Black Math

Over the summer, Permanent Records here in town announced that they would release an extremely limited LP by Black Math. They only pressed 100 copies, and in their awesome newsletter, they stressed that they would be gone soon. The next day, I took a bus down Chicago Ave. and bought one. I’d never heard the band before, so I don’t know why I bought it. Blind devotion, I suppose.

When I got home, I wasn’t ready for what I heard when I dropped the needle. The Chicago band had created an album that was a deep, drone-filled, haunting series of recordings that sound like the simplest, most primitive elements behind what Robert Smith or Siouxsie Sioux were doing. They’re exactly what I’d come to expect from a band with a release on Permanent: spooky, weird, and surprisingly brilliant. I hope they make more pressings of that thing. It needs to be heard.

Black Math – “Part of Me” (from Black Math EP)

Black Math will be at The Hideout on Saturday (Nov. 21) with Cave, Cacaw and Mako Sica to celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of Permanent Records. They’re also playing at WNUR at 4 p.m. that day. Here’s their list.

five tunes

1) OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) – “Messages” (single) – “This is the band who did ‘If You Leave’ from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. I don’t know if this is my favorite OMD track, but for a long time it was; when those drums come in it’ll put a smile on your face.” – Jimmy

2) R. Stevie Moore – “Forecast” (from Phonography) – “Don’t know a whole lot about R. Stevie Moore really, but I’ve got a handful of great little pop songs from him. This one has been coming up lately and sounding good. I always like hearing the line about the local Nashville weatherman Bob Lobertini freezing his….uh…weenie.” – Andrew

3) Out Hud – “Hair Dude, You’re Stepping on My Mystique” (from S.T.R.E.E.T.D.A.D.) – “The songs on this instrumental album are fun and catchy but also have that good kind of harshness that keeps the music interesting. Because this album is the perfect mixture of electronic, dance, and experimental rock (and has electric cello!), it is one of my seminal albums – and the only instrumental album that I hold so dear. The cello playing on this album exposed me to how subtle cello riffs could emulate synthesized sound effects, which really adds a simple and necessary layer to each song. I chose the most upbeat track of the bunch here and I usually choose this one when I make mix tapes for people because it’s such a fun dance number and the electric cello does rock on this one. – Xina

4) Guided By Voices – “Motor Away” (from Alien Lanes) – “Currently reading a Guided By Voices biography has caused me to go back to my favorite album they recorded, Alien Lanes, for a soundtrack. I love how this song begins. The first chord hit makes it sound like someone dropped the song on a table in front of you. It’s such a solid, triumphant, power chord pop song with wonderfully nimble vocals- or as Robert Pollard describes it: It’s another one of those ‘fuck you’ songs.” – Andrew

5) Siouxsie and the Banshees – “Arabian Knights” (from JuJu) – “‘I heard a rumour, what have you done to her?’ Probably one of the creepier/catchier lyrics we’ve ever had stuck in our heads. Siouxsie Sioux is a force and an international treasure!” – Jimmy/Xina

Black Math – from their blog

Marissa Nadler

Wikipedia refers to Marissa Nadler as a “dream-folk” artist. I don’t know where that attribution came from, but it kind of makes me mad because of how perfect it is. Where does Wikipedia get off making such brief and apt descriptions? It makes us bloggers look bad. But alas, I can’t think of a more perfect way to describe Nadler’s music.

Nadler’s music is dark, airy, and it dances with ambient music. It is from a dream, if your dreams are tinged with country music. She’s got one of those voices that you hear at the other end of the woods, and you feel compelled to follow it to safety. I honestly can’t think of another singer with such a legitimate siren’s song. It’s soothing and comforting.

Plus, she’s really pretty.

Marissa Nadler – “Mistress” (from Little Hells)

Marissa will be at Schubas tomorrow night (Nov. 17) with Alela Diane and The Singleman Affair. Here’s her list.

five tunes

1) Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes – “Jusqu’ ce que la force de t’aime” – “I think this is an absolutely breathtaking vocal performance. Her singing is incredibly moving and there are no words I can really find to say what I feel when hearing her sing.”

2) Selda Bağcan – “ADALETİN BUMU DÜNYA” – “Also an incredible vocal performance from this once-banned Turskish singer.”

3) Sammi Smith – “Saunders Ferry Lane” (from Help Me Make It Through The Night) – “I think this is a heartbreaking song about a woman’s loss and loneliness. Musically, I love everything about this song, and I like how understated and somber her vocals are in an age where overdone vocal acrobatics are commonplace.  My dear friend James has introduced me these past couple years to a number of more obscure country singers and they have really influenced my singing style of late.”

