Slumgullion

Graphic from The Handcuffs’ Facebook page.

Artist Joe Smiglielski will be on hand when his new solo show Beat Simmer Stir opens today at the Curly Tale Fine Art Gallery at 16 West Erie Street, just north of downtown.

The Luckeys, a Joliet, IL power trio with years of performing experience with acts like Steppenwolf, Montrose, Gentle Giant, and The Griff Band, will be cranking out rock, blues, and funk songs at Mac’s On Slade in Palatine tomorrow night. EXPO ‘76, the witty and eclectic cover band, makes a triumphant return to Mac’s on Saturday, August 16th.

Belinda Carlisle will take time out from performing with The Go-Go’s to headline this Saturday night at the 33rd Annual Northalsted Market Days. Girl Group, Girl In A Coma, and The Locals are also scheduled for Saturday. Sunday’s lineup includes ABBA Salute, The Handcuffs, Catfight, and the tribute band Lez Zeppelin. 

Breakfast With The Beatles on WXRT in Chicago will revert back to its 8:00 to 10:00 AM format this Sunday, now that host Terri Hemmert has sufficiently recovered from her recent knee surgery. Hemmert, who has also returned to her regular daytime shift, had been doing a one-hour BWTB for about six weeks. She has likewise been given the green light from her doctor to serve as Master of Ceremonies at Fest For Beatles Fans - Chicago on the weekend of August 15th-17th.

Not another complaint about not being able to see Karen Gillan’s romcom. Not Another Happy Ending, the British flick starring Karen Gillan of Doctor Who fame, is available on Video On Demand in America as of today, and will be released on DVD here next January. Fans can also see Gillan in the current blockbuster film Guardians Of The Galaxy, and in the upcoming ABC sitcom Selfie. Gillan; Matt Smith, who played the 11th Doctor; and John Barrowman, who played Captain Jack, are among the guests at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con, coming up on the weekend of August 21st through 24th. 

The hard-edged power pop band Van Go will be at Phyllis’ Musical Inn on Division next Friday night, August 15th.

Fruits de Mer, the UK vinyl-only label that leans toward psychedelic and prog rock, will release its 7 and 7 is box set of seven 45s on September 22nd. It won’t be the first time Fruits de Mer has tapped current artists to offer their interpretations of songs by 1960s bands. The splendid ReEvolution featured various artists reinventing The Hollies throughout an LP and bonus 45 single. 7 and 7 is includes The Higher States covering 13th Floor Elevators; The Chemistry Set doing Love; and King Penguin playing The Byrds. It’s available from the Fruits de Mer website. I should be posting a review in the near future.

Check out all those stickers on his suitcase. Globe-trotting singer-songwriter Brett Newski is currently on a tour that takes him from Marion, IL to Cape Town in South Africa. When I reviewed Newski’s most recent CD American Folk Armageddon, I praised his sharply drawn lyrics and hard-edged folk approach of songs like “Dirt” and “I Want My Best Friend Back.”

To paraphrase Chrissie Hynde, some of us are looking at Big Star. The Second Disc website recently reported that Big Star’s #1 Record and Radio City will be available individually on Amazon on September 2nd in “newly remastered from the original analog tapes” versions. John Fry, the owner and chief engineer at Ardent Records (where these influential LPs were hatched), has given these new CDs his blessing, and Mike Mills of R.E.M. fame has written the liner notes.

And there’s another tribute to Big Star involving several well-known musicians coming up. The Wild Honey and Trunkworthy sponsored event will be staged at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on September 27th, and original Big Star drummer Jody Stephens taking part. Mike Mills; Mitch Easter from Let’s Active; Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer from The Posies; Jason Falkner, Tommy Keene; and The Bangles are among the acts participating.

The Bangles recently noted on Facebook that they checked out the Art Institute while in Chicago for their two-day stint at City Winery. They also announced on their website that they’ll be re-releasing their 1982 self-titled debut, with additional, previously unreleased material. And not to brag, but The Bangles Facebook post with a link to my BHT review of their City Winery - Chicago concert now has 1,383 Likes and 72 Shares.

Kaela Sinclair - Sun & Mirror

Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer.

Kaela Sinclair’s 11-song debut Sun & Mirror has already made quite a splash in the Dallas/Fort Worth area where she grew up, and that success seems likely to grow. The 23 year-old vocalist makes use of an extensive range of tones and inflections, and as a songwriter, she’s not afraid to go dark and deep. Still, her first effort has its rookie mistakes, including a few slow, repetitive arrangements that drag on for too long.

Veteran producer McKenzie Smith (Regina Spektor, St. Vincent) should have known better than to let Sinclair close with the dreary epic, “Coral Castles.” And when Sinclair sings, “You might not catch up with me” on the ironically titled ballad “Run,” it doesn’t come across as much of a challenge. Smith is more successful conjuring a Cocteau Twins-like atmosphere around Sinclair’s ethereal vocals on “Ghosts You’ve Won,”  while on the edgier “The Realist,” Sinclair opts for a soulful delivery reminiscent of Laura Nyro. “Without” is an enticing torch song with elements of classical music. An irresistible melody and Sinclair’s flawless delivery make the techno pop tune “Stranger” Sun & Mirror’s best bet for a hit single.

