Slumgullion #10

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.

CD Review: Curtains For You - What A Lovely Surprise To Wake Up Here

Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer.

Seattle-based wiseguys Curtains For You take pride in describing their slightly off-kilter music as a mix of The Beatles, vaudeville, and The Muppet Show. The 10 tracks on their latest, sarcastically titled What A Lovely Surprise To Wake Up Here definitely evoke the bump and grind of vaudeville, but the ambitious vocal arrangements smack more of Queen or The Beach Boys. Eventually, Curtains For You pull the same vintage musical arrangement out of their straw hats one too many times, but there’s still a lot of fun along the way.

Lead vocalist-guitarist Matthew Gervais and piano player-vocalist Peter Fedofsky keep the irresistible melodies coming, and with guitarist-vocalist Mikey Gervais consistently chiming in, they create intricately layered harmonies. The Pet Sounds allure of “Dumb Angel” is spiked with lyrics like, “You are the dumbest angel that I’ve ever seen/They’re gonna clip your wings and then down you’ll go.” “Small Change,” with its aggressive horns and piano arrangement feels like a burlesque show, with a cryptic warning to old folks that their time is running out. The acoustic “Chain Link Fence” offers an interesting change of pace and Curtains For You prove they can play straight-up rock with the catchy “Road To Disaster.”

CD Review: The Remains - Self Titled Debut

I heard Little Steve mention The Remains on his Underground Garage show last week, during an interview with former J. Geils Band singer Peter Wolf. Having spent my entire life in the Chicago area, I had never heard of The Remains, who had been a sensation on the East Coast back in the mid-1960s. When The Remains’ debut finally came out on CD a while back, I discovered their music in the course of writing the following review for the Illinois Entertainer.

The Remains’ self-titled debut has been released on CD over 40 years after it came out on vinyl. Back then, the Boston-based band fumbled the golden opportunity of being named opening act on The Beatles’ last tour, and decided to breakup instead. The disc, released on the same label (Epic) as the vinyl version, includes the original 10 songs as well as bonus material.

Catchy pop tunes like “You Got A Hard Time Coming” and “Say You’re Sorry” suggest The Remains could have been contenders for worldwide acclaim, and may have inspired later American bands who were lucky enough to snag the vinyl version before it went out of print. “Diddy Wah Diddy” taps into Motown while “Don’t Look Back” is classic garage rock. The rarities offer more treasures, including the playful Fab Four homage. “When I Want To Know.” Given a second chance, The Remains could reach a whole new audience with their fun, vital sound.

Come Together

Photo of Carlos Hernandez Gomez from Fest For Beatles Fans Facebook page.

I can’t claim to have known Carlos Hernandez Gomez, but those who did paint quite an affectionate portrait of him. Gomez, a political reporter for WBEZ radio as well as for the local television station CLTV in Chicago, passed away from cancer at age 36 this past January. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Carol Marin called him, “streetwise and smart, punky yet sweet.”

He also made numerous friends among musicians in the city, and loved hanging out at Fest For Beatles Fans when it came to the Hyatt Regency in Rosemont each August. A post on the Facebook page for Fest For Beatles Fans notes that he was one of the people who sang “under the stairs.” This is an area in the hotel’s lobby where anyone at The Fest can join in on the communal spirit of singing Beatle songs. Terri Hemmert, the host of the weekly Breakfast With The Beatles show on WXRT, and a longtime emcee at The Fest, recalled Gomez as a friend, in a recent blog post on the station’s website.

On Thursday, April 8th, there will be a special Concert For Carlos, with a multi-media slide show, live bands, and an auction featuring donations from Pete Townshend, Brian Wilson, Ray Davies, and other well-known musicians. Performers will include The Gear; Eric Howell; The Beatle Brothers; Phil Angotti; and special guest Brad Elvis. The show starts at 7PM.

It will take place at Fitzgerald’s Night Club, at 6615 Roosevelt Road, in Berwyn. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. All proceeds go to Living Water International Haiti, a charity Gomez was actively involved with up until his death. There is also an online auction. For more information, see fitzgeraldsnightclub.com and www.water.cc/carlos

Everyone’s Heart Is Filled With The Gladness

“It’s my birthday card from Broken Hearted Toy!” Photo of Clarke from Hollies tour book.

Allan Clarke has an added reason to celebrate his birthday this year, having just been inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with The Hollies. Clarke served as the band’s lead vocalist from the very beginning until his retirement in 2000, although there were a few times in the 1970s when he went AWOL to pursue a solo career.

His distinctive voice can be heard on several Top 40 Hits, including “Look Through Any Window,” “I Can’t Let Go,” “Long Cool Woman,” “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” and “The Air The I Breathe.” He also composed several great songs, as part of the GRALTO songwriting team of Graham Nash, Allan Clarke, and Tony Hicks.

In addition to his tenure with The Hollies, Clarke also scored an FM radio hit by singing lead on “Breakdown” from The Alan Parsons Project’s I Robot album. He discovered Bruce Springsteen before many people had heard of The Boss, and performed Springsteen material on his solo releases.

Springsteen was in the audience when Clarke reunited with Nash for a performance at The RRHOF Ceremony. Happy Birthday, Allan. Thanks for all the great music, and congratulations on your well deserved award.

Slumgullion #9

Watch out for those Daleks, mister. Photo of Eccleston as Lennon from Blogtor Who blog.

Number 9 - - - number 9 - - - number 9. It’s Slumgullion Number Nine, and so it’s only fitting to open with a bit on John Lennon.

