For those of you familiar with Mew from their recent release No More Stories… (Sony, 2009) and tour with NINs- check out their early beginnings, with my personal favorite: Frengers (Sony, 2003).
Danish quartet Mew tugs at the heartstrings and digs deep into the emotional pit of yearning for love with Frengers. Mew has crafted a beautifully fragile album, defined by vocalist Jonas Bjerre’s high falsetto crying out melancholy lyrics and held intact by triumphant instrumentation. The optimistic music contrasting with the somber lyrical themes evoke an ironic sense of loneliness and fulfillment in their songs.
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I remember Dan Henig and his music from its earliest incarnations in high school, 42nd Parallel. We both hail from Ann Arbor, MI and it was a wonderful surprise to reconnect with him here in Chicago a couple of weeks ago when I found out he transferred colleges. He has always had a knack for writing catchy and addicting music, but his solo work has evolved and matured beyond being just a fun band to go see on the weekends. He’s become an artist to pay attention to, someone who isn’t just playing for his friend’s entertainment in the basement. He’s playing for himself, means it, and he is going places. Check out the interview and music below.
Enjoy.
Allison Correll
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Sub T is my favorite small venue in Chicago. There’s something about it. The sound isn’t particularly amazing, the lighting isn’t exactly perfect for photography, but it’s cozy and intimate and some super legit bands make their way through that place. On Friday I went to see my friends in Carbon Tigers play there. I was half expecting to head home after their performance but they convinced me the last band was worth sticking around for. Had the fellas in Carbon Tigers not been so insistent that the girls in the last band were bad fucking ass, I might have missed out on my new band du jour.
© Megan Holmes 2009
Claudia Meza, Lisa Schonberg and Heather Treadway of Explode Into Colors took the stage and ripped it. Gently. They didn’t get the crowd thrashing about but their music was infectious and for a first time listener, I was blown away and compelled to dance. Their minimal instrumentation of drum, guitar, some keys was just the scratch I’d been itching for. The guitar, which I later learned was a baritone guitar, sounded more like a bass and I loved every second of it. The sound was danceable but allured to something darker with the heavy guitar and two drums. It was to my disappointment that the audience decided to play it lame and merely bob their heads and sway their bodies.
It came as no surprise that the two standout tracks during the show from my perspective (Sharpen The Knife and Eyes Hands Mouth), also turned out to be two on their Myspace. They were standout tracks even among the live set and the energy of the audience seemed to peek when they were performed. While their stage presence wasn’t exactly exciting, you could tell they enjoyed being up there and their energy was completely on the music. It was a refreshing and satisfying show and my only regret is not having brought more cash to purchase a vinyl, a CD or some sort of merch. It’s safe to say that Explode Into Colors has made it past the du jour status and into my permanent library as they are just as riveting in their recordings as they are live.
Enjoy.
About a week ago I took another adventure to visit The Wanton Looks, but this time to a safer neighborhood. The ladies were headlining the Girls Out Of The Garage showcase presented by NoVo Arts at Lincoln Hall. Having only seen them perform in their dimly lit practice space with some burnt out cables, and not quite to their full potential, I was excited to see them in all their glory.
© Gali Firstenberg
Late in the evening last week I ventured out into Humbolt Park to the practice space of the The Wanton Looks. They were all sitting around drinking PBR, except for Inga, who was a bit sick and was keeping her party face up with her bottle of throat spray. We sat and bullshitted for a little more than an hour, and I got to hear them practice some of their songs. It was quite clear why Greg Kot listed them as one of Chicago’s best indie bands of 2009. Our conversation drifted from getting kicked out of clubs, disgusting bathrooms, playing music and sex, drugs and rock & roll. Below is a PG version of it. Check it out and then check them out live at Lincoln Hall January 28 @ 9 PM.
Enjoy.
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The first time I heard about Jay Reatard I had no real interest in listening to him. The cover of “Blood Visions” reminded me of I Get Wet by Andrew W.K., which always struck me as rather disgusting. Stupidly, I assumed the music would be similar too. Since I couldn’t stand Andrew W.K.’s music, I figured I would be as equally interested in Jay Reatard’s music as I would be watching a cucumber rot, so I lumped him into the “don’t listen to pile,” and life went on…
Then I heard Jay Reatard and realized my original assumption couldn’t have been more wrong. His music was far from sounding like Andrew W.K.’s, and I was appalled that I allowed myself to make such a generalization based on a slightly similar album cover. He was nothing what I expected him to sound like. As I braced myself for amateur rock music for bros that love beer pong and scoring with women too drunk to realize what was happening, I was instead blasted with raw, unapologetic punk music that sounded perfect for kicking the shit of one of the said frat boys.
His music is absolutely infectious and I can’t seem to get enough of it. Yet again, I’m going to be forced to be satisfied with what I have because on January 13 around 3:30 am, Jay Reatard was found dead in his Memphis home at the mere age of 29. He has released over 20 records since the age of 15 when he started in his first garage punk band The Reatards. However, he had only recently launched his solo career, which really began to take off in 2009 with the release of Watch Me Fall on Matador Records. Read more…
There’s a constant influx of music hurling its way at me and my ears, and it can be overwhelming. So I retreated into the nothingness of January’s cold snow and hibernated a bit, giving my ears that break they needed to let the constant ringing noise fade away. But I’ve delayed long enough and I’ve found something that I think should be blaring in your ears stirring up hearing problems for when you’re older.
I stumbled upon Thieves Like Us from Designer Drugs‘ remix of Drugs In My Body, and like all the bands I really fall for, it was love at first sound. Curiously I looked up the original version and the masterminds behind it all. (On a side note, I noticed these fellas were not only crafty electronic musicians but seriously gorgeous as well). These lookers are two parts Swedish one part US native who met in electronic haven, Berlin. Dissatisfied with the electro and techno scene they decided to start spinning Factory Records era music and more. They liked it so much they decided to form their own band, Thieves Like Us. Read more…
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!
Enjoy.
Photo: © Jade Amey
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…
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.
© Robin Skjoldborg
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.
Enjoy.
©Matt Trommer
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.
Here’s the list edition of FYW.
Enjoy.
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