Anni Rossi gets an 8.0 on Pitchfork

Download: Anni Rossi - "Ecology"

If you haven't already picked up Anni Rossi's latest record, Rockwell, named for the street she lives on in Chicago, then you absolutely should. Personally speaking, I'm more partial to the Afton EP which came out last fall (which I retroactively put on my best-of list for 2008, b/c I'm a dumbass), but Rockwell has more than its fair share of viola-plucked charms and unique vocal stylings. After being released on March 10th, Pitchfork has finally gotten around to reviewing Ms. Rossi's disc, and they've bestowed upon it a very great score of 8.0.

Here's the a key paragraph:

Anni Rossi's 4AD debut full-length, Rockwell...is the conclusion of a series of recording experiments taken over the last few years. Her instrumentation is so sparse that it naturally calls for the highest standards of recording to fully translate the relationship between the vocals and strings, so it's not surprising that she chose to record Rockwell with Steve Albini, albeit in a day

Read the rest of Mia Clarke's review here.

Check out video of Rossi performing in the MPLS right here.

Read my review of Rockwell for Decider Chicago here

Anni Rossi MySpace Page

(actual words by Jon Graef, but written in spirit by Ian Anderson)

Reunited Jesus Lizard To Open Pitchfork 2009

Via Chicago Breaking News:

The reunited Jesus Lizard will play its first hometown show in 11 years July 17 at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park, promoters will announce Friday.

The noise-rock quartet broke up in 1999, but the original lineup of David Yow, Duane Denison, David Wm. Sims, and Mac McNeilly has announced plans to play a handful of shows this year while their label, Touch & Go, reissues much of their back catalogue.

I think there's a used copy of something Jesus Lizard-related with my name written all over it.

The Jesus Lizard Wiki Page

Video: The Jesus Lizard - "Destroy Before Read" and "Puss"

As a tribute to not-quite dearly departed Chicago indie stalwart Touch and Go, Pitchfork TV posted video of one of its essential artists performing in their most exciting capacity--live. To watch cathartic chaos personified, head over here to watch The Jesus Lizard perform "Destroy Before Read" and "Puss". Or watch the video at the top of the post. Either way, just sit down and watch. It's utterly essential that you do so.

The Jesus Lizard MySpace Page

Flyer: Pitchfork 500 Release Party

Pitchfork Calls New Sea and Cake Record Its Best in 10 Years

I just interviewed Sam Prekop for the cover story of next month's Chicago Innerview. He no doubt would be quite excited that Pitchfork has called their latest release, Car Alarm, their best record in over a decade:

The problem with Oui and One Bedroom is hard to define since "coasting" isn't really a pejorative with this band; their M.O. is such that you want them to coast a little, to float along unencumbered by friction. Still, last year's Everybody showed what was missing from those records, serving as a reminder that melodic invention, a bit more drive, and quirky hooks had central roles on the best Sea and Cake albums. And all those qualities are present on Car Alarm to an even greater degree, making this their best album in over a decade.

Car Alarm is pretty great, but I'd hardly characterize Oui as lacking drive or quirky hooks. Read the rest of the review here.


(Sea and Cake - "Weekend")

Lucky you, you can stream the entire record at the band's MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)
chicagoismildlyinteresting@gmail.com

Volcano Earn A 7.9 on Pitchfork

Via Pitchfork:

It may be easy to create an indie rock song that eschews structure for instrumental shock-and-awe, or reveals too much information in the lyrics, or pokes fun at messianic rock stars. Doing all of the above is rare, however-- as is making each stray verse or hiccup as arresting as the one before it-- but volcano! manage this on their second record, Paperwork, even better than they did on their debut, Beautiful Seizure.

Read more here.

Check out these videos of the band's release party at the Hideout:


("Africa Just Wants To Have Fun")


("Fairy Tale")

Watch more here.

Volcano MySpace Page

Aleks And The Drummer Written Up In Pitchfork

Download: Aleks and the Drummer - "I Want To Melt His Eyes" (via P4K)

From the Forkcast article written by Kasia Galazka:

leks Tomaszewska is shy with a slight accent curling her words. But come nightfall, she slips into her shiniest, most rainbowiest gear, adds a little Jackson Pollock facepaint under her eyelids, and chopsticks her Farfisa organ. With an unwavering siren's trill (if sirens existed in Douglas Adams novels), Tomaszewska debuts with her band Aleks and the Drummer. After fiddling with a few bands and her sister's grand piano, the self-trained Tomaszewska--or Tomasczhewvshschszski as she keyboard-mashes on the band's MySpace page, to the amusement of mispronunciation victims--started the band with drummer Deric Criss about two years ago. Where the headbanded Bat for Lashes' Natasha Khan dipped her tribal toe, the equally headbanded, sci-fi Tomaszewka charges with "I Want to Melt His Eyes." The song, a slapdash of frantic with hyper-romantic, is the first track off the band's Dave Sitek-produced EP May a Lightning Bolt Caress You.

May a Lightning Bolt Caress You is really one of the best local releases of the year. Buy it at any of the Reckless'.

Aleks and The Drummer MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)