Radio Free Chicago

Wiping Off The Dust: Come On Pilgrim - Pixies

My plan, along with the garden variety album and concert reviews, will be to wipe the dust off my old CD's and bask in the glow of fond memories. Hopefully, you can wistfully stroll with me and give these nuggets another spin. If you are one of the unlucky folks who have not experienced these "dusties", let my fawning praise inspire a listen and, perhaps, a future investment for you to make your own memories.

My choice for my first installment is a calculated one for sure. Often times when referring to one's music affections, one uses the phrase "biggest fan". My inner snob often snorts in disbelief in the face of such a superlative. This statement, I feel, is saddled with strict requirements. Examples are:

• - Owning copies of all albums, including many EP's and singles.
• - Seeing a band multiple times in concert, especially in smaller venues, if applicable.
• - Starting your fandom early in a band's career. (sorry, but the biggest Beatles' fans are at least 55 years old)
• - Having encyclopedic knowledge of the band's output. (e.g. knowing all song titles and their proper order on the album, reciting a song's lyrics while being able to state the song's meaning, knowing the place of origin of the band and it's members)

With these strict requirements imposed, I cannot claim "biggest fan-ness" with very many artists. However, I can definitely attempt to align with one group: Pixies. For those who don't know them, this four-piece group formed in Boston area filled the late 80's-early 90's with creative alternative (back when that word meant something) rock delivered with dynamic hooks. To call the Pixies influential is compulsory; many bands cite them as an inspiration including Kurt Cobain referring to Nirvana as "ripping off the Pixies".

And so we go back to me, circa 1987, a suburban teenager just starting to form his music tastes. I was consuming a heady diet of progressive sounds around that time: R.E.M., The Smiths, New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen. Luckily, I could buy most of these cassettes tapes (!) at my friendly neighborhood corporate record store without much fuss. Often, I would have to travel to downtown Minneapolis and enjoy the incredible amount of independent record shops to find the newest, most obscure cuts. However, that day I was at the mall, trudging through the alternative rock section when the album cover above caught my eye. Come On Pilgrim was stark and spooky, but not in your typical Iron Maiden/heavy metal way. There was art behind this creepy photo, and it sucked me in. Since it carried the moderate price of an EP, I gave it a whirl. That is how it all began.

Pixies - Caribou

People Covering Songs I Love With Timber Timbre

If I asked you to name my favorite record of 2009, you might say "That's easy, Amber! Dawes was your favorite release of last year. Obviously!" There, dear readers, you'd be wrong. Dawes was my favorite debut, yes, but it was my second favorite release of 2009. The top spot went to a criminally overlooked folk noir masterpiece by Canada's Timber Timbre.

I'd never heard of Timber Timbre before the release of their third album but within moments of finishing the record, I greedily consumed all their previous work, finding each record as perfectly in tune with dark sensibilities as their much-raved about self titled 2009 release. I've always had an interest in the macabre and no band has ever made death sound as beautiful as Timber Timbre does. With references to grave robbing, necrophilia, seances, and hauntings galore, Timber Timbre is music for late nights and gloomy weather, for the days when you want to draw your own morality into question. They make music for haunted houses, for the dead and dying, or for people who feel like a part of them is dead or dying. And they do it all against a timeless background of impeccably hushed acoustic guitar, raucous gospel stomp, and old-time ragged blues. Unique? You betcha.

If you backtrack in Timber Timbre's catalog, to the band's 2007 release Medicinals, you'll find a song called "Oh, Messiah". Not a traditional cover, per se but 51 seconds into the song, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. It's recognizable by everyone, ingrained into popular consciousness by The Isley Brothers, The Beatles, The Mamas and The Papas, and countless others. Yes, I'm talking about "Twist and Shout", which is seamlessly blended into the woodwork of the roots spook of Timber Timbre's signature sound.

 

 Timber Timbre - Oh Messiah

 

 

Speaking of covers and Timber Timbre... Who the heck are these guys killing it on "Demon Host" in a field?!

 

I want to be friends with them.

New Year's Eve In Chicago... WITH CURSIVE?! WHAT?!

