Month: March 2011

I Lost Control @ Darkroom, 3/25/11

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I got a chance to see what is probably my favorite Chicago band last night. I Lost Control took the stage midway between The Vindits and The Moves. I’ve seen ILC a couple of times before, and they did not disappoint last night.

The Vindits opened up, and I have to say, it’s gotta be tough to be the first band onto a bar stage. The crowd is still at the beer-and-conversation level of focus and energy. Except for your buddies, you can assume everyone is there to see the other bands. (Case in point: me.) How do you move the crowd to the totally-into-the-music level? Well, the Vindits tried to do it with a really solid surf-guitar/swamp rockabilly sound. I thought they hit it musically, but something was missing. First, they played five or six songs, and every one was at about the same tempo. Nothing was exactly downtempo, but nothing made me sit up and take notice. A little variety would have increased the energy level. Secondly, the vocals just missed. I thought the lead singer’s voice – basic indie tenor – was mismatched. The could have used a Johnny Cash bass, or (as the music put me in mind of the Cramps) the late, lamented Lux Interior.

I’ll discuss ILC in a minute. They were, after all, the real reason I went. But first, the headliner: The Moves. I try to subscribe to the philosophy that if you can’t say something nice about someone… oh, who am I kidding? No I don’t. And really, I don’t have much nice to say about the Moves. I don’t have much that isn’t nice to say either, because frankly, I kind of tuned them out and we left partway through their set. The band played straight-up power rock, and the lead singer had that Geddy Lee/Dennis DeYoung ultra-high tenor thing going. Basically, they sounded like they were trying to be Journey, and that does nothing for me.

So, ILC. I will tell you right now, this band hits all the right buttons as far as I am concerned. You can hear influences from Joy Division (“Runaway Train,” “Denial,” and of course the band’s name) to Devo to Talking Heads to Bauhaus and to just about every other band I loved in the late 70’s and early 80’s. The lead singer, Stevo Anderson, has a baritone to bass-baritone sound reminiscent of Ian Curtis or Lou Reed (or the aforementioned Lux Interior). Complex beats and great bass and guitar work always get me, and these people have those in spades. Also, how can you not love a Chicago band that does a song about Jon Burge? My only complaint: I want new songs. They have a 5-track EP out (and more tracks to listen to at their website), and I will never get bored with the tracks that I know… but MOAR PLEEZ kthxbai.

Final verdict:

The Vindits: Close. Really solid music, but they need a little more energy and a different vocal sound.

The Moves: Meh. Not my thing.

I Lost Control: Excellent. Absolutely right on and deserving of all accolades. I hope to see great things for this band.

Untitled

Yeah, OK. Guilty pleasure time.

Ca Plane Pour Moi. This song is a long-time favorite of mine, and this version wins a prize I can’t even come up with a name for: it’s Plastic Bertrand, the original singer of the song… backed by The Bosshoss, a German band that specializes in shit-kicking country&western covers of American pop and hip-hop songs.

So… that happened.  The Bosshoss also has a song — possibly an original — I can’t stop listening to, even though I don’t really know if I like it or not. More on that, perhaps, later.  Meanwhile, just go here and check out some of their other videos.

419.2?

I guess the “Nigerian” scammers have finally realized that a lot of people are onto their scam (referred to as “419” or “Advance Fee Fraud”), and their revenues must be down or something, because today I got the email below, which explains how one scam victim was able to end-run the scammers and collect the money that was due him:

Attn: My Dear,

I am Mr. Tom Smith, I am a US citizen, 48 years Old. I reside here in New York City. My residential address is as follows. 164 Convent Avenue New York, NY 10031. I am one of those that took part in the Compensation in Nigeria many years ago and they refused to pay me, I had paid over $50,000 while in the US, trying to get my payment all to no avail.

So I decided to travel to WASHINGTON D.C with all my compensation documents, And I was directed by the ( F B I) Director to contact Mr.Kelvin Williams, who his a representative of the ( F B I ) and a member of the COMPENSATION AWARD COMMITTEE, currently in Nigeria.and I contacted him and he explained everything to me. He said whoever is contacting us through email are frauds.

He took me to the paying bank for the claim of my Compensation payment. Right now I am the happiest man on earth because I have received my compensation funds of $15 Million Us Dollars Moreover, Mr.Kelvin Williams, showed me the full information of those that are yet to receive their payments and I saw your name as one of the beneficiaries, and your email address, that is why I decided to email you to stop dealing with those people, they are not in posession of your funds, they are only making money off you. I will advise you to contact Mr.Kelvin Williams.

You have to contact him directly on this information below.

COMPENSATION AWARD HOUSE

Name : Mr.Kelvin Williams

Email: [something in the .kz TLD… because all FBI agent email is through Khazakstan, don’tcha know?]

You really have to stop dealing with those people that are contacting you and telling you that your fund is with them, it is not in anyway with them, they are only taking advantage of you and they will dry you up until you have nothing.

The only money I paid after I met Mr.Kelvin Williams was just $390 for the paper works, take note of that.

Once again stop contacting those people, I will advise you to contact Mr.Kelvin Williams so that he can help you to Deliver your fund instead of dealing with those liars that will be turning you around asking for different kind of money to complete your transaction.

Thank You and Be Blessed.

Mr.Tom Smith

164 Convent Avenue New York,

NY 10031.

It was addressed to “Attn: My Dear” because I’m sure I had a deep, meaningful relationship with Mr. Smith, that I just can’t recall at the moment. And now at last, I’m going to collect on that big payday.