the middleCoast

Top Ten Albums of 2008

2009-03-02T17:22:00.025-06:00

{Yes, yes - I realize it's March, 2009 and I'm just now posting best albums of the year that ended three months ago. Cut me some slack already...}

Number Ten
Artist: Vampire Weekend
Album: Vampire Weekend
Label: Xl Recordings
Release Date: January 29, 2008

Once the hype died down and the buzzing dimmed, what remained was a truly enjoyable pop album with real staying power (despite the unfortunate genre title of "Yacht Rock" that accompanied its success). Few albums, let alone debut albums, are as consistently solid from song to song as this. Brief though it may be, clocking in at just around 35 minutes, Vampire Weekend is timeless and immediate, accessible to the masses for now and of high enough quality that the rock snobs will come back around later.

Number Nine
Artist: Portishead
Album: Third
Label: Mercury
Release Date: April 29, 2008

With a full decade's gap between releases, Portishead had all sorts of expectations to live up to. Third did not disappoint. Ultimately gratifying because the band simultaneously sounds like the Portishead we remember and what we hoped the progression of their sound would result in, Third presents a mature collection building on the acid jazz, cabaret vocals, and spy movie synesthesia that defined their sound. Beth Gibbons and company have weathered the same past eight years (and era-defining administration) as us, despite being across the pond, and the tracks here reflect the subsequent scars of that maturity the way Dummy perfectly contained all the angst of youth.

Number Eight
Artist: Cut Copy
Album: In Ghost Colours
Label: Modular Interscope
Release Date: April 8, 2008

Without question the best indie dance music album of 2008, In Ghost Colours just wouldn't go away all year. The upbeat jams ("Lights and Music", "Hearts on Fire") that made so much sense in Spring and Summer gave way to the bittersweet pop ("So Haunted", "Unforgettable Season") that perfectly scored a blustery Autumn and Winter. In Ghost Colours lifts Cut Copy to the next level where that capital-A Artist label is justified.

Number Seven
Artist: M83
Album: Saturdays = Youth
Label: Mute U.S.
Release Date: April 1, 2008

Somewhere between Air, My Bloody Valentine (or at least Kevin Shields, circa Lost in Translation) and a John Hughes soundtrack falls M83. Deftly framing pop rock sentimentality within sprawling, sonic layers of electronic compositions, Saturdays = Youth is well-crafted and remarkable. "Kim & Jessie" and "Graveyard Girl" quite literally made us check to make sure M83 wasn't around during the Sixteen Candles and License to Drive days. And yet many of the digital beats and rhythms could just as easily have been laid down on Kanye's 808's and Heartbreaks (see: "Couleurs", "Up!"). As impressive an album as we heard all year.

Number Six
Artist: Dr. Dog
Album: Fate
Label: Park the Van
Release Date: July 22, 2008

No one's going to accuse Dr. Dog of being the most original band on the planet. On almost every song the influence of Paul McCartney or John Lennon or Jerry Garcia or Levon Helm is quite blatantly obvious. Like finding a bunch of lost b-sides: "From" could easily have been a Lennon throw-away; "100 Years" wouldn't sound out of place on a Dead album; "The Ark" may actually be a McCartney cover. To be honest, it borders on imitation. To be brutally honest, I don't give a shit if it is imitation - these songs are great and this album is wholly enjoyable.

Number Five
Artist: Santogold (aka, Santigold)
Album: Santogold
Label: Downtown
Release Date: April 29, 2008

Santogold released a bunch of tracks on her full-length debut that were almost too good. Snatched up by advertisers, it would have been easy to make the mistake of overlooking these tracks as just catchy jingles or dance club singles. But with the aid of Diplo, Mark Ronson, and Spank Rock, Santogold is complex and shrewd, some culmination of what those producers had been working towards. Like a less jarring MIA, Santogold satisfies the teeny-bopper, the stoner, and the yuppie all at the same time. No easy feat.

Number Four
Artist: The Dutchess & The Duke
Album: She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke
Label: Hardly Art
Release Date: July 8, 2008

Sparse and simple, tragic and intimate, She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke could easily be Number One on this list. The brief but potent 31 minutes of vintage bluesy folk/gypsy rock recalls Leonard Cohen, The Animals, or early Rolling Stones, tunes with despair-riddled lyrics over a production full of crackles and pops that transport the listener to a wholly different time and place. The stomp and swagger of "Reservoir Park" remains one of the best tracks of the year, while the intimate pleas and apologies of sincere experience are almost too much to bear on "I Am Just a Ghost". With one of the best live performances of the year as well, The Dutchess & The Duke are a most promising duo.

Number Three
Artist: TV on the Radio
Album: Dear Science
Label: Interscope
Release Date: September 23, 2008

It's getting to the point where it's almost not even fair. TVOTR has become one of the most consistent bands on the planet, and they're just getting started. Hard to believe, as the Brooklynites seem like such industry vets now, but Dear Science is just their third official full-length. They have most definitely honed their craft, having built upon the ambitious experiments of Cookie Mountain, and Science is their most cohesive and focused album to date. Losing none of their lavish orchestrations or complex harmonies, though, TVOTR has more specifically learned how to work their sonic arrangements into structured and polished pop songs.

Number Two
Artist: The Walkmen
Album: You & Me
Label: Gigantic
Release Date: August 19, 2008

With You & Me, The Walkmen established themselves as a premiere Indie Rock outfit with the same sort of woozy, whiskey-soaked jangle and thump that The National perfected with last year's Boxer. You & Me meanders through sandy beaches and foreign towns like postcards from Hemingway, stumbling out of jazz clubs at 3am with the locals, keeping upright solely by leaning on the shoulders of new friends who happen to be singing at the tops of their lungs. With a most distinct voice, Hamilton Leithauser has hit his stride with this organic, wandering sound, punctuated by drummer Matt Barrick's masterful percussion. Wistful and rousing, You & Me is quite simply beautiful.

Number One
Artist: Fleet Foxes
Album: Fleet Foxes/Sun Giant (EP)
Label: Sub Pop
Release Date: June 3, 2008

Fleet Foxes truly set themselves apart in 2008, and their eponymous full-length debut followed by the simply-too-good-for-just-an-EP, Sun Giant, combine for the most lush and gorgeous music of the year. By no means the only indie rockers exploring the folk side of rock, the Seattle quintet distinguished themselves quickly with their pitch-perfect harmonizing, led by Robin Pecknold. The warmth and richness in the vocals stands in stark contrast to a vast majority of indie bands that get by on earnesty and sincerity alone. The voice - and more specifically here, the remarkably pleasing combination of voices - emerges as the most gratifying instrument to the human ear. As the opening and title track to Sun Giant begins, what we hear is a capella, but it isn't affectation, it's an expression of freedom as they do what comes so naturally. Both albums present a sophistication well beyond their years that commands attention. Hello world, we're the Fleet Foxes.

-j2

Peter Bjorn & John - "Nothing to Worry About" (except crazy dancing Asians)

2009-02-19T11:39:00.001-06:00

Their new album, Living Thing, still won't be released for another month, but Peter Bjorn & John have released their first single and subsequent music video for "Nothing to Worry About". And it is good:

-j2

A New Year, A New Coast

2009-01-02T13:07:00.002-06:00

Apologies, dear mC reader(s), for the three-month hiatus, but The middleCoast has brand spanking new headquarters way out here in fair San Francisco. One might think that this move would damage the integrity of a site self-labeled "middleCoast", but we assure you that all things still come from the Middle even if the fingers and the keyboard are in the West. And no, the music content of the site will not turn to Grateful Dead cover bands and noodling jams of the 15-minute long variety. Make no mistake, the heart and soul of this site will always reside in the Middle.

And so this New Year's Resolution is to march on with The mC despite a new Coast and the petty distraction of what is apparently known as a "Day Job". Turns out that people all over the world maintain "Day Jobs" quite regularly, and that the rise in Unemployment numbers is actually a negative thing. So wish us luck as we venture out of the Home Office and into the Office Office.

Stay tuned: Best Music of 2008 still on its way...

-j2

Friday Flashback: Cornershop "Brimful of Asha"

2008-09-26T13:18:00.005-05:00

In 1997, MTV played this song to death and I still never got sick of it. Cornershop is still making music - and it happens to be pretty good - but they'll forever be remembered specifically for "Brimful of Asha". The psychedelically-sweet sugar-pop track was undeniably catchy, and featured one of the greatest lines in music history: "Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow." (There may or may not be something lost-in-translation going on with that line, and you can read an overwrought essay about the meaning of the song's lyrics here if you're into that sort of thing.)

The song got even more play when Fatboy Slim remixed it, but really that just sounded like every other Fatboy Slim song ever, so here's the original:

Lyrics:

There's dancing
Behind movie scenes
Behind the movie scenes
Sadi Rani
She's the one that keeps the dream alive
from the morning
past the evening
to the end of the light
Brimful of Asha on the 45
Well it's a brimful of Asha on the 45
And dancing
Behind movie scenes
Behind those movie scenes
Asha Bhosle
She's the one that keeps the dream alive
from the morning
past the evening
to the end of the light
Brimful of Asha on the 45
Well it's a brimful of Asha on the 45
And singing
illuminate thee main streets
And the cinema aisles
We don't care bout no
Gov't warnings,
'bout their promotion of a simple life
And the dams they're building
Brimful of Asha on the 45
Well it's a brimful of Asha on the 45
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Everybody needs a bosom
Mine's on the 45
Mohamed Rufhi-45
Lata Mangeshkar-45
Solid state radio-45
Fer-guh-son mono-45
Bonn publeek-45
Jacques Dutronc and the Bolan Boogie, the Heavy
Hitters and the Chichi music
All India Radio-45
Two in ones-45
Argo Records-45
Trojan Records-45
Brimful of Asha on the 45
77,000-piece
Orchestra set
Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow
Mine's on the RPM

-J2

Music and Politics

2008-09-26T12:16:00.004-05:00

It should go without saying that the middleCoast is strongly endorsing Barack Obama for President. Turns out that some of our favorite bands feel the same way.

On October 16th Cincinnati, Ohio will be the location for campaign rally "Vote Early Rock Late" featuring The National and The Breeders. The free concert is in support of the Obama/Biden camp, and will shuttle registered voters between Fountain Square (the site of the rocking part) and Hamilton County Election Headquarters (the voting part). In Ohio - which will again likely be a battleground state, as they say - early ballot voting begins September 30th.

Closer to home (but not exactly free) is another Obama benefit, this one featuring Jim James of My Morning Jacket. On October 8th at Schubas, James will play an all acoustic set for ticket-holders/Obama-supporters who pay $100 per. The proceeds go to the Obama Victory Fund. You can get more info and buy tickets here.

Now to the music...

Video: The National "Fake Empire" instrumental (ad for Obama campaign)

MP3: The Breeders "Cannonball"

MP3: Jim James "Goin' to Acapulco" (from I'm Not There)

-J2

Calexico in Chicago for 10th Annual World Music Festival

2008-09-25T09:35:00.001-05:00

I had the chance to interview Joey Burns of Calexico for UR Chicago Magazine. They perform tonight at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park at 6pm, and the best part is that it is FREE. Check out the interview here.

Watch: "Two Silver Trees" from Carried to Dust

Calexico, with Mariachi Luz de Luna and Salvador Duran
World Music Festival Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park
Thursday, September 25th (6-8pm) Free

Go get the album.

Calexico Official Website | Myspace | Touch & Go Records

-J2

Eddie Vedder Is Mr. October - "All the Way" Tribute to the Cubs

2008-09-23T17:17:00.002-05:00

One-time Chicagoan Eddie Vedder has written and recorded a tribute to the 2008 National League Central Division Champion Chicago Cubs, and it just so happens to bring chills to this die-hard Cubbies fan. With the potential for such history in the making, here's hoping that "All the Way" becomes its soundtrack. Enjoy:

(It sure beats "Go Cubs Go" anyway.)

-J2

Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

2008-09-23T16:47:00.003-05:00

This'll seem totally random unless you've just re-watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but I have recently re-watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off and I can't get enough of this track. And strangely I don't even know which version I prefer. Anyway, figured I'd share....

"Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" - The Smiths, original version

"Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" - The Dream Academy, instrumental version from FBDO
[STREAM]

"Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" - The Dream Academy, cover version

Is it wrong to admit I actually prefer The Dream Academy version over The Smiths'?

Probably.

-J2

The Killers: New Track "Human" Sounds Like Celine Dion

2008-09-22T17:41:00.004-05:00

Maybe The Killers should get out of Las Vegas. Their latest single, "Human" sounds like Celine Dion. Or maybe Cher, to put it nicely. Add the cringe-worthy lyrics, "Are we human? / Or are we dancers? / My sign is vital / My hands are cold", and this is just plain awful. I never really understood the fascination with The Killers - partly out of shear rock-snobbery, and partly because of frontman Brandon Flowers' claim that Sam's Town is "one of the best albums of the past 20 years", adding, "There's nothing that touches this album." Just because a band tells you that they're great doesn't mean that they are great (unless your name is Kanye). And "Human" is far from great...

Then again, my mom would probably love it.

"Human" (from the upcoming Day & Age, due out in November)

Awful.

-J2

My Bloody Valentine Get US Tour Underway

2008-09-22T14:53:00.004-05:00

As we Chicagoans gear up for My Bloody Valentine's show at the Aragon next week, their first performance on American soil in 16 years took place over the weekend in New York during All Tomorrow's Parties festivities. Stereogum has the lowdown, including a few videos:

"I Only Said"

"Come In Alone"

Needless to say we're very excited for the set in Chicago, and despite the unemployment level in mC offices we're keeping the tickets and foregoing the potential profit to be made by selling them on Craigslist. See you there.

-J2

Brian Wilson on Black Cab Sessions

2008-09-19T13:14:00.010-05:00

As detailed by the fellas at BCS:

"DEAR BLACK CABS," THE EMAIL BEGAN, "WOULD YOU PLEASE CONSIDER FILMING A SESSION WITH BRIAN WILSON (OF THE BEACH BOYS)." THEY REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO ADD THAT LAST BIT ABOUT THE BEACH BOYS. A FEW WEEKS LATER WE WERE OUTSIDE ABBEY STUDIOS, WITH THE TAXI HUMMING PATIENTLY BEHIND US, NERVOUSLY AWAITING ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL SONGWRITERS OF ALL TIME. AND THEN HE EMERGED WITH HIS BAND: FIVE OF THEM IN TOTAL. BIT TRICKY THAT BECAUSE, OF COURSE, YOU CAN ONLY SIT FIVE IN THE BACK OF CAB, AND SEEING AS THERE WERE TWO OF US TO FILM AND RECORD SOUND, THAT MADE AN UNLUCKY SEVEN IN TOTAL. SO WE JETTISONED SOUND RECORDING DUTIES, MADE THE FIVE OF THEM COMFORTABLE, AND WEDGED OUR CAMERAMAN IN AN AWKWARD STRESS POSITION BETWEEN THE JUMP SEATS. AND WE WERE AWAY, THE CAMERAMAN FILMING AN UNFORGETTABLE BLACK CAB SESSION WITH BRIAN WILSON (OF THE BEACH BOYS), TRYING TO KEEP THE CAMERA STEADY AS CRAMP SLOWLY TIGHTENS AROUND HIS HAMSTRING. AMAZINGLY, AFTER PERFORMING THAT LUCKY OLD SUN, THE BAND BREAK OUT INTO CALIFORNIA GIRLS. WE'VE COAXED SOME PRETTY BIG ACTS INTO THE BACK OF A CAB BUT LANDING BRIAN WILSON REALLY IS THE MOTHER OF ALL COUPS. WE HOPE YOU ENJOY IT - AND TO GET THE LATEST UPDATES ON FUTURE RELEASES (AND OH BOY WE'VE GOT SOME CRACKERS IN THE MIX), BE SURE TO SIGN UP TO THE KNOWLEDGE. OVER TO YOU BRIAN..

