This is an online music fan zine. Please support music and musicians by going to shows, purchasing CDs, buying a damn T-shirt!
All mp3s are posted here with permission from the artists/labels/PR folks, and for a very brief time. If you have any issues with content on this zine please email me; atartytart@gmail.com I'm addicted to my Iphone, darlins'... I'll get back to you.
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And you can find PuppetShow at enjoy.the.puppet.show@gmail.com
If there’s one thing I like about female vocals in a song it’s sass. There’s a little bit of Bonnie Raitt sass to this young girl and it’s not a bad thing at all. Watch out for Megan McCormick, she’s about to take us by storm. It’s a shame she’s being marketed as a Country singer, I think she’s much, much more. But then that might say more about my attitude toward Country music than her talent, now right? This song ends on that sudden, abrupt note. You’re not quite sure why. But I think the sharp guitar twang and the jab of the snare drum compliments her voice well.
Tour Dates
07.02.10 Iowa City, IA Gabe’s Oasis
07.03.10 Milwaukee, WI The Bremen Cafe
07.04.10 Chicago, IL Private Fundraiser
07.19.10 Nashville, TN BMI 8 Off 8th @ Mercury Lounge
07.28.10 Evanston, IL SPACE
07.30.10 Roanoke, VA Mill Mountain Zoo
08.03.10 Fort Collins, CO Avos
08.14.10 Nashville, TN The Basement
09.14.10 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection
09.15.10 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
09.17.10 Newark, OH Midland Theater
09.18.10 Newport, KY The Southgate House
09.19.10 Indianapolis, IN The Vogue Theater
Well, this is fun. I pondered whether or not it was too fun. But fuck it, it’s Monday and we need some fun. Did you grow up with Simon & Garfunkle like I did? You’ll love this then. It’s sweet, it’s a sing-a-long song. And yet “Wishes and Stars” is so goddamned pleasant you want to hear it over and over, even if you imagine it in some chick flick every time.
Tour Dates
Jul 24 2010 5:00P Port Eliot Festival Cornwall, UNITED KINGDOM
Aug 1 2010 8:00P Cambridge Folk Festival – Harper Simon Cambridge, UK
Aug 6 2010 8:00P Belladrum Festival Belladrum, UNITED KINGDOM
Aug 8 2010 8:30P Pocklington Arts Festival UNITED KINGDOM
Aug 14 2010 8:00P Leicester Summer Sundae – Harper Simon Leicester, UK
Aug 19 2010 8:00P City Winery New York
This is one of those quintessential Tart songs. Deadpan delivery, synthesizer-heavy, just a twinge of distortion to the vocals, and a little bit of Magical Mystery Tour to it for good measure. If the rest of this EP is like this single, I’m SOLD! I’m guessing it is, so I’m gonna pitch it at you all. They’re from Brooklyn, of course, where they’re obviously growing good bands in petri dishes these days. Stream the whole thing at their bandcamp.com page (listed above) and let me know what you think. I love this single so much!