4) Billie Holiday – “Gloomy Sunday” (from I Like Jazz) – “I love Billie’s version of ‘the Hungarian Suicide song.’”

5) The Byrds – “Hickory Wind” (from Sweetheart at the Rodeo) – “With Gram Parsons.”

Marissa Nadler – Insound | Lala | Permanent

Fabulous Diamonds

Ever seen that ’60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon “The Herculoids?” It was about a family of warriors and their monster friends Zok (the dragon), Igoo (the stone ape), Tundro (the rhino…thing), and Gloop and Gleep (the shape-shifting and ultimately useless blob creatures). I don’t know why, but whenever I listen to Fabulous Diamonds, my brain goes immediately to “The Herculoids.”

It’s got that caveman tribal drumming and those weird, faraway lo-fi instrumentals that are perfect for a bunch of caveman warriors and monsters to run to. The Australia duo’s last record 7 Songs (or self-titled, or Seven Songs…jury’s still out on that one) on Siltbreeze is awesome, but indescribable (thus, the “Herculoids” reference). Nisa Venerosa and Jarrod Zlatic’s minimalist dub tribal sound makes for one of the most fascinating albums of last year.

Fabulous Diamonds – “Track 3″ (from 7 Songs)

Here’s a list from Jarrod.

five tunes

1) Elton John – “Benny & The Jets” (from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) – “This song has a very Eno-like quality for me. I’m not sure if its the Jet theme, Elton’s dramatic falsetto, or the quasi-arty glam stomp to it (the stereo-keyboard solo at the end is pure Mike Ratelidge). I listened to previews of the rest of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road on Amazon.com in the hope of some similar gold, but apart from ‘Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting,’ it was a bit shit.”

2) Lou Reed – “Baby Face” (from Sally Can’t Dance) – “Sally Can’t Dance continues to be dismissed/malligned within Lou Reed’s catalog, but apart from the song ‘Animal Language’ (which is so bad it is hilarious, hence redeemed), the album is fairly enjoyable. I like the late-night groove of this song in particular.”

3) Ruth – “Mon Pote” (7″) – “I heard this first at the wrong speed of 33 1/3 rpm when it was played for me at Vox Cyclops, the store members of Castings run in Newcastle, NSW. I thought it sounded like Hawkwind or something—the singer’s voice is high enough to sound relatively normal at half speed.”

4) John Phillips – “Topanga Canyon” (from John Phillips) – “Sad song.”

5) Roy Orbison – “Wings of Glory” (from Rare Orbison) – “I’m not an expert on Roy Orbison but I’m guessing that the mid to late 1970s was a bit of a lost period for him before his revival with that big comeback album of his. Anyway, the disco production is a strange context for me to hear his voice. It was a toss up between this or another song off the same album Rare Orbison, ‘No Chain At All,’ which contains a line I quite like; ‘The strongest chain in the world, is no chain at all.’”

Fabulous Diamonds – Insound | iTunes

Boca Chica

We get a lot of e-mails, most of which are addressed to 15 different people, that say, “Hello blogger. My name is (person). I am a DJ/in a band called _____ and we think you’d love our sound. We respect your blog. We’d love to see us on it. Here is a song to post. Thanks.” It’s become a monthly routine of wading through them and seeing if there’s anything great in the pile. Recently, we received a personalized e-mail (oooohh) from Hallie Pritts of Boca Chica, a pretty little folk project out of Pittsburgh. A few seconds into the banjo intro, I was sold.

Boca Chica offers up some swoon-worthy Americana. Pritts’ vocals come through with that warm, smokey elegance of Zooey Deschanel  or Jolie Holland (jesuschristamihiporwhat). It’s the type of stuff that would soundtrack an indie film remake of The Adventures of Pete and Pete (powers that be, your inspiration has arrived). Sure, it’s not a sound that experiments with free jazz techniques or draws any inspiration from Brian Eno, but that’s what’s so great about it. It’s baroque pop with an honest folk heart. It’s nice.

Boca Chica – “Lake Erie” (from Lace Up Your Workboots)

Here’s a list from Hallie Pritts.

five tunes

1) Lohio – “Grandfather’s Chaise” (from Lohio EP) – “This is a new track from one of my favorite Pittsburgh bands. I really like the unpredictable chords at the beginning and the end and the way the solo builds and mixes elements of more cerebral folkpop with just a really great, simple, Neil Young-esque distorted guitar solo. I like the non-traditional song structure. It’s like the song is saying ‘Oh God, I feel so much that I can only express my emotions through this awesome guitar solo.’ Bam. Great band.”

