Vintage Publication Spotlight: The Austin Chronicle

Any time I visit another city, one of my first goals to find the local free paper. Since I’ve never been to Austin, Texas, I must have persuaded someone else to get me this September, 1986 issue of The Austin Chronicle while they were on vacation. Published by Nick Barbaro, with Sylvia Martindale as Associate Publisher, it was done in a similar format to the Chicago Reader. Louis Black served as Editor; Jim Shahin as Political Editor; and Jeff Whittington as Assistant Editor. 

Artist Keith Graves did the clever art for a cover story on independent labels that featured profiles of small record companies like Jungle; Rabid Cat; Glitch; and Wrestler. There were also some helpful tips on how to start an independent label. Shahin did an extensive piece on race relations in the city. A letter to the Editor from reader Beverly Howard scolded the paper for having “some major technical errors” in a previous article about how to hook up a VCR.

Kent Benjamin reviewed The Monkees’ film Head;  Martin Scorsese’s After Hours; and the 1963 flick Lord Of The Flies in his At Home With Video column. Michael Corcoran covered the entertainment beat in his column, Don’t You Get Me Talking; and there were record reviews of  Big Guitars From Texas II and Doctor John. New releases covered in the film section included Aliens; The Fly;  Extremities; and Ruthless People. Nicole Hollander’s Sylvia and Matt Groening’s Life In Hell comics were also featured in this issue. 

The graphics throughout The Austin Chronicle were impressive, in ads as well as editorial. The Record Exchange store’s artistic calendar noted the birthdays of various rock stars; there was a half page ad for The Smithereens’ Especially For You album; and an ad for the Austin Record Convention at the Palmer Municipal Auditorium claimed it was The Largest Record Sale in The Known Universe.  Long live vinyl.

Jack Mack & The Last Stand/Jet W. Lee/Rob Reid

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

Jake Mack & The Last Stand’s debut release, The Heavy Chevy EP, gives its charismatic frontman plenty of room to showcase his guitar playing. He also impresses as a vocalist; ranging from the blues rock bravado of “Crooked Smile” to a sensual, Prince-like delivery on the funky “Always In My Head.” The title track offers hard rock fun, and “Nobody Understands” has an extended coda reminiscent of Robin Trower’s “Too Rolling Stoned.” 

Singer-guitarist Jesse W. Johnson’s brash and talkative vocal style sounds a bit forced during the few slow tracks on Jet W. Lee’s latest release, Western Nightmare. Fortunately, everything else is highly energetic, which is where Johnson is at his best. “The King’s Nightmare” would fit in well on a Cracker album, while “Hate To Hold Hands” has an appealing Americana arrangement. Other tracks, like “World Of Blur” and “Gas On The Grave,” are brief, but make a strong impression.  

There’s a clever juxtaposition in the title of Rob Reid’s Prairie Shanties Of The Landlocked Mariner, but many of his songs do have the feel of traditional folk music. “Some Birds” uses the winged creatures as a metaphor for humans, with lines like, “Some birds never seem to mind life inside a cage.” Julie Jurgens and Steve Dawson join Reid on harmonies for a few tracks, including “Me And Johnny Mac,” which evokes Paul Simon with its infectious rhythms.

EP Review: The Unswept - Surf Song EP

Cousins Charlie and Ryan O’Brien, the founding (and until recently the only) members of The Unswept, must have packed some authentic original British Invasion mementos in their luggage when they moved from Sheffield, England to Chicago a while back. The four short tracks on their Surf Song EP please with jangling guitars, clever lyrics, and catchy melodies. The O’Briens have since brought new members into the fold, but it’s unclear as to whether they were part of this release. A new effort from The Unswept is due out later this summer.

The fun “Surf Song 89”  finds these Brits longing to be surfers ala The Beach Boys, and falling for a California type girl. “She’s So Cool,” which gives a shout-out to the O’Briens’ new Chicago ’hood, Logan Square, sports a more energetic arrangement as a guy praises his impressively hip girlfriend. “You’re Going Home”offers more relationship observations set to chiming guitars, while on the guitar-driven “Get Away,” The Unswept recapture the psychedelic era of late 1960s San Francisco.

