photo by Renata Steiner There's been some heavy live groovin' happenin' at KEXP lately. We've had Fitz and the Tantrums , Galactic , Escort and Chicago's JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound all tearing up our studio in the past few months. Brooks and his pals recently joined DJ Kevin Cole on the Afternoon Show to spotlight songs from their blazing new Bloodshot album, Want More , including their uptempo, internet buzz-garnering cover of Wilco's "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart." As you'd expect from this group with [...]
Frank Yang When I think back to School Of Seven Bells' last headlining show in Toronto in September 2010 circa Disconnect From Desire , two things leap immediately to mind. One, that it was less than a month before Claudia Deheza announced her departure from the band and two, that it was shockingly poorly attended - as in you could count the dozens of people there on one hand from where I stood. That these come to mind before the fact that it was a great show [...]
Visit Indie Shuffle to download. Sounds like: Blu, Co$$, Exile Song: Sene - Holyday [download here ] What's so good? Sene's Brooklyknight was released [...]
JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound recently dropped a new video for their latest track, "Sister Ray Charles." The clip reveals the local indie-leaning soul outfit's frontman JC Brooks as working double duty as a gigolo. Apparently, he's also quite good at this because minutes later a whole barrage of people show at the the sleazy hotel room's door -- including some sort of purple puppet thing -- but shortly thereafter the whole shebang turns into a giant party. The video's tongue-in-cheek feel fits nicely with the song's sunny keys, and it's PMA-tone. Anyway, JC Brooks & [...]
Everybody in the club stop getting tipsy for two seconds because we're talking about yet another busy weekend for Chicago music. Buzzing all over our radar screens are the 10th Annual CHIRP Record Fair, Distractions/Distortions Fest, a free show by JC BROOKS & The Uptown Sound plus so much more. As Gwen Stefani once said, what (are) you waiting for? FRIDAY DASTARDLY It's rock and roll happy hour over [...]
Here's your Tuesday: ► Canadian songstress Kathleen Edwards visits the El Rey Theatre behind her fourth album (and finest yet), "Voyageur," which was co-produced by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver). That's her video for "Change the Sheets," above. ► White Arrows , their new EP "Fireworks of the Sea" out earlier this month, headline the Roxy on a night that features Kraddy and the Stone Foxes. ► Harriet headlines the Bootleg Bar, supported by the new project from Mike Moonves of Chief, High Rise, and Australia's Husky. ► Chicagoans [...]
photo by Brittney Bollay This week starts off with a bang with a show by the hugely popular Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men , at Showbox Sodo. If you're a KEXP listener you know just how much we love this great Icelandic band. This is a can't miss! Speaking of can't misses, on Tuesday, THEESatisfaction is giving a free performance at the Queen Anne Easy Street Records, Point Juncture WA is at the Comet Tavern, and Poor Moon is at the Tractor with Lost In The Trees and [...]
[Our look at the week ahead, starting with Nicolas Jaar, playing Monday, and his video for "Mi Mujer":] Incoming: Nicolas Jaar, NO, Voxhaul Broadcast, the Henry Clay People, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Harriet, White Arrows, White Rabbits, Matthew Dear, Races, Kathleen Edwards, the Wedding Present and more. Our staff picks of the week: @KRBronson recommends: The Wedding Present on Saturday at the Troubadour . The U.K. veterans' new album "Valentina" measures up to their [...]
South By Southwest is part music festival, part conference, and all party. Whereas initially it may have been an opportunity for unknown acts to get noticed by decision and taste makers, many more major artists have begun descending on the live music capitol of the world to sell their wares to the industry elite. Ten years ago the White Stripes played to a somewhat unenthusiastic crowd outdoors , this year Jack White packed an entire venue full, with thousands of rabid fans (including me) standing outside on the street desperately listening through a window. [...]
Ms. Beverly Capshaw sat in for me last night as I continue my vacation/best dude impression . It's always interesting to see what comes out of the shows that have guest hosts. Especially what surfaces that would never get played on my version of the show such as Centro-Matic , Great Lake Swimmers and Will Johnson solo. It's not that I dislike these bands, I just don't ever think about them. Beverly, however, did. She also thought about Two Cow Garage , Matt Woods , JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound and [...]
