Transmission

Get Familiar With Dirty Projectors

2009-11-13T19:55:11Z

The Dirty Projectors are an interesting sonic experience, that's for sure, and you may or may not be able to get into their latest album, Bitte Orca, depending on your palate. I for one find it endlessly pleasing ear candy. "Stillness is the Move" is probably the most viable single on the record and was incredibly popular this year--Amber Coffman's vocals are swirling and entrancing--but the rest of the album is filled with heavier exploration and experimentation. A lot of the tracks play around with offbeat rhythms, and it's that unexpectedness that makes it so intriguing. Sometimes your ear thinks it wants one thing, but it can be a delight when it gets something completely different.

Like our own Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Dirty Projectors took a tumble in their van over the summer, but luckily they all walked away from the accident unscathed and are still on the road, tonight making a stop at Bottom Lounge. Tonight's show with Tune-Yards is sold out, but be sure to pick up a copy of Bitte Orca if you aren't familiar.

9pm. Bottom Lounge. 1375 W. Lake. Sold Out.

Friday Quick Links

2009-11-13T19:24:22Z

When we're not compulsively washing our hands, here's what we're reading online:

The Beachwood Reporter checks out the latest in live session recordings to hit Chicago: Coach House Sounds.

Get ready for the 12th Annual Jeff Buckley Tribute at Uncommon Ground next week.

Nice piece on Experimental Sound on Film at the Reader's Crickets blog.

Tankboy reviews the long long long awaited Kid Sister album Ultraviolet which hits store shelves 11/17.

WFMU's Beware of the Blog has your motherload of mp3 downloads with a Veteran's Day twist.

R. Kelly's back. And he wants to get you pregnant.

Lupe Fiasco hits the small screen.

Big Rock Candy Mountain has the line on a sweet show at Phyllis' Musical Inn this weekend, plus some Thrills for download.

Oh My Rockness has the line on the newest ukelele sounds to hit Chicago in the form of tUnE-YaRds.

Get some local soul with The Streets on Fire at Cal's.

Songs:Illinois breaks its "no videos" rule with a new one from Caroline Herring.

If you're really into Crooked Vultures, you can stream their new album online before it releases on Tuesday (Greg Kot reviewed it already).

Also, remember that on Saturday, MTV Jams hits Chicago.

Speaking of which, does anyone else miss the old Yo! MTV Raps? What is Ed Lover up to these days?

Double Gnarly/Quadruple Suicide

2009-11-13T02:40:43Z

Tomorrow night, turn your brain's positioning system in the direction of Enemy (1550 N. Milwaukee Avenue) for four fearsome and poisonous examples of instruments-as-DDT.

Chord is a collective of drone practitioners with varying ensemble sizes from performance to performance. As the name implies, Chord attempts to find that BIG CHORD through sound -- the harmony of the spheres, as they say. Conversely, Locrian lives to cast the spheres into vengeful darkness with a heady combination of guitar/synth/vocals. Their latest release, the Rain of Ashes CD (Basses Frequencies) is a highpoint to date. Though I have not heard this on the digital/remastered format, I was happy to hear the original release (when it was a tape on Fan Death Records), and was happy to be thrown for a loop, with a newly-explored sense of tentative melody, incorporating seemingly non-Locrian elements like Post-punk synth sequencers and some non-shrieked vocals. And guess what? It sounds good backwards, too! (a palindrome recording, if you like) Ratatosk, a new-ish duo of Ben Billington (ex-Druids of Huge) and Jason Soliday (Magic Missile, Gunshop, Coeurl, ex-Animal Law, Mora, &c. as well as co-founder of the Enemy space) works a Krautrock-ish vein, with motorik (sometimes free jazz-ish) drums locking in against waves of electronic forcefields. Finally, the three-piece grindcore/showtunes/wha-huuuh? group known as Harpoon might sound like the strangest thing you've ever cowered in fear of, until you check the lineup and realize it was founded by, among others, the former bandleader of 7000 Dying Rats. Always a pleasure.

$5 at the door, posted says 8 p.m., so don't be late!

Stewing Around with Percolator

2009-11-12T21:36:19Z

Percolator is an energetic post-punk four-piece from Chicago with a heavy dose of power pop. They've got a new double album coming out soon, an EP that you can buy for $3, and a show tomorrow at Ronny's.

