Track of the Week!

I have finally picked a track for this week: Tunturia's "Cast Shadows On Clouds." This post-rock ballad is awesome for a hot summer's eve, providing musical air conditioning through its stark, bitter cold guitars and ever-so-clean production. The children playing in the background make it a perfectly relaxing summertime song. It might not be new (it was released in 2007) but its the Track of the Week. I need a beer and a lawn chair... and the eastern shore of Lake Michigan...

Tunturia's Maps is available for free legally here! Mmmmm...

Tunturia on MySpace

Tunturia - Cast Shadows On Clouds

Bachelorette's My Electric Family

What is worse: a power outage or an internet connection disruption? Both equate to the same thing in the modern world: the inability to communicate with others. This is becoming an increasingly larger problem with our world based around computers and the Internet.

Bachelorette knows the feeling all too well. Her self-described sound is like "Bachelorette took too many mushrooms and fell in love with a computer," especially true for My Electric Family set to be released Tuesday on Drag City. It is one of my favorites of the year thus far. One listen evokes the feeling of being completely surrounded and involved in everything around you, yet still alienated and alone. This estrangement does not linger, though, for after a few listens a settling understanding of how intimate the world as a whole is accompanies you on your musical journey.

"Its a wilderness, and its dangerous!" belts the third track "Mindwarp" before mellowing into dream-pop synths laced with sugary vocals. "Its transformative, metaphysical..." it continues, almostly perfectly describing the album as a whole.

Bachelorette is the work of Annabel Alpers, a New Zealander who once spent a long winter far from civilization in a little cottage on South Island. From that winter came some incredibly gorgeous music and even richer lyricism. Alpers plays all of the instruments on My Electric Family which range from guitars to banjos to random percussives. The rythms will send you into a daze, but subconciously the lyrics dig in.

One of the many highlights is "Where to Begin," a less whimsical song begging that very question. "Let's spin a record and get this started... ignoring those around you... it might make things seem easier for now, but where will it end? How can it end?" Perhaps the opening track has already answered the question: instead of worrying about this technological obsession, why not put it aside and appreciate the current moment? "Daydream, make sure its good stuff. Think now are you meant to do stuff? Cause you must put it off. Lie back, take in what's outside the window."

Bachelorette has instructed you to do so herself, so I see no need to try to convince you any further. Grab a copy and set aside 45 minutes to drift into an alternate reality containing the everchanging highs and lows of My Electric Family; you'll appreciate knowing why so many will have it on future "Best of 2009" lists.

The Vitals:

Artist	Bachelorette
Album	My Electric Family
Label	Drag City
Released	5/26/2009

R.I.P. Jay Bennett

Jay Bennett
(November 15, 1963 - May 24, 2009)

“We put an ad in the paper for a guitar player, and he’s the only person that answered.” - Jeff Tweedy on Jay Bennett

It is sad to sit and read and type this. Jay Bennett produced and was a key part of some of my favorite albums from one of my favorite bands. I'm sure glad he answered that ad.

Jay Bennett passed away in his sleep earlier today in downtown Urbana at the age of 45. Condolences to his friends and family. He will be missed, but always in our hearts.

Jay Bennett - I Don't Have The Time

Jeff Tweedy & Jay Bennett - I'm Always In Love (Live 1999)

Certain People I Know Update

I mentioned Certain People I Know in yesterday's post and just dug up this song so check it out!

Certain People I Know on MySpace

Certain People I Know - Neverlasting

Sunday Playlist!

It's Sunday again and the Sunday Playlist is finally making its triumphant return!

1. The Answering Machine - Obviously Cold
2. Miniature Tigers - Cannibal Queen
3. War Tapes - Dreaming of You
4. Go Green - Brains for Breakfast
5. Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
6. Metric - Sick Muse
7. Panama Kings - Golden Recruit
8. M. Ward (ft. Zooey Deschanel) - Never Had Nobody Like You
9. Passion Pit - Little Secrets
10. Kennedy - John and Yoko
11. Glasvegas - Geraldine

Big Science @ Schuba's (5/22/09)

I happened to be home this weekend and Big Science just happened to be playing a show last night at Schuba's in Chicago with Inspector Owl and Bob Nanna's new band Certain People I Know. If you don't have any prior experience with Schuba's then you're missing out, because the place is a great little bar with a small hall and stage in the back. It's a great place to see a small show, especially if it's acoustic. This one was all about loudness and fun, though.

