Monday night we finally made it out to see Robbie Fulks' regular gig at the delightfully early time of 7pm. (Yeah, I'm old. Piss off.) Of course, The Hideout is always awesome, and, of course, the music was great. They took turns singing a combination of originals from each of them mixed with some classic country standards. I think my highlight was Robbie singing the BEEyootiful Wynn Stewart made famous by Merle Haggard number "Sing a Sad Song." Yowza! Revelatory for me. While Jon accompanied, Robbie also sang Jon's classic "Nashville Radio," which I'll guess was probably a first for both of them.
There was a really good crowd, so much that Jon asked, "Robbie, how long have you been doing this? You get more people on a Monday night than The Mekons get in Barcelona (? memory) on a Saturday!" I thought he was gonna rip on him for not inviting him until now, but no. Jon's a wee bit too classy for that, at least he was Monday.
I took a few pics of "The Odd Couple" from the back which came out quite dark, and shot a couple of videos, which came out pretty well. They're all posted after the jump.
music art books zines people
Wednesday, November 30
Wanna hear a song from the new Sharon Van Etten?
Wanna hear a song from the new Sharon Van Etten album? Sure you do!
Click link for her new song Serpents!
Click link for her new song Serpents!
Tuesday, November 29
CTD Press Update 11/29/11!
Now Available Exclusively/Semi-Exclusively from CTD:
FEATURED:
Tycho
“Dive”
Ghostly International: gi145
PITCHFORK 7.0!!:
“His attention to detail goes beyond highlighting individual instruments. It's there in the way Hansen simply builds a song, merging all the synth wooshes and percussive ripples to find a natural arc. ‘Daydream’, for example, starts out fairly simple with twinkly guitars and a sturdy, knocking beat, but the song's pulse quickens as it progresses, and by the end you've got something heady enough to live up to its title. Because Hansen clearly wants this to be a deep headphone experience, those subtle shifts go a long way in holding your interest.”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16071-dive/
WIRED Feature on Tycho:
“When making his latest album, Dive, which came out last week on Ghostly International, Hansen fell in love with the Minimoog and ended up using it to create many of the sounds on the record. He also used string synths to get the ambient, atmospheric vibes he was looking for.”
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/11/tycho-synthesizers/
FEATURED:
Tycho
“Dive”
Ghostly International: gi145
PITCHFORK 7.0!!:
“His attention to detail goes beyond highlighting individual instruments. It's there in the way Hansen simply builds a song, merging all the synth wooshes and percussive ripples to find a natural arc. ‘Daydream’, for example, starts out fairly simple with twinkly guitars and a sturdy, knocking beat, but the song's pulse quickens as it progresses, and by the end you've got something heady enough to live up to its title. Because Hansen clearly wants this to be a deep headphone experience, those subtle shifts go a long way in holding your interest.”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16071-dive/
WIRED Feature on Tycho:
“When making his latest album, Dive, which came out last week on Ghostly International, Hansen fell in love with the Minimoog and ended up using it to create many of the sounds on the record. He also used string synths to get the ambient, atmospheric vibes he was looking for.”
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/11/tycho-synthesizers/
New Releases @ saki 11/29/11!
Gorillaz - Singles Collection 2001-2011 CD & LP
Silver Tongues - Black Kite CD & LP
King Midas Sound - Without You CD
Throbbing Gristle - Heathen Earth: Live Sound of Throbbing Gristle CD (LP coming)
Leyland Kirby - Intrigue & Stuff Vol. 3 LP
Justice - Audio, Video, Disco LP (comes w/ CD)
SunnO))) Meets Nurse With Wound - Iron Soul of Nothing LP
Doomstarks (MF Doom & Ghostface Killah) - Victory Laps 12"
Louvin Brothers - Handpicked Songs 1955-1962 LP
Los Campesinos! - Hello Sadness LP
Touch People - Show Me Your Dimensions LP
Nothing People - Smells Like Metal LP
Ulaan Khol - La Catacomb cassette
Lawrence Peters Outfit - What You Been Missin' LP
Silver Tongues - Black Kite CD & LP
King Midas Sound - Without You CD
Throbbing Gristle - Heathen Earth: Live Sound of Throbbing Gristle CD (LP coming)
Leyland Kirby - Intrigue & Stuff Vol. 3 LP
Justice - Audio, Video, Disco LP (comes w/ CD)
SunnO))) Meets Nurse With Wound - Iron Soul of Nothing LP
Doomstarks (MF Doom & Ghostface Killah) - Victory Laps 12"
Louvin Brothers - Handpicked Songs 1955-1962 LP
Los Campesinos! - Hello Sadness LP
Touch People - Show Me Your Dimensions LP
Nothing People - Smells Like Metal LP
Ulaan Khol - La Catacomb cassette
Lawrence Peters Outfit - What You Been Missin' LP
Monday, November 28
Tycho "Dive" / Pitchfork 7.0
With a belly (still) full of food, I return to work (having watched ZERO football games over the holidays, thank you very much). And to what? A post-turkey day notice regarding a 7.0 Pitchfork review of Ghostly International's 2xLP/CD for Scott Hansen, better known as TYCHO (& as graphic artist ISO50, fyi)!!!…read on (so long as the tryptophan has worn off):
"Scott Hansen, aka Tycho, is a fairly well-known graphic artist, and you can hear his design skills at play in his music. Like a particularly crisp logo or font, his songs have a good sense of scale and proportion, and it's clear that a lot of work goes into them. Take a look at his artwork and you'll have a good idea of what his electronic compositions sound like, too. Nostalgic, 1970s-inspired imagery, a heavy sense of tranquility and faraway longing, all tied together with a pretty sleek modernity. Several of these elements have been sort of beaten into the ground in indie music over the past few years, but with Dive, Hansen manages to pull them together in a way that still feels compelling."
"His attention to detail goes beyond highlighting individual instruments. It's there in the way Hansen simply builds a song, merging all the synth wooshes and percussive ripples to find a natural arc. 'Daydream', for example, starts out fairly simple with twinkly guitars and a sturdy, knocking beat, but the song's pulse quickens as it progresses, and by the end you've got something heady enough to live up to its title. Because Hansen clearly wants this to be a deep headphone experience, those subtle shifts go a long way in holding your interest. And in terms of the imagery he builds-- fields, pastures, calming oceanic scenes-- it's all there, and it's pretty easy to set your brain on 'relax' and conjure up those natural landscapes."
Sunday, November 27
This Weekend @ saki!
Figuratively speaking, there's about a million things going on at saki this weekend. Literally speaking, there's an art opening, an in-store & an Epitonic saki Session.
Friday we have the opening reception for Dan MacAdam/Crosshair. Dan does a lot of show posters, which you've probably seen around town. You can check out some of them here. As if that wasn't enough to whet your appetite we'll have food from Provenance Food & Wine, & booze from 312 Urban Wheat Ale! Our very own DJ Karl Meier will be playing the deep cuts.