Upon listening to the sample CDs they sent us along with a nice hand-written note, I immediately picked up on some Mike Watt/Minutemen sounds, the singing called to mind Violent Femmes, and the guitar, Weezer (though they switch around instruments, so the sounds vary a bit.) They also claim to be playing around with influences ranging from Busta Rhymes to Sonic Youth, but I'm not quite hearing it. The sound is a little too clean and consistent for that, but there's nothing wrong with that. The guitar is playful and experimental-- mimicking the lyrics, doing a good job at not being boring. The drums are clean yet hyperactive, the drummer is obviously not afraid of fills, and it works. The recordings are a little iffy-- maybe because they were self-recorded, but I have a feeling this is a pretty fun band to see live. Check them out tomorrow night (Friday, Nov. 13) at Ronny's: 2101 N. California. Bird Ate My Donut, Faggy Pussy, and The Armor Class play that show, too. The show starts at 9pm, ages 21 and up.

Lissie's New EP and Live Performance Tonight

2009-11-12T19:34:50Z

Lissie is a pop/indie/country band with a pretty blond front-woman, Lissie Maurus, who hails from Rock Island but now lives in Ojai, CA. Why You Runnin' is her new EP, fresh off the presses from Fat Possum Records.

Why You Runnin' is good, probably best when it's knee-slappin' indie-country, like in the single, "Little Lovin'," which kicks off the EP with delicate picking on an acoustic guitar and crescendos into greatness with the help of a tambourine and an electric guitar, among other things. Then there is the melancholy country cover, "Wedding Bells," with heavily layered vocals, reminiscent of those of My Morning Jacket, and "Oh, Mississippi," the hymn-like tune that I could have sworn was Mississippi's state anthem, but it's not-- it's just a homesick tune Lissie wrote in London. The EP ends with "Everywhere I Go," which is a little too sappy, and "Here Before," the poppy ballad in which her voice really shines; all twisty and soulful.

Lissie's music, although country at heart, oscillates all over the place, which is a good thing, bringing to mind bands like Bonnie Raitt, Fleet Foxes, even Coldplay at times. She's obviously got a great voice and a great soul, so good that I wish it was left alone instead of polished up and over-produced as it tends to be on Why You Runnin'. I have a feeling her music, and her voice, really shines live. And lucky for us, we can hear it tonight at The Auditorium Theater when she opens for Ray LaMontagne. Doors open at 7:30. Tickets range from $29.50-$49.50. Go to Ticketmaster for tickets or call 800-745-3000.

Kill Hannah's Van and Trailer Recovered

2009-11-12T19:12:15Z

Philadelphia's ABC Action News is reporting that Kill Hannah's van and trailer, which had been stolen last night in a hotel parking lot in Philadelphia, has been recovered. No word yet on whether their $120,000 worth of gear was still inside when they located the vehicles, but any recovery is good news. No arrests have been made.

She's Money

2009-11-12T15:38:31Z

When talking musical influences with Helen Money, it's easy to forget her instrument of choice: cello. She references Bob Mould's Beaster, with its wall of sound and intense, thought-obliterating guitar work. She speaks of The Who and all the crazy rock bands she was exposed to in the '80s. "The stuff I like sounds like life or death," she reasons. And this coming from a woman with a picture of Jimi Hendrix taped to her cello case like he's a saint.

Helen Money (Photo by Alan Rovge)

Helen Money, aka Alison Chesley, is a Chicago-based solo artist. As Chesley, she teaches cello classes at Old Town School of Folk Music as well as composes music for film, theater, and dance, including the soundtrack to the award-winning documentary Indestructible. She's also an accomplished session musician, recording with the likes of MONO, Anthrax, Russian Circles, Bob Mould, Chris Connelly, and most recently, Broken Social Scene.

As Helen Money, she's an interesting juxtaposition: A seemingly mild-mannered woman whose music is loud, aggressive, and kaleidoscopic in nature. Watch as a room full of PBR-swilling hipsters and hard rockers hush and turn to watch Money play "MF," the opening track from her recent album, In Tune. It's a deceptive song, beginning with soft echoing bow bounces before ripping into far heavier turf. As with many of her songs, Money's delicate bowings and whispered pizzicatos break way into powerful looped riffs and heavily distorted shredding. She vacillates between the dynamics, head down and nodding.

Becoming Helen Money took about a decade. First California-raised Chesley had to graduate from Northwestern in the early '90s with a graduate degree in cello performance. Next, she met singer and guitarist Jason Narducy (now with the Bob Mould Band), with whom she formed acoustic group Verbow. "It was the first time I've been excited about practicing and losing myself in the music — I never felt that with classical music," says Chesley.

