Off The Rack

Last night I saw Jeffrey Foucault at Space in Evanston, IL.  It was my third time seeing him and for some reason I just kept thinking “Wild Mustang” in my head whenever he would talk, sing or fiddle with his guitar to get the right sound.  He has this persona of an untamed Folk Singer.  It’s not like he’s a wildcard and you never what he is going to do or say, it’s nothing like that at all.  Just his demeanor and the way he carries himself makes you believe he’s been through the ringer before and knows who he is as a singer and person and nobody is going to change him.  Nor should they, his show last night was the best of the two previous that I saw at Schubas in Chicago, IL.  The crowd was great, they were into the show giving him long and lauding claps after each song with many whistling and hooting and hollering as well. 

When listening to his songs I feel like I should be sipping on whiskey on my front porch in an old wooden chair smoking a cigarette while the sun is setting in front of me.  He depicts the Midwest well, it’s blue collar music from a blue collar singer and we appreciate that.

Totaling a little over an hour of tunes such as Des Moines (My favorite, love the line “I-80 at midnight”.  So simple yet you can picture it), “Ghost Repeater” (fan favorite of the night), “Slow Talker” and more.  He ended the night “Hurricane Lamp” with the singers from Dusty Heart on stage with him.  Speaking of Dusty Heart, check them out.  They may not be for everyone but they are very good. 

If Jeffrey Foucault is new to you,here are a few songs that will give you an idea of who he is.  His last record Salt As Wolves was his best (in my opinion) and that’s hard to do later in your career.  You see it the other way around, usually the “early stuff” is the best, not with Jeffrey Foucault.  Seems like he’s getting better and gaining more of a following.

1. Pearl Handed Pistol

2. Cross of Flowers

3. Northbound

4. Lodi

2000′s Rock N’ Roll Playlist

Before we even get started, above is our 2000′s rock ‘n’ roll playlist, it has over 150 songs from the decade that groomed us into men and kept rock ‘n’ alive and kicking. You can thank us later.

My New Favorite Band: The Symposium

I came across The Symposium out of pure luck.  I frequent a message board where people talk about The Strokes, mainly they ask “Why aren’t they touring?”, “When is the next album?” questions in that nature.  Occasionally, people will say “hey, check out this band” and I rarely click on them because I feel they are either in the band or I just don’t trust their opinion on music.  I saw a message after a full-on rant as to why Julian Casablancas has ruined The Strokes and It said, “These guys are from Chicago, they’re called The Symposium, they have some “Strokes” in them…check them out”.  That’s all I needed to hear….Chicago & The Strokes, I’m in!  I clicked the link and it was a video of their song “Cowboy”.  Within 40 seconds I loved what I heard and proceeded to go to Spotify to see if they had more songs, which they did.  I was hooked after that…still am.  I’ve seen them two times now, once was when they opened up for The Orwells and the other was when they opened up for two bands who I am not even going to mention because they were BRUTAL California pop/punk bands.  Felt like I was at a Simple Plan or New Found Glory concert watching them.

It’s funny, seeing them open for the “California Pop-Bands” made me see more of their edge and made me hear their music in a different way.  They’re not a gimmicky band.  Their lyrics aren’t cheesey.  They keep you on the edge of your seat a little bit too, the lead singer keeps you hanging on to what he is going to say next.  Somewhat awkward at times but that’s rock n roll, that’s what we want.  They’re going to go up on stage, drink their beer, play their music and do things out of the ordinary.  That’s what I want….I’m not looking for Bono who wants to talk about world peace. Give me Rock N Roll, make me feel something different when I go to your shows.  Make me want to nudge the person next to me and say “fuck yeah”.  That’s what The Symposium does.  

I’ve listened to their music in its entirety on Spotify and I have never skipped a song.  To be honest, I haven’t been this excited about a band in a very long time.  I’m not saying they are the next Beatles or Strokes or Kings of Leon but they write good music and it all flows very well.  It has a romantic rock n roll style to it, not sure if that’s the best way to explain it but as I’m listening to their music writing this that’s what comes to mind. It’s catchy but it’s catchy where it’s not cheesey, their songs are in your head throughout the day, in a good way.

I am still forming an identity of them while listening to their music, which I feel is always a good thing because it helps you relate.  Take my advice and listen to them, they will be a band you will be hearing a lot of soon.  The Symposium, my new favorite band.

Top 3 Songs (In Our Opinion) are:

1. Exploda

2. Cowboy

Hey Guys, Michael here from Off the Rack. Pete and I would like you guys to know we are back and will try and post as much as we can. We be posting about music we love to listen to. Along with interviews from local business, music documentaries. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Hey Off the Rack Fans (AKA Rackers) today I am going to supply you with a Mix tape that I put together. Some of these songs you might know some you might not. Either way all them are great give them a listen. Although I think all these songs are great, Some of my favorites are Sawmill Joe "Aint Nobodys Problem" and Girls "Darling." If you are have a bad day these tunes will cheer you up. If your are have a good day these Tunes will just set the pace for the rest of day. Enjoy. 