The show was scheduled for 10 pm and the cost was only $5, even with it being Betta Promotions' 2 year anniversary show! Inspector Owl opened after taking time off and recently starting to play again. Their set was solid as they performed a few new songs highlighted toward the end with some of their older music.

Certain People I Know played last, taking the stage at 12:02AM local time. I know that seems like a very unimportant stat, but I think it is. The band took their name from the Morrissey song of the same name and yesterday was his 50th birthday. However, the band played 2 minutes too late to play on his birthday. 2 too to.

Their set was pretty good, sounding a lot like Hey Mercedes with some female vocals and some synths thrown in. Unfortunately, Lauren's mic was drowned out most of the show. The last song with just Lauren on keys and vocals and a few guitar notes from Nanna did allow the crowd to finally hear her voice, though. Some of her friends were standing next to me and kept yelling for her mic to be turned up. I expect CPIK to keep getting better the more shows they play. Their recordings sound wonderful so far as well.

I skipped (while writing, not at show) Big Science for good reason. I have been playing their free/donation The Coast of Nowhere EP for a while now and this being the first time seeing them live I just have say "wow." I placed pretty high expectations on my trip down the Kennedy and Belmont and they exceed them. It is apparent that the band is pretty experienced as far as playing live. Their sound was crisp and clean and I was hearing throughout the show members of the audience turn to their friends and say "wow they are really, really good." The funny part about the show was the second band drew the most people. During CPIK's set, the crowd started to thin. Maybe it was just a result of the time, but either way, those who stayed didn't really seem to be completely into the show. The lively, dancing crowd for Big Science turned still during most of CPIK's set.

Big Science played seven songs, highlighted by my personal favorites "DNC" and "My Career As A Ghost." Lead singer Jason, not to be confused with the other two Jason's, was awesome after the show, talking with my friends and I for a bit about different bands and all. I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed this show. Even with Big Science not being the headliner it was awesome. This band seriously deserves a lot more attention than they currently get.

More songs in a previous post and on Big Science's website.

Big Science - My Career As A Ghost

Big Science - The Coast Of Nowhere

Bonus!
Morrissey - Certain People I Know (Live on Later with Jools Holland 1992)

Maxwell Atkins

I've been meaning to put this up for a few days now and am finally getting around to it. Check out Max Atkins, a singer-songwriter out of the Western Suburbs of Chicago. Max has been writing and recording his own music for a few years now and he keeps getting better. His fresh recorded cover of "Wreck of the Old '97" re-sparked my interest. Take a listen to "Festival of Maps," too.

Max's MySpace

Maxwell Atkins - Wreck of the Old '97

Maxwell Atkins - Festival of Maps

Wilco - Wilco (The Album) Review

Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

It's really no big secret how much I love Wilco, so when Wilco (The Album) leaked and the band made it available by streaming it on the band's website it was probably the second best day of the year so far. The best day you ask? January 31st when Jeff Tweedy played Foellinger Auditorium and I was dead center, second row and Jeff even pointed right to my camera during his encore!

I have had (The Album) on repeat for about a week now. For those who criticized the band's 2007 effort Sky Blue Sky for straying too far from the patented Wilco style and claimed their sound was more reminiscent of '70s jam bands and too experiemental for their own good, it will be good to know (The Album) brings back more of the old Wilco sound. The first track, "Wilco (The Song)," is a bit misleading in that it conveys an almost satirical atmosphere, especially after seeing the album artwork, but Tweedy has said the song is meant as a thank you to all of the loyal supporters of the band. The second track, "Deeper Down," delivers some serious sonic craftsmanship. In sticking with a recurring aviation-related theme to much of their work (another reason I absolutely love Wilco) track three delves into the theoretical "one wing will never fly" discussion, even though that is not always entirely true. "Deeper Down" has already been one of the highlights of past Wilco shows like Lollapalooza 2008.

