CD Review: The Handcuffs - Waiting For The Robot

Bangles Alert! The band will be performing on Good Morning America tomorrow. They have a gig at The House Of Blues in Chicago a week from today.

The Handcuffs will be playing songs from their new CD this Saturday night at Kryptonite in Rockford and they’ll be sharing the bill with former Stranglers vocalist-guitarist Hugh Cornwell on Halloween night at Reggies in Chicago. Note: The following review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer.

The latest effort from the husband of wife team of Brad Elvis and Chloe F. Orwell finds their musical partnership stronger than ever. He’s a hard-hitting drummer who composes catchy rock tunes, and she’s a singer-guitarist who belts them out with sass and versatility. Waiting For The Robot is their most ambitious effort yet (including their Big Hello releases) but maintains a fun, party spirit.

Elvis, whose resume includes time with Screams and of course The Elvis Brothers, exudes a quirky sense of humor on “Vinyl Isabella,” a glam rock tribute to a drag queen, and on the silly but engaging “Everybody Waves Hello.” But he also taps into more complex emotions on the Beatlesque “Miss You On Tuesday” and the intriguing “The Scary Side Of Me.” Ellis Clark, another music veteran, contributes impressive guitar and piano playing throughout. That said, Orwell stands front and center on Robot, whether she’s channeling Deborah Harry while trashing an ex-boyfriend on “Kiss This Goodbye,” or feeling the strain of a relationship coming apart on “Eight Down.”

CD Review: Big Hello - Apple Album

While we wait for the new CD from The Handcuffs, here’s a look back at the first band fronted by the husband and wife team of drummer Brad Elvis and singer-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell. This review of Big Hello’s Apple Album originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer back in 1998.

Brad Elvis recorded three albums of exuberant pop songs with The Elvis Brothers, and he continues his successful streak with Big Hello’s debut, Apple Album. A hard-hitting drummer who bears a slight resemblance to Austin Powers, Elvis draws upon British Invasion and 1960s girl groups for inspiration. He may no longer have stage siblings Brad and Rob around, but he’s found a worthy successor in Chloe F. Orwell, a first-rate vocalist and songwriter.

Orwell’s energetic “Oh Canada” kicks things off nicely, and her winsome “I Don’t Like You” would have fit in perfectly on the soundtrack for That Thing You Do. Johhny Million provides guitar firepower throughout the CD, and he also wrote the catchy “Hooked On The Girl.” Bass player j.a.c.k.i.e. often joins Million on harmony vocals.

Brad Elvis consistently supplies fresh, engaging material like “Star 69” and “Colorado Coastline.” The songs “Today Will Be Yesterday Tomorrow” and “Pen Pal” rock a little harder, while “Sister Mary” taps into mid-1960s Beatles. Fans who miss The Elvis Brothers will be glad to discover that the fun lives on in Big Hello.

Let’s Play Two

Somewhere in the Top Ten of the bands most likely to be played at Neo. Photo from The Cure’s official website.

On February 24th, fans of cutting edge rock in Chicago will have two opportunities to support a worthwhile cause. And since these events are easily within driving distance of each other, why not go for a doubleheader?

WXRT’s Terri Hemmert plans to take the patrons at Neo on a Thursday night flashback while playing vintage new wave songs as the club’s guest DJ. Hemmert, who was recently inducted into the National Radio Hall Of Fame, promises on her XRT blog post that she’ll be “spinning Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Roxy Music, The Cure, New Order, and other greats.” All proceeds from the evening will go to the Al Parker Scholarship Fund for radio students at Columbia College. Hemmert teaches a history of rock and soul course at Columbia, and explains that Parker was an inspirational faculty member whose son Neil once served as XRT’s News Director. Neo is the perfect site for this bash since it has been promoting new wave and punk music at its 2350 N. Clark location since 1979. The party gets under way at 10:00PM.

LouAid II kicks off a little earlier that night at 8:00 at Beat Kitchen. Round I of this effort to help musician Lou Hallwas of Penthouse Sweets pay off bills from a recent hospital stay took place at Quencher’s Saloon on February 10th. This second phase will feature The Handcuffs, who just might be previewing songs from their forthcoming CD; Tomorrow The Moon; Penthouse Sweets; Organ Wolf; and We Repel Each Other. Look for several local musicians to be on hand to lend their support. Beat Kitchen is located at 2100 W. Belmont. Suggested donation is $10 or more.