Saturday is Logan Square's Holiday in Logan celebration & we've got an in-store with Kellen & Me, & Michele McGuire! Check out the other events going on throughout the day and stop by saki around 4pm for the show!
Sunday we have an Epitonic saki Session with our friends, Santah! If you missed them at saki last time, you missed a hell of a show. This time around we're recording their set for Epitonic so keep an eye/ear out for that on Epitonic.com in a few weeks! I'll tell you what though, these sessions sound a hell of a lot better with some witty crowd banter so come help us out!
Next Wednesday (yes, I realize that's a weekday but this is IMPORTANT info, people) we've got a relatively freaking HUGE Epitonic saki Session w/ Kimya Dawson! She's playing at Schuba's later that night, but you can catch her here for FREE. And, of course, look out for her Epitonic saki Session on Epitonic.com as well!
Wooh! Get your rest people. You're gonna need it this weekend!
Video: Pillars & Tongues - Thank You, Oaky
Wow. This is the video for "Thank You, Oaky" off of Pillars & Tongues most recent album Pass & Crossings, done by 19th State Productions. What else can I say but wow?
Oh, I know what else... Pillars & Tongues will be playing saki on December 18th with A Tundra! That's two of this town's best bands for FREE at saki, and it's the day after our big Christmas Mansion party. That's a weekend not to be missed.
Friday, November 25
You know what....? SALE! That's what.
So, today is Black Friday, and yeah, there are some extra-special, limited Record Store Day Black Friday titles for you to pick up at saki. But those titles are mostly collectibles and they're not necessarily cheap. To add to the pot here we're going to offer 15% off your entire purchase (excluding RSD Black Friday titles, of course) to anyone who comes in today and asks for it. Just come on in today, pick out what you want, ask for 15% at the register and you've got it!
Wednesday, November 23
saki is CLOSED tomorrow (open Friday)!
Hey everyone, just a heads up, saki will be CLOSED tomorrow for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will resume normal hours on Friday for Record Store Day's Black Friday celebration! Here's a list of the titles we currently have in stock for RSD Black Friday:
(more titles may arrive last minute. there has been some production & shipping delays)
Ryan Adams - Do I Wait 7"
Syd Barrett - Mick Rock 7" tin
Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right Revisited blu-ray & book
Beatles - Singles box
Boris - New Album CD
Byrds - various 7"s
Jimmy Cliff - Sacred Fire 12" EP
Miles Davis Quintet - Prestige 10"
Bob Dylan - Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window 7" box
Fleshtones - I Can't Hide 7"
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - Soul Time! CD & LP
Janis Joplin - Move Over 7" box
John Lennon - Imagine 40th Anniversary LP box
Nick Lowe - Go 'Way Hound Dog CD & 10"
Misfits - Devil's Rain LP
Mr. Gasser & The Weirdos - Various LPs
Nirvana - Nevermind 4 x 10" singles box
Pink Floyd - The Wall 7" singles box
Silversun Pickups - Seasick 10"
Tom Ze - Brazil Classics Vol. 4 LP
Great article in Salon about future of Record Stores
A few days ago, Salon posted an article by Pitchfork contributor Marc Hogan on a real yet mostly positive outlook on the future of independent record stores . You can read that article here. It features quotes from our friends at Wuxtry in Athens, GA, Grimey's in Nashville, Guestroom in Oklahoma, and Permanent in Chicago and LA.
Here are some choice quotes from the article:
"But the survivors aren’t going away. They’re simply changing their tune, becoming smaller and more focused. Time will tell whether that’s enough — for some, continued existence may require a whole new arrangement."
"Still, all isn’t lost. Independent record store closures have been on the decline since 2008, according to Almighty. Amoeba Records, a three-location California independent record store chain that celebrated its 20th anniversary about a year ago, was founded as a “comprehensive, one-stop music destination for everybody,” co-owner Marc Weinstein has said. But that’s an exception. More often, today’s best record stores are carefully curated, niche-oriented establishments, selling new and used vinyl to a specialized market — which tends to be found in critical mass near large cities or universities."
"So against all odds, is there reason for optimism? Hopeful music lovers do keep opening stores. Excluding mass merchants like Wal-Mart and Target, the number of record store openings has increased each of the past three years, including 62 new independent record stores so far this year, according to Almighty. After Louisville, Ky., indie ear X-tacy closed this fall, Matador Records — the label that’s home to Pavement, Yo La Tengo and the New Pornographers — pointed out in a blog post that the death of the record store has been exaggerated, and used Steady Sounds, in Richmond, Va.; Cyklopx, in Forest Park, Ill.; All Day Records, in Carrboro, N.C.; Co Op 87, in Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Saki, in Chicago as examples."
"Sone existing stores are actually expanding. In Austin, Texas, End of an Ear recently added an 180-square-foot space next-door, co-owner Dan Plunkett said. In Oklahoma City, Guestroom Records is in the midst of opening a third store, located on the ground floor of a music school. In an email, co-owners Tarvis Searle and Justin Sowers pointed to their independently released offerings: “You’re not going to find many Best Buys that have big Tune-Yards, Dum Dum Girls or Oh Sees displays,” they wrote. Chicago’s Permanent Records recently opened up a second location in Los Angeles."
Keep fighting the good fight!
Tuesday, November 22
CTD Press Update 11/21/11!
CTD Press Update 11/21/2011
Now Available Exclusively/Semi-Exclusively from CTD:
Please note: CTD will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday/Friday, November 24th/25th
saki will be closed on Thursday & open normal hours on Friday!
FEATURED:
Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid/Mats Gustafsson
“Live At The South Bank”
Smalltown Superjazzz: stsj211
PITCHFORK 8.0!!:
“On South Bank -- the most vital and essential document of Reid and Hebden's five-year partnership-- it feels clear that, at least onstage, they were finally able to go the distance. The invocation ‘Morning Prayer’ opens slowly, circling in space with a meditative calm. For 17 minutes, the pair traces lines around the other's rhythm, Hebden's electronics and keys shaping a cradle for Reid's busy tom-and-cymbal patter, and vice versa.”
“On South Bank -- the most vital and essential document of Reid and Hebden's five-year partnership-- it feels clear that, at least onstage, they were finally able to go the distance. The invocation ‘Morning Prayer’ opens slowly, circling in space with a meditative calm. For 17 minutes, the pair traces lines around the other's rhythm, Hebden's electronics and keys shaping a cradle for Reid's busy tom-and-cymbal patter, and vice versa.”
SOUND COLOUR VIBRATION:
“The order at which they chose to perform these tunes shows a deep mastery of conveying a message through the constraints of abstract instrumental music. From start to finish, this album plays like a day of life, from 'Morning Prayer' to 'The Sun Never Sets'. The message is timeless: in the eternal present, one is always alive - there is no death among the living.”
“The order at which they chose to perform these tunes shows a deep mastery of conveying a message through the constraints of abstract instrumental music. From start to finish, this album plays like a day of life, from 'Morning Prayer' to 'The Sun Never Sets'. The message is timeless: in the eternal present, one is always alive - there is no death among the living.”
