F&M

Indie-music-in-commercials-watch: It was only a matter of time before Fujiya and Miyagi's incredibly awesome "Collarbone" showed up in a commercial, and low and behold . . . Miller Lite it is.

Belated Earth Day

In a non-music related post, I wanted to plug my friend Brady and his Earth Day comic cards, which I've been receiving for years in the mail and are available online on his blog. I'm a week late, but happy belated Earth Day!

Where's the ladies?

So the Pitchfork line-up is complete, and it's a total dudefest. Not a single female-fronted act, and according to the rough calculations of RFC's Jason and Kirstie, there are only 9 women in the bands amongst the 40+ acts. I know indie rock is a male-dominated field, but at least last year had Yoko Ono, Cat Power, and Beach House doing a little representing. Throw us a token bone at least!

The Office

On last night's episode of the Office, Michael and Dwight hit up some New York clubs with Ryan, and LCD Soundsystem's "Tribulations" and then The Faint's "Worked Up so Sexual" were on in background. How hip, Ryan. It's the kind of music I would expect him to have on his iPod to try to show how New York he is now.

Though I'm not sure I like this whole Ryan-as-drug-addict storyline, it doesn't really fit in with the types of problems I watch the Office to enjoy. Like Michael getting gum stuck in his hair.

I saw this in the newspaper yesterday and thought it should be the press photo for Bush's new band. Just something about it.

So Neko breaks her ankle and then I get the flu, so we both missed the New Pornographers/Okkervil River show last night. Huge bummer, as this was a show I'd been looking forward to for months.

Luckily for me, I'll be hitting up this year's Sasquatch Festival in Seattle over Memorial Day weekend, and both acts will be on the bill.

Radio Show Update

I've been away for my show for the last two weeks, and unfortunately, I'm going to be away for another two. All this traveling has left me ill, so I'm taking a break this Monday so as not to infect the next DJ. Then another exciting work trip to Dallas and Houston will keep me away from my show on the 28th.

Luckily, unlike in past years when I take a summer hiatus, I've decided to keep my Monday night time slot this summer, but will alternate every other week with another DJ to keep my summer activities flexible. I figured that with the impending change to Loyola occuring July 1st, it can't hurt to stay "on the radar" by being on the summer schedule (though I maintain my position that the changeover will not have any immediate or even short-term effect on my show, an unpopular position, I realize). The summer schedule starts May 4, when I will back and hopefully not too rusty!

No Neko

Worst news ever! My excitement for this Sunday's New Pornographers/Okkervil River show has been slightly tempered by this news that Neko Case is leaving the tour due to an ankle injury :( . I'm guessing Carl Newman's niece Kathryn Calder will step in on her parts? I've seen her do so before and she has proven to be an able substitute, but still, it just won't be the same.

Dr. Stringz

Chicago superstar Andrew Bird has another blog posting up on the NYT website as he continues to chronicle his songwriting process.

In other exciting Bird news, he'll be playing a FREE show in Millenium Park on September 3 with the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International. Last year's free Decemberists show with the CSO at the Pavillion was one of the highlights of my summer, so I have high hopes for this performance as well.

This news totally put me in the mood to watch Dr. Stringz again.

Les Savy Fav @ Pitchfork

I've returned from the Caymans (a.k.a. "Little Canada")* to the news in my inbox that Les Savy Fav will be playing Pitchfork. While any chance to see Les Savy Fav is a good one since they so rarely tour and are so incredibly awesome, the last time they played in Chicago was . . . at the first Pitchfork festival (when it was still called Intonation). Play a venue already!

Les Savy Fav dates:
04-25 Indio, CA - Coachella Valley Music Festival
04-27 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall [w/Dodos]
05-21 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom [w/Zack Gallflankis]
TBA Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival
07-25 Seattle, WA - Capitol Hill Block Party
07-26 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom

*I've never met so many Canadians in my life. Not even when I was in Canada. Even our progressive friends to the north like to escape the tax man.

Grandaddy

Indie-rock-in-commercials-watch: heard Grandaddy's "AM 180" on a Dodge commerical today. Seeing as Grandaddy has been on one of those "indefinite hiatuses (hiati?) for a couple years now, I'm guessing Jason Lytle needed some cash?