Upcoming Shows
Jul 3 2010 9:00P CoCo66 Brooklyn, New York
Jul 28 2010 8:00P Public Assembly Brooklyn, NY
Aug 18 2010 8:00P The Bell House Brooklyn
And lastly, I was gonna call it quits on this post and then I hit this little gem of a folk song and had to end it on this beautiful note. This is the stuff that folk bloggers drool over. It’s no accident that they are touring with Strand of Oaks and The Wailing Wall, two other wonderfully talented artists. Starting out singularly slow and lonely, “Weeds” just never picks up speed and that’s the thing to enjoy about it. The lazy, soothing, swaying of it will just pierce you with it’s prettiness. Sigh… xoxo
Tour Dates
JULY 9 2010 BALTIMORE MARYLAND BARE BLACK EP RELEASE PARTY @ WINDUP SPACE WITH GHOST LIFE, MOSS OF AURA, LOW MODA
AUGUST 5 2010 BALTIMORE MARYLAND @ METRO GALLERY WITH STRAND OF OAKS
AUGUST 6 2010 PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA @ TBA WITH STRAND OF OAKS
AUGUST 7 2010 LEHIGH VALLEY PENNSYLVANIA @ TBA WITH STRAND OF OAKS
AUGUST 8 2010 BROOKLYN NEW YORK @ CAMEO GALLERY WITH STRAND OF OAKS, THE WAILING WALL, TBA
AUGUST 9 2010 PORTSMOUTH NEW HAMPSHIRE @ THE RED DOOR WITH BELL AND THE BEES
AUGUST 11 2010 MONHEGAN ISLAND MAINE @ THE CHURCH WITH THE WAILING WALL
AUGUST 12 2010 PORTLAND MAINE @ THE APOHADION WITH TIN CEILINGS, THE WAILING WALL, +1 MORE TBA
AUGUST 13 2010 PROVIDENCE RHODE ISLAND @ TBA WITH THE WAILING WALL
AUGUST 14 2010 BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS @ TBA WITH THE WAILING WALL
SEPTEMBER 10 2010 CHARLOTTESVILLE VIRGINIA @ TBA
SEPTEMBER 11 2010 HARRISONBURG VIRGINIA @ CLEMENTINE WITH TBA
SEPTEMBER 12 2010 WASHINGTON DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA @ TBA
This group really reminds me of a modern-day Journey. I can’t help but hear Steve Perry in the vocal style and presentation of this young lead singer, even if she is female. The songs are ballad-y, all of them, dramatically building to big, clashing choruses. Starting with “Heart Song” which bites a big chunk out of your ears with a flurry of classic, girl punk, Benatar style, Truth or Dare is a crowd pleaser. “Story Of My Life” is gorgeous, big beautiful lyrics that could be sung by any country singer but is set to this music so well. Softer, slower songs like “Hush” and “Eyes On You” are nicely done and again, like Perry, Juliet Simms keeps them from being too precious by inflicting them with an emotional performance. Her voice strains, rises and falls and is not just a vehicle for lyrics but an instrument in this band. Much of this album is about love and the instrumentation all stops so she can really belt it out sometimes. I LOVE THAT This is radio GOLD. This is stadium rock. This is no guilty pleasure, people. Love this and don’t feel ashamed.
From the press release: Automatic Loveletter is celebrating release day by launching an internet wide Truth Or Darecontest, asking fans to give them their best shot! The best truths and dares will be filmed by the band and posted on their site. To enter, fans should tweet @autolove their truths and dares along with #truthordare in the message.
The band’s favorites will also receive a prize for their efforts ranging from a signed pick to a set list from Warped Tour to a postcard from the road. So get your thinking caps on and visit here for more info!
AUTOMATIC LOVELETTER ON WARPED TOUR
June 25 – Carson, CA @ Home Depot Center
June 26 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheater
June 27 – Ventura, CA @ Seaside Park
June 29 – Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
June 30 – Las Cruces, NM @ N.M.S.U. Practice Field
July 1 – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
July 2 – Houston, TX @ The Showgrounds @ Sam Houston Race Park
July 3 – Dallas, TX @ Superpages. com Center
July 5 – St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
July 6 – Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
July 7 – Burgettstown,PA @ First Niagara Pavilion
July 8 – Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
July 9 – Toronto, ON @ Arrow Hall
July 10 – Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean Drapeau
July 11 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theater
July 13 – Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
July 14 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake P.A.C.
July 15 – Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion
July 16 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
July 17 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
July 18 – Oceanport, NJ @ Monmouth Park Racetrack
July 20 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
July 21 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater
July 22 – Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
July 23 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Vinoy Park
July 24 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheater
July 25 – Orlando, FL @ Firestone Amphitheatre @ The Lot
July 26 – Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheater @ Lakewood
July 28 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
July 29 – Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheater
July 30 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
July 31 – Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
August 1 – Shakopee, MN @ Canterbury Park
August 2 – Bonner Springs, KS @ Sandstone Amphitheater
August 5 – Edmonton, AB @ Northlands Grounds
August 7 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah State Fairgrounds
August 8 – Denver, CO @ Invesco Field
August 10 – Chula Vista, CA @ Cricket Amphitheater
August 11 – Pomona, CA @ Pomona Fairplex
August 12 – Marysville, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheater
August 13 – Nampa, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheater
August 14 – George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheater
August 15 – Hillsboro, OR @ Washington County Fairgrounds
and just for shits and giggles, I couldn’t be left out of this, now could I?
