The Runnies: Interview with Mary McKane: New Year's Tribute/Better Recognize

For my year-end editorial extravaganza I will try to do the unthinkable-- impart you readers with valuable and worthwhile information untainted by corporate greed:). Fuck the year-end list, this one’s for you, Chicago.

The Runnies’, Mary McKane, is also keyboardist/vocalist of Chicago’s soon to be mega-successful 60’s revivalists, Outer Minds. I mean it, if these guys don’t do something soon to claim their rightful throne as the undisputed champions of Chicago rock then I will quit writing and playing music. Shit, I will probably stop listening to music altogether. That is how convinced I am of Outer Minds’ supremacy. I’m just the messenger, people, and you can quote me on this.

I spoke to Mary by phone yesterday. In congruence with DedChicago tradition, this interview will not be transcribed for reasons entirely within my control (I made a stupid mistake trying to record it). I also nearly botched the whole thing by forgetting I was in a different time zone but I eventually got a hold of her while she was on the way to Runnies rehearsal in Chicago’s East Garfield Park…

The Runnies recently released an entire album for free on the Internet. It’s soulful, bluesy and danceable. It’s got all the characteristics of any of the best Rolling Stones albums and Mary’s vocals sound gritty and intense. Very professional, I would not have any other voice singing these songs. The Runnies fill in every space available with provocative solos. Never sounding awkward or meandering, every note has a purpose even if its reason is simply being there. In short, this album is another one of a chain of excellent releases from Chicago artists in 2011.

You Can’t Win was recorded from August 2010 through November 2010. The mixing was completed in March 2011. Recorded by John Crawford, drummer for Paul Carrie and the Small Scaries, on reel-to-reel tape, the album comes off with a natural and unforced fullness and dynamic texture (not a whole lot of obnoxious computer reverb, thank god). On the decision to release the album as a free download, McKane says that it was more based on a need for immediacy than anything else. They had the final product ready to go and saw no reason to hold it back from the public any longer. Having grown up in the age of P2P file sharing, I’ve got to say, they made the right choice. I am proud of them for being so forward thinking and progressive in the ever so rapidly changing music industry. This is a band that’s in the game for all the right reasons. They have gobs of talent, drive, experience and a selflessness that only a band who truly cares and believes in themselves and what they are doing could display so authentically. Right on, Runnies. I believe in you too.

Mary has been performing in Chicago bands for years now and besides fronting the Runnies and co-fronting Outer Minds, she also plays with Lover!. I first saw her play about three years ago at the Hideout opening for Thee Hardy Mums. Her growth as a musician has been tremendous and she seems, still, to have a lot more left in her. Looking at her now and how far she’s come, I get a feeling that things in Chicago are growing so quickly. There are big things out there on the horizon and Mary and others like her are the ones showing us all the way. Better pay attention.

With 2011 drawing to a close, I am officially voting Mary McKane “most likely to succeed” in our imaginary Chicago basement-scenester yearbook. Here’s to a girl with a bright future. It’s only fitting that, with her salute to us in the free release of the gem, You Can’t Win, we salute her back by listening to it. Go see The Runnies tonight and Outer Minds tomorrow at the Empty Bottle for a guaranteed-to-blow-your-head-space NYE experience. Cheers and a Happy New Year!



Click HERE to download The Runnies You Can't Win

September Goodie Bag: I Hope It Works Out: Stress Relief Pinata

Hey everyone!  I'm writing this post while at work.  Does that mean I'm finally getting paid to do something I love?  Probably not but close enough to feel kind of good anyway.  September was one hell of a dramatic month what with the frantic scrambling for money and subsequent squabbling amongst friends because we were all so broke and stressed.  Working over 50hrs a week and barely making rent with NO food expenses was not easy.  I would like to say "Fuck you," to Al, my boss during this shit-begotten month.  You are a miserable bag of scum and I rest easier at night knowing that I screwed you over on a bunch of shifts when I quit your glorified McDonald's.  Damned capitalists.  Wow, listen to me.  The conservatives should be paying me to take part in the Occupy protests just for the pure and simple purpose of making the entire movement look bad.  I'm just pathetic enough.  "Hey rich people, I don't like serving your complaining asses BBQ and now I want more of your money for free."  Hahaha.  Don't get me wrong, I looooove any and all Occupy movements.  I am merely pointing out that I'm kind of a loser.  Phew!  I feel better now.  Don't worry people, happier thoughts on the way...

