Silver Pines

It was a Monday or Tuesday at The Whistler on Milwaukee Ave, I park the car far away. The thing that was fueling the urgency to see this band was extreme curiosity. I notice from far away that there is a line formed in front. The place is filled to capacity. You have to wait for people to come out first. Now I really want to see them, 'cause the Whistler don't just fill up on a Tuesday night for nothing. So I finally go in and catch the tail end of the show. I got like two pictures and a video, in case I like it. I love the captured music for so many reasons. Like I'm catching some fleeting moment that need not be forgotten. I feel fortunate sometimes for this curiosity that leads me to these places, to these moments. At the time it's still too early to analyze what I captured. I buy a cd and a shirt that looked gray in the club but like turned purple on me outside. I bought the cd "Forces" from the lead singer I forgot what I asked her but I think that they are from Texas. I even forgot her name, if I even asked. I completely invested in the band on blind faith that I would like it. It took a few days and now I'm so into them.

It's like this is the local Twin Peaks band that opened for St Vincent. Hell they're from Texas too. They are dreamy and quirky like Cocteau Twins only with heavier beats. They got this swagger and twang to them that just imposes on me this picture of Texas bars. It's in the girl's voice and in the guitar this swagger is all I can collect it under. And sometimes they sound sweet, familiar and weird like a fuzzy dream nearly forgotten. Fuzzy dream that revealed you. I just have to say this again, if you are a fan of Cocteau Twins this Texas band Silver Pines is for you. They got this dreamy psychedelic sound that does not alienate Alice so much as it invites her in. There are no liner notes that tells you the names of the songs, or the names of the band members. Nothing. Not even a myspace page, well at least not on the CD itself. I did find it, the myspace page itself. And they filled up The Whistler. There is a sadness in some of the songs, like in "Time Father". It's shoegaze that does not let your mind wander away into your own thoughts. It's not boring. Instead you find yourself wandering into the music, but once again it's like Cocteau Twins, or Julee Cruise if she were from Texas. There is something haunting about it, like a tragic event trapped inside amber. All this honestly is not analysis of the music. They were immediate impressions that I got from the first listen in most songs......alright, two songs. Still those that don't imprint right off, do so over time like you just bought it all over again. . The wonder captures you, but the relationship with the music will be long term. I guess when I say "Texas swagger" I don't mean it in a way that takes from it's urban appeal. I don't mean "Tex-Mex".....yet that is not a bad thing either. How do I say this without digging myself into another hole.....I hear this band and I'm reminded of the movie "Love & A .45", like the songs from this band belong in that film or something similar. A good Texas indy film.

Post Honeymoon

So I saw Post Honeymoon when they had their cd release party on a Friday at The Hideout. I arrived too late to see Bengal Lancer.....arrgh!!!! I was fucking pist. I so wanted to see them as well. I've seen Post Honeymoon one time before and I got their three song ep. Now they were having their cd release thing and I bought their full length. They are Rachel Shindelman and Nick Kraska. They are married. I think they were both in Bang Bang, another awesome Chicago band. I know Rachel was for sure. She played keyboard for them and now here she is leading her own excellent creation.

If you like Amanda Palmer/Dresden Dolls, I think I can sell you on this band, and for the same reasons. Amanda Palmer is the only point of reference I can think of at the moment. And if I can hold your attention with that name then you can like Post Honeymoon. Nick plays the drums like a mad man, and with his eyes closed. He's such a live wire, he makes the performance more intense. Their songs are dark, muscular and fast. When they are slow, your attention is still held by the urgency of Rachel's words. Even without learning the words the songs have more darkness than light in the end of the tunnel. Close your eyes and they just sound like it's Projekt Fest. "Dirge" warns you about the storm, you stay to brave it, and are left behind. The song is slow and chilling already and then she says "they know you're here, but they don't care 'bout you". Fuck!! That just sounds so ominous. It's campfire scary. And I don't just get it reading the lyrics. In every performance I can hear Rachel clearly. You know how sometimes Amanda Palmer's words stream out like a bunch of run on sentences racing each other. I'm not saying that like a bad thing, but just to better describe Post Honeymoon. Rachel's words don't come out that fast but they still have that urgency-of-the-moment feel to them. "Dirge", "Lars", and "Night Guard" have imprinted on me, in part because I saw these live. This is goth club worthy local music. Everyone will suddenly want to dance to this the way they dance to Joy Division. The Hideout crowd didn't dance that much, but they all still loved Post Honeymoon.

