Suddenly I’m all kinds of interested in hockey.
Just one more reason the Blackhawks are the best sports team ever.
In an effort to post more regularly to this site I figured I’d start collecting links to free, free/donation and cheap album deals that go missed by many. Suffice to say, I will like everything I post here so you should too.
Free:
Chaperone - The Ghost Still Haunts
In the saddest news of all, this local Chicago band has apparently played their last show. Seriously, of all these bands no one ever hears about I believed they had the most potential and now it’s all gone. Truly a dark day in my book. Made all the worse by the final show they put on at some hipster dive bar in the middle of the city which was nothing but rock, punk rock, and silly string. It was every bit worth the trip.
So, in honor of their passing, they released this little EP on SoundCloud and it sounds nothing like them live. It’s slow, melodic and almost purposeful and it shows the other side of this band and it’s a side they did equally as well. It won’t cost you a cent and it’s better than a lot of the crap you’re being charged for. Download it in memoriam.
Fairytale of New York - Katzenjammer w/ Ben Caplan & The Trondheim Soloists
Honestly, I didn’t know what to think when I first heard this. Granted, I was excited when it was announced but, even then, I was skeptical. The original of the song, The Pogues version, is a classic, a song I’ve yet to find a cover version I could stand and, somewhere, I was expecting the same outcome with this.
And, that’s the kind of profiling I was placing on this as I went into my first listen. Which is why I kind of went down the same path of not liking this, which I know many won’t. Ben’s voice isn’t traditional, they gender-swap some lyrics and they aren’t The Pogues. That last bit is enough to generate the ire of many a troglodyte who have a computer and an anger with progress that they feel the need to direct towards those paying tribute with their own unique brand of talent.
Which is just what this is, talent. I likened this version to what it would sound like if the lyrics were actually lived in real life. It’s rough, yet beautiful and, though a Christmas song, they never let it get too joyous or hopeful. They pay tribute to the words with their voices and arrangements. They don’t alter the lyrics, which are a bit more uncomfortable than when they were first penned. They stay true to the spirit of the song and let the brief moments of harmony within it remind you to take notice of the brief moments of happiness you get in a world that is usually downtrodden and hurtful, even those you love. Even on Christmas.
Which makes this better than I ever could of expected. Honestly.
You can download the mp3 here.
Once again the year turns to that magical day where no one has to be who they and can instead be whatever weird creature they want whilst drinking and partying and making mistakes they don’t have to care about because they are someone else for the night. It’s almost here…
Unfortunately Halloween does not fall on a Saturday this year but at least the one before the big day has a great, pub-based event to make you forget about that fact; Under the Covers and Screaming 7!
Once again (For the 7th year in a row? Really?) Chicago St. Pub in Joliet, IL hosts the best and certainly most fun local music costume bash in the area. And, even after all these years of bands covering bands, all the good ones haven’t been taken yet, as evident by this years lineup.
John Condron as Elvis Costello
and
Seven dollars at 7:30 on Saturday, October 27th gets you in for rock, roll, booze, fun and even a costume contest. Trick or treating for adults at its finest.
If you’re in the area, please, come support local music.
To encourage those of you in the area more, here’s John Condron and the Benefit covering The Cars Moving in Stereo from a couple years ago:
Here’s an interesting video on why you should support your favorite artists even though it may be difficult to know when your favorite artists are actually getting the money.
Free Album: Muncie Girls - Revolution Summer
Always out to prove that some free music should really be paid for I give you Revolution Summer by Muncie Girls. Graciously provided by If You Make It, this 5-song EP is short and catchy and well worth not only a listen to but a purchase as well. I whole-heartily endorse this band.
