WUD Music’s List of Lists #6: The Spring 2015 Lineup (So Far)

This is Mod Sun. (Photo copyright by Evan Dell)

We’re just over a week away from free live concerts picking up again at Memorial Union and Union South, and we have a solid bunch of shows we’d like to share with you. Save the dates!

Friday, January 23rd in Memorial Union – Raura w/ Xoe Wise

Friday, January 23rd in Union South – Pat McCurdy

Saturday, January 24th in Memorial Union – The Racing Pulses w/ Busy Living

Saturday, January 24th in Union South – F. Stokes

Friday, January 30th in Memorial Union – Saturday Looks Good To Me

Friday, January 30th in Union South – Chicago Afrobeat Project

Saturday, January 31st in Memorial Union – The Living Statues

Saturday, February 7th in Memorial Union – Barley Jacks

Saturday, February 14th in Memorial Union – White Arrows

Saturday, February 14th in Union South – A Ferris Ferris Ferris Valentine’s Day (featuring music curated by the one and only Ben Ferris)

Friday, February 20th in Memorial Union – TV Girl

Saturday, February 21st in Memorial Union – JMSN

Thursday, February 26th in Union South – Cakes Da Killa

Friday, March 6th in Memorial Union – Lust for Youth

Friday, March 6th in Union South – Sidewalk Chalk w/ Kiernan McMullen

Saturday, March 7th in Union South – Wave Chapelle w/ Charles Grant and Max Meridius

Friday, March 13th in Memorial Union – Mod Sun

Saturday, March 14th in Memorial Union – Jake Armerding

Friday, April 10th in Union South – Foxygen

Shows in Memorial Union will take place in Der Rathskeller, and shows in Union South will take place in The Sett. All showtimes are 9 PM, except for shows in Memorial Union in February, which will be starting at 8 PM (it’s a pet project!).

Hope you like the list so far! We will be announcing more shows periodically throughout the semester, so make sure to check back here, like our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter! Peace!

 

This Saturday: Revelry Music and Arts Festival!

With Coachella out of the way, festival season is officially now in full bloom. So, why not kick off your summer with UW Madison’s own premiere music and arts festival–Revelry!

So why should you go? With five days remaining till the event, here are five reasons why:

1. You’re already a fan of the free shows WUD Music puts on every weekend in the Sett and Rathskeller. But do you realize that Revelry doesn’t last a mere three hours but rather is a rockin’ all-day-and-all-night festival?!**

*12:00PM-10:00PM to be precise

**Who says the party stops at 10? It’s Saturday night people!

2.  Dillon Francis. Waka Flocka Flame. Sky Ferreira. And a sh*t ton of other cool people:

3… And if you have no idea who any of those people are, you should definitely come because you’ll discover new music! Not to mention you’ll gain some street cred with all the hipsters in your bio class

4.  You’re broke or your friends are too cheap? Student tickets are $5. You paid $250 for Lollapalooza. Do I need to haggle you more?!

5. If you really need a better reason, then think about how epic it is spending the entire day parting with your fellow badgers?! Food, Music, Drinks, and Art?!

*5.5 And for those of you worried about the chance of rain on Saturday, all I have to say is: 1. It’s April.. 2. Put on your wellies and rain slickers and pretend like you’re at Britain’s coolest festival, Glastonbury (where it rains like every freaking year).

We’ll see you kids this Saturday at Revelry! Get ready to “revel on their level.” More info can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and their site.

 

 

Friday Night at Der Rathskeller: Seabird w/ Briar Rabbit

Kentucky alternative rock band Seabird will be bringing their rich, melodic, and lyrical music to the Rathskeller this Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Seabird’s music has been described as “Brit-style sonics and the working man’s ethos of 1970’s American rock.”
• Their songs have been featured in such shows as Pushing Daisies, Numb3rs, Grey’s Anatomy, and Ghost Whisperer.
• “I’m pushing up daisies/ I wish they were roses / I feel like I’m drowning / But nobody notices.” 
• This.

Briar Rabbit, a singer-songwriter from Chicago, will also be there. You should check out his Facebook and his website. His music is described as “romantic melodies and colorfully layered narrative that evoke painfully beautiful imagery through honest lyricism.”

 

The show starts at 9pm Friday night, and it’s at Der Rathskeller. As always, the show is FREE. If you’d like to hear about more free concerts and happenings, sign up for our newsletter. As a bonus, if you sign up in the next few days, you’ll be entered to win free Comedy Central on Campus tickets!

Saturday Night at The Sett: empires w/ Mutts

Rolling Stone magazine calls them “a big, multifaceted, tower-of-power sound” and writes, “inspired by the independent spirit of 90s grunge, Empires’ music takes the urgency and emotion of that era and reboots it for a new generation.”

Empires, along with Mutt, will be playing at The Sett this Saturday night, all free of charge.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Empires is an alternative rock band from Chicago, IL.
• They’re music is grungy, independent, confident, and catchy. It’s something that will stay stuck in your head. You won’t be mad about it.
• A review of their album “Garage Hymns”: “That unbothered, focused approach carries the record’s best moments and gives its duller spots a little extra polish. Here’s living proof that while attitude is fun, it’s a poor substitute for honesty.”
• Here’s their Facebook page. Here’s their Twitter. Most importantly, here’s their Soundcloud.
• This song is amazing:
• Their live shows are incredible:
• The show starts at 9:00pm in Union South at The Sett. Get there early to grab a pitcher of Spotted Cow and to watch Mutts. This show is going to be incredible; we hope to see you there.

Interested in monthly updates and announcements, sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here for our WUD Music newsletter.

Saturday Night at Der Rathskeller: Woodsman

Woodsman, a psychedelic rock band from Denver, CO, will be bringing their spacey and eclectic music to The Rathskeller this Saturday night (February 1st).

Their music is, all at the same time, perfect for thinking, studying, or jamming. Their live show is encapsulating, the seemingly perfect sound for the Rathskeller on a cold Saturday night in Wisconsin.

The band is scheduled to release their newest self-titled album on February 4th, as well. Like their past records, it’s already gotten fantastic reviews.

Check out the band’s website here, or get at them on Facebook or Twitter.

Never miss another show again! WUD Music hosts multiple free live shows every weekend in Madison, both in Der Rathskeller and in The Sett. Sign up for our mailing list for updates on our concerts.

No Les Than Genius

Les Paul brought the future.

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As a Wisconsinite, it’s easy to feel outgunned when it comes to music history. We’re surrounded on all sides by music landmarks: Motown to the east, sweet home Chicago to the south, and the birthplace of Bob Dylan (and Prince, I guess) to the west. Meanwhile, the Badger State is known mostly as a musician’s graveyard; Otis Redding (whom I covered last week) and Stevie Ray Vaughan both died in aviation accidents while in Wisconsin. This lesser reputation isn’t exactly fair, because long before Dylan picked up a guitar and Hitsville U.S.A. earned its name, the sound of rock and roll was being invented by a man from Waukesha.

In other words, Michigan may have Mo’, but we’ve got Les.

Les Paul didn’t invent the electric guitar, but you’d be forgiven for thinking he did. With his revolutionary solid-body design, Paul paved the way for the modern electric guitar, and his continuing refinements and innovations perfected the instrument. The Gibson Les Paul is known worldwide as the weapon of choice for guitar heroes such as Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Eddie Van Halen, and many more.

That would be enough of a legacy as is, but Les Paul did more. A legendary guitarist in his own right, Paul mixed jazz guitar with innovative recording technology to create a sound that was all his own. He pioneered the use of overdubbing, stacking and multitracking his guitar until he sounded like a very talented octopus. His recordings with his wife Mary Ford were quite successful, frequently charting and occasionally topping the charts in the 50’s. His sound remains unique, a mix between quaint oldies and proto-prog, both nostalgic and futuristic.

Paul never stopped tinkering with his inventions; his last guitar model was released a year before his death at the age of 94. He never stopped playing either–not after a near-fatal electrocution, not after serving in World War II, not after a car accident that broke half the bones in his body and paralyzed his right arm. He may not have looked like a guitar god (though he could have passed for Larry King’s badass alter ego in his later years), but Les Paul was the godfather of guitar gods.

Top that, Minnesota.

