Wicker Park Summer Fest - Day 2

On July 23, 2006, I attended what I consider to be the best neighborhood Festival in Chicago. The Wicker Park Summer Fest featured local and touring acts that made up a fairly eclectic mix of music. Wicker Park is ultimately ground zero for hipsters in Chicago, but I have to admit that it’s a prominent artistic environment. The area definitely has a unique atmosphere. There are many hot shops and restaurants to compliment live music venues like Double Door and Sutberranean. But I’m not interested in the “scene.” I’m interested in events like the Summer Fest. Unfortunately I couldn’t go on Saturday when bands like Telefon Tel Aviv, Apollo Sunshine, and DeVotchka performed.

I took the Belmont bus to the Blue Line CTA and arrived at Damen and North around 5 pm on Sunday, just in time for Oh My God to begin. This group is a powerhouse threesome from Chicago with a line-up featuring bass (by the vocalist), organ, and drums. The singer resembled George of the Jungle as he jumped around shirtless waving his lengthy brown hair. He exclaimed “This is a perfect day!” and was telling the truth. We had been blessed with pleasant weather with clear skies and temps in the upper 70’s. Given Chicago’s terribly unpredictable weather patterns (trust me, if you thought Michigan weather was bad, Chicago is worse). I had heard the song “Get Steady” on MSU’s Impact Radio, so I knew to expect solid indie rock with organ cranked out with powerful distortion. It really rattles your brain, but in a good way. It’s always great to see musicians taking a tangent from what everyone else is doing.

Starlight Mints are a pop band from Oklahoma, but I can’t think of anything interesting to say about them. Maybe that’s a sign of their music. I did notice that they played along with prerecorded samples (the drummer wore headphones to make sure he was in sync), which reminded me of the Avagami set the previous night. Watching this group, I felt like it wouldn’t matter one way or another if their tour bus got lost in some obscure rural area of Idaho never to be found again. Maybe that’s a bit harsh, but I think it’s more realistic than providing some useless comparisons to other Oklahoma indie group the Flaming Lips, as most critics choose to do.

Next was Make Believe, who are an unclassifiable Chicago band. I reviewed their album earlier on this site. Their only consistent weakness is Tim Kinsella’s vocals. However, the guitar work is insane – like nothing I’ve ever heard before. Together with the bass and drums (the drummer also plays occasional keyboard while drumming!), they produce an extremely tight knit brand of futuristic punk. I think they will be appreciated more some time in the future.

I think this was about the time I picked up an orange creamsicle float from the Cold Stone booth. It was mouth watering and you should be jealous. I headed back to the stage for Dead Meadow, a psychedelic rock act from Washington D.C. I wrote them off a little early for being stuck in a dead era of music (hence the band name?). After a few songs, though, the threesome proved to be entertaining. Because they aren’t exploring new ground, the lead guitar is what really defines a band like this. Luckily their guitarist rocked, and their sound was often powerful enough while still going down smooth. Plus, they're signed on Matador Records, which I give them credit for.

The Gris Gris was an arty, abstract indie rock band from southern California. I didn’t pay too close attention to their set because it was the kind of music that you’d probably have to hear first on CD to appreciate fully. What I remember most about them is their X-shaped stage set. The drummer face sideways, and bass, guitar, and keyboard were spread out in the corners. In the end, Wicker Park Summer Fest was an inspiration. It was a display of creative, diverse music that needed no hype to draw people out. It was a reflection of what that neighborhood is, and where it will be heading in future years. Next I hope to write about the Pitchfork Music Festival, but it might take me a little while because there’s a lot more to tell. So be patient and stay out of the heat.

MySpace Links:
Oh My God
Starlight Mints
Make Believe
Dead Meadow
The Gris Gris

Human Television @ Schuba's Tavern - 7/22/06

And thus begins what will hopefully turn out to be the best month of live music in my life. I had intended to travel to Wicker Park for their Summer Fest on Saturday after I got off work. The weather was too unpredictable though, and the gloomy sky made me decide to wait until Sunday. Instead I went up to Schuba’s Tavern by myself. I had never seen a show there and it was long overdue. Schuba’s claim is to have live music of various genres every single night. And by the way, it really is a tavern. The music room is small and sleek, with little tables lining the two side walls. The stage has carved wooden arches overhead, and the overall setting is very intimate. The show on Saturday was Human Television, Avagami and Bound Stems opening.

