It’s about damn time!

The Braves, the now defunct indie band from Rockford featuring members of Crankupmadonna and my recent co-host Kevin Schwitters, have released their last official album on Bandcamp.com. Quiet Hushed Animals was originally released in 2007 in a limited Vinyl only edition. Recorded by longtime producer Mike Hagler , Quiet Hushed Animals is an great work that I personally have argued, both on the podcast and in articles (as well as drunkenly over beers with The Braves themselves), needed to be re-released to a wider possible audience. Who knows why it took so long, maybe they can answer that in the comments below?

Along with the re-release, they’ve also released The Misery of Marching EP that includes 3 songs from the QHA sessions. All of these songs were available on The Leaves Are Black cd that they sold at their reunion shows in 2010. Maybe The Leaves Are Black will also see a digital only release in the future along with their first release That’s The Hot Part, which I hope is the case. Till then check out the tracks below and buy em if ya like em.

Sock Monkey Sound

As I first listened to Damp Hay’s Middlewestern, I couldn’t stop thinking about two lists I needed to make. The first—a list of the best things I’ve gotten for free. Yes, I downloaded this EP for no charge at all.  You can too And second, a list of the essential ingredients for what bands I would consider to be the “ideal” ‘90s indie bands.  I quickly lost interest in both lists for almost the same reason. The “free” list, I grew bored with because I couldn’t seem to remember anything I’d ever gotten for free—much less a great record.  I know I have received some decent freebies in my day, but…ah, who cares?  The second list dissolved from my frontal lobe like a little salt in way too much water after I realized that I wasn’t too interested in thinking about other bands at the moment.

Damp Hay has been a shiny blip on my radar since they (trans)formed from the excellent band Papillon a couple years back, hearing their music recorded has been a continual pleasure over the last few weeks.  Papillon was one of my favorite bands from nearby; they came into my life abruptly, wrote some songs that still haven’t found their way out of my head, and abandoned most of their material before recording. Then they started Damp Hay.  These three guys have been making an impression on me even longer than that though. Joe, Frank, and Jason have had my attention since I was a teenager, when I was fortunate enough to have a habit of buying every album released by Chicago’s Johann’s Face Records, and the means to see many of its bands play live right here in Rockford, among other places.  Sidekick Kato was one of a dozen exciting bands releasing fantastic music on JFR, and certainly were one of my favorites.

The fact that three members of Sidekick Kato have a new band is reason enough to get me excited, but their music is the real treat.  Damp Hay combine most of the very best elements of ‘90s indie rock with great finesse, but don’t lose the loose feel that was so fundamental in the era when kids in obnoxious garage bands were a national treasure. These guys have obviously been playing together for a long time, and it shows, but they also understand how to make a youthful rock record.  Middlewestern doesn’t sound like some new, young “it” band geeking-out over their older brothers’ Sebadoh records. I’ve heard that. Middlewestern does sound like a lost treasure of an EP from a record collection that would also include Archers of Loaf, Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr., and Sonic Youth.  Until now, I hadn’t heard that from a new band.

While Middlewestern is familiar in many ways, each member plays an important part in making a unique sound. Vocalist Joe Campagna’s singing, to me, sounds like Eric Bachmann’s during some of the noisier Archers of Loaf moments.  The lyrics are worth dissecting too, which I don’t think is necessarily the most important thing for the genre.   The lyrics are various in tone and context.  One song discusses the inevitability of de-evolution (“Little Fishes”), and another deals the painful concessions we make to continue doing what we want to do in life (“White Flags”). Yes, the human condition—physically or conceptually—literally or figuratively, depending on which song you are listening to. That is more than good enough!  In addition to vocals, Joe adds some terrific, distorted bass lines that blend impeccably with Jason Dean’s substantial drum parts.  I think these two are evidence that some people should just always play together. Similarly, Frank Hryniewicz’s guitar playing is incredible. Frank plays with an almost scientific flair. The best parts of Lee Renaldo, Mac McCaughan, and J. Mascis are all accounted for, and that’s just for starters. Frank adds many subtle touches here. Pay attention.

The six songs on Middlewestern have dominated my car over the last month. My world is a better place knowing I have one more record that makes me feel the way I once felt while driving around random neighborhoods listening to Archers of Loaf vs. the Greatest of All Time. I look forward to seeing this band often, and, hopefully, getting more records by them.   This type of music was never the making-melodramatic-mix-tapes-for-a-girl material.  It is more appropriate for those perfectly reckless and youthful moments spent with good friends in cars, basements, and bars.  Luckily for me, this is attainable even to a guy in his 30s.  And thanks in part to Damp Hay, those moments aren’t going anywhere.

