By Tom Lynch

Creativity forced through limitation is nothing new. Artists work within boundaries all the time, due to necessity, self-challenge, maybe even both. Eric Elbogen of Say Hi To Your Mom has gone through some changes in recent years—he relocated from New York to Seattle, for one, and also, probably more importantly, reduced his moniker to simply Say Hi—and for his newest record, his first on Barsuk, titled “Oohs & Aahs,” he insisted on staying away from his typical indie-pop synths and focused more on guitars. Essentially, Elbogen wanted to make a rock record. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you in a band? If so, Jesse Elliott would like to play with you. As the mastermind behind Americana-influenced, D.C.-based rock quintet These United States, Elliott has quickly forged a reputation as being a collaborative freak, seemingly asking the whole world to make music with him. Take 2008, for instance, a year in which Elliott, working with singer-songwriter Paleo and with the help of thirty other musicians, released electro-indie record “A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate of the Garden of Eden,” then quickly turned around, formed a band in D.C. and put out an alt-country record with “Crimes.” In between those records—in a move that conjured up the grassroots spirit of the band’s moniker—Elliott and company took to the road, visiting thirty-three cities and recruiting local bands to learn their songs and play with them at each stop. Basically, if you’ve got a guitar, a tambourine, a musical jug or whatever, you and Jesse should jam.

With an army of collaborators, These United States naturally blends a plethora of different perspectives. “A Picture of Three of Us…”, for example, sounds like a less-synthetic Postal Service record with narration by M. Ward, psychedelic contributions from Beck and bedroom-pop production. Read the rest of this entry »

RECOMMENDED

Since 2003, local label Numero Group—founded by self-described music obsessives Tom Lunt, Rob Sevier and Ken Shipley—has been compiling rare, mostly unheard records from eras past and releasing re-mastered recordings, bringing new light to several artists and their material that would’ve otherwise been long forgotten. The genre of music isn’t limited to anything specific, either, as the label has dipped its paws into everything from soul to disco to world music, with literally every venture a unique success. Tonight, Numero Group presents its “Eccentric Soul Revue,” featuring performances by Syl Johnson, Renaldo Domino, The Notations and the long absent The Final Solution. For lovers of soul, this is a must-see event for sure. (Tom Lynch)

April 4 at Park West, 322 W. Armitage, (773)929-5959, 9pm.

RECOMMENDED

I was at Danny’s Tavern losing my shit on the dance floor recently at one of the bar’s popular Smiths Nights and a stranger next to me spun some yarn about seeing Morrissey live once and being in the first row, and how the beloved icon reached down and touched him, and how it was the most amazing moment of his life, the brief seconds of physical contact with the mysterious crooner. How many other rock ‘n’ roll figures could have such an impact on a life? Morrissey’s post-Smiths career has been incredibly consistent over the many years since that band’s split, and the recent “Years of Refusal” is another addition to the fine solo catalogue. The man is still vivacious, still honest to fault and, when he wants to be, still one mean son of a bitch. In the end, Morrissey’s always had the biggest heart and the biggest sleeve.  Glad to know it’s still on there. (Tom Lynch)

April 4 at Aragon, 1106 W. Lawrence, (773)561-9500, at 8pm.

RECOMMENDED

Local five-piece outfit Yourself and the Air breezes through its new EP “Friends of All Breeds” with significant indie-rock swagger. (An incessant xylophone on one track works much better than you would expect.) The pop element and use of multiple voices reminds me of Bound Stems’ work, as does the somewhat advanced structures put to use. “Friends of All Breeds” serves as evidence that there’s more original material to be made by this band, but as first steps go, the record is rather impressive. The dual guitarwork, intricate, clean for the most part, has the most lasting impact. (Tom Lynch)

April 3 at Subterranean, 2011 W. North, (773)278-6600, 9:30pm. $7-$10.

I don’t usually ascribe to the notion that a band can be “over-the-top” (case in point: I consider E.L.O. to be one of the top ten acts of the 1970s), and Boston’s arena-rock collective Bang Camaro is no exception: this band isn’t over-the-top enough. Seeking to answer the question, “wouldn’t Ratt be awesome if they had like ten extra lead singers?” Bang Camaro regurgitates hair metal as generically as possible—cock-rock riffs that go nowhere, excessively predictable shredding and eight-to-fifteen singers that eliminate the genre’s most appealing trait—the cocky, repulsive and spandex-laden lead singer who spits at the audience and thinks his chest hair gets him chicks. Even lyrics—which are a slam-dunk to write for metal—are bewilderingly lame. Many are just repetitions of the title. The lyrics to “Nightlife Commando” are “Nightlife Commando! Just a nightlife commando!” sung over and over again. After watching the band’s morning Lollapalooza set, it was sadly apparent: Bang Camaro is pretty boring, which is something you should never say about a sixteen-piece hair-metal act. (Andy Seifert)

April 6 at Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee, (773)489-3160, 9pm. $15.