There are few things that cause me to "shake and cry", as they say on the internet. Sure, I get excited but the last time I think I was literally shaking and crying from anything music related was on the 4th of July when Hamilton Leithauser crooned a medly of "We've Been Had" and "The Rat" to me and me alone (Full disclosure: There were probably about 100 other people there, too). However, this morning, whilst on the ol' twitter, when I read the following tweet from Cursive, I was seriously shaking and crying.

"Cursive will be performing Domestica for its 10th Year Anniversary in Chicago on NYE - 12/31/10 tickets on sale! http://bit.ly/dmvRxP"

Be still my heart and be dry my eyes. Cursive performing one of the most important albums of my late teens? On New Year's Eve? God damn. I said God damn!

Before this, I'd been hoping the aforementioned Walkmen would be doing a New Year's date so I could hear Leithauser sing one of his numberous December 31st at 11:59 p.m. themed tunes to me and room full of amorous drunks becuase what's better that that? Duh. Cursive doing Domestica.

Cursive - Shallow Means, Deep Ends

RFC Reviews: Jimmy Eat World, "Invented"

To give this review a bit of context, let me say right now that Bleed American, Jimmy Eat World’s 2001 fourth LP, is one of my Favorite Albums of All Time. It’s a power-pop gem, arguably not even “emo,” featuring a stripped-down version of the sound found on their earlier releases. That refinement was actually forced upon the band, due to their having just left Capitol Records and the label’s generous funding. I think that’s why Bleed American—and the rest of the early releases, especially Clarity—stand out. Maybe it was the ease-of-life that comes with a guaranteed, valuable contract, or maybe it was just that the magic was gone, but after Bleed American and the superstardom that went along with it the energy began to fade. The past few releases have been passable, middle-of-the-road pop-emo. Not piss-on-your-adolescence bad, a la Weezer. Just kind of boring.

Luckily, Jimmy Eat World is aware of the problem. In 2009, they toured on Clarity in celebration of its tenth anniversary (hey guys, what are ya’ll doing in 2011?), and, for Invented, they’ve reunited with former producer Mark Trombino, who was responsible for both Clarity and Bleed American. For fans, that’s a little like hearing that Matt Sharp is back with the Weez. Invented is, without a doubt, recognizably vintage Jimmy Eat World. In a way, that’s the problem.

Jimmy Eat World - Movielike

Invented opens well. “Heart Is Hard to Find”’s handclaps and strummed acoustic guitar suggests that the record finds Jimmy Eat World exploring more organic sounds, and the swelling strings take the track into chamber-pop territory. In parts, it’s outright Stars-y, and is destined for arena chant-alongs. The first single, though, is “My Best Theory,” which glistens with a poppy veneer and delayed, panning vocals. Otherwise, it sounds like a cross between U2’s “New Year’s Day” and REM’s “Orange Crush.” Like “The Middle” before it—and “Stop,” which comes five tracks later—it’s a nice piece of encouragement for adolescents to believe in themselves.

The Kids Are Alright Part 2 - Willow Smith Edition

 

  It seems like every time a new child pop star comes out, no matter how bubblegum or unsophisticated the content of their music is, an ALARMING(!!!) number of people instantly reject them on the grounds that "they don't even know what they're singing about!" Weeeeell, you know that's not true. I mean, these girls probably literally don't know what they're singing about. And even they'd probably get the conceptual gist of a song like "Baby."

Also, Michael Jackson recorded "I Want You Back" when he was 9 (which is Willow Smith's age). There have always been preternaturally charismatic and capable child performers. I mean Little Stevie Wonder (aka "The 12 Year Old Genius") played bongos, harmonica, and sang on his first #1 single. And then he co-wrote "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" when he was 16 (Bieber's age). So just like...I dunno, if you don't like the song, say you don't like the song. If you don't like Justin Bieber because he's co-opting black music in mad disrespectful and icky fashion that reeeeeeks of the annals of white privilege then say that. But as far as Willow goes:

LET THAT GIRL COOK.

Willow Smith - Whip My Hair

RFC Reviews: Sky Larkin's Kaleide

I'll be honest. This review is long overdue. I've had a cloud of journalistic guilt hovering over my head for a month now because poor Sky Larkin was pushed to my back burner. What got in the way? A new job, a new city and a longer-than-expected housing hunt (Craigslist is a pain). But now I've got some time to breathe.

