Slumgullion

Photo from the official Pearl Jam Facebook page.

Today brings the release of Pearl Jam’s 12th album, Dark Matter. Even at first listen, it’s an impressive effort that offers hard-hitting, emotionally charged tracks such as “Scared Of Fear,”  “React, Respond,” and “Running.”

Congratulations to Squeeze on selling out the majority of their 50th Anniversary shows in the U.K. Well done, lads.

“Time To Let Some Light In,” the first single from singer-songwriter Steve Dawson’s upcoming album Ghosts, is now available to download on Bandcamp. Dawson has described this well-crafted Americana song as having gone through various changes on its way to a more positive message. Ghosts is due out June 7.

“February Sky,” a brand new song from Ringo Starr’s Crooked Boy EP, is now available to  download from various streaming sites. The physical EP, on black and white marble vinyl, will be available exclusively as part of tomorrow’s Record Store Day releases.

The entire list of this year’s limited-edition vinyl offerings is available on the official Record Store Day website. It’s highly recommended that you have your wishlist made out before you approach the counter at your favorite record store. Don’t stand there and dither. Once again, the selection has something to entice fans of just about every genre and era. Here’s a sampling of recording artists involved: Cannonball Adderley; Chet Baker; The Beatles; David Bowie; Jeff Buckley and Gary Lucas; Alex Chilton; Nat King Cole; The Cure;  De La Soul; The English Beat; George Harrison; Howlin’ Wolf; Ian Hunter; Chris Isaak; Elton John; John Lennon, Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and Marty Stuart; Willie Nelson; Delores O’Riordan; OMD; Paramore; Charlie Parker; Parliament; Pearl Jam; Public Enemy; Queen; Queen Latifah; Ramones; The Replacements; The Roches; The Rolling Stones; Sonny Rollins; Linda Ronstadt; Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson; Siouxsie And The Banshees; Sleater-Kinney; Sonic Youth; Sparks; Donna Summer; Sun Ra; Supergrass; Talking Heads; T. Rex; U2, The Who; Wilco; The Yardbirds; Yes and Frank Zappa. There are tons more I didn’t mention, as well as a number of interesting various artists compilations.

Long-time Chicago-based rock musician Michael Steven Cohen has been specializing in classic tunes from The Great American Songbook lately, and he’ll perform Friday Night Love Songs tonight at Tuscan Market and Wine Shop in Arlington Heights. The romance begins at 7:00 pm. Cohen will be part of next Saturday’s afternoon IPO - Chicago showcase.

Chicago radio station WXRT will broadcast a Bob Marley And The Wailers performance recorded live at The Quiet Knight venue in Chicago in 1975 as part of its Friday Night Archives series. The broadcast starts at 9:00 pm. WXRT is available via the Audacy app.

The first six-act showcase of International Pop Overthrow - Chicago 2024 starts tonight at 7:30 pm at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side. Alpine Subs; We The Cats; Phil Angotti; The Spindles; The 321’s, and The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club will perform. Starting this past Monday, I’ve been posting showcase previews for each event. As of today, I’m up to and including Tuesday, April 23. Keep an eye out for more.

The Zombies have released a collection of five one-take demos titled less is more on Spotify and Apple Music.

 

Tellin’ Tales Theatre in Chicago will present Diversity: Real Life Stories, its latest production of solo performances by artists, writers, and advocates with disabilities on the weekend of April 26, 27, 28, at Greenhouse Theater Center.

Usually when my wife Pam and I visit Long Grove, IL, it’s for the cafes and restaurants, but we also check out the stores. There used to be a lot more retail options there, so we’re always happy to hear things are picking up. Three movies have been filmed there in the past few years, with the latest still in progress. Also, according an article by Chloe Hilles in today’s Chicago Tribune, Buffalo Creek Brewing in Long Grove has been drawing lots of customers with its Taylor Swift-inspired blonde ale 13th Poet. They posted an update on Facebook just a few hours ago regarding their selling out the first batch: “Given the response and demand, we decided this morning to scale up our small batch operations to be able to have a SECOND RELEASE of The 13th Poet on tap May 10 for 2024 BCB Maifest. This release will be draft-only. No growler fills.”

Journalist-musician Hugh Hart has passed along the sad news that vocalist Jo Dare has died. She was probably best known for sharing lead vocals with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury on the 1985 single “Hold On.” Judging from a post on the Freddie Mercury and Queen Facebook page, Mercury was quite impressed with her powerful voice. Before moving to Germany, where she met Mercury, the Texas native spent time in Chicago as a member of Hart’s The ODD alternative rock band. Back then, she was known as Jo Jackson. Rock In Paradise, Jo.

Writing Day Workshops will offer an in-person conference on June 22 in downtown Chicago. I’ve attended this event a number of times, and have really appreciated the seminars, as well as having the opportunity to schedule a 10-minute pitch to literary agents. There will be Workshops in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Detroit, and other cities, as well as a few online versions.

As someone who’d love to get my rock and roll/paranormal romance novel published some day and then see it adapted to film, I was fascinated with Chicago Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper’s review of the new movie The Greatest Hits. It’s the story of a young woman who gets transported back in time whenever she hears a rock song that brings back memories of her recently deceased boyfriend. Roeper says it features a variety of recordings by current artists, including Roxy Music and Nelly Furtado. He gave it three stars.

The Bad Examples, the Chicago band that specializes in clever and melodic songs reminiscent of Squeeze and XTC, has a show tomorrow night at the Hey Nonny venue in Arlington Heights.

The Webstirs, another Chicago band that’s quite often catchy and humorous, will share a bill with at Milhous and Spoonbenders at Beat Kitchen next Wednesday, April 24. 

Northeastern Illinois University radio station WZRD Chicago 88.3 will celebrate 50 years of offering freeform radio with a free of charge party at Martyrs on May 4. There will be live music by Cosmic Bull, Silver Abuse, Sons of Ra, and Charlie Otto. Martyrs’ is located at 3855 N. Lincoln Avenue.

The Neverly Brothers 20th Anniversary Tour will bring them to the Beverly Arts Center on May 4. It’s located at 2407 W. 111th Street - Chicago, IL. The trio provides a history of rock music dating back to the 1950s by performing artists such as Buddy Holly, The Beatles, and The Kinks.

It’s safe to assume tickets are going fast for the Paul Weller + Special Guests event taking place on September 15 at The Vic Theatre on Chicago’s north side. It’s his first US and Canada tour in seven years. Other cities in September will include Brooklyn, Boston, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver. After visiting North America, Weller heads back across the pond for a UK Autumn Tour. It would be great if he also played some material from his days with The Style Council and The Jam. His new guitar-driven single “Soul Wandering” is now available on streaming sites, and a full-length album titled 66 is due out May 24.

Chicago fans of offbeat theatre will likely enjoy Theatre Wit’s current production of Nick Robideau’s play Inanimate, which runs through May 4. The play concerns a young woman who’s fallen in love with a neon sign. Theatre Wit, which is located at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue on the north side, describes the Jeremy Wechsler-directed Inanimate as “the best (and only!) objectum-sexual dramedy of the year.” J.G. Smith stars in the lead role.

This year’s Skokie Backlot Bash will be held on the weekend of August 23-25 in Skokie, IL. The lineup will be Arrested Development, Big Wade And Black Swan Theory, Tonic, Woolworthy, Tributosaurus Become The Kinks Part 2, and Thrift Store Halo.

Chicago-based power pop veterans Thrift Store Halo’s now has a cover band side project named Uncle Boogie. Fans can check it out when Uncle Boogie performs at the alliteratively named Lizard’s Liquid Lounge tomorrow night. I’ve never heard of this venue before, but from the photos on its website, it looks pretty cool. It’s located at 3058 W. Irving Park Road.