After Verbow dissolved, Chesley was asked to write a concept piece for a group of poets. It was the first time writing for herself--she'd written string arrangements for Verbow, but this was a completely different process. "I was curious if I could come up with something that people would want to hear," she says. It took, and in 2003, Chesley began working on her solo work. Her moniker would come from her hearing a DJs name (Honey Melon) incorrectly. She liked the mistake: "It sounded like rock to me." And it was separate enough from who Alison Chesley is that she could bring other people into the band and still be Helen Money.

Cello is an instrument that seems to inherently maintain listeners' interest. Still, how to transpose this into a compelling album, let alone live show, was a challenge. Besides her cello, which she plays live standing up, a full swath of loop stations and distortion and delay pedals to fill out her sound accompanies Chesley. "I guess I see my pedals as my backing band, rather than providing a backing track," she says.

If her effects were her backing band, they'd likely be a group of lank-haired, angry industrial headbangers. Her 2007 self-titled debut CD had its blackened edges, but it was balanced with a fair amount of mellifluous passages. The recently released In Tune, however, is far heavier and more dramatic; despite its title, the album is rather discordant. "Waterwalk" is a acidic bubbling track, while in the forlorn "Untilted," Chesley's cello makes reconciled decisions before angrily scrubbing them out. Dang if the song doesn't tell a story.

Chesley is surprised at how dark the album turned out. She added a cover of the Minutemen's "Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing," in order "to lighten things up." The track is a prime example of Money's tendency to play her cello like a giant, full-bodied electric guitar. She finds a kernel of sound and develops it. "It's not scientific. I'm trying to hear a sound that makes me feel something and is interesting," she says.

"Really, I don't like cello music because it's cello. I'm more interested in what's being communicated. In fact, I'm probably interested in it sounding not like a cello."

In Tune might mark a new era for Helen Money. "Unfortunately, I'm realizing the limits of my sound. I think I've reached it, actually." The next step, she says, is to incorporate other people into Helen Money.

"But ultimately, it still has to be me."

Helen Money's In Tune record release show is Monday, Nov. 30, at 9:30 p.m. at the Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western). Free.

Late Review: Crystal Castles and Chromeo @ The Congress Theater

2009-11-12T00:23:37Z

All photos by Andy Keil

Disclaimer: This review is insanely late due to the fact that two days after Halloween, I caught swine flu. Yup, swine flu. I wish I was kidding about this fact, but I'm not. Sorry to Andy for just now posting his wonderful pictures from the night, and sorry to all the readers for just now reporting on this fun night of music in Chicago. And go buy some hand sanitizer, try and get an H1N1 vaccination shot if you can, because swine flu was the worst sickness I've ever experienced, and trust me, you do not want it dear readers. Now on with the review!

Sweaty masses of underage kids packed into The Congress is a typical affair in the Chicago music scene, but only one weekend a year is it normal to add in a few dozen green men, a plethora of slutty outfits, and a crowd surfing horse into the mix. Such was the case at the packed Crystal Castles, Chromeo and Boys Noize show Halloween weekend.

The typical problems that plague shows at The Congress were evident as usual. The will call line snaked around the side of the building, and after talking to a few people I found the general wait time was 45 minutes to an hour just to pick up your ticket, then another 30 minute wait in another line to get inside the venue. Security was a mess, and incredibly rude, and people overall acted a lot less civilized than at other venues in Chicago. Maybe it was the holiday spirit, the costumes, or the massive amount of drunk teenagers, but after attending a good amount of shows at The Congress, this general atmosphere tends to be standard, Halloween weekend or not.

Despite the poor venue management, and the rude crowd (seriously, can someone teach these younger patrons some concert manners? Get off my damn lawn kids!), The Congress still know how to pack a strong bill and bring a massive dance party. Crystal Castles kicked things off with an incredibly noisy and indulgently long intro, the bass resonating deep, fuzzed out and strong enough to actually feel deep in your body. Live, Alice Glass comes off just as bratty and brash as she does recorded, but the music itself is even more polished, stylized, and sexy than their infectious self-titled dance debut.

The floor got a bit more friendly and relaxed as Chromeo took the stage. They pumped out their typical retro style jam after retro style jam, the perfect soundtrack that conjures up images of Saved By the Bell, light up sneakers, slap bracelets, and other nostalgic memories of the blended late 80s/early 90s time period. The music was tight and popped, especially on standout crowd favorites like "Tenderoni" and "Needy Girl."After seeing Chromeo a handful of times, you can never tell how serious they are when it comes to their style of music, which is a bit unnerving at times. But they have a lot of fun doing what they do, and when you've got a few thousand people wanting to dance, that is all that matters. The 6ft tall bearded Oscar the Grouch going apeshit next to me approved, so I took a cue from him and got down. Sure, the night had its technical flaws, and I'd had more than enough slutty costumes to fulfill my quota for the year, but overall it was a quality Friday night dance party courtesy of The Congress.