KS

SMS Ed. Note: Damp Hay will be performing Saturday, February 26th at CJ’s in Rockford, IL with  Crankupmadonna, State Capitals, and Warren Franklin / 9:00 pm

Sock Monkey Sound

In last year’s list, I commented on my newly found dedication to immerse myself in new music.  This year acted as a continuation and expansion of that dedication.  In assembling the list, I found myself with somewhere in the range of 30 albums that I enjoyed and had to consider for the top spots.  Does this mean anything to you, the dear reader?  It’s hard to say.  Probably not but I have to question your motivation in indulging my already established myopia (excluding those of you who are first time readers or indulging in some morbid curiosity:  Hi. Welcome. I <3 you) if you have issues with personal narrative as record review.  Where last year was dominated by cerebral, super well crafted pop and indie rock, this year takes a step towards the raw.  Whether it was a rawness of emotions (releases by now reliable veterans like The National and Frightened Rabbit) or that of style and production (staticy blasts of youth from Male Bonding, Titus Andronicus, and Dum Dum Girls), my listening was largely dominated by various acts of flagellation and uplift.

In that order.

Repeat.

*Fair warning: Zero portions of this list make mention of releases by Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, anything connected Animal Collective, or whatever the hell Chillwave is.  I either thought they were not as good as other releases, hated them, or didn’t listen because of philosophical or moral issues.  You can decide amongst yourselves which is which.*

Top 10 Albums

1. The National-High Violet: The members of the National worry about a lot of things.  They have responsibilities and they’re afraid.  That these themes have been explored in full throughout all of The National’s releases over the past 5 years is of little consequence.  High Violet comes across as a summation of everything the band has strived to be.  That the same themes of self doubt and alienation are presented in such a lush, spacious, beautiful manner is of full consequence.  To say that the songs slowly burn their way through one’s psyche as they deliberately build and retreat is hyperbolic, but only slightly.  I previously described this album as both a scalpel and suture for one’s mental wounds and it remains true.  High Violet offers little unearned catharsis. Songs often end in a whisper rather than a triumphant roar.  When it does allow the listener moments of healing, they feels all the stronger for it.  Over a hushed, gorgeous arrangement on, “Runaway,” Matt Berninger sings, “No, I won’t be no runaway.  Cause I won’t run.  No, I won’t be no runaway.  What makes you think I enjoy being led to the flood?  We got another thing comin’ undone, and it’s taking us over.”  At first it’s a fearful declaration, evoking the things that can go wrong when love instills the dedication to follow someone anywhere.  Over and over, upon itself, the refrain is repeated, finally instilling a quiet confidence of survival.  I loved this album six months ago because of the unstoppable way it poked and validated my frailties.  The more I listen, the more it feels like the inklings of a road toward feeling okay.

2. Titus Andronicus-The Monitor: If punk rock has one overriding motif, it’s that of Us v Them.  Titus Andronicus took in their first album (2008’s The Airing of Grievances) and blew it up to epic proportions on The Monitor.  Andronicus takes the concept of our nations ultimate instance of Us v Them, telling the story of doomed battalions in the American Civil War and what it means to be young and confused in today’s America; contrasting the fate of a literal lost generation (620,000 young men died in the civil war during a time when the United States population hovered around 27 million people) with that of the figurative, directionless bewilderment of most youths over the last 60-100 years.  When singer Patrick Stickles bellows, “Rally round the flag,” he speaks not only of sailors standing fast on the gun deck of the beached USS Minnesota, but of anyone banding together against the forces of fear,  depression, and an unknowable future. Those who are overeducated and undersexed, searching for anything but nihilism.  The Monitor’s US incorporates anyone who needs an anthem to battle against the Them of confusion and the death of hope.  Stacking quotations from Walk Whitman, Jefferson Davis, and Abraham Lincoln up against references to Billy Bragg and Bruce Springsteen, Andronicus urges us to fight against these metaphoric enemies spread everywhere, even if only for one song.

3. Superchunk-Majesty Shredding: Superchunk are better than the vast majority of bands.  I’m not even going to bother debating that fact.  Every year they release an album is a year that ends with a Superchunk release in the top ten.  Some have dismissed the outpouring of affection for this record as being mostly fueled by nostalgia; as if its praise is similar to the way that Rolling Stone gives every new Springsteen release 4 stars.  I would like to kick those people in the shins.  Anecdotal evidence is often weak but I’m going to use it anyway.  I’ve only become aware of Superchunk as a thing that exists within the past 7 years.  My love for the chunk is entirely based in the present and I will attest as strongly as I can that this album is equally as good as On the Mouth or Foolish. It is noisy, joyful, and invigorating in ways that every indie rock band must strive for but will never match.  If Majesty Shredding cannot make you smile, you are one sad motherfucker.