PITCHFORK Forkcast of "Lyman Park":
“On June 20, 2009, Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet), late jazz drummer Steve Reid, and Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson performed in the foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall at London's Southbank Centre as part of that year's Ornette Coleman-curated Meltdown Festival. That performance was recorded, and on November 15 Smalltown Superjazz will release a recording of the performance, Live at the South Bank. "Lyman Place" is taken from that release.”
“On June 20, 2009, Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet), late jazz drummer Steve Reid, and Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson performed in the foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall at London's Southbank Centre as part of that year's Ornette Coleman-curated Meltdown Festival. That performance was recorded, and on November 15 Smalltown Superjazz will release a recording of the performance, Live at the South Bank. "Lyman Place" is taken from that release.”
ALL MUSIC:
“Given that this is likely the final entry in Reid's catalog, it is a very fitting one: it showcases his astonishing skills as soloist and ensemble player; it also delightfully illustrates deeper and wider aspects in both Hebden's and Gustafsson's musical personas.”
“Given that this is likely the final entry in Reid's catalog, it is a very fitting one: it showcases his astonishing skills as soloist and ensemble player; it also delightfully illustrates deeper and wider aspects in both Hebden's and Gustafsson's musical personas.”
RESIDENT ADVISOR:
“'Steve (Reid) is the greatest musician I have ever encountered,' Hebden once said. 'Not only was he the best player I've worked with but he was into music like no one else I know... Knowing someone be that into it was truly inspiring.'”
“'Steve (Reid) is the greatest musician I have ever encountered,' Hebden once said. 'Not only was he the best player I've worked with but he was into music like no one else I know... Knowing someone be that into it was truly inspiring.'”
EXCLAIM:
“After playing with the likes of Miles Davis, Fela Kuti and Ornette Coleman, jazz drummer Steve Reid linked up with Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet) for a number of projects before passing away last year. Now a new live disc believed to be the final authorized recording of Reid is primed to demonstrate the bond between the pair.”
“After playing with the likes of Miles Davis, Fela Kuti and Ornette Coleman, jazz drummer Steve Reid linked up with Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet) for a number of projects before passing away last year. Now a new live disc believed to be the final authorized recording of Reid is primed to demonstrate the bond between the pair.”
XLR8R:
“Recorded in 2009 and evocative of the four LPs the pair recorded before Reid's death last year, the set approaches a kind of electronic free jazz, with Reid's complex live percussion providing the bedrock for Hebden's electronic experimentations and Gustaffson's powerful sax work.”
“Recorded in 2009 and evocative of the four LPs the pair recorded before Reid's death last year, the set approaches a kind of electronic free jazz, with Reid's complex live percussion providing the bedrock for Hebden's electronic experimentations and Gustaffson's powerful sax work.”
Son Lux Podcast Episode!
In this episode, our hosts explore the benefits and pitfalls of technology in art. We even hear what Ryan Lott (a.k.a. Son Lux) has to say about it.
Mr. Lux stopped by saki a while back for an Epitonic saki Session and we had the nice fortune of listening to him answer a few questions.
Check out more Son Lux on Epitonic.com
Monday, November 21
New Releases @ saki 11/22/11!
Best Coast "Make You Mine" 2x7''
Black Keys "Chulahoma - Pic Disc Edition" LP
RL Burnside "Burnside On Burnside" LP
Kate Bush "50 Words For Snow" CD
Calexico "Selections From 'Road Atlas'"
Charles Caldwell "Remember Me" LP
Death Cab For Cutie "Keys & Codes - Remixes" CD
Deftones 'White Pony" LP (re-issue)
Desertshore "Drawing Of Threes" CD (feat. Mark Kozelek)
Ben Folds "Best Imitation Of Myself: A Retrospective" LP
Full Toilet 7''
J Mascis "Circle" 7''
Nirvana "Bleach" (mid-price LP re-issue)
Rolling Stones "Some Girls" LP (re-issue)
Ty Segall "Singles "2007-2010" CD
The Weakerthans "Left & Leaving" & "Fallow" CD/LP
TH White "How Bad Do You Want It?" LP
Black Keys "Chulahoma - Pic Disc Edition" LP
RL Burnside "Burnside On Burnside" LP
Kate Bush "50 Words For Snow" CD
Calexico "Selections From 'Road Atlas'"
Charles Caldwell "Remember Me" LP
Death Cab For Cutie "Keys & Codes - Remixes" CD
Deftones 'White Pony" LP (re-issue)
Desertshore "Drawing Of Threes" CD (feat. Mark Kozelek)
Ben Folds "Best Imitation Of Myself: A Retrospective" LP
Full Toilet 7''
J Mascis "Circle" 7''
Nirvana "Bleach" (mid-price LP re-issue)
Rolling Stones "Some Girls" LP (re-issue)
Ty Segall "Singles "2007-2010" CD
The Weakerthans "Left & Leaving" & "Fallow" CD/LP
TH White "How Bad Do You Want It?" LP
Friday, November 18
Megan Reilly in NYC this Sunday
Megan will play some songs from her 2012 album!
Appearing this Sunday at 9pm
with Steve Goulding (Mekons) & James Mastro (Bongos, Richard Lloyd).
at The Living Room
154 Ludlow
btw Stanton & Rivington
NYC
www.meganreilly.com
Appearing this Sunday at 9pm
with Steve Goulding (Mekons) & James Mastro (Bongos, Richard Lloyd).
at The Living Room
154 Ludlow
btw Stanton & Rivington
NYC
www.meganreilly.com
LIVE AT THE SOUTH BANK receives 8.0 on Pitchfork
Just 10 months previous to his untimely passing, drummer extraordinare, Steve Reid, along with Kieren Hebden (aka Four Tet), and saxophonist Mats Gutsafsson, recorded Live At The South Bank. Reid was 65 years old. Smalltown Superjazzz released this document on 2xCD and 2xLP and Pitchfork took notice - with an 8.0 review ~
"Reid's story has never really been a tale of quitting. A teenager drummer in New York, he famously gigged with James Brown and the Vandellas before serving a two-year prison sentence for his Vietnam evasion. He returned to the kit upon release, eventually forming his own group (with at least one really great album to their name) and working with legends spread across several different forms -- R&B legend Dionne Warwick, astral jazz traveler Sun Ra and African icon, and iconoclast Fela Kuti. In 1986, he even added a touch of percussion to Miles Davis' Tutu. But for a player who was drumming with the stars by the time he was 16, much of the success and steady work that might've seemed logical for Reid mostly proved elusive. Through the 1990s and into the first half of the last decade, his output could be described, at best, as a trickle. But that all changed when, as legend has it, Hebden watched Gustafsson perform at the Oslo Jazz Festival in 2004. He decided he needed a drummer and, more importantly, a collaborative partner. After Hebden, Reid's trickle became something of a deluge."
