(Formerly known as "Music Goodies") The Indie Antechamber is a collection of music that Joe Wierzbicki (author) has on high rotation, finds interesting, or feels the need to express his thoughts to the web. The Antechamber is a refreshing take on new/upcoming/unknown artists and plans to become a unique source for music.
I've always liked collaborations that involved Mos Def, especially with the Roots and Gorillaz, so for me to like his album doesn't surprise me. I had always noticed rave reviews for this album, but it didn't hit me to actually get it until now.
As summer is nearing an end, I've been getting slightly sick of listening to new [dare I say hipster?] indie music all the time, so I thought I would try to diversify my blog a little bit more by posting Jazz related articles. Now as we all know, fall season can sometimes suck. School goes back in session, just as you forgot everything taught last year. The big summer vacation just ended and you forgot to function on a work schedule. Shit starts falling from the sky and you retaliate by smashing your neighbor's pumpkins on their stoop. And then even worse, Winter shows up. So under all the enmity against fall, Jazz will help sedate the notion of the various fluid colors enveloping your lawn.
Vijay Iyer Trio- Historicity
Probably the most "mainstream" appealing Jazz album of 2009. If you want just one good Jazz album from 2009, I suggest you start with Vijay Iyer (My favorite from here: Mystic Brew).
Galang (trio riot version)
Mystic Brew
Well if you enjoyed y first Jazz album I wish I had, then check out this list of the Top 10 Jazz Records of 2009 by NPR, especially Allen Toussaint, Ran Blake, Buika & Chucho Valdes, Diego Barber. That list will surely convince one to find a red leather couch by an open fire while holding a novel in one hand and brandy in the other.
In case you didn't already know, The Faint are awesome. I saw them on friday at the Metro and I have to say you missed out on the best $27 tickets one could ever buy. But the show would be severely tested with many worst-case scenarios.
The show started with Codebreaker first opening the show, late. They weren't terrible, but the singer just got on my nerves because he said the same five words over 6 minutes songs. After they finished, late, I had to listen to the worst band I have ever heard in my entire life, Zola Jesus. While they played their terrible music, I could stop thinking about that one episode of south park with the goths versus the douche bag vampires. This band must think, "Oh, no one understands our music, but we still rock."
Oh, but everyone there understood that you suck, Zola Jesus. What an unfortunate name, and probably the worst reference Jesus could ever have. And as I kept wishing for Jesus Christ to smite this terrible band, the lead singer (who reminded me of a train-wreck Christina Aguilera on meth) decided to pace back and forth off the stage, as if she was a rat trying to find the nearest exit out of the simplest maze.
Ooo0o0o0ooo00ah...GOD NO MY EARS!!!
As if that was not bad enough, I have to add the story my adventure trying to get home from this concert. Because the concert ended later than expected due to the two horrible opening acts, we had missed the last Metra train at 12:40pm. So, our best bet was to take the red line down to the chicago loop, and then transfer to the blue line all the way to Forest Park, and get someone to pick us up from that stop. Well, of course at midnight, there was a torrential downpour. Not only that when we get on the blue line, the first train we got on had to go out of service at UIC-Halsted and we had to wait there with the occasional ghetto folk asking if we smoke weed.
Twenty minutes later, we hopped on the next CTA train. Some guy wearing a trash bag over his body comes up to us four and mumbles a story about how he needs two dollars for a bus ride in Cicero. We don't budge at first, but the guy keeps mumbling his "story." Finally one of us cracks, probably due to fear he had a weapon under his garbage bag, and gave him two dollars. Lucky his stop comes up shorty afterwords and we never see him again. Seconds later, we learn that the train has to stop at Austin because of flooding at Oak Park. Yes, Austin. In case you didn't know the neighborhood, Austin is the largest neighborhood in Chicago, 87% African American, and 3 days before 7 people were shot within the hour. Oh, and did I mention I am still in my work clothes?
So once we walked out of the Austin station, there were two buses waiting to take everybody either to the westbound or eastbound destinations. We got on the westbound bus and overheard that it has been sitting there for already an hour. (Screw this!) I tell my friends to just call our ride and tell him to pick us up at the Austin station. An hour later after waiting in the station with various questionable people and two cops, in the torrential rain, our ride finally shows up. It was 3:00am at the time.
Even after the insane pain, agony, and fear I had to get through that day, The Faint Concert at the Metro was still one of the best concerts I've ever been to. Front row, with a perfect set-list, and killer performance for $27 is definitely something worth risking my life for.
Speaking of the set, The Faint had these alien statues all around the stage made out of what looked like plastic wrap and newspaper, and a couple of them had LED light eyes. You can kind of see them in the video.
Here's a new psychedelic band from Chicago. You can't buy the album yet (their bandcamp page says August 3 2010 on it so I assume that is when it will be released) but you can listen to the whole album here on this post or on their bandcamp page. Secret Colours [on Bandcamp]
Welcome to a new segment of my music goodies miniseries, Soundtrack of My Life, where I find cool ass tunes that I would put in my movies/youtube clips if I had anything interesting to make a video about a video recorder. Anyways this group of tunes each had great sections that would be great to hear during the beginning or [preferably] the end. Hell, maybe I'll write justifications for each song, or maybe I will disappoint you once more with my newly acquired third-grade writing skills.
Hollywood- Dog & Panther
Alright so yes I have been boasting a lot about this group lately, yes I already have the entire album available to listen in my previous post, and yes I would use every song to soundtrack my videos to death like everyone does with coldplay's parachutes. Oh and yes Dog & Panther is awesome. Q.E.D.
Oh Little Brain Oh Little Brain- STS9
Another band where literally many of their songs could have been chosen for this soundtrack category.
Vio spilum endalaust- Sigur Ros
A very lovely song. Sigur Ros is a must have in everyone's music library.
Cascade- Hyper
If there is anyone out there that has a video recorder and who free runs, this is definitely my soundtrack for my first parkour vid (or maybe the end credits theme?). Also if there is anyone reading my blog...anyone...please do let me know.
Take It In- Hot Chip
You know what? Just go back to the Hot Chip post from June and listen to it there, okay? Can't I be lazy for once?
Bad Light Bad Light- Built to Spill
Another must-have song, from a must-have album, from a must-have band.
The Rolling People- The Verve
It really grinds my gears that everyone has and knows "bittersweet symphony" yet no one had the decency to listen to the rest of the album by the verve. Oasis feels that pain as well.
This is the first installment in my miniseries, Music I Wish I Had, where I describe albums that were released in previous years that I have unfortunately not realized existed until recently. For now I will try to focus on albums that are within 2009.
Miike Snow
The self titled debut by Miike Snow is pretty great. The lyrics may not be capturing, but every track in the album is pretty damn catchy. I happened to stumble upon the first track of the album a couple months ago, animal, which you may recognize in the new movie trailers for Cyrus. Anyways this is definitely some good music that I will use for studying.
Song for No One
Bibio- Ambivalence Avenue
I really don't know how to explain this album. It's just a beautiful mixture of hip-hop, electronic, and indie acoustic/electric guitar awesomeness. Most of the songs (if not all) it's hard to understand what he's saying, but I don't even give a damn because this album is that good. As one youtuber said regarding this album, "it's like, Ratatat, the Beatles, and Boards of Canada all had a baby."
Ambivalence Avenue
Lovers' Carvings
Jamie T- Kings & Queens
British indie feel good hip hop (disregarding that the lyrics aren't so cheery)...what could go wrong with that combo?
Chaka Demus
Hocus Pocus
Well that is all that I'll deal with out for this episode. Until next time, live in the now and take advantage of discovering new music!
