J. Tillman

If you like folk music, you probably like J. Tillman. He’s the embodiment of good, modern folk music. His reputation as a singer/songwriter in Seattle scored him a gig as the drummer for Fleet Foxes. But first and foremost he’s an acoustic guitar picker with one of those smokey, fragile voices. If there was any point when you swooned over Iron & Wine or Jolie Holland, listen to Year In The Kingdom, the latest solo endeavor from Tillman.

OK, do you have the album cued up for listening? (If not, stream it here.) Grab a cup of coffee and something that reminds you of pine trees. Actually, yeah, just grab a cup of coffee and a pine tree and get comfortable. Now, get ready to contemplate. Really sit and think about what that man is singing. It deserves the attention. Just remember to return that pine tree when you’re done. On second thought, why did you ever need that pine tree?

J. Tillman – “Year In The Kingdom” (from Year In The Kingdom)

Year In The Kingdom is out right now and J. Tillman will be at Lincoln Hall tonight (Nov. 6). Buy one, go to the other. For his list, Tillman wrote his five entirely in haiku.

five tunes

1) The Kinks – “Apeman” (from Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneyground)

These songs say so much

To be so funny and true

I hear about me

2) The Kinks – “Got To Be Free” (from Lola vs. Powerman and the Moneyground) – (see above)

3) Grouper – “Heavy Water / I’d Rather Be Sleeping” (from Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill)

“Garageband,” I think

Sounds like ghosts in the laptop

So small and massive

4) Entrance – “Grim Reaper Blues” (from Prayer of Death)

Haunted Echoplex

Bellowing like a sick dog

Boogie-Woogie death

5) Adam Green – “Apples, I’m Home” (from Garlfield)

My friend, Speak ‘n’ Spell

He loves to interrupt me

Cuddly buddy

J. Tillman – iTunes | Lala | Insound

Brazos

Autumn is nearly over. Here in Chicago, Marine Drive in Uptown is almost entirely yellow with wet leaves sticking to the ground. And they may be from Austin, Texas, but Brazos have been providing the perfect soundtrack for a stroll amidst the yellow, wet leaves.

Brazos’ Martin Crane wrote their latest album Phosphorescent Blues. It doesn’t deal with anything new or groundbreaking—love, feelings, etc. But they exude this feeling of warmth. It’s a feeling that’s easily found in some concoction made of apples—pie or cider or something. It’s also a feeling that you can find while listening to Bowerbirds.

Brazos – “We Understand Each Other” (from Phosphorescent Blues)

The band will be Lincoln Hall with White Denim on Nov. 6. Here’s five from Martin Crane.

five tunes

1) Atlas Sound – “Quick Canal” (from Logos) – “I listened to this track several times while driving through the Dallas suburbs yesterday. This was a neighborhood with huge McMansions, the sky was clear, and looking out down the street you could only see these structures imposing themselves on the horizon. There is something about this track that made me feel the whole place was sinister, like each house could be in the opening scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey. It has the meandering quality of some of Arthur Russell’s best songs; the melody never settles into one idea too long and Laetitia Sadier’s voice feels as if from the future. A foreboding, powerful one.”

2) Cass McCombs – “What Isn’t Nature” (from A) – “Out of all Cass Mccombs’ albums, A is still my fav. The lyrics on that album come from a mysterious place, earnest and aloof, sometimes darkly funny, depressed but in control of depression. I’ve never heard any songs like them. This song seems to capture a bit of all of it. You can read the lyrics to the record on his myspace. They are worth the time.”

3) Randy Travis – “On The Other Hand” (from Storms Of Life)- “So new country isn’t normally my thing, but I went two-stepping in Austin the other day and heard this driving home and liked it. As a song it’s got a lot of what I like about the people you’ll find two-stepping—a kind of dashing, suave chivalry that seems lost everywhere else. He’s telling her that he wants her more than his wife, yet he’s also telling her he must honor his marriage. He’s honest on both sides and very clever. Dancing the two-step is about being composed and graceful while still maintaining the informality of a front porch conversation. Being honest and made up simultaneously. Done well, it’s amazing.”

4) Emmanuelle Parrenin – “Plume Blanche, Plume Noire” (from Maison rose) – “She’s a ’70s French folk musician who plays the harp and other more antiquated string instruments. Her voice is exquisite and airy. This is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard, and I feel as if the world turns to glass whenever I listen to it.  The whole album is light and delicate like this, layers of operatic voices drifting over harps and picked acoustic guitar. The songs speak through the gauze of a light reverb, but it doesn’t cover anything up. The progression is interesting, too, I think drawing from cabaret music but translating it to classical instruments. Just an all around amazing song and recording.”