And while my delay has kept this review from the dear, dear RFC readers (I really do apologize), there is an upside. You see, with my previous RFC reviews I would have maybe a week of listening time to let the music sink in before I put fingers to keyboard. Kaleide, Sky Larkin's second album, has been on my music listening device for four times as long and has become a fixture in my music rotation.

Take, for example, one morning last week when I was waiting for the bus before work, making use of my iPod's shuffle function because it was just too darn early to make a reasonable music selection. Up comes "Year Dot" and I can't help myself but tap my foot to the beat and hum along. I don't think there was anyone else at the bus stop that day, but they probably would have thought I was very impatient. In fact, I was just wrapped up in the Leeds, U.K.-based band's fun and smart music and seriously considering busting a move at the bus stop. It’s a good thing I didn’t because I am by no means a good dancer and it would not have been pretty. But, come on. This song has hand claps, which automatically makes it 486 times better than a song without claps and that much harder to resist shaking your groove thang.

Sky Larkin - Year Dot

But I digress.

Get Thee To The Vic - Doctor's Orders! Dr. Dog, That Is!

Tomorrow, indie rockers Dr. Dog hit the Vic, bringing their classic rock meets early indie sound with a dash of folk back to Chicago in support of their latest album, Shame, Shame, one of the band's strongest discs to date. And to top things off, the band will be accompanied by Lollapalooza alums Here We Go Magic.   

 Dr. Dog - The Breeze

Recently, the headliners premired a video for their new track "Shadow People".
   

Solid bill? Sounds like it! And sure, it's a Thursday night, but who said it's a crime to start the weekend a day early? Tickets might be fairly steep at $21 (before handling!) but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the cathartic, seductive rock of Dr. Dog is more than worth it. Plus, it looks like Dr. Dog won't be back to the Midwest until well into 2011! And it the world is gonna end in 2012, don't you at least want to try to see Dr. Dog before John Cusack fails to save us all?

Oh, and if you're still on the fence about shilling out a Jackson for, we recommend checking out any of Dr. Dog's extensive sessions on Daytrotter. And while you're at it, brush up on Here We Go Magic as well!

New Ravens & Chimes? About Time!

I briefly touched upon my adoration for the lovable four-or-possibly-more (I really can't keep track of these things) piece Ravens & Chimes in my CMJ preview. Other than that? I'm pretty sure Radio Free Chicago has not only been a Raven-free-zone but a chime-free-zone as well. Well, kids, that's all about to change and I, for one, am damn excited.

Ravens & Chimes debut release, Richenbach Falls, holds a very special place in my heart, despite the very little attention it recieved. It's hard to say what exactly it is that's so magical about the LP but from whisper quiet opening notes of "This Is Where We Are" to the quiet-loud-quiet formula the band displays with ease as the track progresses, I found myself constantly taken aback by unexpected tempo changes, stingingly personal lyrics, and some of the lovliest harmonies found in indie music today.

Finally - finally! FINALLY! - Ravens & Chimes are releasing their second album, Holiday Life. When? I'm not exactly sure as facebook, myspace, and the band's blog all seem to be fairly barren of integral information but it must be soon because guess what? We got ourselves a single!

 

Ravens and Chimes - Division Street

 

The song is a perfect example of what Ravens & Chimes is, as a cohesive unit. All the moster beautiful moments of Richenbach Falls are present, something that bodes incredibly well for the prospect of the band's sophomore disc. From the lilting piano to the vocal harmonies that kick in on the lyrical powerful chorus, "Division Street" is Ravens & Chimes, to a tee.

Thus, you can probably guess what my most antipiated album of 2010 is. Unless it's coming out in 2011. In which case, 2011, get ready to be Ravened and Chimed.

RFC Thinks You Should Know... Lightning Love

More astute RFC readers may have checked out our contributors page. If you've done so, you've probably seen that all the RFC staffers have a cute, eye catching little bio that they wrote themselves. Rachel Angres, for instance, is an "idiosyncratic thumb war champion". Shani? Well, she's a "Texan, photog, writer, stone fox." As for me? "If Amber's life was an album, it would be November Birthday by Lightning Love because she can't help havin' a good time." 

Interestingly enough, despite the truth of that statement, Lightning Love has had nary a mention on RFC or, well, on most any blog anywhere. And I'm here to tell you why that's a crying shame.