4. LCD Soundsystem-This is Happening: Speaking of Us v Them, the latest (and potentially last) LCD Soundsystem takes the battle to the hearts of those who think it is not possible to shake one’s ass while feeling introspective.  This is Happening is filled with 12” club mixes dedicated to your sometimes grumpy, often wry older friend who likes to get drunk and make self serving references to the Berlin Sessions.  This is Happening is that one house party where your professional friends got super loose and danced until one accidentally vomited in the kitchen sink.  It’s the smartest paean to making mistakes you’ll hear this year.  There are times for words and times to shut up and dance.  This is Happening ends up being both.

5. Male Bonding- Nothing Hurts: I previously described Male Bonding as, “loud, fast, and dirty.  The tones are skuzzy and the songs are short.”  Nothing Hurts is grimy lo-fi made by three young English gents.  If I wanted to intellectualize it, I’d suggest that the album acts as a refutation of the pain expressed by Titus Andronicus and The Promise Ring’s seminal 2^nd album by arguing that any pain can be pushed away if you just turn up the volume.  I have no interest in intellectualizing this album.  It’s a punk album, first and foremost.  The songs are catchy and the songs are muddy.  The noise washes over everything and batters the walls a bit, and then it’s over.  It sounds like a lost release from the Sup Pop Singles Club filtered through a broken reverb pedal.  These are good things and, like Shoegazer Jon, I spilled my beer.

6. Beach House-Teen Dream: Beach House sound like a warm summer breeze.  Lush and warm, they’re the sunlight peaking through a curtained window during a late afternoon nap.  Like many albums on this list, Teen Dream finds Beach House taking the aesthetic of prior albums and purifying it; finding the most direct means of communication and running with it.  Smooth guitar lines ping into the distance as warbled organ alternates between fuzzy, muted drone and icy stabs of melody.  Singer Victoria Legrand’s voice is the most upfront it has ever been, wrapping everything in a caramel blanket.  This is dream pop at its most literal; sounding like those quiet seconds after one has awoken but yet to open their eyes.  It’s also a fantastic make out record.

7. Surfer Blood-Astrocoast: In a year when drum machine duos, and bands dripping with reverb and 1988 were all the rage, Surfer Blood’s debut has a sound that could be popular at any point within the Indie rock era.  Mixing influence from garage rock, Weezer’s golden era, and the new wave of The Cars, Surfer Blood shows that one doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel to make it roll (worst metaphor ever!) .  Astrocoast is a record for couches, and car seats, or whatever people mean when they say, “chilling out.”  The tempos are easy and the melodies even more so.  What’s impressive about this record is how (a)live it sounds.  It’s the sound of a tight band going into a studio with a few guitars and keyboards and just playing.  Such things are difficult to fault.

8. Deerhunter- Halcyon Digest: Deerhunter are a psych pop encyclopedia in a time when standing out has been increasingly muddled by every yahoo with a Syd Barrett album, a pedal board, and a cursory knowledge of Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine (Hi).  Bradford Cox seems aware of this conundrum and responded by pairing down some of the aggressiveness of Deerhunter’s prior releases and replacing it with songs that are really fucking good.  Why hasn’t everyone come up with such a solution?  Sometimes the songs on Halcyon Digest are obscured by static and sometimes they breathe through in their shimmering glory.  Few things connect songs like the rollicking boogy of, “Coronado,” with the epic, mystical beauty if, “He Would Have Laughed,” but Cox and Deerhunter have the mastery to make them one and then same.

9. Dum Dum Girls- I Will Be: The debut from Dum Dum Girls is fuzzy and hissy in familiar ways.  The concept of 60s pop songs sounding like a tape cassette left out in the sun is nothing new but Dum Dum Girls figured out a way to take the form to new heights.  Filled with tales of bad girls, best friends, and love lost, I Will Be manages a fairly astounding feat by putting emphasis on writing songs as good as those that inspired them instead of focusing on the noise that obfuscates them.  There is no denying the giddy pleasure of songs like, “Bhang Bhang, I’m a Burnout,” “Jail La La, and, “It Only Takes One Night.”  Under everything else, I Will Be is bubblegum bliss.

10. Frightened Rabbit-The Winter of Mixed Drinks: Do we really need to discuss the appeal of Frightened Rabbit?  Remember how great The Midnight Organ was?  This album is just as good.  From the full bodied uplift of, “Swim Until You Can’t See Land,” to the lingering discontent of, “Foot Shooter,” these are songs that don’t stop building until they tumble over the end.  They sound and feel like the brogueish stories of a man who has seen some, but not all, of what life has to offer and must come to terms with the rest.  As the title suggests, this is an album for January nights spent next to the fire with a glass and a story.

