Radio Free Chicago

RFC Reviews: The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum

For a few months now, fans of The Dear Hunter have been eagerly awaiting the release of the band’s newest album, The Color Spectrum.   The Color Spectrum is made up of 9 separate EPs inspired by the colors in the ROYGBIV scale, plus black and white just for good measure.  The album was released on June 14^th and has been my number one fixation ever since.  I’ve spent a good portion of my time since the album’s release simply listening to the songs and trying my best to figure out what each color was intended to represent.  I feel as though I have a relatively accurate guess as to what each EP is meant to symbolize; however, it’s extremely possible that I’m way off on most, if not all, of them.  Who knows, really?  I assume most people already have their own opinions formed as to what each color might actually mean and that’s super great!  The Color Spectrum is one of those albums that can easily mean something very different for each individual person who listens to it, and that, my dear friends, it was makes it such an astonishing and beautiful album.

People Covering Songs I Love ... With Thao & Mirah

In the early 1980s, when Pat Benatar released the heartbreak anthem "Love is a Battlefield," I was too young to care or understand. At the time, the only heartache I may have felt was when Mom took the pacifier out of my mouth or wouldn't let me have a cookie.

Benatar's video is basically a montage of negative encounters with men, starting with her being forbidden from seeing her jailbait boyfriend (or little brother? or kid she tutors?), after which she runs off to the city, only to be bumped in the arm by a burly dude coming up an escalator, accept a dance with a creepy mustache man, throw water in a guido's face and finally assert her independence by shimmying out of a bar with a bunch of women. But at least the whole thing ends in hugs.

 

A couple of months ago, Thao Nguyen and Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn (who released an album together in April) recorded a stripped-down version of the hit during a live studio session in Oakland. With Mirah on the mic, the song takes on a more soothing veneer. It's not so much a fervid catharsis as it is a casual assertion, backed only by xylophone and soft drum thuds.

 

Thao & Mirah - Love Is a Battlefield

In my youth, I connected to Benatar's intensity regarding relationships. But now, Thao & Mirah's relaxed rendition is a far better reflection of how I regard this particular warzone. Instead of going down in a blaze of glory, we wave our white flags and say, "Fuck it. Somebody get me a pacifier and a cookie."

 

Giving Doo-Wop a New Spin: The Love Shots Take Over West Dundee

On June 11^th, the lovely Clearwater Theater of West Dundee became home to Elgin-based trio The Love Shots as they celebrated the release of their first full-length album Crooner. Blending styles from groups like Joy Division and the Smoking Popes, The Love Shots have coined their own unique sound that they refer to as “death-wop.” With vocals by Danny Craig that range from smooth and soothing to hard-hitting and intense, paired with upbeat instrumentation by help of bassist Rob Nelson and drummer John Perrin, this group must be seen live to truly appreciate their immense amount of talent.

As the lights went up and began to illuminate the otherwise dark stage, vocalist Danny Craig was met with an eruption of applause and cheers from family, friends, and fans as he belted out the opening verse of smart-ass anthem “I Know What I Want.”

Wasting no time, the boys went straight into second song of the evening “Excuses, Excuses,” which was played a little differently than usual. On this particular evening, mid-song they segwayed into “You're the One That I Want,” made popular by 1970's film Grease. After the brief switch over, they flawlessly went straight back into their original to finish it off.

The set continued with comical tracks “Kill” and “10 Speed Boyfriend.”

Written in the late 1920's but made popular in 1956 by sisters Patience and Prudence, sweet and easy-going “Tonight You Belong to Me” was revamped and given some flair when preformed by these boys. As the set went on, heart-melting vocals speak the cold, honest truth in “Stay,” complete with cutesy little backing “doo-wop wops.”

 

Kid Sid, Julian Bell, and Brynn Mawr play the Elbo Room June 24 - with snacks!

Remember RFC resident Clay Riedesel's review of Kid Sid's "Rule the World" EP? Clay had a lot of complimentary things to say about Brandon Sidney's latest Kid Sid release, but he also pointed out that the album "caters specifically to the DJ and clubbing crowd." This Friday night, Sidney will cater to different tastes at the Elbo Room with an acoustic retelling of "Rule the World."

It may seem a wee bit outside of the box to completely rework your EP's songs into acoustic versions for its own release show, but straying outside of expectations is exactly what Sidney is always striving to do with Kid Sid. He holds a distaste for being pigeonholed as a hip hop or R&B artist, and there's no doubt this show will further showcase his indie pop sensibilities. Fellow Chicago indie artists Julian Bell and Brynn Mawr will be joining the evening with their own sets.

Brynn Mawr - Travel Light

I've been continuously playing Brynn Mawr's tune "Travel Light" off their latest bandcamp release, and I think it will be thoroughly entertaining to see all of these artists and genres come together for a night at the Elbo Room.

