Live Review: The Babies and Village

Sure, you probably started listening to The Babies new album the day of their show. And yeah, you kept it going on repeat for hours so people thought you were the real deal at the band’s first Chicago set. And okay, you had a few shots of Malört beforehand and things were going pretty well by the time Village was on stage. But let’s be clear — the night was loud and fast and The Babies played just about everything you would have wanted to hear and the room was full of punk energy but no one was obnoxious or smashing stuff.

Guests might call the whole thing enchanting and intimate. Everyone was sort of making sonic love with one another. Also, the lead singer of Village might have been a little drunk or high but c’mon, it was the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Or maybe he was just pumped on life. Opening for The Babies could do that to you.

Every now and then Cassie Ramone would start smiling or giggling to herself, but then she would drape hair over her face, focus twice as hard and churn out more noise. The kids would do some damage at a basement show. Serious damage. Beat up drywall everywhere. Eventually the folks at PBR would hear about the imaginary basement show and bring over free talls boys. That’s what seeing The Babies at Schubas felt like — drinking a bunch of free Pabst. It was blue ribbon stuff.

See more at Brooklyn Vegan.

by Stanislav, founder of Medium Gallery.

Peggy Sue and First Aid Kit at Lincoln Hall

Me, my musical friend Kim and the members of Peggy Sue sat down in the backstage stairwell at Lincoln Hall to chat about their music.

Peggy Sue (formerly Peggy Sue and the Pirates) hail from the UK and have the lovely accents to prove it. They're currently on tour with First Aid Kit, and before that were touring with Wild Flag.

Their drummer, Olly, still has two months until he graduates with a degree in pop music, natch. After he's done, the band hopes to begin recording again in the autumn.

"Chicago's a lovely city," said Rosa. Katy agreed - I found out later that it was her birthday when Rosa told the crowd to buy her Malibu and pineapple juice, her favorite drink. 

What really got me during Peggy Sue's show was the percussion. In addition to Olly's drumming, Rosa had sticks and a drums in front of her so she could join in. Power radiates from both Katy and Rosa's vocals. Their entire set had so much energy (also, they used a loop pedal. I'll say it again - I LOVE loop pedals).

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First Aid Kit - 

what can I even say?

Their show was a blur of light and long hair - the Stockholm sisters threw themselves around the stage during songs like wild women, and then came back to the microphone to speak to us, sweetly, in accented voices. The things that struck me was their genuine, sweet spirits. They love their music. They love to share it. 

And I love to listen.

They came to the front of the stage to sing "Ghost Town" to us, sans microphones or amplifiers, in the middle of their set. Everyone in the audience sang along, and Lincoln Hall felt like a church. I had to close my eyes from where I was standing in the balcony. The sisters' harmonies rang out and vibrated through the hall. Perfection.

"Come talk to us after the show at the merch table!" they said. And they bowed before they left the stage, as if it were their middle school piano recital.

Tin Tin Can, 1,2,3, and Yellow Ostrich at the EB

It's been a long time since I've been at such a solid and consistently awesome concert as the one I attended last night at the Empty Bottle.  I didn't hear a single song that I didn't like.
I attended the show with my lovely photographer friend, who was similarly impressed by the lineup.

Openers Tin Tin Can set the bar for the night with a high-energy performance (despite some technical difficulties - oh, power strips). Their music taps into something primal, much in the same way that Adam Arcuragi's music does. Their new album Strange Vibrations drops in a few days, so make sure to keep that on your radar.

I got to chat with 1,2,3 before the concert, so down into the Empty Bottle's basement I ventured again.  They all seemed tired.  We chatted about their journey together as a band (lots of miles, struggles to pay bills) and about upcoming events (SXSW, playing 6 shows) and about their influences (Roy Orbison, Frank Sinatra, The Clash, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin).
The band is beginning to record a concept album this summer, titled Big Weather.
"It's a bit more American in the guitar sense of things," they said.
Keep your eyes on 1,2,3.  They're a self-professed "fun band to follow." They give away a lot of free music, and they're planning on shooting videos for each new song they put out.

Like I said, the band seemed tired when we talked, so I wasn't sure what to expect from them onstage. I hadn't listened to much of their music before the show, so I was surprised by the voice that came out of lead singer Nic Snyder's mouth. It danced around the room, at times shuddering into a growl, at times light, playful, and sassy.  By the end of their set, the entire band was covered in sweat and the audience was basking in the radiance of awesome music.  Their song "Riding Coach" especially captivated me, with its rollicking drumbeat.  It's a perfect traveling song - and listen to the melody on the chorus!  I just want to eat it up!



