Sleepy Kitty/Fruit&Flowers

 
   
    I put these pictures of two very different performers in the same post because I saw them together. For me, they are forever linked. I have to say that I arrived at Emporium with the full intention of seeing
  The Cell Phones but I did not arrive on time. Sleepy Kitty I had not seen since 2014 I think. This was my first real effort to see them in what feels like a long time. Godard Protagonist Inflection from Projection Room is the track....the fucking coolest. This intensity sneaks into it early and is a constant from then on. In parts of it I feel are perfect for those cool slow motion scenes in movies.

  Sleepy Kitty's music just seem to be perfect for a movie soundtrack. Projection Room for me evokes vague periods that...seem not contemporary.  A familiar place I am taken to when I hear SK are the 70's like Dazed And Confused.  Its not the only foggy place they take me to. The movie Dazed And Confused was in part about the beginning of the summer when school is out. Hell, Kitty's got a song named School's Out.  This space of casual summer fun with bright blue warm days is visited again with Batman: The Ride.     
  So most definitely a season is effortlessly and repeatedly evoked in their music, and then they hit you with Protagonist, and I feel newly baptized as a fan. Like being slapped with coolness. And I mean that in a positive way. If you are into The Kills, Sons&Daughters, I think I can sell them on Sleepy Kitty. They did not play Protagonist this time at Emporium. I'm sorry. I built this song up. I'm still inclined to hear what they to play. OK, that sounds weak. Hows this....Ms Paige Brubeck plays the guitar in such a way the devil ain't got nothing to teach her on that guitar.
  And there is something on every LP that blows me away and keeps me a fan. That is a constant with Sleepy Kitty, the way Ms Paige plays her guitar with casual confidence. She got this. And this time its with a bass player and extra guitarist. I got to talk to Evan Sult (drums) and the bass player briefly before they went on, actually before Fruit&Flowers went on and absolutely killed it out of no where for me. I bought Flux from Sleepy Kitty before Flowers went on. I did no research on them. I was familiar with Kitty, and Cell Phones, that's it. Recall SK playing Mockingbird from Flux and their single Tu Veux Ou Tu Veux Pas? The night was singular in that I got to see and support a band I know well and rabidly into, and the surprise awesome that was Fruit&Flowers. One experience did not diminish from the other. You just can't believe your luck in having them in the same room.

  Fruit&Flowers started with Down Down Down, at least according to the set list. And right from there, I was a rabid fan. I am on that train and I ain't getting off.  They just reminded me of all the best of what I like. The bass was raw and bouncy, and engine that compels you to snarl like Billy Idol.  A monster Flower engine. Yeah, they left an imprint. And Sleepy Kitty was still around the corner! How awesome is that. All the binge research I'm doing now, after the show. I know which songs I heard from both bands. Fruit and Flowers caught me unprepared and they had me from that first track. They are from Brooklyn. I think this was not their first Chicago show, but it was my first time seeing them. Hell they came with rabid fans. I began noticing the reacting crowd around me, they seemed to have fans already waiting for them. Hell, they ignited a fucking mosh pit. At some moments the lead singer threw herself into that crowd. It was a fucking sight. Its quite something to see fans reacting to them. These did not seem like people reacting to something they barely discovered as way fucking cool. The slam dancing seemed spontaneous but they knew who they were reacting to. I learn as much from seeing a committed crowd react. You don't get an audience so hot and bothered without playing a lot. And I have been tripping over Youtube videos of their live performances. My view of them will evolve over time, but I am a fan for good. I remember later on, talking to the drummer and then also to the lead singer, Caroline. They were both very sweet people. I bought the tape from them. I wanted the fucking shirt, but had enough for the tape. A tangible reference to keep them in mind. The bass and the drums form the gears that roll and twist. And they got the moments when they are sweet and just a shade darker than The Long Blondes, lets say. They were such a different animal than Sleepy Kitty. The differences made each band stick out from one another.  Sleepy Kitty was cool, chill and refined as Fruit&Flowers were gritty, aggressive, and sweet. In my possession are the recordings of SK, while Flowers have yet to record a lot of their work. I will not forget one for the other, for seeing them together made them sisters in my eyes.
Zig

