Chicago’s Suns have pretty much burst onto our local scene in a big way. Folks still talk about their January debut at the Metro. I suppose when your band is comprised of members of other formerly well known bands such as Wax On Radio and Blame Twilight you’ve got a built in buzz. Roughly eight months (Actually six, but I received the album a few months late) after their forming, Suns have released a double EP. This may sound odd because you might think “isn’t a double EP just a full-length?”, and you wouldn’t be a fool for asking such a question. But, The Howl and The Many and Close Calls In The U.S. Space Program are different enough that I can see why they chose to release them this way.
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By Ross Meyerson \ comments
JEFF The Brotherhood | photo by BEKAH COPE
Three so-top-secret-that-if-I-told-you-I-just-might-have-to-kill-you reasons to drop everything and head on over to the
Empty Bottle tonight…
1. Nashville’s
JEFF The Brotherhood have made an appearance on the big Daily Diversion show before, but aint no reason we can’t spotlight their sweet maybe we’ll call it flanged out grunge pop again. I mean, they’ve come up from Nashville to play for y’all so the least we can do is tell you they are rad and that you should go check them out. Am I right or am I right?
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By Ross Meyerson \ comments
Magic Ian
Three Taco-Tuesday-can-be-a-public-event-or-a-private-moment-and-who’s-to-say-which-is-better-really reasons to maybe read a book for once and then head over to
Ronny’s tonight…
1. Chicago’s
Magic Ian is a one man band. A goofy one man band. He’s beholden to no one genre as his songs run from fuzzed out lo-fi to blues-like acoustic. Unlike Jon Spencer and his shtick soaked blues, oddly enough Magic Ian’s seems to have a strange legitimacy to it. Yes, it’s shticky as well, but still it’s one man playing his acoustic guitar. And, well, isn’t that what you think of when you think of the blues? Kind of? Close enough.
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By Ross Meyerson \ comments
Stereo Total
Three I’m-still-recovering-from-that-epic-Rodeo-set-last-night reasons to flex in the mirror, kiss your biceps, and hop on over to the
Empty Bottle tonight…
1. Berlin’s – like Germany –
Stereo Total are totally from Germany. The thing is, they have a sense of humor and whimsy. Just listen to “I Wanna Be A Mama” on the that there Myspace and you’d swear they were Japanese kids with German accents. I can think of no better way of describing the overtly cute schtick going on here. I’m going to need to check their passports.
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By Ross Meyerson \ comments
Birds And Batteries
Three if-I-make-just-one-of-you-smile-then-I’ve-done-my-job-because-your-smiles-are-payment-enough reasons to do that thing with your pinkies and eyebrows and head over to
the Whistler tonight…
1. Their Myspace says SF/Oakland so I’m going to call them Oakland’s
Birds & Batteries are a sophisticated sounding electro pop outfit. What does that mean? Maybe I’d say like
Look Into The Eyeball -era David Byrne might be a starting point. It’s poppy, arty, worldly, and electronic-y. Their new album,
Panorama, is due out October 12 on Spune/Velvet Blue Music so there’s that, too. Does it sound like I’m skirting the “sounds like” issue a bit? Take that as a good thing. I can’t do everything for you.
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By Ross Meyerson \ comments
Bitchin Bajas is the side project of Cave’s Cooper Crane. There are similarities between the two bands, mostly in that they both mine 70’s Krautrock. But on their debut, Tones/Zones, Bitchin Bajas forgo Cave’s Can-like rhythms for more Tangerine Dream/Brian Eno/Cluster-like keyboard ambiance. And while Cave, despite their influences, still sound mostly modern, Bitchin Bajas do not. In fact, if one picked this album up without knowing a thing about it, they might not know it was produced over 30 years after the above mentioned artist’s heyday, and that’s a good thing.
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By Ross Meyerson \ comments
Exodus
Three is-less-than-the-number-of-times-the-Raiders-put-Cutler-on-his-ass reasons to clean off your glasses and get your own ass over to
Reggie’s Rock Club because old metal week continues tonight…
1. In the world of thrash, Slayer’s story is more and more the exception. One member, Dave Lombardo, has left. He’s now back.
Exodus’s story is more on par with the revolving door membership of Megadeth and Anthrax, and like Anthrax, theirs started early and continued often. Gary Holt and Tom Hunting are the only two original members and both have left at one point. This has lead to both a spotty output and a lack of identity perhaps. But! Their debut, 1985’s
Bonded By Blood with real life troll Paul Baloff on vocals, was a scratchy riff heaven for my scratchy riff loving ears. They seem to have a little bit of consistency lately and have put out a couple nice return to form records with new vocalist Rob Dukes. One thing for sure, you can’t say they took the easy road.
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By Ross Meyerson \ comments