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Godzilla art from G-Fest website.

Oh No, There Goes Tokyo: If people in the Chicago area are hearing the stomping of huge feet, it might be because of the G-Fest XVII Godzilla Convention, which is running from Friday through Sunday at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Subtitled The Return To Monster Island, the fest will feature Q & A sessions with some of the actors and crew from the big guy’s films, as well as a dealers room, and fan presentations on various topics. Admission is $25 per day or $40 for the whole weekend. Visitors are encouraged to come in Godzilla or Raymond Burr costumes.

Beatles Day Tripper: Members Of The British Beatles Fan Club, a group on Facebook, has a report on what Mike Badger, who formed the short-lived and much-missed English pop band The La’s, has been up to lately. According to writer Mark Sumner on the Internet site Click Liverpool, Badger was commissioned by the Cavern Walks shopping center in Liverpool to create a sculpture honoring The Beatles for the city’s third annual Beatles Day on July 10th. The result is an intriguing piece titled “Musical Composition” that will be comprised of Badger’s own Zenith guitar (the sort Paul McCartney often played) and other musical instruments. Music wise, Sumner reports that Badger is currently working on a solo career.

Hello Again, Goodbye Girl: Squeeze has just uploaded three songs from its upcoming CD Spot The Difference to its MySpace page. The new CD features the band playing new versions of some of its best-loved tunes, like “Goodbye Girl,” “Pulling Mussels (From A Shell),” and “Loving You Tonight.” Squeeze will be performing with Cheap Trick at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park tomorrow (July 10th) night.

Believe It Or Not: Bass player Mike Galassini of the Chicago bands The Valley Downs and 92 Degrees, will be performing with yet another combo, The Ripleys, at Navy Pier on Saturday from 5:00PM to 7:00PM in the Beer Garden. This one’s a cover band that plays songs by The Beatles, Matthew Sweet, and Cheap Trick, among others. Meanwhile, The Valley Downs have created a video for the ironically titled “Lucky Day,” a catchy, C&W flavored tune with lines like, “You leave me in the dirt, the dirt is where I’ll stay.” It’s from their latest, self-titled EP. The clip features footage from the band’s performances in Liverpool, Nashville, London, and New York, and can be seen on The Valley Downs MySpace page, and on YouTube.

Y’all Come Back Now, Little Susie: Guitarist-vocalist Mike Cohen, who was impressive with The Pop Dollys and The Abbeys at this year’s International Pop Overthrow in Chicago, has a side project called The Everly Hillbillies. As the name suggests, they cover a lot of Phil & Don material, plus some originals. The Everly Hillbillies will be performing at Willow Stream Park in Buffalo Grove this coming Tuesday, July 13th, starting at 7PM.

Ten-hut! Freewheeling rockers Genral Patton & His Privates will be performing from 6:00PM to 7:00PM tomorrow night at the Gallery Cabaret, as part of the Gallery Block Party celebration of food and music. Admission is free.

Rockin’ In Palatine: The American English concert, which would have kicked off the suburb’s outdoor concert series this past June had it not been rained out, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, August 3rd, at 8:00PM. American English covers the entire career of The Beatles, from the early days to the Let It Be era.

Would You Like Some Handcuffs With Those Fries? Indie rock band The Handcuffs will be performing at the Roscoe Village Burger Fest 2010 in Chicago at the Damen and Belmont Stage from 6PM to 7PM tomorrow night. The Handcuffs have been slaving away on their third CD. Also performing at Burger Fest 2010 will be 10,000 Maniacs, Liquid Soul, Dot Dot Dot, and Gin Blossoms.

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The latest issue of Time Out Chicago magazine has a feature on The Like, a four-woman band that draws its inspiration from the original British Invasion. They’re in Chicago tomorrow night, as part of a triple bill that includes The Static Jacks and headliners The Futureheads at Lincoln Hall. I can’t say that I had heard of The Like before, although they’ve been around a few years. The article made them sound pretty interesting, and the catchy and clever songs on their MySpace page have me eager to buy their latest CD, Release Me, which comes out next Tuesday.

