Music archives

Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Supernova

Guess whose fiance just got her into see Liz Phair perform ALL of Exile in Guyville in two weeks at The Vic?

I am ten shades of over her recent work, just like everyone else, but that album was a huge part of my high school, early college years and to watch her perform the whole damn thing live is making me happier than just about anything I can get my brain around.

Just when I think Scott can't be any cooler and more thoughtful he goes and does this.

I'm super busy these days, and focus is of the essence. I didn't make it down to Peoria last weekend - weather, my sister was out of town and I was watching her dog, atrocious gas prices - any my free time is about to become virtually non-existent but that's totally OK because the project I've just signed on to do is fun and cool and creative and I'll tell you all about it very soon.

Posted by Erin at 01:15 PM | | filed under: Music

Saturday, March 15, 2008
Adulthood

One of my very favorite parts about being a grownup is sitting up late on a Friday night rediscovering music - nay, an entire, singular album - that defined a time in my life because when you're 15, with limited funds, you wore out a tape until you had enough money to move onto another one.

In 1991, that album was R.E.M.'s "Out of Time" and it takes just 30 seconds of "Me In Honey" for me to distinctly recall the nights on Candace's mom's back porch and all of the wine coolers we snuck. And, if I'm more honest, my paper route after school. I listened to that album over and over again, mostly as I was flinging the Herald-News at people's doorstops, back when it was still an afternoon paper, back when they still had afternoon newspapers, back when I was still totally romantic about newspapers in general.

About everything, really. I know we're all sad about what R.E.M. has become, but I'm awfully grateful that they were anything at all.

Posted by Erin at 12:39 AM | | filed under: Music

Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Could someone explain to me ...

... why it is that Stereogum is so batshit crazy over Sufjan Steven's "In The Words Of The Governor?"

I've made it pretty clear my love and adoration for Sufjan Stevens and if any artist defined the Summer of 2005 for me, it was him. I've been waiting patiently for some more stuff from him. I am digging "Sister" a whole lot more, and I'm sorry but sometimes? Sometimes I want my artists to sound like who they are. A little experimentation is cool but I dig Sufjan for his "orchestral-folk chamber" livin' ways.

Sorry. Just not buying that tune. Cannot get behind it.

In other news,we're going to see "Once" this weekend and you all need to click on that link and get the skinny on that movie, and, if for no other reason, to listen to the seriously awesome Frames' song, "Falling Slowly." (You need to hit "play" on the song bar at the movie site, FYI.)

The movie has gotten killer reviews AND it's set in Ireland, which is pretty much all I need. We Irish folk, even those of us born in America, glom on to such things.

Posted by Erin at 10:59 PM | | filed under: Music

Monday, March 12, 2007
We left before he went Eno on us

David Bowie
Life On Mars
Hunky Dory

It's a God awful small affair
To the girl with the
mousy hair,
But her mummy is yelling, "No!"
And her
daddy has told her to go,
But her friend is no where to be
seen.
Now she walks through her sunken dream
To the
seats with the clearest view
And she's hooked to the
silver screen,
But the film is sadd'ning bore
For
she's lived it ten times or more.
She could spit in
the eyes of fools
As they ask her to focus on

Sailors
Fighting in the dance hall.
Oh man!
Look at those cavemen go.
It's the freakiest
show.
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong
guy.
Oh man!
Wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show.
Is there life on
Mars?

Continue reading "We left before he went Eno on us" »

The Boy and I scored tickets for tonight's Jon Brion show at The Hideout. I should clarify that and say that The Boy got the tickets and I was the beneficiary of his being attentive to such matters and that he likes going to shows with me.

Well, that and that our good friend Tankboy gave him the hat tip.

Anyway, it was a fun, fantastic show - everything Brion's performance was rumored to be. I've always been a fan of the work he's done with other artists, and I've said here before that his work on Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine was far superior to what ended up being released and I'm With Stupid was one of the albums that helped defined my sophomore year of college.

To see him in such a small, intimate space was even better, save for the obnoxious dude in the Members' Only jacket. Tank, The Boy and I were initially hopeful that perhaps the Daylight Savings Time issue kept the hipster kids at bay, but alas, they were there in droves. Pornstar mustaches as far as the eye could see. Tankboy had hoped that a strong wind down Elston would have caused most of their skinny scarves and skirts to catch on tree branches but if they did, they managed to break free and make it in time for Brion to do an awesome cover of "Life On Mars."

On the ride home, The Boy remarked that seeing someone like Brion perform reminds you of why big, mass-produced live arena shows are such a colossal let down. Brion doesn't have a set list, and takes requests from his audience, playing everything and anything imaginable. Such a formula allows for something more organic, more pure between the artist and the audience. Music becomes alive, and I haven't even touched on how Brion covers these songs, and what a unique experience that is.

But here was thing that most got to me: when Brion began singing "Life on Mars," he let out this primal "Fuck yeah," as though he couldn't believe how absolutely rocking Bowie is, how rocking the song itself is, and how awesome it was to be there, doing what he does for a living, on that tiny stage, in this little club off an alleyway in Chicago, sharing it with all of those people.

More musicians need to be like that. For us and for themselves.

« close extended entry

Posted by Erin at 12:05 AM | | filed under: Music

Thursday, October 05, 2006
Because We're 30

"... cause I been caught in between all I wish for and all I need
Maybe you're not even sure what it's for
Any more than me
May God's love be with you
Always
May God's love be with you"

- In The Sun
Joseph Arthur

Last night Candace and I went to the Double Door to see Joseph Arthur. At one point as we were sitting upstairs, she checking her Blackberry, me checking my Treo, it kind of dawned on us that we knew the teenaged versions of ourselves would be irritated with us for a couple of reasons and they are as follows:

1) We own Treo's and Blackberries.
2) We were using them.
3) We were sitting down at a table at a club, instead of pushing our way through to the front.
4) We were dressed in business casual.
5) We left as soon as the clock struck midnight because we were tired and couldn't stop yawning.
6) We brought SexyBack on the way home in the car.

Reasons why the teenaged versions of Erin and Candace would have forgiven us those transgressions:

1) We were on the house list because the owner of DD is a friend of ours. As is his smoking hot girlfriend.
2) We were drinking.
3) Cute boys hit on us both to and from the club.
4) We were actually out out on a school night, as opposed to what we normally do which is sit at our houses, drink a half a bottle of wine, and call it a day by 8:30 p.m.

My favorite part about Candace is that she will always find the glee in being able to be out late on a school night, as if JP is going to be dropping us off in front of JCA at 7 a.m. the next day as he did 16 years ago.

Posted by Erin at 08:15 AM | Comments (1) | filed under: Music

Thursday, March 02, 2006
The Funniest Thing You Will Read All Week

I can't decide which line is my favorite:

"What if the guy standing by the bar screaming "Whooo! Whoooeeooo!" every five seconds is doing so because of a medical condition and not, as one might assume, because he's a gigantic fan of the Stapp?"

or

"And that's more than can be said about the hipster dick army that'll tell you to your face things like, 'Rehearsing My Choir is actually a really rewarding listen when you finally, you know, GET it,' while all the while the twinges in the iris of their eye belie the fact that they don't actually believe a word that they're saying and that they cannot wait for their shift at the Supercool Factory to come to its merciful end."

D.C. Experiences the Stapptasm

Posted by Erin at 08:10 PM | | filed under: Music , Supastah

Thursday, January 19, 2006
You know people when you do find somebody, hold that woman, hold that ...

I Found A Love
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett/Willie Schofield/Robert West

Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah
I found a love, I found a love
I found a love that I need, oh yeah
I found a kiss I just wanna tell you that I can't resist
I found a love that I need, oh yeah
and I wanna call her now
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah

Wait a minute; one thing I wanna say right here
The way that woman walks, she set my soul on fire
The way she talks, she's my heart's desire
and oh she leave me, I think that I would die
Sometime I'll call her in the midnight hour
Yeah yeah (scream) don't leave me baby
Yeah yeah (scream) yeah yeah, yeah

__

Wilson Pickett died today. He was too, too young.

Posted by Erin at 08:09 PM | | filed under: Music

Tuesday, January 10, 2006
A Show Of Hands

Which of you out there are responsible for the continued success of bands such as Nickleback? Come on. Own up.

That horrendous "Photograph" song has been on the iTunes Top 10 list for DAYS now and I've just about had enough. I don't even want to touch that "My Humps" song that remains on that list, a tune performed by a once awesomely cool band but whose lead singer looks as though she's ready to go wading with John Travolta and his fellow Psychlos into battle.

[God you Fug girls crack me up.]

Posted by Erin at 10:24 PM | Comments (4) | filed under: Music

Monday, January 02, 2006
Props To Jim

While it appears that I give Tankboy a hard time because he's such a blatant music snob, it's mostly done because he has a wickedly, wickedly I say, fantastic sense of music - what's truly good and what's truly awful. The boy knows his stuff and everyone around here knows it.

Really. I think that there is a rule in Chicago that you can't play any show here in town unless you know who Tank is.

Every year he does his Top 20, end-of-the-year album listing and it always makes for good reading. This year is no exception.

We actually agreed on something this year - Fiona's remastered "Extraordinary Machine" was much better the first go round, yes indeedy, although I would have totally included New Pornographers and Ray Lamontagne but that's just me.

Posted by Erin at 08:56 PM | Comments (3) | filed under: Music

Monday, December 12, 2005
Damn Fabulous

I-35
The Damn Millionares
be sure your sins will find you out

It's a mighty long drive down I-35, from Dallas
to old San Antone
But I'd rather be there than most anywhere, or
just talking to you on
the phone
And I'm just leaving work, I put gas in my car
If I go as fast as I can, it won't seem quite as
far into the Texas
sundown

You told me you need me to come right away
And this time you hoped that I might want to stay
And I never moved faster than I did today into
the Texas sundown

'Cause I haven't forgotten the feel of your kiss
And how I'd do anything never to miss another
Texas sundown

And I know this long highway is gonna lead me to
you
And it's all I can ask for, and all I can do not
to put down this pedal
and barrel right through that ol' Texas sundown

Continue reading "Damn Fabulous" »

So some friends cut an album over the summer and it's really, really fantastic.

I mean, seriously, it's fantastic. I had been listening to clips of the songs for a spell, but today my CD arrived and I can't stop playing it.

There is something so beautiful about a group of people who share a passion and instead of just letting that passion flicker out, they actually do something about it. The Damn Millionaires, as so many of you know, was born out of plenty of Stoli Vanil and Cokes, love and friendship but that passion, well, that's what makes this album so great.

I'm so proud of you guys.

« close extended entry

Posted by Erin at 07:55 PM | Comments (0) | filed under: Music

Saturday, November 26, 2005
Blunt

My friend, Candace, is trying to turn me onto James Blunt. Apparently he's big in Europe?

Candace knows all of these things. She actually has people in Italy. Swear to God.

After a month of cajoling, this weekend I remember to buy a single of his, "Goodbye My Lover."

Not bad. He's David Gray without all of the synthesizers. I sent Candace a text today to tell her that I finally bought the song and dug it. She sends me a text back:

"Oh good! He's hot too!"

Sure enough, he is. How about that?

Continue reading "Blunt" »

Goodbye My Lover
James Blunt
Back To Bedlam

Did I disappoint you or let you down?
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.
So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your soul out into the night.
It may be over but it won't stop there,
I am here for you if you'd only care.
You touched my heart you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when,
My heart was blinded by you.
I've kissed your lips and held your head.
Shared your dreams and shared your bed.
I know you well, I know your smell.
I've been addicted to you.

Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

I am a dreamer but when I wake,
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.
And as you move on, remember me,
Remember us and all we used to be
I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile.
I've watched you sleeping for a while.
I'd be the father of your child.
I'd spend a lifetime with you.
I know your fears and you know mine.
We've had our doubts but now we're fine,
And I love you, I swear that's true.
I cannot live without you.

Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

And I still hold your hand in mine.
In mine when I'm asleep.
And I will bear my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow.

« close extended entry

Posted by Erin at 10:07 PM | Comments (2) | filed under: Music

Friday, November 25, 2005
You Say You Have a Penny For My Thoughts. I'd Pay 100 Dollars to Just Keep My Mouth Shut

I wish Dolly Varden was playing a show soon.

Posted by Erin at 03:54 PM | Comments (0) | filed under: Music

Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Done With Dreamy

This is not something I typically brag about [Confidential to Tank: Shut. It. Now. :)] but I have been a fan of John Mayer's since ... 2001? Had to have been. I saw him for free when he first came through here in Chicago, before his shows sold out because girls clamored everywhere to see him live.

I suffered through "Heavier Things" because. Well. It was easy to blame that on the fact that he was dating Jennifer Boobs Hewitt. But I knew, just knew, that he wasn't going to be an easy, fun pop star. He just seemed too talented and earnest for that. And cool. He just seemed too cool.

So now he quietly introduces the John Mayer Trio, a little group he put together to finally start doing the music he should be doing in the first place. The album came out today. It's delightful, bluesy, rocking, just fantastic. It won't have the young girls swooning and crying to his lyrics, but whatever. He shouldn't be writing for them anyway. He should be writing for ME.

Don't dismiss him. Besides, LOOK AT THAT HAIR. And he's got a MySpace blog!

Posted by Erin at 07:20 PM | Comments (3) | filed under: Music

Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Use My Hands To Use My Heart

I know this makes me one of those people, but if you all aren't listening to Sufjan Stevens right now then you are not cool and we totally need to break up right now.

I am so enchanted by him that I can barely see straight. Don't do what I did and waste time wondering and questioning whether you should listen to him: just go on ahead and listen.

Posted by Erin at 11:29 AM | Comments (6) | filed under: Music

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