5) Simeon Ten Holt – “Horizon” (from Horizon) – “This is a long minimalist piano piece for two pianos. If you are able to give yourself the space to listen to it, it can take you a good place. If you can’t give yourself to it, you’ll think it’s boring.”

Brazos – iTunes | Insound | Lala

That Ghost

Think about all the bands you know with names that are really appropriate (no, not like Santana or Van Halen – the ones that say something about the sound). There are the big obvious ones, like Iron Maiden or The Beach Boys, and the more subtle ones, like Casiotone For The Painfully Alone. That Ghost falls into the subtle category of appropriate names.

That Ghost is an eerie and lovelorn project by Ryan Schmale. The music could feasibly soundtrack a film where a ghost goes after its unfinished business (and no, not that ghost). Schmale is a master at establishing a meeting point for freak folk, ambient and dreamy pop. It’s the gorgeous stuff indie crushes are made of.

That Ghost – “Never Have Fun” (from the forthcoming 7″)

The “Never Have Fun” 7″ will be out via Transparent soon. Here’s five from Ryan.

five tunes

1) Cab Calloway – “Yaller” (from The Early Years 1930-1934) – “The horrible quality of the recording, and in particular the vocals, makes the song great. That era of Jazz and Blues recordings has always appealed to me ever since I was in my early teens. The exaggerated and dark tone of the vocals and arrangements in the song really gets me too.”

2) Artie Shaw – “Nightmare” (from 20 Best of Artie Shaw) – “‘Nightmare’ is a very unique Artie Shaw song. Probably one of his darkest sounding recordings.”

3) Sibylle Baier – “The End” (from Colour Green) – “Sibylle Baier, in my opinion, has the most beautiful voice I have heard. The song ‘The End’ is a near perfect sad and simplistic song. She has been a huge influence of mine since her Colour Green record came out. Every song is great.”

4) Johnny Cash – “There You Go” (from The Sun Years) – “Out of all of Johnny Cash’s songs, ‘Don’t Take Your Guns To Town’ has always seemed so different from his other work. It always stood out.”

5) Carl Perkins – “Movie Magg” (from The Dance Album) – “Carl Perkins makes great rock and roll music and this song in particular I have always played a lot. The lyrics are also pretty fun.”

That Ghost – Pure Groove | Insound

Joe Lally

In regards to concerts, almost everybody has the one that got away. The concert that they really wanted to see, but it sold out before they could get tickets or they got sick right at the last moment. One of those for me happened a few years ago when the legendary Fugazi came to my hometown, Huntington, W.Va. It was an unprecedented show, as the only cool bands who came around at the time were them and The Lost Sounds. Other than that, it was terrible metal and ’80s arena rock.

The show sold out right away. I think my friends and I went and saw Blade II instead. It was totally disappointing. Fugazi went on hiatus shortly afterward.

But members of the band are still active out in the world, and that includes Joe Lally. Lally was the bassist for Fugazi and his solo work is still amazing. It’s not as  aggressive Fugazi’s old work, but it still moves like and feels like a Fugazi song (especially when you listen to those bass runs). Lally’s solo work is a maturation of the Fugazi sound—it sounds older and wiser (and hauntingly funky).

Joe Lally – “Tonight at Ten” (from Nothing is Underrated)

Joe Lally is currently touring Europe. He came through Chicago over the summer. Of course, I had to miss the show. Here’s his list.

five tunes

1) Nina Simone – “Aint Got No, I Got Life” (from My Way) – “Nina takes any cover and makes it a song of her own. From the soundtrack of Hair which I am not that familiar with, she turns this song into a call to arms for the disenfranchised.”

2) Lungfish – “Tick Tock” (from Indivisible) – “The song that should have been on the kids DVD series Pancake Mountain. To the point and lots of power, what Lungfish does best.”

3) Sun Ra – “Cogitation” (from Monorails and Satellites) – “Just great piano playing. There are more Sun Ra albums than I can possibly know.”

4) Jimi Hendrix – “Villanova Junction Blues” (from Live at Woodstock) – “My favorite is live from Woodstock but there are few studio bootlegs with the Band of Gypsies line-up also.”

5) Spaceways Incorporated – “Trash A-Go-Go” (from 13 Cosmic Standards) – “My favorite drummer Hamid Drake doing Sun Ra and Funkadelic covers with Ken Vandermark and Nate McBride (sax and bass). It’s ultra-heavy, I like it.”

