• • City Pages talked with Jim DeRogatis about his move from the Sun-Times to Vocalo.org and Columbia College.
• • Time Out Chicago posted a review and photo gallery of the Charlotte Gainsbourg show at the Park West last week.
• • Love Shack  Baby went to the OK Go show at the Metro on April 17 and wrote up a colorful review complete with a clip from the concert.
• • Georgetown’s Vox Populi blog ran an interview with local mash-up duo The Hood Internet.
• • Twista recently went to Kuwait and Iraq on a five stop tour to entertain U.S. soldiers currently stationed there.

Charlotte Gainsbourg has a pretty voice, but it’s more or less just that: pretty. What I mean to say is that she doesn’t possess a lot of range, which makes it all the more astonishing that her new album IRM is such an enjoyable listen. Despite her lack of raw vocal talent, the fourteen tracks that compose the album are a relatively varied and interesting bunch. Gainsbourg herself deserves credit here for switching up her style and delivery from song to song, but the real congratulations should be directed at Beck, who wrote and produced all but one of the album’s songs.

The album’s feel and style varies so much over its course that it never gets boring despite the relative sameness of Gainsbourg’s vocals throughout. She keeps her singing to a soft, middling call for most of the songs, but like I said, she switches up her cadence and delivery to the point where she at least seems like she has some range, at least enough to keep things from getting boring.

Still, it’s Beck’s superb songwriting that deserves the most credit. He tries a wide variety of stylistic approaches, and is for the most part successful. Check the straightforward and acoustic “Heaven Can Wait” versus the mechanical and impatient title track, easily two of the best songs here, and you get an idea of what I mean. Both songs are smashing successes and worlds apart stylistically, and it’s this variance that makes IRM a winner.

Like I said before, Gainsbourg’s voice is very pretty, and she could get away with that for a while, but not for the forty-four minutes she puts in here, not without some great production and songwriting. There’s really too much happening here to mention in one short review, but I’ll try to hit on some of the ideas Beck tries out.

“Greenwich Mean Time” has traces of Midnite Vultures’ “Get Real Paid” all over it, and bonus track “Looking Glass Blues” rocks out and gets funky, recalling any number of Beck staples, specifically Odelay! – era material. Some of my favorite stuff here happens to be some of the slowest and prettiest tracks on the record. “In The End”, “Vanities”, and “La Collectionneuse” all feel linked stylistically without being too similar, and these slower songs give Gainsbourg some room to breathe and let her voice do its thing, and the results are beautiful. Also among this group is the one track Beck did not work on, and the only song performed entirely in French, “Le Chat du Café des Artistes”, and it too is irresistible, owing it’s beauty to the lovely vocals and beautiful instrumental arrangement.

Other tracks are a bit more aggressive and up tempo and they too play an important part in keeping the album from getting boring. “Trick Pony” and “Voyage” are much more in your face than the aforementioned tracks, and the two styles provide excellent breaks from one another. I can’t overstate how much this variety contributes to the success of IRM, as do Beck’s songwriting and production. The album may have Charlotte’s name on the cover, and her lovely pipes are certainly part of the equation, but don’t forget to mention IRM the next time you find yourself explaining to someone why Beck is awesome.
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Catch Charlotte Gainsbourg Wednesday, April 21 at the Park West. Buy tickets at Etix.com when they go on sale tomorrow, Saturday, March 13, at 10 a.m. CST.
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Charlotte Gainsbourg -- “One Trick Pony” -- Live on Letterman -- 1/22/2010

Photo Credit: Carrie Musgrave - livebabylive.com

It’s that time again, we’ve looked ahead and started filling in our calendars with all of the awesome upcoming shows headed to Chicago in the next few months. Being the good guys and gals that we are, we’re sharing our favorites with you, all of which will surely be not-to-miss performances of artists from around the globe that includes an impressive line-up of local acts. Check out below what we think are the hot Winter/Early Spring concerts, local acts are BOLD for easy access, and let us know in the comments what we may have missed.

MONDAY, JANUARY 25

Cacaw – Empty Bottle

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27

DJ Krush – Empty Bottle

Streets on Fire – Double Door
One of our 10 Chicago Bands to Watch in 2010, they bring angular and frantic guitar riffs as lead singer Chadwick spouts his gnarled, rambling messages over at tight rhythm section. It’s fun yet dark and, at times, nearly psychotic.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29

Adam Franklin – Hideout

Earth Program – Ronny’s
One of our 10 Chicago Bands to Watch in 2010, and it’s their record release party!