Happier thoughts arrived:  Since I didn't post anything in September, I am trying to make up for it by hanging this digital pinata of goodies out here.  Imagine it: bright purples, reds, yellows, oranges even (!), a mache likeness of my a-hole boss:), covered in thoughtfully arranged tiny little streamers.  Boy, oh, boy, she sure is a beaut!  Why, look at that.  It's even got a mustache just like Al (my ex-boss)... how adorable.... so adorable... almost too cute... so cute you just want to smash it!  =====>Congratulations, you've smashed it!!!!!!  Hooray!!!!!!!  Thanks, everyone.  Look what we have here, all exploded on the floor around us.  That's not candy.  Hmmm... Flat Squares with interesting artwork, this deserves closer inspection.  What are these little mysteries?  Snap!  New LP's and 7"'s, even an exclusive digital only treat from Haley L. Fohr, otherwise known as Circuit des Yeux.  It's a team up with Maquilon!  Joy!

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Circuit des Yeux

Sat Nov 12 Louisville, KY @ Cropped Out Festival (w/ Human Eye!)

Sat Nov 19 Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop

Haley Fohr is one of the most unique and genuinely inspired musicians I have met.  She seems to be consumed by music and the pursuit of sound.  Ode to Fidelity is recorded to 4-track and if you have ever recorded on a  4-track you will be stunned at what she's accomplished given the technology.  The music is desperate and clouded, the sound of the utter desolation of a wasteland only this is no nature scene, this is life.  I won't lie, this is very serious stuff and it could change you if you let it.  Haley's sense for both creating and hearing texture in music is almost supernatural.  She also has one of the strongest voices out there today.  Don't believe me?  Watch this, from Permanent Records in 2009, guaranteed to blow you away: Curcuit des Yeux solo set.  Circuit des Yeux just got back from touring Europe with Pink Reason and records for De Stijl Records.  Here, along with the Ode to Fidelity 7", is a rare track she recorded with her sexy boyfriend, Brian, also known as Maquilon.  I cannot speak more highly of this music.  Absolutely Recommended.  Click to d/l.

Circuit des Yeux - Ode to Fidelity

Circuit des Yeux w/ Maquilon - "Untitled" - DedChicago exclusive!!!

Matthew Friedberger

Fourth and best (?) solo album from Matt of Fiery Furnaces this year.  The Friedbergers are amazing, aren't they?  This one kind of reminds me of Beck's Midnite Vultures at times.  Are you getting that too?  "We like to sit around and get real paid," duh da da duh duh duh wa wa waaa?  I don't think anyone worth a damn has done a percussion only album since 70's Gainsbourg.  Certainly, no one has done it this well outside of the electro genre since then but, come on, who wants to listen to that?  Matthew's work will challenge and may possibly scare you as it widens your palate.  Don't fight it and don't forget to check out the other Friedberger albums I have up in the archives.

Matthew Friedberger - Cut It Out

Timmy's Organism

From Timmy Vulgar's split with John Wesley Coleman (see last week's post).  If you know Clone Defects or Human Eye, you know what to expect.  If you don't, get learned, sucka's!  Semi-obnoxious and orally assaulting, scuzzy in that De-troit way, this man is single-handedly responsible for keeping the Motor City on the radar musically for the last decade and I fucking love him.  Pay your respects and d/l this excellent tunage now.  Timmy's Organism has a full length out on Sacred Bones called Rise of the Green Gorilla which I won't post but you can easily find elsewhere, such is the way of modern technology:).  What am I saying?  Just buy the damned thing.  Geezus.

Timmy's Organism - Mind Over Matter

Eric's Trip

First 7" from all but forgotten early 90's Canadian lo-fi psych-punk outfit, Eric's Trip.  Anyone who is familiar with this band has probably spent time wondering whether Rick White is retarded or a genius and who could blame you?  Not all of this is good but the parts that are... are (hate when that happens) truly fucking awesome and will have you listening again and again.  It is a shame that people don't name check these guys more often.  I'm thinking about posting their whole discography up here with reviews.  Check out Rick White's other projects on youtube: Elevator, Elevator Through and, you guessed it, Elevator to Hell (WTF?  Seriously? Yes, and, I know.).  He did a bunch of acid and wrote some completely idiotic Pink Floyd-ey type shit but, in the end, he also created one of the most continually groundbreaking and mind-shatteringly brilliant bodies of work that exists today and he's still at it.  Check him out, dude deserves some attention.  Literally just inspired me to buy a super-8 video camera from ebay.  God, I love it.

Eric's Trip - Peter 7"

Adieu, lovelies!

John Wesley Coleman III: Crown Tap 8/11: Interview, New Tunes and "Jim NOW"

John Wesley Coleman is:

John Wesley Coleman.

Introduction. Pt. 1
Just got off the phone with shred-master/scuzz-balladeer, John Wesley Coleman. He's down in Austin, watchin' baseball (Go Tigers!), eatin' brisket and gettin' fucked up on weed and beer... as your typical shred-master/scuzz-balladeer does. You know how some people get drunk and then sleep the whole next day and can barely function? Yeah, John Wesley Coleman is not like that at all. Apparently, he has several new LP's in the works as well as a... novella(?!) entitled "Jim NOW", for which he is currently seeking a publisher. Here is an excerpt from said novella originally posted on his own blog which I recommend "favoriting" ASAP...