Joe Lally – Insound | iTunes

The Smith Westerns

Lo-fi rock ‘n’ roll is so early 2009. Throughout this year, music blogs, sites, magazines, and everybody else have been swooning over the tons of bands who cover their sound in reverb and bury it with murky, unintelligible vocals. After a certain point, it takes a lot of effort to wade through the hype to find something truly great.

Finding a copy of The Smith Westerns‘ s/t debut was exactly the relief I needed after a couple months of being a lo-fi burnout. “Be My Girl” is more Marc Bolan than Wavves. “Gimme Some Time” is more surf pop than punk rock. And “Tonight” is one of the best pop songs of the year. Those guys know how to write a love song, a garage pop song, and they’re teenagers from Chicago. And total badasses.

The Smith Westerns – “Gimme Some Time” (from Smith Westerns)

The Smith Westerns will be at Lincoln Hall tonight with Neon Indian. Here’s five from the band’s Cullen Omori.

five tunes

1) Gwen Stefani – “Cool” (from Love, Angel, Music, Baby) – “At first it was ‘Don’t Speak’ and then it was ‘It’s My Life’ but I think ‘Cool’ definitely has something going on. Lady GaGa, Keri Hilson, Fergie, and even Beyonce pale in comparison to Gwen.”

2) Len – “Steal My Sunshine” (from the soundtrack to Zack and Miri Make a Porno) – “Real catchy and 90’s. I think if I ever listened to an entire Len album it would suck but this song is the jam.”

3) Coldplay – “Yellow” (from Parachutes) – “I think this was when Chris Martin was still ‘real.’ Somewhere before he got a ‘bohemian’ movie star wife and sang choruses on Kanye songs. I watched the music video for this song when I was getting ready for grade school.”

4) Brian Eno – “Here Come the Warm Jets” (from Here Come The Warm Jets) – “Can’t think of a better song for some fat, loser record nerd to toke mad bowls to other than this song.”

5) Ramones – “Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio?” (from End Of The Century) – “The jam of ‘09.”

The Smith Westerns – Permanent Records | Insound | Lala

The Henry Clay People

At this year’s Lollapalooza, there were a few shows that reeked of hype (read: Animal Collective). But one of the big highlights of the festival for me was the first show on the first day—The Henry Clay People. It was raining, but something about their show kept the crowd smiling. These guys clearly have a ’70s California Tom Petty/Warren Zevon influence in their sound, and that’s not something you come by very often these days.

But the best part of the show is when they dragged out a rock ‘n’ roll radio classic by one of the singer/songwriter greats: “Running On Empty” by Jackson Browne. I had never heard a classic rock song performed with such amazing energy (the only exception being the time I saw Bruce Springsteen). Maybe it was the way rock ‘n’ roll sounds in the rain, or maybe it was how the band managed to feed off the crowd. Either way, it was a wonderful performance. They would’ve been enormous in the ’70s. Today, they’re a killer festival band.

The Henry Clay People – “Something in the Water” (from For Cheap or For Free)

The Henry Clay People will be at Metro tomorrow night (Oct. 23) with The Airborne Toxic Event and Red Cortez. Here’s five from vocalist and guitarist Joey Siara.

five tunes

1) Richard and Linda Thompson – “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” (from I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight) – “I have been obsessed with this song for a while. It’s a perfect combination of lyrical longing and musical feel. The horn section is a head scratcher in the best of ways. Everybody in the band falls in love with Linda Thompson by the end of the song.”

2) The Small Faces – “All or Nothing” (from From the Beginning) – “We’ve been wanting to cover this. Steve Marriott has a ridiculously soulful voice. I am also a huge fan of trashy recordings and this is one of the finest.”

3) The La’s – “There She Goes” (from The La’s) – “Whenever we hear this song we bust into giant band singalongs, which can last for hours. This song has a (sometimes annoying) way of sticking in your head. Resistance is futile.”

4) Jackson Browne – “Rosie” (from Running on Empty) – “This is an Andy pick. We listen to the Running on Empty album a lot. Every time Andy has to sound check his vocal mic, he sings this.”

5) Big Star – “Life is White” (from #1 Record Radio City) – “I just finished reading the Big Star biography and then the box set came out a few weeks later. I am a sucker for box sets. Radio City is one of my favorite albums and this song just does it for me.”