"On South Bank -- the most vital and essential document of Reid and Hebden's five-year partnership -- it feels clear that, at least onstage, they were finally able to go the distance. The invocation 'Morning Prayer' opens slowly, circling in space with a meditative calm. For 17 minutes, the pair traces lines around the other's rhythm, Hebden's electronics and keys shaping a cradle for Reid's busy tom-and-cymbal patter, and vice versa...."
"...he's forcing the rest of the squad to twist one of the most memorable melodies of his work with Hebden into unrecognizable patterns. He jumps from cymbals to kick drum, from toms to cymbals. Gustafsson broods, and Hebden wraps the theme in a fuselage of noise. They distend what seems like the end, stretching the coda into a slow exhalation. But as everyone else starts to fade, Reid remains, pounding his drums a little harder than you might expect after these nearly 90 bustling minutes, like he wants to keep going."
Thursday, November 17
THE OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL PITCHFORK BEST NEW REISSUES!!
As a 20-something, I worked at Vinyl Solution in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It was nothing short of an (if not the most) amazing period of my life. It shaped me in ways that I still don't quite understand, but appreciate all the same. During my tenure there, I played The Olivia Tremor Control's Dusk At Cubist Castle on a near constant basis. Amazing how time takes it's turns - I remember being asked to STOP playing this record, by patrons, at least once.
Some 10 years later, with a re-release via Chunklet, Pitchfork awards both Dusk At Cubist Castle and their follow up, Black Foliage it's Best New Reissue with a 9.1 and 9.4 rating.
Here's what's what on the Pitchfork review ~
"...the music on 1996's Music From the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle and 1999's Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One-- impossibly strange, omnivorously eclectic psych-pop-- are worlds unto themselves, the finest realizations of whatever sonic utopia these guys spent much of the 90s etching into a canvas a million cassettes wide."
"Stately, sumptuous, and slightly otherworldly, Dusk is brimming with immaculate hooks and queries bound for the cosmos."
"Black Foliage's pop moments are gnarlier, more restless, their hooks arriving at odd angles; all this they weave through a tapestry of orchestral bleats and backward-running loops, five seconds of scuzz enveloping four minutes of sheer bliss."
"...it's the records themselves-- insistent, wise, daringly imperfect -- that are really the thing here. They remain the sound of a few old friends, a few more new acquaintances, and a thousand wasted sunny days spent carving out a couple mind-bendingly complex masterpieces."
(Thanks Hadji!)
Wednesday, November 16
Out of the Carrot Top Records Deeps: Archer Prewitt- White Sky
Archer Prewitt's debut solo album, In The Sun, was released in 1997 to good critical acclaim. His discography and tour itinerary both indicate that he has rarely slept. This, his tenth commercially released recording since the release of In The Sun, caps off a period of insane touring in the US, Europe and Japan with The Sea and Cake, Sam Prekop and his own solo shows. Archer also has found time for his career of growing reknown as a visual artist which includes his comic Sof' Boy, published by Drawn And Quarterly.
Tuesday, November 15
CTD Press Update 11/15/11!
CTD Press Update 11/15/2011
Now Available Exclusively/Semi-Exclusively from CTD:
FEATURED:
Silver Tongues
“Black Kite”
Karate Body: kbr016
DUSTED:
“Cronin’s voice is, by the way, one of the main draws here. Cool and unruffled, without much vibrato, it carries easily, the kind that seems to dominate without much strain. You never hear a real break in it, even at the highest registers. And yet there’s an untouchability to it, perhaps coming from the way Cronin surrounds his sound with echo. Even the earthiest songs, blues-vamping ‘Wet Dog’ for instance, have a remote quality, their warmth seeming to come from a long way away.”
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6731
SLOUCHER:
“It’s a spiritual encounter of more than 30 minutes, offering vocals with trails of prayers, nostalgia, gospel structures and a smooth integration of music elements. Music that gives wings to your soul, that’s how Silver Tongues sounds to me.”
http://sloucher.org/2011/10/26/silver-tongues-black-kite/
UPCOMING SOON:
Lindstrøm
"Six Cups Of Rebel"
Smalltown Supersound: sts221
PITCHFORK Best New Track “De Javu”:
“The whole thing has a pop audaciousness that recalls ZTT Records in their 1980s prime, and as ‘De Javu’ is brought to an abrupt halt after so much building up and coming down, you’re left wanting to hear what follows all this ecstasy on the album proper. That’s the great thing about this guy: whatever he’s doing, you never want it to end.”
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/reviews/tracks/12743-de-javu/
Now Available Exclusively/Semi-Exclusively from CTD:
FEATURED:
Silver Tongues
“Black Kite”
Karate Body: kbr016
DUSTED:
“Cronin’s voice is, by the way, one of the main draws here. Cool and unruffled, without much vibrato, it carries easily, the kind that seems to dominate without much strain. You never hear a real break in it, even at the highest registers. And yet there’s an untouchability to it, perhaps coming from the way Cronin surrounds his sound with echo. Even the earthiest songs, blues-vamping ‘Wet Dog’ for instance, have a remote quality, their warmth seeming to come from a long way away.”
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6731
SLOUCHER:
“It’s a spiritual encounter of more than 30 minutes, offering vocals with trails of prayers, nostalgia, gospel structures and a smooth integration of music elements. Music that gives wings to your soul, that’s how Silver Tongues sounds to me.”
http://sloucher.org/2011/10/26/silver-tongues-black-kite/
UPCOMING SOON:
Lindstrøm
"Six Cups Of Rebel"
Smalltown Supersound: sts221
PITCHFORK Best New Track “De Javu”:
“The whole thing has a pop audaciousness that recalls ZTT Records in their 1980s prime, and as ‘De Javu’ is brought to an abrupt halt after so much building up and coming down, you’re left wanting to hear what follows all this ecstasy on the album proper. That’s the great thing about this guy: whatever he’s doing, you never want it to end.”
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/reviews/tracks/12743-de-javu/
New Releases @ saki 11/15/11!
Steve Hauschildt - Tragedy & Geometry CD & LP
Kieren Hebden, Steve Reid & Mats Gustafsson - Live at The South Bank CD & LP
Can -Tago Mago 40th Anniversary 2xCD
Balloon Magic - Mornings EP CD
Sigur Ros - Inni CD, Blu-Ray & LP
Carter Tanton - Free Clouds CD & LP
Coliseum - Parasites EP CD & LP
Crystal Stilts - Radiant Door EP CD & 12"
Goldmund - All Wil Prosper CD & LP
Nathan Salsburg - Affirmed CD & LP
Pterodactyl - Spills Out CD & LP
Odonis Odonis - Hollandaze CD
Ice Choir - Two Rings 7"
Pigeons - Theysweetheartstammers LP
Kieren Hebden, Steve Reid & Mats Gustafsson - Live at The South Bank CD & LP
Can -Tago Mago 40th Anniversary 2xCD
Balloon Magic - Mornings EP CD
Sigur Ros - Inni CD, Blu-Ray & LP
Carter Tanton - Free Clouds CD & LP
Coliseum - Parasites EP CD & LP
Crystal Stilts - Radiant Door EP CD & 12"
Goldmund - All Wil Prosper CD & LP
Nathan Salsburg - Affirmed CD & LP
Pterodactyl - Spills Out CD & LP
Odonis Odonis - Hollandaze CD
Ice Choir - Two Rings 7"
Pigeons - Theysweetheartstammers LP
Monday, November 14
Cloud Seeding ft. Marissa Nadler
The first in a new series of singles from the recently launched Bleek records features a collaboration between Kevin Serra, formerly of This Ascension and Lot 49, and everyone's favorite Boston folk chanteuse, Marissa Nadler.