The Book. Pt. 2
"JIM NOW" excerpt of my finished novel about jim morrison as if he never died.

I decided that she needed a necklace like mine, a real puka shell necklace from Venus Beach. So, I walked back to the beach where I saw this old hippy guy who looked like a Native American. I said, “ Hey Man, do you have some grass?” and sure enough, he did. So, I smoked my mind to the bone. I got triple high!

I continued on my journey to find the ultimate puka shell necklace for my future spirit mate, until I came across a dog catching a Frisbee. The dog was a Golden Retriever named Ernie (I think). I lied down next to him on the beach and watched him pee. His piss hitting the warm sand sounded different than when it hit the seashells and rocks. I thought for sure I was going to find the ultimate seashells (although, Ernie was pissing on some that were pretty incredible).

Hours later, I woke up all alone and covered in sand, on the beach. As I started to come down from being stoned, I could see the seashells disappearing into the sunset. I got up on my feet and walked over to Sally’s Sea Shop where I finally found the perfect puka shell necklace. I grabbed it and stuffed it down my pants, next to my crotch, so my soon-to-be-girlfriend would fall in love with my smell.

As I walked out of the shop, I saw her leaving with the boner, surfer dude, so I followed them to a nearby apartment building. Once I got there, I climbed up to the second floor terrace of my soon-to-be-soul-mates apartment. So, there I was: shirtless, with a puka shell necklace in my pants, looking through her bedroom window. Like a weirdo, I watched them have sex for at least an hour, thinking I could make love better than that guy.

The room was lit by candles. While I waited by the window, a warm breeze hit my back, making all the hairs on my neck stand up like candles on a cake. After the surfer dude finally left her apartment, I tapped on the window. I stood there with a boner and stared at her naked ribs stretched out across the pillows on her bed. Lit and exposed, I was ready to jump in. As I held out the necklace, my heart started to race somewhere that was unexplainable. “Wake up. I have something to give you….”

Honk, honk, honk. I snap out of my daydream to find an SUV barreling towards me in the middle of the street. I quickly scurry onto the sidewalk. I guess daydreaming will kill you (I know it happens to us older folks), but I just can’t stop thinking of the past and how much I loved that girl…. But, now that the girl is gone, I’m off to the chicken races because I have a jingle that’s going to sell their socks off!

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What did you think? Awesome, I know. He seems stoked about it. I feel stoked about it. This book will be psychedelic. It will be fun. He wants to do a nation-wide book tour in which he will play acoustic sets and do readings from "Jim NOW". I will definitely be there with flask in hand because shit, it's John Wesley Coleman, not Faulkner. And shit, I might get all drunk and confused but with Faulkner I'd wind up all confused even without the whiskey and frankly, I would rather just have the whiskey. And shit, this is going to be better than "The Sound and The Fury," guaranteed, so you better be there too.

The Music. Pt 3

Technically, this was my first ever interview for DedChicago, a milestone to be sure. May there be many more to come. Caught me at work so I wasn't able to record but next time, I will transcribe. Here's the story of how it came to be...

I bought John Wesley Coleman's LP, Bad Lady Goes to Jail, on a lark about a year ago. Reckless Records had described his music as sounding like Daniel Johnston and Pavement (industry codewords for "good"). After listening, I was pleased to discover that it bears only the slightest resemblance to either of these two artists in that it is melodic and uninhibited and that JWC's music is really quite unique. I ended up getting hooked pretty quickly and when I heard he was gonna' be playing just down the street from me at Crown Tap I grabbed my good friend, Andrew, and off we went. We must have been pretty thirsty because we had about four beer and shot combos each in about a two hour time span... which is a lot. Thanks again, Andrew!  I ended up talking to John Wesley's backing band which happened to actually be another Hozac band called Rayon Beach who also played and totally impressed the heck outta' me. Check their totally insane music video here:

I bought JWC's split 7" with Timmy's Organism, and shouted for them to play my favorite song, "Come On Cops." I danced and felt kinda' stupid. John Wesley's guitar playing was spectacularly good. Later, I pitched my bartending skills to one of the owner's family members and made a complete ass of myself. I then waited outside the venue for JWC to appear and when he did I, again, made such an ass out of myself that he felt bad for me and gave me a copy of his newest LP, Little Miss Keith Richards, for free... out of pity, I'm sure. This gesture is a testament to the kind of guy he is. He's a rad dude, been playing guitar every day for twenty years and he's got a great voice. He's written more than a handful of songs I consider to be classics. He is one of those ultra creative types who never stops going, going, going and even has a book of poetry out there somewhere too called, American Trashcan. This is him reading and performing from it in 2008:

His newest LP is being pressed right now for Tic Tac Totally and should have a release date soon. It's called Trans Am Summer Blues and here's a demo from it which has NEVER been available before, anywhere. Thanks, John Wesley Coleman. Click to d/l.
John Wesley Coleman - Trans Am Summer Blues

August Goodie Bag: I'm Drowning In New Music Once Again: Welcomes Myself Back to the Fold and Gives You Presents

Just "liked" Occupy Chicago because I believe in "Down with male, white, corporate oppression!" or something like that.  If you like this music, thank me by doing your part too.  There are chapters in most bigger American cities: Detroit, San Francisco, NYC (Get there, Meg.  Don't blow it!!):)  It's happening all across the country.  Scarcely covered in any honest fashion by the media (as usual), but we all know it's there and it's kickin'.  I can feel the energy, can you?

