This April, Netherfriends (aka Shawn Rosenblatt) will find himself homeless and he will be embarking on a 50 Songs 50 States tour. You will be able to follow his progress here. Shawn is also close to completing his first full-length LP called Barry and Sherry (named after his parents) and today premiered a video for the project. The song is called "Lead You Through the Misty Fog of Milwaukee Ave".
Before he leaves in April, Netherfriends will be performing two shows here, Mar 15 at Lincoln Hall with Woods and Real Estate and Mar 18 at Empty Bottle with Deakin (Animal Collective).
On the inside cover of the sophomore album, Time and Temperature, from Judson Claiborne you will find a quote from Daphne Rose Kingma. “We tend to think of relationships as static, as if we could just get into them, assume a position inside them and then continue to hold it, essentially without changing forever, world without end. But in fact our relationships are fluid, vivid, mercurial, and constantly changing.” It perfectly sets the stage for the plucked strings, melodies, and heartfelt lyrics that follow. These ten tracks crave a graceful notch into the static image of love. The instrument Judson uses to crave is the fable as he tells tales of a CIA worker struggles to keep a relationship with his wife, or a student falling a little to deeply in love. The tale keeps changing as the type of relationship changes. Musically, there are element indie folk, country, and just plain Americana, but Claiborne’s web is complex and refreshing. This album is beautifully put together by La Societe Expeditionnaire, and topped of by incredible photos from New York’s Sarah Wilmer. The album will be released on April 6th and will become one of the top Chicago albums of the year.
The record release show will take place on March 5th at The Hideout with Sonoi and Eiren Cafall. Judson Claiborne will also perform at Reckless Records in Wicker Park on March 6th at 4:00pm for free.
Yesterday, Daytrotter posted their session with Joe Pug. Joe performed one track from his first ep, Nation of Heat, and three songs from his new album Messengers. My favorite line from the Daytrotter write-up is as follows, "It’s like reaching for a cup of coffee, intent of enjoying a small and toasty sip, believing that you’re going to have to take it slow or risk burning your tongue out of your mouth, only to find that the liquid in the cup has gone disgustingly cold in the span between sips." Joe Pug’s music is filled with continual sense that live is out to get you, but he delivers with a warm and understanding of a veteran bar-hand after close.
Tonight at The Hideout, The Laureates celebrate the release of their third effort and EP entitled No Kontrol. The ep is released through Funambulist Recording Company and finds the band continuing on their enjoyable path of mixing classic rock sound with ‘90’s underground and surprisingly Brit Pop. It’s a fun mixture that sounds nostalgic and original at the same time. The band has been working together since 2005, and over the last four years have now released two eps and a well received full-length, There Are No More Gentlemen (2008). You can download the EP for free from the website Candy Dinner.
White Car are one of the more unique and exciting duo’s in town, and this month they released their debut self-titled 12” on Rainbow Body Records. They are celebrating the release of the ep on March 2nd at Danny’s Tavern (1451 W. Dickens) with DJs Beau Wanzer and Gatekeeper.
Just when you think you are on top of the scene and have discovered everything there is to discover it takes a nice note from a reader to alert you that you have missed a band (or twenty). The band this fan recommended was Tin Tin Can. Where has this band been? Their sound is a mixture of the layered vocals and organic nature of Animal Collective and the storytelling and edge of Cracker. They have released two eps, the most recent being The Devil and the Mockingbird released August 2009. Both eps can be downloaded for free from the band’s website. Tin Tin Can are my favorite discovery this week, and I apologize for not taking notice sooner.
Tin Tin Can will be playing at Beat Kitchen with 100 Monkeys on March 5th.
Tomorrow the sultry duo of Lauren Cheatham and Wade Alin (aka The Atomica Project) will celebrate the release of their latest album The Non Affair. This album finds the duo loosely clinging to their trip-hop roots but branching out to explore the organic elements of their music. They bring in everything from everything from the 1940’s to the modern shoe-gaze genre. The Non Affair features 11 brand new tracks and 6 bonus tracks from the 2 digital/usb only EP’s released. Alin is responsible for the sound structure and has really out done himself on this one. If you have followed his career you may know that his has always been searching for that perfect balance between the electronic and the organic. On this album, based entirely on a misperception of intimacy, it seems as through he has finally found it. You can stream the entire album here, but this is an album you will want to purchase.
