CD Review: Sam Phillips - Cruel Inventions

Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer in 1991.

On her second CD, Cruel Inventions, Sam Phillips offers more of the introspective lyrics and clever wordplay that made her debut, The Indescribable Wow, so enjoyable. Plus, this time out she seems more confident, while gliding through a collection of highly polished arrangements. Although Phillips seems more comfortable recording ballads, (judging from the number of them on her first two releases,) it’s the energetic material that really stands out.

“Now I Can’t Find The Door” gallops along to an irresistible beat, and “Standing Still” has the immediately impact of a hit single, much in the same way “Holding On To The Earth” did on her debut. For “Lying,” Phillips employs a gravelly voice while running through a list of false statements like, “If I said the way he looks at me doesn’t make me want to undress.” She augments her slower tracks with intriguing arrangements, particularly on the haunting “Tripping Over Gravity” or the gorgeous “Where The Colors Don’t Go.”

Demo-Listen Derby

Note: These reviews originally appeared in the Around Hears section of the Illinois Entertainer.

Year X, the latest release from JIP, has the feel of a band performing in a club. Occasionally, singer-guitarist Jim Gwynn’s material can be nondescript, as on “Hard To Change,” but along with bassist-vocalist Spencer Watson and drummer Brent Fatig, he impresses on energetic tracks like “Not Alone,” as well as the more intricate “Night And Day.” Grammy-nominated Tracy Bonham is a guest lead vocalist on “This Song Will Last Forever,” which she co-wrote with Gwynn.

Singer-songwriter Dan Krikorian glides through the easy-going Americana music of his third release, Windsor Blue, with help from a bevy of studio musicians. “Wait” sets the mood with a toe-tapping Country & Western arrangement, and Krikorian exudes a folksy charm on “Thief Like That” and the title track. “Quincy” is an elegant love song, while “New York City Day” sports a full-bodied production complete with horns and back up singers.

As its name suggests, Top Shelf Lickers is a color-outside-the-lines sort of band. These guys take a stab at numerous genres on their debut, Head First, like shifting tempos and points of view on the coed indie rocker, “Fall For You,” and mixing the 1950’s with reggae on “No One Knows.” Sometimes the results are sloppy, but it’s hard to resist the DIY fun of the harmonica-driven garage rock of “Off My Mind” and the revved up punk of “Mr. McShakes.” 

CD Review: Archie Powell & The Exports - Great Ideas In Action

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Archie Powell & The Exports perform at SausageFest yesterday, but here’s a review I did earlier for the Illinois Entertainer of their latest CD.

The sarcastically titled Great Ideas In Action continues singer-guitarist Archie Powell’s obsession with setting funny tales of blue collar angst to irresistible power pop arrangements that sound like a blend of Fountains Of Wayne and The dB’s. But even those who were impressed with his band’s 2010 full-length debut, Skip Work, will be bowled over by the brilliantly bitter lyrics and sheer energy of this next effort. Powell provides a high-speed tour of a world where a college degree guarantees nothing, petty criminals bicker like Celebrity Apprentice participants, and musicians question the value of touring or recording.

“Job Fair” depicts a guy willing to try any occupation available just keep his head above water, using quick rhymes like, “I’m considering my options for a new career/I’m either gonna be a florist or an auctioneer.” Powell spikes “Metronome” with observations like, “I gotta say life is a bitch for me and all the folks you know” and “You roll with the hits ‘til you’re in the nursing home.” Throughout these dark but engaging tracks, keyboards player Ryan Export keeps pace with Powell’s careening guitar while Adam Export and RJ Export provide a driving beat. Powell may sing, “I just hope we can hack it with the next LP/And look stupid to a lesser degree” on “Only So Much You Can Do,” he actually comes across as pretty clever on Great Ideas In Action.

Slumgullion

Photo from Archie Powell & The Exports Facebook page.

Here’s hoping Chicago’s weather improves quickly, because some outdoor festivals, like Maifest  in Lincoln Square, and the 57th Street Art Fair  in Hyde Park, are already being held this weekend. The bitterly funny power pop band Archie Powell & The Exports, whose recent CD, Great Ideas In Action, looks to be one of the year’s best, will be performing at SausageFest this Sunday afternoon at 3:15 PM. Other acts scheduled for the SausageFest, which is located at Sheffield and Addison, include Company Of Thieves, Treaty Of Paris, and Lovehammers.