Just missed the 10

1. Crankupmadonna-Hit the Sound

2. The Thermals-Personal Life

3. Wild Nothing-Gemini

4. No Age-Everything in Between

5. Mavis Staples-You Are Not Alone

6. The Walkmen-Lisbon

7. John Legend & The Roots-Wake Up!

8. Dr Dog-Shame, Shame

9. Best Coast-Crazy for You

10. Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin-Let it Sway

20 Best Songs

1. She & Him-Theives

2. The National-Afraid of Everyone/Bloodbuzz, Ohio

3. Mavis Staples-You Are Not Alone

4. Cee Lo-Fuck You

5. Jim O’Rourke feat Haruomi Hosono- Close to You

6. LCD Soundsystem- Pow Pow

7. Kayne West (featuring everyone ever)-Monster

8. Regina Spektor-No Surprises (Radiohead cover)

9. Wild Nothing- Summer Holiday

10. Male Bonding-Crooked Scene

11. The Mynabirds-Numbers Don’t Lie

12. Best Coast-Boyfriend

13. Surferblood- Swim

14. The Thermals-Your Love is So Strong

15. Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin-All Hail Dracula

16. Girls-Broken Dreams Club

17. Dum Dum Girls-Bhang Bhang I’m a Burnout

18. Sex Bob-omb- Garbage Truck

19. Crankupmadonna-One Good Lie

20. Sufjan Stevens-Too Much

Local Considerations (aka bands who had fantastic releases and you got sick of me writing about)

1. Joie De Vivre- The North End

2. Geronimo- Fuzzy Dreams

3. Mountains for Clouds-Some People Buy Scenery Like This

4. Staasanator Rex-62

Why in blue blazes wasn’t Lisbon in your Top 10?

That’s a fair question because I get the feeling that Lisbon is an amazing album.  Honestly all the blame lands on The Walkmen for this one.  They know of my well established timeline for appreciating their albums.  I can never fully realize the quality of a Walkmen album until I’ve listened to it for 6 months.  If they really wanted to make my top list, they would have released Lisbon in June or earlier instead of September.

Someone hire this guy an editor

Sufjan Stevens-The Age of Adz: At some point during the last three years Mr. Stevens completely lost his faith in the ability for normal songs to convey any meaning.  That’s awesome. Existential crisis always makes for compelling, interesting music unless your name is Metallica.  Stevens apparently decided that the way to solve this crisis was by setting out to soundtrack a non-existent animated reimagining of Blade Runner (my explanation).  That is also awesome because just read the preceding sentence.  The Age of Adz has a lot of straight up amazing ideas and musical moments.  The only problem is that these moments of genius are strangled by the sheer bulk of ideas.  There are so many things happening that, in the process of making it from beginning to end, one forgets that the amazing moments happened.  It’s like one of those days when you’ve worked for 12 hours and come home having forgotten that seeing those two pigeons having sex on the sidewalk happened that very morning and not last week.  If a glut of ideas are chins, this album has more chins than my Aunt Brenda at Thanksgiving.  It has twelve songs, one of which is 25 minutes long and is followed by a six minute song.  That’s not a thing musicians can do, Sufjan. It doesn’t work.  I like to pretend that there was a release called The Age of Adz EP.  It contains, “Too Much,” the title track, “All For Myself,” and, “Ring Them Bells.”  It’s amazing.

ADS

Sock Monkey Sound

Who: Crankupmadonna

What: Their new album, “Hit the Sound”

Did you forget some spaces up there? No. That’s how the name is written.

Shawn Ross Rockin'

As detailed by my friends David and Andrew in their own review of this album, the members of Rockford’s Crankupmadonna have had a long and (partly) storied career making music in and around the area. All pedigrees considered, last year’s eponymous debut couldn’t help but feel less like an album as much as a time capsule. It’s not an unexpected occurrence. Singer/guitarist Shawn Ross had a decade’s worth of songs and the moxie to finally put down his bass and start wailing. The early shows went great (my assessment). The band needed merch so they decided to book studio time and record everything they had. Though I wasn’t there I imagine the thought process went something like, “We’ve got these songs, we’re a decidedly awesome live band, let’s record it live. We’ll do it live!” As a result, Crankupmadonna suffered from being too long (4 songs, by my estimation) and somewhat lacking in both production quality and variety of sound.

