list.in.to.chicago this week: 10.14.2013

In which I once again miss a deadline, get batches of bands confused, and delegate recommendations to bandmates.

Pick of the week
Since it's too late to recommend Ginger Baker (and it was sold out anyway), I've liked what I've seen from The Naked And Famous (Wednesday at the Riv), assuming I'm thinking of the right band. And the two shows from Aimee Mann and Ted Leo at City Winery (Thursday and Friday) should be fun.

list.in.to.COZ
Nothing this week. Sorry.

Recap
So, I forgot to recap Atoms For Peace from two Wednesdays ago in last week's list. It continues to be really cool how they translate electronic noises and textures to a live setting, particularly with the interplay between drums and percussion. Flea and Thom Yorke are both tiny bundles of energy on stage, and things really picked up towards the end of the main set.

Monday night was White Lies at Metro. Openers In The Valley Below had some pretty solid indie synth-pop, and visually looked like what you would get if and when the Amish discovered electricity. And synthesizers. The headliners were mostly middle of the road modern Britpop, brought down by some pretty lousy timekeeping from the drummer. Seriously, dude, you have ONE JOB.

And then Franz Ferdinand at The Vic on Thursday. So many catchy songs, and the band knows how to work a room. Things really took off about halfway through, with an epic version of "Can't Stop Feeling," followed by an almost equally epic version of "This Fire." Opener Frankie Rose relied way too much on pre-recorded tracks for my taste, although there were hints of a sort of School of Seven Bells-esque dream pop at times.

10.14   monday
Ginger Baker's Jazz Confusion (City Winery)   SOLD OUT!
The titular star of last year's wonderful documentary Beware Mr. Baker is on tour again. Really looking forward to hearing a drumming legend.

The Weeknd with Banks, Anna Lunoe (Chicago Theatre)
Same as last night's show, only on a weekdy.

Hanson with David Ryan Harris (House of Blues)
Another holdover from last week. If you were surprised they were playing a place as big as House of Blues, you'll be doubly surprised that they're playing it twice.

10.15   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I will be out of town this weekend, but there have been plenty of other musicians dropping by in the last few weeks to make it worth your while and provide you cover while you experiment with your acoustic version of that song you've been hearing on the radio lately.

Fiona Apple with Blake Mills (Bank of America Theatre)
Do not make eye contact. Do not engage. You've got to figure that the percentage of audience members who, on the one hand, really like her as an artist, but are kind of hoping to see a train wreck is getting larger.

Bronze Radio Return with Graham Colton (Beat Kitchen)
Brian, the bassist from Andrew Fraker & Sons, told the rest of us we should be checking these guys out a while back. I think I was deep in current releases at the time, and never took the recommendation off the back burner. I'm really bad about that.

10.16   wednesday
The Naked and Famous with Colourist (Riviera Theatre)
Just so we're clear. The Naked and Famous have five members, and are from New Zealand. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have four members, and are from New York. And Two Door Cinema Club has three members, and are from the UK. And two of them are playing this week. And I think these guys are the ones with the lead guitarist who clearly wishes he was in My Bloody Valentine.

Robben Ford (SPACE, Evanston)
I first heard the blues singer and guitarist back with 1988's Talk To Your Daughter, mostly on account of drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and bassist Roscoe Beck, who had played with Eric Johnson previously, being on the record.

Bell X1 with Tristen (Lincoln Hall)
I have one song from these guys on my iPod that has always made me think I should check out more from the Irish band, but I never quite get around to it.

Hugh Laurie & The Copper Bottom Band (The Vic)
Yes, that Hugh Laurie. The English actor recently released an album of blues, jazz and other styles.

10.17   thursday
Cute Is What We Aim For with Turnover, Tallhart (Bottom Lounge)
While we're grouping bands together into trios, I always put this band in a category with We Were Promised Jetpacks and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelstin purely on account of their unwieldy names. And lo and behold, two out of those three are also playing Chicago this week. Weird.

Aimee Mann and Ted Leo (City Winery)
If you didn't make it to the Hideout Block Party to hear these two together, you've got another chance.

District 97 with John Wetton, Little Atlas (Reggie's Rock Club)
Reggie's is always good for the prog rock every once in a while. I'm not entirely sure if John Wetton actually sings with District 97, or just tours with them, but I'm pretty sure he dips into the classic King Crimson, Asia and maybe even U.K. songbooks when he's out on the road.

Gavin Harrison (Martyrs')
Speaking of King Crimson, Harrison has toured with one of the more recent incarnations of the band, along with his regular gig in Porcupine Tree. Pretty sure this is just a drum clinic, but he's got a solo album that just came out, so it might have a live component.

Minus the Bear with Invsn, Slow Bird (Metro)
Heard some good new stuff from opener Invsn lately, and I feel like Minus the Bear is either a band I've finally heard some afternoon at a festival in the last couple of years, or a band I've been meaning to check out for, like, a decade.

Animal Collective with Deradoorian (Riviera Theatre)
I listen to some weird, dissonant music sometimes, and I still don't understand this band.

10.18   friday
Matt Wertz with Elenowen (Lincoln Hall)
We're all about the Andrew Fraker & Sons-related recommendations this week, as Tony just posted something about this guy last week.

Fountains of Wayne with Soul Asylum, Evan Dando (The Vic)
The dream of the 90s is alive in Lakeview. This could be a lot of pop-rock fun.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin with A Great Big Pile of Leaves, Damn Choir (Subterranean)
Of those three bands with the long names I mentioned earlier, the biggest surprise is that none of them are from Scandinavia, because I feel those bands love their long, unwieldy names. These guys are from Springfield, Missouri.

Aimee Mann and Ted Leo (City Winery)
See Thursday's listing.

The Men with Fuzz, Purling Hiss, CCR Headcleaner (Logan Square Auditorium)
Not to be confused with Man Man, who I neglected to note are playing on Monday night at Bottom Lounge. Or Boy, who played in town last week.

10.19   saturday
Two Door Cinema Club with St. Lucia, Peace (Riviera Theatre)   SOLD OUT!
I think the reason I'm somewhat surprised they're only a trio is because I get them confused with those other bands I mentioned earlier, who have 4 and 5 members. They got a big crowd at Lollapalooza this summer, and sounded good from way in the back for a few songs.

Little Green Cars with Foy Vance (Metro)
Also had a bit of a buzz around them at Lolla back in August, but I don't hear the Mumford comparisons. They're folky, yeah, but still much more in a contemporary rock context.

The Eagles (United Center)
Another cross-country tour that seems to be catching us both coming and going. A lot of times one of those legs will be out in Rosemont, but not for these guys.

10.20   sunday
Bonnie Raitt with Mavis Staples (Allstate Arena, Rosemont)
No big deal. Just a couple of legendary singers.

Les Claypool's Duo de Twang with Reformed Whores (Lincoln Hall)
This is the final night of a 9-show tour for the Primus frontman, along with original M.I.R.V. guitarist Bryan Kehoe, playing stripped down versions of songs from Primus and other Claypool projects.

The Sounds with Gemini Club (Double Door)
It's really tough to keep all the "the" bands straight, but I feel like I heard some stuff I really liked from this one a ways back.

Misfits (Concord Music Hall)
I suspect we'll see lots of Riot Fest-related bands at the new Logan Square venue, seeing as how they're one of the three partners behind the room.