This is no place for modesty. Kiss drummer Eric Singer describes the band as a piece of Americana, like Universal Studios or Disneyland. “Whether it’s going to Mount Rushmore or Yellowstone Park or the Statue Of Liberty, I say Kiss is one of the Wonders Of The World. Maybe I’m biased because I’m in the band, but I really believe that you gotta see Kiss at least once in your life. Even if you don’t like Kiss or don’t know anything about them, I guarantee when you walk away from the show you’re going to go, ‘That was a lot of fun – I’ll never see anything like that again.’ I always say, ‘It’s rock ‘n’ roll meets the circus coming to town!’”

Appearing: September 3rd at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park.

Although old-school Kiss Army members may not be a fan of the new “Cat,” Singer has actually been in and out of the band since the early ’90s, when they started hitting hard rock’s radar again. Before and after he has played with folks like Lita Ford, Gary Moore, Black Sabbath, Badlands, Alice Cooper, and Paul Stanley’s solo tour back in 1989. The tragic loss of longtime Kiss drummer Eric Carr, who died of cancer in 1991, prompted Stanley to recommended they bring in Singer. He played on 1992’s Revenge, a record that shot Kiss back up the charts via MTV’s then-popular “Headbanger’s Ball.” Singer also played on Alive III, Unplugged, and Carnival Of Souls: The Final Sessions, as well as the home videos X-Treme Close-Up and Konfidential.

The circus has been hitting towns for the past year since the band’s first studio album in 11 years, Sonic Boom, came out in October of last year. It rewarded fans with its Destroyer-era beefy tongue-in-cheek riffs and lyrics, encouraging the hordes of Kiss concertgoers.

On the recording of Sonic Boom, Singer says it was Stanley who brought up the idea of going back into the studio. “I think what happened was he started thinking, ‘Hey, this band sounds really good, we get along really good . . .’ and when things are good you get inspired to do things. He also saw that the audience was getting younger, and I think things changed. Three years ago, I didn’t think we’d do another record. In fact, I didn’t think we’d be doing as much touring as we’ve been doing. But we started working on ideas while we were on tour; sometimes Paul or Gene [Simmons, bass] or Tommy [Thayer, guitar] would work on some riffs and when we got back to L.A. we’d go into the studio and record them.

“We did [Sonic Boom] the old-school way, playing together live to analog tape. Obviously we used some digital technology and modern stuff once we recorded basic tracks, because then it’s easier to work. But it was done in a more easy, non-pressure, organic kind of way. I’d say it was probably about the easiest record I ever had to make, in the sense of not feeling pressure, like, ‘O.K., you gotta do all your drum tracks in two or three days then you’re done, later.’ We took our time. It was a real pleasure to make. It was well-received, and we’ve had a blast the last year playing all these shows and we’ve already been talking about going into the studio and doing another record.”

Singer says the Kiss Army these days ranges in age from 3 to 73.

“It’s really like a family kind of thing,” he notes. “When I was a kid, going to see a rock band with your family would have been considered so uncool. But things have changed a lot. Now it’s actually cool to go to events together as a family.”

Paul Stanley is a family man, with a couple of very small children, whom he took overseas with him for part of their spring tour. “It was great for him and good for us too,” says Singer, “because there’s nothing better than the laughter of little kids and having kids around. It’s good medicine for everybody.”

Kiss have made their current tour a family affair in a few ways: at outdoor venues any lawn ticket is allowed to bring in four children under age 14 for free. They’re also donating a dollar from every ticket sold to the Wounded Warriors Care Project, which helps veterans.

A band with a franchise as big as Kiss’ allows the members the luxury of jetting home after a few shows for breaks to spend with family (though Singer has no kids himself), or, in the drummer’s case, consultations with the pool man. “I don’t want to say doing ‘weekend warrior,’ but the way our scheduling is sometimes we don’t have to stay out on the road,” he explains. “We’ve been going out playing the weekend then coming home for a few days so everybody can have a little bit of recharge time, but more importantly everybody can have a chance to be with their families or deal with other things.

“When we go back out Friday, we’ll be out on the East Coast and this time we’ll be out for about two-and-a-half weeks before we have another couple days off. I guess this is the way country acts do it, I’m told, because, you know, they’re very family-oriented. It’s like people who go to work Monday through Friday and have the weekend off: We do it the other way around. It’s a little crazy getting on a plane after you’ve played and have to fly across the country in the middle of the night and get home in the wee hours of the morning, but it’s kinda nice because then when I wake up and I’m in my own bed and in my house and it isn’t too bad.”

Who knew that the outlandish costumed, makeupped group of pyrotechnic-loving characters – the Demon, Starchild, Cat, and Spaceman – would end up 40-some odd years later being a family-friendly band? Wait . . . Characters . . . Disneyland . . .

“One thing we’ve really noticed is the demographic,” says Singer. “There are a lot of young teenagers coming to the shows. Sure they’ve heard about the band either from their parents or from [the video games] ‘Rock Band’ and ‘Guitar Hero,’ but when asked a lot of them say, ‘I found Kiss on the Internet!’ The advent of YouTube was a novelty at first, but it has turned into a great promotional tool without people having to do anything. People just post clips and [other] people discover you!”

– Penelope Biver

For the full story, grab the September issue of Illinois Entertainer, available free throughout Chicagoland.

Justin Harris would like to take this moment to clarify some things about his band. The shorthand on the new Menomena record, Mines (Barsuk), concerns an outfit on the brink – three men at the end of their respective ropes with each other and the tense batch of songs documenting the turmoil. Harris more or less disputes this charge, chalking any rough-going up to normal human relations and dismissing a reference to “brutal disagreements” in their press materials as “a bit of an exaggeration.”

Appearing: September 25th at Metro in Chicago.

“We do have our moments, for sure,” he says, “but, like most relationships over a long period of time, I don’t think we [remember] well enough how to communicate with each other. The hardest part for us as a band is all trying to be on the same page at the same time. We go through stages where one or two of us will be super-excited and the other’s doing something else – it kind of moves around like that. Once touring ends, it takes a while for us to get on the same page.”

There’s also this bit, definitely self-perpetuated, that the band, as a concept, is bionic, or at the very least silicon-based. Depending on the article you read, all their music results from a Digital Looping Recorder (DLR or “Deeler”) that runs a program stemming from an old school project, or the Deeler just gets passed around when the trio are scrounging for ideas.

“It’s somewhat of a misunderstood concept in our band,” Harris explains. “Most people keep writing about it, but it’s not used in the writing/recording aspect of the actual albums. We do these little jam sessions when we practice and filter through stuff that catches our attention at the time that [we like]. I know in whatever I’ve read that seems to be this focal point. It’s misinformation, typically.”

So there you have it: Menomena – normal rock band.

Puh-leeze.

What makes the band such a bunch of farging weirdos is the utopian egalitarianism that’s become a forced/reviled dynamic, where each member demands fierce loyalty of the others while following his own creative whims. And the DLR might not be HAL 9000 or even Hal David, but it can’t be denied that Menomena’s relationship with technology is central to their very being. The intensity with which they use it requires everyone remain tethered and focused – an issue when Harris’ mates Brent Knopf and Danny Seim (each member sings; Knopf and Harris dabble in keys and guitars while Seim generally manages the percussion) both record solo projects, which delayed Mines incalculably.

“It’s not ideal,” he says, “but at the same time it’s better than the alternative of a big, monster Menomena where you can’t do any other projects. I think there’s a high level of understanding among all of us. But this is our bread-and-butter, so to speak, and why these solo projects [garner] awareness.”

– Steve Forstneger

To find out how it turned out, grab the September issue of Illinois Entertainer, available free throughout Chicagoland.

For some reason – and he’s not sure why, exactly – John Rzeznik houses every last award he’s won with his barnstorming Buffalo outfit The Goo Goo Dolls in a trophy case located in his kitchen. And after 24 years and nine albums together, the man has assembled quite a collection – four ASCAP Songwriter Of The Years, four Grammy nominations, a Radio Music Award, even a coveted Teen Choice Award. But the kudo that pleases him the most is a little acrylic pyramid called the Hal David Starlight Award, recently presented to him when he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. “That means more to me than winning a Grammy or whatever,” claims the composer, who’s penned over a dozen Top 10 hits, including memorable no. 1s like “Iris,” “Name,” and “Give A Little Bit.” “For me, it’s always more important to be a songwriter than a rock star, because rock stardom kind of goes away, but I can write songs for the rest of my life if I want.”

The Hall Of Fame event was an odd one, too, Rzeznik recalls. He flew to New York from his adopted home of L.A., decked himself out in a nice – but uncomfortable – suit, and, with his girlfriend and band manager in tow, dropped by the intimate hotel where the dinner/ceremony was being held. “But it was pretty cool, because there were a lot of heavy hitters there,” he notes. “There were a lot of the old lions from the publishing business, and it was really fun to talk to those guys and listen to their war stories, like, ‘The way it used to be in the old days, we’d be selling the records out of the trunk of a car!’ But Paul Anka was there. Paul Anka was in the elevator, which was pretty amazing. So I said ‘Hi’ kinda timidly. I mean, the guy wrote ‘My Way’! But I just don’t know what to say to famous people.”

Rzeznik isn’t joking. When he met his guitar idol Brian May in London once, he could only stammer an awakward ‘Uhhh . . . what kinda strings do you use?’ And when he met late legend Les Paul during a tribute-album session, he was literally speechless. Especially after Paul handed him a personally autographed acoustic six-string. Again, the Goo Goo Doll wound up gravitating to old-schoolers during the recordings (he performed U2’s “All I Want Is You”). “The guy who produced that album, Bob Cuttarella, was one of the classic producers, and a really interesting guy,” he says. “And he was really creative – he made you feel like what you were doing was really important, ya know?” Rzeznik sighs, somberly. “I like to work with guys like that who have a pretty long past. I find a lot of the new guys just don’t wanna be creative.”

Rzeznik underscores his point with a zany tale of a certain Scottish producer he and GGD co-founder Robby Takac once worked with, who absolutely despised the band Cheap Trick, particularly its first fourth studio set Dream Police. So it was mischievous glee that Rzeznik – a longtime Trick disciple – would be blasting said record at maximum volume every morning when the producer would arrive at the studio. “Just to, you know, kinda start our day off right,” the 44-year-old snickers. And it’s a reasonable aesthetic question: What purported music fan in his right mind could deny the brilliance of the early Rick Nielsen catalog?

So Rzeznik is serious about this songwriting thing. Dead serious. “That’s why this new record, Something For The Rest Of Us, took so long to make,” he explains, of the new GGD effort, produced by Tim Palmer, with additional work by John Fields and the in-demand Butch Vig. “Because you listen to it and you’re like, ‘What can I do differently? What can I do better? How can I dig a little deeper?’ So we all decided that we had to dig a lot harder. When we heard the first version of the album when it was done, we were sorta like ‘Yeah, O.K., it’s good. And we can put it out. But why?’ So we wound up taking six months more and – I think, at least – really making it better.”

The final mix does, indeed, ring like the proverbial bell. There are huge, arena-rousing chimers (“Hey Ya,” “One Night,” “Sweetest Lie”), string-buttressed power ballads (“Notbroken,” “Still Your Song”), and perfectly-sculpted pop-rock anthems that find Rzeznik pleading for sanity – and the sanctity of home life – in a world gone mad (“Home,” “Soldier,” “Nothing Is Real”). Alongside, of course, two scrappy entries from the chipmunk-voiced Takac, “Now I Hear” and “Say You’re Free,” who’s still blissfully residing in the group’s punk-rock past.

– Tom Lanham

To find out how it turned out, grab the September issue of Illinois Entertainer, available free throughout Chicagoland.

Call Australia’s Xavier Rudd the thinking man’s Jeff Spicoli. With a blonde mop of tousled hair he certainly looks the part, but underneath the hippie-dippy prose and a near spiritual devotion to surfing lies a soul attuned to the still waters than run deeply through the Aboriginal culture of his homeland and the hearts of his world family – his fans. 

Appearing: September 11th at Vic Theatre in Chicago.

“I feel very blessed. Good people come to my shows and that’s apparent all over the world. It’s good people. It’s good energy. I just respect it,” Rudd explains nearly an hour before taking the stage in France.

