Radio Free Chicago

RFC Round Up: November!

Hey, kids! It's RFC round up time! And this month, we're gonna be doing things a little bit different. While some dang awesome things happened in November, we're mostly gonna concentrate on what ya'll missed when you little indie-ans and chillgrams were out of town, bondin' with your fams, the RFC ball kept rollin' - And not only did some great posts go up that might have been underscored by tryptophan, but sister sites Mezzic and Indie College rocked it too! Take a look at these choice cuts, why don't ya'?

- Gun Lake made their RFC debut, thanks to Abby Holmes, who reviewed the band's lead song off their forthcoming debut, "Cliffhanger". Now you can understand why EIC Amber is so damn taken by these Michigan boys!

- Speaking of Miss Holmes, she gave the darling Very Truly Yours a pretty sweet review. Get a load of her wordsmithing! I mean, shoot, the girl can title an article, am I right?

- Sara Jacobsen gave some love to the Imogen Heap, in a project started by Matthew V. which finds RFC's staffers trying to get Amber to broaden her decidedly male-listening horizons.

- And, of course, while this was going on, Amber was listening to some dude-fronted alt-country. Namely, Old 97's!

- On Thanksgiving itself, new recruit Bill Baker continued his reign of RFC awesomeness, and Steven showed ya'll what you missed if you didn't see Andrew Jackson Jihad's latest jaunt to the windy city. And the day after, Abby (who was a superstar this month!) attempted to awake you all from your food comas with some Cee Lo covering Band of Horses!

- RFC collectively has been getting pumped for Mittenfest, which will see the aforementioned Gun Lake take the stage alongside such Michigan darlings as Frontier Ruckus, Chris Bathgate, and a band Abby reviewed for Indie College, Lightning Love! They're a favorite around these parts for a reason. If you haven't picked up on their greatness yet from yours truly, it might be best if you come around before their second album hits the proverbial shelves next year.

 

Elsewhere on the internet...

- If you missed Jonny Corndawg at Schubas a few weeks back, Amber reviewed Corndawg's masterpiece I'm Not Ready To Be A Daddy for Mezzic. Are masterpiece too big of words for a country act you haven't heard? UM, NO. LISTEN TO CORNDAWG AND REALIZE HIS AWESOMENESS FOR YOURSELF.

Jonny Corndawg - Oversteppin'

- Also, on Mezzic, John Brunner tackled both Kanye and Kid Cudi, while Amber sat around and listened to her favorite folk noir record of all time, Timber Timbre's 2009 debut! (She encourages you all to click the link in the Timber Timbre article that says "Grizzly Bear".)

- Not to be outdone, Indie College burnt up the internet with some smokin' hot reviews of Jeremy Messersmith's The Reluctant Graveyard and our fave local boys, Archie Powell & The Exports rockin' debut. Is it vain for Amber to call her own work so awesome? Probably. By the way, she wrote an editorial about how Brand New is the best break up music ever! No word on how the former Mister Valentine reacted to her less than pleasant depiction of that time he dumped her.

- And then occasional guest blogger Mike Roeder of Play B-Sides wrote an awesome article on what we can expect from the next Dawes record!

Who's ready for December?!

RFC Thinks You Should Know... A Light In August!

I had good intentions when I started RFC Thinks You Should Know. The idea, you see, was to shed some light on little known acts from around the country. I mean, our contributors aren't just in Chicago anymore - We've got Cincinnati, Ann Arbor, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and Washington state. Surely all of those local scenes have some treasures that the world needs to know about, right? Well, you know what they say about best laid plans. Since it's inception I've been hard pressed to keep RFC Thinks You Should Know from becoming Hey, Michigan Is Awesome You Guys! Weekly. I'd say I'm sorry but let's face it: Ann Arbor, Michigan has a thoroughly awesome scene, full of some of the best folk music in the country, and I will fight you to the death on this point. Michigan is awesome. And it's extensive list of amazing folk acts (Dudes with beards?! Sign me up!) make me proud to call this chilly state home.