Check out the video for Ink Jar directed by Christopher Arcella
Check out the video for Ink Jar directed by Christopher Arcella
saki + Girls Rock! Chicago: DJ Workshop Ages 7-17
In continuation of our monthly collaboration with Girls Rock! Chicago, part II is happening this weekend!
This Sunday, November 20 there will be a FREE DJ workshop for girls & boys between the ages of 7-17 at saki! Listen up, the workshop is split into two timeslots:
Ages 7-11 will be from 2-3:30pm!
Ages 12-17 will be from 3:30-5pm!
Workshops, taught by Girls Rock! Chicago counselors, will teach students technical skills of beat matching, mixing, and more basics of vinyl DJing! In this informative and hands-on workshop, each student will have time to practice choosing and successfully DJing songs by the end. A 501(c)(2) non-for-profit organization, Girls Rock! Chicago is dedicated to fostering girls' creative expression, positive self-esteem, and community awareness through rock music. Girls Rock! Chicago added a new DJ option to their instrument choices at camp last summer, and its popularity was enormous. Learning DJ skills encompasses technical skills as well as personal choice and creativity.
Upcoming Events
The demand for year-round Girls Rock! workshops is high and saki is excited to collaborate and provide programs through the winter!
Sunday, December 11th- Girls Rock! Chicago 2011 CD Release Party
Sunday, January 15th- Zine making workshop
Thursday, November 10
Dig this cold joint: Royal Trux "Singles, Live, Unreleased" returns to the world with a Pitchfork 8.2
Talk about a moment in time! I can remember these heydays....so grimey and beautiful as they once were. Now, bestowed upon YOU, the kind folks at Drag City re-released Singles, Live, Unreleased - the 3xLP behemoth that is/was Royal Trux. Over 10 years ago, this was thrust onto the world, then it vanished...until now, and even Pitchfork noticed the coming of this new dawn thusly - and check out the who's-who of those that cite Heremma/Hagerty as an influence!
"Throughout their 12-year run (from 1988 to 2000), Royal Trux took a chop-shop approach to pop history, deconstructing their favorite FM-radio icons-- in particular, Mick Taylor-era Rolling Stones-- and reassembling the scrap metal and wires into heaving junkyard jalopies, with the hoarse-voiced but imposingly beautiful Herrema serving as the hood ornament who could sell their mutant custom jobs as classic rock.
Given their amorphous aesthetic-- which yielded works as incongruous as 1990's byzantine bricolage Twin Infinitives, 1995's biker-bar boogie-fest Thank You, and 2000's ghetto-blasted breakdance-athon Radio Video EP-- there is no truly definitive Royal Trux album, a fact reflected by the band's myriad contemporary admirers, who range from Bradford Cox, Liars, and the Kills to Bat for Lashes, Hot Chip, and MGMT. As a 3xLP collection of the band's early-90s ephemera, Singles, Live, Unreleased may not seem like the most logical entry point into the Trux's phantasmagoric universe. But for newcomers, it's the stand-alone release that provides the best big-picture perspective of Royal Trux's see-saw relationship with rock music and the avant-garde."
Juicy, Juicy, Juice!
(Detail from Twin Infinitives LP gatefold)
Wednesday, November 9
This Weekend @ saki!
God, I love weekends at saki, don't you? Monday-Friday, that's all business, business, busyness, but on the weekends we really get to cut loose, perhaps even...footloose! This weekend we've got the opening reception for our November artist, Rrap Kreyziu. Rrap is a local high school student (originally from Kosovo) who is participating in Homeroom Chicago's Emerging & Established Artist's program. His paintings greatly defy his limited experience in this world. In fact, I shouldn't have told you he was in high school and you wouldn't have known. Oh well, damage done! Moving on.
We also just found out that NPR & New York Times featured artist Cheyenne Marie Mize will be joining us as the musical guest for Rrap's opening! The opening is from 6-9pm and Cheyenne will play at 7pm. If you're not familiar with Cheyenne's music you need to go check out the gems on her site. She's a very talented young artist herself so it's perfectly fitting that she'll be here for Rrap's opening. This is shaping up to be one of our best art shows yet, so get a babysitter for the kids and leave some extra food for the pets - you're going to want to spend some time with us on Saturday.
Sunday is the first ever CHIRP Record Crawl! They're hitting up a bunch of independent stores and we're lucky enough to be one of them. CHIRP, don't ever change, stay you! We luv ya. The crawlers will be here around 3:30pm. To add to the excitement we've also got an amazing in-store on Sunday starting around 4pm with Advance Base (ex-Casiotone For The Painfully Alone) & John Bellows. Both artists are among our favorites in Chicago. Please come out and enjoy their fine, fine music! Then you can go over to Brown Sack and get a shrimp & avocado B.L.T.! How good are those, right?
Alright, that's it. See you this weekend!
Marissa Nadler: Epitonic saki Session
We were so lucky, pleased, astounded, and entranced when Melissa played at saki. Even better, the good folks at Epitonic agreed to record and film the whole thing. The Epitonic video also includes Brook and Tyler in a cool Halloweenee interview with her, where Melissa answers questions about ghosts and admits to being a goth at heart. Could she be any cooler?Go check out the Marissa Nadler Epitonic saki Session and you'll even get free Marissa MP3s and get to read Adam's wonderful words.
Do it.
Take that Loutallica! The better DUO gets some Pitchfork attention
In between the (very necessary) detailing of just how horrible the new Lou Reed & Metallica collaboration is, Pitchfork opted to shed some (sun)light, in the form of a 7.7 rating for another duo, 200 Years...Drag City's newest LP & CD from Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance) & Elisa Ambrogio (Magik Markers)...check out the internet at work ~
'The duo is comprised of Six Organs of Admittance's Ben Chasny and Magik Markers' Elisa Ambrogio, and together they draw on the quieter echoes of their other projects to create a charming new hybrid."
"The biggest surprise on 200 Years is Ambrogio and the gentle, almost demure performances that she delivers throughout the album…it is unexpected to hear her sing so softly at such length, with her voice providing a natural foil for Chasny's predominantly acoustic guitars."
