Look at that crazy that tried to jump the gap! That security guard gets a few punches in if you notice.

Imagine this at night too, since they will obviously be finishing a day off!

I love the fairy theme to this. I always imagined “Electric Feel” would be something Ferngully characters would dance (or sing) to!

Outrage! Despair! Heartbreak…

These are some of the feelings that spread around Champaign-Urbana when Cowboy Monkey turned off the music. After reassessing their business model, the Monkey is once again offering nights of sound and fun! Recently local favorites Santa and Ryan Groff have taken the stage on Thursday nights and you can see Curb Service live this week!

As for the Open Mic nights, they are every Tuesday! Bring some friends, play a set, or just listen free of charge.

Wolf Parade will be releasing their newest album At Mount Zoomer on June 17! The band has made “Language City”, a spankin’ new track, available for download at their myspace! Or just stream it here…

“Language City” - At Mount Zoomer

Curb Service a.k.a. Larry Gates

Lorenzo Goetz was a Rock staple of the CU community until their very recent break-up. Founder and front man Larry Gates hit the ground running with a quick release, Little Red Recovery Room, reestablishing himself as a force in local music. Check out this stream of Curb Service’s “Brooklyn” and read on to find out more about Larry’s new direction.

“Brooklyn” [DJ Spinnerty Remix]

[Courtesy: Curb Service]

the217: Describe your transition from Lorenzo Goetz to Curb Service.

Curb Service: After LG split I still had the itch to move forward creatively. I started on the record about 2 months after our last show. It was sooner than I expected but in retrospect I’m really not surprised by that sort of restlessness. Most of us do this stuff because we’d go crazy if we didn’t.

Hey… that Church St. looks familiar… as do some of those cameos!

the217: What are the creative differences in the way you produce music, perform music?

Curb Service: Creatively it varies because I played about 85% of what’s on that record (Little Red Recovery Room) as opposed to a band situation where everyone is putting their own fingerprints on a composition - and I’ve seen it work both for and against a song when you have a collaborative effort. Sometimes the song will stray from it’s original vibe and not necessarily achieve what it was meant for. Other times a mediocre tune will benefit from a fresh set of ideas. The Curb Service record was an opportunity to try and convey exactly what I wanted to. I’m pretty pleased with it - although I’ve already moved on in songwriting and recording methods.
Performance wise, I have a lot more to worry about. In LG I could let the guitar hang in front of me and just be bratty whereas now I’m responsible for either making or triggering every sound onstage. I have to have my wits about me.

[Courtesy: Curb Service]

the217: Do you prefer the pop/electronic/hip-hop genre to your days as a rock artist?

Curb Service: Both? It’s always refreshing to challenge yourself and grow so I suppose my preference is with my current direction - otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it but I certainly have no beef with where I’ve been.

the217: What sort of performance can Cowboy Monkey patrons expect between Curb Service and DJ Leg2 on May 29th? Are you planning on any sort of wardrobe change, ha?

Curb Service: I’m really excited that the Monkey is starting to ease back into live music. Expect an energetic performance with plenty of excuses to both twist and shout. No wardrobe changes planned for the DJ set, but I’m pretty anxious to show off my newest records.

Curb Service Contact Info:
official site
myspace
the217 Artist Index
curbservice@gmail.com

Woah.

Pretty sweet actually. Kinda Queen, but pretty sweet.

Santa Members
Stan McConnell: guitar/vocals
Mack McConnell: guitar
Tommy Trafton: keys
Otto Stuparitz: bass
Steve Plock: drums

There is a distinct feeling felt in the pit of the stomach when experiencing the rush that accompanies a significant transition. Presently, it is channeled through the tips of grass on the quad as Spring rolls into town towing sunshine and cheer - God knows this year’s graduating class is a bit giddy with the excitement of the unknown looming before them. I think as much can be said about some of CU’s local musicians as they begin to make the transition from exploratory music writing to developing a significant sound.

Listening to Santa’s newest material, Stan’s vocals have become more than “I just do this for fun”; they are passionate, recognizable. The My Bones EP itself is not just a collection of what Santa has done to date; it plays like the genesis of a cohesive album. Cohesion does not even begin to qualify the tight percussion Steve Plock has brought to the table. Live Santa no longer evokes endearing but sloppy bar rock; they are practiced, impressive.