First off, if you’re in Chicago (I don’t know, I assume some of you are in Chicago, call me crazy) you should pay some mind to Green Music Fest this weekend. I went last year and it was pretty awesome! I first heard one of my favorite local bands there, Sybris, (they’re playing Millennium Park on July 17) and some other great music as well and the people and food and facilities were just wonderful. So support the second annual effort, won’t ya?! My most adored, Maps & Atlases are playing as well as all the bands listed on that pic! Here’s the most awesome part: it costs 5$ and it’s from noon – 10pm. Yes, for $10 you get to hear some truly great music and support local green initiatives. You cannot beat that, my lovelies!
On Saturday night you should come out to the Hideout to see My Gold Mask, Advance tix are only $8, it’s $10 at the door. They are heading out to Sled Island Fest in the beginning of July!
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I’ve also been hit hard with some wonderful music in the inbox lately. So, in my usual half-assed fashion, I’m gifting you with some great tunes:
Jenny’s new album Kindred is coming out July 17… you can stream it on her bandcamp.com page. I think it’s a really nice blend of Regina Spector and Tori Amos with some Fiona Apple-ish undertones. Her vocals are strong and well-phrased and surrounded by dramatic instrumentation that emotes more than the usual folk sense. Kindred lies somewhere in between folk and pop and Hounds of Love. Go listen.
Now you have to forgive me, because The Tins is another one of those albums I’ve had on constant play in my car (did you know i live in my car? Well, I drive around all day and my car is sort of my office, so I listen to 90% of my music in my car!) The wonderful Will of We All Want Someone To Shout For turned me onto this band The Tins at least three months ago. I cannot stop listening to them. Their self-titled album is five tracks of double-packed, tight, tight, tight American Nostaliga rock. Now, Tart, what the fuck is “Nostalgia rock?” you’re asking yourself at this point. You know that sound you know when you think of Elvis Costello, and old Bruce Springsteen, and some Replacements songs, and a little bit of the faster Simon and Garfunkle ones? It’s the minor chords and the jangly guitars and short choruses with really defined bridges – classic songwriting, that reminds me of crisp Fall days. So yeah, in my brain it’s “Nostalgia rock.” It’s also the perfect kind of album to turn up REALLY loud to sing along to in your car. Lead vocals are gorgeous, lyrics are thought-provoking and witty. There’s a certain new-wave feel to the guitar solos which pleases me. But the melodies are all American pop. God, I love this one. These guys have it going ON. You will want this album. This track is indicative of the rest. But the rest is even better, “June Avenue” being my favorite, with its classic sort of surfer rock sound, but so fucking much better. If I had a six year old, he or she would be singing this song (with made up words, cause that’s what kids do) and it would be priceless! xoxo
I realized that a lot of people don’t remember/know him when I started raving about his new album, In Person & On Stage, which came out May 25th. Well, if that’s the case, don’t fret. This album is the one for you!!! Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows is not just a tribute album, it’s an introduction to what Prine does best — and that is write songs. I grew up singing along to “Angel From Montgomery” and “Paradise.” It seemed that I heard these songs, and others by him, from so many sources; on the radio, on TV, from my father’s record player and later on, in various music collections of roomates and lovers. John Prine has just simply been a part of my life ever since I can remember. Indeed, his debut album in 1971 hit me just about the time I was old enough to remember music clearly. And his songs are certainly memorable. Their lyrics tell stories, their melodies sneak into your ears and snuggle up in your head, comfortably. I know this is, to many folk, Country music. But when I hear it, it’s simply John Prine.
