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Jookabox: Regular, yet not

Indianapolis' Jookabox are one of those bands that seems to come through town every six months — which means that if you go to decent amount of shows around town, you've probably seen them at least once. You're most likely already acquainted with their awesomely off kilter psych-garage, you probably already either love or hate their combination of blown-out casio beats and twee harmony vocals — or you may just be indifferent to them at this point. I find myself feeling that way now and then about several bands.

Zmick: Don’t fear the jam

"You tell me this town ain't got no heart / Well, well, well, you can never tell

The sunny side of the street is dark / Well, well, well, you can never tell

Maybe that's cause it's midnight, in the dark of the moon besides

Maybe the darkness is from your eyes

You know you got such dark eyes!"

Grateful Dead, "Shakedown Street"

 

Let's be honest here — "jamband" can be a bit of a dirty phrase. It may conjure images of spun-out wooks, trustafarians and endless noodling. Of course, this is by and large bullshit, just like pretty much every genre stereotype. In the same way that every of Montreal show isn't filled with guys in skinny jeans smoking American Spirit lights, every jam audience isn't made up of wooks. So how did a guy who loves Broken Social Scene and the Strokes (and who writes for Smile Politely, for god's sake) get into jam bands? By going to Zmick shows. Despite the fact that their core fanbase certainly falls in the hippie demographic (please note the considerable difference between a hippie and a wook), their shows tend to be wook and trustafarian-free zones. Simply put, I'm yet to encounter a Zmick fan who isn't kind, considerate and ultimately in it due to their love for the music. The community of like-minded people that Zmick fostered during their three-year tenure in Champaign-Urbana is unlike anything I've ever seen a local band do. Their weekly performances at Canopy Club's Monday Night Rage gave the band an incredible word of mouth and they were (and still are) able to fill any room in town — I fully expect the main room at Canopy to be packed for this one, despite the band's relocation to Chicago nearly a year ago. I could wax on endlessly about Zmick's unique ability to whip a crowd into a frenzy at the peak of a jam or the shows I've seen them play — the two-set, midnight to five A.M. Cinco de Mayo extravaganza at the Red Herring back in '07 and their most recent show at Canopy this past February stand out the most to me, but I figured that bassist and founding member Dan Wonsover could explain the band far better than I'm able to — so I interviewed him on the group's move, setlists, and what exactly "jam" means..

MUSIC

Swept away into an ocean of bliss

It’s hard for me not to gush, because the high I had Friday night had me raving. Twin Sister and Memoryhouse killed at their early show at the Canopy, nailing their brand of dreamy, hazy shoegaze pop for a midsize, mostly collegiate crowd in plaid button-downs and summer dresses. Local favorites Grandkids opened and brought with them a small but dedicated group of fans, but I’m sad to say work prevented me from catching their set and I still have …

MUSIC

The Overture: August 30 - September 5

WHAT: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Telekinesis, Santah WHERE: Canopy Club ($10) WHEN: Wednesday, September 1st at 6:00 p.m. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin are a touring fixture in Champaign-Urbana. Openers Telekinesis recorded their debut album with Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie), and this is likely going to be one of the biggest shows that Santah have played thus far.

MUSIC

Album Review: Materielle's Dreams

Most people know Chris Howaniec as the guitarist in World's First Flying Machine, and the influence responsible for some of the unexpectedly noisy little moments that serve to color that band's sound so well. However, he's also a force in the local electronic scene, already having two EPs to his name and featuring on WPGU's Radioactivity. Dreams, his third EP under the Materielle moniker, is a confident and personal document of bedroom dubstep.

MUSIC

Pygmalion schedule changes, Emeralds and new Erin Fein project added

Pygmalion has made some changes to its schedule (and two additions) — definitely for the better, in our opinion. Here's a quick run through of the changes, followed by an updated schedule. • The Built to Spill show on Wednesday night has been moved back an hour to help accommodate those wanting to see both Janelle Monae and Built To Spill. Capacity limitations still may apply. • Caribou will perform at the Canopy Club on Saturday night along with new …

MUSIC

Introducing Songs in 90 Seconds

You may find it hard to believe, but here in the Smile Politely music section we really do appreciate conciseness — especially when it comes to music. A song that can throw down a few hooks and a chorus or two and know when to call it a day is simply a marvelous thing. Don't get us wrong, we love the epic sweep of a fifteen minute song with a long buildup, dynamic shifts and reoccurring motifs, but if every …

MUSIC

The right thing changes from state to state

As a former Minneapolis resident, I feel some ownership where Soul Asylum is concerned. I like to think that no one anywhere else I've lived as an adult (Chicago and now C-U) gets Soul Asylum the way I get them — their ferocious live shows back in the late 80s/early 90s, the love and respect they clearly had for the music they chose to cover ("Chevy Van"!), and especially the way it felt to get ready for a night out …