After a heady year that saw the dissolution of his decade-long marriage, Rudd exudes a sense of peace and seems comfortable in his own skin as he embarks on a late summer tour in support of his latest release, Koonyum Sun (Anti).

“I really don’t worry about what other people think or what I am or what I should be or anything I like. I just am who I am. I do what I do. I come from where I come from. I play music and people ask me questions, I answer them. I sing about what I feel,” he says as if reciting a mantra. “I don’t waste any time thinking how I’m perceived or what I should or shouldn’t do. That’s the problem with our world. People spend too much time in their mind.”

A direct line can be traced from Rudd’s karmic shift to two South African men – bassist Tio Moloantoa and percussionist Andile Nqubezdo. Some people meet at large music festivals, make small chit chat, and, if they are lucky, spontaneously run into one another further on down the arm’s-length schedule of bands. For Rudd, Moloantoa, and Nqubezdo, a chance encounter at Austria’s Nuke Festival turned into a collaboration that surpassed the average “let’s find each other on Facebook” interaction between newfound acquaintances.

“We just have a strong connection. We had a powerful connection from day one and a strong respect for what each other was doing and we ended up rehearsing about a year later and we’ve been playing together ever since,” Rudd recounts. “There was something heavy happening with them musically. It turned into us staying in touch and we just talked about playing eventually and then we just did it.”

The 32-year-old – known for his one-man shows and proficient didgeridoo chops – cast aside his reputation for playing every instrument himself and welcomed the addition of actual bandmates. He even added the moniker “Inzintaba” to his name to represent this new era in his musical journey and career trajectory. The Zulu word for “mountains,” Inzintaba conjures up the feeling that permeated Rudd’s initial reaction to finding himself in the presence of both Moloantoa and Nqubezdo. 

– Janine Schaults

To find out how it turned out, grab the September issue of Illinois Entertainer, available free throughout Chicagoland.

Richie Hoffher has sacrificed for his band. “Man, I lived with my parents ’til I was 35.” In between those rare nights sleeping in his own bed, Hoffher, the co-founder/guitarist, reinvested nearly every dollar he earned back into his band, 7th Heaven, playing over 250 gigs a year, sleeping on friends’ floors, fleabag motels, and the occasional Motel 6 when a promoter offered an upgrade.

Today, Hoffher’s reinvestment seems to have paid some dividends as we sit in his nearly new west suburban recording studio/home/NTD Records office along with long-time 7H guitarist/vocalist Nick Cox. Scattered over two floors of space, there are dozens of boxes of touring t-shirts and other swag, hundreds of packets of guitar strings, and more guitar picks than most bands would use in 10 years. “We’re Dunlop’s [pick manufacturer] biggest customer, bigger than Metallica. Our fans call us ‘the band with the picks,’” says Hoffher

“I’ve been doing this since I was 15, this is always what I planned, to have a band and a label.” Though Hoffher gives a passing nod to some of Chicago indie-label owners of days gone by like Jim Nash (Wax Trax) and Kai Dohm (Rotz Records), his business model, intended or not for NTD Records is not only a full-time promotional vehicle for “friends of the owner,” but instead of industrial and punk rock on their label, NTD focuses like-minded suburban-based rock bands like Hi-Fi Superstar, He Said, She Said, and Men From Marz. Like a Stateside version of Alan McGee (former Oasis manager, label owner), Hoffher books, records, and promotes the bands on his label. “It just seemed as a natural progression as we booked 7th Heaven we needed opening bands and headliners on nights we could not commit to a certain venue.”

“We’ve tried to mold our band and label in ways that means we’ll always remain profitable, and that means avoiding some of the financial mistakes that other [now defunct] Chicago bands might have made, like Dovetail Joint and Extra Very.” Cox and Hoffher note that those bands signed major-label deals with relatively large cash advances, while 7H decided to remain independent and release their own music. “We just decided that being signed to a label deal wouldn’t work for us if it meant ending up in bankruptcy, which some of these bands did. We actually chose Plan B,” Cox says.

7th Heaven began as a fair-to-middling, struggling hard-rock band in 1985 that learned to write songs the hard way, and that meant getting through the fog of not only being teenagers and writing some shaky material, a few tracks of which are being re-recorded and given new life for their Jukebox box set, but simply learning to be better songwriters and a live band. Their music has progressed in 25 years from ’80s hair band mayhem to Nitzer Ebb-styled aggro-rock to its current incarnation as harmony-filled AOR, where Train meets Def Leppard. The return of Cox on guitar after a sabbatical, Mark Kennetz on bass, and co-founder Michael Mooshey on drums, has added to their continued stability.

The band has decidedly come into its own in the last five years with the addition of “Pop-Idol U.K.” contestant Keith Semple, whose musical instincts complement Hoffher’s honed rock and pop songwriting abilities. When former vocalist Andrew Blake departed the band on somewhat strained terms (“Unfortunately, he’s the only former member I don’t speak to any longer,” says Hoffher), the band found Semple on Myspace and Hoffher e-mailed him on a whim. He was stunned when Stemple responded with a late-night phone call from Northern Ireland. After some negotiation, visas were obtained, the band flew him into O’Hare, and Semple became the band’s third lead vocalist in 20 years. “It was really a longshot, I knew the landsape of vocalists around Chicago, but I wanted something different. I’ve always been fascinated by good singers. This band plays a lot of shows, and we needed someone with endurance, someone who wasn’t afraid to perform in front of 10,0000 people, the guy who had the voice. That turned out to be Keith. This guy from Northern Ireland.”

– John Vernon

To find out how it turned out, grab the September issue of Illinois Entertainer, available free throughout Chicagoland.

Leafing through the photo album with even the most casual interest suggests Local H frontman Scott Lucas was once scowling when someone hit him on the back, thus sentencing him to a life term with a frown on his puss. Though his hardened demeanor – great for this fall’s prison fashions – shows no sign of crumbling, his inner smile has become irrepressible. On October 19th, he’ll release music from two of his guises – Local H and Scott Lucas & The Married Men – one of which he even describes as “fun” in the press release. The H’s Awesome Mix Tape #1 features seven covers that have become staples of the band’s live sets, like Pink Floyd’s “Time,” The Jesus Lizard’s “Puss,” and TV On The Radio’s “Wolf Like Me.” His Married Men side-project also has an EP on offer, The Absolute Beginners, which is named for the David Bowie song and bears two reworkings of tracks from the SLMM debut, George Lassos The Moon, and a tinkering with Local H’s “Hey Rita.”

Sailing, Take Me Away…

Taking the famed Brooklyn Pool Parties and putting it on steroids, indie rockers are following their classic-rock forefathers onto the high seas. While voyages featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sammy Hagar, and Lyle Lovett have been popular for years, the maiden Bruise Cruise sets sail February 25th through 28th next year. Venturing from Miami to Nassau, the band list includes such blogosphere-approved darlings as The Black Lips, Vivian Girls, Quintron & Miss Pussycat, Turbo Fruits, and more. Prices start at $615 (not including transport to Miami), which also packages an island party, various open bars, and a breakfast pancakes show with Miss Pussycat. You can also gamble to win your money back, but not your soul.

Storm Recovery

Widespread flooding, protests in New York and Arizona, record heat, Blago’s limp non-verdict, endless recession . . . for lacking a truly defining catastrophe, this has been an unbelievably irritating summer. If you pick up this issue in time, The Venue at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana hosts the Voices Of Rock Radio show on the 4th, with an ear toward easing the burden on Illinois communities who suffered the brunt of a tornado onslaught. Journey/The Storm vocalist and downstater Kevin Chalfant fronts the VRR, with Survivor’s Jimi Jamison, Ted Nugent frontman Derek St. Holmes (not Spinal Tap’s David St. Hubbins), The Romantics’ Wally Palmar, and Eddie And The Cruisers alum John Cafferty, whose turn for “On The Dark Side” we think directly inspired Arcade Fire’s “Keep The Car Running.”

Ice, Ice Baby

Pardon the understatement, but music in video games – specifically sports games – has come a long way since the seven-second “Here Come The ‘Hawks” snippet in “NHL ‘94.” 2K Sports’ “NHL 2K11″ bows this summer, and when we found out Vancouver Canucks centerman Ryan Kesler chose some songs, we had to find out which. Among a set that includes Alice In Chains, Wolfmother, and Chicago-based Rise Against’s “Long Forgotten Sons,” Kesler – who termed the honor “unreal” and calls himself “that guy who sings in his car” – tabbed 3 Doors Down’s “Kryptonite” and The Trews‘ “Hold Me In Your Arms.” He also told us that along with the Blackhawks’ “Chelsea Dagger,” he can’t stand the Blue Jackets’, Flames’, and Coyotes’ goal celebrations and brushed aside our swipe that GM Place is a glow stick short of a rave when Vancouver scores. But what we were really after was this: Now that Dustin Byfuglien and Kesler-nemesis Andrew Ladd are out of Chicago, will the ‘Nucks still have a rivalry in Chicago? “Obviously they knocked us out of the playoffs again, and it’s probably more of a rivalry to us than them. But we want to beat them every time.”

– Steve Forstneger

IE: Your musical ambitions seem pretty friendly and harmless.
Jeff Daniels: I’m not trying to hurt anybody.

IE: Were you reluctant at first, or the guy “Jesus, Jeff’s got his guitar out again.”
JD: I avoided it at all costs. The “Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore” or “Kumbaya” around the campfire – I was never that guy. I only came out, so to speak, because we needed to raise money at [Daniels' acting theater] The Purple Rose. The fall show was out and the winter show hadn’t started, and I was looking at the theater going, “We need to raise some money. We should be doing something – there’s a lot of people in the area. What can we do that’s cheap or, God forbid, free?” They said, “Well, you and your guitar can go on out there and we can sell tickets to that.” And then it was, “Great. Me and my big mouth.” I did that in 2000, and I was absolutely terrified. I was just a backporch player.

IE: So when you write material, do you think primarily of augmenting a set?
JD: There’s a standard set that I’ve been doing for awhile, but I keep writing stuff that wants to get in. Sometimes you’re in a place where it’s the “listening” room, where they want to hear the writing. Or you feel like a third of the audience are guitar players and want to see some guitar work. “Here are those.” So I gauge it off of them. Or it’s “I want a beer and I want to laugh tonight. Please make me laugh tonight – I’ve had a rough fuckin’ week.”

IE: Have you ever bombed?
JD: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Oh. Oh!

IE: Is it a compounding of mistakes after not reading the room right?
JD: It’s they’re not buying “actor-boy singing.” It’s usually something where I’m brought out and it’s the wrong setting. If you’re somewhere where there’s something else they can be doing, like, oh, I don’t know, turning around and walking to the bar at the back of the room? Or it’s a fundraiser and it’s Washington D.C. and it’s who’s-important talking to who’s-more-important and you’re up there singing your little funny song about a recreational vehicle? Uh-uh.

IE: You’ve got to get a taste for the big cancellation. You need a bit of primadonna, and I’m not getting that from you.
JD: I have been with divas, and I have also seen great people like Clint [Eastwood] and Meryl [Streep], in particular, who are not that way and who can with one remark or one burst of talent completely bring that diva to his or hers knees. I like using Clint and Meryl as models for what I should and shouldn’t be doing. It’s the mediocre who behave that way, I’m afraid. .

Jeff Daniels plays September 17th at Space in Evanston. His fourth record, Live At The Purple Rose, is out now. Q&A by Steve Forstneger.

