Chicago Acoustic Underground Podcast

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Episode 587 - Justin Yates Nov 02, 2014

Show notes

Justin Yates joined us for Podcast and got to check out this young man's intensity first hand. Pretty amazing guitarist considering he is self taught. That combined with strong lyrics and a powerful voice is Justin in a nut shell.You can see him Live this Thursday November 6th at The Throne Room, 2831 N Broadway St, Chicago, Illinois 60614 along with Jake Foy and CAUDog Records artists Greg Jackson Combs, Ellis Clark, and CLEEMANN.Facebook Invitation LinkWhen you meet Justin Yates, you'll notice that he has a great deal of energy, underscored by a trace of uncertainty. He's 26 years of age, has accumulated some emotional baggage over time, and as a result, has a great deal on his mind, much of which is difficult for him to navigate with other human beings in normal conversation, as it's often painful and messy material to explain. Put a guitar in his hand, however, and an immediate transformation takes place. Any uncertainty he may have had about himself and his role in the world around him disappears, and Justin becomes intensely focused, playing his instrument with the sure-handedness of an expert. He sings with the kind of confidence and authority that only the strongest storytellers possess. It's sort of a shocking thing to bear witness to. Justin is a self-taught guitar player. He used to play metal and worked with a number of bands in the North Shore area, but nothing ever really stuck. He never felt strongly connected to any of the other players, and after a while, Justin gave up on performing within the genre and bought an acoustic guitar, met a girl. And fell in love. And it was great.

Episode 586 - Andina & Rich Oct 30, 2014

Show notes

Andina Rich Recipe: mix Sandy Andina (Chicago's resident singing/guitar-and-dulcimer-slinging smart aleck) with Stephen Lee Rich (Madison, WI's friendly neighborhood yodeling cowboy), add harmony and humor, then shake and stir. Result: Andina and Rich! Their new CD, "Two Guitars, A Dulcimer and an Attitude" shows a musical diversity that most duos just don't have. From the delta style of "Porchlight Blues" to the contemporary feel of "Talkin' To The Vines" to the wild comedy of "Caffeine" you get a show with something wonderful for every family member.See all the videos from their Podcast The History Clubs and Coffeehouses: Two Way Street Coffeehouse – Downers Grove, IL Semolino Coffeehouse -- Hays, KS Carnegie Lecture Hall -- Pittsburgh, PA Conawego Coffee - Elizabethtown, PA Hall of Fame Lounge – Nashville, TN OldTown Tavern- Ann Arbor, MI Wild Hog In The Woods Coffeehouse – Madison, WI Bill's Blues – Chicago, IL 8th Street Cafe' – Escanaba, MI Festvals: Grand Marais Songwriters Festival – Grand Marais, MI Log Cabin Days Folk and Bluegrass Festival -- Edgerton, WI Nashville Songwriters Festival – Nashville, TN LilFest – Chicago, IL Folk In The Park – Governor Nelson State Park, Waunakee, WI Maxwell Street days -- Madison, WI Media: Midnight Special – WFMT, Chicago Roots and Wings - WMUC-FM, College Park, MD KVMR, Nevada City, CA WCVE, Richmond, VA Watch This Space - WWUH, West Hartford, CT Acoustic Sounds Cafe – KUAR FM89, Little Rock, AR Folk IT! – A3 Radio, Ann Arbor, MI From The Roots - WMMT-FM, Whitesburg, KY The Dr.Demento Show Back To The Country – WORT, Madison, WI Sunday Morning Coffeehouse – KOPN, Columbia, MO Hootenanny Cafe' - WTBQ, Warwick, NY Simpatico - WSPN, Saratoga Springs, NY Simply Folk - Wisconsin Public Radio The Folk Show - WTUL, New Orlean, LA Festival Radio - onlinefolkfestival.com Grateful Dread Public Radio - Summit, NJ Betsi's BB - KXCI, Tucson, AZ Movin' On - KBOO, Portland, OR Hootenanny Power - WRKF, Baton Rouge, LA And that's just scratching the surface! For Bookings call 608-345-8831608-345-8831 or e-mail becausewecan@andinaandrich.com

