This past summer I discovered a great little band that reminds me of blue skies, playing in parks and sunglasses. Ezra Furman & The Harpoons have a unique sound to them that keeps me interested long after the season fades away taking my need for sunglasses with it as winter’s sun hides behind Chicago’s greyest of grey clouds. Earlier this month I got to have a little email chat with Ezra Furman and learn a little more about the band and their music. They’re definitely a band I’m looking forward to hearing more from in the new year, so check it out!
FYW: Your songs remind me of summer, but that may just be me- so, when did these nifty tunes come about? Were they written in parks with the birds and bees or were they forged in the gloomy winter months with street side grey slush? What’s the writing process for your music like?
Ezra: I write songs all year ‘round, not just in the summer. Actually probably fewer of them were written in the summer because I tend to be less of an escapist at that time of year. I tend to be outside doing things and enjoying the warmth instead of inside dreaming. Read more…
Well, the big holiday is upon us; yes, Christmas Day has come and (almost) gone. I hope all you Christmas celebrators had yummy food, enjoyed your family’s company, and had a wonderful morning. I know at least one person who didn’t get what he wanted from Santa this year but I’m sure he’d wish you all a Merry Swiftmas regardless.
Evan Taubenfeldhit the music scene early this decade as the guitarist in Avril Lavigne’s multi-platinum selling band. He also co-wrote some of her hits and has produced for such artists as Tyga and The Pack. Recently, however, Taubenfeld has decided to break off and pursue a solo career. After a year of touring – most recently this Fall with Secondhand Serenade – Taubenfeld enjoyed a boost in exposure this holiday season when his lighthearted “Merry Swiftmas (Even Though I Celebrate Hanukkah)” made it to #59 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs (even though I’m pretty sure it falls neatly into the pop genre) and – more importantly – made the rounds on the Internet, being heavily re-tweeted and posted on walls throughout Facebookland.
His single, “Boy Meets Girl,” starts off with a magical, airy sound before delivering a powerful, guitar-driven chorus that claims meeting this girl is “like Motorhead and the Grateful Dead in a game of Twister“. Meanwhile, my personal favorite, “Cheater of the Year,” is a catchy exposè of an unfaithful girlfriend. Evan’s debut album, Welcome to the Blacklist Club, is on its way. Of the album, Taubenfeld says, “For the first time in my career, I’m not hiding behind anyone else, whether it be as a guitarist or drummer in someone else’s band, or being the writer and producer. I’ve been sitting on the sidelines waiting for this for so long. I’m like that kid on the basketball team who is pretty good but rides the bench the entire season for three years until finally, the coach is like, ‘You’re in. Don’t screw this up.’ So Welcome to the Blacklist Club is about me from the first bar to the final note. It’s Chapter One of the story of my life.”*
Check out the “Merry Swiftmas” video below, have a laugh, and enjoy the holiday weekend! Read more…
This holiday I am happily gifting to you another one of my secret Danish gems. I fell head over heels for Tim Christensen early in high school with Right Next To The Right One on a mix my first sweetheart made me. And though the boy didn’t turn out to be the right one, Tim Christensen has never disappointed me with his music.
I first heard Tim Christensen in 2004, a year after the release of Honeyburst, and I was blown away. His music is charged with emotions about the difficulties of love. He’s a bit different from most of the other music in my iTunes library, but I’ve never been able to put my finger on what it is that makes him standout and captivated me, but I suppose that’s part of the intrigue for me. His music seems honest to me, and I love that.
I was delighted to hear that he’s working on something new and have watched the video and listened to the new track, “Tell Me What You Really Want“, over and over and over again. Though he only released Superior in 2008. I am anticipating new music from him in the new year, and I cannot wait to hear what he’s written this time.
Since this blog is written by college students, you may have noticed a recent lack of activity on our part. For this, we must all apologize… but to be honest with you, finals KILLED us all this year.
Now that is over, and we want to remind you of the amazing year we had with FYW, with music, and with our favorite artists.
For those of you who, like me, shed a small but significant tear when you heard The Hush Sound was no longer making music, I have some good news. That angelic voice, those bouncy blond curls, the endearing stage presence… they’re back! Gretta Morgan is starting from scratch.
I could characterize Gold Motel’s sound myself but Lauren Henry really put it best: “Gold Motel represents the evolution of a musical identity that hearkens back to pop’s crowning achievements: the dreamy energy of The Kinks, the quickwitted lyrical dexterity of Elvis Costello, the unassuming sophistication of a Beach Boys melody, light as air and deep as the Pacific. The youthful energy and sheer joy of Greta’s work is captured on the Gold Motel EP…”
Some of the songs exhibit a hint of the Hush Sound’s sound (hah) but overall this really is a departure. Not the she-shaved-her-head-and-bought-a-Harley kind of departure, but significant enough to make this a project entirely separate from the Hush Sound. To those looking for a female singer-songwriter ala Cat Power and Mirah (but with a more uplifting tone), I turn your heads towards Gold Motel.
Greta will be playing her first show as Gold Motel this Sunday (12/20) at Beat Kitchen, followed by 4 sold out shows at Schuba’s opening for Butch Walker.
These boys may still look like they couldn’t pick up a pack of cigarettes at the local 7-11, but trust me, they can surely rock. Named after Jim Carey’s “The Truman Show,” Truman & His Trophy are combining math-rock and punk rock together to create a sound perfect for any house party. Check them out at one of their upcoming shows over Winter Break!
Enjoy this week’s installment of “Band of the Week”
How is it that Truman & His Trophy began and what brought all of you
together? Where did you get that name? It’s really interesting!
