Radio Free Chicago

Barnstorming in Iowa

I'd like to think that everyone in the world of indie music is familiar with the extensive history of Daytrotter.  In my travels, however, I've come to find that not nearly enough people are and I, often clad in my Daytrotter tee, am more than happy to spread the good word.

Daytrotter is a website created by a fella named Sean some years back because, well, he loved music.  And he still does. So he brings bands in to the Daytrotter studios in his hometown of Rock Island to record live sessions of album cuts, previously unreleased material and the occasional cover song. Featuring a downloadable archive that includes everything from veteran indie acts to the latest buzz bands, Daytrotter has something for just about everyone.

This summer, Daytrotter did another remarkable thing by bringing the songs to the people live some very interesting venues.  From July 25th through July 29th, Daytrotter played host to the Daytrotter Barnstormer Tour 2009, a six city tour featuring seven different Daytrotter alums that took place in different barns across Iowa and Wisconsin.  A Daytrotter-sanctioned show in a barn was too interesting of an opportunity for me to pass up, so I made a road trip from Chicago to West Liberty, Iowa to see Snowblink, Mac Lethal, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and Local Natives.

Bad Veins Play the Abbey, 07/31... But First, Check Out This Interview!

Bad Veins live show is a very interesting thing.  The two person band from Cincinnati, Ohio manage to recreate the lush, orchestrated sound from their album on stage.  Captivating and energetic, it's hard to know who to look at as an audience member of a Bad Veins show as both drummer Sebastien Schultz and singer/guitarist Benjamin Davis demand your attention, albeit in very different ways.

Schultz drums with the energy of at least three enthused punk drummers while Davis's mannerisms imply that he truly does believe the words he's singing as his guitar cuts and his voice remains lackadaisically seductive, no matter the amount of energy he seems to be expelling on stage.  The fact that Bad Veins brand of sexy, hip indie pop is easy to digest and very appealing makes not only their just-released self titled debut a must to pick up but it also makes the Bad Veins fellows (and their reel to reel, lovingly named Irene, which produces all the wonderful sounds you hear that aren't made by Benjamin and Sebastien) a worthwhile show to check out.  Conveniently, it just so happens that Bad Veins is coming back to Chicago this Friday, the 31st, with Now Now Every Children at the Abbey.

Bad Veins - Gold and Warm (Live at the Daytrotter Studios)

Andrew Jackson Jihad @ Beat Kitchen, July 24th

The Andrew Jackson Jihad show on July 24th at Beat Kitchen might have been the biggest tight-knit party I've ever been to.  Maybe it's a mark of what an indie kid I am that I've never been to a show where stage diving wasn't frowned upon and the entire room became a bit of a pit, but that's exactly what happened when Sean Bonette and Ben Gallaty took the stage.

A folk-punk duo from Phoenix, Arizona, Andrew Jackson Jihad have been recording tirelessly since 2005 and have just put out their 10th studio release, Can't Maintain.  Singing lyrics about murdering, drug abuse, religion and human morals (or lack thereof) in a darkly comical way, I took a shine to Andrew Jackson Jihad more than a year ago after the release of People Who Can Eat People Are The Luckiest People, and it was apparent at the Beat Kitchen that I'm not the only person in Chicago that has. Whether the band was playing relatively older songs such as "Brave As A Noun" or songs off their latest release, the entire crowd not only knew every song but they also screamed the taken-to-heart lyrics as loud as they could.  Mid-set, Sean said that not only was the Beat Kitchen gig the biggest show they'd played on their tour, but might be the biggest crowd they've played to in their career.

Andrew Jackson Jihad - Jesus Saves

Ticket Giveaway: Josh Ritter @ the Metro, Thursday 7/30

Josh Ritter is bringing his band to the Metro this Thursday, July 30th, and we've got a pair of tickets to give away. Email radiofreechicago(at)gmail.com with "Josh Ritter tix" as the subject line, and we'll pick a lucky winner at random.

Here's a song from Ritter's latest album, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter.*

Josh Ritter - To the Dogs or Whoever

*Hey speaking of history, have you ever seen those Drunk History videos starring Michael Cera and Jack Black? If not you should watch them, they're pretty funny. Just trying to help you waste time on a Monday.

It's Your Weather-Report Move, David Lynch.

Not simply content to be a musician, motivational speaker, political pundit, and nightclub co-owner, Andrew WK displays his extensive meteorological/dragon teeth expertise on a local news program, ostensibly to promote his new Cartoon Network show "Destroy Build Destroy" which is basically Andrew helping kids blow stuff up. Check it out over at Videogum.

