Here Be Monsters

Upcoming Show: March 13 at Gallery Cabaret

2009-03-05T07:34:00.003-06:00

Well, Cartographers fans, it looks like Friday, March 13 is going to be your lucky day. Our usual partners in crime at Gallery Cabaret (2020 N. Oakley in Chicago) had to cancel, so we'll be playing two full sets that night. First one starts at 9pm, so come help us celebrate the coming spring (and the birthday of yours truly).

Upcoming Show: Thursday 2/26 at Reggie's Music Joint

2009-02-20T17:32:00.004-06:00

Please join us this coming Thursday for our South Side debut, as we headline what promises to be a great night of music at Reggie's Music Joint (2105 S. State St. in Chicago). The show starts at ~~9pm~~8:30pm, with Milwaukee band John Petty & All Good Things' "mix of alternative, folk, bluegrass, old-timey country, rock and pop." Majors Junction and their "diverse meld of country honky-tonk blues with folk undertones and hints of bluegrass pickin' and good old rock & roll" follow, and then it's everyone's favorite directionally challenged mapmakers. The cover is just $5 and there are all sorts of food and drink specials; head on over to Reggie's site to check them out. We look forward to seeing you there!

First Glimpse of the Final Album Mix + Contest Winner

2009-02-10T21:58:00.001-06:00

We're getting closer and closer to the release of the Lost Cartographers' debut album, "Walk On." We don't have an official release date yet, but we do have the final mix of the album ready to be pressed -- and now you can get a sneak peek of the album cover and the final mixes of two of the tunes! Just visit our website.

As you may recall, we asked our fans for their feedback to help us choose the album cover (cleverly baited with the prospect of a free cd). And the (randomly selected) winner is... Jeanette Thompson! Thanks to all of you who commented!

Vote for us in the Chicago Reader "Best of Chicago" Poll

2009-02-05T21:26:00.003-06:00

The Chicago Reader has launched its 2009 "Best of Chicago" poll, and you can vote for the Lost Cartographers in the music category. We hope you'll consider nominating us in "Best Folk/Country Act," and/or in the area where we probably stand the greatest chance: "Best Name!"

Platypus Rock?

2009-01-22T07:51:00.003-06:00

The Lost Cartographers have always have a hard time describing what we sound like. When people ask me what kind of music we play, I usually say "alt.country." Then they look confused, and I attempt to explain what "alt.country" is, and it's all downhill from there. But while I think our sound is rooted in the alt.country/Americana genre, we've never fit into that category as comfortably as some, and we seem to be slowly creeping further away from it. This is, I think, a result of our members' varied backgrounds -- Erin, Jason, and Karl all have classical training and jazz inclinations (not to mention the fact that Karl is in a doom metal band), and while Gabrielle and I bring the country flavor to the band, she listens to everything from Beyonce to Solomon Burke, and my record collection spans from indie rock to Hindi film music. It's hard to keep a group like that playing one type of music.

I think the diversity of our sound is one of our strengths as a band, but it does make it tough to figure out which clubs we should be playing, the bands we should be trying to open for, and so on. And now, as we near the release of our album, we have to decide how we're going to pitch the record to radio programmers, reviewers, etc.

When we played the Empty Bottle, their website described us as "rustic indie rock that references the finer points of country's past," which I thought was a pretty good summary. But we want to know what you, our loyal fans, think. So dig down deep, find your inner rock critic (look for the awkward-looking guy berating your inner child for not owning the vinyl import of that rare My Bloody Valentine EP) and tell us: what do we sound like?

Aaron's Top 5 Albums of 2008

2009-01-07T17:35:00.002-06:00

While I downloaded or purchased physical copies of over 50 albums in 2008, only about 20% of them were actually released in 2008. So I really ought to be doing a list of the albums I listened to most during the year, but who am I to buck the conventions of rock criticism? (Except, you know, by being lazier and only choosing 5 albums.)

5. The Whigs, "Mission Control" - Drum-pounding, melodic, no-frills rock and roll, with just enough indie swagger to keep it interesting. I like the Hold Steady, but in a battle of the bar bands I think the Whigs would eat Craig Finn and company's lunch.

4. Okkervil River, "The Stand Ins" - On paper, Okkervil River sounds like a cynical combination of some of the darlings of college radio's last few years: the desperation-filled but enthusiastic crooning of Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade, the relatively complex orch-pop arrangements of the Decemberists and Beirut, the dark humor and Americana-roots of Wilco. But somehow, this Austin band manages to make it all sound fresh and new.

