Fu Manchu, Electric Frankenstein bring it
If you have a certain band name, you’re a lock for a Halloween show. Case in point: Fu Manchu plays Double Door Saturday, while Electric Frankenstein comes to Beat Kitchen. Both bands bring the rawk.
Fu Manchu rode the stoner rock wave about a decade ago as Queens of the Stone Age was just getting notice. Electric Frankenstein, a scuzzy hard rock/punk kind of band, has been around for a long time and put out a number of albums. But like Fu Manchu, the band has little more than a cult following.
Dan Deacon’s ‘Paddling Ghost’ deserves a VMA
Dan Deacon is playing Logan Square Auditorium Friday night. OK. This is really just an excuse to post the video for “Paddling Ghost.” I love this video.
Devendra Banhart is working for the man
Freak folkie Devendra Banhart makes his major-label debut Tuesday. On first listen, “What Will We Be,” doesn’t come close to matching “Cripple Crow,” Banhart’s high-water mark from 2005.
Atlas Sound gets fan video treatment
Check out these cool fan videos for a pair of songs off Bradford Cox’s new Atlas Sound album.
I really like both of these songs and the album as a whole. Cox plays a Bottom Lounge show Monday.
Ted Leo to break in Lincoln Hall
Ted Leo says on his Web site he began mixing songs for his new album last month. He also put out a demo, “Last Days,” which sounds pretty good. Now on Matador Records, he plans a spring release of the full album.
Leo plays Lincoln Hall (the new Schubas sibling in Lincoln Park) Sunday.
Wilco reaches deep into catalog at Chicago show
Wilco wrapped up its North American tour this week, playing a pair of shows at UIC. I saw Monday night’s show, which went for more than two hours and dug deep into the catalog. The only albums not represented were either of the “Mermaid” releases.
The new songs worked in well with the older stuff. The guys opened (appropriately) with “Via Chicago” followed with new song “Bull Black Nova” and “A Shot In the Arm.”
“Yankee” and “Summerteeth” were well represented. Old songs like “Casino Queen” sounded a lot fuller with the current lineup. Great show overall. Since it wasn’t sold out, I was able to walk up close to the stage. And, yes, I was very excited.
Frightened Rabbit debuts new video
Frightened Rabbit released its new video for the single “Swim Until You Can’t See the Land.” I’m looking forward to the new album from these guys.
Taste of Portland: Portugal. The Man, Hockey
There’s really interesting music coming out of Portland. Two of the bands responsible — Hockey and Portugal. The Man — are playing a pair of shows at Schubas this weekend. Portugal. The Man has a throwback sound that reminds me of the ’70s. Its single, “People Say,” is one of my favorite songs this year.
Hockey has a fun, pop sound and may be destined for (gasp) commercial radio play. Amid an onslaught of new releases this past week, Hockey put out its debut album “Mind Chaos” on a major label.
Speaking of new releases, a couple of artists with new ones featured in a post earlier this week are playing over the next few days.
Chicago’s very own Califone just put out “All My Friends Are Funeral Singers.” The band plays two nights at the Museum of Contemporary Art. And Philadelphia’s Kurt Vile, who released “Childish Prodigy” last week, plays Empty Bottle Tuesday.
Japandroids brings big sound back to town
There aren’t a ton of great albums that really rock this year. One exception is Japandroids’ debut “Post-Nothing.” By now, you may have heard the spiel about two guys trying to sound like five guys but it’s true. They have a big sound.
“It’s a lot of fun to have the freedom to really go off without having to sync up with a bass line or get in the way of two guitar melodies or whatever,” drummer-vocalist David Prowse tells the Sun-Times.
The band plays Schubas tonight and does an all-ages gig tomorrow afternoon.
Pavement grabbing headlines again
Big news this week about Pavement: The reunited band will curate and play All Tomorrow’s Parties in England next May. That’s in addition to a four-night stand in Central Park next September. Obviously, there’s tons of speculation about possible tour dates between. No word on a Chicago show yet.
Kurt Vile, Califone round out big release day
It was such a big day for album releases, I couldn’t cram everything into one post (though I see some blogs handled it just fine). As one of my blogger brothers said, there are probably a number of new albums out today that will end up on year-end, best-of lists. Way too much to absorb in one week.
Besides the bands I mentioned in my last post, there are interesting offerings out from Kurt Vile, Califone, Daniel Johnston and whole bunch of other folks.
Built To Spill, Burma lead new releases
There are a boatload of new releases Tuesday, including albums by Built To Spill, Mission of Burma and Air.
I’ve spent the most time with Built To Spill’s “There Is No Enemy,” which I really like (and I’m not a huge fan of these guys).
Mission of Burma’s “The Sound The Speed The Light” has a cool, heavy sound that recalls the band’s short-lived ’80s heyday (at least in parts). But to be honest, I haven’t fully processed this one yet.
Check out Largehearted Boy for a full list of notable releases.
No Wave comes to Chicago
No Wave was a pretty short musical movement in the late ’70s that fell somewhere between experimental and punk. It was often more grating than influential but artists like Lydia Lunch and Glenn Branca inspired Sonic Youth. So we can be grateful for that.
Lydia brings her band Teenage Jesus and the Jerks to the Empty Bottle Monday.
Pondering Royksopp’s freaky video
Any collaboration between Norwegian electronic duo Royksopp and Sweden’s Fever Ray is going to be a little offbeat.
So what to do about a video? How about a drummer named Runar motoring down the road until he meets up with a tribe of loincloth-wearing screamers who form a drum circle? I’m not going to try to deconstruct this video.
Fever Ray, also known as Karin Dreijer Andersson, is one half of brother-sister combo The Knife. She plays Metro tonight.
