Julie Meckler at Whistler..again

Much has changed since last I saw Julie Meckler play Whistler. I saw her at Beat Kitchen, Empty Bottle, Subt's, Schubas...I may have made one of those up. Oh, yeah and things change around the performances. The world spins. I don't really mention how the world spins because they got other sources for that. The point being here is that I'm not oblivious to it. What I choose to document is not either. I can roughly recall what went on around the time I saw whoever. My dad had his accident occur some time after I saw Ebsen And The Witch. A lot goes on around the pictures I post. They hold more than what is apparent.

So Julie plays Whistler and I see the usual friends that she attracts. Yeah, Venus from Moritat was there, and they got all kinds of new music they are writing. So it's that kind of place, small and intimate, The Whistler. I don't recall it being noisy for Julie. The place devolves badly when they don't give a shit and you can hear rude voices speaking through the performer. I've seen that too and it's embarrassing. I don't remember that this time. Julie can whistle for days man, like in her song Manhattan. She has a video for that. Slows down the New York minute to wander in. And who can sustain a constant whistle for an entire song?....alright there's that girl from the Bangles, but that's only for part of "Walk Like An Egyptian". Julie has traveled and I'd like to think that is why she names some of her songs after places,(Manhattan, Mexico). It does not stop with just naming songs. One of them is so clearly reggae. With the fondness for all the places that Julie has visited she still chose to live here, and that is fucking sweet, and a little incredulous. It's common for me to hear of musicians moving away from Chicago, to the coasts. So when they move here, I'm like "really?, cool!". I don't know if this really convinces anyone to listen to Julie Meckler. I read back at this and it does not even come off like a real review. But my enthusiasm for this musician is real locally we should take more notice.

architecture

Along with Some Community I saw that Chicago shoegaze workhorse architecture at Empty Bottle. Rebecca Scott's other band besides Panda Riot. It's usually very hard to read the crowds this band plays for. They play a lot right? I should start to recognize some fellow fans right? Not really. Some home crowds felt...half won over. It's bizarre because they play often enough to build a fan base from one performance to another. Yet it seems to me that each crowd is new, or too chill and casual to read. I remember as a kid we used to launch so many fucking space shuttles people stopped giving a shit. Well, perhaps I go on about the state of the audience too much. To me they deserve the same success as and are similar to War Paint, Asobi Seksu, School Of Seven Bells, so excuse me we got space shuttles here! Fucking hell that was some crazy groupie endorsement. So, these urban faeries performed new songs....under the name architecture, the crowd seemed supportive like they waited for them. There is also new work from Panda Riot. I guess my point being that these bands are breathing, living, active. I don't tire of the songs I downloaded from them already. Shoegaze music is naturally mysterious lets just say, it's what we like it for. Rebecca's crystal clear voice is the perfect shoegaze tour-guide with it's signature casual giddiness. They have their music available on vinyl. I believe they have shirts...in girl sizes. This band is small enough now for support to be the most meaningful to them and also the fan, right?

Sleepy Kitty

Imagine for a moment...say John Lennon survived the attempt at his life and became a successful indy film writer/director like David Lynch. And you know how David Lynch has these long associations with certain musicians like Julee Cruise. Sleepy Kitty would have that same connection with John Lennon. He is in there like it's his haunted house. In some rooms he talks with the Ghost Adventures crew, all three not just Zak. Alright so at the very least I get strong John Lennon vibes from Sleepy Kitty, in the faint intangible traces of its big bang. No, it's not just the cover of 17. Actually that cover has the most minimal Beatles vibe. Paige just updated this favorite Barbie doll with new clothes. Yeah, yeah, it's not what you know, it's what you can prove. And on that, true converted believers in their delerium will speak in tongues to the faerie that gave Blondie it's disco charm. I get moments hearing this. I finally see them at Empty Bottle Thursday 12 April and I'm finally able to buy the CD. Sleepy Kitty are from St. Louis. Ridin' With St Louis Tonight captures the coolness of that city like a signature local perfume. That song is on the CD Infinity City. My first awareness brought me to see them at Whistler Sunday 9 October. It's just two people with a massive presence. Paige sings, plays guitar and Evan plays drums. I can really go on about how awesome I find Ms Paige as a guitarist. At the time all I could afford to get was the poster which I believe they have their own printing press for. So there was time enough for the novelty of discovery to wane or take on a second life. All this before actually buying the CD. It's possible to build false expectations and be disappointed later. That is not at all what happened here when actually hearing the CD later. It has the sweetness of pop but with the depth and maturity of something that feels like for your age. Like generationally speaking to you. I'm now in the process of forming a relationship with the actual songs. When next I write it will be with a greater familiarity. For now her are the pictures, I hope I got someone curious about them.

Zig

Bone And Bell

The id lets say for a moment is the eternal high school campus inside your mind. Just follow me for a moment. Vulnerability, melancholy, sweetness lets say are the science nerds, goths on campus. They are perpetually in the wrong fucking school. The id can't help this. There will always be nerds that you not want but will have and even need. Always they are misunderstood teased, even bullied. They are not immediately sexy right? Some people make something out of these nerds, make something great. The sexiness starts to show. What do I mean when I say the id is high school and melancholy, vulnerability etc are in the Dr Who Club? Some people can make really wonderful music where these sentiments seem expressed. Bone And Bell has already been compared to Sharon Von Etten, Neko Case. Among the artists I've seen, Pezzettino, Uni And Her Ukulele may have well been girl scouts together with Heather of B&B. They know how best to articulate powerfully from a similar engine. They go dark with Katie Jane Garside street cred. Wait, I don't mean that Heather spazzes out like her. Just the same bluesy edge as some slower Queen Adreena songs, like Pretty Polly. What do you mean who's that? You know what, fuck it. I'll just revert to comparing everything to PJ Harvey. Alright, so out of nowhere B&B has this lean muscle to flex. It's just the side you know is there and want to see. Until the CD release later on at Schubas this can only be seen live....and on Youtube. Sunday 8 April, Bone And Bell is who I go see at Whistler after an entertaining family gathering near Joliet. I have to say that Heather can hold a crowds attention and Whistler was no different that night. As of late I've noticed it get louder like it doesn't give a shit sometimes but not so much this time. Heather and full band held their own. I can speculate a large crowd for her later on at Schubas.

Some Community

Some Community is from I think Sao Paolo Brazil. They played Empty Bottle on the same night that architecture headlined. It was actually on their recommendation that I listened to SC. I must confess the name alone would not get my attention. The name just does not stick. It was a long matter liking this band, and it has nothing to do with the name. I can forget the name tomorrow, but the band they are something else, hiding under a plain sounding name. Lets see. It was on architecture's word ....that means I had to like them first right? Then I hear the first song Tereza and wow! I'm going to see Some Fucking Community!! I think Chicago was the last leg on their tour from the east. Damn are they far from home. I go on a lot about local music and all that but I also like it when they come here from far their normal orbit, because they bring their unique collection of culture themselves. They represent their town in subtle and obvious ways. They can represent what is local, normal and abundant or unique even in their native lands. Some Community brought all that here last Thursday 5 April. Cultures are not created in exclusive isolation. It's not just about what Chicago has internally but also what it attracts from abroad. Normally I'll just arrive on time for the main act if that is who I intend to see. Not this time I was proactive! I was on time for SC! I loved their show and hope they want to make it back. I think the Empty Bottle gave them a warm enough welcome. I'll write more about them later. For now I post this to note the fact that they played and were seen. Thanks to architecture for introducing me to these guys.

Zig

My Problem With Julie

My Problem With Julie Meckler is that it's really hard to describe her music. I love her shows that I catch and she plays a lot in Chicago. She will play again this Sunday 15 April. You get a feel for the range of her appreciation as a music listener, far and away superior to ones own. Julie so floors me with her Portishead cover. So the trip hop is worn well by the lovely Ms. Julie. Oh that that reminds me, as Strindberg references always do, Julie did theater back in France. She did acting. That means Ibsen, Genet, Brecht, maybe even Pirandello!!!. Ahh, can you see her as Hedda Gabler....I don't know if she's done all these plays, but that is what my pretend mental google search finds. You see how long a stretch that is from performing music, your own music? As I see her play her music I often linger on that journey of hers from acting to singing. I like throwing that in because it enhances what you pick up when you see her. It's the French Jazz in her that cracks open all kinds of doors. The giddiness of French Jazz, at least for me. It's like this. Say Borders is still open and you're in the international section of the music section. The modern French bands had this take on jazz that was not...boring to me. They were giddy and lively. That's kind of the path Julie takes you with. So on and off live you will see a trumpet player. The jazz sneaks that in where rock is less inclined. Calling her an indy rock singer kind of puts a blind spot in the places that matter. Anyway, she will play Whistler Sunday 15 April, I hope I convinced someone with this to go.

Zig

Sentinels

So Liz of Sentinels played drums for years before finally fronting a band. Sentinels is her first band to front. A correction pointed out to me, I had to make and a good excuse to post more pictures of her. It's a nice thing to have this thing read and so I am happy to note this correction. So the more I listen the more similar music I can find her in my head. I know what room to fit this in. It needs to age with the older furniture. For me the drift from PJ leads to Shirley Manson....Angelfish, Garbage, at least in broad shades of darkness. Having said that, Ms Shirley does gateway easily into the goth, and not so much with Sentinels. So when we say dark in describing Sentinels that is where they are on that continuum. Well at least to me. They got the energy and and say attitude of Garbage and on a boundary to that darkness. In terms of bands I saw live, they are like Forget Cassettes, only less angry. It's early. My impression of them continues to evolve.

architecture

Architecture is playing Empty Bottle, Thursday 5 April. Here is a band that are many things, many times I like them for. They play a lot, the members of this band especially with their Panda Riot face paint. They are a regular performing presence locally. And now also under architecture. First let's say that architecture are solidly shoegaze. For me they are locally the reason why I still listen to what we identify as shoegaze. So they function for me as a gate way, backwards in time and forward. They remind me of a lot while being their own creation and holding down that interest that will inevitably spill over other similar sounding music. They don't exclusively play to a shoegaze seeking crowd. They have opened for Planets, a punk sounding band. On the shoegaze continuum they seem to lean on their conventional instruments, more guitar/bass and a little less on electronics. Oh, wait there's the drum machine. Rebecca does play keyboard and guitar. They are like Broadcast. Cranes have the weirdness right? Listening to them is like finally putting on my glasses after driving all night to Cocteau Twins. I can finally see where I'm going and I still retain the wonder of it all. Finally refreshed with the clarity of words while still retaining the nebulous, a signature I once noticed on Panda Riot is also to be found on architecture. Obscurity can feel distant as well as wondrous. Well that's only if you want things to mean something. Cocteau Twins are dense with foggy curvy paths. They are not for driving over 55. With architecture vocals are clear. You feel included in the magical real moment of the everyday. Listen to them and go to the show.