Getting In Tune

Going Underground

2011-08-31T23:11:00.000-05:00

Writing on hiatus...

Stepping away from the law firm world as of September 2nd...

Beginning September 6th, career path TBD...

Main Stage

2011-06-01T16:25:00.001-05:00

When Liam Gallagher strolls onto the stage at Metro, he will be the only original member of Oasis to have returned to the Chicago club since the band first played there in 1994.

Oasis certainly carried on as a live act whenever Liam or older brother Noel Gallagher decided to ditch the group, but the Gallaghers would stick it out together on record. A year and a half since Noel's departure and the apparent break-up of Oasis, Liam marches on with the remnants (Andy Bell, Gem Archer) of Oasis as the brand new Beady Eye while still pulling the same plays from the Oasis songbook, appropriately titled Different Gear, Still Speeding. Was anyone really surprised that Beady Eye's lead single "The Roller" completely lifted the rhythm and melody of John Lennon's "Instant Karma"?

Regardless, the sold-out crowd at Metro will go madferit just to see the lads. Liam will be godlike (while performing no Oasis song). Noel will be at home, crafting his likely solo effort. The Oasis reunion show will storm Chicago and the world in 2016.

Beady Eye @ Metro (6/18/2011)

Photo By Steve Gullick (beadyeyemusic.com)

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2011-06-01T15:59:00.001-05:00

The June issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. In this month's issue, I interviewed Michael Benjamin Lerner of Telekinesis.

Click the link below for the full article:

Chicago Innerview - Telekinesis

Enjoy!

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2011-05-07T20:55:00.000-05:00

The May issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. In this month's issue, I interviewed Nick Harmer, bassist of Death Cab For Cutie.

On April 20^th, the band’s official website began streaming songs from Codes and Keys, allowing fans the early opportunity to listen and comment on the songs. By the time this article has been published, the full album will likely have been made available. At the time of our interview, this writer informed Harmer that a preview of the new album was never shared by the band’s label (Atlantic) prior to our conversation. Speaking from his home in Seattle, Harmer humbly apologized before breaking into laughter. “I hope it doesn’t let you down,” said Harmer.

Click the link below for the full article:

Chicago Innerview - Death Cab For Cutie

Enjoy!

Main Stage

2011-05-01T21:43:00.000-05:00

Tribute bands tend to aim towards the recreation of an experience. In the case of Tributosaurus, the attention to musical detail has always been the key focus rather than the theatrics. Whether it’s having a small string section to play on “She’s A Rainbow” by The Rolling Stones or making sure there are horns for “5.15” by The Who, Tributosaurus makes sure all the little pieces to a song are in place. It’s a celebration of a musical catalog rather than a greatest hits show; it’s a show where the deep cuts get the biggest applause. For members like Matt Spiegel, Chris Neville and the tons of local musicians (Poi Dog Pondering, Local H) that have added to the collective groove, Tributosaurus has become a monthly escape that won’t disappoint and will almost always surprise. Check Tributosaurus.com for news on the band’s upcoming tenth anniversary.

Tributosaurus performs as Kool & The Gang @ Martyrs (5/4/11 - 7pm & 10pm)

Photo Courtesy of Tributosaurus.com

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2011-04-06T09:53:00.000-05:00

The April issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. My contribution this month was a feature piece on the band Wire.

One of my questions to guitarist Colin Newman couldn't make it in the final article, but I thought his response was great. It gave me a sense of the guy and his feelings towards the musical scene he grew up in.

Chris Castaneda: Having come from a music scene that produced bands like The Jam, Buzzcocks, The Clash and the Sex Pistols, what remains a driving force behind Wire still making music?

Colin Newman: Probably not being like any of the above (insert smiley face).

*Yes, he actually used a smiley face in his e-mail response.

Click the link below for the full article.

Chicago Innerview - Wire

Enjoy!

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2011-02-23T09:09:00.000-06:00

My latest two entries on ChicagoNow.com have been posted.

Click here: On Shuffle - Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3

Click here: On Shuffle - The Besnard Lakes

Enjoy!

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2011-02-21T00:35:00.000-06:00

My latest entry on ChicagoNow.com has been posted.

Click here: On Shuffle - Box-O-Car

Enjoy!

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2011-02-20T02:13:00.000-06:00

My latest entry on ChicagoNow.com has been posted.

Click here: On Shuffle - Jay Bennett

Enjoy!

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2011-02-18T15:09:00.001-06:00

To anyone out there...

I recently joined up with ChicagoNow.com to start blogging. The site is affiliated with the Chicago Tribune. My hope is that Getting In Tune will find a new home with ChicagoNow.com.

I plan to still contribute to Chicago Innerview and Lumino Magazine. Any published work with them will be linked here, as before, as well as through my Twitter feed @ModJam515

I just published my first blog entry with ChicagoNow.com today:

New Entry

Thanks for the support. Enjoy!

Main Stage

2011-01-03T13:11:00.005-06:00

After a successful sold-out reunion show last May, Verbow returns to Schubas as the duo that gave the band its life: Jason & Alison. Guitarist Jason Narducy and cellist Alison Chesley have not performed as a duo in over ten years. Although Verbow created an outlet for the duo to explore the rock band template, it never really captured the true essence of what made the Jason & Alison collaboration unique. Narducy’s guitar work paired with Chesley’s string arrangements made them almost like the Townshend/Entwistle team of acoustic duos. The Verbow reunion certainly proved to all that Narducy and Chesley can still craft a glorious sound as a bombastic rock band. Hearing the duo at its very core foundation will not only be a fun trip down memory lane but also a fantastic chance to have two special musicians perform the songs that only they can make together.

Jason & Alison @ Schubas (1/22/11)

Photo Courtesy of Verbow Facebook

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2011-01-03T13:01:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!

The January issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. In this month's issue, I contributed a feature article on the group The Besnard Lakes.

For the article, click the link below:

Chicago Innerview - The Besnard Lakes

Enjoy!

Main Stage

2010-11-10T10:55:00.002-06:00

Three years since the Autumn Defense’s self-titled album, John Stirratt and Pat Sansone return with the band’s latest Once Around (Yep Roc). The two Wilco members continue to dig deep into the West Coast well of 70s era smooth rock, but Once Around comes off as something Paul McCartney’s Wings might have produced. While there are quiet flourishes of electric guitars (“Back Of My Mind”), the group maintains the acoustic drive throughout its fourth album that has been a staple to its sound for close to ten years. One of the album’s true highlights is the vocal work done by Stirratt and Sansone. The more soulful elements of Wilco’s past two albums, Sky Blue Sky and Wilco (The Album), certainly show their influence on Once Around. The Autumn Defense continues to succeed by building on the simple formula of good songwriting mixed with thoughtful arrangements.

The Autumn Defense @ Lincoln Hall (11/20) w/Sarah Lee & Johnny

Photo Courtesy of The Autumn Defense

Main Stage

2010-10-06T09:36:00.005-05:00

Continuing the tradition of bands never staying broken up…here comes Guided By Voices. Nearly six years since lead singer Robert Pollard and company said good-bye at Metro on New Year’s Eve, the Ohio group returns in the form of its’93-‘96 lineup.

Tobin Sprout, Mitch Mitchell, Greg Demos, Kevin Fennell and Pollard will dust off the beer bottles and bring back some GBV gems to the stage. After selling out the Vic Theatre in less than ten minutes, high ticket demand moved the show to the Riviera Theatre. Whether or not the GBV banner will wave again after this reunion tour is uncertain. For now, the indie rock elders are posting sell-out dates on its “Hallway of Shatterproof Glass” tour. For some fans, this might not be the GBV you don’t remember passing out to during a show, but GBV 1996 is better than no GBV at all in 2010.

Guided By Voices @ Riviera Theatre (10/13/10) - SOLD OUT

Photo Courtesy Of (Old) GBV.com

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2010-10-06T09:16:00.001-05:00

The October issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. For this month's issue, I contributed a feature on Teenage Fanclub.

For the article, click the link below:

Teenage Fanclub

Enjoy!

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2010-08-02T12:10:00.000-05:00

The August issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. This month's issue showcases the upcoming Lollapalooza festival (August 6-8) in Grant Park and provides a guide through each day's lineup.

For anyone attending the festival, print copies will be available onsite and around the city. For this issue, I contributed write-ups on The New Pornographers, Mavis Staples and Stars.

Click on the links below for the page for:

The New Pornographers

Mavis Staples

Stars

*You may have to scroll down on certain pages to locate the write-up.

Enjoy!

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2010-07-14T17:01:00.000-05:00

Lumino Magazine added my Playboy review as a late addition. Included with the article are some additional photos from the event held at The Venue on June 10th:

Lumino Magazine - Playboy Party Review

Enjoy!

The Futureheads @ Lincoln Hall (6/12/10)

2010-06-14T17:30:00.001-05:00

The Futureheads concluded its first U.S. tour in four years with a blasting show at Lincoln Hall in support of their fourth album The Chaos. The quartet hammered out a set that delivered song after song at a breakneck pace that left the crowd little time to catch its breath. It was a night of catching up with the band from Sunderland, England rather than becoming reacquainted after so long. The band and its fans were certainly happy to see each other again.

Having gone through the down time caused by singer/guitarist Barry Hyde’s tendonitis, which led to the band pulling its U.S. tour in 2006, and the eventual split from its record label, 679 Recordings, The Futureheads walked on stage with confidence and joy. There was a sense that this band, still relatively young in its career, had a strong grasp of its identity and direction.

Launching into songs like “Walking Backwards” and “Heartbeat Song,” the band left no note unturned. The jittering stop-start motion of the songs immediately captured the crowd as their bodies matched each tempo. The floor of Lincoln Hall resembled ocean waves crashing into one another. The level of fun the band was having on stage wore off on the crowd more and more throughout the night. Ross Millard wrestled and steered his guitar like a wild bull while pounding out chords that sounded like one hundred buzz saws. Drummer Dave Hyde and bassist David “Jaff” Craig kept the band’s high speed attack on course, creating an underlying weight that added to the songs’ punch.

Barry Hyde’s charisma behind the microphone showed how far he had become as a frontman while still maintaining some fun on stage. His constant engagement with the crowd broke down the stereotypical wall that sets the band apart from the audience, reducing the fans to mere spectators and not participates in the music. The Futureheads concentrated heavily on the latest album while spreading out much of its backlog like “Back To The Sea” from News & Tributes and “Carnival Kids” from the self-titled debut.

From the first second the band produced a note to the final fading sounds of feedback, The Futureheads’ energy on stage never let up. What was equally impressive was the musical progression the band showed in its latest songs. Although speed still plays a part in their music, The Futureheads have learned how to build the substance behind the mad rush. In the songs “Sun Goes Down” and “Jupiter,” mood and structure showed new dimensions in the band’s sound that perhaps some never thought the band could achieve. The performance at Lincoln Hall was by no means a pivotal moment in the band’s career, nor was it a turning point in gaining a larger audience in the U.S. The performance was simply a band doing what it continues to do best…play music.

As The Futureheads bashed out an extended encore that included “Le Garage” and “The Connector,” the crowd had found its stamina to keep up with the varied marathon speeds of the songs. The final show on the band’s return to the U.S. ended with smiles and hugs. If there was only one statement to take after the show, it would be that The Futureheads are back in gear.

Photo Courtesy of The Futureheads/MySpace Page

50 Years of The Bunny & The Party

2010-06-12T16:30:00.004-05:00

Hugh Hefner celebrated the 50th anniversary of his beloved Playboy Club the only way he could possibly do it…with a party. But having one party is like committing to one woman to Hefner. On June 10, fifty parties were held in fifty cities across the world to honor the half century mark of the club. So, why was I in Hammond, IN?

Ever since the first published issue of Playboy hit the newsstands in 1953 with Marilyn Monroe on the cover, Chicago has been the magazine’s home. “I think it’s an amazing thing that a guy took his dreams and made them into an amazing business, a global business,” said James Heeren (Madison, WI) of James Todd Productions, who still owns his copy of the very first issue.

As the founder, Hefner could have easily packed up Playboy and based it solely in the two media pillars of this country: Los Angeles and New York. Instead, the Midwest guy didn’t ignore his Midwest roots and allowed his business to stay centralized in the city where he was born. By 1960, the first Playboy Club opened in Chicago and lasted another twenty-six years before the last Bunny hopped along.

That said…the designated Chicago party was held at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN (or Whiting, IN). Now, being from the very edge of the southeast side of Chicago (literally a 5 minute drive to the casino), it was somewhat surreal to have an event such as the Playboy party just minutes from such area highlights like the vast industrial grave yard that was once Wisconsin Steel Mill, gangs, semi-cheap gas on the Illinois/Indiana border, and the fantastically named Big, Cheap, Bombs storefront (which actually blew up some time ago and is now open again adjoined to a Shell gas station).

Based inside Horseshoe’s new Venue, the often concert tailored facility was transformed into a club setting. The main floor was sandwiched between the main stage and the VIP lounge. The chosen few to be a Playboy Bunny for the night walked the grounds, posing for photos or occasionally showing off a dance move to the ultra bassed-up beats provided by DJ OB-One.

Attendees ranged from the club hopper to the khaki short wearing guy just interested in trying to cop a feel or two, often making the females working as Bunnies a tad uncomfortable. The main video screen would flash images of past Playboy Bunnies along with video from the Playboy Club days. I wondered how many of the men present would have even been allowed to look at the front door of the old Playboy Club. Certainly, fifty years hadn’t really changed the urges of the male species.

The evening’s main event was the final result of who would be named the winner of Playboy’s Chicagoland Bunny search. The final ten contestants, all chosen from various night clubs in the area, worked the crowd for cheers and votes (tallied by text messages). The emcee was Q101 DJ Steve Tingle, and he was joined by a panel of judges, which included Bridget Marquardt and Bears linebacker Lance Briggs (good to see he was enjoying his off season). In addition to Marquardt, the other Playmates in attendance were Crystal McCahill of River Forest, IL (Miss May 2009), Ida Ljungvist (Miss March 2008, Playmate of the Year 2009), and Candace Collins Jordan (Miss December 1979, Playboy Bunny of the Year 1976).

It wasn’t until well past midnight that the winner, Stephanie Miceli of V Live in Chicago, was announced to the crowd. Miceli earned the chance to be featured among other winners on PlayboyClub50.com. Her photos will also go through a review process with Hefner for possible entry into a future issue of the magazine. As another Bunny earns her cottontail, another face is added to the Playboy Club history…fifty years and still going.

Photos By: James Heeren

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2010-06-01T18:57:00.001-05:00

The June issue of Chicago Innerview has been published online. In this month's issue, I contributed a feature article on The Futureheads. A direct link is below:

Chicago Innerview - The Futureheads Feature

Enjoy!

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2010-05-20T23:47:00.000-05:00

Lumino Magazine has posted my feature article on Verbow. The article also includes a review of the band's reunion show at Schubas last week Saturday. About a week before the show, I was able to interview singer/guitarist Jason Narducy, cellist Alison Chesley and Bob Mould, producer of Verbow's 1997 debut album [Chronicles].

Lumino Magazine - Verbow Feature

Enjoy!

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2010-05-15T11:34:00.000-05:00

Lumino Magazine just posted my concert review of Pearl Jam's recent show in Indianapolis. Click the link below to be directed to the article:

Lumino Magazine - Pearl Jam Concert Review

Enjoy!

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2010-05-04T11:41:00.000-05:00

Some late additions to Lumino Magazine were just posted on the website.

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to cover Mission of Burma at Double Door and Ok Go at Metro. Links to those reviews are below:

Lumino Magazine - Mission of Burma Review

Lumino Magazine - Ok Go Review

Enjoy!

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2010-04-21T09:58:00.000-05:00

In honor of the recently past Record Store Day, I contributed a feature article to Lumino Magazine about my first job as a record store employee at Hegewisch Records in Calumet City, IL.

Lumino Magazine - Record Store Day Feature

Along with the article are two photos taken at the store. Spacing didn't allow for photo descriptions, so, here's what I can provide:

Main Header Photo (l to r) - Chris Castaneda and William Mason (Fall '99)

Side Bar Photo (l to r) - Chris Castaneda and Mike Kristovic (Winter '99)

Enjoy!

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2010-04-02T11:26:00.000-05:00

The April issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. In this month's issue, I contributed a write-up on Joanna Newsom:

Chicago Innerview - Joanna Newsom

Enjoy!

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2010-03-16T16:30:00.000-05:00

My recent contribution to Lumino Magazine was just published. Over the weekend, I attended Jeff Tweedy's charity shows at the Vic Theatre:

Lumino Magazine - Jeff Tweedy Review

Enjoy!

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2010-03-12T09:23:00.000-06:00

My latest contributions to Lumino Magazine are now available on the site. This past week I was able to catch the Soundtrack of Our Lives and Robyn Hitchcock:

Lumino Magazine - TSOOL Review

Lumino Magazine - Robyn Hitchcock Review

Enjoy!

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2010-02-27T19:00:00.001-06:00

On February 15, I had the opportunity to speak with 3 members of The Soundtrack of Our Lives. The feature recently was published by Lumino Magazine. Check out the link below for the complete article:

Lumino Magazine - The Soundtrack of Our Lives

A review of the band's show at Lincoln Hall in Chicago will be coming soon.

Enjoy!

Main Stage

2010-02-02T11:58:00.007-06:00

Scott Lucas, the pride of Zion, Illinois, is deserving of the recognition as one of the great singer/songwriters of recent time, if not in the country then at least in the Midwest, along with the likes of Rick Nielsen, Jeff Tweedy and Robert Pollard.

His latest project, Scott Lucas and The Married Men, is evidence enough that behind the venomous screams of Local H lies a musician with the drive to constantly explore and dare to take the unpopular road.

To any true fan of Lucas, this musical move away from the thunderous pop of Local H comes as no surprise. With over twenty years experience making music, picking up an acoustic guitar is the most refreshing sound to hear from Lucas in a long time. The sextet’s debut, George Lassos the Moon, might peg Lucas has going soft as he approaches 40, but don’t bet against Lucas.

George Lassos the Moon (G&P Records)

Release Date: 2/16/10

Scott Lucas and The Married Men - Official Site

Scott Lucas and The Married Men @ Schubas (2/20/10)

Scott Lucas and The Married Men @ Reckless Records/Milwaukee Store (2/20/10)

Photo By: Audrey Keller

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2010-02-02T11:31:00.000-06:00

The February issue of Chicago Innerview in now published online. Click on the link below to read my feature piece on the band Editors.

Chicago Innerview FEB 2010 - Editors

*Please Note - As of January 2010, Chicago Innerview is no longer published in print form.

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2010-01-21T22:35:00.001-06:00

My review of the 4th Annual Len & Bob Bash has been posted on Lumino Magazine. Please click on the link below:

http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/2907/1

Enjoy!

A Conversation With...Scott McCaughey

2010-01-21T15:18:00.006-06:00

I first met Scott McCaughey on June 2, 1995 when I was 14.

That's to say I first saw Scott McCaughey from across a stage with 18,000+ people around me for the first of three concerts at the Rosemont Horizon on R.E.M.'s Monster tour. It was the night before my 8th Grade graduation and my first concert.

Fast forward to April 5, 2002, I'm now 21 and for the first time meet Scott after a performance at Schubas in Chicago. Scott had just wrapped up a show with his (now) ex-wife Christy McWilson. In attendance were the new four-piece Wilco (Jeff Tweedy, Leroy Bach, John Stirratt and Glenn Kotche). This was also my first time meeting Kotche, who had just completed his first full year with the band (I had just started writing for my college newspaper and said to Kotche, "I'd love to interview you some time," to which he gleefully responded, "And I'd love to be interviewed by you!").

Missing from the evening was Peter Buck of R.E.M., who (like McCaughey) played on McWilson's 2002 album Bed of Roses and was scheduled to perform with the band that night. Thousands of miles across the Atlantic in London, Buck had just been acquitted of air-rage charges filed against him during a British Airways flight on April 21, 2001. The court ruling came on the 22nd anniversary of R.E.M.'s first ever performance as a band. Thinking back to that night, now, all I can say is...fuck...a lot sure happened!

I landed an interview with Scott--my first with him--in 2003 for DePaul's newspaper, The DePaulia, after he completed work with Wilco for the latest Minus 5 album, Down With Wilco. Whether it's been on a journalistic basis or just after a show, it's always a fun time to chat with Scott. As I did with my 2006 interview for Chicago Innerview, I am sharing my entire interview with Scott from 12/21/2009 here on Getting In Tune, highlighting the latest R.E.M. live album, Live At The Olympia, The Baseball Project and much more that didn't appear in my recent feature piece in Lumino Magazine. Scott and I began by discussing Live At The Olympia:

CC: Do you remember the earliest conversations of this idea (a live album) being proposed?

SM: I don’t remember exactly when. I guess we were working on the record (Accelerate) in Vancouver. I don’t know if it was planned all along. I think it might have been, even before we started the record; it might have been in everybody’s head to go out and play the songs before the record was actually finished so we could test run them and see if there were things we discovered about them by playing them live. That definitely happened. Some of them didn’t change at all after playing them for the five nights in Dublin. Some changed quite a bit, and, on other ones we were able to fine tune them; we were able to kind of figure out what wasn’t working, maybe, by playing those nights.

I think it was kind of in the plan all along when we were making that record. I could be wrong, but that’s the way I remember it.

CC: At the time Accelerate came out, a lot of the interviews that Mike (Mills), Peter (Buck) and Michael (Stipe) had done really gave me this impression that the post-thinking about Around the Sun was less than desirable. What was it like having gone through that recording process to now take a different turn, incorporate live performance and hit the refresh button?