I arrived around 9:45 pm and entered the music room. At 10 pm, Chicago group Avagami took the stage. Avagami is, in the spirit off the current trend of duos, a two man band. One plays drums and handles electronic samples, and the other sings and plays saxophone. Their MySpace identifier is “psychedelic/new wave/jazz.” Think that sounds mind boggling? It makes more sense than you might believe. Just imagine Devo (that robotic 80’s new wave group with red conic hats) crossed with Miles Davis (maybe late 50’s era). Then throw in the palpable energy of a duo like Mates of State. When the samples expired, the drums and saxophone often exploded into freestyle escapades. A few times the drummer would solo while the other performed interpretive dance. Overall it was highly entertaining. I recommend checking them out at Beat Kitchen on August 10.

The next group was Bound Stems, who are also based in Chicago and are currently members of Flameshovel Records’ line-up. Having heard a few clips of their 2005 EP, The Logic of Building the Body Plan, I knew enough to expect some noisy indie rock. Since they’ve been a prominent act in the Chicago music scene over the past year, the crowd swelled to its largest level of the night during their set. The group has a guy on vocals/guitar, a girl on vocals/keyboard/etc, then lead guitar, bass, and drums. The result is like a midwestern Modest Mouse with definite Broken Social Scene aspirations. It was disappointing to hear the two vocalists often singing the same words in the same key, instead of complimenting each other with some sort of harmony. However, they did command the crowd, and I appreciated how much fun the group was obviously having. I could see them expanding their sound to something more powerful with national potential or beyond. I’ll be sure to check out their new album Appreciation Night, which releases on Flameshovel September 19.

There’s not much to say about the headliner, Human Television. They boast impressive influences that actually set the bar a little too high for their current abilities. Their group play was tight, but their unexciting state presence requires that the music do the talking. And the truth is that their music said too little for me to stay through their entire set.

I’ll try to cover all the live music I witness over the next few weeks, which should include day 2 of the Wicker Park Summer Fest, Camera Obscura at Logan Square this Friday 8/28, Pitchfork Music Festival, and Lollapalooza. So check back soon!

MySpace pages (where you can find band website links):
Avagami
Bound Stems
Human Television

My Dream Pop Mix

1. The Beach Boys – God Only Knows
2. The Beatles – Tomorrow Never Knows
3. The Velvet Underground – Sunday Morning
4. Cocteau Twins – Pearly-Dewdrops’ Drops
5. The Jesus and Mary Chain – Just Like Honey
6. The Smiths – That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
7. My Bloody Valentine – To Here Knows When
8. Slowdive – Machine Gun
9. Ride – Kaleidoscope
10. Lush – Kiss Chase
11. Chapterhouse – Breather
12. The Boo Radleys – Barney (…and me)*
13. Spiritualized – Lay Back In The Sun
14. Yo La Tengo – Little Honda
15. The Helio Sequence – Transistor Radio
16. Caribou – Jacknuggeted
17. Sybris – Breathe Like You’re Dancing
18. Serena-Maneesh – Drain Cosmetics
19. Asobi Seksu – Thursday

*song does not appear on actual mix CD due to size constraints

Since I’m running out of seasons to talk about, I’m going to start branching into different kinds of mix CD’s. The first to come of my expansion is the Dream Pop Mix. Dream pop, in my mind, encompasses a few different styles of music. Shoegazing and ambient pop are related styles (I’ll explain more later on). On this mix, I tried to explore the evolution of dream pop. The mix starts at the beginning of modern dreaminess, when “dream pop” didn’t really exist yet.

The elements first appeared in the sixties. The Beach Boys are a primary influence of bands in the dream pop genre. I grew up listening to my dad’s copy of Endless Summer, but I had no idea just how influential the work of Brian Wilson and friends has been until recently. “God Only Knows” is my favorite song by them, and it’s a great example of the joyful patchwork of sound they developed on the Pet Sounds album. The next band is a given when talking about any modern group’s influences. The Beatles played an important role here, especially on their drug-tinged late 60’s work like Revolver and Magical Mystery Tour. The Velvet Underground was a band remembered most for their ability to maintain a certain atmosphere and using it to captivate listeners. Many bands are attracted to this emphasis of ambiance over song structure.

The first emissions of an actual genre of dream pop came in the early 80’s. The Jesus and Mary Chain successfully mined those aforementioned 60’s bands and ultimately influenced many groups to come. Cocteau Twins are considered the perfect example of ambient pop with their airy vocals and silky smooth melodies. The Smiths are one of my favorite bands (I will later add The Queen Is Dead to my list of all time favorite albums), but the song I included here is unique. Johnny Marr’s construction of layer upon layer of magnificent guitars is what will forever stand out about his work with the Smiths.