Take A Light In August, for example. While recent months have found lead singer Alex Wand leaving Michigan behind for sunnier climates (California, to be specific), the band still has unshakably strong roots in Ann Arbor, as made evident on the band's sophomore release, Sweater Weather, out next month. Sweater Weather is undeniably a record produced whilst Wand was living in Ann Arbor, from the local flavor present here (The album was produced by Ann Arbor superstar Jim Roll and features occasional backing vocals from Gun Lake's Mark Fain) but what differentiates A Light In August from their Michigan breathren is the fact that what Wand brings to the table is a far gentler brand of folk music.

A Light In August - Hollywood

Wiping Off The Dust... Getting Nostalgic For Old 97's

We all know I'm one of those people who constantly pick and choose songs they relate to, assembling their own personal soundtrack to their life every time a new elements presents itself to muddle up my internal monologue and shift my attitude from complacency to frustration or, y'know, sometimes smitteness. Every time I get a crush on a guy or meet a new friend or embark on a new project, I find myself combing through my iTunes library for hours, making a new playlist of songs that are apt to my current situation. And while you were all overdosing on tryptophan, that's just what I was doing this Thanksgiving weekend. (Although, I was overdosing on tryptophan as well. But I can multi-task, kids!)

I'm not entirely sure how my mind wandered on to the songs of the once-great Old 97's but it happened. I think it might have had something to do with that really cute Fuse TV commercial that had some sock puppets being all adorable with one another while "Question" played. Remember that? I do. It was one of those things that made me realize I wasn't so heart hardened as I like to pretend to me. (Not that I got all misty eyed at lovey-dovey sock puppets. Moving on...) Whether that jogged my memory or not, I found myself desperate to hear "Designs On You" and within minutes, found myself thoroughly nostalgic for the heyday of alt-country. In my high school days, nothing made me feel as cool as spinning Wilco, Old 97's, and other burgeoning indie acts that lifted a heavy influence from the country music of days gone by, serving as a reminder that just because modern country music sucked didn't mean all country music did. In fact, whenever I had to convince my rock n' roll lovin' pals that alt-country was far more awesome than they thought, the searing anger of "Four Leaf Clover" and the edgy longing of "Jagged" were two of my go-to tracks. But what got me to revisit Old 97's this weekend was their sweeter side. Find me a better song about the flirtatious lust you can't shake in regards to someone you want but, for whatever reason, can't have than "Designs On You" and I'll make you a crown and sash for one upping me. 

Old 97's - Designs On You

Love for the Ladies: Imogen Heap

I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to vocalists, the ladies just really don’t do much for me. It’s not that I really have anything against female singers, I just feel like most of them either sound like  Hayley Williams of Paramore, or simply do not bring anything new to the table. However, there are a few lady singers that I absolutely love and Imogen Heap is definitely one of them.

Although I just recently began listening to Imogen Heap, she has very quickly become one of my favorite artists. Her album Speak for Yourself has easily made its way to the top of my most frequently played list. This album features what are likely Heap’s best known songs, “Goodnight and Go” and “Hide and Seek”. However, while “Goodnight and Go” does do its job in making me want to rip my hair out by making me think of that certain someone, it along with “Hide and Seek” are not the only tracks on the album that are worth listening to by any means. Hint: "Headlock" and "Clear the Area" are awesome.

 

Imogen Heap - Clear The Area

 

Very Truly Yours Tailor-Made For The Twee of Heart

The moment I opened my copy of Things You Used to Say by Very Truly Yours, I was taken back to childhood days at Grandma’s. The dusty rose and ivory color scheme of the CD case and disc (not to mention the floral pattern behind the tray) made me nostalgic for those days of rummaging through Grandma’s closet, dousing my skin in her Chanel No. 5 and wrapping myself in strings of pearls that hung from the vanity dresser. I can almost feel that rust-colored shag carpet between my toes. If I never even listened to the album, I’d still love it just for that.

Based out of Chicago, the indie-pop group recorded its debut LP on Portland, Oregon’s Skywriting Records. Kristine Capua leads on vocal and songwriting duties, backed up by keyboardist Katie Watkins, guitarist Lisle Mitnik, bassist Dan Hyatt and drummer Andy Rogers. Reaching all the way back to early girl groups like the Crystals and the Ronettes, to ’90s lady-fronted pop ensembles the Cardigans and Sixpence None the Richer, it’s easy to detect familiarity in the music of Very Truly Yours. The vintage pop style is heard often these days in songs by Camera Obscura, She & Him and Cults.