This was a crowd that knew who they came to see. Still you can't just bounce around by yourself like an asshole. But this can be played at Neo, and have that dark club street cred. I saw musicians from other local bands on this night. It was nice. It was a moment anticipated, finally present.

phantogram

I think this was a Wednesday, in June. I saw this band in Subterranean on North Ave. Actually I missed most of the show. My Gold Mask played first I know that, but since they performed before Phantogram I missed them entirely. I took my aunt to some far away mall. Alright so I miss most of Phantogram, but what I caught was significant. They are Joshua Carter and Sarah Barthel. I think they are from New York City. I walked in and started taking pictures and once video. By this time I forgot what I liked about the band. The research I did was barely recalled. All that I remember was that I did liked what I heard on their myspace page. So I captured what I could. I noticed how sparse the audience was, perhaps My Gold Mask saw the bulk of it and they thinned out later, I don't know. I still had not formed an opinion at the time I captured what was left of Phantogram. I could have been frugal and just said fuck it, don't buy nothin' and go home. But I bought their CD. I heard it later and I have to say, FUCKING HELL this is good. The song that imprinted on me "When I'm Small" captures you first with the beat and then the guitar then Sarah's voice. Each added instrument holds your attention to the greater whole. You know how Portishead just holds you even when they are slow. Phantogram can do it with this song. I can just see this song at Neo or Nocturna. This is goth club worthy music to dance to. It's a mid-tempo song, something that lets you concentrate your movements when dancing to it. It's electronic music that still has this organic non-electronic feel to it. Well, in part because of the electric guitar. Even mid tempo songs fall into this danger of letting your attention wander away from it but not with this song from Phantogram. I can't believe I almost allowed myself to miss it all together. I'm happy for what I captured.

Pezzettino Thursday 2 July

I missed Pezz the last time they came to Chicago at Empty Bottle. Alla', played the same night. But I was late for Pezz, but I made up for it this night at Reggies. I left home thinking I was already late. Pezzettino was supposed to be first. I hauled ass with this late thing hanging over my head. There was a massive traffic jam on I-55, so I got off on California. The whole time I was thinking of what I was missing at Reggies every moment I spent in the car. At least it's still not that hard to find parking. I always seem to find that same spot. I park the car and run the rest of the way there. I'm either incredibly late or incredibly early, the pendulum swings. The guy at the door tells me Pezzetino is not on yet as I catch my breath. A girl on stage alone with her guitar, I let stay in the background. I'm looking for where to sit, and I'm looking for ms Margaret. My eyes dart around and I recognize her drummer sitting at a table. There they are, just chillin'. Ms Pezz sees and recognizes me from before and kicks out a chair. I like it when the Pendulum swings my way like this. My shy streak makes me clumsy when talking to the bands that I like, and I come off like this overbearing asshole....at least that is what I fear. But not this time, and it felt nice.

This night at Reggies put together bands with female arm wrestling. It colored the night with other memorable people, like this girl called "Tacklebox" I think. She was pretty and tomeboyish. Hammy in this cool way. A crowd favorite. There were other girls, like the one from the last band Furious Frank. I only took pictures of Pezzettino's performance but what played around her and after her was noteworthy as well. It was nice to just sit with Pezz and bull shit along with them before they actually play. By that time, I already enjoy a familiarity with many of Pezzettino's songs. I find them to be intelligent, articulate and sharp. They are direct and eloquent like dialogue in a play. There is darkness and venom but to the fan they stem from righteous anger. I'm talking about songs like "parasite", "proved you wrong","walk from here". Margaret says things that we wish we said ourselves. So, I'm thinking all this and there she is at the same table, figuring out which songs to play....I don't want to freak her out by being this overbearing super-fan. Pezzettino is not entirely about anger, sadness, and telling them off. Her happy songs are quite disarming. On her first cd "Because I Have No Control" there is a cool song about traveling. Her uhm...happy songs have that same indy movie coolness of bands like Panda Riot. I'm not saying they sound alike as much as they belong in the same indy movie.

So they have a few female arm-wrestling contests before Pezzettino actually perform, I get to bullshit around with the drummer as well as Margaret. Their bass player didn't make it this time I think because of car trouble. This girl "Tacklebox" wins but she has a good sense of humor about things. I like how the girl-arm-wrestling thing kept the audience constantly engaged between the bands. As familiar as I am with Pezzettino's music this Thursday would be my first time seeing the full band performance. The drummer really makes a difference. Up until then I've only seen Margaret play alone with her accordion, or on a piano. She is a powerful performer every time. It's in the sweeps of her accordion, and in the flash of serious emotion in her face, like an argentine master. She wields her instrument like a weapon she knows well. Margaret was just manhandling it and people just cheered her on for it. She had the audience with "Parasite", "All That Glitters Isn't Gold".....I became a fan all over again. This is like the third time I feel that for this band. Here are some pictures from that night. I'll put more but this has to be put out now.

Zig