South of North

wake up.

2009-07-09T20:55:00.002-05:00

Podcast #7 - "Wake Up!" is officially out there. Download it here, or as always, subscribe to it on the mp3 player of your choice. That way it'll come to you, whether you like it or not!

Some liner notes:

Moby - Mistake no connection to Chicago/Illinois. Had to play it.
Otis & the Elevators - To Touch the Sky
Sister Soleil - Red
Audreys - I Wancha There's a bit of a glitch at the beginning of this, as I neglected to turn down the level on one track.
New Black - Booze Olympics if you notice a bit of dead air before this song, um, yeah... my bad.
The Moses Gun - Phlox
Anxiety High - Sober
Walter Meego - Lost
I Fight Dragons - No One Likes Superman Anymore [Evil Robo-Dragon Remix]Am I out of breath after this song? You probably were too.
Holy F*** - Jungles - Toronto, CA

wagons.

2009-06-30T13:34:00.001-05:00

I've officially fallen off one.

behind.

2009-05-17T13:52:00.002-05:00

I'm already a week past when I promised the next podcast. I planned to do it this weekend, but I'm so behind on posting photos, I decided I should catch up on those first. So stay tuned; I do have some songs chosen. I should have some time next week.

the ides of march.

2009-05-16T16:54:00.008-05:00

Why do I drink alcohol?

Because it makes me happy? I can't remember a time in my life I was ever truly happy.

Because it makes me forget? Only briefly.

Because it kills the pain? No.

Recently I think it cost me something I only just started to value more than anything else. It hasn't cured anything, and only caused more problems.

I haven't touched the stuff in over 24 hours and hope I never do again.^* I still have some in my fridge - If you want it, come over and get it, before I throw it out.

Beware the Ides of March.

^{*Maybe one glass of wine in any 24-hour period. You know, for health :).}

colors.

2009-04-25T15:40:00.006-05:00

Yet another one of those lifetime landmarks manifested as I cut my hair today. Several of the ones on the floor were grey.

As long as I can remember, I've always looked like I was fifteen years old. I don't often mind this since it usually works in my favor. I guess those days are soon gone.

Vinyl Madness

2009-04-18T18:46:00.003-05:00

This week's Stick It In Your Ear podcast honors Record Store Day by featuring some local bands who appreciate the medium. As usual, I'm my worst critic, but I'm sure you'll enjoy my fumbles and mistakes as I try to get re-acquainted with a more "live" format, a new mic, using a cheap mixer, and everything that goes with that.

The introductory segment was produced by accident before recording, when I synced my ipod with the computer while both were turned up on the mixer. Cool, right? Who knew modern technology can create such a lo-fi sound?

Download "Volume 6 - Vinyl Madness"
- or -
Subscribe to the feed.

#6 - Vinyl Madness
4/18/09

Milk at Midnight - Why Don't You Go?
Glasvegas - Geraldine - Glasgow, Scotland
New Black - Toaster
Doctor, This Virus Is Silence - Misery Signal - get the song at http://www.dtvis.net
Walking Bicycles - Welcome to the Future
The Sounds - Queen of Apology - Sweden
The Ponys - We Shot the World
The Moses Gun - Ashley
(Inner Groove segment off the vinyl version of New Black's "Time Attack")

my lucky number.

2009-04-15T09:43:00.002-05:00

Okay, that's too much like the title of a Scrubs episode or something, but here's the deal:

I'm DJing at the Lucker Number Grill Thursday night with DJs Evil Needle and Jasmine. It should be a fun time. I'll be playing everything from dance to 80s to local to - well, you get the picture. Also, I have they have food and booze. How can you go wrong?

Here are the details:
DJs South of North, Evil Needle and Jasmine
Thursday 4/16/09
9pm-2am
Lucky Number Grill
1931 N. Milwaukee Ave.

We'd love to see you there!

So what's the proper way to spell "DJ?" Is it just that? Or is that like typing "u" for "you" and "2" for "too?" Should we be writing out "deejay?" Or should we go old-school and say "disc jockey?" Some of us don't really bring discs anymore. Should we have another name entirely? "iPod jockeys?" "IJs?" Remember when MTV gave us "veejays?" Good times.

downtime.

2009-04-10T12:22:00.001-05:00

There will be no podcast this week.

ear infection.

2009-04-05T15:57:00.002-05:00

Volume #5 of Stick It In Your Ear is finally up! Get it directly here or subscribe to the feed to get all past and future volumes.