The funny part is, growing up in Pennsylvania, I never realized that he was from Illinois! I never learned that he got his start singing folk music right here in Chicago. It wasn’t until I moved here, myself, at 19 that I began hearing about him again and about all the clubs he and other “new” folk artists played in back “in the day.” So, it’s coming full circle, in a way, for me now, to bring you news of this tribute album. And like my previous post on railcars, this one is also a re-interpretation for you indie kids out there. John Prine wrote so many beautiful, lasting, timeless songs. And artists today owe him a debt that they are quite aware of. They’ve repaid it a teensy bit by doing this album and many of these songs are truly a tribute to the man. I’m honestly so grateful to have received a copy of this from Big Hassle Media. And I’m truly recommending it to you, as something I would buy for myself and for any music lover. John Prine is a gift to us, and he’s given us such a treasure; these songs are only a small glimpse of that. Each group or artist that adds to this album brings their particular talent to the table, their signatures are there and they only add to this man’s work. No one is included for “star power,” or as a favor to anyone. I’ve thought this over and the songs are just matched to each performer so well.
My Morning Jacket sings “All The Best” and makes it the cheery song it really is, with just that bit of bittersweet that lies beneath, peeking out. I’ll be honest, I feared “Angel from Montgomery” wouldn’t live up to the Bonnie Raitt treatment I loved so much. I’m happy to report that Old Crow Medicine Show gave me much relief. The instrumentation is as good as the vocals, and I’ve not stressed enough in this review how important that is to these songs. “Daddy’s Little Pumpkin” is truly given a Drive-By-Truckers lick, and that’s just as it should be for that song fits so perfectly to their sound. Now are you convinced of John Prine’s genius and scope? You should be. I can’t tell you about every song, but I must tell you about one more. It’s one I remember trying to learn the words to, dancing drunkenly to, laughing wildly to. And Those Darlin’s certainly do justice to “Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian” oh yes they do! xoxo
1. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver – “Bruised Orange (Chain Of Sorrow)”
2. Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band – “Wedding Day In Funeralville”
3. My Morning Jacket – “All The Best”
4. Josh Ritter – “Mexican Home”
5. Lambchop – “Six O’Clock News”
6. Justin Townes Earle – “Far From Me”
7. The Avett Brothers – “Spanish Pipedream”
8. Old Crow Medicine Show – “Angel From Montgomery”
9. Sara Watkins – “The Late John Garfield Blues”
10. Drive-By Truckers – “Daddy’s Little Pumpkin”
11. Deer Tick featuring Liz Isenberg – “Unwed Fathers”
12. Those Darlins – “Let’s Talk Dirty In Hawaiian”
railcars is the thing i turn on when my tinnitus is driving me batshit crazy. railcars drives my girl batshit crazy. railcars is Aria Jalali who says “I love you” a lot and stuff, and has toured around Europe and the US supporting railcars’ album Cathedrals With No Eyes, last year. It’s experimental/noise based on pop kind of music and you know my penchant for such a thing when I get sick of all the indie goodness that comes my way. Sometimes there’s simply too much Belle & Sebestain influenced, Arcade Fire-ish, Radiohead, Grizzly Bear, sweetness to endure in the world. I don’t necessairly need to be jarred back to the womb; I just want something slightly discordant, with a beat, interesting enough to make me listen to it again, and having a general feel of being a pastiche of more than a few things I think I know something about. railcars’ album did just that and more. I loved it.
What I bring you today takes that and makes it even more palatable to the indie music lover. Don’t run away from remixes. This year is gonna be the year of the remix, darlings. I’ve seen some very nice Crystal Castles remixes – one’s they’ve done. I also have found that I’m growing to like the HEALTH remix album, it’s much more pleasing than it was on first listen. And this remix of railcars’ two songs “Cathedrals With No Eyes,” the title song from the album, and “Castles” is gorgeous. The three remixes of “Castles” are surprisingly mild, nicely so. Each time I introduce the original album to friends, that jarring first note of the song makes them shout “turn it off!!!” which is so unfortunate. It takes an experienced listener, one who enjoys noise to get through the song and hear the beauty in it. These remixes ease you in – they’re genius. And, as I said above, they’re fucking brilliant for matching the buzzing in my head.
“Cathedrals With No Eyes” has, by definition, a more melodically understood introduction. That doesn’t keep it from fuzzing out further in, of course. And thank fuck for that! It’s rough and raw and gritty. The three remixes are industralized, and sexed up to give meat to the bones of this already well-crafted song. If you wanted to dance to what you heard on Cathedrals With No Eyes but didn’t want to thrash about so much, this remix album will please you. It will turn you on. It might even aid you in committing unspeakable acts (of what, I dare not say!)