MUSIC

“Come for Memoryhouse, Stay for Twin Sister”

With a feature on Pitchfork and their new EP The Years (available to download for free here) receiveing rave reviews, Guelph, Ontario's Memoryhouse are certifiably on the up-and-up. Their miniature sound-poems hover somewhere in the middle of Fennesz's glitched electronica, the Orb's organic ambient experiments of the early 90s, and Best Coast's hazy beach pop. If The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld (an essential and seriously underappreciated album) is ambient music stretched out to the max, then Memoryhouse is ambient's …

MUSIC

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles: Now with more Mike Ingram!

To steal a quote from Steinbacher, Sarah Borges plays "rock ‘n roll with a little bit of country and a little bit of punk rock." But whatever labels you choose to apply to her, it's clear that her songwriting chops, voice and charisma are above-average. Sarah will play at the Cowboy Monkey tonight along with her band, the Broken Singles, including Lyle Brewer on guitar, Binky on bass and local boy Mike Ingram on drums. I chatted with the band …

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Most Recent Music Comments

{username}

Thanks for the article, Ben.  I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar.  A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…

{username}

Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…

Ben Valocchi avatar

good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…

{username}

sux

{username}

whats a zmick?

{username}

Here is a link to download the aformentioned 2007 show at Red Herring, a true gem from the early Zmick archive, again recorded by Ben Valocchi: http://www.archive.org/details/zmick2007-11-02.logitech

{username}

My biggest concern is that the free Caribou show at the Krannert is now not at the Krannert and no longer free. But then, I guess if that’s my biggest concern, then I’m doing pretty well—at least I still have potable water! Still, I would prefer it…

{username}

Who’s got the crack?

JPSherrill avatar

Any band that makes the effort to pay homage to ! = Metallica @ = Beatles # = 2pac $ = Moldy Peaches % = Grateful Dead ^ = Dave Clark 5 All in one show!  (with Herb Alpert interpolations to boot) That’s what tasty jams is all about  

{username}

THE CAKE IS A LIE

Most Recent Comments

{username}

Illinois has simply had no luck at all in these Mizzou games. None. I think maybe we’re do for a couple of bounces to go our way. If we get one or two (or sever or eight) breaks, I think it’s a win. 

Dan Schreiber avatar

Jason, Savoy could easily join the CPL tax district, which is probably closer to most Savoy residents than the Tolono library is.  But my impression is that Savoy residents as a whole don’t want to pay the cost of the CPL (Tolono’s library taxes are cheaper), even…

{username}

Sorry, but I am lagging behind on updates to the map. Also, some construction projects were delayed from their original start date. On a more positive note, I am putting together a map of haunted houses in Central Illinois. I have a few plotted already, and I…

{username}

I’ve never gotten the privilege of all the services CPL cardholders get.  I just want to be able to go out of my way to drive to the CPL to check out books, pay fines, maybe buy some coffee, and enjoy the library.  None of those activities…

{username}

These days, there is more to using a library than checking out books. At one time, paying into the Lincoln Trails system probably would cover the expenses incurred by other libraries in the system. Now, with Internet, videos, coffee shops, wireless Internet hubs, etc., I suspect the…

{username}

(speaking as a Savoy resident)  By paying taxes to support a member of the LTLS, we are paying our “fair share” to use any LTLS library—Tolono, Champaign, Urbana, etc.  This is how library systems work.  The 6% of CPL’s circulation represented by Tolono users is NOT significant…

Rob McColley avatar

I read Timbo’s argument. I think the key word is “speculating.“

{username}

I would be interested to hear more about the “word on the street”—how are individual hauling companies fulfilling their promise to recycle?

{username}

Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.

emma reaux avatar

I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…

Dan Schreiber avatar

And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.

Dan Schreiber avatar

The equation is pretty simple here. If you want social services, then pay the taxes required to run those social services. These things only work if everyone puts in their fair share. As a heavy user of the Champaign Library, I say bravo to this new policy.

Timbo avatar

Curtis Orchard is always good for an hour or three, especially if you have rugrats.

Timbo avatar

What is the increased marginal cost of serving a resident of Savoy or Mahomet? I suspect negligible. What is the increased revenue to be realized by this new policy? I suspect very little. Aside from these financial aspects, what are the most probable results from this new…

{username}

Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.

{username}

Thanks for the article, Ben.  I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar.  A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…

{username}

Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…

Joel Gillespie avatar

@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.

Tracy Nectoux avatar

Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.

Ben Valocchi avatar

good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…

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