Crocodiles embody a sound that harks to shoegaze, 60s girl groups, southern California pop and noise. Their songs are built from solid melodies buried underneath a ton of fuzz. On both of the San Diego duo's albums, Summer of Hate and Sleep Forever, they wear their influences on their sleeves, but also pool those those influences effectively. The Jesus & Mary Chain never relied on keys this much and Echo & the Bunnymen never sounded so beautifully trashy. The band (accompanied by some extra members on the road) is seemingly always touring and it shows. (They were in Chicago twice last year, in April and October.) As performers, they pull off cool disinterest better than many, but play with a terrific fervor.
Crocodiles headline Schubas on Saturday, the 25th. Philadelphia's Bleeding Rainbow (formerly known as Reading Rainbow), who call Hozac Records home, opens at 10PM. The show's 21+ and $14. Schubas is at the corner of Southport & Belmont.
Chicago's SONOI drops their second album, Tropics of Holland, on March 13, 2012. In great anticipation of a new collection by the local sonic dreamers, we're thrilled to offer up an exclusive premiere of this new track, "Cotton." Filled with spare guitar looping with jangly, Eastern-inspired rhythms, "Cotton" is a fluid, tantra-like tune. Without a pretentious edge, the song is equally something you can bob to in a cafe, or jog to on the treadmill — all with a goofy grin on your face.
SONOI is currently comprised of Adam Busch (Manishevitz) on guitars and vocals, and Ryan Hembrey (Manishevitz) on bass and keyboards with drummer Pierce Doerr. Sadly, the band's upcoming Hideout show will be their last show with Doerr. Take a listen to the track, and head out to their upcoming Hideout show to hear more by the trio, live. You can also purchase Tropics of Holland in advance of the official release on mp3 or limited edition 180 gram vinyl from the band's website.
Check out SONOI live at The Hideout on March 15, opening up for Chandeliers along with Deep Sleep. Tickets are $8. 21+. The Hideout is located at 1354 W. Wabansia Ave.
For 20 years now, Da Brat has cemented her status as one of the most noted women in hip hop; as the first female rapper to ever go platinum (1994's Funkdafied), this Grammy-nominated artist has definitely earned a place in music history. After riding in the fast lane with three follow-up albums, along with several television and movie roles, Da Brat (aka Shawntae Harris) hit a speed bump in 2007 with a prison term that threatened to end it all. Now, the Chicago native, part of the Legends of Hip Hop tour, is back in the driver's seat; here, she talks about her life, lessons learned, and of course, loving hip hop.
Gapers Block: You've been in the game for a while now. Take us back to the girl growing up on Chicago's west side — when did you know you could rap?
Da Brat: I knew when I was in junior high school when I was battling all the guys and was just wearing them out. And then when I started to see MC Lyte, [Queen] Latifah and Monie Love, I said to myself, "Oh — this is what I'm going to do."
We at Gapers Block have made it a tradition to cover the SXSW Music Festival in Austin as if it were a local festival. That's because every year, Chicago sends tons of acts and hundreds of fans down to Texas in March, making sure that our city's music scene stays relevant and prominent.
SXSW has finalized its official showcase list, and Chicago acts are well represented. As we do every year, we've compiled a list of all the Chicago-based official showcasing acts, as well as groups from around the region, showcases and parties by local labels, and even "unofficial" shows by Chicago bands. If you're planning a trip down to Austin March 13-18, give these folks your support.
Bully in the Hallway has opened for bands such as The Smoking Popes and Titus Andronicus. The band features vocalist Matt Simon, bassist Aaron Levinsky, Drummer Matt Jannotta, singer/guitarist Matt Kennedy and guitarist Billy Kenefick.
Doors open at 9 pm, is 21+ and is $5 in advance / $7 day of show. You can buy tickets and get more info of this show on Ticket Web. Go to DO312 for your chance to win a pair of tickets to the show!
Celebrating their second annual Winter Soulstice party, the Metro is opening up its doors for some super soulful sounds from Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires. Bradley's songs of heartache, love, and righteous grooving are sure to melt even the iciest of icy cold hearts (and maybe even those frozen toes, too).