When I first popped Hit the Sound into my stereo, I honestly thought they had stepped too far in the opposite direction. That this album has an entirely more produced sound is unmistakable. That it is well produced is even less so (Mike Hagler made sure of that). I couldn’t place the cause of my uneasy feelings. I had first heard all of the songs in their live incarnation and something about the sound was missing Crankupmadonna’s jittery, propulsive muscle. I started the album over after 5 tracks, trying to dig deeper. Then it hit me.

“Everything that night was criminal. Everything that night was dressed in black. Criminal!”

At the first chorus I couldn’t place that nasal yelp of, “Criminal.” The 2^nd chorus slammed me in the head.

Declan mother effing MacManus!

The chorus to, “Mouthful of Booze,” becomes key. The realization becomes impossible to miss. This isn’t an indie rock album like those Superchunk and Dinosaur Jr. releases of Ross’s youth. It’s an Elvis Costello record (a look at Ross’s right arm makes one feel silly for not figuring it out sooner). Suddenly in Attractions territory, it all makes sense. The added organ and noisenik flavors; the wonderfully sneering backup vocals from Gina Knapik; the transparently simple hooks; they all add up to a glorious, fun, snotty power pop record. The songs blow through one’s brain so quickly that you find yourself having unconsciously memorized the lyrics. One moment you’re sitting in your car, concentrated on driving, and then next you notice that you’ve been singing along for the past three songs.

Chris + Jesse = Phat bass grooves

“When we drink/we are the same.”

“Will I always/always be this way? Yeah you will/ yeah you will/ yeah you will/ yeah.”

“Tell me one good lieee/Tell me Tell me.”

These refrains latch themselves into your thoughts. You wake up singing, “When they hit the sound/When they hit the sound/Whose gonna care?” and then realize you had only started listening to the song last week. Do not mistake my use of the 2^nd person pronoun as an indication of this review’s prescriptive nature. I am not saying such things should happen. They just will.

Phil = Hot Licks!

In the end, Crankupmadonna have created an album with innumerable pop pleasure. They’ve now got a fist-raising, sing along album to stand next to their fist-raising, sing along shows. If I made the initial mistake of expecting the two to be analogous, I take it back. It’s an achievement to stand on its own.

Final Verdict: Bonkers; Wowsers; Shit-yeah; exclamatory reaction. Buy this album.

For more info: visit crankupmadonna

Sock Monkey Sound

By Andrew Whorehall

Premise: In 1998, I saw Wilco play On The Waterfront to about 8 people, if that.  In 1999, I saw The Jayhawks’ great songwriter, Gary Louris, proclaim, “Wow, we’ve never played to a bunch of chairs before.”  Waterfront always provides lasting memories.  This year, a $9 Elephant Ear I didn’t buy did just that. Downtown businesses ‘have to’ abide by the rules set forth by the On the Waterfront, Inc. committee.  Meaning, prices on alcohol have to be consistent with festival prices.  Here’s the problem;  I wanted 1 Elephant Ear, it cost 18 tickets which is equal to $9.00.  I left downtown with a stomach fulfilled instead by The Octane, a regular downtown joint that served me a single meal for $9.  If you’re gonna place rules on downtown businesses (which is WRONG), place rules on the asshole elephant ear making vendors that are only down there 3 days a year.  This town is retarded, sure, but I’m not retarded enough to blow $9 on an elephant ear when I can get a decent meal for the same amount at Octane.  The math is alllllll wrong- on all fronts.  On The Waterfront, Rockford, IL, 2010.

2010 On The Waterfront, Rockford, IL: HEADLINERS

The self-proclaimed ‘largest street festival’ also serves as a mass gathering of vendors with slight potential to gang rape specific individuals’ wallets and purses with bad, bad, bad, bad, bad math.  If you rely on respectable math to determine your moods, Waterfront is not the place to discover or maintain ‘happy’ unless you’re into adorable (cheap) hookers, concrete beds and 32 flavors of social diseases.  If you don’t care for numbers that weigh heavily against your personal and financial reality, you’ll love it!

Enough non-fiction, this piece is about the horrible facts discovered in a short amount of time at the Waterfront on a Saturday afternoon into sundown.

Last I checked, Rockford, as a city, it’s people, economically are not doing that well so you’d expect smaller ticket prices and less credible bands for what they do proudly advertise as “Illinois’ Largest Street Festival.”  I want to see the math equation that proves that tagline.  Is it based on territory?  Shoe size?  Judging by the bookings and confusing price packages for admissions, seems like this year’s committee hired a special mathematician to do the numbers.  They make ticket prices and 3-Day passes seem so confusing for no reason. No, I’m not going to be that guy that buys tickets to a street festival in Rockford, in advance- no, too complicated & unnecessary.  They’re not hooking me on that based on experience and a half-assed sales pitch;  have you seen the bands lineup?  I like to walk up to a gate, pay, get stamped, go in;  like in any other city, block party.  I don’t want a ticket unless you’ve booked Led Zeppelin with John Bonham, brought back Sam Cooke from the grave, or fine, I’d settle for Chicago’s own_______ but I’m not giving it away, you have to pay for marketable advice here.   The Waterfront committee seems to be lacking in the marketing research & booking department.

