bruce-adams

[bruce-adams]

I’ve been away from the Tumblr and have seen some fantastic rock music right here in Central Illinois.

Sweet Cobra, Oct. 14, Loose Cobra, Tolono IL

Black Duck, Sept. 30, Connie Link Amphitheater, Normal IL

Jon Mueller, Sept. 30, Normal IL

#chambana #black duck #sweet cobra #jon mueller #thrill jockey #chicago

[bruce-adams]

Bowery Electric past & present

You might be aware that kranky is reissuing the debut album by Bowery Electric as a double LP. The reissue will contain the group's first release, a double 7-inch EP called "Drop." That double 7", released in 1994, caught our attention and motivated mr. kranky to call the group. As I wrote in You're With Stupid, bassist Martha Schwendener was listening to Flying Saucer Attack when the call came in. You can't make this stuff up.

What you might not know is that Lawrence Chandler, who sang, played guitar, and programmed rhythm tracks for Bowery Electric, continues to make music under his own name. The Tuning of the World is his exploration of long duration, recorded with tuned sine wave generators. For anyone conversant with these things, Lawrence describes it as "a 24-­hour, 24-part sustained tone piece in 12-tone equal temperament in all 24 major and minor keys using the circle of fifths to organize the 12 chromatic pitches in a sequence of perfect fifths." For the rest of us, it's a reminder that Lawrence is well-versed in the creation of time expansion and focused attention. Ride those tones.

#kranky #bowery electric #shoegaze #vinyl #reissue #90s music #post-rock #Bandcamp

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Brian McBride 1970-2023

I got the word this past Saturday morning, August 26, that Brian McBride has passed. The news was not easy to hear. It was my good fortune to have been working for kranky when Brian and Adam Wiltzie agreed to release Stars of the Lid recording on the label. Before I left the label, I was also lucky enough to promote his solo album, When the Detail Lost its Freedom.

It was my great fortune to have known Brian and spent time with him. In addition to his musical work, Brian was a college debater and coach of great skill and renown in the field. I wonder if the ability to examine and articulate the sides of an issue, so crucial in debate, was reflected in Brian's music - so focused on detail and gesture. I have memories of evening conversations, cats, and half-lit rooms in Chicago when I think of Brian. And now I have the accumulated regrets we sometimes get when someone dies - why didn't I stay in touch? Why didn't I follow up on that unanswered email?

So if you love the music Brian made, drop a line or make a call to a friend you haven't talked to for awhile.

#stars of the lid #brian mcbride #kranky

[bruce-adams]

Got an issue of CQ magazine from 1963 and it is a treasure trove.

[bruce-adams]

Scene Report: Cobrafest 2023

Tolono, Illinois is a small village roughly 10 miles south of Champaign and/or Urbana. Matt Talbott, guitarist/singer for the band Hum, set up shop in town running Earth Analog Studios and a tar paper shack drinking establishment, the Loose Cobra.

The bar books bands, with Matt's preferences running to "Rush, Blue Oyster Cult, Waylon Jennings, and Kyuss." A couple of times a year, Matt sets up a stage in the parking lot next to the bar with an impressive sound rig and tiki lights and invites some of his favorite bands to play. And those bands are inevitably HEAVY. Fall 2022 was Okstoner Fest.

This past Saturday, July 8, was Cobrafest. Starting at 4:30 pm the lineup consisted of Nectar, Sweet Cobra, Mutt, Djunah, Terminus Victor, Centaur, Dibiase, and Cloakroom. I got things to do, so to my regret, I did not get down to see Sweet Cobra. I strongly recommend their recent album Threes, though.

Centaur is a trio Matt Talbott formed in 2002 when Hum was on hiatus. My old Cargo Chicago co-worker (and Chambana scene veteran from 16 Tons) Jim Kelly drums and Derek Niedringhaus plays the electric bass guitar. It's been a while since Centaur released any music and I've seen Matt play songs a lot like the Cobrafest set. The man-horse band shares a heaviness with Hum, and I detected a taste of drawn-out psych a la Spacemen 3 in the set. Lots of inner space is expressed via reference to outer space in the lyrics.