Tonight: Akron/Family and Icy Demons @ Bottom Lounge

Folky beardos Akron/Family bring what's sure to be a high energy show to The Bottom Lounge tonight. Their latest album,Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free, strikes a great balance between their frenetic freak folk side and their calmer, guitar-strumming campfire singalong side. I wonder if they'll bring the horn section that makes intermittent appearances on the album, or if it's going to be a three-man hippie jam or what. Highly recommended either way, especially with local purveyors-of-controlled-chaos Icy Demons opening up. The show is 18+, doors open at 8.

Akron/Family - River

Pitchfork Recaplet. Late. What? I was sick this week, sue me.

It's been four days since Pitchfork, which is like 10 years in Internet-time. Oh it's all a hazy memory now awash in Goose Island IPA, barely jogged by these great photosets. Here's what I do recall from Saturday and Sunday, in list-icle form.  - Samantha Vincenty

Finally, the first track from Monsters of Folk!

I don't remember exactly how long ago I first heard about Monsters of Folk, the M. Ward-Jim James-Conor Oberst-Mike Mogis indie super group, but it seems like it might be bordering on years now.  As far as my personal tastes are concerned, anything to do with M. Ward is sure to be at least 3/4's great and considering the caliber of the other musicians he'd be working with on this project, excitement was certainly running high, not only amongst myself but through the entire indie community as well.

However, due to the fact that half the members of this project were severely busy working on their own solo albums (James paid tribute to George Harrison under the name Yim Yames) or forming other bands (Ward's She and Him),  Monsters of Folk was beginning to seem like the Vega Brothers of indie rock.  (The Vega Brothers being Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction/Reservoir Dogs prequel about Vic and Vincent Vega that I think, more than ten years after the announcement of it, we can all assume isn't going to happen.)  So last month, when a release date for Monsters of Folk was finally announced, the interrupted excitement returned and reached a fever pitch.

Monsters of Folk - Say Please

Get on the List: Jamie Lidell @ The Congress

Jamie Lidell might be best known for his smooth white chocolate hits "Multiply" and "A Little Bit More," but his performances often feature live-looped dancier reworkings of the album material, adding an element of unpredictability that builds on his strong voice and soulful songs. Now Lidell is bringing his piano, laptop, and cute Brit-by-way-of-Berlin face to Congress Theater on Saturday July 25th for a Wicker Park Fest afterparty, and we've got three pairs of tickets to give away!

E-mail radiofreechicago(at)gmail.com with the subject line "Jamie Lidell tix" and we'll pick three winners at random by next Wednesday the 22nd. Oh and it's a 17 and over show, so you whippersnappers are invited too.

Jamie Lidell - Little Bit Of Feel Good (Mr. Oizo Remix.)


Mr. Oizo-space

Hello from Your Favorite New Contributor!

Hello, fellow Radio Free Chicagoans!  My name is Amber.  You might or might not know of me through my own music blog, The Hot Half Life of Amber Valentine, but now you'll get to know of me through my forthcoming contributions to Radio Free Chicago.  From me, you can come to expect band interviews, the occasional concert write up, a record review or two...  Mostly, however, I'm just here for the ambiance.

To me, it seems that summer in Chicago never truly starts until the kick off of the annual Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park.  If you share those sentiments, Friday, July 17th brings good news for you!  For $35 a ticket you really can't go wrong, even if you're only making an appearance at the festival to meet a cute member of the opposite sex with awesome taste in music.  Of course, if you're there you might as well check out a few of the bands playing as each day has a number of standout acts, whether your tastes lean more toward introspective indie or foreign art rock.

As for me, I'm particularly looking forward to the presence of these five artists:

Wednesday Roundup: JoGorLev, Pitchfork afterparties/hotel lobbies

A few years ago my circle of friends had a running joke/game where we'd offhandedly refer to celebrities with as short a nickname as possible, like we were close pals. Christian Bale = ChriBa. Heath Ledger, HeLed. Rae Dawn Chong was often brought up for no reason since it's so fun to say "RaDaCha." My favorite nickname, though, was for my imaginary boyfriend and star of two of my favorite movies Joseph Gordon Levitt. JoGorLev made a playlist of personal theme songs for characters he's played for the Guest DJ Project on KCRW. It sounds kind of gay, but it works because he's smart and also the dreamiest. My other fake boyfriend Elijah Wood (EWo) has better taste and his own record label but whatever. I don't want to pit you guys against each other when there's enough love to go around!

