RECOMMENDED

Mountaintop removal is a process that involves the mining of a summit of a mountain through the use of heavy-duty explosives. The debris left over from the explosions is collected and dumped into the neighboring valleys, which has substantial environmental consequences. The method has been highly criticized over the years, and musicians Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore, both from Kentucky (MTR is prevalent in the Appalachians), have teamed up and made a record to bring attention to the controversial practice; “Dear Companion,” out on Sub Pop, is a thrilling chamber-folk album that deftly blends cellist Sollee’s intricate technique and guitarist/vocalist Moore’s singer-songwriter peacefulness. Opening track “Something Somewhere Sometime” is a stunner—two harmonizing male voices and an upbeat approach lead to one of the best songs of this young year. Other inclusions impress as well, like the devastating “Sweet Marie” and the lovely, brief acoustic-guitar instrumental “Wilson Creek.” “Dear Companion” is a breeze and a delight. (Tom Lynch)

Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore play March 13 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, (773)525-2508, at 10pm. $12.

RECOMMENDED

West Palm Beach indie-rock band Surfer Blood achieved buzz-band status with 2009 single “Swim,” a high-energy pop jaunt that survives off of power-chord youthfulness. The band’s debut record, “Astro Coast,” a sweethearted hybrid of Weezer’s first album, Built to Spill’s “There’s Nothing Wrong with Love” and a dumbed-down Vampire Weekend, lives up to the potential the band showed with that first song. “Swim,” which leads off the record here, is hardly the collection’s high mark. On “Floating Vibes,” singer John Paul Pitts sounds so much like Rivers Cuomo one might actually mistake him for the introverted-pop madman, but, somehow, it works—the sheer joy of music Surfer Blood exudes could make the meanest curmudgeon bob his head and smile. Lyrically, Surfer Blood’s post-college malaise takes the driver’s seat; not exactly unpredictable territory for a band such as this, but certainly not unforgivable. The clean-guitar dovetail orchestra of “Neighbor Riffs” is an inspired move; a brief, quickly paced surfer jam in the middle of the record to remind everyone that not all’s been lost along the way. This is a party, after all. (Tom Lynch)

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

RECOMMENDED

Efterklang’s juggling of experimental electronics, pop and post-rock has made for three solid records, most recently “Magic Chairs,” the Denmark group’s first for 4AD. The collective manages to avoid Animal Collective joylessness while maintaining many of the same musical elements; quite simply, Efterklang is just prettier, and it goes down easier. Lead track “Modern Drift,” with its heavenly and incessant dueling piano parts, could’ve been a straight-up dance track (and it would’ve worked), but the band shows restraint and pulls the elements into one tight pop force, a remarkable decision and a bold way to begin a record. The rest of the record may not reach the height of its opening song—”Alike” sounds like a phoned-in Peter Gabriel, and “I Was Playing Drums” is so melodically misguided you’d think it was a different band entirely—but that’s a minor complaint for a band that’s not quite great, but oddly admirable. Plus, live, Efterklang has ten thousand people on stage, so you’ll have something to look at as well. (Tom Lynch)

March 8 at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, (773)525-2508, at 9pm. $12.

Pacific Northwest singer-songwriter Rocky Votolato has maintained a remarkable consistency during his more-than-ten-year solo career. While fronting power-emo group Waxwing he released his minimalist, melancholy self-titled debut in 1999; Waxwing released its last record in 2002, but Votolato continued to make records under his own name—2003’s “Suicide Medicine” and 2006’s “Makers,” one Second Nature Recordings and the other on Barsuk, were highlights. Over time Votolato slowly increased his sound with full-band accompaniment, and also got away from the somber acoustic blood-letting and moved more towards rock-folk and even country, embracing his Texas roots.

Votolato is a family man now with a wife and two kids, and on “True Devotion,” his brand new record for Barsuk, he takes a step back and slows the pace, offering songs with little more than just his voice and his guitar-playing. A subtly hopeful record, devastatingly pretty, “True Devotion” was the result of a year-long battle Votolato had with isolation and depression. Read the rest of this entry »

RECOMMENDED

Often mistaken for actually being from Glasgow, this dream-pop company hails from Philadelphia. Pairing ambient shoegaze atmosphere with electronic beats and heavenly vocal harmonies, the band’s two full-length records have been artistic successes if not quite homeruns. The group’s EPs have been impressive too, and their most recent, “Nitetime Rainbows,” will be released the first week of March. While the band has enough talent to one day create an astounding record from start to finish, it hasn’t yet; the group does seem to be leaning more towards minimalist techno and away from traditional rock these days, and it suits them well. But that doesn’t mean A Sunny Day in Glasgow can’t be unbelievably frustrating—every time a song seems to be approaching a moment of stunning beauty, the band backs off and injects some sampled weirdness. Live, though, this is all said to be a treat. (Tom Lynch)

March 3 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport, (773)525-2508, at 9pm. $8-$10.

