Sure, the news has picked up on it today, but NASA launching a rocket to orbit the moon for the first time since 1972 is huge! Is it because we're not landing on the moon that people seem less than impressed by this? Do people even understand what a huge achievement it is every time human bodies venture further beyond our planet? Me? I am very excited! Good luck to all the astronauts and I am so jealous of what they'll get to experience and so grateful they're brave enough to undertake a massive road trip.
Who do you think is in charge of "road" games and dispensing treats every hundred miles?*
UPDATED 4/2: It was amazing!
*Those 100-mile treats were a mainstay of my own family's countless road trips since every vacation we took as I was growing up involved traveling great distances in our largest family car at the time.
I stumbled across Daniel Romano's prodigious output over the pandemic and he had me hooked from the start. For a while there, Romano was releasing music so quickly, and hopping genres so frequently, you never knew what to expect from him, but what you got was always engrossing.
Romano's last few albums have started to hone his rawkier, poppier elements while mixing Crazy Horse instrumental looseness with tightening Tom Petty-esque melodies. His latest album Preservers Of The Pearl is credited to only The Outfit, and stands as Romano's most collaborative effort yet, granting a deeper dimension as what was once a musical nom de plume has morphed into a fully functioning democratic band.
I share this album with you because it's really good. But I also share it as an example of what happens when you actively remain open to new bands. If I recall, I stumbled across Romano being mentioned in another review, liked the comparison or description of his morphing sounds at the time, went to check out his Bandcamp page, and discovered there was a treasure trove of music there that was still growing at a fantastic pace.
There was an entire musical universe out there that was ready for me to fall in love with by chance, and if that's true here, then the number of musical universes tailor made for me (or you!) to fall in love with is staggering. Any time I think I've "heard it all" I remind myself that there are an infinite number musical galaxies out there that I could fall in love with if I only found them. And the only way to do that is to keep actively searching.
The search is never over; it will never, ever be complete. But for now, take a breather, take in The Outfit, and then use that as a springboard for your next search.
As the mists of time slowly drew apart as cable television burned its way into our hearts in the late '70s and early '80s, there were a series of short films most of us were exposed to. My recollection is that these were time fillers, used as a buffer between movies when the prior film's run time didn't't land on a convenient hour or half-hour mark.*
Sometimes these were promo or behind-the-scenes featurettes for either already-popular or soon-to-be-released movies, and other times they were just short, entertaining standalone films plucked from festival or late-night film circuits and the like. The crowning titans of this latter version of wave-fillers were easily the spoofs of 2 recent science fiction movies that had captured the hearts and minds of the public, and were easy targets for a MAD Magazine style spoof. To those of you that remember, these will be incredibly familiar. And to those of you for whom the era I just described sounds like its own brand of "science fiction" ... well you are in for a treat.
I present to you, Hardware Wars and Closet Cases of the Nerd Kind!**
Take a breath, and then keep going!
*Funny to think of it, but we were beholden to cable TV's schedule, and not the other way around.
**And yes, these are both available on DVD nd yes, of course I just recently added them my permanent collection since the VHS tapes that were my prior "storage system" have proven difficult to find.*** Also, Hardware Wars has a remarkably large set of extra features and additional films that I have yet to make my way through, but am eager to dig into.
***And yes, I showed these to Nora a few days ago and she had never heard of either short film yet walked away amused by both (to varying degrees) so I know they still hold up!
It's been 8 long years since we last got a full-length Robyn album. That changed today with the release of Sexistential!
I'm still making my way through the album and doin't want to share too many initial thoughts with you about it yet; it's been a busy Friday and I didn't want it to be background music the first time I played it. But I couldn't let its release go by unheralded either! I mean, I knew it was coming but had honestly forgotten it was coming today! And hoo boy do I need something like this after the week I've had.
I’ve been a fan of Gorillaz since the days of digging through the bins at Virgin or Tower in 2001 to get the first CD singles the band released. Back then they were often cheekily described by the music press as Damon Albarn’s attempt at a new millennial Archies. This was obviously an overly simplistic view given the band is still going strong 25 years later, but while the earlier albums seemed to have poppier singles and more cohesive themes, the last couple releases have played more like worldly dance parties or collected vibes. And their latest release The Mountain definitely falls into the vibes over “potential hits” camp. And I think that’s OK! Albarn clearly relishes his role as a bandleader unrestricted by any single genre, and has enjoyed slathering on the guest artists and co-contributors to his songs under the Gorillaz moniker. I might miss some of the quirkier sounds that turned into hits, but I’ll take the consistently rewarding sound baths we’ve gotten in recent years and happily submerge myself in them.
It did pop into my head during Gorillaz’s first appearance on Saturday Night Live a few weeks ago that most Gorillaz fans probably don’t know who Albarn is, even as the group grows only more popular with each release. And I did wonder how many sharp-eyed folks unfamiliar with the people in the band saw the promo clips for that episode featuring Alban and Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett, and then wondered why Hewlett wasn't on stage for the live sets. That made me giggle a little.
I do not envy folks that have had to cover the Lollapalooza lineup announcement over the last couple of years. I attended and/or covered the festival through pretty much every iteration from 1991 until 2019—so I do have fond feelings for Lollapalooza. And once upon a time the lineup announcement really was a fun thing to cover, with everyone jockeying to get their unique take on it out first and drive the conversation. Believe it or not, for a while the bill was actually deep, varied, and filled with quality acts.
These days most media sites basically rehash the press release and print the lineup verbatim on the day it's released. But the folks I feel sorry for are the ones who feel they need to put a positive spin on it, or treat the unveiling as if there is anything of actual interest to see there, which wouldn’t be an issue if the lineups were not so consistently underwhelming these days. If you see a superlative in a headline about a Lollapalooza lineup announcement, it’s a good sign that person (or their publication) is more interested in ensuring their access than they are about actually writing honestly about the music.
And on the fan end of the spectrum, every year I do see some old Lolla-heads trying to point out the handful of interesting acts on the undercard as some sort of defense, but once Lollapalooza expanded to 4 days there is simply not enough quality music on that bill to fill all that time. And telling me there’s one or two interesting acts each day doesn’t seem to support the price of even a single-day ticket, much less one that covers the full extended weekend.
I'm not gonna harsh anyone's mellow who just wants an excuse to party for 4 days in the middle of the summer in downtown Chicago, but let's stop pretending Lollapalooza has any kind of real cultural cache, or even the faintest ties to the underground of interesting musical acts from whence it sprung.
Since the pandemic and my withdrawal from much of the social activities I participated in, I have at times started to feel like a forgotten person. I spent a long time being a reasonably prominent voice in both the real and digital worlds, but am also aware that maintaining that kind of role means you can never slow down. And I have most certainly slowed down.
Over the weekend I quietly facilitated a nice thing on Threads while trying to remain in the background, only to discover my name mentioned numerous times by a wide variety of people as the Thread went a little viral (in a very positive sense). And I admit, it felt good. It reminded me that there is still a large group of people who do remember me, and seem to do so in a positive sense.
I don't need to be talked about constantly or even frequently, but it's nice to know I'm remembered fondly. And apparently still have a little bit of pull, to this day.
I recently upgraded my copy of Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains from DVD to the new 4K version (and boy oh boy it's a beaut of an upgrade—highly recommended). However, I continue to lament that there has never been an official soundtrack released for the film. I guess one was planned for around the time the movie was first issued on DVD, but that was never officially released. So while there are reportedly some digital versions of that planned release out there, I have yet to find any of them myself. Why don't we have an official soundtrack for a movie that starred (among others) Diane Lane, Laura Dern, Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Ray Winston? No clue.
In general it's not an insurmountable tragedy since most of the songs from the film ended up being released by the bands that performed them. But the two songs I want most, the two actually "performed" by The Fabulous Stains, were never released into the wild beyond the versions grafted onto celluloid film. But since no official version of their songs exist, the below will have to do...for now. (Hey Mondo, this seems like a project that'd be perfect for you!)
Below is the glossy version of The Stains covering The Looters' (who were actually The Professionals in real life) "Join The Professionals." People are split on whether or not this was really neesarry to graft onto the tail end of the movie over the credits (to imply The Stains went on to a "happier ending" as MTV darlings) but I think we can all agree it's a sprightly little version of this ditty.
And while there is no "official" version of The Fabulous Stains' "Waste Of Time," YACHT did record a dancefloor-friendly cover of the tune back in 2009 (?!) so for now it's the best I have to offer you on that front.
I finally listened to the conceptual mash-up album from dk darkly that merges selections from the Daft Punk and Justice catalogs together to create something exciting and new. Since this is less mixing chocolate with peanut butter and instead more mixing 2 imported chocolates I expected that the result would be pleasant but I wasn't prepared for how this mixture enhances the strengths of both bands and blends them to create something subtly refreshing and slightly unexpected.
And hot-diggity-dawg if this ain't a great way to power through a Friday and get amped for the weekend!
With Wuthering Heights entering many conversations recently, driven by its latest cinematic adaption, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of my favorite cover songs of all time.
From 1992's Freedom Of Choice compilation, I offer for your listening pleasure the most excellent cover of Kate Bush's "Wurthering Heights" by White Flag (featuring The Muffs' Ronnie Barnett on bass for this tune!). While there had always been punk covers of pop songs, we hadn't quite entered the era where every pop song got the punk treatment. And while I adore Ms. Bush's version, White Flag's interpretation is the one I still find myself singing out loud at top volume as I wander the apartment or sit in my car.
I see Double Door is pivoting their plans and looking to recreate the venue in a smaller space, with an interim plan to keep the brand alive by booking stuff at The Gallery Cabaret (which I personally think is a great opportunity). Double Door has always meant a lot to me, and the original venue crew was very good to me when it came to my becoming more integrated into the Chicago live music scene as a whole. But one thing Double Door owner Sean Mulroney said in a recent interview with Block Club Chicago really clarified what I've been worried about when it comes to live music venues in Chicago:
That building [the Wilson Theater] would have been incredible. But the world’s changed. If you look at live music venues and so forth, I don’t know that that expenditure is justifiable in this economic climate.
The recent changes in the realities of post-pandemic touring has led to most established bands choosing to play much larger venues at greatly increased ticket prices, meaning many of the smaller and mid-sized venues are fighting for their lives. And without those venues it's harder and harder for local and regional bands to make the leap to the more profitable, larger venues. The roots of the live music ecosystem are being starved, and I'm honestly not sure what to do about it.
But I do think something like taking over a struggling venue using a trusted brand name backed by folks with long experience might be an excellent step in the right direction. Water those roots, we need them!
One of my bigger regrets is skipping the INXS show at Rosemont Horizon I had a ticket to in the very early '90s. I was supposed to go with a friends and a girl I had been dating, but by the time the show rolled around I was off at college and already dating someone else and didn't want to make things awkward by returning home for the show. Of course now I know that was a huge mistake and I should've just kept the ticket and dealt with the awkwardness. I never did get to see them play live.
Anyhoo, I see INXS has made it onto the list of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees this year, so this story popped back in my head, and I wish the band all the luck in the world since they certainly more than deserve their place in that particular pantheon. I mean, even if the below song was the only thing they'd ever written, it would've secured their spot. But INXS literally has dozens of classics. I kinda hope this nomination means a younger generation might delve deeper than the mega-hits and final headlines to discover what an amazing and unique group of musicians INXS was in that first decade and a half they were around.
I mean maybe this will help? I think even those of us that used to this regularly have forgotten about its benefits...
A while ago I made the conscious decision to start my days by reading at least a couple pages of the current book I'm making my way through. Before looking at my phone or firing up a podcast, I read. Actual paper.
It's made a real difference. In general, my brain feels quieter and more focused after I've been reading any physical print material for any stretch of time. And I do think it does make a difference that it's just paper and ink and brain (and hopefully a well-lit room). And my days start off feeling calmer and more manageable before the inevitable whirlwind of responsibilities and outside stimuli being their constant attack. But it makes getting through the maelstrom just a little bit easier. And it feels good to read!
Try it out. Even if you've grown up using screens and this sounds like a real backwards approach, I think you might find you like it. And who knows, maybe you'll start reading throughout the rest of the day too! I know I did.
Every once in a while there is a Chicago and that seems to break big without me ever being aware of their existence. It doesn't happen often, but it's always a shock to get that email about a slick, huge, super-duper professional-sounding release from a band that looks like each member has their own stylist and then read the line "Chicago-based" without having a single clue who they are! This just reinforces that even in a world where I have an inordinate amount of knowledge, I still have some glaringly embarassing blind spots!
Which brings us to Brigitte Calls Me Baby, a group so slick I initially approached them with caution, thinking they might be some industry baby or whose "connections" to Chicago were tenuous at best. But a quick glance through their concert history proves they definitely cut their teeth in smaller Chicago venues, moving up the food chain in a natural manner—which means I have no excuse for having missed these cats before now.* Especially when the band in question manages to cross the drama of The Smiths with the galloping danciness of early Killers, merging a bit of theater with funkier rock and/or muscle in a way thatI found irresistable. They are of a dying breed of rock band that have no fear of gloss but still manage to make songs sound like they came from a few human's bouncing ideas off each other and not a conglomerate of sonic technicians grafting disparate parts together in search of "a hit."
Brigitte Calls Me Baby's sophomore effort Irreversible is out in early march and if you're looking for something bright, shiny and fun you should have this high on your list of new releases to check out. You can stream "Slumber Party" (and click through to pre-order) below to get a taste of what to expect. My praise of this stuff doesn't come lightly, and while I'm slightly red in the face for being so late to this party I am so glad I finally accepted the invite!
*O.K., I'm being hard on myself. I no longer go to 4-6 concerts a week, and since the pandemic my "ears to the ground" approach has been somewhat hindered by that. Though a glance through old emails proves I've definitely been sent plenty of press releases about the band, but none of them included links to downloadable music,so I ended up not digging any deeper. MY MISTAKE!
The train I was on this morning lurched to a stop just before 9 a.m., almost throwing a few folks standing in my car to the floor. Shortly afterward, a stunned-sounding conductor announced, "We'll be standing here for a moment. Someone fell on the tracks in front of the train." It was rush hour and people were in a hurry so someone on our car pried a door open and most folks followed him out, but I stayed on the car with a few other people, figuring we'd start pulling forward soon. About ten minutes later all the doors opened and we were told to exit, walking along the narrow pathway next to the train until we met a gate that a CTA employee held open for us.
I've been on many trains who were stopped for a "sick passenger" and anyone who rides the CTA on a regular basis knows that's usually code for either someone acting erratically, or for an accident on the tracks. But this was the first time I've ever heard an employee just say that someone fell on the tracks.
I walked the remaining 10 blocks from that stop to my office, hoping the person involved was O.K., while hearing the compounding wail of multiple sirens make their way towards the station as I walked along.
I haven't been able to shake the sound of that conductor's voice all day.
I know he was first in many people's hearts for his roles in Dawson's Creek and Varsity Blues, but quite honestly I thought James van Der Beek's most hilarious role was playing "James Van Der Beek" in the TV series Don't Trust the B---- In Apartment 23. Talk about a postmodern wink and a smile. Followed up by his hilarious send up of Jason Mewes in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. The man was a seriously comedic talent in both those productions.
But Van Der Beek's finest role that showed his range as an actor was as as Sean Bateman (Patrick Bateman's little brother in the Bret Easton Ellis expanded universe) in The Rules of Attraction. If you've never seen that film, strap yourself in for a distinctly early aught ride through various levels hilarity, depravity, ennui and dark depression that also contains one of the most heartbreaking uses of a Henry Nilsson song I've ever experienced.
Van Der Beek passed away yesterday at a far-too-young age—I literally gasped when someone shared the breaking news with us in a meeting—and I'm realizing this has hit me harder than I would have ever thought it would.
I mean, come on! Even our underground and indoor subway stations are encased in ice.
Listen, we Chicago folk are a hardy bunch, but this winter is starting to fray on everyone’s nerves. The deep freeze doesn’t usually settle in until February or so, but this year it arrived around the holidays and hasn’t really let up since then. The rare days where to sun is actually visible or the temperature is above 20º F are aberrations we get excited about, but for the most part the city has just been encased in a grey, frozen envelope and that does get hard to live in.
I was born here but grew up both down south and on the east coast before landing back in Illinois near the end of high school, and there’s a part of me that always thought I’d eventually move out west into climes that are warmer year-round. These days that seems less and less likely, through there are seriously periods of time—and this is one of them—where I wonder why I don’t care enough about my mental health to move somewhere sunnier and warmer. This questioning of my own sanity has only grown stronger in recent years as I found more solace in long outdoor walks and realized just how important both nature and sunshine have become to my wellbeing.
I did pick up a treadmill last year, so I am lucky enough to be able to keep moving throughout the day, even as long outdoor journeys have become less pleasant and more arduous. And I suppose I could buy a sun lamp to help offset the constant cloud cover sapping my internal battery. So, it’s not like I don’t have options! But man oh man, I am really missing the hour or so I could just wander off to the nearby forest preserve and get lost in sun-dappled greenery right now.
Ultra Sonic Edukators circa 2007. Photo by Morgan Miller.
I keep intending to start a regular "they shoulda been huge" series of intensely talented artists or groups that have crossed my path over the years, focusing on those that have amazing albums available on band camp, often for free. Since my decision to start writing on this site more regularly—eschewing well-thought out and complete statements in favor of just writing again—is having its intended effect of removing the mental logjam that had kept my writing to a relative trickle over the past 5 years, I'm going to give myself another mental push by sharing the 2012 album Armageddon Is In My Room from Chicago's Ultra Sonic Edukators with you.* Again!**
The simplest RIYL I can offer here is that if you're into Britpop, and especially Blur, this group of Midwestern then-twentysomethings will both surprise and delight you.
I'm forcing myself into a corner here to finally write something more robust and kick the "proper" series off over at Third Coast Review in the near future, but for now all you need to know is that this was a favorited group of mine who just launched at the wrong time. Like many other promising bands of the mid-to-late aughts, they had some industry contacts and that led to their hope of a more "proper" approach to their music career, waiting for that big (or even small but trusted) label signing at the exact same time the industry was imploding. That era created a sort of grey zone where a lot of great music seems to have gotten lost, aside from the handful of weirdos like me who kept clutching to their CD-Rs handed over to us by unsigned bands.
The rise of Bandcamp in recent years as an easy way to distribute these "lost" albums or other archival releases has been a terrific development, and I am so grateful for the groups that have offered up their "lost gems" in this way. And I hope that by shining a new light on some of these albums, some of these groups might regain the stronger placing in the history of music that they have long deserved.
But for now, I hope you enjoy this album that collects just about everything Ultra Sonic Edukators ever recorded.
*I literally just found an email to myself from June of 2022 trying to push/remind myself to share this album and kick off a "they shoulda been bigger" series. Which makes sense since by then I would have been living in relative isolation for so long I was definitely going down deep rabbit holes trying to uncover info about bands I was starting to worry would get completely lost time...
**It appears this album originally appeared on Bandcamp in 2013, given this post I wrote at that time, but the link has long been broken.
