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THE TOSSERS Smash The Window
( Victory )
In the age of Brexit and Trump , with Scotland and Northern Ireland potentially fleeling to the EU , The Tossers timing couldn ' t be more impeccable . The world has changed a lot since 2013 when the Tossers ( The Emerald City ) released their last album . Get past the Irish drinking songs and the St . Patty ' s day traditions , Smash The Windows is as much a rallying cry for change as it is the soundtrack to a lost weekend . Producer Andy Gerber ' s ( Million Yen ) production yolks the traditional Irish pub band spirit with Celtic punk rock that ' s been a band signature since they debuted in 1993 . " Erin Go Bragh " is the tale of Irish migrants coming to Chicago , but in the age of immigrant bans and increased ICE patrols , what if our ancestors had been blocked from coming to the shores of the Great Lakes ? Vocalist Tony Duggins growls " And our voices resound through the halls of the town / All the way to the president ’ s door ." Hoping that same spirit remains for today ' s immigrants . " Smash The Windows " is a trad-Irish drinking and brawling song delivered with indie spirit , worthy of it ' s place as the title single . Among the traditional songs passionately redone for the fans (" Danny Boy ," " Mairi ' s Wedding ," " Foggy Mountain "), The Tossers shine greatest on " 1969 ," where the themes of Irish independence could be applied to our current political climates in the US and Europe (" And still they walked and still they marched / Unto the bitter end ").
Chicago ' s Tossers perform a worthy formula of meshing punk with Irish drinking tunes , but Smash The Windows adds a bit of political commentary for those paying attention .
- John Vernon
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PLS PLS Smash The Window
( Slimstyle )
Upping the ante following 2013 ’ s LP LP , Dan Dixon and company pursue a captivating reinvention that travels forward and backward in time . The retrofuturistic “ Animals ” weaves an enveloping cocoon of analog synthesizers before locking into the pulse of Dave Chase ’ s bass . Dixon ’ s downcast vocal echoes Fleetwood Mac circa “ Tango in the Night ,” joined by a horn-fueled chorus with a slender thread drawn to frenetic older favorite “ Tusk .” Meanwhile , the balance of organic and artificial suggests visitation by a similar muse to the one that spoke to Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes when creating his 2015 solo quantum-leap Matador . The thrumming piano textures of “ We Don ’ t Scare ” create tension that explodes into a cathartic declaration of communal power . The song ’ s coda features a club-shaking EDM groove in which Dropsonic veteran and erstwhile heavy-guitar hero Dixon underscores his vision as a beatmaker with undeniable melodic chops . Gliding robotic pulses and cathedral echo flicker and burst into another festival-sized hook during the title cut . “ Let You Down ” finds the unsettling intersection between Pink Floyd ’ s plaintive “ A New Machine ” and the lush swell of Caribou ’ s “ Sun .” “ Please don ’ t depend on me ,” sings Dixon with bitter honesty . “ Because I will only let you down .” “ Next !” is a demented dance track that tethers Gary Numan ’ s “ Cars ” to Ric Ocasek ’ s Cars , and drives them both into a grinding guitar hook that sends the vehicle sailing over a fog-laden coastline cliff . The bottomless drop drifts and heaves like “ Kid A ” -era Radiohead or “ Planet of Ice ” -era Minus the Bear , until the cloudy guitar strums focus into propulsive flight . “ Everything ’ s going to be fine ,” sings Dixon . “ You are next in line .” The sentiment is less than reassuring , but the bad medicine tastes sweet on the way down . If quality songs and inventive play had anything to do with it , PLS PLS would be forced into a big-stage Lollapalooza slot under the setting sun this summer . Spin Jet Black until it happens , and claim that you heard them first .