Santa’s mantra has always been “sing along!” Pretty soon, listeners will do that without spur:

“The Crumble”

“Hashish”

“Bottles and Bracelets”

Photo By: Elle Destree [Courtesy: Santa]

Santa answers questions about their new line-up, future endeavors, and Thax Douglas!

the217: Santa has gone through a significant face-lift this year. Why were the line-up changes made and how did you decide on new members Steve Plock and Tommy Trafton?

Santa: Before the lineup change, we weren’t able to create and perform the music that we were hearing in our heads. We wanted to focus our vision, but first we needed to establish one. Apart from being excellent musicians (the cat’s pajamas), Steve and Tommy were interested in making the same type of music as us. Now, we are striving for the same musical identity, and that cohesion definitely shows in our new material. It’s fresh, yet familiar. For the first time, Santa sounds frighteningly close to how it should.

Santa performing “In the Front Seats, In the Back Seats” live on WPGU 107.1 FM

the217: You recently released the My Bones EP and have it available on iTunes. When can we expect a full length follow-up from Santa?

Santa: Currently, we are in the process of recording a smattering of demos in order to enhance our writing process and help us clarify the direction of our next record. We don’t have a specific date in mind, but we aim to have all of our seedlings recorded and ready to share by the ides of July. From there we’ll point and shoot. In the meantime, we’ll be performing and honing our tender new tunes in concert. You can expect to hear 5 or 6 of these on Thursday at the Canopy.

Stan Finds His Happy Thought [Courtesy: Santa]

the217: Santa is part of Canopy Club’s 10th Anniversary “Tribute to Local Music” this Thursday May 8th. Describe your favorite experience playing at the Canopy and what the venue has meant to you as a band.

Santa: Our favorite show was definitely our CD Release show in March. It was an honor to debut our disc the night after Headlights. We had great opening acts, and by the time we took the stage, the room had an incredible energy. The whole show felt perfect for us and we are expecting nothing less of this Thursday.

the217: Speaking of great experiences, Thax Douglas (the poet who enjoys introducing bands with a reading) recently introduced Santa when you played Chicago’s Double Door. Do you have the poem he read? If Thax Douglas is any sort of barometer for popularity, how did his decision to introduce Santa make you feel?

Santa: We have the poem, written by Thax himself (at Dunkin’ Donuts). When we found out that he was reading for us, we were elated. Some might say it’s just words on paper, but it gave us confidence nonetheless, probably because we knew that at least one person was in our corner that night. We dig the poem, too. It reads:

Santa by Thax Douglas

on moving
sidewalks the gardens
flow, sucking
nutrients from the
carnival atmosphere
they applaud with
their roots!
Their spectacular
colors are strong
enough that resting
spa souls
float on them
up to the
resurrection casserole
baking in an
oven that
was only a myth
until now.

Photo By: Elle Destree [Courtesy: Santa]

the217: What are Santa’s plans for the summer? Excited for any festivals you might be attending?

Santa: Apart from writing and recording everyday, we’ll be celebrating the phases of the moon, playing soccer, gardening, and having campfires. Mack turns 21 during the Pitchfork Music festival, so it’s going to be a happy clappy time with Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, and the Hold Steady. The rest of the time, we are getting down to business. We are really excited for our show at the Abbey Pub in Chicago on May 31. It’s a Saturday night and its 18+, so all of our friends can come. Who knows, maybe even Thax will be there.

**

Photo By: Elle Destree [Courtesy: Santa]

Whether you are a resident of CU, still have finals left, or are just here to PARTAY - head over to the Canopy Club’s 10th Anniversary Celebration featuring a “Tribute to Local Music” tomorrow night (Thursday)! Santa will be playing alongside CU’s best local talent. Don’t miss it!

Contact Info:
Electronic Press Kit
Santacast!
Booking: santabooking@gmail.com

Label: Destree Records
Release Date: 6 May 2008

Every once in awhile an album comes along that truly shakes up the world: Pet Sounds, Abbey Road, Born to Run, Straight Outta Compton, OK Computer, and now… Turning Point by Steve Plock.

The first Chart Topping All Percussion album of all time!

Oceans will be playing in the Link Gallery of Krannert Art Museum (the windowed hallway where you go to see your friend in FAA’s art exhibition) tonight at 5:30! The show is part of the an Animation Festival put on by the students in the Fine and Applied Arts program. Come early to see some great art and mingle with the University’s most creative.

Tonight is one of those rare times the Link Gallery will be used as a local music venue. It will be interesting to see an excellent instrumental rock band like Oceans playing alongside some great art. Sorry this is going up so late, but be sure to hurry over if you have time!

Band Members:
Ben Campbell: Guitar, Vocals.
Chris Howaniec: Noise Guitar, Backup Vocals.
Laura Lynch: Violin, Backup Vocals.
Zane Ranney: Drums.
Brian McGovern: Ukulele, Glockenspiel.
Kurt Werner: Ukulele, Glockenspiel, Bass.

World’s First Flying Machine is one of the newest additions to Local Music in CU. Although they were not nominated, they were my choice for Best New Artist at this year’s LMA’s. With a live show that is oh-so-close to being as good as Snowsera’s spectacularly confused Emo conflagration, how could you miss out on them?! The band is without guitarist Howaniec until this summer, but plan on putting out stronger recordings very soon. “We’ve also been talking to Danger Mouse about producing…he hasn’t gotten back to us, but we’ve definitely been talking.”

If you can’t wait for those Danger Mouse recordings check out these dream streams!

“Inefficient Machines”

“Butterflies”

“The Ferris Wheel”

World’s First Flying Machine will be playing at the Canopy Club’s 10th Anniversary “Tribute to Local Band’s” next Thursday, May 8th!

And now read further to see this excellent band ruin my Local Artist Profiles interview with some witty responses:

the217: What sort of song writing process does World’s First Flying Machine go through? Has it changed at all since the band’s inception?

Ben: I’ll write a song and we all add instrumentation together. In the beginning we were working on songs I’ve had written for months but now with the new songs, I write them and we figure them out before I really know what the songs are. And in the beginning we didn’t hear of Vampire Weekend.

the217: I’d rather not try to attach any ridiculous qualifiers to you such as “indie” or “indie pop folk bubblegum hip hop electro rock collective”. How would you describe your sound? (”bad ass” is an acceptable answer, “tranny hot mess” is not)

Brian: Bananas
Ben: Folk noise or noise folk.
Brian: Which one is it?
Ben: Noise Folk
Laura: Because noise is the adjective
Ben: and we’re a folk band with noise implements.
Brian: We’re neo-noise folk
Laura: with bananas.

the217: Describe an interesting experience you’ve had while playing a show, or a funny one.

Brian: you [Ben] broke a string.
Laura: Was that during the freestyle? [playing w/ Agent Mos at Indie Rock meets Hip Hop]
Ben: No that was before…
Laura: I think the freestyle was an interesting experience.
Ben: The show at the Iron Post we started “Inefficient Machines” and I just stopped the song in the middle and started over.
Laura: You grabbed your hair [motioning with hands in whiny voice] and said “Sorry, I forgot my capo.”

the217: What cracker would you choose to go with your favorite cheese and how does it relate to you as a band? I’m completely serious.

Ghostbusters II

the217: What’s the coolest part of being a buzz band graduating from the Public-League of Universities and having a quirky name and being on a SPIN magazine cover?!

Dudez: The east coast ladies
Laura: The east coast gentlemen

the217: Everyone’s favorite summer songs:

Brian: Well there are spring songs and summer songs. Summer’s got to be something hot.
Laura: Ricky Martin.
Ben: “Since I’ve Loved You” by the Avalanches
Laura: “Come Away with Me” by Norah Jones… “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer.
Brian: There’s something on the tip of my tongue. It’s not even a song I like but it just makes me think of summer. It’s something that could be by Journey but its not. I don’t know…

**

Curious about that excellent live show I mentioned?

Once again, World’s First Flying Machine will be playing at the Canopy Club’s 10th Anniversary “Tribute to Local Band’s” next Thursday, May 8th!
They’ll have t-shirts and pins for sale at the Canopy on May 8th. Hit them up on Facebook and be a fan!!!

Check back next week for Santa’s Local Artist Profile!