-J2

Friday Flashback: Pixies

2008-09-19T13:14:00.008-05:00

Everyone knows how great the Pixies are. No need to expound on this fact. They are quite possibly the progenitors of the genre Alternative, and their influence will likely never wane. Even their B-sides are masterpieces. Ever since the Christian Slater masterpiece, Pump Up the Volume (which likely had a far more profound impression upon my youth than I'd like to admit), and the film's surprisingly brilliant accompanying soundtrack, the Pixies' "Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf Mix)" has never ventured far from my top 25 most played list.

From the liner notes to Complete 'B' Sides, Frank Black says of the track:

"Recorded during a tour in Scotland, the slow version got even a bigger reaction from the audiences than the more rockin' version from Doolittle. I guess mellow can sometimes be much more rockin'."

Video from Pixies: Acoustic - Live in Newport (2006):

Lyrics:

Cease to resist, giving my goodbye
Drive my car into the ocean
You'll think I'm dead, but I sail away
On a wave of mutilation
A wave
Wave

I've kissed mermaids, rode the El Nino
Walked the sand with the crustaceans
Could find my way to mariana
On a wave of mutilation,
Wave of mutilation
Wave of mutilation
Wave

Wave of mutilation
Wave

Pixies on Myspace | Official Website

-J2

New TV on the Radio: Dear Science ("Golden Age" Video)

2008-09-18T12:38:00.004-05:00

TV on the Radio is quickly becoming something greater than the sum of its parts. They have grown into an icon, or at least an entity, representing what happens when you make pop music that is also capital-A Art. Their latest effort, Dear Science, is further evidence that music doesn't need to be experimental in order to be artful.

The album will officially be released September 23rd (on Chicago's own Touch and Go Records), but the bonus track version is out now on iTunes. For those of you monetarily challenged in the wake of this economic nose-dive, last.fm is streaming the album with full tracks.

In order to fully prove just how impossible it is to categorize TVOTR, we present the video for "Golden Age". With graphics that play like original developments in green-screen technology and a "plot" that involves dancing police officers, Care Bear nostalgia, and spirit-animal totem action, we're simply at a loss for words. Here's one that my dad would use, though: weird.

Video: "Golden Age"

Don't forget that they'll be at The Riv in Chicago October 22nd.

-J2

Next Big Thing Alert: The Moondoggies

2008-09-17T12:11:00.005-05:00

Sub Pop spin-off Hardly Art continues to do a fine job bringing Seattle talent to the forefront. Similar to label-mates (and mC faves), The Dutchess & The Duke, The Moondoggies take an old sound and make it new again. Their brand of bluesy folk rock has one foot on the altar at the tent revival and the other on stage at the Double Deuce. Their first full-length, Don't Be a Stranger, released last month is an impressive debut of pure Americana. Checking the rearviewmirror but always looking on down the road, The Moondoggies are on their way.

Listen: "Changing"

Listen: "I Want You to Know"

They don't appear to be venturing far from the Pacific any time soon, but we'll keep you posted if they make their way through the Middle.

Go get the album.

Make friends and hear more @ www.myspace.com/themoondoggies.

-J2

Concert Review: The Walkmen

2008-09-15T21:47:00.004-05:00

Originally written for and published on URChicago.com.

The Walkmen – Metro, 9/12/08
Getting Drunk With The Walkmen

I walked the seven blocks to the Metro in the drizzling rain, the kind of sprinkling rain too light to justify an umbrella but heavy enough to soak the tops of your shoulders and cuffs of your trousers. The lights of the city at night blurred and refracted through my rain-dropped eyeglass lenses, already struggling to do their job thanks to the Knob Creek and ginger ale cocktails that accompanied my dinner. As the fractured brilliance of the marquee read, The Walkmen were performing tonight, and it seemed only appropriate that I should be as soaked – in rain or in whiskey – as their booze-addled songs are.

I knew after ordering my first Jack and Coke that this seven-dollar single-shot would not do. By the time opening act – bohemian gypsy rockers, Golem – finished their raucous set, I had found my spot at the front of the balcony and was ordering a second drink. For three dollars more I received a cup twice as large but burned with what must’ve been three times as much whiskey. The house lights dimmed and the Walkmen took the stage, ready to prove (among other things) that they were undoubtedly the best band in the world to listen to while getting drunk on whiskey.

Single shafts of light backlit Paul Maroon, hunched over his vintage Gibson, and Hamilton Leithauser, standing stoically behind the mike stand, as the minimalism of “New Country” opened the evening slowly, simply and significantly. Drummer Matt Barrick, bassist Walter Martin, and keyboardist Peter Bauer joined in for the Ennio Morricone vibe of “Postcards from Tiny Islands” next, and the packed house came to life. The Walkmen really hit their stride with breakout hit from recent release You & Me, “In the New Year”. When Leithauser wails “I never hear the bad news/and I never will/we won by a landslide/our troubles are over”, I wonder if he’s ordering from the same bartender as me.

The initial hour of the set was filled primarily with tracks from You & Me, briefly disjoined by “Thinking of a Dream” and “Wake Up”. Something becomes self-evident during this stretch: Hamilton Leithauser would drive vocal coaches to the brink of insanity. His lilting, swinging delivery carries with it the dizzying ups and downs of the town drunk telling far-fetched tales too abstract to believe, too earnest to ignore. When he lets loose with his ululating howls he remains pitch-perfect, no different on stage than in the studio. At heart, though, he’s a crooner, some strange hybrid of Bob Dylan and Frank Sinatra. Leithauser holds no restraint on “The Rat”, but the sound is utterly natural, his vocal cords never seem strained, never a fear of polyps or injuries that plagued those progenitors.

I struggle mentally, listening to “What’s In It For Me”, wishing for more ice in my glass, trying to determine if there is, or has ever been, a better whiskey-drinking song. My fellow concert-goers have no answer for me aside from bemused glances on that front. “I Lost You” and “The Blue Route” showcase the unique percussive talents of Matt Barrick, utilizing maracas, guiros, and rim shots that make for world and jazz beats. The Mexicali blues of “Louisiana” have me wondering if I’ve been drinking tequila all along, rather than my whiskey.

When the Walkmen resume their places on stage for the three-song encore, I finish the remaining gulp like it’s the last spoonful of medicine before bed, and there’s no need for sugar to help it go down. This performance has been enough to do the trick. Leithauser and Co. have gotten me sufficiently intoxicated. As they finish the night with B-side “Fly Into the Mystery”, my head swims and my heart swells, eager to take on the unknown. I stepped back out into the rain-soaked night and started walking.

Setlist:

“New Country”
“Postcards from Tiny Islands”
“In the New Year”
“Canadian Girl”
“Thinking of a Dream”
“Wake Up”
“Long Time Ahead of Us”
“Donde Esta la Playa”
“On the Water”
“Red Moon”
“The Rat”
“What’s In It For Me”
“I Lost You”
“Louisiana”

Encore:

“The Blue Route”
“Little House of Savages”
“Fly Into Mystery”

Hear more and make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/thewalkmen.

-J2

Concert Review: The Dutchess & The Duke

2008-09-12T12:14:00.005-05:00

Originally written for and published on URChicago.com.

The Dutchess & The Duke – Schubas, 9/10/08
Folk Royalty Prove Benevolent

The Dutchess and the Duke certainly hold no pretenses about mingling with the peasant folk. With close to half of the audience seated on the floor around them, Dutchess (Kimberly Morrison) and Duke (Jesse Lortz) eluded the spotlight of the stage and instead chose to meander – unplugged – around the limbs and pint glasses of their guests under dim house-lights. Joined by a percussionist utilizing an upside-down plastic trashcan (with trashbag still lining the insides), an emptied cardboard box, tambourine, and bells wrapped around one ankle, this was truly a unique performance that carried with it some subtle, unexplained weight that what we were witnessing was important.

Though they’d worked on other projects in separate bands previously, Lortz and Morrison released their debut album together as The Dutchess and The Duke (She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke) on Hardly Art just two short months ago. Already the Seattle-based duo have rightly earned their share of blogosphere buzz, aided in part by opening several shows this summer for Internet darlings (and fellow Seattleites), Fleet Foxes. She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke is a brief but potent 31 minutes of vintage bluesy-folk – or maybe folksy-blues – recalling Leonard Cohen, The Animals or early Rolling Stones. In fact, Lortz’s vocals when heightened in pitch on “Strangers” are strikingly similar to a young Mic Jagger.

Though the album is electric folk at its modern best, the acoustic set at Schubas seemed appropriate nevertheless. Lyrically, the majority of tracks are heart-wrenching ballads of loves lost, loneliness and despair, pulled back from the brink by the company of Morrison’s harmonizing. The warm setting provided by a venue like Schubas is rather ideal, then, and the band seemed loose and spontaneous. Several of the tracks could have benefited from amplification, and it would be interesting to witness a rock ‘n’ roll version of the performance, but overall the intentions of this pared-down style were made clear in shear intimacy.

Halfway through the set they hit their stride performing back-to-back “Mary” and “Reservoir Park”, the tracks from the original EP that made people take notice in the first place. The real highlight came towards the end, though, with “I Am Just a Ghost”. Unfettered by the shackles of electronic chords and cables and microphone levels, the Duke set his vocal talents free, belting out the pleas and apologies of sincere experience.

What was strange throughout the night, however, was the between-song banter between bandmates. As raw as their art itself, discussions covered belching, farting, puking, and animals at the Lincoln Park Zoo. The strict contrast between this repartee and the sad beauty of each song was a jolting contradiction, suggesting perhaps a discomfort with their own talent. Or maybe the contraposition was intentional to keep the mood light and airy; supposing the conversations were as heavy as the songs themselves the gravity of the evening would have certainly been much more to bear.

What remained, though, was a solid performance from a pair of up-and-coming artists with immense talent. Even unplugged The Dutchess and The Duke have tapped into that current of electricity that once made rock music a life-changing experience. Hopefully they can keep it flowing.

Setlist:

“Back to Me”
“Out of Time”
“Ship Made of Stone”
“Strangers”
“Mary”
“Reservoir Park”
“Scorpio”
“The Prisoner”
“You Can Tell the Truth, Now”
“I Am Just a Ghost”
“Armageddon Song”

Listen: "I Am Just a Ghost"

Hear more and make friends @ www.myspace.com/thedutchessandtheduke.

Exclusive: mC Interview with The Silent Years

2008-09-03T16:05:00.032-05:00

Back in July we told you about the latest effort from The Silent Years, The Globe. Without a doubt one of our favorite albums of the year, it is cohesive, concise, and complete. Awash in luxuriant sonic landscapes aided by producer Chris Coady (Grizzly Bear, TV on the Radio, Blonde Redhead), The Globe is the rare album that is simultaneously immediate and timeless. Hailing from Detroit, The Silent Years are no Rock City garage band, more likely honing their craft in the attic or on the roof. Their songs reach gloriously upward, and The Globe progresses in that direction with shades of a concept album. The dense compositions are themselves grand assertions, and Joshua Epstein’s lyrics and vocals follow suit. The album title is the metaphor at play, a symbol of scale in each direction, and the songs shift naturally from the microscopic to the universal.

Josh was kind enough to talk with the middleCoast about creativity, giving art away, and what it means to make a concept album.

The middleCoast: It is always impressive when an album comes off as a really cohesive album, rather than just a collection of songs, and The Globe is definitely cohesive. Assuming that there is the element of a concept album here: When you have an idea or philosophy that you want to work with throughout an album, does that need to start with the lyrics, or do you trust the musical side to convey the same message?

Josh Epstein: It is my belief that music has it's own way of connecting itself. If you're writing a record, it most likely will have common musical themes and ideas since it's being conceptualized at the same time, and therefore with the same mindset and influences present. Lyrically, a "concept" album is difficult to approach because you risk sounding redundant and you really are bound. That's why the idea of a concept album being about universality was so appealing to me. It's almost as if you take away the burdens of a concept album when you say that it's about everything.

mC: I read that the film "The Powers of 10" was an inspiration. I remember seeing that in film school and being strangely moved by it - both its simplicity as well as its rather overwhelming premise. What all did you take from the film that lead to The Globe as a concept album? And is a unified theme or concept something a whole band must be willing to partake in, or does the vision of an individual take the helm?

JE: The Globe is unapologetically a concept album. That film really made me think, especially when you see the universe fully and then it goes down to the inner workings of an electron and they look exactly the same. It was really interesting to see that. That got me thinking about the fact that everything exists everywhere and it is all similar - just with different scale. Everyone was into the idea, and while I do most of the lyric writing, everyone contributes ideas constantly.

mC: I suppose the fact that I'd even ask these questions is evidence of some profound songwriting. Lyrically, there are a handful of lines that have been running through my head on repeat - some haunting, some comforting, but all that have now become personal to me as listener. What is your take on people interpreting your lyrics and assuming them as their own? Do you care that they may get it wrong? Or are you just pleased that they're getting something?

JE: That is really nice to hear, thank you. I have always been a fan of lyrics that strike you deeply right away, and then have the ability to hold many meanings as often as you can think of them. There is never a wrong meaning that can be inferred. Art - in this case, music - is everyone's. As soon as it leaves your lips as a singer it's everyone's. And I would never dream of taking it back.

mC: Musically the album soars. How was working with Chris Coady, and how much influence did he have on the album's sound? The fact that he's worked with some of the best bands out there right now - Blonde Redhead, TV on the Radio, Grizzly Bear - certainly leads one to assume that he knows what he's doing. But how did he alter your sound versus how you wanted to alter it yourselves from your self-titled album?

JE: Chris came into the picture after everything was recorded. We had the feeling that the collection of songs was good, but really busy and could end up a clusterfuck if we didn't get someone who had a bit more experience to mix it. Chris immediately made things sound clearer and more focused, which is why he is so talented and accomplished.

mC: Overall, the tone of the album brings to mind the word Bittersweet. There's this sense that, yeah things sure can get bleak, but isn't life on this planet amazing? I love the sing-along finale of "Open up our eyes wide, so we can see more!". Like a reaffirmation, or at least a reminder to keep an eye on the horizon and things will surely get better. Am I interpreting this on a personal level again, or is there some intention in the songwriting of a bittersweet notion throughout? Is it safe to assume that the overall tone of an album reflects the personal outlook(s) of the artist(s)?

JE: Life is difficult, and there is meaning in that. I had a conversation with my sister today about the idea that a utopian lifestyle would have the potential to suck the creativity out of the world. This is not to say that art has to come from suffering, but there is meaning to be found in that suffering and art can come from there.

The Globe is out now on Defend Music.

Hear more and make friends @ www.myspace.com/thesilentyears.

-J2

Chicago Concert Calendar, Fall 2008

2008-09-03T11:15:00.004-05:00

The next two months are quite simply ridiculous when it comes to live music options for fans in the City of Wind. Helped out by the fact that the 30-day post-Lollapalooza prohibition period has passed, every single week (practically every day) sees major artists and Next Big Things peddling their wares all over Chicago. Some highlights, with interesting links:

9/06: Sons and Daughters - Double Door
9/07: GZA (reprising his 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival performance of Liquid Swords) - House of Blues
9/08: Spiritualized - Metro
9/10: The Dutchess & The Duke - Schubas
9/11: Ra Ra Riot - Subterranean
9/12: The Walkmen - Metro
9/17: Cut Copy - Metro
9/19: French Kicks, The M's - Double Door
9/20: The Felice Brothers - Abbey Pub
9/20 & 9/21: The Hideout Block Party, featuring Neko Case (solo on 9/20), The New Pornographers (with Ms. Case on 9/21), Hercules and Love Affair, and Ratatat
9/23: High Places, Aleks & the Drummer - AV-aerie
9/24: Sigur Ros - Chicago Theatre
9/27: My Bloody Valentine - Aragon Ballroom
9/28 & 9/29: Hot Chip - Metro
9/28 & 9/29: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Riviera Theatre
10/1: Langhorne Slim - Abbey Pub
10/2 & 10/3: Beck, MGMT - Aragon Ballroom
10/8: The Dodos - Bottom Lounge
10/9: Broken Social Scene - Vic Theatre
10/9 & 10/10: My Morning Jacket - Chicago Theatre
10/10: Stereolab - Vic Theatre
10/12: Fleet Foxes - Metro
10/14: Okkervil River - Metro
10/17: Deerhoof - Metro
10/18: Man Man - Bottom Lounge
10/22: TV on the Radio - Riviera Theatre
10/25: Lykke Li - Empty Bottle
10/28: Yeasayer - Bottom Lounge
10/31: Kings of Leon - Aragon Ballroom

See. We told you: Quite simply ridiculous. So save some gas money by riding your bike and go see some shows. See you there.