Check out the rest of Andy's Chromeo photos from the night here.

Tomorrow Never Knows 2010 Dates Announced

2009-11-11T20:19:13Z

As much as you might not want to believe it, winter is right around the corner, but one bright spot is that Schubas' Tomorrow Never Knows festival comes with it. And now that their new space Lincoln Hall is up and running, they're spreading the festivities across both venues.

TNK is a great opportunity to check out up and coming artists that haven't broken through the industry chatter quite yet. Plus it gives you the cred to say you knew them when... The line-up so far contains: The Cribs, Voxtrot, Final Fantasy, Bowerbirds, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Adam Green, Clues, The Dead Trees, Solid Gold, Julie Doiron, The Hood Internet, Gemini Club, Paul Green's School of Rock, and even more bands and DJs to be added.

Tomorrow Never Knows will take place Wednesday, January 13 through Sunday, January 17. Single show and five-day passes go on sale Friday, November 13 at noon. Visit schubas.com or lincolnhall.com for more information.

King Sparrow Opening for The Meat Puppets Tomorrow

2009-11-11T14:19:25Z

If you are going to see The Meat Puppets tomorrow, you are one lucky duck. Not just because you are seeing one of the most celebrated and influential bands of all time in a sweet venue, but also because of one of the openers. King Sparrow is a local band who have already been given mad props since they formed last year. They are playing the first of the three Meat Puppets shows scheduled at Schubas this week. Rooted in an epic garage rock sound, King Sparrow is pop-y enough for toe tapping, but has just the right roughness around the edges. Add some blues to this mix and you've got yourself some hells yeah music. Opening alongside them is New Jersey band Black Wine. You can catch all this at Schubas located at 3159 N. Southport. The show starts at 10. $16 ($18 at door) and tickets are still available here. (773) 525-2508

White Rabbits Aren't Frightened

2009-11-10T21:03:32Z

Every once in a while a band will lay on your radar for a while, popping up here and there on music sites and local venue bookings, and maybe a friend tells you you should check them out, but then suddenly you realize why they haven't faded away, why they weren't just a blip on the blog circuit. Having even seen White Rabbits this summer at Do Division street fest, I knew they were a great band with incredible energy on stage; even the intense light show in the video for "Percussion Gun" had me stunned, but it wasn't until I heard their newest album, It's Frightening, that it was clear that this band stands head and shoulders above most everything else around right now.

The group originally hails from Columbia, Missouri, Stephen Patterson and Gregory Roberts having met there at The University of Missouri. They moved on to Brooklyn in 2005 with high ambitions that so far appear to be paying off. Spoon's Britt Daniel obviously saw something special in them too, as he came on to produce the followup to their Fort Nightly debut. The Spoon-pop influence is hard to hide on It's Frightening, but White Rabbits take it in their own dark direction with an aptly named album. Although you can characterize their brand of indie-pop as dark, that doesn't mean that verses and chorus wont hook you and draw you in. From intense drum thumping on "Percussion Gun" to endearing guitar strumming on "Company I Keep," this is one album you can bet you'll see popping up on those 'best of '09' lists in the coming months.

White Rabbits are in town this week with The Walkmen for two shows--at Schubas on the 11th and at Lincoln Hall on the 12th. The Lincoln Hall show is already sold out, but ~~a few tickets still remain for the Schubas show~~. (Both shows are now sold out.) You can also download free tracks from sessions they did for Daytrotter and MySpace Transmissions to hold you off in the mean time.

Wednesday, November 11 @ Schubas. 3159 N. Southport. Show starts at 9pm. 21 &up. ~~Tickets are $20~~.

Thursday, November 12 @ Lincoln Hall. 2424 N. Lincoln Ave. Show starts at 9pm. 21 & up. Sold Out.

More SYGC Benefit Shows Announced (including one TONIGHT!)

2009-11-10T15:44:39Z

No doubt you've heard about the horrible van accident that The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir was involved in last month on their way to a gig in Cincinnati. While most members of the group are still pretty banged up, they remain positive--Jim DeRogatis details here how they are "on the mend." Luckily no lives were claimed in the accident, but most of their gear was, and they were left with some pretty hefty medical bills. SYGC and Bloodshot Records are "so grateful for the support fans have shown so far" and want to thank those who came out to the SubT Halloween benefit, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

Wondering how you can help? Bloodshot has just announced three more benefit shows (plus the band's Paypal account is still open for donations). Details after the jump.

TONIGHT: Tuesday, November 10th @ The Whistler:
Coach House Sounds Launch Party
Performances by Animal City, Zing! and Classical Revolution of Chicago.
Plus raffle prizes from Bloodshot, Drag City, Contraphonic Records, Busy Beaver Buttons, and CHIRP. Proceeds from the raffle will go to The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir Recovery Fund.
8pm. 2421 N Milwaukee Ave. FREE!

Thursday, November 12th @ The Hideout:
SYGC Benefit show featuring the local pop collectives The 1900s & Brighton, MA.
Tickets are $12. All proceeds go to the band.
9pm. 1354 W. Wabansia.

Saturday, December 19 @ The Double_Door:
Performances by The Detroit Cobras, Dex Romweber Duo, The Blacks and The Lawrence Peters Outfit.
$10 suggested donation for entry. 100% of the door goes to the recovery funds of Scotland Yard Gospel Choir and Lawrence Peters. There will also be a canned food drive.
8:30pm. 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Win Passes to See The Meat Puppets This Weekend

2009-11-09T17:50:18Z

The Meat Puppets have had their share of ups and downs, breakups and makeups, triumphs and tragedies (including the disappearance and reemergence of one brother Cris Kirkwood) since they started making music in 1980, but now they are riding high on an upswing in their roller coaster story. Their second hiatus ended in 2006 when original members and brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood reunited, and between tours in 2008 they wrote and recorded their latest album, Sewn Together (Mega Force) which was released earlier this year.

The trio is on tour again (this time with Shandon Sahm replacing original drummer Derrick Bostrom) and this Thursday will begin a three night stand at Schubas, and we are giving away a pass for all three nights plus a Meat Puppets shirt. ~~The first to email us at contests@gapersblock.com with the subject line "Meat!"~~ gets a Meat Puppets shirt and two three-day Meat Puppets passes courtesy of Schubas. Update! We have a winner! Congrats to Mark!

Given their large catalog, you're sure to hear lots of old as well as new (and yes, I'm sure they'll play "Backwater").

Thursday, November 12 with King Sparrow and Black Wine. Tickets are $16 ($18 door). 9pm. 21 & up.

Friday, November 13 with Dynasty Electric and Winston Audio. Tickets are $16 ($18 door). 10pm. 21 & up.

Saturday, November 14 with Dexateens and Dynasty Electric. Tickets are $16 ($18 door). 10pm. 21 & up.

Hood Internet Drops Mixtape No.4

2009-11-09T16:36:22Z

Download info here.

Review: Basement Jaxx at Congress Theater, 11/6

2009-11-09T14:32:01Z

"This is going to be awesome."
"I hope they play the Ghostface song, I loved that one."
"I don't really know Basement Jaxx that well - I hope they're good."
"They were really big back in the day. It should be good."

This was the back-and-forth on Saturday night between a trio of crop-topped and dress shirted youngsters flecked with tastful glittery parts here and there who were seated behind me at El Cid as we all waited for the show to begin. Technically, it was nine and the show doors had already been open for two hours, but they and I (and from the outfits I saw across the restaurant, a multitude of others) had decided to get some margaritas in us rather than see the (presumably excellent) sets from the gals of Moneypenny (including Chess Hubbard of Life During Wartime) as well as fellow Life During Wartime/Only Children man-about-town Bald E. (Bald Eagle's answer to P. Diddy, perhaps).

One pitcher turned into two and three, and then some latecomers in our group topped it off for a fourth. We stumbled a few doors down into the Congress to find the lobby pretty well packed with people, and a DJ out there working a surprisingly active crowd. We delved further in to catch the end of Modeselektor's set. The floor was packed all the way to the rails - it's eady to forget that the Congress can hold 4,000 people until you see them before you in a sweaty, fist-pumping mass. Simon and Felix took the stage to a very warm crowd, and started into a set that leaned heavily on the bookends of their discography. Tracks from "Scars" appeared frequently, but they also brought out gems like "Red Alert" with none other than Vula Malinga to sing the hook herself. She stuck around as hype man for the rest of the night, making sure the sexy ladies were making some noise, and the sexy men were doing their best Arsenio Hall hoot-hoot-hoot. Space was tight, but pockets of dancing could be seen all over, and there was nary a bored chatterbox to be seen/heard. "Bohemian Rhapsody was even thrown in for good measure, and the crowd ate it all up. By the end of the set I was sweaty and danced out, so I made my way out, pleased even with the small portion of the evening I'd experienced. MSTRKRFT played next, and I was told they kept the party going for another two hours of Daft Punk and Justice-teasing energy.

(Kudos to anyone who lasted through the whole night - feel free to share any extra gems from the other sets in the comments.)