitar riffs.

As for its impact on the Chicago music scene, Siamese Dream solidified The Smashing Pumpkins’ spot in mainstream music alongside alt-rock giants like Pearl Jam, Jane’s Addiction, and Nirvana. Finally, a city other than Seattle had bragging rights to an Alternative band of its own. The Smashing Pumpkins could have moved their band to a more convenient city like New York or Los Angeles, but instead, they opted to remain here in Chicago and rock out in a city whose music scene was beginning to fall off the national map.

Rating System Defined

2008-03-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

Now that the blog is beginning to generate more traffic, I decided that it might me a good time to layout the rating system for my album reviews;

Albums are rated on a scale of 1-10 (sorry, no decimals like Pitchfork).

10 Perfect
9
8
7 Excellent
6
5 Average
4
3 Bad
2
1 Horrid

Nothing fancy, let me know if you have any suggestions.

Chicago Concert Venues: The Aragon Ballroom

2008-03-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

For the first installment of the four-part series reviewing Chicago concert venues, I’ll be discussing the Aragon Ballroom.

Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom is located just a few steps east of the Lawrence “L” stop on the CTA red line. With a capacity of 4,500 people, the Aragon is considered by most to be a mid-sized concert venue- bigger than venues like the Metro and the Riviera Theater, yet smaller than concert arenas like The United Center or outdoor giants like Millennium Park. The concert hall was built in 1926 and was designed on the inside to look like a Spanish village (The name Aragon was taken from a province in Spain). Ordinarily, the Aragon houses Spanish music concerts, but the ballroom has also featured prominent touring rock bands such as Umphreys McGee, The Mars Volta, Morrissey, and The Flaming Lips.

The Flaming Lips and their U.F.O. show invaded the Aragon Ballroom in September.

On the outside, the Aragon may look like an average concert hall or theater. However, the inner architecture of the ballroom is a different story. For a concert hall, the Aragon has a distinct and unique charm. Upon entering the ballroom, visitors are greeted by beautiful winding stairwells and glass chandeliers. Surrounding the stage, the Spanish village-themed balconies provide a unique visual experience. Attending a concert at the Aragon literally feels like walking through a small town or village in Spain.

The Overall Concert Experience:
The sound quality in the building is great, and while I still believe hearing live music outdoors is always best, the Spanish-village theme almost gives the concertgoer the illusion of being outside. My favorite part of going to shows at the Aragon is that, like most medium-sized venues in Chicago, all tickets are general admission. Essentially, this means that concertgoers can pick whether they want to grab a seat in the balcony or go for a location on the main floor in close proximity to the stage. If your seeing a show where you want to be up close, I recommend arriving at least an hour before the doors open; hardcore fans often line up around the corner in an attempt to get a good spot for the show.

My Final Grades:
Acoustics: B+
Seating: A
Location: A
Unique Concert Experience: A
Overall: A-

An Artist by Artist Breakdown of the Pitchfork Music Festival

2008-03-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

The annual Pitchfork Music Festival will be returning to the Windy City in full force this summer July 18-20. To celebrate the announcement of this year’s lineup I’ve put together some brief descriptions of a few of the big names that will be appearing at this year’s festival.

Pitchfork Music Festival 2008- Union Park, Chicago

Lineup:

Friday, July 18
Special Performance by Public Enemy (more details on this to come!)

Saturday, July 19
Animal Collective
!!!
Vampire Weekend
Dizzee Rascal
No Age
Atlas Sound
Fleet Foxes
+ many more!

Sunday, July 20
Spiritualized
M. Ward
Boris
Extra Golden
El Guincho
+ many more!

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Animal Collective

How can you pull off pop-rock and chaotic electronica at the same time? The answer: Animal Collective. Originally from Baltimore, this New York-based quartet broke through on the indie scene with their critically acclaimed eighth studio album Strawberry Jam. Listeners have described Animal Collective’s studio work as experimental electronic indie rock. Live, Animal Collective’s shows border on pure craziness. However, somehow throughout all the hopping around and dancing, Animal Collective manages to control their chaos and put on a pretty damn good show.

One final thing worth noting about Animal Collective: The band’s drummer Panda Bear, is the musician whose album Person Pitch won the coveted Album of the Year 2007 Award from Pitchfork Media.

!!!

