Monday Afternoon Quick Fix runs every Monday afternoon to showcase the best of Chicago music news, views and stories from around the interwebs and blogosphere that we might have missed.
And now three reasons to boogie on over to the Empty Bottle tonight…
1. Holy crap, it’s Tortoise. Yes, the Chicago stalwarts return for a Tuesday night hometown treat at the Bottle tonight (one of their only five tour dates planned through this summer). Tortoise are not only one of the most important American post-rock slash experimental rock bands, but they may as well be one of the most important Chicago bands ever just in terms of their influence and activity in the local scene. Not only has the much band performed in other windy city acts (The Sea & Cake, Eleventh Dream Day), but they’ve become some of the city’s top producers as multi-instrumentalist John McEntire produced the most recent Broken Social Scene record and will work with jazz keyboardist Marco Benevento in 2012. While Tortoise’s 2009 record, Beacons Of Ancestorship, found them crafting accessible textures with an intriguing use of synthesizers that actually come across as quite rockin’, lest we forget all of their classic records (featuring some fantastic mallet work) like the 1996 epic Millions Now Living Will Never Die and 98′s TNT. Tonight’s not just poised to be an excellent rock show, but also a learning experience from soem of the top musicians Chicago has to offer. LISTEN: “High Class Slim Came Floatin’ In”
Three break-out-the-maracas-so-you-can-jam-with-the-bartender reasons to head down to Panchos tonight…
1. Chicago mellow indie poppers A Tundra have literally been around the block. Mostly, just picking up strays from bands like Crush Kill Destroy, Joan of Arc, Smoking Popes, and Tortoise. The end result is a musical gumbo that sounds like equal parts Deerhoof and Joan of Arc with its calculated melodies and endearing male and female vocal dynamic. Also worth mentioning is the group’s penchant for punny song titles such as “Salvador Dali Pardon My French” and “I Phone, Euphone, We All Phone.” We posted a video for “Kurt Nivonnegut” last week.
Who doesn’t love an impromptu concert by a popular indie band? Nobody, that’s who. So when A.V. Club Chicago broke the news late Tuesday that Toronto super collective Broken Social Scene would perform a free show somewhere in town, naturally, it piqued our interest. All principle members including frontman Kevin Drew, guitarist Andrew Whiteman, bassist Brendan Canning, drummer Justin Peroff, guitarist Sam Goldberg, singer Lisa Lobsinger and horn section appeared on an especially erected stage under an “occasionally perfect” Heineken billboard directly across from Wrigley Field. Drew professed his love for Chicago, mentioning that the band spend nine months working on Forgiveness Rock Record here in town with Tortoise/The Sea and Cake’s John McEntire. The group ripped through seven songs in total (Cause = Time, Texico Bitches, 7/4 Shoreline, Anthems of a 17-year-old Girl, KC Accidental, World Sick and Ibi Dreams of Pavement). Our friends over at Gonzo Chicago have an excellent wrap-up of the night below. If you want more video, XRT has a few to quench your thirst. Enjoy!
And this time around, as Pitchfork reports the local post-rockers have recorded a score for the new film Lovely Molly, which is directed by Eduardo Sánchez, who is best known for co-directing the late 90′s uber cheese-factor horror flick Blair Witch Project.
All’s well that ends well. Sure, it rained all week, but it’s nice and sunny outside with just a tiny nip in the air. Naturally, that means it is time to party down while we still can. This weekend, especially, is a doozy. There are so many great shows that it is almost impossible to choose among them.
Back in late July, we clued you in on the Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz kick off event featuring Tortoise performing alongside some of Chicago’s top jazz musicians. Luckily for us, a brief video is now available thanks to youtuber JA77BO. The 2:48 clip gives us a sample of the sweet jazz-meets-post-rock sounds that hovered over Millennium Park the evening of Thursday, July 29, and will no doubt leave us salivating for more. Enjoy:
And now three reasons to boogie on over to the Empty Bottle tonight…