Venues:

Abbey Pub
Aragon Ballroom
AV-aerie
Bottom Lounge
Chicago Theatre
Double Door
Empty Bottle
The Hideout
House of Blues
Metro
Riviera Theatre
Schubas
Subterranean
Vic Theatre

-J2

Wilco & Fleet Foxes - "I Shall Be Released"

2008-09-01T11:56:00.003-05:00

Bob Dylan wrote it. The Band, Joan Baez, and Nina Simone all performed it, made it what it is. And now Wilco bring Fleet Foxes up onto stage to revive it. They do just that.

-J2

She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke

2008-08-27T12:42:00.006-05:00

Garnering their deserved share of blogosphere buzz these days is Seattle band, The Dutchess & The Duke. Following up their acclaimed 2007 EP, they signed to Hardly Art and released She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke last month. Kimberly Morrison is the Dutchess and Jesse Lortz is the Duke, and together they craft folksy blues tunes with despair-riddled lyrics over a production full of crackles and pops that transport the listener to a wholly different time and place. Imagine a record store listening booth in late 1950s Paris, a restless teen getting his first taste of American rock music - when he drops the needle down on "Reservoir Park" his reality changes. Rock 'n' roll once had that power, and The Dutchess & The Duke have tapped into its current.

MP3: "Reservoir Park" (Stream)

Go get the album.

Be sure to check them out when they come through Chicago September 10th at Schubas.

Make friends and hear more @ www.myspace.com/thedutchessandtheduke.

-J2

Vampire Weekend Cover Fleetwood Mac

2008-08-26T13:48:00.005-05:00

As further evidence espousing our theory of the inexorable influence of Fleetwood Mac, we present Exhibit B: Vampire Weekend cover Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere".
(via Pretty Much Amazing)

When will it end?

-J2

Next Big Thing Alert! Hum.V

2008-08-21T23:36:00.009-05:00

Representing the Middle by way of Indianapolis (aka, Naptown) is Next Big Thing, Hum.V. Dropping his sophomore album One Verse @ A Time this week on iTunes, Hum.V (né, Greg Humrichouser) proves himself to be one of the great unsigned artists in the business. Getting his start some years back as the anchor to party hip-hoppers, the Cleptoz, Hum.V released his solo debut, Simple Man, last year to much acclaim (enough, in fact, that it remains a mystery why he remains unsigned), and even got some help from Chicago's own Rhymefest on "If I Had a Dollar". That album established him in the Indy music scene with his share of local radio play and high-energy live shows. Now Hum.V is poised to spread his word elsewhere, and One Verse should be the album allowing him to do so.

Today's hip-hop scene is in disarray, to say the least. With the industry transforming so rapidly, record labels seem to be utterly clueless as to what to promote unless Lil Wayne is involved. What's most unfortunate about this is that good quality hip-hop artists stay marginalized as underground. In Seattle, for example, acts like The Saturday Knights, Blue Scholars, and Common Market are kings of that underground. But without some help from the majors they'll be unlikely to break into the mainstream and subsequent millions. Despite the 2,200 miles separating the two, Hum.V would fit nicely into the Seattle scene. Both share an organic sound most easily labeled as 'Old School' and lyrics that possess a complexity and significance beyond money, hoes and rims again.

At essence, though, One Verse is a pop album, and Hum.V is (or should be) a pop star. A majority of the tracks feature the talents of friends, and the vocals from both Lynda Sayyah and Stacia Demos shine brightly. The impossibly catchy hooks of "Look In Your Eyes" and "Choices (In My Head)" both highlight their abilities. But Hum.V is the star most on display here. There is an intimacy to the lyrics that is extremely rare in hip-hop, as Hum.V opens the window into Greg Humrichouser frequently. "Little Things" and "Take Ya Back" are practically journal entries, but they work specifically because of how personal they are.

Don't get the wrong impression, though: Hum.V is no shoe-gazer. The rap star swagger never dissipates, and with the same ease that he rhymes his way through the slower jams he spits fire over the heavy beats. "U Can't See Me", "Get Back", and "Droppin' Knowledge" (featuring Sweet Eggz) are all filthy beats where Hum.V accelerates the lyrical content. On "Droppin' Knowledge":

I'm droppin' knowledge like a skydivin' Socrates
Take a listen get inside my philosophies
I'm not lucky so why try the lottery
Still this feelin' it's my time - it's gotta be

Check out a couple of tracks here, and go buy the album so this dude will get signed already.

"U Can't See Me" (feat. S.O.N.-One & Rusty)

"Droppin' Knowledge" (feat. Sweet Eggz)

Make friends @ www.myspace.com/humvmusic.

-J2

And We're Back!

2008-08-20T12:43:00.009-05:00

Sorry for the lengthy hiatus, you loyal mC readers. Sincerest apologies and continued thanks for checking in. Time to get right back at it now....

For the first time in almost 30 years, David Byrne and Brian Eno have collaborated on a project. It released a day or so ago, and it's called Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. Oh, and it's beautiful. You can purchase the album in a variety of formats, download a free track ("Strange Overtones"), and/or stream the entire album (which we've embedded below). It's yet another innovative move that established artists are able to make to sidestep the standard record label protocols.

Enjoy.

-J2

Chicago to London: Cool Kids on Black Cab Sessions

2008-07-31T13:36:00.002-05:00

Chi-city hip hop duo, The Cool Kids, were in London recently promoting the full-of-flava Bake Sale. They had time to drop some freestyle rhymes in the back of a black cab for the 50th episode of Black Cab Sessions. Enjoy.

Don't forget to see Cool Kids at Lolla Friday night at the BMI Stage (7:00pm).

Make friends and hear more Cool Kids @ http://www.myspace.com/thecoolkids.

-J2

Finally: The Flaming Lips' "Christmas On Mars"

2008-07-30T16:20:00.004-05:00

It's been a long time coming, but Wayne and the boys have finally completed their epic film, Christmas On Mars. Originally aired at the Sasquatch! Festival in May, the film is now set to be released on DVD in time for Christmas 2008. We're not sure that the whole plot element is really the point, but here's the description:

"The long awaited feature film by the Flaming Lips is set in outer space on the surface of Mars. The double failures of a clunky old oxygen generator and an exotic but finicky gravity control pod have conspired to weaken the resolve and psychological judgment of the crew and the film's protagonist Major Syrtis. This means he has horrific hallucinations that are centered around the artificial birth of the Christmas baby. An alien super-being arrives and with his otherworldly powers fixes the oxygen generator but it's the station's genius mechanic who fixes the gravity problem."

Right. Anyway, there will also be a soundtrack accompaniment to the film which is sure to be just as bizarre and enjoyable. Here's the trailer:

-J2

Next Big Thing Alert: The Minor White

2008-07-29T11:00:00.007-05:00

Minor White was an American photographer whose work in the '50s and '60s remain as immaculate testaments of how the mundane - if tweaked just right - can elicit the strongest emotions. He is quoted as saying that a photograph could "...yield an image with specific suggestive powers that can direct the viewer into a specific and known feeling, state, or place within himself."

Without a doubt, music holds that same power, and Pennsylvania boys, The Minor White, are talented purveyors of its spirit. Self-described as "something of a noisy country jazz quintet, I guess" they have been compared by others to Elliott Smith, Wilco, and Dr. Dog. Their 2007 EP, Daily Vacation, was an eclectic mix of folk, waltzes, and guitars that adds up to all things Americana.

They've now completed their full-length debut, Old Theatrics, due out in October on Prairie Queen Records. Consisting of a pair of brothers - the Williams (frontman Roy and keyboardist Kevin) and the O'Haras (drummer Shane and bassist Ian) - and one guitarist/vocalist/co-lyricist in Kyle Wall, The Minor White have crafted ten tracks of American music that is timeless and universal. Again, tweaking the mundane to create that old familiar feeling that seems specific to everyone. At its core, Old Theatrics is immediate, accessible pop music that is quite simply beautiful. The same way a black and white photo of a barn captured in the right light never ceases to captivate.

mp3: "Old Fashioned Drinker (In a River of Glue)"

mp3: "I've Burned Down Every House"

Get the EP, Daily Vacation.

Make friends and keep an eye out for pre-order info @ http://www.myspace.com/theminorwhite.

-J2

Girl Talk: The Video Mash-Up

2008-07-16T13:21:00.004-05:00

Around one month ago, Greg Gillis (aka, Girl Talk) released his latest mash-up masterpiece, Feed the Animals, via the whole digital-name-your-price venture. Get your own copy at Illegal Art. Here at the middleCoast, we've been hooked to the GT ever since the gruff, sinus-filled voice of late great Notorious B.I.G. could be heard over "Tiny Dancer" . After naming our (undisclosed) price for Feed the Animals, realizing and appreciating its merits upon a few repeated listens, we also noticed a definite fatigue setting in. Fact of the matter is, it's kinda difficult to listen to a full album of Girl Talk mash-ups because of the very reason they are brilliant - each song is simply too dense, too schizophrenic, perhaps, to be able to absorb more than a few songs' worth at one time. Really we're just too slow to be able to keep up with so many samples.

Thankfully, someone with way too much time on his hands is here to help. Pairing the original video clips with the sampled tracks, the music video for "Still Here" is like a Cliff's Notes to the song. Now you can use your eyes and ears to pick out each of the obscure riffs and beats. And there really is nothing quite like seeing Thom Yorke at a microphone singing while hearing the hook from "No Diggity".

Apparently, the man with too much time on his hands is YouTuber Bunny Greenhouse, who has a few other GT video mash-ups posted if you enjoyed that one.

Be sure to catch Girl Talk in Chicago at Lollapalooza August 3rd.

-J2

Under the Radar: The Acorn

2008-07-15T12:30:00.007-05:00

While we at The middleCoast pride ourselves on staying current with the best new music, we frequently miss remarkably talented acts, failing to bring you, the reader, necessary knowledge. Of course, if you really wanted to stay completely current with the best new music, you'd be reading Pitchfork right now instead of The middleCoast. Nevertheless, we present a new feature for the times artists slip through the cracks: Under the Radar.

The Acorn make music best described as: Of the Earth. Or, Earthy. Organic, if you will (but not in the annoying marketing-ploy version of the term). Their brand of Americana is admittedly eschew, as they hail from Ottawa, but like their Canuck compatriots - Broken Social Scene, Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade - their sound is small-scale epic, focusing on the specific to signify the universal. Simple melodies over chants, stomps, and dense (but balanced) arrangements featuring instruments from various regions, as well as field recordings, give them an all-natural vibe. The Acorn likely fit into whatever box you'd also categorize Fleet Foxes or Firewater or Beirut, but in the end they just happen to be really great indie rock.

Glory Hope Mountain is the latest release, out through Paper Bag Records. At heart it is a concept album from singer/songwriter Rolf Klausener about his mother, Gloria Esperanza Montoya (hence the album title). In a stunningly intimate portrait, Klausener tells of how Gloria was orphaned in her native Honduras - her mother's death in childbirth and her father's abuse - and her subsequent journey to Montreal in the '70s. Klausener's rendering of her life, however, is a subtle weave, and there is no heavy-handedness in the dealing of the material.

Check out the beautifully crafted video by director Christopher Mills for "Flood Pt. 1":

Unfortunately, The Acorn made their way through Chicago earlier this year, so it may be a spell before we get another chance to see them live. And if these tracks on HearYa.com are any indication, they give a masterful performance.

Make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/theacorn.

-J2

Radiohead Are From The Future: "House of Cards" Music Video

2008-07-14T19:10:00.004-05:00

In case you didn't know just how unconventional Radiohead are, now they've made a music video. Nothing shocking about that, you say? Well this particular video was created without using two minor elements somewhat important to most film-making: cameras and lighting. The not-even-remotely-satisfying explanation that "3D plotting technologies collected information about the shapes and relative distances of objects" doesn't begin to click with us. But it sure looks cool:

"House of Cards"

If you really want to know more about how they did that, Geometric Informatics and Velodyne LIDAR are the two companies at play, and you can watch the making-of video here.

-J2

Next Big Thing Alert: Onili

2008-07-11T14:16:00.009-05:00

Out of Tel Aviv by way of Paris comes the multi-talented Onili. Citing seemingly random artists, she describes her influences to include Prince, Bjork, Outkast, and Henry Rollins. Imagine Lily Allen meets Brazilian Girls, produced by Justice. In addition to producing and deejaying, Onili also fronts her band of the same name, and actually opened some European gigs for Allen last year. Now they are finishing up work on the debut LP, First Kiss.

The first single, "Games", is instantly catchy funk-pop that begs you to dance along. It has been floating around awhile, and its EP includes three remixes from Israeli producers Sabbo, KUTIMAN, and NDV, as well as an a cappella version. You can listen to samples and purchase the mp3s here on CD Baby.

Here is live video as they perform the original (did we mention Onili also happens to be quite nice to look at?):

The song on repeat in mC offices today, though, is the sultry "Sentimental". Is it me, or does she vocally riff like Anthony Kiedis circa Blood Sugar Sex Magik for a bit in this:

So we're hooked. If you want to hear more, both the band's website and myspace page are streaming more tracks. But with no release date announced we'll have to wait a bit longer for our First Kiss.

-J2

Friday Flashback: Dead Kennedys

2008-07-11T10:16:00.009-05:00

In 1980 the Dead Kennedys released their debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, giving Californians their own version of what it meant to be punk. With what came to be known as hardcore, Jello Biafra and the Kennedys dropped combative, left-wing lyrical messages saturated with wit and sarcasm over a sped up rockabilly and surf-rock sound. The result was nothing short of revolutionary, and the establishment they decried took notice.

It was the biting, satirical sarcasm that allowed the band to preach its anti-authority, anti-capitalism, anti-conservatism message without actually being preachy. Their album titles alone elicit chuckles: Plastic Surgery Disasters, Bedtime for Democracy, Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death. Underlying the humor, always, was a statement. And almost 30 years later, now, we could still benefit from paying attention.

The seminal track from that seminal debut is "Holiday In Cambodia". Yuppie-baiting lyrics set to an ominous sonic backdrop make it quintessential Dead Kennedys:

Lyrics:

So you been to school for a year or two
And you know you’ve seen it all
In daddy’s car, thinkin’ you’ll go far
Back east your type don’t crawl
Play ethnincky jazz to parade you snazz
On your five grand stereo
Braggin’ that you know how the niggers feel the cold
And the slum’s got so much soul
It’s time to taste what you most fear
Right Guard will not help you here
Brace yourself, my dear…

It’s a holiday in Cambodia
It’s tough, kid, but it’s life
It’s a holiday in Cambodia
Don’t forget to pack a wife

You’re a star-belly sneech, you suck like a leech
You want everyone to act like you
Kiss ass while you bitch so you can get rich
While your boss gets richer off you
Well you’ll work harder with a gun in your back
For a bowl of rice a day
Slave for soldiers ‘til you starve
Then your head is skewered on a stake
Now you can go where people are one
Now you go where they get things done
What you need, my son…

Is a holiday in Cambodia
Where people dress in black
A holiday in Cambodia
Where you’ll kiss ass or crack

Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot, Pol Pot….