Pronounced “Chk Chk Chk” !!!, like Animal Collective, is a big dance party bottled up into one band. In its full form, !!! has eight members who all play a vital role in creating the party that is !!!. Their live show, if you can believe it, is even more intense and chaotic than their studio work. To be frank, this is probably an act worth skipping. Don’t believe me? Check this out:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jlr9Mc6pQcI

Vampire Weekend

Few times does a band take off as quickly as Vampire Weekend. Less than a year ago, the college-age foursome from New York was playing shows for free at one of Columbia University’s sorority houses. But after a few New York City music bloggers caught onto Vampire Weekend there was no stopping them. Vampire Weekend has been arguably one of the worst kept secrets in New York music culture; as their mainstream success has quickly forced the band to go on a nationwide tour rather than just playing Brooklyn coffee houses and nightclubs. You can catch Vampire Weekend at Pitchfork, Bonnaroo, SNL, or even an episode of the NBC show Friday Night Lights which featured one of their hit songs A-Punk.

Dizzee Rascal

What? A British rapper that combines American garage hip-hop with Reggaeton? Dizzee Rascal definitely constitutes an act at this year’s festival that only Pitchfork could have dug up. Personally, I couldn’t even get through listening to the tracks on Dizzee Rascal’s myspace, but if British Reggaeton mixed with electric samples is your thing than you’ll go nuts for Dizzee Rascal at Pitchfork 2008.

No Age

Have you ever wondered what Blink 182 might sound like if they tried to make legitimate garage rock? If the answer to that question is yes than you should definitely check out No Age, specifically the song Everybody’s Down.

Atlas Sound

This self-described psychedelic-grunge rock band is definitely another must-see act at this year’s festival. With its five members, Atlas Sound puts together a distinct and unique sound that will probably fit a daytime slot nicely. Sound-wise (no pun intended), Atlas Sound combines electronic beats and synths with classic indie-rock guitar riffs to create a relaxing musical experience. Atlas Sound will likely provide a much-needed break from all the dancing and chaotic music that will consume the first day of the Pitchfork festival.

Spiritualized

For those of you hipsters who love indie rock but want to avoid the craziness of Animal Collective or !!!, Spiritualized is the band for you. In the song Good Dope Good Fun, Spiritualized creates a sound that will fit wonderfully in a concert setting while on tunes like Ladies and Gentlemen the band uses beautiful harmonies to develop a rather overpowering sound that may or may not translate well in a live setting. Whether or not you plan on attending Pitchfork this summer, definitely check out Spiritualized.

M. Ward

In my opinion, blues is a hit or miss genre; either you get it or you don’t. While M. Ward probably has the right idea, in my estimation, he still misses the mark. Some genres should be adapted into the modern era and delta blues is one of them. If you’re having a hard time imagining what M. Ward might sound like, imagine a combination of Ben Harper, Amos Lee, and Matt Costa.

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Overall, this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival lineup is probably a little weaker than last year’s star-studded lineup which contained acts like Sonic Youth, Clipse, Girl Talk, Cat Power, Iron and Wine and De La Soul. Obviously, there are many more acts to be announced, but it is becoming rather clear that the indie establishment at Pitchfork is trying to take the festival in a different direction, likely capitalizing on getting a large quantity of lesser-known acts for a cheaper price rather than going for a few big names with a greater number of relatively unknown artists.

Luckily, Pitchfork-goers can take comfort in the fact that Yoko Ono will not be appearing at this year’s festival.

Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails Set to Headline Lollapalooza 2008

2008-03-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

Music industry sources confirmed a rumor that had been lurking on several blogs and forums for months; Radiohead will headline Lollapalooza 2008 in Chicago's Grant Park August 1-3. Joining Radiohead as headliners will be Nine Inch Nails and, according to Lollapalooza sources, one other "major act." Other confirmed acts include John Butler Trio, Bloc Party, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, MGMT, The Cool Kids, Dierks Bentley, Gogol Bordello, Black Lips, Flogging Molly, and Rhymefest. According to Lolla representatives and Greg Kot, the Chicago Tribune blogger who broke the story, an official lineup announcement is still weeks away.

Stay tuned!

Bob Dylan’s Modern Times: A Collection of Songs Stolen From 1950's Blues Musicians

2008-03-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

Bob Dylan
Modern Times- Sony BMG
Rating: 3/10

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to most Bob Dylan fans that there really isn’t anything too modern about Dylan’s most recent record Modern Times. Beyond his actual music, Bob Dylan could have made a career out of being a sarcastic, deceptive asshole . Modern Times is just another chapter in the long book of Dylan.