Bradley sings about love — having it, losing it, having it again and taking a warm bath in it. He belts out tunes like "Lovin' You, Baby" or "I Believe In Your Love" with such ferocity you think he's going to tear out his hair and fall over with a broken heart right there. He's got a James Brown-like work ethic — without anyone holding a cape over his shoulders (as awesome as that was for the Godfather of Soul, it's a dramatic element that Bradley's songs don't need to punch up their emotion.) His 2011 album on Dunham Records (an imprint of soul-loving Daptone), No Time For Dreaming (with the Menahan Street Band), is a powerhouse of reeling and rocking tunes perfect for either holding that loved one close to you, or tending to your broken heart. Somehow Bradley is able to twine together the yin and yang of his subjects so well that you can relish it like a good meal. So why not pull up a chair and dine with him?
Enjoy a bit of Charles Bradley performing "Lovin' You, Baby" at last year's SXSW Music Festival.
Over the past few days, the supposed 2012 Lollapalooza lineup has been slowly leaked on an anonymous Twitter account, @LollaLeaks. If true, this year's festival would be fairly impressive and as schizophrenic as always.
None of this has been confirmed, obviously, but the anonymous account certainly stuck in Perry Ferrell's craw. He retweeted @LollaLeaks repeatedly, adding insults and denials along the way.
To someone like me, whose taste in electronic music developed at a time when wafting ambient acts like The Orb drew a lot of water, and even the "heavy" dance stuff wasn't much more than speedy disco with more low-end bump, a fair share of the modern electronic music being produced sounds something like R2D2 being shoved down a metal staircase. I'm solidly on board, however, with the lineup at the Congress Theater this Friday, which brings together Lotus, Conspirator, and Emancipator, three acts which manage to carve their own space in the spectrum of electronic sounds, while keeping a firm grip on the fundamentals.
Lotus is a band with its feet firmly in two different worlds. On one hand, they are a traditional rock group, with traditional instrumentation, and have long been stalwarts of the jam band and festival scene, appealing to the patchouli-scented masses with comparatively long-form songs and an obvious virtuosity. At the same time, the band has from its late-90s inception been at the vanguard of incorporating available electronic gadgets and gizmos to shape their sound into something like a live techno production, there on the stage, sans-studio. While their latest album, self-titled Lotus, gives a good taste of what the band is all about, they truly shine in a live setting, where their improvisational genius can come through.
Though it was released last fall, the video for A Lull's song "Some Love" is perfectly timed for a cloudy, cold Valentine's Day. Enjoy a dream-pop road trip, complete with dancing, bonfires, and fireworks (and a little sexiness, too). [You can decide if nudes rendered in spray paint is NSFW or not.] "Some Love" is the title track of their forthcoming EP available for free download from their website.
Like the tune? Also enjoy a remix version, perfect for slow jams:
Chicago bluegrass outfit Sexfist are unlikely to be accused of taking themselves too seriously, but there are a couple of reasons that you should pay attention to them. First, the band itself is extremely serious about their music, and second, they are one of the more entertainingly self-promoting bands in the city. Fans can fill in their Sexfist Club Cards at shows (a clever nod to the Subway Club of yore) and posters featuring their distinctive homunculus logo are staples on Chicago's post boards. This spring, fans of their Facebook page can vie for a chance to win dinner with the band, VIP treatment, and a merch package for their St. Patrick's Day show at Rogers Park's Mayne Stage theater. Beginning today, fans can check in on Facebook and play the "Would you rather. . ." game to win deluxe treatment by answering questions between now and March 9.
So maybe it's not the most traditionally romantic Valentine's Day lineup at Schubas, but if you and your sweetie can agree on a Cate Le Bon show with support by Talkdemonic, then you probably have picked the right significant other in terms of musical leanings.
Le Bon first gained attention touring with fellow Welshman Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, and has since gone on to release a Welsh language EP and an intriguing debut album, Me Oh My that was influenced, in her words, by "early experiences with a string of pet deaths." Lyrically dark, the music has an edgy folk-rock feel, mixing light, drifting melodies and Le Bon's lilting voice with more aggressive passages.