And it’s a holiday in Cambodia
Where you’ll do what you’re told
A holiday in Cambodia
Where the slums got so much soul

For fans of absurdity, check out this video below. It's The Foo Fighters performing the track with Serj Tankian on vocals at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. They actually do a really fantastic job with the song, but you'll notice it appears that all but approximately four members of the in-studio audience are completely oblivious to (a) who the Dead Kennedys are, (b) that the song is essentially making fun of them, or (c) who Pol Pot is. I really hope Biafra hasn't ever seen this...

Official Dead Kennedys website.

-J2

Best o' the Blogosphere: Thursday Roundup

2008-07-10T13:40:00.002-05:00

Stereogum reports on the VH1 Rock Honors episode coming up this Saturday in which bands like The Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, and mC faves The Flaming Lips pay tribute to one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) rock 'n' roll bands of all time, The Who. They even have this great footage of the Lips practicing for the performance (stick around as it gets really good at about the 3:20 mark):

Pitchfork is streaming new music from Brazilian Girls and Q-Tip.

Rock Daily gives us a snippet of new Kings of Leon material being performed live.

Stereogum also gives us the new Beck music video for "Gamma Ray".

Man Man cram into the back seat for the latest Black Cab Session:

The free mp3 of the day at Spinner is Chromeo, "Bonified Lovin" (Yuksek's Remix).

And don't forget that KEXP will be live in Chicago next week, broadcasting from Engine Studios. You can sign up here to see a live performance from the likes of Mahjongg, The Watson Twins, and The M's. John and Cheryl will then be broadcasting live from Pitchfork Music Festival's ridiculously good lineup next weekend.

-J2

Can't Get Enough of the Fleet Foxes

2008-07-09T20:39:00.001-05:00

Way back in March, we told you all about how Fleet Foxes were poised to become the next great indie darlings. Their EP, Sun Giant, was absolutely beautiful, and their eponymous debut LP is rightly regarded as one of the best releases of the year. In the UK, this Seattle quintet has blown up beyond your blogospherical atmosphere and into the real world, competing with Coldplay for tops o' the charts. Just the other day Chicago's WXRT fit the Foxes into a rush hour lineup (somehow, breaking into F.M. radio seems like a measure of success, assuming you're an indie band and not a Disney-backed starlet).

Here they are with a startling claymation video for "White Winter Hymnal":

And a Black Cab Session performance from Robin Pecknold of a deep track - Judee Sill's "Crayon Angels":

Go get the album.

Make friends @ www.myspace.com/fleetfoxes.

-J2

Sneak Peak: New Music From The Silent Years

2008-07-08T10:16:00.005-05:00

The Silent Years certainly garnered their share of attention in 2006 and 2007 with their self-titled debut LP. Thanks in large part to the single, "Someone to Keep Us Warm", Spin named them Underground Artist of 2007 (whatever that means) and CMJ named them an artist to watch as well. Now the band is generously letting fans download the album for free - get it here.

With their sophomore album, The Globe, due out in August, The Silent Years are about to get even bigger. This latest effort is a cohesive collection of densely layered tracks produced by Chris Coady, who has worked with the likes of TV on the Radio, Grizzly Bear, and Blonde Redhead. The Globe is a thing of beauty, nearly perfect on so many levels. Hailing from Detroit, The Silent Years are no Rock City garage band, more likely honing their craft in the attic or on the roof. Their songs reach gloriously upward, and The Globe progresses in that direction with shades of a concept album. The lush compositions are themselves grand assertions, and Josh Epstein’s lyrics and vocals follow suit. The album title is the metaphor at play, a symbol of scale in each direction, and the songs shift naturally from the microscopic to the universal. As detailed over on Daytrotter, Epstein describes the premise of the new album:

“We were watching the film 'Powers of 10' which they used to show in middle school science classes. In the film, the camera starts out, framed on a couple having a picnic. Every 10 seconds, the field of view expands by a power of ten — the picnic becomes Chicago, Chicago becomes North America, and soon you’re seeing the Earth in the context of its solar system. This got us thinking about the similarities between mankind and all other components of the universe. An atom is to a cell, as a cell is to a man, as man is to the Earth, as the Earth is to the universe, etc.”

Here are a couple of standouts from the upcoming release:

"On Our Way Home"

"Open Up Our Eyes"

You can pre-order The Globe on Amazon.

Hear more and make friends @ www.myspace.com/thesilentyears.

-J2

Alex Turner Is The New Damon Albarn

2008-07-07T10:31:00.007-05:00

I guess there is just something about über-hipster frontmen of wildly popular Brit-pop bands that makes solo and side projects somewhat an inevitability. While the smoky-voiced Londoner Damon Albarn made a name for himself leading Blur before going on to front super-group The Good The Bad & The Queen and two hip-hop infused Gorillaz albums, the smoky-voiced Sheffielder Alex Turner established his rep with Arctic Monkeys and is now lending his vocals to mini-super-group The Last Shadow Puppets and the hip-hop talents of Dizzee Rascal.

Turner and Miles Kane, of up-and-comers The Rascals, released their first album as The Last Shadow Puppets, The Age of the Understatement, in May on Domino. Their vocals meld perfectly, and it's often difficult to tell which one of them is singing at which point. The 1960s throwback sound of lush, symphonic orchestration somehow still remains simplified as pop, and the arrangements give the feel of spy movie mystery. While the Arctic Monkeys do what they do and do it well, this album (produced by James Ford, of Simian Mobile Disco fame) may alter the Monkeys' sound altogether, as Turner seems to be channeling Bowie and enjoying every minute.

Here is the title track:

Fellow Brit, Dizzee Rascal, released his critically acclaimed, Maths + English, earlier this summer as well, and Turner makes his appearance dropping the hook between Dizzee's grime-laden verses.

Fortunately for us, Turner is only 22 years old; considering what Albarn is still accomplishing at the age of 40, Turner is poised to dominate popular British music for decades to come.

-J2

Neave Television Is Better Than Television Television

2008-07-03T10:26:00.002-05:00

For those of us without cable, no need to worry. This is way better than anything you'll find on regular TV: http://www.neave.com/television/.

-j2

Top 5 Band Names of Actual Bands Playing in Chicago Soon

2008-07-02T09:50:00.004-05:00

As you loyal mC readers know, we love discussing band names. Like a first impression on a blind date, a band name subconsciously establishes a positive or negative connotation for the audience right off the bat. A great band name can bring in a crowd strictly on comedic curiosity (I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness), while a band with a poor name has to work that much harder to prove its worth (Chin Chin). So once again, we give props to the bands with the best names making their way through the Middle in the coming months:

5. Plastic People of the Universe @ The Hideout, 9/18 (and again as part of The Hideout Block Party, 9/20)

4. Urge Overkill (a classic, AND they're from Chicago) @ Bottom Lounge, 7/12

3. Thao With The Get Down Stay Down @ Empty Bottle, 8/9

2. Natalie Portman's Shaved Head @ Subterranean, 8/14

1. Dr. Acula* @ Reggie's Rock Club, 7/22

*Full disclosure: Dr. Acula not only made the list but jumped directly to numero uno because we were under the impression that the name is a direct reference to the '80s classic film, Monster Squad, in which Dracula is disguised as a friendly neighbor, Dr. Acula. However, our memory is for shit, and that may not actually be the case - it may have just been that the letters D-R-A-C-U-L-A were jumbled in some way to create a phony name, and then the kid has to descramble them to decipher the true persona. Nevertheless, since the band name made us think of the movie at all, it remains number one. In related Monster Squad news, you can buy the two-disc 20th anniversary edition on DVD for 15 bucks, or watch the whole thing in six-and- a-half minute chunks on YouTube for free. By the way, if you're really only interested in viewing the famous "Wolfman's got nards" scene, go straight to segment 9.

ANYWAY, numbers 2 and 3 on the list are really great up-and-coming acts. Here's a sampling:

Thao With The Get Down Stay Down, "Bag of Hammers"

Natalie Portman's Shaved Head, "Me + Yr Daughter"

-J2

It's Cool in Iceland

2008-07-01T15:07:00.003-05:00

Head on over to Pitchfork.tv for a one-week-only, chapter-by-chapter screening of Screaming Masterpiece, an in-depth look at the music scene and history of Iceland. Filmmaker, Ari Alexander Ergis Magnusson, has created a fascinating exploration into the sonic landscape that so appropriately matches its geographic landscape. Björk and Sigur Rós are the most recognizable artists included, but their countrymen and peers provide some brilliant insight along with their own musical talents.

-J2

Best Music Videos of All Time

2008-06-24T15:34:00.004-05:00

Radiohead week on mC

In 1995 music videos were still relevant as ways to hear new music and get to know your favorite musicians a little better. Few made better videos than Radiohead, and few came close to the paranoid brilliance of "Just":

When OK Computer blew up everyone's mind two years later, the accompanying videos for "Paranoid Android" and "Karma Police" definitely aided and abetted.

But when Thom Yorke joined forces with the rest of U.N.K.L.E. a year later, the video for "Rabbit In Your Headlights" seemed to flow from the same determined madness of the protagonist in the "Just" video. Present in both is a realization so profound that it shatters reality. Listening to Radiohead has this same feel - that if you listen closely enough, the epiphany will become clear, and all else falls away.

-J2

RADIOHEAD WEEK ON MIDDLECOAST

2008-06-23T12:02:00.012-05:00

This week seemed like as good as any to devote entirely to Radiohead. Few, if any, other bands can justify the grandiose hyperbole that Radiohead elicit from fans and writers and fellow musicians. Phrases like, "most influential" or "the greatest album of...", get thrown around loosely and liberally as though they're in reference to The Beatles or The Who. Or Beethoven. And yet it all seems appropriate - not enough, even. Radiohead command a reverence rarely granted to musicians (at least, to musicians of the still-making-music variety). They have achieved a status that few in the pop culture machine have - they are capital-A Artists. They make Art - Art that will be rightly studied for generations to come, not solely for their cultural significance, but for the complexity and brilliance of their compositions. And so this week we dedicate all (or maybe, probably all) posts to Radiohead.

To get you in the mood, here are Weezer and a room full of backing guitarists, violinists, percussionists, singers, and random-people-
not-contributing-at-all-for-reasons-we-don't-understand (sing along already!) performing the track that made us all pay attention to Radiohead in the first place, "Creep":

If that just makes you (like us) want to hear the original, here's the video or the mp3.

-J2

The Hood Internet vs Chicago

2008-06-20T13:39:00.001-05:00

Last month the boys over at The Hood Internet released their greatest mash-up opus yet: The Hood Internet Vs Chicago. Hood Internet house deejays, STV SLV and ABX, put together a 24-track mix of all artists Chi-city; highlights include Kid Sister vs Walter Meego, Rhymefest vs The Changes, and Common vs Bang! Bang!. And at about the 12-minute mark, listen for "Superbowl Jesus" - Kanye West vs Wilco vs The 1985 Chicago Bears. Find the full track list and sick artwork pulling off visual mash-ups to accompany the sonic mashes here.

Ah, summa time...

-J2

Friday Flashback: Sonic Youth

2008-06-20T12:31:00.003-05:00

Sonic Youth are arguably the original indie rock band in terms of what we talk about when we talk about indie rock, and Daydream Nation is arguably the greatest indie rock album of all time. Twenty years later and it still sounds brand new. Kids that were just toddlers when the LP was released continue to study it, digest it, absorb every sonic explosion and sudden drift of noise that two decades ago redefined the parameters of rock. After seven years and five albums of honing their avant-garde post-punk sound, Sonic Youth matched the art and talent present in the free-form noise experimentation of their predecessors and major influence, The Velvet Underground, with Daydream Nation.

Likely the most accessible track, "Teen Age Riot" opens the album in rare rock-anthemic form, a call to arms for disillusioned and disenfranchised underground youth everywhere. What follows in Daydream Nation is nothing short of the invention of a new genre, the modern-day hipster's bible, and very little since its release has come anywhere close to being as ground-breaking.

You can watch the video with its tinny sound and abbreviated format in what looks like a production budget of approximately $47 (granted, it does feature appearances from the likes of Patti Smith, Iggy Pop and The Beach Boys), or check the mp3 here:

Lyrics:

[Kim]
You're it
No, you're it
Hey, you're really it
You're it
No I mean it, you're it

Say it
Don't spray it
Spirit desire (face me)
Spirit desire (don't displace me)
Spirit desire
We will fall

Miss me
Don't dismiss me

Spirit desire

Spirit desire [x3]
We will fall
Spirit desire
We will fall
Spirit desire [x3]
We will fall
Spirit desire
We will fall

[Thurston]
Everybody's talking 'bout the stormy weather
And whats a man do to but work out whether its true?
Looking for a man with a focus and a temper
Who can open up a map and see between one and two

Time to get it
Before you let it
Get to you

Here he comes now
Stick to your guns
And let him through

Everybody's coming from the winter vacation
Taking in the sun in an exaltation to you
You come running in on platform shoes
With Marshall stacks
To at least just give us a clue
Ah, here it comes
I know it's someone I knew

Teenage riot in a public station
Gonna fight and tear it up in a hyper-nation for you

Now I see it
I think I'll leave it out of the way
Now I come near you
And it's not clear why you fade away

Looking for a ride to your secret location
Where the kids are setting up a free-speed nation, for you
Got a foghorn and a drum and a hammer that's rockin'
And a cord and a pedal and a lock, that'll do me for now

It better work out
I hope it works out my way
'cause its getting kind of quiet in my city's head
Takes a teenage riot to get me out of bed right now

You better look it
We're gonna shake it
Up to him

He acts the hero
We paint a zero
On his hand

We know its down
We know its bound too loose
Everybody's sound is 'round it
Everybody wants to be proud to choose
So who's to take the blame for the stormy weather
You're never gonna stop all the teenage leather and booze

It's time to go 'round
A one man showdown
Teach us how to fail

We're off the streets now
And back on the road
On the riot trail

Official website of Sonic Youth.

-J2

Next Big Thing Alert: Dr. Dog

2008-06-19T12:00:00.005-05:00

Okay, so Dr. Dog has been around for a minute now, but surely it's time for them to blow up. Opening shows for the likes of My Morning Jacket and M Ward have certainly helped garner deserved attention, but their latest release, Fate, due out July 22nd on Park the Van Records, should push them over the threshold to become a household name (at least, in indie rock kid households). The Philadelphia quintet's psychedelic pop is as good as it gets on this latest effort, seamlessly blending elements from obvious influences The Band, The Beach Boys and The Beatles, as well as the more recent developments of The Flaming Lips and Pavement. The bittersweet and earnest collection has a timeless and universal feel and appeal. Let's just hope they don't need to sell a track to "Grey's Anatomy" to get noticed.

Here is the first release from Fate, "The Old Days"

Pre-order Fate here.

Be sure to check out Dr. Dog performing live in Chicago on August 2nd at Lollapalooza. See where they'll be elsewhere in the country here.

Make friends @ myspace.com/drdog.

-J2

A Year Later: "Heart It Races"

2008-06-18T12:26:00.007-05:00

Sometimes a pop song is so good that every other artist wants to try their hand at recreating it. Don't think that this is a bad thing, either, or else we would've never gotten Hendrix's version of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower". When Architecture In Helsinki released Places Like This last year, something clicked with "Heart It Races". The good folks over at Pitchfork deftly described the original track as such:

A van carrying a college acapella group collides with the tour bus of an African percussion troupe, the twisted metal hybrid sweeps up a guy jamming on a beatbox and a brother-sister folk duo and comes to rest at the foot of a living-room organ, and a new Architecture in Helsinki song is born.

With a most entertaining video accompaniment, here is Architecture In Helsinki, "Heart It Races":

When Polyvinyl Records released the single, it was already accompanied by two covers and two remixes. The latest IMEEM search turned up eight different covers or remixes. The song continues to inspire artists to put their own stamp on it. Here are a couple of the best:

Dr. Dog (cover, from the single)

YACHT ("I Should Coco" remix, from the single)

Trizzy ("Rusty Tin Can" remix)

There is just something universal in the track, something so familiar in the sugary pop sound that mingles with the steel drums and genre-melding rhythms that pulls people in for the trip. It's a rare experience, and another signifier of the power of music. Enjoy.