Wilco: 1998 On the Waterfront: above, Jeff Tweedy & Jay Bennett, better days.

TIP: Just call them tickets or stop wasting $$$$ on printing cost for 4 color tickets with a die line and tear.  Charge less, stamp the hand, rubber band the wrist for drinkers- Jesus, it’s not that hard.  For this year’s LARGEST street festival In Illinois, I doubt the Waterfront Committee is doing that well either with math equations or common sense, cents, scents, sense.  Geddy Lee, Pavement, check please.

Facts:

Bought 1 ticket for $15 dollars at the gate, for one day admission, for one person.

Billy Idol- headlined, rad.

Dierks Bentley- headlined, solid gold.

Adam Lambert- headlined, prophetic.

Hinder - headlined, game changers.

Weird Al- headlined, genius.

There ya go, the headliners for Illinois’ LARGEST street festival.
Three words xs5;  No, thanks.

Many other facts that are negative in a large looming manner;  as mentioned above, local downtown businesses having to match drink prices in accordance with Waterfront, Inc.’s committee rules (silly- and intrusive.)

Intrusive:  The cost of an elephant ear and the reality of math.  The cruelest fact of them all was this:

$9.00 for 1 Elephant Ear.  18 tickets, $9, the Oasis stage.

Comment: Who the f*ck do you think you are to charge $9 for an elephant ear?  Please answer below in the comments area of this post.  Tell us what math went into that decision to charge 18 tickets (each .50 cents) for a festival favorite of many people, including this guy.  I chose otherwise, sadly.  So did my cohorts. For the same amount you could drink 2 beers.  I’m a fan of logic and do what I can to surround myself with logical people.  Thanks for the reality check, Waterfront.  You see, again, respect true math;  it reveals all the answers you need for a good or bad time.  We still had a good time mocking the reality of that math, bad math.

SupplyCore has the best sign in all of downtown Rockford, IL

Positives: My friends and I love drinking on other peoples business property downtown;  especially under the glowing gaze of a Bush Jr. Era’s favorite contracted, millitary, provider of procured supplies;  SupplyCore.   My favorite Rockford company- so much drama!!!  And here I am drining cold beer staring at the glowing green sign!   The Provenzano brothers redefine the term, “family business.”  If anything, I feel bad for the parents of what has become our own city’s version of Cain & Abel, dueling brothers.  A successful shame, what money can do and does to destroy a family- an awful f*cking shame.

Here’s to the Highlight:  Guzzardo’s Emerging Artist Showcase on the Oasis Stage had me thinking why they couldn’t have that featured right before a respectable headlining act- not Hinder, not Adam Lambert, not Dierks Bentley, not Billy Idol,  maybe Weird Al (I like Al);   again, I said, “respectable.”  My reasons for such are simple and supportive to the local music community that is rich in talent.  Seeing Xen / Darren Garvey / Crankupmadonna compete and support each other should be brought to the main stage, Waterfront committee.  Show off your local talent the way other cities, block parties, festivals do in regards to having a local act open for a headlining act.  Throw it all in the blender- give up on the path you’ve gone down on the past few years and start over.  Now’s the time for new blood.

There’s an entirely different demographic you’re missing- a large one that’s fed up with the Rockford way.  Start researching other festivals that are working quite well in dark, technological, word of mouth times;  Pitchfork Festival, St. Pat’s Block Party (both Chicago)- start there and then come to us- again, I’m not going to speak on behalf of the others but I’m stating it now, “We’re not helping for free but we’ll help- this is isn’t Natural Helpers Camp.”