The Sound And Vision exhibit, which features artwork by well-know artist-musicians, is now open and will run through April 21 at Mad.Kat Gallery in Rancho Mirage, CA. Participants include Joan Baez, Jon Langford, Penelope Houston, Juliana Hatfield, and Steve Wynn.

The 40th Annual Latino Film Festival will wrap up its run this Monday, April 22.

The very first Off North Shore Skokie Music Festival will be held on the Skokie Sports Park on June 21 and 22. Scheduled performers include Mike Campbell and Dirty Knobs; Larkin Poe; The Bones Of J.R. Jones; and The Empty Pockets on day one; and Grace Potter; Donavon Frankenreiter; Jaime Wyatt; and JC Brooks Band on the second night.

Louise Post from Veruca Salt has kicked off a four-city tour to promote her Sleepwalker solo album. She’ll be at the Empty Bottle in Chicago on Tuesday, April 23.

The Reader Best Of Chicago celebration will take place next Thursday at 6:30 pm at the Lincoln Park Zoo. There will be live entertainment and performances by some of the award winners, as well as food and beverage vendors and other activities.

Bernie Williams is best known as an outfielder for the New York Yankees, but he’s also familiar to Chicago sports fans and music lovers for his guitar playing at a few Hot Stove Cool Music charity events staged by The Foundation To Be Named Later at Metro. So it was nice to discover Williams will be performing with the New York Philharmonic’s spring gala at the Lincoln Center on next Wednesday, April 24. Knock it out of the park, Bernie. 

 

007 Science: Inventing The World Of James Bond, a new exhibit that views the popular spy movies from an intellectual but still fun perspective, opened recently at Chicago’s Museum Of Science And Industry, and will run through October 27.

Happy Birthday to my younger brother Bill, who was probably the first person to share my joy of buying records. We even had out own make-believe radio station. Well, I did. He was normal.

IPO -Chicago: Tuesday Night Schedule

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago starts tonight (Friday, April 19) at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side. See the first post I did on April 15 (there were two that day) for a preview of tonight’s lineup.

The festival continues at Montrose Saloon through April 27, with several acts scheduled to perform. Here’s a look at next Tuesday night’s showcase. All of the Tuesday night acts are from Chicago.

Singer-guitarist Billy Nixon will get things rocking and rolling at 7:30 pm, backed by his full band (he sometimes does acoustic solo gigs). Nixon’s October 2023 album Late Fees, like his 2021 effort C’mon Let’s Rattle, evokes sock hops and malt shoppes with catchy and fun arrangements. “Make My Way To Memphis” and “Tears Won’t Come” are particularly well done. Five-member band Secret Forest Service crafts its own style of indie-pop by adding a bit of alt country and 1980s elements. “We’ll Break The Wall” and other tracks from their Animal Mineral Digital album have been getting airplay on CHIRP radio. Singer-songwriter Packy Lundholm’s rare solo appearance will find him exploring originals he doesn’t often perform. He recently reworked his first effort American Soccer, and it’s now available.

The Mark Watson Band has done well on the Chicago club scene with an energetic power pop approach that draws on Cheap Trick and Fountains Of Wayne. Their song “When Two Still Feels Alone” was included on the impressive 2021 Big Blast Records compilation The Big Singles Vol.1. Modern Daybreak released their first single “Piece Of Mind” last summer, kicking off their goal of creating catchy rock with a supportive vibe. They released the Music For Love EP a month later, and put out the more rock-oriented single “Wake Up” this past February.

Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full Chicago schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who’ll be participating in Chicago this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music. Many of the acts have Bandcamp pages, so it’s possible to already have some favorite songs before you've even seen the band play.

IPO - Chicago: Start The Week Rocking

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago starts this Friday night at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side and will continue at that venue through April 27. Here’s a preview of the five-act showcase taking place on Monday, April 22. Most of the acts involved are local, although there are some out-of-state visitors.

