Editor's Info: The second in the Burn to Shine series brings us to lovely Chicago, Illinois. Much like the first installment, we are privy to witness the dying days of a home on the chopping block. To celebrate the brick and mortar's uncelebrated demise, the Burn to Shine crew has enlisted the help of Chicago's biggest and brightest.
If we're going to do a straight-up comparison between the musical stalwarts of D.C. and Chicago to appear in these films, Chicago might win in a tight race. D.C. may have brought along heavy hitters Bob Mould and Ted Leo, but Chicago comes original with their own power sluggers: Wilco, Shellac and Tortoise. You could do no wrong by these three performances alone, but it's the smaller and less recognizable artists who are able to take center stage via a doomed living room.
The performances kick off with The Lonesome Organist's "Catching Flies with Teeth." The anomaly of a man playing keyboards with one hand while playing the drums with the other while sporting an accordion distracts from the song at first, but talent and virtue prevail during the energetic twists and turns of the song. Even the accordion and small percussion interlude is a treat on the eyes and ears. The carnival atmosphere of The Lonesome Organist yields a fantastical element to the doom and gloom of destruction. Meanwhile, Pit er Pat, slowly acquiring a grassroots fan base, steals the show with "The Bog Man." Never has a trio of bass, drums and keys been so lively, yet so demure. The performance is the living image of Burn to Shine: life through death.
Of course, the Wilcos, the Shellacs and the Tortoises need no introduction. Wilco's rendition of "Muzzle of Bees," is one of the tightest performances of the A Ghost is Born track committed to tape. Nels Cline shreds the guitar like any guitar hero should. Shellac's "Steady as She Goes" assaults the ears with full-on rock power. The drumming is powerful, the guitar crisp and the bass heavy. Tortoi....... more
Editor's Info: The second in the Burn to Shine series brings us to lovely Chicago, Illinois. Much like the first installment, we are privy to witness the dying days of a home on the chopping block. To celebrate the brick and mortar's uncelebrated demise, the Burn to Shine crew has enlisted the help of Chicago's biggest and brightest.
If we're going to do a straight-up comparison between the musical stalwarts of D.C. and Chicago to appear in these films, Chicago might win in a tight race. D.C. may have brought along heavy hitters Bob Mould and Ted Leo, but Chicago comes original with their own power sluggers: Wilco, Shellac and Tortoise. You could do no wrong by these three performances alone, but it's the smaller and less recognizable artists who are able to take center stage via a doomed living room.
The performances kick off with The Lonesome Organist's "Catching Flies with Teeth." The anomaly of a man playing keyboards with one hand while playing the drums with the other while sporting an accordion distracts from the song at first, but talent and virtue prevail during the energetic twists and turns of the song. Even the accordion and small percussion interlude is a treat on the eyes and ears. The carnival atmosphere of The Lonesome Organist yields a fantastical element to the doom and gloom of destruction. Meanwhile, Pit er Pat, slowly acquiring a grassroots fan base, steals the show with "The Bog Man." Never has a trio of bass, drums and keys been so lively, yet so demure. The performance is the living image of Burn to Shine: life through death.
Of course, the Wilcos, the Shellacs and the Tortoises need no introduction. Wilco's rendition of "Muzzle of Bees," is one of the tightest performances of the A Ghost is Born track committed to tape. Nels Cline shreds the guitar like any guitar hero should. Shellac's "Steady as She Goes" assaults the ears with full-on rock power. The drumming is powerful, the guitar crisp and the bass heavy. Tortoi....... more