The Fest For Beatles Fans has announced the lineup of guests for when it comes to Chicago on the weekend of August 10th - 12th. Musicians Spencer Davis and Tom Scott will be on hand, along with Mark Hudson, the comedian/musician who produced some of Ringo Starr’s CDs, and former Beatles Fan Club Secretary, Freda Kelly, who will the subject of an upcoming documentary called Good Ol’ Freda. I’ll be interested in finding out how that’s going since I helped fund it on Kickstarter. The highly-talented Beatles tribute band, Liverpool, will be performing again this year, and Chicago’s own Beatlemaniac, WXRT DJ Terri Hemmert will be serving as MC for about her 35th time. British writer-producer Martin Lewis will also be back again this year, and like Hemmert, he’s a gifted interviewer.

Most people think of The Beatles when it comes to Liverpool, but Shindig Magazine and the online publication, The Quietus are looking to make the city the world capital of psychedelic music at least for one day. The Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia will be held on September 29th at the Camp & Furnace venue. So far, Time & Space Machine, Dead Skeletons, The Lucid Dream, and The Shook-Ups are scheduled to blow people’s minds.

Author! Author! Members from my writers group are keeping busy these days. Artist Terri Murphy will be celebrating the release of her new picture, book, One Day I Went Rambling at the Prospect Heights Library tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 PM. Those interested in being part of the festivities can call the library at 847-259-3500 or check it out online. 

Cherie Colyer, whose paranormal novel, Embrace was published by Omnific earlier this year, will be one of the six authors in a discussion panel led by Esther Hershenhorn at the Printers Row Lit Fest next Saturday at 1:00 PM. The panel is titled Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Writing for Children Today!

Marian Manseau has been busy promoting Merely Dee, her novel based on the Eastland Disaster, including a recent appearance on WGN News.

A hearty welcome to my new Palatine neighbor, Rock N Roll A La Mode, which opened today just down the street. It’s a retro ice cream parlour/burger joint with a classic rock theme that includes a pair of guitars on the walls and a big screen TV showing bands like Bon Jovi. Owner Tyler Holcomb is currently the bassist-vocalist with the Hi-Infidelity cover band, and has also played with Hairbangers Ball and ARRA.

Holcomb’s holding off on Rock N Roll A La Mode’s official grand opening, but when it comes, there could be an acoustic performance by his band. There’s a small stage at the front of the venue, with a mural of a large audience on the nearby wall. In addition to acoustic sets, Holcomb envisions karaoke for kids 15 and under. The place is still a work in progress; more guitars could be added, and Holcomb wants to have another mural, done on one of the walls leading to the restrooms. “I just wanted to give it a rock and roll flair,” Holcomb said of his new business venture.

Congratulations to singer-songwriter/author Dean Milano, who was featured in this week’s edition of the Secret History Of Chicago Music in The Chicago Reader. Milano was also a guest on Nick  

Digilio’s WGN Radio show, discussing his book, Chicago Music Scene: 1960s & 1970s.

Indie rock band Whitewolfsonicprincess liked doing its CD release party for 10 + 1 at the Red Line Tap so much, they’re returning for another gig, on June 8th. 

I was saddened to learn about the passing of Mr. Imagination, an innovative artist whose work can be found at The Smithsonian, as well as at the Chicago location for The House Of Blues. Back in 1989, when I first started working with the Famous In The Future comedy group, we used to rehearse in Lake Sirmon’s apartment, which was just above Mr. Imagination’s studio in a building on Clark Street, near Wrigley Field. I met him on a few occasions, and he once gave me a pin of a small ceramic shirt and tie. I still have it.

CD Review: The Melismatics - Mania!

Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer.

Minneapolis-based The Melismatics aren’t the first band to wholeheartedly embrace the 1980s, but they might be the one to bring new wave back to the top of the charts. Initially, the commercial sheen on their latest effort, Mania!, is off-putting, but the music’s charms grow stronger and more diverse with each listen. Guitarist-keyboards player Ryan Smith and guitarist- keyboards player Pony (AKA Kathie Hixon-Smith) trade off on lead vocals, amidst an energetic swirl of guitars and synthesizers. Jon Auer of The Posies produced over half of the tracks (veteran indie producer Ed Ackerson did the others) and sings back-up on six songs.

Chief songwriter Ryan Smith explores the untrustworthy nature of relationships on “Divided Devotions,” one of the CD’s potential hit singles, and the bitter “Out Of Yer Mind,” co-written with Dan Wilson, has the lines, “Which side are you on?/I don’t think you even know.” Hixon-Smith’s vocals on the irresistible “Your Love Is A Poison” recall the sexy fun of Missing Persons. The Melismatics nail social satire on “Theez Daze” with lines like, “It’s a long way to the bottom, but we’re getting closer,” and aim for the club scene with the monster synth beats on the bonus track, “Divided Devotions (DRA Remix).”