Onto "Bull Black Nova." Many have likened this track to "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" off A Ghost Is Born, but I think it sounds very Spoon-ish. The guitars layered over Glenn Kotche's magnificent drum work and a key-heavy verse is a refreshingly nice change of pace sandwiched between two mellower tracks. The lyrics revolve around an apparent murder of which the viewpoint of the murderer is told while feeling trapped in his "bull black Chevy Nova... silhouetted by the setting sun."

Next is the duet of Tweedy and Leslie Feist on "You and I," a fight between two lovers. The vocals sound like they were recorded in one try, with neither knowing exactly what the other is going to stress or improvise upon. And it works well and serves to reinforce the feeling that the lyrics promote. "You Never Know," another rocker follows "You and I," bringing another heavily key-based track onto (The Album). "You Never Know" sounds as if it could be a Lennon or Harrison song, equally at home in a Beatles collection as well as being performed by Wilco. "Come on children / you're acting like children. / Every generation thinks / its the end of the world" start the song. "I don't care anymore" is repeated throughout the chorus, again being just a fun sing-along, upbeat Wilco song that I can see being a goto for a lousy day. Could the song perhaps be a reply to the band's critics and a statement of how the band feels about their work? Maybe.

For the sake of not boring all you readers to death, I will save from writing about Country "Disappeared," "Solitaire," and "I'll Fight," but check out "Sonny Feeling." (The Album) concludes with "Everlasting," a song that the band has been performing at shows for a while now. Its a beautifully arranged song and a great way to end the record. Of course, the actual release date on Nonesuch is June 30th. If you happened to have downloaded the leaked album, the band asks you to make a donation to one of their favorite charities in Chicago. Speaking volumes of the Wilco fan base, the charity says they have seen a dramatic spike in donations and increased volume on their website. That is awesome. Go out and get (The Album) when it hits stores as it is receiving 4 and a half stars.

Wilco (The Album) track list:

1. "Wilco (The Song)"
   
2. "Deeper Down"
   
3. "One Wing"
   
4. "Bull Black Nova"
   
5. "You and I" (with Feist)
   
6. "You Never Know"
   
7. "Country Disappeared"
   
8. "Solitaire"
   
9. "I'll Fight"
   
10. "Sonny Feeling"
    
11. "Everlasting Everything"
    

Wilco - Bull Black Nova

Wilco - You and I (with Feist)

Apostle of Hustle - Eats Darkness

Apostle of Hustle - Eats Darkness (Arts & Crafts)

First off, I apologize for the length of time between posts. I have been busy with finals, going home to get some flying done, and going to parties and my sister's graduation. It was quite a busy week. Anyway, I'm back in Champaign and figured I would review some new releases. I am devising a heart review system with 5 hearts being the highest and I suppose zero hearts being the lowest.

Today, Apostle of Hustle's Eats Darkness hit stores in the states after slipping under the radar for so long. Its a bit different from the previous two AoH albums in that it doesn't seem to flow quite as well. The content struggles against itself, fighting through songs and into multiple interludes laced with comical gunfire, dramatic monologues, machine gunfire, and surreal sound effects and melodies. Then repetitive and highly poppy reverb-heavy guitar riffs rise through the chaos from front man and founder Andrew Whiteman's guitar.

Anyone familiar with Whiteman's previous Apostle of Hustle efforts, or the super-conglomerate that is Broken Social Scene, will understand the utter beauty of the musical stew created. When speaking about the release, Whiteman said,

"Eats Darkness is a serial poem about some struggles people go through. Battles, from the macro to the micro. Songs about tactics and attitudes needed in 'life during wartime'. Each track is like tapas at the banquet of conflict. A small contribution to the articulation of a f***ed and beautiful world.”

The album as a whole has yet to really stand out as did 2004's Folkloric Feel. The concept is there, but the breaks between tracks make the album feel as if its a compilation. Again, this is Apostle of Hustle and much like the older brother group Broken Social Scene, will most likely sound amazing during a live set.

I had the opportunity last October to see Whiteman with BSS at Foellinger Auditorium, a small lecture hall in the middle of the University of Illinois quad, and the show sold only 834 tickets. C-U has a pretty decent scene and it still upsets me that this community and this school didn't sell that show out. Nonetheless, it was an awesome, intimate show. While the album only receives 3 hearts, check out AoH and BSS on their tours this summer. They put on some incredible live performances.