-J2

If You Ain't Got No Paper Then Steal These CDs

2008-06-17T12:05:00.006-05:00

New releases Tuesday today, and a couple of good ones to check out...

Though technically not for release until July 15th, The Hold Steady dropped the digital version of Stay Positive (Vagrant Records) through iTunes today. The follow-up to 2006's critically-acclaimed Boys and Girls in America has Craig Finn and America's Bar Band back to their boozy ways again, picking up where The E Street Band left off. Here is the instant classic, "Sequestered in Memphis":

Party with The Hold Steady at Pitchfork Music Fest July 19th.

The members of Wolf Parade have been busy since 2005's Apologies to the Queen Mary with side projects (see: Frog Eyes, Handsome Furs, Sunset Rubdown). Fortunately they've recently gotten around to producing a follow-up, At Mount Zoomer (Sub Pop). We brought you "Call It a Ritual" a month or so ago, and now here is album opener, "Soldier's Grin":

Don't forget to check out Wolf Parade at House of Blues in Chicago July 8th.

Anyone that's ever clicked around over at Pitchfork knows how much the taste-makers are pushing for David Berman's Silver Jews. Perhaps it's because Berman was arguably a founding member of Pavement, or perhaps simply because the singer-songwriter has some of the most poetic lyrics indie rock has to offer. Either way, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City), is an inviting effort from a talented band poised to steal some attention away from Malkmus and his Jicks this year. Check out the gorgeous "My Pillow Is the Threshold":

As always, Myspace is good for making friends and hearing more music:
The Hold Steady
Wolf Parade
Silver Jews

-J2

A Lil Hip-Hop

2008-06-17T11:35:00.005-05:00

Lil Wayne drops Tha Carter III by way of YouTube
- Say what you will about Weezy, but there is no denying his prolificacy. There's also no denying lines like:

Man, I got Summer hating on me cause I'm hotter than the sun
Got Spring hating on me cause I ain't never sprung
Winter hating on me cause I'm colder than ya'll
And I would never, I would never, I would never Fall
I'm being hated on by the season
So fuck ya'll who hating for no reason

That'd be from the Just Blaze-produced, "Mr. Carter", which also features the other greatest rapper alive: Jay-Z.

Oh, and that cover art is pretty f-ing great too, to be honest.

-----------------------------------------------------------

On the unsigned-hype, local hip-hop front, friend-of-the-middleCoast, Hum-V, has put together a fantastic DIY video for his track, "Back in the Day". Sometimes, like he say, reminiscin' ain't hurtful.

-J2

Here Is Why Lollapalooza Is Worth $190

2008-06-17T11:00:00.007-05:00

So the schedule for Lollapalooza is available now, again allowing you to create your own agenda for each day. The following is just one of the many options (albeit, this one is mC-recommended) for the three-day festival, once again justifying two bills you'll drop just to get through the gates.

Friday, August 1

12:15 PM Black Lips (Bud Light)
1:15 PM Rogue Wave (MySpace)
2:15 PM Yeasayer (AT&T)
3:15 PM The Kills (MySpace)
4:15 PM The Black Keys (Bud Light)
5:15 PM Mates of State (MySpace)
5:45 PM Grizzly Bear (Citi)
6:15 PM The Raconteurs (Bud Light)
7:15 PM Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks (MySpace)
8:00 PM Radiohead (AT&T)

Saturday, August 2

11:45 AM Does it Offend You Yeah? (PlayStation)
12:30 PM De Novo Dahl (Bud Light)
12:45 PM The Ting Tings (AT&T)
1:30 PM Dr. Dog (MySpace)
2:30 PM The Gutter Twins (AT&T)
3:30 PM MGMT (MySpace)
4:30 PM Explosions in the Sky (Bud Light)
5:30 PM Okkervil River (PlayStation)
6:30 PM Broken Social Scene (Bud Light)
7:30 PM Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (PlayStation)
8:30 PM Wilco (Bud Light)

Sunday, August 3

11:15 AM Ha Ha Tonka (BMI)
11:30 AM Office (PlayStation)
1:15 PM The Whigs (MySpace)
2:15 PM Brazilian Girls (AT&T)
3:30 PM Black Kids (Citi)
4:15 PM Iron & Wine (Bud Light)
5:00 PM Saul Williams (Citi)
6:15 PM Gnarls Barkley (AT&T)
7:15 PM The National (PlayStation)
8:15 PM Kanye West (AT&T)

That's 31 bands in three days - and a helluva three days, at that. No doubt Lolla has truly become the premier music festival in the country.

Stay tuned for more Lollapaloozer posts to come.

-J2

The Inexorable Influences of Fleetwood Mac & Steely Dan

2008-06-11T12:31:00.005-05:00

This morning alone I have encountered enough music by myriad artists to fully comprehend the undeniable and inexorable influences of Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan upon modern-day musicians. Though it may have begun with a sense of irony, there exists now an entire sub-genre of indie rock that can trace its roots directly to these two pioneering acts. The resurgence of late in this style of jazzy rock saturated with multiple vocals harmonizing effortlessly is a bit puzzling. My question is whether this is simply a passing trend (shall we call it The Fleetwood Dan Influence? The Steely Mac Influence? No, I've got it...), or if The Steelwood Man Influence is here to stay.

I'm not sure who to hold responsible for originally utilizing the sounds of Fleetwood Mac or Steely Dan. Given their own profound influence in the past decade, however, I'm going with Pharrell Williams and his cohorts in The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. - specifically Chad Hugo. With the latest N.E.R.D. album, Seeing Sounds, dropping yesterday, this seems as good a place as any to start. Even though the vast majority of Neptunes' work in the mainstream is known for its minimalist beats (think Clipse, pre-Timbaland JT), the side project of N.E.R.D. has always incorporated a strong Steelwood Man Influence in addition to soulful Motown sounds. More Steely Dan than Fleetwood Mac, check out 2002's "Run to the Sun":

It's practically a remake of "Ricky Don't Lose My Number". Maybe not exactly, but you get the idea. Seeing Sounds gives us plenty of beat-filled dance-jams, but it also gives us the vibraphonic, "You Know What", another undeniable Steely Dan throwback:

Following along the same lineage are Next Big Thing, Chin Chin. The band's own Myspace page describes their sounds as "Brass Construction doing New Edition covers arranged by Steely Dan for Dick James Enterprises". In case the Dan influence wasn't obvious on "You Can't Hold Her":

Clearly Steely Dan have left their mark. Before moving on to Fleetwood Mac, let's first enjoy this classic from The Royal Scam:

Now, the Fleetwood Mac influence upon modern artists is confounding, as their soft rock sound is so iconic to a very specific time period. Female vocalists have been attempting to mimic Stevie Nicks for years (a couple of them recently - Neko Case & Rose - getting very close). But the artists I've heard this morning alone, as I mentioned at the start, are all young up-and-coming indie acts spanning the country, yet all integrating complex harmonizing into their songs.

From Texas, Midlake:

From Washington state, Next Big Thing Fleet Foxes:

From Brooklyn, mC fave Yeasayer:

What's most interesting is that these are modern bands making new music that sounds new, but The Steelwood Man Influence is unequivocal. As these artists continue to make music, and as they continue to garner press and media attention, their own influence will propagate. As a result, the jazz-infused neo-psychedelic blues-rock of the late 70s is poised to stick around. Let's just hope the accompanying fashion statements of the epoch aren't resurrected as well.

-J2

Chicago Concert Calendar: June 12-20

2008-06-10T15:51:00.007-05:00

As summer has finally broken in Chicago, the city resurrects with live music. Leading up to venerable festivals Pitchfork and Lollapalooza, here are a few shows in what's left of the month of June to get you geared up.

Who: Oxford Collapse
When: June 12th
Where: Empty Bottle
Price Tag: Free! (Seriously, it's free! Part of the Bottle's free concert series, so you should totally go!)
For Fans Of: Sub Pop Records, Brooklyn Indie Rock raised on '80s movies
What To Wear: Comfy shoes - the Gang of Four influence will be noticed as you find yourself unable to keep from dancing
BONUS: Scottish pop-rockers, Frightened Rabbit, opens!
Listen:

Who: Billy Bragg
When: June 14th
Where: Park West
Price Tag: $27.50 (get tix)
For Fans Of: British troubadours, left-wing politics, Wilco
What To Wear: "Impeach Bush" tee-shirt, free trade garments
Listen:

Who: These New Puritans
When: June 14th
Where: Subterranean
Price Tag: $12.00 (get tix)
For Fans Of: High fashion, The Fall, numerology
What To Wear: Movado timepiece, chainmail hoodie
Listen:

Who: Ladytron
When: June 17th
Where: Vic Theater
Price Tag: $24.00 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Gorgeous Bulgarian vocalists, jet-setting
Best Comparison Quote: "A teasing glimpse of how Britney Spears might have sounded, had she been born in the GDR and a heroin addict."
BONUS: Norwegian electro-poppers, DataRock, open!
Listen:

Who: Crystal Castles
When: June 18th
Where: Double Door
Price Tag: Free! (Seriously!?! Two free shows in six days?!? You know where to find middleCoasters this week...)
For Fans Of: She-Ra, Atari, Digitalism
What To Wear: All American Apparel, all the time
Listen:

Who: The Black Angels
When: June 20th
Where: Logan Square Auditorium
Price Tag: $15.00 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Psychedelia, The Doors (the band), The Doors (of Perception)
What To Wear: Velvet Underground tee-shirt, beard
Listen:

Enjoy.

-J2

"My Drive Thru": Converse Finally Takes Advantage of Hipster Market

2008-06-09T12:39:00.006-05:00

Hipsters have been wearing Converse All-Stars for, well, for forever it seems. Or at least since The Ramones started playing CBGBs. Though it seems rather unnecessary now (don't all hipsters and hipster-wannabe's already have their Chuck Taylor's?), the marketing execs at Converse have employed the register of Pharrell Williams, Julian Casablancas, and Santogold for their new promotional campaign: Three Artists, One Song. The result is "My Drive Thru", a frothy pop jingle that is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from these three artists. The gang over at Stereogum are streaming the mp3 of the track - click here to check it out.

The bigger question in my mind, though, is who exactly are Converse marketing to with this campaign? Is this just a big Thank You Nod to all the hipsters out there that have been sporting Chucks all these years, creating a mini little super-group as a show of gratitude? Or are they really trying to go (even more) mainstream with the product? If so, Converse may want to be careful - hipsters have a tendency to immediately shy away from things once the coolness factor becomes too easily accessible. Now that Target is hawking the Converse OneStar brand, it's not unlikely that it won't be long before your mom is rocking All Stars while working in the garden.

Stream: "My Drive Thru" (via Stereogum)

-J2

Update - Here is the video:

-

That Time of Year Again: Support KEXP

2008-06-05T11:29:00.004-05:00

KEXP needs our help once again. It's the time of year for the Summer Pledge Drive. Click on over to KEXP and give what you can. They are consistently one of the best sources in the US for finding new music of all genres. And they happen to be one of the few ways to hear music for free without advertising interruptions. So please help keep it that way. This is important.

KEXP Blog

KEXP Playlist (deejays John Richards, Cheryl Waters, and Kevin Cole are as good as it gets)

KEXP On Demand (Streaming, Live Archives, Podcast)
- mp3: The Helio Sequence, "Keep Your Eyes Ahead"
- mp3: MGMT, "Weekend Wars"
- mp3: Black Lips, "Veni Vidi Vici"
- mp3: Grand Archives, "Miniature Birds"
- mp3: Jose Gonzalez, "Down the Line"

Also, they have sweet gifts for people that donate...

-J2

My Morning Jacket News

2008-06-04T13:42:00.004-05:00

For those of us that can't wait just one more week, check out MMJ's Myspace page - it does, in fact, appear that they are streaming the entire album.

For more, check out the latest Black Cab Session for a live performance of "Touch Me, I'm Going To Scream (Part 2)".

-j2

Did We Mention How Much We Love Yeasayer?

2008-06-04T12:09:00.005-05:00

I believe we have actually mentioned Next Big Thing Yeasayer before on mC. Here they are performing instant classic "2080" for Pitchfork.tv's "Don't Look Down" series, from atop a hometown Brooklyn rooftop.

You can also see them perform "No Need to Worry", "Wait for the Wintertime", "Final Path", and "Sunrise" here.

-j2

Next Big Thing Alert: The Shortwave Set

2008-05-21T12:54:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we discussed the merits of Danger Mouse producing brilliant pop albums in 2008, and listed, in passing, a new artist out of the UK called The Shortwave Set. Certainly they deserve much more than just a passing mention, and so instead we've liberally deemed them a Next Big Thing.

Their debut EP, The Debt Collection, garnered the attention of D Mouse, possibly due to its description as a "Victorian Funk Masterwork" (never mind that it was the band themselves that described it as such, nor that there isn't much in the way of a Victorian Funk Failure). Earlier this month their Danger Mouse-produced sophomore release, Replica Sun Machine, was released on Wall of Sound. Recorded in LA, the album also just happens to feature orchestration by Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks, not to mention contributions on two songs from The Velvet Underground's John Cale. Ho hum.

With a psychedelic-cum-a.m.-radio vibe reminiscent of Air in songs like "Harmonia", "Replica", and "Distant Daze", intermingled with 60s dream-pop numbers "Glitches N Bugs" and "Sun Machine" sounding like a British New Pornographers, Replica Sun Machine provides a cohesive collection of atmospheric pop music. And Danger Mouse's stamp is clearly demarcated throughout. Have a listen:

"Harmonia" mp3

"No Social" video

"Replica" video

Go get the album, Replica Sun Machine.

Make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/theshortwaveset.

-J2

Beck + Danger Mouse = Favorite Song of the Day

2008-05-20T15:56:00.005-05:00

It only makes sense that Beck and Danger Mouse would eventually work together on a project, and on its way sometime soon is Modern Guilt. Given their affinity for spaced-out, LSD-infused bubblegum-pop and obscure deep grooves from the 60s & 70s, their collaboration was inevitable. And so Danger Mouse has produced Beck's latest LP with a potential release date in June or July.

The first leaked track, "Chemtrails", is garnering justifiable comparisons to Pink Floyd thanks to the thunderous drumming of Joey Waronker. But Beck's lilting and wispy vocals recall Pet Sounds-era Brian Wilson, and until those powerhouse drums kick in, "Chemtrails" crawls through the hills of Southern California more than those of Cambridge.

It's probably safe to say that Danger Mouse gets our vote for Producer of the Year 2008 (if that award exists). So far he's brought us new albums from The Black Keys, Gnarls Barkley, Martina Topley-Bird, The Shortwave Set, and now the latest from Beck. And to think, just four years ago he was a 26 year old up-and-coming DJ who'd illegally made the greatest hip-hop album of the decade that never made a cent.

Check out Beck.com for fun with flash media.

-J2

Hip Hop Is Dead. Long Live Hip Hop!

2008-05-19T12:59:00.006-05:00

Big Boi and Andre 3000 may have ventured off in differing directions this past half-decade, but Outkast remains the same. Since December, rumors of Big Boi's next solo album have been circulating, but for the last coupla months, this is the only track we've heard. Still, it's more than enough to keep the hype alive. The album is to be called Sir Luscious Left Foot, and the track, "Royal Flush" features Raekwon and Three-Stacks himself, who's become a bit of a Gandhi of the Streets. On DJ Drama's "Art of Storytellin' Pt 4", Dre deftly postulates:

She said, While you in the club, you don't make it precipitate?
You know, make it rain when you can make it thunderstorm
I'm like, Why?
The world needs sun
The hood needs funds
There's a war going on and half the battle is guns
How dare I throw it on the floor
When people are poor

Here he drops the lines:

When all the other kids are fresh and they got new Nintendo
Wiis
And yo' child is down on her knees
Praying hard up to God for a Whopper with cheese

"Royal Flush" MP3 (that someone else made a video for):

Official Outkast page.