"The most impressive aspect of 200 Years, especially considering it as the debut of a new collaboration, is its overall aura of cool confidence. Chasny and Ambrogio are clearly two talented musicians with a wide variety of tools at their disposal, yet to their credit they don't feel the need to try and show every trick at once. Instead they show an innate sense of trust in one another and in this resonant collection of songs, secure in the knowledge that this should be plenty."
PHOTO BY CAM ARCHER
Tuesday, November 8
CTD Press Update11/8/11!
Now Available Exclusively/Semi-Exclusively from CTD:
FEATURED:
Pigeons
“They Sweetheartstammers”
Soft Abuse: sab053
ALTERED ZONES Artist Profile:
“They Sweetheartstammers, out next week on Soft Abuse, is packed with hypnotic psychedelia, Francophilia, cobweb-laden sonic spaces, and shadowy retrofuturism, balancing moods of wonder and foreboding with an artisan's acumen.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/2035/artist-profile-pigeons/
BROOKLYN VEGAN video for "Tournoi”:
“Speaking of Pigeons, who play the Chouette/De Stijl/FatCat/Soft Abuse day party at Bruar Falls, their LP They Sweetheartstammers will be released November 8 via Soft Abuse..”
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/10/amen_dunes_play.html
ALTERED ZONES:
“Their forthcoming They Sweetheartstammers LP exudes the same sense of mystery, sedation, and austere melodicism as last year's Liasons, but with an added sonic density and an expanded lineup (roping in members of No Neck Blues Band and Black Twig Pickers).”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1811/pigeons-dead-echo/
ALTERED ZONES video for "Tournoi”:
“The result is a fuller-sounding Pigeons that still maintains their brooding beauty, but with pronounced hints of Hope Sandoval and brighter guitars that meander densely.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1933/pigeons-tournoi/
Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid/Mats Gustafsson
“Live At The South Bank”
Smalltown Superjazzz: stsj211
RESIDENT ADVISOR:
“'Steve (Reid) is the greatest musician I have ever encountered,' Hebden once said. 'Not only was he the best player I've worked with but he was into music like no one else I know... Knowing someone be that into it was truly inspiring.'”
http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=15117
FEATURED:
Pigeons
“They Sweetheartstammers”
Soft Abuse: sab053
ALTERED ZONES Artist Profile:
“They Sweetheartstammers, out next week on Soft Abuse, is packed with hypnotic psychedelia, Francophilia, cobweb-laden sonic spaces, and shadowy retrofuturism, balancing moods of wonder and foreboding with an artisan's acumen.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/2035/artist-profile-pigeons/
BROOKLYN VEGAN video for "Tournoi”:
“Speaking of Pigeons, who play the Chouette/De Stijl/FatCat/Soft Abuse day party at Bruar Falls, their LP They Sweetheartstammers will be released November 8 via Soft Abuse..”
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/10/amen_dunes_play.html
ALTERED ZONES:
“Their forthcoming They Sweetheartstammers LP exudes the same sense of mystery, sedation, and austere melodicism as last year's Liasons, but with an added sonic density and an expanded lineup (roping in members of No Neck Blues Band and Black Twig Pickers).”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1811/pigeons-dead-echo/
ALTERED ZONES video for "Tournoi”:
“The result is a fuller-sounding Pigeons that still maintains their brooding beauty, but with pronounced hints of Hope Sandoval and brighter guitars that meander densely.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1933/pigeons-tournoi/
Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid/Mats Gustafsson
“Live At The South Bank”
Smalltown Superjazzz: stsj211
RESIDENT ADVISOR:
“'Steve (Reid) is the greatest musician I have ever encountered,' Hebden once said. 'Not only was he the best player I've worked with but he was into music like no one else I know... Knowing someone be that into it was truly inspiring.'”
http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=15117
New Releases @ saki 11/8/11!
Thee Oh Sees - Carrion Crawler CD & LP
Throbbing Gristle - Second Annual Report of Throbbing Gristle CD & LP
Total Control - Henge Beat CD
Ike Tuner - Jack Rabbit Blues 10"
200 Years - S/T CD & LP
Alva Noto - Univers LP
Miles Davis - Live-Evil LP
Disco Inferno - 5 EPs CD
Dwarr - Starting Over CD & LP
Brian Eno - Panic of Looking CD & LP
Whaur the Pig Gaed On The Spree: Scottish Recordings by Alan Lomax, 1951-'57 LP comp.
ESG - Come Away With ESG CD
ESG - S/T CD
Blaze Foley - Clay Pigeons LP
Chuck Johnson - A Trouble Not A Thought CD (LP delayed)
Louvin Brothers - Satan Is Real/Handpicked Songs CD
Manniquen Men - S/T LP
Mekons - Mekons Story '77-'82 CD
Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica LP
Owen - Ghost Town CD & LP
Carlos Paredes - Guitarra Portuguesa LP
Carlos Paredes - Movimento Perpetuo LP
Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Return of Pipecock Jackxon LP
Luke Roberts - Big Bell & Dime Songs CD & LP
Royal Trux - Singles, Live, Unreleased CD & LP
Sandwitches - Pearl 7"
Ty Segall - Spiders 7"
Skull Defekts feat. Daniel Higgs - 2013-3012 LP
Wounded Lion - IVXLCDM LP
Throbbing Gristle - Second Annual Report of Throbbing Gristle CD & LP
Total Control - Henge Beat CD
Ike Tuner - Jack Rabbit Blues 10"
200 Years - S/T CD & LP
Alva Noto - Univers LP
Miles Davis - Live-Evil LP
Disco Inferno - 5 EPs CD
Dwarr - Starting Over CD & LP
Brian Eno - Panic of Looking CD & LP
Whaur the Pig Gaed On The Spree: Scottish Recordings by Alan Lomax, 1951-'57 LP comp.
ESG - Come Away With ESG CD
ESG - S/T CD
Blaze Foley - Clay Pigeons LP
Chuck Johnson - A Trouble Not A Thought CD (LP delayed)
Louvin Brothers - Satan Is Real/Handpicked Songs CD
Manniquen Men - S/T LP
Mekons - Mekons Story '77-'82 CD
Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica LP
Owen - Ghost Town CD & LP
Carlos Paredes - Guitarra Portuguesa LP
Carlos Paredes - Movimento Perpetuo LP
Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Return of Pipecock Jackxon LP
Luke Roberts - Big Bell & Dime Songs CD & LP
Royal Trux - Singles, Live, Unreleased CD & LP
Sandwitches - Pearl 7"
Ty Segall - Spiders 7"
Skull Defekts feat. Daniel Higgs - 2013-3012 LP
Wounded Lion - IVXLCDM LP
Monday, November 7
Roger Waters touring "The Wall"
UPDATE: I am told by a reputable live music biz source that the ticketing agency holds these funds. To me, this is almost more insane. Unless they are somehow giving a kickback to the band/management, then I see no reason for the artist to be selling shows this far out. I understand the need to book this far out, especially for a tour of this size, but to put tix on sale seven months in advance seems crazy except to line tickets.com pockets. If it's not somehow lining Roger's pockets, I'm seriously confused.