Aevumin (a band with an instantly recognizable moniker but with pronunciation challenges) plays tight and peppy post-punk rock on a seven-track, self-titled CD. Some, like “Cliché,” value frantic power-chords, riffing and lyrics. But the band shines when jamming to groovier, more deliberate midtempo rhythms like on “Lonely Walks Away.” Another keeper, “Ignore Me,” declares: “Does anybody hear me?/You can’t ignore me!” True enough. (www.myspace.com/aevumin)
– Jason Scales

Justin Cancelliere sounds like he installed himself into his hard drive, which would only compound the desperation and desolation consuming him. Recording as Be Nice, he solders cold, impersonal electronic blips and beats to his broken heart on Both And Spiraling More, in a style akin to The Postal Service and Mobius Band. Though his constant romantic letdowns leave him looking gullible and intolerably wimpy, the frequently overloaded arrangements vividly elucidate his frazzled emotions. (www.myspace.com/ benicebenice)
– Steve Forstneger

You remember that dude in high school who fell in love a little too easily? He found three like him and formed The Bradburys. The Don’t Pump The Swingset EP may advertise its standardized power pop in “Vandaphonic Sound,” but this five-song set is all about girls A) they’re too afraid to talk to, B) wouldn’t talk to them anyway, or C) just want to be friends. Now if only some of that shy nuance could make it into the music. (www. myspace.com/brad burys)
– Steve Forstneger

Thoughtful, electronic-fused rock is the dominant sound on Counterfeit I’s full-length debut, Circuitry. This Wheaton-based act, led by Derek Allen, can certainly grind out the angsty, rugged rock heard on “The Age Of Machines,” but isn’t afraid to get a little ghostly with synths and other electronic elements on highlights like “Perfume Trigger.” It’s at these moments where CI gets experimental without losing focus. (www.myspace.com/counterfeiti)
– Max Herman

Immersed in Midwestern power pop and unencumbered by commercial trends, Dulcet Road follows the straight path on its self-titled EP. Casting a weary, weathered stare, tracks like “Wichita (Another Day)” and “Ghost Town” match jangly, Old 97’s grit with the straightahead, melodic pulse of International Pop Overthrow veterans. It’s rare that a band that sounds like it’s together just for the joy of playing can manage this level of professionalism. (www.dulcetroad.com)
– Steve Forstneger

Flatfoot 56 plays Celtic punk as good if not better than any other band, with all due respect to Dropkick Murphys, and the 13-track Black Thorns from the South Siders proves it. Traditional instruments like bagpipes are used (as on “Stampede”) not for gimmick, but for effective backing support for the full-throttle jams. The mandolin shredding blends perfectly with the power chords on “Hot Head,” and the requisite ballad “Shiny Eyes” shows the band’s versatility. (www.flatfoot56.com)
– Jason Scales

Although many of the songs on High Gloss Black’s six-song demo benefit from the husky and sexy vocals of its female lead singer (see “Barriers”), a couple of these metal tracks would undeniably benefit from a more testosterone-fueled vocalist as well, such as “Bury Me” and the disc closer, “The One.” Better production values could also improve this American Motherload offshoot’s sound and certainly add to the “gloss.” (www.myspace.com/highglossblack)
– Dean Ramos

Recalling the menacing sonic horror of early Swans, Locrian’s brooding soundscapes mine the bleakest recesses of the imagination. A distant, barely audible voice scrapes to be heard among the heavily processed drones in “Inverted Ruins,” while that same helpless voice is buried in the foreboding tidal waves of noise in the perfectly titled “Procession Of Ancestral Brutalism.” This is definitely for a select audience, but the patient and astute listener will be rewarded with a beautifully depressing work of art. (www.myspace. com/thelocrian)
– Patrick Conlan

Eschewing the usual hipster trappings of skinny-jeaned psychedelia or nostalgic new wave, Mike Maimone & The Mutts seems to be going for a Tom Waits-ish vibe on Pretty Pictures, especially with the way he plays the piano. While track-for-track one of the best and most original self-released EPs this particular critic has heard in quite some time, “Uncivilized” stands out, a song that would undoubtedly feel at home in only the smokiest of dimly lit nightclubs. (www.myspace.com/mikemai mone)
– Dean Ramos

Mathien might just have what it takes to be the next great pop outfit to come out of Chicago. Formed at SIU with his friends, Chris Mathien pours his intelligent lyrics, catchy hooks, and charismatic personality into every track. Influences range from Maroon 5 to 3OH3 to Jason Mraz, and the sound ranges from funk to soul to reggae to pop to rock. Each style is handled with surprising skill and depth for such a young band, resulting in 14 tracks of non-skip-worthy musical enjoyment. (www.mathienlive.com)
– Carter Moss

Shelley Miller’s third solo CD, When It’s All Gone, You Come Back, once again showcases her not inconsiderable musical chops undoubtedly honed as a veteran acoustic guitar/songwriting teacher at Old Town School Of Folk Music. Like her last effort (reviewed here in ‘07), she makes good use of her studio, producer, and sidepeople, though this time with some more decidedly electric and country turns, that bring a welcome variety of tempo/timbre to the material and continue to set her apart – though not necessarily too far in the forefront – from the rest of the trad/folk cadre. (www.shelleymiller.net)
– David C. Eldredge

On Learn To Dance, Roselle-based quartet The Mojoskillet plays the type of Americana suited for the untroubled set. Lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Bartholo-mew sings lightly about love while the upbeat, folk-leaning arrangements keep the mood festive. These are the type of tracks made for a summer street fest with a crowd that’s in no hurry. (www.reverbnation.com/themojoskillet)
– Max Herman

The Moses Gun unleashes a revved-up version of grunge on its self-titled EP. The trio mixes in other elements as well, especially on “Broken Neck,” which includes avant garde jazz amid its multiple tempo changes. “Ashley” is a spirited instrumental while “Perfect Wea-ther” serves as the band’s hard-edged version of romance. A bonus CD shows The Moses Gun adding acoustic textures to its sound. (www.myspace .com/themosesgun)
– Terrence Flamm

Journeyman sin-ger/songwriter Jackson Rohm shows how well he’s honed his skills on his sixth CD, Acoustic Sessions. Rohm’s engaging tales occasionally recall Jim Croce, especially on the slinky “All Never Mattered,” and he’s also adept at country & western. “Four On The Floor” is a touching tribute to a fellow musician who passed away, while on the more rock-oriented “Chris-tine,” Rohm aims to be more than friends with a longtime crush. (www.jackson rohm.com)
– Terrence Flamm

How many bands can you name that have been recording new music for 35 years? How many bluegrass bands can you name that hail from Chicago? Special Consensus are the rare group that fit both of those. So to celebrate, the bluegrass veterans released 35, a collection of six previously unreleased and six new recordings. Despite the tracks’ varying ages, all 12 prove the same thing: these guys have perfected the fine art of bluegrass and have earned every year of their long career. (www.compassrecords.com)
– Carter Moss

There’s no doubt Streets On Fire frontman “Chadwick” commands the stage like a man possessed, spazzing equal portions of Jon Spencer, Jack White, and The Stranglers’ Hugh Cornwell. Pile them all into a taut, Ponys-esque post-punk/death-disco package as the band do on This Is Fancy, and you get a lot of flash and dash – and that’s it. Tracks like “No One’s Fucking On The Radio” and “Astronaut Love Triangle” are ridiculous but could still be essential to the larger piece, but without support they’re vulgar novelties. (www.thestreetsonfire.com)
– Steve Forstneger

Velocity is heavily concentrated on playing ’70s and ’80s rock hits and its demo no doubt showcases a love for recognizable tunes from yesteryear. UFO, Led Zeppelin, and Ozzy Osbourne are just a few of the bands these western suburbanites attentively revisit. Focusing on such a specific niche as a cover band, don’t expect any huge surprises, but do expect to reminisce. (www.myspace.com/velocityhard rock)
– Max Herman

While not as cool as modern metal styles, heavy, roaring rock ‘n’ roll will have always have a faithful, denim-clad following, and The Warning Label play for that crowd. Reminiscent of the heavy rock of the ’70s and ’80s – think of any of the big-gest names from the era: Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Motley Crue – and you can hear them in The Warning Label’s sound. Light-ning-fast solos punctuate “In Control” and “Chains Of Evil,” while “Superstar” features a thick, rhythmic grind. (www.myspace.com/thewarninglabelmusic)
– Patrick Conlan

Vocalist Brooke Bartlett follows her own advice on Whiskey Blonde’s Scream Like You Mean It EP, belting out, “Rock me as hard as you can!” over the aggressive guitars and drums on “Crash & Burn.” She wails on the heavy-metal stomp of “Sweet Unknown,” and her band members break free for some extended jamming. Bartlett also impresses while taking a more subtle approach on power ballad “Faded Star.” (www.myspace.com/whiskeyblonde)
– Terrence Flamm

Here’s the thing about digital voice recorders: the “record” button must be pressed in order to record something.

Actually, there are voice-activated options, but I don’t trust ‘em. There’s too much at risk when conducting an interview to trust a tiny-ass sound sensor inside a tiny-ass digital record to kick on and off when it hears voices. Huh-uh, girlfriend. If that tiny-ass thing inside the other tiny-ass thing doesn’t work, you have no interview, and, therefore, no story. Your time – plus that of the interviewee – is wasted, and you have to tell the editor you’re a dumb-ass piece of shit who can’t remember to push a button.

Luckily, I only forgot to record half my interview with The Sword guitarist Kyle Shutt. Unluckily, it was most of the talk about his band’s new – third overall – full length, Warp Riders (Kemado). Luckily, the rest of the interview is still very interesting. Unluckily (not for The Sword, though), Warp Riders is absolutely killer and the Austin, Texas-based quartet’s (Shutt, guitarist/vocalist JD Cronise, bassist Bryan Richie, and drummer Trivett Wingo) best effort yet, so having that particular conversation for this column would have been nice.

But I don’t. Sorry, O.K.? You might be perfect, but I’m not. Now, who wants to read about touring with Metallica?! The Sword are at Metro October 23rd.

Mosh: I read your story about meeting Lars Ulrich while on tour with Trivium, so I won’t make you rehash, but one question: How did The Sword end up touring with Trivium?
Kyle Shutt: That’s a really good question. We’re really not the kind of band that listens to much new metal, I guess you’d call it. That was ‘06, I think. It was right in the middle of the Age Of Winters tour, and we got a call from our booking agent. We had the summer off, and he’s like, “Hey, there’s this band Trivium, it’s a six-week tour, and you can get direct support.” It was pretty decent money for the kind of band we were at the time, and [sighs] . . . we hadn’t heard them before. We were like, “We need a tour, it’s pretty good money, and they’re suppose to be the new band that’s sorta old-school, right?” So we get in the van and are driving to Orlando, and somebody puts on the CD that our booking agent sent us and we were like, “Oh, no. What have we gotten ourselves into?” It was something to watch every night. That band . . . I hate to talk bad shit on people, but Jesus Christ. Talk about playing shows where all the kids are 14-years old and sleep on the barricade in front of you while you play. It did some good for us, but all in all I wish I had my six weeks back. [Laughs]

M: Did you find the Metallica fanbase to be more or less accepting than you expected?
KS: A lot more accepting, to tell you the truth. I’ve heard opening for Slayer can be rough ’cause they only want to see Slayer, and it was like that to a certain extent in the United States. The arenas here are so big and they have malls in them and bars and shit, and people go hang out until Metallica goes on. Sometimes you end up playing a 15,000-seat arena and there’s 3,000 people watching you, and it feels empty. But sometimes you get in there [and go] on to a full house. Honestly, it’s hit or miss with those big shows. But we got nothing but positive feedback, and if there was anything else I really haven’t heard it.

M: How did you get on with the other support bands?
KS: Really well, actually. Down was awesome because we actually partied with Pepper Keenan a couple times. We heard Phil Anselmo was a fan, and he was. He was a total riot to hang out with. It was just ridiculous. The shit that comes out of that guy’s mouth is golden. That guy was sayin’ shit that I . . . I couldn’t believe. [Laughs]. He wrapped himself in this huge flag that’s got pot leaves all over it. He’s in front of a sold-out crowd, and he’s like [in a remarkably good Anselmo voice], “Marijuana smoke. All day. Every day.” You hang out with him, and you just, whew. He’s a funny, funny guy. Lamb Of God did a bunch of shows, and we’ve been friends with them for years. They took us to Japan back in the day. You know honestly, the reason we have a record deal is because of Lamb Of God in a way, so we owe them a lot. And they’re a class act. They’re some really great dudes to hang out with. Machine Head, I used to listen to them when I was a kid. I remember going to see Pantera when I was like 14, and they were the opening band. It was cool to be able to hang out with those dudes. It was a trip.

M: You guys have been in three editions of “Guitar Hero” . . .
KS: Four! Count ‘em! Four!

M: Really?
KS: We did “Guitar Hero 2,” “Guitar Hero Metallica,” “Guitar Hero Smash Hits” . . .

M: Ohhh . . . “Smash Hits.”
KS: “Smash Hits” is actually pretty cool because we recorded “Freya” for them. So it’s a special version you can’t get on Age Of Winters or anything like that. So it’s actually kind worth it for super-nerd fans to track down that version of “Freya.” It’s recorded at the same studio we did Gods Of The Earth in. We just went in there one day and recorded “Freya” and a couple Kiss covers.