BHT Fifth Anniversary/The Baseball Project

Happy Fifth Anniversary!

Five years ago on this date, a piece I wrote about the band The New Invaders became the very first Broken Hearted Toy post. Over 1,300 posts later, I’d like to thank all the musicians, record labels, theatres, artists, filmmakers, and publicists who have made working on this blog so much fun. And I sincerely apologize to all those who have sent messages and didn’t receive a response. It could have been that I felt your suggestion wasn’t a good match for BHT, but more likely, I just wasn’t able to get to it in time.

As if on cue for this fifth anniversary celebration, The Bangles shared my review of their City Winery - Chicago concert on Facebook today. As I write this, it has 808 likes and 45 shares. Thank you, Debbi, Susanna, and Vicki.

And I’d like to thank my wife Pam for setting up this blog for me. Without her help, there would no Broken Hearted Toy. Now, on to today’s post.

The Baseball Project will be performing tomorrow night (Thursday August 7th) at The Abbey Pub on Chicago’s northwest side. This national pastime-obsessed quartet was founded in 2007 by singer-guitarist Scott McCaughey, who did some clever and catchy things as a member of Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5; and singer guitarist Steve Wynn, who launched a successful solo career after leading The Dream Syndicate. Later, guitarist-bassist Peter Buck from R.E.M. and Linda Pitmon from Zuzu’s Petals (she’s also worked with Wynn in the past) joined the team.

Their show at The Abbey will likely include songs from The Baseball Project’s latest effort Third, which came out this year right around the time spring training was wrapping up for the National and American leagues. Over the course of 18 tracks, they somehow turn topics like Babe Ruth, Larry Yount, beanballs, and box scores into appealing indie rock songs. McCaughey, Wynn, Buck, and Pitmon each have a designated team, and there’s no mention of any of them being a Cubs fan. If they were, The Baseball Project would be a blues band.

The doors open at 8:00 PM tomorrow night at The Abbey Pub, with the duo The Dirty Dirty Dollars serving as the opening act. Tickets range from $20 to $25.

Hushdrops - Tomorrow

Before moving on to the review, I need to address a few recent omissions here on BHT. In my review of Songs For Mara by The Red Plastic Buddha, I should have mentioned that “A House Is Not A Motel” was originally recorded by the band Love. Also, when I mentioned other worthy psychedelic bands in the Chicago, the list should have included Hushdrops. I’m sure I missed others Chicago psyche bands, but here’s a review that originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer. 

Ending a 10-year absence from the recording studio, the Chicago-based Hushdrops have returned in a big way with Tomorrow. The ambitious double album of prog and psychedelic rock once again finds John San Juan handling lead vocals, as his guitar playing rampages through elaborate arrangements and occasionally springs out of nowhere. Bassist Jim Shapiro and drummer Joe Camarillo also play essential roles in this adventure. 

The title track has a breezy 1960s vibe, thanks in part to guest musicians Nora O’Connor and Steve Frisbie, who provide backup vocals. “Have We Gone Too Far” and “Find Her” hit harder, while the energetic “You’ll Never Make It To Mars” has a keyboards interlude reminiscent of Traffic. The simple piano arrangement on “All You Have To Do Is Smile” evokes Paul McCartney, and “Vague,” with its pounding drums and extensive jamming, makes for a rousing finale. The CD version of Tomorrow includes the bonus track “Valentine,” a lighter indie rock with echo vocals and a catchy melody.

Chrissie Hynde - Stockholm

Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer. 

Considering how often The Pretenders’ lineup has changed over the years, in a way, Chrissie Hynde has been a solo artist for some time now. But Hynde still looks as tough as nails, and if she says Stockholm is her solo debut, who’s going to argue with her? Recorded in the city of Stockholm with guitarist Bjorn Yttling from Peter, Bjorn and John producing and helping out with the songwriting, the album does find Hynde breaking new ground while still playing to her strengths.

“You Or No One” and “You’re The One” exhibit Hynde’s knack for celebrating the excitement of new-found love, and are fortified with alluring string arrangements. Nothing here has the raw power of “Tattooed Love Boys,” but Hynde, possibly more than any other contemporary vocalist, has that ability to wipe a tear from your cheek one moment and spit in your eye the next. “Dark Sunglasses,” the guitar-driven first single, is a satiric jab at high society, and on the bristling “A Plan Too Far,” she kicks an ex-lover to the curb with a series of clever put-downs. “Tourniquet” and “Adding The Blue” are precious rather than “Precious,” but overall, Hynde’s first official solo flight soars nicely.

Saturday Slumgullion

A few more items about the entertainment world.

Singer Imelda May will be bringing her uniquely vintage mayhem to the Park West in Chicago tomorrow (August 3rd) night. The soul/punk band Tracer Bullet will serve as the opening act. Showtime is 8:00 PM. 

Feel The Noise, the first CD from Paul Collins since his impressive and tongue-in-cheek titled King Of Power Pop came out in 2010, will be released on September 9th. Fans can get a preview by listening to the song “I Need My Rock n Roll” on Whitney Matheson’s Pop Candy column on USA Today’s site. Collins, who was a member of the highly influential trio The Nerves before recording classic power pop tunes with The Paul Collins Beat, will open his next tour in Chicago at the Cobra Lounge on September 23rd. Other dates across the U.S.A. will include Louisville, KY, Pittsburgh, PA, and Houston, TX.

Single tickets for David Bowie Is at The Museum Of Contemporary Art are now on sale for $25. The multi-media exhibit will be in Chicago (the only American stop) from September 23rd through January 4th, 2015. Also at The MCA, as recently reported by Hedy Weiss in the Chicago Sun-Times, Bryan Ferry will join Roxy Music biographer Michael Bracewell for a discussion on September 17th. Admission is $5.00.

Now that Lollapalooza 2014 is two-thirds of the way toward being history, indie rock fans may be interested to know that single day tickets are on sale for this year’s Riot Fest And Carnival in Chicago. The annual event is marking its 10th Anniversary of coming to town by offering seven stages of cutting edge rock in Humboldt Park over the weekend of September 12 through 14th.

Considering the impressive lineup of talent, choosing a single day could be difficult. Personally, I’d be torn between Saturday, which includes performances by The Flaming Lips, Metric, Paul Weller, The Dandy Warhols, and The Buzzcocks; and Sunday, with bands like The Cure, Cheap Trick, Patti Smith, Naked Raygun, Billy Bragg, Archie Powell And The Exports, and Tegan And Sara.

Elgin, IL will be holding its very first Fringe Festival from September 11th through the 14. Local venues Elgin Art Showcase, Imago Studios, Elgin Public House, the Doctor Who-themed Blue Box Cafe, and Side Street Studio Arts will be involved in the festival, which will offer 100 performances involving art music, dance, comedy, and theatre. Tickets range from $5 to $10, and some some events will be free. Applications for participating artists are no longer being accepted, but hopefully this will become an annual event.

On October 25th, Elgin will stage its annual zombie-inspired Nightmare On Chicago Street, which incorporates live music, a costume contest, special guests, a Steampunk-themed Underground  City, and comedy clips filmed by Jeff Kelley from the Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff internet show and podcast. I’ve had a lot of fun acting in Kelley’s zombie clips in the past, and it looks like I’ll be doing it again this year.

Slumgullion

As it began. About five years ago when I started this blog, my very first post was about a local 1960s cover band called The New Invaders. They’re playing tonight at Hodges Park in Park Ridge, within walking distance of the Metra station. The New Invaders draw upon an eclectic selection of artists from the 1960s, including The Hollies, The Turtles, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby, Stills And Nash, and Question Mark And The Mysterians. They’re also be performing at Summer Daze in Warrenville tomorrow afternoon at 5:30 PM.

A hearty BHT welcome to everyone who has come to Chicago for Lollapalooza.  If you’re a visitor or even a local who’s not sure how to choose from among the amazing selection of cutting-edge musical acts being offered, rest assured the city’s media has your back. WXRT, 93.1FM will once again be doing live reports from Lollapalooza. You can stream the station at its website. Local free papers The Reader, New City, and Innerview Magazine all have special issues devoted to Lollaapalooza.You can find those publications at Reckless Records locations, including the one downtown on Madison, between State and Wabash. Today’s issues of the Tribune and Sun-Times also offer their choices for the best acts to check out.

And if you’re in town on business but still want to pick up some Lollapalooza souvenirs, there’s a Lolla Popup store in Block 37, at State and Washington downtown.

The Webstirs, Phil Angotti, Hurtin Kind, and Keiffer MccLean are all performing at Martyrs’ on Lincoln Avenue tonight. There are some interesting tributes coming up at Martyrs’ next week; when Great Moments In Vinyl performs Fleetwood Mac “Well To Rhiannon + Rumors” on Monday, and Tributosaurus Becomes The Bee Gees on Wednesday. 

Echo And The Bunnymen have a WXRT show next Sunday night, August 10th, at Metro. Most likely they’ll be doing songs from their recently released CD, Meteorites.

Those English guys always did like birds. It will be an evening of British Invasion hits when Chad And Jeremy join forces with Peter Asher of Peter And Gordon for a single night on October 18th at the Flying Monkee venue in Plymouth, NH. The concert will benefit the New Audubon. Asher’s former performing partner Gordon Waller passed away in 2009.

The Plastiscines have released a video of an acoustic performance  of “Coming To Get You” from their latest release, Back To The Start.