Dig ‘in: Charlie Reed, Friendship, Ty Segall
Check out what the No Wristbands team is listening to and what’s in our show calendars this month on our latest Dig ‘in.
INCOMING
Charlie Reed - Eddy (Earth Libraries LP)
By way of comparison, Luke Trimble equates the transition from his ‘60s-saturated garage rock outfit Uh Bones to present day Charlie Reed as akin to The Beatles morphing into their solo phase. The timeline holds parallels as Eddy is much more indebted to a ‘70s pop vernacular, echoing shades of Dwight Twilley, Alex Chilton, Gram Parsons and yes, George Harrison. Trimble “wanted the record to feel classic, familiar, but refreshing”—hitting “that sweet spot of nostalgia for something that never existed.” His lilting vocals project a world weariness, but welcoming tone. Charlie Reed’s seven member ensemble creates an often twangy, mellifluous backdrop with a well-rounded representation of some of Chicago’s notable instrumentalists; Divino Nino’s Justin Vittori (guitar), Twin Peak’s Colin Croom (pedal steel/guitar) and Spread Joy’s Nick Beaudoin (bass). Tyler Bixby maintains a pleasing balance of punch and restraint on drums, and siblings Nolan and Nora Chin add effective accompaniment on piano and backing vocals. True to the album’s title, there’s an underlying magnetism to Charlie Reed that pulls listeners in and envelops them in a whirlpool of sound that’s both pleasing and provocative. -Bruce Novak
Friendship - Love The Stranger (Merge Records LP)
There are few things I enjoy more than when you hear a band's singles for an upcoming album, and each one gets you more and more hyped for the eventual release. It's even better when the hype you've built in your head ends up being matched by the album, but that's the great news here, Love The Stranger delivers. Friendship traces their origins back to growing up together in Maine, including a summer spent working on a lobster boat. They eventually decamped to Philadelphia, and have been making slow-burning countryish indie over the past seven years. Lead singer Dan Wriggins has a deep, twangy voice that captures observations of everyday life and perfectly counterbalances the musical backing. There is experimentation here, "Alive Twice" was initially Wriggins' vocal take with a Wurlitzer underlay that was then passed to the rest of the band, who in turn layered their own improvised spin onto the track. What we are left with is an atmospheric song that sounds fragile while still driving forward. This album is perfectly paced with several short interludes (less than a minute each) taking you along on the journey. Love The Stranger has both slow burners like "No Way" and more propulsive songs like “Ramekin." If you like what you hear, please make sure you check them out at The Hideout on Sunday, August 14th. -Mark Joyner
Ty Segall - “Hello, Hi” (Drag City LP)
While it’s not uncommon for rock artists to produce acoustic versions of previously issued plugged-in songs, it’s quite rare for musicians known for their string bending prowess to release a predominately acoustic album of new material. Neil Young’s Comes A Time, Springsteen’s Nebraska and J Mascis’ Seven Shades of Why come to mind in that regard. Considering his prolific output, perhaps it was inevitable for Ty Segall to join those ranks. His jumping off point hearkens to nascent T. Rex, Marc Bolan in folk mode—more troubadour than space trooper. Hello, Hi, which was recorded at Segall’s Harmonizer home studio elicits a casual vibe; a day-in-the-life reveal. Even the one cover song, “Don’t Lie” off the Mantles’ debut album, hits close to home coming from a contemporary fellow Golden State outfit. Strangely enough, the outlier on the album is the title track which brings Ty’s trademark fuzz and distortion to the fore. That level of diversity speaks volumes about Segall’s talents—immeasurable regardless of any decibel reading. - Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Fleet Foxes
Where: The Salt Shed / Directions
When: August 3, 7:00 PM
Fleet Foxes are back on tour for the first time in four years, and will hopefully be playing songs from their 2020 surprise release Shore. Shore was an album created in isolation during the early days of the pandemic, and it will be fascinating to see it played live as we've only seen Robin Pecknold perform songs from it solo without the backing of the full band. The amazing thing about seeing Fleet Foxes live is that they can really pull off the harmonizing they do in the studio. I remember seeing them at Pitchfork in 2011 and was completely captivated as they sounded perfect, and this feeling was only strengthened upon seeing them again in 2017 at Chicago Theatre. Fleet Foxes' back catalog presents the opportunity for a setlist that spans early day highlights "Blue Ridge Mountains" and "Sim Sala Bim,” to the complexity of 2017's Crack Up "-Naiads, Cassadies" and on to Shore's more direct numbers like “Thymia," Whatever they end up playing, they are sure to sound pristine. -Mark Joyner