Djunah is the Chicago-based duo of guitarist/singer Donna Diane and drummer Jared Karns. They held the big stage well, between Diane's fluid heaviness and Karns' energetic working of the complete drum kit. Like Sweet Cobra, Djunah melds a lot of different hardcore and metal-derived genres into a flowing, sometimes jarring but coherent flow.

I saw Cloakroom at Loose Cobra some time ago and was very pleased when they released the Dissolution Wave EP. It was a significant expansion of the trio's sound into more textured and thematic sounds. I love it when a band pushes its parameters. Doyle Martin brought a box full o' effects to Tolono and it never sounded like he was stomping for stomping's sake. A friend commented that Cloakroom was a "throwback" that night, which I interpreted as some kind of Pink Floyd reference. Well, I hate that shit but I appreciate the trio's sonic explorations AND their commitment to impact. My hopes for their performance were high and they were met.

I was also impressed by the healthy turnout. I observe/complain that the Chambana music scene is dominated by what I call Ken Burns Adjacent kinds of music - bluegrass, alt-country, jammy, and other derivations that, however well played, don't do much for me. It was great to see folks turn out for unrepentant, loud rock music. Even if it's just to set up the camping chair, drink some beer, and hang.

#music writing #cloakroom #centaur #stoner metal #chambana

[bruce-adams]

Look Ma, I'm at a Bonnaroo!

The good people @dublab asked me to provide a mix for their Tonalism tent at @bonnaroo. One hour for me to bring you down with the best ambient/experimental/baroque jams I could find. Crazy to be included among colleagues like Brian Foote, the dublab massive, and heavy hitters like Loscil, Richard Chartier, KMRU, Patrick Shiroishi, and others I deeply respect. You can hear my contribution on dublab.com this coming Wed. 6/14 at 7am PST/ 8 am MST/ 9 am CST/ 10 am EST.

If you can't listen then, no worries! My mix and that of the other contributors will be available on the dublab.com archives.

#dublab #bonnaroo #tonalism #ambient

[bruce-adams]

Catching up

It's been a while. I went to Chicago way back on Sat. May 13 to see Tim Hecker perform at the Empty Bottle. Quite the evening, in addition to meeting old friends "offsite" and reacquainting myself with a bar I used to spend a lot of time at, I watched a phenomenal performance.

My one beef was the opening act. Venue bookers simply should never book an "ambient" or "drone" act before Tim Hecker. It's not fair to the chosen artist. The opener, who shall go unnamed, is a pretty well-known Chicago artist. The washes of sound created seemed tiny and boring once Hecker stepped up. Hecker's variegated soundscapes were so well presented and executed and physical that I can't help but think that most people in the room forgot the opening set. It would have been far more interesting if one of Chicago's dynamic free jazz or improvising musicians had opened instead. In general, shows would be more fun if a greater variety of artists were on a bill. Hecker was more than worth the time, money, effort it took me to get to the Bottle.

In other news, I just finished reading Zak Sally's book Folrath, which was originally released in 3 chapbooks by Zak which are now compiled into one "proper" book. It's a relentlessly honest memoir of his time before Zak took up bass guitar with Low. Zak covers his escapades living in Oakland before and during the explosion of East Bay pop-punk. I also discovered that he and I were likely in the same room watching Laughing Hyenas play.

Next up on the reading pile is Marc Master's forthcoming book High Bias. The photo you see is an advance copy I received because the folks at the University of North Carolina Press are nice and, more importantly, I am a published author with clout.

#music writing #kranky #chicago kranky post rock drone underground #chicago #cassette tape

[bruce-adams]

Inferno from 1911, the first full-length Italian film.

Shown Sunday May 7 at the Spurlock Museum at the University of Illinois.

#silent era #dante #divine comedy #italian film #1911

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90s Chicago Noms

My lifelong dream of being quoted in an article alongside Steve Albini has come to pass. But seriously folks, this article in the Food and Drink issue of the Chicago Reader features a great article on the dear, departed Jim's Grill and some other favorite diners of various musicians in the 1990s. The opening of my book and a quote from Matt Lux was the impulse for Leor Galil to interview scenesters about Jim's and various other greasy spoons in the those days.