-J2

Friday Flashback: Public Enemy

2008-05-16T10:42:00.006-05:00

In excited anticipation of Public Enemy performing It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back at the Pitchfork Music Fest in a couple of months, let's go back 20 years (20 fucking years?!?) and remember why this remains one of the greatest albums of all time.

"Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos"

Lyrics:

I got a letter from the government
The other day
I opened and read it
It said they were suckers
They wanted me for their army or whatever
Picture me given' a damn I said never
Here is a land that never gave a damn
About a brother like me and myself
Because they never did
I wasn't wit' it but just that very minute...
It occured to me
The suckers had authority
Cold sweatin' as I dwell in my cell
How long has it been?
They got me sittin' in the state pen
I gotta get out - but that thought was thought before
I contemplated a plan on the cell floor
I'm not a fugitive on the run
But a brother like me begun - to be another one
Public enemy servin' time - they drew the line y'all
To criticize me some crime - never the less
They could not understand that I'm a Black man
And I could never be a veteran
On the strength, the situation's unreal
I got a raw deal, so I'm goin' for the steel

They got me rottin' in the time that I'm servin'
Tellin' you what happened the same time they're throwin'
4 of us packed in a cell like slaves - oh well
The same motherfucker got us livin' is his hell
You have to realize - what its a form of slavery
Organized under a swarm of devils
Straight up - word'em up on the level
The reasons are several, most of them federal
Here is my plan anyway and I say
I got gusto, but only some I can trust - yo
Some do a bid from 1 to 10
And I never did, and plus I never been
I'm on a tier where no tears should ever fall
Cell block and locked - I never clock it y'all
'Cause time and time again time
They got me servin' to those and to them
I'm not a citizen
But ever when I catch a C-O
Sleepin' on the job - my plan is on go-ahead
On the strength, I'ma tell you the deal
I got nothin' to lose
'Cause I'm goin' for the steel

You know I caught a C-O
Fallin' asleep on death row
I grabbed his gun - then he did what I said so
And everyman's got served
Along with the time they served
Decency was deserved
To understand my demands
I gave a warnin' - I wanted the governor, y'all
And plus the warden to know
That I was innocent -
Because I'm militant
Posing a threat, you bet it's fuckin' up the government
My plan said I had to get out and break north
Just like with Oliver's neck
I had to get off - my boys had the feds in check
They couldn't do nuthin'
We had a force to instigate a prison riot
This is what it takes for peace
So I just took the piece
Black for Black inside time to cut the leash
Freedom to get out - to the ghetto - no sell out
6 C-Os we got we ought to put their head out
But I'll give 'em a chance, cause I'm civilized
As for the rest of the world, they can't realize
A cell is hell - I'm a rebel so I rebel
Between bars, got me thinkin' like an animal
Got a woman C-O to call me a copter
She tried to get away, and I popped her
Twice, right
Now who wanna get nice?
I had 6 C-Os, now it's 5 to go
And I'm serious - call me delirious
But I'm still a captive
I gotta rap this
Time to break as time grows intense
I got the steel in my right hand
Now I'm lookin' for the fence

I ventured into the courtyard
Followed by 52 brothers
Bruised, battered, and scarred but hard
Goin' out with a bang
Ready to bang out
But power from the sky
And from the tower shots rang out
A high number of dose - yes
And some came close
Figure I trigger my steel
Stand and hold my post
This is what I mean - an anti-nigger machine
If I come out alive and then they won't - come clean
And then I threw up my steel bullets - flew up
Blew up, who shot...
What, who, the bazooka was who
And to my rescue, it was the S1Ws
Secured my getaway, so I just gotaway
The joint broke, from the black smoke
Then they saw it was rougher thatn the average bluffer
'Cause the steel was black, the attitude exact
Now the chase is on tellin' you to c'mon
53 brothers on the run, and we are gone

BONUS TIME! Yes, there's more!

Trip-hop patron saint, Tricky, did a sweet cover of this track on Maxinquaye with the help of Martina Topley-Bird which we've always enjoyed thoroughly as well.

Dig it:

-J2

Next Big Thing Alert: Chin Chin

2008-05-14T12:26:00.005-05:00

Funky, soulful(/soul-filled/soul-fueled) baby-making music is back, people (though, does it ever really go away?). We're gonna go 'head and give sole credit to Danger Mouse for singlehandedly resurrecting the spirit of Ike Turner, and therefore this current movement.

The latest arbiters of Funk are Brooklyn trio Chin Chin, whose eponymous full-length debut dropped a coupla weeks ago on Def Jux. While at heart a trio - guitarist Jeremy Wilms, keyboardist Wilder Zoby, and drummer Torbitt Schwartz - Chin Chin has many friends that often propel the band into Funkadelic or JB's formations. The resulting sound is somewhere between soul, hip-hop, lounge, and acid jazz, and it's everywhere around groovy.

Comparisons to other artists are inevitable in the blogosphere, so here goes: the same way Kanye West and Daft Punk joined forces, imagine Gnarls Barkley and Air getting together to do Steely Dan covers produced by Pharrell Williams. In fact, it'll be interesting to see if the new N.E.R.D. album due out this summer results in even more attention for Chin Chin and similar bands.

MP3: "Miami"

Video: "Appetite"

Go get the album.

Make friends and hear more @ www.myspace.com/chinchinnyc.

-J2

Help Save Chicago's Music Scene!

2008-05-13T10:22:00.003-05:00

Please take a moment, read the following, take action and save the Chicago music community.

PLEASE READ, DISTRIBUTE AND SIGN THE PETITION!

The City of Chicago is trying to pass an ordinance this Wednesday (May 14th, 2008) that could severely damage the live music and theater scene.

In summary:

The "Event Promoters" ordinance requires any event promoter to have a license from the city of Chicago and liability insurance of $300,000, but that's just the start:

* The definition of "event promoter" is so loosely defined it could apply to a band or singer-songwriter that books their own shows or a theater company that's in town for a one-week run.

* "Event Promoter" must be licensed and will pay $500-$2000 depending on expected audience size.

* To get the license, applicant must be over 21, get fingerprinted, submit to a background check, and jump over several other hurdles.

* This ordinance seems targeted towards smaller venues, since those with 500+ permanent seats are exempt.

* Police must be notified at least 7 days in advance of event.

The first link gives a summary of the proposal, and the second is a petition (Chicago Acoustic Underground is one of the sponsors of the petition). Please read the links and contact your alderman before Wednesday, when the City Council will be voting.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL:

Jim DeRogatis's story: Chicago Sun-Times

PETITION:

Sign the petition and Save Chicago Culture!

FIND YOUR ALDERMAN & CALL THEM ASAP:

Click here to find your local aldermen.

The alderman for The Empty Bottle is Manuel 'Manny' Flores.

Make your voice heard, call your alderman and call often!

Thank you for support.

*above text taken from Empty Bottle newsletter

Friday Flashback: Blind Melon

2008-05-09T10:00:00.003-05:00

In 1993, Blind Melon gave the world "No Rain". A great song with a great video, it was overplayed to death at the time. Fifteen years later, however, looking back on what a truly brilliant song it is, I admit to getting a little weepy when I hear it (maybe the premature death of one of the most underrated singers/songwriters of my generation plays a part in that). Especially this slowed down, psyched-out version from Saturday Night Live:

(If you want to see the original music video, find it here.)

Lyrics:

All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
I like watchin' the puddles gather rain
And all I can do is just pour some tea for two
and speak my point of view
But it's not sane, It's not sane
I just want some one to say to me
I'll always be there when you wake
Ya know I'd like to keep my cheeks dry today
So stay with me and I'll have it made
And I don't understand why I sleep all day
And I start to complain that there's no rain
And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
And it rips my life away, but it's a great escape
escape......escape......escape......
All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
ya don't like my point of view
ya think I'm insane
Its not sane......it's not sane

Lovely.

-J2

Chicago Concert Calendar: Friday, May 9th

2008-05-08T10:27:00.008-05:00

Murphy's Law, we suppose, but there are a gazillion good shows in the City of Wind that are all happening tomorrow night. Here's a little breakdown to help you decide where to go:

Who: The Kills
Where: The Metro
Price Tag: $14.00 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Boy-girl duos, Primal Scream, Jesus & Mary Chain
What to Wear: Skinny jeans, scarf 'round yo neck
Listen:

Who: M.I.A.
Where: Aragon Ballroom
Price Tag: $27.50 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Sri Lankian rebels, dirty-house, M.I.A.
What to Wear: All-over print tees, multi-colored Adidas
Listen:

Who: DeVotchKa
Where: The Vic Theater
Price Tag: $19.50 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Gypsies, the soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine
What to Wear: Eastern European Immigrant Fashions
BONUS: Basia Bulat opens!
Listen:

Who: The Heavy
Where: Darkroom
Price Tag: $5.00 (get tix at the door)
For Fans Of: Dancing, Curtis Mayfield, Prince
What to Wear: Dancing shoes, that new Puma hat
Listen:

Who: Ministry
Where: House of Blues
Price Tag: $41.50 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Overpriced concert tickets, late-80s Industrial Metal, NIN
What to Wear: Black
Listen:

Who: Hum.V
Where: Funky Buddha Lounge
Price Tag: $10.00 (mention Hum.V at the door)
For Fans Of: Local hip-hop, Slim Shady
What to Wear: Flat-billed cap, ice 'round yo neck
Listen:

Who: Presidents of the United States of America
Where: Abbey Pub
Price Tag: $20.00 (get tix)
For Fans Of: That one song, "Peaches", from 1996; or "Lump" from 2000; oh, and they're still making really rocking music, by the way
What to Wear: Flannel? I don't know, they're from Seattle
Listen:

BONUS! I know you just wanna hear "Peaches" now, so:

Enjoy.

-J2

Crystal Castles Love Their Atari

2008-05-06T11:32:00.007-05:00

Canadian electro-funk duo Crystal Castles make brilliant background scores for those that wished they lived life in a video game. Their eponymous debut LP (Last Gang Records) came out in March and has been destroying Space Invaders in my head ever since. Oh, and they take their band name from She-Ra's home, so that's cool.

Video: "Courtship Dating"

Go get the album.

Make friends or hear more @ http://www.myspace.com/crystalcastles.

-J2

New Releases Tuesday: Firewater

2008-05-05T13:57:00.003-05:00

The latest release from Firewater, The Golden Hour, drops tomorrow on Bloodshot Records. A truly World Music album, frontman Tod A has been traveling across the globe the past few years and recorded with artists along the way. It's an inspirational story he tells on his blog, and this video gives some insight - along with a sneak peak of the music - as to what his travels have meant:

Bloodshot also allows you to stream the first single, "Borneo".

Make friends and hear more @ http://www.myspace.com/realfirewater.

-J2

Next Big Thing Alert: Santogold

2008-05-02T11:38:00.005-05:00

Okay, so she may already be The Big Thing, but we here at middleCoast just can't get enough of the Santogold. Along with her compatriot, MIA, this Brooklynite makes pop music as it should be made in our post-contemporary society. The future is now, and Santogold is already there.

Santogold (née: Santi White) - not to be confused with Santo Gold, the wrestler/actor/singer/infomercial-mastermind - dropped her eponymous debut earlier this week on Downtown Records. Having worked with artists and producers such as Mark Ronson (you may remember "Pretty Green" from Version), Spank Rock, and Diplo, along with Miss MIA herself, Santogold's sound is an amalgamation of Hip-Hop, world jams, and girly pop.

We posted the video for "L.E.S. Artistes" last week, but here's a sampling of a few more:

"You'll Find a Way"

"The Creator"

"Shove It" (featuring Spank Rock)

Seriously, go get it.

Make friends or hear more @ http://www.myspace.com/santogold.

-J2

75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)

2008-05-01T10:31:00.006-05:00

*Warning: if you are disturbed or remotely bothered by (a) angry black men or (b) excessive use of the term, niggaz, then you may very well be the type of person this song is directed towards.

Rising Down, The Roots' follow-up to the highly-acclaimed 2006 album, Game Theory, came out this week, and after just a few listens it's safe to say that these dudes are pissed. And I don't mean pissed like some Brit-rock boozehounds get pissed. I mean Angry. In fact, the first track / Intro of the album - "The Pow-Wow" - is a recording from the 1994 meeting between Black Thought, Questlove and former Roots manager, AJ Shine, after they got threatened with being dropped from their record label. Needless to say, the fellas ain't happy. Throughout the majority of the album, Black Thought and an array of guest MCs (middleCoast faves, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Common, to name a few) let the listener know with urgency and immediacy exactly how they feel about everything from the climate (both environmental and cultural) being in a downward spiral, to pharmaceutical companies' justifiable drug trade, to the state of the entertainment industry eating itself, to the struggle of poverty-stricken Americans getting no help.

One of most impressive (and rage-filled) rhymes is "75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)" in which Black Thought spits fire for 75 bars. Seriously. In one take. Find me another MC that can do this. I dare ya. Unfortunately, it's the video that is getting most of the attention, as it features a white man being held captive by the band. What? What's the big deal? Check it out first...

The Roots - '75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)'

Now depending on your personality (or perhaps the color of your skin), you probably have differing reactions to seeing that. However, read the lyrics now and see if you can figure out why the video exists as it does...

I’m from the land of the straight razor face beard niggaz
with hammers on their waist, yeah ta waste weird niggaz
and erase scared niggaz, them snake head niggaz
the take care o' niggaz who don’t break bread wit us
niggaz make dead niggaz, and hate black niggaz
brown niggaz high yellow niggaz and them red niggaz
no telling when that bullet comin be prepared niggaz
cause when it do its comin land sea and air niggaz
that’s everywhere niggaz am I the mutherfucking legendary? yeah niggaz
make it very clear niggaz, been looking at y’all in my rearview
mirror niggaz, wanna be a millionare I’m already there niggaz
I’m a debonaire nigga, a bear taking more than my share
Looka here yeah I know it aint fair nigga. neither is a bald eagle wit a hair trigger
haystack try to find a needle up in there nigga leave u up in there nigga
show me the puppet that don’t need a puppeteer nigga shed another tear nigga
I’m the field with a shield and a spear nigga,
I’m in your girl with her heels in the air nigga
I am such a rare nigga, You in a battle telling me you not ready
like u figured imma bare wit cha! I don’t care nigga!
you now listenin to the sounds of the money makin jam trillionares nigga
gentlemen of an extraordinary league, you never see me blowin on no ordinary weed
what I’m smoking aint a product of no ordinary seed, your boy is heavy treed
I’m feelin merry as a Tyler Perry scene mad monetary gangrene
We tried to launder the cash, it never came clean
So now I’m in the story with all them cats before me
in smoke pergutory for doin the same thing
And them niggaz aint change, them niggaz cant change
your moms shake her head say it’s such a dang shame
the train to the bus and then another dang plane?
my stage and my government they aint the same name
I’m a rockstar loving it my wallet chain hang
Im a rider they was sayin, I’m a modern day kang.
My definition I can finally explain, cold smooth like that dude Sean Connery was playin
I just gotta be the man I’m the father figure and
when I spit it its something like a psychology exam,
if you stand where I stood you can probably understand
how that mic feelin like a million dollars in my hand
its the silence of the lambs, go and cop another gram ta twist with your zanny, percoset percodan what's your networking plan?
you better look alive cause them niggaz outside looking desperate again nigga
and the blunts and liquor killin my lungs and liver
the athsmatic drug addict I function wit it
I put a rapper in a hole where the dunce was sittin for spittin a played out pattern that once was hittin
I got news for you all, let me show you how to ball
See the legendary fall? I aint heard of that
Yall niggaz is off the wall like arsenio hall
I’m a put you right back where the dirt is at
450 farenheit pon the thermostat
somebody stalkin like da white jawn Bernadette
but she's not an earner yet, she couldn’t put in no work for Nat Burner yet
the black microphone murder vet, im in a class of my own
if I got beef with you you're the last one to know, I arrive on time I’m never fashionable you late I’m already internationable
I done twirled Berlin banged in Bejing
you never seen nothing cant say the same
tell somebody black thought yeah you know the name ring
so give him the game ring, for bringin what them niggaz cant bring
my hutsle is long my muscle is strong my man put the paper in the duffle I’m gone
yall still a light year from the level I’m on
just a pawn stepping right into the head of the storm
you've been warned, I will blow you niggaz into centigrade
I’m a rebel, renegade must stay paid

Damn.