M: Do you play “Guitar Hero”?
KS: No. I mean, I did when “Guitar Hero 2″ came out. They sent us all some copies, and I played it and went “O.K. I did that.” I’ve played the Metallica one.

M: That has to be a bit surreal because that game sells zillions of copies.
KS: I kinda feel like the house band at this point. You look at the back of those games, and it’s like, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, and then Sword. Whoa! What are we doing on there?! It’s a trip. Honestly, it’s about as close to mainstream exposure bands like us can get nowadays. When “Guitar Hero 2″ came out, that was in October, I think, of ‘06, and before Christmas it had already sold a million copies. And the kids have to play your song to get to the next part of the game. It’s ingenious.

M: “Metal revival” is a term often used in conjunction with The Sword. Thoughts?
KS: “Metal revival.” I don’t know. I don’t think too hard about words [laughs] and their meanings. I hate to talk big on us or whatever, but we just play riffs like bands used to play. We sing instead of scream. We’re trying to just rock like Thin Lizzy used to, you know? Just write some fuckin’ songs for the metalheads out there, ’cause there’s not that much metal like that anymore coming out these days.

M: Can you tune out talk like “hipster metal” and “ironic”? It has to be frustrating.
KS: It was years ago, but I’ve accomplished so much more than anything I ever thought I would with this band, so honestly every day is a gift to me. It they want to say we’re some hipster, piece-of-crap band, then you know what? Start your own awesome band and take over the world. See how far you fucking get. I don’t have time for people’s negative attitudes.

MOSH-WORTHY: Iron Thrones The Wretched Sun (self-released), Dave Mustaine with Joe Layden, Mustaine (It Books), Invasion Orchestrated Kill Maneuver (Rotting Corpse), Riot God Riot God (Metalville), Dawnbringer Nucleus (Profound Lore).

– Trevor Fisher

Fucking brilliant! Those two words uttered by U2’s Bono while accepting an award for “The Hands That Built America” on a January 2003 NBC broadcast of the Golden Globes sparked a battle with the Federal Communications Commission that lasted until July of this year.

Bono’s outburst came hot on the heels of similar utterances by Cher (“Well, fuck ‘em!”) and Nicole Richie (“Have you ever tried to get cow shit out of a Prada purse? It’s not so fucking simple.”) during live awards shows. The FCC took offense, ruling that the networks that aired the shows had violated its indecency policy.

But in July, a federal appeals court struck down the FCC’s indecency policy, calling it “unconstitutionally vague.”

“The score for today’s game is First Amendment one, censorship zero,” Andrew Jay Schwartzman, policy director of Media Access Project, said in a statement. “Media Access Project entered this case on behalf of writers, producers, directors and musicians [including the Future Of Music Coalition and the Center For Creative Voices In Media] because the FCC’s indecency rules are irredeemably vague and interfere with the creative process. Today’s decision vindicates that argument. The next stop is the Supreme Court, and we’re confident that the Justices will affirm this decision.”

The U.S. Court Of Appeals Of The Second Circuit did not, however, have the power to strike down the initial ruling – the 1978 Supreme Court decision regarding the FCC’s right to police the airwaves for objectionable content. That ruling was spurred by a Pacifica radio broadcast of George Carlin’s famous monologue, “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television” (for the record, the list – which was Carlin’s, not the government’s – are shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker and tits.).

The FCC had used the FCC v. Pacifica Foundation decision as a hunting license when it started cracking under the Bush administration, deciding that profanity referring to sex or excrement was always considered indecent. (In 2004, Congress increased the maximum for each violation tenfold, to $350,000).

Fox, CBS and other television networks sued the FCC in 2006, claming that the FCC did not exlplain why it had changed its policy (previously, it had held that a single, non-literal use of an expletive was not considered indecent). The suit claimed FCC’s indecency policy was vague, and pointed out that the FCC had found ABC’s 2004 airing of the “shit” and “fuck”- peppered film “Saving Private Ryan” was not offensive, but somehow PBS’s airing of the same words in the documentary miniseries, “The Blues,” was.

In 2009, the Supreme Court ruled that the FCC could penalize networks for the occasional use of expletives, but did not rule on the constitutionality of the policy. The case was sent back to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, which ruled unanimously against the FCC in July.

The three-judge appeals court said FCC policy had had a chilling effect on protected speech. “Under the current policy, broadcasters must choose between not airing or censoring controversial programs and risking massive fines or possibly even loss of their licenses, and it is not surprising which option they choose,” U.S. Circuit Judge Rosemary S. Pooler wrote. “Indeed, there is ample evidence in the record that the FCC’s indecency policy has chilled protected speech.”

Such restraints included a Pennsylvania TV station’s decision not to provide live coverage of news events unless public safety or convenience are affected, and a Vermont station’s decision to carry a political debate because one of the candidates had previously sworn on the air.

Whether the case will end up at the Supreme Court remains to be seen. But if it did, the FCC’s indecency policy could be struck down. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski was vague, saying, “We’re reviewing the court’s decision in light of our commitment to protect children, empower parents, and uphold the First Amendment.”

Still pending are indecency cases involving the Steven Bochco drama “NYPD Blue,” which was fined by the FCC for showing seven seconds of a female rear end, Janet Jackson’s 2004 Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction, and a Fox reality show called “Married by America.” They probably won’t be decided until the Supreme Court rules on the current overturn of FCC policy.

In the meantime, look for broadcast TV to get more raunchy. Coming up this fall on CBS: a sitcom starring William Shatner, called “Shit My Dad Says.”

ODDS N SODS: Long-gone Chicago rock jock legend Patti Haze is now rockin’ hard on Chicago Radio Online. Haze, who lives Detroit, teams up with former Loop staffer Mitch Michaels as co-host of the Classic Rock Chicago format. Many other radio legends are hosting shows at the site – including Tommy Edwards, Fred Winston, Connie Szerszen, and Clark Weber. It’s the brainchild of Kurt Hanson and John Gehron of Chicago-based AccuRadio.com. Hear it for free at chicagoradioonline.com, or get the app . . . The Creative Loafing-owned Chicago Reader has chosen Geoff Doughtery to take over as associate publisher – an interesting choice considering that his Chi-Town Daily News and Chicago Current weren’t exactly sustainable. (He says it would have taken another year for CC to make it.) Doughtery says he’ll manage the weekly’s day-to-day operations and lead strategic projects. “The Reader’s new owners are particularly interested in growing the business by finding new ways to serve our advertisers and readers,” he says. “Online initiatives are a big part of that.” Less surprising is Kiki Yablon’s official move to editor, and Alison Draper to publisher. (Both had been in interim positions.) Let’s hope they can keep it together until some decent funding comes their way. Or pigs begin to fly.

– Cara Jepsen

The fall traditionally signals back to school, work, and more activity than the lazy days of summer usually demands. Well the blues has stepped it up as well, with a slew of recent releases and reissues from the masters.

For any blues guitar fan, the remastered, expanded version of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s 1984 classic, Couldn’t Stand The Weather (Epic/Legacy), is a must listen but it’s also an essential for anyone even slightly interested in the blues. This two-disc set crisply documents the breadth of Vaughan’s dazzling talent, from his stylish versions of blues standards to evocative originals. The reissue commemorates the 20th anniversary of the mournful passing of SRV in 1990, after an Alpine Valley show with Robert Cray and Eric Clapton. I was at that concert and it will forever be etched in my memory as a seminal music event. His charisma and stunning showmanship overshadowed both Cray and Clapton, illuminating the rising star power that was dashed too soon. As his second album, Couldn’t Stand The Weather’s eight tracks explored myriad influences, molding them into his own style. Coming so closely after 1983’s sizzling debut, Texas Flood, it has traditionally been underrated, but that might soon change.

Including the four session outtakes from the 1999 expanded version, the Legacy Edition adds four tunes from the posthumous The Sky Is Crying along with three previously unreleased alternate takes of that collection’s title track, “Stang’s Swang,” and “Boot Hill.” The real treat is the previously unreleased Stevie Ray and Double Trouble concert at the Montreal Spectrum in 1984. The heightened energy, the crazed crowd, the palpable emotion flying from Vaughan’s guitar chords are all there in vivid detail.

Another can’t-miss release from a legendary blues talent is Pinetop Perkins & Wille “Big Eyes” Smith’s Joined At The Hip (Telarc). Billed as 170 years of blues history on one album, these icons deliver all the skill and originality expected from 97-year-old and 74-year-old masters. One of the few living original Delta bluesmen, Perkins continues to tour and record and you hear it in the ease of his piano playing. Although Smith is most famous as Muddy Waters’ drummer, he has picked up the harp in recent years and the easygoing connection between the instruments and the two friends behind them makes this 13-track CD a pleasure to hear. Highlights include “Grown Up To Be A Man,” a classic Chicago blues shuffle, and a cover of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Cut That Out,” supplied with an uptempo groove and a rare and laid-back call-and-response between Perkins and Smith. However, the album’s absolute standout is Perkins’ riveting interpretation of Thomas Dorsey’s (an original bluesman who created gospel music) church-going classic “Take My Hand, Precious Lord.” The power of near-centenery Perkins singing quietly about being tired and weak, pleading for the strength of God, is not to be missed.

Mississippi Heat offer up tantalizing contemporary blues on their latest, Let’s Live It Up (Delmark). As the title indicates, there’s a party going on and the Mississippi Heat collective has invited everybody. Frontman Pierre Lacocque laces high-energy harp playing through 14 tracks of mostly original and pleasingly diverse tunes. The title track sets the tone for raucous goodtime music, underscored by Inetta Visor’s rich vocals and Carl Weathersby’s stinging guitar blasts. With a huge cast of 18 expert musicians on this CD, it’s really hard to go wrong but Rhonda Preston, a regular showstopper at Chicago’s Black Ensemble Theater, manages to up the ante on the entertaining “Daggers And Spears” and the funky groove of “Been Good To You,” bounces with Lacocque’s magical harp work.

Lucky Peterson’s long-awaited You Can Always Turn Around (Dreyfus Jazz) – his first in seven years – serves as a testament to his virtuoso gifts as well as the real transformative ability of the blues. This intimate, 11-track collection is perhaps the most moving and innovative blues CD of the year. A child prodigy discovered by Willie Dixon at 3-years old, Peterson has lived with the glory and the challenges that such a talent brings and you hear every nuance of his journey in his vocals as well as his piano and guitar playing. After struggling to break away from drug addiction for years, Peterson discovered that you can always turn around and change your life’s path. With a diverse array of tunes that shift from Robert Johnson to Lucinda Williams, he does exactly that with You Can Always Turn Around.

This is one CD that requires multiple listenings before even cracking its impressive surface. Peterson’s gripping vocals growl, chuckle, and wring the emotion out of every lyric, whether it’s foot-stomping bravado on Blind Willie McTell’s “Statesboro Blues” or an ethereal quality on Tom Waits’ “Trampled Rose.” Curtis Mayfield’s “Think” and the Nina Simone-popularized “I Wish I knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” also appear and he makes them his own, (the latter featuring his talented wife Tamara) mixing blues with doses of soul, gospel, and personality. Each track is gripping but the star is Peterson’s spirited treatment of Lucinda Williams’ “Atonement,” which draws chills with Peterson’s booming vocals and ferocious guitar licks. You will never forget this version, whether you know the original or not.

– Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Boss continues to battle competitors with more portable and relatively affordable multi-track recorders with its new BR-800 Digital Recorder, a battery-powered studio “to go” using newly designed touch-sensor switches and SD-card recording media. Up to four tracks can be recorded or eight tracks played back simultaneously, plus an additional stereo track dedicated to the built-in rhythm generator. Whether you’re creating intricate, multi-layered songs or on-the-spot live recordings, the BR-800 makes the recording process much easier, according to the Boss man. Newbies will love the new “EZ Recording” mode that interactively guides users through the recording process. Other helpful features include the “mulligan” Retry function, which re-cues automatically to fix recording mistakes, and a Song Sketch option for recording with an instant, one-touch capture. Included is a built-in stereo condenser microphone, plus a DR-880-quality drum generator for adding drum and percussion tracks to your songs. Effects can be added with the acclaimed BR-800 effect generator. Many of the effects are derived from Boss’ flagship processors, including VE-20 vocal effects, GT-10 guitar/bass tones, and modeled acoustic-guitar body effects from the AP-1 preamp. The BR-800 gets power from an included AC adapter, or, for ultimate mobility, it can be powered from six AA batteries. A USB jack connects to a PC, and lets the unit function as an USB audio interface for recordings that utilize the internal effects. The BR-800 can also function as a control device for DAW software sound like Pro Tools. No matter where you roam, Boss is counting on the notion that you’ll use the BR-800 instead of your laptop to capture your next brilliant rock opera. MSRP is $524. Visit www.bossus .com/Gear/BR-800.