Judging from their live performance with the full band at International Pop Overthrow - Chicago a few weeks back, it looks like the O’Briens’ decision to add new members will fortify The Unswept’s engaging approach.

Vinyl Review: Soft Hearted Scientists - Whatever Happened To The Soft Hearted Scientists

Trying to get a handle on the sprawling two-LP/1EP compilation, Whatever Happened To The Soft Hearted Scientists can be a daunting task. Available from the vinyl-only UK label Fruits de Mer, it  pulls from seven years worth of Soft Hearted Scientists material. The eccentric British band not only zips through genres like a spaceship crossing galaxies, it succeeds in exploring a variety of emotions.

Two new tracks, “Whatever Happened To You” and “Whatever Happened To You/The Sleepers In The Hill,” serve as wistful bookends on the LPs; striving to find meaning over several years of living. The darker “Halloween People” and “Night Of The Hunter” give a glimpse of the brand new False Light release, while older songs like “The Strangest Scene” and “The Garden Song” can also elicit chills. “Eyes” and “Comet’s Tail” are more conventional pop songs, with clever lyrics and irresistible melodies.

Soft Hearted Scientists craft a gallows humor drinking song with “Daisies,” which cheerfully observes, “They’ll be carbon dating our bones some day/I’d like to think we found some joy along this strange, strange way,” and sets poet Edward Lear’s silly The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo to a gorgeous acoustic arrangement. Throughout Whatever Happened To The Soft Hearted Scientists, there are blasts of Pink Floyd inspired prog rock and hypnotic vocals that border on transcendental chants. This ambitious set closes appropriately with the majestic instrumental, “Light Years To Nothing.” 

Slumgullion

First, I’d like to note that today would have been my mother’s 87th birthday. She encouraged me to write from the time I was a kid, but she always called rock music “raucous din.” So who knows what she would have thought of this blog.

They’re in New York but I’m not. Steve Barton and Robert Darlington from the 1980s alt rock band Translator, are a last-minute addition to International Pop Overthrow - New York, according to a Facebook post from IPO CEO David Bash. They’ll be doing a set of Translator songs, which will likely include the FM radio hit, “Everywhere That I’m Not.”  The IPO showcases in New York are being held at The National Underground.

Back in the suburban Chicago area, power pop masters Shoes will be performing along with another legendary power pop band, the Jeff Lescher-led Green at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn tomorrow night. The show can be streamed lived gigity.tv. Shoes have quite rightly been going a lot of publicity following the release of Ignition, their first album in 18 years. Shoes are also booked for gigs at Shank Hall in Milwaukee, WI on July 26th and show at SPACE in Evanston on July 27th. Plus, they’ll be playing a show on my gazebo for my birthday on July 25th. Just kidding about that last one.

Anyone who was disappointed that the hard-edged power pop band Van Go didn’t perform at International Pop Overthrow this year, can make up for it by seeing the band, along with Velvet Cadillacs (who were at IPO -Chicago) at the Quatro de Mayo Rock ‘n’ Roll Party tomorrow night at Phyllis’ Musical Inn. Show time is 9:00 PM.

Fresh from sharing the bill with renowned punk scribe Legs McNeil, The Handcuffs have a date with with Gene Loves Jezebel and Bow Wow Wow at Reggie’s on June 27th.  The Handcuffs will also headline a quadruple bill at Beat Kitchen  on June 14th, along with Phil Angotti, The Safes, and The Differents. It’s a record release show for The Differents.

The Monkees are going back out on tour for 24 dates through July and August.

The JAC, also known as Australian power pop musician Joe Algeri, will be coming to America in late July and early August. The trip will include a stop in Chicago where Algeri will hook up with his fellow band member of international power pop trio The Britannicas, Herb Eimerman. Modern technology has enabled the two (along with Swede Magnus Karlsson) to record music together, but Algeri and Eimerman haven’t actually seen each other in 14 years.