The Henry Clay People – Lala | Insound | iTunes

The Yolks

You know that lazy Iggy Pop way of singing? It’s oddly bluesy, distinctly Midwestern, melodic, and mysteriously badass? The Yolks definitely have it on “Jane” from their debut full-length The Yolks. Slap on some Ramones or Sonics-style instrumentals and “California Sun” cheeriness and you’ve got garage delight.

The Yolks yields an awesome set of influences. They’ve got that same soul and blues influence that you could hear in the early Stones, not to mention the rockabilly and ’60s garage influence. The Yolks follow a long-held American tradition of no frills love songs and reverb. It’s awesome stuff.

The Yolks – “Jane” (from The Yolks)

The Chicago band is just one of three awesome reasons to get yourself to the Empty Bottle tonight (Oct. 21). They’re joining the incredible Sonic Chicken 4 and another incredible local band, CoCoComa (whose new full-length is out as of yesterday). Here’s five from the band.

five tunes

1) Sneaky Pinks – “I Can’t Wait” – “Possibly my favorite song released in the next five years. The shortest, dumbest, catchiest song I have ever heard, with perfectly perverted lyrics, and a killer bass line that really seals the deal.” – Nathan

2) Lovations – “Later Baby” – “This song is a Chicago soul rarity. I chose it because of the opening drum break. I also like the harmonies that are sung very soulfully. And although, the lyrics are very heartfelt. I think it is nice that it’s an uptempo dance song—as opposed to a ballad.” – Aaron

3) Bobby Long and His Satellites – “Mojo Workout” – This is my go to track if I’m DJing and I want to get the party started. There is nothing I love more than a good R&B track, and this one is the best. Great harmonizing vocals, and the drums on this track are sweet, especially during the call-and-response breakdown.” – Nathan

4) Delegates of Soul – “I’ll Come Running Back” (from The Uplook Records Story) – “Chick boom boom bap chick boom bap. The opening drum break of this song takes me to a happy place. The bass, harmonies, horn lines, and soul dripping lyrics are all icing on the cake.” – Aaron

5) Gino Washington – “Gino is a Coward” (from Out of This World) – “If there’s one thing I love, it’s blowjobs. If there’s two things I love it’s blowees and Detroit soul. How good are the handclaps on this track?” – Spike

The Yolks – Permanent Records | Insound

White Mystery

There are some great songs about Chicago out there. “Chicago At Night” by Spoon, “Chicago” by Sufjan Stevens (of course), and a whole myriad of material by Wilco. But one of my favorite songs about Chicago is by one of Chicago’s greatest garage rock bands—”Take a Walk” by White Mystery. It’s a song about walking, not driving, around Chicago.

White Mystery is a two-piece ginger-haired garage explosion. On guitar and vocals is Miss Alex White. On drums and vocals is brother Francis White (hey Francis, you should consider calling yourself Brother Francis White). The harmonies are trashy and gorgeous. Alex wails like a blues queen affecting a punk rock drawl. If you’re one of the few fortunate ones to own their Hozac Hookup Klub 7″, you’re extremely lucky.

White Mystery – “Take a Walk” (7″)

The Whites will be at the Bottom Lounge tonight (Oct. 20) with Shonen Knife. The “Take a Walk” split 7″ is out right now. Here’s a list from Miss Alex White.

five tunes

1) Mirrors - “Hands In My Pockets” (from Something That Would Never Do) – “Essential early ’70s Ohio punk anthem chugs like a train with romance as the conductor.”

2) Mirrors - “Hate Reaction” (from A Green Dream) – “Scorching guitar riff by contemporary left-coast guitar god Greg Ashley also from Gris Gris.”

3) The Twinkeyz - ”Sweet Nothing” (from Cartoon Land) – “Enjoy this psychedelic slow dance from the band known for ‘Aliens in our Midst’ like it’s live from outer space.” (Ed. note: Thanks to Tage Savage for sending the song.)

4) The Myelin Sheaths - ”Myelin Twist” – “Lo-fi, hand-clapping, bubbly-smart girls singing an instant party classic. From Canada!” (Ed. note: Couldn’t find “Myelin Twist,” but enjoy “Do The Mental Twist.”)

5) The Ponys - “Double Vision” (from Turn the Lights Out) – “This is the kind of bass-line that moves mountains. Best enjoyed on infinite repeat.”