Yellow Ostrich took the stage last, underneath a plethora of lights. By this time the space was filled with people and a palpable concert energy that had been building all night.
When they began, I got shivers. Yellow Ostrich sure is proficient with loop and sampling.  Lead singer and main man behind the band, Alex Schaaf, had vocals harmony layered upon vocal harmony. Though there were only three people onstage, they created tremendous billows and climaxes of music, sampling themselves, looping percussion, effortlessly shifting between intimate and expansive.
They played a lot off of their new album, Strange Land, which they recently released. Check out "Elephant King" below.



The best kind of concerts, to me, are ones where I lose myself in the music. It's a kind of magic where I don't exist - I'm just part of it all.  That's how this whole evening was for me. I wasn't even there. It was just Music.

The cherry on top of this ice cream sundae evening? Yellow Ostrich covered Heaven by Talking Heads.
What more can I say?

Shake it for Grandma

In an undisclosed Chicago loft on Saturday night, Shake it for Grandma suited up for their show. They were the last of four acts - The Bomb Sawyers, Bob and Barbara Cobra, and Architecture had already graced the stage, while our heroes, being deemed the danciest, waited it out until late at night.

I, dear readers, had been called upon to join them.  I soon found myself covered in neon face paint, zipped into a shiny blue jumpsuit, preparing myself to dance like I was from outer space.

Your neon warrior narrator and Ian Reynold of Shake it for Grandma

My fellow dancer and I hid in the wings until our cue, and then burst out dancing as Ian and Ashley tore off their clothes to reveal shiny orange jumpsuits underneath.  Half the audience seemed shocked and put off by the display - the other half laughed and danced along. We drew lipstick symbols on peoples' faces - we danced with them - we gave them glowsticks.

Like I said before, Shake it for Grandma is an experience that's best enjoyed live. The performance is planned and executed with a vision in mind, a vision that changes and evolves with each new show.  It's meant to blur the line between audience and performers, which makes some people uncomfortable.

It's not for everyone, but it's safe to say that no one who was there, whether they loved it or hated it, will forget Shake it for Grandma's performance.

Shake it for Grandma - Delirium Tremendous

How does one even begin to try to use words to attempt to vaguely explain Shake it for Grandma?  It's impossible.  Here is a picture instead:

Ashley Wylde and Ian Reynold

The Chicago synth sunshine duo just released their new EP, Delirium Tremendous, and its four tracks are wildly danceable (which is my favorite thing) and completely insane (which is my other favorite thing).
Shake it for Grandma is the musical project of Ian Reynold and Ashley Wylde.  They majored in classical guitar and percussion, respectively, and it comes across in the EP.  No shoddy musicianship here. They know what they're doing, which is why it's really refreshing that they took their musical training in this creative direction.

Make sure you read the lyrics included with each track. They're an insane mix of witty wordplay and irreverent insanity.  At points the lyrics get too crude for my tastes, and sometimes I can't help but wonder if they are trying a bit too hard to cause a stir (all the sacrilegious banter, etc.).

NEVERTHELESS,
I love them.

I think that Shake it for Grandma is best enjoyed live, so keep your ears open for their next show.  This group knows what it means to perform, not just get up onstage and play songs and mumble into a microphone.  Shiny jumpsuits and feather boas are just two things that you can look forward to.

Download their EP here.

Erik Hall - Wild Belle & In Tall Buildings

Erik Hall is a music-playing beast.  I caught up with him before his band In Tall Buildings opened for Tennis at Lincoln Hall, and found out he had a second show later that night at the Hideout as the guitarist for Wild Belle.

Wild Belle! I said.  I just posted about you guys on my blog.  Well, come to the show! he said.  So me and my friend Dan went.

From what I can tell, the music world is beginning to notice Wild Belle, with good reason. "Keep You," the A-side on their debut single, is a sax-layered dub pop mix that I can't get enough of.  I danced through the whole set - and so did lead singer Natalie Bergman (looking stylish in black slacks and an amazing green shirt/jacket that buttoned up the front). Each song made me sigh with joy. Natalie's playful vocals fell perfectly against the groovy backdrop that the other musicians created.  And isn't it so cute that they're a brother/sister duo?  (Elliot thanked Natalie for letting him take the lead vocals on one song during their set. Charming.)
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Playing all this music comes naturally to Erik.
"I never thought to pursue anything else," he said.  "I started playing piano when I was eight years old and I just never stopped."
His advice for those who want to make it with music: just do your thing, and work hard.
"You have to make it your job," he said.

The next show for Erik is in California with Wild Belle. In Tall Buildings is part of the SXSW sendoff at the Hideout on 3/10, and then both Wild Belle and In Tall Buildings are playing in Austin. ITB has another show coming up at SPACE in Evanston on 3/27. Erik is also part of the band Nomo.