Lightning Love is universally lovable. Seriously, there's nothing not to adore about these kids. They're a band of cute, young Detroit kids who sing some of the catchiest and honest electro pop that's ever been made. 

You see, I am not an electro pop fan. And, as we've covered before, it takes a pretty special female singer to win over the cold heart of Amber Valentine. So certainly an electro-pop band fronted by a female should be kryptonite to my ears, right? Well, to my surprise, Lightning Love isn't so much kryptonite as it is audible bliss.

Lightning Love is what's called "the entire package". To quote a recent Mezzic review of the band's debut, November Birthday, "It’s amazing that Lightning Love isn’t better known because they truly have a winning formula. Diehl is cute as a button and plays the keyboard better than most the girls in electro-pop bands that Pitchfork is raving about these days. Couple that with the fact that both her band mates are foxy gents and you’ve got the “attractive” part of the market cornered. (For those keeping score at home, those gents answer to Ben Collins, who slings guitar, and Aaron Diehl, Leah’s drumming brother who occasionally lends his voice to accompany big sis.) The music is catchy and can soundtrack a mean dance party. The lyrics are honest, earnest, and relatable. And Diehl’s voice? It’s the most unique voice this side of Joanna Newsom, only instead of being backed by harp during a sixteen minute ambitious composition, it’s backed by searingly infectious keyboards! Is there anything not to love about the Michigan trio? Answer: No. No, there is not."

Lightning Love - Good Time

By the time Lightning Love's album wraps itself up with the stand out "Good Time", you feel as if you know Diehl as well as your best friend because it's hard to tell whether her lyrics are deeply personal or if she's created an ingenious concept album about a twenty-something girl who can't get things right no matter how hard she tries.

R.I.P. Eyedea

Editor's Note (Part One): After years of being a straight "white bread" (emphasis on the "white") indie kid, I, at at ripe age of twenty-six, was finally coerced into getting to rap music by John Brunner, the man behind RFC sister site Mezzic and an occasional contributor here as well. Getting Amber into rap, I'm sure John would tell you, was an uphill battle as, to be honest, I just didn't get it. After Brunner started my love affair with Gayngs, he finally got me into gayng member P.O.S., and gingerly, I came around. One of the other rappers I took a shine to was Eyedea & Abilities. Sadly, this was far too short of a time ago. Yet even I, with my rudimentary knowledge of rap, I was stricken silent at the news that Micheal "Eyedea" Larson died on the 16th. I wish I knew how to say it more eloquently, to reference the years of art Eyedea gave the world, and to pay proper respect to the man but simply put, I can't. Even so, I still feel the void left by Eyedea in not only the Minneapolis community but also in art itself. Eyedea wasn't just a rapper. He was an artist. And even though I can't properly pay Larson his dues, I feel as Emanuel Vison can - and does - do a bang up job.

Twenty-eight is crazy young by any standard. Michael Larsen (aka Eyedea), however, could have made it seem old as shit. Or at least made the rest of us seem lazy as shit by comparison to his lifelong drive and output. At fifteen he was writing what would become Eyedea & Abilities' cult classic debut. Before he graduated high school he was winning national freestyle tournaments competing against people twice his age. He was a verified underground hip-hop veteran before he could legally drink, and when we talked at the end of last summer he was still going full-steam.

At the very least he was actively at work on another solo album (the second in the Oliver Hart series), two records and a film with his improvised free jazz/rap collective Face Candy, and was playing guitar on the upcoming debut of a collaborative group called Guitar Party that featured the work of Andrew Broder (of Why? and Fog), Michael's friend Jeremy, as well as Jeremy's six year old daughter.

When I met Eyedea in July, I was intensely nervous beforehand. It was my first interview, I was already sorta late from going to the wrong venue (The Bottom Lounge, not The Empty Bottle!), and I definitely didn't want him to feel like the only things I knew about his work came from speed-wikipedia'ing E&A, streaming their latest album via Youtube a couple times, and googling some of his older interviews for reference (full disclosure: that is exactly what I did). Also, underground rap icons can be notoriously cagey (seriously: Cage-y) in interviews, aggressively lashing out at the journalist because they're pissed at their own fan base's expectations.