Sorry for the delay - I had some synching issues, and during the re-mixing I decided it's way past time to "do something" about the horrible audio on my vocal tracks. I gained some ground there, and this one's ... better ... than the others.

The good news is, I've had to listen to this creation over and over (and over, and over, and over...) and I haven't grown sick of the songs yet, so I can assure you it's a good playlist, at least for my tastes. They still incite emphatic dancing with each track; whether or not it elicits the same response in you is a different matter altogether. In the end, your opinion is what counts most, and I really do want to hear what you think so far, so please send (constructive) feedback to music(at)southofnorth(dot)com (or leave them in the comments). Should I keep doing this? Is there something else you want to hear? Do you want to hear more bands from outside Chicago? Is there something from inside Chicago I've missed? Let me know. Bands can also send mp3s, snailmail address requests, or show announcements to the same address.

Here's some show notes:

#5 - Ear Infection
April 4, 2009

Moses Gun - Jewelry Box - (myspace.com/themosesgun)
My Gold Mask - Bitches (mygoldmask.com)
Say Hi - Northwestern Girls - Seattle, WA - (myspace.com/sayhitoyourmom)
Paper Bullets - Something In Between (check out the new band Traci Trouble is in - myspace.com/theeinvaders
Crystal Castles - Crimewave - Toronto, Ontario
Quintron & Miss Pussycat - Shoplifter - New Orleans, LA
Johnny Rumble - Good for the Market
The Dials - Don't Change (www.thedials.us)
Mucca Pazza - Agushev Cocek (mucca-pazza.org)

no time to snooze.

2009-03-28T20:15:00.003-05:00

Today was the first in a week I had the chance to sleep in. So when do you think my upstairs neighbor decided to vacuum?

I've been running on empty all this week. Four shows four days in a row has taken everything out of me. I feel like I'm rushing through these podcasts, hurrying to get to a point in my week where I can stop and take a rest. That has to change.

I intended to do this one straight through, with no editing, but I just couldn't do it. You'll hear the outtake at the end, just like last week. I also forgot to mention the Welcome to Ashley song, between Ladies and Gentlemen and Alex White. Again, I blame fatigue. Oh, and hooray for dropping the F-bomb right away in the first song - sorry kids, iTunes says you can't download this one. You'll have to download it here instead. Or you can subscribe to all of them in the music player of your choice.

Here's some links to a couple of the songs:

I Wanna F*** by the Heaven Seventies - Yeah, the one with the F-Bomb. thanks to Chicagoist

The Daily Void - Two songs are available there.

rock the economy.

2009-03-26T18:52:00.004-05:00

I think the best moment of last night at the Double Door was when Muchacha dedicated their song "Bailout" to AIG.

Pictures are here, here, & here.

i got nuthin.

2009-03-22T20:09:00.002-05:00

I finished volume 3 of my new podcast, Stick It In Your Ear, last night.

I pretty much showcased all the shows I know of that are happening in the next three weeks, so this volume is a little different. First, I took bands from my itunes library that have been most recently and most often played. Beyond that, I created the playlist on the fly, as I recorded the podcast, in an attempt to catch a little more "live" feeling. The result? Well, let's just say, next week, I'll be preparing the playlist before starting the podcast.

fool's gold.

2009-03-21T12:22:00.003-05:00

Weird that I woke up today with an urge to hear The Stone Roses, and I didn't even realize it's the twentieth anniversary of their self-titled album release.

cut view.

2009-03-19T20:47:00.008-05:00

This was my view of Cut Copy last night at the Vic.

The music and energy were awesome, though.

in like a lion.

2009-03-15T19:21:00.003-05:00

Speaking of my podcast, volume 2 went up last night! I titled this one "In Like a Lion..." I know March is supposed to go "out like a lamb," but I don't feel the same holds true for music. I think you'll agree if you listen to some of the bands I played who are appearing around town in the next couple of weeks.

Yes, I know Electric Six are from Detroit. It's close enough! Plus, not only are they playing in Chicago April 6, but it seems they spend more time here than they do in Detroit anyway. I meant to mention it during the podcast, but for some reason I forgot.

Once again, you Apple and iTunes freaks can get the enhanced version with chapters, artwork, cookies and ice cream. Okay, it doesn't have cookies and ice cream, but if you want those, I'm sure the store's still open. As always, you can subscribe to the feed here.

exhausted.