I Can Sing For Miles

Over the past few months, I’ve become more and more involved with Jokes4Miles, a campaign started by veteran stand-up comedian Len Austrevich to help his 19 year-old son cope with brain cancer therapy. Len wants to get 5,000 people to videotape themselves telling a joke to Miles and upload it to the J4M site. Miles get a huge boost from watching the videos.

And people don’t have to tell jokes; they could just offer a few words of support, or even sing. One of Miles’s favorite messages came from a young rapper who created an original tribute to him. I’ve been on a mission to get musicians to join in the Jokes4Miles fun by uploading musical messages.

I came up with a parody of the hit single, “I Can See For Miles” by The Who, called “Telling Jokes4Miles.” The words might seem a little basic at first glance, but if you Google the original lyrics, you’ll see that I tried to come as close to Pete Townshend’s rhythms as I could.

I’d sing it myself, but a person very close to me once said, “You have no idea how annoying it is to hear someone sing as badly as you do.” Back in 2002, when I was still with the Famous In The Future comedy group, we performed a musical parody I wrote about Arthur Andersen’s Enron crisis, called Damn Andersen. I designated most of the lead singing to Guy Schingoethe, (who currently performs with New Millennium Theatre) and only came in on a few of the choruses. Still, one critic noted, “Terry Flamm has written a funny play, but he does it a disservice by performing in it.” So you can see why I would be emotionally scarred by these incidents.

That’s why I’m throwing “Telling Jokes4Miles” out to musicians around the world, hoping someone will use it to send him a message. You could sing the entire song, the chorus only, or even just a few lines. But I’m hoping someone will take me up on this, so I won’t have to sing it myself. No one wants to hear that.

Here are the words to the parody:

“Telling Jokes4Miles”

We know that disease can come into our lives

But with help from our friends we stay strong and we strive

Telling Jokes4Miless, for Miles, for Miles, for Miles for Miles

Oh yeah

It’s tough to think of all the pain and stress that therapy can bring each day

We never see you looking down or giving up ‘cause you’re not made that way

Well, here’s a joke for you

Perhaps a chuckle or two

We love to see you smile

Because it’s worthwhile 

Telling Jokes4Miles, for Miles, for Miles,

Telling Jokes4Miles, for Miles, for Miles,

Telling Jokes4Miles, for Miles, for Miles, for Miles for Miles

Oh yeah

Just look how many clips are coming in from near and so far away  

Celebrities and folks around the globe who took some extra time to say

Kind words of sympathy

Spiked with hilarity

You gotta like their style

They know it’s worthwhile

Telling Jokes4Miles, for Miles, for Miles,

Telling Jokes4Miles, for Miles, for Miles,

Telling Jokes4Miles, for Miles, for Miles, for Miles for Miles

For Miles for Miles for Miles for Miles

We know that disease can come into our lives

But with help from our friends we stay strong and we strive

Telling Jokes4Miles, for Miles, for Miles, for Miles for Miles

Oh yeah

Embrace the power as you watch them all and hear the funny things they say

And even though they don’t know who you are, you still inspire them anyway

5,000 jokes for you

And they keep coming on through

We’ll make a big stockpile

Because it’s worthwhile

Telling Jokes4Miles, for Miles, for Miles

For Miles, for Miles, for Miles.

Oh, yeah.

CD Review: Doug Hoekstra - Around The Margins

Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer in 2001.

On his fourth release, Around The Margins, Doug Hoekstra delivers observations on small town life, train rides, and personal relationships. He’s an engaging storyteller whose descriptive lyrics have an almost photographic quality. Throughout the CD, Hoekstra’s talkative singing style and acoustic arrangements are embellished by a talented cast of musicians and harmony vocalists.

“Laminate Man” is overly cute, and “Black And White Memories” lacks a strong enough melody, but otherwise, Hoekstra is consistently on the mark. “For The Woman” depicts a man whose only escape from a dull existence comes in the form of the passion he feels for his artist girlfriend, while on “Stranger’s Eyes,” Hoekstra sets rural images to a fun, rocking arrangement. “That’s Where He Was Living” spins a somber tale of murder and redemption, while “Undone” offers a wistful look at a man determined to escape his farm roots, only to find those qualities reborn in his young son. Both songs are classic examples of Hoekstra’s ability to infuse folksy portraits with touching emotions.