Tele Novella, House Of Souls

  I found it! I found it! Months ago, I thought I lost this CD House Of Souls. I have been a fan of Natalie Ribbons since her days with Agent Ribbons, her band before Tele Novella. I got a history of losing shit from them for some reason. I lost a whole lot of CD's once and it included On Time Travel And Romance from Agent Ribbons. That really did fuck with me. A lot of music that I could not get back was gone and among them this one from Ms Natalie. Then her band came back and so I bought from them this coveted CD. And they autographed it with a message to not lose it this time.
  So now Tele Novella come to Red Line Tap. Its my first time there. My friends Killer Moon played as well. And so I bought House Of Souls from the great Natalie Grace who is friends with Natalie Ribbons. Ms Grace was running the merch table. I don't think I had House Of Souls for two weeks before I lost it. Anyway so now I have it and I am all into it. I recall listening to it when driving home from their September 30th gig in Chicago and was feeling indifferent as I listened, not feeling one way or the other yet glad that I had it in my hands. Misplacing it for a few months and suddenly finding it certainly cured that indifference. The first time I saw Tele Novella was at Schubas and at the time they had available the EP Cosmic Dial Tone and its brilliant. You become familiar with an artist's work and with that work they create a world, a mini universe that increases with detail with each puzzle piece. They make the whole more complete. With Tele Novella I am taken back to the 60's, the same period first presented to me by Agent Ribbons.
  And this hmm world is just contained first in just two full albums and an EP. Ok and all the videos on Youtube. So if you are a fan, that's a just a pocket universe. You want it to expand. And it did with the six track EP. I love every song. And now, that universe expands still more with House Of Souls. Natalie has this signature sound that reminds me of Mad Men, or an other-worldly modern period, slightly more beautiful and if so also very dangerous and dark. And I'm saying I really like it. I don't think its even a deliberate effort to sound a certain way. It's just her language. Jason Chronos plays bass guitar. Mat Simon plays the drums. And Sarah La Puerta plays the Casio Tone. Tele Novella are sweet ambassadors of a slight otherworld. Carpathia got me with that opening lines, clear and so the words hit with a fuller immediate impression... "..burned, it won't catch fire". Makes me look for my fucking passport. Even the names kind of take you somewhere. Sacramento is not just the name of this song. Its where Natalie Ribbons started her band, I think. Its a track Uma Thurman and John Travolta could have had an extra dance to in Pulp Fiction. Its just It has a natural rhythm. All of Natalie Ribbons...or Natalie Gordon's music is visual. And those pictures seem right for a Wes Anderson, Tarantino film. I'm not the only one to bring these names to better describe Tele Novella. And her voice is so calm and confident.   There is a lot to take in from House. I've read that Natalie describes her music as melodic macabre-pop. And hmm, ...yeah. And she is a songwriter to watch. I've gone on what you see when you hear Tele Novella. There is something to listen to what she says, in a voice that is not urgent yet still.... These pictures are from when I saw them at Schubas, I was late for their set for 30th September 2016. But I got to talk to them. I recall they were sweet. I bought the CD and their shirt and took home a poster that hung on the wall. They autographed the CD. And now I can enjoy in full that experience because I found the mother fucker and I can listen to it. I can wear the shirt without that sting of having it lost.
Zig 

Fauvely EP Release at Empty Bottle

  Fauvely evolved and shaped the songs with each live performance. So these early shows really matter to me. In a way the gigs that I miss matter the most, the great unknown, and there was one such that still kinda hurts with Fauvely. Danielle from Impulsive Hearts was on stage with Sophie a Tuesday night 7th March at Burlington. Those are the singular moments you want to witness. So that made the EP Release for Fauvely at The Empty Bottle on the 30th a mission. Born Days also was there but, I was late for that. Watch Me Overcomplicate This, is the name, and the tracks are more fleshed out with more instruments and yet the tracks that I got way into retain that smallness, the wonderful intimacy that makes it mysterious. There again I noticed the violinist from Cafe Mustache, and Scott Cortez.
  Break is in the middle of the EP and if its not on repeat on my itunes, its getting played like that in my head. It haunts softly without being scary. I keep coming back to this idea of the guys from Ghost Adventures coming in for their usual lock down at some sad old haunted bed and breakfast. And the ghosts instead of just telling them to leave....on their fucking spirit box or making them queasy, or whatever ghosts do. In this fucking video they witness the ghost concert of their lives and its Fauvely playing Break.  And Zak....leave that ridiculous Affliction T-shirt at home for this one, ok?  You know what? Burn them all, that's why ghosts don't like you....damn did this tangent get away from me or what? I guess my point is that this music calls out to you and invites introspection like a haunted house, a place nearly forgotten but actually residing in the those hidden corners of the mind. The darker frontiers of the mind don't have to always be bad to be foggy. Sadness does not necessarily draw tears.

  This EP feels perfect for wandering without feeling lost. I still like the first versions of these tracks. I don't like deciding which versions I like more. The music lives and breathes and so I accept they must evolve. Shana Falana does this as well, she revisits older tracks and its really interesting when artists do this. Anyway that is not quite the same thing...my mind just wandered and there was Shana. Ok, so living and breathing tracks....Sophie played Quenchers this one time....Born Days was there too. This was before Scott Cortez joined the live band. He was in the audience actually. I think it was just Sophie and perhaps one other musician, the songs were in their delicate infancy, still not loud enough to be heard over some assholes talking in the background. Now the full band includes a violinist, three guitars if you include Sophie....and a drummer.  Scott Cortez is behind a lot of music that I like...going all the way back to Star...... they were a shoegaze band that I liked, around the time Panda Riot appeared on my radar, Star already was, and they were actually opening for a lot of good bands. Anyway, hmm, Astrobrite is his band. In the shoegaze world, he is a made man....with his own crew. Sorry, I just binged on Goodfellas and Donnie Brasco, some of that is bound to seep into my vocabulary. My point with this is that I like to see musicians support each others projects. And I notice that whether its Danielle from Impulsive Hearts or Scott.  I came home happy to have seen this at Empty Bottle. That place is always supportive of local artists. Ok, this is long I need to post this.
Zig

Front Woman Fest....Deathrock night

     Front Woman Fest is in its third year at Burlington. Its just the best. This was where I first heard Impulsive Hearts. And the exposure to all these bands is for a good cause. And after that I went to Sarah's Back To The Grave Death rock night at the upstairs to Bottom Lounge. It was the last time we were to have it there, they are making that space into a restaurant. So I was fortunate enough to make it to two events. FWF started early at 1pm I think with Axons. I didn't make it there until around Jovan played. The front bar of Burlington sometimes barely offers space to move around. But at least the crowd seemed huge. I forgot which newspaper featured or mentioned in an article FWF. I read it online and was happy to see them get the exposure. I remember Jovan from Resistor, Rani Young's place, and again at Cole's with Natalie Grace. This was the first I see her with a full band, and she was a power to behold. I felt empowered with coolness I did not feel before.  There were so many performers that I did not get to see but I know played there and in a way I feel like I was there for them. FWF was for a cause, and so to see some was to support them all if that makes sense. I bought the CD from the Cell Phones! I arrived just after No Men played. I believe there will be chances to see them later. Elaine from Spaces Of Disappearance , I had lost a CD of hers that I bought before and she was kind and wonderful enough to just give me a new one. I believe she also helped organized the whole thing along with Adele.
  The two performers I would concentrate on here for me still represent this whole awesome show with a righteous cause. So Axons played first at around 1:15, the first band. Adele was still there when I arrived. You would not know that she was there since afternoon. Did not looked weathered at all. She is taking Axons in a new direction....well at least new for me. When I first heard her music, it was heavily electronic. It was part of her signature sound, and I loved it with tracks like....hmm, the beautiful defiance Bastards and Not Afraid Of The Dark, the sweetness of Gadolinium ....like a humming bird...oh and her darkness is much scarier than yours.  No, ....you won't even make it to the bathroom. Yeah...go fucking change yourself. Adele is taking Axons in a new direction away from this electronic phase. And I heard her play her new work at least twice and its great. I look forward to hearing it more. This is the bad ass that organized Front Woman Fest. You wanna meet more? Oh hi Elaine, I was just thinking of you. I am a massive fan of There Is No Loss, but I think you know that already.
  So let me circle back to the empowering Jovan, and behold her in sunglasses and afro. I'm hearing her songs as I write this and phrases I hear just jump out in front like on a screen, bold powerful statements that are burned onto a screen like its Denzel in Man On Fire. Seriously, I want to have Denzel's accent when speaking spanish. Still, let us walk this back to Ms Jovan. I'm hearing her Conscious EP and it's not just her rapping, her words but its also what she raps over, the music I mean. The imprint this is leaving on me....my words of praise here are perhaps too poor to describe how awesome I find Jovan to be. Its really biting, observant social commentary that is current and still timeless. It compels one to change behavior. I've observed the videos of her songs as well and its great to see a background that looks familiar to me like home.  I'm really thrilled that she is from Chicago.
  So then I stayed to hear and see Danielle from Impulsive Hearts. Sorry In The Summer is the full length LP she is singing from. The record...the physical record I am happy to have. It looks so retro with the picture like it was actually from the 70's. I cannot get enough. You feel compelled to go surfing with her music.....there is no where to fucking surf in Chicago but here is Impulsive Hearts to make you wanna make the best of in Lake Michigan. From there I went to Back To The Grave to finish off the night with some death rock/goth. I wanted to tell them, these friends from Front Woman Fest "Hey....death rock," but they were probably exhausted. These death rock nights are rare and so as soon as Danielle was done, I said my goodbyes to her Adele, and Elaine.... I think? I know I saw Adele outside and briefly talked to Danielle about the music that she just played and in what path she is taking with Impulsive Hearts. We talked about Sophie's band Fauvely when they played Burlington. And then I was off to Bottom Lounge, a few minutes and in some ways a rip in time/space away from where I just came from. Or perhaps not. Sarah is as much a front woman as those who played in Burlington, and is every bit as empowering as they.  Just ask her kid Nocturna, the goth night she has held at Metro for over twenty years.
Zig