Archive for midwest

Introducing: Click Track

Posted in Local Love, Mind Inversion Exclusive, Video with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Thursday, July 19, 2012 by TSN

For some time I had been anticipating a video from a local band, Click Track.  Straight out of La Crosse, WI.  Now that I have seen and heard, I realize this band hails with edgy creativity and promising tune.

I had no idea at how the video would go or how the new song would sound.  I was exposed to the above.  I am greatly surprised at the catchiness of the song and the quality of the video, I felt it necessary to share with you, my friends at Mindinversion.net.

Local Love presents Click Track.

Click Track Facebook Page

Click Track Reverbnation

These are some place to check out more songs, tour dates, and news on Click Track.

Click Track frontman Ryan Conrad and drummer Nick Elstad have hit it right with Dangerous Children.  They have been writing songs and creating music for sometime, playing venues in La Crosse, and elsewhere in the Midwest.  Bars, like The Cavalier, places intimate and very up close and personal.  I have known Conrad to have been writing and creating music, at least, for the past 10 years, in various acts (One point I even had the pleasure of being in a band with Conrad).  Seen em’ (Click Track) live a few times and they put on a high energy, professionally done show, with some fun.  The live show is intense and memorable, and their sound is original, at times haunting.

The song Dangerous Children is pleasantly catchy and the video is done well.  It has a hint of low-budget underground artsy film, but it remains highly effective and the songwriting speaks to quality.  I can appreciate a sense of art in production, with the progression and listenability of big league acts.  A song I can relate to and listen to many times before coming to a conclusion.

For a bit Conrad had been telling me to give his music a listen, I have known him forever and decided to.  I had not expected it to sound so new, so crisp, and so realistic.  I was happily enthusiastic.  I was intrigued, the Dangerous Children video showcases Click Track and the city of La Crosse, and a library, these are 3 positives in my book.

La Crosse is a city with a lot of musical acts, but at times, sadly, with little progression and distinguishability within the ranks and genres.

However, that is not entirely true, thanks to Click Track.

If anything Click Track is a testament that the music scene in La Crosse is changing for the better-their video speaks to said change.  Click Track is a breakthrough Indie rock band coming out of La Crosse, something I consider great, and they are pointed in the right direction.  They deserve a listen, and for the creative video they deserve a share.

Okay, so they have a megaphone, they wear suits, and they are from La Crosse, WI.  Need I say more?

The retro feel of the video, and the simple yet catchy sound have me inspired, Click Track.  As Click Track shows, there is clear potential in the Midwest for indie garage rock.

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Artist Interview: Prof.

Posted in Interviews, News with tags , , , , , , on Thursday, February 2, 2012 by TSN

Ah…  Yes, so for some time now I have been digging on Prof. (musically and creatively); he’s a South-Side Minneapolis native (Powderhorn represent!), who makes music that is of quality production-wise, catchy lyrically, and it has an easy way of relating to, even with some delusions of grandeur and vulgar hyperboles.  Prof.’s imagination is over the top, and hard to overlook, but his sense of humor is something to be admired in an age of all seriousness.  His music is an escape from a world of frowns and disapproval. Continue reading

William Elliot Whitmore debuts on UK tv with Jools Holland appearance

Posted in Video with tags , , , , , , , , , on Monday, May 11, 2009 by Ryan Buege

The Mississippi river basins modern folk vagabond William Elliot Whitmore recently made a trip over the pond to show his literary and musical vocal talents to the British population, and the results that were captured on film are stunning. Whitmore’s powerful, old-time oration skills are truly a wonder in this day-and-age, and in this video performance for his “Old Devils” he sounds spectacular.

The last time I had the fortune to see Whitmore play live, he was sandwiched between the chaotic grind of local metal band Ambassador Gun and the expansive post-rock of Red Sparowes. Though the bill was quite an unlikely one for Whitmore, he handily won over any doubters with the passion of his exceptional performance and some sensibilities that could easily appeal to any fan of socially aware Midwestern music. It’s great that his career seems to be picking up steam on a global scale, because music this authentic, emotional, and beautiful needs to be honored the world over. Check out “Old Devils” live on Jools Holland below:

Man Man and Gogol Bordello tour together, nominee for craziest concert ever

Posted in Concert Dates, Music News with tags , , , , , , , , on Thursday, April 2, 2009 by Erik Burg

Okay I made that last part up obviously, but still, if you’ve ever seen/heard anything from either of these two over-the-top and ambitious acts you know exactly what I’m talking about. And the fact that the two are touring together for a short stint at the end of May into early June is some of the more exciting concert news I’ve heard lately. Between Man Man‘s absurd dress and costuming, and Gogol‘s, let’s say “interaction” with the crowd, the possibilities of what you could see or experience on that night are endless. I really like how one Pitchfork writer puts it:

“Even though you know he’s going to launch himself onto the bass drum that the audience is holding aloft, it’s still pretty fucking nuts when he actually does it.”

And if that recollection of a Gogol Bordello show doesn’t make you want to line-up for tickets then I’m just not quite sure anything will, ha. Check out some videos below of each act live, and the list of their Midwest dates. 

Man Man in a “Drum off” at McCarren Pool in ’07

Gogol Bordello Live in Boulder

Dates:

5-29 Kansas City, MO Beaumont Club

5-30 Minneapolis, MN Cabooze

5-31 Chicago, IL Congress Theatre

The Chairs cover Bon Iver and swing through La Crosse next month

Posted in Audio, Concert Dates, Music News with tags , , , , , , , , on Friday, February 20, 2009 by Erik Burg

I’ve heard a few tracks from these guys in the past and their debut EP was a real treat, now The Chairs are planning a short tour at the end of March. The new track is another spectacular cover (they also covered Neutral Milk Hotel a few months ago). This time the guys take a stab at Bon Iver’s beautiful song “Flume” of his debut album. It works out pretty well too, I mean sure, the empty and echoing feelings of the hollow Wisconsin woods are gone but they’re traded for soothing synths and guitar’s of the electric kind. If you haven’t heard these guys yet this track is a decent gauge of their sound, they have a certain spookiness that I can’t really describe. So check it out for sure

MP3: The Chairs – “Flume” (Bon Iver Cover)

And if you enjoy this sample be sure to see them on their tour next month. They’re sweeping through the midwest on a short tour, and they’ll be hitting La Crosse on March 26th. Their show is at Viterbo University, too bad places like the Warehouse can’t bring in acts like this, La Crosse is a town anxious for concerts like this one, and I hope there is a great turn out for these guys. So go out and support great music, whether it’s at their La Crosse show or any of their midwest stops, it’ll be worth your time. 

 

The boys from Appleton are worth remembering, be sure to check them out

The boys from Appleton are worth remembering, be sure to check them out

 

A debut album is set to be released March 17th, so the tour should be featuring plenty of new material. Check out some more of their material on their myspace, including their cover of “In An Aeroplane Over the Sea.” Or jump over to their official page to find out some more info about the crew. All dates for the tour below:

March 21 Omaha, Nebraska The Foundry
March 22 Columbia, Missouri Cherry Street Artisan
March 23 Kansas City, Missouri Davey’s Uptown
March 24 Ames, Iowa Ames Progressive
March 25 East Moline, Illinois MixTapes
March 26 Viterbo University La Crosse, Wisconsin
March 27 Elbo Room Chicago, Illinois