Now the speculation: Obviously Black Thought has something to say, and most likely feels very strongly about it. He wants you to LISTEN CLOSELY. The seemingly kidnapped white man in the video represents a certain population of white America that are NOT listening. Now, if you've been to a Roots show in the past decade, you'll notice an overwhelming number of white kids in attendance. Artists like The Roots and Talib Kweli have spoken out before on what it's like to make black music with a black audience in mind, and yet have a white audience embrace it as they do. For a black artist, this can present a dilemma. What Rising Down seems to want to do is grab hold of the person listening by the collar (or the jugular) and make them pay a-fucking-ttention. Black or white doesn't matter. Perhaps the harder sound, the sheer force of the album is designed to get black kids to switch off the Lil Wayne for a minute; and, simultaneously, get white kids to do more than noodle-dance to their beats at whatever summer festival they're at. You must pay attention now.

Well when all is said and done, Rising Down remains one of the best releases of 2008 as The Roots continue to be the greatest Hip-Hop band on the planet. Plain and simple.

{Go get Rising Down}

Make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/theroots.

-J2

New Wolf Parade Single

2008-04-30T15:28:00.005-05:00

While side projects, Frog Eyes and Handsome Furs, have certainly kept the beast at bay, we're itching for new Wolf Parade nevertheless. Sub Pop just announced that the follow-up to 2005's Apologies to the Queen Mary will drop June 17th, and it will be titled, At Mount Zoomer (apparently a reference to the recording studio, Mt Zoomer, where the gang recorded the album).

Here is the first single, "Call It A Ritual" -

Wolf Parade has also announced tour dates:

July 7: Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom
July 8: Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
July 9: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
July 12: Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
July 13: Seattle, WA @ Marymoor Park
July 15: Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
July 17: San Francisco, Ca @ Fillmore
July 18: Hollywood, CA @ Henry Fonda
July 19: Hollywood, CA @ Henry Fonda
July 20: San Diego, CA @ Cane's
July 21: Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
July 24: Dallas, TX @ Palladium Ballroom
July 25: Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
July 26: Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
July 28: Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
July 29: Raleigh, NC @ Disco Rodeo
July 30: Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
July 31: New York, NY @ Terminal 5
Aug 2: Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Aug 3: Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
Aug 9: Toronto, ON @ Koolhaus

Make friends @ www.myspace.com/wolfparade.

-J2

Favorite Song of the Day: Soulsavers

2008-04-30T11:00:00.006-05:00

Playing on repeat in mC offices this morning is a UK electronica/soul outfit called Soulsavers. I realize that not only does the combination of electronica and soul sound strange, it in fact sounds like a complete oxymoron. Somehow, though, their 2007 album It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land sounds like gospel music from the year 3030. Witness:

Soulsavers, "Revival" (V2 Records Int'l)

The band itself is comprised of Rich Machin and Ian Glover, and this sophomore release features the vocal talents of Mark Lanegan (he of Screaming Trees fame, and more recently, The Gutter Twins - another mC fave).

{Go get the album, It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land, from iTunes.}

Make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/soulsavers.

-J2

RIP, Albert Hofmann

2008-04-29T18:59:00.003-05:00

Sadly, today we mourn the passing of Albert Hofmann, without whom some of the greatest albums of the 1960s would have never been possible. Thanks, Albert. Rest in peace.
-The middleCoast

{Go find out who Albert Hofmann was.}

-J2

Friday Flashback #3: The Clash

2008-04-25T11:08:00.002-05:00

Make no mistake, new music being released today is some of the best in decades. It goes without saying (though, I'm saying it anyway) that contemporary musicians owe a great deal to their predecessors. So today we take a look back at some of the most influential and significant artists that established pop music as an art form.

In 1977, I was still a fetus developing ears. Meanwhile, a man by the name of Lester Bangs was on the road with The Clash. I'll let him describe it:

"It was one of those performances for which all the serviceable critical terms like 'electrifying' are so pathetically inadequate, and after it was over I realized the futility of hitting Strummer for that interview I kept putting off on the 'politics' of the situation. The politics of rock 'n roll, in England or America or anywhere else, is that a whole lot of kids want to be fried out of their skins by the most scalding propulsion they can find, for a night they can pretend is the rest of their lives, and whether the next day they go back to work in shops or boredom on the dole or American TV doldrums in Mom 'n Daddy's living room nothing can cancel the reality of that night in the revivifying flames when for once if only then in your life you were blasted outside of yourself and the monotony which defines most life anywhere at any time, when you supped on lightning and nothing else in the realms of the living or dead mattered at all."

The Clash, "Police & Thieves"
(From The Clash)

Lyrics:

Police and thieves in the streets

Oh yeah!
Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition
Police and thieves in the street
Oh yeah!
Fighting the nation with their guns and ammunition

From genesis to revelation
The next generation will be hear me
From genesis to revelation
The next generation will be hear me

And all the crowd comes in day by day
No one stop it in anyway
And all the peacemaker turn war officer
Hear what I say

Vocal ad lib

Police, police, police and thieves oh yeah
Police, police, police and thieves oh yeah
From genesis oh yeah
Police, police, police and thieves oh yeah

Scaring, fighting the nation
Shooting, shooting their guns and ammunition

Police, police, police and thieves oh yeah
Police, police, police and thieves oh yeah
Here come, here come, here come
The station is bombed
Get out get out get out you people
If you dont wanna get blown up

And little bonus material from The Clash for you. Turn up your speakers, get up out of your chair, and freak out everyone around you by jumping up and down or breaking something (like a number 2 pencil - damn you, standardized tests!):

-J2

Friday Flashback #2: The Rolling Stones

2008-04-25T10:26:00.004-05:00

Make no mistake, new music being released today is some of the best in decades. It goes without saying (though, I'm saying it anyway) that contemporary musicians owe a great deal to their predecessors. So today we take a look back at some of the most influential and significant artists that established pop music as an art form.

Before the Stones turned into a parody of themselves, they released this gem in 1969, and a young Marty Scorsese would never be the same. Oh, and Lin Brehmer of XRT (one of the last of the great, true deejays) also just happens to think this is the "greatest song ever".

The Rolling Stones, "Gimme Shelter"
(From Let It Bleed)

Lyrics:

Oh, a storm is threatning
My very life today
If I dont get some shelter
Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away

War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away

Ooh, see the fire is sweepin'
Our very street today
Burns like a red coal carpet
Mad bull lost its way

War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away

Rape, murder!
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away

Rape, murder!
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away

Rape, murder!
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away

The floods is threatning
My very life today
Gimme, gimme shelter
Or I'm gonna fade away

War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
I tell you love, sister, it's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
Kiss away, kiss away

Be sure to check out some of Lin's Bins, too. They're brilliant radio. Here's an example (it's my favorite because it's about pizza):

-J2

Friday Flashback #1: George Harrison

2008-04-25T10:02:00.003-05:00

What I feel, I cant say
But my love is there for you anytime of day
But if its not love that you need
Then Ill try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What I know, I can do
If I give my love now to everyone like you
But if its not love that you need
Then Ill try my best to make evrything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side
Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What I feel, I cant say
But my love is there for you any time of day
But if its not love that you need
Then Ill try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side
Oh tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

(fade:)
Oh tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me who am I without you by my side

Lovely.

-J2

Did You Know It Was Earth Day The Other Day?

2008-04-24T13:08:00.003-05:00

It's Not Easy Being Green:
Green Apple Festival Celebrates Earth Day

In the clear Spring sky, the sun shone brightly on the majestic lion. As he stretched and sunned himself on the perfectly placed boulder, lazily glancing at his surroundings, I found myself wondering if this king had any awareness of what had become of his kingdom. I'm often conflicted at zoos. On the one hand is the feeling of pity for the displaced animals relegated to their makeshift habitats, and mild indignation at humanity for creating such a façade. On the other is the knowledge that this lion could instead be starving to death in its natural setting, or facing death at the hands of a poacher, so perhaps the zoo may very well be the ideal kingdom after all.

This particular dichotomy is not all that uncommon, to be sure, but it was likely overlooked on Sunday, April 20th, at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Though the lions were relegated to the background, the zoo was an appropriate setting for the third annual Green Apple Festival. Together with the Earth Day Network they presented a free day of music and eco-awareness exhibits as part of a national, eight-city push to draw attention to climate change and the human impact on the environment. Speakers included freshly-shaven Bears QB, Kyle Orton, a few corporate sponsors, and Senator Dick Durbin, a staunch environmental activist who gave a rousing speech displaying his passion for the topic. Musicians included Meshell Ndegeocello, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and headliners Three (comprised of Grateful Dead drummer, Bill Kreutzmann, Allman Brothers bassist, Oteil Burbridge, and Max Creek guitarist, Scott Murawski).

Given the combination of an outdoor Earth Day festival and live performances from jam bands (not to mention the date conveniently being 4/20), the crowd was comprised primarily of…hmmm…what's the word? Oh, right: hippies. Our friend the lion had a clear view of tie-dyed tees, white kids with dreadlocks, and hacky-sackers, all noodling for the Earth, and a whiff of the crisp, late-April air was filled with patchouli, body odor, and other recognizable scents associated with hippies and the aforementioned date. Unsuspecting zoo-goers gingerly steered their strollers through the crowd, and headed to less perilous territories such as the Lion House or the Bear Habitat.

Wondering among the festival's exhibits I was incessantly handed flyers promoting products or events designed to fight climate change. Wisely, most were made from recycled paper; Chase Bank definitely won the award for greenest flyer, as the entire thing was manufactured from seeds – in fact, it came with instructions to plant the card in soil and watch its wildflowers bloom. Unfortunately, despite the sponsors being clever enough to at least display the "printed-on-recycled-paper" logos on their flyers, many ended up strewn along the ground. And the zoo itself continued to sell water in plastic bottles, and trashcans were far more accessible than recycling containers.

This new paradox sits rather nicely next to my earlier dichotomy. As I cynically sift through my collection of business cards and flyers (not to mention my 14 laser-printed pages of press material), I have hope that the other attendees will also recycle or reuse. I have hope that zoo groundskeepers sorted the litter that remained, rather than dumping it all into the same trashcan. I have hope that the call for change not only rang true, but also inspired people to action. I have hope that my skepticism for the corporate sponsors is unfounded. And I have hope that the lion's kingdom can be saved by the same human hands that have been pushing it towards extinction.

-J2

This Week In My Morning Jacket News

2008-04-23T11:13:00.008-05:00

More of Evil Urges is finding its way through the cracks of the interweb. Set to be released June 10th on ATO, this is likely the most anticipated album of My Morning Jacket's career, so it is no surprise that most of us have a hard time waiting any longer than we have to. Another month-and-a-half is too long to wait, we say. For now, though, we only have a coupla tracks to keep us sated. Here is the title track:

"Evil Urges" mp3

Many thanks to NPR for granting us access to this one:
"Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Pt 2" mp3 (scroll to the bottom of the page)

Make sure you take your time on that NPR site - there are some good finds to be had.

Other than the sets at Coachella and Bonnaroo, MMJ won't be stateside again until August. They'll be playing to their hometown crowd in Louisville 8/16, and just announced this week is a Red Rocks show 8/21 (with Black Keys opening).

-J2

Some New Music (That's Awesome Like The Pope's Speech)

2008-04-22T10:10:00.005-05:00

All right, sports fans, April has been, and continues to be, an excellent month. The Jayhawks won the NCAA Championship, the Cubbies are in first place, and - better yet - we have upcoming releases from the likes of The Black Angels, Tokyo Police Club, The Roots, Portishead, Langhorne Slim, and Santogold. Let's get into it:

Tokyo Police Club
"Tessellate" - Elephant Shell (Saddle Creek)

*TPC are in Chi-city May 5th at The Metro.

The Black Angels
"You On The Run" - Directions to See a Ghost (Light In The Attic)

*The Angels fly through Chicago June 20th at Logan Square Auditorium.

The Roots
"Get Busy" - Rising Down (Def Jam)

*The Roots blow up the Chicago Theatre TWO TIMES - May 30th & 31st.

Portishead
"Hunter" - Third (Mercury/Island)

*No US tour dates we're aware of yet for Portishead.

Langhorne Slim
"Restless" - Langhorne Slim (Kemado Records)

*Slim pays two visits to our fair city: May 28th at Schubas & May 29th at The Hideout.

Santogold
"L.E.S. Artistes" - Santogold (Downtown Music)

*Santogold will be touring Europe most of the summer, unfortunately for us.

Make lots of friends @:

http://www.myspace.com/tokyopoliceclub
http://www.myspace.com/theblackangels
http://www.myspace.com/theroots
http://www.myspace.com/PORTISHEADALBUM3
http://www.myspace.com/langhorneslim
http://www.myspace.com/santogold

-J2

Record Store Day Is Tomorrow!

2008-04-18T12:01:00.002-05:00

Sunday may be Earth Day festivities, but just as in need of saving are local and independently-owned Record Stores. So Saturday, April 19th is officially Record Store Day. Hundreds of record stores across the country will join forces to promote and celebrate the cultural significance and individual inspiration derived from these bastions of cool. Each participating store will have special events or live performances to commemorate the day. Click here to find the store nearest you.

Now we concede that more of our music dollars go to iTunes than we like to admit. So if you're like us, take advantage of this event to get away from your computer into the big, wide world (sans web) and do your part to keep record stores alive. Artists like Wayne Coyne, Paul McCartney, and Bruce Springsteen are joining in the effort. Here are a few quotes to get you inspired:

Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz, others...)
“My local independent record shop (Honest Jons) is a library, where you can go to listen to music, learn about it, exchange ideas about it and be inspired by it. I think independent record shops will outlive the music industry as we know it because long term their value to people is far greater, because even in our era of file-sharing and blogs, you cant replace the actual look on someone’s face when they are playing something they really rate and think you should listen to it too. It’s special.”

Cameron Crowe (writer, director)
"The record store. Where true fandom begins. It's the soul of discovery, and the place where you can always return for that mighty buzz. The posters. The imports. The magazines. The discerning clerks, paid in vinyl, professors of the groove. Long live that first step inside, when the music envelopes you and you can't help it. You walk up to the counter and ask the question that begins the journey -- "what is that you're playing?" Long live the record store, and the guys and girls who turn the key, and unlock those dreams, every day."

A few Chicago spots for you locals in the Middle:

Dave's Records - 2604 N. Clark St.
Deadwax Records - 3819 N. Lincoln Ave.
Gramaphone Records - 2843 N. Clark St.
Hard Boiled Records - 2010 W. Roscoe St.
Laurie's Planet of Sound - 4639 N Lincoln Ave.
Music Direct - 318 North Laflin St.
Permanent Records - 1914 W. Chicago Ave.
Reckless Records - 3161 N. Broadway, 1532 N. Milwaukee Ave., and 26 E. Madison
Record Breakers - 2109 S. State Street

-J2

Killer Lyric

2008-04-18T09:53:00.008-05:00

Spinning on repeat in middleCoast's Uptown offices this morning is a rather average song, if we're honest. But it does feature our favorite hook of the year. The song is off of the latest effort from Brit garage/punk rocker duo, The Kills, Midnight Boom, and it's called "Cheap And Cheerful". Singer, Allison Mosshart, belts:

I want you to be crazy
'Cause you're boring baby when you're straight
I want you to be crazy
'Cause you're stupid baby when you're sane

Plain and simple.

MP3:

Video:

The Kills rock Chicago May 9th at The Metro.

Click to purchase from iTunes.

Make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/thekills.