White Mystery – MySpace

Frankie Rose & The Outs

When’s the last time you heard of a drummer quitting a band, forming their own band and getting a lot of attention for it? And Ringo and Levon Helm don’t count—they didn’t quit, per se. Frankie Rose, the woman behind Vivian Girls‘ “Where Do You Run To,” left the band and joined Crystal Stilts. And now, she’s left Crystal Stilts to form her own band, Frankie Rose & The Outs. The blogs are pretty psyched about it.

And why shouldn’t they be? She wrote one of the great garage masterworks of the past decade with “Where Do You Run To” and was a member of two amazing bands. She’s got street cred and talent (and is probably cooler than you…unless you’re Billy Dee Williams).

Frankie Rose & The Outs – “Thee Only One” (from the upcoming 7″)

Frankie Rose & The Outs are coming out with two releases—the “Thee Only One” 7″ and a split 7″ with Dum Dum Girls. The first 7″ will be out on Oct. 27. Here’s a list from Frankie Rose.

five tunes

1) The Clean – “Point That Thing Somewhere Else” (from Anthology) – “The feeling of movement forward in this song is incredible. This song is perfect for driving. This guy is one of my favorite drummers. He never does more than necessary.”

2) Reading Rainbow – “New Safety” – “This is a new band that is currently blowing my mind. A two piece from Philly. Stand-up drums and a guitar. This band is a great, great example of taking a simple idea and turning it into something amazing.”

3) Arthur Russell – “You Can Make Me Feel Bad” (from Calling Out of Context) – “The timing on this song is really strange. It’s such a tragic lament. That fuzzed out guitar and Arthur’s spooky vocals. I tried to figure out the chords he was playing on this song. Turns out he’s doing some pretty weird stuff. This song makes me shed a tear.”

4) Black Tambourine – “For Ex-Lovers Only” (from Complete Recordings) – “What a perfect song. Just the right mix of sweet reverbed out vocals and distorted guitar.”

5) Love – “Gather ‘Round” (from Out Here) – “This is a funny Love ballad that I can’t stop listening to. I love the call-and-respond vocals. I want a song with call-and-response!! I like to think of Arthur Lee in the studio. I wonder if he knew he was going to do that, or if it was something he thought of on the spot.”

Frankie Rose & The Outs – Insound

Mike Doughty

In the ’90s, there were a few college rock bands that produced this decade’s wise, sage-like music festival singer-songwriter staples. Ben Folds Five spawned the solo career of Ben Folds. Radish spawned the solo career of Ben Kweller. Pulp? Jarvis Cocker. But one of the unsung greats of the ’90s was a band called Soul Coughing. They broke up in the year 2000, but ever since then, frontman Mike Doughty is still writing, recording, and publishing books of poetry.

Mike Doughty has some incredible physical media on the market. There’s his awesome poetry book Slanky, his work with Soul Coughing, and his solo records. But Doughty is at his best in front of an audience. There’s a reason why he sold out all three of his upcoming Chicago dates. Aside from being a terrific performer, he’s a genuinely funny guy and a prolific songwriter. He’s one of the best music festival performers I’ve ever seen.

Mike Doughty – “Casper The Friendly Ghost” (from Sad Man Happy Man)

Mike played two sold out shows at Schubas on Oct. 15 and he’s got another one at Lincoln Hall tonight for Schubas’ 20th anniversary. Get to Craigslist, folks. Here’s his list.

five tunes

1) Blues Control – “Good Morning” (from Local Flavor) – “I don’t know much about this band. They might be local—New York, I mean. I refuse to Google. A great droney post-punk trancey thing. Fantastic weird splashy piano buried in the guitars.”

2) Ashlee Simpson – “La La” (from Autobiography) – “This is NOT an ironic choice. Not, not, not, not not. Did I mention not? This is the greatest AC/DC song not by AC/DC. I am serious as a busted leg here. Listen hard to the chorus and tell me I’m wrong.”

3) Matt Krefting – “To Lay Me Down” (from I Couldn’t Love You More) – “Another guy I don’t know much about. Wonderful elegiac song over sizzly electricky guitar weirdness.”

4) Henry Thomas – “Bob McKinney” (from Henry Thomas) – “Recorded in the 1920s, what this guy played was actually, like, the hot joints of 1890. So it has this ghostly quality of coming from the pre-recorded era. The song is about fucking somebody else’s girlfriend on a pillow beside the bed rather than in the bed, so the poor cuckolded dude won’t be able to tell.”

5) Traffic Sound – “White Deal/Poco/Big Deal” (from Lux) – “This is a Peruvian rock band from the late ’60s. Great psychedelic folky bustly little romp.”

Mike Doughty – Lala | Insound | iTunes