With the ambient piano and keyboards of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and the production and electronic manipulation of Tim Story, Roedelius/Story creates a soundtrack to a Socratic dialogue, an existential debate in which all paths of argument lead to fecund silence.
Weekly Music News Roundup
Coalesce posts a two-song preview of Ox; Orange Tulip Conspiracy has finalized its nationwide May tour; Mike Patton plays a Decepticon; Rock Central Plaza and Yakuza have new albums and homes. This and more in the roundup.
The Fiery Furnaces: Remember
Last summer, The Fiery Furnaces, an oft-difficult sibling duo, released Remember, a live album mixed so well that it brings the live show to the listener. Taken from a dizzying number of performances, the album presents an “in the corner, jacket in hand” experience that seeing live music really is.
Interview: Built on Respect Uses DIY Punk Passion to Aid Tibetan Refugees
Heidiminx, the founder of online forum Punk Rock Domestics and fashion line Franky & Minx, has recently founded a nonprofit organization called Built on Respect, dedicated to supporting human rights.
Her current mission finds her in India for three months, helping Tibetan refugees learn English and basic computer skills, with support in the hardcore community from groups such as the Cro-Mags and Sick of It All.
Numero Group Unearths Soulful, Funky Treasures of Decades Past
When Numero Group, a Chicago-based reissue label, opened its doors in 2003, its mission statement was clear: “We wanted to dig deep into the recesses of our record collections with the goal of finding the dustiest gems begging to be released from their exile on geek street.”
Into Televison: Mad Men
Columnist Tom Hoban discusses the AMC series Mad Men, comparing the stats-be-damned intuition of Madison Avenue advertising in the 1960s to today’s technological, lackluster advertising industry.
Contest: Win Two Tickets to See Marco Benevento in Chicago
Following an auspicious solo debut last year, post-jazz keyboardist Marco Benevento (of Benevento/Russo Duo fame) recently released Me Not Me, another solo outing that mostly features personalized versions of cover material.
Click onward for a chance to win two tickets to see Benevento’s trio in Chicago this Thursday, April 9.
Audion: Billy Says So EP
Matthew Dear spent the end of 2007 basking in universal praise for his poppy vocal full-length album Asa Breed. In 2008, he brought back his harder techno alias Audion with this three-track release for Spectral Sound (Ghostly International’s minimal techno imprint).
Weekly Music News Roundup
Serengeti and Polyphonic sign to Anticon; Isis, Tera Melos, and The Dead Kenny Gs announce tour dates; a release date is announced for the Bygones album; Ben Folds goes a cappella; Bastard Noise releases a five-disc CD set. This and more in the roundup…
What We’re Seeing This Weekend: Crippled Black Phoenix, JFJO, Pelican, Tombs
Wherever you are this weekend, check your calendars to catch the diversified endtime ballads of Crippled Black Phoenix, the beautiful electro-grooves of Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, and the pummeling mid-tempo riffs of Pelican and Tombs.
Garotas Suecas Plays Chicago Tonight
Brazil’s soul- and R&B-infused rock outfit Garotas Suecas is playing tonight, April 1, at the Empty Bottle in Chicago with local bands Chandaliers and Herculaneum. Fresh back from SXSW, the band is touring the US, promoting its first album, Dificil de Domar.
Battles Bastes Beijing
The bronze metallic façade of Mao Livehouse makes the venue seem like some sort of metal-working factory, a fitting place for a night of rhythmic, motorized music from Battles.