SM: Since Bill (Berry) quit the band, we’ve made three records that were all real studio records, and that’s not a bad thing. We were having a really great time. Each one kind of got, maybe, a little more convoluted and a little more drawn out. By the time Around the Sun got finished, I think we were kind of done with that process for a while (laughs). Peter, especially, was like, “I never want to make a record that takes that long, again.” I think he felt like that record was better after we had just gone in and played the songs in the studio before they got as much window dressing as they got. Some of the guitars got lost in the process.

We were pretty much determined to make a record where there was no possibility that could happen. Really, that meant mostly just playing songs with two guitars, bass and drums; play them live in the studio and not do a whole lot of overdubbing. So, it fit in perfectly to go and play them live with that kind of material. A lot of the Around the Sun songs ended up sounding—when we played them live—probably a lot better; a little more direct, a little more guitar oriented and stuff. That tends to happen with some of the studio stuff, anyway. It gets simplified when you play it live. With the Minus 5 it’s always like that. Most of the songs that we record that are piano songs we end up playing on guitar, ya know? Two guitars, bass, drums and let it fall where it may.

This time it just made sense for us to make a record that was not going to be as labored over and can just be really fun, bash it out live and not get hung up in the process of making a record. By playing the songs live as part of the process of the record, it really helped fulfill that ambition.

CC: In listening to everything that you’re saying, it seems like Accelerate kind of tied back to, in some ways, how New Adventures In Hi-Fi was made. A little bit.

SM: Yeah, that’s true to a degree. The difference with New Adventures was mostly songs that were being developed as we were actually touring. There were a few things from Accelerate that had probably gotten developed on the tour before that, things we played at soundchecks and stuff. Yeah, there’s similarities to the approach.

CC: Now, looking over the track listing for Live At The Olympia, I wasn’t really disappointed, but I was kind surprised that there wasn’t very much information given as to what songs came from what nights, but, that’s just geeky me.

SM: Right. I have no idea either. There’s a couple things where Michael says, “This is our second night,” or whatever. Who knows! (laughs). I don’t have any idea which songs came from which night either. It was a couple years ago, so, I don’t have a clue. Probably the only people who know are Garret (Jacknife Lee) and Sam (Bell), the guys who mixed it.

CC: What were your feelings as you were walking out on stage for the first of the five nights? I assume Peter still does the setlist. So, once the setlist was written up and you guys were ready to go, what do you remember back then?

SM: It was kind of frantic. Besides the fact that we’re playing all these new songs that we never played before live, we kept adding, everyday during a two hour soundcheck, other songs to play. Most of those other ones that I played live I’d never really played before; we did a lot of really old songs, and I just never really played most of those. Neither had Bill (Rieflin)! We were learning songs for hours at soundcheck before each night, as well as going over the new stuff. Then we’d have about an hour or two off and then play the show. It was pretty hardcore. It was a full day’s work, everyday, and, after soundcheck, I’d be cramming and trying to remember how to play “Little America” or something like that that I’d never played before, so, it was actually really intense. Once we got on stage, they were super fun. I had a great time. I didn’t worry too much about playing everything perfectly. I tried, of course, but I’m sure I failed on occasion (laughs).

It’s kind amazing how great it sounds. I know that Jacknife didn’t fix a lot of stuff or anything. He just kind of found the best takes. You can tell there’s rough edges to it, but that’s cool.

CC: And it keeps in spirit of what the whole project was all about.

SM: Yeah. It’s kind of a great record though. I like the pacing and sequencing. It’s just such a bizarre huge grouping of songs. The focus of it is really early stuff and then the really new stuff. R.E.M.’s most famous and biggest songs are totally unrepresented. Their biggest records, Automatic for the People and Out of Time, aren’t there at all…I think “Drive” was played. It’s pretty cool. I like the selection of songs. We were just picking them each day. They were just coming out of nowhere. It wasn’t like we had this big masterplan. We didn’t (laughs).

CC: From the musician standpoint, I know most of these songs, the older material, have popped up here and there—not very often—since the Monster tour. Thinking about songs from Fables of the Reconstruction or Chronic Town, what did you appreciate about those songs and the work that was originally done on them once you got to play them? For how old some of those songs are, they still sound great…

SM: Because they’re really weird songs (laughs). Musically, stuff like “Little America,” “Wolves, Lower,” and “Carnival of Sorts,” I’m like, “What the hell were you guys doing? How do write songs like that?” You can tell they’re songs that are written by a band and not by one guy sitting around with a guitar. They’re not singer/songwriter songs, which is kind of what I’m used to. There’s a different logic to the way they’re constructed. They’re a little tricky for me to get my head around. Peter’s guitar playing is so individual and so precise. A lot of the songs, I just wanted to stay out of his way. I had to figure out things that I could play that wouldn’t muddle up the songs but add a little force to them. I think it worked out well. They sound really loud and trashy. It’s kind of cool to hear them sounding a little differently than they do on the original record. Peter’s got a heavier guitar sound, and you can actually hear the lyrics (laughs). You start realizing songs like “Second Guessing” have basically one verse sung over and over again (laughs). It works somehow. They’re very strange songs, and it was really interesting to play them, for me, because it’s a whole different style of songwriting than what I’m used to.

CC: Did you get any impression from Rieflin? I would have loved to ask Bill this, about taking on Berry’s early work. ’95 was the only time I ever saw Bill Berry with the band. But to hear Chronic Town songs and hear how much is going on with the drums, however direct, there’s still a lot of presence there. Did he (Rieflin) share any thoughts of what it was like to perform that work?

SM: I think there were times when he was definitely really, really impressed with how cool the drum parts were, and, other times, he was probably slightly amused because Bill’s (Berry) drum parts are really cool and really unusual. A lot of people don’t give him the credit that he should get. Bill Berry was a pretty amazing drummer, and he wasn’t really playing like anybody else back then. Rieflin did an amazing job at being faithful to those parts, not slavishly, but they kind of have to be there to make the songs work the way they did because they’re pretty intricate and precise kind of songs. I think Bill really appreciated Bill Berry’s drumming and really nailed it. The thing that I was most impressed about on the record was listening to Bill’s drumming. I just think he’s so awesome on this, and the drums sound really amazing, too. They’re super powerful and really rock. Hats off to Rieflin.

CC: It was definitely cool to hear him on songs like “Wolves, Lower” or “Circus Envy.” I remember e-mailing you the night after you guys performed that song, and I think I found a YouTube video that same night. I was just excited to hear the band fuzz it up, again.

SM: (Laughs). Yeah, I was pretty excited that we did “Circus Envy.” I’m always pushing for that one. It just got in there that day.

CC: Now, I never knew this, but, the Young Fresh Fellows did a cover of “Circus Envy”?

SM: We did. It’s on a record that came out in Spain in 1996 or 1997. It’s a pretty weird, little cool version of it (from 1999’s Tribute to Music, released only in Spain) . I like it a lot. It’s a little more Gang of Four or something. I love that song, and I think the lyrics are awesome.

CC: This is the second live album from the band that for many years said it was never interested in doing a live album. Oddly enough, both live albums are from the same city, two years apart. Do you have any sense of why in recent years there’s been more of a willingness to share more of a live document of the band’s stage performance? I was just thinking about this…the last U.S. related R.E.M. live release was the concert DVD Road Movie, filmed over the course of the final nights of the Monster tour in Atlanta. Since then, it’s been mostly European cities getting the luck of being displayed in full R.E.M. glory.

SM: I don’t know. It’s not like we went and said, “Hey, we’re going to record a live album.” We never really did that. You do all these shows that people want to record or film, say, for MTV Europe or management will say, “You’re doing two nights in Dublin. It might be a good time to film the band and record it just in case we might want to use it sometime.” You record these things for posterity and occasionally you say, “Hey, that’s really good. Let’s release it.” That’s really all it is…I think. The reason we were recording those shows is because we thought there might be the chance we play one of the songs from the album better than the studio version. So, that’s kind of why we were recording them. Maybe “Living Well Is The Best Revenge” live will be better than the version we record in the studio. As it stands, they’re basically almost the same because we had that song so down. Probably listening to the songs and going through it, everybody thought, “This is really cool. We should put this out.” I think it’s that more than anything. It’s not like a contractual obligation or that they wanted to make a live record. It’s just that we recorded something really cool.

It’s always weird when you plan on making a live record. The Fellows have done that. In Spain, they say, “We’re going to record the good show and release that as a live record.” And that always ends up being the worst show of the tour. We did that with R.E.M. They said, “We’re going to film one show of the tour to release as a DVD.” That was Wiesbaden, Germany (show date 7/19/03, as seen on the Perfect Square DVD). Everybody thought, in the band, that was the worst show of the tour. The audience thought it was great. You watch the DVD, and it’s really good. But we knew that we played better other nights. So, the reason you play better is because you’re not thinking about being on camera. That’s just kind of typical the way that goes. I don’t know if The Who would say that Live at Leeds was the worst show of that tour. I’d like to think it wasn’t, but did they record twenty shows and that was the best one? Or did they kind of get lucky and record one that happen to be fucking amazing? Or did they all think that they did other nights of the tour that were better than that but that was the one that was recorded and, so, that’s the one they released? Who knows (laughs).

My experience, often, has been when you know you’re recording something you end up not having the best show. With this “This Is Not A Show” thing…we knew we were doing five nights, we knew we were kind of messing around and experimenting—it wasn’t supposed to be a live record—we were all really loose and having fun. We were working and trying hard, pushing ourselves by playing so many different songs over the five nights. We didn’t have the pressure of thinking each night would be released as a live album. That wasn’t in our heads at all, which is probably why it’s so fucking good.

CC: I guess I just wish there were more U.S. shows getting the live album treatment.

SM: Well, the thing is, that tour in ’95 was sort of our peak in America, and we’ve probably gotten down in America since then, and, yet that was when is started really picking up in Europe. We’ve just gotten more and more popular in Europe. I think it was ’95 or ’99 and we played Dublin at Lansdowne Road stadium (show date 7/16/99); it was like 40,000 people there. The crowd was just insane. We just started realizing that we’ve really got it going here in Ireland. People really liked us a lot (laughs). Certainly that’s part of the reason we ended up doing these five nights in Dublin. We were going to record at Grouse Lodge (Studios) directly following the shows. And we all like Dublin a lot. It just made perfect sense.

It’s one of the only places where if I’m walking around in the streets of Dublin, people recognize me from R.E.M., not from the Fellows or the Minus 5. If I walk around in Portland or Seattle, I might get occasionally recognized for that. If I walk around Dublin, people recognize me as being a guy from R.E.M., and they know my name. They even know how to say it, even though it’s pronounced differently in Ireland.

CC: And then it’s followed by the offer of a beer.

SM: Yes (laughs). That does occasionally happen.

CC: So, what’s currently happening in R.E.M. land? You guys were down in New Orleans doing some recording.

SM: We did three weeks of work and tracked a bunch of new songs. Michael sang on about half of them, probably. So, we got a really good start on the next record.

CC: Are there other locales in mind for recording, like Vancouver?

SM: We’re not going to Vancouver. We’ve got a couple more stops in mind. I don’t think they’re exactly nailed down, yet. We’ll do two more three week stays, but the next one probably isn’t going to be until April into May. So, there’s a lot of time right now to sit around and ruminate on the songs or come up with new stuff; mostly for Michael to work on lyrics, melody and stuff. He’ll probably end up doing something before the rest of us get back. He might just go somewhere with Jacknife and record some more vocals. He’s got some great stuff. We got a really good start. The tracks all sound amazing, and the stuff that Michael has come up with are super cool, too. I’m pretty excited about it.

Right now, I’m not thinking about it for a little while. I’m going to let it go a bit and then get back to it, but I’m really happy with the stuff we did in New Orleans.

CC: And that was pretty much the first session?

SM: Yes. This was the first real session where we started getting ideas for the record.

CC: This next record will be Rieflin’s third with R.E.M., and it will be your sixth since New Adventures In Hi-Fi. How do you feel your role and Bill’s role has developed with the recording process?

SM: Now, it feels like we’re a regular rock band. The last record and most of the next record are going to tend to be two guitars, bass and drums songs. We’re all really comfortable with our roles. Bill came in on Around the Sun, and that was the first thing he did with the band. He just came into the studio and just tried to play along to see how it went. Obviously, Peter and I knew that we played great with Bill because we had been playing with him for four-five years at that point. We knew it was going to be great, but we had to see how it would work with everybody, which they all liked him immediately. All his first work was really just studio stuff. So, that’s different when you go out touring, but, of course, Bill is awesome every night on tour. We’ve played together now for years with this group. It just feels really normal.

My role has probably changed a little bit. Whereas I used to filled in stuff off the records, keyboards, bass or whatever that needed to be fleshed out live—I was kind of more a jack-of-all trades—but now I’m sort of the second guitarist. Peter plays his super distinctive stuff, and then it’s my job to play something that’s really different from what he’s playing. So, I don’t get in his way, but I don’t really play rhythm guitar. I kind of come up with parts that will compliment what Peter’s doing and what Mike’s doing. It’s fun for me to really concentrate on playing guitar because I don’t get to do that that much. I don’t even think about playing guitar when I’m singing, and it probably shows (laughs).

CC: In your Roger Daltrey mode…

SM: Yeah (laughs). But we’re a pretty solid rock band that’s played a lot of shows together and done a lot of recording together with this lineup. It feels great.

CC: So, what’s currently on deck—no pun intended—with the Baseball Project?

SM: We started recording a new record. We had a couple days off on our last tour with the Baseball Project, Minus 5 and Steve Wynn. In Portland for two days, we tracked twelve songs, all live. Peter was there for the session this time, which was great, because he just did overdubs on the last record. So, we had the full on four-piece going to track all these songs, which was great.

We were going to try and get it out for the next baseball season, but it seems like it would have been a little bit of too much of a push. We want to try and do some different things with this record. I think we’re going to take our time and finish it over the first half of 2010 and probably not release it until just before spring training 2011. So, it’ll be over a year old by the time it actually comes out, but that gives us time to work on it. We have a few more songs we want to record, and we haven’t done any overdubs on it. We’ll get other people to play on it, too. We’re going to take our time. That’s ok. Steve, Peter and I are all usually bash something out-release it. I think Yep Roc wants to really make something happen with the record. So, if it’s good for them to have more set up time, then we can deal with it.

I’m going to have R.E.M. duty in 2010. I haven’t really thought much about the Fellows or the Minus 5. I should probably think about that, too. There’s a Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 record coming out (titled Propellor Time) in March (3/22/10 - U.S. Release 4/6/10). Hopefully, we’ll do some dates on that. I don’t know how much time we’ll have. Hopefully Bill, Peter and I will be able to devote a little time to that as well. I’d like to get the Minus 5/Baseball Project/Steve Wynn thing over to Europe, too, but it’s all a matter of timing if we can do it.

CC: Now, at least tell me there’s some consideration within the Baseball Project that there will be a song based on Nolan Ryan (Texas Rangers) beating the shit out of Robin Ventura (Chicago White Sox) on the mound (8/4/93).

SM: (Laughs) Yeah, I don’t know if there’s going to be a song about that, but I certainly enjoy watching footage of that. It’s pretty awesome. I saw his last game ever pitched at the Kingdome in Seattle (9/22/93). He pitched to four batters. The first two batters got on and the fourth batter hit a grand slam, then he walked off the mound. His arm just totally went. It was sad because he’d been great up to then. He never pitched again…of course he was 90 years old (laughs). Nah..he was 46 or something. He was so good.

R.E.M. – Live At The Olympia (Warner Bros.)
Released October 27, 2009 (U.S.)
Recorded at Olympia Theatre (Dublin, Ireland) on 6/30, 7/1, 7/3-5, 2007

Disc One
Living Well Is The Best Revenge (7/4/07)
Second Guessing (6/30/07)
Letter Never Sent (6/30/07)
Staring Down The Barrel of the Middle Distance (7/5/07)
Disturbance at the Heron House (7/1/07)
Mr. Richards (7/4/07)
Houston (7/5/07)
New Test Leper (6/30/07)
Cuyahoga (7/5/07)
Electrolite (6/30/07)
Man-Sized Wreath (7/4/07)
So. Central Rain (7/3/07)
On The Fly (7/5/07)
Maps and Legends (6/30/07)
Sitting Still (7/1/07)
Driver 8 (7/3/07)
Horse to Water (7/4/07)
I'm Gonna DJ (7/1/07)
Circus Envy (7/4/07)
These Days (7/1/07)

Disc Two
Drive (7/1/07)
Feeling Gravitys Pull (7/3/07)
Until The Day Is Done (7/1/07)
Accelerate (7/4/07)
Auctioneer (Another Engine) (7/5/07)
Little America (6/30/07)
1,000,000 (7/4/07)
Disguised (aka Supernatural Superserious) (7/5/07)
The Worst Joke Ever (7/5/07)
Welcome to the Occupation (7/5/07)
Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars) (7/4/07)
Harborcoat (7/4/07)
Wolves, Lower (7/4/07)
I've Been High (7/1/07)
Kohoutek (7/3/07)
West of the Fields (7/4/07)
Pretty Persuasion (7/5/07)
Romance (7/5/07)
Gardening at Night (7/5/07)

*Special thanks to Jill Hollywood at Big Life Management, Darryl White's fantastic site, The R.E.M. Timeline - The Complete R.E.M. Concert Chronology, and engineer Sam Bell for helping fill in the gaps of source information on songs appearing on Live At The Olympia.

Darryl White's site can be found at:
http://www.remtimeline.com/

Photo By: Marty Perez at House of Blues (Chicago) on 1/14/10

Extra! Extra!

2010-01-13T18:15:00.000-06:00

About three weeks ago, I had the chance to speak with Scott McCaughey (R.E.M., The Minus 5, Young Fresh Fellows, The Baseball Project). This was the first time since November 8, 2006 that I had the opportunity to conduct an interview with Scott, the night Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 performed at Metro in Chicago. I should dig that interview out sometime!

A feature article was published today on Lumino Magazine of my recent interview with Scott as a spotlight on the upcoming performance by The Baseball Project at the 4th Annual Len & Bob Bash for Chicago Cubs Charities. The event takes place tomorrow night at the House of Blues. The Baseball Project are the openers.

The complete interview with Scott will be posted on Friday. For now, enjoy this piece:

http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/2904/1

A Conversation With...Rivers Cuomo of Weezer

2009-12-02T02:45:00.000-06:00

In this month's issue of Chicago Innerview, I had the chance to speak with Rivers Cuomo of Weezer. Due to the word space I had to work with, I had to cut down my Q&A with Cuomo in order to fit the assigned space I had.

The following conversation is my complete interview with Cuomo, which took place on November 19, 2009. This posting is dedicated in the memory of Jerry Ayre.

Chris Castaneda: As being the principal songwriter for the band now, nearly twenty years, what would you say best describes a Weezer song? Musically and lyrically?

Rivers Cuomo: Great melody, funky guitar, some kind of twisted lyrical perspective…I think it’s usually in a major key or at least a diatonic mode, if that’s not too technical. I think if you’ve got all those things, you’ve got a Weezer song.

CC: If you had to choose just 1 song from each album that you felt strongly about and that best captured the essence of Weezer at that time of the album, what would they be?

RC: Weezer (The Blue Album) – “Buddy Holly.” Pinkerton – “Across The Sea.” Weezer (The Green Album) – “Island In The Sun.” Maladroit – “Dope Nose.” Make Believe – “Beverly Hills.” Weezer (The Red Album) – “Pork and Beans.” Raditude – “Can’t Stop Partying.”

CC: In the past two years, you’ve opened up your vault of demos on the Alone CDs, I and II. What prompted the idea of returning to those demos and sharing them with the public?

RC: Over the years, fans have heard about these songs. They’ve always been requesting and pressuring me to release some of them, but, most importantly, I have so much strong emotions for these demos. They were recorded just as I was writing the songs and just as I was in the heat of the moment or situation that inspired the song. I recognize that these are not broadly commercial recordings, but they have the depth and feeling that I really love. I wanted to share with those hardcore fans out there who can also appreciate that feeling.

CC: Will there be more home recordings released in the future?

RC: I do have more music that I’d like to release; at least another hour. Well…maybe two or three hours more of home demos that I’d like to release. It seems to me that the compact disc or the full length album is becoming a thing of the past. I’m not exactly sure that my home demos will come out in that format.

CC: What was your earliest approach to songwriting when you first began writing? How has it changed or developed over the years?

RC: When I was a teenager I was trying to play harmonic minded scales as quickly as I could. Then I got into songwriting around age 20. My values at that time came to be melody and straightforward lyrics that have a little twist on it…the chunky guitars. Those are the kind of values that you hear on Weezer’s first album. I still hear that on our latest record, Ratitude, and on every record in between. It just feels like who I am as a songwriter.

Now, recently, I’ve been very excited about collaborating with other people, especially people from different backgrounds; learning different approaches to songwriting. Not only that, but, I’m just making new friends and learning about all different kinds of things, like production techniques or where to send your kids to school, how to set up your home studio…getting exposed to all different kinds of ideas, which is really great.

CC: There’s a lot of collaboration with other songwriters on Ratitude. How has it been for you to have that added input from other people and to have Pat (Wilson), Scott (Shriner) and Brian (Bell) present songs on recent albums?

RC: It’s challenging, but that’s what I love about it. Someone else will put an idea on the table that’s different from something that I would have come up with, and it takes me a minute to figure out how to work with it. I have to think outside my usual routine, and that, to me, is very invigorating.

