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This page is a Monthly Archive of entries from May 2008 listed from newest to oldest.
We Midwesterners have to stick together. Broken Spindles is the solo project of one Joel Peterson, a member of The Faint and the one-off project Beep Beep, all out of Omaha, Neb.
The music is what you might expect from a Faint side project, interesting little combinations of electronica, sparse piano, and moody, moody indie rock. With a limited palette and a one-man, lo-fi vibe, Spindles are quite diverse, ranging from electro-orchestral instrumental excursions to more, straightforward guitar-driven pop.
Gazelle is the new super group project between Jeff Dimpsey, a veteran of such legendary Champaign bands as Hum, Honcho Overload and Poster Children (just to name a few) and Adam Fein of Absinthe Blind, the dreamy neo-psychedelic precursor to Headlights. These 10 tracks find the duo ditching the volume of their electric guitars and experimenting with more electro-pop influences. I even dare to call this music post-electro-pop or tranquilized club because of the focus on beautifully textured atmospheres, scattered electronics, light acoustic guitar, keyboard, and vocals from both musicians like a gentle wind.
Authors' note: A fellow rock scholar who happens to buy music for the Urbana Free Library asked us to write an article for their blog, to suggest music the library should purchase and to help patrons take advantage of their excellent collection. After beginning the article, we were informed that it was inappropriate for the library website. Here it is. (Shhhhh!)
William: The Urbana Free Library (UFL) is a great resource for rock geeks. Especially us. Cristy's iron discipline with regard to financial matters means she buys two albums a year. I try my best to help compensate by buying more than I can afford, even buying records I already own because I feel sorry for them, just sitting there in the bin, neglected, under-appreciated.
Cristy(rolls eyes): No kidding. Do we honestly need three torn copies of ABC's Lexicon of Love?
W: But the library's surprising collection allows us to explore great music for free.
Better than any high school reunion could hope to be, the 1993 Revisited reunion show this Sunday is set to be an exciting time for those who can say they were there. Musicians and friends from all over the country will be coming back to Champaign-Urbana to not only witness, but to be a part of the magical times from fifteen years ago.
And it really was magical. Many have talked about the creative energy that existed in the Midwest back then and it’s no secret that Champaign was playing host to a great deal of it.
Albums released from bands outside the area had a significant impact on those locally — musicians, artists, and fans alike. Who could forget that show at The (old) Blind Pig when Afghan Whigs toured for Gentleman, or seeing Liz Phair, Dinosaur Jr, Smashing Pumpkins, Polvo, Seam, Buffalo Tom, Jesus Lizard, and Superchunk. If you were too young, all I can say is that I wish you were there.
Jim McHugh is buying coffee in Austin, Texas, and asks that I call him back in five minutes so he’s not the guy waiting in line on his cell phone. I appreciate this and gladly hang up. I give him seven minutes, knowing how those lines sometimes go, and when I call back he apologizes.
“I’ve been a service industry douchebag too many years to be that guy,” he says.
During the original flourishing of what is often referred to now as Americana or “old-time” music, the American south was rife with a musical integration that stood in sharp contrast to the strictest segregation in the country. Musicians both black and white played country music, and prior to its codification in the commercialism of Nashville, certain old-time country songs were indistinguishable from the blues and gospel that heavily informed them.
There seems to be a tradition in early baroque and classical music of taking another composer’s piece and rewriting it to demonstrate your superior writing, deriving masterful variations from the other composer’s weaker theme. The gesture can be flattering or insulting, a respectful tribute or machismo in a powdered wig. We see it in its polite form in Bach’s Musical Offering, where Bach composes a clever, showy masterpiece based on a challenge and melody issued to him by Frederick II.
