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

Click the link below for the write-up:

Chicago Innerview - Swervedriver

Enjoy!

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JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound prove that a little soul can go a long way and putting a new spin on a landmark Wilco song will get a few more people talking.

But there's more going on with JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound than just the Wilco connection; there's a heart that want to wrap up everyone with its rhythm and sound. It's an infectious sound that thrives on the moment and setting up a mood where the senses get happily lost; it's a concept that either comes off genuinely or as an act.

Having left stages in a hot sweat for over five years, the group is riding a wave created by its second album Want More (Bloodshot Records). The group's homecoming at Metro will only reaffirm what some fans already know--JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound is Chicago's new bright star.

JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound perform at Metro on April 27th.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds @ Riviera Theatre (4/1/12)

Noel Gallagher issued his declaration of independence to the near capacity crowd at the Riviera Theatre by opening with the Oasis B-side "(It's Good) To Be Free." Having been written after his first major departure from the band during its inaugural tour of America in 1994, the song resonated even more as the 44-year-old singer/songwriter now commanded the center stage for the first time as a solo artist ever since leaving the Manchester group in 2009. Along with his new group, Gallagher shaped the evening around his debut solo album, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, and an Oasis backlog that proved to still have plenty of life even without its former lead vocalist sneering into the microphone. 

For Gallagher, there was simply nothing he had to prove to anyone inside the Riviera. Just down the street on West Lawrence Avenue was the Aragon Ballroom where Oasis performed in 1996 months before solidifying its claim to the throne as the biggest band in the world (even if most of the world wasn't keeping score). For all the criticism he amassed over his twenty year career for borrowing/stealing/rearranging the works of almost every band from the British Invasion (not to mention Stevie Wonder, The Doors, Neil Young, R.E.M.) to craft his songbook, Oasis still succeeded and had an impact on British rock music that no other group has ever come close to repeating.

Over the course of the hour and a half set, Gallagher showcased nearly the entire debut album (minus "Stop The Clocks") throughout the twenty song set while utilizing selected Oasis songs he had come to rely on when doing mini-acoustic sets during Oasis shows. Drummer Jeremy Stacey, wearing a bowler hat and white outfit resembling a droog from A Clockwork Orange, was the spitting image of John Bonham (in size and beard), who also occasionally wore the same outfit during Led Zeppelin's 1975 tour. From the outset of "Everybody's On The Run," Stacey made his presence known and felt as he delivered a steady stomp that was unrelenting. Gallagher clearly fed off his drummer, giving each strum of his guitar the same amount of force that Stacey was producing on his drum kit. The stomp turned into a brisk shuffle with "Dream On" as Gallagher weaved his vocals from a tease to a punch.

Joined by bassist Russ Pritchard (The Zutons), guitarist Tim Smith (The Producers, Sheryl Crow) and fill-in keyboardist Ben Leach (Mikey Rowe stepped down to rejoin his pregnant wife), Gallagher's High Flying Birds played within their strengths and didn't attempt to replicate the styles of Gallagher's former Oasis bandmates. The addition of Pritchard and Smith on backing vocals added a nice bit of depth to songs like "(I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine" and "(Stranded On) The Wrong Beach."

The Oasis sound that fans had come to know in the last nine years of the band was wiped clean away. Gallagher avoided the bombastic arena staples like "Cigarettes & Alcohol," "Lyla" and "The Shock Of The Lightning." Instead, he opted for songs that were effortless in structure ("Half The World Away") and that recalled the optimism sometimes overlooked in Oasis songs ("Whatever"). A slowed down acoustic version of "Supersonic," the band's debut single off 1994's Definitely Maybe, still carried the bravado and fire as Gallagher sang the opening line, "I need to be myself."

Although Gallagher's first work beyond Oasis is filled with a new breath, there remained a musical vision that had been recycled time and time again. From the echoes of "Wonderwall" and "D'You Know What I Mean?" that can be heard in "If I Had A Gun..." to the nearly never ending variations of shuffling tempos that tie "Go Let It Out" to "The Hindu Times" to "Lyla" to practically all of 2008's Dig Out Your Soul up to now with the likes of "The Death Of You And Me."

Whether it's conscious or not, Gallagher's willingness for self-repetition somehow, someway almost always produces yet another hook that pulls you in or a sound that only Noel Gallagher can make. As "Don't Look Back In Anger" filled the Riviera, Gallagher turned the vocals over to the crowd as he almost always has since it became a pillar of Oasis shows. The power of the song, even outside an arena setting, was still evident as the crowd sang in unison, ready to join Gallagher the second the chorus came around. Noel Gallagher, the solo artist, may lack the electrifying voice that his younger brother Liam gave to Oasis for all those years, but he certainly has not lost the heart.

Photo By: Lawrence Watson

Going Underground

Writing on hiatus...

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

Beginning September 6th, career path TBD...

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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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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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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 

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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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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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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

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My latest entry on ChicagoNow.com has been posted.

Click here: On Shuffle - Box-O-Car

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My latest entry on ChicagoNow.com has been posted.

Click here: On Shuffle - Jay Bennett

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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!

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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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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

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

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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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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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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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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!