In further Pitchfork Fest news: Hood Internet, Bin Laden Blowin Up and the Life During Wartime DJs present "Dickfork"  at Darkroom on Friday night. Free admission with your Pitchfork wristband or ticket stub or if you RSVP and get there before 11. Hood Internet is doing a week of all-Pitchfork artist mashups, kicking it off with Doom vs The Flaming Lips.

The first time I ever visited The Hideout was for Pitchfork 07, to see Brooklyn's human dance party Professor Murder. It was love at first sight for the Hideout and me, and now that I live here I'll probably bring it full circle and see The Dutchess & The Duke there on Saturday night if a day of festival doesn't turn me into a broken dolly.

It's Almost Pitchfork O'Clock

In just a few days Union Park is sure to be a sea of fedoras, oversized glasses, and rompers. Saturday and Sunday are sold out and while there are still some tickets available for Friday, I'd rather go to the Beyoncé concé instead. No I'm not kidding. That woman is a goddam national treasure.

Some songs from the acts I'm looking forward to the most — I know the first one is technically Madlib and Doom but this was pretty much my favorite Doom project ever. See you on Saturday!

Madvillain - Figaro (ST101 Mix)

The Dutchess & The Duke - Out of Time

Black Lips - Again & Again

Plants and Animals - Bye Bye Bye

Mew - Repeaterbeater

Weekend of 1,000 Awesome Things to Do

When I told Brad I would take care of Radio Free Chicago while he was gone* my only misgiving was about my lack of knowledge when it comes to the local music scene, as I'm an East Coast interloper. But since I'm neither deaf nor blind I've noticed that people seem crazy-banaynays excited about Chicago rock quartet Mannequin Men's Lose Your Illusion, Too which came out this week. Their record release party is at The Metro tonight, it's 18 and over and will probably be a great place to pick up a hipster in a (sadly appropo for this cold summer) tight black leather jacket.

Tuesday is the Delaware of Weekdays: Gold Coffin Edition

Just about everyone that I follow on Twitter watched Michael Jackson's memorial so I didn't have to. The salient points seem to be: Jennifer Hudson was great, his daughter Paris spoke (for the first time on camera possibly?), and his coffin is flashy. If I was Michael Jackson I would have decreed in my will that Michael Jackson and Bubbles be hollowed out, hinged, and converted into a reliquary which stored my skeleton. And Bubbles' skeleton, obvs. In all seriousness though, while I hope MJ is in a better place and I do feel sorry for his kids, mourning the person(a) Michael presented to the public feels like mourning a fax of a photograph of a life-sized cardboard cutout of a person. I think I'll just listen to "I Want to Be Where You Are" ten times in a row today.

Sunset Rubdown plays Logan Square Auditorium tonight with fellow Montreal...ians  Witchies and Elfin Saddle. Their most recent album Dragonslayer is arguably their most accessible and has taken them well past "Wolf Parade side project" status into just plain old "great band."

A friend saw a sticker for Cute Chicago Boys in the bathroom of The Empty Bottle and texted me to go check it out and report back. Ditch the rating system and update it regularly and this will be a "check every day" site. Keep it up, CBILF-hunters.

Why I don't watch reality shows: I'm Not Here to Make Friends
(Rich FourFour, pop culture connoisseur)

Dust in the Wind, Dude.

As far as I can remember, I never had any traumatic childhood incidents involving fireworks and I've definitely never lived in the Gaza Strip. So I'm not sure why the barrage of backyard fireworks that happens every July 4th basically reduces me to rocking back and forth whispering "EXPLOSION, loud sound, loud sound" until someone lures me out of my hidey-hole with a hot dog and a beer. It's not the first or tenth time that hot dogs have saved the day for me! Anyway: We crushed it, America. Nice work.

While I was hooked up to my acai and wheatgrass detox IV this morning I spent an hour at DonnaSlut.com, an excellent collection of mp3s presented without comment. There's songs you had and lost, or had on tape or vinyl but not mp3, and songs you've never heard before and suddenly your life is that much better. (via HotBiscuit's twitter)

The Fader has a cute interview with the Mad Decent crew. Diplo offhandedly makes a good point about how much easier it is for him to build an empire in the smaller, more affordable city of Philadelphia as opposed to NY or LA. For me, that's what makes Chicago so rife with possibility too.

Fans of Girl Talk, Easter Egg, and house party-ready mashup mixes full of instantly recognizable songs people want to hear when they're drunk should download DJ Cobra's "Iller" mix. The cover art was conceived before MJ's death but I would have changed it, not because it's offensive but because the one-note visual gag seems even less inspired now. The mix itself is way more creative and fun; bonus points for sampling Bill and Ted.

DJ Cobra - Dust In The Wind, Dude