Cheap Trick will be performing its Live At Budokan LP and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's at Ravinia on August 31st. Other noteworthy concerts at Ravinia this year include Heart on July 29th; The Go-Go’s and The B-52’s on June 30th; The BoDeans on June 20th; and David Byrne and St. Vincent on July 6th.

CD Review: Johnny Marr - The Messenger

Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer. 

Johnny Marr has kept a busy schedule since The Smiths broke up over 25 years ago, but amazingly, The Messenger is his first full-fledged solo release. It's immediately evident that collaborating with artists like Modest Mouse and The Cribs on their efforts hasn't sapped his creative energy, as these 12 songs brim with strong melodies and Marr's signature guitar playing. As with Boomslang, the 2003 album from Johnny Marr & The Healers, The Messenger gives him an opportunity to handle lead vocals.

Marr’s expressive voice is well suited to the material, which captures the allure of 1980’s cutting-edge bands without getting submerged in that era. There’s a running theme of fighting an oppressive society while simultaneously ridiculing it, especially on the energetic “Sun And Moon” and Beatlesque “Lockdown.” The title track is more atmospheric and soulful, while the exuberant first single, “The Right Thing Right,” with an arrangement reminiscent of The Who, should draw a lot of attention to Marr’s worthy solo venture.

Of Hillbillies And Harmonies

From left: Jeff Janulis, Edan Everly, Mike Cohen. Photo from the Everly Hillbillies Facebook page.

Note: A shorter version of this article ran in the April issue of the Illinois Entertainer. 

Local revivalists, The Everly Hillbillies, will be joining forces with the son of one of their heroes when they headline Rockabilly Rocks with Edan Everly on this Friday, May 3rd at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. Everly, whose father Don and uncle Phil comprised one of the most influential duos in rock history, has made a name for himself as a musician and producer. He shares the same management as Everly Hillbillies founders Mike Cohen and Jeff Janulis, and felt a connection when they inevitably crossed paths.

“It’s always a blast playing with Mike and Jeff,” Everly explained via email. “The first time we played together was in the lobby of a Ramada Inn in Kentucky, until 3AM.”

“We played a bunch of songs together,” Janulis recalled. “We found out we had a nice blend of our three voices.”

For Rockabilly Rocks, Everly will be performing with The  Everly Hillbillies, which also includes drummer Tim Feil, bassist Mike Nathan, and guitarist Matt Szejda.

“Matt is a standout guitar player as well, as is Edan.” Janulis noted. “Sparks come off the two of them when they are playing dueling guitars together.”

“Our management had been looking for a venue to get the Hillbillies and Edan together,” Cohen said of the concert. “Arcada has been wanting to set up a rockabilly night, so it worked out perfectly. We’ll be covering the very best of the Everly Brothers, plus some surprises. It's an honor to play with Edan. Besides being an excellent singer and guitarist, he's a wonderful guy!”

There has also been some talk of Edan Everly producing a CD by The Everly Hillbillies, although at this point, it’s still in the planning stages.

“We’ve run some song ideas past Edan and started to get a feel for what material would best fit together for the collaboration,” Janulis explained. “Since Edan is based in Atlanta and tours a bunch, we also have to find times when everyone is available.”

Cohen and Janulis also anchor The Abbeys, a power pop band that has been around for over two decades. The two were introduced by Graham Elvis of the Chicago power pop band The Elvis Brothers, after Cohen had asked if Graham Elvis knew of any musicians who could sing harmony. As Cohen and Janulis learned to harmonize together, they used The Everly Brothers as a model.

“We’re blessed with a very similar timbre to our voices, and we had ‘the blend,’” Cohen explained. “Jeff and I continued through the years with our Abbeys band...occasionally peppering our sets with Everlys-related material.”

Janulis concurs that he and Cohen are grateful for the opportunity to meet and get together with Edan.

“We all have great respect and love for his father and uncle and their music, so it is an honor to play and sing these songs.”

Tickets for Rockabilly Rocks, which will also feature Cadillac Casanovas and Old Town Underdogs, are available at the Arcada Theatre Box Office as well as online.