Archive for July, 2006

The Hidden Cameras

Monday, July 24th, 2006

7/22/6
Wicker Park Street Festival
Day One
Chicago

With eight people on stage always giving it their all, The Hidden Cameras are just about the most exciting band you’re bound to see live. Hailing from Toronto, Canada, they write indie pop songs with full melodies and harmonizing. I’ve seen The Hidden Cameras three times now. The first [...]

Slumber Party

Monday, July 24th, 2006

Wicker Park Street Festival Day One
Chicago
7/22/6

There’s just something about all girl bands I can’t exactly put my finger on. Slumber Party is a four piece from Detroit who combines bass, guitar, and keyboards to create, for the most part, songs on the downbeat. According to a friend who saw them a few years [...]

Telefon Tel Aviv

Monday, July 24th, 2006

Wicker Park Street Festival
Chicago
Saturday 7/22/6

I don’t have too much to say about Telefon Tel Aviv’s live set because it ended up just being a dj spin, which was a bit of a let down. I had seen Telefon Tel Aviv play their own material at The Empty Bottle once before and was looking forward [...]

Charlotte Hug

Thursday, July 20th, 2006

7/19/6 at The Hideout in Chicago

Charlotte Hug is a Swiss musician who played an early show last night with Chicagoan celloist Fren Longberg-Holm. It was both intense and minimalistic at the same time. Charlotte used all parts of her viola bow to elicit certain sounds and even used her hands [...]

The Fruit Bats

Tuesday, July 18th, 2006

5/6/6 at the Lakeshore Theater in Chicago

The following is a review from a show I posted a couple of months ago when I enjoyed seeing The Fruit Bats. I am reposting it so that people who might be coming from Music for America may get to it more easily. I was very excited [...]

Leonard Cohen’s I’m Your Man

Tuesday, July 18th, 2006

It’s funny because you grow accustomed to someone’s voice and you start to identify with it so completely that it’s cherished like none other. That’s how Leonard Cohen is to me. I like his voice over time as well, the more melodic and softer younger Cohen to the slightly more gruff crooner that [...]

The Buzzcocks

Monday, July 17th, 2006

7/15/6
Double Door in Chicago

There’s definitely something to be said for bands like The Buzzcocks who have not only stood the test of time musically but can bring together generations of fans to see them in one place. Playing to a sold out show, the Buzzcocks played about 75 minutes total and were pretty generous [...]

Elephant Micah

Friday, July 14th, 2006

7/13/6
Hideout in Chicago

The slow sad wonders of Joe O’Connell make up what is known as Elephant Micah. Joe sat down at the piano making us all witnesses to his melancholy as he sang with his sweet lull of a voice songs about birds and relationships. Softly, he pleaded: “Take these vague feelings from [...]

Josh Caterer (Smoking Popes)

Wednesday, July 12th, 2006

Schubas in Chicago
7/11/6

Joined by a full room of adoring fans, Josh Caterer of historical Chicago band “The Smoking Popes” played about an hour long set focusing in on rare songs and songs from seven inches. Most people in the audience still knew the words and mouthed them along with him as he sang. [...]

Davey Von Bohlen

Wednesday, July 12th, 2006

7/11/6

Schubas in Chicago

Davey Von Bohlen was the special guest for Josh Caterer’s practice space. As his wikipedia entry reads, he’s been in a few prominent bands: Maritime and The Promise Ring and Cap’n Jazz. Davey was rather candid and modest. He was a surprise guest so he was pleased people knew his songs. [...]