Apostle of Hustle is: Andrew Whiteman, Julian Brown, and Dean Stone.

Website and MySpace

Eats Darkness:

1	Snakes
2	Eazy Speaks
3	Soul Unwind
4	Sign
5	Perfect Fit
6	Xerxes
7	What Are You Talking About?
8	Whitsle in the Fog
9	Eats Darkness
10	Return to Sender
11	How to Defeat a More Powerful Enemy
12	Nobody Bought It
13	Blackberry

Apostle of Hustle - How to Defeat a More Powerful Enemy

We Are Your Friends

My final exams are over and I think they went pretty well. With that, I am done with my year at college and am already halfway done. That's kind of crazy to think about; I'm not really sure where these last two years went.

But anyways, I had a lot of fun this semester and last week I went out to the newly improved Clybourne with some friends and heard a song I hadn't heard in a while. I'm just going to make this post short and dedicate this to my friends, especially a few of them that I'm not going to see for a while (you know who you are.) The Blackhawks' game is about to start. Let's. Go. Hawks.

Justice vs. Simian - We Are Your Friends

Lou Reed - A Walk On The Wild Side

Two Door Cinema Club

I'm far too busy studying for finals to be able to post a Sunday playlist today. Mi dispiace. However, I still want to post something to listen to, though, so here is Two Door Cinema Club, an Irish pop band that reminds me a lot of Tokyo Police Club. Check out their MySpace. Hope your weekend was better than the Chicago White Sox (not hard) and I promise a decent post tomorrow after my biology final.

Side note: StumbleUpon is a great tool for procrastination.

Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work

Two Door Cinema Club - Do You Want It All?

Two Door Cinema Club - Hands Off My Cash, Monty

A Beautiful Saturday

A human face makes a better punching bag than I had previously thought. I happened to learn that the hard way last night with my face getting the worst of it. Oh well.

It's a beautiful Saturday here in Champaign. Clear blue skies, temperature in the mid-70s, a gentle breeze and relatively no humidity. I feel like I need to go out and buy a grill and some steaks just to take full advantage of today. Illinois and the Midwest's weather in general is unbelievably weird. Yesterday, a storm hit southern Illinois in what the National Weather Service is calling an "inland hurricane." A comma-shaped low-pressure system is completely standard, but what made this storm different was its ability to produce winds from 75-100 mph across a wide area. It was similar to a tornado, except to a wider scale. It has been an absolutely crazy 24 hours weather-wise in this state.

The past week I've been listening to a majority of upbeat, summer-influenced music, but today just felt a little bit different when I woke up. I'm not sure if it was my forehead being swollen, the gorgeous weather, remembering how the Cubs managed to spoil a terrific first MLB start by Wells, or what. All I know is that I didn't really feel like listening to music that made me want to move.

Instead, I've decided to opt for some relaxing remixes and covers while watching the Red Sox - Rays game. The game is proving to be pretty uneventful, the score is 13-4 through 6, but I am enjoying the music while looking over the afore-blogged biology study guide. Here are some tracks to enjoy along with what I hope is a wonderful Saturday.

Love this song. Love Styrofoam's previous remixes of The Postal Service, Jimmy Eat World, The Submarines, etc.
of Montreal - An Eluardian Instance (Styrofoam Remix)

New two-disc album coming out for Iron & Wine. It features b-sides, some previously unreleased. More on it coming in the near future.
Iron & Wine - Such Great Heights (The Postal Service Cover)

Better than The Kooks cover, in my opinion.
Ben Lee - Kids (MGMT Cover)

I know this was previously posted, but I like it and check out that new Wilco cover art!
Wilco - The Jolly Banker (Woody Guthrie Cover)

Okay, not a cover... but check out that new Wilco cover art! Who says Wilco takes themselves too seriously? (Yes, I do like Wilco a lot.)
Wilco - Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Biology and Lightning

It's storming outside and I'm sitting on my couch in the dark with the screen door open working on a 148 question study guide for my integrative biology final on Monday morning. The class was pretty interesting and not too much more in depth than a class I took in high school, but I'm still studying pretty hard for it. I decided to take a little bit of a break and watch the Blackhawks and Cubs and during the intermissions when I didn't flip back to the Cubs game, I looked through my music library to share few tracks for the night.

