Tag: alt rock

Live – Partner, Faux Furrs, So Pretty – Chicago, IL – January 22, 2017

I was happy to learn just a couple weeks ago that Canadian pop-punk band Partner were playing at Schuba’s.  I wanted to see Partner at Chicago’s Riot Fest last year, but my plans (and theirs) to attend fell through and I couldn’t make the festival.

I was still able to catch them on only the third show they’ve played in the U.S., however, and shame on you if you weren’t there.

First up were local post-punks So Pretty, who were like a combination of X-Ray Spex, Witch Mountain, and Bikini Kill.  Guitarist / co-lead vocalist Rachel Manter unleashed vocal fury at our new President on “Progress,” lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist Ashley Holman screamed about wanting to be “punk rock royalty” on “Blueberry Blues,” and they got funky on “Limbo” (with bassist James Seminara on vocals).

So Pretty

Next up was another local band – Faux Furrs.  They played a neat mix of shoegaze, surf, Americana, and dream pop.  There were songs about everything from robots falling in love to building a colony on the moon.  They had a clean, crisp sound that’s hard to pull off live.

Faux Furrs

Partner closed the show, and told me before their set that they hoped everyone would like it.  Kevin, their bassist for the tour, said they were very happy about the number of people there.  The people there were happy they showed up because Partner knocked their first Chicago show out of the park.  Seriously.  You will be upset that you missed this show when Partner become the Next Big Thing out of Canada.

Partner

Opening with “Born to Rock,” and proceeding to blast Schuba’s harder than a New Brunswick blizzard, Partner ripped through soon-to-be big hits like “Personal Weekend” and “Hot Knives.”  “The ‘Ellen’ Page” is better live than you can imagine.  Other fun moments were “Gross Secret,” “Everybody Knows You’re High,” and “Sex Thing.”

A typical day at the office for Josee Caron and Lucy Niles.

One of the best parts of Partner’s set was their reaction when it was finished.  They were humbled at the outpouring of praise from everyone afterwards and elated that their first foray into the States had been full of great audiences.

“That wasn’t even the full album (which, hopefully, is coming this fall),” Josee Caron told me after their set.  “We’ve got about fifty songs.”

Let’s hope for more stuff soon.  They’ve whet our appetites and left us craving more.  Again, you’re going to regret missing this show.

There are enough power chords in this photo to jump start a Ford F250 pick-up.

Keep your mind open.

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U2 announces 30th anniversary tour of “The Joshua Tree.”

I guess it was thirty years ago when I saw U2 on their Joshua Tree tour in Indianapolis at Market Square Arena (which no longer exists).  The band recently announced they will be playing the album in full during an upcoming anniversary tour that will stretch from Vancouver to Brussels.  There are plenty of U.S. dates, but you’ll have to get your tickets from the resale market if you missed the sale.  The tour sold out in minutes.

Keep your mind open.

 

A Perfect Circle to tour North America this year.

A Perfect Circle had announced earlier this year that they’d perform four tour days, but lo and behold they confirmed everyone’s hopes by announcing a full North American tour for 2017.  Catch them if you can if you’re in the west or south (or Missouri).  They don’t tour often.

April 7 – Las Vegas, Nevada @ The Pearl
April 8 – Las Vegas, Nevada @ The Pearl
April 10 – Phoenix, Arizona @ Comerica Theatre
April 11 – San Diego, California @ Open Air Theatre
April 13 – San Francisco, California @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
April 14 – Reno, Nevada @ Reno Event Center
April 15 – Sal Lake City, Utah @ Maverik Center
April 17 – Denver, Colorado @ 1st Bank Center
April 19 – Kansas City, Missouri @ Starlight Amphitheatre
April 20 – St. Louis, Missouri @ Chafietz Arena
April 22 – Tusla, Oklahoma @ BOK Center
April 23 – Grand Prairie, Texas @ Verizon Theatre
April 25 – Austin, Texas @ HEB Center at Cedar Park
April 26 – San Antonio, Texas @ Freeman Coliseum
April 27 – Houston, Texas @ Smart Financial Center
April 29 – Jacksonville, Florida @ Welcome to Rockville
April 30 – Fort Meyers, Florida @ Fort Rock Festival
May 2 – Atlanta, Georgia @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
May 3 – Nashville, Tennessee @ Bridgestone Arena
May 5 – Concord, North Carolina @ Carolina Rebellion
May 7 – Los Angeles, California @ Hollywood Bowl

Keep your mind open.