When I first read on Blogtor Who that Christopher Eccleston, the actor who did such a grand job of bringing Doctor Who back to life, will be portraying Beatle John in the new Lennon Naked film due to air on England’s BBC Four later this year, I just couldn’t picture it. David Tennant, Eccleston’s successor on Doctor Who would make a good young Lennon. But Eccleston? Blogtor Who and now several other Internet sites have clips from Naked Lennon, and Eccleston seems quite believable in the role. Wonder if we’ll get a chance to see the movie here in the states.

The critically acclaimed Mary-Arrchie Theatre in Chicago will celebrate its 25th Anniversary in 2011, and has just launched a fundraising campaign that will hopefully keep this cutting edge group around for at least another 25 years. Patrons are being asked to take on the role of angels via donations. $50 to $100 equals a Bronze Angel, while $1,000 or more equals a Guardian Angel. There are also Silver, Gold, and Platinum Angel options in between. Mary-Arrchie’s ultimate goal is to reach $60K, but it will settle for $25K to celebrate its 25th year. For more information on the fundraiser, as well as the upcoming performance of Kirk Lynn’s experimental play, Cherrywood, check out the Mary-Arrchie website.

Fans of 1960s English music should be pleased with the arrival of a new DVD series called British Invasion from Reelin’ In The Years Productions. The San Diego company has its own Facebook Fan page, where it announces, “The first four artists are: The Small Faces, Hermans’s Hermits, Gerry And The Pacemakers, and Dusty Springfield.” The documentaries include vintage footage, interviews, and “cool extras too.” They’re available on Amazon and can be purchased individually or as a boxed set. Hopefully, British Invasion will spotlight more U.K. acts in the near future.

The April 15th edition of Rolling Stone offers a backstage look at the recent 2010 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Ceremony, including that odd incident involving a mic during The Hollies’ performance. According to the magazine, Terry Sylvester, who had been with the band from 1969 to 1981, was miffed about not being invited to join Graham Nash and Allan Clarke in the rehearsals for the performance. Shortly after “Long Cool Woman” started, with Train’s Pat Monahan doing the lead vocals and Little Steven Van Zandt playing lead guitar, Sylvester ambled onstage and gestured for Monahan to give him the mic. Monahan complied, and Sylvester sang a few lines before Clarke took the mic away and gave it back to Monahan.

I’m going to wimp out and come down squarely in the middle of this, but first, here’s a tip of the hat to Monahan. He not only did a great job on the vocals, he was a good sport. I can kind of see the logic of concentrating on lifelong friends Nash and Clarke, who co-founded The Hollies, but I also think Sylvester should have been included. I met him at a Fest For Beatles Fans show in Chicago a few years back, and he’s an outgoing, friendly guy. I did a phone interview with Nash over a year ago, and also found him to be very down-to-earth. I’ve never spoken with Clarke, but I’m sure I’d find him affable, and he’s more than welcome to contact me.

Meanwhile, Sylvester must still be in The RRHOF s good graces, because he’s scheduled to perform with Gene Chandler, Sheila E., Mark Farner, and Tommy James and the Shondells at the organization’s It’s Only Rock and Roll Annual Benefit Concert in Cleveland on May 15th.

P.S.: Viewers may have noticed Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong, who had introduced The Stooges for their RRHOF induction, singing along with “Carrie Anne” as he sat in the audience. Rolling Stone reports that Armstrong later approached Nash at an afterparty at the Waldorf Hotel’s Bull and Bear Bar, and told him, “Thank you for songs that will last an eternity.”

CD Roundup

Don McFunnamy has an axe to grind. Photo from the artist’s pathetic MySpace page.

NOTE: THESE 'REVIEWS' ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN A SPECIAL APRIL FOOLS ISSUE OF THE ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER.

CD Review: Don McFunnamy - Looking For A Clue

While many rock artists boast of their sexual conquests, poor Don McFunnamy is still trying to make it to first base. He’s the only musician I've ever seen who doesn’t have a single friend on his MySpace page. His debut CD, Looking For A Clue, finds the Chicago-based singer-guitarist trying to find love on a series of rock songs and ballads. It’s a revealing work - - probably more revealing than McFunnamy intended.

The sunny melodies of “Still Waiting For Your Facebook Confirmation” and “Hey, This Isn’t Your Phone Number” can’t disguise the bitterness of a guy perpetually viewed as a geek. “Pretty Brunette Sketching Picasso At The Art Museum” and “Hot Blond Sitting In Front Of Me On The Bus” are just two of the recipients of McFunnamy’s unwanted attention. Still, he expresses disdain for family members and friends who try to fix him up, as evidenced by songs like “She May Be Your Cousin, But She’s Not My Type” and the abrasive, “Mom, Stop!”

CD Review: Apocalypse Meow - Uncovered And Unashamed

Riot grrrl band Apocalypse Meow offers an interesting twist on its latest CD, Uncovered And Unashamed, by covering some of the sappiest songs recorded by female artists in the rock era. Vocalist-guitarist Liette Strafe doesn’t change any of the lyrics, she just performs them with such vicious sarcasm that the original sentiment is decimated. When she belts out Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” she sounds more like she’s standing behind him, making lewd gestures.

Sheena Easton gets raked over the coals for her saccharin hit “Morning Train,” and Strafe seethes with anger as she sings, “How it makes me quiver, how it makes me smile” on The Bells’ “Stay Awhile.” Apocalypse Meow also scorches Little Peggy March’s “I Will Follow Him” but the CD’s most scathing attack comes on Shania Twain’s “For The Love Of Him.”