2) The Harlan Twins – “Coral Castle” – “This is another Pittsburgh favorite of mine. Seeing the Harlan Twins live kind of makes up for you having missed the 1970s. I mean, obviously not totally. But you see them, and you’re like ‘Damn, it probably would have been more awesome to see Mick Jagger in 1976, but this is pretty good too.’ I really like the desperate feeling of this song. Don’t you just want to drink too much whiskey and nod along?”

3) Great Lake Swimmers – “Palmistry” (from Lost Channels) – “Tony Dekker has the most beautiful voice in the world. I think maybe that’s all I have to say.”

4) Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers – “Get the Fever Out” (from Songs In The Night) – “I had the great fortune to see Samantha Crain when she came through Pittsburgh last month. I love her band—they have a cool, jangly sound. Kind of like Loretta Lynn’s backing band mixed with early Wilco. As to this specific song, I love the break down in the middle, where all the vocals come in. Sometimes I skip back to it and listen to it over and over again.”

5) Dr. Dog – “The Breeze” (from Fate) – “The cute percussion, the vocal echoes, the little break down, the simplicity! Are those real clarinets and flutes or is it a mellotron? Do I care? What’s not to love about this Dr. Dog song?”

Boca Chica – iTunes | Lala

Teenage Cool Kids

Close to the beginning of the creation of this site, we featured a list from one of the great new bands of the year, Fergus & Geronimo. Since then, the band has become a huge favorite of ours. But Andrew Savage of Fergus & Geronimo deserves credit for much more than being one-half of that great band. He’s also part of another incredible Texas group: Teenage Cool Kids.

It’s not easy to describe the garage rock intricacies of Teenage Cool Kids, but the song “Foreign Lands” is one of the best songs of the year. There’s a layer of darkness that lies beneath the sunshiny pop surface. And besides Andrew’s always-great vocals, the back-up vocals make it a perfect song for those Texas days where you walk outside and it seems like there’s no weather—no wind, no rain, and a few clouds. We don’t get those in Chicago, but they’re nice to imagine.

Teenage Cool Kids – “Foreign Lands” (from Foreign Lands)

Buy Foreign Lands today. Seriously. Here’s their list.

five tunes

1) Snake Flower 2 – “Flight of the Navigator” (from Renegade Daydream) – “This song makes me feel like I’m on the set of Easy Rider driving into the sunset.  What usually happens is I’ll put this record on in the morning to get myself pumped about the day to come.  This song works without fail.  Great album as well.  We were fortunate enough to play the Bare Wires release show (Matt’s new band) in San Francisco, and it was totally awesome.” – Andrew Savage

2) Woods – “Twisted Tongue” (from Woods Family Creeps) – “Sometimes it’s really nice to hear a song that’s just exactly right — the perfect little pop ditty. To me, this song is just that. It starts with a droning note that runs through the whole song, rises and then hooks you with that ‘Twist-ed To-u-u-ungue!’ Oh, it’s just right! It also serves as a nice complement to Woods’ more jam-ridden, psychedelic sounds (not that it’s a bad thing). I appreciate a good mix of sweet & salty, like kettle corn. Yum.” – Bradley Kerl

3) Fucked Up – “Invisible Leader” (from Hidden World) – “As a huge fan of straight forward rockin’ punk, this anthem gets my blood pumping. It is one small piece of the epic punk masterpiece Hidden World, which may be my favorite modern hardcore album. This gets me so hyped that even cleaning my room or doing other mundane chores while listening turns into some serious bedroom mosh.” – Chris Pickering

4) Television – “Marquee Moon” (from Marquee Moon) – “Yeah, it’s the title track of the album, get over it. The song’s seven minutes of the pretty much the best shit you’ve ever heard. The vocals are spot on, the main riff is fucking catchy, seriously, swine flu infectious. The guitar solos are all great, there’s even individual credit given to the guitarist that did each solo in the LP liner notes. Somebody’s proud of their shred. Plus, every time you think the song’s over, it comes back in the most perfect way. Throw this on a jukebox and get your money’s worth.” – Daniel Zeigler

5) Purple Nurple – “I’m On My Way” – “A few years ago, two of our good friends were bored and looking up random band names on MySpace. After typing the phrase “Purple Nurple” into the search prompt, they soon discovered one of the greatest musical gems that nobody has ever heard, ‘I’m On My Way.’ Purple Nurple are from Sweden and play straightforward American rock. We all got a kick out of the fact that they had 0 friends on MySpace and hadn’t logged back in since registering. Obviously, our attempts to reach them went unanswered and eventually their profile got deleted. Luckily, we downloaded the two tracks available and still have them to enjoy to this day. ‘I’m On My Way’ is the ultimate feel good summer campfire sing-a-long party jam.” – Andrew, Bradley, Chris, Daniel

Teenage Cool Kids – Insound | Goner

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