From Prussia with love
I had the opportunity to speak, via phone from Iowa City, with the Detroit-based group, Prussia, the night before they visit Champaign-Urbana for the first time. They're playing tonight at the Canopy Club, with friends Ohtis, local acts New Ruins and Common Loon, and Oxford, Mississippi's Junk Culture. It's a 9 p.m. show, and there's a $7 cover.
Being only my second "real" interview to date, Prussia's Ryan Spencer rattled my nerves in an email stating, "I have to warn you in advance, we're quite an awkward interview, but that usually doesn't stop us."
But setting my mind at ease, Ryan explained that he was usually caught off guard with interview questions, resulting in "ums" and "uhs" on his end.
My interview with Prussia turned out to be quite an easygoing conversation, giving me insight into the band, their music, and what might become of this interesting "soul influenced" group of down to earth young musicians.
We'll have to wait until tonight to see how they perform live, but in the meantime, you can check out their latest EP as a free download through their website. They also posted an mp3 on the SPlog a few days ago. After you listen, I am sure you will pony up the seven bucks for what promises to be one of the best shows of the summer at Canopy.
| The Rekkid Store Report — June 30, 2009
Incoming:
Another slow new release week so we'll focus on quality over quantity and pad it with last week's highlights, howabout? Wilco's new opus has dropped (it's on the stereo right now, George Harrison-esque) on CD and LP+CD, plus we have a limited 7" available too. Don't sleep! Bjork has a spectacular live release on multiple formats, Merge Records and Spoon have conjured up a surprise EP with three new songs, and Six Finger Satellite gets the archival treatment with a release of some 2001 recordings. Our drool has dried up for those Loop re-issues becauise they just won't come out, dangit, but REM's DCD remaster of Reckoning has and it's awesome. The original album sounds better than ever and the live disc is totally boss.
Regina Spektor, Far — This Russian-born American singer, songwriter and pianist is back with her fifth album, Far — an attempt to return to a mainstream domain, like her hit song "Fidelity" in 2006. Her sound across this album is more confident. That is, as confident as a falsetto-like soprano can be. She has more control of her voice on the lead single, "The Calculation," where she tames the beast that can be a shrill, almost inaudible, mezzo-soprano. She has …
There is a scene in an old episode of The Simpsons where Homer drinks a bottle of “Red Tick” beer, and wonders what are the ingredients. The answer, as we were flashed to the Red Tick factory, is a bunch of dogs swimming in a vat of beer. The technician tries it, and says “it needs more dog.” Well, that all was a setup for a saying I had about The Horse’s Ha and their set at the Cowboy Monkey …
With school, work, family, and a pathetic excuse for a State's Attorney ruining your life, who has the time to find out about the best shows happening in Champaign-Urbana? No need to fear, because the editors at Smile Politely have taken care of it.Here are the must-see shows of the week:When: Wednesday, July 1; 7 p.m.What: Psychostick w/ Blessed With Pain, Scathe, and Dipshit McGeeWhere: The Canopy Club; $7 OK. So, the show is headlined by Psychostick, who is a …
The Villens are coming to WEFT Sessions tonight at 10 p.m. You can listen in at WEFT-90.1 FM or stream it online. The hard-working members of the Villens, Dustin Danger and Mr. Jason, took time out of their Sunday schedules to answer some questions via email. The raucous Oakwood natives made their feelings on punk rock, partying, and Blink-182 known.
Smile Politely tracked down Janet Bean of The Horse's Ha for a telephone interview on Wednesday from her converted store-front abode off Division Street in Chicago. The Horse's Ha are playing at Cowboy Monkey Saturday night at 9 p.m. Cover is $5, and Common Loon and Angie Heaton open. It was pretty dang hot up in Chi-town too and Janet's air conditioning had stopped working. I still hadn't turned mine on for some hard-headed ecological reason, so both of us …
The Shadowboxer Collective has another unique show in store this evening at Mike 'n Molly's, as Chicago's Them Damn Kids and Bloomington, Indiana's Sam Lowry join forces with our very own Ryan Groff for a 9 p.m. show amidst the cool breezes of the beer garden. It'll probably be below 90 by the time the show starts, so pony up seven bucks at the door, grab a cold one and settle in for some low-key jams that won't overheat you. …
Air conditioning, kick ass new releases, and used items on sale are just a few of the things we have going on this week at Exile on Main Street. Seriously, what better way is there to cool off during the hot humid early summer days than to stop by the local record store and wax nostalgic about that Kraftwerk LP that changed your life? Soooo...tell me about your new releases: Lots of sweet releases have rolled into the store the …
Ryan Brewer (above, left) was excited when I met up with him at Taste of C-U on Saturday. The Good Night and Good Morning guitarist had scored a copy of What's Happening to Me? while curb-shopping on the way to the park, and the puberty lessons that awaited intrigued him. Both Brewer and vibraphonist Pat Elifritz were rocking corduroys in the 90-plus temperatures, which is a sign of true commitment. Although the duo are Champaign natives, their full-time C-U status …
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Oh dear… Ohtis on hiatus? I might have to move around the ol’ schedule… right after I say a “epic” prayer for a Faith No More tour. (heh heh heh… sorry) I heart them.