This is a nice little “retro” song I found on Spin magazine’s Bonaroo Picks for 2010 (it’s free.) Young Veins’ album Take a Vacation looks promising, let me know if you’ve heard it and what you think!
So the little “wifey” says I need to change up this blog. What do ya think? I’m pretty convinced I need a new picture up top. This one is of Austin, TX afterall! How about it, Chicago? Don’t you think we need a little Chicago music scenery? I’d love to have a panoramic picture of our lovely Chicago scenery (lakefront? skyline? musical architectural institution?) Yes, it has to be panoramic in style to fit in the header requirements. So, photographers out there, if you’re willing to part with one of your lovely creations, let me know! I’ll gladly give you full credit, of course.
Another thing I’ve been wondering about is how this looks/works with Chrome? I can’t get the self-hosted music files to play on Chrome, can you? Try playing this track as well as the eagleowl MP3, “Eat Hats” down below. Does the yahoo media player work for you? If it does (in Chrome) what extension are you using? I’m so lost!
And, please sound in on whatever else you think needs upgrading/changing/improving here in the Shack! Your opinions are always important to me, darlings xoxo
crickets… this one starts with crickets and you can’t imagine anything more perfect than that. What eagleowl does best is bring your musical ear down to the ground like it used to be when you were a kid and lay in the grass and listened to the grass grow. They play these emotive, desperately sad songs achingly slowly. The double bass dominates the opening track, ”Into the Fold,” offset by violin and harmonium and guitar. I want to sit in a room and listen to this live so much but alas they are in Edinburgh, as is so much good music these days! There, those are my first thoughts about this delicious EP.
Vocally, this thing gives a similar feel to For The Thoughts You Never Had, (which I’ve played incessantly) in that Bart and Clarissa show both the long, slow, wailing and the peppy side of folk music equally well. “Morpheus” is downright cheery for this band; I might have been fooled if I didn’t know Bart’s voice so well. And it is a rich, chocolatey voice that mixes with those lower tones of the instruments in that way that people describe chocolate as having a “mouth feel.” Do you foodies out there hear that too? Call me crazy, but hearing and taste are sometimes so nearly the same thing for me. So yes, if I had to characterize eagleowl, as a band, I’d definitely color them chocolate, no doubt.
“Eat Hats” is a good instrumental piece, solid and folksy and determined. Again, the opening notes, plucked so deliberately make you pay attention, make your ears tune IN, before taking you down that delicate, stream of a melody, (with it’s fireflies, and ripples, and occasional splashes, as your oars hit the water.) But this last track, “No Conjunction,” … well it’s pushing on ten minutes long for a reason, darlings. It just builds and builds and builds. It’s atmospheric and brooding and heavily delicate. Into the Foldis only four tracks, and like everything that eaglowl does, you feel ripped off at the end, no matter how gently they try to let you down. They’re kind folk, I’m quite sure of it. But stingy, nonetheless. We really must compel them to do more, record more, produce more, by buying up all the copies of this damn EP and convincing them that they’re awfully good. I don’t think you need to be persuaded to do that, it’s quite obvious to me how beautiful this all is. Aren’t you quite sure as well? xoxo
Struck Dumb mp3The Futureheads The Chaos …. buy it!
Whooowee!!! Omg this show was Out. Of. Control!!! This might be obvious, but if you see a concert schedule and the last show of the tour is in your home town, GO TO IT! The Futureheads finished up the US leg of their incredibly long tour in support The Chaos, their new record. It was the first time they’d been in the US in four years and they were looking at a few days off before hitting a slew of festivals in the UK. So they just let it loose on the enthusiastic crowd at Lincoln Hall that night.