                   Off the Rack's New Music Tuesday is Shovels and Rope new album Swimmin' Time.  Shovels and Rope have the heart and soul that we love. The husband and wife team of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst really put everything they have in the music. Their music crossed many genres from folk to punk rock. They are everything you want in a band just two people playing all their instruments. In our eyes this could be the next big think in rock music. Tracks to check out are opener "The Devil is All Around" It has a folk/rock in roll feel. Michael and Cary really work off one another with harmony's that although are imperfect are great. Title Track "Swimmin Time" dives into the rock world and makes you want to give it another listen. Our favorite track on the album is "Stono River Blues" it is a perfect blend of folk, country, rock, punk. Give this album a listen you will not be disappointed. Give it a listen here.

Our concert of the weekend was Mississippi's The Weeks at The Metro on 8/23/14.  They played to a bigger audience than we had expected and with growing popularity in Chicago you can expect to see that more and more each time they come to this great city of music.  They've played here 4 times in the past year, so they are building a great following.  The crowd new most of their songs and those who didn't were bobbing their head by the end of the set.  As the show went on more and more people were filing in and you could see them getting into each and every song that they heard.  I took my older cousin (who shall remain nameless), but he's 49 years old and grew up on The Who, Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones, etc.  I told him he would like this band and that he has to come with me. He's stubborn when it comes to new music but he was impressed and definitely wants to see them next time they come in.  He doesn't live the rock n roll lifestyle he used to but a Weeks concert every so often is enough to keep the rock n roll alive in his heart.

The opening song "Mercury" was OTR's favorite song of the night.  Speaking with Admiral Collier after the show he said it's off their new EP coming out on August 5th.  Collier was the highlight of The Weeks, the piano/organ gave their songs more soul and just a brighter feel to them.  We were overly impressed with The Weeks performance.  Other songs we really enjoyed were "Brother In The Night" and "Buttons".  

If you haven't seen or heard of The Weeks then you need to give them a listen.  Next time they are in town you need to go out of your way to see them.  OTR has been following them since hearing "Buttons" in 2009, they will put on a great show and leave you saying "Wow, they are pretty good, I'll have to check out more of their songs".

                          Our Deep Cut Sunday takes us back to 2000 with The White Stripes covering the song Death Letter by Son House.  Originally a blues song written in 1930, The White Stripes reshaped it with more edge and a style that only Jack White can do.  The blues of the song is still there but The White Stripes give it more kick and such a raw sound to the song that you can't help but move any part of your body to the song.

Originally recorded in 1930, Death Letter (AKA Death Letter Blues) is about a man who finds out about the death of his lover through a letter.  The opening line "I got a letter this morning, how do you reckon it read? Hurry the gal you love is dead".  If you think deep into the lyrics it makes you think back on how simple things were back during that time.  No cell phones, no internet.  As the song goes on it gains emotion and really shows the depth of the narrator's feeling.  "It looked like ten thousand people standing around the burying ground.  I didn't know that I loved her, till they began to let her down".  That's the lyric of the song right there, it delivers and hits you with the true feeling of the song.

Depression hits the narrator at the end of the song "Got up this morning, would you believe the break of day.  Just hugging the pillow where my baby used to lay".  Jack & Meg deliver on this cover and it's a White Stripes song that everyone should know and love.

                               Off the Racks Friday Album of the week: Kings of Leon "Rarely." When we first listened to Kings of Leon Youth & Young Manhood, it was raw gritty rock 'n' roll that made you want to pick up a guitar and make your own music. Lets just say the love affair started with the Kings of Leon right at that moment. Kings of Leon have six studio albums out now and they have grown as musicians and songwriters. Having a catalog that big means some songs get thrown on B-sides or get lost among the hits. That is where "Rarely" comes in, it is KOL's deep cuts. It is only available on Vinyl but is worth buying a record player. Second song in to the album we get "Molly's Hangover" a stripped down acoustic version of "Molly's Chambers" that makes you wonder why you never heard this before. Then we get "Head To Toe" and "Woo Hoo," the addition of the these songs will make you spin the record non-stop. The whole B-side is all live tracks that rarely are played anymore. My favorite song "Happy Alone" is the first track live in England. It makes me want to take a time machine back to the day where I could see them play at club and have a shot and beer with them later. This album just reminds you why you fell in love with them in the first place. To listen click on the song titles. It will make you want to buy the album. 

This will be our first time seeing Deer Tick and to say we are excited is an understatement.  Their songs have a gritty feel to them and will remind you of a cold winter night, collar up, smoking a cigarette and drinking a cold beer.  The grit, the catchy feel to their songs with Rock 'N Roll & Folk mixed together make them an Off The Rack favorite.  Hailing from the East Coat (Providence, RI) the five member set looks the way the sound.  Songs to listen to are "Twenty Miles", "Baltimore Blues No. 1" and "Ashamed". Those three songs should give you a good vibe on who they are.  Click the picture to listen to "Twenty Miles".

This will be the 4th time seeing The Weeks and we know they won't disappoint.  Last time we saw The Weeks was at The Promontory in Hyde Park and prior to that was opening for Kings of Leon at House of Blues in November of 2013.  They never disappoint and seem to keep getting better every time we see them.  They are more than just the song "Buttons", they have a plethora of hits waiting to explode on stage this Saturday night.  Songs you need to listen to are "Buttons", "The House We Grew Up In", "Altar Girl".  The Weeks have been an OTR (Off The Rack) favorite since 2009.  Pretty soon they'll have bands opening for them.

REVIEW OF THE CONCERT WILL BE POSTED MONDAY