Singer-guitarist Jeff Lescher will unveil the new line-up for his critically acclaimed power pop band Green, tonight at Martyrs, on Lincoln Avenue. The band now includes veteran musicians drummer Mike Zelenko of Material Issue, bassist Eddy Ulm, and guitarist Tommi Zender.

Happy Birthday wishes go out today to singer-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell, who along with her husband, drummer Brad Elvis, has fronted Big Hello, as well as their current band, The Handcuffs. Orwell is a charismatic performer who never shies away from expressing her opinions. The Handcuffs are currently working on the their third CD, and have just announced their summer schedule, which includes outdoor gigs at Millennium Park, Taste Of Lincoln Avenue, and North Halsted Street Market Days.

The Old Town Art Fair, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday, is always worth checking out (along with its sibling event, The Wells Street Art Fair) and this year it will be even more fun thanks to The Bon Mots. The highly melodic Chicago power pop band will be performing at the corner of Orleans and Wisconsin Streets at 3:30 PM.

Congratulations to Braam, the Chicago-based rock band comprised of 17 brothers. Actually, three brothers and a non-related drummer. Their “Burlington Northern” has snagged World Music and Independent Film Festival nominations in the Music Videos category for Best Cinematography and Best Director (Jerry Vasilatos). The band is also asking its fans to vote for “Burlington Northern” in the WMIFF People’s Choice category.

I’ve complained here before about the lack of Hollies souvenirs being offered to fans, but there are now some pretty cool things for sale on the band’s official website. In addition to the various tour books which have been available for quite a while, there’s a new book, titled Through The Ages. It features photographs of The Hollies from drummer Bobby Elliot’s personal collection, and many of them are previously unpublished. Fans will also find shirts and a baseball style cap bearing the Hollies logo for sale. I’ve already added some of these items to my birthday wish list, but I’d still like to see The Hollies create their own Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame t shirt.

Crystal’s Blue Line Persuasion. Now that American Idol runner-up Crystal Bowersox has told Mike Thomas at the Sun-Times that she’s considering a “guerrilla subway tour” in Chicago, I wonder if we’ll start seeing a number of pretenders donning blond dreadlock wigs, hoping to cash in on her idea. According to Bowersox, she used to earn enough money to eat and pay rent by performing at L stops in Chicago back in the days before she became famous.

Glenn Tilbrook has just posted on his Facebook page that Squeeze will be releasing a CD in August. The band will be part of a dream double bill with Cheap Trick at Ravinia in Illinois on July 10th.

It was great to read in the news today that Natasha McShane, the Irish exchange student who was severely injured by a man wielding a baseball bat this past April in Chicago, is starting to walk, eat, and talk again. Her recovery is taking time, but her parents are encouraged. There will be two benefits for McShane in the Chicago area this Sunday, June 13th. Gaelic Park, in suburban Oak Forest, has a full line-up of entertainment scheduled for its Tara Room and Carraig Pub. The Orland Park-based band Bohola kicks things off at 3:00PM, and the live music continues until 7:45PM. Other acts include the Katie Sullivan Band, Gavin Coyle, and Three Men In Kilts. The performances at the Irish American Heritage Center, on the city’s north side, will start at 1:00PM with the Pauline Conneely Ceili Band in the Erin Ballroom and the Johnny Gleason Duo in Fifth Province. The fundraiser concludes with the Joe McShane Band and Seamus Kennedy, who start their shows at 8:00. Other acts include students from the Academy of Irish Music featuring Trinity Irish Dance, Baal Tinne, who will also feature Trinity Irish Dance, and Avondale Ramblers. The full schedule for both of these fundraisers can be seen at each location’s website. Here’s wishing McShane a full recovery.

Rock N Load is reporting on Facebook that The Go-Go’s have canceled their Happily Ever After farewell tour, which was scheduled to start at Lilith Fair in San Diego, on July 27th. Guitarist-vocalist Jane Wiedlin injured her knee while hiking, and will need surgery to repair it. Her recovery is expected to take up to a year. No word as to whether the band will try another farewell tour at that time. Wiedlin has posted a message on her Facebook page that she’s currently writing and recording songs.