As if enjoying a breezy summer soundtrack live and partaking in the Elbo Room's drinks aren't enticing enough, Popchips will be sponsoring this event - free snacks ftw!

 In the video below, Brandon discusses the making of a single from his 2010 release and describes the fruition of the Kid Sid project. To download his latest EP, "Rule the World" for the low, low price of FREE, go to Kid Sid's bandcamp page.

Kid Sid, Julian Bell, and Brynn Mawr will be playing the Elbo Room in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood Friday, June 24th at 9:00 pm. The event is 21+ and admission is $5.

 

 

 

Wiping Off The Dust... Of Montreal's The Sunlandic Twins

 

I recall meeting Of Montreal in 2006 back stage at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. The Sunlandic Twins had debuted via Polyvinyl in April 2005. After questioning bassist Bryan Poole, also The Late B.P. Helium, about how the psychedelic/ synth/ pop band elected their name, he narrated a tale of how Kevin Barnes supposedly used to be a skilled gymnast but devastatingly injured his ankle at Olympic trials in Montreal one year. Shortly thereafter, I discovered the story varied by article and interview. A failed romance with a woman in Montreal is another such explaination.

An upbeat drum machine drives many of the album’s tracks. Cheerful nostalgia valiantly saturates the melody of “Requiem for O.M.M.2.”  “I don’t want to make a wake out of my life/ I just have to let you go,” sings Barnes. I can all too well relate to this mantra of ruminating over a romantic ember from the past while taking a momentary gulp of hopeless yearning. In fact, just before I started this review, I swallowed such an instant. The suitor fused to my first monumental heartbreak happened to be courting me during the time I discovered Of Montreal. Memories of how excited I’d be over doing even traditionally mundane endeavors with him like hiking up the road a couple miles to a shopping center ensue. Times we’d walk to the railroad tracks and playfully shoot photos … and that one dewy eyed moment he kissed me ‘just because,’ as sizable snowflakes delicately fell on a January day. Upon falling for my first love, the all too temporary euphoria of my new relationship naturally blinded me to the possibility of romantic finiteness. After all, how could two beings that complimented and flowed together so well conceivably ever pull apart? 

Requiem For O.M.M.2

RFC Reviews: Archie Powell & The Exports "Skip Work"

Back in February 2011 I somehow wound up Facebook friends with Archie Powell. Fast forward three months later. I decide to trim my Facebook friends from 330-something friends to 130-something. Somehow, Mr. Powell survives my miniature holocaust despite me having no idea who the hell this schmuck is. Now that I have considerably fewer friends, Archie’s status updates begin appearing on my wall. I notice he’s in a band, the creatively titled “Archie Powell & The Exports”. Perhaps it was Archie’s complete lack of hubris, perhaps I just wanted the chance to make fun of a fellow struggling artist, or perhaps it was fate. Whatever the cause, I found myself on The Exports bandcamp page, listening to their debut LP “Skip Work”.

Skip Work opens with the very poppy and decidedly not bluesy “Milkman Blues”. From there Skip Work grabs you by the throat, worms into your heartstrings, and takes you on a bumpy ride through its twelve tracks. I won’t lie, I came into this review prepared to rip Archie and his band mates a new asshole, but I simply don’t have it in me. Skip Work is too much fun.

There aren’t any standout tracks on Skip Work. Rather, Archie and Co have a very distinctive, signature style that they maintain throughout. Archie has a twangy, nasally voice halfway between John Darnielle and Tom Petty. It floats over The Exports tightly woven pop crunch like cold milk through sugary cereal, and works surprisingly well for something you’d imagine more suitable for an alt country act. Archie’s no Bob Dylan, but he isn’t Fred Durst either. Much like his music, Archie’s lyrics are simple, sincere, and fun. None of the instruments hog or fight for the spotlight, sacrificing personal glory for the benefit of the whole. When the guitar or keyboard take a few bars to solo, 90% of time it’s a simple repetition of the melody with a grace note or two thrown in ala Weezer and/or Nirvana. Every melody is equally infectious, so that after the CD ends, instead of having one song stuck in your head various melodies and choruses chirp through your brain like a college marching band arrangement.

Drmanhattan Reunites To Fight Cancer. YEAH!

Remember drmanhattan?  Remember how they’re awesome?  Well then, you probably also remember how they broke up not too far back.  The end of drmanhattan was a depressing time for me and a select few friends of mine; however, we all managed to get through this troubling time together by attending their final show and dancing our little hearts out all night!

Assuming that you did, in fact, know all of this then you probably miss d-man just as much as I do.  If this is the case, then you’re in luck!  Drmanhattan will be playing THIS FRIDAY (June 10^th) during a cancer benefit at Crystal Lake South High School.  The event begins at 6pm and continues until 6am the following morning.  However, if you’re like me and mostly just interested in seeing drmanhattan, then show up around midnight, because that’s when they play. 

Dr Manhattan- Gunpowder A Ballet(1)

I assume there are going to be other fun things going on during the 12 hours this event will be up and running, I just cannot for the life of me find and info on such fun things.  Drmanhattan’s facebook page mentioned something about a "dunk tank" full of "toxic sludge", and that in combination with a d-man reunion is probably more than enough for me to go ahead and attend a cancer benefit.

So, now that everyone knows where I’ll be on Friday, I expect to see some of you out there as well.  It’s for a damn good cause AND you get to see an awesome band that doesn’t play very often anymore.  Oh, and did I mention that the event is FREE?!  How could you even consider passing this opportunity up?  You can’t.  You just can’t.  

 

Video: Julian Lynch - Terra

I'm not quite sure how I originally came across Julian Lynch early last summer, but I'm really glad I did! I immediately honed in on "Winterer One" off of his Orange You Glad? LP, and never looked back! According to factual data, I've listened to it literally more than any other song IN THE WORLD in the time since. So this year's Terra is a real tranquil treat! 

 

 

The gorgeous, simmering video for "Ground" reminds me of the trippy LaserDiscs my dad used to watch in the 90s. All in the Family!

Julian Lynch - Terra

 

RFC Interviews: ibid.

ibid. is the musical output of strapping young Portlandian Gabriel Mathews. Splitting time between home, and Los Angeles, where he attends Occidental, his work bears the mark of a budding audiophile- the spacious, loose production is often as much the focus as Mathews' nocturnal crooning. It gives his songs a strange, off-kilter feel as if getting a brief, fogged glimpse into the world of someone with very different eyes than you. His EPs Bison and Missive are more industrious and pounding, but as his craft develops his physical form comes more and more into the frame- culminating in his most recent release, India Ink.

India Ink is spare and beautiful, often featuring only Gabriel, a piano, and a whole lot of room to muse or lament at your leisure. The difference between the reverbed-out layered vocals of a song like  "Two Years," (from Bison) and the softened creaking of Mathews' voice on India Ink opener "No Bones" makes it all the more affecting. Even a more bizarre and kinetic piece like "Worth" seems an inch a way from breakdown on an album this introverse.

Ibid. - No Bones

There's a ramshackled focus running high through this one-man project that's supes intriguing soooo we recently had a digital sit-down (no relationnnn!) with ibid./Gabriel Mathews!

Prepare for compound questions and answers!

RFC Reviews: TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light

Like with Conor Oberst's more recent output, it was initially pretty difficult for me to get into the older, more mature and spiritual TV on the Radio. I mean, I liked 2008's Dear Science. I liked it a whole lot- it's great! But compared to the darker, more despotic heights of past triumphs Return to Cookie Mountain and the Young Liars EP, I was unsure of their future. When I saw them at the Metro in 2007 (with the absolutely extaordinary Subtle), they were already giving of a kind of "chill dad" vibe that was a little unsettling in light of how brilliantly unsettling their formative years were. What would an album called Nine Types of Light have to offer?

Well, I thought first single "Will Do" was sorta wack. It seemed pleasantly romantic, and of course well-produced (Dave Sitek will never let your ears down!), but felt weirdly slight in light of the emotional mountains that TVOTR have deconstructed throughout their career. Then, I saw the video:

 

 

Holdfast & Warm Ones take over the Beat Kitchen!

Holdfast, a band that RFC Thinks You Should Know... if nothing else but because they make us feel real damn good, are playing at the Beat Kitchen June 12 with fellow local power poppers Warm Ones. Tickets are $8 and are already on sale! To make the deal even sweeter, Reckless Records will be doing a ticket giveaway the week of the show. You can stream/buy their EP Like The Sun at their bandcamp page.

Warm Ones, a band I was previously unfamiliar with, appear to be a pretty interesting crew. Their debut album Sprezzatura (!) holds dynamic, emotive guitar pop as its center but inhabits a number of rock/pop tropes pretty well (the opener is a sweet proto-punk type rager)! Male+female vocals are utilized pretty irresistably on "Small Spies," and perhaps most importantly there is a song called "Get Shit Set." It doesn't have to be an awesome song, but it is. I'm listening to this album while I type this! And I'm way into it! You can stream the whole thing, via Soundcloud module, here on their official site. Pick a song! I dare you! It'll probably sound sweet!

Here's live footage of Warm Ones performing their song "Busy All Day," at the Empty Bottle last September:

 

Hold fast, warm ones: it should be a pretty rad show! (did you see...what i did...there?)