Back In The City

It's certainly not my best work (the pains of being a writer), but I really enjoyed seeing The Dodos on Monday night at Bottom Lounge. I have to admit, it's tough getting out to a concert on a Monday night period, but even tougher right after getting back from a Mexico vacation!

So now it's back to Chicago and back to the grind-- work, commuting, and worst of all, cold weather. But also back to a busy concert schedule between Tankboy and I. Hey, the great music scene in Chicago is one thing I don't mind returning to!

Bad Veins Get the Shout They Deserve

I just realized that in being so busy, I never dedicated a post to Bad Veins! (which is shocking considering how much I am digging them right now and how excited I was to see them at SubT last month) Here's a copy of my review plus a link to Tankboy's photos from Empty Bottle last night.

Live Review: Bad Veins @ Subterranean 9/15/09

One of my favorite albums as of late has been Bad Veins' self titled debut--from start to finish. The album reminds me a lot of The Killers' debut Hot Fuss--over-the-top, danceable indie-rock with the same longing in the vocals. Bad Veins have a lusher, more orchestral sound though, and aren't afraid of their softer side. You'll find yourself singing along, yelling the full-of-feeling choruses --I often get them stuck in my head and catch myself singing 'I would be lyin if i said i never hated you!' around my house.

While their name might not be in your musical lexicon quite yet, drummer Sebastien Schultz and keyboardist/guitarist/singer Benjamin Davis have gotten quite a bit of attention lately with their single "Gold and Warm" popping up on indie radio stations, as one of MTV's Bands You Should Know, and songs appearing in Gossip Girl and The City.

On Tuesday night, the Cincinnati duo played at Subterranean opening for LA group Division Day who they are currently on tour with. I walked in just in time to see them take the stage, and turns out they had just arrived as well--Davis saying that his eyes were still adjusted to the van and that there's something to be said for that downtime between rolling in and actually playing. They didn't sound affected however, making a whole hell of a lot of noise for two guys (although maybe it was a little too loud for that small of a room--but lets attribute that to the venue's eager sound-tech). That lush multi-layered sound could be attributed to their third "member" Irene--a 1973 reel-to-reel tape machine that took center stage.

The whole time watching them, I couldn't remember which song was my favorite because every time they started into one, I thought 'oh, I love this one!' It was hard to tell if I was the only one in the audience mouthing the words, but the modest crowd did take notice, shifting to the front of the room during "Falling Tide," which is probably their hardest rocking song. They closed with "The Lie," Davis singing into a megaphone, distorting the vocals just so and creating a sense of distance. My only gripe of the evening (besides the loud buzzing feedback between songs) was that I wish they would have played more than a 30 minute set.

Rest, Shows, and More Shows

Forgive me for being so absent from my blog! As expected, I was particularly worn/burnt-out after all that transcribing and writing, plus my real job has been keeping me busier than usual, so I decided to take a much needed step back from the scene.

I did make it out last night (in the rain and with a bum foot!) to see Bad Veins (yes, again) at Empty Bottle--reinforcing that their album is one of my absolute favorites of '09. Tankboy wrote them up and took a ton of great pics of the show (I'll post a link here as soon as he gets them up). We even chatted with the guys outside after the show for a bit, they were super cool.

My sister will be visiting this weekend for the Chicago Marathon, so we might hit up a show Saturday night. They Might Be Giants are at The Vic, Asobi Seksu is at Bottom Lounge and Drug Rug (previewed!) is opening for Portgual. The Man at Schubas. OR, I might be stuck at home tending to my bum foot... we shall see...