Jonesing on all things retro, British Amplifiers has announced that a limited-edition, golden-anniversary reissue of the legendary Watkins Dominator V used by Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton before Vox and Marshall took over the ’60s British amp scene. To celebrate 50 years, only 100 of these iconic amplifiers are going to be available. Reissue Dominators are identical to the original with the only exceptions being U.L. safety-standard compliances. Small cosmetic details have not been overlooked, including control knobs and custom transformers cloned from originals that ensure both the look and sound have been faithfully recreated. The original Watkins 17-Watt “Push Pull” circuit remains as well as its unique V-front cabinet design. To complement the ’60s vintage valve tube sound, Celes-tion G10 Vintage speakers are inclu-ded. The “you must be crazy” list price? $1,900. Visit www.britamps.co.uk.

Now’s the time to put away your tangerine Speedo and break out the ol’ guitar. And if you decided that it’s time for a new axe, September is a perfect month for some new gear. Tobias Music is hosting their version of the Taylor Guitar Roadshow Thursday, September 23rd at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove. This year’s show features both Grammy-winner Wayne Johnson showing some of Taylor’s newest hardware, and company founder Bob Taylor answering questions and showing his newest wares. Details can be found on this month’s ad as well as www.tobiasmusic.com. If vintage axes are your thing, The Elgin Vintage Guitar Show is also back on Sunday, September 26th at the Holiday Inn in Elgin at Rt 31 & I-90.

– David Gedge

At OAKDALE 3B STUDIO in Chicago, Lauren Frost, current indie/acoustic rocker and former Disney star, recorded what might be regarded as her signature song, “The August,” with songwriting partner Ashton Likes. One of the more requested songs from her live show, Frost gave us the backstory on the song and how it came to be. “The August” was written by Frost and Likes for their friend and bass player, Tom Gallagher, as a wedding gift. “The first time we played it live was for Gallagher and his new bride at their wedding reception. The two were married at Illinois Beach State Park in Zion. Tom is a photographer and his wife is a painter, so those themes are incorporated into the verses of the song. Additionally, the photo used for the single release was taken by the groom.” The popularity of the song grew during Frost’s month-long Double Door residency, where audiences clapped and sang along to the song as it was being developed live. “It was because of the great response that we decided to take the wedding song into the studio.” Frost and Likes began recording with their good friend and Frost writing partner Matt Scutt at his home studio, Oakdale 3B in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. “Our goal in recording the song was to keep it as raw and organic as possible to keep from overproducing the track.” Without the possibility of using a drum kit in the small apartment, and wanting to stay away from pre-programmed midi beats, all of the percussion sounds came from what they had to use at the time: Beating the back of an acoustic guitar for the kick drum, using shakers and mouth noises for hi-hats, and snaps, claps, and tambourine for the backbeat. “The August” can be downloaded from Frost’s Web site at www.laurenfrost.com

AT GRAVITY STUDIOS in Wicker Park, it’s been a busy summer, Bon Jovi and Ritchie Sambora came in to cut vocal tracks for an upcoming release with Ian Spudes. It was quite a surprise when the band walked through the door, you don’t figure Bon Jovi as a Wicker Park band (Gold Coast maybe?). But just as quickly as they appeared, they were off to their next gig – two sold-out shows at Solider Field . . . Studio honcho Doug McBride recently finished an album with Rollo Time and began the final touches on a new record with Anna Fermin (of Trigger Gospel fame) and an EP with Slow Match . . . Joseph Peven recently completed a three-song EP with Athel and a two-song single with At Rifts End. A lot has changed at the studio this summer, according to Peven. “We totally rebuilt the A control room, featuring a Tonelux summing mixer, as well as adjustments to the acoustics that translate amazingly well to other environments.” Peven says not only is this system sleeker and more compact than the bulky consoles of yesteryear, “but it provides a more efficient work flow and instant recalls on demand.” The Gravity crew is so proud of their new set-up and invites prospective artists to visit it online (www.gravitystudios.com) or stop by for a tour. Just call ahead – they’re busy! Also of note, Gravity’s mastering services have increased in a flat economy. McBride has mastered albums for Aiden (Victory Records), The Million Dollar Quartet, and American Idol winner/Mt. Prospect native Lee DeWyze.

At MILLION YEN studios in Chicago, über producer/former Jawbox and Burning Airlines frontman J Robbins recorded Small Town Bike for No Idea Records . . . Scott Lucas finished a covers EP to be released by Local H and another mini album for his side-project with The Married Men; studio owner Andy Gerber assisted.

So this is how marriage is: You’re together for awhile, squeeze out a few kids, and settle into a routine. You go to work, you come home from work, feed and clean up after said kids, and do it all over again the next day. It goes without saying that your best married friends will be splitting up, and they will let you know in no uncertain terms that it’s the best thing that ever happened to them, and you’re idiots for not doing it as well.

But if we’ve learned nothing else from Hollywood, it’s that a single night of wackiness and danger is all it takes to get the matrimonial bliss back in focus.

Such is the premise of Date Night, director Shawn Levy’s attempt to ape Martin Scorsese’s After Hours. Problem is, despite the able cast, it has none of the quirkiness and cleverness of Scorsese’s overlooked gem.

Steve Carell and Tina Fey play the aforementioned, woebegone couple, and instead of going to their usually weekly date-night retreat of suburban generic restaurant glory, they decide to venture into the big bad city. Of course, nothing good ever happens when you leave the cozy confines of the suburbs, but nobody ever seems to learn.

After snagging another couple’s reservation, the pair are accosted by two ne’er-do-well cops on the take. Seems the two who didn’t show up have stolen some incriminating stuff, and the bad guys want it back in the worst way. Naturally, they assume Carell and Fey are the culprits, and the hijinks ensue.

Along the way, they receive help from a shirtless Mark Wahlberg and encounter the real culprits, James Franco and Mila Kunis, in perhaps the film’s best turn.

Date Night continues the trend of two of TV’s most creative stars’ hit-and-miss relationship with the big screen. Carell, in particular, has shown he has the chops to make it work, but so far the misses have outweighed the hits.

The Blu-Ray doesn’t knock itself out with special features, although it does have an extended version of the flick. Not really sure that’s a good thing, but it’s there if you want it. You also get commentary from Levy, deleted scenes, and an outtake real.

Film: **1/2 Features: **

Kick-Ass
Lionsgate

Has the comic-book movie really come to this? Now they’re not even waiting for them to be created and released before making the film version. Not surprising, really, since even the worst versions of what my grandmother used to call the “funny books” seems like a license to print money.

So here’s Kick-Ass, a fable that wonders what would happen if a normal comic-book geek (Aaron Johnson) decided to follow in the footsteps of his idols and become a hero called Kick-Ass.

Along the way, he inspires others to do the same, including Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Hey, it’s McLovin!), Chloe Grace Moretz, and Nicolas Cage (as perhaps the worst father in history). Of course, despite routinely getting the livin’ crap beat out of him, Kick-Ass does manage to do the impossible.

The main knock on the film was not only the over-the-top violence – it’s definitely not for the kiddies – but Moretz’s foul-mouthed 12-year-old character. To hear the naysayers tell it, it would single-handedly destroy the film business. But seriously, they said the same thing about Jodie Foster in The Bad News Bears, and she seems to have done all right. Granted, Foster never hacked off anyone’s limbs, but still . . .

The Blu-Ray comes with commentary by director Matthew Vaughn, behind-the-scenes features, and is loaded with BD Live and BD Touch bits.

Film: ** Features: ***

Also Available . . . Don’t be fooled by the title, but The Best Of Soul Train really isn’t. Sure, you get hits by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Barry White, and Sly & The Family Stone, but it’s really nothing you haven’t seen before. You would think that with the long history of “Soul Train,” they’d be able to go a bit deeper, but apparently not.

– Timothy Hiatt

We’ve been a little backlogged on posts (sorry!) but we don’t want you to miss these from the weekend. All photos by Andy Argyrakis.

In 2005, with Neko Case’s burgeoning solo career making her increasingly unavailable to regularly perform with the other seven members of The New Pornographers, the then primarily Vancouver-based band’s chief “orchestrator” and songwriter A.C. “Carl” Newman turned to his niece to be Case’s live replacement. Lest one think this was pure nepotism in action, Kathryn Calder established herself as a keyboardist/singer with another local indie band (Immaculate Machines) and the familial connection was pure serendipity. Calder was already a teenager dabbling with music, when her mother, who was adopted, discovered that Newman was part of her birth family.

Appearing: August 7th at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Our Lollapalooza preview will arrive later this week!

“I knew he was into music when I first met him. If he had started the Pornographers then, it was the very early days and I didn’t know any thing about it,” recounts Calder over the phone from her Vancouver home. “I remember when Mass Romantic came out in 2001 and listening to it and going, ‘Wow this is really amazing,’ because you don’t really expect that when you’re listening to a relative’s music. I don’t know what it is about it, but when it’s somebody you know, you’re not always sure it’s going to be awesome.

“But never in a million years would I have ever thought that I would be in the band at that point. It wasn’t even a consideration until he called in 2005. It never even crossed my mind that that would ever happen.”

But as Calder further recalls, the trial by roadwork paid off and her transition from “touring pitch singer” to “starting position player/singer” was relatively swift and seamless. “I think by 2006 I was pretty well full-time in the band, no questions. I really had a few months of initiation and then everybody just kind of said ‘O.K. Yep. Sounds good.’ So yeah — definitely full-time member.”

Indeed, the band’s 2007 third CD Challengers featured Calder’s first lead vocal and lead duet vocal. And any doubts others outside of the band may have had are being totally swept away by her lead on “Sweet Talk Sweet Talk,” from the band’s recently released Together (Matador). It’s a vocal turn on a cut that many reviewers are citing as among the disc’s best, which, given she’s in a band with three other powerhouse singers with established solo careers (and five other vocally adept bandmates) creates an altogether newer, kinkier brand of pornography. Which raises the question, how does Newman, as chief architect of the group’s songs and recordings, choose who sings what and where?

“You know I’m not really sure actually how he does that. I think I’ve heard him say he kind of just sees what works and as far as I’m concerned I don’t really have a say in it and I wouldn’t really want to have one. That kind of puts you in conflict with other singers. I’m just happy with whatever,” Calder breaks into laughter, before continuing, “I’m just happy to have whatever and get whatever.

“Yeah it’s interesting,” Calder pauses in thought. “It’s always . . . I never really know what I’m going to be singing until the end, the recording. And then there’re always so many singers as well. It’s almost like, ‘What is lead?’ Because although I am singing technically lead on that song he’s also singing with me through the entire song.”

Perhaps more suiting of the title of this latest recording to this long-term listener — O.K., full disclosure, fan — of the band is how Case’s trademarked alt-country vocals seem much more pulled back, less forward, much more mid-volume and much more midtempo leads in general, such that the vocal stratospherics she could previously clearly identified to are now driven by ensemble. In short, discerning Calder from Case’s vocals is sometimes hard on Together.

Calder concurs, in part. “The interesting thing is it’s hard for me to tell who’s who sometimes — not on the lead songs so much — you know like ‘Crash Years’ it’s obvious that she’s singing that. But sort of when you get to the background vocals, I have no idea any more. I just can’t tell because it’s a little bit quieter, she’s singing quieter like you say . . . It becomes a little bit obscure as to who’s who even to me [and] I know my voice and I know her voice really well.”

– David C. Eldredge

For the full story, grab the August issue of Illinois Entertainer, available free throughout Chicagoland.

I hate to let the secret out, but the Prince Of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne is actually rather lighthearted these days. And well he should be. He’s alive!

Appearing: August 17th at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park.