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Picture from Todd Wright's Facebook page.

Ten weeks from now it will be time to get Todd Wright a birthday card. I only know this because of the singer-songwriter’s 40x40 project, which he has been promoting on Facebook and other websites. An acquaintance of his clued me in about Wright’s ambitious plan a while back, and I’ve been noting his progress in the Elevated Observations column on my blog.

Wright wants to raise funds to support Juvenile Diabetes research by releasing a free track download each Wednesday for 40 straight weeks, to coincide with this 40th birthday. With this week’s song, “Let Me Down Easy,” Wright is three quarters of the way through. If you go to his website at www.orangepopsongs.com to download the song, consider making a donation of $10, $25, $50, or $100 to the American Diabetes Association. The songs are also available for $5.99 as a digital download with a bonus track and PDFs of the CD art, and for $11.99 as an actual CD with a bonus track and PDFs of the CD art. Buyers will be entered to win an iPod loaded with all of Wright’s 40x40 project songs. Keep up the good work, Todd, you’re in the home stretch now.

It’s the second day of International Pop Overthrow’s ninth visit to Chicago. Tonight’s IPO showcase at The Abbey kicks off with the co-ed indie rock of Chicago’s cleverly named Magatha Trysty, followed by veteran power pop musician and Michigan native Jeremy. The rest of tonight’s acts are local. Gidgets Ga Ga aren’t related to Lady; they’re a power pop band who play energetic songs like “Beki” and “Offer You Can’t Refuse.” The Laureates likewise go the irresistible power pop route, while The Blissters (not the same band as The Blisters, which includes Jeff Tweedy’s kid) opt for a more punk style of music augmented by keyboards.

Penthouse Sweets are energetic and fun; they did a bang-up job of portraying The Sex Pistols at The Abbey’s Halloween bash last October, and they’re sure to be cutting loose tonight. Million Yen’s gift for well-crafted power pop is evident throughout its 2001 CD, Blue Television Windows. Chicago alternative veterans Ellis Clark & Epicycle will surely provide a wild finale for IPO Day Two. Clark, who performs with The Handcuffs, as well as Epicycle, has been promising surprises, and there’s a good chance drummer Brad Elvis of The Handcuffs will be joining in.

Note: There is an all ages IPO show tomorrow afternoon at The Abbey, as well as a nighttime IPO show at The Spot on Broadway. See the website for the schedules.

Chicago rockers Dot Dot Dot have been promoting their new self-titled CD on a national tour that has included Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Indiana, and Wisconsin. They’re be back in Illinois for a show on April 30th at The Roadhouse in Elgin.

On a sad note, I received an e-mail yesterday from Illinois Entertainer editor Steve Forstneger forwarding a message from the High Rise PR agency that Devon Clifford, the drummer for the neo-1980s band You Say Party! We Say Die! suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage from congenital defects while performing last Friday. I had recently reviewed the band’s latest CD, XXXX for the Illinois Entertainer, praising its impossibly catchy guitar and keyboard arrangements. I extend my sympathy to You Say Party! We Say Die! as well as his family and friends.

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The Baseball Project Promo Shot

Let’s Play Two! “Cubs 2010” is a catchy new song from The Baseball Project that’s been getting a lot of airplay on WXRT in Chicago. It may have been composed specifically for the station, according to some rumors. The Baseball Project is comprised of Scott McCaughey, who formed Young Fresh Fellows and has toured with R.E.M.; Peter Buck of R.E.M., Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate; and Linda Pitmon of Golden Smog. In addition to their impressive musical resumes, they share a love of America’s favorite pass-time. The Baseball Project released Frozen Ropes And Dying Quails, an entire CD of songs about the sport (often with explicit lyrics) in 2008.

“Cubs 2010,” part of the band’s Broadside Ballads, has echoes of The Dream Syndicate as well as R.E.M., but also exudes the cheery outlook of a Christmas carol. The clever lyrics wish for one big present in the form of the first Cubs World Championship since 1908, and include references to current players like Carlos Marmol and Alfonso Soriano, as well as the hallowed favorites Ron Santo and Ernie Banks. The song is available for a free download at the ESPN website.

