Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg return with their second full-length album, a collection of simple indie-folk songs which feature their well-matched vocals above all else. Beyond the lyrics and the songwriting — none of the lyrics are particularly groundbreaking — their voices are the real draw on this album. They’ve been previously compared to a female version of Fleet Foxes, which is understandable, given their tight harmonies and simple backing music. Most of the tracks fit that model of gentle but mostly upbeat folk-rock songs. Title track “The Lion’s Roar” is an excellent track, one which I already admit to listening to on repeat an embarrassing number of times. “Emmylou”, a sweet tribute to country greats like Emmylou Harris and Johnny Cash, is heavy on lap steel and could easily be mistaken as a track from any of the current Americana-inspired US bands rather than a pair of Swedes. Closing track “King of the World” features a guest appearance on vocals by Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes).
The Lion’s Roar is out today on Redeye (Wichita in the UK).
I’ll be at Schubas on Wednesday for Cheyenne Marie Mize, and Lincoln Hall the next day for Kathleen Edwards. I’ll be the lady with a camera, looking very tired and surly. Say hi if you see me.
Monday, January 23 Meh.
Tuesday, January 24
Kevin Hearn & Thinbuckle; Schubas. 8 pm, $10-12
Kevin O’Donnell Quartet; Hideout. 9 pm, $5 suggested donation
Wednesday, January 25
Cheyenne Marie Mize; Schubas. 8 pm, $10-12
Thursday, January 26
Kathleen Edwards, Hannah Georgas; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $20
Gringo Starr; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, $8
Friday, January 27
Joe Henry, Unloved; Old Town School of Folk Music (West; 4544 N Lincoln). 7:30 pm, $21-25
Los Campesinos!, Parenthetical Girls; Metro. 7:30 pm, $20
Strange Arrangement, Greensky Bluegrass; Park West. 8 pm, $15
Saturday, January 28
Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival, ft. Drive-By Truckers, Dawes, Joe Pug, Bailiff, Van Ghost, Jaik Willis, The Shams Band, Great Divide, Jon Drake and The Shakes, Ben Ripani Music Co., Go Long Mule, The Future Laureates, Band Called Catch, Paper Thick Walls and Michele McGuire; Congress Theater. 1 pm, $35
Christine Lavin; Old Town School of Folk Music (East; 4545 N Lincoln). 7 pm, $21-25
Devotchka, Elephant Revival, Danny Black & Nora O’Connor; Metro. 8:30 pm, $21
Mucca Pazza, Lasers and Fast and Shit, DJ Roma Soul; Double Door. 9 pm, $13-15
Sunday, January 29
Cass McCombs, Frank Fairfield; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $15
9:53 PM Retribution Gospel Choir Poor Man’s Daughter from 2 (Sub Pop)
9:49 PM The Black Keys Little Black Submarines from El Camino (Nonesuch)
9:45 PM La Oreja de Van Gogh Cometas Por El Cielo from Cometas Por El Cielo (Sony)
9:41 PM The xx Crystalised from xx (Young Turks)
9:37 PM Chris Connelly Classically Wounded from Artificial Madness (Relapse)
9:33 PM Amanda Palmer Runs In The Family from Who Killed Amanda Palmer (Roadrunner)
9:28 PM Doomtree Bolt Cutter from No Kings (Doomtree)
9:26 PM 2Cellos Smooth Criminal from 2Cellos (Masterworks)
9:21 PM Murder By Death Dead Men and Sinners from In Bocca Al Lupo (East West)
9:17 PM The Pines Rise Up and Be Lonely from Dark So Gold (Red House)
9:14 PM The Handsome Family The Loneliness Of Magnets from Honey Moon (Carrot Top)
9:08 PM Brown Bird Shiloh from Salt for Salt (Supply and Demand)
9:05 PM Simon & Garfunkel Somewhere They Can’t Find Me from Sounds of Silence (Columbia)
9:00 PM Cloudbirds Ripples from Cloudbirds (Movings)
8:58 PM Justin Townes Earle Ain’t Waitin’ from Harlem River Blues (Bloodshot)
8:54 PM The Magic Numbers Let Somebody In from Those the Brokes (EMI)
8:51 PM The Mountain Goats Prowl Great Cain from All Eternals Deck (Merge)
8:49 PM John K. Samson Stop Error from Provincial (ANTI-)
8:43 PM Levon Helm Wide River to Cross from Dirt Farmer (Vanguard)
8:39 PM Booker T. Jones Walking Papers from The Road from Memphis (ANTI-)
8:37 PM Andre Williams and The Goldstars Babblin’ Brook from Nightclub EP (Pravda)
8:32 PM Frank Carillo and the Bandoleros Eastern Time from Someday (Jezebel)
8:29 PM Tiger Bones In the Dark from When You Die (Candy Dinner)
8:25 PM The Format She Doesn’t Get It from Dog Problems (The Vanity Label)
8:20 PM Jakob Olausson Engraved Invitation from Morning & Sunrise (De Stijl)
8:14 PM The Wars of 1812 Homestay from Status Quo Ante Bellum (Afternoon)
8:11 PM Wooden Wand & The Briarwood Virgins Wither Away from Briarwood (Fire)
8:07 PM Jessica Lea Mayfield Run Myself Into The Ground from Tell Me (Nonesuch)
8:03 PM Kim Taylor So Black, So Bright from So Black, So Bright (Bulldog Farm)
Tuesday, January 17
Akron/Family, Bad Weather California; Hideout. 9 pm, $14
Wednesday, January 18
Nicholas Barron Band, Chris Siebold & the Psycles; Schubas. 9 pm, $8
Thursday, January 19
Mike Mangione & the Union, Dave Tamkin; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-15
Dastardly, Brighton MA, Santah; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $10
Jaymay, Alison Breitman; Schubas. 9 pm, $10
Friday, January 20
The Waco Brothers; Martyrs. 7:30 pm, $25
Martin Sexton; Park West. 8 pm, $27
Tea Leaf Green, Ha Ha Tonka; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $20
Saturday, January 21
Chicago Blues and Bluegrass Festival, ft. Del McCoury Band, David Grisman, Joe Purdy, The Bluegrass Ball featuring The Travelin’ McCourys, The Giving Tree Band,Henhouse Prowlers, Majors Junction; Auditorium Theatre. 2 pm, $39.50-59.50
Todd Snider; SPACE. 8 pm, $25-30
Vintage Blue, Ty Stone, Elisa Grace; Subterranean. 8:30 pm, $10
Sunday, January 22
Jungle of Cities, Brandon Harrod, Rob Scallon, Mike Murawski; Double Door. 8 pm, $1
Gaberdine, Conrad Plymouth Parker, Jim & Jen; Subterranean. 8 pm, $8
I got through a four hour show without once mentioning the fact that it was Friday the Thirteenth. You can thank me later.
Next week, I’ll be back to my normal-sized two hour show, nothing to worry about. Four hours of me is a lot to take.
11:54 PM John Aler & Gino Quilico Les Pêcheurs de perles: C’est toi!…Au fond du temple saint from 100 Best Opera Classics (EMI)
11:52 PM Fleet Foxes White Winter Hymnal from Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
11:50 PM Sea Lions I Loved Her So Much from Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sea Lions But Were Afraid to Ask (Slumberland)
11:44 PM Brandi Carlile Before It Breaks from Give Up the Ghost (Columbia)
11:40 PM Mavis Staples Wrote A Song For Everyone from You Are Not Alone (ANTI-)
11:37 PM The Mighty Imperials Thunder Chicken from The World of Daptone Records (Daptone)
11:31 PM Low Especially Me from C’mon (Sub Pop)
11:28 PM Dayna Kurtz Beautiful Yesterday from Beautiful Yesterday (Kismet)
11:24 PM Darkness Falls Noise on the Line from Alive in Us (hfn)
11:19 PM The Benny GoodmanQuartet Moonglow from Greatest Hits (BMG)
11:15 PM Jason Adasiewicz’s Sun Rooms Run Fly from Spacer (Delmark)
11:09 PM Ha Ha Tonka Death of a Decade from Death of a Decade (Bloodshot)
11:05 PM Bell X1 Pinball Machine from Neither Am I (Island)
11:03 PM Nada Surf No Snow on the Mountain from The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy (Barsuk)
10:54 PM Carissa’s Wierd September Come Take This Heart Away from Songs About Leaving (Sad Robot)
10:51 PM The Darcys Glasnost from The Darcys (Arts & Crafts)
10:44 PM A Hawk And A Hacksaw Espanola Kolo from Cervantine (L.M. Duplication)
10:41 PM Mar Caribe Pirates of Lake Michigan from Songs From Under the Flight Path (self-released)
10:36 PM Herculaneum Elmyr from UCHŪ (EF)
10:31 PM Róisín Murphy Primitive from Overpowered (EMI)
10:27 PM Booker T. Jones Progress (featuring Jim James) from The Road from Memphis (ANTI-)
10:25 PM Little Ben & the Cheers I’m Gonna Get Even with You from Eccentric Soul: The Nickel & Penny Labels (Numero Group)
10:21 PM Girlyman The Shape I Found You In from Remember Who I Am (Daemon)
10:15 PM Sigur Rós Lúppulagið from Inni (XL)
10:08 PM The Avett Brothers Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise from I and Love and You (Sony)
10:05 PM Mumford & Sons The Cave from Sigh No More (Glass Note)
10:01 PM Cloud Control Ghost Story from Bliss Release (Infectious)
9:57 PM The Get Up Kids Close to Me from Eudora (Vagrant)
9:53 PM Rainer Maria Hell and High Water from A Better Version of Me (Polyvinyl)
9:51 PM Los Campesinos! Hate for the Island from Hello Sadness (Arts & Crafts)
9:49 PM April Smith and the Great Picture Show Terrible Things from Songs for a Sinking Ship (self-released)
9:44 PM Brown Bird Nothing Left from Salt for Salt (Supply and Demand)
9:40 PM Luke Roberts Anyway from Big Bells and Dime Songs (Thrill Jockey)
9:37 PM The Milk Carton Kids I Still Want a Little More from Prologue (self-released)
9:34 PM Lawrence Arabia Eye A from Chant Master (Bella Union)
9:30 PM Coconut Records West Coast from Nighttiming (Young Baby)
9:27 PM Tiger Bones When You Fall from When You Die (Candy Dinner)
9:20 PM Jacaszek Dare-gale from Glimmer (Ghostly International)
9:16 PM Marissa Nadler No Surprises from Covers I (self-released)
9:08 PM Nicole Mitchell F.O.C. from Awakening (Delmark)
9:02 PM Dave Douglas Bowie from Spirit Moves (Koch)
8:58 PM Sloan Take Good Care Of The Poor Boy from Between The Bridges (murderecords)
8:54 PM Guided By Voices Spiderfighter from Let’s Go Eat the Factory (Guided By Voices Inc.)
8:50 PM Whitehorse Passenger 24 from Whitehorse (Six Shooter)
8:45 PM Cat Power The Greatest from The Greatest (Matador)
8:40 PM Kathleen Edwards Change the Sheets from Voyageur (MapleMusic)
8:38 PM 16 Horsepower Wayfaring Stranger from Secret South (Razor & Tie)
8:33 PM Ray Davies Dead End Street (ft. Amy McDonald) from See My Friends (Universal)
8:29 PM JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound Baltimore Is the New Brooklyn from Beat of Our Own Drum (self-released)
8:26 PM Doomtree The Grand Experiment from No Kings (Doomtree)
8:21 PM Apex Manor Under the Gun from The Year of Magical Drinking (Merge)
8:18 PM Chris Connelly The Paraffin Hearts from Artificial Madness (Relapse)
8:14 PM Save the Clocktower You Got Me from Carousel (self-released)
8:08 PM Sandro Perri Love & Light from Impossible Spaces (Constellation)
8:03 PM Rufus Wainwright Release the Stars from Release the Stars (Geffen)
I’ll be right back; I’m busy feeling inadequate with the handful of chords that I know.
Walk Off The Earth is a Canadian group which plays their own original music, but who are gaining a lot of attention for this fairly inventive take on an already awesome song.
Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg return with their second full-length album, a collection of simple indie-folk songs which feature their well-matched vocals above all else. Beyond the lyrics and the songwriting — none of the lyrics are particularly groundbreaking — their voices are the real draw on this album. They’ve been previously compared to a female version of Fleet Foxes, which is understandable, given their tight harmonies and simple backing music. Most of the tracks fit that model of gentle but mostly upbeat folk-rock songs. Title track “The Lion’s Roar” is an excellent track, one which I already admit to listening to on repeat an embarrassing number of times. “Emmylou”, a sweet tribute to country greats like Emmylou Harris and Johnny Cash, is heavy on lap steel and could easily be mistaken as a track from any of the current Americana-inspired US bands rather than a pair of Swedes. Closing track “King of the World” features a guest appearance on vocals by Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes).