It turned out I had no reason to worry though: he was beyond cool. Not in a world-renowned artist speaking to a "regular person" kind of way. Just as someone who was really interesting to talk to. Someone who had so much going on in his mind and was always working to get it out in the most thoughtful and genuine ways possible. He was vigorous and open-handed in his praise for other artists who excited and inspired him. He was quietly self-effacing, playing down his past achievements while showing how clearly energized he felt by the challenge of the ones on the horizon. If I had randomly met Eyedea at a party and we'd chatted outside for a couple hours while he smoked cigarettes (and I, uh, tape recorded him) it still would have been absolutely invigorating.

That's why it's kind of weird for me to even refer to him as Eyedea. Because I had never actually listened to his music before a couple months ago, I don't know him as Eyedea: he introduced himself as Michael and he talked to me like my name was Emanuel, not some weird journalist/blogger/fan or whatever. On a basic person-to-person level, it really meant a lot to me. My good friend Shawne came to the show with me and taped the interview. She didn't even like what she'd heard of E&A's music before that night but wound up perhaps even more transfixed by his personality and focus than myself.

Obviously I don't have anything comprehensive to say about Eyedea's art or life (though there are a lot of people who do), I just wanted to share an experience I had with a very cool dude. I had a great time talking to him, I had a great time watching him perform. He was considered, warm, open, inspiring, and it was a really awesome night.

Rest in peace.

 

Editor's Note (Part Two): John Brunner's most recent piece on Mezzic is a memorial to Eyedea. It probably will be the best piece on Larson you read.

New York Lovin', Midwest Style: Quite Scientific Bring Detroit's Finest to CMJ

If there's one thing Michigan is missing, it's a great label. You know, the type of label that makes a city, the type of label whose latest acquisitions you don't even have to hear to know they're good because if they're on that label, then damn, they must be something special.

Seattle has Barsuk and Subpop. Omaha has Saddle Creek. Bloomington, Indiana has the interestingly named Secretly Canadian. And L.A. has Dangerbird. But what of the upper Midwest? I think anyone who's even slightly familiar with the Michigan scene knows there's a void there and after having spent my summer months in the mitten, I feel as if that void is completely unwarranted and has the very real possibility of being filled - And soon.

You see, the Michigan I grew up in was the Michigan that was known only for it's garage rock. Ten plus years after the fact, can any average Rolling Stone reader name a modern Michigan band besides The White Stripes and The Von Bondies? Doubtful. However, I've been gallivanting around my old haunts (Like The Magic Stick and the Blind Pig) as well as exploring some venues I was just a wee bit too young to get into before (Like the wonderful, divey PJ's Lager House) and I've discovered that not only does Michigan has a wonderful scene, it also has a diverse scene and most members of that scene are on Quite Scientific Records.

We here at RFC are too rooted to the Midwest to make our way to CMJ this year and let's face it, we're music writers so we're kind of poor as well and finances must be taken into account, lest you end up out of gas somewhere around Clearfield, Pennsylvania, out of gas and with a dead cell phone (Let's face it - Car chargers are SO easy to forget). The lack of RFC at CMJ, however, doesn't mean we don't have our fair share of picks, as previously mentioned during the week but if, through some kismet-y experience, I did find myself attending the 19th to 23rd New York festival and had to chose only one showcase to see, it would doubtlessly be Qui Sci's.

Granted, some of my favorite Quite Scientific artists will not be in attendance (Namely RFC faves Lightning Love and Frontier Ruckus), the label's CMJ roster proves one thing: Michigan is a force to be reckoned with.

On October 20th at 7:30 p.m., the Qui Sci crew will be hitting Bruar Falls with the following artists in tow...

 Drunken Barn Dance: Interestingly enough, I've yet to experience Drunken Barn Dance despite the fact that the band plays in my own proverbial backyard on a near weekly basis. What can I say? Daytrotter's conditioned me to see the words "Drunken" and "Barn" together and I grab my favorite flask and pack my bags for Iowa. This Drunken Barn Dance, however, is the very definition of "raucous folk", a term that admittedly seems like an oxymoron but I swear, it's true, as perfectly evidenced in "A Winter's Tale", a song that starts out deceptively. At first, as with most of Drunken Barn Dance's tracks, the song lulls you into a false sense of slow, folk security but within seconds evolves into a sing along with some of the most upbeat, spitfire lyrics about irate anger, bloody appendages, and probably a bit more liquor than should be consumed. Gee, that actually sounds a lot like my Daytrotter Barnstormer experiences, come to think of it so what are you waiting for, team Daytrotter? Get a drunken barn dance together with Drunken Barn Dance!