Yes, Ozzy’s a walking miracle, and life is good in the Osbourne dynasty. He has a new album out, an 18-month tour beginning, a weekly newspaper column (on health, of all things), a second book in the works, and negotiations happening for a movie based on his life. “I’m doing more work at the age of 61 than I did when I was 21!” he exclaims. “I don’t mind it though. I’ve been doing it for 42 years and it’s amazing, you know?”

Amazing indeed. There’s a funny scene in the beginning of his biography, I Am Ozzy, where he’s at a doctor’s visit, listing all the substances he has ingested over a few decades. When he’s done with the page-long list, the doctor asks, “Why are you still alive?”

Osbourne’s been substance-free for a few years now, and a healthy lifestyle seems to be paying off. “When you reach 60 people start asking, ‘Are you ever going to retire?’ I’m like, ‘Retire from what?’ I mean, I’m sitting at my house, talking to you in Chicago at 1:20 in the afternoon, how can I retire from this? It’s not just a job, it’s a passion for me. I realize how lucky I am. And if it wasn’t for the fans I wouldn’t have this luxury.”

Beginning with the first Ozzfest in 1996, Osbourne and his business-savvy wife, Sharon, turned it into the leading hard rock and metal festival, attracting millions of concert-goers in the U.S. and Europe, spring-boarding the careers of bands like Slipknot, Black Label Society, and Drowning Pool, and leading the way for a cavalcade of Osbourne-branded ventures.

“I can remember when we did the first Sabbath album and I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve got an album out! Great! I’ll never get to put another album out!’ Then all of a sudden it was a big hit, and then I thought, ‘This will be good for another couple of albums,’ then it was four albums, then it was 10 albums. Now I’m amazed I made it to age 61 — 62 this December. And I’m still doing it! I always said that if the audience diminishes, I’m not going to wind it down to doing a club-like tour. I’m going to back off when it’s time to. Right now I’m lucky to be doing what I’m doing.”

Ozzy is testament to the “never too old to rock ‘n’ roll” adage, and the success of his new album, Scream (Epic), proves the fans aren’t going anywhere. Since its release June 22nd, it has claimed the number one spot on both Billboard’s Rock Album and Hard Rock Album charts, and reached fourth on the Billboard 200. Some critics have said it’s his best in 15 years.

“This new album I can’t really take the full credit for,” Osbourne says. “Kevin Churko, my producer, was the main man in the album, though we had our fair share of disagreements. But at the end of the day, my music is very personal to me. I’m very choosy. I’m also very self-critical. It’s never good enough. But then it’s not up to me. I have to leave it up to my fans. If they like it then it doesn’t matter what I think! What I make of it is, the first thing I do is make the record for me, and if anybody else likes it then fine. If that’s what they think great, I’m really happy about it.”

The album’s success means good timing for the return of Ozzfest.

After the difficult, but probably wise, business decision to skip it last year, Ozzfest comes back this summer, leaner and meaner, with only seven dates (including Israel). Osbourne and his team are fully aware of the effect the economy has had on the concert business, and they’ve made their moves accordingly and with a realistic outlook. This year’s “no added fees” ticket price is one of those moves.

– Penelope Biver

For the full story, grab the August issue of Illinois Entertainer, available free throughout Chicagoland.

Things aligned nicely for Slayer in early 2010. World Painted Blood, the group’s 11th studio record, was just released in November and entered the Billboard chart at 12, their third-highest debut in nearly 30 years together. The band would kick off the United States tour cycle in fine fashion by co-headlining with fellow thrash pioneers Megadeth. The two behemoths hadn’t done an extended run together since the North American Clash Of The Titans (which also included Anthrax, who join American Carnage for a second leg in September) tour in the early ’90s.

Appearing: 8/20 at UIC Pavilion (1150 W. Harrison) in Chicago.

Dave Lombardo was certainly in high spirits back then. Just weeks before the American Carnage opener January 18th, the Slayer drummer was at dinner in Tampa Bay, celebrating his new Ddrums endorsement deal with company representatives and friends.

Good food. Good friends. Bad news: Tom’s having back surgery; tour’s canceled.

“I couldn’t eat anymore,” Lombardo remembers.

Bassist/frontman Tom Araya’s back was bad enough that doctors told him surgery was his only option. Araya went under the knife (a procedure called anterior cervical discectomy with fusion, where a herniated or degenerative disc in the cervical spine is removed and the vertebrae above and below the disc space are fused together), and suddenly Slayer were sitting on a brand-new album they couldn’t tour behind.

“I was really, really disappointed, because of course, we were all hyped up on the new record,” Lombardo says. “It was what it was. It was a bummer.”

All of the sudden, Lombardo had a whole lot of free time . . . not something he necessarily enjoys. “I can’t sit still,” he admits. “I’m a hyperactive drummer, is what I am, so I always like to do things.”

Bored and anxious, Lombardo needed something to keep busy. “I was hanging out at the Rainbow in Hollywood, and on Tuesday nights they have blues-jam night. So I was hitting the little four-piece drum set, and I was playing the blues with a bunch of guys,” he says. “Then I decided to get a band together that I had put together back in ‘97 with Gerry Nestler — and recently found a new bass player called Pancho Tomaselli from the band WAR — and we put a band together. It’s called Philm.

“We did a bunch of shows in L.A. and put a demo together — we’re actually shopping it right now.”

Lombardo is still working six months later, and thankfully — no offense to Philm; they’re pretty rad — it’s with Slayer again. When IE connects with him he’s at a hotel in Frankfurt, Germany . . . and excited like it’s January 2010 again: Araya has healed (but under strict no-headbanging orders); the rescheduled American Carnage tour looms a month away; and, oh yeah, Slayer just did a few European shows with Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. It was only the first time those bands — collectively known in heavy metal as The Big Four — played together. Anywhere.

Sort of a big deal. “It was great,” Lombardo gives as a stock reply, sounding tired of answering the question already. Work on him a little more, though, and it’s evident he is just as excited about The Big Four as anyone else. “Too short! It should have been a little longer,” he says. “I had a great time, we all did. It was an honor to play on the same stage as Metallica, and it’s just, I think it’s something that should be brought to the States and to the rest of the world.”

He’s confident it will, but that’s in the hands of agents, managers, promoters, and lawyers, he says, because the bands got along splendidly. They’re all eager to do it again.

– Trevor Fisher

For the full story, grab the August issue of Illinois Entertainer, available free throughout Chicagoland.

Twin girls who play poppish punk rock are bound to attract attention, and as their success grows so will their cadre of obsessive fans. Tegan And Sara, the first names of the Canada-born Quin sisters, have more than their share of Web sites devoted to them, not the least of which was an “everything you ever wanted to know” blog that perhaps knew too much. On the eve of the band’s 2007 release date for The Con (Vapor/Sire), this blog boasted all sorts of trivia, news items, and attendant fandom to coincide with release day. The clock struck midnight and . . . nothing. It’s been quiet since. Was this tribune silenced?

Appearing: August 18th at Charter One Pavilion on Northerly Island in Chicago.

“No, it was my mom,” laughs Sara Quin. “I was like, ‘That’s creepy and you need to knock that shit off.’”

But the Internet and accessibility and celebrity remain vivid realities for Tegan And Sara, and though some of it is unwanted most of it the duo cultivate themselves. Twins who aren’t constant companions come by rarely, and the Quins attacked music together in life, obsessing just as their fans do today.

“I was bananas for Smashing Pumpkins when I was a kid,” she says, “and I cried at the end of their concert and wrote Billy Corgan a letter once. I can certainly tap into what it’s like to be completely, genuinely a teenager who loves music so much. We would go to concerts and write down the songs and go home and make mixtapes of that concert. We had this amazing library of all the concerts we went to – we were as fanatical as you can get without being creepy. And I think Tegan and I naturally created a career, band, and persona that encourages that kind of fan-ship from people. If you don’t want to be that level of fan, you don’t have to be. But if you kind of want to be geeking out on everything Tegan And Sara, we offer a lot of appropriate material for that.”

Quin’s very specific when she defines “appropriate.” Her fangirl/celebrity duality has given her plenty of insight into what creates access, encroaches on privacy, but also satiates an audience. “Being in a band, it all changes when you see behind the curtain,” she explains. The danger is you can be put “in a place where you believe you are bigger than life and you’re somehow above other people or whatever – just true narcissism. You try to avoid letting people meet you because if they really knew how much like them you were it would be extremely unflattering. I would take just this morning as an example: Here I am, someone who has tons of fans, I have such a positive view of myself because people are constantly saying ‘I love you!’ or ‘You’re attractive!’ ‘I wanna marry you,’ ‘I love your music,’ or whatever. But I’m still the person who looks at my bedroom furniture hating everything I own, hate all my clothes, I feel like I look disgusting, I need a haircut. I’m like, ‘Oh God, I do nothing. I’m lazy. I’m so boring. What am I doing?’ I feel like it’s hard to imagine this mystique people will project on us, ‘You live this amazing life and you’re so cool.’ And I’m like, ‘No, I’m just like you. We’re exactly the same.’”

– Steve Forstneger

For the full story, grab the August issue of Illinois Entertainer, available free throughout Chicagoland.

IE: A lot of people might see your gentle solo album as an extreme reaction to My Morning Jacket’s classic rock gusto. Is it?
Carl Broemel: I definitely don’t think of it that way. There are lots of things about MMJ that embrace the quiet and gentle, so I see it as more complementary than reactionary. I’m just a pretty mellow guy most of the time, and that’s where these songs came from.

IE: Were you able to spend as much time on it as you’d have liked?
CB: Yeah, and I think it came together as it was meant to. It took a long span of years [five], but only about 40 days of actual work to make.

IE: How old are some of the songs? Why are they not My Morning Jacket tunes?
CB: Some of the songs are over six-years old. When I joined MMJ, the band dynamic was already kind of established. Jim [James] writes the songs, then we all help him get them to speak properly. I think that is a system that really works well.

IE: Will there be time for a solo tour? Will you get lonely?
CB: Ha ha, yes I think I will be lonely. I actually had a moment of panic recently while waiting backstage: “What the hell am I doing?!” It is a lot more frightening to do a solo show in front of 20 people, than a band show in front of thousands.

IE: Jim released an EP as Yim Yames. Couldn’t you have come up with something to top that?
CB: There is no way to top that! Just so you know, I was actually born with the name Snowy Bramble, but changed it to Carl Broemel for my solo project, which is by far the easiest moniker to spell and pronounce I could think of.

My Morning Jacket play Charter One Pavilion on August 17th. ATO Records releases Carl Broemel’s All Birds Say on the 31st. Q&A by Steve Forstneger.

We all remember the consternation when Sergei Makarov took home the NHL’s 1990 rookie award at age 31. An age mandate was added (the Makarov Rule) and, incidentally, an Igor Makarov will be trying to make the Blackhawks this fall. Anyway, the Grammys has endured similar bouts of hand-wringing and finger-pointing over its Best New Artist trophy, one that — apart from the Milli Vanilli fiasco – saw a win for Shelby Lynne’s sixth album in ‘99. Last year was the final straw, apparently. Tired of Mix 101.9 listeners who sneer “Well I’ve never heard of them,” a prior nomination in another category (but not a win) won’t preclude a newbie nod. This is the Lady Gaga Rule, because despite five noms last winter, the phenom was denied eligibility as BNA because her debut single scored a nomination the previous term. Can you imagine? I. Know! Now she can’t follow Arrested Development, Hootie & The Blowfish, Adele, and (last year’s winner) the Zac Brown Band directly into the dustbin.

No Inferiority Complex Here

In keeping with their “haven’t watched ESPN in seven years because of Yankees/Red Sox overload” attitude, our Midwestern bretheren don’t think Lollapalooza and Pitchfork fests are enough and have thus entrusted North Coast Music Festival to alleviate their flyover-country misgivings. On Labor Day weekend – when no one has anything going on, ever – Jam Productions invites you to Union Park for the ultimate jam, starring The Chemical Brothers, Umphrey’s McGee, Nas with Damian “Jr. Gong“ Marley, Paul Van Dyk, Moby, De La Soul, The Disco Biscuits, and more. Pretty soon, you’ll never need to go to a club show ever again because of festival season. And if you so much as look at the calendar to see when Coachella is next year, it’s over and we’re taking the kids to my mother’s. Visit Northcoastfestival.com for discounts and such.