The New Deal – Park West

SATURDAY, JANUARY 30

Cold War Kids – Vic Theatre

Pentagram – Empty Bottle

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3

Asobi Seksu – Schubas

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4

State Champion – Bottom Lounge

The Entrance Band, Lights, White Mystery – Empty Bottle

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Dark Star Orchestra – Vic Theatre

Gov’t Mule – House of Blues

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6

The Academy Is… – Metro
A special show in celebration of the 5 year anniversary of their debut release Almost Here with and opening set by Minneapolis based pop group Sing it Loud.

Dark Star Orchestra – Vic Theatre

Mavis Staples – Old Town School of Folk Music

Jemina Pearl – Beat Kitchen

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7

D.R.I – Reggie’s Rock Club

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11

Mako Sica – Hideout

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13

DOOM, Mos Def – Congress Theater
Rescheduled from January 29th.

Fucked Up, Kurt Vile – Empty Bottle

Gene Ween Band – Lincoln Hall

Mariah Carey – Chicago Theatre

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Mariah Carey – Chicago Theatre

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15

Editors, The Antlers – Vic Theatre

An Evening With The Residents – Logan Square Auditorium

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Nosaj Thing – Lincoln Hall

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18

St. Vincent – Metro

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Four Tet – Empty Bottle

Trey Anastasio – Riviera Theatre

Smoking Popes – Reggie’s Rock Club

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Chicago Underground Duo – Hideout
Album release party for 2010’s Boca Negra on Thrill Jockey.

Patti Smith – Park West

Smoking Popes – Reggie’s Rock Club

Tortoise – Lincoln Hall

Scott Lucas and the Married Men – Schubas
Local H frontman Scott Lucas is striking out on his own with his new group The Married Men. This show at Schubas is a record release party for their debut album “George Lassos the Moon.”

The Sweeps – Bottom Lounge
One of our 10 Chicago Bands to Watch in 2010

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21

Bela Fleck and The Africa Project – Old Town School of Folk Music

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22

El Perro Del Marr – Lincoln Hall

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Paul Di’Anno (original singer of Iron Maiden), Bible of the Devil – Reggie’s Rock Club

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Screeching Weasel – Reggie’s Rock Club

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27

Alkaline Trio, Cursive – Metro

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Cursive, Alkaline Trio – Metro
Cursive live is not to be missed. Frontman Tim Kasher is hilarious and unpredictable, which are all necessary components for a great live performance. Additionally, according to Audrey Leon Cursive’s “Mama, I’m Swollen” is one of the best albums of 2009.

TUESDAY, MARCH 2

Furthur – Auditorium Theatre

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3

Furthur – Auditorium Theatre

Streets On Fire – Empty Bottle

One of our 10 Chicago Bands to Watch in 2010

THURSDAY, MARCH 4

Gomez – Vic Theatre

FRIDAY, MARCH 5

Citizen Cope – Vic Theatre

J. Davis Trio – Bottom Lounge

moe. – Riviera Theatre

SUNDAY, MARCH 7

The Avett Brothers – House of Blues

Magnetic Fields – Harris Theater

SUNDAY, MARCH 8

Magnetic Fields – Harris Theater

TUESDAY, MARCH 9

Califone – Lincoln Hall
All My Friends are Funeral Singers will be shown along with a live performance of the soundtrack.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10

Califone – Lincoln Hall

JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – Tonic Room

Vetiver – Empty Bottle

FRIDAY, MARCH 12

Hockey – Lincoln Hall

Kreator, Voivod, Nachtmystium – Bottom Lounge

Muse – United Center

Pelican – Beat Kitchen

SATURDAY, MARCH 13

RJD2 – Metro

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – Bottom Lounge
Ted Leo is heading back to the Windy City to blow the roof off of the Bottom Lounge with songs from his latest release “The Brutalist Bricks,” many of which were performed at Lincoln Hall’s grand opening last October.

SUNDAY, MARCH 14

Orphaned Land, Indian – Bottom Lounge

MONDAY, MARCH 15

My Gold Mask – Empty Bottle
One of our 10 Chicago Bands to Watch in 2010.