Portland's Talkdemonic began as the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Kevin O'Connor, and has reached full flower with the addition of viola player Lisa Molinaro to the band's touring incarnation. The band's latest release, Ruins is on a label run by fellow Portlander Isaac Brock (of Modest Mouse fame), and benefits from his work behind the boards, lending music that could lapse into the twee a welcome dose of angular heft. While the band is often lumped into the "post-rock" camp, elements of electronica and artsy hip-hop create a solid foundation that channels the work of Steve Reich as much as any particular rock influence.
Cate Le Bon, Talkdemonic and Bone and Bell play at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, this Tuesday, February 14 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $10, $12 at the door and are available at Schubas.com.
The one most commonly used is pronounced Boom-Berrr (rolled 'r'). When I finally realized what the word meant, I was delighted. What a fun, onomatopoeic, word for drums! Try saying it. BOOOM-BERRR. Fun, right?
Well, unfortunately, the word that brought me such joy, if for a brief time, would eventually become the source of great disappointment and anxiety.
In preparing for the trip to Mongolia, the band coordinated the gear situation over dozens of emails. There was a lot of back and forth over what would be available, what we could or should bring, and what we could possibly live without. As the drummer, I knew I wouldn't be shipping my own drums overseas. That would be madness (it's my only kit and it's over 50 years old.). As the emailing with our embassy contacts concluded, I felt pretty confident that I would have at least a halfway decent set of drums to play on throughout our visit/tour. After playing our first workshop at the school for the blind in UB, I felt confident that everything would work out just fine. The school (which seemed rather modest and probably not well-funded) provided a totally decent beginner/ intermediate level set for me to play. I assumed that this would be the set I would play throughout the trip.
When the Darkness arrived on the scene in 2003, a common question among casual listeners and even industry folks was, "Are they for real?" With songs that sounded 30 years old and a look to match, it wasn't hard to see why some people were skeptical from the start. Music and fashion popularity may be cyclical, but the Darkness' supposed schtick wasn't in line with the mainstream. Their homages to the hard rock and metal of the 70s and 80s even came across with a wink and a smile. NME lauded them, especially their live performances, and that fervor carried across the pond where people continued to ask, "Are they for real?" But the more important question is always, "Are they good?" After last night, it'd be hard to say no.
Following a hiatus on the heels of a less than successful sophomore album, the Darkness are back. They played a sold out Metro on Saturday where the crowd consisted of all types from the diehards catching multiple shows (of a static set list) to the reluctant significant others who caved in to hype. Singer and guitarist Justin Hawkins emerged on stage with Snidely Whiplashesque facial hair and a red, white and blue vest with matching pants. (His trademark open-chest unitard followed midway through the set.) Over the first few songs, he gave the crowd a hint of his excellent vocal range - from numerous high notes to exaggerated wails. But it was on a cover of Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" where Hawkins' vocals really rose for the occasion when he belted out the chorus. A 10-minute "Love On the Rocks With No Ice" also featured his impressive falsetto at its best. His and brother Dan's guitaring was top-notch, taking us to riff city and harking back to solos that're only imaginable in hair metal. You see, underneath all of the ridiculous hype, their debut album Permission to Land actually is a pretty rich music product instead of the expected schlock rock. But it's also tongue-in-cheek, like on "Get Your Hands Off My Woman" or, as it was re-titled by Hawkins toward some gentlemen in the audience, "Get Your Hands Out of My Grandmother's Wardrobe."
