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.

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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"