Turn to Crime announces new album – “Secondary.”

TURN TO CRIME ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, SECONDARY, 
OUT FEBRUARY 3RD ON MUGG & BOPP RECORDSLISTEN TO FIRST SINGLE, “CHASING”
https://soundcloud.com/turntocrime/chasing 

U.S. TOUR BEGINS NEXT MONTH

Turn To Crime has announced their new album, Secondary, out February 3rd on front man Derek Stanton’s own Mugg & Bopp Records. Secondary is Turn To Crime’s fourth album in as many years – Phantom Buzz (2016), Actions (2015) and Can’t Love (2014). Like Actions and Can’t Love, it was recorded in Stanton’s basement studio in Detroit’s Southwest, Molten Sound. The album was mixed by Jonathan Schenke of Doctor Wu’s Studio in Brooklyn and mastered by Sarah Register, who has mastered all previous Turn To Crime albums.

The writing and recording of Secondary coincided with the release of Actions. Around this time, Stanton noticed something was off. “I started to lose hearing in my left ear,” he explains. That prompted him to obtain a hearing test. A subsequent MRI uncovered a brain tumor. “It was about a millimeter from being too big to remove and I had about a 50/50 chance of losing hearing and the movement on the left side of my face.” The band canceled their tour in support of Actions and Stanton underwent surgery only a week after that album’s release.

“I didn’t want to write a downer album about the fragility of life or anything too personal or autobiographical,” a now healthy Stanton remarks. “What came out is an important (to me) oddball pop album with a sense of urgency. I think it’s Turn To Crime’s best album to date. It’s also part of a ton of songs I wrote at the time. So, we have a few more albums just hanging out. We’re trying to figure out what to do with everything, as I keep writing like crazy, but we’re still doing the DIY thing.”

Stanton’s sense of humor and resolve is apparent on lead single, “Chasing,” premiering via Noisey today. “I love the guitar riff in this song. It’s super fun to play. When you get to the chorus you don’t want it to end,” exclaims Stanton. Stream it below.

Turn To Crime will tour in support of Secondary starting next month. A full list of dates is below.

LISTEN TO TURN TO CRIME’S “CHASING”:
https://soundcloud.com/turntocrime/chasing TURN TO CRIME TOUR DATES:
Fr. Feb. 17 – Cleveland, OH @ Euclid Tavern
Sat. Feb.18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Sunnyvale
Sun. Feb. 19 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
Tue. Feb. 21 – Winston-Salem, NC @ The Garage
Wed. Feb. 22 – Athens, GA @ The World Famous
Thu. Feb. 23 – Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR
Fri. Feb. 24 – Indianapolis, IN @ Musical Family Tree
Sat. Feb. 25 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout

SECONDARY TRACKLIST:
1. Dead Man
2. Chasing
3. Get Your Pills From Tony
4. Fall Down
5. Secondary
6. Her Love
7. Don’t Let Go
8. Mary Jean’s Chocolate Pie

Sleater-Kinney to release “Live in Paris” January 27th.

Alt-rock riot grrl legends Sleater-Kinney will release “Live in Paris” on January 27, 2016.  This recording comes from their “No Cities to Love” reunion tour and they’re offering the album on vinyl, CD, and cassette (along with some T-shirt combo packages, too).

Don’t miss what’s sure to be a fine record.  I hope they get back in the studio and on the road again soon.

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 live shows of 2016 – #’s 5 – 1

Here we are at my top five live shows of 2016.

#5 – Earthless at Levitation Chicago March 12th

Earthless are the only band to be in my top 10 concerts of 2016 twice.  This was the second time I’d seen them and the first time I’d been close to the stage.  It was a stunning performance that nearly left me speechless.  They were also cool cats who were happy to sign my concert poster after their performance.