Phoenix - Consolation Prizes

matt pond PA - Summer Is Coming

Matt and Kim - Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare

Finals Week

Yep. It's here again. The libraries are packed, students are actually attending lectures because term papers are due, and a deluge is flooding e-mail inboxes campus-wide with messages of "study candy" reserves and requests for any possible help (extra credit from TA's, cumulative study guides, etc.) Students love to freak out during this time of the year, which I guess I understand. It probably would have been easier to not go on a random, spur of the moment sweatpants and jersey bar crawl last Tuesday and go to class last Wednesday/throughout the semester, but this is college. Ask Asher Roth, he knows all about it (Lollapalooza... seriously?)

So to honor this time of the semester, I give you three steps to make it through that 8-page, double-spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman font paper you are currently writing for your Anthropology 102 class on the origins of evolution and how misunderstanding learned concepts relates to racism in the past and present.

Step 1. Panic. YOU ONLY HAVE 3 HOURS UNTIL THAT PAPER IS DUE! Was that Cinco de Mayo celebration completely necessary last night? How about MNG? And Sunday Funday? Okay, yes they were, but still, you're running out of time. Frantically skim through three different books, pick a random page and find place your finger on any line. Now take that and quote it completely out of context and add it to your paper. Repeat multiple times using at least those three different books. That will solve the three non-web generated citations needed.

Step 2. Start to lose focus, but keep writing. Think back to a time before college, before high school, all the way back to let's say between 1996 and 1999. Sugar Ray just wanted to fly, Michael Jordan said it was time to "slam now... get up and do the jam now" (careful, don't start thinking of that Space Jam bar crawl from a month ago, great idea by the way) and how bizarre was OMC? Those were good times. You didn't have a care in the world. You actually had a summer to look forward to that didn't involve working or studying or, well, anything. Let's go play with our POGs after we make sure to feed our Tamagatchi.

Step 3. You didn't realize that that daydream just allowed you to write a whole page (two when you double-space it!) of complete nothing, did you? Nope, but you are now over a quarter of the way there. Keep it up. I bet you also didn't bother to realize tomorrow is "Reading Day" during which the University expects you to be studying (reading?) did you? Well it is. And if you aren't one of the very unfortunate students who have a Friday final... once you finish this paper... it's the weekend. YOUR WEEKEND STARTS ON WEDNESDAY! This should bring sheer joy and maybe even a tear to your eye. You will now be able to enjoy a minimum 4 night weekend.

And so completes the three steps to getting at least a passing grade on that paper. Through procrastination and lack of caring, you have just felt the three main emotions in life: fear, apathy, and joy. Here are some songs to listen to while following that 3 step plan:

This ones pretty self-explanatory. Panic! but with a fun, sing along attitude.
Phantom Planet - Do The Panic

Here's an oldie... see if you remember it. It oozes summer (and the late 90's.)
Sundays - Summertime

Hey Mercedes isn't technically a local Champaign band, but close enough. Bob Nanna attended the University of Illinois back in the 90's and started other widely known campus bands (Braid anyone?) He used to be in my position... only slightly more skilled in the music department.
Hey Mercedes - Our Weekend Starts On Wednesday

Situationists and Life In Film

Today I'm listening to two bands from the United Kingdom: Situationists and Life In Film. Give them a listen. (Pictures link to respective MySpaces!)

Situationists

Situationists - Onwards and Upwards

Situationists - Fabric and Thread

Life In Film

Life In Film - Sorry

Life In Film - Suitcase

Illinois

Illinois: 21st state, Chicago, corn, Rod Blagojevich, Cubs, Bears, Bulls, Hawks, White Sox*, and multiple music scenes.

The band Illinois didn't take root in Illinois like the corn, though. They come by way of Bucks County, PA in the south-eastern part of the state. Until today, the band had only released a series of EPs, which collectively became their first LP The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe.

Illinois is Chris Archibald, Martin Hoeger, JohnPaul Kuyper, Dan Pawlovich, and Chris Shepherd.