If anyone missed me or was wondering why I've been quiet for a couple months, I've been doing a lot of thinking, at work mostly because I've been working a lot.  I now realize this blog must be maintained and I apologize for the lapse on my part.  Expect more updates soon, soon, soon.  Chugga'.  Chugga'.  Choo.  Choo.  Thank you all (Caitlin) for remembering me.  Mind over matter, resolve, result!

"Life has meaning only in the struggle.  Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the Gods.  So let us celebrate the struggle!"-  Swami Sivananda ***I will sing this for you if you ask.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::!!!Goodie Bag!!!:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

In memorium: August 2011- What a shitty month!  Thank geezus for this music which got me through.  Because I meant to post this as three separate entries in August, a task at which I utterly failed, I am posting it all simultaneously as one single goodie bag style d/l.  All of this is compliments of curator of the month, Shelbsteve, the most honest and best person I know:)  

This is us having a grand time in a taxi.  10/6.

The Flaming Lips and Lightning Bolt:  This EP is a grandiose revelation.  It is huge.  It also contains the best Flaming Lips song put to wax since Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.  For all you fair-weather fans (I must regrettably count myself as such), they still got it.

The Flaming Lips and Prefuse 73:  This EP is a totally sleepy but in the guise of pretending to be energetic fuzz box foray into a bunch of stuff that we've all pretty much heard before.  It sounds almost exactly like that sentence.  For real.  It's not bad, it's just that Lightning Bolt is way better.  Is anyone surprised?    

Also, compliments of the mighty Shelbsteve...

Pink Noise - Birdland:  From Canada via excellent art-heavy Brooklyn label, Sacred Bones.  This shit is classy in a nonchalant way and holds true to exactly what this label stands for: making music for mind expansion ONLY and not giving a fuck about the money.  Rep is king.  Will make you feel as if your brain is a roasted nug drenched in Windex.

Get it all here: August Goodie Bag

Wolf Eyes or, how I fell in love with P2P file sharing and didn't sweat The Man.

Wolf Eyes. I know.  It's weird.  I'm weird.  Weird is the new normal. 

I first heard Wolf Eyes back in high school as your classically awkward teenager.  I had no interest in sports.  I was too shy to talk to girls.  What I did instead was immerse myself in music, from head to toe, brain stem to frontal lobe, every day on Napster and later Kazaa/Soulseek/any other P2P software I could find out about it...  Thank God for you, P2P.  I wouldn't be the person I am today had I not had unlimited access to anything and everything I could ever possibly dream of via your online community.

At first it was Smashing Pumpkins B-sides and rarities, Mashed Potatoes and such.  That led to other discoveries such as Joy Division, early Beck albums, Sonic Youth, Pavement, the Velvet Underground, Black Dice, Animal Collective, Royal Trux, Flaming Lips etc.  The point is that as I delved deeper into music, I started to get more and more bored and disenchanted with my old favs, the Pumpkins.  Instead, I found myself inexplicably drawn to the odd and grotesque sounds of psychedelic and experimental music.  If any of my family or peers knew just what was playing in my headphones as I walked through the entranceway of Brother Rice High School each day I would have been on a shrink's couch within hours, so odd and unsettling are these sounds I am about to post here.

Now here's where I loosely plagiarize about 1,000 different articles written about the band to give you background: Wolf Eyes are from Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Since the late 90's the band has released hundreds of limited edition cassettes, vinyls, CD-R's and even major label-sponsored albums.  It's probably not possible to do a full discography of the band's work to date because honestly, no one knows, least of all the members of the group.  Despite their extremely scary, horrifying, atonal and arrhythmic sound they have garnered a lot of attention over the years.  Wolf Eyes released LP’s on Sub Pop and has toured extensively.

I first heard their name while I was talking to this kid named Ben I used to get tutored with.  Neither of us got algebra and I don't know about him but I nearly ended up failing despite the loads of money my parents were throwing at these tutoring sessions (shrug, math: some people just don’t care).  He was in a band called The Gremlins who were easily the coolest band in suburban Detroit at the time (2001?).  Ben later went on to found DIY paradise, Scrummage University, in Detroit and release music under the moniker Bennie Stoofy (a separate post for Bennie Stoofy someday soon).   Ben was really cool and somehow contacted this band Wolf Eyes to come play at his house in Birmingham, MI.  They had apparently opened for Sonic Youth in the past.  Needless to say, I was impressed. 