If you were to ask folks on either coast to describe the Midwest, they'd likely tell you that it consists exclusively of sleepy farm towns and insignificant flyover markets devoid of excitement or character. While to some extent this might be true, major metro areas such as Chicago are a thriving cultural hotbed rich with history, pride, and a desire to share its artistic vision with the rest of the world. With Chicago's musical past deeply rooted in jazz and the blues, the Windy City Sound evolved significantly through much of the 20th Century to include elements of soul, rock, [...]
Summer Camp Music Festival organizers have unveiled yet another batch of additions to this year's lineup including Common, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Galactic, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and BoomBox. These groups and more join an already HT fave-studded bill at the 12th annual event, which is set to take place at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Illin. over Memorial Day Weekend. Here's the full list of additions... Common, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Galactic, Preserv ation Hall Jazz Band, BoomBox, Dirty Dozen Brass Band (35th Anniversary Tour), LP, Banyan, Break Science, The Ragbirds, Brother Joscephus, Wick-It The Instigator, Midnight Conspiracy, The Werks, Jimkata, Twin [...]
Happy weekend, guys and dolls! I know it's cold and gloomy outside, but you can't celebrate the fourth annual Windy City Winter Ball without a little snow/sleet/freezing rain. And you definitely couldn't ask for better weather for when Scotland's the Twilight Sad ride a wave of depression into town. Hike up those snow boots and let's get going. FRIDAY THE TWILIGHT SAD You'll be hard-pressed to find a [...]
So while I took a few days off of blogging for nye and such, I was, for some reason, feeling pessimistic about what the blogosphere was going to treat my return. I think this is mainly because A.) my day at work was... another day at work. B.) the last time I went face-melt music searching on the blog ocean, I felt like I was paddling around on a kittie pool with nothing but a clock radio, a 2 liter of Jasta and a Popeye's drum stick. Well, after dropping off a bunch of canned food to a [...]
Disappears Annnnnnd, it's the final Weekend Diversions of 2011. So sad. So, so, so sad. Or is it? Yes, it is. Maybe. Either way, there's no shortage of rad New Years Eve shows we just have to talk about this weekend. Of course, there's Disappears at the Bottle or Local H at the Bottom Lounge , but there's also JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound at Schubas tonight and so much more. Dig it, y'all. [...]
Originally, the podcast and Ninebullets Radio were supposed to (mostly) feature different songs. Then, I was asked to do an extra hour on the show at the last minute and the two ended up being extremely similar track listings. Sorry about that but look at it like this; in a week the archive of the radio show will be gone forever but the podcast is available (for better or worse) forever. The Episode 24 podcast will ring out 2011 here on ninebullets. In preparation for this show I literally (yes, I am properly using [...]
A great poet or literary genius probably said this, but I'll be straight with y'all and say I heard it first from The Rolling Stones. Anyway, The Rolling Stones once said that you can't always get what you want, but sometimes you'll get what you need. Well, a couple of weeks ago JC Brooks & The Uptown fulfilled the latter for me, and they've routinely filled the role of the former in the weeks since. Those that are connected with me via Facebook or Twitter already know this, but for those that don't, my [...]
Frank Yang There's many great things about the long-running Toronto institution of Nu Music Nites at the Horseshoe - not least of all the fact that they're free - but the fact that they often feature such random assemblages of acts that each set can feel like its own standalone show and not part of a larger bill is certainly a big part of the fun. Such was the case on Tuesday night when rather than one headline-calibre act, as you'd normally be fortunate to have, they had two - and quite markedly different ones at that. [...]
JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound recently dropped a brand new video for the B-side, "Everything Will be Fine," to their latest Addenda Records 73 To Love Someone (That Don't Love You) , and it's quite a fun one. The premise? The band becomes the law firm Uptown Law, and boy do we wish they existed, because they seem to be more interested in getting down in the office than heading to court. Also, we really dig the mix of high-def and the squiggly, scratchy VHA look. Finally, the JC Brooks & the Uptown [...]
[Happy 11/11/11 ...] ► Canadian trio Austra plays a sold-out show at the Echo, with Grimes and Baron Von Luxxury supporting. That's Austra's video for "Lose It," above. And Baron Von Luxxury has remixed Austra's song "Spellwork" — it's worth checkout out here . ► Brooklyn duo Holy Ghost rocks the Music Box. They've just released a cover of the Ministry single "I Wanted to Tell Her" for free download here . ► Chicago's JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound visit the Satellite. [See [...]
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