Caffe Paradiso, occasionally a venue and always the hippest place to grab a cuppa joe this side of Starbucks, is looking for "low-key" musicians to perform for the lunch crowds on Saturday afternoons. This addition should complement the atmosphere of the cafe, so the management asks that interested parties "think Jose Gonzalez, not Slayer." Personally, I don't mind a little thrash metal (or Braid, pictured in Paradiso at right) with my Intelligentsia beans, but to each his own.
Possible lunchtime crooners can drop off a CD or tape at the cafe, 801 S Lincoln Ave. in Urbana.
Photo courtesy of David Cubberly.
Sleepy downtown Urbana is a diamond in the rough around these parts. The fact that you can always get a table at Crane Alley or squeeze into the Iron Post for a jazz show may be troubling to the owners of the joints at times, but to consumers, it leaves a lasting impression; these are places where everybody might literally know your name if you give them your time (and money).
Lincoln Square Village will be crawling with hundreds of audiophiles starting as early as doors will allow, this Saturday, May 17 at 8 a.m. The annual Vintage Vinyl sale begins at the crack of dawn (for those the love to r-a-w-k). Those waiting in line usually can be found scanning their prepared list of records to hunt for as soon as they step foot in the sale.
Have you heard that in the voting booths this year, the members of Elsinore are casting their ballots for Tom Selleck's mustache? Or that Snowsera's favorite horror film is monster movie The Host?
Then you may have noticed that WPGU, the college-run station broadcasting from Green Street, has been paying more attention to local music lately.
Since the controversial Local Music Awards last month, Operations Manager Jon Hansen has listened to many criticisms and suggestions for the station — and, working against managerial-type, when Hansen listens, he actually listens. In the past month, WPGU has put into play, so to speak, a "band of the week" feature, which includes quirky band profiles read on-air, as well as a featured track played every day at a regular time. In addition, WPGU has amped up its local show coverage, updated its music digital database and added newer songs by current local artists.
In my younger days, I used to be affiliated with the underground metal scene in Champaign-Urbana. In the partying, drinking and recreational times, I had many run-ins with a guy named “Brother Rich.” Brother Rich Berg was the lead singer of a band called Hate Choir back in the 90s. He was also a visionary, always having new ideas to promote himself or others in the scene — especially the hardcore, speed-metal bands. It was then in 1996 when Brother Rich released the best album ever, Loco Diablo Local Underground Compilation Vol. 1.
There are fundamental questions to ask before opening a discussion of The Felice Brothers, namely regarding what many consider to be “throwback” music: when an artist creates music that strongly hearkens to music of the past, notably of the sort that returns to a form of the basics, it should be assumed — at least for the review that follows — that we can declare a sort of unique brilliance. But to what extent do shoot-em-up romps, trips to the circus, and murder ballads apply to our contemporary lives? And further, to call a band (or record) brilliant, do the songs have to apply?
This, of course, is where metaphor becomes one of our greatest friends.
The Felice Brothers play a brand of what can only be described as folk music, and as such inherently is bred in a sort of tradition. The band strongly recalls Dylan’s foray with The Band (notably the infamous Basement Tapes) and, at times, the carnival-esque atmosphere of choice Tom Waits compositions and the wry humor (and dry drawl) of John Prine’s early records. But as with most old sounding records, this self-titled gem boasts an airiness whose climate could only be modern.
Some artists are just going to become popular, simple fact, and The Ting Tings are going to experience a rush — right about now, actually — especially after the push forward from their latest iPod commercial debut. Their full album, We Started Nothing, is scheduled to come out on May 18, but they have three singles out in the U.S. including Great DJ, Shut Up and Let Me Go and today’s That’s Not My Name:
The folks at the Canopy Club love local music. And so do we.
Tonight the Canopy will host an evening of local performances, dubbed "A Tribute to Local Bands." The schedule features nearly everyone that can play an instrument in town — and their mothers. (Well, maybe not moms, though given the weekend it wouldn't be a bad idea.) If you can't find something in this lineup to appeal to your ears, well, you just aren't listening. So away we go with the enormous roster.