The night of the show, 16 year old me arrived to find a packed house.  The Gremlins rocked it, hard.  Their basement was small, with about 40 people crammed in.  The entire thing was covered in tin foil, floor, walls and ceiling.  I mean everything.  There was a construction bulb hanging down from the center of the room that kids kept playfully slapping back and forth as the band went through their set. 

As Gremlins finished, Wolf Eyes quickly set up.  No drums.  Maybe a drum machine?  They had a microphone and a bass.  Other than that, weird electronics and pedal boards everywhere.  Suddenly the ridiculously cool looking singer (to my admittedly drug addled 16 year old mind) spoke, “Alright, nobody fuck with our shit.”  And… BOOM!  BOOM!   BOOM!  Suddenly the room burst into frenzy.  It was the most hardcore show I have ever seen.  They achieved a sound I had never thought possible, even in my wildest nightmares, and elicited an equally violent and seething response from the audience.  When it was all over, I drove to McDonald’s and got a Coke before I went home and attempted to shower away the grime… only, it wasn’t on my skin.  It was in my mind.  Good luck.

I’ve seen them four times now and spoken to them once, very friendly if a bit drunk as most touring bands are.  Here’s to you, Wolf Eyes.  May you tour until the day you die and may it never lose its magic.

Here's a little something to remember them by.  Not a typical Wolf Eyes release but then again, what is?  How am I even supposed to know that?

Wolf Eyes/Sickness LP:  There Is a Part of Me That You Will Never Know

Matthew Friedberger - Old Regimes (Friedburdener~ ya like that, Kyle?)

Wow, I've done almost as many blog posts this week as I have been to concerts.  Lucky you and lucky me, lucky us!  Old Regimes is the newest Matthew Friedberger album and, looking to my record shelf, I can see that it's the third of his epic eight-album-in one-year series.  My collection has been getting steadily cooler by the day and this new addition, with its deep purple sleeve, is really tying it together right now... and there's still five more to come.  How does he do it?  This album, with its deep and dramatic hues, finds Friedberger exploring his dark side.  Light on melody, large on motif: don't expect to be singing any of these songs in the shower.  It is played entirely on the harp but the sound has been electronically enhanced to be slightly distorted, a sort of GarageBand-y tone (you bedroom recorders know what I'm talking about).  There are lots of beautiful virtuosic moments here and the album actually came with printed lyrics which is a first and quite a trip if you read:)  I love this album if only for its usefulness for making my neighbors think I'm weird and I hope to be hearing it blasting out of your apartments as I speed by on my Schwinn in the coming days.

Thank you for reading and for helping me to make Chicago just that much more of a haven for the odd and unusual.  And thank you, Matthew, for helping to make my record collection the best there ever was.

Here ya' go.
Matthew Friedberger - Old Regimes

Tyler Jon Tyler

Tyler Jon Tyler is blowing up around here.  I have been fortunate enough to catch them live a total of four times now; most recently, sharing a bill with Times New Viking.  TJT is led by the energetic beauty, Rebecca Valeriano-Flores.  She's got a killer sense of melody and drives it home in every song.  Never overcomplicated, her tunes are basically three minute long epic hooks, each one with a unique personality.  Did I mention the other members, Tom and Nathan, are pretty swell too?

It's kind of funny how few bands there are in this city that actually use melodies in song.  Take note, Chicago musicians/bands.  This may have something to do with why Tyler Jon Tyler is as popular and well liked as they are.  We need more melody here in this city!

The group has an LP out that should be available at Reckless.  If not, head down to the Shake Shop at  3247 W. Fullerton Ave. and get yourself a copy from Tom(of TJT), possibly the most endearing guitar repairman/drummer in the city.  Tom, if you read this, are those pedals done yet?  Haha, let me know...

Here's their infinitely listenable 7"

Mannequin Men - Sally

Mannequin Men, darlings of the Empty Bottle and everyone who cares about music in Chicago's best friend, is preparing to unleash their new album.  A departure from the scuzzy motorcycle rock of Lose Your Illusion, Too, the new songs take on a mellower country-tinged approach... like they should be catalogued under Classic Rock instead of Modern Rock despite being so new they haven't even been officially released yet.  I'm hearing all these influences: Neil Young, Tom Petty, the list goes on and it's all the best elements from these catalogues.  This music is perfect for road trips and should be listened to at 70 plus mph while you're going to visit your girlfriend at school or trippin' to NYC while your friends drift off in the back.  Come out and see them with me this Saturday at Mortville with Close Hits, PPPMMM and Outer Minds.  It's BYOB!  Of course you'll be there!!!