Taking Stock

One of the biggest misconceptions brought out of the ’90s was that in order to pay homage to Woodstock’s legacy, you need to hire Fred Durst and Limp Bizkit to start burning things down. That standard almost came into play again this year; fortunately the Nookie monster has canceled his tour to find out where (if any of) his fans are left. All the better, because if you want to relive the summer of ‘67 in style, why not head near a stage in a field starring Grateful Dead alumni Tom Constanten and Bob Bralove on the 27th and 28th at Vasa Park in South Elgin? Others in attendance include Mr. Blotto, Terrapin Flyer, This Must Be The Band, Cosmic Railroad, and Juniper Mays, who’ll have a special medical tent arranged in case of any bad drugs or accidents caused by fits of nu-metal rage.

Summer’s Over – Forever

Live music has mimicked the spastic rise and fall of unemployment figures over the past 18 months — things are great! things are awful! — making us wonder if the stats mirror reality or an over-analytical computer program. Investors dumped Live Nation shares like Mel Gibson in mid July, jittery about the facts of a dry concert season. Lilith Fair (despite IE’s overbearing efforts) nearly merited its own cancelation, while sluggish sales and a handful of actual cancellations (including the postponed U2 tour) led to an 11-percent decline in stock price. For his part, super-agent/Ticketmaster-honcho Irving Azoff chided “shortsighted” investors during a shareholder meeting, though Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino expressed hope that it’s just the down economy giving them grief. The morale is, go to shows now because there might not be any to go to tomorrow.

Just Rock It

Forty years ago, Herbie Hancock infuriated jazz critics by straddling an acoustic-jazz/rock-fusion fence. A Chicago-reared piano prodigy, he joined Miles Davis’ band at the exact wrong time (as far as conservative fans were concerned), going electric and throwing away his gifts under the influence of heathen rock ‘n’ roll. Where did it all get him? Today he’s . . . Santana. Back in June, he followed up his shock Grammy win for River: The Joni Letters with The Imagine Project — duets with Dave Matthews, Jeff Beck, John Legend, Seal, Pink, Chaka Khan, and Susan Tedeschi. Few of them will be along when he comes home to play Symphony Center on the 21st, probably because no one knows who the real Herbie Hancock is anymore. And don’t be surprised if he covers “Smooth.”

– Steve Forstneger

Bird Show Band’s self-titled CD is flat-out bizarre at first, but for those willing to embrace its unconventional mixture of jazz, progressive rock, and synths, it’s one of the more alluring projects to come from the Amish Records catalog. Though the group is avant-garde at its most indulgent, the European undertones provide a sense of warmth that make it less heady than most experimental projects of this nature. (www.amishrecords.com)
– Andy Argyrakis

With hard-rock hat tips to Helmet and Chevelle, Chainwax’s Provoked is tried-and-true headbanger fare from start to finish. Though there’s no denying the roaring riffs and players’ chops (especially on “Sacrifice” and “Voices And Deception”), clichéd songwriting subjects in “One More Score” and “Steal My Soul” hamper the group’s efforts. (www.chainwax.net)
– Andy Argyrakis

James Brown may have been the “hardest working man in show business,” but when it comes to the local jazz scene no one works harder than Fareed Haque. Together with his ensemble Garaj Mahal, he has two new discs: the nine-track More Mr. Nice Guy and the 12-tune Discovery. The former offers solid fusion, especially on “Tachyonics,” with the latter using the Moog guitar to shape a more esoteric air on compositions like “Sea To Sky.” Both efforts are marvelously mind-blowing. (www.owlstudios.com)
– Jeff Berkwits

On A Future For The Dead, Chicago’s electronic rockers The Glide commendably introduce the old school to the new. The opening track, “Monster,” sets the tone with thumping, new wave-influenced percussion, while the reverb-laced guitar parts favorably add a more experimental element. Paying careful attention to congruency, this quintet keep the momentum building with catchier midway tracks like “The Vanishing” only to bring the LP to a cool, melodic close with the minimal “A Billion Lights.” (www.theglidemusic.com)
– Max Herman

The eponymous debut from Sarah Holtschlag & The Crosscuts is best heard late at night. Holtschlag’s sweetly innocent vocals float above a thin layer of instrumental backing, usually nothing more than an acoustic guitar or piano. Her songwriting is solid and her melodies harmlessly wash over the ears. Unfortunately she gets too sleepy at times, and none of the tracks leave a lasting impression. (sarahholtschlag.wordpress.com)
– Carter Moss

What do you get when you put five songwriters of varying musical tastes in a studio to record? You get exactly what you’d expect: a sonically diverse jam band. You get Ifdakar. Their debut, On The Edge, is a varied collection of funk, rock, jazz, and electronica that is just cohesive enough to really work. Nearly every track is six minutes or longer, and half of them forego vocals for straight-on instrumental jamming. (www.ifdakar.com)
– Carter Moss

Bursting with passion and soul, JT And The Clouds‘ Caledonia’s rich musical complexity shows the group’s amazing repertoire. Supercharged with exuberant R&B and Motown funk, “Low July” and “Fever Dream” are blistering urban bumpers, perfect for blasting on the El to get you through your sweltering summertime commute. The Southern gospel drawl and slinky jazzy come on of “Playin’ Dozens” hits your head from a different angle, but with similar intoxicating effect. (www.jtandtheclouds.com)
– Patrick Conlan

While the testosteronic lyrics/subject matter (and indeed the band’s name and CD title) may might be a tad too chauvinistic for some sensibilities, it nevertheless sounds well-suited to Knife Of Simpson’s hard rockin’ proto-metal dual-guitar led eight-plus songs on Orenthalogy, and reminded this listener of, say, Deep Purple (sans organ) or Uriah Heep in their prime, with a bit of good ol’ all-American Blue Oyster Cult on the side. In short: just wonderfully irreverent over-the-top rock that one doesn’t hear too much of any more. (www.myspace.com/knifeofsimpson)
– David C. Eldredge

Yvonne Doll has been an impressive solo artist, but teaming up with bassist Christy Nunes and drummer Kirk Snedeker in the power trio The Locals seems to have created an even better vehicle for her powerhouse vocals and songwriting abilities. The band’s new Salt EP follows 2008’s full-length debut, Big Picture, with four hard-hitting but melodic songs. “Sound It Out” is reminiscent of Melissa Etheridge but with more of a Midwestern power-pop feel, and “Away From Here” is a declaration of independence set to a rocking beat. (www.localsrock.com)
– Terrence Flamm

More often than not the vocals are deficient, and the melodies aren’t too creative, but there’s something undeniably charming about the nine songs on Maddog Madden’s debut, Drowning In Harmony. The multi-instrumentalist’s fun ode to the film Flight Of The Navigator perfectly reflects his mid-1980s metal sound, while the final tune, “Rock Rock Rock,” testifies to his musical attitude. With more instrumental originality and a few voice lessons, the future looks awfully bright for this crazy canine. (www.reverbnation.com/maddogmadden)
– Jeff Berkwits

Thoroughly electronic and undeniably quirky, Mahjongg’s The Long Shadow Of The Paper Tiger is also not surprisingly incredibly danceable at times, especially on tracks like “Grooverider Free” and the ’70s-tinged “LA Beat.” Other notable tracks include the Nitzer Ebb-like “Wardance” and the Tom Waits-ish “DeVry” as well as the unclassifiable “Miami Knights.” Overall, an entirely creative and utterly engaging disc. (www.myspace.com/machinegong)
– Dean Ramos

Stretching and flexing over the course of eight minutes, “Alphaspectra Rising” starts as a ripping instrumental charged with dissonant squeals and massive drums before dissolving into a twisty, Tortoise-like epic. It’s a convoluted track, but acts like a mission statement for Miracle Condition. Expertly meshing similar juxtapositions, MC weaves slippery grooves and spacey guitar textures in “Into The Bay,” and the sinister feedback creaking through “Anthem” prefaces the art-damaged, shoegazing mist that crystallizes into gleaming armor around “The Arrival.” (www.miraclecondition.com)
– Patrick Conlan

The Palace Flophouse’s Try Not To Get Worried comprises 12 finely crafted acoustic-pop jewels, encrusted with bass, horns, piano, and multi-hued vocal harmonies. Bradley Bergstrand’s rapid-fire lyric crunching in “10 Feet Tall” hurtles alongside the elliptical piano melody for a compelling contrast. Gretchen Shaw’s vocal harmonies are elegant and classy, and infuse these songs with an angelic lilt. There’s a beguiling honesty and genuineness when the vocals aren’t pitch-perfect either, befitting the homesickness of “Lafayette,” and the struggle and yearning in “Minor League Pitcher.” (www.myspace.com/tpfsounds)
– Patrick Conlan

Kevin Andrew Prchal’s Eat Shirt & Tie showcases his deep, rich vocals on a highly polished collection of easy listening and country & western songs. “Another Fool (In Love With You),” is a rollicking Johnny Cash/June Carter Cash style duet with Genevieve Schatz from Company Of Thieves, and Prchal also impresses with the majestic romantic fantasy of “Opryland Hotel.” (www.kevinandrewsprchal)
– Terrence Flamm

It seems Question Of Honour set out to record a survey of rock genres on the 11-track CD Apothecary, trying to be the one band for everyman. There’s pop rock, hard rock, acoustic pop, and even a skosh of electronica and metal (“Power” is dead-on Judas Priest). It all makes for a schizophrenic listen, but also shows the band capable purveyors of all genres. If not original, better to be prolific. (www.strangehues.com)
- Jason Scales

Rabbit Children’s lushly self-produced Thou Shalt Have A Time Machine shows just how far technology has raised the level of DIY recording, enabling the band to craft a richly layered collection of midtempo pop tunes and ballads that — as centered upon the multi-instrumentalist band’s straightforward keyboard and guitar leads and driven by its tight multi-vocalist harmonies — recall mid-career Beatles with, at times, flirtatious nods toward good ol’ all-American country and indie rock jangle . . . with (thank God for once!) no emo at all. A great beginning; now time to get more adventuresome. (www.mayspace.com/rabbitchildren)
– David C. Eldredge

They call themselves the “modern-day Santana,” which seems odd since the rock legend is still churning out amazing melodies. Still, on Make Music Rico generate a dozen pleasant albeit pedestrian songs. Although their Latin/Afro-Cuban/soul-infused tracks — most notably “Zoned” and “Money” — are dynamic, they’re basic Santana-style jams. The act is probably great as a tribute band, but need to find a unique sound before they can be judged on their own merits. (www.ricojams.com)
– Jeff Berkwits

As of this spring, indie-rock trio The Salts are no longer recording or performing together. Fortunately the band’s third and final album, Broomstick Rock Star, is available for free download and it’s a good indication of the light hearted tunes they were capable of crafting. Sure, “Fa La La La La” and a few other tracks sound slightly underdeveloped, but the simplicity The Salts carry can also really work for them, like the bluesy and mildly amusing “Parent’s House.” (www.thesummersalts.com)
– Max Herman

The 16 tracks on Treadmill Trackstar’s ambitious I Belong To Me sound like a cross between Coldplay and the orchestrated psychedelic rock of the late 1960s. Heidi Carey’s cello gives the band much of its ornate texture, but singer/guitarist/keyboardist Angelo Gianna’s vocals play a huge role as well, particularly when he harmonizes with bassist Mike Mills. Drummer Tony Lee helps Trackstar add a hard-rock edge to its lush approach on the bitter “Hands Off” and “Least I’m Feeling.” (www.treadmilltrackstar.com)
– Terrence Flamm

“I felt that there was nothing that went behind the scenes showing how human the process of making art is: its mistakes, conundrums, miracle moments, etc. I wanted to discover the artists behind the art, showing the human side, and thus making the arts more approachable for people,” says Elysabeth Alfano, host and executive producer of the new 30-minute arts TV show “Fear No ART Chicago,” which airs quarterly on WTTW-Channel 11 and posts new, smaller segments at www.fearnoartchicago.com.

Alfano knows firsthand about her topic. “In my art gallery and with my clothing company, I saw that while not everyone followed fashion or collected art, everyone was fascinated by the life of the artist and what was going on in the studio.”

Not that they’d actually venture inside. “I found with my art gallery that most people were afraid to come in,” she says. “If they hadn’t studied art history, didn’t have money, or didn’t feel educated about the exhibit, they felt intimidated. This show aims to bridge the gap between the public and the arts and deconstruct any sort of wall that separates the two.”