#4 – Night Beats at Levitation Chicago March 12th

Night Beats are the only band to be in the top 30 concerts of 2016 three times.  Their Levitation Chicago performance was downright dangerous and established the swagger and tight chops I’d see from them all year.  They, too, were also cool cats who signed my copy of their new album Who Sold My Generation for me after their set.

#3 – Deap Vally at the Chicago House of Blues October 13th

They were first on a bill with Death from Above 1979 and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and they set the bar so high that the other two bands couldn’t match it.  They came to kick ass and take names…and they were all out of names.  They, too, were cool cats who chatted with me after their set.  Everyone was still talking about their performance as we were walking out of the venue.

#2 – Gary Wilson at Levitation Chicago March 10th

I didn’t know much about Gary Wilson before seeing him at Levitation Chicago.  I walked out a devoted fan.  His show was part-lounge act, part-psychedelic freak-out, and part-performance art piece.  He creeped out a woman next to me, made others laugh, others cheers, and others stand there with a “What the hell am I seeing and hearing?” look on their face.  I couldn’t stop talking about his performance for weeks and haven’t stopped recommending him to everyone since.

#1 – Bebel Gilberto at Ann Arbor Summer Fest June 18th

Only one concert had a moment that made me cry in 2016, and that was when Bebel Gilberto and her guitarist performed a cover of Radiohead‘s “Creep.”  Seeing this member of bossa nova royalty in a great venue (The acoustics in Ann Arbor’s Powerhouse Theatre are sublime.) was a dream come true, as I’ve had a serious crush on her and her music for many years.  It was also the first show I attended on a press pass thanks to this blog, so it will always hold a special place in my memory.

Thanks for reading.  I hope to get to just as many shows in 2017.  Wish me luck and let me know about bands I need to see this year.

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 albums of 2015 – #’s 5-1

Here we are at the top 5!

#5 

WALL‘s self-titled debut EP was a brash bit of post-punk that floored me the first time I heard it.  It’s one of those debuts that instantly makes you hungry for more, and they can’t release a full-length soon enough for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iVcNAb-iC0

#4 

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are unstoppable.  They released the best-engineered record of the year, Nonagon Infinity (which can be played on endless loop, starting from any track, with no discernible bumps or pauses along the way), and have announced five more albums this year.

#3 

Night Beats are one of those bands that gets better with each record.  Who Sold My Generation was recorded mostly with first and second-takes in just a couple days, and the raw energy and R&B grooves shine through your speakers.  They are at the top of their game right now.

#2 

The lushest record of 2016 was the Besnard Lakes‘ A Coliseum Complex Museum.  It’s full of gorgeous arrangements, psychedelic dreams, and haunting sounds.  It’s a record that takes you out of your current state of mind and shifts your thinking.

#1 

If you’re gonna go out, go out like David Bowie did with Blackstar.  He put everything he had into his final album, and it’s a masterpiece.  Wild jazz arrangements, frank lyrics about death, sex, regret, acceptance, love, and hope, and hidden treasures (lyrically and in the album artwork itself) are layered throughout it.  The legend left us by setting the bar even higher.

There you have it, folks.  Thanks for sticking with me throughout 2016.  I hope you’ll keep reading this year.

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 live shows of 2016 – #’s 10-6

We’re in the top ten of the my favorite live shows of 2016.

#10 – The Flaming Lips at Middle Waves Fest in Ft. Wayne, Indiana September 17th

It was a triumphant return to Fort Wayne after nearly 30 years for them.  The show was big, bright, and full of love.  It was in the middle of the election season and just what we all needed at the time.

#9 – Earthless at the Empty Bottle in Chicago December 2nd

Earthless is easily one of the best live acts out there right now, and this was my first time seeing them in a small venue.  I don’t know how the Empty Bottle was still standing by the time they were done because it was among the loudest and heaviest sets I’ve seen there.

