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.

Buffalo Moon...look at what I almost missed.

Buffalo Moon played Whistler Sunday 18 March. Where do I start with this newly found, almost lost treasure from Minnesota. I caught the last song and decided to get the CDs anyway. I kinda liked what I saw on their website. I naturally distrust my first impressions of....you know anything. I was barely forming one from this last song they were playing. That's where the kinda comes in. It gives me an easy way out and apathy an easy way in. When it works out it keeps me from buying music I won't like in the long run, and so saving me money...well not really 'cause I end up going to Village Pizza on Chicago Ave and Western. But I lingered in Whistler too long and took pictures of the band as they performed. I got the CD's Selva Surreal and Wetsuit, so their went my pizza money but this music is for ever. I'm eternally happy even in this bleakest, poorest state. A lot of music have that time-release mechanism. I'm ok with that, but something has to hook you. Something has to go straight to the veins. I played Selva as I drove to Neo and was immediately struck by "Amores Perros" sung in spanish by Karen Freire. And not the common Mexican spanish that my ears are used to. Her pronunciation was slightly different almost Argentine to me. Reminded me of Aterciopelados from Colombia, and early Maldita Vecindad from Mexico, only with a female singer, remember them? So they got that slight tropical sweat to them. They even got songs in Portuguese. No matter where your mood is at this song will bring out the sun inside you. Like you are in this indie flick and you are the protagonist that discovers all this music...like Steve Coogan in 24 Hour Party People. Even the names of the songs are brilliant and just pull you in, like Money, Pussy, Weed on Wetsuit. On my ipod the CD up and called itself The Water Colors. There is a lot more wonder to discover concentrated on the two CD's I got. All I can say here in so many words is that I'm glad to have encountered them, and there is much more to like in them.

It was still early as I drove to Neo as the wonder of the songs I was hearing washed over and made me turn the car around to see if I can tell them Buffalo Moon how wonderful it was to discover this music and how happy I was to be an archive for it. They were still talking to people around them, and I did not have the gall to interrupt and gush this praise. Sometimes it's best to compose yourself for later. I've embarrassed myself before. You trip over your words while you insert yourself into the conversation. You always want to take that moment back. So I shrunk away. What I want to say can be better written on their facebook page.

Zig

Staring Problem at Pancho....Township.

Staring Problem On Tour played the renamed Township once called Pancho's. It was Sunday night 11 March, a stop on a longer tour from midwest to mid-south. This one set you somehow frame in your memory for all them little moments, almost forgetting this is a stop on a tour. They gotta repeat this a few times, and feel the wear of the road between the stops. Performing is just this thing they do after they spend most of the time driving from town to town.

They are from Carbondale, Il. The center of the tour. Two stops north Chicago, Milwaukee. And in the other direction are Nashville and St. Louis. I've never been to Carbondale. And now I'm curious for what comes from there, passes through there. Illinois is huge with many distinct local music scenes. Staring Problem are midwest specific, "beach goth". We gotta make due with what we got. I mean....Lake Michigan has beaches too like in Chicago's deep south side, Calumet Park....I think I know where they are going with this tag beach goth. The beach means relaxation, it's a place to be at ease. they are dark bassy and casual in appearance and delivery. So they don't go nuts with the make up, and corsets....heels....I'll stop. To describe them as relaxed does not mean they are slow. The bass naturally drives the muscle car fast. They are casual but alert form of energy.

Township had amassed a big, porous crowd for Staring Problem, and not very goth specific. I'm only saying 'cause Staring Problem have street cred in that department. They seem to lean more dark post-punk than goth rock, and with no keyboard in sight. They are strictly guitar, bass, drums. It's not unreasonable to want to see a Bauhaus T-shirt at least. But there was no such easy read of the audience that night. So what are the little moments? Hmm, the bass player broke a string exactly when they were ending that last song.

Zig

Bone And Bell

I saw her once it seems last year or longer and missed the rest of her shows after that until finally again at Quenchers Saturday 3 March. There is something sweet yet painful about the slight haunt of "Flying, Falling, Crawling" that draws me. The cathartic kick the exploration provides also leaves room for that underdog possibility. Ever since seeing Bone And Bell that one time I always looked for that elusive next time. I don't get enough out of seeing them once. To see them multiple times ensures their existence and enshrines them in my eyes. Music is the type of culture that is always evolving from one performance to the next. I say that a lot, sorry. It's a given, yes? And so I go see B&B go from sweet/pained to muscular and bluesy. Left the ukulele at home, and brought instead a full crew of musicians. So what did Ms Heather play if not the uke? Heather plays guitar and keyboard, did some of her old songs....."old". When I say old I mean from her EP L*O*O*M which can be downloaded for free.

I read the press kit on the website. Skimming through you catch what makes you read with greater intensity. When you put Neko Case and Twin Peaks in the same sentence in describing how an artist sounds I will listen. Hell, they had me when they mentioned Sharon Van Etten. Her music is known to be sad/sweet. On this live set Bone And Bell explored it's hardened bluesy shadow to a full Quencher crowd. Most of the set was new. Even the older songs were fleshed out with more instruments,...drums, guitar, bass. The strength behind the sweet and the weird is what B&B displayed. So that Twin Peaks reference is spot on. It came to me as a total surprise because I went for the old set, the sweet/sad yet weird and cool like Julee Cruise. You know Amy Mann took up boxing, and I think....just follow...it helps her confidence while performing and metaphorically this is the direction B&B with it's live songs. Hell she named a song "Rage" and it's massive. Imagine what Man Is Man is naturally and this is part of the turf visited on this live gig. Whales and Minutes played later but Heather amassed a massive audience. The set Caspian Sea

I am a lion

Sweet Queen Regina

Sisyphus' Fist

The Lights

Tiny Hands

4 Horses

Countin Pennies

Of wire Of words

Rage

Words Left Unspoken

It's exactly the side you want from an artist that drifts you towards the sad with that wonder for it's haunting. The leather wearing dark side. The side that learns to box.

Zig

The Sentinels

The Sentinels I saw this past Thusday 1 March at Darkroom to a small audience, but guess who was in that audience? Dan "The Fan" was there! He's friends with the band. I believe this is the first time I mention him here but he has been to many, many shows that I go to. It's a common sight to see Dan bouncing around to The Dials, Walking Bicycles, White Mystery, etc. And he would work up a sweat dancing. After a long spell of no sightings of him in any shows, there he was talking to the lead singer, before the show.....it's nice to make it to a show on time. It has an effect when your audience is small, perhaps twenty spread about the place. Only Dan and I were right in front. Perhaps a few others as well. But most just sat in the booths and tables in the back. Still they were there and it's hard to believe that they just wandered in. It was still hard to read them. I can't completely call them indifferent because there they are. Some among them had to have been there for Sentinels just as I. But small audience and....it hurts. The lovely Ms Liz Elle as the voice of the band, with her glasses on looks intimidating as an Agent from The Matrix. Put a suit on her and I'm running...after the set is over of course. Having said that I don't mean to take the piss out of her. It's me noting the power she holds in her stage presence. And while we are at it, The Matrix can use more female agents!

So they got a CD out Music Of The Pleistocene and it is indeed growing on me. Saracen Smile, Widows' Weeds are songs that pop out to me, for reasons that elude me. I find it hard to describe them in relation to what I normally post. I have that problem with some bands that I like. They are ....dark. I know, everything Zig likes is dark. Sentinels self-describe as post-punk that is somewhere between PJ Harvey and The Fall. I'm familiar with La PJ, cool. Not so much with The Fall. That's a good start right? But a lot of bands begin with that, PJ Harvey,(having said that you would not believe how many people say "who's that?" when I mention PJ). And it was not what popped in my head when listening to The Sentinels. Having said that I understand that it's a common enough point of comparison, like a common language. You speak PJ? Cool, me too, and so do Sentinels. You will notice a drift in their dialect but that's ok. You know who else they like? We Are Hex....it's on their Facebook page! Anyway, I think they are all vets of the local music culture. Liz Elle the lead singer has sung in other bands. This next point at least for me applies to all new bands I see that are composed by music vets. The music they produce ....sounds older, more mature. I feel included in the audience they are going after. That is important to me at 39.

Zig