I end on that, I am ashamed of my hometown again;  specifically the Waterfront committee, a pathetic offering of sorts that doesn’t live up to your advertised tagline:  “Illinois’ Largest Street Festival.”  To me you’re just another large Illinois math problem that has the wrong people doing the math.  Suggestion:  new blood & now.

aW  |  andywhorehall.com

Sock Monkey Sound

Joie De Vivre "The North End"

Joie De Vivre
“The North End”
Young, intelligent, college kids playing off of punk emotion, setting the pace slow, early and exploding;  midwestern mood rock a decade later.  Spring love, Summer arguments, Fall heartbreak, Winter recovery,  The midwest for many of our youth growing up here.  That is “The North End.”  Joie is completely out of step with today’s youth rock, they’re too smart for any scene anywhere– and all for the better.  Sit through one listen and you’ll know right away that seeing them live will be no different than putting on their record.  No pretending.  “The North End” secretly implies they have no aspirations to entertain you with a light show or fancy new outfits from Hot Topic–  just empty cans of beer.   Honest brooding, rock n’ roll high on emotion and slow, steady delivery.  “The North End” owes as much respect to other regional indie acts that inspired their teen listening years, The Braves, as it does to other regional & national acts that has defined the midwest underground, Mike Kinsella projects (Joan of Arc/American Football/Owen).   ‘North End’ serves as a soundtrack for trying to live through your early 20s in the midwest with limited opportunities and personal heartbreak.  It’s a solid declaration from a young band that is only going to get louder, funnier, darker, softer and wiser with each new letdown & recording to follow.  Here’s hoping they keep it together long enough before becoming sick of each other.

Lizard Skynard – Self titled

Lizard Skynard
Self-Titled
Lizard Skynard, despite having a perfect frontman (Lizardman) for the kids are a monstrous rock band.  Imagine part Rollins/ part Deftones / meets Kevin Shields with the boys from Kyuss in a train station to make space metal.  The Skynard boys (Chicago/Austin/Vancouver) feed off of lead guitarist, Jason “Mossy” Vaughn’s wall of guitar nob turning and pedal shifting theatrics.  Vaughn’s playing is mesmerizing, turning speed metal riffs into reverb, delays, morphing into small, well-intended melodies– no different than a Shostakovich film production gone wild, chaos amidst the darkness and then drifting into melody.  With or without Lizardman reciting monologues on top of the band, this is the sound of life on earth coming to a loud, water-washed, horrific & beautiful end.

Produced by Greg Norman @ Electrical Audio in Chicago over the course of 1 week this past winter, this self-titled debut by a band that started as a ‘what-if’ idea in the back of a Jägermeister bus between Mossy & Lizardman is anything but a ‘what-if’ idea.  Every member plays as if their lives, and that of  Planet Earth’s, depends on these 30 minutes put to record for a listener’s lifetime.

Staasuhnator Rex | "62: Volume 1 Tracks 1-8" {E.P.}

Staasuhnator Rex
62 (V1: Tracks 1-8 E.P.)
Staasuhnator Rex “62″ is the brilliant, brainchild debut E.P. / song project by Zach Staas (Joie De Vivre, Donkey Boy (USA)); a young songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, engineer. 62 songs are planned for release non-ironically;  8 at a time (yes, he knows there’s a math problem, it’s been discussed and nothing is changing the count from 62 to 64).  All songs are planned to be recorded under a minute and a half if possible. Each song featured here is an appetizer for bizarro pop perfection– genius.

Staas manages most of the instruments himself mixing in domestic observations that are beautifully sung, tongue in cheek and still managing to be awfully heartbreaking & brilliant– in a span of seconds.  “Pound that pussy good, just like you should,” sticks out as a key line on the 56 second long song, “Meownepaws.”  When lines just appear to be lewd, Staas’s delivery reminds you they’re anything but.  The cats in the alley are keeping him awake as he imagines what he wishes he could do to end their midnight whining.  It’s the way the line is sung at the :31 to :36 mark that seals the deal on short moments that will make you laugh, cry and come back to for repeated listenings.

Staas’s vocal inflections rise when they need to perfectly to remind you he is dead serious.  Songs end when you think there’s going to be more.  Nope;  just a few seconds of what could be, cut, next.  ”Please Pay By”  is the peak of this, the first 8 songs of an amazing song project he’s started.  Starting with electric guitar and slowly introducing various keys on top of a subtle amp buzzing while singing about his bills to pay.  The most complete song of the 8 hints slightly at what Rex could be live.  Imagine Jason Lytle or Neil Young jumping off the cliff of creativity looking for something else, John Cale leading the way- and you got Staasuhnator Rex.  A monster of a miniature 1st e.p. from one of Rockford, IL’s most promising young songwriter / multi-instrumentalist & composer.  I await the next 54 songs with excitement.  Download the 1st E.P. of “62″ containing tracks 1-8 for FREE, here, limited time only.

