International Pop Overthrow - Day 2 Preview

Photo from Ralph Covert's website.

One sure way to kick off this action-packed Chicago weekend in style is to check out International Pop Overthrow tomorrow night (Friday, April 19th) at the Red Line Tap The second night of the festival’s 10-day stay features some tried-and-true veterans and a few new faces. The IPO website has links to all the performers, and is a great resource for discovering new music, even if you can’t make it to the fest.

Here’s Friday night’s lineup. All of these acts are currently from the Chicago area.

Matt Pingel: Originally from Idaho, the singer-songwriter recently put out his debut EP, Smaller Miracles.

Liam Davis & Steve Frisbie: These two musicians previously led the critically-acclaimed band, Frisbie. Davis is a singer-songwriter, as well as a Grammy-nominated producer and composer. He occasionally works with a neo-folk  band called The Contestants. Frisbie has an extensive power pop background, and works with the popular tribute band Tributosaurus. Davis and Frisbie are known for their harmony vocals.

The Velvet Cadillacs: This local quintet mixes punk and pop music. 

Too Much Saturn: A five-piece power pop band that specializes in tight harmonies.

Ralph Covert: As lead vocalist-guitarist for The Bad Examples, Covert excels at writing catchy pop songs, such as the FM radio staple, “Not Dead Yet.” His compositions on the band’s 2011 Smash Record showed a definite Squeeze influence, particularly on “Pictures Of A Masquerade.” Covert is also known for his highly popular Ralph’s World CDs for kids. At the IPO gig tomorrow night, he told me via email for an article I did for the Illinois Entertainer that he’ll be doing a mix of new material, some solo stuff, and possibly a Bad Examples song or two. He’ll be backed by musicians Michael Hartigan, Miguel Gonzalez, and Eli Bennett, from his monthly Acoustic Army shows at FitzGerald’s.

Gooey: Five guys who describe their power pop music as “meow meow rock!” Their live performances are a blend of originals and covers.

Frosting: Mark “Spiv” Grzelak is a touring musician and veteran of various groups. He formed Frosting so he could be the frontman, and the result has been two impressive CDs.

IPO Tomorrow!

Photo taken from The Outfit’s Facebook page.

International Pop Overthrow returns to Chicago tomorrow (Thursday, April 18th) with the first of the multi-band showcases it will be holding at the Red Line Tap through April 27th. It would be a good idea to check out the IPO website (which has links to all the acts involved) and plan ahead. Particularly since Record Store Day  is this Saturday, and CIMMFEST  is running from tomorrow through Sunday. It’s going to take a lot of effort to experience at least a bit all three of these events.

I wrote a preview of International Pop Overthrow - Chicago for the Illinois Entertainer, and it’s now up on their website. I’d like to extend a big THANK YOU to IPO Founder/CEO David Bash and the musicians who took the time to respond a series of email questions I sent them.

So, here’sThursday night’s lineup. All of these acts are from the Chicago area.

Waiflike: A trio that mixes dark humor with hard-edged but melodic rock and roll.

Keith Betti: A singer-songwriter who performs blues, folk, and Americana music.

The Outfit: This quartet is fronted by a female vocalist & keyboards player, and occasionally uses a guest violinist. They’ve been around a year, and this is their first IPO-Chicago. The Outfit is currently working on an EP.

The PowWows: Coed quintet mixes alt and folk rock, and has played IPO-Chicago in the past. 

Telstar: This duo has also been at IPO-Chicago before. Plays melodic alt rock with commercial potential.

Go Time: IPO-Chicago veterans have made a name for themselves a couple of CDs filled with hard-edged power pop. Their live shows are also impressive.

IPO-Chicago/CIMMFEST/Kaleidoscope (UK)

My preview of International Pop Overthrow-Chicago is now up on the Illinois Entertainer website.  IPO-Chicago runs from April 18th through April 27th at the Red Line Tap.

CIMMFEST (Chicago International Movies And Music) is back for its fifth year, spreading an exotic feast of films, live performances, and panel discussions at venues around town from Thursday, April 18th through the Sunday, April 21st. Most of the action takes place along Milwaukee Avenue, but Loyola University’s Crown Center Auditorium and The Hideout are also in the mix. The fest is joining forces with ABKCO, Eagle Rock Entertainment, and WXRT to present CIMMPATHY For The STONES, a three-day Rolling Stones Film Retrospective at The Music Box Theatre on Southport. A full schedule can be found at the CIMMFEST website. 

Kaleidoscope, an English band that started out around the same time as The Rolling Stones, and followed a similar path from blues-oriented material to psychedelic explorations, are paying a much belated visit to America. Original member Peter Daltry (no relation to The Who’s Roger Daltry) has upcoming gigs in California, Nevada, and Texas, under the name Kaleidoscope (UK). He’ll be backed by indie rock musicians Rob Campanella of Brian Jonestown Massacre, Christof Certik of Winter Flowers, Nick Castro or Young Elders, and Cheryl Lynn Caddick of Silver Phial.

Slumgullion

Singer-guitarist Phil Angotti has a release show tomorrow night for his new CD, Life And Rhymes, at Crow Bar on 106th Street in Chicago. Following a set of his new stuff, Angotti will perform a set of  cover versions. Mario Zavala is the opening act.

Record collectors in Chicago will have back-to-back weekends to pursue their passion. 

CHIRP Record Fair And Other Delights takes place tomorrow from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM just west of downtown, at the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union. Presented by CHIRP Radio, the event is billed as The Biggest Vinyl Fair In The Midwest. In addition to vendors like Immune records, Minty Fresh, Record Breakers, Second Hand Tunes, and Vinyl Relics, there will be art, posters, and books. Curbside Splendor, a local publisher of literary fiction and art, will also be on hand. There will be food for sale from the Irazu and Handlebar restaurants; beer from Goose Island; and coffee from Dark Matter.  The Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union is located at 1340 W. Washington Blvd. Admission is $7, $5, with a coupon that can be printed out from the CHIRP website.

Record Store Day will be honored around the globe next Saturday, and several Chicago retail outlets will be taking part. A treasure chest of limited edition vinyl releases are likely to be snapped up in a hurry, so true fans will have to get up at the crack of dawn or risk losing out. A full list of records can be found on the official website, but it’s also a good idea to check local record stores in advance because some of them will be having live in-store specials and performances. I’m hoping to post more detailed information on Record Store Day sometime next week.

Online EP Review: Susanna Hoffs - From Me To You

Susanna Hoffs’ career-spanning fascination with 1960s pop just keeps getting stronger. The Bangles singer-guitarist and Matthew Sweet performed classics by bands like The Beatles, The Mamas And The Papas, and Love and on the first volume of their Under The Covers series. Hoffs drew inspiration from Burt Bacharach’s easy-going hit singles for her own compositions on the 2013 CD, Someday.

It’s back to the ‘60s for the digital EP, From Me To You, and once again Hoffs is keeping things on the lighter side. The Beatles’ “All I’ve Got To Do” was one of the well-chosen covers she performed on tour last year, and this recording of it, like the other two tracks on From Me To You, evokes the ambience of a small club. Her take on The Jaynetts’ “Sally Go ‘Round The Roses” grooves to Latin percussion and layered vocals, while The Zombies’ optimistic “This Will Be Our Year” has a marching beat and melodic guitar. 

Releasing online versions of her favorite 60s songs seems well-suited to Hoffs, and it would be fun to hear her cut loose on some more energetic fare, the way she and The Bangles rocked “Open My Eyes” by The Nazz on Sweetheart Of The Sun. And I’d love to hear the version of The Hollies’ “King Midas In Reverse” Hoffs reportedly performed on her last tour.

CD Review: The Hollies - Dear Eloise/King Midas In Reverse

Note: This review is based on the Sundazed CD edition, which includes bonus tracks that were not on the original U.S. version of Dear Eloise/King Midas In Reverse. Additionally, the British version of this album, which was titled Butterfly, had different tracks. Apologies for any confusion that might ensue.

The finale of a trio of pop masterpieces released by The Hollies from 1966 through 1967, Dear Eloise/King Midas In Reverse found the band in a particularly adventurous mood. There’s a running theme about escaping the frantic pace of everyday life to find peace and enlightenment, or to just have a giggle at all the “small-minded men with their small-minded wives.” Once again, there were some fully orchestrated tracks, this time arranged and directed by Johnny Scott, but there were also some straight-up pop songs.

“Dear Eloise” bridged the gap between The Hollies’ new experimental approach and the tried and true, by incorporating more complex lyrics and electronically altered vocals within a catchy pop arrangement. Graham Nash’s “King Midas In Reverse” wandered further afield, with a slightly disturbing sentiment (“I’ll break you and destroy you” ) and ambitious instrumentation. Its disappointing performance on the charts (particularly in America) would cause friction between Nash and his band mates. Interestingly, the current lineup of The Hollies still performs it in concert. Some of the other orchestrated tracks, such as “Away Away Away,” “Wishyouawish,” and “Pegasus,” were much more lighthearted.

Allan Clarke’s massive and brooding “Would You Believe” was a monument to unrequited love, and he would later scale it down on his solo release, Headroom. Nash’s picturesque “Butterfly,” which was the title track on the UK version, serves as The Hollies’ most delicate love song, outside of the rarity, “Wings.” The exotic “Maker, ” with its sitar and tablas, and the psychedelic “Elevated Observations” both preach reaching a higher consciousness. 

Within this context, the old-fashioned wisdom of “Do The Best You Can” seems kind of simple, although once again Tony Hicks’ banjo playing is entertaining. “Leave Me,” as previously mentioned in my review of the UK version of Evolution, found The Hollies successfully exploring garage rock, while “Step Inside” is an infectious invitation to a woman to drop by for tea and crumpets. And other things. The breezy “Post Card” sports some of Nash’s quickest rhymes as well as a fascination with exotic locales that would surface later on “Marrakesh Express” (originally intended for The  Hollies) and “Lady Of The Island” from Crosby Stills and Nash’s debut album. 

CD Review: Mordecai Smyth - Dial M For Mordecai

English musician and honorary Palatine, IL resident (my doing, actually), Mordecai Smyth, has once again emerged from his laboratory with a fun mixture up of original British Invasion rock and spooky imagery. A fascination with Alfred Hitchcock that manifested itself in “Mr. Hitchcock” on his debut, Sticky Tape And Rust, is evident once again on this new EP’s title and cover art. But there are no witches or killers on Dial M For Mordecai; just the odd sensation of losing oneself in an abyss.

    

On “Trapped,” a mid-tempo song built with guitars and keyboards, a bout of nasty weather turns into something more sinister. The peppier “Psychedelic Sarah” has a more pleasant vibe, but still conjures a mind-altering experience. The remaining three tracks offer more down-to-earth tales, such as “Dream On,” which depicts a lonely woman whose only escape from her dreadfully dull existence is to lose herself in daydreams. “In her life there is no change,” Smyth sings. “There’s nothing to enjoy.”

The opening guitar on “Dark Haired Douglas” evokes a mid-1960s Beatles hit before the song switches to a Kinks-like satire. The title character fancies himself an irresistible ladies man but meets his match when he’s snubbed by a gorgeous woman in a trendy rock club. A Beatles/Kinks mash-up occurs again when Smyth covers the Ray Davies-penned “See My Friends.” This new version has a more overtly psychedelic arrangement that drifts naturally into “Norwegian Wood.” 

That it works so well is further testament to Mordecai Smyth’s knowledge and affection for classic 1960s pop.