Episode 585 - Mendeleyev Oct 20, 2014

Show notes

American singer-songwriter Mendeleyev has been a lifelong lover of music. He started playing guitar when he was just three years old and continues to hold an unbreakable bond with the instrument. In grade school, he picked up instruments quickly and fervently, becoming quite skilled on piano, bass guitar, and drums. He played a multitude of these instruments in some bands in high school and won a school-wide talent show, playing an original song for thousands of members of the student body. After graduation, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts where his principle instrument was the guitar. Being surrounded by such talented individuals during this time was very inspiring for Mendeleyev and he thrived there. A lover of traveling and seeing new places brought the artist to his decision to leave Boston, and he has barely stopped moving since. Mendeleyev has had the opportunity to play for people around the world! In the summer of 2010, he played acoustic guitar and sang for people all over Africa and India, including the Masaii tribesmen and Wangari Maathai, leader of the Green Belt Movement and winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. During July and August of 2011, Mendeleyev toured Europe with Travelers, a band of his brother's and Berklee classmates. Stopping in London, Amsterdam and Stockholm, he was excited to bring his music to life in a new way and in new places. Today, Mendeleyev is working hard toward becoming a more widely recognized name in music and entertainment. With a diverse catalogue filled with feverous finger picking, mellow to manic melodies and lively, moving lyrical content, highly influenced by the likes of Neil Young, Feist, Van Morrison, Nick Drake, John Mayer, and, unsurprisingly, Sublime, he has a fresh and folky yet fun and funky take on music that can be appreciated by all. Young and full of energy, there is no telling where Mendeleyev will be heading next.

Episode 584 - Chris Bock Oct 16, 2014

Show notes

The first time I heard Chris Bock was at our "Singing For Your Supper" concert series held in Mayne Stage's Act One Pub on the first Tuesday of every month. He was about the forth act that night and he made me stop eating dinner and pay attention to his music. I think you will see how he made that happen when you listen to his Podcast. He is also working with Victor Sanders on a CD, and working with Victor goes a long way with me.Check out three videos from his Podcast here.

Episode 583 - P.M. Buys Oct 01, 2014

Show notes

Be sure to make it to the Tonic Room 2447 N. Halstead this Friday October 3rd to see P.M. Buys along with Donnie Biggens, Chicago Farmer (Vinly Release), and Coyote RiotChicago folksinger P.M. Buys stands as any building from his city's skyline would, stretched high and slender. With a harmonica slung from his neck and a well-aged guitar in his hands, he appears to compartmentally fit his Midwest predecessors like Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. One can certainly detect heavy influence from the Ghosts of Folk Music's Past tucked within the works of P.M. Buys. Those elements, twisted with thorough classical guitar training, vibrant lyricism and accompaniment from operatic soprano/pianist Emma Volz, bring a very contemporary angle to the duo's sound. Standing together they give off a certain chemistry on stage, combining winding harmonies with accordion and finger-picked guitar. Out of this collaboration came the first release - a batch of six songs entitled "Funeral Psalms". Released in January of 2014, the EP is currently available for download, free of charge, at www.pmbuys.com.

Episode 582 - Mad Bread Sep 25, 2014

Show notes

Mad Bread is a string band for the 21st century, playing a unique mixture of bluegrass, rock, folk and blues. The band blends traditional instruments with modern songwriting, creating innovative, genre-bending music that defies classification. At a concert, you'll hear them move effortlessly from boot-stompin' bluegrass jams, to psychedelic folk ballads, to Chicago-style blues-rock with stops everywhere in between. Nate Flint - Mandolin, Guitar, Vocals Adam Flint - Banjo, Harmonica, Vocals Mike Slater - Bass, Vocals Carl Broman - Electric Guitar, Vocals Mark Hartman - Percussion

Episode 581 - Heather Styka 2014 Sep 15, 2014

Show notes

When listeners describe singer-songwriter Heather Styka as an "old soul," the term applies to more than the wisdom beyond her years in her writing. Styka's tunes have a vintage familiarity that draws inspiration from folk and Tin Pan Alley sounds, but the vivid images of her lyrics render her songs as fresh, smart, and unexpected as they are hummable. Also a poet and writer, Styka crafts songs that analyze moments, places, time, changes, solitude, relationships, and community. In addition to numerous songwriting awards, her 2011 release Lifeboats for Atlantis received critical praise, hitting #3 on the national FOLK-DJ charts. With a distinctive guitar style and a pure, soulful voice, Styka's performances feel as candid as late night conversation and as comfortable as coming home. Heather Styka originally hails from Chicago, where she started writing and performing at fourteen. She spent the subsequent decade performing throughout the Chicago area, and after obtaining a degree in creative writing, began touring the Midwest and Northeast. Her 2011 release Lifeboats for Atlantis brought her to national attention, ending up on a number of radio DJs "best albums of the year" lists (Midnight Special, WFMT). In the spring of 2013, Styka uprooted and moved to Portland, Maine, where she quickly became part of New England's folk and Americana scene. "I'd been yearning for open space," says Styka of her move. "And in Maine I found it, while staying connected to a community that inspires me." The songs of Heather Styka's upcoming record, While This Planet Spins Beneath Our Feet, reflect the surroundings of her new home state, conjuring images of fields, forests, and ocean, amidst the changing of the seasons and the passage of time.