An example is that song “Can’t Stop Partying” on Ratitude. I was writing with Jermaine Dupri, who’s from a hip-pop/R&B background. His idea was to write a song that’s purely about partying and drinking. It was really fun, but it’s not 100% who I am. So, I struggled with that for a while and eventually realized that I could change the music, put it into a minor key and give the music a very sad feeling which undercut the party vibe of the lyrics. It turned into a song that neither one of us could have written on our own. I’m very proud of it.

CC: As you near 40 years old, how do you stay connected to the songs that you wrote in your early 20’s?

RC: Well, for one thing, I don’t feel like my musical values have changed all that much. I still love those early songs. It’s some of my favorite music of all time. Playing live is so much fun to play those songs to the audience because for a lot of the people in the room they’ve never seen us play before, and they’re just so excited. I just enjoy connecting to them.

CC: All rock critics are different. I have my own opinion about the new album. Everyone else has opinions, and I’m sure you’re well aware of most of the opinions out there. And I say with all due respect: do you feel, at all, that Weezer has in any way become a one dimensional band?

RC: What do you mean, specifically? I’m not sure what “one dimensional” means.

CC: I guess…if anything, the one criticism that will come to mind is this “We’ve heard this before” thinking. From The Blue Album up to now…over time a band will develop its own sound, and there will be elements of that band and its sound that will forever drape whatever work it presents. I guess what I’m trying to ask is: are you vigilant to make sure the band doesn’t fall into a routine? I know some bands are very adamant about making sure they never fall into certain ruts, and other bands are happy to keep kind of going along the same path. I was just interested in what your thoughts were in terms of the band.

RC: I do feel, by nature, I’m an adventurer, an explorer. Looking back on our career it seems obvious that I constantly have to be doing some crazy new experiment because I like the feeling of being excited and trying new things. I think that’s what has kept Weezer vital. We’re not stuck in a rut. We’re taking chances and risking losing some fans by trying new things. It’s more fun than ever to be in this band.

CC: Well, I appreciate the response. I hope I clarified it, too. I might have stumbled a little bit.

RC: I don’t know if we got to the question you really wanted to ask, but I answered what I understood to be the question. I hear that you’re trying to be tactful, too, and I appreciate that.

[End]

Actually, on the day of the interview, I was almost thrown out of bed by the latest Weezer single, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To." I didn't remember how loud I set my clock radio, so, when the alarm went off, Cuomo's vocals (at the very moment of the chorus) blasted and freaked me out. He got a laugh out of the story.

Asking my final question was a last minute toss up. I wrote the question down that morning and debated asking it. That question could have easily been interpreted the wrong way (i.e. So, how come your band turned sucky?). I think it was mutually appreciated that there was some room given to expand on my question. In listening back to how nervous and sensitive I was about clarifying myself, I think what I was going for was to highlight how Weezer songs, in terms of sound, have become repetitive.

When speaking to Cuomo it was clear that the Weezer sound we've all come to love (or grow tired of) is the sound he is most in love with, and I can't fault him for that. Afterall, he's the one in the studio doing exactly what he wants and getting paid to do it...I'm not.

Being a frustrated Oasis fan, I was going to draw a connection between Weezer and Oasis during my interview. The day after I spoke with Cuomo, I bought Alone II - The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo. The liner notes by Cuomo are great! I'm always a fan of good liner notes. In those notes, my Oasis connection was given some validation by Cuomo's diary entry of July 31, 1997, "Not melody, not lyrics but STRUCTURE, like Noel Gallagher's songs. / Learn all the Oasis songs."

Gallagher may have figured out the best qualities of song structures by the Beatles and Neil Young (and in the process re-writing classics to build his own songbook), but he could never quite hold onto the hook, which is such a strong component to Cuomo's work. In some ways, Cuomo is the Rick Nielsen of my generation (which is to say I hope most of my peers have appreciated the glory that is Cheap Trick).

I believed Cuomo when he said Weezer is still taking chances, but, if Weezer is really taking musical risks, it's certainly hard to hear.

Finally, on a personal note, I mentioned at the start of this posting that this was dedicated in the memory of Jerry Ayre. Jerry was an old grammar school classmate from St. Victor School in Calumet City, IL (yes, where the Blues Brothers are from). He was a really good guy that I was lucky to grow up with him between those years of 1st and 8th grade. We were in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and on the basketball team in 7th and 8th grade. In our last year, he and I shared the lead role in the school play in which he played a 1950s high school nerd. I was his alter ego in the form a rocking and rolling werewolf (you had to be there).

I thought of myself back then as a shy guy, but, compared to Jerry, I must have been considered more laid back. He wasn't really part of my core group of friends growing up then, but he was never thought of as not good enough to associate with...he wasn't in the "cool" crowd just as I wasn't. Therefore, it was easy to connect.

When the opportunity was finalized to interview Rivers Cuomo, I instantly thought about Jerry. One of my memories of him was wearing a blue Weezer t-shirt around school when we had a "dress down" day, taking a break from the Catholic school conformity of dress code appropriate uniforms. The Blue Album was released near the end of our 7th grade year. Jerry was probably the first Weezer fan I knew around school.

In 1995, Jerry moved to Florida after we graduated 8th grade. I never saw him, again, after the graduation parties quieted down that summer. To me, he was a good grammar school friend that if I ever ran into down the road would have stopped and caught up on all the latest life news. In the summer of 1999, after graduating high school, the news was dispatched throughout my old grammar school connections that he died of meningitis.

At 18, it didn't register with me that this cool guy, whose biggest music favorites were Weezer and Green Day, was simply gone. I still remember the service held at the school's church and playing my acoustic guitar with the small assembled choir. It's never the way you want to be reunited with people from your childhood past, but there most of us were from that graduating class. If anything, it spoke volumes of how we all felt about Jerry. I don't know the kind of guy he became during his high school years, but I can't imagine the good qualities that made him easy to get along with changing a whole lot. And I don't know if he ever got to see Weezer in concert (I hope he did)..but he would have been the first person I would have shared the news with about my interview. "Hey, man. I'm going to talk to Rivers!"

Thanks, Jerry.

Photo Courtesy of Weezer (MySpace)

Extra! Extra!

2009-12-01T15:30:00.000-06:00

The December issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online and print. In this month's issue, I interviewed Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, Brian Berkowitz of local band Oh My God and contributed a write-up on local band Soft Speaker.

Please click on the links below to be directed to the pages for:

Weezer
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/dec09_weezer.htm

Oh My God (available online ONLY)
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/dec09_ohmygod.htm

Soft Speaker
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/dec09_previewB.htm

Also, I recently interviewed John Wesley Harding for Lumino Magazine before his upcoming show at Schubas tomorrow night. That Q&A feature was just added to the magazine site yesterday. Follow the link below:

http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/2876/1

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2009-11-27T17:15:00.000-06:00

My review of Poi Dog Pondering's show at the Vic Theatre on 11/20 has been posted on Lumino Magazine. Please click on the link below to be directed to the review:

http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/2869/1

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2009-11-06T14:30:00.000-06:00

My review of Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard at Lincoln Hall on October 26 has been posted on Lumino Magazine.

There was a minor delay with the review getting posted, but now it's seen the light of the computer screen. Please click on the link below to be directed to the review:

http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/2849/1

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2009-10-28T22:00:00.000-05:00

My review of Wilco's 2 nights at the UIC Pavilion has been posted on Lumino Magazine. Please click on the link below to be directed to the review:

http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/2845/1

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2009-10-02T23:00:00.000-05:00

The October issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. In this month's issue, I have contributed write-ups on Bob Mould and Califone.

Please click on the links below to be directed to the pages for:

Bob Mould
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/oct09_previewC.htm

Califone
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/oct09_previewB.htm

Thanks for reading. Enjoy.

News

2009-08-27T00:30:00.000-05:00

After a brief hiatus from the writing scene, I'm jumping back into the game.

I'm pleased to announce that in addition to my monthly contributions to Chicago Innerview (starting with the October issue), I will also begin to contribute to Lumino Magazine, an online publication.

My recent piece for Lumino Magazine is a review of Pearl Jam's performance on Monday night at the United Center. This is just my second contribution to the website; my first piece was a review of Neil Young at Allstate Arena last December.

I'm looking forward to resuming my work that I've often had to place on hold. Thanks for continuing to stop by Getting In Tune to check out my latest work. For now, feel free to click the link below to be directed to my review of Pearl Jam's show:

http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/2822/1

Due to the short notice, a photographer couldn't be assigned to the show I attended in order to include photos with my review. The photo you see here were taken from my seat, which I surprisingly landed the day before the show on Ticketmaster (oh, the irony).

Photo By: Chris Castaneda

Extra! Extra!

2009-07-01T21:00:00.000-05:00

I just realized that this post marks a year, almost to the day, that I last posted an update on Getting In Tune. Wow. Bye-bye life sucking evil day job.

In any case, the July issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. This month's issue (as it did last year) focuses on the Pitchfork Music Festival. I contributed write-ups on the Flaming Lips, Built to Spill and Grizzly Bear.

Please click on the links below to be directed to the pages for:

The Flaming Lips & Grizzly Bear
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/july09_previewI.htm

Built to Spill
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/july09_previewA.htm

Thanks for reading. Enjoy.

Extra! Extra!

2009-06-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I last posted on Getting In Tune. Time certainly flies by when your life is wasted away by a job that grows even more meaningless than the day before and then suddenly you're thrown into the absolute BEST time to hunt for new employment.

That said...it's great to be back! The new day gig situation has greatly improved beyond even my expectations, and I'm once again contributing to Chicago Innerview. In my grand return to the magazine, I contributed a feature article on Sonic Youth and a write-up on Here We Go Magic for the June issue.

Please click on the links below to be directed to the pages for:

Sonic Youth
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/june09_sonicyouth.htm

Here We Go Magic
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/june09_previewA.htm

Enjoy...and many thanks!

Extra! Extra!

2008-07-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

The July issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. This month's issue offers a preview to the upcoming Pitchfork Music Festival. I contributed write-ups on Mission of Burma, Jarvis Cocker, and Elf Power.

Please click on the links below to be directed to the pages for:

Mission of Burma
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/july08_previewA.htm

Jarvis Cocker
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/july08_previewE.htm

Elf Power
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/july08_previewD.htm

Enjoy.

Thank you, Tim Russert. Thank you.

2008-06-13T22:35:00.000-05:00

A Conversation With...Mike Mills of R.E.M.

2008-06-10T11:30:00.000-05:00

In the June 2008 issue of Chicago Innerview, I had the opportunity to speak with bassist Mike Mills of R.E.M. for the cover story ("House In Order"). The phone interview took place on May 12, 2008, two weeks before R.E.M. would launch its world tour in support of its latest album Accelerate. Here is the complete 20 minute conversation I had with Mills that afternoon. Check back soon for a complete review (and photos) of R.E.M.'s recent performance at the United Center on June 6, 2008. Until then, enjoy a conversation with Mike Mills.

Chris Castaneda: Is it scary to say that the tour begins next week Friday?

Mike Mills: The tour begins, I guess, next Friday or Saturday.

CC: Yeah, Friday, the 23rd.

MM: Sounds right.

CC: Has it caught up on you really fast?

MM: No, I’ve had a little time to get ready for it.

CC: Is the band still doing rehearsals or are you pretty much done by now?

MM: No, we’ll start rehearsals next week.

CC: How many songs are you practicing for the rotation?

MM: We don’t know yet. I’m putting together a list of some old ones we might play, and I’m sure others are doing the same. We’ll just get together and see what everybody feels like doing. A lot of times you find that there are just some songs that somebody really doesn’t want to do. So, you’ve got to cross that out.

CC: Hence the veto process.

MM: Exactly.

CC: Well, congratulations on the album.

MM: Thank you.

CC: I’ve been enjoying it a lot. Personally, I was a little miffed that it was beat out by George Strait on the charts by a couple thousand.

MM: Well, he’s got that deal with Wal-Mart. That’s pretty tough to top him.

CC: You’ve had some time since it was released. How does Accelerate make a statement about R.E.M. in 2008?

MM: Well, I think you just said it. Accelerate is R.E.M. in 2008. Really, I couldn’t put it any better than that. People have been trying to say, “Is it a return?” or “Are you looking backwards?” I say, “No.” We don’t look backwards and wouldn’t know how to if we wanted to. So, this is strictly us in this year, in this moment.

CC: I’ve sort of disagreed with a lot of the press and their angle on the album. They’ve been treating it like the band has been on life support the last 5 years, and then suddenly the band came out of its coma. To me, it’s kind of unfair and missing the point of the album itself.

MM: Well, it’s really lazy journalism, to me, because this theme has sort of been broached and everybody’s been really quick to jump on it because it’s an easy angle. Those records were not universally despised when they came out, and I’m very proud of those records. I just think people have seized that as their theme for their reviews and that has just been self-perpetuating. But I’m very pleased with our career, in general, and with this record in particular.

CC: So, this time around, the band became a 5 piece without Ken Stringfellow. What is the dynamic of the band like now with just Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin?

MM: The dynamic is great. I love Ken, I love his music, but the fact was we were going with less keyboards this time. Ken’s job was to either to play the keyboards or to play something else so I could play keyboards. We just didn’t need the extra person around. The dynamic feels good. He’s got his own new band called The Disciplines that he’s playing with. We did a few promo shows on our promo tour that we did, and they all felt great.

CC: There’s one thing I wanted to get your perspective on as the representative of the rhythm section. You did some work with Barrett Martin and Joey Waronker around the time R.E.M. was making Up (1998). How has Bill Rieflin been with the band the past couple of years? What is it about his style, his approach, which has made him the proper fit for R.E.M.?

MM: Well said. He has such a mastery over the drums. In other words, he can play just like Bill Berry on the songs where he needs to, but we can also give him his head and say, “Play what you hear,” and it’s invariably fantastic. He’s just so accomplished as a musician.

I think Barrett Martin is a fantastic musician, and I love him as a person. But we didn’t really gel as a rhythm section. Joey Waronker, we gelled just fine, but he had other things he wanted to do. With Bill Rieflin…we were doing our first record with him, which I guess was Reveal, and we were wondering whether we were going to use him on the tour. And I said, “We have to play live to find out.” So, we opened for a local band in Vancouver called The Dirtmitts*. About half way through the first song I said, “You know, I think I can play with this guy.” So, it was pretty clear at that point that I thought it was going to work out just fine and it has.

CC: Definitely. I guess the '03 was his coming out party with the band. I could hear a comfort that was there with all the musicians…not that it wasn’t there with Joey, but there was something a little more extra that resonated.

MM: He’s a powerful drummer. He hits it harder than you would think from looking at him, and that helps a lot. And the other helpful thing was…with every tour we started to feel better about being a three piece. That transition has been very difficult, but that’s one reason this album sounds like it does because we’ve felt so comfortable as a band again that we wanted to make a rock record.

(*The show that Mike Mills is referring to took place on December 15, 2002 at a venue called Richard’s On Richards. As background information to clarify Mills’ recollection, I asked Scott McCaughey via email to help out. This was McCaughey’s response sent on May 15, 2008. According to McCaughey, “It was a Minus 5 gig in Vancouver, and the Dirtmitts were the local opening band. However, I did the Minus 5 gig because Bill (Rieflin) and Peter (Buck) and I were up there (Vancouver) recording with R.E.M. It was Bill’s first session with R.E.M., sort of trying out as a studio drummer. Joey wasn’t there then; I think his term had basically ended at that point. Then at the end of the Minus 5 set, R.E.M. came up and we played 3 songs in the encore as R.E.M. So, that was Bill’s first time doing a live thing with R.E.M.”)

CC: What was the initial idea behind the “Working Rehearsal” shows in Dublin last summer? Was it going to be specifically 5 shows? What was being mulled around at the time?

MM: What I realized that back in the day when we were touring constantly we would write songs and work them out on the road. So, when we went to the studio they were fully formed. On the last few records, I’d realize when we’d play something off of Reveal or Up or even Around The Sun, I would play a bass line or sing a background vocal and go, “Man, I wish I’d done that on the record.”

There’s something about the live show that really focusing you on your parts. So, I said, look, let’s do a residency somewhere, just a little brief residency, where we could play these songs and just get that feeling that you get from a live audience, and it will help us tighten everything up…or, it will help me (Laughs). I don’t know if it would help the rest of the band, but I knew it would help me (Laughs). It turned out to be not only very helpful but a lot of fun as well.

CC: What do you remember about how you felt going into the first night?

MM: I felt great. We were in Ireland, where we’ve always done well. I was loving the new songs, even in their unfinished form. It was kind of thrilling to—pardon the phrase—expose ourselves to the fans like that. Normally as an artist—I don’t like the term artist, but, for lack of a better word—you don’t want to show people unfinished things. The two things you don’t want to watch being made are laws and sausages. Well, sometimes, I would add records to that. It was exciting to go out there and know that you were going to show people things that weren’t finished. We really enjoyed it. I think it’s very brave, not to toot our own horn, but I think it’s quite brave to go out there and show your warts and what not to people. That doesn’t happen very often.

CC: Would R.E.M. consider trying that process again or would it just be repeating a process that had already been done?

MM: Who knows. We are a band of being in the moment as much as possible. We’re just really focused on getting the tour done. For our next record, if we feel that’s something that might be useful, then we might do something like that, again. But you have to be careful because sometimes repeating things takes the newness away, and it might not be as effective a tool.

CC: What I thought was really interesting were the “olive branches” that the band extended to the audience. The band went pretty far back in the catalog. What pointed everyone in the direction of picking songs from Chronic Town (1982) and Fables Of The Reconstruction (1985) as albums you wanted to revisit?

MM: Well, the idea was that they were not shows. So, we didn’t want to trout out the same things that we play in shows. I think it was all a part of establishing the informality of the occurrence. Plus, it was fun for us.

CC: Especially with Scott and Bill who had never really touched a majority of the songs that were played…

MM: I can’t speak for Bill or Scott, but they’re fans. I’m sure they enjoyed it. For us, it’s exciting just to look back and know that you have that much good stuff that that’s old. It’s weird when you play them because you say, “Man, those were different people playing those songs back then. Those kids were playing really fast” (Laughs).

CC: What’s all that distortion on the E minor? What’s up with that?

MM: Yeah (Laughs).

CC: Those shows were all over YouTube. Fans were trading the shows among themselves as sort of getting the word out on what the band was up to…creating a word-of-mouth buzz; to use your phrase, an “old school” sort of way. Michael (Stipe) kept joking that “Man-Sized Wreath” was a song that probably wasn’t going to make the album. But a song that didn’t make the album was “Staring Down The Barrel of The Middle Distance.” Were there a lot of songs that didn’t make the final cut?

MM: We tried not to have too many extras this time. “Staring Down The Barrel of The Middle Distance”…that could have easily been on the record, but our whole point of this record was concise, short. We were taking out verses and choruses right up to the very end of the mixing process. We were just shortening everything. It’s really fun to let things go like that. It’s something that I’m sure any psychologist would tell you that letting go is a useful tool. There were only, really, three…maybe four others that got close to being finished that we left off. So, if you count “Staring Down The Barrel,” there were probably four songs that could have made the record but for some reason did not.

CC: Will those songs possibly turn up as B-sides?

MM: You never know. They could end up on movies, TV shows, b-sides, they could be on the next record. They’re just there for whatever purpose they may serve.

CC: Speaking of songs that didn’t make the initial album but were used later down the line: “I’m Gonna DJ” was the talked about song on the '04 tour that I remember hearing a lot about before seeing R.E.M. at the Auditorium Theatre. After hearing it live, I understood why it didn’t make it onto Around The Sun, but it found a home on Accelerate. Was that maybe the earliest seed of what Accelerate grew into?

MM: I think more than that. When we started doing the earliest versions of other songs, such as “Living Well Is The Best Revenge” and “Horse To Water,” that’s when we realized, “I think ‘DJ’ will fit on this record.” Rather than using “DJ” as a starting point and going from there, I think it was, sort of, we started with “Living Well” and “Horse To Water” and then realized “DJ” would fit on this record; whereas it would not have fit on Around The Sun.

CC: Yeah, that would have been quite the sore thumb.

MM: I would have stuck right out. Yes.

CC: I really liked the version of “I’m Gonna DJ” from the 6 Days documentary about the making of Accelerate where Michael’s vocals are left off and just the backing vocals are playing along to the music. I thought, “Well, if there’s not a dance club that wouldn’t be all over that…” (Laughs).

MM: (Laughs) That’s a good thought. When Peter and I write songs, we try to make them interesting before we ever hear any vocals on them. I think that’s one of the strengths of R.E.M. Peter and I have to be satisfied with our songs, instrumentally, before we even show them to Michael, and I think that really gives us a head start. Rather than just having some generic piece of music that Michael can write lyrics and melody to, we try to have a worthwhile piece of music before the singer ever gets a hold of it.

CC: I had the chance to interview Joe Shanahan, owner of Metro, for the January ’08 issue of Chicago Innerview as a feature on the club’s 25th anniversary. I wanted to get your quick thoughts on what he had to say about booking R.E.M. as the first band to play at the Cabaret Metro (July 22, 1982). According to Joe, “They had lost a club show; a promoter had pulled out on them. I had met them at the Danceteria in New York. I went backstage and introduced myself to Mike (Mills), Michael (Stipe), Peter (Buck), Bill (Berry), and Jefferson (Holt). I said, ‘If you ever come through Chicago, I’m going to be opening a club someday and you’re the kind of band I’d love to have play for me.’ And they were like, ‘Who the hell is this guy?’”