Website and MySpace

*the White Sox are the other baseball team from Chicago... but I'd gladly let any other state take them.

Illinois - Kid Catastrophe

Illinois - Screendoor

Illinois - Nosebleed

Mexirish Simplifires (for Cinco de Mayo)

What happens when three students from Mexico City and an Irishman form a band? This isn't a joke (although it sounds like it could be.) The answer is Simplifires. Studying abroad in London brought three of these four together; working in a studio helped those three understand how to record. It wasn't until after their time in London that the band started, though. Two headed back to Mexico City and started playing music with a cousin, but needed some vocals. So, they wrote to their buddy back home in Ireland. After submitting some rough vocal tracks, it sounded decent enough and Simplifires formed.

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo its only appropriate to feature a band from Mexico (mostly.) Think tequila meets U2. If you aren't fluent in Spanish, good luck with their MySpace. You'll be happy to know their website is in English and has free downloads for the tracks listed below.

Simplifires is Shine (guitarra), Rodrigo (bajo), Alex (bateria), and daveO (voz).

Simplifires - Yourself Only

Simplifires - Last Night's Party

Simplifires - unSUPERVISED

Chicago's Company of Thieves

The third installment of the local music blitz comes with an interesting twist. Its not everyday that one comes across a band directed by a friend whose uncle manages the band, attends some local shows, and buys one of their CDs. Only when he looks through the CD insert does he realize one of the group members used to play guitar alongside him back in middle school. Oh yes, that's exactly what happened. I went to elementary and middle school with Marc Walloch, Company of Thieves' guitarist. He was friends with my sister and even played at her graduation party at my house back when I was in 6th grade.

Not much changed, apparently. Marc continued to pursue his talents (he was pretty damn good at guitar back then, too) and I'm glad he's finally making it big. Yes, the same guitar I mentioned before appeared on national television in their debut on Last Call with Carson Daly.

Company of Thieves is a breezy pop band with an awesome lead singer, Genevieve Schatz. Listening to her hit some of the extended notes evokes chills. Currently they are on a national tour for their latest release Ordinary Riches. Its a rockin' solid album and is getting airplay everywhere from alternative/rock stations, to MTV and Adult Swim led by lead single "Oscar Wilde." The production is flawless, as expected from working with producer Sean O'Keefe (Fall Out Boy, The Hush Sound, Motion City Soundtrack, Plain White T's.) The best touch of the record, though, has to be the harmonica on "Quiet on the Front," although runner-up in this category goes to "Under the Umbrella" in its entirety.

As surprised as I was to find out I knew one third of the band from a decade away, it didn't surprise me at all that this is what has come out of Marc's musical talents. Ordinary Riches is a definite must have for this year, it has even hit #5 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers and #162 on the Billboard 200. Keep a look out for their tour. Information is available on their website. A Chicago show is scheduled May 22nd at the Bottom Lounge. Tickets are $10 and its an all ages show!

Company of Thieves is Genevieve Schatz, Marc Walloch, and Mike Ortiz.

Company of Thieves - Oscar Wilde

Company of Thieves - Under the Umbrella

Ex-Wilco Member Sues Tweedy

Yep. More Wilco news. (Read: More Wilco controversy.)


Former band mate Jay Bennett has sued Jeff Tweedy for damages over $50,000 in Cook County Circuit Court, as made public today. The suit claims Bennett is owed for royalties and merchandise sales during his time with the band from 1994 to 2001. It also claims he is owed for his role in the 2002 documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, of which Tweedy may have been a producer. Bennett concedes he was paid intermittently during his time with the band, but for only about 15% of revenues.

Read the whole article on Chicago Breaking News.

Chicago's Big Science

Every time I hear the name Big Science I play in my head Thomas Dolby's 1982 electro-smash "She Blinded Me With Science." It works, though instead of a lab coat and a pair goggles, these Ukrainian Village-based musicians are purely rock, donning jeans and t-shirts with the occasional loose button-down. Their music is a different story - it may actually require a master's degree, if not a doctorate, to figure out just how to classify them.