Episode 580 - The Hannah Frank Group Sep 03, 2014

Show notes

Hannah Frank Group is based in Chicago; line-up includes Meg Thomas (Percussion), Victor Sanders (Electric Guitar) and Ben E. Miller (Bass); Audio: Hannah Frank Group Live EP at hannahfrank.bandcamp.com. Booking Contact HFrankGroup@Gmail.comPodcast videosI am so proud to present Hannah and her group to you. She wears many hats in the Chicago Musician's Community. She is one of the best live sound engineers around, Multi talented and integral part of Chicago Acoustic Underground. As you will see and hear, a brilliant singer/songwriter equally adept in many different styles of music. Oh, yes, just for the heck of it, she is also a wonderful fine artist.So, come join the entire CAU crew at Mayne Stage this Friday night and see for yourself what I mean.

Episode 579 - Simon Aug 22, 2014

Show notes

Simon was founded in Peoria, IL in 1997. The band featured three former members of the Goth band, St. Sirus: Darin Wright on drums, John Northrup on bass and Brad Benson on guitar and vocals. Inspired by British bands like Oasis, Blur and Travis, Simon developed a Brit-pop sound and featured songs written by Benson. The band performed across Central Illinois at popular alternative venues like The Gallery in Normal and Lizard's Lounge in Bloomington. In 2000 Derek Kolb took over on bass and backing vocals and Josh Bradshaw was brought in on lead guitar and backing vocals. The band continued to perform, recording an EP titled Nowland, released in 2001. Dropping back to a three piece band in 2002, Simon recorded a full length album titled A Month of Sundays in their home studio. Upon Kolb's departure from the band in early 2003 Simon went on hiatus while the remaining band members pursued other interests. Simon reformed in 2009 as a studio project featuring Wright again on drums and Benson on guitar and vocals. A number of Bloomington musicians sat in with the band while new material was developed. In 2010, with Wright's departure, Dave Schuster took over drum and backing vocal duties with Lawrence Horvath from the Root Cause taking over on bass. In 2011, taking inspiration from Alex Turner's Last Shadow Puppets side project, Simon released It's Not the End of the World. Since 2011 Simon has increased its commitment to both recording and performing, playing gigs in Peoria, Bloomington and Chicago. The band released two singles in 2013, Alone Against the Sky and Sideways. Both singles continue the Simon tradition of mashing British rock melodies with American pop/punk. Links:https://www.facebook.com/simonsongsincorporated http://www.jango.com/music/Simon?l=0Follow this link to their videos from the show

Episode 578 - Joshua Powell Aug 19, 2014

Show notes

Joshua Powell joined us solo for an intimate view of Joshua Powell the songwriter. What a wonderful performance and certainley demonstrates why you should go see Joshua's band live. If you are in Chicago, you'll have that opportunity on September 6th at Goose Island Wrigleyville. Come join the CAU Crew and enjoy the brilliance of this group.Follow this link to view the videos from this show."Joshua Powell and the Great Train Robbery" may not fit on a marquis, but the name suits the band just fine. Joshua and his folk band borrowed their brand from a 1903 silent Western and have crafted their sound in that sure-footed Americana tradition ever since. The crux of their music is in the storytelling – stories that embrace the fact that we are all human together. The band has two new releases: The Commonwealth EP, available for free on Noise Trade, and a new LP, Man Is Born For Trouble, available in April from digital outlets. The band may have originated in the heartland, but there is something distinctly Southern about their songs. There is dusty peacefulness in the lulling folk that evokes comparisons to Iron and Wine and Fionn Regan, and an unmistakable grit that erupts like a bar fight when the band delves into their rockier side. Joshua and the band spent nearly two years in Indiana perfecting this duality as they played every Midwest bar and coffeehouse that would have them. Their self-produced debut EP, We All Say Hello, enjoyed immense exposure and success on Noise Trade in 2011, sharing the chart with acts like The Civil Wars and Young the Giant. They subsequently released their first full length, Traveler, which Stereo Subversion heralded as having "diverse harmonies" and "immense depth."

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