Truman & His Trophy began as a collaborative basement recording
project between Frank and myself in the summer of 2007. We were in a
band together that had just disbanded. I had written two songs that I
really liked and wanted to record them for fun at his house and at
this point I had no intention of starting another band. After we had
recorded them, we felt extremely good about it and wanted to properly
start a new band. We immediately found a house show to play without
any sort of band. We then asked our friends Jake and Ryan to help us
out, who are still in the band now. I had made up the name Truman &
His Trophy out of nowhere in particular. I really liked the movie The
Truman Show at the time, which I suppose is where the name Truman came
from. I’m also really attracted to phrases with alliteration, so I
guess the “trophy” came from that. Long story short, I wish there was
an awesome story behind our name but there sadly is not. Read more…
Do you ever sit on your couch contemplating your next three and a half minutes? What music should I listen to? you wonder. I want to feel the power of hard rock and the smoothness of rap, you say. I want to experience the rhythm of disco and the nostalgia of 60’s rock n roll. I want to sing along to a ballad and dance in my underwear to an 80’s pop song. Before you know it your three and a half minutes are up and you’ve been sitting on the couch talking to yourself.
Like most mashup artists, Super Mash Bros create mixes that primarily showcase modern rap vocals over recent rock and pop hits. They also use pop-punk (Jimmy Eat World, Panic! at the Disco, Good Charlotte), techno (DHT), classics (Jackson 5, The Beatles), hair metal (Def Leppard), 90s pop-rock (Train, No Doubt, Third Eye Blind)… the list goes on. Read more…
If you’re a Chicagoan and geeked out when it comes Christmas time, I’ve got something for you to check out.
It snowed pretty hardcore this morning here in Chicago, and nothing gets me more in the Christmas mood more than snow, unless it’s Bing Crosby on the stereo. Well if you’re one of those kids whose eyes gleam at the sight of gaudy Christmas trees and tacky Christmas light displays, and geek out over anything that reminds one of Christmas, make sure you leave this and next Friday evening open.
Millennium Park hosts Christmas has caroling at ‘The Bean’ from 6:00pm-6:50pm on Fridays.
[Random Fact: “The Bean” is actually called “The Cloud.” The artist’s intention was for it to imitate a cloud. ..which maybe he should have rethought that before making it in the shape of a lima bean. But if you ever see anything published by the city calling it “The Cloud” – that’s why.]
Last weekend I joined a friend and checked out the Chicago Children’s Choir for their caroling performance at the bean. I always knew Chicago held Christmas oriented events, but never actually went to one or knew when they were.
It was pretty rad. Caribou gave out freehot cocoa, hot cider,andcoffee,as well as free coupons [which I totally took advantage of last night working on crapola amounts of homework – boo finals and papers]. They had programs and gave out candles as well.
I froze my ass off, but it really got me in the Christmas mood. And hey, it’s free. Nothing beats that.
Friday night I ventured out on the red line and over to The Metro to see European based Zero 7 touring their fourth studio release Yeah Ghost. I arrived in time to see Brooklyn’s Body Language, which turned out to be a much more sensual experience than I expected. The crowd wasn’t exactly what I was thinking it would be either, usually The Metro is filled with other students around my age, but Friday it was flooded with adults in their late thirties and the young crowd was sparse and scattered trying to see around men in business attire clutching their girlfriends and expressing worse public displays of affection than tweens on drugs.
As I made my way to the back, and away from the crowd I found a nice place where I could clearly see the stage. The set change took longer than I would have anticipated, and I was ready for the show to start. Moments later there was a dramatic display of white and purple lights blinding the audience and the eruption of electronics. More euphoric than glitchy electronic, I was impressed with their start. I was unfamiliar with the band, having only heard their track from the Garden State sound track, “In The Waiting Line.” Their sound was different than what I expected but I really enjoyed their downtempo feel.
I didn’t recognize many of the tracks, having just started listening to them several days before, but there were some obvious crowd pleasers and the hormonal parents out for their monthly getaway went wild. The couple standing next to me kept sloshing their drinks my direction and more than once I had to dodge their beer and erotic dancing. One of the most enjoyable factors of the show was the versatility of musicianship and the way there was more than one vocalist. The three singers took turns on songs, sang some duets and complimented each other.
While the show was a different experience and I enjoyed the music, I think this is a band for my record player and living room with candles lit, rather than cramped into a venue. It’s the kind of music you want to relax to and sit among good company. For more checkout www.myspace.com/zero7official.
Classic Hot Water Music fans should be warned: Chuck Ragan is turning a new leaf as he continues his career the folk-rock scene. Formerly of the post-alternative band Hot Water Music, Ragan began writing songs casually around his home until his wife encouraged him to record a solo album. Now, Ragan celebrates the release of his third album, Gold Country, where you can find Ragan at his extreme with folk tunes like “Rotterdam” and “Live By The Sword.” Ragan plays acoustic guitar and harmonica, creating a relaxed, serene atmosphere that blends well with his intense, booming, and rough voice. Other instruments such as the violin, steel guitar, and stand up bass can be heard throughout each song, adding different tones and a twangy edge.
On Ragan’s previous release, Feast or Famine, a more classic, dare say more “pop” folk sound can be heard on tracks like “Do You Pray?,” “California Burritos,” and my personal favorite, “The Boat.” In this song, Ragan’s descriptive writing abilities paint a dark, stormy night on the sea, introducing us to the last puzzle piece of this song as Ragan closes declaring “As dark colors fill the sky I’m drenched I’m feeling so alive, Eyes closed tight, my ears open for the boat.” Although Ragan’s new album Gold Country has one or two noteworthy tracks such as “Glory,” I prefer the sound he introduced to us on his beginning solo career years.
Ragan’s songs tell stories of life, love, and family, topics that audiences of all ages can relate. The harmonica adds a nostalgic musical dimension throughout the album, creating a sound that appeals older and younger generations equally.
