Around Hear: September 2009
Around Hear
Local Band Reviews September 2009
Though the title, Jam Tarts In The Jakehouse (Carrot Top), is a bit odd, it’s also an obtuse description of the 10 tunes on The Bitter Tears‘ sophomore release. The band’s music, while not entirely random, is all over the place: e.g., the straightforward indie pop of “Bachelors Say,” the hypnotically weird “The Companion,” the almost childish “The Love Letter,” etc. While not bad, the melodies are clearly an acquired taste. (www.thebittertears.com)
– Jeff Berkwits
Fans of Jason Mraz and Howie Day will deem Seth Bradley‘s latest EP, Waking Up Broadway, a delightful find. The five-song album boasts slick production that places it head-and-shoulders above typical DIY or indie releases, but that’s no reason to begrudge Bradley. “Broadway” stands on an even plane with anything ever penned by the Goo Goo Dolls and “Breaking Away” just aches for radio play on adult-contemporary stations. (www.myspace.com/sethbradley)
– Janine Schaults
Candy Apple & The Buddies‘ new EP, Leprechaun To The Right, culls members from Chicago’s Welcome To Ashley and Nashville’s Pale Blue Dot for a searing combination of retro and Celtic rock. In other words, there’s a bit of early Replacements (“Kristin”), touches of the Faces (“Something Else”), and the drunken hootenanny of the Pogues (“99 Bottles Of Beer/Colours”), all of which are capable of packing a pub and inciting a rowdy sing-along. (www.myspace.com/candyappleandthebuddies)
– Andy Argyrakis
The up-and-coming collective Chicago Afrobeat Project is at its best on its new EP, Off The Grid. While past efforts have showcased the group’s fluid musicianship and penchant for pouring out funky instrumentals, its grasp on Afrobeat is now noticeably more apparent. Numbers like “Nobody Likes A Prima Donna” flow effortlessly with horns, percussion, guitars, and keys dancing among each other in a vivid unison. (www.chicagoafrobeatproject.com)
– Max Herman
Chinbaa opens Immortality with some Gershwin-style piano before he slides into a blend of prog-rock metal infused with his loping keyboard in the opening cut, “Genesis 2.” It’s the type of mutational juxtaposition that attracts large audiences to acts like Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Blue Man Group. There is slight variation over these epic-length tracks, and the run-time is scarcely worth the effort when “Trials Of Life” devolves into a showtunes-style soundtrack, but his compositional dexterity blossoms on the title track and the blissful “Prayer For All The World.” (www.chinbaa.com)
– Patrick Conlan
It would be easy to dismiss the annoying synth effects and repetitive overdubbed vocals on Clique Talk‘s self-titled debut if it wasn’t for a nagging suspicion that something intriguing lies beneath the outdated gimmicks. “Cemetery Man” shows a knack for 1980s-style arrangements and, on “Hover,” Clique Talk pounds out an industrial beat. A stripped-down version of this CD with more variety in the vocals would have been more entertaining. (www.myspace.com/thisiscliquetalk)
– Terrence Flamm
Dance Club Massacre is a hardcore black-metal band in sound: crushing guitars and beats, synth highlights, and nails-on-chalkboard vocal delivery. But lyrically (as if you could make them out without the liner notes) the band reveals a sense of humor with a fixation not on death, but in alcohol-fueled antics (“Brewtality”) and other goofball musings, like “Deuces Shoeless Vs. The Double Dribbles,” a black-metal grinder about a pick-up basketball game. (www.danceclubmassacre.com)
– Jason Scales
Does Chicago really need another Irish band? Well, Kevin Flynn & The Avondale Ramblers do have a great sense of humor, blending local references and lyrics into such original songs as “The Devil & Dr. Holmes” and “A.M.H.S.” on their new CD, The Murderer, The Thief, The Minstrels & The Rest. Still, while the group is likely a hoot live, other than those few recognizable mentions the seven Celtic-infused tunes are otherwise run of the mill. (www.kevin-flynn.com)
– Jeff Berkwits
Blending Indian beats with fusion jazz, Fareed Haque, performing with The Flat Earth Ensemble, supplies a respectable 11-tune South Asian travelogue on Flat Planet. Standout cuts include “Bengali Bud,” with its energetic guitar, sitar, and tabla instrumentation, and “The Hangar,” which the liner notes rightly portray as a “Hindi boogaloo.” On the whole it’s a likable though surprisingly unadventurous journey. (www.fareed.com)
– Jeff Berkwits
As an opening salvo, the crackling punch of “Inside Voice” and the hiccupping sing-along melody of “Volts” announce a remarkable album of memorable pop melodies. Bubbling with tangled melodies and sharply observed wit, Loomings finds Kid, You’ll Move Mountains in peak form. Energetic guitar whips “New Blood” into a blustery whirlwind, and a collision of screeching guitar and hammering piano bursts “An Open Letter To Wherever You’re From” apart at the seams. (www.kidyoullmovemountains.com)