If you’ve not been to a Futurehead show, let me tell you, these guys are more than energetic. And this show was over the top, crowd participation, bad jokes galore, and wild guitar playing too. Their mixture of punk/pop/super-fast music is uniquely Northern English. I saw a bit of Brakes in this mess, the humor, the fury, the ethos of the chaos of it all. European friends, make sure you get a chance to see this in person. I love the new album, as I’ve said. But having it performed, right in front of you is truly the way it’s meant to be enjoyed, xoxo
Jun 15 2010 8:00P BEACH BREAK FESTIVAL CARMARTHENSHIRE, GB
Jun 17 2010 6:30P The Futureheads DJ Set @ Pukka Up Boat & Space Playa d’en Bossa, Sant Jordi
Jun 18 2010 1:00P Perugia – Urban Festival Perugia, Via Aldo M, ITALY
Jun 19 2010 1:00P Monza – Troublezine Festival Milan, Milan, ITALY
Jun 24 2010 8:00P THE FUTUREHEADS DJ SET @ THE LAZY LIZARD DORSET, GB
Jul 3 2010 1:00P Banbridge – Take it to the Bridge Corbet Lough, Banbridge
Jul 4 2010 1:00P Wakestock Gwynedd, Gwynedd
Jul 9 2010 1:00P Pohoda Festival Pohoda, SLOVAKIA (Slovak Republic)
Jul 10 2010 1:00A The Futureheads DJ Set @ Propaganda Northern Quarter, Manchester
Jul 16 2010 1:00P Dour Festival Dour, BELGIUM
Jul 17 2010 1:00P Melt Festival Gräfenhainichen, GERMANY
Jul 19 2010 10:00P iTunes Festival @ The Roundhouse London, London
Jul 23 2010 8:00P WICKERMAN FESTIVAL EAST KIRKCARSWELL, SCOTLAND, GB
Jul 30 2010 1:00P Y-Not Festival Pikehall Nr. Matlock, Derbyshire
Jul 31 2010 1:30P Kendal Calling Hackthorpe, Hackthorpe
Aug 4 2010 1:30P Beach Sessions Newquay, Newquay
Aug 14 2010 1:30P LeeFest Bromley, Bromley
Aug 15 2010 8:00P Summer Sundae Weekender Leicester, GB
Aug 20 2010 8:00P CASTLE CALLING RICHMOND CASTLE, YORKSHIRE, GB
Aug 28 2010 8:00P Leeds Festival Leeds, UK
Aug 29 2010 8:00P Reading Festival Reading, UK
Sep 11 2010 8:00P HARVEST AT JIMMY’S SUFFOLK, GB
Nov 25 2010 7:00P Aberdeen AECC w/Biffy Clyro *SOLD OUT* Aberdeen, UNITED KINGDOM
Nov 26 2010 7:00P Glasgow SECC w/Biffy Clyro *SOLD OUT* UNITED KINGDOM
Nov 27 2010 7:00P Glasgow SECC UNITED KINGDOM
Nov 29 2010 7:30P Hull Arena w/Biffy Clyro UNITED KINGDOM
Nov 30 2010 7:30P Nottingham Arena w/Biffy Clyro UNITED KINGDOM
Dec 1 2010 7:00P Plymouth Pavillions w/Biffy Clyro UNITED KINGDOM
Dec 3 2010 7:00P Manchester Central w/Biffy Clyro UNITED KINGDOM
Dec 4 2010 7:00P London Wembley Arena w/Biffy Clyro UNITED KINGDOM
Karen Elson is someone that you might not instantly recognize over here in the barren wastelands of the Midwest… ok, well I’m sure many of you will know her as the wife of Jack White or as the flame-haired, supermodel extraordinaire. What I hadn’t realized until recently was that she is a fine folk singer and has been performing for some time. This new material, her debut LP, is pure Americana and reflects the story-telling style so prevalent in Nashville, her new home. Her backing band beautifully accompanies her crooning vocals with slide guitar, accordion, violin, and other traditional instruments — and they most certainly know what they’re doing. Need I tell you that her guitarist , Jackson Smith, is the son of punk poet/singer Patti and MC5 guitarist Fred “Sonic” Smith, and is married to Meg White? (thank you, The Observer) This is bluesy, and gutsy too. Her voice begs for a big, bold sound behind it and there’s something decidedly 70s-retro about these guitar and organ melodies. These musicians aren’t afraid to make a little noise and throw a curveball once in a while. And that, perhaps is what will push this album over the top of all the hype it will receive for all it’s “star quality.” Look beyond Karen Elson’s reputation and name and see this musically, see it as it is: a Country music record with a decidedly odd turn to it. I love her voice, it’s pure and she makes this sound so very believable. I can’t wait to hear her live and to see her band.
