Basia Bulat
Vic Theatre, Chicago
Friday, May 9, 2008
The first strums of Basia Bulat’s autoharp on “In The Night,” the first single from the Canadian songstress’ Rough Trade debut, immediately conjure Catherine O’Hara’s free-spirited folkie Mickey Crabbe in 2003’s A Mighty Wind. Fortunately, the rambunctious “In The Night” is light years away from the mockumentary’s deer-in-the-headlights fare.
Was (Not Was)
Abbey Pub, Chicago
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Why can’t more records kick off with a song about skinhead psychos, dismembered mothers, patriotic threesomes, and Scientology jokes?
El Perro Del Mar, Lykke Li
Schubas, Chicago
Monday, May 12, 2008
Sarah Assbring, who is El Perro Del Mar, must record while lying on her back and gazing opaquely into the night sky. The hint is the crickets.
Progressive Nation Tour
Rosemont Theatre, Rosemont
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
In 1992, Dream Theater probably didn’t foresee their first hit single, “Pull Me Under,” would also be their last hit single. They were only two records into their career at that point; surely hits would follow. Yet, here we are 16 years — and a lot of albums later — and you’re as likely to hear Anal Blast on commercial radio as Dream Theater.
Neva Dinova
Schubas, Chicago
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Saddle Creek Records has always seemed a youthful label, largely because of Conor Oberst but also from recent signings like Tokyo Police Club. Neva Dinova, new to the imprint as well, have been around the block often enough to sketch its topography from memory.
The Myriad
Park West, Chicago
Friday, May 2, 2008
Despite the band’s name, The Myriad fail to encapsulate a wide variety of styles and influences on With Arrows, With Poise (Koch). The Seattle-based quartet must have latched on to English atmospheric rockers Muse a few years ago and just never let go, which isn’t altogether a bad thing, but causes the album’s 12 tracks to bleed into each other without much fanfare.
Tokyo Police Club
Metro, Chicago
Monday, May 5, 2008
We music critics aren’t so good at math. If we were, we wouldn’t be music critics; we’d be providing some sort of real service to the world. Probably making real money too. But even us right brainers know 28 minutes divided by 11 songs equals not very much at all.
Cedarwell
Subterranean, Chicago
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
If you believe everything Wikipedia says (and we do), NCAA basketball coach Rick Majerus, comedian Jackie Mason, and death metal band Morbid Angel are all from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. And those are the highlights! Sheboygan native Erik G. Neave should be optimistic his name might someday be included on such an illustrious list. It can’t take much to bump professional baseball prospect and Sheboygan North graduate Brandon Magee, can it?
Constantines
Empty Bottle, Chicago
Thursday, April 24, 2008
After releasing their second album in 2005, Ontario’s Constantines cranked out an album of Neil Young covers under their frequent alias, Horsey Craze. The band, who have always marked a sort of midpoint between classic rock and Fugazi, pendulum back on this spring’s Kensington Heights (Arts & Crafts).
Antenna Shoes
Hideout, Chicago
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Antenna Shoes, the solo project of Memphis man-about-town Tim Regan, crackles with a dark pop sensibility, which can be slightly hard to swallow (”M.I.A.”) or can go down as easy as Mary Poppins’ spoonful of sugar (”T New”). That Regan delves into a murky, not-suitable-for-primetime corner of indie rock really isn’t that surprising considering he has previously moonlighted as a pianist for Sparklehorse – the ultimate gauge for morbid sincerity.
Jake Shimabukuro
Old Town School Of Folk, Chicago
Saturday, April 26, 2008
The thing about the ukulele is, its range spans a whopping four strings and two octaves. Even if you are the “Eddie Van Halen of the ukulele,” there’s only so much you can do with it.
Peter Morén, Tobias Fröberg
Schubas, Chicago
Saturday, April 26, 2008
The Peter of Peter Bjorn And John might seem like he’s exploiting his band’s recent success by releasing a solo outing. A quick check, however, reveals that the breakthrough Writer’s Block (Wichita) was actually the trio’s third album. Now it’s Peter Time.
Billy Talent
Congress Theatre, Chicago
Thursday, April 17, 2008
You know the old saying, “They’re huge in Japan,” right? Well, we don’t know how popular Billy Talent actually are in Japan, but they’re apparently pretty damn popular in England and Germany.
Ted Wulfers
Joe’s, Chicago
Thursday, April 17, 2008
While the CD release party for Ted Wulfers’ latest album gives us occasion to talk about the country-rock troubadour, it also gives Wulfers a chance to defend himself against something we wrote about him in “File” this month.
Jim Lauderdale
Dominican University, River Forest
Friday, April 18, 2008
Backed by an all-star roster of musicians dubbed “The Dream Players,” Nashville singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale hits a home-run on his latest release of original material, Honey Songs (Yep Roc).
