Live Review: Figurines w/Skybox@Beat Kitchen 6/24/06

Maybe because I was hyped up on enough Sparks alkie-energy drinks to power an SUV, or purely for the love of live music, I buzzed over to the Beat Kitchen Saturday night to catch an 11:15PM performance of Skybox and the Figurines, as a part of the Chicago Innerview June Post-Intonation Spotlight Show. All I can say is I'm damn glad I did.

On a tip, I was told to get there early to catch Skybox, and hot damn these kids are a great addition to the Chicago music scene. Recent transplants to Chicago from Arizona via Missouri, they must have traveled by electro-disco-folk-rock covered wagon. This kitschy 5-piece play an amalgamated sound, they don't want classified, though you can have fun picking out the influences on their songs. They opened their set with a knee-slapping, cotton-eyed inspired "Hoedown" definitely got the intimate crowd riled up and set the mood for the rest of the set. After the funky "Disco Duck", bassist Jeff Gonzales busted a string, a improvised disco break ensued whilst he tried to re-string, eventually borrowing a bass from the Figurines. The set list was packed a cabaret of song selections off their debut album Arco Iris, along with some non-LP tracks (I was compelled to buy their CD). Tim Ellis' lead vocals and active stage persona was thoroughly entertaining and engaging. He touched on vocal notes that call to mind Devendra Banhart and Julian Casablancas, especially on "Various Kitchen Utensils", a hodge podge of Tom Waits piano tickled to life by Christian Fields, and sprinkled with wooden box beats and other burlesque textures by Anthony Hornyak. The standout for me was "Cue Conversation", in which an argumentative sing-a-logue occurs between Christian and Tim, which may as well be the same person in context of the character's voice in the song. The instrumentation melds Muse-like soundscapes with the campy romp of the Black Rider, and a very Brechtian device of breaking the fourth wall inside of the lyric, "oh my god, look everyone is watching... I'm so embarrassed..." This hands down was the best performance I saw on Saturday. Hopefully, they will stay in Chicago long enough, so I can see them workshop their other material.
They are playing an Equip for Equality benefit show at Martyr's on July 20th. Definitely worth checking out.


Closing out the night, was the Figurines from Denmark, touting their newest album Skeleton (2005), which is a superb LP combining punk, folk, and pysch rock, into a genre-bending 45 minutes of aural brilliance even the snobbish indie guy will enjoy. Lead singer Christian Hjelm, who looks like he uses Jack White's barber, has an incredibly, impressive voice. He sounds a bit like Travis Morrison and John Darnielle at times, even though the Figurines are from Denmark, their sound is very stateside (they barely have accents). They plowed through their set with warm energy, their punk influences definitely shined through, especially with most of their songs clocking in at 3 minutes and under. They got the audience bopping with the quicker paced "The Wonder", as Christian belted it out with all its nasally charm. There's something about the more mild, yet infectious song, "I Remember" that made me feel all ready, steady, go; with the contagious bass riff making my head bob without thought. You could really hear the CCR influences on "Back in the Day", which has a slow, acoustic folk rock appeal. Though their stage presence was a bit on the mellow side, the sound these 4 Danish rockers evoked was enthralling, they moved effortless from the gentle, more folk driven tracks to the upbeat, punkier ones with great ease, the crowd was begging for an encore, but to no avail.
(Check out more pics, Here)

Intonation Music Festival Coverage: Day 2

For other performances, check out RadioFreeChicago.org

Blue Cheer
Continuing the aging rocker theme into Sunday, the Vice people offered up the acid trip that is Blue Cheer, dubbed one of the first bands of heavy metal more than 30 years ago. This 3 piece hippie rock band from San Francisco, pump out a rich sound that caused an orgy last time they played Chicago over 30 years ago. By today's standards of metal, the Blue Cheer sound more like heavier Edgar Winter Group with touches of Hendrix and Old Chicago Blues greats. Lead singer Dickie Peterson, clad in a matted embroidered vest (that was no doubt 40 years old) screamed with his hoarse rocker voice through their bluesy-hippie rock set, bringing a little Woodstock to Intonation. He advocated "Peace and Love" in true hippie style, saying we gotta love each other before getting coherently incoherent. They christened the audience as the fourth member of their band, with their set-closer, a heavy-psych cover of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues", in which they relied on the audience to shout out the refrain, "there ain't no cure for the summertime blues..."

Bloc Party
Closing out the second night of Vice's Intonation Music Festival, was one of U.K.'s finest exports, Bloc Party. These four lads from London, have garnered much acclaim and quite a fan following and deservedly so. These fellas proved worthy of all the hype on Sunday, displaying their mad live performance skills, from Kele Okereke's soaring Cure-ish vocals to Matt Tong's infectious assault on the drums, to the clashing guitars of their booty shaking indie rock anthems, their full sound infiltrated the ground, echoed off the nearby buildings, and was a precursor rumble to the coming thunderstorms. They shuffled through the hits off of their debut album Silent Alarm without a glitch; "This Modern Love" and "Banquet" intoxicated the crowd into screaming fits and dance-offs. They even offered up a few tastes of their yet-to-be released sophomore album, like "Uniform" a tumbling track built on same foundation that made their debut such a hit; a slow meandering opening with XTC-colored vocals, then half way in Tong releases the drums and the Gang of Four references can begin again. Bloc Party's fun, danceable, unabashed set was a great way to end one of the most eclectic festival lineups I ever attended.