Appearing 4 / 8 at Liar ’ s Club , Chicago
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– Jeff Elbel |
ELEPHANTS & EMPERORS Moth
( Pavement )
Local rockers Emperors and Elephants ( E + E ) has managed to weather the storm after difficult times . The band was on a perfect roll until last year when a fatal heart attack struck guitarist Jeff Windisch after the band had just performed an opening set for Lynch Mob in Savage , Minnesota . Windisch had already laid down his guitar parts on the band ’ s sophomore release Moth before his passing . Taking over guitar duties in the live setting will be Anthony Modica . E & E ’ s implementation of grunge , modern rock and ’ 90s alt-rock recalls bands such as Dust for Life , White Noise Theory , My Sisters Machine , and of course Alice In Chains . Possessing an edgier hint to its radio-friendly sound , E + E ’ s 12 gritty-yetmelodic tracks will certainly resonate with the modern rock music scene . The sludgy , slow-grinding riffs of opener “ Hidden ” sets the tone of the album nicely . Vocalist Jesse Andrews ’ melodic , high-pitched howl and soaring Alice in Chains vocal harmonies is the perfect accompaniment to the music . “ Porcelain Kiss ” is unfortunately a little too homogenized and predictable , while “ Cracks in the Wall ” is quite uplifting . “ Chicago ,” decorated with a soulful , bluesy flavor , is the band ’ s homage to its beloved city . However , the cover tune of Chris Isaak ’ s “ Wicked Game ” slightly misses the mark . With Moth , E + E proves it can bounce back in the face of adversity . – Kelley Simms Appearing : 4 / 21 at Bada Brew , Crest Hill
8
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ALEX DEZEN II
( Poor Man )
There ' s a very astute league of humans on this planet , of whom I ' m one , who will never get over the dissolution of The Damnwells . They had that " je ne sais quois ," that " X factor " that should have catapulted them to the same heights as Wilco
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or at least their buddies The Old ' 97s . But one consolation – and perhaps impetus to move on ourselves – is that the band ' s front man / songwriter Alex Dezen has made peace and moved on , obvious in his tribute to his former band , " I Had A Band ," on his second official solo LP II . It ' s the perfect paean to those years and his bandmates : " I never had much of a father , but I had a band … growing up in a van " he sings , atop cheerful , reminiscent chorus and jangly guitars . There are many " tributes " and nods on this record ; starting with the ' 80s-esque keyboards and Carlos Santana guitar lead on the opener " When You Give Up ." Then the Fleetwood Mac-influenced " Holding Onto You ( Holding Onto Me )" and " Randolph Tonight " continue to transport you to those late ' 70s radio hits , many of which employed eerie chords that painted haunting pictures , like Dezen does here . Dezen ' s never been afraid to go deep , and here " I Am A Racist " is a brutally honest self-reflection delivered with juxtaposing blue-eyed folksy soul with layered background harmonies . " New York To Paradise " is a Billy Joel piano / vocal elegy for Dezen ' s mother ( though I believe she ' s alive and well ). " Everything ' s Great ( Everything ' s Terrible )" is his Paul Simon " Graceland " nod . It wouldn ' t be a Dezen LP without at least one song about troubled relationships , so " Fuck Or Fight " fulfills that pre-req . " The Boys Of Bummer " is a salvo to some of his favorite songwriters , and fulfills another Dezen staple – the melancholy folk song . No matter that the retro theme fades mid-record ; Dezen is an adroit songwriter who has become adept at assimilating catharsis and entertainment .
– Penelope Biver
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POWER TRIP Nightmare Logic
( Southern Lord )
Power Trip ’ s song “ If Not Us Then Who ” really should be named , ” If we aren ’ t the ones to release the best thrash album of 2017 , then who will ?” The eight-song , 33- minute ripper of an album , Nightmare Logic makes a strong case not only for best of 2017 , but for best thrash album since Metallica and Slayer first released genre defining albums in the mid-1980s . Thrash as a movement was relatively short-lived , and Power Trip ’ s latest effort reminds listeners there is still much to explore . Songs “ Executioner ’ s Tax ( Swing of the Axe )” and “ Firing Squad ” combine uptempo shredding with urgent , anxiety-filled lyrical content and delivery . Compelling thrash combines accelerator-to-the-floor riffing with repetitious grooves , and all songs deliver in fresh ways . And amid all the sonic aggression and lyrical fixation on mortality , the band offers this motivational anthem on “ Waiting Around To Die ”: “‘ Human being ’ has lost its meaning when you refuse to fight / If I don ’ t force your hand it could cost you your life / You ’ re waiting around to die and you ’ re all right with it / Just waiting around to die and I can ’ t stand for it .” Translation : there is hope in this nightmarish world .
– Jason Scales
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