UPDATE II: In response to my obvious question, "Why?!", I received this answer: "You want to sell the tickets as soon as you can before people find other things on which to spend their money." I feel no better or really, any less confused.
This morning I purchased tickets to see Roger Waters perform "The Wall" at Wrigley Field. "The Wall" is my least favorite of the Pink Floyd Mk II albums, mostly because, well, even to a high schooler its metaphor is wafer thin & the music bombastic. In addition, it was unavoidable while I was in high school and college. I think it's the first Pink Floyd album that I never bought. Like "Nevermind," I never needed to. It was omnipresent. (I've since purchased "Nevermind." Not so "The Wall.")
UPDATE II: In response to my obvious question, "Why?!", I received this answer: "You want to sell the tickets as soon as you can before people find other things on which to spend their money." I feel no better or really, any less confused.
This morning I purchased tickets to see Roger Waters perform "The Wall" at Wrigley Field. "The Wall" is my least favorite of the Pink Floyd Mk II albums, mostly because, well, even to a high schooler its metaphor is wafer thin & the music bombastic. In addition, it was unavoidable while I was in high school and college. I think it's the first Pink Floyd album that I never bought. Like "Nevermind," I never needed to. It was omnipresent. (I've since purchased "Nevermind." Not so "The Wall.")
The last time I saw Roger play, in Austin in 1987, he was tremendous. He played classic Pink Floyd and selections from his solo work to a 1/3 full Erwin Center. A few months later, the reformed, but Watersless, Pink Floyd toured, playing to sold out arenas. First, we drove to Houston and saw them at a sold out Astrodome. Then they played a full Erwin Center for two nights, and we caught one of those shows.
Tough it's not my favorite Pink Floyd album, "The Wall" at Wrigley promised to be a spectacle, so I'm in.
The tickets I purchased are for next June.
That's right, JUNE 2012.
The presale for such a distant concert date got me thinking.
The presale for such a distant concert date got me thinking.
Friday, November 4
AMG's Poplist With Tycho
Listen to the title track "Dive" from the brand new Ghostly International release (2xLP/CD). Then, check out what Tycho (aka Scott Hansen) has been digging on.
Let Me Google That For You
so you've always wanted to be kind of a prick when people ask you obvious questions? now it's kind of so easy!
friend on gchat: hey do you know where there's a 7-11 close to me?
you: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=7-11+locations
friend on gchat: hey do you know where there's a 7-11 close to me?
you: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=7-11+locations
Because cats are awesome & albums are awesome
And because YOU are awesome (repeat to yourself thrice daily...).
Murmuration
"For a moment of pure awe at one of nature’s most magnificent and fleeting phenomena, Murmuration." via Maria Popova, editor of Brain Pickings.
Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.
Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.
Thursday, November 3
We must protect this house!!(from a terrible halftime show)
No matter the outcome on Thanksgiving Day, the people of Detroit have already won.
http://www.avclub.com/annarbor/articles/detroiters-start-petition-to-stop-nickelback-from,64524/
Cave "Neverendless" on Pitchfork (7.9)
Flip the numbers on the rating, and I'm all in on this Pitchfork review for CAVE's Drag City full length LP/CD and CASSETTE Neverendless ~
"CAVE's newest album is all movement. The first quick, rhythm-dominated moments of opener 'WUJ' propel Neverendless forward. The Chicago psych collective has likely been studying up on krautrock for a long time, and it dives headlong into that territory with a motorik drive, bass grooves, and Neu!-reminiscent synths. It's a lead track that knows how to build-- beginning with a sparse canvas, over the course of seven minutes it maintains a steady groove while adding and switching out layers. CAVE don't throw away that psych fuzz they do so well-- halfway in, the volume ramps up and the guitars become markedly heavier. That sturdy rhythm remains for the entire seven minutes, but they don't settle on one sound: They quiet down, increase the volume, add subtle licks, string airy synths above their guttural guitars, and all the while, establish a few central hooks."
"Regardless, the record keeps moving. Sometimes it moves with warmth, and sometimes with motorik rhythm. On the 14-minute 'This Is the Best' it pushes forward with a droning synth that lies underneath the rest of the song's layers. Seven minutes in, crunching guitars and buoying bass runs bury that synth. There are swirling, moaning vocals for a moment, and the guitar goes from a quick riff to an evenly spaced trudge. And through those gradual changes in the song's structure, the percussion holds sway. The drums make one change that stretches out for the song's final minutes, going to a hurried snare. It meets up with some equally hurried synths, which lay out a cluttered feeling of anxiety. And it doesn't stop for a few minutes. With hit after hit of urgent-sounding synths and drums, CAVE never let up or get faster, either. That's what they do best on Neverendless-- they just keep going."
Wednesday, November 2
Mikal Cronin's "Apathy" is the NPR Song of the Day. Dig it!
http://www.npr.org/2011/11/02/141909161/mikal-cronin-making-sense-of-it-all
photo courtesy of Mikal Cronin
http://www.npr.org/2011/11/02/141909161/mikal-cronin-making-sense-of-it-all
photo courtesy of Mikal Cronin
saki November Reception + Exhibition
saki is thrilled to collaborate with Homeroom Chicago for our upcoming art exhibition (November 5th-30th) and opening reception (Saturday, November 12th 6-9pm) by Rrap Kryeziu!
An 18 year old ethnic-Albanian Kosovar, Rrap Kryeziu lived most of his life in Prishtina, Kosovo. He moved from Kosovo to Oak Park, Illinois in 2010 and is currently a senior at Oak Park River Forest High School. Growing up in a war-torn land, Kryeziu did not receive formal training in painting and was self-taught until 2011. Kryeziu paints primarily with oils because of the variety of color he can achieve, and uses large canvasses which help him to feel closer to his art and to himself. His most recent works are abstracts that depict emotions more than the overtly tangible; he is trying to capture both internal and external movement, rather than the “subject” itself. In 2009, Kryeziu's work was featured in a solo exhibit at the National Theater of Kosovo and was supported by the Ministry of Culture after he won an international painting prize in Montmartre, Macedonia titled "Golden Palette." Rrap’s art will appear at saki from November 5th to November 30th. The opening reception is Saturday, November 12th from 6-9pm at saki.
Homeroom Chicago Emerging and Established Artist Exchange Homeroom is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to encourage and facilitate new creative programming in Chicago. One way they do this is through the Emerging and Established Artist Exchange. The program involves high school juniors and seniors who are seriously engaged in a specific artistic discipline and work one-on-one with a Chicago artist already established in that field. The emerging and established artists work together to develop and execute a single project, in this case an exhibition. Unlike other youth arts programs that focus
specifically on creative work, EEE puts an emphasis on the more practical elements of an active artistic practice: networking, promotion, booking, budgeting, and writing artist statements. By having students focus mostly on the process beyond creation, Homeroom hopes to give these young artists unique access to valuable things: A realistic experience of the often daunting process of presenting one’s art to the world, and an actual foot-in-the-door to the Chicago arts scene.