Here are some of Les Paul’s innovative recordings:

“Lover (When You’re Near Me)”

The result of experimental recording sessions in Paul’s garage, this quirky instrumental demonstrates his revolutionary overdubbing technique.

“How High the Moon”

This jazz standard would be one of Paul and Ford’s biggest hits. Paul overdubbed both his guitar and Ford’s voice, creating an ethereal chorus of sound.

“The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise”

Another standard that Paul and Ford had success with, this ballad is a perfect example of the duo’s otherworldly style.

“Meet Mister Callaghan”

Paul and Ford’s singles would usually be complemented by an instrumental B-side. A few of these instrumentals, such as this lilting tune, made the charts as well.

“Mandolino”

Paul was influenced by Django Reinhardt and Gypsy jazz guitar, and it shows, both in the techniques he used while playing and in compositions such as this one.

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Remember, no matter what genre you’re into, WUD Music has you covered. Like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter (@WUDmusic) to stay up to date on all the artists and bands playing the Rathskeller, the Terrace, or the Sett each week.

Saturday in Der Rath: Cymbals Eat Guitars w/ Stagnant Pools

This show is currently topping my “Favorite Band Names of the Semester” list, and with a lineup like ours, that’s quite an impressive feat. But, the (slightly frightening) imagery that the names evoke are most certainly NOT the only impressive things about these two bands.

Cymbals Eat Guitars has a sound that is NOTHING like the musically cannibalistic cacophony that their name suggests. They display incredible cohesion as a band, allowing them to stay true to their indie rock origins while also experimenting with more adventurous ambient and psychedelic sounds. The result is something really inventive, full of interesting hooks and melodies that rarely do what the listener expects.

This complexity is what landed them gigs opening for Lost Campesinos! and playing at Lollapalooza after they dropped their debut album, Why Are There Mountains. After an international tour and a retreat back to New Jersey to record, their second album, Lenses Alien, came out in September of this year. It’s a really interesting listen, with dark and fragmented lyrical lines, that Pitchfork called “a cosmic, philosophical treatise disguised as an indie rock record”. For those of you who like bands that give you something to think about, Cymbals Eat Guitars is your match made in musical heaven.

Stagnant Pools joins Cymbals Eat Guitars on their fall tour, following them all the way from sea to shining sea. The band is made up of a pair of brothers from Indiana, who released their first album, Temporary Room in 2012, right after graduating from college (so naturally they’ll be right at home here in Madtown). They’ve been jamming out since they were kids, and all that practice has indeed made perfect, as their sound has earned comparisons to Sonic Youth and Joy Division and they’ve toured the country with their label-mates, Japandroids. And if these accolades don’t convince you, just take a listen for yourself.

The Rathskeller starts rocking at 9:30, with Cymbals Eat Guitars on at 10:30. And, since you can’t put a price on live music, we didn’t (as with all our usual WUD Music shows, this is FREE).

True Velvet

 

Lou Reed was a musician’s musician.

Lou Reed’s death last Sunday rang like a dirge through the hearts of musicians everywhere. Tributes and lamentations came from every direction, from Miley Cyrus to Iggy Pop. All the while, the general public was left to wonder: who was Lou Reed?

This is unfortunate, but understandable. From his tenure in the mythical Velvet Underground to his capricious solo career, the totality of Lou Reed’s legacy is left in a paradoxical space: his music was too bizarre for the pop scene, while his influence would become too ubiquitous for the hipsters. But among musicians and music lovers, he stands among the greats of his era and of all time.

Like Reed himself, the Velvet Underground is one of music’s best-kept secrets: well-known and highly revered in certain circles, and virtually unknown outside them. The Velvets were never commercially successful in the band’s short and tumultuous lifespan, but they have since been recognized by many critics as one of the most influential bands of the 60’s. Their debut album only sold 30,000 copies, but as Brian Eno put it, “everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band.”

Lyrically and musically, the Velvet Underground were far ahead of their time, anticipating prog rock, punk rock, and just about everything that happened in the 90’s. As the band’s songwriter, Reed wrote songs that were simple but unique, rarely requiring more than two or three chords. His lyrics often dealt with the taboo in a blunt and unavoidable fashion, but he sang them with a poker-faced indifference. After leaving the Velvets, Reed brought his style to the charts with his biggest hit, “Walk on the Wild Side.” Reed went on to test the limits of music (and the patience of his fans) through his solo career. In 1975 he released Metal Machine Music, a double-album of music-esque noise that many believe was intended to be a joke. Ironically, this too would prove to be ahead of its time, serving as a forerunner for industrial music and giving Reed the last laugh.