You’re entitled to your opinion, of course, but I can’t help getting a bit defensive of Angie. I enjoy watching Angie mainly because of her honest and clever lyrics, and seeing her play with her band is great fun. If you don’t like her solo “Lilith Fair-esque” sound …
Starting a review of this show with a Simpsons reference…priceless.
Eric, I look forward to hearing you perform your music.
I get it now. Thanks.
It’s not a typo. He’s saying that they made Madonna’s song from the 80s sound like it was from the 50s.
“Their set ended with a cover of Madonna’s “True Blue” that sounded like the prom song from the 1950s that I never got to experience because, well, I was born in 1986.“ Maybe it’s a typo, but Madonna songs would have been being played at proms in the …
Ohtis is going on a permanent hiatus I’ve heard, starting the Friday June 3rd. In other words, Thursday is your last chance to see them in town…sadness….
FYI: C.Monkey says The Horse’s Ha is on at 11:00pm, between Angie and Common Loon, which is perfect is perfect for weekend warriors of a certain stripe.
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Sorry for the delay on links, folks! Article now formatted in the way it was intended to be presented! Have a great 4th!
Here is a link to Laurence’s blog. His writing is at least as good as his food. http://www.thislittlepiggy.us/
“There are no to finer words in the english language than “encased meats” my friend.“
Part 2 will run Monday, and Part 3 will run Tuesday. Enjoy your holiday weekend!
nicely done Mr. Johnson.
Thanks for writing this- I hadn’t heard about it at all yet. I’m looking forward to the upcoming parts.
...faith in humanity restored. Thanks E.
Some question about what this matter says about our local population. Although I am not exactly part of the “CHIEF Yesterday-Today-Forever” Crowd, I am familiar with them and understand how they think. They would perceive the backwardized spelling of Fighting Illini as Incredibly Offensive, since many of them would …
Whatever - I’m white and yer just a person to me. All I’m seeing here is an outlet for some seriously demented passion. Who cares, he got busted and served, move on. We’re just people these days - this shits gotta get old sometime…
One could argue that Nepermann was exercising 1st amendment rights and that the destruction of the display was “protected speech”, not merely vandalism. One could even abstract Nepermann’s actions as a form of “art”. To me, the whole thing has the nature of a conflict of ideas and values, …
When it comes to racism, you politically correct popinjays are the worst kind of racists. The two robots in question are not even black in colour. They may speak like hiphop stars and ‘don’t do much reading’, but how do their personalities refer to black people? I am sure …
Nicely written, but - wow, that bottom photo!
oooo. thanks, i was not aware of this. v. good to know.
I have three adult sons and was a young man myself once. We all did stupid things and didn’t get caught. But unless you are a young man of color, those who advocate for the lesser charge are missing a huge point. How many young men of color get …
If the campus setting deters you from Evo Cafe, you can also get bubble tea at Xinh Xinh Cafe (a Vietnamese restaurant near Urbana’s Schnucks grocery store). They serve a variety of other drinks from southeast Asia.
Mike - I purely speculated that he might be fucked for life, if Rietz did the thing that seems to be the most rational: charge him to fit the crime with a felony for stealing and damaging a work of art, and doing it with intent to further damage …
You’re welcome, S. Potter! After spending a couple hours with Jesse and Abby last weekend, I was like, “Wow. This just makes sense (even though other media sources have painted a different picture).“
Anxious to read parts 2 & 3.
Good column, and good luck with this initiative. I have a hard enough time getting drivers to pay attention to me on a bike, and I’m moving faster, sometimes blinking, and typically at their eye level. Plus I’m sometimes wearing funning looking, tight clothing.
I typically fly out of Chicago for convenience and environmental reasons. Since any flight I would take from Willard tends to stop in Chicago, it’s more efficient to take the train or carpool to Chicago. Plus, I have heard several accounts of a flight delay from Willard to Chicago …
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That squirrel looks ticked.