Cross Record

I caught a part of the Cross Record show, and afterwards I got the CD which is actually two separate EP's, Magnetic Current, and Ring Bell. So the following will be about hearing this later. I'm really digging this band. They mostly remind me of another local act Bone And Bell, and Festival, a band fronted by Ms Fielded herself Lindsey Powell. Ms Emily Cross even plays the uke, which superimposes a beach, a shell to hear the ocean through. You see through the vague nostalgic glass with in a volcano. The names of the songs are also quite precious. You can go into deep thought with this music, but with the suspense of what is beyond the fog. Dense with tension, mystery and innocent sweetness like a Kate Jane Garside satellite project. Call me a snob but for me it would be the lesser of us that don't appreciate this band cross record. I seriously need to lay off black cat. It's like the Fielded side project Festival. Love that song. These powerful and influential first impressions don't often carry the burden of analysis. Now I'm devouring holy well. The music of this band is like a vineyard. It will yield well over time, that's not saying that I'm not into it now. I'm really digging this now. Ms Emily's voice is clear, and so listening to lyrics will reveal more bends in the maze. I mention only Emily but there on more musicians in the band as the pictures show. There is more I can say about this band but I just need to post this how. Oh and They will play The Hungry Brain again this 9th January, Yay!!

The Sentinels

As late as 8pm Saturday 17 December I did not know that in a matter of hours I would be at Pancho's in the audience seeing this local band The Sentinels. I had given up on the remote possibility of any such highlight. Nothing was on my radar, as I meandered around the internet. I may have ran into the name of the band before, but only now did the convergence of many separate moments ignite the urgency to go see them. Somehow I look up Pancho's and with hours I'm standing on one side watching their gig, some brain cells hold a constant vigil on the thought of how easily I could have missed it still at home or worse possibly becoming aware of the show after it's done. So I'm so happy to have not missed this. The Sentinels are fronted by Liz Elle. Music Of The Pleistoscene, is the CD. Generally speaking they got the heaviness and intensity of say between Shirley Manson pre-Garbage and Melissa Auf Dumar. Say I change my mind 'cause describing them is still a moving picture. Naming the two bands and including The Sentinels in the same thought says they got the indy rock coolness to merit a listen. They saved me from the fog of boredom. Liz voice is light womanly. It's not deep like Ana Calvi. On stage Ms Liz does not go ape-shit crazy like Jilly from We Are Hex. She was coolly dressed like it was open mic poetry at Weeds on a Monday night. It was the hat. It was the shirt. And so you look at her like she has something to say, not just sing. I'm still in the struggle as to how to describe them but I can say that I like Meadow Of Darkness. The acoustic guitar is flowery like All About Eve. The songs are not sedate but their charm is less obvious than in the other artists mentioned. Give them the time and the picture sharpens. Saracen Smile is a long but scenic journey, not slow, but one that I will take my time discovering. It's like two songs. See how the music soaks long term. I struggle with how I would best introduce them, live or on CD in the car. I don't recall which songs I saw live. The foggy memory of discovery does not recall which songs I heard live. I see them live with several different lenses, one just enjoys the visual, the moment. The other documents and packs as much into the moment to enjoy later. Sometimes I'm too busy documenting to analyze what I'm documenting. First time and listening to the music later are separate moments that reinforce each other. To name them is still because I heard them later on my own time. I will return to them with more time spent listening. For now I'm in that stage of early discovery of something cool. And this enthusiasm leads me to post up pictures.

Moritat

I arrived too late to really see them last Sunday 6 November. But I saw them at Quenchers not too long before. Moritat is one of those bands I see in the context of a longer narrative, and from there in the context of a wider Chicago scene. One episode in a longer evolution, in a chain mail of other stories. Changes you see from the observance of more than two performances. It's a compulsion of mine, that helps to better document in the footnotes what went on in Chicago, around Chicago, and what went on with me. In observing them, and writing about them I document a fleeting delicate music scene and my self exploration as by-product.

Venus plays guitar! Her comfort is in the keyboard. She used to be the exclusive voice, and now it's pretty much everyone. Their trip hop sound is relaxed and casual but alert like a boxer. Betrays no stress but is not boring. The two tangible CDs that are available from them are One Minute Fade, their latest. But they first appeared on my radar with Yellow House which they had for free. The title song and Noise are the songs that best display this relaxation that still build tension and interest in this tension. They are writing and performing new music. And did I say they are making Venus play guitar. When Venus hits the keys it's with no cathartic display. I've seen keyboardists that seem to still be working things out, hammering the keys or reading the stress on their faces. It's not like that with Venus. Yet songs like have that sneaky urgency of a faster assembly line. I've described other stuff as trip hop like Panda Riot but Moritat seem miles away from airy faerie shoegaze. What registers as trip hop does so cleanly away. Moritat feel more like creatures of this world, familiar. Another cool by-product is the bands you meet through .....the bands you met. A casual suggestion from Venus had me stay to see The Eternals! I always see Julie Meckler at Moritat shows. If Venus is on stage, Julie is on the floor. They support each other. Julie is all kinds of awesome. She performed and I was well and on time for that.

Still Corners

The pictures could have been better.


Sarah invited me to go see them at Schubas. This was something I almost missed, almost. And for that it's something I cherish more. Still Corners have breathy female vocals clear like something meant to be followed. Having said that I'll figure out what Endless Summer says later 'cause it's too much fun hearing. The voice is just one more amazing instrument. I'll enjoy discovering what the songs says to me later. Can't be bothered to analyze it. It's not just the product of the singer. The keyboard drone if I may describe it so highlights a tragic imprint. My attention is drawn but braces for a sadness foretold. Often it feels like her voice is the only thing that holds your attention, but lets get back to the live moment. Sarah invited and off I went. I arrived to hear a good three four songs. That's long enough to catch a good live impression to superimpose over hearing it at home. The visual I get is what my mind will always visit this moment like a holodeck from Star Trek. This Thursday I almost did not share with William and Sarah. It was a very porous crowd, on the light side of medium to be generous. I can't remember which song I heard first live. Tessa don't move much. That makes it easy to take pictures so it's no complaint. However you are inclined to present your work live is how I wanna see it. This concert brightened the dull midweek low like only surprise left turns can. Too damn poor to deserve to enjoy and yet there I am grateful to have the moment to feel right there and document to analyze later. As of late it is a rare gasp of therapy. What you incidentally and deliberately listen to form a kind of soundtrack that better colors your own personal narrative. Endless Summer held in it's translucent glow the fragility of nice moments that come in the middle of a sadness felt. You can really dance some demons away to this one. Catharsis with a cool empowering finish. Creatures Of An Hour is the CD Still Corners were touring for, and I can listen to it multiple times. All the songs have like that, cool and noir feeling. Lets you tolerate a deep hard interior look. But perhaps I weigh this with too much unworthy baggage. This works if you're giddy too. I'm not saying you need to be sad to like this. Its not so slow that it will put you to sleep. Goths in a shoegaze night can certainly find the rhythm to dance to this. You're hardcore if you drive to this. It relaxes a drive you already intend to make. Revisiting the night, Schubas can look so big sometimes but one can tell the crowd was not incidental, if sedate and relaxed. This was not the loud driven shoegaze of Ringo Deathstar. Still Corners don't seem to be in a rush. They are coasting the natural downward slope. Having said that, you won't feel bored with their pace. Small or big they were there for you without question. It felt like that for Still Corners. William and Sarah were the only definite goths among them. And then there was me. Each song I hear I replay the highlights of that night. I nod and smile to Sarah and William again, glow in the conversation we have later.

Architecture

I like shoegaze music. It came to my attention by way of goth music and culture. In terms of my own experience, in the order that things just came to me. There is a lot of music I like the came to me by way of that filter. Scary Lady Sarah brought to my attention the live performances of a number of bands under that net. So my own narrative and experience with shoegaze will have her influence. During a common goth night if it's Cocteau Twins that first put you on a dance floor. If that is how you found your rhythm. Well, it is not so much about dancing but what are your parameters of appreciation, what gets and keeps your attention and what does not. Certain bands can just open a door that never closes. For me that left me open for local acts like Star, Panda Riot, and so inevitably architecture. Alright, so the first two on the same night. Star at first I noticed would gig a lot locally, opening for bands not really tethered to shoegaze, and then nothing. Panda Riot on the other hand continue to perform and evolve and now are signed to a local label. I can't even count how many times I've seen them at Empty Bottle. Let's just say your a fan. Your blind spot would have to be really big to not know architecture. I know technically they are distinct but at this point y'all are conjoined twins to me. The one constant being Rebecca Scott. So blunt are my ears, so fuzzy my sight but happy I am to have seen both live. I think it was a Monday when I went to go see this band. It turns out I was on time to see them and Planets. I'm glad I saw them together, they were so different. Lets say Wax and Wane jolts you to the floor, architecture can keep you there with........ They evoke the same mysterious cloud but with a more clearly spoken text. It's in the perfect rhythm for a 30+ goth with a hard wired mid 90's pace. So there is a dance floor worthy of this music and the local promoters to further appreciate this. If you are already sold on Panda Riot then architecture at least an easy sell. For this performance they even had their drummer. I do wonder how the person that discovers them on their ipod first thinks about them, what is the first visual they get from hearing it? Are they as mysterious as they sound? Visually they are no more weird looking than the people that go see them at Empty Bottle on a Free Monday. Strictly casual comfort clothes and delivery that perhaps subtexts to the fan that they can do this as well. Or it could be just me over-reading what they are not projecting. It's not hard to imagine bands that sound like architecture, They easily evoke other iconic bands with that shoegaze tag, but how many can you see live and behind some liquor store for more cost to them than it was you even with the 5$ cover?

Planets...more

Pictured here are Deborah on lead guitar, and Elizabeth Herrera on drums.
Deborah again and Miranda Fisher on Bass.

Planets

It was a complete accident encountering Planets from Austin, TX. I was on facebook when I noticed Architecture was playing Crown Royal Tap on Milwaukee Avenue. In looking them up was when I did the same for Planets but for some reason I thought they played already like days ago or something like that. I go to the Planets facebook page, not wanting to like what I saw or heard. You look for what not to like because it makes it easy to miss. But Planets are too awesome. So I was sad because I believed that I missed them, but Architecture was still playing and so I dried my eyes, and off I went. Driving all the way from the south side of Chicago time is usually always running against me. I get there believing that if I catch anything at all it will be good. I glance past the door guy and I see the girls from Architecture with their gear everywhere, and that confirms it. Door guy says they are just about to start, yay!!! Oh and this is about Planets. I did not know they were going to play until I looked at the merch table. Yay, again!! But, damn, I instantly regretted getting that 5$ Pizza slice at Village Pizza the Sunday before, 'cause that meant I was too broke to buy the CD. But at least I was there, and I soaked it up. They sounded so raw and punk to me live. You know how Joy Division sounded a certain way live than on studio recordings and yet we appreciate as fans these differences. I like how they sounded on their live recordings as well as the studio versions. It's the same for me in this case with Planets. There is a slight difference in translation. I don't know if that is deliberate or just me, but I like both sides of the coin. We are in an age when even the strains of rock that sought to throw out conventional sounds themselves become a kind of convention, a style as well as an era. Punk has it's origins well documented, it's OG's if you will. But those legendary bands I think do not own that name, that tag, for if they do for ever backwards our gaze will be. Not all of us were there and of age during the mid to late 70's. I'm here now and so are Planets, and I'm glad I saw them. So at first it seemed that Deborah was the lead singer but I cannot say that now. At some point they all sing lead including the drummer Liz. They got two lead guitars and one bass. I know I can further explore what I heard by listening to what's on their facebook page, since I could not buy their CD ....yet. That would delay this post for too long. I saw them, I'm happy I did and will look for them when they come back.