The saga of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground began during a time when musical achievement and innovation were at their highest, when competition was fierce and not even Andy Warhol could guarantee you popularity. Reed’s saga now ends during a time when the music industry is battered and bruised, and many people feel disillusioned with modern music. It is also a time when, thanks to social media, word can spread fast about anything, from an emerging new artist to the death of a cult hero. As morbid as it sounds, death is sometimes the best thing that can happen to one’s career. Maybe now, Lou Reed will get the fame and respect that he has always deserved.

Here are the most well-known Reed compositions:

“Heroin”

The Velvet Underground’s entrancing epic is one of the most surreal trips in music. Some people took the song as a promotion of the titular drug, which disturbed Reed so much that he hesitated to play the song live.

“Venus in Furs”

Named after and inspired by the 19^th-century novella by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, this twisted nocturne deals overtly with sadomasochism, and is another example of Reed’s exploration of the taboo.

“Rock & Roll”

This rocker appeared on Loaded, the Velvet Underground’s most radio-friendly album. It contains traces of Mick Jagger and seems to anticipate David Bowie, whom Reed would later work with.

“Sweet Jane”

The original release of this bouncy, irreverent classic was edited to cut out the bridge without Reed’s consent, which angered him. This was fixed in later reissues. The song was also brilliantly covered by the Cowboy Junkies in 1988.

“Walk on the Wild Side”

Reed’s biggest hit was at least two decades before its time when it was released in 1972. It speaks to Reed’s masterful lyricism that he managed to sneak references to transsexuality and oral sex onto pop radio.

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Remember, no matter what genre you’re into, WUD Music has you covered. Like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter (@WUDmusic) to stay up to date on all the artists and bands playing the Rathskeller, the Terrace, or the Sett each week.

The Sun King

Sam Phillips was either a genius, or the luckiest man in music history. Or both.

What do Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ike Turner and Carl Perkins all have in common?

The answer is Sam Phillips.

The influential producer and founder of Sun Records has been called “The Man Who Invented Rock and Roll.” Within a five-year span in the early 50’s, he launched the careers of eight Hall of Famers and sowed the seeds of a new genre of music with a combination of exemplary intuition and incredible luck. Such was his influence on modern music that he himself was inducted in the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class in 1986, alongside Elvis, Ray Charles, and James Brown.

In 1950, Phillips started the Memphis Recording Service, recording artists from the famous Beale Street blues scene, such as B.B. King and Junior Parker. In 1951, he produced what is arguably the first rock and roll record, Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88.” Memphis Recording Service would become Sun Records in 1952, and its focus would later shift to promoting artists of the new “rockabilly” genre. Phillips’ greatest discovery was a young, unproven Elvis Presley, whose first hit single was serendipitously captured by Phillips during a jam session in 1954.

But Phillips wasn’t always so lucky. After Sun Records experienced financial difficulties in 1955, Phillips sold Elvis’ contract to RCA Records for the princely sum of $40,000, one year before Elvis’ career exploded and he became a cultural icon. Phillips also missed the peaks of several of his other artists’ careers, and by the 60’s Sun Records had become largely irrelevant. However, by then Phillips had made an auspicious investment in the Holiday Inn motel chain, which would make him a fortune.

A perfect example of Phillips’ aptitude for chance encounters is the famous Million Dollar Quartet jam session in 1956. During a Carl Perkins recording session that featured the still-unknown Jerry Lee Lewis on piano, Johnny Cash dropped by to observe the recording. Later, Elvis, then with RCA, stopped in out of the blue. The four decided to jam on some country and gospel tunes, and Phillips, seeing an amazing publicity opportunity, alerted the newspapers. The rest, as they say, is history.

Here are some classics that came out of Phillips’ studios:

“Rocket 88”

Considered by many to be the first ever rock and roll record. Written by Ike Turner with vocals by Jackie Brenston, this tune was way ahead of its time when it was released in 1951.