I can't post the new trax but here's a song from last year that I think perfectly bridges the gap between old and new MM.  Enjoy!

From the Mannequin Men / Jack Oblivion Split 7"...
Sally

CLICK "SALLY" TO D/L, sillies...

Lil Daggers vs Logan Square

Look how cool they look.

Lil Daggers 3/2011

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I often fantasize about hosting a house party in my backyard in Logan Square, Chicago, with Lil Daggers and Natural Child rocking everyone’s faces off on into the starless summer night.  Barbecues blazing, the scent of chorizo in the air, the go-between of the bands and the wild amplified mariachi parties down the street create a seething pattern in my head as I get down on the lawn with all my buds.  Then, I realize that in this fantasy my apartment gets trashed, people puke in my bed and I eventually get evicted.  This is a rowdy bunch. 

Lil Daggers new album, which they were kind enough to share with me, is more refined and better produced than their earlier work.  This self-titled album catches the band exploring not only their sixties psych-pop leanings but actually stretches out to include heavy doses of real composition and thought provoking textured arrangements.  In many instances they even conjure elements of Ennio Morricone, legendary composer of all great Western soundtracks.  The music is not Western per se but it is frontier music, on the boundary/edge of existence.  In Lil Daggers’ case, it’s the everglades.  An endless uncharted adventure land of swamp slime, terrifying man-eating predators and poisonous psychedelic fauna.

This is their first full length after a protracted series of 7”s, 10”s, a split somewhere in there and a whole lotta’ touring.  I caught them at the Empty Bottle in Spring 2011.  Needless to say, I was blown away.  This is the forefront of dirty southern rock culture.  Lil Daggers’ singer has an attitude reminiscent of Cole from the Black Lips.  Their live show is good enough that they land about ten miles ahead of any other band they share a bill with… which is why I would risk being evicted to have them play at my house.  If you read this, you should buy.

Thanks guys, you rock!

Sample Trax From Lil Daggers - S/T:
1. Slave Exchange
2. Past Due

Click here to download.

Luchadores, The Black Lips!!!!!! Baaaaaaah, Ohhhhhhhh!

Who is this Rob guy?  Can't I be friends with him too?

Rob,
Email me at dedchicago@gmail.com or look me up on myspace.  You rock.
-Ded

The Black Lips - Party At Rob's House

1.  Oh Katrina (St. Pe's Tears Mix)

2.  Five & 10 (Link Wray Cover)

3.  Sea of Blasphemy

Die Slaughterhaus 2006

JAPANESE MATH ROCK

Is there a difference between noise and math rock?  There shouldn’t be but over time these two genres have become increasingly separate and dissimilar.  With borderline pop groups such as Maps and Atlases and Battles spearheading the current math scene and bands like Wolf Eyes or Lightning Bolt defining the other end of the spectrum, the evolution has produced a marked dichotomy of sound.  The music still, technically, is not so different.  Both genres are still characterized by virtuosic and whimsical performance but there is something surprisingly obvious in its ambiguity that is separating these scenes today and which is still difficult to pinpoint exactly.  Math rock has retained the playfulness of its origins.  Noise music has ditched whimsy in favor of often dark and contemplative pretension.  It’s safe to say that today, in 2011, thirty years after the advent and initial conflation of these two scenes, that both of these genres have pretty well pigeon holed themselves… which is something their predecessors never would have allowed.

There was a time however when the two existed as one.  It was Osaka, Japan, in the late 80’s and early 90’s, when everything that was cool in the entire history of rock and roll culminated in one final genre expanding big bang.  This was the final moment in the great story of rock in which musicians were able to create things that were literally never before heard.  Not that there hasn’t been great original music produced since, modern music is equally important as any classic, it’s just that everything that came afterwards has been appropriation and mutation of previously explored musical construct and texture.  Take the Black Lips or the White Stripes etc… need I say more?

But before I completely lose you in reverie, let me get back to my point which is that this is some really important music that I’m about to post up here.  Japanese pop music, god love it, has not made much of a dent in the west outside of the bizarre and mystifying universe of anime themes.  It’s not visible in our top 40 charts.  Conversely, American and European pop is huge in Japan and basically all over the known world.  I’m not going to go into why this is but I am going to point out a bit of irony.  In 1992, in America, Japanese noise/math rock had an explosion of acceptance as popular artists such as Nirvana touted bands such as The Boredoms, Ruins, Melt Banana amongst others to an increasingly accepting fan base of young Lollapaloozians.  Nirvana took the Boredoms with them for what was to be undoubtedly one of the most exciting tours the world has ever known. 

..footage from said tour.

This music is the closest any Japanese artists have come to commercial success in the west and for good reason.  What they are doing here is absolutely awesome in its context and is indicative of a point and time in music history that will never be repeated.

Ruins - 0' 33" Live '92

A rare seven inch that I was lucky enough to track down at Reckless.  The entire performance, over 10 songs in under 10 minutes was completely transcribed note for note in the sleeve.  Absolutely priceless. 