Intonation Music Festival Coverage: Day 1

For other performances, check out RadioFreeChicago.org

The Stills
The Stills lost their singer/guitarist after their highly-acclaimed 2003 release Logic Will Break Your Heart, which harkened similarities to Strokes and Joy Division. They took this as an opportunity to redirect their sound, and break away from the new wave mold their debut was baked in. Adopting a tighter, more traditional pop-rock sound, The Stills displayed their latest effort with great skill on Saturday. Their 40-minute set was full of songs off their new album Without Feathers, some of the new songs felt a bit flat. For instance, "Helicopters" just didn't seem to go anywhere, technically it sounded great, the vocals were clean and simple. They played it well, like most of the songs they offered up, but the drive that I was accustomed to seemed mellowed out. They tried to summon a handclap chorus from the audience, on "Oh, Shoplifter", which fizzled out before it ever got going. Even when they pulled out their 2003 hit "Still in Love Song", that too seemed a bit different; the new wave nuances were shifted to a heavier, more grungier tone. I did enjoy the piano, giddy-up guitar, and lyricism on "In The Beginning", which is an example of the more piano-infused pop rock they have adopted. The clean lines and simplistic crooning on the new songs definitely showcase the writing, but I miss the energy the early songs had. I'm still in love, I just need some time to adjust.

Roky Erickson
It's a miracle he's still alive. It's been 25 years since Roky Erickson has played a show outside of Texas, the former frontman of the legendary 13th Floor Elevators has survived shock treatments, crooked record executives, poverty, and numerous bouts with schizophrenia, but he put those decades aside to play a historic show in Union Park. This hero of rock n' roll have influenced many along the way with his brand of psychedelic rock. Though his performance at Intonation might have been considered tame by his past standards, it was endearing to see him strum away and sing through some of his old songs, with his backing band (of equally matured musicians), The Explosives. His music has definitely picked up more of a Texas twang over the years, with some of the instrumentation and vocals lingering in Roy Orbison country. He definitely comes from the school of music over lyrics, especially in some of his post-Elevators material. For example, "I Walk with a Zombie", which happens to be the only lyric in the entire song (if you don't count the doo-wop style back up singing, 'He walk with a Zombie last night'). Yes, it makes his songs easy to sing-a-long to since you know all the lyrics after the first verse, but it can get a bit repetative to the casual listener. Aside from that, I enjoyed his set as did most of the responsive crowd. It didn't matter if we weren't around to witness Roky in his heyday, you couldn't help be feel supportive and apart of a historic moment.

On a side note, if you enjoyed Roky's performance you may want to consider donating to his Trust Fund, that was established to pay for his medical bills and other expenses he has accumulated over the years, You can donate Here.

Video: Kelly - Kelly Likes Shoes

Ah, the hilarity. Shoes.

This was created by Liam Show, check out his other videos like MUFFINS on his website.

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Live Review: The Lovely Feathers w/Spinto Band@Schubas 6/16/06

What was supposed to be a triple bill of Dr. Dog, The Lovely Feathers, and Spinto Band was unfortunately demoted to a double bill, when Dr. Dog had to cancel their performance due to van troubles. This didn't stop The Lovely Feathers and Spinto Band from putting on a good show.

This was the second time I have seen The Spinto Band, I was only slightly less disappointed than the first time. This six-piece buzz band from Delaware with a median age of 20, have a lot of potential to ripen into a solid live act. They bring a dose of high energy with their spastic dance moves, constant head bobbing, and entertaining stage theatrics. These comical antics however outshine their live audio output at times, when their heavily layered guitars and drums clash together producing a deafening roar akin to nails on a chalk board. But, when they get it right, the product is delectable. The harmonic radiance on the pop diamond "Oh, Mandy" has the power to send vibratory chills down your spine, with it's Sigur Ros-esque vocals and instrumentation. But, other than the kazoo-tastic "Brown Boxes" and the effervescent "Crack the Whip", much of their set was a bit of a wash. They did strut out some new tunes, which had some definite listening potential, but I think I will wait until a studio cut is released before I make that decision. The Spinto Band are a great example of band that sounds great on CD, but their live sound is unpolished, and at times jarring.



The Lovely Feathers won my pick of the night. This five man band from Montreal barreled through their danceable post-punk pop set fueled on vegetable testosterone. They displayed a much tighter sound, cool and collected, and the chemistry between dueling guitarists Mark Kupfert and Richard Yanofsky as they switched off shared lead vocal duties was undeniably perfection. Though their voices have rather different and distinct qualities, the mixture of their unique vocals produce a very appealing result. Mark Kupfert sounds like a demented Ben Folds screaming through David Byrne's vocal cords, while Richard drips out a sweet, emotional balladeer sound (which probably stems from the guilt of not becoming a doctor despite his grandmother's wishes). Together they sprinkle ooh's and aah's like two lovebirds on a spring day throughout most of their fresh and lively set. There were a few moments when Mark inadvertently messed up Richard's "vibe", but these moments were endearing and allowed a more revealing look at their partnership. Despite these minor flubs, they played through their set with a warm and inviting energy, which was packed with songs from their new album HIND HIND LEGS. The Lovely Feathers sound just as grand live as they do on their album. They successfully replicate live the "jump off your feet energy" of their punk-pop treat "Frantic", which is pure, danceable fun. But, the true stand out moment of their set was when the exchanged jabs via guitar licks on their monopoly inspired "In The Valley", it was like a rock history snapshot torn straight from the pages of David Bowie and Mick Ronson. The Lovely Feathers take you one place and then soar you to another world, they will lull you into a fetal position then scream you awake with an emotional outburst. They are fun, absurd, and will make you dance.

(Check out more pics from the show here)