“That’s All Right”

As the story goes, during a break after an unimpressive recording session, an impromptu jam on an old blues number by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup resulted in Elvis’ first single.

“Blue Suede Shoes”

Carl Perkins’ signature tune became Sun Records’ first major hit when it was released in 1956. Later recorded by Elvis, Buddy Holly, The Beatles, and many, many more.

“I Walk the Line”

Johnny Cash originally wanted this song to be done slow, like a ballad, but Phillips convinced him to go with the memorable train-track tempo that would define his sound.

“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”

Despite Phillips’ claim that the song was “too risque” (which now seems pretty hilarious), Jerry Lee Lewis hit it big with this dynamic track, which would be Sun’s biggest success, selling over 6 million singles.

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Remember, no matter what genre you’re into, WUD Music has you covered. Like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter (@WUDmusic) to stay up to date on all the artists and bands playing the Rathskeller, the Terrace, or the Sett each week.

The Real Fifth Beatle

Countless artists have emulated the Fab Four, but Joe Cocker didn’t just cover the Beatles. He beat the Beatles at their own game.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then that would make the Beatles the most flattered band of all time. Just about every tune they ever wrote has been covered, rearranged, and reinterpreted in any genre you could think of by any artist you could think of. “Yesterday” alone has been covered over 2,000 times. It is a testament to the genius of the lads from Liverpool that their original recordings largely remain definitive despite so much competition.

Of course, covers have the deck stacked against them from the start, particularly covers of well-known songs by the most famous band ever. That’s why the story of Joe Cocker is so amazing. A blues-wailing, arm-flailing shouter from Sheffield, Cocker launched his career on a radically altered interpretation of “With a Little Help from My Friends” that turned a campy Ringo number into an operatic rock masterpiece that remains one of the greatest songs of all time. The tune became legendary after Cocker’s memorable, storm-summoning performance at Woodstock. The Beatles were so impressed by Cocker’s version that George Harrison gave Cocker a tune he was working on at the time–”Something.” Cocker recorded the song, which would become one of the Beatles’ biggest hits, two months before the Beatles did. Which means that, in a way, the Beatles covered Joe Cocker covering the Beatles.

Even more impressive is that Cocker’s “Something,” though largely forgotten, actually challenges the Beatles’ version and arguably surpasses it again. The two versions have different strengths; the Beatles’ version builds into an urgent bridge and then resolves, while Cocker’s version inverts the tension and resolves into a sing-along chorus. But Cocker’s tempestuous vocals and gospel-esque arrangement are more than a match for George’s tame schoolboy charm, and there is a completeness to Cocker’s version that is absent from the Beatles’ version. Some will say it’s apples and oranges, and it’s all a matter of preference anyway. But whether or not Cocker’s version wins out over George’s, it remains one of the best Beatles covers of all time, and further proves that no one did the Beatles like Joe Cocker.

Here are Cocker’s best Beatles covers:

“With a Little Help from My Friends”

Consistently rated one of the greatest covers of all time, this song made Cocker a star. Featuring the one and only Jimmy Page on guitar. Also note the beautifully grotesque album cover. Here’s the original for comparison.

“Something”

Recorded before the Beatles’ version, Cocker throws down the gauntlet on this pseudo-cover and creates a hard act for the Fab Four to follow. An unfortunately forgotten classic, Cocker’s original studio version is currently unavailable on YouTube, so a 30-second sample will have to suffice. Here it is on Abbey Road.

“She Came In Through the Bathroom Window”

Cocker plucks this song out of Abbey Road’s medley and makes a track that stands on its own. Another cover that competes well against the original. Compare here.

“Let It Be”

Cocker could have released his version of this classic ballad before the Beatles, but he left it off his second album. Aretha Franklin ended up releasing the song first. Here’s her version, and the Beatles’ version.

“I’ll Cry Instead”

Long before he hit big with another Beatles tune, Cocker recorded this early Lennon song for his first single in 1964, sticking much closer to the original than his later covers would. Here’s the Beatles.

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Remember, no matter what genre you’re into, WUD Music has you covered. Like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter (@WUDmusic) to stay up to date on all the artists and bands playing the Rathskeller, the Terrace, or the Sett each week.