As many of you know South by Southwest, the annual indie music conference in Austin, TX, is coming up and what better way to prepare you than to remind you fo my favorite bands that are going to be playing there? As you schedule your concerts and parties for the week, I urge you to keep these exceptional performances in mind.
I introduced you to Cavashawn in August 2009. They’re a solid four-piece pop-rock band from Ohio (now in Chicago) whose music delivers super catchy sing-along choruses and a Grease-era vibe (see “Keep the Light On”). Read more…
Singer/songwriterClaire Stahleckerhas been given a gift, between her ageless songwriting and a voice that will stop anyone in his or her shoes, Chicago-native Stahlecker is planning on a godzilla-like take over Nashville this summer. Her latest EP release titled “A little Piece of Heaven” under her belt, Claire Stahlecker is definitely one to keep an eye on -enjoy this week’s feature of Artist of the Week.
FYW: How have your experiences at Columbia helped you grow as a musician and performer? Have you found other students to collaborate with?
CS: My experiences at Columbia have helped me grow as a musician in many ways. I knew diddly-squat about theory and harmony before attending Columbia, and now I can actually play and communicate with fellow musicians. I’ve also had the pleasure of working with tremendously talented vocal and instrumental coaches who knew how to push me to my full potential. I’ve collaborated with many students in the music department and formed my own band.
We are putting a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (well maybe not so much blood), into this project. Check back for video updates, concert updates, and love. We need you now, help us spread the word!
–     Visual Artists     –    Writers    –     Musicians    –     Composers     –    Designers     –
Need legal advice? Check out this webinar. Yeah, I said Webinar. It’s short for “web-based seminar.â€Â I didn’t know such thing existed until I found this thing. Basically, it’s an online seminar, but not to be confused with a webcast. Webcasts are one way – the people talk at you and you watch. But webinars are interactive. You have the ability to give, receive and discuss information in a webinar.
The ARTS & BUSINESS COUNCIL of Great Boston is putting this webinar shenanigans together. Unfortunately, there is a fee of $20, but hey, cheat the system. Just have five friends come over, and then you only pay $4 each. Not bad, eh? Read more…
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.
I’ll be honest I think this recent trend of pop punk/hardcore crossover music that has taken over in the past year or so is pretty terrible. I mean I loved New Found Glory as much as the next guy, but for every rare, good band within the genre like Fireworks or Set Your Goals, there are a thousand crappy bands whose creativity is highlighted by the fact their names are simply Saves The Day song titles. So, it is refreshing to get a band like The Wonder Years every now and then that breaks the mold a bit in a genre that is so water-downed by the lowest common denominators.
Over the past six months we have introduced you to many of Chicago and Columbia’s finest rock bands. After scouring the campus one more time, we found a whole other genre at Columbia featuring Chicago’s finest performers. The hip-hop scene in Chicago has always been huge, and for a young producer who moved to the city from St. Louis, it opened a new door to endless opportunities. In our latest installment of artist of the week, meet Orie.
You’ve been producing for about 8 years now, how did you first get into producing? What did your first songs sound like?
I actually started with rapping back in middle school. My mom used to always tell me that I should get into producing, cause that’s where the real money was at. I ignored her for a couple years, and after seeing my friends producing some of the tracks I originally wrote in my middle school rap/r&b group “Rising Image,” I became fascinated and started from there. My songs were always very lyrically driven, often called “conscious” rap, but from the perspective and vocabulary of a 13-year old.
Was the transition from the St. Louis music scene to the Chicago scene difficult? What are the major differences between artists you’ve met here and artists you worked with in St. Louis? Very different. I love my city, but I’ve gained access to so much new music being in Chicago. I’ve never been exposed to House music before I came to Columbia for school. If you’re not making a dance/club record back home, it’s hard to get any attention from the radio. Chicago is similar in a lot of ways, but there are so many other outlets and ways to get exposure, such as clubs, events, and major Chicago blogs.
On the eve of Cursive’s 1-year anniversary for their latest release, Mama, I’m Swollen, Cursive swung through Chicago to play one of my favorite venues in the city, the Metro. Playing two sold-out shows with Alkaline Trio and the Dear and Departed, this is the first time we have seen Cursive in the windy city in over 6 months, and the first time we have seen them not in the headlining position of a tour. Before the show on Sunday I had a chance to catch up with bassist Matt Maginn, a man who majored in environmental science but was quickly whisked away into the life of a touring musician.
FYW: Two years ago I caught your performance at Subterranean where you guys previewed your newest album to the crowd before it was even entirely recorded. Is this something you try to do with every release?
MM: Anytime we can we try and do that- we did it with Mama quite a bit. We did it with Ugly Organ, but with Happy Hollow not as much. Ideally yes, but with every record we don’t have to. Mama was the most thorough we’ve ever [road-tested the album]. We were playing songs live that we’d never even recorded. That’s good and bad, because then there’s a few fans out there that heard it, or have a YouTube clip of it and they’re like “you guys are jerks, why didn’t you put that song on the record?â€
Portland-based band Portugal. The Man came through Chicago this weekend, rendering me speechless Friday night at their sold out Lincoln Hall show. In a stunning and seemingly effortless performance, the foursome delivered a taste of their 70′s soul, funk, and blues-inspired sound.
Monochromatically lit in alternating colors, Portugal. The Man warmed up the crowd with a long instrumental as smoke machines pumped enough fog that the stage took on a mystical quality from my vantage point in the balcony. When bassist Zachary Scott Carothers was spontaneously lit with red, blue and green polka dots and singer John Baldwin Gourley began crooning in unison with the enthusiastic audience I knew I was in for a spectacular night. Read more…
March 15th 2010: Musicians at Work Forum: When to Get a Manager
I’ve got a an event coming up here for you guys and gals to check out.
I couldn’t make it out to the last AT WORK: Touring Tips forum through the Cultural Center, but I heard it was pretty good from my colleagues who made it there. So I’m going to tell you about the next one coming up since this stuff is legit.
This FREE event is great for musicians and bands in limbo. But it’s not only for those guys and gals; if you’re a music business major or getting some sort of an arts management degree, you should go, too. It’ll help you see what it is that artists and musicians are looking for, and help you get the upper hand when looking to manage them.
This forum is a panel discussion [only an hour and a half – you can handle it]. Read more…