The Boredoms - Chocolate Synthesizer

This one’s a tough listen.  It is also a compositional and creative masterpiece from top to bottom.  I don’t know what else to say about it except for that you should have it and you should listen to the entire thing as much as possible.  

        

Matt - Meet Me In Miramas

First I thought this record got lost or stolen.  Then it came in the mail.  Next I went to Val's Halla in Oak Park and talked to the Furnaces' old mentor.  She told me that Matt's in England, Eleanor's in town and that I was an idiot for saying what I had said about Frank Zappa.  With that in mind, I obviously have not listened to this thing yet but I have total confidence that it's at last as good as January's Napoleonette.  Stamp of approval granted.  

Matt - Meet Me In Miramas

Neil Michael Hagerty - Plays That Good Old Rock and Roll

Neil Michael Hagerty is:

Neil Michael Hagerty.  Neil Michael Hagerty is depressing to listen to because, as an idol, I can never hope to equal him.  Try as I may, my fingers simply cannot move that fast.  This is one of his first offerings post Royal Trux and it is very Rock and Roll as the title so ambiguously hints at.  I've been looking for this album for a couple years now and finally found it today for $1.50.  Hell ya.  Enjoy!

Neil Michael Hagerty - Plays That Good Old Rock and Roll

El Jesus de Magico - Scalping the Guru

Limited hand screened LP from these Columbus boys.  They show true grit and a taste for the naked edge on Scalping the Guru, a melange of freaked out melody, incoherent thought, and strange noise collage.  I admit, this explanation may make it seem a bit too far out for some but I assure you, this will be one of the best downloads you grab all year.

Scalping the Guru is a remarkable homage to 70's stonerism.  70's stonerism, not so much a sound but a mindset that I just made up.  Ya' dig?

El Jesus de Magico - Scalping the Guru 

Punk's still not that dumb - pt. XIVIVIVIVIVIVIVIVIVIVIVIVIVIV

Hey mutherfucks!  This is a pirate from the 21^st century speaking in place of Patrick.

This is Pat.  I don't know how that mutherfuck accessed my shit but let me assure you, I'm dually pissed, doubly so, nom noms.  Fuck that.

Here are some more bodylicious 7"s that ya'll need to know them shits what for, I'm telling you what for how so's!  Ha!

Gas is not a punk band, kind of... but they are outsiders from New Zealand (is every band from New Zealand so insane?) for sure, and a very special 7” this is.  It’s like Cole from Black Lips wrote these songs when he was high on commercial duster and tricked these Kiwis into recording it for him because he was too fucked up to sing.  It's more of a mini album than a 7" and I hope you love it.

Gas - Compressed Gas

http://www.mediafire.com/?opsgfmgrm329mdp

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Natural Child is one of my favorite bands of the moment.  I’ve listened to the four songs of theirs I own about 8,000 times each and I love them dearly.  They’re nice kids from Nashville who tour about two weeks every few months.  They write amazing songs.  They offer a brand of trendy lo-fi blues punk that no one else is doing at the moment.  They’ve barely recorded anything and they’re super new yet they’ve scored gigs as badass as opening for the Strange Boys and Black Lips.  Hopefully some woebegone corporate investor/hipster/Catholic-guilt-ridden-sumbitch out there reads this, downloads the music and then, to make up for the raping of the world he/she has begrudgingly taken part in, decides to give them thousands of dollars so they can quit their day jobs and hit the road like the real men they are... thus finally doing their part in making the world a better place for once.

******* Before you d/l this, go to the last page of this blog and d/l their other 7”, White Man’s Burden.  Just trust me.

 http://www.mediafire.com/?d050daiwu0n08k8

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I have so much more but I've plum run low on gumption.  Soon, a couple days, I promise.

Life or Death: 7" or 45: Punk's Still Not That Dumb: Pt. 1

Home Blitz is:

This is their 7" entitled, Perpetual Night b/w Murder In My Heart.

From New Jersey.  

Record Label Richie, Almost Ready, Gulcher, Parts Unknown

Status: Very much alive.

d/l: Home Blitz

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Freestone is:

Freestone - Church/Bummer Bitch

Pay attention to Bummer Bitch.

From California. 

Released on Murder By Death 2

Status:  In retirement but by no means ignored.

d/l: Freestone

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Rot Shit is:

Rot Shit – Dead I b/w Hipster Grandma/Local Band Forever

This is really exciting.

From Pittsburgh Steeltown PA

Record Labels: Big Neck, Fashionable Idiots, Columbus Discount

Status:  Recently Deceased

d/l:  Rot Shit

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El Jesus De Magico is:

El Jesus De Magico - Unclean Ghost b/w Pirate Utopia

This band comes from Columbus, just like TNV… nice. 