Monday’s showcase starts with Windsor, Ontario native KtG, who is also known as Kait the Great. Her catchy techno rock is delivered with various nuances and moods, from the satiric “Wish I Knew” to the slinky “Gravity.” The atmospheric “Middle Of The Night” from her second album Realitease finds her at her best. Singer-guitarist Hannah Frank has become an IPO - Chicago regular with a repertoire that includes original acoustic compositions such as “Mad Girl’s Diary” and “Is You Mine,” along with unexpected covers such as the 1939 tune “Comes Love.” Her 15 Horses album, originally recorded in 2015, was mixed and updated for a 2023 release. The group Bur released its three-song EP No Brainer late last year as a follow-up to their impressive 2022 album We Are Bur. Lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Jeremy Kush and bassist Colin Burns continue to impress with their engaging harmonies, and the emphasis remains on ornate pop and guitar-driven rock.

Indie rock quartet The Braymores offer three easy going, melodic songs on their Talking To Trees EP. Their most recent gig was as part of triple bill at Reggies Chicago in February. Monday night’s showcase wraps up with A.M. Slingers, who’ve been performing at Montrose Saloon and other Chicago venues over the past few years. Their music, creatively self-described as “Slashing treble bites hard on bone, plus the choruses of power pop and grit-infused rock,” has been played on CHIRP Radio and the Power Pop Shoppe radio program.

An IPO - Chicago Doubleheader

Members of The Artist Formally Known As Vince get along well together.

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago starts this Friday night at Montrose Saloon and will continue at the north side venue through April 27. Most of the acts involved are from the Chicago area, although there are some out-of-state visitors. Sunday brings a six-act afternoon showcase and a five-act evening showcase, separated by a short break.

The first set kicks off at 2:00 pm with country-rock singer-songwriter Miles Maxwell, who’ll be drawing from his 2018 album Red Ghost and several singles he’s released since then. Montrose Saloon regulars Brother Derek are back for another IPO - Chicago performance after making their festival debut last year. Their 2022 album Parade Rest finds them taking a satirical point of view while exploring various genres. Otter Petter have been crafting melodic and guitar-driven pop for 15 years, with their latest recording being the single “Movies.” They’re long-time favorites at IPO - Chicago. 

Kerosene Stars have been releasing albums since their self-titled 2014 effort, and they released a pair of new singles in 2023. “A Pretty Good Year” puts optimistic sentiment to a guitar-driven, power pop arrangement. Half Catholic looks to be making their IPO - Chicago debut this year, and they have a 2023 album titled Art In Heaven to promote. The TAFKAVINCE Band, also known as The Artist Formally Known As Vince, has been entertaining Chicago area audiences with fun, freewheeling rock for years. They recently released the two song EP February, and “Magazine,” a track from their 2023 album A Problematic Opera was voted as one of The Top Ten Glam Rock Songs Of 2023 by listeners of Elastic Glam Radio.

The Sunday evening showcase will start just a few hours later with Rollo Time, a band that’s equally impressive with the psychedelic rock of “12-17” and the Who-inspired “Spider In The Hole.” Their most recent single, “One Thing,” came out just about a year ago. Einstein’s Sister has previous experience performing at IPO showcases in Chicago and Los Angeles. Their Exit Strategies EP, which came out last November, was chosen as a favorite release of 2023 by Davenport, Iowa’s River Cities Reader publication. Big Stir Records artists Blake Jones And The Trike Shop hail from Fresno, CA and have often participated in the label’s power pop showcases.

Singer-guitarist Tim Kish has performed with Swingset and other bands in the state of Michigan. He recently released his debut album Drawn To Life, and has a knack for creating mind-altering videos for his indie rock songs. Chicago band Satellite Union draws on classic rock of years past for melodic and guitar-powered songs such as “Dirt Road” and “Leave My Heart.”

Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full Chicago schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who’ll be participating in Chicago this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music. Many of the acts have Bandcamp pages, so it’s possible to already have some favorite songs before you've even seen the band play.

A Double Dose Of IPO - Chicago This Saturday

The Bon Mots in Action 

International Pop Overthrow - Chicago will have its first 2024 showcase this Friday night at Montrose Saloon (see my 4/15 post), and will follow that Bash (pun intended) with two separate lineups on Saturday. IPO Founder/CFO David Bash has shows scheduled at Montrose Saloon through April 27. Most of the acts involved are from the Chicago area, although there are some out-of-state visitors.

This Saturday afternoon’s showcase starts with a 2:00 pm set by Dam Destroyers. The band includes four members of The Red Wigglers, who ended their 25-year run last August. It will interesting to see if they carry on the original band’s emphasis on adventurous and often funny rock and roll with coed vocals and horn accompaniment. IPO - Chicago veterans Phil Yates and The Affiliates have four albums worth of catchy, guitar-driven pop to draw from for their 2:45 slot. The band moved here from Burlington, VT a while back, and its 2022 effort A Thin Thread is the first to feature the Chicago lineup. The Shake Ups utilized power pop arrangements to celebrate the fun of cartoon and pop culture on their Meddling Kids album, and these IPO - Chicago veterans take a similar approach in their live sets.

Mammals are self-described creators of “garagey power pop” with an emphasis on The Nerves, Buddy Holly, The Kinks and The Plimsouls. That comes across loud and clear through the assorted songs on their Bandcamp page. “In The Darkness” sounds like a Halloween song by The Ramones, and the rollicking “Expanding Heart” features impressive vocals. The Larvettes’ showcase will most likely feature songs from Happy Go Lucky Times, the three-song EP they released in 2022. Don’t let the title fool you, these guys love to spike their energetic rock tunes with bitter observations. The Jeremy Band, led by vocalist-guitarist Jeremy Morris, traditionally closes out a Saturday afternoon showcase with high-powered, melodic rock, and that’s exactly what will take place this Saturday. His latest album, Footprints, came out last month and finds Morris collaborating with Ken Stringfellow of The Posies. It’s available to order on the Jam Records website.

The Saturday evening showcase will start just a few hours later with Chicago-based musician Matt Tiegler. He’ll likely showcase catchy indie rock tunes such as “I Didn’t Get You” and the title track from his most recent album, Hands Free Down Hill. Long-time IPO - Chicago participants The Sonnets specialize in an intriguing mix of glam, mod, power pop, garage, surf, and blues. Things That Fly is the Chicago-based indie rock band led by Heidi Serwer and Karen Salmon. They served up clever and catchy tunes such as “Lucky Ones” and “Crunch Went The Snow” on their 2023 self-titled EP. 

The hard-edged power pop band MariZen is led by vocalist Mari Scott, and has a single, an album, and an EP available on Bandcamp. Those were released a while back, so it seems likely they’ll perform newer stuff too. Chicago rock scene veterans The Bon Mots have been working on new material, and their plan is to unveil some of it at IPO - Chicago this Saturday. These guys can also tap into numerous well-crafted indie pop songs from previous recordings they’ve released over the years. Routine Faces, AKA the single-named Sahara and Rob, drew upon Journey, Heart, Imogen Heap, and other artists for their emotionally complex album Us vs Them. They’ll be joined by drummer Joshua Rogers and keyboards player Kim Reuter when they wrap things up for this Saturday night’s showcase. 

Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full Chicago schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who’ll be participating in Chicago this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music. Many of the acts have Bandcamp pages, so it’s possible to already have some favorite songs before you even seen the band play.

Incoming

Note: This is my second post for today. Earlier, I offered a preview of the opening night of this year’s International Pop Overthrow - Chicago. The six-act showcase starts at 7:30 pm at Montrose Saloon on the north side. I’m hoping to post a preview for each day of the festival.

Courtesy Patrol, one of the more recent bands to latch on to the talented and humorous guitarist-vocalist Dag Juhlin as a member, promises to “bring you musical joy in all forms - classics, deep cuts, and beyond” this Thursday night at the Friendly Tap in Berwyn. Whatever that means, it sounds like fun, and there’s no cover charge. The joy starts at 8:30 pm.

“Time To Let Some Light In,” the first single from singer-songwriter Steve Dawson’s upcoming album Ghosts, comes out on Pravda Records this Friday. In the meantime, the online Glide Magazine is offering the video premiere. Dawson is quoted as describing the song as having “gone through a lot of changes over time.” Watching the clip, it’s easy to see he was successful in switching to a more positive message for this well-crafted Americana song. The album Ghosts is due out June 7.

Stompin’ Grounds Cafe in Lake Zurich is staging one of its semi-regular live music events tomorrow night with a Spring Fling featuring acoustic music by the Face N Time band. The music starts at 7:00 pm, and the cafe promises “great treats [and] wonderful drinks” will be available for sale. Reservations are recommended. 

Chicago indie rock band Vinto Van Go, which describes its approach as, “Chicago-style psychedelic music rooted in this city’s garage rock and soul music,” has an album release show coming up this Thursday at the Epiphany Center For The Arts. The 321’s, a recently formed group that’s already busy on the local club scene, is also on the bill. In addition to live music, Epiphany Center For The Arts has art galleries, and serves drinks and appetizers. It’s located at 201 S. Ashland. The doors open at 5:00 pm, the music starts at 7:00 pm.

IPO - Chicago Kicks Off This Friday

The 21st annual International Pop Overthrow - Chicago kicks off this Friday for a nine-day run at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side. CFO/Founder David Bash has several acts lined up, many of which fans have enjoyed at previous IPO - Chicago shows. Named after Material Issue’s stellar debut album, the festival was born in Los Angeles back in 1997. Three Chicago area bands, 92 Degrees, The Idea, and The Critics, performed on opening night of that 1997 festival in Los Angeles. So, it made sense that Chicago would be one of Bash’s first choices when he decided IPO could be a traveling event. Over the years, he’s staged versions at venues around the world. His focus for each location is on local talent, but for bigger markets such as Liverpool and Chicago, it’s not uncommon to find out-of-town, and occasionally out-of-country visitors.

IPO 24’s opening night kicks off with Alpine Subs. If that evokes a feeling of déjà vu, it’s because the six-member band was in that same spot last year. Alpine Subs have released four albums of easy-going melodic pop since 2019, with last August’s Come On Over To My House being the latest. We The Cats enjoyed a successful run in the 1990s, releasing three albums of pop, punk, and soulful music, and performing at numerous venues. Their appearance at this year’s IPO will serve as a 30th anniversary reunion. Phil Angotti was a member of The Idea back when the band played at the first IPO in Los Angeles, and has kept busy ever since. His solo set at this year’s Chicago event that will likely showcase songs from his latest and impressive album Once Around Again. Angotti is known for his Beatles tribute shows on the local club scene, and his original material shows he’s learned well from the masters.

The Spindles have spent several years on the Chicago club scene perfecting their British Invasion flavored power pop. Their 2018 CD Past And Present was an entertaining mix of originals and well-chosen covers, and they’re currently working on a new album that will be released later this year. The 321’s are a newer arrival on the Chicago scene, but are already getting noticed for delivering what they describe as “a sonic experience that is captivating and revolutionary.” One of their most recent gigs involved performing George Harrison covers at the My Sweet George tribute show at Martyrs in February. The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club has released a number of power pop/indie rock recordings over the past 10 years, and their Rolling Stones flavored “X Play” was one of the highlights on 2021 Big Blast Records compilation The Big Singles Vol.1. Their 2022 EP Vanishing Point, with its Halloween theme, was particularly impressive. Their most recent release was the catchy “Your Corvette Summer” single last year.

Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full Chicago schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who’ll be participating in Chicago this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music. Many of the acts have Bandcamp pages, so it’s possible to already have some favorite songs before you've even seen the band play.