MM: (Laughs)

CC: Do you have any memories of that show?

MM: The Metro? Absolutely, I loved the Cabaret Metro. Did we play the Cabaret upstairs or the Metro itself? It kept moving. There was the Metro, itself, which was the big room. And then there was the Cabaret which used to be upstairs and then they moved it downstairs. They kept changing the other parts of that venue. I think our first shows there were in the smaller room, which was the Cabaret. I remember they were great. We love Chicago. It’s always been one of our best towns. The crowd was great, even then. We were relatively, or, completely unknown. Yet, we felt very, very loved when we were there. And Joe was always great to us.

CC: He told me that he played you the soundboard recording of your first show, and you were embarrassed by how the band sounded. He tried reassuring you that you guys sounded great and loose.

MM: We might have been embarrassed, but I think it was more Bill (Berry) more than anybody. Bill always hates listening back to the shows. I don’t know why, but he never felt comfortable about our shows.

Photo Courtesy Of RollingStone.com

Extra! Extra!

2008-05-30T16:44:00.000-05:00

The June issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online and around town. In this month's issue, I spoke with Mike Mills of R.E.M. for the cover story and contributed a Q&A piece with guitarist Hugh Harris of The Kooks. If you're unable to grab a physical copy of the magazine, please check out the site.

Please click on the link below to be directed to the page for:

R.E.M.
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jun08_rem.htm

The Kooks
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jun08_thekooks.htm

*Special Note* Check back soon to read my complete interview with Mike Mills.

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2008-05-01T19:30:00.000-05:00

The May issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online and around town. Check out the site if you can't grab a physical copy.

Enjoy.

Extra! Extra!

2008-04-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

The April issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online and around town. In this month's issue, I contributed a feature piece on Nada Surf and concert write-up on Kathleen Edwards. Check out the site if you can't grab a physical copy.

Please click on the link below to be directed to the page for:

Nada Surf
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/apr08_nadasurf.htm

Kathleen Edwards
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/apr08_previewB.htm

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2008-03-02T20:30:00.000-06:00

The March issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online and around town. Check out the site if you can't grab a physical copy.

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2008-02-02T22:30:00.000-06:00

The February issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online and on the news stands around Chicago.

Check out the site if you can't grab a copy of the magazine.

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2007-12-31T19:20:00.000-06:00

The January 2008 issue of Chicago Innerview is no available online. I contributed a special report on the 25th anniversary of Metro and interview with the club's owner, Joe Shanahan.

Please click on the link below to be directed to the page for:

Metro Turns 25
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jan08_metro.htm

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Extra! Extra!

2007-12-01T18:30:00.000-06:00

The December issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. I contributed a feature piece on Robbie Fulks.

Please click on the link below to be directed to the page for:

Robbie Fulks
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/dec07_robbiefulks.htm

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2007-11-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

The November issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. I contributed the cover story featuring Tegan & Sara. Please click on the link below to be directed to the page for:

Tegan & Sara
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/nov07_teganandsara.htm

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2007-10-01T20:40:00.000-05:00

The October issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. I was given the opportunity to have the cover story on the New Pornographers. This is my third cover story for the magazine (The Secret Machines, The Decemberists).

Please click on the link below to be directed to the page for:

The New Pornographers
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/oct07_thenewpornographers.htm

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2007-09-01T17:00:00.000-05:00

The September issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. This issue marks the magazine's 4th anniversary of being in publication. In addition to show previews for the month of September, the issue also serves as a guide to the 2007 Hideout Block Party. I have contributed 2 write-ups: The Changes and Wilco.

Please click on the links below to be directed to the pages for:

The Changes
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/sep07_hideout.htm

Wilco
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/sep07_previewA.htm

*Once on the page, be sure to scroll up & down to locate the write-up.

For those living in and around Chicago, the print copy of the magazine will include a special post-Lollapalooza review.

Enjoy!

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2007-08-01T15:00:00.000-05:00

The August issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. This month's issue serves as a complete guide to the 2007 Lollapalooza festival. I have contributed 3 write-ups: Elvis Perkins In Dearland, the Polyphonic Spree, and Pearl Jam.

Please click on the links below to be directed to the pages for:

Elvis Perkins In Dearland
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/aug07_previewA.htm

The Polyphonic Spree
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/aug07_previewC.htm

Pearl Jam
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/aug07_previewU.htm

*Once on the page, be sure to scroll up & down to locate the write-up.

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2007-07-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

The July issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. This month's issue spotlights the upcoming Pitchfork Music Festival (7/13-15) and Wicker Park Fest (7/28-29). I have contributed 3 write-ups: Califone, Stephen Malkmus, and Oh My God.

Please click on the links below to be sent to the specific page for...

Califone
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jul07_pitchforkB.htm

Stephen Malkmus
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jul07_pitchforkH.htm

Oh My God
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jul07_wickerB.htm

Enjoy!

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2007-06-01T16:30:00.000-05:00

The June issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. I have contributed a write-up on Feist. Follow the direct link to read the article:

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/june07_previewE.htm

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2007-05-01T15:45:00.000-05:00

The May issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online.

Go to the LINKS field to gain direct access.

Extra! Extra!

2007-04-01T18:00:00.000-05:00

The April issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. I have contributed the cover story on the Decemberists. Follow the direct link to read the article:

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/apr07_decemberists.htm

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2007-03-01T15:00:00.000-06:00

The March issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. I have contributed a write-up on Neko Case. Follow the direct link to read the article:

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/mar07_previewE.htm

Enjoy!

Extra! Extra!

2007-02-02T16:00:00.000-06:00

The February issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online.

Go to the LINKS field to gain direct access.

Extra! Extra!

2007-01-01T21:00:00.000-06:00

The January issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. I have contributed a write-up on Chicago group Plane. Follow the direct link to read the article:

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jan07_previewB.htm

And as a special feature to the "print" version of the magazine, I have contributed to the Top 6 Albums of 2006 piece. For those who can not pick up a copy of the magazine, I have re-printed my list for Getting In Tune.

Enjoy!

Top 6 Albums Of 2006

2007-01-01T20:59:00.000-06:00

1. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife (Capitol)

In a time of fast-paced multimedia consumption that grows faster with each second, it's fairly easy for the gems of solid songwriting and marvelous storytelling to go unnoticed. By now, it's not hard to notice the steady rise of the Decemberists. Singer/songwriter Colin Meloy's ability to draw from a world long past and bring it to the present seems almost effortless.

2. Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 - Ole! Tarantula (Yep Roc)

Leading off with "Adventure Rocket Ship", Robyn Hitchcock brilliantly nails the psychedelic-pop sound of the '60s with members of R.E.M. serving as his backing band. The diversity of styles throughout Ole! Tarantula makes it an album with everything; from the country touch on the title track to the sneering swagger of "The Authority Box."

3. Robert Pollard - From A Compound Eye (Merge)

It feels like it was just yesterday when Guided By Voices drunkenly bid farewell at Metro on a New Year's Eve that many are still trying to sober up from. The band is no more, but Robert Pollard remains. From A Compound Eye consistently hits the mark, which is saying a lot since past Pollard efforts tended to resemble erratic EKG readings.

4. Elf Power - Back To The Web (Rykodisc)

Menacing, haunting, and beautiful. Back To The Web is like some long walk through the forest at night; there's a peacefulness about it all, but tension reaches for your ankles when you least expect it.

5. Paul Weller - Catch-Flame! (Yep Roc)

Paul Weller was in top form while touring for his latest solo album As Is Now (2005). Spotlighting a show in London near the end of that tour, 2006's live album Catch-Flame! dishes out the jam from every era of Weller's career with a sheer excitement that never lets up.

6. The Who - Endless Wire (Universal)

Thought to be their most magnificent album since 1973's Quadrophenia and 1975's The Who By Numbers, Endless Wire marks the end of a 24-year creative drought from Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey as The Who. Whether or not Endless Wire would have been a more interesting album with just Townshend on acoustic guitar and Daltrey taking a break from his bare-chested bravado is anyone's guess.

*This list is re-printed from the January 2007 issue of Chicago Innerview for use on Getting In Tune. Chris Castaneda is a contributing writer to the magazine and author of this list.

Extra! Extra!

2006-11-01T18:30:00.000-06:00

The November issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. I have contributed a feature article on the German group Mouse On Mars. Follow the direct link to read the article:

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/nov06_mouseonmars.htm

*Expect updates this weekend on Getting In Tune.

Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins @ Vic Theatre (10/4/06)

2006-10-05T19:00:00.000-05:00

Every artist reaches a point of transition, but who knew that for Jenny Lewis it would take singing twins and some acoustic guitars to make that happen? The lead singer of Rilo Kiley returned to Chicago in support of her solo debut Rabbit Fur Coat, showing off how much she’s grown in the seven months since her last performance at Park West.

In March, Lewis was the unproven “solo artist,” taking the stage with her backing band and decked out in an outfit taken straight from Loretta Lynn’s closet. As much as the spotlight was on Lewis, it was really about the collection of songs that shed new light onto a performer known mostly for her sweet pop voice, girl-next-door good looks and acting career as a young girl in the 80s. But Lewis succeeded that night by proving to many in the audience that she was more of a presence with substance than just a vessel for sound.

Those that nearly filled the Vic Theatre were treated to a show that not only raised the bar a bit from Lewis’ previous visit but also showcased new songs that were teasingly flavored with mischief…and Vegas, honky-tonk fun?

Gone was the Loretta Lynn look that completely covered Lewis at Park West. Instead, Lewis appeared from the shadows in a sleek, black dress, which had many in the audience cheering. It was as if Lewis suddenly became the Audrey Hepburn of rock ‘n’ roll. As her voice carried throughout the theatre, it wasn’t the sensuality that Lewis was displaying that jumped out the most—it was the confidence. “The Big Guns” and “The Charging Sky” stomped with a new found purpose to the road worn songs.

Halfway through the show, Lewis and the Watson twins (Chandra and Leigh) left the stage while the band played on during the standard “Let’s introduce the band” jam. If the elegant black dresses worn by Lewis and the twins weren’t enough, then the Vegas-styled glimmering outfits the ladies re-appeared in certainly shook the roof of the Vic. Lewis now entered her Tina Turner phase. With the crowd roaring, Lewis became a whole other performer as she strutted out some dance moves with the Watson twins and sang with a flirtatious wink in her eye.

New songs, “Fernando,” “Jack Killed Mom,” “Acid Tone” and “Carpetbagger” (possible working titles), gave a glimpse of what might be in the works for Lewis’ follow-up album. The songs were lively in their catchiness, soulful, and took an entirely different road from the country-esque path that Rabbit Fur Coat cruised. The band held an extra sense of excitement as they really let loose with songs still finding their footing on stage. The latest material was enough to inject much-needed life to a show that could have easily become a mirror image of Lewis’ show at Park West in March.

As the encore opened, Lewis stood alone with an acoustic guitar strapped across her shoulder. The angelic songwriter under the white light stepped to the microphone and almost whispered the opening lines to the title track of Rabbit Fur Coat. Verse after verse, the crowd stood in a hush as they hung on every word Lewis sang, as if listening for clues to solve some mystery.

By the time Lewis and company hit the final note to the Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle With Care,” the house lights came up and fans slowly accepted the disappointment that the show had reached its end. It was another night in the books for Lewis, but the look on her face as she departed the stage was enough to suggest that it’s just the beginning for Lewis…it’s just the beginning.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Extra! Extra!

2006-10-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

The October issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. I have contributed a special feature piece for the issue, which focuses on entertainment lawyer Jay B. Ross and the issue of digital royalties.

This feature piece is ONLY available in the print version of the magazine. I will scan the article soon and make it available here on Getting In Tune for those who live outside of Chicago.

Poi Dog Pondering @ Metro (9/29/06)

2006-09-30T18:00:00.000-05:00

Metro owner Joe Shanahan called the evening a “love fest” as he stood on stage beckoning Poi Dog Pondering to play one more encore, rallying the support of the audience still buzzing from the two hour plus show they just experienced.

For Shanahan to ignore the scheduled show time and demand an extra set, you know Poi Dog Pondering hit one of their grooves that take the band on another musical plane. In close to twenty years, Poi Dog Pondering has made it a habit of putting on performances that not only marvel audiences, but also find a way to go an extra mile to make something special. The band’s loyal fans made it a sold-out affair at Metro on Friday night, packing every inch of the club, leaving enough elbow room for dancing and drinks.

Poi Dog Pondering has been working on a follow-up to their 2003 album In Seed Comes Fruit and received some well-deserved recognition by being chosen to be one of the top acts to represent the Chicago music scene at this summer’s Lollapalooza fest in Grant Park.

In their first major local performance since then, singer Frank Orrall and company were all smiles as they each took to their stage positions. Guitarist Dag Juhlin strapped on his Fender Stratocaster and soon the trippy, water drop opening to “Pomegranate” cast out over the crowd. Orrall’s voice lurked throughout Metro while violinist Susan Voelz served as a beacon of light under the dim blue lighting, her violin strings sounding like some setting sun in the great distance.

The biggest surprise of the night was the number of new songs the band threw into the set, making up the bulk of the show. There was a sense of liberation to the band’s performance as the night went on. Juhlin would jack hammer his guitar into his amplifier during solos or stand at the edge of the stage, sending his right arm into Townshend-esque windmills. Bassist Ron Hall and current drummer Dan Leali locked gears and gave the band a pulse that intensified with every beat.

Songs like “Sticky” and “Butterfly” were direct in their song structures, and not as orchestrated as previous songs in the band’s backlog. “Candy (Rock Candy)” and “Supertarana” pumped with a brashness that hasn’t really been heard much from the band since perhaps the songs of Volo Volo (1992). “We’re going to start recording on Monday, so, we better get this shit right,” laughed Orrall as the band missed a cue to another new tune. Perhaps the two best Poi Dog Pondering songs in years followed another in the set. “Space Dust” must have come out of listening to plenty of Pink Floyd, a touch of Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and post-Ok Computer era Radiohead because it was not a song the average fan would expect to come out of a band like Poi Dog Pondering, a band that developed its organic, folk pop, soul infused melodies from the ground up. If “Space Dust” took you past the rings of Saturn, then the song that followed—possibly called “Satellite”—took you outside the Milky Way.

The night proved to be a test, not just to those in the crowd who came to hear the usual show stoppers like “Complicated” (like the woman standing next to me who seemed would have rioted if the band didn’t play the song), but to the band. After recycling what has been the general set list for the past 3 years and maintaining a stable band lineup for even longer, it was time for the band members to challenge themselves again and really open a new door.

As Orrall, Juhlin, and Volez converged to centerstage to share vocals on the climactic “Bury Me Deep,” there was an energy on stage that hadn’t been felt before, something that felt unfamiliar, yet positive. It was that X-factor, the thing you can’t quite put your finger on but know is there right in your face. Maybe everyone who stayed until the final note faded got a friendly reminder that in this life anything is possible. For Poi Dog Pondering, it was a show that made a statement, that after twenty years the possibilities are still limitless.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Extra! Extra!

2006-09-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

The September issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online. This month also marks the 3rd anniversary of the magazine.

I have contributed a write-up on Elf Power and some words for the special wrap up of Lollapalooza 2006.

The latest issue of Chicago Innerview serves as a guide to the Hideout's 10th Anniversary Block Party, which will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Touch and Go Records. Also check out the Hideout's website for the FINAL schedule of the three day party, along with ticket information.

Happy anniversary to the good people at the Hideout, Touch and Go Records, and Chicago Innerview.

In The Crowd

2006-08-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

Lollapalooza 2006 has wrapped up its 3 day residency in Chicago. It was 3 days of lots of music, lots of people, and lots of walking.

Here are a few choice shots taken throughtout Grant Park.

Guitarist Dag Juhlin of Poi Dog Pondering.

Poi Dog Pondering hits the stage.

The wild rock 'n' roll circus of the Flaming Lips.

Wilco returns home.

All Photos Taken By: Chris Castaneda

Extra! Extra!

2006-08-01T19:30:00.000-05:00

Time to get back to business!

Getting In Tune has been on hiatus for the past month. For those you have been checking the site for new material, sorry things were quiet around here but I appreciate your interest. Yes, there will be a review of the Radiohead/Auditorium Theatre show from June, as well as my review of Athfest 2006 in Athens, Georgia.

Since it's a brand new month, how about a brand new issue of Chicago Innerview? This month's issue is THE guide to the upcoming Lollapalooza festival, which is taking place here in Chicago from August 4-6. I have contributed write-ups on Poi Dog Pondering, 30 Seconds To Mars, Panic! At The Disco, Catfish Haven, and the Secret Machines.

In addition, Getting In Tune will be strolling the backstages of Lollapalooza as well as bouncing with the crowds throughout Grant Park. A massive report will follow which will include coverage from the fest and late night club shows happening after the fest.

Check back soon!

*On a funny note: The cover of Chicago Innerview uses a photo taken from last year's Lollapalooza. If you happen to grab a copy, you'll spot me wearing the floppy hat in the photo pit looking up at Perry Ferrell.

Extra! Extra!

2006-07-01T18:30:00.000-05:00

The July issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online.

This month's issue serves as a guide to the 2006 Pitchfork Music Festival (July 29-30). I have contributed write-ups on The Futureheads, Glenn Kotche, and the Jeff Parker-Nels Cline Quartet. I have also contributed a feature article on The Futureheads.

Here are direct links to the pages containing these articles (be sure to scroll down to spot my write-up pieces on each page):

The Futureheads (Feature):
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jul06_futureheads.htm

The Futureheads (Write-Up):
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jul06_previewD.htm

Jeff Parker/Nels Cline Quartet (Write-Up):
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jul06_previewF.htm

Glenn Kotche (Write-Up):
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jul06_previewI.htm

*Coming soon are late additions to Getting In Tune, which include reviews of Radiohead at the Auditorium Theatre (6/20) and coverage of AthFest in Athens, GA during a recent vacation.

In The Crowd

2006-06-03T06:30:00.000-05:00

Before embarking on a summer tour, John Stirratt and Pat Sansone took time away from Wilco to perform as their band Autumn Defense for a Friday night at Schubas.

Along with drummer Greg Wiz, the trio soothed the packed audience with their '70s folk bliss and pitch perfect harmonies.

The trio also filled their hour-long set with new material from their upcoming third album, which is set for release in October.

Even more buzz than the band's next album was the news about Stirratt adding the title of "newlywed" next to "singer/songwriter/bassist/guitarist".

Photo Taken At Schubas (6/2/2006) By Chris Castaneda

Extra! Extra!

2006-06-02T13:30:00.000-05:00

The June issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online.

I have contributed write-ups on the Stills and We Are Scientists. I have also contributed a feature piece on the Stills. The core of the issue focuses on the upcoming Intonation Fest (June 24 & 25).

Here are direct links to the pages containing these articles:

The Stills (Feature):
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jun06_stills.htm

The Stills (Write-Up):
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jun06_intonationB.htm

We Are Scientists (Write-Up):
http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/jun06_previewB.htm

Pearl Jam @ United Center (5/17/2006)

2006-05-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

Allow this writer to speak from the first person for this particular review…

I was just ten years old when Pearl Jam’s first album Ten was released. Up to that point music had always been a part of my life but it hadn’t yet become my life. When Pearl Jam began its rise as one of the biggest rock bands in the world I began to listen more closely…but I kept missing the shows. I had my chances to see Pearl Jam in 1994 at the old Chicago Stadium (tickets became available at the last minute but I had no ride) and then the following year at Soldier Field (the same day as a family BBQ). It wasn’t until the 1998 show at the United Center—the sports arena that replaced Chicago Stadium—that I was able to finally see the band in concert.

Pearl Jam’s back-to-back nights at the United Center (5/16 & 5/17) marked the first time since 1994 that the band extended its stay in Chicago. The mini-residency in Chicago must have felt like being back in Seattle for the band. Grey skies, on-and-off rain, hail, brisk winds and very little sun blanketed Chicago. It was just the seventh show on the first leg of the band’s world tour in support of its latest self-titled album Pearl Jam (J Records), an album that debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts.

It would seem a new page has been turned in Pearl Jam’s career. The band split ways with Epic Records after having spent over 15 years there and supplying multi-platinum albums for the label. Instead of re-signing with Epic, the Seattle-based quintet opted for J Records, a subsidiary label under the RCA Music Group umbrella. Industry giant Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records, created the relatively young J Records in 2000. The 74-year-old Davis has often been criticized for having less of a music ear and more of a business ear. Simply put, he’s made a career of discovering the blandest music that could be easily packaged and processed for the consumer. He was greatly responsible for Carlos Santana’s comeback album Supernatural (1999). Had he been in the studio with George Martin and the Beatles in 1966 while making Revolver, he probably would have told the band to be less experimental with their sound and record songs that were more like “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” So, why would Pearl Jam associate itself with a man more interested in sculpting the careers of American Idol winners? Business.

It wasn’t a question if the band’s two United Center shows would sell out, but how fast they might sell. Clive Davis certainly doesn’t have to convince people to come out to a Pearl Jam show, but he might have had a hand in securing a deal with Ticketmaster to provide the option to purchase the new album along with your concert ticket. Hmmm? In the current issue of Chicago Innerview, I wrote a concert write-up on the band’s Chicago dates. Just as people have a right to question their elected officials, fans have every right to question the artist they have invested time and money in. My $15.99 may not have provided a roof over Eddie Vedder’s head or a new Gibson SG double-neck guitar to satisfy the Jimmy Page fan within Mike McCready but it definitely hasn’t hurt the end of the year figures. I did something I never did before, either among friends or in print—I criticized the band.