Drunken Barn Dance - A Winter's Tale

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.: I will make no bones about the fact that when I first hear the buzz gathering around this Detroit duo, I automatically dismissed it. Why? Well, it had nothing do with their talent, their sound, their looks. Instead, it was that god awful name. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.? Are you kidding me? God, that's almost as bad as "Wilco (The Song)" off Wilco (The Album) by Wilco (The Band). Then, earlier in the summer, I saw that the twosome had gotten what basically amounts to the gold medal of the Respectable Indie Olympics: A Daytrotter session. (Have I beaten Daytrotter the pony to death with my constant love of the groundbreaking site yet?) When I finally sat down and listened to the duo, well, I was more than pleasantly surprised. I was downright astounded. Something about the band is so familiar but it's difficult to put your finger on it. Their influences are broad and they meld them wonderfully, taking cues from electronic pop, indie rock, confessional folk, and even perhaps a bit of underground rap tossed in. Normal? Not nearly. Awesome? Yeah, pretty much.

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Nothing But Our Love (Live At Daytrotter)

 

Chris Bathgate: Of course I saved the best for last, in my opinion. It's no secret that Bathgate's music makes me weak in the knees and while he plays often in my area (Since, you know, it happens to be his area too), I always seem to miss him. I thank my lucky stars for that. Not because he's a bad musician but rather because I fear I'd make a stuttering fool of myself in front of him and, as I learned from my encounter with Will Sheff, no one likes a stuttering fool. Bathgate, whose next release is being eagerly awaited by this gal, seems to have paved the way for the new resurgence in Michigan folk yet is perfectly able to walk the line between acoustic introspection and hook laden upbeat numbers. How's he do it? Well, that's beyond me, but the web that Bathgate weaves is one that's damn near impossible to disentangle yourself from once you find yourself ensnared.

Chris Bathgate - Restless

Missed last week's glorious post with all of RFC's CMJ picks? Good thing you can just click right here and play catch up.

Riot Fest in Chicago - Saturday

If you've slept on the past two days of Katie Hovland's amazing photo editorial of 2010's Riot Fest, you've been missing out. Lucky for you, before diving into day three below, you can play catch up!

Day one's photos of The Brokedowns, The Copyrights, and Propaghandi are here!

Day two? Well, that meant Off With Their Heads, The Bouncing Souls, Circle Jerks, The Lawrence Arms, and Bad Religion!

Today concludes Katie's Riot Fest coverage with The Smoking Popes and Cap'n Jazz. How do you like apples?!

Riot Fest Day Three

Josh Caterer of The Smoking Popes

Eli Caterer of The Smoking Popes

Matt Caterer of The Smoking Popes

Tim Kinsella of Cap'n Jazz

An RFC Mix: Break Up, Drink Up

The best part about being part of Radio Free Chicago is that my contributors here aren't so much contributors as they are a family of sorts. Take the fact that John Brunner now runs Mezzic and not only have I tossed two reviews his way, but he's now got the lovely Katia Piza on board too. If that's not a perfect example of RFC's family mentality, I don't know what is.

So when one RFC-er goes through heartache, every RFC-er not only sympathizes, but they do what they can to help. And since we obviously all share the same passion for music, what's a better way to fuse together the cracks in your aching heart than with a collection of songs on the subject? Today, Shani assists with my Left With Nothing Left To Lose: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do with Break Up, Drink Up. In Shani's words, "This is a collaborative Radio Free Chicago soundtrack. Listen up. Break Up. Drink up." - Amber Valentine

Break Up, Drink Up

A Radio Free Chicago Mix

1. In Ruins- Fol Chen.

No explanation necessary. 

In Ruins

2. Claws Off- Margot and the Nuclear So and So's.

"If you wanna go- get lost". Srsly.

Claws Off

3. Lloyd, I'm Ready to be Heartbroken- Camera Obscura.

Women will get this.

Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken

4. Pen To The Paper- Parlovr.

Just turn it up real loud, it'll help.

Pen To The Paper

5. Tell Me Why- M.I.A.

Because its a playlist. And she's M.I.A.

Tell Me Why

6. Don't Back Down- Restless People.

Use this instead of your 4th cocktail.

Don't Back Down

7. Every Day- Twin Tigers.

Take your time.

Everyday

8. Second Hand News- Fleetwood Mac.

Benefit from the wisdom of more experienced elders.

Second Hand News

9. Wolfboy- Blair.

Sometimes crying helps.

Wolfboy

10. Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout- Dum Dum Girls.

Sometimes violence helps.

Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout

 

An RFC Mix: Left With Nothing Left To Lose - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.

 
I remember when Radiohead told me “Meeting people is easy.” Well guess what? They lied. I also remember when my old roommate and fellow RFC contributor Sara Jacobsen said “You know… We’re really fucked up.” Unlike Radiohead, she didn’t lie. I’m, at best, a spritely, impassioned, free spirited handful clad in leggings and miniskirts with a perpetual flirtatiously snarky attitude. At worst, however, I’m kind of needy and neurotic. I have no filter between what I think and what I say and while I'm smart as whip when it comes to music, books, and pop culture, put me in a social situation and I'm an idiot. Sometimes (You know, often times), it proves to be more than most can handle.

It hurts to be told that. It stings and it bums me out and sometimes, I irreparably damage relationships because of my big mouth and no matter how many tearful apologies I offer up, it's never enough. "Irreparable", after all, means things can't be fixed and love isn't like sports. Sometimes, there are no "do overs".

When I find myself in these situations, I find a stiff drink works wonders. But you know what else makes the situation infinitely better?  Songs. And nothing says “comfort” like a playlist of sad songs and a tall glass of liquor so pour yourself a Knee Walker (If I’m not mistaken, that’s a creation of friend of RFC Archie Powell and consists of 3 parts ginger ale, 2 parts whiskey, and 1 part lime juice and they are dangerously fantastic.) or a Bloodbuzz, Ohio, and settle down with a few tracks to ease your aching heart.

Left With Nothing Left To Lose

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

A Radio Free Chicago Mix

 The National - Slow Show

 "I wanna start over, I wanna be winning. Way out of sync from the beginning."

The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun

 "I made up for my mistakes but the pain of what I caused can't be shit next to what I have lost."

The Good Life - Heartbroke

 "You claim your pain but where's the bruise?"

Vampire Weekend - I Stand Corrected

 "I stand corrected."

Agent Ribbons - I Was Born To Sing Sad Songs

 "I was born to sing sad songs that go on for more than three minutes long and I feel another coming on now that you're gone."

 Ferraby Lionheart - Drag Me 'Round

 "If you remember when, you may feel it again and I haven't got a lot to lose."

Andrew Jackson Jihad - Love in the Time of Human Papilloma Virus 

 "My heart, it has eyes and my love, it has sight, even though it might be a little cloudy."

Sara Lov Featuring Sea Wolf - Animals

 "I never, never learned to swim until you came along and pushed me in."

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - House Fire

  "Your pretty face is soaked in blood. You know, I still find you dashing."

Okkervil River - It Ends With a Fall

  "I won't let you go but the moment stole all my self control and now it can only end with a fall."

 

 

Live Review: The Drums, Surfer Blood @ Lincoln Hall, 10/14/10

Florida's new favorite sons Surfer Blood teamed up with Brooklyn rookies The Drums to transform Lincoln Hall into the Church of the Holy Grail Reverb Pedal this past Thursday, and RFC made it to the later show to snap some pictures (check the full gallery after the jump) and take in the cavernous guitar tones ringing through the facsimile flying buttresses. Surfer Blood headlined the earlier all-ages iteration of the show at 7 p.m., but The Drums took top billing for the 10 p.m. show, so we'll grant them proper play as the headliner here.

First, though, let's talk Surfer Blood. As I noted when I wrote up a preview for this show earlier in the week, the boys from West Palm Beach have just about locked up my nomination for 2010's best new indie band. However, I'm also gonna be the first to admit that they didn't get there by way of their live show.

Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes