I've mentioned Russian Circles here before, and today you can stream their entire record from spinner.com. Station is the highly anticipated follow up to their 2006 debut, Enter. I've had the chance to preview the record as well, and for those expecting a similar sounding record, prepare to alter those expectations before you sit down for a listen. Station shies away from the bombastic moments of its predecessor, but creates more jangly, soundscape-y type jams, which is by no means a negative. Drummer Dave Turncrantz really picks and chooses his moments to flex his percussive might, but even the lighter moments of the record are anchored by a tight rhythm section that help the songs flow from one idea to the next. The guitar work of Mike Sullivan is technically complex yet never comes off as sterile or gimmicky. Take a listen to 'Versus', the fourth song on the album, and you'll hear what I mean. I haven't listened to the record enough to make a definitive decision on just how this sophomore effort stacks up to the first record, but on its own, it absolutely makes for a record you should pick up and listen to... like today.

If you want to check them out live, come to the Russian Circles Record Release show at Subterranean this Saturday night. Milwaukee favorites Call Me Lightning open, and Tight Phantomz play second (yea, I know... shameless self promotion... so sue me).

Posted by pete croke at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Since their first EP released in 2004, The Poison Arrows have evolved from the solo project of ex-Atombombpocketknife vocalist/guitarist Justin Sinkovich into a 3 piece band, and have been building momentum with another EP released in 2007. A a full length record has been written and recorded, but no solid release date has been set as of yet.

Early recordings of the band were done by Sinkovich and made available to listeners via the Trailer Park EP, and featured a remix by none other than OG electro-punk hero Martin Rev. He played in this little band called Suicide... you may have heard of them. The EP was a glitchy, electronic based record that undoubtedly saw Sinkovich spending countless hours hunched over a computer, crafting soundscapes quite different than the post-punk/rock undertaking that was Atombombpocketknife. In any case, in 2007 another record was released, the Premix-Remix CD, featuring remixes of Sinkovich's work by other musicians/engineers/bands such as Jonah Sharp, TRS-80, Brother El, Brian Deck, Jonathan Kreinik, Slo-Ro, Mike Lust, DJ? Acucrack, Sterling, and N.LN.

2007 also saw the release of the first EP recorded as a band, Straight Into the Drift. The band included drummer Adam Reach, collaborator with Sinkovich's old bandmate Che Arthur, and bassist Patrick Morris, noted for his stint with Pittsburgh, Pennslyvannia's best instrumental rock band ever: the mighty Don Caballero. The formation of the full band obviously marked a change in direction and sound, and undoubtedly for the better if you ask me. I like a good electronic record just like the next dude, but there is something to be said about the dynamic of a live band and the collaborative recording process that really resonates with me, which is exactly what The Poison Arrows have managed to do over the past year.

Through a string of steady live Chicago shows and my long overdue need to own the new EP, I've come to regard The Poison Arrows as one of my favorite Chicago acts. You can check them out on May 22nd at The Hideout with none other than Louisville's Shipping News. Hell yes, I said the Shipping News are going to be in Chicago next month, alongside the Poison Arrows. Be there. In the meantime, check out this video I got at the Empty Bottle of "Lockaway", from The Poison Arrows latest EP:

Posted by pete croke at 10:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Let's face it, metal is back. Maybe not on a grand scale, but it seems like the genre is getting a lot more attention these days. Perhaps its a response to the weak, post-punk/emo explosion of recent years that has spawned so many cookie-cutter acts and bad haircuts, but any way you cut it (oh thats bad, I know), you should come see what I mean tomorrow night at the Empty Bottle. Its rare to have a bill comprised entirely of bands I'm genuinely stoked to see, so come on out and see what I'm talking about.

Indian is a punishingly heavy band hailing from Chicago. They don't rely on blazing fast riffs or fancy fretboard work to get your attention, but rather they choose to bludgeon listeners into submission with slow, menacing songs. If that doesn't suit your fancy, then get your ass out of the kitchen (isn't that how the quote goes?) When they decide to turn the intensity up a bit, there is nothing like a tasteful blast beat anchoring pummeling riffs. For three dudes, these guys sure make a lot of noise. Bring your earplugs and a clean pair of Depends for this set.

Dead Child come from Louisville, KY, and bring quite an impressive resume with them (see: Brothers of Conquest, Shipping News, The For Carnation, Aerial M, Papa M, Tortoise, Early Man, Zwan, and Slint). Do I have your attention now? Good... well... just don't expect to hear anything close to resembling any of these acts. Dead Child remind me of a less technical Anthrax (not a knock to anyone's skill... they just arent quite as thrashy), with nods to other early metal acts like Motorhead and Sir Lord Baltimore. This is really an area that not many bands seem to pay homage to these days, and its great to hear a band like Dead Child offer their take on metal music.

Qualms are without question the least metal of the acts, but that absolutely does not take away from the intensity of their live show. I saw them a while back at the Beat Kitchen, opening for the Poison Arrows (petecroke.com feature coming soon!), and I was thoroughly impressed by what I heard. Qualms are definitely a new-er Chicago band that you need to watch out for. Their sound reminds me of early Don Caballero thrown in with the rhythmic sensibility of The Jesus Lizard (although there is no bass in this band, you'll hear what I mean).

Posted by pete croke at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you ever attended the Fireside Bowl between 1994-2004, you have a story to tell. Hell, even the jerks who drove by and honked at/harassed a line of punk kids at some sold-out show probably have some funny anecdotes too. Anyways, this myspace site is requesting any story you would be willing to share about your experience at the Fireside. Check it out, and contribute!

Posted by pete croke at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Whenever a new Clutch record showed up in the BMG catalogs I used to get, you could bet your ass I was going to buy it. Over the years, they have fallen in and out of my rotation, but most importantly, they remain an option in my musical library. I've owned plenty of of records in the time between my first Clutch purchase (S/T release, 1995) and my last (Pitchfork & Lost Needles, 2005), and many of them have ended up in used record shops or better yet, tools to land me one step closer to my lifelong dream of being an ultimate frisbee champion.

I keep my Clutch records around because I have nothing but respect for this Germantown, MD band. Formed in 1991, Clutch marches on to this day, and have shared the stage with so many great metal/punk/rock acts over the years, and have outlived many of their peers as well. What started as a gritty/post-punk sound has evolved into a a group that still remembers their roots, but favors a more rock and roll style. They have a little bit of everything that you can latch onto, which isn't always the best formula for my tastes, but how can you argue with the longevity and the body of work that Clutch has managed to compile? Check 'em out for yourself tomorrow night at The Metro.

Posted by pete croke at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There haven't been many songs lately that I can incessantly listen to, but ever since I heard Hollywood Holt's "Throw a Kit", there are a few people who have endured my constant attempts at rapping, probably wishing I'd just STFU. Although my rap skills are somewhat lackluster, I can assure you that Hollywood Holt is one Chicago artist that can bring it, and you can count on hearing a lot more about him in the months and years to come.

To give you a point of reference as to how little I actually know about rap music today, I had no idea that the song is basically a cover of Rich Boy’s “Throw Some D’s”, but to be perfectly honest, I enjoy Holt's version much more than the original. I guess there is something about the culture of mopeds that I can relate to more than driving a Cadillac, but even that is a serious stretch considering I have never taken a ride in either.

Most live hip hop I have ever seen ends up being a serious disappointment. Perhaps its no fault to the artists themselves, but there is something that consistently does not translate from recordings to the stage. However, one night last summer/fall (my memory fails me lately) at the Hideout, I had the pleasure of watching Hollywood Holt perform, and the show ended up being one of the best live acts I saw last year. There is something geniune about his stage presence and delivery that I can really admire. Even though I was surrounded by tons of Chicago hipsters, which completely had me screaming "IRONIC!" in my head, you couldn't deny the energy felt by the entire room that night. Holt had the entire crowd moving along to his beats, a feat that very few artists can lay claim to these days.

Hollywood Holt takes the stage tonight at Darkroom, along with Yea Big & Kid Static, Meat Number 5, DJ Johnny Kesh, DJ Mikey Dance Panther, and DJ Trew. More info on Hollywood Holt and the show can be found over at Miles Raymer's great Sharp Darts column which appeared in the Chicago Reader yesterday. Before you head on over there, check out the video for "Throw A Kit" and tell me with a straight face that this song doesn't completely kick ass and you couldn't see yourself listening to it 10 times in a row (not that I have or anything....)

Posted by pete croke at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The month of January is usually slow in terms of shows and touring bands, but certainly not slow enough to warrant an entire month of not updating my site. There were definitely some great shows that occurred during the month, but I could find neither the time nor the resources to document any of it (my camera decided to break on New Years Eve, not helping matters much). For such negligence, I apologize. I'll try to keep posting on the regular, and February is shaping up to be a great month for music in Chicago, starting off with tonight!

Pinebender shows are a lot like my recent posting habits. They just don't happen very often, which is unfortunate considering how great this band is to see live. The dense wall of sound they are able to create, as a trio and no bass player, is something to behold. There are lots of bands in Chicago who go to great lengths to expand the borders of music and push the envelope of creativity, which is obviously a vital element to any music scene. However, as good as that can be, I think sometimes people forget how great it is to see a band get up on stage to play inspiring, dynamic, ass-kicking rock music. Pinebender do this better than many bands here in Chicago, and their straightforward approach to writing riffs and melodic passages is such a breath of fresh air to me because they execute so well.

Check out the tunes on their myspace, or this video for "Broadcast All Your Dreams" from Pinebender's 2006 release, Working Nine To Wolf.

Posted by pete croke at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)