The point I tried to make was that I felt Pearl Jam had gone as far as the guitar-bass-drums formula could take it and that change was needed. “It’s easy to meet expectations when it comes to stadium rock,” I said in the article. “The question is whether or not Pearl Jam has unknowingly slipped into the corner of aging rock band fighting the keep the fire alive.”

The double-album Live At Benaroya Hall was a breath of fresh air. Released in 2004, the album captures the band’s mostly all-acoustic show on October 22, 2003 at a Seattle symphony hall. Pearl Jam toyed with the idea of incorporating an acoustic set into its shows during the 2003 tour for Riot Act. One such show took place in Mansfield, MA on July 11, 2003 when the band made the first half of the show a 12-song acoustic set. Couldn’t the band take a break from the arenas and pick up the acoustic guitars instead of giving fans the rock show they’ve come to expect from the band? Wouldn’t the band performing acoustically make for a more interesting show at this point in its career? Well, I guess not.

So, when I walked into the United Center for Wednesday night’s performance, I was a little nervous. I found the new album, Pearl Jam, to be musically lazy after I purchased it weeks prior to the concert. From the band’s hit single “World Wide Suicide” to “Gone,” there’s not one song that doesn’t feel as if it were written during sleep. Some critics declared the album a return to form, harking back to the days of Ten. But to a band that has been more focused on moving forward than recycling itself, wouldn’t these reviews be cause for concern?

I stood in the photo pit has the band ripped into 3 straight songs off the new album (“Severed Hand,” “World Wide Suicide,” “Life Wasted”). Guitarist Stone Gossard showed some teeth as he attacked the riffs behind “Life Wasted.” The whole band stormed the audience with a level of force it lacked the last time it was under the United Center roof in 2003. Then as I moved to my seat I watched a band that clearly knew it was going to have an amazing night.

“So, this is Chicago. Night Two,” said Vedder to the roaring audience. “This was the night we were looking forward to.”

During “1/2 Full,” Vedder took his guitar and transformed it into a spotlight as he angled the guitar to reflect the stage lights onto the crowd. Along with “I Am Mine,” Pearl Jam gave these two Riot Act songs new life, beefed up with a crushing sound. Although the energy was there for new songs like “Inside Job” and “Marker In The Sand,” what came across was how these songs ranked slightly below their predecessors. If anything, the latest material that Pearl Jam brought to the stage worked better there than on record; it’s the old “Better live than on the album” criticism. The pace never deteriorated, but the crowd’s allegiance would sort of pause until the next song. It was almost like the crowd was politely saying to the new material, “Yeah, good song, guys. By any chance is ‘Brain Of J’ next?”

Saying it was a transcendent night might be stretching it a bit, but Pearl Jam made me eat my words with the show they put on. As Vedder picked the opening notes to “Betterman,” the crowd sang in unison the song’s intro, the verse and chorus filling up every corner of the United Center. I stood there and smiled because I realized how special little moments like that are at a concert of this size.

As the first encore began, Pearl Jam delivered a couple of gems like the haunting “Footsteps” and possibly the best version of “Alive” I’ve ever heard the band perform. The outro to “Alive” has often fueled some fantastic jams by the band with McCready test-driving new guitar solos. But the outro became the song’s climax and the crowd recognized the moment. On every beat drummer Matt Cameron slammed on his snare drum, the fans thrust their fists as one while shouting “Yeah!” The arena lights would brightly flash on cue with the crowd’s actions. It was a sea of fists rising to the air. Vedder, who was facing the back of the stage, turned and laughed at what had been going on behind him. Suddenly the showman became the fan as he stepped up to his microphone to follow the crowd’s lead by throwing his fist into the air.

Surprises weren’t limited to the setlist. Fans were treated to a fun rendition of the Wayne Cochran song “Last Kiss,” which the band made popular as a single for the benefit album No Boundaries (1999). Vedder managed to sneak his way to the soundboard area near the back of the arena and sing from the station. The delay between his voice and the band back on the stage was noticeable, but they managed to keep the song together. “We like to play this one for special occasions,” said Vedder before the band unveiled the Mother Love Bone song “Crown Of Thorns,” a song Vedder admitted Pearl Jam had never performed at previous shows in Chicago.

In what have become standard closing numbers to a Pearl Jam show, Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World” and “Yellow Ledbetter” put the final touches on a night that lived up to the band’s stage reputation and set me straight about the band trying to keep the musical fire burning. Vedder, the Evanston native, would still lose himself in his apelike go-go dancing; McCready and Gossard are still a formidable guitar duo; and Cameron and bassist Jeff Ament maintain their rhythm section dominance. Keyboardist Boom Kasper had a more limited role this time around than on the 2003 tour, but his contributions never went unnoticed.

So, where was I wrong?

After Wednesday’s performance, I’m left to wonder if Pearl Jam’s brilliance on stage is reason enough for the band to go on being an unstoppable monster rock band or if I’m being selfish in hoping that one of my favorite bands takes the chance to do something different with its show. Can a Pearl Jam show ever become typical?

I’ll still stand by my opinion about Pearl Jam, but I have to appreciate the fact that after all these years Pearl Jam can still walk onto a stage and release a sound that won’t ever be replicated again.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Play Or Nay

2006-05-17T15:30:00.000-05:00

Cheap Trick - All Shook Up (Epic/Legacy)

Between 1977 and 1979, the pride of Rockford, Illinois known as Cheap Trick released five albums: the band’s self-titled debut Cheap Trick (1977), In Color (1977), Heaven Tonight (1978), the monumental live album At Budokan (1979), and Dream Police (1979). An album run such as this is rarely ever seen in today’s music world, especially if the albums are artistically solid. The closest to this might be R.E.M. between 1982 and 1988 with seven consecutive album releases.

But for as many hits Cheap Trick has achieved over the course of thirty years they have also experienced its fair share of misses, both in the music business and on record. During the '80s and '90s, the band barely saw success. Of the eight albums they released during that period, only twice did the band score commercially with gold (500,000 copies) and platinum sales (1,000,000 copies); the band also performed the instrumental track “Mighty Wings” for the movie Top Gun. What truly suffered the most was the band’s creative juices, showing an inconsistency of artistic edge buried in a sea of mediocrity. But if there had to be a choice of which album in Cheap Trick’s catalog took the most chances musically and pushed the band’s songwriting abilities to the peak, it would have to be the band’s fifth album, 1980’s All Shook Up.

Up to this point, Cheap Trick had only worked with two producers: Jack Douglas and Tom Werman. Douglas, known for his work with Aerosmith, tried to capture Cheap Trick’s road seasoned live sound while bringing out the band’s Beatle-esque pop sensibilities on the group’s 1977 debut. After Douglas, Epic Records assigned producer Tom Werman to the band. Werman sought to polish the band for radio play while sacrificing the band’s raw power. There always seemed to be a division created by Werman behind the producer’s chair: Cheap Trick as the studio band and Cheap Trick as the live band. Then came producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick into the picture.

It was almost fate that the famed producer of every Beatles album should partner up with Cheap Trick. No other rock band at that time in the late ‘70s harnessed the melodic colorfulness and pop arrangements of the Beatles the way Cheap Trick did. Martin and Emerick (engineer on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band) helped lead Cheap Trick to their full artistic potential; guitarist and principle songwriter Rick Nielsen had the space to really flex his muscle as a songsmith; Robin Zander continued his climb as one of the most identifiable voices in rock music, and the rhythm section of bassist Tom Petersson and drummer Bun E. Carlos was superb.

Opening with “Stop This Game,” Cheap Trick pays homage to The Beatles with the sound of a piano drone fading in as the song builds, the same sort of drone The Beatles used to fade out with on “A Day In The Life” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Zander’s voice carries above the drone before stepping aside for slicing violin strings and Carlos’ sharp hits on the drums. Petersson’s bass parts flow as Martin gives his bass some color reminiscent of Paul McCartney’s work on The Beatles’ single “Rain.” Nielsen plays it simple with little flash as he crunches along on his guitar. Going one step further is the sinister “Just Got Back.” Carlos takes center stage as he is surrounded by 24 tracks of percussion parts. It’s a drummer friendly song that John Bonham and Keith Moon would have signed up to play on. If ever Nielsen wrote a song that recaptures the “they’re-coming-to-get-me” attitude of “Dream Police,” then “Just Got Back” would be the song. “Baby Loves To Rock” borrows a bit from Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That A Shame” but with the maximum R&B muscle of The Who.

An aspect of the band that often is under-appreciated is Cheap Trick’s way with arrangements. Without the right arrangement for a song, then details like a chorus or verse simply won’t work. In this sense, Martin and Cheap Trick made a perfect pair. On “Can’t Stop It But I’m Gonna Try,” Zander howls and seethes with the venom of a lover fighting obsession. Nielsen hits his mark with “World’s Greatest Lover.” Zander adopts his best John Lennon voice and delivers a fantastic performance, while Nielsen crafts one of the finest guitar solos of his career (some portions later pop up in “Mighty Wings”).

“High Priest Of Rhythmic Noise” would contend to be one of the earliest examples of industrial rock. The distorted effects over the lead vocals create a robotic vibe to the song that any Atari fan at the time would have appreciated. Nielsen credits the death of AC/DC singer Bon Scott as the inspiration to “Love Comes A-Tumblin’ Down.” The song is a fitting tribute to a band and a singer that Cheap Trick often applauded. Nielsen’s fiery solo is a nice nod to schoolboy-dressed guitarist Angus Young. “I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends” combines the best of Lynrd Skynrd and The Faces. The song’s title and chorus plays on Nielsen’s wit to always add a twist inside a song. The band bashes out the tune as if they were back playing at some dive bar in the Midwest.

Cheap Trick literally uses every trick in the book on the frantic riff fest “Go For The Throat (Use Your Own Imagination).” According to Nielsen in the October 1996 issue of Guitar World, “That song would have been tricky even for Rush to execute properly!” Here was another example where Martin’s experience benefited the band. Said Nielsen in the same interview, “George (Martin) really pushed us to go the extra mile in our songwriting, arranging and playing. For example, we never would have attempted a song as complex as ‘Go For The Throat’ without his encouragement.”

All Shook Up closes not with a swift knockout punch but with a laugh. “Who D’King” is the band’s “Yellow Submarine,” a ridiculously good time where Cheap Trick busts out into a conga line. The song adds some tongue-in-cheek flavor to an album hell bent on being the best rock album it can be, and without a little nonsense thrown in it wouldn’t live up to what a Cheap Trick album is all about.

The fact the band managed to keep it together while bassist Tom Petersson had his eye on leaving Cheap Trick (which he did following the album’s completion) is a testament to the band’s survival instincts. Although the band would reach commercial highs with 1982’s One On One and 1988’s Lap Of Luxury, All Shook Up remains to be the last Cheap Trick album that was consistent with its artistic mission.

Secret Machines @ Metro (5/13/2006)

2006-05-15T18:00:00.000-05:00

For many standing in line outside Metro at 10:30pm, their Saturday night really hadn’t begun. While others headed towards the local bars up and down N. Clark St. these people waited in the unseasonably chilly May weather to see one of rock music’s up-and-coming talents known as the Secret Machines.

The New York-based band arrived in Chicago supporting its new album Ten Silver Drops (Reprise), an album that explores the band’s melodic touch and steps back from the bombastic wall of sound heard on its acclaimed 2004 debut Now Here Is Nowhere (Reprise). On this sophomore attempt by the Secret Machines, Ten Silver Drops pushes the band’s songwriting to the forefront, an aspect that has developed nicely, merging the traditional pop song mentality, the trip factor of psychedelic rock, and the hard rock assault.

By 12:06am, the three-piece band—consisting of Josh Garza, and brothers Brandon and Ben Curtis—appeared out of the darkness and headed towards their respective instruments. There was something mythical about the band as their silhouettes stood on stage. Filling the air were these swirling organ notes, bunched together, like musical tidal waves crashing into one another and taking shape as the opening song “Alone, Jealous and Stoned.” Brandon Curtis’ hushed voice swept the crowd, while the storming presence of drummer Josh Garza added weight to his performance behind the keyboard. And in the middle of the two was guitarist Ben Curtis meticulously picking his notes, working back and forth from his many effects panels. The great care given to the song’s details was unmistakable.

The song gave way to a surge of synthesized guitar notes building up into “The Road Leads Where It’s Led.” The transition was like floating in space only to be rocked by a supernova. The sight of Garza’s bass drum steadily beating looked as if it would burst at any moment. The song would rise as Brandon and Ben Curtis joined together for the refrain. As if possessed by the words, the brothers’ voices led the anthem of “Blowing all the other kids away” with the crowd.

Few words were said by any member of the band, either among themselves or to the crowd. To many whom have watched the band live, they know the Secret Machines are not the most talkative band with a crowd. For some, this may come off as being distant, but to others that see past this minor detail of showmanship it is the band’s collective performance that matters the most. In this regard, the Secret Machines were flat out flawless.

The band’s set ran for an hour and a half, but it was still enough time for the band to live up to its reputation as a powerful force on stage. Songs such as “Pharaoh’s Daughter” and “Daddy’s In The Doldrums” provided all the pyschedelia one could want. Pulled from the 2005 EP for “The Road Leads Where It’s Led,” the Secret Machines almost demolished the Metro stage with by far its deadliest up-tempo song called “Better Bring Your Friends.” How that song didn’t make the cut for either album is anyone’s guess. The warm melodies that filled “Lightning Blue Eyes” from Ten Silver Drops exemplified the band’s strengthened sense of injecting pop elements into its mammoth sound.

After a riveting performance of the band’s most notable single, “Nowhere Again,” the band took a break that probably lasted no more than five minutes before returning for an encore. As if really wanting to go for the crowd’s throat, the Secret Machines saved its best punches for last. The uninhibited performances of “Sad And Lonely” and “First Wave Intact” unlocked every facet of the trio’s ferocity. Garza reduced his drumsticks into tinder, probably to later serve as candles to celebrate his birthday. Ben Curtis was a sonic wizard with his guitar, and his physicality on stage really channeled the spirit of the band’s music. Then there was singer Brandon Curtis, a voice deserving to be recognized. His vocals would creep up behind you like some mysterious stalker or stand tall with conviction.

Without the music, the night would have been merely filled with an impressive light show and a smoke machine that emitted a maple syrup scent in the air. Any doubts that band could not live up to the expectations created by Now Here Is Nowhere were eradicated. The night belonged to the Secret Machines.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Office @ Schubas (5/2 & 5/8/2006)

2006-05-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

Once in a while, you might catch a band performing at the local club that you haven’t seen before or know much about, and you’ll leave the show on some incredible high like you’ve just solved the meaning of life. You depart the club so impressed with what you witnessed that you begin to think, “That’s a band that deserves a fifteen year career!” For the Chicago-based band Office, this scenario would ring loudly as true.

On May 2, the four-piece band took up residency at Schubas, which will house the band on every Monday for the rest of the month as part of the club’s “Practice Space” series. Comprised of Scott Masson (lead singer/guitar), Alissa Noonan (bass), Erica Corniel (drums/vocals), and Tom Smith (guitar/vocals), Office is progress in motion.

Listening to the band on stage a number of possible influences come to mind. Elements of Cheap Trick, The Church, New Order, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Echo and The Bunnymen, and R.E.M. all seem to swim in this perfect harmony that comes across as being more a fresh spin than being flat out derivative. Guitarists Masson and Smith at times channel the sonic touches of Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) and Peter Buck (R.E.M.). Bassist Alissa Noonan and drummer Erica Corniel lock gears and provide Office with a steady, pulsing dance groove underneath the guitar waves.

The band’s image on stage is just as engaging as the music. In this department, they borrow a page out of Cheap Trick’s book that even guitarist Rick Nielsen would tip his baseball cap to. Wearing business clothes the four members may look like extras in the movie Office Space, but the look plays as a fun novelty to the overall presentation. Office delivers a full package made up of deliciously arranged pop songs and lively imagery with a sense of humor (the band also incorporates one or two women on stage to act as secretaries complete with typewriters).

Building on the buzz of its self-released album Q&A and a successful spot at this year’s South By Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas, Office is winning over audiences, one show at a time…you know…the old school way. There’s no hip music video to show on MTV’s Subterranean to get the word out there about the band nor is there some major record label putting its money behind Office to succeed on a grand mainstream level. This is a grassroots band that was conceptualized in 2000 by Masson while studying abroad in London.

Designing art sculptures inspired by the typical business environment of the office, Masson took the office theme and translated it into music. The result was an album recorded by Masson called Office. What followed a year later was The Ice Tea Boys and the Lemonade Girls, which Masson recorded with friends in Chicago as a full band effort. By 2005, Office became a reality.

The band’s first night at Schubas was a tease. Although the show was solid from start to finish, there was a hovering feeling that Office had something else up its sleeve. Sure enough, the following week the band stepped up even higher, playing with boosted confidence. The look in their eyes was that of a band thirsty to put on a great show. The excitement was there from the beginning as concertgoers directly in front of the stage broke out in dance. Once again working from material off of Q&A, songs like “Oh My” and “Wound Up” had hips shaking along with every beat. Dance partners locked hands for a friendly sway to the Chicago love tale on the CTA Blue Line train called “Until 6pm.” The packed room responded not only with their approving cheers but also with their energy, fueling Office throughout the show.

Masson could be as sweet as he could be menacing behind the microphone, occasionally breaking away and entering these robotic convulsions. Noonan would shyly avoid eye contact with the crowd, either focusing on her play or staring off at her surroundings. But she would offer assurances that she was in fact having a good time by smiling to audience praise directed at her or by dancing along to the music she and her bandmates were performing.

Smith was the type of guitarist that you want to seek out after the show to have a couple laughs or, if you happen to play guitar, would want to join him on stage and play cover songs of The Who and The Cars. The smallest member of the band happens to also be the biggest member as the band’s drummer. Corniel goes by the book on the drums but she’s no pushover. If your head became her snare drum, she would beat it in pretty damn good.

All these characteristics together make up a band that you wouldn’t want to take your eyes off of or miss a single note. Office will complete its Schubas residency on May 22. Plans are also being finalized for the band to appear at this year’s Lollapalooza, a festival already packed with some of the best representatives of Chicago’s diverse music scene like Wilco, Kanye West, Common, Poi Dog Pondering, The M’s, Cameron McGill, and The Redwalls.

For more information on Office, check out the band's website: http://www.reachoffice.com

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda
(1st & 2nd Photos Taken 5/8 - 3rd Photo Taken 5/2)

Extra! Extra!

2006-05-01T01:30:00.000-05:00

The May issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online.

I have contributed a write-up on Pearl Jam. Here is a direct link to the page:

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/may06_previewC.htm

Scroll down the page to find the write-up.

The Sounds @ Metro (4/20/2006)

2006-04-21T21:00:00.000-05:00

Attitude and swagger are two ingredients to a good rock ‘n’ roll band. Relying on just those two elements isn’t enough to survive on unless there are engaging songs to back up the talk.

The Sounds made their Chicago return for an all ages show at Metro to the tune of Journey’s ‘70s hit “Don’t Stop Believing.” For better or for worse, the song has a rejuvenated life in Chicago since being associated with the Chicago White Sox and their run for baseball’s World Series title last year. Whoever made the decision to use the song as the band’s introduction should have considered the fact that just a few steps south of Metro is Wrigley Field—the home of the Chicago Cubs. You can give the Swedish band some credit for trying to tap into the city’s sports scene; they certainly aim to please.

To the all ages crowd that was squeezing and elbowing to get a little closer to the stage, it didn’t matter if it were Journey or the 1985 Chicago Bears performing the “Super Bowl Shuffle” over the club speakers; they came to experience the rock ‘n’ roll they’ve come to accept from the Sounds.

The 5-piece band ripped through a set that lasted just under an hour and a half. Every note played and every move made by the band was simply eaten up by the crowd. Even the banter of lead singer Maja Ivarsson worked the crowd up; she must have gotten equal applause for the number of times she snarled “Fuck” to the crowd as she did singing. She was a fitting image of the stereotypical female Swedish goddess to every man and woman inside Metro. She combined the glamour and toughness of Blondie’s Deborah Harry with the prowling stage presence of the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger.

The band’s creative growth may not have taken a massive leap forward between their debut Living In America (2003) and their latest Dying to Say This to You, but they have become better at fusing the raw power of punk and pop chorus hooks with grinding dance grooves on stage; that alone is one of their best musical strengths. In that regard, the Sounds were on top of their game at Metro. New songs like "Queen of Apology" and "24 Hours"
opened the night with furious enthusiasm. Ivarsson showed no fear as she dove into the crowd during “Living In America.” The band kept the show’s pace on high with each song and gave no indication of slowing down. This was evident when the band performed “Night After Night” from Dying to Say This to You. On record, the song appears as two versions: the first as a slow, piano driven take and the other as an up-tempo hidden bonus track. The band opted to perform the “rock” version of the song instead. Proving there was still plenty of kick to their older songs, the Sounds shook up matters even more with vibrant renditions of “Seven Days A Week” and “Hope You’re Happy Now.”

During the show’s encore, the Sounds reached their peak at just the right time. With a three-song punch of “Dance With Me,” “Fire,” and “Ego,” the band delivered the goods and a set designed to keep the body moving. The Sounds might be a one trick pony (god only knows rock music today has plenty of those types of bands), but it’s the band’s persistent desire to maintain a sense of fun for themselves and their music that deserves applause.

What was perhaps the best moment of the night didn’t occur during the show but afterwards. As the crowd left Metro, a family of four huddled off to the side of the dance floor near the back, waiting for their chance to merge with the traffic of people. The parents held their young children close to them, their kids appearing to be between the ages of 10 and 12. All four had looks of shock and confusion. Who were these men with eyeliner and spiked hair? Why were these teenage girls—wearing more make-up than a Las Vegas showgirl—trying to squeeze out cleavage that wasn’t there yet? Was this an all ages concert or some pubescent orgy?

To the Sounds, they would call it a good night.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Death Cab For Cutie & Franz Ferdinand @ Aragon Ballroom (4/19/2006)

2006-04-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

The Aragon Ballroom may not be considered the best sounding venue in all of Chicago, but it certainly has a long history of musical legends that have performed under the painted starlit sky ceiling. Bands like the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and R.E.M. have all taken on the bass boomy ballroom and survived to see another day.

On Wednesday night, Death Cab For Cutie and Franz Ferdinand brought their co-headling tour to the Aragon for a sold-out all ages show. The initial news of the two bands touring together created a lot of buzz. The tour presented two bands on the rise. In Franz Ferdinand, you had a band out of Glasgow, Scotland, that stormed the world with its 2004 self-titled debut album and pile driving single “Take Me Out.” In Death Cab For Cutie, you had a band from the indie rock circuit of the late ‘90s that was finally having the spotlight come to them on their own terms.

For Death Cab For Cutie and lead singer Benjamin Gibbard, the band from Bellingham, Washington, was capping off a sentimental day in Chicago. Earlier in the afternoon at Schubas, an intimate sized club with a playing room fit for about 150 people (a far cry from the 4,500 capacity Aragon), the band performed for the “Live From Studio X” series sponsored by local radio giant WXRT. It was a chance for Death Cab For Cutie to revisit the stage where they first made their Chicago debut almost six years ago.

“I wish we could play longer, but that curfew is a bitch,” said Gibbard to the audience before the band’s encore performance at the Aragon. The issue of time was one of the drawbacks from a co-headlining show like this. Both bands had just over an hour to put on their best. In some ways, it worked out perfectly for Franz Ferdinand and the tempo of its show. The Scottish four-piece geared up their North American tour behind their second album You Could Have It So Much Better (2005) at the Aragon this past September and played for the same amount of time they were scheduled to have on Wednesday night: one hour. But for two bands that genuinely seem to respect and enjoy each other’s music, it was enough time to have some fun.

Franz Ferdinand proved that although it wasn’t a typical Friday night people could still work up a sweat to the right beats and rhythms any day of the week, even at 7:30pm on Hump Day. After the frantic opener “This Boy,” the band laid down the bricks with a raucous performance of “Do You Want To.”

Franz Ferdinand was brimming with confidence. Singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos may have been the eye candy, flashing winks and coy smiles to the crowd, but it was lead guitarist Nick McCarthy who pushed the musicality of the band to its peak, jerking each note and chord for all they had. Songs like “Walk Away” and “Eleanor Put Your Boots On” provided smooth transitions from the raw, high-speed, dance grooves to showcase the depth of the band’s songwriting and ability to slow matters down. But when Franz Ferdinand jumped back into the fray, there was a sense that the race was coming to a close. “Take Me Out” got the dance floor bouncing, arms began to wave in unison during “The Fallen,” and, finally, the band sprinted across the finish line with the closer “This Fire.”

It was night and day between the end of Franz Ferdinand’s set and the start of Death Cab For Cutie’s set. The stage was barely visible, almost covered in a blanket of low blue lighting, as Gibbard took to the piano and guitarist Christopher Walla picked out guitar notes that echoed throughout the ballroom like distress calls for the band’s opening tune “Passenger Seat.” Although the band’s set took a time detour from the types of shows it normally performs as a main headliner, what remained consistent with this set was the band’s touch as musical painters with sounds and words, splashing songs like “The New Year” and “Why You’d Want To Live Here” with purpose onto a larger canvas.

The crowd’s clamor for “Crooked Teeth” and “Soul Meets Body” dispelled the criticism the band faced with its major label debut Plans (2005), as if the band’s songwriting capabilities would suddenly turn into hollow pop songs because of Atlantic Records. But for all the textures and colors the band crafted throughout its set, it was Gibbard who elevated the show to another realm with a solo acoustic performance of “I Will Follow You Into The Dark.”

The song’s theme of accepting mortality and shedding the fear that comes along with the idea of death created a hush in the Aragon. Gibbard stood stoically in the light with his acoustic guitar as his lips pressed against the microphone with the lines, “Love of mine, someday you will die/But I’ll be close behind and I’ll follow into the dark.” The voices in the shadows joined with Gibbard’s as each line was sung; it was a testament to Death Cab For Cutie’s success of staying its own course as songsmiths and not compromising to gain cheap popularity.

After the encore finale, “Transatlanticism,” Gibbard said to the roaring audience, “See ya at Lollapalooza. We’re playing with Beck. It’s going to be ultimate.” Fans exiting the Aragon must have started their countdown to August when the 3-day festival takes over Chicago’s Grant Park. For all their differences, artistically and stylistically, Death Cab For Cutie and Franz Ferdinand turned a brief evening into an evening filled with moments that were as soul searching as they were exhilarating. Variety was indeed a spice to a Wednesday night.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Riviera Theatre (4/14/2006)

2006-04-17T19:00:00.000-05:00

“Sometimes I think I’m bigger than the sound,” wailed Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as she sang in the heat of the band’s sold-out show at the Riviera Theatre. The front woman, dressed like a cross between a go-go dancer and a geisha girl, truly lived up to the lyric during “Cheated Hearts” as her voice carried throughout the theatre with power.

The band from Brooklyn, New York returned to Chicago for their second visit in two months behind their second album Show Your Bones. The hype that surrounded the band after their 2003 debut Fever To Tell has died down but in its place stands a level of credibility the band has rightly earned.

The band’s manic style on stage proved to make a clear connection with the crowd. Fans that packed the dance floor of the Riviera Theatre either jumped up and down in unison to the songs or tossed their bodies into each other, forming sporadic mosh pits during the show. For a show that only lasted an hour and twenty minutes (minus sets by two opening acts), the Yeah Yeah Yeahs never once took a wrong turn.

While Karen O embodied the physicality of the music, it was guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase that brought the cyclone of sound down onto the audience. From the outset, the band dove into their new album. “Turn Into” and “Way Out” set the hard-hitting tone of the night; “Fancy” brought a crushing Black Sabbath blow through Zinner’s chainsaw guitar riffs. The trio incorporated a multi-instrumentalist who played bass, acoustic guitar and keyboards to alleviate Zinner’s guitar duties, which created a much more realized sound and texture. But at the center of everything was Karen O.

Her confidence was as bright as the gold hot pants she strutted around in on stage. Men and women hung on her every move—if she jumped, they jumped; if she sang with venom, the crowd’s intensity would manifest itself into moshing. But through it all, Karen O had some fun, giving fans a quick wink or enticing by revealing her bra straps as a mini-strip tease.

The musicianship of the band continues to blossom, counterbalancing instruments like acoustic guitars and keyboards with their sonic arsenal, but it is the band’s raw touch where they gain much of their strength. “Gold Lion” swam like a great white shark on the hunt, ready to strike at any moment. When they weren’t in a complete frenzy, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs revealed their more reserved side to take a breath and slow matters down while maintaining an edge. After the fuzz jangle pop of “Dudley,” Karen O showed off more of her vocals with the soft, yearning “The Sweets.” The crowd may not have understood the message most of the time behind the band’s songs, but that didn’t seem to matter. Repetitive lyrical phrases are nice tricks to have in songs, but if the audience identifies the emotional push behind the songs, they will sing along with every note.

The band made quick work of their two encores. The audience roared as Chase played the opening drum parts to “Maps,” probably the best known hit by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. After “Black Tongue” tore up the stage, the band pulled another track from Fever To Tell, the hidden track “Poor Song” to close out the evening. The sheer abandonment the band performed with not only commanded the stage but the fans as well. It was that intangible that no one in the room could really put their fingers on but could definitely sense. This wasn’t a band trying to act the fool; this was a band that just wasn’t afraid. On this night, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs arrived and departed as everyone’s number one band.

Dying To Sound Off: Q & A With Johan Bengtsson Of The Sounds

2006-04-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

Once in a while, the American musical landscape gets an injection of new life from outside the country’s borders.

Most famously the British Invasion of the 1960s, led by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, had such an immense impact on American popular culture that over the course of forty years the music of the past still resonates in the music of today.

In 2002, rock music, thought to be dead and stale since the demise of Nirvana in 1994, exploded once again, bringing down the pop groups that saturated much of American radio. This time around it was the land of Sweden coming to the rescue. These bands somehow found what American rock bands couldn’t seem to find or quite sustain—passion. The band that lit the match with its single “Hate To Say I Told You So” was the Hives. Suddenly other Swedish acts, veterans in their home country, were sharing the spotlight like they just formed a week ago, bands such as the Soundtrack of Our Lives and the Hellacopters.

Among those Swedish groups was the dance infused rock band the Sounds, who made their U.S. debut with 2003’s Living In America. Propelled by the hooky “Seven Days A Week,” the 5-piece band from Helsingborg became a hot buzz band whose energetic live shows worked concertgoers into a hot, sensuous sweat like they had just experienced the raunchiest sex they’ve ever had.

With the band’s sophomore album Dying to Say This to You now released, the Sounds have embarked on their latest tour of America. In an interview with bassist Johan Bengtsson prior to the band’s U.S. tour, the 26-year-old musician discussed the evolution of the band’s new album, his musical calling as a youth, and the push towards the decade mark for the Sounds.

Chris Castaneda: How was it recording Dying to Say This to You after the time off since releasing and touring behind the debut album, Living In America?

Johan Bengtsson: The album was easier to make than I thought it would be. We didn’t write on tour. The time gap between the first album and this album has been quite long. When we got off tour we were like, “Can we really write again?” since we hadn’t written any songs in a long time. But when we actually started to write, the process was pretty quick.

It wasn’t two years, really. We did the Warped Tour and then we turned down a lot of offers. We could have kept on touring but we had to stop it somewhere so we could go back and write a new album. So, after the Warped Tour, we took maybe two, three months off and then started writing. By the summer, we recorded it.

CC: Did Jeff Saltzman’s work on the Killers’ debut album Hot Fuss capture the band’s attention when it came time to start working on a new album?

JB: It was definitely the album. When we started talking about him, I didn’t know he produced the Killers’ album. We flew over in March and had meetings with different producers. We didn’t meet him at the time, but we heard he was really interested. He said stuff like, “I’d drop everything to work with you guys,” and, “I’d cancel all my projects just to make this album with you guys.” That was appealing to us. Then we got the good deal and he said, “Come up to my studio. We can work as long as you want.”

Recording in America rather than Sweden was something we wanted to do for this album. It was more Jeff choosing us than us begging him to make our album.

CC: What was the recording process like this time around?

JB: We had almost unlimited time whereas the first album we did in maybe two weeks. We didn’t have any experience of being in the studio prior to the first album. This time we had time in the studio to actually work with Saltzman and the songs to make them even better songs.

It’s a really good sounding album, and I think he’s a big part of it. Not only is he a good producer, he’s a good engineer, too.

CC: On Living In America, each song was running on all engines. There’s a song on Dying to Say This to You that really goes in a different direction from the first album formula, the slow tempo song “Night After Night.” In fact, there are two versions on the album. As a bonus, you’ve included a faster tempo version of the song. How did that song develop originally?

JB: The fast version was the original version. It was in the studio and Saltzman was saying, “I think this album needs a slower song.” And we were like, “We can’t write slow songs.” We have no idea. He said, “No guys, seriously, you need to write a slow song and this album will be great.”

We couldn’t come up with anything. We just tried and tried. Then late one night we were in the control room and Jesper (Anderberg) was playing the piano. Jeff (Saltzman) was like, “What’s that?” I said, “It’s that other song we’re working on.” Jeff said, “Ok, we got to record it, we got to record it!”

We recorded the piano and then add stuff after that like the drums. We recorded kind of backwards. It turned out really great; it still gives me the chills.

CC: Has the band performed the song live yet?

JB: We only played it once. The first time we ever played any new songs live we did it in our hometown in Sweden. We haven’t played it since then, but we’re planning on playing it as soon as the album comes out.

CC: The Sounds have been together for about eight years, just around the corner from that ten-year mark…

JB: I know. It’s kind of scary [Laughs]. We’ve all been in bands prior to this band, but since day one when we all got together in the rehearsal space there was some weird chemistry between us. Everyone felt, “We don’t have a single song, but I know this is the band that’s gonna make it.”

I think that’s the essential key to having good bands stay together. We’re all a bit different now than we were a few years ago. We’re all getting older; we’re growing older together. We respect each other in a whole other way now. We’re entitled to have private lives that we didn’t have before. I have a kid, a 4-year-old son, and I need time to spend time with my kid; people realize that now.

CC: I noticed James Iha, formerly of the Smashing Pumpkins, had a hand in the album. What was that like?

JB: He and Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne were in for two sessions; one in the beginning and one in the end. They really helped out a lot. We’ve known James for a few years now; I respect him as a musician. Adam is a great songwriter. It’s good to have those older people who’ve been around for a while and have been in successful bands with us in the studio to ask them for advice.

CC: What inspired you to become a musician or be in a band?

JB: I started playing acoustic guitar when I was a little kid. I found a guitar in the attic of my parents’ house, and I’ve been playing since. I’ve been playing in bands since I was 12.

CC: Was there any particular band that really hit you the hardest that drew you into music more?

JB: I’ve listened to all kinds of music; it’s gone through phases. At one point, I was listening to Metallica a lot as a kid; on the other hand I was listening to Nirvana and the whole Seattle scene when that was going on. I was in seventh grade and playing in bands listening to Nirvana.

CC: See, I was in class doing homework while you were in bands, and you’re just a year ahead of me [Laughs]. So, what memories do you have from your 2003 show at Metro?

JB: We’re good friends with another band from Chicago—Kill Hannah. They opened up for us when we did the headline tour for the first album at Metro. Chicago has always been nice to us; Metro is a really good venue. We like playing there.

CC: Do you have any favorite songs on Dying to Say This to You?

JB: I really like “Tony the Beat.” It’s a really good pop song with a more experimental vibe to it.

CC: Now, the band shares the songwriting duties in what seems to be a pretty democratic way. Is it pretty fair to say that any idea that gets brought to the table gets a chance to grow?

JB: Actually, that’s exactly how it works. The process was different on this album, though. The first album was written over a long period of time before we even knew we would release an album. We kept on writing songs and kept on trying to get a record deal while playing live as much as possible. All those songs from the first album were played tons of times live before we even recorded them.

On this album, we didn’t have the time to just write forever. So, we built our own studio, a small area where we write. Everything is pretty much written in that studio in Sweden before we take it to the rehearsal place and play it together as a band. So, the process has been different in that way. It gives us time to analyze it more. The songwriting is better now than it was on the first album because it’s more thought through.

The Brunettes @ Schubas (4/4/2006)

2006-04-05T20:00:00.000-05:00

Hailing from the city of Auckland, New Zealand, the Brunettes have carved out a career spanning eight years. Listening to the Brunettes, one might hear a doo-wop band buried inside a melodic pop band buried inside a garage rock band; each layer is as interesting as the last.

Plus, a rock band that incorporates an ironing board with their stage setup has to know something about putting on a good show.

After an opening slot the previous night for up-and-comers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Metro, the Brunettes took an evening to headline a show at Schubas. The band’s return to Chicago held some sentimental value since it was in Chicago at the Elbo Room, almost a year to the day, that the band made their first stateside appearance.

A trumpet, saxophone, banjo, lap steel guitar, keyboards, xylophones, and noise shakers that produced duck quacking were just some of the instruments that cluttered an already small stage for the six-piece band. The band’s leaders, Jonathan Bree and Heather Mansfield, tiptoed their way through the stage, smiles on both faces eager to get the show underway. The crowd that was once standing in the middle of the room during the night’s two openers now huddled the stage.

The soft, innocent voice of Mansfield soon commanded the room the moment “Baby” started off the show; its ‘60s pop tones harkened back to early Beach Boys. From 2004’s Mars Loves Venus (Lil’ Chief Records), the lighthearted confessional “Loopy Loopy Love” scored with its catchy hooks and melodies.

Here was a band that was completely of a different musical era but had a strong enough sense of that music that they never came off as a novelty act. The Brunettes ran into the occasional bump in the road; technical issues with Bree’s guitar slowed the momentum of the show and it was clear that Mansfield was fighting a hoarse voice. These problems still weren’t enough to hold the band back. It was at these times when the garage band aspect of the Brunettes revealed itself.

Mansfield found her voice during a new song, a sweet tune bridging the Beach Boys and the Carpenters called "If I." It was during the menacing “Best Friend Envy” when the Brunettes really shined the brightest. Bree and Mansfield traded off haunting vocal parts that made the head spin and the body dance.

The songs played more as conversations with the crowd and less like stories; sometimes the dialog between Bree and Mansfield evoked the boy/girl melodrama the Brunettes are known for crafting.

In what had to have been the evening’s most amusing moment, the band showed off their theater skills by donning masks of two of America’s beloved flavors of the month: Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. The song, “Mary Kate & Ashley,” was as hilarious as it was slightly disturbing. You kind of stop listening to the lyrics when six people wearing either a Mary Kate or Ashley Olsen mask are dancing around playing instruments on stage. But to the crowd the joke was well received.

The Brunettes charmed and delighted the crowd with their energy and genuine excitement. Clever songs and intriguing sounds make the Brunettes more than just your average band. As waves of disappointment were voiced throughout the crowd over the band’s decision to not perform a second encore, Bree shrugged his shoulders and frowned as he waved goodbye from the stage. Albeit a small gesture, it summed up the type of evening people had with the Brunettes; they simply didn’t want it to end.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Robert Pollard @ Metro (3/31/2006)

2006-04-03T20:30:00.000-05:00

“Fuck Coldplay,” scowled Robert Pollard from the stage inside Metro. Nearly twenty minutes south, Coldplay was ending its two-night residence at the United Center as the weekend's hottest ticket. But to the longtime leader of Guided By Voices, there was only one real show in town that night, and it was his.

Guided By Voices may be no more, but the arrogance and “what you see is what you get” attitude of that band lives on in the man that embodied the spirit. Bringing his solo show to Chicago for the first time since Guided By Voices disbanded on New Year’s Eve 2004 at Metro, Pollard came ready with a personal bucket of twenty-four chilled bottles of Miller Lite, a bottle of Jose Cuervo, and a brand new cast of characters to give sound to Pollard’s latest musical vision From A Compound Eye. Any notions that this new band was just a revamped version of Guided By Voices were quickly dispelled by Pollard. “This ain’t GBV,” said Pollard to the packed audience. “Now it’s whatever.”

As the group tore through songs like “I Surround You Naked,” “Maggie Turns To Flies,” and “I’m A Widow,” what was evident was the musicianship Pollard surrounded himself with: veteran popster Tommy Keene on guitar and keyboards, Dave Phillips on guitar, bassist Jason Narducy (Verbow, Rockets Over Sweden), and drummer Jon Wurster (Superchunk) brought a fresh dimension to Pollard’s massive catalog of songs. Pulling a track from Pollard’s 1998 album Waved Out, the assembled group gave new color to the song “Make Use” and transformed it into a rolling trance-like wave of power chords.

The 48-year-old Pollard still pulled off his teenage kicks, Pete Townshend leaps, and Roger Daltrey microphone twirls like there was no tomorrow. “It’s not a show,” declared Pollard, “It’s a fucking drunken wreck.” He even got security on edge as he defied the city’s no-smoking ordinance (aimed towards bars and clubs) by accepting lights from the front row and packages of cigarettes tossed onto the stage.

That statement may have been true in Pollard’s case (who actually took his drinks in moderation), but it wasn’t for the band. Over the course of two hours, the charge from song to song never let up a second. During “Love Is Stronger Than Witchcraft,” described by Pollard as his favorite new song, the band took off on the song’s Cheap Trick-esque stomp a la “High Roller.” Narducy locked in with Pollard for some of the most soulful vocal moments of the night. As Bob Mould’s bassist on his recent solo tour, Narducy provided Pollard a plate of harmonies that always seemed elusive in Guided By Voices.

The banter was still classic Pollard. At one point, Pollard took shots at the Flaming Lips for their cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It was a crime in Pollard’s eyes what Wayne Coyne and company did to the song, but then let the crowd in on the joke by mentioning his love for Coyne. “I’m allowed to rip on anyone who sells more records than me,” explained Pollard to the crowd.

After an endurance fest of over thirty songs, Pollard returned for an encore to reward those who came to the show hoping for a little blast from the Guided By Voices past. “Girls Of Wild Strawberries” got the crowd’s lips wet, fists were thrust into the air to applaud “Gold Star For Robot Boy,” and fans threw arms around each other to sing along to “My Valuable Hunting Knife.”

The show’s finale seemed ironic since it was also the last song that Guided By Voices performed over a year ago under the same roof. Still, “Don’t Stop Now” filled every corner of Metro with voices singing in unison. In some ways, it has been Pollard’s musical mantra and as he proved on stage, he’s not even close to stopping.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Extra! Extra!

2006-04-01T03:00:00.000-06:00

The April issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online.

I have contributed a write-up on the Swedish rock band The Sounds. Here is a direct link to the page:

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/apr06_previewC.htm

For those in and around Chicago, the magazine will sponsor its monthly release party at The Darkroom on April 7. For more information, click "HAPPENINGS" on the magazine's main web page. The event is free.

Forever A Fan

2006-03-27T23:00:00.000-06:00

On July 9, 2002, I first met Jim DeRogatis, rock critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, in a darkened parking lot outside one of the most beloved radio institutions in Chicago, WXRT. I could never have imagined that four years later I would call this gentleman from New Jersey a mentor and friend.

The introduction was simple: I was allowed to visit “Sound Opinions,” hosted by DeRogatis and Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune, to offer my thanks for an autographed copy of Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot that I won in a contest sponsored by the WXRT show. The day I actually got the call from the show’s webmaster, Jason Saldanha, I was suffering from food poisoning. I was probably the least excited sounding winner over the telephone that he’s ever had to call.

On the previous week, before my first visit to the studio, I had called the show to defend the latest Oasis album Heathen Chemistry. Both Jim and Greg took the album to town, trashing it as a waste of time. I’d like to think I held my own by defending the album, even refreshing Jim’s memory about the final track on the band’s debut album Definitely Maybe. So, when I arrived to the WXRT studio, Jason was the first to greet me. It felt like a few seconds later when I met Jim. I shook his hand and mentioned the Wilco album I won in the contest. To put a voice with a face, I state I was the caller from last week who defended Oasis. “Well, somebody has to,” says Jim. That was the first remark he ever said to me; it wasn’t “Nice to meet you,” or “Thanks for listening to the show.”

My impression of Jim, notwithstanding the Oasis comment, was slightly shaped by a review of an R.E.M. concert in August 1999 at the New World Music Theatre (now some other god awful corporate name). I still remember reading the review in my kitchen and slamming my fist on the dining room table, exclaiming, “What fucking show did this guy see?” I still have the article in my closet. I’ve been meaning to have Jim autograph it for me…one day.

Meeting Jim face to face took me back a little. I was just starting out as a writer for my college newspaper at DePaul, and here I was meeting this seasoned veteran of journalism that’s already put down one of my favorite bands. It was intimidating to say the least.

Well, the evening with Jim and Greg turned out better than expected. I was invited to stay during the two-hour show and sit with them in the actual studio. Having been a listener to WXRT since I was probably seven years old I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Based on the fact I didn’t freak out Jim and Greg during the show, I was given the OK by executive producer Matt Spiegel to come back and visit anytime. Since that time I’ve become part of their worlds just as they became part of mine.

It was probably because I showed up so much—sometimes with Rice Krispy Treats or bootleg CDs—that after a year I was offered the title of production associate with “Sound Opinions" (Jim’s original title for me was Chief Aide de Camp) and given a spot on the moderating team for the show’s online message board. Greg honored me with a research assistant credit in his very first book called Wilco - Learning How To Die, a story about the Chicago-based rock band. Following the release of Greg’s book, Jim e-mailed me about a special project he wanted to involve me with. I printed out his e-mail and kept it folded in one of my textbooks as I went about my day of classes at DePaul. When it came time to finally call Jim and learn what this project he had in mind for me, I was cooking ham at my then-girlfriend’s apartment. “How are ya, Chris?” asked Jim over the phone. “I’m just cooking some ham,” I replied. “Well, you’re in college. You gotta eat something,” said Jim.

It was then when Jim asked me to be part of his book about the Flaming Lips, to transcribe interviews and fact check material. It wasn’t work I felt was beneath me. My work with Greg consisted of gathering specific Wilco bootlegs for his research. Here, I would be more involved in the writing process by working with Jim’s interviews with band members (past and present) and various associates of the band.

Working with Jim was always interesting. I probably learned more about him and from him while chatting with him as I sorted his mail bins of press kits. The first time I actually rode my bike from my home on the south side to Jim’s home near Wrigley Field continues to be a moment that doesn’t go away as a joke (“Hey Chris, did you ride your bike here?”).

Jim always seized the moment to educate me about a band or artist that he loved and that I needed in my collection. One such instance was when he went into complete shock that I wasn’t very familiar with John Cale, formerly of the Velvet Underground. “You call yourself a R.E.M. fan and don’t know John Cale?” exclaimed Jim from his desk. I was filing CDs into his vast library of a music collection when this discussion about John Cale came up. He proceeded to change the CD that was playing to Cale’s live album Fragments Of A Rainy Season within a split second. Suddenly this beautiful song filled the basement office area and my ears perked up. It was a song I once heard on an episode of The West Wing, a song performed by the late Jeff Buckley called “Hallelujah.” I learned that the song originated from Leonard Cohen and that, according to Jim, the Cale cover is far superior to Buckley’s version. Naturally, Jim made a copy of the CD for the simple reason I needed it in my life. Being the former record store employee, I could relate completely to what he must have been thinking the second I admitted to having never heard the Cale CD, “This is a great album that needs to be heard and you should have a copy.”

If I had to choose one lesson to take from my time spent with Jim, it would be that honesty is not always popular, and to say that Jim is blunt with his opinions would be sugarcoating things a little bit. The disagreements readers may have with his opinions stems from the fact that he’s being honest about what he thought about an album or a concert. You’re not doing your job as a critic if people are always agreeing with you 100% of the time. I’m sure Jim has his share of hate mail to prove to that point.

On the night of his Flaming Lips book party at the Abbey Pub, Jim showed yet another side of himself that I never really experienced. I showed up in support of the book I had a hand in and to offer Jim my congratulations for achieving his dream. I have to tip my hat to him; Jim’s had the opportunity to write about his rock critic hero, Lester Bangs, and one of his favorite bands in the Flaming Lips. If that’s not living the dream, then I don’t know what is.

Upon my arrival I discovered from another a fellow DeRo intern, Jenny Grandy, that Jim would be performing with a Lips tribute band called the Satellite Hearts. The band was selecting songs from the '80s and '90s era of the Flaming Lips that are never performed anymore. I was also brought onboard to handle a balloon drop that Jim would signal during one of the songs. Balloons aside, I was simply transfixed by the thought of Jim fronting a band instead of sitting behind the drums. For Jim, this is how he wanted to celebrate the book, through music instead of chapter excerpts.

But when Jim finally took to the stage with the band a little after midnight I readied myself from my side of the balcony. He transformed into exactly what he wrote about in the book; he became a fearless freak.

The microphone was gripped tightly in his hands as he launched into the first song. His voice was bellowing throughout the club, not containing a single care if he was singing out of key. It was like watching Jim pretend to be Wayne Coyne for a night. Whether it was screaming through a bullhorn or firing off confetti into the air, Jim proved he had strong notes when it came to recreating Coyne’s showmanship. I could tell from the crowd’s reaction to each song that Jim was going for the deep cuts that they’ve longed for the Lips to perform again. “Kim’s Watermelon Gun,” “Hit Me Like You Did The First Time,” “Turn It On,” and the show’s closer “She Don’t Use Jelly” were just some of the moments that caused a celebratory frenzy in the crowd.

I smiled as I watched Jim lean down from the stage and pitch the microphone to a fan standing directly in front. He had been singing word for word along with Jim the whole show. That gesture revealed the true spirit of the Flaming Lips that Jim tapped in to—that the band has remained an equal to their fans.

Jim is a constant reminder that no matter who—whether it's the band just a week old or the million-dollar band with private jets—there’s no such thing as free passes. If you speak with conviction and are honest with the facts, the readers will decide on their own whether the music is good or bad. Question his opinions, but what can never be questioned is his passion for the music. And for that I stand and applaud him wholeheartedly.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda (Taken At The Abbey Pub, 3/25/2006)
Concert Artwork By: Chris Martiniano

The Minus 5 @ The Abbey Pub (3/22/2006)

2006-03-23T20:00:00.000-06:00

Elbowroom was tight inside the Abbey Pub for the return of the Minus 5. Touring in support of the band’s latest, a self-titled album being referred to as The Gun Album, the Minus 5 delivered a set that celebrated all the band’s strong points after ten years together, from catchy lyrics to sweltering guitars.

For Scott McCaughey, the band’s mastermind and resident mad scientist of rock, it was his first time back to the Abbey Pub since Wilco supported McCaughey as the Minus 5 for two shows in April 2003 promoting Down With Wilco. McCaughey's return with the band also fell on a special day. Not only was it the birthday of McCaughey’s daughter, Nadine, but also the birthday of the one and only William Shatner…Captain Kirk! It was surely a sign that the stars were aligned to make the evening with the Minus 5 a good one.

Over the years, the Minus 5 lineup has included several notable musicians such as Robyn Hitchcock, John Wesley Harding, Wilco, and Robert Pollard. But Peter Buck of R.E.M. has remained the senior member of the band next to McCaughey. Along with guitarist John Ramberg and drummer Bill Rieflin (Ministry, R.E.M.), this current incarnation of the Minus 5 had plenty of muscle to flex at the Abbey Pub.

The band appeared loose on stage; hoots and hollers from the crowd would only fuel the band more. The celebratory air of “Twilight Distillery” later gave way to the somber “Where Will You Go?” McCaughey’s stage banter kept things lively in between songs. Before “Retrieval Of You,” he discussed the origin of the song, recalling that Jeff Tweedy of Wilco came up with the lyrical hook from a local store supposedly called DJ Mini Mart. “Is this true?” asked McCaughey. Someone from the crowd yells out in response, “He’s a liar!” Laughing, McCaughey seizes the moment by saying, “This song’s called ‘Jeff Tweedy Is A Liar!’”

The band’s newest material was given the rock ‘n’ roll treatment on stage. Songs like “Out There On The Maroon” and “With A Gun” became under-three-minute pop rockers. On record, Jeff Tweedy handled the guitar solo to “With A Gun.” McCaughey picked his sunburst Les Paul with ease as he played Tweedy’s part and made it his own.

“I finally got to show off my chops on lead guitar,” said McCaughey after the song. “There was an article when we played in Portland a couple of weeks ago that said I had ‘chops.’ Never has an article been so wrong.”

If they weren’t blasting on all cylinders on songs like “You Don’t Mean It” and “Ghost Tarts Of Stockholm,” the Minus 5 would detour with covers by the Undertones (“Teenage Kicks”), Johnny Cash (“I Still Miss Someone”), and Bob Seger (“Mary Lou”). Ramberg and McCaughey would push each other on guitar, striking up manic solos; Rieflin would sound like a pack of elephants stampeding the African terrain while Buck played it cool and calm on the bass (a completely different side from his role in R.E.M.).

What was undeniable throughout the show was how much fun the band was having on stage. After the speeding “Aw Shit Man,” the Minus 5 made the encore their last stand. Kicking off with “Circle Sky” by the Monkees, the Minus 5 smoked through “Over The Sea” before going utterly insane with the 60s garage classic “Strychnine” by the Sonics.

On a Wednesday night, the audience was loud, the drinks were flowing, and the Minus 5 simply rocked. As McCaughey put it in song, “I never want to lose the days of wine and booze.” Cheers!

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

In The Crowd

2006-03-20T12:00:00.000-06:00

Peter Buck
of
The Minus 5 @ Mercy Lounge
(3/19/2006)
Nashville, TN

Photo By: Chris Castaneda

In The Crowd

2006-03-18T13:00:00.001-06:00

Wilco @ Ryman Auditorium (3/17/2006) Nashville, TN

Photo By: Chris Castaneda

Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins @ Park West (3/14/2006)

2006-03-15T17:00:00.000-06:00

It took seventeen years, but I finally stood in the same room with Jenny Lewis.

Surrounded by mostly young women at the Park West, I had to set aside the boyhood crush I had on Lewis back when I was eight years old, watching her co-star with Fred Savage in the Nintendo inspired movie The Wizard (1989). I was now the critic, and she was the seasoned musician on stage.

As the front woman for the L.A. group Rilo Kiley, Lewis has steadily gained respect in and around the indie music scene as being the real deal, not just another former Hollywood star trying to be the rock star. And on her first solo album, Rabbit Fur Coat, Lewis has proven herself capable of standing on her own two feet. She has removed herself from her Rilo Kiley songwriting partner, Blake Sennett, and has written a collection of songs that not only play to her vocal talents but also shed more light on her strengths as her own songwriter.

Strolling out under the lights inside Park West, Lewis resembled a young Loretta Lynn from head to toe, decked out in a dress straight out of Coal Miner’s Daughter with Sissy Spacek. Following behind Lewis were Chandra and Leigh, the Watson twins. In matching black v-neck dresses, the Watson twins took their positions behind their microphones almost as if they were levitating on air. The response by the capacity crowd brought a look of modest surprise to Lewis' face. It was as if her recent success going solo was still sinking in. As soon as she opened her mouth and that voice filled the room, the crowd was in her hands.

Drawing on much of her solo album, Lewis and her band performed with such high intensity that any thoughts they might slip into old routines from previous shows were erased.

“The Big Guns” caused the dance floor to suddenly erupt with stomping feet; the coy wink of “The Charging Sky” flooded the crowd with random thoughts ranging from the “sure fire bet” of death to a father “growing Bob Dylan’s beard.” The backing vocals by the Watson twins were by no means a gimmick; they could have easily been the showcase equivalent of the dancing entourage that follows Gwen Stefani. The twins brought out different colors to the songs and gave them a dreamy atmosphere that provided Lewis with plenty of room to stretch the music.

One such moment where Lewis really let loose was during a new song, described by Lewis as a “love story,” called “Jack Killed Mom” (the woman certainly has some wit). Lewis sat behind a keyboard and took this soulful tune for a ride with the band, transforming it into a powerhouse song that was textbook Ray Charles.

Jenny Lewis didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to transform herself into a pop-country artist backed by twins; this was music already inside her soul. What she accomplished at the Park West was introduce a brand new facet to her creativity that may not have been given an open road in Rilo Kiley to freely roam. She’s not asking the listening audience to take sides. She’s merely saying, “Hey, I can do this, too.” With a beer in one hand and an acoustic guitar in the other, Jenny Lewis took one step closer to becoming the complete artist that she’s working to be.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Extra! Extra!

2006-03-01T23:15:00.000-06:00

The March issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online.

I have contributed a feature article on The Minus Five:

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/mar06_minus_five.htm

Check out my complete interview with Scott McCaughey of The Minus Five in the previous post here on Getting In Tune.

The Thirsty Bird Of The Pacific Northwest Speaks: Q & A With Scott McCaughey Of The Minus 5

2006-03-01T23:07:00.000-06:00

It has been three years since Scott McCaughey and I chatted over the phone for an interview. The last time was a month prior to his appearance at the Abbey Pub in April 2003 to perform with Wilco as the latest version of McCaughey's band The Minus 5, a band which he and Peter Buck of R.E.M. started.

The album he was promoting at the time was going to be called Down With Wilco as a joke referring to all the trouble Wilco went through privately and publicly the previous two years; the band's problems were a laundry list filled with major label rejection, band members fired, and a finished album called Yankee Hotel Foxtrot waiting for an official release.

Now, three years later, McCaughey returns this month with The Minus 5 for a show at the Abbey Pub. The band's new album The Minus Five (aka The Gun Album) was recently released on February 7 by Yep Roc Records. In an interview for the March issue of Chicago Innerview (now available), McCaughey and I chatted on a grey Sunday (2/12) afternoon about the new album, his partnership with Peter Buck, and the true value of his autograph.

Chris Castaneda: Of all the songs on the album, "Cemetery Row" is my absolute favorite. It's a song that's as good as anything R.E.M. has written. How did Colin Meloy of The Decemberists become involved with that song?

Scott McCaughey: I was lucky he was able to sing it. It would have been okay if I sang it, but I wasn’t really happy with my vocal on it; it was a difficult song for me to sing because I was a co-writer. I wrote the words to it but didn’t write the melody. It was a little challenging for my limited vocal capabilities. Then I thought, “Colin’s voice would sound great on this.” He was happy to come over and do it the day before he was leaving on a tour with The Decemberists. It came out great.

CC: How did the album come together?

SM: It’s kind of a typical Minus 5 story, sit-in sessions in between other stuff. The first tracks that were recorded were “With A Gun” and “Hotel Senator,” which I did in Chicago with Wilco on a day off from the R.E.M. tour (Fall 2004). “Original Luke” and “Bought A Rope” I recorded with my buddies in Oregon. John Moen played drums--he’s the drummer in The Decemberists now and Stephen Malkmus and The Jinks. I’ve known him for a long time. His old band The Dharma Bums were really good friends with The Young Fresh Fellows; we toured a lot together. I basically used three of those guys, and we did some songs in a living room on an 8-track.

The rest of them were Bill (Rieflin), Peter (Buck), John (Ramberg), and I whenever we had a couple of weeks off from R.E.M. stuff. We would do a session in Seattle where we would do four or five songs and pick the best out of those; the songs I really wanted on the record that went together conceptually and lyrically. These were the ones I felt really had to be on the record. It’s kind of the typical piecemeal approach of The Minus 5, but I think it sounds really cohesive.

Kurt (Bloch) and I mixed it all together at the same time. I think the songs flow pretty well together. The sound is compatible, even the ones that were done in different studios. With Minus 5 stuff—especially the last couple of years when R.E.M. has been so busy—we have to pick out spots when we can work on a record. It all came together pretty quickly once the R.E.M. tour was over.

CC: Has there ever been a time when The Minus 5 had the time to sit down and make an album on some kind of schedule?

SM: Not really. [Laughs] The closest would be In Rock (re-released in 2004 by Yep Roc); we basically recorded that in a day, and then I added some overdubs at home, later, and mixed really, really quickly. That’s not a scheduled one where you record the whole album in a day. Down With Wilco was probably as close to that where I had five straight days in the studio and another four a couple months later. We’ve never really had that…it would be pretty amazing if we had a couple of weeks or a month to go do a record from start to finish. That would be pretty amazing, but we never really had that opportunity.

CC: Basically you take the time you can get. Right?

SM: Yeah. It’s funny because I’ve probably spent more time in the studio on the last couple R.E.M. records than I have all The Young Fresh Fellows and Minus 5 records put together. It’s kind of ridiculous but that’s just the way it works. I wouldn’t want to take as long as it takes to do an R.E.M. record though. I don’t think I could do that, to get myself to operate on that time schedule.

CC: What was the earliest song written?

SM: “Twilight Distillery” is definitely the earliest. We’ve actually been playing that song live for four or five years. I remember not wanting to put it on Down With Wilco because I’d been playing it already with the band, with Peter, Bill, and John. I thought we should record that one together. We actually ended up recording two versions of it. The first session we did, last December, with Bill, John, and Peter for this record, we did “Twilight Distillery” and banged it out. But we had been playing it for so long that it had gotten really revved up, really rocking. It was really good; we did it in one take. We had time to reassess because we went back on the road with R.E.M. for four months until the next session.

I might have played it for Wes (John Wesley Harding). He did some backing vocals on the early versions. He talked about how it got rocked out and was really fast. When we first starting doing it with Wes, it was more Dylan-y and a little more folk rock. We thought the version was really cool, but we thought it would be cool to slow it back down again. So, we ended up re-cutting it at the last session for this record and decided that was the version to go with. I’ll definitely release the other version, the rocker, because it’s really cool. But this version, the folk one, was the right one for the record.

CC: You toured with John Wesley Harding and Dag Juhlin of Poi Dog Pondering as the All-Male Threesome in the summer of 2004. Some of the new album appeared in your sets. The sweetness and simplicity that came across in your solo performances from that tour really carried over to the album.

SM: The performances are a lot simpler, a lot more direct; there’s less going on in a way. This record has a lot more songs that are just kind of, “We just played this song, and now it’s done” [Laughs], whereas with Down With Wilco there’s a lot of crazy shit on there. We didn’t really go into it thinking it was going to be that way. Jeff (Tweedy) really encouraged me to keep that record simple, but I probably ended up ladling on some extra things just ‘cause I had time. I think it came out fantastic; I love the way it came out.

We made more of a conscious decision to keep this one pretty straightforward just as far as being songs you perform and sing and people can just hear them as songs. I didn’t blend all the songs together like I tend to do lots of times on records where I run one into each other and they overlap and make little sweeps. The songs all go together. To me, they sort of tell a story, but I tried to keep it just a little more direct. It’s kind of an old-fashioned record for me.

CC: What songs on this album really pleased you in terms of traveling from the demo stage to final mix?

SM: That’s hard to say. I guess “Out There On the Maroon” is one that came out kind of exactly like I envisioned it to come out. That’s sort of rare; that doesn’t happen very often. I felt like that one was played the way I hoped we would play it; we did a mix of it that sounded like just how I wanted it to sound. That’s one that came out really, really nicely. Lots of times you envision a song a certain way and it comes out completely different, and that can be great! But that one came out just as I thought it should. That’s a good feeling.

I think “Bought A Rope” came out really good. That was one where I really didn’t know what it would sound like. I wasn’t sure about the arrangement; even the chords got simplified when I ended up recording with John, Eric (Lovre) and Jim Talstra. We did it on an 8-track, and somehow it still ended up sounding really amazing. It might have sounded amazing because of that. I really had no idea how that one would turn out. I’m happy with all of them.

CC: Does the album come out in March?

SM: It came out on Tuesday. I’ll be getting those big SoundScan figures in a few days. [Laughs]

CC: Now, John Wesley Harding has already worked within The Minus 5 world. Chicago's own Kelly Hogan makes her first appearance on a Minus 5 album. What track did you use them on?

SM: “Twilight Distillery.” They’re doing the backing vocals on there, which were great. I recorded them when Kelly was on tour with Wes for the Love Hall Tryst tour. When they played in Portland I went down, took my laptop and a microphone to the Econo Lodge they were staying at and recorded them doing backing vocals in about a half hour to an hour. Kelly (Hogan) never heard the song before, but she’s so damn good; she just nailed it. She’s the greatest.

CC: How was it working with Wilco this time around? They appear notably on "With A Gun."

SM: It was awesome. Back when Wilco played as the Minus 5 after Down With Wilco came out I had just written that song; we learned it and played it at those shows. So, I just knew I had to record it with them. When we recorded we hadn’t played for six months, but everyone remembered what they were doing on it. It’s all live, even the vocals. The only overdubs on it are Jeff’s multiple lead guitars. It was on a day off on the R.E.M. tour. Peter came down and played; he played 12-string. So, it was Wilco with Peter and me; it’s just a live performance.

The only thing that I always intended to add was Jesse Greene because she played violin on it. Leroy (Bach) had quit the band since we last played together. He wasn’t around. He did this cool thing when we would play it live where he would start the song with these handclaps. It was really cool. I could have put it on, but I wasn’t going to put it on unless Leroy does it. We were never able to get that together. I just left it the way it was; I didn’t want to have someone else playing violin or doing the handclaps. I think it came out great. That’s a really rare thing for me to use a live vocal in the studio because I usually think they kind of suck ‘cause I’m not that good of a singer. For some reason, we really captured it.

CC: After all these years you're still really self-conscious about your voice?

SM: Well, I’m pretty used to it. I don’t mean to be denigrating my vocal talents so much. I just know they’re fairly limited. I’ve come to work with that. With The Minus 5, I’ve always kind of been interested in having other people sing the songs. Whenever I try to do it I am usually met with resistance. The guys I play with seem to think I should just sing it. When I said I was thinking of getting someone else to sing “Cemetery Row,” I don’t think Peter and Bill really liked the idea. But when they heard it they thought it was probably the right idea since Colin did such a great job. They weren’t really into it at first.

On Down With Wilco, I wanted John Stirratt to sing lead on a couple of songs; I wanted Jeff to sing lead on some. Jeff did “Family Gardener,” but he wasn’t for spreading the vocals around that much; he thought I should sing the songs. Usually, I’m lucky to get one other person per record to sing a song. I got Ken Stringfellow to sing one on Let The War Against Music Begin (2001), he sang “A Thousand Years Away.” I’d like to do more of that. I like singing them, too. [Laughs] But I think it’s fun to get other voices on there.

CC: You must have loved it when Tweedy began to incorporate “Dear Employer” early on into his solo shows. He sort of debuted the song in Chicago at his solo shows at the Vic Theatre in January '03.

SM: That was thrilling! It was amazing when I heard him playing it in Chicago and the whole crowd singing along with him at the end.

CC: Was this album easy to record compared to Down With Wilco? Wilco seemed like the black sheep of albums at that time. You and the band had a session in Chicago the day before the World Trade Center attack on September 11, and then later on the album faced a delayed release.

SM: That was pretty fucked up, that’s for sure. I couldn’t say this was an easy one. I guess compared to that we didn’t go through any of the traumas with the record company. I was kind of going through a lot of shit. The R.E.M. touring was pretty grueling in a way; it was super fun, the music was amazing, but it was really, really long. I think for Bill, Peter, and I it was a difficult time in a lot of ways. When it came down to the actual recording of it, yes, it was easy. Kurt did a fantastic job in the studio. Everything just sounded good.

CC: One of the new songs is called "All Worn Out." Is that the best description of how you must have felt after the R.E.M. tour?

SM: Ummm…yeah. [Laughs] I really liked the way it came out, too. We played it once or twice and it sounded really cool. Peter said, “All you need to put on this is to get someone to play pedal steel on the chorus.” Ok! [Laughs] That’s what I did, and it was great. I love how it sounds.

CC: The Minus 5 has been around for ten years now. Is my math right?

SM: The first record came out in ’95, Old Liquidator. I think it came out in Germany first in ’95, and then maybe it was January ’96 when it came out in the U.S. Peter and I probably started working on it in ’93. That was recorded very piecemeal as well in typical Minus 5 fashion; we set the template up right there—recording with people whenever certain people were in town in between tours. [Laughs]

CC: I certainly don't know the story, and I don't remember asking you the last time we chatted. But how did you and Peter Buck meet?

SM: I probably met him in ’85 or ’86. I can’t remember if I met him at an R.E.M. show or if it was Peter coming to a Young Fresh Fellows show in Athens. I’m not really sure where the initial thing started. We started seeing each other at shows. I knew he bought our records. I think I met him outside an R.E.M. show and gave him The Squirrels record we had just released. Then he would come to our shows in Athens. We didn’t really start hanging out until ’92 when R.E.M. was recording Automatic For The People in Seattle.

CC: How's the relationship grown musically?

SM: It’s been awesome. He and I just love playing music together. We’ve played in so many bands together now, not just R.E.M., but The Minus 5 and Tuatara. We’ve done records with a lot of other people. We did the Mark Eitzel. We’re doing a Robyn Hitchcock record right now, and we’re going to do the next John Wesley Harding record, it’s going to be as The Minus 5. We just love doing that; we love backing other people. He and I also almost always demo his stuff for R.E.M. together. Whenever he’s got new music for a song he and I usually record it together, and that’s really exciting. He’s just a great guy to play music with. He plays bass in The Minus 5 all the time, but it’s funny when we back up someone else and he’ll play 12-string and I’ll play bass. We’re pretty versatile with each other. It’s a cool thing.

We did that whole record where he wrote the music and I wrote the words, The Lonesome Death of Buck McCoy (1997), and that was a really good experience for me because I had never really done that before. It was really difficult for me, but it was a good experience. I probably got a little better at doing that through that. For instance, “Cemetery Row” was a song where someone gave me the music and I really had no problem writing the right words for it. Probably a lot of that was because of learning how to do that with Peter.

He comes up with way more stuff than R.E.M. could possibly use. There’s usually 15 or 20 that he gives to R.E.M. with every record that end up not used. There are tons of great tracks with no vocals on them from the last three R.E.M. albums. Oh my god, there’s some amazing stuff from Up (1998), stuff that I think is so fucking great. We had tons and tons of material for that record. Some of them Michael (Stipe) just didn’t quite finish, but we recorded so much stuff. There are some really cool instrumentals from that record.

CC: How else has Peter broadened your horizons?

SM: Peter almost has this sense of duty to do something good. He just has certain standards to live up to; he’s very conscious about putting out something good. I won’t say that’s necessarily a new thing for me; I wouldn’t set out only to put out crappy stuff. His kind of attitude is that he’s a musician and he works. I find that really inspiring because I’ve always thought I was a musician by luck, by chance. I feel like I don’t have to apologize for being a musician. This is what I do; I like to work, we want to work hard, and we want to make good music. I get a lot of that from Peter.

His guitar playing is so precise and so melodic. I could say the same thing about Mike Mills from playing with him. He’s really taught me a lot about keyboard playing. I’ve probably changed how I play the organ, especially, from Mills teaching me stuff he had put on record.

CC: The band is keeping it simple as just the four-piece with you, Peter, Bill Rieflin on drums, and John Ramberg on guitar. What can we expect from this upcoming Minus 5 tour?

SM: Rock ‘n’ Roll with The Minus 5. [Laughs] Lots of times Peter and I go out and sign stuff afterwards, which is great, not that anybody cares if I sign it, but people seem to like to get his autograph. [Laughs]

Photo Taken July 10, 2004 At The Club Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA

The M's @ Empty Bottle (2/24/2006)

2006-02-25T15:00:00.000-06:00

The M's wasted no time in getting their record release party for Future Women underway at the Empty Bottle. The clock may have read 12:30am, but to The M's, it was by no means bedtime.

With just two albums under the band's belt (the latest being released three days prior), The M's are already in a class of their own. The quartet is considered to be one of the top up and coming bands in Chicago and have quickly captured the praise of their peers (Wilco, Broken Social Scene). They may not be an overnight success story, but for The M's it's better to have a career of substance than to suddenly become everybody's IT band. The M's seem to find the right step to take them forward.

In concert, The M's definitely know how to create a show. You never know when a giant robot may suddenly appear in the crowd. For this special night, The M's invited local musicians to add some extra color to their sound. Backed by a horn and string section, The M's took advantage of all the space they could find on the cramped stage; Poi Dog Pondering violinist Susan Voelz and Poi Dog alumnus Dave Max Crawford on horns led their respective sections.

Drawing greatly from their latest album Future Women, The M's racked up a setlist that brought the album to life on stage.

The band sounded eager and excited as it launched into the first new song, "Mansion In The Valley." Drummer Steve Versaw almost seemed like a chariot rider with Josh Chicoine, Joey King, and Robert Hicks as the band's horses; the harder Versaw worked his drums, the more his three bandmates responded with furious interplay.

"Never Do This Again" transported the crowd inside the Empty Bottle back to 1976 with its T.Rex take-no-prisoners guitar assault; the band's mini-orchestra took the spotlight during the acoustic "Light I Love," by far the band's best song from Future Women. Just as the band has grown, so to has the band's early material like "Banishment Of Love" and the soulful epic "Break Our Bones."

The vocal trio consisting of Chicoine, King, and Hicks never missed a beat. The Redwalls, favorite sons of Deerfield, IL, may get the attention with their almost pitch perfect Beatle-esque harmonies, but The M's give those British Invasion harmonies a twist, making The M's a more captivating, devilish sound with edge and less imitation. The M's hooked the crowd and never let them go. Fans screamed out requests for new songs like "Trucker Speed" and "Underground." It was a true sign that whatever The M's are doing, they are certainly turning heads with their music.

The M's may not have Chicago and the rest of the world in the palm of their hands, but they sure played like they did.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Autumn Defense @ Schubas (2/23/2006)

2006-02-24T20:00:00.000-06:00

On their second to last show of a winter tour, John Stirratt and Pat Sansone brought Autumn Defense back to Schubas for a sold out evening. The duo have been road testing new material for a follow-up to their second album Circles (2003).

With Wilco on break, Stirratt and Sansone found the time to put together a small 14 city tour. Over the years, Autumn Defense has become a hot ticket at Schubas. People lined up from the showroom entrance to the bar's front door, some even asking patrons sipping their drinks if extra tickets were available.

By 10pm, Autumn Defense strolled onto the cluttered stage and began their set. The band, mostly a three-piece on this tour with drummer Greg Wiz, welcomed John Pirruccello on pedal steel and Steve Tyska on trumpet. The inclusion of these musicians definitely made for a richer sound on stage. Seated upon wooden stools, Stirratt and Sansone were in fine form. "The Sun In California" provided some warmth to a crowd that has endured another Chicago winter. It was fitting that a song like "Written In The Snow" soon followed.

The band hit its stride during a performance of "Bluebirds Fall." The song originated from a split EP called Birds, Beasts, & Flowers (2004) that the band was featured on along with the Brooklyn-based band Hem. At the time of its release, "Bluebirds Fall" really displayed the band's most ambitious arrangement. Stirratt and Sansone's vocals beautifully balanced one another, moving together as if dancing.

The band spread out about seven new songs throughout the set, each well-received by the crowd. Of the new songs, one in particular called "Feel You Now" rose above the rest. If you were to close your eyes, Stirratt's voice could have been mistaken for singer Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie. But it was that small twist by Stirratt that gave the song a fresh performance.

The band continued the running joke that every band is faced with when playing the small stage at Schubas: there's nowhere to disappear to before an encore. Wiz remained at his drums as the rest of the band moved towards the stage steps. He was thinking what most of the crowd was thinking--play one more song. Sure enough, with time permitting, Autumn Defense returned and gave the crowd a song from Stirratt's Wilco past to send them into the night. Reaching back to Wilco's first album A.M., Stirratt led the band through "It's Just That Simple," the only Wilco song on which he has ever sung lead vocals.

The evening served as a perfect preview to what Autumn Defense has in store for its fans in the coming months. Stirratt and Sansone manage to keep on making the quietest, romantic noise you'll ever hear.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Play Or Nay

2006-02-22T15:00:00.000-06:00

The M's - Future Women (Polyvinyl)

The M's are quickly becoming the Dr. Strangelove of rock music. Like the many personalities brought to life by Peter Sellers in Stanley Kubrick's 1964 film, The M's grab hold of the voices and set them up against music that is as butt-shakin' as it is menacing.

The Chicago band's sophomore album Future Women takes leaps forward from their 2004 self-titled debut. The M's don't run away from their strengths here, but the hunger to branch further out musically takes center stage. The three-part vocals by guitarists Josh Chicoine and Robert Hicks and bassist Joey King come more into their own, providing even more muscle to the band's wall of sound attack. What each voice brings to the microphone transforms into this singular discombobulated head with drummer Steve Versaw stampeding from behind.

Future Women maintains that drunken looseness from the debut album but spotlights some maturity. Some might say, "I don't want my band to become mature." Well, the lucky bands find a way to ride maturity towards new roads they never thought possible. The bands that try and fight it are really kidding themselves and soon fall off the map. Grow up or die trying, and The M's welcome the growth. Two prime examples of this are "Light I Love" and the album's title track "Future Women."

On "Light I Love," string arrangements by Dave Max Crawford (formerly of Poi Dog Pondering) turn this simple acoustic-driven tune into possibly the best song on the album. It's a gentle, bittersweet tune, featuring violinist Susan Voelz of Poi Dog Pondering that showcases more of the acoustic side of The M's. Rivaling that song is "Future Women," a song just as good as anything The Flaming Lips have written. For some reason, the image of Humpty Dumpty marching along a road in Hell to a strip joint comes to mind when listening to this song. Twisted? Sure. Fun? Definitely. The M's paint a dreamy world filled with these strange yet welcoming sounds that somehow all make sense.

But The M's don't hold back on the nastier rockers. "Never Do This Again" turns back the clock to T. Rex and Cheap Trick; the guitar bombardment comes from every angle. "Underground" can sum up any crazy Saturday night in Chicago onboard some late night El train. It sort of pays homage to The Jam's classic song "Down In The Tube Station At Midnight" with its train-like guitar rhythm.

The fuzzed up potential The M's showed on its debut album has become reality on Future Women. The songwriting team of Chicoine, King, Versaw, and Hicks has to be considered one of the best out there in music right now among young bands finding their feet. Future Women wraps up imagination, mystery, and sheer joy all into one, something any good album should deliver from the first note to the final fade.

Extra! Extra!

2006-02-21T12:00:00.000-06:00

The following is a link to my published review of last night's Jeff Tweedy show at Otto's Niteclub in DeKalb, IL:

http://www.dekalb-chronicle.com/articles/2006/02/21/news/news05.txt

Enjoy!

Bob Mould @ Old Town School of Folk Music (2/17/2006)

2006-02-18T20:00:00.000-06:00

The concert hall at the Old Town School of Folk Music on Lincoln Ave. provides a very intimate and relaxed atmosphere for concertgoers. For Bob Mould, the hall was completely removed from the rock show experience. Armed with an acoustic and electric guitar, Mould delighted the crowd with a passionate performance that not only was inspiring, but raw.

The small setting inside Old Town puts the performer closer to the audience; it's like a large living room. Every move the performer makes on that stage can be heard in every corner of the hall. It also sets a mood where the performer feels the audience almost as if they too were on stage. After a two-night run at Metro last September, Mould returned to Chicago unaccompanied by a band. As he began his show, Mould scanned the venue with wide-eyed amazement. He was thirsty. Had there been no microphone on stage with him, the way in which Mould attacked with his voice would have been enough to reach every seat.

Mould tapped into his wide catalog of songs, ranging from Hüsker Dü and Sugar to his solo work. But for anyone in the crowd that attended any of Mould's Metro shows, the setlist didn't veer too far from the standard set Mould has been performing. Still, Mould hit the ground running from the beginning.

Mould barely spoke a word at Metro, since each song came blasting one after another. As he stood at the microphone inside Old Town, a completely different Mould turned up. His voice lumbered through "Hoover Dam" and "See A Little Light." His bouncing good spirits came across not only through his command on stage but his talkative banter with the crowd. Mould let down his guard and opened up to the crowd. He joked about his recent troubles with airlines handling his guitars and praised the work of an Evanston music shop for designing a brand new case. He also poked fun at himself. Mould mentioned he noticed a concert date for Richie Havens to appear at Old Town soon. Mould spoke highly of Havens as a guitarist, especially with a 12-string acoustic. The joke was clear as Mould tuned his own acoustic and programmed his effects panel to reproduce the sound of a 12-string acoustic.

The stripped down feel to songs like "High Fidelity" and Hüsker Dü's "Hardly Getting Over It" glowed perfectly in the room. You could see it on Mould's face that even he knew he was having a good night.

He soon switched over to his blue Fender Stratocaster for a mini-electric guitar set. Mould openned the set with two songs from his latest solo album Body Of Song. "Circles" and "Paralyzed" cut the air like razors, changing the mood of the room. It was like watching Mould go from painting to gearing up a chainsaw. The electric guitar brought out the defiant punk full of fire that still boils hot inside him all these years later. After mixing it up between Sugar tunes ("Your Favorite Thing," "If I Can't Change Your Mind") and a Hüsker Dü favorite ("Celebrated Summer"), Mould soon bowed down before the standing ovation from the crowd and exited the stage.

Mould continues to make growing up sound really good.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Metro (2/8/2006)

2006-02-10T17:00:00.000-06:00

Lin Brehmer, veteran DJ of WXRT, stood at the microphone like a pillar of musical integrity before a sold-out audience at Metro. "Right now, awards are being handed out for the worst music America has to offer," said Brehmer sternly. What he was referring to was the 48th annual Grammy Awards that was currently underway out in Los Angeles, CA, the music industry's big night out. It was clear from the volume of cheers that the audience knew exactly what Brehmer was talking about. "Here's the best rock 'n' roll America has to offer," said Brehmer about the band about to take the stage. That band was Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

It was just five years ago when this San Francisco band was considered to be one of the hottest rock bands on the scene. On the trio's 2001 self-titled debut album, the buzz was ignited with the take-no-prisoners attack of "Whatever Happened To My Rock 'N' Roll (Punk Song)" and further backed up by songs like "Love Burns" and "Red Eyes And Tears." The band was later handpicked by Noel Gallagher of Oasis to fill the support slot on Oasis' 2002 tour. But following the band's second album, Take Them On, On Your Own (2003), Virgin Records, the band's label, released Black Rebel Motorcycle from their stable of artists. In the blink of an eye, Peter Hayes, Robert Levon Been, and Nick Jago were without a record label and were faced with the looming question mark surrounding the band's future.

2005 saw the band return with Howl (RCA), a major detour from The Jesus & Mary Chain swamp of fuzz soaked guitars that dominated Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's first two albums. In many ways, Howl was the breath of fresh air that the band desperately needed if they were to continue as a band. Who knew a couple of acoustic guitars, a touch of piano, and a trombone could rescue a band from a creative dead end?

Making it evident that B.R.M.C. is a changed band, the set's first four songs came from Howl. There was a cryptic mood in the room as "Restless Sinner" opened the night; the stage lights were barely raised to a level that would make the band members completely visible. The hymn-like song cried in the shadows of Metro, uncovering a well of soul that was always there within the band but went unnoticed beneath the chainsaw frenzy of guitars. The band balanced a strong mix of new and old favorites making their stage presentation a much more full experience. The stomp of "Ain't No Easy Way" in all of it's Led Zeppelin-esque glory steamrolled with Hayes blowing away on harmonica; "Love Burns" prowled like a stalker; "Promise" tapped into the essence of Sam Cooke's blend of gospel with the same passion they put into their trademark anthem "Whatever Happened To My Rock 'N' Roll (Punk Song)."

A smile crossed Hayes' face during "Sympathetic Noose" as he looked over at Been during a solo, a rarity for Hayes whose brooding demeanor almost never waivers. It was as if they could sense the new freedom provided by the path they choose to take musically. The dark times were behind them. Now, they were having fun being a band. A roadie dressed up in a bear costume and ran across the stage to change guitars for Hayes. Been caught a glimpse of the roadie, cracked a laugh, and took a friendly swipe at the roadie with his leg. It was a lighthearted moment that anyone watching the band five years ago probably would not have seen.

Call it a reinvention of sound, but what B.R.M.C. demonstrated was a fearlessness to explore what maturity could offer as inspiration. The influences go beyond just The Jesus & Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine. Before the band even played a note, Johnny Cash could be heard playing throughout Metro's speakers. If that's not enough of a sign B.R.M.C. have embraced their other musical tastes that were overlooked by critics and listeners, then who knows what would be. Almost encapsulating this fresh chapter of the band's career, Been started off the encore with a B-side called "Mercy," a song which Been admitted to never before playing live. Alone on stage with an acoustic guitar, Been sang with such gentleness and care you would almost forget this was the same man whom thrashed on his bass during "Six Barrel Shotgun."

Five years ago, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club asked whatever happened to their rock 'n' roll. What eventually happened was they became faced with themselves and were forced to question what they had become instead what happened to the music they loved. It seems now, years later, they have found their answers and their true rock 'n' roll.

All Photos By: Chris Castaneda

Extra! Extra!

2006-02-01T12:00:00.000-06:00

The February issue of Chicago Innerview is now available online.

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com

I have contributed three articles for this issue. The first is a special feature article with Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune and Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times. The other two are write-ups on Bob Mould and Autumn Defense. The links to each page are provided below:

Kot & DeRogatis:

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/feb06_rock_critic.htm

Bob Mould (scroll down):

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/feb06__previewC.htm

Autumn Defense (scroll down):

http://www.chicagoinnerview.com/archives/feb06__previewD.htm