The promise of an entertaining live show certainly didn't fall short with handstands, jumpkicks, air splits and attire changes from Hawkins, who's clearly seen a lot of David Lee Roth and Freddie Mercury at their peaks. Through a 100-minute set (featuring all of Permission to Land and a slew of new songs), the band joked with each other, engaged the crowd and delivered the type of rock'n'roll show that's just plain exciting to be a part of. Between the busted relationships and substance abuse suffered by members of the Darkness, it seemed like a relief to just be able to play live for adoring fans again. (Speaking of fans, how did all of the rowdy folks end up on the right side? I saw numerous shoving matches and beer dumped on people who wouldn't step aside for stage rushers. But I also noticed wild exuberance, dancing and singing along to every song. It was even enough for Hawkins to comment. By comparison, the left side was dead.) Closing out the night, Hawkins played guitar on a victory lap around the floor on a security guard's shoulders and then took a dive from a PA stack into outstretched hands. Now, that's entertainment (and commitment).
One of my favorite things about writing for Gapers Block is that I'm often introduced to bands that I otherwise might never ever known about. As was the case this week. It took about 20 seconds of listening to "Already Mine" (see below) for me to jump at the chance to check out Dance Floor Plans' show at Martyrs' last night.
Lately it seems like there's been a resurgance of funk and soul music in Chicago. Bands like JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound and The Right Now are gaining some national attention and other talented local gems like Dance Floor Plans keep popping up on the scene.
Despite the fact that DFP are a fairly new act, last night they sounded like they've been grooving for years. That's probably because in many of the band members' cases, they have. Guitarist/vocalist James Johnston spent years in Chicago's similar sounding Bumpus. Singer Tina Howell claims in her lyrics that shes a "simple woman," but her voice is anything but simple. Her velvety croon and Johnston's rich tenor created a unique harmony that drove the band's robust instrumental department.
Dance Floor Plans finds the balance between funk and soul, giving members a chance to showcase their talents--shout out to trumpet player Ethan Bulak for whipping out an electric clarinet mid-set. Was that a Whammy pedal you were playing it through?--and keep the flow of the songs moving. Yes, dancing is obviously their end game and I was amazed to see so many folks cutting loose so early in the night.
Sadly, a previous engagement forced me to leave towards the end of Dance Floor Plans' set, but I literally stopped half-way to the exit, turned around and rushed back to the front of the stage when I heard the opening notes of Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" blast through the sound system. An excellent rendition further proved that Dance Floor Plans deserve some attention.
The latest update comes from Canasta keyboardist/pianist Ryan Tracy. I've included an earlier trip photo from their Facebook account, and will have more images to share related to Ryan's post Swhen I next connect with the band [Update! New photos added!]. For now, enjoy Ryan's tales of Mongolian cuisine. PS: How cute is it they now have Facebook fans from Mongolia! [Read all about why Canasta is touring in Mongolia, and the previousthreeposts.]
Canasta's Elizabeth Lindau enjoying a bowl of "milk tea" which consists of 90% milk, 9% tea, and 1% salt with a little butter for added richness.
"If you're like me, the best part of traveling to new places is sampling a bit of the local cuisine, and trying things that you might never find at home. My concept of Mongolian food was fairly limited based on the "Mongolian BBQ" chain of restaurants and an episode of "Bizarre Foods" discussed in a previous blog.
[Editor's note: Enjoy another segment from the show, below]
Based on our time here thus far, the Mongolian diet consists of two major meats: mutton and beef; and five major vegetables: potatoes, onions, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and cabbage. The good news is that you organic food lovers could not have it any better here. The menus at restaurants are more like a history of the food the restaurant has had, and it's not unlikely for a place to only have 4 or 5 of the things on a 20-item menu. Since the meat and vegetables are so fresh, what they have is what you get. There are no food suppliers or trucks showing up twice a week to stock the restaurant like back at home...the food is simply whatever the town has handy and can sell to the restaurant. Evidence of this can be seen at one rural restaurant in which the cook/waitress/hostess stepped out after we ordered and came back two minutes later with a fresh set of supplies from the store two buildings down. In the major city of Ulaanbaatar the situation is a little different, but the taste of the actual food remains the same.
As we do every year, we've compiled a list of all the Chicago-based official showcasing acts, as well as groups from around the region, showcases and parties by local labels, and even "unofficial" shows by Chicago bands at the 2012 SXSW Music Festival.
We at Gapers Block have made it a tradition to cover the 