RECOMMENDED

Canadian electronic-pop duo Junior Boys brings its charming swagger to the stage at the Metro this Thursday, following its Coachella appearance. The group began producing music in 2003, and only one week ago released its third full-length album for Domino, “Begone Dull Care.” In just a few years the group, now comprised of vocalist Jeremy Greenspan and instrumentalist Matt Didemus, has become a standout act in its genre. The boys have earned their stripes blending analog and digital tracks to create catchy dance tracks with a twist, free of the musical clichés and pretentious attitudes often plaguing similar live acts. Also embarking on Junior Boys’ massive North American tour is Domino label-mate Max Tundra, aka Ben Jacobs. An electronic act who sings and plays multiple instruments, Jacobs also hosts a weekly radio show for Resonance FM, a London-based community radio station. Max Tundra has remixed bands such as Franz Ferdinand, Pet Shop Boys, The Futureheads and more. His uplifting and eclectically styled mix of dance-rock tunes should be a proper warm-up for Junior Boys. (Elly Rifkin)

April 2 at Metro, 3730 N. Clark, (773)549-0203.

RECOMMENDED

Most conventional rock bands record in a cozy studio, but for Australian rock quartet The Drones’ latest album, “Havilah,” the band settled into a deserted mud-brick home in the middle of a forest outside Melbourne, and the resulting music is as cryptic and depressing as I imagine a month isolated in an Australian forest would be. While The Drones may consider the Victorian foothills to be a peaceful place, “Havilah” roars with a melancholy discontent, a record with a foundation in blues-rock (probably the best damn guitar tone to ever come out of Australia) yet dependent on atonal melodies and Gareth Liddiard’s captivating squalls, which probably scared away any anxious marsupials. Pay attention—Liddiard’s mishmash of impenetrable lyrics are as hypnotic as the backing music. “I have the same old dream about a tunnel by my bed/From where the stench of shit of minotaurs yawns like lewd and evil breath,” Liddiard sings, proving that no matter how incomprehensible, lyrics about the feces of mythical creatures are inherently awesome. (Andy Seifert)

April 7 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, (773)525-2508, at 9pm. $10-$12.

RECOMMENDED

Another Springsteen homage? Seems like we’ve brutally beaten the Boss’ horse to death, but Jersey (where else?) trio Gaslight Anthem makes a damn good case for one more go around before we quit the E. Street Band and move on to nostalgically pining for another pop icon, say, Ric Ocasek. The band’s last record, “The ’59 Sound,” for all its supposed angst, is mostly just fun as hell. Sweeping, catchy choruses, reverb to the max, and harmonic, borderline-emo guitar riffs (which makes me nostalgic for high school more than anything) push Gaslight Anthem past any blue-collar clichés. Lead singer Brian Fallon’s gravelly voice lands somewhere between Springsteen and Brandon Flowers impersonating Springsteen, and though the lyrics focus on some retro Hollywood fantasy—classic cars, 7th Avenue diners, dressing like Elvis and “Casablanca” references—Fallon sounds genuine enough to not come off as a total douche or a shallow romantic. (Andy Seifert)

April 3 at Bottom Lounge, 1375 W. Lake, (312)929-2022, 8pm.

Out of all the things in rock music to be nostalgic for, I find the re-emergence of lo-fi—or when it bleeds into the naturally titled no-fi—the most confusing. In a more complicated sense, one could argue that new artists won’t be able to match the instinctive intensity and of-the-time honesty of landmark lo-fi indie-rock acts and their initial releases (Guided by Voices, Pavement), but, also, in this newfound age of technology and at-home recording programs, who would choose to sound so amateurish? The stylistic choice for your recording to sound abrasive with its overwhelming treble can be condoned under certain circumstances. A move out of necessity, eh, maybe, but that’s becoming more and more difficult to buy. I’m terribly conflicted. I fell in love with the Vivian Girls’ record pretty much immediately. I dug No Age’s “Nouns,” too. But WAVVES self-titled record, released on Fat Possum? Not so much. My repulsion was probably intensified once I learned that it’s a one-man project by an early-twenties youngster from San Diego. There are melodies and hooks here to spare, but they’re all buried under an impossibly unfortunate noise-rock fuzz that, in the end, conquers all and wins over the hearts at Pitchfork. I’m not eager to work this hard to enjoy something. Life is tough enough. Like Nathan Williams, who’s supplied us with such murkiness, “I’m so bored.” (Tom Lynch)

April 3 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, (773)276-3600, 10pm. $10.