Dig ‘in: Partner Look, Modern Nature, Silverbacks
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
Partner Look - By The Book (Trouble in Mind LP)
Inspiration can be found in unlikely circumstances, which is how Partner Look came to be when the flatmates penned their first song as a wedding gift tribute for a family friend whose ceremony in Germany was beyond their travel capabilities from their Melbourne perch. Not that the quartet wasn’t already well versed in the creative process as various members had previously released recordings with the likes of Cool Sounds, Studio Magic, The Ocean Party and Pop Filter. Beyond the band’s coordinated outfits (that reflects their name choice), there’s a shared pop sensibility that runs through their songwriting. But by giving voice to all four members (German sisters Ambrin & Anila Hasnain, and Australian natives Dainis Lacey & Lachlan Denton), By The Book remains textured and varied as it plays to the strengths of each musician. One can only hope that travel for the band doesn’t persist to be an obstacle and that Chicago-based Trouble In Mind can coax a performance in our fair city. - Bruce Novak
Modern Nature - Island of Noise (Bella Union LP)
After closing the chapter on Ultimate Painting in 2018, the sublime pop outfit Jack Cooper formed with James Hoare (The Proper Ornaments, Veronica Falls), he’s invested his talents into Modern Nature. Island of Noise marks the third album release for this outfit, that also incorporates past collaborators Jeff Tobias (sax, bass clarinet) and Jim Wallis (percussion). Cooper was inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest, in creating the record’s theme of island discovery and mystery. It’s an ambitious undertaking in which he mined the talent pool of noted British classical and free jazz musicians to create an amorphous, yet cohesive suite of compositions. A limited box set edition further upped the ante with a companion instrumental version (Island of Silence) and a corresponding book that collects an interpretation of one of the album’s tracks by ten of Cooper’s admired fellow artists from all walks of the creative and analytical community. If that strikes you as high-minded, rest assured that Island of Noise retains a gorgeous, meditative quality that works on many different levels of engagement. -Bruce Novak
Silverbacks - Archive Material (Full Time Hobby LP)
One of the joys of of rock music can be found in its ephemeral nature; catching a moment in time before it’s here and gone. On Archive Material, Dublin’s Silverbacks try to balance ingratiating themselves in the present while offering something more substantial that will be remembered over time. Their shifting and aggressive three guitar attack garners immediate attention, but they’re also astute enough to vary pace and texture across the record so as not to appear to be just a one trick pony. The adenoidal vocals turns of brothers Daniel and Kilian O’Kelly are leavened by Emma Hanlon’s mellifluous singing, which comes to the fore in “Wear My Medals” and “I’m Wild.” Lyrically, Archive Material deals with assessing the complexities of life during a pandemic and the band hopes that their work will be viewed with significance when people look back at that point in time. Perhaps nothing quite captures the uneasiness of circumstances as well as the second verse on the title track: “Sweating buckets in the restroom / Getting high on the archive / What a time to be alive.” Sometimes just surviving is enough of an accomplishment; the Silverbacks are well aware of this and will be ready to fight again some other day. -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Charlie Reed / Eric Slick / Case Oats
Where: Sleeping Village / Directions
When: February 22, 7:30 PM
This is a bargain folks! Five bucks ($7.73 with fees) to see three bands at Sleeping Village. Plus it's $1 beer night - PBR. You can’t go wrong. First up we’ve Casey Gomez Walker’s band Case Oats with Spencer Tweedy, Jason Ashworth & Max Subar. They’re working on a debut record, so I’d expect we’d hear some of those new tunes. Then we’ve got Eric Slick from Philadelphia (maybe with his wife Natalie Prass?). Finally, Luke Trimble has a new Chicago band called Charlie Reed with a bunch of his talented friends. Their new LP Eddy is scheduled to be out May 1st. This is a terrific way to hear and support some great new indie music. -Tom Novak
The Weather Station
Where: Lincoln Hall / Directions
When: February 25, 8:00 PM
The Weather Station comes to town touring behind their stellar 2021 album Ignorance. This band needs to be seen this go-around, when you can catch them in the comfy confines of a place like Lincoln Hall. Tracks like Robber need to bounce off the walls and envelope you in the layered percussion and (slightly) srkonky sax. Frontwoman Tamara Lindeman’s subtle showmanship will be on display to burn along side those deeply satisfying grooves her bandmates achieve. - Wade Novak
Automatic
Where: Empty Bottle / Directions
When: February 26, 1:30 PM
The last time Automatic set foot in the parts was November 2019 at the Hideout in support of their just recently released Signal album. Without an abundance of material to pull from, their set was lean and taut, even with being fleshed-out with their inspired take on Delta 5’s “Mind Your Own Business.” With the passing of Delta founding member, Julz Sale, last fall, it’s encouraging to know that there’s a new generation of like-minded artists to carry the torch forward. Automatic’s appearance is part of Empty Bottle’s annual Music Frozen Dancing festival, which sports another strong line-up this year. Expect another truncated set (after all, the show takes place outside during the Chicago winter), but hopefully a preview of some new material the band has been able to develop over the past two years. -Bruce Novak
UNCOVERED
Delta 5 - Singles & Sessions 1979-81 (Kill Rock Stars compilation)
During the initial punk era, the 7” single was transformed from a mechanism for chart topping aspirations to an economical platform for delivering the immediacy and timely messaging of that DIY genre. Such was true for the co-ed quintet Delta 5, who emerged out of the gate with three outstanding singles before recording their only LP, See The Whirl, in April of 1981. Eschewing the streamlined recording approach of the previous singles, the band elected for more experimentation in tracking the album and seemed regretful of the decision as they packed it in shortly after the record was released that fall. Upon their inception, Delta 5 shared an aesthetic with fellow Leeds outfits Gang of Four and The Mekons. Their drummer Kelvin Knight had briefly replaced Gof4’s Hugo Burnham before reuniting with guitarist Alan Riggs—the two of whom had previously played together in another outfit from York. Mekons mainstay Jon Langford also contributed artwork, songwriting and additional guitar to the band’s efforts. While the three groups shared certain stylistic elements, Delta 5 distinguished themselves with the twin bass arsenal of Ros Allen and Bethan Peters, who also assisted Julz Sale (RIP) with the band’s acerbic, deadpan vocals. Forty years following their dissolution, the band’s debut single, “Mind Your Own Business,” was plucked for Apple’s privacy campaign commercial (courtesy of a former Kill Rock Stars staffer). Mercifully, Delta 5 maintained the song’s copyright, so not only were they able to approve its use, but also benefit from the resulting renumeration. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: