Radio Free Chicago

Man Man @ Wicker Park Fest 7/28/07

I've always assumed Man Man was one of those bands that's best enjoyed live; their tribal, gypsy-ish music on record, while fun, has always struck me as walking the "novelty band" line, and I wasn't sure that it was something I'd still be listening to down the road (except maybe for "Moustache", which I could listen to over and over). However, the whole tribal thing seems to work really well in a live setting, especially in the outdoors. I didn't see Man Man's legendary set at the Pitchfork Festival last summer, which may have been an even more apt environment for their show amongst the trees and in the light of day as opposed to on an asphalt street at night, but their set on Saturday was still a blast to see and hear.

Download: Man Man - "I'd Rather Go"

Bat for Lashes @ Schubas 7/27/07

It might seem silly to mention it but all four members of Bat for Lashes are strikingly beautiful.  Seeing them is like witnessing some rare cinema where you can imagine Grecian fairies and Native Americans all coming together in an unlikely Brighton, England to create some fairly bizarre costumes. A definite tone is created on stage where you feel like there’s a strange sort of mood. The music is soft and somewhat melancholy but is at times just as avant-garde as the style of dress.

More Thax Hijinks

Mark your calendars for the official Thax Documentary WORLD PREMIERE!

8/17/07 @ 7:30p
The Chopin Theatre

Laura Veirs @ Logan Square Auditorium 7/17/07

The music of Laura Veirs, admittedly, did not really grab my attention upon the first few listens. It wasn't until a few months ago, while awaiting the Decemberists to take the stage, that a song played out over the loud speakers and piqued my interest. 

Download: Laura Veirs - "Magnetized"

Friday 8-track: New Music Sampler (Summer '07)

Time to clean out the inbox and load up the iPod...today's 8-track is a sampling of some of the best tunes and new band discoveries that have made their way into RFC HQ in the past month or so.

1. Mothfight - "Hopscotch" [Avant-garde kids music]

2. The Octopus Project - "I Saw The Bright Shinies" [Fun with Theramins]

3. The Way It Is - "At The Party" [local indie]

4. The Phantom Family Halo - "Black River" [Neo Psyche from KY]

[flip]

Grinderman @ Metro 7/25/07

What an honor to be in the presence of genius! I’ve only ever seen Nick Cave once before when he played as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds about five years ago at the Chicago Theater but this felt even better somehow. Chicago’s Metro was lucky to receive Nick for a very select show on his small American tour. By the time he was finished playing, I’m positive everyone in the audience felt lucky Cave had chosen Chicago as one of the three U.S. cities to play.

The Besnard Lakes w/ Handsome Furs @ Schubas 7/24/07

As many people are aware, I’m a huge Wolf Parade fan. I’m also a huge fan of all bands that contain Wolf Parade members; Sunset Rubdown, Frog Eyes, Swan Lake- every year another one seems to pop up, and I inevitably love it. When I found out Wolf Parade singer Dan Boeckner was putting out an album with his then-fiancé (now wife) Alexi Perry under the name Handsome Furs, I knew I was going to like it too, and I was right; it’s a darker, more minimal side to Dan, and it suits his voice well. I talk a lot about my love for fellow Wolf Parade singer Spencer Krug’s voice, but Dan’s has many endearing qualities of its own; it’s the weathered, scratchy, two-pack-a-day type of voice that makes you feel like he’s been through some hard times and lived to tell (sing?) about it.

Download: Handsome Furs - "What We Had"

Folk It Up!

Next Tuesday, The Old Town School of Folk Music will be releasing volumes 2 and 3 of their "Songbook" series on Bloodshot Records. While obviously this is a CD release, not a couple of books of sheet music, the songs featured on the compilation do actually come from the school's classic songbook curriculum of ballads, love songs, sea chanties, pop songs, work songs, old-time religious tunes, etc. Artists featured on the comp include The Zincs, Kelly Hogan, Nora O’Connor, Amy Allison (daughter of Mose Allison), Amy Nelson & Cathy Guthrie (Folk Uke, daughters of Willie Nelson & Arlo Guthrie) and some of Old Town's very own faculty members. The following Saturday (8/4) there will also be a CD Release Concert at Old Town, check out of the full details after the jump.

Download: The Zincs - "Simple Gifts"

Download: Nora O'Connor - "Home on the Range"

Balún @ Schuba's 7/20/07

Balún brought their ambient electronic pop, by way of San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Schuba's on Friday night for a subdued yet engaging affair. 

Download: Balún - "A Surprise"

New Releases Tuesday - 7/23

Prince is hypnotizing you all to buy these fine records...

Alamo Race Track - Black Cat John Brown
Circus Devils - Sgt. Disco
Oliver Future - Pax Futura
Prince - Planet Earth
Robbers on High Street - Grand Animals
Will Stratton - What The Night Said
Tegan & Sara - The Con Vapor
Tiny Vipers - Hands Across The Void
UNKLE - War Stories
John Vanderslice - Emerald City
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - The Is Is (ep)

Do We Really Need to See Pics of Arcade Fire Playing Basketball?

I'm sorry, this is just wrong...

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2007/07/pictures_of_arc.html

Have we really got to the point where month-old pictures of a band playing basketball is an exciting newsworthy item? This is getting into stupidly gossipy TMZ-esque territory, isn't it? Has indie rock become the next celebrity stalking culture where we're starting to post news about anything a band does on or off stage? 

Oh well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em I guess...

Next week on RFC...exclusive shots of Steve Albini walking his dog!! Plus, we've got Pan Sansone talking about his recent trip to his girlfriend's parent's summer home in Michigan!

Maximo Park w/ Monsters Are Waiting @ Double Door 7/16/07

Chicago was still recovering from the madness of Pitchfork weekend but it didn’t stop some people from venturing to yet another show the following night. Ironically, the temperature inside Double Door was as sweltering as Pitchfork with Double Door’s air conditioning being inoperable.

More Festivals?!?

P4k Fest has come and gone and Wicker Park Fest and Lollapalooza aren't until the next two weekends, so perhaps this would be a good weekend to lay low and detox in the interim?  Not so fast...

For those who just can't get enough festival madness, we've got two more indie-tastic fests to keep you busy all weekend; Machine Fest and Mauled By Tigers Fest. No rest for the wicked, eh Chicago?

The Twilight Sad/Sparrow House @ Schubas 7/14/07

Putting together a sold out after (Pitchfork) party, Schubas brought together two great bands that had been involved in the festival. The Twilight Sad played their usual emotionally heartbreaking set complete with the sense of desperation. Jared Van Fleet of Voxtrot played first with what some may feel was a bare bones essence comparatively though it felt unadulterated and enchanting just the same.  Those who may have been at Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park all day may have felt exhausted by the time eleven p.m. rolled around but for the lot of us who toughed it out, the extra night of music proved a real treat.

Download: The Twilight Sad - "Last Years Rain Didn't Fall Quit so Hard"   

Great Northern @ SubT 7/19/07

 

It was a dark and stormy night...

Pardon the bad mystery novel cliche, but it really was an insanely stormy night in Chicago as Great Northern rolled into town for the second night of their latest North American tour.