Hot, sweaty, exhausted, exhilarated… oh, so was the band tonight! The Riviera Theater, known simply as “The Riv” here in Chicago, was SOLD OUT and packed to the balcony with fans to hear the John Butler Trio’s latest offering, April Uprising. We got a hell of a lot more than that, as they played for two hours straight, pausing only briefly to tune and giving us more than our money’s worth in dance-worthy, sway-worthy, even prayerful music to end the week. Opening the show was State Radio, a ska-punk-rock-roots trio who seemed to have loads of fans in the audience. The band is still touring on their 2009 release Let It Go and after hearing their enthusiastic set, I can see why. Infused with a timely political message, these songs were thrown at us with such loving energy, it was impossible to not like them. Chad Urmston, lead singer and guitarist, is the perfect frontman, merging wonderfully with his bandmates and yet also getting it out there with enough force on occasion. This is not a band to miss, get to these remaining shows early.
When the John Butler Trio finally took the stage, we were drenched in sweat, the room had to have been at least 95 degrees, little to no ventilation system was felt on the main floor. These old theaters (The Riv, being built in 1917) just weren’t designed for modern air conditioning! But the crowd of mostly young people, were making and finding friends – no one seemed to mind people taking off a shirt here or there. The band rushed the stage and the music didn’t stop for at least an hour. They simply played straight through, I think John made three, maybe four comments between songs, to introduce band members. The setlist, being so long, consisted of many favorites from their previous three albums including much of their latest album. There were bluegrass/folk songs, ska songs (especially when, towards the end, State Radio joined them onstage), roots/jam numbers that lasted 15 minutes at least, and rock and roll. The crowd sang along, loudly to most songs and even as we were squashed together tightly, we danced, our sweaty limbs hitting one another without apology. No one cared that beer was spilled, it was cold! The harder my neighbors danced the harder they breathed on me, bringing me a welcome movement of AIR! It was THAT tight of a crowd.
I couldn’t possibly tell you what the band played. They played them all, ok? But I do remember “Zebra,” and the songs with the banjo were absolutely gorgeous! When Byron Luiters, bassist, played didgeridoo on an extended instrumental song about midway through the set I could only close my eyes and sway with the crowd. The amplified sounds, accompanied by Butler’s guitar were astounding, much greater than any bass I’ve ever heard. It was a unique and inspiring mood-changer that must have also given the band a bit of a break before resuming their marathon set. I doubt any hardcore fan left the show tonight feeling like their favorite song hadn’t been played. After about two-thirds of the way through I wiggled my way to the back of the great hall, to find a cooler spot before I literally swooned. Even in the far corners of this huge venue, couples and groups of friends were dancing and applauding at the end of songs. The energy from the stage went from one end to the other, it was so fierce!
Don’t miss this tour. Don’t miss the next one either. John Butler has talent, vision, energy and you’re going to want to say you saw him in his prime. Trust me on this one, oxox
Tour Dates
Sunday 13 Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
Tuesday 15 New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage **
Wednesday 16 Vienna, VA @ Wolftap **
Thursday 17 Philadelphia, PA @ Penn’s Landing **
Friday 18 Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion ***
**6/15, 6/17-18 co-bill with State Radio
***6/18 State Radio closes the concert
Things Change mp3 Megan McCormick ….. pre-order here
Harper Simon … “Wishes And Stars” from Harper Simon… buy here!
Hooligans mp3 Hooligans Neighbors…. buy it here Purchase the White Vinyl 7″ (with free instant MP3 download) at the Paper Brigade Store.
Weeds mp3 Bare Black Small Sur …. look for purchase information here
This is radio GOLD. This is stadium rock. This is no guilty pleasure, people. Love this and don’t feel ashamed.
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