Come hang out at saki on Saturday, November 12 from 6-9pm for the reception...FREE drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and art appreciatin'! We'd love to have you!
Also, check out the upcoming artists for December, January, and February!
John Campbell (of Pictures for Sad Children)
Noah Vaughn (Photography)
Tuesday, November 1
CTD Press Update 11/1/11!
CTD Press Update 11/01/2011
Now Available Exclusively/Semi-Exclusively from CTD:
FEATURED:
Mannequin Men
“Mannequin Men”
Addenda: nda006
SPIN preview of "Hobby Girl":
“The gloriously ramshackle Lose Your Illusion, Too by Chicago's Mannequin Men was one of 2009's highlights, so pardon our excitement over the follow-up (self-titled so as to avoid the problem of having to top that gag). The first track from the band's fourth record, out Nov. 8, is the midtempo cruiser ‘Hobby Girl’....”
http://www.spin.com/articles/editors-pick-new-track-mannequin-men
A.V. CLUB preview of "Hobby Girl":
“'Hobby Girl' marks a more mature age for the Mannequin Men. Replacing the band’s formerly rowdy sound with pop briskness, the track begs a lover to get her life together instead of wasting space on the couch”
http://www.avclub.com/chicago/articles/mannequin-men-and-jc-brooks-and-the-uptown-sound-d,62950/
CHICAGOIST preview of "Hobby Girl":
“Last fall, rough-around-the-edges Chicago garage rockers Mannequin Men debuted two new tracks from an then-upcoming Hozac Records single. One of those songs, 'Hobby Girl,' has re-emerged as the first single from their upcoming self-titled third record, which sees release in November on Addenda Records..”
ttp://chicagoist.com/2011/10/06/download_mannequin_men.php
LOUDLOOP:
“Whether Mannequin Men meant to or not, this so called ‘mature record’ of theirs is probably their best, and that’s a hurdle that many bands who start young simply fall flat on their face trying to jump.”
http://loudlooppress.com/reviews/mannequin-men-mannequin-men/
I ROCK CLEVELAND BLOG:
“This track is so smooth, the hooks are so clean, it’s as if they’ve been a power pop band all along.”
http://blog.irockcleveland.com/2011/10/10/a-fistful-of-jams-feat-mannequin-men-wussy-sex-church-and-eddy-current-suppression-ring/
THE OWL:
“With tracks like 'Hobby Girl,' Chicago-based Mannequin Men are proving that bands can be influenced by Van Morrison and not suck”
http://www.theowlmag.com/tag/mannequin-men/
UPCOMING SOON:
Pigeons
“They Sweetheartstammers”
Soft Abuse: sab053
ALTERED ZONES Artist Profile:
“They Sweetheartstammers, out next week on Soft Abuse, is packed with hypnotic psychedelia, Francophilia, cobweb-laden sonic spaces, and shadowy retrofuturism, balancing moods of wonder and foreboding with an artisan's acumen.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/2035/artist-profile-pigeons/
Now Available Exclusively/Semi-Exclusively from CTD:
FEATURED:
Mannequin Men
“Mannequin Men”
Addenda: nda006
SPIN preview of "Hobby Girl":
“The gloriously ramshackle Lose Your Illusion, Too by Chicago's Mannequin Men was one of 2009's highlights, so pardon our excitement over the follow-up (self-titled so as to avoid the problem of having to top that gag). The first track from the band's fourth record, out Nov. 8, is the midtempo cruiser ‘Hobby Girl’....”
http://www.spin.com/articles/editors-pick-new-track-mannequin-men
A.V. CLUB preview of "Hobby Girl":
“'Hobby Girl' marks a more mature age for the Mannequin Men. Replacing the band’s formerly rowdy sound with pop briskness, the track begs a lover to get her life together instead of wasting space on the couch”
http://www.avclub.com/chicago/articles/mannequin-men-and-jc-brooks-and-the-uptown-sound-d,62950/
CHICAGOIST preview of "Hobby Girl":
“Last fall, rough-around-the-edges Chicago garage rockers Mannequin Men debuted two new tracks from an then-upcoming Hozac Records single. One of those songs, 'Hobby Girl,' has re-emerged as the first single from their upcoming self-titled third record, which sees release in November on Addenda Records..”
ttp://chicagoist.com/2011/10/06/download_mannequin_men.php
LOUDLOOP:
“Whether Mannequin Men meant to or not, this so called ‘mature record’ of theirs is probably their best, and that’s a hurdle that many bands who start young simply fall flat on their face trying to jump.”
http://loudlooppress.com/reviews/mannequin-men-mannequin-men/
I ROCK CLEVELAND BLOG:
“This track is so smooth, the hooks are so clean, it’s as if they’ve been a power pop band all along.”
http://blog.irockcleveland.com/2011/10/10/a-fistful-of-jams-feat-mannequin-men-wussy-sex-church-and-eddy-current-suppression-ring/
THE OWL:
“With tracks like 'Hobby Girl,' Chicago-based Mannequin Men are proving that bands can be influenced by Van Morrison and not suck”
http://www.theowlmag.com/tag/mannequin-men/
UPCOMING SOON:
Pigeons
“They Sweetheartstammers”
Soft Abuse: sab053
ALTERED ZONES Artist Profile:
“They Sweetheartstammers, out next week on Soft Abuse, is packed with hypnotic psychedelia, Francophilia, cobweb-laden sonic spaces, and shadowy retrofuturism, balancing moods of wonder and foreboding with an artisan's acumen.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/2035/artist-profile-pigeons/
Real Estate covers a bunch of stuff for Halloween
Last night, Real Estate launched their US tour at Lincoln Hall, one of my favorite venues in Chicago. In observance of Halloween, the band donned a series of "musical costumes," injecting their set with a block of covers between tracks from their excellent new album Days, which happens to be available now at Saki!
Their choices of covers spanned several decades, including "Anything Could Happen" by The Clean and Weezer's "Holiday." The best of the bunch was their take on Felt's "Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow," featuring vocals by Matt Mondale, Real Estate's lead guitarist/the main dude from Ducktales.
Video from last night's show is not (yet?) available, but you can instead watch a clip of Mondale talk-sing his way through the song in his apartment along with the rest of the band (after some talk of Blink 182-sponsored air travel), courtesy of The Fader.
Their choices of covers spanned several decades, including "Anything Could Happen" by The Clean and Weezer's "Holiday." The best of the bunch was their take on Felt's "Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow," featuring vocals by Matt Mondale, Real Estate's lead guitarist/the main dude from Ducktales.
Video from last night's show is not (yet?) available, but you can instead watch a clip of Mondale talk-sing his way through the song in his apartment along with the rest of the band (after some talk of Blink 182-sponsored air travel), courtesy of The Fader.
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