Flight of the Conchords

So far I don't know a single person that successfully got Flight of the Conchords tickets, and within minutes of going on sale they were available on Craigslist for exorbitant amounts of money. As RFC's Kirstiecat said the other day, "How can a band with only one fan sell out the Chicago Theatre?"

Festivals

This Tinymixtapes news story points out that all the festival headliners this summer seem to be straight out of the mid-90s. I guess all the festival promoters are feeling nostalgic for some reason- maybe the economy is leaving them depressed and listening to the Stone Temple Pilots brings them back to the heyday of the Clinton years. Or maybe there's just no good big acts out there these days.

New Music

Hey, what do you know, Pitchfork agrees with me on the new Helio Sequence album. Can't wait to see them at Schubas in May.

Meanwhile, it's rare I don't like something DFA-related, but I'm not sure I totally "get" this Hercules and Love Affair album people are drooling over. Maybe I just need more time with it, but a ton of the songs feature Antony (from Antony and the Johnsons) singing over dance music, and I just don't see how his unique voice is at all suited for it.

Business Time

Flight of the Conchords
Wednesday, May 14
Chicago Theatre
Tickets on sale tomorrow, April 11 at noon.

Awesome.

Ravinia 2008

The Ravinia summer schedule is now posted on the Ravinia website, and tickets go on sale April 17. Most notable amongst the adult contemporary fun is Feist on July 11, which I think will finally get me to Ravinia in what will be my 5th (!) summer in Chicago. One more thing to check off the summer to-do list.

Other Ravinia concerts this summer, some more comical than others:
James Taylor, June 6-7
Isaac Hayes, June 13
Willie Nelson, June 20
Matisyahu, June 26
The Temptations w/ the Four Tops, June 28
A Prairie Home Companion w/ Garrison Keillor, July 5
Feist, July 11
Lyle Lovett, July 12
Hootie and the Blowfish, July 25
Sheryl Crow, August 10
Backstreet Boys, August 24
Aimee Mann, August 31

Lolla Lineup

Is it just me, or is the 2008 Lollapalooza lineup (aside from the headliners) just a combination of bands from the last couple of Lollapalooza lineups? It's hard to get excited about seeing the same bands every year, especially when I know all of my favorites will be playing at the exact same time anyway on opposite sides of the park. Still, I'll probably wait to see the individual day lineups and buy a one-day ticket for whatever day Radiohead is playing.

Though I will say I'm enjoying this new, subversive Jim DeRogatis- taking on Ryan Schreiber and pissing off Perry Farrell in a matter of weeks!

EDIT: Oh, looks like Radiohead is August 1st.

Scarlett

Looks like Scarlett Johannson's Tom Waits cover album has a title, a (terrible) album cover, and is produced by TV on the Radio's David Sitek. Oh, and David Bowie is on it.

I swear I don't get all my music news from People.com.

Gentrification

Oh, how the Onion never fails to amuse. Especially when it rips on Williamsburg and Wicker Park.

Lillstreet Benefit

Here's a cool benefit going on at my neighborhood art center this Friday, April 5th. Help support the arts!

More on ArtReach:

Artreach at Lillstreet is dedicated to bringing hands-on art making experiences into your community. Whether your community is an elementary or high school, a nursing home, a church, an after school group or something completely different, we are there for you. Or here, if you prefer, with an on-site field trip to our sister organization the Lillstreet Art Center. Artreach at Lillstreet is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 organization providing low-cost, high-quality arts education and public art programs for people and communities in need – and we believe all communities need art. We serve more than 5,000 youth and adult students per year with hands-on art making experiences in ceramics, painting & drawing, puppet & mask making, and more. As such, we are making art and expression more available, especially to groups who often lack a voice in our society.

Taking a break . . .

This past weekend I got hit with a cold that pretty much decimated my voice, so you can only imagine how wonderful I sounded on the radio last night. The show will be up later tonight so you can enjoy my pain in all its glory.

I've got a sub for the next two weeks of my show due to a couple of upcoming work trips to New York and the Cayman Islands. (Yes, I will be there setting up illegal bank accounts through which I will funnel all my laundered offshore money). Perhaps all the shady Cayman accountants will have a secret underground music scene I can report back on. Either way, I'll be back on the air on the 21st.