Joanna Newsom played Logan Square Auditorium about a week ago. She played an early show and a late show. I was at the late show. Bobby Birdman started off the night. It was just one man with an electric guitar, with which he strummed out nice jazzy chords. His voice was beautiful. His music was like a subdued version of Sondre Lerche. Nice, but not quite captivating enough. I wish he'd done some stuff like he does on this YouTube video . Then came Joanna. She [...]
Chicago: Andrew Bird is playing Logan Square Auditorium on Friday, November 24 and Saturday, November 25. Get tickets here . It has been said that Andrew Bird is the most talented violinist to dedicate his life to contemporary music (as opposed to classical). I just might agree. He is an incredible musician, and this comes through very clearly both on record as well as live. Described as a violinist, guitarist, vocalist, and whistler extraordinare, Andrew Bird has released an enormous pile of well-crafted music. His first band, Andrew Bird's Bowl Of Fire, played a mix of [...]
Listen to this anti-drug ad . And tell me that this is not some funny shit. Thanks to Pitchfork for this (yeah, they can be real bastards, but things like this that they find are the reason I still read it every day). Here's the full transcript: FEMALE VOICE: (Computer voice) Being popular was all I could think about last year. I wanted to, like, be cool with everybody. I listened to music that I didn't like and laughed [...]
Remember The Postal Service's electronic hit "Such Great Heights"? Iron & Wine played an awesome cover of it for The Garden State soundtrack? Well, now Ben Folds has also recorded a suh-weet cover of it. Ben Folds is the motherfucking man. That's all I have to say about this. I have included mp3s of both the full version and an edited version with his silly ending cut out, so take whichever [...]
Chicago: The Ferndockers are playing South Park Church on Sunday, November 12. They are also playing Watson Auditorium on Thursday, November 16 and Friday, November 17 and Saturday, November 18. The South Park show will be between 6-10 PM and admission will be free. For the Watson Auditorium shows tickets will be available at the door. The Ferndockers rotate instruments constantly, but the musicians involved are Will Pierce, Dave Berndston, and Keith Nelson. *Cough* LISTEN: The Ferndockers - Possum Kingdom (Toadies cover) [...]
Chicago: The Decemberists are playing the Riviera Theatre on Saturday, November 11. Get tickets here . Yeah, yeah, the Decemberists are pretty popular (they're even on a major label now!) and you probably already know them. Nevertheless... Colin Meloy, the frontman of the Decemberists, writes quirky acoustic-guitar-based rock. His lyrics often tell stories of dark and strange subjects, such as "The Mariner's Revenge Song" (a story that eventually brings the protagonist and antagonist together in the belly of a whale) or "A Cautionary Song" (wherein Meloy states "So be kind to your mother, [...]
Chicago: Islands are playing the Metro on Friday, October 27. Get tickets here . Here's some background: The Unicorns, consisting of Nick Diamonds, Alden Ginger, and J'aime Tambeur formed in Montreal in late 2000. They released the album Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? in 2003, to much acclaim. After a year of non-stop touring, they broke up. Following the demise of The Unicorns, Nick Diamonds and J'amie Tambeur continued to play together, eventually forming Islands. Last spring, J'aime Tambeur announced "I'M QUITTING THE BAND!" (although he did [...]
Chicago: Voxtrot are playing the Empty Bottle on Sunday, November 5. Get tickets here . This band is poppy goodness. I wouldn't go as far as to call them twee, but I do feel happy when I listen to them. They emerged from Austin, TX about a year ago and have quickly become a favorite, thanks to the release of two solid EPs (and a third one is coming soon). Unfortunately, their website states that " It's going to be a while before the world sees a Voxtrot long-player ". [...]
In place of a band spotlight with mp3s (due to hosting issues), here's one of my favorite videos ever:
Here: Keith Nelson 1024 S. Vine Park Ridge, IL 60068 Thanks.
Under The Rotunda
Monday Music – 28 May 2012
Bison - Quill