Had I but known that Brad Wood was going to bring up Hamburger King (in Lakeview over by your Sheffields and Racine), I would have mentioned "Mongo Beef." That's what my Cargo co-workers called a stir fry dish called Mongolian Beef on the menu. It was my favorite and I dug into the pile of white rice, veggies, and beef strips like Alex Karras' character in Blazing Saddles. "Mongo is just pawn in game of life" was a quote we often pulled out in those days.

Most of those places are gone now, of course. And my big plate o'beef days are far behind me. I still have a favored spot for when I visit the city, maybe I'll bring that up later. I'll be at the Empty Bottle Sat. May 13 to see Tim Hecker play Without a doubt, I'll stop to get a tuna melt or skillet eggs when I'm there. Stay tuned for a full report.

#chicago #kranky #korean food #diners #chicago reader #1990s

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“This place of shame confused with glory.” From a poem by Sun Ra as performed by Angels & Demons (Amirtha Kidambi and Darius Jones) Sunday, April 8 at Krannert Art Museum at University of Illinois. The line struck me after all the events In Tennessee and beyond. Prescience from the spaceways.

#Sun Ra #free jazz #poetry #music

[bruce-adams]

Activity avoiding hipster hellholes since 1993

#music writing #kranky #chicago

[bruce-adams]

Right back at you, Chicago.

The good people at G-Man Tavern will be hosting a Q&A on Wed. April 12. I've done events in Wicker Park, Hyde Park, and now it's time for Lincoln Park (okay, maybe Wrigleyville is more accurate...) Formerly known as the Gingerman, this particular tavern was the site of much kranky aktion in the day, and next-door to Metro which was/is central to the Chicago music scene. Register below or drop in unannounced! Doors open at 7pm, the gabbing starts at 7:30.

#kranky #chicago #cabaret metro chicago #music writing #book talk #chicago bars #1990s

[bruce-adams]

Media blitz continues

I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to blather about my book, Chicago, the music, and Wolverines v. Fighting Illini on the No Wristbands, We Drink For Free podcast, and writing for Your Flesh and touring with Laughing Hyenas on RockWrit.

Eric Hill will cover the book soon, but for now, he's gifted us all with this examination of the Labradford catalog.

And finally, Belt magazine has published a book excerpt.

#music writing #kranky #chicago #music books #steve albini #labradford #smashing pumpkins #urge overkill

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Grazi Rumore.

#italy #music writing #interview #kranky #book review

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Merci, Dusty Groove

#book review #music books #music writing #chicago #dusty groove #kranky

[bruce-adams]

Do you really need to show us that?

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something I just don't like when people post a picture of an LP jacket next to their record player with the record playing. Do I look at it as showing off? Ostentatious? Valorizing vinyl over other formats? Or is it the inundation of pictures on my social media feed of the new Yo La Tengo album? It bothers me.

Anyway, here are some recordings that I've been enjoying lately.

Gordon Ashworth S.T.V.A. | Sweet Cobra Threes | Chris Brokaw Live at the Decommissioned Power Station in Flori, Norway | loscil//lawrence english Colours of Air | Hum Inlet | Claire Rousay a softer focus | KMRU Limen | Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet Dim the Lights, Chill the Ham

#playlist #orinadal records #12XU #kranky #kmru #claire rousay #sweet cobra #chris brokaw #music writing #hum band #shadowy men on a shadowy planet

[bruce-adams]

A good face for podcasting.

It's been a good week for folks broadcasting my voice across the etherwaves.

Jim Derogatis and Greg Kot were kind enough to host me on the Sound Opinions broadcast. It was fun to talk with the Siskel & Ebert of music criticism, I'll let you decide which is which.

J.C. Gabel is a transplanted Chicagoan running Hat & Beard Press in Los Angeles now, and it was a delight speaking to him about You're with Stupid, Chicago in the 90s, and the state of things now on his Big Table podcast.

And finally, Monday, February 6, at 9 pm EST WFMU will broadcast a session I did with Daniel Blumin. Daniel and I have known each other since he ran a label called Roomtone and kranky started, this conversation was our first meeting in the flesh. Like all great conversations, we played our favorite music.

#chicago kranky post rock drone underground #podcast #wfmu #public radio #chicago #1990s