How's My Living? » Sarah

Hooray for Covers! Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “Bad Romance”

Sarah — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:51:37 +0000

Things I enjoy about this:

A) Cover of a well-known pop song
B) Joseph Gordon-Levitt
C) Cover of a well-known pop song that now sounds a little bit creepier
D) Joseph Gordon-Levitt
E) A performer who is very clearly having fun with what he’s doing
F) Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Ahem. I’ll be over here.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “Bad Romance”

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: HitRECord.org | Tumblr | Twitter

Langhorne Slim & Ha Ha Tonka, Lincoln Hall 7/23

Sarah — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:59:00 +0000

I’ve been accumulating a lot of posts in my drafts here, of shows long since past. It seems a shame to delete them all because I never managed to make real, coherent thoughts. I don’t know what to call them, as they don’t quite rise to the level of “concert review”. “Concert blurb?” “Concert your-blogger-is-lazy-and-unmotivated-so-all-you-get-are-a-pictures-and-a-couple-of-sentences?” I don’t know. Leave your suggestions in the comments.

Adopted Chicagoans (via their affiliation with Bloodshot Records) Ha Ha Tonka brought their rowdy, spirited alt-country badass rock to Lincoln Hall, in a set that wasn’t nearly as attended as it should have been. Their website describes their music as “foot stompin’ indie rock”, which is ridiculously accurate. People who arrived just to see Langhorne Slim missed out on an awesome set of music. Lead singer Brian Roberts’s voice manages to cover all the bases, from joyful to menacing, and everywhere in between.

Ha Ha Tonka are playing tomorrow night at the third anniversary party for Reggie’s Rock Club. They’re also playing a show with Rocky Votolato at the Beat Kitchen on October 15.

Langhorne Slim, the stage name of Sean Scolnick (who hails from the town of Langhorne, Pennsylvania), opened his set with a solo acoustic cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Tonight Will Be Fine”. It was a subdued moment, easing the crowd into the show, but if you thought the show was going to be a slow, quiet affair, you would be pretty much completely off the mark. The whole band is phenomenal; I was particularly captivated by David Moore on keyboards and banjo, who was probably one of the most energetic performers that I’ve ever seen. Definitely made me want to go back to playing the piano, and follow through on seeking out banjo lessons.

Also entertaining in an oh-god-why-can’t-people-control-themselves sort of way was the drunk girl who sprawled out on stage, clapped loudly and very, very off-beat (seriously, you could hear her lone hand-claps up in the balcony) and eventually got up to drunkenly dance on the stage. This is why we can’t have nice things, people.

This Week in Great Music: 9/6 – 9/12

Sarah — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:48:36 +0000

My theory is that the beginning of the week is so lackluster because Friday is full of awesome shows. I’ll be at SPACE for Anais Mitchell on Friday, and Lincoln Hall for Alice Peacock on Saturday.

Now, I’m going back to watching Dirty Jobs. Happy Labor Day.

Monday, September 6
Meh

Tuesday, September 7
Meh

Wednesday, September 8
Reggie’s 3 Year Anniversary Party, ft. Ha Ha Tonka, Treaty of Paris, more; Reggie’s Rock Club. 6 pm, $12-15
Carbon Leaf; SPACE. 8 pm, $17-30
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone; Subterranean. 8:30 pm, $8

Thursday, September 9
Ludo; Metro. 6 pm, $15
Marina and the Diamonds; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $15

Friday, September 10
Anais Mitchell; SPACE. 7 pm, $10-18
Sam Amidon, Via Tania; Old Town School of Folk Music. 8 pm, $12-16
Giving Tree, JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, How Far To Austin, Future Laureates; House of Blues. 8:30 pm, $10-13
Heypenny, Kyle Andrews, Seafarer, A Light Sleeper; Mayne Stage. 8:30 pm, $7-10
Matt Ryd, Mike Mentzer, Little Light; Schubas. 9 pm, $10
Skybox, What Laura Says; Subterranean. 9 pm, $10

Saturday, September 11
Alice Peacock, Lincoln Hall. 7 pm, $20
Chris Smither, SPACE. 8 pm, $18-30

Sunday, September 12
Chicago Blues Harp Bash; SPACE. 6 pm, $15-25
Emily Wells, Angel Olsen; Schubas. 8 pm, $12

August in Review

Sarah — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:54:39 +0000

Despite August being Lollapalooza madness, not many Lolla artists made it onto my most-listened mix for the month. August’s mix brings you eleven songs, featuring everything from the glam pop of Lady Gaga to the old timey bluegrass of Carolina Chocolate Drops.

Wow, That’s a Good Song: Vandaveer, “Fistful of Swoon”

Sarah — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:54:03 +0000

I can’t describe this song as anything other than sexy. “Fistful of Swoon” slinks along, propelled forward by the rough voice of Mark Charles Heidinger and the twisting harmonies of Rose Guerin. It builds off of a simple guitar riff and just a handful of delicate piano notes, and even the video, shot in stark black and white, manages to be both sinister and alluring.

Vandaveer – Fistful of Swoon

though your towers were tall
and your powers were grand
you could not understand
how you fell from great heights
and you burrowed with speed
a kingdom you did lead
from heaven to hell

Vandaveer: Official Website | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | Store

Wow, That’s a Good Song: Kyle Andrews, “You Always Make Me Smile”

Sarah — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:55:04 +0000

I dare you to watch this video and not grin. Who doesn’t like a gigantic water balloon fight?

Kyle Andrews – You Always Make Me Smile

I like that rainbow pair of gym shoes that you wear.
I like the chance you take. I like the mess you make.
I don’t know why I love you.
I just know I can’t stop thinking of you.

Kyle Andrews, formerly of Chicago and now of Nashville, plays a show at the Mayne Stage (1328 W Morse Ave) on September 10th at 8:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now for $7.

Kyle Andrews: Official Website | MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | Store

This Week in Great Music: 8/30 – 9/5

Sarah — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:15:21 +0000

Based on this week’s concert lineup-of-interest-to-me, it seems like the whole week is just one giant Monday. My apathy is evidenced by the fact that this summary is longer than my list of interesting shows.

The most exciting thing going on is this weekend’s North Coast Music Festival, running Friday through Sunday at Union Park. Three-day passes are sold out, but single day passes are available for $40. Artists performing include The Chemical Brothers, Umphrey’s McGee, Mayer Hawthorne & the County, Lupe Fiasco, and a whole stage dedicated to local acts. Take that, Lollapalooza. I’m considering picking up a ticket for Sunday’s lineup. We’ll see.

Monday, August 30
Meh

Tuesday, August 31
Orgone, The Right Now, Nootka Sound; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $10
Sarah Jaffe, Rego; Schubas. 9 pm, $8-10

Wednesday, September 1
Meh

Thursday, September 2
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin; Lincoln Hall. 9 pm, $12-14

Friday, September 3
Catherine Feeny, Mayne Stage (1328 W Morse). 8:30 pm, $10-12

Saturday, September 4
Heather Styka; Martyrs. 7 pm, $7

Sunday, September 5
Vampire Weekend, Beach House; the Aragon. 7 pm, sold out
Asobi Seksu, Shapers; SPACE. 10 pm, $12-20

Tonight: The Square Affair

Sarah — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:32:01 +0000

Looking for something to do tonight? Head out to the Logan Square Auditorium (2539 N Kedzie) for the Square Affair, a celebration for, what else, Logan Square. The Square Affair benefits the Intonation Music Workshop, and is being put on with the goal of celebrating “Logan Square’s vibrant history, residents, businesses, and artists focusing on its surging and eclectic music scene.”

The four bands – Jon Drake & the Shakes, The Shams Band, The MPLS Henrys, and Derek Nelson & the Musicians — aren’t just fantastic bands with local roots. They’re all fantastic bands who are located in Logan Square. Who better to celebrate the neighborhood?

Doors open at 8, and the show itself starts at 9. Tickets are $8 in advance or $12 at the door. Check out the website for The Square Affair for more information. If you’re unfamiliar with the bands, there’s a free sampler available for download on Bandcamp.

Another Welcome to the Family

Sarah — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:28:34 +0000

Yesterday, you were introduced to Mel, one of my fantastic new writers for the site. Today, say hello to Chantaal:

My name is Chantaal, and I’m a 25 year old geek living in SoCal, though my heart is in NYC. The first song I ever remember hearing is “All I Have to Do is Dream” by The Everly Brothers, which I think is a good place to start when it comes to loving music. Raised on oldies, classical music and Billy Joel, I took a detour into boybands as a teenager before being (lovingly) shoved in a new direction and having my mind blown open by everything else that was out there. I love keeping an open mind and will give every type of music a chance, though I’m currently head over heels for synth-pop and indie-folk.

I don’t go to shows as much as I would love, though I’ve seen Flogging Molly six times and Muse three. My goal in life is to see Beirut in concert at least once. I love everything from Yes Giantess to Florence and the Machine, from Fleet Foxes to Led Zeppelin to N.E.R.D. and everything in between. Hopefully that’ll show as I write, mainly about new music I discover or trips down memory lane.

No related posts.

How’s My Living’s Newest Addition!

Sarah — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:40:31 +0000

I’ve been at this blogging thing for a little over a year now, and recently, I started asking around for a little bit of help. I’m only one lady, after all, and I want to be able to provide more news, more opinions, more facts and reviews and general overall awesomeness. I’m bringing three new writers on board in order to accomplish that, writers from both near and far, all of whom have my stamp of approval for having awesome taste in music (and for being pretty fantastic people in general).

I’ll introduce you to all of them in due time, but first up is Mel, who wrote an absolutely gorgeous review back in May, for Andrew Bird’s show at Largo. Here’s Mel, in her own words:

Currently located in Denver, Mel is a twentysomething Southern transplant raised on piano lessons, bluegrass festivals, Louisville’s oldies station, and her parents’ record collection. She has unfortunately forgotten more about music theory than she will ever get back. Her first concert was the Rolling Stones at age four, the concert she remembers least is Bill Monroe at the Kentucky Horse Park, and her favorite concert is a tie between Wilco at Red Rocks and Dave Rawlings Machine at the Melting Point in Athens, Georgia.

She likes traveling to see shows — current winner for distance is Denver to Portland, Maine — and is concerned less with the music itself and more with the cultures and history surrounding and supporting American popular music. This isn’t to say you won’t catch her writing reviews of the new stuff that crosses her path, just that the reviews of new stuff will usually come with context.

Mel has minor obsessions with Wilco (and side projects), Andrew Bird, Leo Kottke, the Oxford American’s annual music issue, and whatever Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are plotting these days, but she will try to keep her exuberance to acceptable levels.