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MIDNIGHT OIL Full Tank
( Legacy)
Following international touring in 2002 for the energized but underappreciated Capricornia album, Midnight Oil was sidelined as frontman Peter Garrett focused on a successful bid to serve in the Australian Parliament. The politically active band made a few appearances for special causes in their home territory, but fans around the world went without until 2017. This year, the group has embarked upon its ambitious, globetrotting Great Circle tour. In celebration, the band has released Full Tank to introduce a new generation to the Oils catalog.
Full Tank includes remastered versions of the band’ s full-length studio albums from 1978 – 2002. The set is housed in a coffee-can sized tin made to resemble the battered oil drum that Rob Hirst bashes nightly during his solo for“ The Power and the Passion” from 1982’ s 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. 1978’ s debut Midnight Oil( aka Blue Meanie) and 1979 sophomore offering Head Injuries benefit from the fresh attention.“ Powderworks,”“ Surfing with a Spoon,”“ Run by Night” and“ Cold Cold Change” all pack a visceral gut-punch from the youthful Oils, led by Garrett’ s punk snarl.
Essential EPs Bird Noises and Species Deceases are also present, home to key tracks including“ No Time for Games,”“ Progress” and the feral, anti-nuke protest“ Hercules.”
The material spans 10 and a half hours of music, and there are plenty of highlights. 10, 9, 8 … was the first inkling for many North American listeners, with the white-hot fury of tracks like“ Only the Strong” and“ US Forces” bridging the gap between the Clash and the Who. 1984’ s Red Sails in the Sunset upped the Cold War tension and featured bracing singles“ Best of Both Worlds” and“ When the Generals
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Talk.” Diesel and Dust was the band’ s international breakthrough with“ Beds are Burning,” a danceable protest anthem for Aboriginal rights. The band’ s firebrand intensity was again deployed against far-right policies on the hardcharging title track to 1998’ s Redneck Wonderland. The band found cause for hope with the shimmering, 12-string drive of Capricornia’ s“ Golden Age.” Live albums including 1992’ s Scream in Blue are absent, but a new DVD set 40,000 Watt RSL is a welcome addition. The DVD’ s 27 videos include the band’ s best-known MTV fare like“ Beds are Burning,” jangling acoustic“ The Dead Heart,” chiming“ Forgotten Years” and urgent“ Truganini,” alongside lesser-seen footage such as a live video of Breathe single“ Underwater.” The set also features a CDsized booklet with an essay, photos and album credits.
In addition to Full Tank, Midnight Oil have also cleared the decks with the 12- disc Overflow Tank. The latter set includes unreleased studio recordings, B-sides, live tracks and eight DVDs of concert and documentary footage.? – Jeff Elbel
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KATIE ELLEN Cowgirl Blues
( Lauren)
There was a distinct void in the music world when Chumped announced an indefinite hiatus in 2015. The band was riding the wave of success powered by their album Teenage Retirement – a pop punk classic that fans of the genre should go back and discover. Former Chumped members Anika Pyle and Dan Frelly didn’ t keep fans wait long, they quickly formed Katie Ellen after the Chumped sabbatical. Fast forward to 2017, and the band released their debut album Cowgirl Blues, that ' s first and foremost a break-up record. In interviews, singer / guitarist Anika Pyle has stated that the album was written at the end of an eleven-year relationship. The themes of heartache and pain are raw on songs like“ Proposal,”“ TV Dreams” and“ Houses into Homes.” While not an upbeat album by any means Cowgirl Blues still delivers catchy and anthemic songs that will be stuck in listeners heads for a long time. This is an incredible debut album and I expect Katie Ellen to only get better.