THURSDAY, MARCH 18

Experience Hendrix – Chicago Theatre

P.O.S. – Bottom Lounge

FRIDAY, MARCH 19

Gil Mantera’s Party Dream – Empty Bottle

Appleseed Cast – Bottom Lounge

SATURDAY, MARCH 20

Alice In Chains – Aragon Ballroom

Norah Jones – Chicago Theatre

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24

Air – Riviera Theatre

JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – Tonic Room

Matthew Good – Double Door

THURSDAY, MARCH 25

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Metro

Vampire Weekend – Riviera Theatre
Check out Andy Kondrat’s review of Contra, and let us know what you think of the band’s sophomore effort.

FRIDAY, MARCH 26

Tegan and Sara – Aragon Ballroom

Vampire Weekend – Riviera Theatre

THURSDAY, APRIL 1

The Black Lips – Logan Square Auditorium

Spoon, Deerhunter – Aragon Ballroom

FRIDAY, APRIL 2

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O, Plastic Crimewave Sound – Empty Bottle

Passion Pit – Congress Theater

SATURDAY, APRIL 3

Xiu Xiu – Lincoln Hall

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7

Henry Rollins – Vic Theatre

THURSDAY, APRIL 8

The xx, jj – Lincoln Hall
Each group put out killer albums last year making several of our top 10 lists.  This pairing of double consonant named bands will be grooving and moody and is already sold out.

FRIDAY, APRIL 9

Japandroids – Lincoln Hall
Check out Dan Henshaw’s review of their 2009 release, Post Nothing, a favorite of Andy Kondrat’s.

SATURDAY, APRIL 10

Mission of Burma – Double Door

FRIDAY, APRIL 16

Dr. Dog – Metro

King Sunny Ade and His African Beats – Old Town School of Folk Music

MONDAY, APRIL 19

Hot Chip, The xx – Riviera Theatre

FRIDAY, APRIL 23

Trans Am – Empty Bottle

SUNDAY, APRIL 25

B.B. King – House of Blues
The legend returns for another show at the HOB. If you haven’t seen him and Lucille do yourself a favor and get out for this concert.

THURSDAY, APRIL 29

Yeasayer – Metro

FRIDAY, APRIL 30

Owl City – Aragon Ballroom

Coming off the heels of their successful and sold-out performance at the Park West last April, the local independent label Numero Group will be taking it’s Eccentric Soul Revue on the road, starting with a show at Lincoln Hall this Saturday.  

The tour is being co-sponsored by Shlitz and will include many special guests at stops along the way.

Added to the roster from the Spring concert is local singer Linda Balintine, whose ultra-rare 45″ appeared on, Eccentric Soul: The Bandit Label and Sharon Clark who was featured on the compilation, Eccentric Soul: The Yodi Label.  Another addition, Pastor TL Barrett and his choir  who are featured on the upcoming release, Good God! Born Again Funk, is slated to kick the show off with a song from the album.  

Returning to the stage are local soul legends Syl Johnson, Renaldo Domino and The Notations.  Once again Chicago’s own JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound will serve as house band delivering soul and funk grooves all night long.  Tickets are selling out fast, so tell your friends on the East Coast to get on the ball and check out some Windy City legends.

The Numero Group Eccentric Soul Revue Tour:

Saturday Nov 7th
Lincoln Hall
Chicago, IL
Special Guests:
Linda Balintine, Sharon Clark, & Pastor TL Barrett
18+/Doors 8pm
Tickets: Lincoln Hall
–
Sunday Nov 8th
Crofoot Ballroom
Pontiac, MI
Special Guests:
Bobby Cook & Velma Perkins
All Ages/Doors at 7pm
Tickets: Ticketweb

–
Monday Nov 9th
Lincoln Theater
Columbus, OH
Special Guests:
Marion Black & The Four Mints
All Ages/Doors at 7pm
Tickets: Lincoln Theater and Ticketmaster
* No service fees with cash at box office*

–
Tuesday Nov 10th
9:30 Club
Washington D.C.
All Ages/Doors at 6pm
Tickets: 9:30 Club and Brown Paper Tickets

–
Friday Nov 13th
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY
Special Guest:
Missy Missy Dee
18+/Doors 8pm
Tickets: Music Hall of Williamsburg and Ticketmaster
* No service fees with cash at Music Hall or Mercury Lounge*

–
Thursday Nov 12th
Grand Ballroom, Manhattan Center
New York, NY
Special Guest:
Missy Missy Dee
All Ages/Doors at 7pm
Tickets: Grand Ballroom and Ticketmaster
* No service fees with cash at Mercury Lounge*