This is certainly going to be a fun week to be around CU as Headlights will officially release their most even album in the form of Some Racing, Some Stopping at the Canopy Club tonight. The band is in the middle of a tour that will take them across the country in over two months — a tour that is being carried out by five band members (officially adding in Decibully’s Nick Sanborn and Shipwreck’s John Owen to the mix.) The new record has garnered some fantastic press from many bigger name publications, and I’ll say that (having listened to it several times now) I’m extremely impressed by the songwriting. While I might still consider “It Isn’t Easy To Live That Well” my favorite of their songs, and I might’ve been a little disappointed to find the gorgeous Erin Fein number that was played out a few times (search Youtube for “Erin Fein song one”) not among the album’s songs, I still think the album is solid from start to finish. In this way it trumps Kill Them With Kindness, which had amazing songs but also had some missteps in interludes and such. The title track of the new record, along with the opener, is a perfect piece of music. Tonight’s CD release show also features tour-mates (and Pitchfork darlings) The Evangelicals, and local up-and-comers Tall Tale. Showtime is 9 p.m. and tickets are $8 in advance. A show of this magnitude should really fill up the Canopy’s main room. Tell your friends to get their asses out there.
I hate when a certain night ends up having too many great shows for its own good. With so many great bands and venues in town, the perfect storm of shows has to happen every once in awhile. This Friday is one of those nights. Campus favorite Santa will release a long-awaited CD, the My Bones EP, with a show at the Canopy Club that also features Butterfly Assassins and The Rikters. The band has really evolved and polished its sound since its inception, and now balances on the line of indie rock and psychedelic, with a peppering of bro-rock still present here and there. The show is $5 in advance and starts at 10 p.m.
Elsewhere you’ve got more fantastic choices as Mike ‘n Molly’s continues to host excellent bills, with tonight featuring Catfish Haven’s noisy rock (along with Mannequin Men and New Ruins) at 10 p.m. with a cover of $5. Over at the Iron Post, the newest lineup of Pulsar47 will be pairing up with This Specific Dream for a 9 p.m. show ($4).
To round out your weekend, look to the Iron Post on Saturday, where Mhondoro Rhythm Success will lay down those ass-shaking grooves of Zimbabwean origin. The 9:30 p.m. show will feature opener Doum Sounds (middle-east percussion meets hip-hop and reggae) from Chicago. The cover is only $3. Hopefully the table layout at the Post will be reorganized in a way that is conducive to the uncontrollable dancing that will happen when the music starts.
Another option for Saturday? High Anxiety Music Center is putting on another house concert. Champaign rock band Backyard Shark will headline with opener Curb Service (Larry Gates). The venue is offering house shows more often these days at its 302 S. State St. location. This one will kick off at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. doors), and there is a $5 cover charge.
I’ve been digging through some older local music releases, and since it’s a week of new releases, I thought I’d highlight some of other releases that might not have gotten the love that was deserved.
Adam Wolfe — “Too Late” (from Rock Star). Wolfe was best known as the Cobain-ish lead singer of the rock band Sick Day (which released two solid EPs of its own), but his decision to release an acoustic EP paid off best in the form of “Too Late,” a somewhat remorsefully toned, mid-tempo number punctuated by extremely solid guitar work from Brat Pack guitarist Tom Grassman. The layered percussion added by Jesse Greenlee (Lorenzo Goetz) suits the song extremely well, and Wolfe’s voice (still packing the gravelly tone) sounds incredibly tuneful. This is one of my very favorite local tracks. You can have a listen at myspace.com/adamwolfemusic, where you can also find info about Wolfe’s upcoming shows, which have sadly slowed since he jumped headfirst into a respectable day job.
Next week we might have to discuss Colonel Rhodes or some Swoon!
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