#8 – John Carpenter at the Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit July 15th

“I got a movie and a concert,” my wife said after seeing a screening of Escape from New York and then John Carpenter, his son, his godson, and the rest of his band play a fantastic retrospective of his film score music.  It was also in a huge gothic structure, so that made it all the better.

#7 – Screaming Females at the Brass Rail in Ft. Wayne, Indiana June 26th

I’d wanted to see them for a couple years, and seeing them an hour’s drive away with my best friend in a venue not much bigger than the bottom floor of my house was one of my favorite memories of 2016.  They were even kind enough to let me interview in their tour van.  They crushed it, leaving most of the crowd dumbstruck.

#6 – L7 at the Metro in Chicago August 6th

Another band I’d waited years, even decades, to see was L7 and their sold-out reunion tour show in Chicago was one of the best performances I’d seen from any band in years.  They hadn’t lost a thing and showed pretenders how it’s done.

Good grief!  If these shows were so good, who’s in the top five?  Come back tomorrow and see!

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 albums of 2016 – #’s 10-6

We’re into the top ten!

#10 

If you know me well, then you shouldn’t be surprised that a new record by Deap Vally made it into my top test list of any given year.  Femejism, besides having the greatest album title of the year, is solid beginning to end with the sizzling guitar, sexy / snarling vocals, and powerhouse drumming they do so well.

#9 

The debut LP from Goggs (or is it “G0ggs?”) is the loudest, wildest punk rock record I’ve heard all year.  Ty Segall, who plays guitar on the record, has quickly become one of the most prolific artists in music, and everything he puts out is worth hearing.

#8 

Of course a Radiohead record was going to be in the top 10.  A Moon Shaped Pool continues the band’s metamorphosis into this generation’s Pink Floyd.  It’s beautifully crafted, but a heavy listen.  It might be the saddest break-up (Thom Yorke from his long-time girlfriend) record of 2016.

#7 

“Holy crap” is the way I described my reaction upon first hearing A Tribe Called Quest‘s We Got It from Here…Thank You 4 Your Service to a friend.  This friend, Dee Tension, is a hip-hop producer, beat maker, and MC in Boston, and he claimed he’d been listening to it daily since its release.  You might, too, upon hearing it.  It’s not only a loving tribute to founding member Phife Dawg, but also a sharp critique on race, politics, gentrification, and much more.

#6 

Speaking of great returns, Underworld had another one we needed in 2016.  Barbara, Barbara, We Face a Shining Future is the most uplifting and optimistic record of the year.  Every song is about seeing good times ahead and remembering how every moment is divine.

We’re almost there.  Who makes the top 5?  Tune in tomorrow!

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 live shows of 2016 – #’s 15-11

Who killed it live this year?  Keep reading!

#15 – Death from Above 1979 at the Chicago House of Blues October 13th

Yeah, the whole show was this crazy.  It was a rough pit, but worth a couple spins through it to feed off the energy DFA1979 were throwing at us.

#14 – Buzzcocks at the Vic Theatre in Chicago September 22nd

Speaking of rough mosh pits, I helped break up a fight in this one.  I’d been waiting a long time to see Buzzcocks, and it was well worth it.

#13 – Clutch at Pierre’s in Fort Wayne, Indiana June 10th

“Hottest show of the tour.  No question,” said Clutch lead singer Neal Fallon.  It was indeed damn hot in there, and Clutch seemed to use the heat like a furnace to create some sort of alchemical spell.

#12 – Golden Dawn Arkestra at Levitation Austin May 1st

My wife and I were front and center for the funkiest show we saw all year.  The crowd was bonkers by the end of their set.  “I almost left,” said one woman as we were leaving the show.  “I’m glad I stayed.”  Shame on you if you missed it.

#11 – Ceu at the City Winery in Chicago June 24th

This was a beautiful show in an intimate venue, and Brazilian bossa nova / eletro siren Ceu had the whole room in the palm of her hand by the end of it.  I couldn’t stop grinning through the whole performance.

 

Who’s in the top 10?  Come back tomorrow to see!

Keep your mind open.

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