The Wednesday Edition of NAP Featuring the new Wednesday Subsection, Chicago Corner

A very little on JS Bach - What a brash talker. Said he should have been named for the sea instead of the brook on account of how much awesomeness swelled out of him. Big on himself I'd say. Alright so I dig it.

The Czechs play it up and if you don't believe me check out this concert (that you can download for free) from the original scores with "ancient instruments" and compare it to what they got coming out of LA with their fancy schmancy modern orchestra. The point being sometimes bigger isn't better. Tracks 9 and 10 are my favs right now (although I don't think Bach called them tracks).

Chicago
o r n e r . . .	Playing Subterranian this Tuesday, Russian Circles part of this "trajectory of Midwest bands that kind of blend aggression with pop sensibility" (as Pelican's Trevor de Brauw put it). Yes instrumetal if you will, as John and I have called it in the past. I don't know though, metal isn't a word RC uses and there's as much in the RC sound of the clean and melodic as there is of the down and dirty. Check out Micah on their MySpace page.
	RC played a show at Schuba's here in Chicago a couple of years ago that was very alright - showed off their mastery of the live set. That show was recorded and is available on eMusic. It's worth using some of your monthly eMusic points. Subterranean is a two part four story venue in the beyond-hip neighborhood of Wicker Park. It's right off the "crotch" which is the intersection of Milwaukee (a diagonal), Damen and North. I was disappointed to find the first time I played there, that one must walk up a flight of stairs to the concert venue making it very unsubterranean -and very unfriendly for amp luggers. They make up for it though with the band green room which is above the stage on the level with a super cool balcony where you can look down on the band members' bald spots. To enter the stage from the green room you climb down a spiral staircase directly to the stage. This has been used to great effect as you might imagine. Downstairs is a dance floor/bar/food joint. It's often more lively downstairs than up. They occasionally have hip hop artists, rappers and almost always they have a live DJ. Sometimes the downstairs bar will give the players free food, other times they give you a small break on the price. They're a bit confused overall.