Have a special someone but don’t want to frighten them with your abominable musical taste? Don’t! We’re here to show you what the record companies have been busy hatching so you can really look like you put some thought into a gift! All we ask in return is updating the photo you send with your holiday card. And it’s time you tossed that sweater with the reindeer on it.
The Dandy Warhols, The Out Crowd
Metro, Chicago
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
The first track on The Dandy Warholsmost recent record, Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars (Capitol), is called “Colder Than The Coldest Winter Was Cold’and is nothing more than a short narrative by TV host Bill Kurtis, who credits the Warhols with inventing rock ‘n’ roll shortly after the Great War. This is a slightly interesting and somewhat odd approach to kicking off a new record, but the novelty of it wears off quick. And in a way, that kind of sums up Odditorium as well.
Tosca
Vic Theatre, Chicago
Saturday, December 3, 2005
The ambient electronic musical styling of #Richard Dorfmeister# and Rupert Huber, the duo behind Tosca, will be performing live in the States for the first time at the Vic.
She Wants Revenge, Rock Kills Kid
Subterranean, Chicago
Friday, December 2, 2005
We could spend years (and have) debating the definition of “making it” in rock ‘n’ roll at IE. If you haven’t read it before, local band members, pay attention: inking a contract doesn’t guarantee you shit. Visit the cut-out bins of your local used-record skippers if ye don’t believe. But something tells us the majors are gonna give She Wants Revenge and Rock Kills Kid a push. And they should send The Killers and Interpol some thank you cards.
Rebecca Pidgeon
Tough On Crime
(The Lab)
Sexist but true: The most interesting thing about Tough On Crime is its creator is the wife of Chicago-born playwright, David Mamet.
Eliza Gilkyson
Paradise Hotel
(Red House)
Something about the sound of a used-up woman makes us pay attention.
Novatone
Time Can’t Wait
(Wax Orchard)
Seattle grunge vets have an album title they don’t quite understand or want to believe.
31 Knots
Talk Like Blood
(Polyvinyl)
If you read old 31 Knots reviews and then hear the new album, you’ll think one of two things: 1) Critics, as usual, know nothing or, 2) I bought the wrong CD.
Bound Stems
The Logic Of Building The Body Plan
(Flameshovel)
Harvey Danger’s drummer lives in Chicago and no one told us?!
Chris Liebing/Speedy J
Collabs 3000: Metalism
(Novamute)
Latest in the Collabs series pits Eurostar Liebing with Richie Hawtin protege Speedy J.
Little Brother
The Minstrel Show
(Atlantic)
With The Roots holding their hats out to the Top 40 tastemakers, someone had to take their place.
Mark Eitzel
Candy Ass
(Cooking Vinyl)
American Music Club man Eitzel brings new meaning to folktronica.
Early Man
Closing In
(Matador)
Lots of music fans buy records solely on what label logo graces the back cover. So anyone who noticed Matador and picked up Early Man’s Closing In expecting, say, something along the lines of Interpol, Guided By Voices, or The New Pornographers certainly received a surprise. Maybe a roundhouse kick to the teeth is more like it.
Fingers Cut Megamachine
Pipe Dreams EP
(Thick)
Ex-Osker frontman follows up his acoustic debut with this folksy, six-song EP.
Matisyahu
Metro, Chicago
Thursday, November 17, 2005