To compare M83’s proprietor Anthony Gonzalez to Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine is perhaps old hat, but what’s now the most remarkable aspect of this comparison is how Gonzalez continues to nurture Shields’s influence while still creating interesting, progressive music. Shimmering, shoegazey electronic music it’s not, exactly; on Saturdays=Youth M83 sounds more like the New Wave reborn, as Gonzalez seems to channel Tears For Fears (pick any song from the Donnie Darko soundtrack, really) more than anything else. While this might seem the classic case of trying to fix something that isn’t broken (the band’s 2003 Dead Seas, Red Cities, and Lost Ghosts is brilliant in every sense of the word), Gonzalez has still managed to corral a sharp, spacious musical texture with that distinctive ring of fresh influence.
With effort, the two-member set of Mit'n have furthered their experimentation with bizarre musical compositions since I saw them last at the Man Man concert at the Courtyard Cafe. I don't remember much of a line-up description of each of their songs, but fortunately I did receive some explanations last night at the IMC. I say fortunately because while listening to the songs, it is difficult to pull out the lyrics and understand them enough to correlate them into a consecutive story or emotion.
Anyone who grew up in these "twin towns" knows about the Chester Street Bar. During Reagan's first and second terms, when tolerance about the LGBT lifestyle was far lower than it is now, the bar was uniformly stereotyped as such: a gay bar. Now, since Ellen came out of the closet on television and people like RuPaul and Carson Kressley were almost universally embraced, Chester Street has become what it was always meant to be: simply, a tolerant club that offers central Illinois the best place to dance in 150 miles.
Nekromancy on Monday nights are no exception. The residency is held by DJ Sorcerykid (pictured above on the left) is the longest running industrial and electronic club night in the state of Illinois. Considering the fact that Chicago is arguably home to the strongest industrial scene in the western world, that is saying a lot.
What could get you out and about tonight, despite the thunderstorm warnings?
How about a show at friendly downtown hub Mike 'N Molly's?
How about local hip-hop hero Krukid (feat. The Sugargliders) headlining, following sets by fellow Broke Rappers Text and Cornbread?
What if we threw in Kristovs Agenda and fantastic electro-pop act Eureka Brown?
That's what is offered to you, folks, and admission's not going to cost you ten dollars. It's not going to cost you five dollars, or even two dollars, or even one single dollar.
All this is available for you tonight absolutely free of charge.
The free show begins tonight at Mike 'N Molly's, 105 N. Market St. in Champaign, at 7 p.m. Click the jump to experience Eureka Brown and add some sunshine to your Friday.
The Link Gallery at Krannert Art Museum is exactly that: a hallway that essentially serves as a link between the School of Art + Design and the art museum that houses the university's permanent collection, as well as touring shows and exhibitions. Tonight, May 1, the Link Gallery will reprise its role as one of the newest and most welcomed venues in the local music scene.
Oceans, who have been known to throw a house party or two, will take to the stage starting at 5:30 p.m. to support the Animation Festival that is being showcased by students of FAA.
This show should be an excellent warm-up for the band, who plans to spend part of their summer on the road. Check out their MySpace link above for the dates.
The genre tags on Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s MySpace read “Indie/Psychedelic/Alternative.” Rarely do these meaningless little signifiers communicate so effectively a band’s inherent dilemma. Peter Hayes, Robert Turner, and Nick Jago have spent their career as a band sort of gingerly straddling these three genres and the attendant fan bases, resulting in a somewhat muddled oeuvre marked by moments of transcendence, but also a persistent hesitancy. They never quite go the whole nine yards in any one sonic direction, and one result of this tendency has been mercurial and occasionally awkward departures from album to album. They always seem a bit too self-consciously stylized for the indie kids, a little too rough for mainstream alternative, and nowhere near as oddball as hardcore psych fans would require. The result has been a band that is constantly on the radar, but who no one can really claim as his or her favorite. Perhaps it’s in the name.
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