Speaking of WXRT and baseball, the station will air its 93XRT/Miller Lite Cubs Opening Day Live Broadcast from the YakZie’s club in Wrigleyville on Monday morning, April 12th, starting at 6AM. Joining morning disk jockey Lin Brehmer, and later Terri Hemmert, will be musical guests John Hiatt, The Waco Brothers, and Backyard Tire Fire.

Those of us who were disappointed to find indie rock band The Handcuffs missing from the 2010 International Pop Overthrow - Chicago roster can take heart. The group, led by drummer Brad Elvis and singer-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell, are part of a triple bill at The Abbey on the city’s northwest side this very evening. The Handcuffs have had their songs featured on Gossip Girl as well as other TV shows, and are busy recording their third CD. This might be their last live performance before the summer. A very young trio called The Blisters, which features Jeff Tweedy’s son Spencer on drums, kicks things off at 9PM. Note: This is not the same band as The Blissters, who have an IPO gig coming up later this month. The Handcuffs perform at 10PM, followed by them cowboy hat wearin’ headliners from Detroit, Goober And The Peas, at 11PM.

Blane Fonda, the offbeat Chicago band whose fun and adventurous Master Of Stars and Broken Arms EP was reviewed here under the Demo-Listen Derby #2 post in February, recently played a gig at SXSW, and will be celebrating its first year anniversary with a show at Beat Kitchen on April 23rd. Also on the bill are The Urbanites, celebrating the release of their new The Years CD; introspective indie rockers The Hudson Branch; and the electro rock trio, Antennas Up.

The Chicago Cultural Center, at 78 East Washington Street in downtown Chicago, is hosting the 2010 Creative Chicago Expo tomorrow, Saturday, April 10th, from 10AM until 4PM. The Expo aims to bring various art forms, including music, dance, theater, publishing, fashion and visual arts together for mutual support and networking. There will be 25 workshops, over 100 vendors, and more than 40 consultants on hand to help individuals and organizations pursue success in the arts. Media sponsors include New City, The Reader, Cityvida.com and Bronzecomm. Admission is free.

The CHIRP Record Fair takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 10AM to 5PM at the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Hall, 1340 West Washington in Chicago. Now in its eighth year, the eclectic marketplace offers CDs, vinyl, publications, and posters for sale. The $7 admission also covers live performances.

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Picture of Ellis Clark taken from his Facebook page.

Another buffet of entertainment snippets for a Friday.

The Ellis Clark SuperGroup at Viaduct Theatre March 6th I first met vocalist Ellis Clark back in the late 1980s when I did a Streetwalkin’ profile on his band Social Act for the Illinois Entertainer. Clark played a melodic brand of hard rock in that group, but he also founded the power pop/punk outfit Epicycle, which still performs from time to time, and he’s done a lot of producing for other artists. These days, Clark is probably most active as the keyboards player-guitarist-back up vocalist for The Handcuffs. On March 6th, at 10PM, he has something special going on at The Viaduct Theatre in Chicago. That’s when The Ellis Clark SuperGroup hits the stage, as part of a Chicago Acoustic Underground sponsored triple bill. Clark has put together an impressive line-up that includes drummer Brad Elvis of The Handcuffs; bassist Jon Brant, who played with Cheap Trick, as well as d’thumbs; sax player Mars Williams, who has worked with the Psychedelic Furs and several other bands; power pop veteran Phil Angotti; The Chamber Strings piano player Carol Engelmann; and percussionist Jim Hines. Special guests include guitarist Alfonso Ponticelli and The Handcuffs vocalist Chloe F. Orwell. It will be interesting to what these guys come up with. Clark has created a promo film, which can be viewed on YouTube. Also on the Chicago Acoustic Underground bill that night are Goodbyehome, a folk rock ensemble Clark has been known to collaborate with, and acoustic pop/folk artist Dawn Xiana Moon.

