Archive for October, 2007

John Vanderslice preview

John Vanderslice
Empty Bottle, Chicago
Saturday, October 6, 2007

A couple of years ago, Frisco-based production savant John Vanderslice whined, “Time travel is lonely.” It’s no coincidence his subsequent albums have all been firmly rooted in the present.

Anoushka Shankar & Karsh Kale preview

Anoushka Shankar & Karsh Kale
College Of DuPage, Elgin
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Yes, Anoushka Shankar is the daughter of legendary sitarist Ravi Shankar. That said, we’ll give you a guess what instrument she plays. One hint: It isn’t the tuba.

Jesca Hoop preview

Jesca Hoop
Double Door, Chicago
Sunday, October 7, 2007

As a musician, a job reference from Tom Waits is worth its weight in gold. And so begins Jesca Hoop’s road to a record deal.

Static-X, Shadows Fall preview

Static-X, Shadows Fall
House Of Blues, Chicago
Sunday, October 7, 2007

Three years ago it would have been crazy to think Static-X would come to town with top billing over Shadows Fall. But that is exactly what has happened in this tale of over and underachievers.

Double Up On Gear & Beer

Gear junkies listen up. On Sunday, October 14th, Wicker Park’s Double Door opens its doors to musicians looking to buy, sell, or trade equipment and gear for the club’s inaugural Beer & Gear Sale.

Tortoise Sell Their Souls

Empty Bottle, Metro, Millennium Park — where haven’t Tortoise played? Sources say the post rock masters will knock another venue off the master list with a special performance Saturday, October 13th at Symphony Center.

Athlete reviewed

Athlete
Beyond The Neighbourhood
(Astralwerks)

Even though it wasn’t cool to like it, there was a sense in the British press Athlete’s debut, Vehicles & Animals, was redeemable because it smacked of fun. It made the reaction to 2005’s Tourist — a backlash from people who were never in their corner to begin with — somewhat improbable.
Appearing: November [...]

The Simpsons sing!

THE SIMPSONS
The Simpsons: Testify A Whole Lot More Original Music From The Television Series
(Shout Factory)

Here’s the thing about “The Simpsons”: It’s pretty hilarious. So yeah, Testify is pretty good, too.

Modeselektor reviewed

Modeselektor
Happy Birthday!
(Bpitch Control)
Right up there in Most Relative Things Ever are musical-label applications. One man’s screamo is another’s metalcore; John Q’s post punk is his neighbor’s math rock. It gets even more complicated with electronic music, and few albums underscore it like Happy Birthday!

Cover Story: Tori Amos

Tori Amos
Five Times A Lady

Tori Amos has released a new album for Epic, American Doll Posse, with an ensuing tour that hits Chicago on November 5th. And if only such a simple explanation would suffice. As with all things in this Cornwall-based keyboardist’s 15-year career, there’s much more lurking just beneath the apparently serene surface. [...]

Billy Joe Shaver interview

Billy Joe Shaver
Last Man Standing
It’s a double-edged sword when your producer calls you “the last of his breed,” which is how producer John Carter Cash referred to Billy Joe Shaver. Publicly. In the press release accompanying Shaver’s newest album, Everybody’s Brother.

Flosstradamus interview

Flosstradamus
Have Scene, Will Travel

Flosstradamus are breaking a lot of rules. Not necessarily in the genre-crossing, style-mashing, critically lauded kind of way — though they’re certainly breaking those. Nor are they breaking them in the scene-restrictions-be-damned kind of way. At least not in this instance, though it’s apparent the boys scoff at such petty limitations.
Appearing: October [...]

High On Fire interview

High On Fire
And The Art Of Getting Known

It’s the middle of August, and High On Fire drummer Des Kensel and frontman/guitarist Matt Pike have been swooped up from their Oakland homes and flown to Philadelphia. Philly (Upper Darby to be exact) is home to Relapse Records — High On Fire’s label — and where Kensel [...]

José González interview

José González
Smiling OnThe Inside

Having touched down in New York for a one-off performance in advance of his new CD, In Our Nature, Argentinean-by-way-of-Sweden singer-songwriter/acoustic-guitar virtuoso José González walks into his American record company’s game room. It presents a completely different image from the one projected during the 2006 U.S. performances in support of his phenomenal [...]

Josh Ritter interview

Josh Ritter
Quick Change
Guest spots on Letterman and Conan, accolades from both horror master Stephen King and The Boss Bruce Springsteen, superstardom in Ireland, and still Josh Ritter helps out his friends in need. It’s that Idaho upbringing.
Appearing: October 16th at Park West in Chicago.