Appearing 10 / 6 at Township, Chicago – Michael Obrecki
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SHOKKER III
( Self)
Local trad metal band Shokker takes the best parts of’ 70s hard rock and’ 80s heavy metal and forms the perfect blend on their third release III. Combining killer riffs, shedding guitar solos, a pounding rhythm section and a singer who sings her ass off, Shokker shines on their 10 tracks. Rachl " Raxx " Quinn has a glorious set of pipes. Her natural vibrato shines like a million suns. Title track and album opener boasts a killer Judas Priest-esque flanged riff with a NWOBHM vibe. A ferocious Girlschool meets Motörhead hybrid graces“ Hammerhead,” while“ Life & Despair” contains a glorious, fist-pumping chorus. The Maiden-esque“ Snake Eyes” also commands attention with its classic metal assault. Although ballad“ Blessed Be” creates a different dynamic, it ultimately fails throughout its 5-plus minute runtime. Same goes with the equally weak ballad“ Hello.” However, the album highlight,“ Adrenaline” and the Motley Crüe-ish“ Midnight Sun” contain some of the best head-banging riffs on the album. There’ s an obvious familiarity to the songs throughout III, and although the band isn’ t trying to reinvent the wheel, it impressively pays tribute to the classic metal genre. Like classic metal bands from days of yore( Paradoxx, Trouble) Shokker is doing Chicago metal proud.
Appearing 10 / 1 at Reggies, Chicago
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– Kelley Simms
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MUDDY WATERS & THE ROLLING STONES Checkerboard Lounge: Live in Chicago 1981
( Eagle / Universal)
Filled with energized takes on blues standards that fired the Rolling Stones’ imaginations as starry-eyed upstarts, last year’ s Blue and Lonesome was arguably the band’ s most warmly welcomed release since 1983’ s Undercover. The band clearly relished taking a three-day breather from work on new material to reconnect with its roots. Checkerboard Lounge connects to a
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similar spirit.
On November 22, 1981, the Stones were touring North America behind Tattoo You. An after-hours excursion preceding three gigs at Chicago’ s Rosemont Horizon coincided with a hometown set by friend and hero Muddy Waters at Buddy Guy ' s Checkerboard Lounge. Waters’ esteemed band welcomes the crowd on its own with“ You Don’ t Have to Go” before being joined by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood for“ Baby Please Don’ t Go” and nine other songs. No sooner has Richards been called to the stage, but the beloved mentor Waters is throwing his disciple solos. Richards is clearly in his element, and settles right in. After some enthusiastic vocal call and response, Waters gives Jagger a verse of“ Hoochie Coochie Man” to sink his teeth into. Late Stones pianist Ian Stewart also joins throughout the set, including“ Long Distance Call” and“ One Eyed Woman.” As if the British acolytes weren’ t enough, Waters continues to fill the stage with local heroes. While Wood peels off hot licks of slide guitar during“ Mannish Boy,” Guy joins on vocal and guitar. As the song stretches toward ten minutes, blues harp legend Junior Wells and guitarist Lefty Dizz join the fray.
The set sounds loose and impromptu, in just the right way. Any lack of precision is easily dismissed in the sheer excitement of the moment. This recording captures the spirit of something that happened only once, unrehearsed and created on the spot.
– Jeff Elbel
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NECK DEEP The Peace and the Panic
( Hopeless)
One look at the online comments of any recent Neck Deep web posts, the common theme shows fans of the band panicking. The main gripe is fans see The Peace and the Panic as Neck Deep selling out and changing their sound to appeal to a wider audience. To those fans I say, just relax. While the new album may be less aggressive and in your face than previous Neck Deep albums it ' s still a solid record. These Welshman deliver pop punk excellence on songs like“ The Grand Delusion,”“ In Bloom” and“ Critical Mistake” while also diving into politics on“ Don’ t Wait Up” and“ Happy Judgment Day.” The only dull moment on the album comes with the song“ Parachute” which should have been replaced with“ Beautiful Madness” which appears as a bonus track on the album. I honestly can’ t see why fans are upset with Neck Deep and this new album. The band did what they always do they released a pop punk record and a good one at that.
Appearing 2 / 12 / 18 at Concord, Chicago – Michael Obrecki
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