Mixed bag, mostly good, from Chicago chanteuse Chicago's rootsy chateuse Martha Berner possesses a rich, soulful voice which serves her well in her latest offering, Fool's Fantasy. Opening with jerky cello before a swift segue into bluesy-jam territory, "Fool's Fantasy" establishes the terrain of the record, both sonically and lyrically. Follow-up "Brave" is the best song here, with its spitfire lyrics and bouncing, throbbing beat; other highlights include the rough-and-tumble "Adore Me II" and the almost industrial backdrop to the otherwise low-key...
Episode 10 of Live @ The Alley feature Martha Berner and Indiana's The Starside . If you missed it you should also check out last week's episode with Blah Blah Blah and Urbanites .
Memory and nostalgia seem to be a popular trend in music this past year, and Martha Berner’s video for “Fool’s Fantasy” is no different. Though it may primarily feature Berner and her band performing the song, shots of a film projector are interspliced before it finally casts its home movies upon the band during the [...]
While staying awake may be a necessity its hard to find the news cycle anything but dizzying. Yesterday's disaster again obscured by today's theatre of absurd. As if any of this has been good for the middle class. "Sweetness" from Pearl and the Beard "Oh My Word" from Buffalo Killers [...]
The sophomore from the talented singer/songwriter Martha Berner is coming on December 13th. The album is six years in the making and will be called Fool's Fanatsy . This is Martha's first album with her new band The Significant Others.The album was recorded at Chicago's Stranded On A Planet and produced by The Significant Others guitarist Scott Fritz. The band will be touring this winter, and below is our first sample of Fool's Fantasy, "Cry". MP3 : Martha Berner & The Significant Others "Cry"
We're back on the bandwidth wagon after a full week of experimental streamposts, with thanks to all who have already donated to help us keep the music flowing, and a reminder that, until the end of January, 20% of all donations to Cover Lay Down will be paid forward to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts , the better to keep our local community fed and healthy. If you, too, enjoy what we do here, we hope you'll consider helping out . Now how about a look at some great acoustic [...]
spoon it's gonna take an airplane (destroyer cover) jason collett not over you sufjan stevens ring them bells (dylan cover) the fiery furnaces duplexes of the dead (live on sound opinions) the walkmen canadian girl basia bulat snakes and ladders devastations i've walked this road martha berner down and out in san francisco rumblestrips motorcycle sunny day sets fire brainless josh rouse directions
I went through a very bad Martha Berner stage about two years ago. It bordered on obsession. But I've got it under control now (the restraining order helps). But like an alcoholic revisiting his favorite corner saloon I am going to face my problem head on when Martha plays our "Songs:Illinois Presents" house concert on Oct. 16. She'll join Theater Fire in our living room for a semi private show. It's like one of those secret MySpace shows where you don't know the location til the last minute. This one's invite only; although [...]
The Faint, Ani Difranco, The Henry Clay People, Franz Ferdinand, and More! the faint Play: the geeks were right ani difranco Play: smiling underneath the henry clay people Play: the bandage on the bloodclot the henry clay people Play: the gentle charm of [...]
Joan Osborne What You Are Some people may have lost track of Joan Osborne after her wave of commercial success in the mid-90's began to settle. But she's been keeping busy making some great music while spanning many genres. While 2007's soul-infused Breakfast In Bed , is her most recent release, her country-tinged 2006 album, [...]
Martha Berner's songs have struck with me as much and maybe more than many of the singer-songwriters featured on Song:Illinois. I've written about her music here and then again when I saw her at the Midwest Music Summit in Indy. The new ep, The Ten Tiny Little Pieces E.P. , is out on Machine Records sometime in 2007. The song "Down And Out In San Francisco" features Martha's liquid vocals that waver and flutter throughout. Violin is prominent in the mix as is [...]
The Midwest Music Summit is over. It was a good time meeting other bloggers on the panel ( Dodge , Eric , EJ , and Joe ) and seeing some of the bands I've written about over the past year or so including Mando Saenz, Kelly McRae, Steve Dawson and Martha Berner. The summit was also a discovery process and I found myself drawn to music that I never thought I would write about on this space. Discovering bands like ari.ari., Pravada and Castle Old Chair and learning that there is in fact a Muncie, [...]
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