In a sense, Modern Times picks off where Love and Theft, Bob Dylan’s last studio album, left off. The lead track on the album, Thunder on the Mountain begins with what sounds like the end of a Grateful Dead jam. Instrumentally, Thunder on the Mountain emulates Love and Theft’s nitty-gritty blues sound. Lyrically however, Thunder on the Mountain contains a lot of directed social commentary, a lyrical component not found in any of Dylan’s most recent works. One interesting, yet awkward lyric on the opening track references the song Ma Rainey by the depression-era blues legend Memphis Minnie. In Dylan’s lyrical jigsaw however, he rearranges the lyrics to include Alicia Keys rather than the tune’s original character Ma Rainey.

Bob Dylan’s Thunder on the Mountain:

I was thinking about Alicia Keys, couldn't keep from crying When she was born in Hell's Kitchen, I was living down the line I'm wondering where in the world Alicia Keys could be
I been looking for her even clear through Tennessee

Memphis Minnie’s Ma Rainey:

I was thinking about Ma Rainey, wonder where could Ma Rainey be
I been looking for her, even been 'n old Tennessee

Despite the awkward tributes to Memphis Minnie and Alicia Keys, Thunder on the Mountain is by far the best track on Modern Times.
The album quickly degenerates after the opening track. The second track, Spirit on the Water sounds like it was taken right out of a Peanuts episode. The song, which lasts seven painful minutes, contains only one guitar riff which flows in perfect harmony with Dylan’s old and congested voice. Lyrically, Spirit on the Water is laughable; near the end of the track, Dylan’s epic blues poem concludes with the line: You think I’m over the hill/ You think I’m past my prime. If there’s one thing Dylan got right with this album, it’s that he is indeed past his prime.

Next is the album’s token ho-down track Rollin and Tumblin’, followed by the semi-decent When the Deal Goes Down where Dylan manages to channel some of the same wonderful visual imagery that made him such a famous poet.

In the still of the night, in the world's ancient light Where wisdom grows up in strife My bewildering brain, toils in vain Through the darkness on the pathways of life.

Unfortunately, after the lyrical breath of fresh air, Dylan returns to the blues shitshow that is Modern Times. Someday Baby, the first single on Modern Times, really sums up the entire album; a generic blues guitar riff with stolen lyrics. In this case, the lyrics in Someday Baby were stolen from Trouble No More by The Allman Brothers Band.

Dylan’s Someday Baby:

Don't care what you do, I don't care what you say
I don't care where you go or how long you stay
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry po' me any more

The Allman Brothers’ Trouble No More:

Don't care how long you go,I don't care how long you stay,
It's good kind treatment, bring you home someday.
Someday baby, you ain't gonna trouble poor me, anymore.

After making a career for himself with his deep and meaningful lyrics, Bob Dylan is tarnishing his reputation.

To say that Modern Times is a complete failure for Bob Dylan would be a gross overstatement. While the album lacks originality, swagger, and a “modern sound,” it does contain a few more tracks worth listening to. The album’s finale, Ain’t Talkin', is a deep, piercing tune with lyrics that recall Dylan’s protest classic Masters of War. While many of the tracks on Modern Times contain unoriginal or stolen lyrics, Ain’t Talkin' captures Dylan at his finest.

Well, the whole world is filled with speculation
The whole wide world which people say is round
They will tear your mind away from contemplation
They will jump on your misfortune when you're down

On this track, Dylan’s works his old, weathered voice to near perfection in an attempt to capture the grim mood of modern times.

In a nutshell, Modern Times begins and concludes with solid tracks that in many ways capture the mood of our tortured society. The problem with the album is that the body lacks the same substance Bob Dylan has been able to create in his previous efforts. To me, it seems Dylan has lost his edge and has turned to making music out of habit and greed rather than writing tunes out of true artistic passion.

No matter what Bob Dylan does at this point in his career, he will always be remembered as one of the greatest American rock and roll legends. But when you listen to Modern Times, you realize that sometimes even the greatest performers are mere mortals. Even Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong, two of America’s most dominant athletes, were forced into retirement. In my parting words to Mr. Dylan, I quote his song Thunder on the Mountain:

The writing on the wall, come read it, come see what it does say.