If any two words from the above paragraph registered with you, please let them be Camera Obscura, because there are few finer comparisons ever made. Capua does a magnificent impression of Tracyanne Campbell and at times I really feel like I’m listening to “My Maudlin Career.” That sort of grey-day doo-wop saturates “Things You Used to Say,” a darling collection of melancholy melodies rife with love-centric properties.

Very Truly Yours is best when they’re conjuring tight tunes with a solid sound, the kind you can grasp onto as opposed to those that drift wispily by (“Homesick,” “Dear”). The title track finds firm ground with Watkins’ keyboards, and “Puddles” has strength in its guitar parts. Their use of glockenspiel on the album is wholly endearing as a key element. In one of many feats of adorableness, Capua sings “Every heart I know has a different place to go” over the twinkly instrument for “Love is Hard.”

Love is Hard - Very Truly Yours

Sometimes the vocals are too elusive. You know what Capua conveys is worth hearing, but several of the band’s songs suffer from echo-chamber syndrome, which happens all too commonly in indie-pop music. It blurs the words’ edges, making them hard to hear, and Very Truly Yours is a little too fond of that quality. I’d like to hear these songs in a sharper setting, where the vocals are as present as everything else in the music. Tunes such as “Funeral” and  “To See You Here” could benefit from a little clarity, with potential to be some of the album’s best.

 

Miniature Tigers Cover Songs I Love!

Nothing says "Happy Thanksgiving!" like a full album of cover songs and were you to hop on over to Miniature Tigers' tumblr, that's just what you'd receive. This year, the indie popsters celebrated the best holiday that centers around a feast of dead bird by giving away their own take on everything from Madonna to Animal Collective and while I've been in too much of a food coma to properly give the whole disc a spin, I can say with the utmost of certainty that their long-time fan favorite cover of Abba's "Mama Mia" is quite the charmer.

If you've ever wondered why I have been known to drunkenly tackel "Mama Mia" at karaoke, this is why. Thanks for the humilation, Charles Brand!

 Miniature Tigers - Mamma Mia (ABBA)

People Covering Songs I Love… With Cee Lo Green!

Fun fact: Cee Lo Green released his solo album this month, the one responsible for last August’s single-turned-Internet sensation “Fuck You.” Furthermore, “The Lady Killer” is a bitchin’ album, and you can read all about it on my other blog.

I first took interest in Cee Lo when he and Danger Mouse joined forces to become Gnarls Barkley and released “Crazy,” an infectious jolt to the pop music scene during an otherwise flaccid year of hits. When people pair up with Danger Mouse, good things are bound to happen (“Modern Guilt” by Beck, “Attack & Release” by the Black Keys).

Cee Lo is best known for his heavy soul grooves, so when I was listening through his new album and heard him singing a Band of Horses song, I was stunned. Those unfamiliar with Band of Horses should know it’s an alt-country group that originated in Seattle. The band released its second album, “Cease to Begin,” in 2007, which featured “No One’s Gonna Love You,” the heart-breaking ballad covered on Cee Lo’s latest.

No One's Gonna Love You - Band of Horses

Cee Lo’s version doesn’t mess too greatly with the format. It’s actually magnificently executed with the same vocal cues but laid out on a drum track backed by violins. And just knowing that a soul machine like Cee Lo draws inspiration from folksy indie rock is an exciting thought. It’s one of those occurrences that make you feel happy about the world, like when cats and dogs cuddle.

No One's Gonna Love You- Cee Lo Green

Andrew Jackson Jihad @ Bucket O' Blood Books and Records, 11/17/10

First, check that diaphoretic haze creeping over the windows behind Andrew Jackson Jihad singer/songwriter Sean Bonnette in the photo at right. No, that's not a misty fall night in Chicago — the stars hung clear as diamonds outside, and that's condensation fueled by pure body heat, folks. Which is to say that this AJJ acoustic performance at Chicago's new one-stop shop for metalheads and sci-fi geeks, Bucket O' Blood, turned out to resemble an in-store performance less than a sweaty house show, replete with a plastic tub full of PBR in the back.

Although I'd never listened to Andrew Jackson Jihad before last Wednesday, RFC editor-in-chief Amber strong-armed talked me into showing up to check this one out. I have to admit, I got into Sean Bonnette's nervy, Ted Leo-meets-Elvis Costello punk yelp, and the show turned out to be a blast, even if the ambiance veered a bit toward emo-bro at a couple of points (I described the show via text to Amber as "dudes grabbing each others [sic] rattails while shouting verbose lyrics about the sympathetic nervous system").

Andrew Jackson Jihad - People II: The Reckoning

Matt Arbogast of The Gunshy opened up the show with a few gravelly blue-collar anthems and a great self-directed throwaway line about how "this fucker sounds just like Tom Waits," the latter of which got some raucous, knowing laughter from the kids packed into the tiny storefront. Still, the night belonged to Sean Bonnette, as evidenced by the blast of shouting voices that joined him every time he smashed out a staccato note on his guitar and sang a linchpin line semi-a cappella.

Me, I stayed busy fishing unattended Pabst Blue Ribbons out of Ye Old Plastic Tub and stuffing them into my messenger bag (this being the Wednesday before payday and all), but rest assured that I plan to dive into the entire Andrew Jackson Jihad discography as soon as I stop slaving my ears over My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. As I learned at Wednesday's show, AJJ sport a rather awesomely sardonic take on punk culture, slackerdom and the feeling of growing up as an outsider — not to mention a way with a record store full of drunk underage punks.

Andrew Jackson Jihad - Una Mas Cerveza Por Favor

And, in conclusion, I came away with about eight free beers — and it was the best summer vacation ever. Thanks for the tip, Amber!

Tales From the East - Dead Man's Clothes

When you move to a new town, you never forget your firsts. My first valentine’s day in Portland, my truck was towed during a snow ban and got a flat tire while I was out at the bar. The first place I ever sat down to eat was a Denny’s off exit 5. A fact that I’m not proud of whatsoever given Portland’s reputation as a great culinary city. But after forcing down that grand slam, the first Portlander I met was Don Dumont, the front man for the Portland based group Dead Man’s Clothes. After spending time at his Houlton street apartment, he invited us down to the open mic he hosted. That night, I had my first listen to an acoustic session of DMC material. It was by far the best welcoming gift I could have received (just ahead of that copy of Soul Plane on DVD. Thanks, Josh!). I devoured their whole first album Aplomb later that night and immediatly became a certified Dead Man's Clothes fan.

It’s hard to pinpoint just what type of genre Dead Man’s Clothes falls under. In an interview with Sandwich Zine, Don described their sound as being “the brontosaurus of music; a combination of many things that create something that never really existed before.” One listen through a given amount of their material and you’d understand why. Psych-rock blends with surfer-jams topped off with straightforward energetic indie rock to create a blazing sound. They’ve released three albums, with their latest Ice Is War being released this past August. Though the lineup has changed over the years, drummer Elliot Heeschen and guitarist/lead vocalist Don Dumont have anchored the lineup since the band’s inception.

Dead Man's Clothes - A Fire

Show Review: Tim Kasher at Schuba's 11/20/10

Tim Kasher wasted no time when he walked on stage at Schubas Tavern Saturday night. He took the stage, grabbed his guitar and tenderly sang, "When we were young, I was like a child."

"No Fireworks" started the set of mostly new songs from the recent release of, The Game Of Monogamy. The very crowded and sold out show at Schubas brought Tim Kasher fans from all over. There was a kid there from Omaha, who had seen him the previous night, a couple from Wisconsin, as well as Indiana and Michigan. 

Tim Kasher - I'm Afraid I'm Gonna Die Here

Backed by cello, keyboards, trumpets and drums Kasher leapt into "Just Don't Get Caught" with the greatest of ease, over a roar of audience applause. Playing intently with a brief show of mischievous smiles every now and again Kasher went from song to song. It seemed as if he were going to play the entire album in random order. When the cello started out "There Must Be Something I've Lost", the crowd in almost unison started whispering, "I've become obsessed with my high school year book." They quietly sang the entire song along with Kasher. I've said it before in the review of the album for Mezzic: If you can't relate to this track, you are lying to yourself. The crowd's emotional repsonse at Schubas Saturday night proved this.

Kanye Takes 2010

I don't know if you've heard, but Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy has quickly become the best reviewed new album of the year. Regardless of whether Matt Lauer thinks Ye needs to be goaded into staring at footage of another grown ass man before he can properly answer a question. Regardless of how many times Taylor Swift sneezed today. Regardless of scores of people who maintain that not only is Kanye West completely untalented, but also utterly brainless. He somehow managed to take back his microphone -- and subsequently his legacy -- and speak in a voice more powerful than any of his detractors (or even supporters) thought possible.

To recap, this year Kanye:

- Changed Justin Vernon's life.

- Dove headlong into social networking as a promotional tool. He started off his comeback by quietly going to the offices of different social sites like Twitter and Facebook and performing acapella versions of new songs with nothing but a reserved-yet-sharp suit (and a matching sense of humor) to back him up. He then began to tease details about the album via Ustream videos while also booting up what immediately became to many the illest Twitter account of all time (uh, I'm really happy for you Demi & Ashton and I'ma let you finish...?). Shit, "Power" even soundtracked the damn The Social Network trailer. 

- Revamped his label G.O.O.D. Music into what is easily the most consistently impressive (and improving) stable of hip-hoppers in the business.

-Utilized said stable extensively (and then some) when releasing oodles of brilliant free music (in a series called G.O.O.D. Fridays) in the time leading up to the album, leaving the internets swooning nearly every week in the most high profile digital bucking of the Old Guard since Radiohead's In Rainbows release.

- Further bolstered the album by conceptualizing, directing, and starring in an accompanying acclaimed 35-minute short film that (after private showings in Paris, Los Angeles, and Chicago) was world premiered across numerous music channels and websites during prime time. Did I mention it was shot in Prague?

- Assembled the likes of Elton John, Fergie, La Roux, Alicia Keys, and more for a one-of-a-kind crazy ass jam called "All of the Lights" that pretty handily defies categorization beyond the word "exuberant."

 Kanye West - All of the Lights

- And was responsible, at least partly, for this. 

So that's pretty cool, right? I mean that's a lot of crazy shit, all of it in a wildly short time, all of it unique to his perspective, experience, passion, and persona. I have a feeling that if you were to go back a few decades and look at the majority of criticism and vitriol sent at Muhammad Ali during his ascent as a boxer it would appear uncannily similar to that which is reserved for West. And also a feeling that a couple decades from now, so will the praise.

RFC Thinks You Should Know... Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band!

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band's success story is a fun one to tell, although it's still in the early stages of development.

In 2008, vocalist/guitarist Benjamin Verdoes, guitarist Matthew Dammers and bassist Jared Price brought in Benjamin's wife Traci Eggleston and adoptive brother Marshall Verdoes to be part of their new musical project. Eggleston contributes on keyboards and percussion, while Marshall is the group's enthusiastic drummer. At only 13 years old, Marshall became responsible for the group's unusual name.

He starred in the band's introduction to the world in the form of a ridiculous PSA asking viewers to join the then-unknown Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band in the fight against homeostasis, with a link below the video directing folks to their myspace page. The clip no longer exists on Youtube, but evolved into a series of other fun PSAs about boring and technology that you can still view. They drew quite a bit of interest.

 

So much, in fact, that in July of that year, the group's inaugural live performance was a headlining gig at Neumos, one of Seattle's hippest venues. Afterwards, they signed onto the Dead Oceans label, releasing their debut self-titled LP in 2009. The album is made up of some of the best experimental rock music I've heard in recent years, such as the pseudo-Queens of the Stone Age shredder "Masquerade" and the multi-level "Albatross, Albatross, Albatross," a bonafide stunner.

Amber's Top Five Tracks Of The Week

I've spent a lot of time this past week drinking beer. But when I'm not busy cashing in my drink chips and living the High Life with the fine folks at The Miller Brewing Company, I've been churning out an impressive amount of reviews for sister sites Mezzic and Indie College. And, as I end up being lucky enough to review CDs I actually like, I've taken a shine to more than a few of the tracks. So start out your week with this mini-mix, why don't ya'? Not all of these tracks are new but all of them are awesome.

Dawn Landes - Young Girl

Justin Townes Earle - What I Mean To You

Frontier Ruckus - Ringbearer

Hiss Golden Messenger - Super Blue (Two Days Clean)

Ben Weaver - East Jefferson

Disappears Announces New Drummer, Album, Tour

Brace yourselves, Disappears fans; the local garage/krautrock act has at lot of news to deliver. The band announced late October that drummer Graeme Gibson has moved out of town and departed from the band. Bummer. But there’s good news too: taking his place for the unforeseeable future will be Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley. This should turn out to be a good fit for Disappears, considering the band has collaborated with Shelley in the past, and he’s familiar with the band’s minimalist, reverb- and distortion-heavy, experimental sound. The band seems pretty pleased with the situation:

WE'RE VERY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT STEVE SHELLEY WILL BE FILLING IN FOR AS LONG AS HE IS ABLE OR WANTS TO. WE'RE HONORED TO BE PLAYING WITH SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN SUCH AN INFLUENCE ON US.

Along with the new member, the band has been busy preparing for the release of its next album, Guider, scheduled to drop Jan. 17 on Kranky Records.  I know, I know, you’re still soaking up the awesomeness their debut LP, Lux, which dropped just last spring. But Guider will be a close follow-up to Lux; the new LP was recorded in May (just after the debut’s release) and many of its tracks were performed live while the band toured in support of the debut. The band even recorded Guider over the same tape reels used for Lux. More specific details are still pretty much under wraps, but you can stream Guider’s title track over at Disappears’ MySpace, keep your eye on the band's blog for samples and singles, and check out this footage of the album’s opener “Superstition”:

 

To celebrate the new album, the band will be playing a handful of U.S. stops, including a record release show at the Empty Bottle Feb. 4, before heading off on a European tour. It’s only a matter of time before Disappears hits it big and doesn’t have time for tiny little venues like Chicago’s beloved Empty Bottle, so the record release show is a can't-miss for Disappears fans. Plus, it’ll be interesting to see what new flavor Shelley adds to the live performance. Also playing is Chicago’s Brain Idea.

Disappears - Gone Completely

Peter, Bjorn and John: Still More Than Just "Young Folks"

It was my roommate's mix that got me thinking about Peter, Bjorn and John recently. You remember the mix. The, well, let's say "travesty" that was equal parts wonderfully hilarious (That commentary!) and horrifically bad (Taylor Swift? The Jonas Brothers?) and just so happened to include a gem from the annals of indie-rock-turned-mainstream-pop by Peter, Bjorn and John.That, readers, is what got my thinking.

I remember when Writer's Block came out. I also remember the mingled sense of disgust I felt when "Young Folks" went from being a beautiful, poppy bit of Pitchfork approved bliss to a song you hear at the grocery store, sandwiched in between Shakira and Barry Manilow. Now, don't get me wrong. "Young Folks" is great and there is no denying that but when that song and it's whistled hook his the mainstream, it assured that Peter, Bjorn and John would never receive the kind of attention their music deserved. And that... Well, that just ain't fair.

Even looking at the rest of Writer's Block, it's obvious that judging the band by "Young Folks" alone is a travesty. That's not to say that "Young Folks" is anything less than awesome because, let's face it, it wins on every level. It's a duet with whistling, a video that has heart-stealing animation, and the song has a timeless production quality that has you half thinking it might be from the '60's upon first hearing it. The majority of the band's breakthrough album, however, has a much more subdued charm ("Let's Call It Off"), one that even occasionally borders on depressing ("Poor Cow") and sometimes ambient ("All Those Expectations"). Subdued and depressing? Well, that's right up my alley! It's no wonder I like Peter, Bjorn and John. But, I must admit, it kind of bums me out that, when VH1 looks back on "One Hit Wonders of the 2000's", "Young Folks" will probably make the cut.

 

The Swedish trio's follow-ups to Writer's Block made much less of a splash than they deserved to, probably due to the fact that the kitschy pop that found Peter, Bjorn and John thrust into the limelight in 2006 is not what the band is about. Personally, I'm all about the sensual introspection of the band's 2009 release Living Thing and would love to one day shake my ass to "It Don't Move Me" on, you know, an actual dance floor instead of in my bedroom alone.

Peter, Bjorn and John - It Don't Move Me