2009-03-15T18:39:00.003-05:00

Going back to a packed schedule of activity is definitely shocking my system. At the end of every week I find myself physically, mentally, and even medically exhausted. Twice in the past two or three weeks I've miraculously dodged some flu or virus or whatever that would threaten me for a day or so. It's only a matter of time before it overpowers me.

Wednesday I went to see the Tennis Courts and Dorian Taj at the Double Door. Dorian and Wes Hollywood from the Tennis Courts have been around longer than I have, and they're still at it. They put on a good show. Good enough, in fact, that I included them in yesterday's podcast.

Thursday found me at Liars' Club to see Das Gluv. Lauria still knows how to vamp the audience, and I was digging the keyboards in this band. I wanted to include them in my podcast too, but they didn't bring any of their CDs with them. Hey guys? I'm still waiting on that mp3 you promised!

I know I kept this pace easily five years ago. So I have to wonder, have I just grown unused to it, or am I, as Danny Glover would say, "too old for this?" Stay tuned, because I'm certainly not giving up just yet.

the enhanced podcast.

2009-03-08T16:54:00.003-05:00

I can't seem to make feeds work with .m4a files, which apparently is a known issue with feedburner, and to solve it I'd have to host my files on a different server! (Thanks, feedburner.) So I guess I'll have to settle with providing the enhanced podcast as a link here in this post. Which is what I did there, in that last sentence. See it? Good. This file is in Apple's .m4a format, so it isn't for everyone, I guess, but it's a smaller file and includes chapters and artwork. I'd try it out if you're using Itunes, and it looks snazzy on newer ipods and iphones too.

Maybe in the next podcast I won't let the music totally pounce all over my intros. Gotta work on those segues!

distracted.

2009-03-08T16:27:00.002-05:00

So I didn't get to see Otter Petter last night because I got pulled into the black void that is Wicker Park nightlife. I'm sure I'll get plenty more chances. A friend insists they suck anyway, but I'm not letting my opinion be swayed so easily. Perhaps she doesn't care for mindless pop with lyrics you don't have to delve to deeply into, or she wants something that has to surprise her at every turn. Sometimes I just want to enjoy the music. Frankly, after several listens to their album, I find they're talented and the melodies are fairly catchy. Sure, they may not be the next Radiohead or big thing or whatever, but not everything we listen to can be The Greatest Thing Ever. We leave that distinction to the sound of my dog whining incessantly while I'm trying to sleep. Believe me, it's on constant rotation on my ipod. I hear he's playing Pitchfork this year. You heard it here first.

new podcast.

2009-03-07T19:09:00.003-06:00

It's here. It's what I was alluding to in the last blog post. Stick It In Your Ear, my new podcast, is finally going live!

It's very rough; there are obviously a lot of things to iron out, especially the idea of getting a real microphone. The aesthetics of the web page and whatever, I will tackle tomorrow. Also, there's an enhanced version with chapters and extra artwork which I'll also link to tomorrow. Other than that, I hope you download it and enjoy it.

The link to the bare-bones mp3 is here.

The official rss feed is here, in case you care to subscribe and get future volumes automagically.

horizons.

2009-02-28T18:03:00.000-06:00

Changes are on the horizon. Stay tuned.

astroWHAT.

2009-02-08T02:10:00.003-06:00

Check out my neighbor's new hobby.

soylent green's ok though.

2008-11-08T12:20:00.005-06:00

WTF?

Not even corn?

Not even water?!

the kool-aid.

2008-11-05T23:07:00.002-06:00

I feel like I live in a whole different country.

save ferris chicago music.

2008-10-22T13:49:00.004-05:00

I felt this is important enough to shake the dust off my blog.

epic fail.

2008-07-31T11:25:00.004-05:00

Recently a friend loaned me his old camera, and I hadn't realized how much I've missed taking pictures at rock shows until then. The feeling, the enthusiasm, the energy were all back; I was actually getting excited about going out again.

About an hour before the show, the camera stopped working. I tried three different sets of freshly charged batteries. It just wouldn't turn on.

Naturally, the energy drained out of me immediately, as if someone unplugged a drain. I had to force myself to go, but I went only because I didn't want to spend the rest of the night moping and stewing.

So I'm left with this question/doubt: Am I addicted to photography? Or is it just what I need to make me want to get up in the morning again?