The Atomica Project will be performing at Metro tomorrow night (Feb. 26th) with theMDR, The Rosen Association, and Sarah Katheryn. The show starts at 9:00pm and tickets are $9.
Released nearly a year ago, Where Astronauts Go To Hide have toured relentlessly in support of their debut album Among Friends. There are still on the road, but will return home on Feb. 28th as they perform at Uncommon Ground (3800 N. Clark St.) with Brendan Losch and Brett Saxon. This show is all ages and is free, but donations are welcome.
After a ten year absence from the Chicago music scene The Blacks returned last fall to play a reunion show of sort at Bloodshot Records 15thAnniversary Hideout Block Party. It was clear that they still had that spark that generated to albums in the late nineties. True they’ve lost a decade, but as I listened through their new ep In Sickness and Health it is clear they haven’t lost the passion or chemistry. The album is filled with introspection, but at its height it is simple and pure rock with country undertones.
In Sickness and Health is a digital-only EP that will be available on March 6th. The first 300 downloads (preorder now) come with a limited-edition poster designed by Danny Black and silk screened by Crosshair Silkscreen. All downloads of the EP include an enhanced package of lyrics, original artwork, photos and the documentary on the Blacks rise and fall, "Bring It Back From The Dead" by John Boston and Glorious Noise Productions.
The Blacks will be celebrating the release of the ep on March 9th at Schubas.
I just received a new single of the trio Kid Savant. “Better Side of Paradise” is track that begins like a standard Coldplay ballad, but subtly morphs into somewhat of a club track. This track just adds to the mystery and hopeful anticipation lead up to what stands to be a wonderful debut album. Hopefully we will be getting news to that effect soon. Until then we will just have to continue to enjoy these mp3’s they throw our way.
Derek Porter is an Illinois-bred, Chicago based songwriter, musician and producer following in the footsteps of his father, Bruce, a pianist and songwriter of 30+ years. Derek’s songs are his craft – he writes for all the groups in the Piercing Music collective. These songs span genres, including folk, rockabilly and pop. His upcoming solo album, Strangers, Vol. 1, makes the softer sounds of his past work its focus. The album is a quick, satisfying listen, which will segue into Vol. 2, to be released in the near future.
Just as many label across the country and around the world struggle and search for new and inventive ways to survive in a digital world, a collection of talented Chicago music professional may have solved the problem. Rubyhornet’s Closed Sessions label may very well be at the forefront of a new movement in the digital music age. With each of the Closed Sessions founders having years of experience in their respective fields, they combined their expertise in Audio Engineering (Mike Kolar who is chief engineer and owner of Chicago’s SoundScape Studios), Media Technology (Omar Solis) and Viral Media (DJ RTC EIC of Rubyhornet.com and also a renowned DJ who has performed and worked hand in hand with numerous labels and artists) to create a one-stop shop that caters to everything an artist requires to create compelling music. It is a fascinating concept, but these men have taken it beyond concept and created Closed Sessions: Vol. 1.
When a participating artist comes to Chicago, they are taken to SoundScape Studios with RubyHornet.com’s full video team and the studio is equipped and catered to fit their individual needs. Once comfortable, they are able to cycle through the Closed Sessions catalog and pick the beat of their choice. Once they have chosen their beat, they are left to do what they do, make great music. It allows the emcee to expand their sound while enjoying the safety and structure of the Closed Session experience. The sessions are photographed and videotaped.
Since conducting the first Closed Session with New Orleans’ recording artist Curren$y, artists such as Amanda Diva, Kidz In The Hall, Tanya Morgan, U-N-I, Bun B, Donnis, Rhymefest, Skyzoo, Big Pooh, and many others have participated. The label recently released a single created with Emilio Rojas called "Helluva Year" and the video above explains the process. The first Closed Sessions EP, presented and mixed by DJ RTC, will be released in March 2nd and will contain nine songs. The collection will be distributed digitally as a free download. Below are the first two tracks they have released from the ep. Welcome to the future of music.