Young the Giant at the Riviera

Life is Chaos.  That's why I spent Friday evening in the emergency room instead of seeing Walk the Moon and Young the Giant as I had planned.  My dear, lovely roommate got doored while riding her bike.  Thankfully, she was wearing a helmet and is ok, but it was still terrifying.  I called upon my friend Joe to attend the concert and report back with his thoughts. Read on below:

"A couple hours before going to the show, I had never heard of Young The Giant, but a quick Youtube search proved that I was definitely familiar with their music. The band was formed way back in 2004 in Irvine California, but it wasn't until 2010 that they exploded onto the national scene after the success of their hit song, “Cough Syrup” brought them a record deal with RoadRunner Records and the release of their debut album. The album received widespread critical acclaim and their three singles all rose the charts rapidly. They performed at the 2011 MTV Music Video awards, and earlier this week “Cough Syrup” was featured on the hit show, “Glee.”

The music was good, solid, but all around, unimpressive. Aside from a few exceptions, there wasn't much emotion in the music. One could say they lacked soul – which was particularly apparent considering that most of the songs were carried by the vocals.

That isn't to say that the singer wasn't good. Sameer Gadhia has an incredible voice, and seemed to easily be the most talented of the band members.  He did a good job of getting the crowd involved – at one point folding the set list into a giant paper airplane. In general he seemed to really enjoy the music and being on stage, and he played the hell out of his tambourine – some of my favorite moments of the show were of him rocking his tambourine all over the stage. I also appreciated that his use of production affects – distorting his voice slightly and creating echoes – was kept to a minimal and very appropriate amount so that the result really was something cool.

The best part of the show was the start of the encore. The band came back out all wearing obnoxious, gaudy fur coats. Then, as a tribute to playing in Chicago, they covered R. Kelly's “Ignition Remix,” which was really cool.

I hate to sound too critical. The band obviously writes very good music, and the sheer size of the crowd brought an extra level of excitement. It was definitely a good show and I'm glad I went, but I just wasn't wowed by anything and just don't see the justification for their popularity. "

Editor's note: I still love 'em.

Sleigh Bells - "Reign of Terror"

"True Shred Guitar," the first track of "Reign of Terror," begins with guitar noises and a wild, cheering crowd.
For me, this sums up Sleigh Bells. They are, to quote Pitchfork's William Bowers, Now as Fuck. To quote him again, "...this act was Now As Fuck, but maybe riskily so, since now-ness, you know, frrrts so quickly into then-ness."
Frrt.

I like throwing myself around the dance floor* to Sleigh Bells. I like that they are simultaneously distorted and clear, hard but light. Driving to them in the summertime is delicious. "Crown on the Ground" was my jam for a while; same with "Tell Em." Cotton candy. And as far as their musical and technical skills, I applaud them. But they're a definite product of the Now as Fuck hipster generation. Lyrical substance? No. Humility? No. An ebb and flow in the album? Not so much.

Here's what I like in an EP or LP: I want to have a break now and again from hopped-up overdriven stuff. Back off a litte, give me something gentle. "Road to Hell" approaches this, and so does "You Lost Me," but by the time we get to that, we're eight tracks in. And, the songs themselves are pretty much the same the whole time.

Listening to "Reign of Terror" all the way through without stopping sort of makes my head hurts. There aren't any slow places to be, and after awhile, it all starts to sound the same. Like a big wad of fuzzy guitar and cymbal crashes. There's no flow. When I took piano lessons, I learned the importance of dynamics - hey, Sleigh Bells! You should work on that!

An album isn't supposed to be an amalgamation of big, loud songs without any connection. All the tracks are supposed to work together to create an experience, and I think that Sleigh Bells lacks that, which is why I think they're Now as Fuck and not classic, enduring, or moving. In a few years, I won't be listening to them - but for Now, I'll dance to "Comeback Kid."

*my living room.

Eisley - "Deep Space" EP

I've been in love with Texas indie-rockers Eisley since 2005, when I first heard their album Room Noises. I was fifteen at the time, and their aching vocal harmonies and whimsical lyrics hit me right in the teenage love spot.
They've just come out with a new EP, "Deep Space," and I had to sink my teeth into it for old time's sake.
What always keeps me coming back to Eisley is the vocals. The sweet interplay of the sisters' voices drifting across the instrumentation gets me every time.  I sing along to Eisley - I listen to them in the car on a sort of grey day when I'm feeling tired - I sit in a rocking chair and close my eyes and listen to everything that happens in every song and feel it tug at my heart.

I don't think anything that Eisley does will ever hit me the way that Room Noises did, but that's my own nostalgia getting in the way of appreciating what they're doing now.  "Deep Space" is a solid EP by a band who knows what they're doing.

You can stream the EP for free now at Paste Magazine.