Possible Twigs Reunion? One of my very first Broken Hearted Toy posts last August concerned singer-songwriter Linda Good. She moved to Los Angeles 10 years earlier to pursue a solo career, and was visiting her old home town for a show at the Uncommon Ground on Chicago’s north side. At one point during that performance, Good called her sister up to the stage. It was a sort of reunion of The Twigs, the popular band Linda and Laura had founded years earlier. The Twigs had recorded two full CDs; the promising Bring Me The Head Of Eternity and the more polished The Universe Tonight, which found them successfully covering a variety of styles, from the sunny pop of “It’s Alright” to the hip hop of “Lucky.” Now, about six months later, Linda Good is reporting on Facebook that she and Laura are recording a new Twigs single together. Or as she dubbed it, a Twingle. Hopefully, she’ll keep fans posted as to its release date.

M.A.S.S. Appeal at Angel Island As its current production of Andrew Case’s emotionally charged cop drama Rant clearly illustrates, the Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company has established a reputation for cutting edge work. Now the group’s Angel Island space at the corner of Broadway and Sheridan Road in Chicago is also a great place to discover new musical artists. With M.A.S.S. (Mary-Arrchie Sound Series,) the group will present live electro, rock, and hip hop music. Acts who have already performed include Ol’Boy, an indie rock band that claims The Temptations and Tom Waits among its influences; Americana/punk singer-guitarist Garrett Santora; indie rock duo LionLimb; and cutting edge singer-keyboards player Natalie Grace Alford. Artist-In-Residence Ol’Boy will be a frequent M.A.S.S. participant, with shows on March 10th with The Ours, and The El is a Sound of Joy; with Merryweather and Teenage Rage on March 22nd; with Granny Frost and The Dirty Diamonds on April 12th; and with Audio and a special guest on April 19th. M.A.S.S. is also hoping to snag touring bands who might want to use the space for after-show or acoustic gigs. Portions of the proceeds from these shows will help fund the Mary-Arrchie, which is a non-profit theatre company. Acts looking to be part of M.A.S.S. can contact Carlo at info@maryarrchie.com

Kiss The Girls

Promo poster from Slutter’s Facebook page.

Forget that Kiss/Mini Kiss Dr. Pepper commercial on Super Bowl Sunday. In fact, forget all the Super Bowl ads. There’s a new Kiss in town, or rather a Kiss Tribute band. It goes by the name of Slutter, which is just part of the wordplay this group uses to convey that all of its members are female. Gina Knapik performs as Doll Stanley, Jennifer San Juan is Peterless Criss, Susie Winn is Ace SHEley, and Chloe F. Orwell is Tiny Gene Simmons. Slutter made its debut a few months back at a charity event and is returning for a show at Liar’s Club in Chicago on March 4th.

Orwell is the only one of these musicians I’m familiar with, although a Google search showed Knapik as the vocalist-guitarist for The Venom Lords, a local act that lists Kiss as well as The Runaways among its influences. Orwell currently fronts The Handcuffs, the indie rock band she formed with husband/drummer Brad Elvis, following their stint with Big Hello. On the surface, it would seem more of a challenge for Orwell to channel a member of Kiss than Knapik, but anyone familiar with Orwell knows she’s no shrinking violet.

Kiss may not have made in into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this year, but at least a quartet of women in the Windy City are carrying on its hard rocking legacy. The March 4th gig apparently coincides with Peterless's birthday, and the band promises to spring some fun surprises on the audience. Black Angus, an AC/DC tribute band is also on the bill that night. I’m assuming they’re all guys. Liar’s Club is located at 1665 W. Fullerton Avenue.

Every Time A Guitar Rings - - - Part One

Charlie(DeGaulle)’s Angels? French garage rockers The Plastiscines

Looking back on the past 12 months, I was tempted to wallow in self pity because I only went to a fraction of the concerts I would have liked to have seen. But then Clarence The Angel appeared, dressed in a baseball style cap with an WXRT logo, a Fountains Of Wayne t-shirt and faded jeans. With a playful smile, he set down his paperback copy of I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, and whisked me back to some of my favorite live performances of 2009. After reliving those musical moments, my heavenly guide said in his gravelly voice, “You see, Terrence, you really did have a wonderful rock and roll year.” And so, in no particular order, here are some of those memories.