RECOMMENDED

They are called The Sandwitches. They have an album, and it’s called “How to Make Ambient Sadcake.” Honestly, just on paper, it’s a struggle to determine if there’s anything not to like. The San Francisco three-piece combines DIY bedroom-sound with sixties girl-group pop. The songs are lo-fi but bursting with pop-songwriting talent—a bit like the Vivian Girls, actually, with less distortion and shoegaze haze. The vocal harmonies that The Sandwitches display are beautiful and strangely haunting—this is like a band that only exists in dreams or David Lynch films. The low quality of the production actually charms this time, as opposed to the growing trend of actually forcing your music to sound like shit, a la Wavves. The songs that feature organ, like “Beatle Screams,” will stay with you for days,” and the straight-up oldies-station-sounding “Back to the Sea” could’ve soundtracked Marty McFly’s first visit to 1955 Hill Valley, instead of “Mr. Sandman.” If The Sandwitches don’t do too much after this record—not saying they are incapable, or that they don’t already have epic plans for the future—”How to Make Ambient Sadcake” has cult record written all over it. (Tom Lynch)

February 28 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, (773)276-3600, 9:30pm. $3.

RECOMMENDED

Touring behind his first full-length release since 2005’s “Everything’s Ecstatic,” Four Tet makes a return to Chicago, where he’s become a welcome visitor. Perhaps it wasn’t always this way—in years past it was easy to praise Four Tet for his unique blends of pristinely produced musical beauty and noise that challenged the definitions of electronic music, but sometimes hard to stomach the indulgent nature of his uneven live performances. But somewhere, over time, man-behind-the-moniker Kieran Hebden began streamlining his live performances, channeling his genius into digestible dance-floor bites, shaped by his increased interest in DJing. Through his monthly residency at London’s famed Plastic People, Four Tet began trying out his new compositions on the unsuspecting public—perhaps standard operating procedure for most producers, but new to avant-jazz and folk-loving Four Tet. The result is apparent from the start of “There Is Love In You,” with leadoff track “Angel Echoes” harkening back to the sonic bliss of a classic like “My Angel Rocks Back And Forth,” but with the added urgency of a 4/4 beat. The album is a delight for both the feet and the head, and tonight’s show at the Empty Bottle should be an incredible night, as Four Tet’s diffused genius gets focused for a dance floor. Also performing—and making his Chicago debut—is Nathan Fake of Border Community fame, who first made waves with 2004’s melancholic club hit “The Sky Was Pink,” and is touring behind his latest and harder-hitting full-length effort, “Hard Islands.” (Duke Shin)

February 19 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, (773)276-3600, at 8pm & 11pm. $15.

RECOMMENDED

Often merely considered Alan Sparhawk’s loud project—a flip-side answer to his day job as co-leader of slow-core legends Low—Retribution Gospel Choir has built a reputation for plowing through two- or three-minute pop gems with abandon, involving some amount of experimentation on singer-guitarist Sparhawk’s end. His work in this side project isn’t incredibly different from what Low’s been doing these days, as that band’s expanded into larger sounds and electronics. But compared to Low’s first four or five records, Retribution Gospel Choir may as well be black metal. The band’s new record, its second, simply titled “2,” follows its self-titled debut casually, with ease, as Sparhawk focuses on his strengths as a solo vocalist. “Hide It Away,” the record’s first track, loud, pulsing and intense, is the best song he’s written in a long time. Back in the mid-nineties, when I was obsessed with Low and its gorgeous minimalism, I never could’ve imagined growing bored with the band, but its last few records, “Drums and Guns” and “The Great Destroyer,” just didn’t do it for me. I’m grateful Retribution Gospel Choir exists. (Tom Lynch)

February 19 at Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, (773)227-4433, at 10pm. $10.

RECOMMENDED

Annie Clark’s 2009 record “Actor” received abundant praise upon first release, a step forward from her debut “Marry Me,” a unique quasi-pop experiment that—my hunch—no one quite understood at first, but all knew was very, very good. Nearly a year later, the record has gained a slight aged loveliness; somehow, it’s developed, it’s matured, without, of course, literally changing at all. The member of The Polyphonic Spree and the touring band for Sufjan Stevens carved out this odd little chunk of time with her poetically dark lyricism and sometimes childlike delivery. Her arrangements are pristine, disarmingly so, as she’s capable of shaping this mess of music into something sonically conceivable. No small feat, and in many ways St. Vincent has become pop music’s new darling underdog. One can only hope Clark will craft a new record sooner rather than later. (Tom Lynch)

February 18 at Metro, 3730 N. Clark, (773)549-0203, at 9pm. $16-$18.

By Tom Lynch

Credit: Stephen Salyer

Local chamber pop group Singing in the Abbey successfully pours minimalist classical piano through an alt-pop filter. The result, moody and at times even gothic, is a soundtrack to shadows in an old castle—Annie Higgins’ deep vocals and piano playing are surrounded by a string section and scattered percussion as the melodies dip and weave. The release of the band’s debut record, “Wake Up, Sardis!” is celebrated this Thursday at Subterranean, a room that, especially with its balcony, seems fit for this sort of haunting. “Thom Yorke and Julie Andrews’ bastard child,” the band describes itself, and if that’s not enough to get your interest piqued I don’t know what is.

“My intention was not to form a band, it mainly was to get these songs layered with strings,” Higgins says of the record, which is nearly four years in the making. “From the beginning the vision was, I guess, I started out wanting to layer the paino with the strings, but as I spend time with the girls, it became about what their individual strengths were. Arrangements-wise, it became less of them trying to support the piano and more [towards] the strings having their own individual identity. Musically, you want to work with that—highlight what they’re doing, instead of focusing them as a support of what you’re doing.” Read the rest of this entry »