The peak of dream pop occurred in the late 80’s and early 90’s on My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless and Slowdive’s Souvlaki. I already wrote a review of Loveless. It’s ridiculous how the name My Bloody Valentine is thrown around in modern music writing. However, that band (and especially that album) have influenced an endless number of bands and remains one of the most painfully underappreciated works of all time. These two groups are considered quintessential shoegazers. Shoegaze, when done well, finds the vocals pushed way back to become gelled with swirling guitar and keyboards to create a pure sonic orgasm. You really have to hear it (or see it below) to believe it.

Ride, Lush, Chapterhouse, the Boo Radleys, and Spiritualized followed, each with their own take on the world of dreamy indie pop. These bands were prominent from the early to mid 1990’s. Yo La Tengo is another band that deserves mention with their 1997 cover of the Beach Boys’ classic “Little Honda.” Yo La Tengo has established themselves as one of indie rock’s most respectable acts over the past 20 years. Their music employs the classic Beach Boys and Velvet Underground influences, but they are an entity that stands alone. I cannot wait to see them on July 30 at the Pitchfork Music Festival.

Now, in the 21^st century, many bands draw inspiration not only from the 60’s groups, but also largely from the shoegazing movement. The Helio Sequence is a pair from Portland, OR, who share drums, guitars, synthesizers, keyboards, and vocals. Their earlier work fits in well here, but their new album has a more direct sound (think Mates of State or Of Montreal). I’ve already talked about Caribou in my Canadian music feature. Caribou’s 2003 album Up In Flames was excellent shoegaze-go-electronic. However, Caribou’s newer work also strays from the formula. Here is the video for "Jacknuggeted" from Up In Flames.

Sybris (who I also reviewed on here not too long ago) is a female-fronted Chicago indie rock band with a flair for My Bloody Valentine and 80’s noise rock like the Pixies. Serena-Maneesh is exploding out of Norway with a seemingly new take on those early 90’s sounds of which I’ve become so fond. Finally, Asobi Seksu is a New York group who sound like a 15 year shoegaze time capsule. Don’t worry though because they throw in some new tricks.

Not all of the groups here were locked into the dream pop genre. Sometimes it just shines through on a single album, or sometimes just a single song. But all of these songs deserved to be included. Hopefully this list has inspired you in some way. Maybe when people start reading this blog (trust me, I do realize that no one currently reads it) they will start listen to some of these obscure bands. Or maybe my idea of perfect music is not the same as someone else’s. I expect the latter. I write all this for my enjoyment anyways. If you’d like to come along for the ride, feel free to accept my open invitation.

Anti-Hipster, Vol 1 - TV on the Radio

TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain (4AD; 2006)

Welcome to my first edition of trashing super-hyped groups that, in my opinion, don’t deserve the attention. I’d prefer not to build a reputation on denouncing anyone. However, my inspiration shows itself in many forms, and one of those is a disgust at the way indie music writers put some groups on an unjustifiable pedestal. Keep in mind that I’m not a professional (not yet anyways). I don’t claim to know everything. These utterances will be strictly from my point of view, and based on what credible information I can get my hands on without wasting too much time on these bands. Now that we’ve cleared all that up, let’s begin.

I first heard the name TV on the Radio on MSU’s Impact 89 FM around my third year of classes. One of the songs from the 2004 LP Desparate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes had minor airplay, but ultimately didn’t fit in with the song oriented station. It has such little affect on me that, looking back, I can’t even remember which song it was. My musical information bank had not yet swelled to its modern day size, so all I knew about them was that one song. But my goal is to cover the present, not the past. So in the present, I ponder the meaning of the band’s name. I think of TV and commercial radio as one and the same. They are just tools of commercialism designed to sell products. Go figure.

What I really want to talk about is their new album, Return to Cookie Mountain, which was released on the 4AD label in early July. According to Metacritic.com (an amazing website that creates weighted averages of music, movies, books, etc based on numerous critic reviews), this album is the fifth best-reviewed of 2006 to date. This is a fact that bothers me initially and even more so after listening to the album once. But before I cover my listening experience, let’s explore what information I can gather about this group.

The first place anyone should be able to look for information on a band is their official website. Unfortunately, theirs is under construction, and I can't find any official-looking Myspace page. So I look through the clips of reviews on Metacritic, which include words like “cataclysmic,” “overwhelming,” “intoxicating,” and “inspiring.” One reviewer even dares to call it “accessible.” Next I turn to Allmusic.com and Pitchforkmedia.com for some credible info. I learn from Pitchfork that an earlier version of the album appeared in the spring with a different track sequence. Ultrahipsters seem to argue over which tracklist they think is more effective. I, on the other hand, think it’s absurd that they completely rearranged the album. In making my mix CD’s, I meticulously arrange the track list to create a mood and flow. When listening to my favorite albums, I can’t imagine the songs occurring in any different order. Pitchfork praises the singer Tunde Adebimpe for staying in the background despite the fact that he has “got about the best set of pipes in indie rock.” I say, without proof otherwise, his voice is unremarkable. Then I remember that many people are tone deaf, and some people genuinely enjoy bad singing voices (like the old timer Bob Dylan, or current hipster wet dreams Clap Your Hands Say Yeah).

Allmusic.com claims that the album “threatens to become more impressive than likeable,” and I agree with that to some extent. Any band that puts more emphasis on experimenting and finding new sonic territory takes an automatic risk. That risk allows for the possibility of creating something incredible or ending up with something that completely lacks an impact. That really lies in the ear of the beholder. Supposedly David Bowie contributes background vocals on “Province,” but I can’t make them out. Although I’m slightly offended that Mr. Bowie would involve himself in such a project, I give him credit for always attempting to be ahead of the trends in music.

Next I turn to the Deli, a New York music publication that focuses on the local music scene. Since the band originated in Brooklyn (which, from an outsiders perspective, seems to be one of the most self-inflated music scenes in the world) I hope to find some hard facts straight from the source. The only thing I notice from their interview with the band is that they played on Carson Daly, and that just makes me want to vomit on my keyboard.

Now let’s talk about listening to the album. The first thing that I pick up on is the emphasis on drum beats. The songs are intentionally repetitive, focusing on atmosphere over song structure or buildup. They give off the impression of being a political band, or at least people who are concerned with societal issues. However, there are few phrases that stand out to me because, like Pitchfork pointed out, the vocals have been withdrawn. There have been instances where this works, such in most shoegaze acts (Allmusic even has the cojones to reference the mother of all shoegaze albums, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless). However, it only works if the music can create an emotional impact on its own, and that is not the case here.

Certain bands or genres come to mind while listening. The album makes me think of the messy noise of Nine Inch Nails, but I never acknowledged the accomplishments of that group either. At times the beats and vocals even resemble those of Outkast. But where Outkast uses their hip hop and pop abilities to create some of the most infectious and memorable songs of recent years, TOTR falls flat. Caught up in their Brooklyn mindset, they ultimately lack the ability to create music to which most people can relate. At times I even think of British rockers Bloc Party, with their meticulously constructed beats and production. But Bloc Party triumphs through having the best lead guitarist in indie rock in years, as well as extremely tight song arrangements.

Finally I look to YouTube.com to see what kind of video clips of the band are available. After all, if a group can deliver on stage, what does album failure matter? What I find, though, is lackluster. You can have a look yourself.

"Wolf Like Me" at Coachella 2006



"Dreams" with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and Peter Murphy of Bauhaus

It seems that I just can’t figure out modern day music critics. After all, Destroyer’s Rubies, which is currently number two on Metacritic’s 2006 list, is definitely my favorite album so far this year. So why do I completely agree with them at times, and other times want to smack them and make them eat their words? Maybe I’m just being close-minded. Maybe I’m so caught up in connection and influences that I only like something if it reminds me of something else that I love. Maybe I should just give TV on the Radio a chance.

The album isn’t even a completely unrewarding listen. It’s not that the music is too complex or eclectic. In a single word, it’s just boring. I don’t hate every song though (“Wolf Like Me” would be fun with some kind of deranged werewolf music video, and “Hours” at least has a catchy drum and bass construction). I mostly just hate the hype. I hate the way critics try to pick diamonds out of dirt hills, like they’re the ones who made the music. I’m not trying to claim a piece of the music. I’m just expressing my thoughts and feelings in an attempt to spread information.

That’s the point of this whole Anti-Hipster thing; to give you my point of view. But don’t take my word for it. Make up your own mind. Decide for yourself. That’s your privilege. I don’t yet know which band or album I’ll focus on next. My next post should be my Dream Pop mix, which will be a refreshing turn from these dark matters.

French Kicks new album out today

French Kicks' new album Two Thousand was released today on Startime International Records. They have been one of my favorite bands over the past two years. I feel that they have been severely underappreciated by indie music critics and audiences (especially in Detroit) alike. I have no idea what the new album is like, but I still wanted to get the word out. Their live shows cover for the rare shortcomings in their studio recordings. Few bands can entrance me the way that they have. They are playing in Detroit at the Magic Stick on 7/26, in Grand Rapids at Intersection on 7/29, and in Chicago at Double Door on 8/26. They are also playing some kind of private show with Phoenix at Double Door on 7/28. I tried to get tickets for it but they only sold about 15 to the public. I almost ninja kicked the lady at the ticket booth when the guy in front of me bought the last ticket. Arrrrrggghhh. Anyway, here is the Myspace link for French Kicks so you can check them out.