The Plastiscines at Bottom Lounge - These young Parisian women had already proven they could create authentic American style garage rock with LP1 and About Love. Their June 15th appearance at this west side club as part of Nylon Magazine’s Summer Music Tour proved they could bring it live as well.

The Smithereens at Lake View Fest - Performing literally right next to Wrigley Field, this veteran power pop band roared through original classics and did a great job covering selections from The Who’s Tommy.

The Handcuffs at Taste Of Lincoln Avenue - I celebrated part of my birthday last July at this bustling street fest, where lead vocalist-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell and drummer Brad Elvis led their co-ed band through catchy gems from their two impressive CDs, Electroluv and Model For A Revolution.

International Pop Overthrow at The Abbey Pub - This two-week celebration of ringing guitars and irresistible melodies visits clubs around the Windy City every April. The 2009 line-up offered the usual exciting mix of area bands, including The Lackloves, 92 Degrees, and The Valley Downs, as well as overseas visitors like the U.K. band, Anison.

The Posies at Randolph Street Fest - The Seattle-based band reunited to perform their entire power pop masterpiece Frosting On The Beater last June at this most trendy of street fests.

Jon Auer/Fountains Of Wayne Acoustic Show at Park West - A few weeks later, Posies vocalist-guitarist Auer opened for Fountains Of Wayne, armed only with his acoustic guitar. Fountains Of Wayne also switched to acoustic instruments while they performed “Hey, Julie” and several other melodic hits.

Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Bash

(photo from David Bash Facebook page)

Since September 2nd is David Bash’s birthday, now would be the perfect time to pay tribute to him. As the founder of International Pop Overthrow, David brings the gift of power pop music to boys and girls around the globe. He doesn’t do it all in one night, and wears a cowboy hat instead of a red cap, but for many of us, he works magic.

Named after a song by the Chicago band, Material Issue, International Pop Overthrow made its debut in L.A. back in 1998. The festival has since become a world-wide affair, making stops in numerous cities, including Liverpool, Vancouver, Boston, and San Francisco.

Chicago power pop fans eagerly anticipate David’s annual arrival around the middle of April, with visions of settling into a club like the Abbey Pub where they can catch an eight-band showcase for a mere $10. IPO Chicago usually offers a mix of local bands like The Valley Downs, The Bad Examples, and The Handcuffs; visitors from neighboring cities, like Milwaukee’s The Lackloves; as well as an overseas act like Anison, who are based in England.

A tireless supporter of the power pop genre, Bash enthusiastically introduces all the acts with a brief bio and explanation of why he chose them for the fest. Musicians interested in being part of International Pop Overthrow can contact David via SonicBids. See http://www.internationalpopoverthrow.com for details.

So let’s raise a glass and wish David a Happy Birthday!

CD Review: The Handcuffs - Electroluv

Brad Elvis Steakley, former drummer with The Elvis Brothers, first hooked up with vocalist-guitarist Chloe F. Orwell in the band Big Hello, and they continue to make top notch power pop as The Handcuffs. Electroluv, their second effort, also features guitarist Ellis Clark from the band Epicycle, as well as a few guest appearances from Brad’s former Elvis Brother, Graham on bass. Emily Togni plays bass on most of the other tracks.

The title track, a tribute to a vacuum cleaner, shows Steakley’s knack for writing songs that combine fun lyrics and strong melodies. The catchy “Baby Boombox” celebrates audio cassettes, 8 tracks, and turntables, while the very short “Russian or Polish Girl” is a micro-sized Gilbert & Sullivan opera. The only lyrics to “Gotta Problem With Me?” are “You gotta problem with me, I gotta problem with you” but Orwell’s feisty attitude and the energetic arrangement somehow make it work.

Not that everything on Electroluv aims for the funny bone. The mid-tempo “Wonderful Life” takes a bittersweet look at living alone, and “Turn It Up,” the only song written by Orwell, is more of a lush ballad. The various keyboards used on “Fake Friends” evoke a James Bond movie theme as Orwell sings, “Creatures like you make my skin crawl.” “Somebody Somewhere” may be the CD’s best track, an energetic blast of power pop at its best.