Lead singer and guitarist Jason Hendrix says he "looks beyond categories" and recalls his band being compared to a multitude of artists ranging from Modest Mouse to early U2, while stating the personal influence of 70's and 80's New Wave bands like the Talking Heads and Joy Division. The music speaks for itself, though. Bouncy, looped bass lines under jangly guitar riffs and Hendrix's vocals mastered to perfection are like candy for your ears. Smooth, clean, and undeniably enjoyable.

Big Science seem to be keeping it low key, perhaps as the result of the two co-founders (Hendrix and bassist/keyboardist Jason Richards) playing in touring band The North Atlantic for over 7 years. Instead, they are embracing local shows, waiting for the word to spread on the merit of their music. Hendrix wants to take a different approach with his new band. "[With The North Atlantic,] we'd spew out songs and lay them down quickly in the studio, but now we're a little more refined," he said. "We want to be a band that you not only want to see live, but who has good recordings."

And good recordings they have. Last fall, the band issued its first release, The Coast Of Nowhere. Without the support of a label, they decided to let fans download it free, again letting their sound drive their progress. Stream and download it at their website.

Big Science is Jason Hendrix, Jason Clark, Jeremy Pena, and Jason Richards.
Big Science - DNC

Big Science - Sun Sets Electric

Check Out: Snowsera

To start off a series on local music comes a serious contender for next band to make it big out of the Champaign-Urbana/Chicago scene: Snowsera. Less than two years after forming and only 10 months playing live, these guys are getting some serious attention. And there shouldn't be any wonder why.

The band started as four University of Illinois students (vocalist Bill Arteaga, bassist Nate Christenson, guitarist Ian Erard and drummer Jeff Wagner) and received what may be their biggest break through the radio station I happen to work at, WPGU in Champaign . "So Subtle" and "Trends" were frequently played on WPGU and the band even made their way to Q101's Local 101 in Chicago. The band went on to be named Best New Artist and Best Live Performance at the 2008 WPGU Local Music Awards, as well as the inaugural "Local Band of the Week" in April 2008.

Snowsera has only gone up from there. Last summer they went into the studio to record their second EP, this time with the help of producer Brian Zieske (The Academy Is, The Hush Sound, Sars Flannery.) Both EPs, Fictions and Push & Pull, are downloadable for free at the band's MySpace.

Working with Zieske brought a broadening range of sounds, which the band enjoys. They wish to not be just another label or sound, but instead something felt by their listeners. That's even where the moniker Snowsera was conjured up. You get to decide what it means.

Snowsera - So Subtle

Snowsera - Push & Pull

The Answering Machine

The answering machine as we know it today took a while to perfect. It has humble beginnings in the late 19th century as a wire able to capture the magnetic fields produced by a sound progressing all the way to its modern day use as a digital storage of messages we've both missed or altogether just not wanted to pick up. In this case it's fitting that this Manchester-based pop-rock quartet decided to name themselves The Answering Machine.

Created while students at the University of Manchester, The Answering Machine credit their sound to a mix influenced by the likes of The Strokes and Blondie. Talking of their name, guitarist Martin Colclough says it was not influenced by The Replacement's song of the same name, although he is a big fan of it. Citing difficulty in finding a drummer, the then trio decided to buy a drum machine - who was named Mustafa Beat. Mustafa was as the band describes "an equal part of the band," although he did seem to make some pretty scathing remarks and place extremely high expectations through his MySpace page.

Since those beginnings during a cold, heater-less winter in 2005, The Answering Machine have gone on a headlining British tour, and played at both Glastonbury and SXSW. They found a new (human) drummer, Ben Perry, and continue to build upon their success. Their new single The Cliffer will be out in June and is available here. A full length entitled Another City, Another Sorry will be out later this year. Keep an ear out for them; they are one call you probably don't want to go to your answering machine.

Fast, furious, big messy guitars, and lines that are in such a hurry to get out onto the dance floor that they stumble over themselves.

The Answering Machine - Another City, Another Sorry

The Answering Machine - Oh, Christina

*I know the video extends outside of the parameters I set up for this text box. Unfortunate, but hey its an HD clip. Worth it, I know.