-J2

Next Big Thing Alert: Thee Emergency

2008-04-17T10:39:00.006-05:00

The days of Grunge are (thankfully) past us, but Seattle continues to crank out quality bands that make their way across the Middle. Thee Emergency is the latest to demand and command our attention. With their sophomore release, SOLID, due out in early May, the quintet's psychedelic-soul-meets-Detroit-garage sounds like what would've happened if Danger Mouse had produced The Libertines. What really establishes their sound as unique, though, is lead singer, Dita Vox. The sultry songstress deftly switches from soulful pleas to fiery accusations like no one since Miss Tina Turner herself. Vox is the perfect lead for the band as guitarist Sonic Smith wails through slow-burning solos and deliberate hooks, Nick Detroit counts time on bass, (new member) Dr. S works the keys and sax adding a harmonious Motown element, and Tom T. Drummer's barely contained whirlwind drumming surely calls for a paternity test - there simply has to be some of Keith Moon's DNA in there somewhere.

While most of Indie Rock comes to us from Sub Pop or some label similar, Thee Emergency maintain a truly Indie identity, self-releasing this latest effort on their label, The Heavy Souls.

Word has it that their live show is worth witnessing, as well, but with no shows on the bill east of the continental divide, we'll just have to settle for the YouTube clip below.

Listen: "2069 Space-Time" mp3

Listen: "Attack of the Cobrasaurus" mp3

Watch: "Holdin' On" (from their debut album, Can You Dig It?)
- Live from Easy Street Records in 2006

Make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/theeemergency.

-J2

The Album As Work Of Art: An Overwrought Personal Account

2008-04-15T12:09:00.012-05:00

There is a downside to having unlimited access to so much good music in our post-contemporary society. With easy downloads and file-sharing and Shuffle functions so prevalent, new music comes at the ear in a flood. Add to that our ADD-riddled attention spans that have almost become a necessity in this multi-tasking digital era, and what gets lost is the simple act of sitting down, putting on a new album, and doing nothing other than listening to the recording.

I am guilty as anyone of it: often downloading multiple albums in a single day, playing KEXP while working on something else, or lazily choosing Shuffle on iTunes or the iPod. What happens is that music becomes background score. Maybe it's having grown up on Hollywood movies and always wishing my own life had a soundtrack. Or maybe that repressed dream of becoming a deejay drives me towards the mixtape rather than the album.

But for years, when I did choose to play an album specifically, it was based on what else I was doing - deejaying a soundtrack to my life as best I could. Probably not all that uncommon, I suppose: if I was getting ready to go out for the night, put on Outkast or N.E.R.D. or The Who; if I was home alone writing, something chill like DJ Shadow or TV On The Radio did the trick; if I had company and needed something that didn't distract from good conversation, put on Grand National or Spiritualized. You get the point.

Recently, however, a new record has reminded me the enrichment that comes with simply listening to an album as a piece of art. And why not, really? We go to a museum and gaze amazed at a Picasso painting or a Calder sculpture, attempting to absorb every bit of it. We go to the theater and focus only on the film presented to us by the Coen Brothers, turning off the cell phones and postponing the potty break so as not to miss a frame. So why do we feel that those works of art should carry any more weight than modern music? Why should we disrespect Pet Sounds by merely playing it in the background while we vacuum the rug?

The album that created this mini-epiphany for me was Untrue, by Burial. Little is known about this critically-acclaimed Hyperdub recording artist, an anonymous producer from London. In a rare interview late last year, Burial spoke of his anonymity:

"I love...old jungle and garage tunes, when you didn't know anything about them, and nothing was between you and the tunes. I liked the mystery; it was more scary and sexy, the opposite of other music. Only about five people outside of my family know I make tunes, I think. I hope."

What Burial created with Untrue is experimental electronica, a cohesive collection of atmospheric dubstep tracks with ghostly vocal loops and shadowy ambient motifs that are quite plainly haunting. Listening to the album in headphones for the first time reminded me of the first time I heard Dark Side Of The Moon in headphones: quite frankly, they are more than a little disturbing. But what it also does is draw you in, not allowing itself to pass as merely background music. The album would come to its finish and I'd immediately start it over, not wanting it to end. And when I wasn't listening to it, I'd here bits and pieces of it in my head. I'd hear the clank and hum of the washer/dryer and think I was hearing a sample. I'd hear a low-flying jet wash out the giggling of a neighbor-girl across the alley and slide back into the album. The very sound of silence called to mind the hypnotic dreamscapes of Untrue.

What separates Untrue from other albums, though, isn't my newfound fascination with dubstep, but rather that sense of cohesion that establishes an album as art. I'm not specifically talking about the Concept Album, per se, though some certainly may be included. I'm simply talking about albums that work as Capital-A Art. The reason we don't view all albums as Picassos is because 99% of them are nowhere close. Most albums are just a collection of songs arranged in an order intended to keep the consumer interested long enough to listen to the whole thing.

Along with Dark Side Of The Moon are the classics like Pet Sounds or Blonde On Blonde that established pop music as Art. Here are a few cohesive albums of the past decade or so that I view as Art:

Radiohead, Kid A
Radiohead, OK Computer
Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Arcade Fire, Funeral
Danger Mouse, The Gray Album
Mos Def, Black On Both Sides
DJ Shadow, Entroducing...
The National, Boxer
The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, self-titled
(Honorable Mention: Guns 'n Roses, Appetite For Destruction)

If anyone out there has read this far, I'd love to hear others that you consider in that esteemed list. Please feel free to drop them into the comments.

-J2

Chicago Concert Calendar: A Good-Looking Week

2008-04-09T17:21:00.016-05:00

The next seven days look to be good ones for live music fans residing in Chicago. Here are some highlights:

Thursday, April 10th
Bon Iver @ the Lakeshore Theater (2 shows)

Friday, April 11th
Autechre @ the Abbey Pub

Friday, April 11th
Caribou (with Fuck Buttons) @ the Empty Bottle (2 shows)

Friday, April 11th
Tapes 'n Tapes @ The Metro

Saturday, April 12th
The Black Keys (with Jay Reatard) @ The Riviera

Saturday, April 12th
American Music Club @ Schubas

Monday, April 14th
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir @ Schubas

Wednesday, April 16th
Man Man (with Yeasayer) @ Logan Square Auditorium

Wednesday, April 16th
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin @ the Empty Bottle

-J2

Good Music Is Good: The Felice Brothers

2008-04-08T13:26:00.004-05:00

Sometimes there is no reason to make any attempts towards creating something wholly new and unique. Sometimes you're just better off creating your own new and unique versions of the established Good. In the history of American music, The Band and Bob Dylan (who, incidentally, was announced yesterday as a Pulitzer Prize winner) raised the bar to a height few have reached since. So sometimes reaching for that level still pays off with more Good.

Last month, Team Love Records released the self-titled debut from The Felice Brothers. The Band and Dylan influences are apparent (and rampant), but really - what's so wrong about sounding like The Band or Bob Dylan?

The band-approved provided bio appears to sum things up quite nicely and directly:
"Simone, Ian and James Felice are the three eldest boys from a family of seven, born carpenter’s sons in the wilds of New York’s Catskill Mountains. Less than a year ago, the Brothers adopted a runaway dice-thrower and chancer, a 19 year old called Christmas. They convinced him to quit his job and the motley quartet forsook all else but song and moved their Sunday BBQ sing-alongs from their dad’s upstate house out onto the streets and subways of NYC. After months of toil, living in a 1987 special education bus, with arrests, and genuine panhandler fun, a freelance music writer named Gabe Soria (Mojo, Vice) stumbled upon the boys singing and barking their wares at a farmers market in Brooklyn and one thing led to another. Now the Felice Brothers and blood brother Christmas all live, tour, sing, write and gamble together on their little bus."

Listen: "Frankie's Gun" mp3
Listen: "Wonderful Life" mp3

Watch: "Roll On Arte"

Make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/thefelicebrothers.

{Props to Jesse Elliott of These United States for turning mC on to The Felice Bros!}

-J2

Lollapalooza Lineup Officially Announced

2008-04-07T15:22:00.004-05:00

Between the Pitchfork Music Festival and Lollapalooza, Summer 2008 in Chicago is shaping up to be the hipster music capitol of the world. Today, the lineup for Lollapalooza was officially released confirming that Radiohead is, in fact, headlining this year's show. Let's just take a moment to be grateful for that one... Okay. Also, Nine Inch Nails and Wilco had previously been rumored to be on the bill, and these both prove to be true.

We're presently too excited about the list of exceptional bands to decide which to blog about, so check back later for more on the summer festivals.

-J2

Concert Review: Vandaveer, These United States, Rachel Ries

2008-04-04T12:37:00.010-05:00

The beauty of The Hideout (other than two-dollar cans of Old Style - though, we preferred the PBR, but it seems a touchy subject 'round the bar, so we'll leave that alone) is that the intimate space and low ceiling make it feel as though you're watching your friends jam in their basement. Well last night we had some remarkably talented friends.

Opening the night was DC collective The Federal Reserve member, Vandaveer: the moniker singer/songwriter, Mark Charles, goes under. His album, Grace & Speed, came out last year to much critical acclaim, and is well worth the purchase price. With a velvety voice and storytelling lyrics, Vandaveer commanded the attention of the full (albeit lethargic) audience, the room falling silent to hear every bit of his performance. Imagine Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits or Bob Dylan, even, with just a microphone and acoustic guitar telling their tales; now imagine if they had a spectacular singing voice and it's a fair comparison to Vandaveer.

Don't take our word for it - here's an example: on a train somewhere in Europe, like it's just that simple...

After a few songs performed solo, Vandaveer became a trio, with two fellow Federal Reserve members joining Charles on stage. On percussion was These United States drummer, Robbie Cosenza, and singing backup vocals was the pitch-perfect Rose. With a voice like Stevie Nicks or Neko Case, Rose turned Vandaveer into a whole other beast, and the emotion and drama created between the two singers' vocal interplay was no less than moving.

The middleCoast has been raving about These United States for some time now, and last night they finally made their stop in Chicago. If The Hideout is somebody's basement, it likely belonged to Jesse Elliott's mom. Truly a family affair for the These US lead singer, having grown up in Elgin, friends from high school dotted the crowd, and at one point Mrs. Elliott brought her son a beer while he was on stage. Elliott announced the band members to the audience toward the end of their set - Cosenza on drums, Tom Hnatow on slide/guitars/piano - and finished with "And I'm Jesse and I know half of you, so stop clapping".

The band deftly worked through organic versions of tracks from their recent release, A Picture of the Three of Us At the Gate to the Garden of Eden. Joining These US on stage midway through their set, Vandaveer's Mark Charles added electric bass and backup vocals to the mix, and the folk-rock leaned much further toward the rock. When Hnatow took a seat at the ancient piano (a Hideout permanent fixture), their brand of Americana emitted a definite Springsteen influence. Closing their set with anthemic sing-along, "Burn This Bridge", did nothing to squelch that association, and finally the somnolent audience found their spirit belting out the chorus, at one with the performers.

Headlining the evening was Chicago-based songstress, Rachel Ries, and her band, The Brawny Angels. Ries and company produce a throwback sound mingling jazz standards of the 20s and 30s with a rootsy version of folk-rockabilly that is nothing short of impressive. Classically trained, Ries' vocals manage a variety and range of melodies as precise and exacting as any of the other instruments at play. After the humor and tomfoolery of the previous two acts, however, Ries appeared a bit too self-serious for our taste.

(Disclosure: Unfortunately, this less-than-professional reviewer decided to drink beer at the bar with members of These United States and Vandaveer after hearing only a handful of Ries' songs, and has little more to add here in regards to her performance. Apologies. For what it's worth, Jesse, Tom, Robbie, Mark, and Rose are all fantastic drinking mates.)

-jasonToo

Kings of Kool: The Lions

2008-04-03T14:57:00.006-05:00

Los Angeles collective, The Lions, harmoniously blend global funk, old-school grooves, and jungle soul to brew a brand of world music that spans continents and decades. The release of Jungle Struttin' on Ubiquity Records in February is supposedly a rather impromptu collection of jams put together by the session artists at the label. Clearly the level of talent here is top-notch, and The Lions harvest a strand of dub reggae that will undoubtedly give you a contact high...

Each track fills the room with smoke, and lights dim and begin to give off a golden hue. Senses are simultaneously dulled and heightened as your mind departs your brain. Trancelike, your heart starts to beat in time with the tune. Feel your soul soar with the brass, while the bass carries (you forward in) time. The walls ooze, the ceiling drips, and you slip, falling to the floor. Prostrate, nose pressed against the hardwood, you stay put and postulate. You speculate on the smallest of things, focusing the retinas on the most minuscule spec of dust: what limitations we humans are afflicted with! We see only a shred of what is to be seen, hear only single note of the opera that is continually at play. Erecting yourself you rise and walk, slowly and deliberately, recognizing the colossus you've become over the dust mite, the Lilliputian you remain in the Gran' Scheme. Sit and sink into your chair, into the dense air that surrounds the sound emitting from your speakers. Inhale, exhale, repeat. Inhale, exhale...

"Jungle Struttin'"

"Cumbia del Leon"

Make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/lionsbread.

-jasonToo

Next Big Thing Alert: The Heavy

2008-04-02T11:10:00.006-05:00

In case you feel you're not getting enough soul in your indie rock (like that pretentious prick, Sasha Frere-Jones), then check out Brit funk-rockers, The Heavy. Combining the influences of Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, and Prince, the co-ed quintet just dropped their first full-length, Great Vengeance and Furious Fire, last month on the Ninja Tunes label. Like a more upbeat Gnarls Barkley, The Heavy blend whatever's left of neo-soul with blistering rock jams. The distorted guitars, lo-fi samples, horn riffs, and high-pitched muted wail of lead vocalist, Kevin Swaby set the mood for a retro urban atmosphere where John Shaft and Jules Winnfield would frequent.

With a performance that scorched the SXSW crowd last month, The Heavy are quickly becoming a favorite live act as well. Check them out in Chicago at The Darkroom May 9th.

Enjoy a couple of tracks for free here, but the album is only $6 at iTunes, and well worth it.

"That Kind of Man"

"Colleen"

Make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/theheavy73.

-J2

Rapid Eye Movement

2008-04-01T10:32:00.006-05:00

Today marks the release of album number 15 (apart from all the compilation and live releases) in the heralded repertoire of rock greats, R.E.M. - Accelerate. Remarkably, it's been 25 years since Murmur introduced us to Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry (who is no longer with the band, having retired in 1997 - that's right, they've been around so long that one of their band members has RETIRED). Since that 1983 debut, R.E.M. has been arguably the most influential American rock band of the past three decades, almost single-handedly inventing the genre known as Alternative. They altered both the way musicians made music, and the way the rest of us listened to it, instilling a wisdom and frailty to rock that simply didn't exist at that point in time.

Just look at some of the top singles...
"It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
"Losing My Religion"
"The One I Love"
"Man on the Moon"
"Orange Crush"
"Radio Free Europe"
"Stand"
"Nightswimming"
"Driver 8"
"The Great Beyond"

...or the list of bands R.E.M. has influenced (Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Pavement, Wilco - not to mention all of the bands that have since been influenced by those five) and history speaks for itself.

What is amazing is that it's now 2008 and R.E.M. is still making relevant and modern music. Even MORE amazing is this hypothetical: let's say that you are a modern day music fan but had never before heard R.E.M. (suspend your disbelief for a second). If you were listen to any number of their tracks - listed above or otherwise - you would just as easily assume they were recorded in the last five years as opposed to the last 25 years. They are still somehow relevant and modern in 2008. And these are songs from the 80s! Music from the 80s is in a genre completely unto itself because the rest of pop music made in the decade is so easily recognizable as something that could have only come from the 80s. R.E.M. exists out of time (oh, and they have an album called Out of Time, so maybe there's something interesting there).

From 1985, "Driver 8"

From 1987, "Finest Worksong"

Then from 1992, "Drive"

And now from 2008, their first single from Accelerate, "Supernatural Superserious":

Where their peers, U2 or Red Hot Chili Peppers, got stuck in the 2000s making essentially the same record over and over again, R.E.M. continues to give us something new. Enjoy.

-J2