3. Frightened Rabbit, "The Midnight Organ Fight" - With their frantic sound and plaintive vocals about heartbreak, these Glaswegians would probably be considered emo if they took themselves seriously -- which, thankfully, they do not. Plus, they put on an amazing live show.

2. Murry Hammond, "I Don't Know Where I'm Going But I'm on My Way" - As the bass player in the Old 97s, the laid-back Hammond contributes a few (usually excellent) songs to each of that band's albums, but has often been outshined by charismatic lead singer Rhett Miller. On this solo disc, however, Murry really shines as an interpreter of gospel and old train songs. Many of these songs, especially the ones featuring just his lonesome voice and the drone of a harmonium, are just breath-takingly beautiful.

1. The Old 97's, "Blame It On Gravity" - Hammond, Miller, lead guitarist Ken Bethea and drummer Philip Peebles make a return to form after 2004's muddily produced "Drag It Up." In the accompanying DVD (which also features a driving tour with Miller of the band's early days) producer Salim Nourallah says that his goal was to be able to capture the energy of the band's live shows. He succeeded admirably, producing the band's best album since 1997's "Too Far to Care."

Happy New Year from the Lost Cartographers!

2008-12-31T08:00:00.002-06:00

2008 marked the Lost Cartographers' second full year as a band, and the first full year with our current lineup. It was a busy one; aside from playing a bunch of shows (thanks to all of you for coming out!), we just put the final touches on what we hope will be the final mix of our debut album, "Walk On." If all goes as planned, we should be announcing an official release date soon.

With the impending release of "Walk On," 2009 promises to be even busier; we're even kicking around the idea of a mini-Midwest tour in the summer to promote the record. And it all starts with a January 28th show at the Red Line Tap. Details on this show are still TBA, but we're planning to debut some new material, including a bluesy torch song by Gabrielle, a Zeppelinesque epic by Karl (his first contribution to the corpus of Cartographeriana), and what we're pretty confident in calling the only alt.country retelling of the ancient Hindu tale known as the Ramayana. You don't want to miss this show, so keep an eye out for future updates.

In the meantime, we hope you are all enjoying the holidays and want to thank you again for your support of the band!

Playing the Morseland Tonight!

2008-11-14T07:48:00.002-06:00

We'll be playing a CD release party for our Imaginary Chicago Records labelmates Scientific Map at Morseland, 1218 W Morse Ave., Chicago. The Gaucho performs DJ sets throughout the evening. The show starts at 10pm, and the cover is $7.

Here's what Imaginary Chicago has to say about Scientific Map's new recording:

Imaginary Chicago Records is proud to present Power to the Babies, the debut recording by Chicago genre-busters Scientific Map. Produced by acclaimed house/electronica artist Anthony Nicholson, the recording is a bold statement of the New Chicago Sound.

Moving between Afrobeat, funk, fusion, hip hop, new groove, nu-jazz, psychedelia, and R&B, Power to the Babies could only have been recorded in Chicago. Its stylistic fluency is a result of the varied artistic demands placed on musicians in such a culturally diverse city.

Bandleader/guitarist Matt Hudson describes the musical vision of the new album: "We're now experiencing the end of genre. Information from around the world is travelling to us so quickly that we're constantly exposed to new cultural and musical ideas. Musicians can't help but be influenced by this. If they're open-minded enough, the result is a cohesive, genreless sound that is fresh and new."

Throughout the album, Matt Hudson's playing demonstrates an innovative and nuanced re-imagining of jazz guitar that is influenced as much by Wes Montgomery as by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. This stylistic diversity is reflected in the range of guest artists featured throughout, including rock 'n' roll saxophonist Aaron Getsug (Hi-Fi & the Roadburners) and Pittsburgh R&B vocalist Gene Stovall.

Concert Review: The Decemberists

2008-11-02T23:12:00.000-06:00

No band I've ever seen has more fun on stage than the Decemberists. I've seen them four or five times over the last couple of years, and it's always obvious that they are having an absolute ball. I had the chance to see them twice over this weekend, at Wheaton College on Halloween and then the next night at University of Chicago.

The Halloween show was a classic. It opened with a reenactment of "The Shining," with singer Colin Meloy pedaling a Big Wheel onto the stage to be met by the creepy twins of drummer John Moen and bassist Nate Query (whom Meloy noted were likely the first two cross-dressers ever to appear on stage at famously conservative Wheaton College's Edman Memorial Chapel).