No One Does It Like You

So this isn't a new one at all, but its just way too good not to put up here. Daniel Rossen is awesome (Grizzly Bear, Dept. of Eagles.) The song is "No One Does It Like You" off Department of Eagles In Ear Park released last year. I'm still debating which version of it I like better, the album or the DUMBO sessions version. You can decide.



Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You (Album Version)

Sunday Playlist!

Sunday is here and I've decided to start a weekly Sunday Playlist. Why not? It will be a good mix of new and older music... pretty much just whatever I feel like listening to. Enjoy!

(Hint: If you click the title of the post, Yahoo! player will only play the songs from this post in its playlist)
(Sunday bonus hint: right-click, save target as... works wonders)



1. The Prostitutes - Sunshine

2. The Uglysuit - Chicago

3. Franz Ferdinand - No You Girls

4. Death Cab For Cutie - My Mirror Speaks

5. Passion Pit - Moth's Wings

6. Mezzanine Owls - Snow Globe

7. Matt Nathanson - Car Crash

8. You Me & Iowa - Dress The Stage

9. Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen

10. Bell X1 - The Great Defector

11. It Hugs Back - Work Day

12. It's A Musical - The Music Makes Me Sick

13. Pete Yorn - Undercover

14. Andrew Bird - Fitz and Dizzyspells

You need to hear...

Billie The Vision and the Dancers. This band out of Malmö, Sweden started back in 2004 when singer/songwriter Lars Lindquist had an idea to record some of his work. Unfortunately, he didn't feel he could do it alone, so he recruited a series of friends and went into the studio. Over the next few months I Was So Unpopular In School and Now They're Giving Me This Beautiful Bicycle was recorded. Gaining popularity through some local shows word spread around the country. Eventually, they became such a hit that they decided to fully release the album, just a little on the unconventional side: by starting their own label.

They decided on the name Love Will Pay The Bills as the label. Even with the added pressure of trying to run a successful label let alone band, BTV&TD recorded their second album and went on a full blown European tour. Their popularity continued to soar and subsequent albums followed.

The beauty of the story is with the ability to release their own music, they have complete control over it. And they have decided to use that power to do what many wouldn't: make all of the releases available for free on their website. Of course there is information on how to wire money if you so choose.

Reading about how they became what they are today, as well as how they have embraced and given back to the Internet community that spawned them made me like the band even more. It was hard to find a comparison for their sound, even with all of the terrific music coming from many of their fellow Swedes. The best I have come up with is Sufjan Stevens, born in Sweden. The writing is truly visionary, appropriately enough. The muffled yet undeniably crisp horns over layered acoustic guitars provide some great melodies. It's music for will fit any situation and any mood. Perhaps that is why their shows have ranged from coffeehouses, to high schools, and even a prison, in addition to normal clubs.

Billie The Vision & the Dancers - A Man From Argentina

Billie The Vision & the Dancers - Someday Somehow

Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

Wilco finally released the track list to their upcoming self-titled album due out June 30th on Nonesuch. With the track list it was also revealed that folk darling Feist will be featuring on "You and I." Also, Wilco, the Song will make it after initially being written for the Colbert Report to poke fun last election cycle at random, quasi-comical celebrities like Joe the Plumber.

In other Wilco news, Feist has collaborated on another track, credited with additional percussion instead of the customary vocals. The song is a cover of Woody Guthrie's "The Jolly Banker." It is available for download at WilcoWorld with a request for a donation of which 100% will go toward the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives.

Track list:

1. Wilco The Song
2. Deeper Down
3. One Wing
4. Bull Black Nova
5. You And I feat. Feist
6. You Never Know
7. Country Disappeared
8. Solitaire
9. I'll Fight
10. Sunny Feeling
11. Everlasting

Wilco - Wilco, The Song (live on the Colbert Report)

Wilco - The Jolly Banker

Currently on repeat:

I like upbeat songs; who doesn't? Check these out.

Recording in Matt's old house in The Middle Of Nowhere, Vermont using their imaginations because they "hated recording in a studio" produces this:
Matt & Kim - Daylight

I don't know much about this one other than I liked it the first time I heard it.
The Thermals - When I Died

As I write this I have a craving for anything food related. Also, I love sushi... and this song.
Kyle Andrews - Sushi

Something a little bit different...
Chairlift - Bruises