Crankupmadonna "Hit The Sound"

Crankupmadonna
“Hit The Sound”
Shawn Ross, singer-songwriter/guitarist, has spent most of his life playing bass for local area band, The Braves- a very respected, midwestern, indie 4-piece.  After years of supporting Joe Reina & Kevin Schwitter’s songs, Ross takes the helm on his own project bringing along with him 2 former Braves (Jesse Carmona & Phil Goudreau) plus newbie, Christoper Johnson, to take over on bass duties for him.  “Hit the Sound” was recorded by veteran Chicago engineer, Mike Hagler (Wilco, Neko Case, The Redwalls, Mekons, Jon Langford) who helped tap Ross’s manic pop-punk song style into a personal sound oweing tribute to the likes of great 90s bands like Dinosaur Jr., Tommy Stinson’s ‘Perfect’ phase and the Foo Fighter’s first 2 records.  Every song is perfectly crafted and performed by the band, owing as much respect to Ross’s musical roots but also to the road traveled to get to this point, running his own ship.  “Not This Town” wails and splashes between vocals, drums and guitar feedback. “Anyone Can Die” and “Burn this Scene” fist the air for attention;  awesome pop-punk meets classic rock choruses are scattered throughout the record.  Key track defining Ross’s new direction with this band in tow happens on “Golden Hands;”  the guitar build outro, bass, drums, all kick in for a band in the studio moment that pays dues to everything that has made 90s American indie rock so influential.  It also defines Ross as a writer now, guitarist and band leader.   A defining midwestern debut record by 4 guys from Rockford who sound like they’re from anywhere else but here;  full of life and miles to burn.

Cameron McGill & What-Army "Deserters." EP

Cameron McGill & What Army
“Derserters.” EP
Let’s keep this one short:  Billy Ocean wrote a tune and in that tune he said, “Simply awesome.”  He was talking about McGill’s Army preview for 2011′s “Is A Beast” which is a 5-song teaser properly titled, “Deserters.”  Two new songs from ‘Beast’ start off “Deserters,” giving ya that awful feeling you gotta hear more and you can’t wait.  “Dead Rose” is nasty;  bassline so nasty, guitar tones so nasty, McGill’s voice unlike previous recorded outputs, nasty awesome not simply awesome.  “I Don’t Believe in Magic (But All My Friends Just Disappeared” is as simply awesome as the title implies.  Billy Ocean would be proud too.  Pop perfection, Chicago intuitions, guests and all Army.  Standout performances by Rockford, IL’s own, Daniel J. McMahon, all over the E.P.  Garvey & Palma (Drums/Bass) form one nasty backbone on record and Justin Perkins’ production hints greatly at what’s to come.  The last 3 tracks are b-sides but should not be ignored- especially “Loose Tooth.  “Deserters” E.P. is a nasty, awesome, 5-song teaser hinting at what may become 2011′s finest midwestern offering to a majority of undeserving & misunderstanding humans who tend to crave crap in this day and age.  Here’s hoping otherwise.

dD  | aW

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Shawn Ross – Crankupmadonna

We are joined by Crankupmadonna’s Shawn Ross and Chris Johnson. We shoot the sh*t with the guys about songwriting, Shawn’s time in one of our favorite bands, The Braves, songwriting, and what it takes to be the leader of a band. We also are premiering tracks off their new record Hit The Sound. Crankupmadonna will be playing Sept. 1st at the Sock Monkey Sound Presents show with Ex Norwegian.

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Doug the Sock Monkey Sound Monkey

We celebrate our year anniversary with the guest from our first episode, Arik Jenkins. Topics include Emerging Artists, On the Waterfront, festivals, tanorexia, beer, and a little music talk. Music underneath talking by: Oasis, The Beastie Boys, Crankupmadonna, Ex Norwegian

Sock Monkey Sound Presents: Ex Norwegian and Crankupmadonna
Wednesday September 1st at Kryptonite Bar

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Featured music by
OK Go
Minus the Bear
The Braves
Stendek
The Constellations
The Lustkillers

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White Moose

We hang with the ubiquitous White Moose and talk about Beatles: Rock Band, Keystone Light, and Guided By Voices. We also play Word Association with the Moose and we have the first edition of Sock Monkeypiece Theater!

This weeks artists:
David Bazan
The Heligoats
The Please and Thank Yous
White Moose
Victor Villareal
Bob Dylan

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On the Waterfront Music Festival, Rockford, IL

Arik Jenkins joins Sock Monkey Sound for a discussion about Rockford’s On The Waterfront Festival and play a few songs. Hi-jinks Ensue! Not for the faint of heart! Mark also throws his 2 cents in.

This Months Featured Artists:

Owls
Miles Neilson
El Oso
Crankupmadonna
Super Super
The Lawrence Arms

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Sock Monkey POV video of Crankupmadonna at the Guzzardo’s Performance Music Emerging Artists Competition. 8-01-09

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