With a setlist tailored to the evening, the highlight of the night was a version of "Shankill Butchers" featuring Jenny Conlee playing the chapel's massive pipe organ. If you listen to the recording, you'll hear the band launch next into "Culling of the Fold," but I wasn't able to record the whole thing, since during his frenzied stalking of the stage, Meloy reached out and grabbed my iPhone as I was trying to take a picture of him (my wife made me promise I'll never wash it again).

The following night's show was a bit less inspired -- maybe it was the crowd of "Where Fun Comes to Die" students, or maybe it was just that we had to sit for part of the show instead of being right up at the front of the stage -- but it was still great. The highlight of the U of C show was when Meloy grabbed a fan's video camera and created an on-the-fly Public Service Announcement (the PSA starts about 5 minutes in). And they finished with a rousing -- and inspiring -- version of "Sons and Daughters" that had everyone in the crowd singing along.

Lost Cartographers at the Beat Kitchen Tonight!

2008-10-15T10:23:00.003-05:00

Join us tonight at the Beat Kitchen for a great night of alt.country! We go on at 9pm sharp, followed by Dollar Store (featuring members of the Waco Brothers) and headliner The Whipsaws (they've opened for Wilco in their home state of Alaska) Tickets are $8 and are available here or at the door.

Our drummer is playing a symphony gig up in Madison, so a big thank you to Noah Samuels for sitting in on the skins tonight. Noah and I were very briefly in a band together over ten years ago, and it's a pleasure to play with him again; he's a very talented musician and producer, so be sure to check out his stuff as well.

Es un Perdedor: Beck at the Aragon

2008-10-03T07:34:00.007-05:00

For your average rock show, last night's sold-out Beck show at the Aragon Ballroom was pretty damn good. There was an energetic crowd, a mix of old hits and new material, and very loud guitars. The thing is, Beck is not your average rock star. As one of the most consistently innovative artists of the last 15 years (Jesus, I feel old writing that), when you go to see Beck, you expect the unexpected: maybe some puppets, or entire songs played on dinnerware, or at least a little break-dancing. But aside from a three-song acoustic break and a slightly embarrassing borderline minstrel-show hip-hop bit in which all five band members grabbed head sets and drum machines and did everything but tell the lily-white crowd to throw their guns in the air and wave 'em like they just don't care, last night's show was essentially a straight-ahead stadium rock extravaganza. The only accoutrements in evidence were a giant projection screen in the background (featuring what appeared to be someone's senior thesis in abstract expressionist film) and some nifty lights not unlike those Tom Petty brought to the United Center a couple months ago. Hell, Beck is even starting to look a little like Tom Petty. Don't get me wrong: I love Tom Petty, and it was fun hearing rocked-out versions of old favorites like "Loser" and "Where It's At," but I expected more interesting stage antics -- or at least a little amusing banter -- from someone I'm not embarassed to refer to as a visionary. Of course, this hard-rock minimalism may just be the latest in Beck's endless stream of transformations -- but it's certainly the least interesting one yet.

Help Us Choose Our Album Cover, Win a Free CD!

2008-09-27T15:53:00.004-05:00

Our debut album, "Walk On," is nearing completion, and it's time for us to start thinking about cover art. Below are four proposed designs for the album cover; tell us which one you like and why in the comments section. One lucky commenter will win a free copy of the album!

The Gospel According to Murry

2008-09-20T22:23:00.001-05:00

Just got back from seeing Murry Hammond, the bassist for one of my favorite bands and an amazing songwriter and singer in his own right. Every one I know was at the Hideout Block party tonight to see Neko Case, but I think I made the right call in going to Schubas instead. Didn't get any pictures, but did manage to get a recording of a few songs from the more gospel-tinged part of the set on my iPhone. Note the harmonium on the first song - awesome.

I also had the chance to chat with him briefly after the show, when I bought a cd. Naturally, I mentioned I was in a band, and -- get this -- he actually asked if I had a Lost Cartographers cd. Apparently he loves when people give him cds when he's out on the road, so he has something to listen to when he's driving by himself. I hadn't brought one along, since we're still finishing up our debut and our demo is a little out of date... but I went right home, grabbed a demo, and headed back to Schubas, where he was hanging out at the bar. So somewhere on the road to Ohio tomorrow, Murry Hammond may be jamming out to "Golden Record."

Welcome. Now Get Lost.

2008-09-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Lost Cartographers' blog. We'll be sharing news about the band and our upcoming album, as well as assorted musings, rants, and ramblings about shows we're playing or attending, music we're listening to, and whatever else happens to cross our collective mind.