– Patrick Conlan
With shades of Sonic Youth, Garbage, and Joy Division, Magnetars sure have solid taste in influences, even if that merger’s yet to be fully realized. Sure, certain songs on Scram EP excel with brooding riffs and moody distortion (most notably “Sketchy”), but the group lack punch and focus across the spacy “Number 2” and “Redshift.” (www.myspace.com/magnetars)
– Andy Argyrakis
Tatsu Aoki is one of the most prolific and accomplished bassists in Chicago. In addition to being the Artistic Director of the Annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival, he is also the founder of The Miyumi Project, a collection of big-band and jazz musicians. His latest release, The Miyumi Project Live In Poland, attempts to capture the power that emanates from this collection of experienced musicians. The disc contains four tracks (each between 13 to 20 minutes) of big-band, world, and jazz compositions. While some of the energy of the live show gets a bit lost in the translation to recording, the pure skill from each instrumentalist clearly shines through. (www.miyumiproject.com)
– Carter Moss
Vocalist/guitarist Joe Goodkin is the unifying force on Things We Would Rather Lose, the eclectic second release from Paper Arrows. He’s the main songwriter, and his distinctive vocals bring a sense of realism to intimate material like “Til I Couldn’t Cry” as well as catchy rock tunes like “One More Quiet Song.” The unique title track features piano and organ as the lead instruments, along with haunting harmony vocals. (quellrecords.com/paperarrows.php)
–Terrence Flamm
Given his own wide-ranging musical resume (ranging from the insouciant rock of Flo&Eddie and Alice Cooper in the ’70s to the more recent gospel of Pops Staples and his own soul-kissed band Sonia Dada) one perhaps shouldn’t be surprised by the tranquil new-agey explorations bassist Erik Scott pursues on his “solo” debut, Other Planets. While no new ground is broken during his 20-cut space walk, the ears do perk up on those cuts where the pedal steel takes him on country-ish detour. (www.erikscottbass.com)
– David C. Eldredge
Marc Kelly Smith, organizer and superstar of Poetry Slams at the Green Mill, loads his latest, Love And Politics, with rapid-fire spoken-word pieces set to jazz and hip-hop created by his son Adam. It’s a potent combination, particularly the urban romance of “Street Musician” and satiric “Radio Dope.” Marc’s rough-edged voice and arresting imagery will resonate with fans of Tom Waits or Dennis Leary, as well as anyone else who’s willing to listen. (www.marckellysmith.com)
– Terrence Flamm
Singer/songwriter Kelly Steward succeeds at making modern country without being overblown on her latest EP, Long Long Road. Her smooth and warm voice draws listeners into her musical world before they even realize what’s happening. Produced by Miles Nielsen, the tracks get behind Steward and stay there, letting her shine on “Get Back On Your Way” and “Lost My Mind.” (www.kellystewardmusic.com)
– Mike O’Cull
Experimental rock trio Strawberry Horsecake keeps its songs short, off the cuff, and peculiar on its 8-track EP, Entropy And The Id Triumvirate. The song titles and subject matter (see “Nuke The Whales”) may have listeners scratching their heads, but that’s partially why these head-bop-inducing, guitar-driven tracks have a replay value – that effective erratic quality is just hard to deny. (www.myspace.com/strawberryhorsecake)
– Max Herman
True Historians is a throwback country & western band playing the kind of honky tonk that the crowd at Bob’s Country Bunker could appreciate. Singer/guitarist Trevor McSpadden wrote most of the songs on this 11-track, self-titled CD and is ably backed by a host of musicians including steel guitar, keys, harmonica, and mandolin. A warm, well-produced sound pervades the album, especially coming together when Jessica Jane Childs sings lead on “Ode To Billie Joe” and provides harmony on “Right Back In Your Arms.” (www.truehistorians.com)
– Jason Scales
Vee Dee‘s Public Mental Health System is a massive double LP that finds us struggling to cope with the chaos of modernity. This is an ambitious, wild collection of raucous rock songs boiling over with wiry guitars, blistering harmonic distortion, and impassioned vocals. “Glimpses Of Another World” is a surging blast of feedback and riffing, while “Teens O.D.” and “Out Of My Skin” are fiery, spastic numbers that spiral out of control. (www.criminaliq.com)
– Patrick Conlan
Nathan Xander opts for a vintage folk approach on his latest CD, Fear, building songs on acoustic guitar, harmonica, and his expressive vocals. There’s a touch of Dylan throughout the CD, particularly when Xander spins clever lyrics on “True Love Never Did Run Smooth” and “Martyr’s Song.” “The Alchemist” and “Dark Horses” prove he can also succeed in a more hard rock mode. (www.alwaysneverhome.com)
– Terrence Flamm
Category: Around Hear, Columns, Monthly