Record Labels: columbus discount®, ghost apologies

Status: well, they haven’t logged into myspace in a while.  Huh…

d/l: El Jesus De Magico

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to be cont.

NETHERFRIENDS

Netherfriends:::::::Lincoln Hall:::::Empty Bottle:::::The Whistler::::::::2010

Netherfriends is:

Shawn Rosenblatt: absolutely everything under the sun good times.

There are other guys performing live who do things good too.

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It all started right before I became an intern at Biz3.  I was going to Columbia College and had just started this band what(!) shall remain nameless for many reasons.  I met with Biz3 publicist, Dana, one brisk morning in 2009 to go over some ideas for publicizing the group and get some much needed career advice.  I was with my brother, Jeff, and my dear friend, Kyle. 

Hungover yet totally looking really good, we hobbled into the offices of the Portfolio Center and were greeted by some counselor guy named David.  Now, I had heard of Netherfriends before.  I mean, I was going to Columbia College, of course I knew who they were but this guy would not stop talking about them.  He showed me every page on their website, their press kit, their family photos, the .GIF animations they made of their puppies and put on Stumbleupon, well, no he didn’t but you get my point… So here we are in the Portfolio Center and I’m all like, “Netherfriends Shmetherfriends, my band is way cooler than those Animal Collective spawn.  You guys should be showing my awesome stuff in the Portfolio Center.”  That was about the time I realized I didn’t have anything to show and up to that point had never done anything remotely cool with life, the universe, or anything.  I kept my mouth shut until my time came.

Inside the office, Dana was sitting at a desk smiling politely.  She introduced herself.  Kyle and I froze like idiots and Jeff did all the talking.  Like I said, we looked particularly dapper that morning despite the icky hangover sweat and apparently vacant motels that were our brains.  Dana said she thought we were cute and then, since we had nothing interesting to show for ourselves… started talking about Netherfriends too.  Ha!  I was blown away.  How in the world has this Netherfriends guy made so many friends?  It wasn’t until about a year and a half later that I got to ask Shawn Rosenblatt, Netherman extraordinaire, that very question.

A bunch of time and many more Netherfriends encounters later as seemingly the entire city of Chicago was falling in love with them, including me…

It was fall, 2010, slightly raining.  I was walking into Reckless Records on Milwaukee with Kyle when, who do I run into but my old music school buddy, Shawn.  We locked eyes, smiled, shook hands, gave quick meaningless updates on life and our estranged music school brethren.  Then, Shawn said something that made me cough on my own spittle, “My band, Netherfriends.”

Me, utterly shocked, “Holy shit, I just saw you guys!  I didn’t even recognize you.  Ha!  You guys are blowing up.  Oh my goodness, I can’t believe you’re in Netherfriends.  That’s crazy!”  Turns out he is Netherfriends practically and was even doing it, touring and recording, while I was in sightsinging class with him and I never had a clue.  I remember him from those days (2006-07?) as being a sharply dressed yet impossibly shy hipster music nerd.  I always wanted to jam with him too but never asked.  How stupid am I?  Music school was complicated, so competitive.  We ended up exchanging numbers and I went to see his show the following Tuesday at the Empty Bottle because, hey, it’s free and Netherfriends, I had come to understand, were completely fucking awesome.  I have since come to understand that Shawn is completely fucking badass at pretty much everything and that, apparently, is the key to success.

The show at the Empty Bottle rocked.  The place was packed.  I was with Kyle, again (Kyle, get out of my stories!).  I ran into Thomas, Biz3 publicist and front man of Chicago’s Heartichoke.  He told me that Shawn and his friend were roommates and the world shrunk again yet was still infinitely gigantic.  Shawn had given me a download of his newest album, Barry and Sherry. My favorite track is “Bret Easton Ellis Novel.”  He closed with it.  Kyle even liked it which, trust me, never happens.  His words, “This band is truly exceptional.”

A week later I went to see Netherfriends again at the Whistler in Logan Square.  Same story only I went with my friend, Jolie, this time.  She used to hang out at a gallery that he used as a rehearsal space.  This show was phenomenal as well.  Shawn’s drummer is a prodigy.  His songwriting is world class.  His work ethic is intense.  His voice is found.  He needs more fans and a major record deal.

Check out their blog for fun stories and videos:

http://netherfriends.blogspot.com/     

I was given this interesting link for you all to lose yourselves in, a brand new, very atypical, album recorded over Christmas week 2010!:

http://netherfriends.bandcamp.com/album/alap

(The album is free.  Type “0” in the name your price section)

Psych Fest at the Hideout

Matt - Napoleonette

Matthew Friedberger begins his year long quest to prove to the world that he is the best it has to offer, something we(I?) here at Dedchicago already knew.  From Thrill Jockey Records, Jan. 2011, "Napoleonette."
*Link fixed 1/24/11- sorry!

Matt - Napoleonette