She says her varied background has come in handy — including a stint teaching marketing for the visual arts at Columbia College (one of the show’s sponsors). “All previous experiences prepare you for the next experience,” she explains. “My public speaking while teaching at Columbia College was very helpful to me for what I do now. I produce ‘Fear No ART Chicago’ on the smallest of budgets, so I don’t have time for many takes. I have to get it right out of the gate. ”

The show is not produced by WTTW; instead, Alfano does everything herself. “I pound the pavement looking for underwriters and sponsors,” she says, noting that she recently added a single intern to her staff.

The first show included segments on fashion designer Lauren Lein, the chefs at Moto restaurant, and local musician Nicholas Barron. Alfano is “very open” to new music, and performers can send their links to elysabeth [at] fearnoartchicago.com.

Alfano adds that local media plays a vital role when it comes to local artists. “If we want art in our community, it is up to us to make it so,” she says. “That means local media covering local artists. Otherwise, people won’t know about the arts, won’t be able to support the arts, and the arts will disappear.”

THE NEW, SLIMMED-DOWN NUDE HIPPO: “Big Fat Nude Hippo” had a great run on cable TV from 1997 to 2007, where it evolved from a sketch comedy show to a magazine-style talk show. In 2006 it was picked up by NBC.com, where short segments “aired” on the station’s Web site for a year.

Now, the show is back on NBC.com, where new segments are regularly posted NBCchicago.com and www.nudehippo.com. “The first big difference that you may notice is how we no longer have a studio portion with magazine-style reports,” says producer Tony Lossano, who now stays behind the camera and does double duty as morning show producer at WLIT-FM 93.9. “We are refocusing our field reports to be more like a reality format with strong personalities rather than just a bunch of feature stories done like if we were on a newscast. ”

Only not as serious. “My team is not pretending to have ethical standards; they are there to show you something awesome and will entertain you in the process,” he adds.

That team includes longtime contributor Amy Zanglin, as well as Ashley Lobo, Gina Ferraro, Nick Rosario, and Pogo. The last is the show’s music contributor, who plans to include acts such as Matt & Kim, Drive-By Truckers, Frightened Rabbit, The Big Pink, and Minus The Bear.

Lossano says he’s a fan of the Web TV format. “We now cover the things that we want, when we want, without the pressure of filling a 30-minute timeslot once a week. However, we average around three new segments a week — and they can be seen wherever the interweb reaches.”

ODDS N SODS: The final nail in the Reader’s coffin could be the firing of longtime editor Alison True earlier this summer. (Full disclosure: I wrote under True for many years at the Reader.) Apparently True was the one trying to keep the paper local and relevant, despite being the hatchet man for cutbacks after the weekly’s sale to Tampa-based Creative Loafing in 2007, that company’s bankruptcy in 2008, and its sale to the Atalaya Capital Management hedge fund in 2009. We wish True — and what’s left of the paper — well . . . Local content has also been suffering in the electronic-media world, where WGN-AM (720) program director Kevin “Pig Virus” Metheney continues to jettison local angles, as does Window To The World Communication’s WTTW-Channel 11 — which canned some 30 people in June as part of a $3 million budget cut. Note to bean counters: Chicago audiences have always preferred local talent addressing local issues, and can smell bullshit from miles away — even when it’s holed up in remote ivory towers.

– Cara Jepsen

As a child in New Orleans, Tovi Khali didn’t quite know what she wanted to be when she grew up, until she first glimpsed inside Bourbon Street blues clubs. “I’d be outside watching the singers and I knew I wanted to do that,” says Khali. “If it weren’t for the blues, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.”

Appearing: August 8th at Rumba in Chicago.

What she’s doing includes performing her own brand of funky, soulful blues at Chicago clubs and events, composing emotional, nuan-ced songs and writing spoken-word pieces. Her journey from NOLA to Chicago colors much of her performance, from the tinge of longing, to the deep-down anguish that pours out of her soul. As a Katrina survivor, no matter what genre Khali is singing, the blues is never far from the surface.

“I was sneaking into blues clubs and singing by the time I was 14,” she says. “I’d perform with the bands and drink Drambuie afterwards,” she recalls. Her gift for commanding a crowd came even earlier. In grammar school, she often played class clown, and when her teacher put on Elvis and Beatles videos to occupy the class, Khali learned to sing the classic tunes. “I’d sing ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ only nobody was laughing,” says Khali. “One girl said, ‘Your voice sounds just like a record,’ and my teacher came in and said, ‘It sure does: You’re entering the talent show.’ Khali won the talent shows, writing contests, and every local competition that she entered. She began slipping into the blues clubs after her mother refused to let her attend a performing-arts high school. By the time she finished a public education, she decided that she would develop her talent on her own, in Los Angeles from 2000 until 2004 “to polish myself,” she says. “I wanted to find out if I could measure up. I took voice lessons, artist management lessons, and I performed all over L.A. paying my dues.”

She crafted her individual sound by mixing funk with New Orleans, spoken word, and blues. “Nobody could figure out how to label us. I named my band Je Na Sais Quoi — meaning ‘I don’t know what,’ because I got tired of hearing that people didn’t know what to make of me.” Her 11-track CD, Tovi Khali The Official Bootleg, reflects this genre-bending tendency. The tunes move from jazzy soul on “Time” to groove-focused funk on “Smoke Signals” to Delta-flavored blues on “Love Thing” for a Bourbon Street gumbo.

By the time she arrived back in her hometown in 2005, she had perfected a sound and stage presence enough to perform at the same club she snuck into as a child. She sang with Dwayne Doopsie, Prince Of Zydeco, as well as at the ultimate local showcase: The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. “I sang Ray Charles’ ‘Night And Day’ and the crowd went wild. There’s nothing like that kind of adrenaline.”

Khali was also invited to perform at the French Quarter Festival and to undertake the coveted role of MC at The Old Opera House on Bourbon Street. Buzz surrounded her and doors were opening. Then Katrina hit.

“Katrina really devastated me. Not only did the levees break but so did my emotions. Music has saved me,” she says. Khali was living in the French Quarter when the hurricane hit but she had no evidence that it would not be like the dozens of other hurricanes that she had weathered. “I’ve been through many hurricanes and my family never evacuated,” she says. “I knew something was wrong after Katrina because nobody came out to pick up and clean up and come together as a community. It was just really quiet. It was eerie — there weren’t even any birds.”

Khali found refuge in a French Quarter hotel “built like a fortress.” She and her boyfriend stayed there for two days after the hurricane and a day after the levees broke with no water, electricity, and little food. Miraculously, they escaped on a chartered bus (for people with immediate needs; her boyfriend suffered from asthma and was forced to share an inhaler) that somehow made its way to the hotel with water flooding the streets.

“People were running to the bus, crying for help, beating on the bus. The bus driver was weeping, the whole bus was weeping. I saw a baby floating face down in the water, buildings crumbling, the water swishing up above us. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.” Khali and her boyfriend were dropped off at a small Houston airport. They cried uncontrollably when they read the newspapers and realized that they had just escaped death. “People we were with the day before didn’t make it,” she says. “Survival changes everything. Nobody was better than anybody. Everybody was on a level playing field. Katrina did not discriminate .”

The only possessions that Khali managed to salvage were her guitar, some clothes, and her CD. She received grief counseling to cope with the nightmares of devastation but her music provided the real therapy. “I write about what I feel and I don’t put everything in heavy metaphor. There are some things that I just put out there because that’s my truth and I don’t play my audience as stupid. My gift is not singing or performing, it’s reaching people. There’s nothing like getting up there and singing your song and having people respond.”

– Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

So I paid $18 to see The Big Four broadcast in June. The idea of going to the movies to watch a metal concert was a bit strange and spending nearly $20 to do so was plain dumb, but I had to. My gut tells me this thing eventually comes to The States (Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo agrees; read my interview with him this issue), but there’s also the possibility it won’t. What if Metallica puss out? If you were James Hetfield or Lars Ulrich, would you risk getting blown offstage by Slayer every night (exactly what happened in Bulgaria)? Would you want to face the fact, night after night, you aren’t the best Big Four band, just the most popular?

Hence why I sat in a stuffy Evanston theater (Cinemark is obviously trying to save some bucks by decreasing A/C frequency), eating popcorn (with M&M’s mixed in!), drinking iced tea (work the next morning; no caffeine after 7 p.m.), and watching heavy metal.

It was a strange scene. Lucky for you, I packed my notebook. Below are the kind of observations you can only get from a credited, highly regarded member of the music press.

• Not one person yelled SLAYEEER all night. Unacceptable.

• Joey Belladonna literally has not changed his hair style since 1984. Are we supposed to be excited about his return to Anthrax? A whopping four years after his last one?

• Dave Mustaine looks worn out and beaten down. Haggard. His face, to quote “Seinfeld,” looks like an old catcher’s mitt. Fell off the wagon? Doubtful. Endgame would be much better if that were the case.
• How in the world does Kirk Hammett fit into pants that tight?
• Why in the world does Kirk Hammett wear pants that tight?
• Very few people in Evanston like heavy metal, apparently.
• Lars Ulrich is a douchebag.
• Mustaine sounded fucking lousy.
• At least Dave Ellefson is back. Wonder if he considered asking the soundman to turn Mustaine’s vocals down in his monitors.
• Jeff Hanneman hates you.

Now some Big Four-themed lists. Who doesn’t love lists of shit, right?

BIG FOUR BEST FOUR
1. Megadeth Rust In Peace
2. Metallica Kill ‘Em All
3. Slayer Reign In Blood
4. Megadeth Peace Sells . . . But Who’s Buying?

BIG FOUR WORST FOUR
1. Metallica St. Anger
2. Megadeth Endgame
3. Megadeth Risk
4. Metallica Reload

BIG FOUR UNDERRATED FOUR
1. Anthrax The Sound Of White Noise
2. Megadeth Youthanasia
3. Slayer God Hates Us All
4. Slayer Diabolus In Musica

HIGH ON HIGH ON FIRE: I finally own Blessed Black Wings and Death Is This Communion on vinyl. Very excited. Yes, they are reissues. No, I don’t give a shit. All three High On Fire Relapse albums (Blessed Black, Communion, and Surrounded By Thieves) are available again on wax. Each is a double-LP packaged in a special “gatefold LP Stoughton ‘tip on’ jacket.” I have absolutely no idea what that means, but shit looks real sharp. Sounds real sharp, too, of course. Various color options are available depending on which pressing you snag, but beware: Only 1,500 copies of Thieves were pressed . . . You’re an idiot if you missed HOF at Lincoln Hall back in April. They killed. Luckily, our society gives idiots second chances. Matt Pike, Jeff Matz, and Des Kensel will plunder Chicago again in October, this time as part of Riot Fest. The punk-centric festival branches out more and more each year, and besides HOF, the 2010 version also includes Corrosion Of Conformity (albeit the original, hardcore, three-piece lineup of Mike Dean, Reed Mullin, and Woody Weatherman). An official schedule wasn’t available as of press time, but Riot Fest goes down October 6th through 10th. Check www.riotfest.org.

OUR CITY IS BETTER THAN YOURS: It’s been proven: Chicago heavy metal is the most awesome heavy metal in this country. Forbes — where I go for all my headbanging headlines — recently compiled a list of the best musical cities based on 10 specific genres. The mag interrogated a bunch of expert types (journalists, producers, musicians, etc.), and they confirmed what Chicago heshers already knew: We rule, boners.

MOSH-WORTHY: Shadowgarden Ashen (Napalm); Witchery Witch Krieg (Century Media); Early Man Death Potion (The End); Hammers Of Misfortune The Bastard/The August Engine/The Locust Years/Fields/Church Of Broken Glass (Metal Blade); Aaron Aites, Audrey Ewell Until The Light Takes Us DVD (Factory 25).

MOSH-WORTHY LIVE: Torche, Yakuza Arkestra (Wicker Park Fest 8/1); Drug Honkey (Empty Bottle; 8/1); Slayer, Megadeth, Testament (UIC Pavilion, 8/20); Bible Of The Devil (Glenwood Arts Festival, 8/21); Enthroned, Destroyer 666, Cardiac Arrest (Reggie’s, 8/25).

– Trevor Fisher