The Wild Hearts Tour — Sharon Van Etten / Angel Olsen/ Julien Baker
Where: The Salt Shed / Directions
When: August 10, 5:00 PM
As mutual admirers of each other’s work and Jagjaguwar label mates, it seemed inevitable and fitting that Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen would become collaborators. Last year found them sharing a cover of “Femme Fatale” for the Velvet Underground tribute record I’ll Be Your Mirror, only to be followed by their masterful single “Like I Used To.” Realizing that the two of them were often out on tour during the same time in recent years, it made perfect sense for them to do it together this time around. The pair also maintained a fondness for fellow singer-songwriter Julien Baker and added her to the caravan of musical delights. For Baker, it’s perhaps a bit of deja vu, having previously toured with boygenius along with Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. Coming from disparate backgrounds, each performer’s material is distinct, but shares a commonality in introspection and steadfast resiliency—and of course all of them have powerful voices that can melt and mend hearts interchangeably. The three artists perform separate sets of roughly ten songs with their full backing bands. Thus far the tour has featured Van Etten and Olsen closing out the performance with encores of the aforementioned “Like I Used To” and Harry’ Nilsson’s heartstring ballad “Without You.” Wishful thinking is that the trio carves out some studio time in the future where they can combine those talents for yet unheared-of heights. - Bruce Novak
Bev Rage & the Drinks
Where: Shubas Tavern / Directions
When: August 13, 7:30 PM
Beverly Rage brings her larger-than-life stage presence to celebrate the release of the Drinks’ second LP, Exes & Hexes out on What’s For Breakfast? Records. As descendants of the ‘80s Queercore movement, BR&TD peddle in pop/punk—mixing camp and satire to explore gender politics, relationship dynamics and power disparity. Rage channels the spirit of punk drag rebels Jayne County, Divine and Vaginal Cream Davis with an in-your-face combination of frightwig-do, killer lipstick and stiletto heels. Recent additions Mary Rose Gonzales (drums) and Dan Jarvis (guitar/organ) now pair with Rage (lead vocals/guitar) and Sam Westerling (bass/organ) to provide the group with their first all queer line-up. The band is a tasty treat in more ways than one, as their stage act has been known to incorporate various audience snack giveaways. -Bruce Novak
UNCOVERED
John’s Children - There’s An Eye In The Sky (Easy Action compilation)
After initial consideration of placing a teenage Marc Bolan in the Yardbirds, legendary English manager Simon Napier-Bell switched course and inserted him as a guitarist and songwriter for John’s Children. The openly gay Napier-Bell was an ideal agitator to guide the theatrics of the band, going so far as penning their song “Strange Affair” under the pseudonym Fingers Groin and titling one of their albums Orgasm! His influence carried forth into the punk and new wave era, with managing gigs for British bands Ultravox, London and Japan, before striking it big with Wham! In the spring of 1967, John’s Children went on tour in Germany with Track Record label mates The Who. After a mere five dates, they were summarily dismissed by The Who’s manager Kit Lambert following a gig where the riot police were called in amidst the band flogging their instruments and each other with chains and shredding pillows filled with feathers into the audience. After having their equipment confiscated by German authorities and getting deported back to England, Marc Bolan left the band and soon thereafter hatched his plans for T. Rex. Incorporating mod, psych and freakbeat stylings, John’s Children also provided a foundation for the glam rock that Bolan popularized. As the band’s vocalist and provocateur, Andy Ellison was the focal point and along with bassist John Hewlett authored a majority of their songs. After having little commercial success with the release of half a dozen singles and one album, the original John’s Children called it a day in 1968. But then again, when you’re referred to as being “too loud and violent” by the seen-it-all Pete Townshend, well you know you’ll forever live in infamy. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: