Dave Chamberlain

Damn that Elizabeth Elmore.

After enamoring me during her days in Sarge, a sweet but hard-edged punk-rock band (think The Paybacks, with less aggression) that worked so well just because of that dissonance, she launched her band The Reputation with a self-titled debut--and to me, terrible results. But alas, she's found middle ground.

The Reputation's debut on Lookout! Records, "To Force a Fate," still rings with a more indie-pop sound than Sarge, but she's injected a great edge into the pre-established fold of bitter lyrics, a very pretty voice and subdued but tangible energy. Where The Reputation's debut was filled with turns of hook and phrase that were little more than matured Avril Lavigne, "Force" goes leaps and bounds beyond. The punchy and energetic "Bottle Rocket Battles" comes from an angry place--angrier sounding than anything since Sarge--with enough pace and continuity to keep the song bursting from beginning to end. And the record's masterpiece, "Follow-Through Time," carefully constructs a piano-guitar riff that alone would sell the track; but set behind Elmore's plaintive vocals, the song comes off as, dare I say, an advancement in pop music. The band is smart enough to bookend "Follow-Through Time" with one of the most easily addictive on the record, "Face It," which sounds almost bouncy compared to the previous two. A record consisting of nothing but the latter would have failed miserably, but as it is, "Face It" is almost an emotional respite and a bridge to further highlights in Elmore's progress as a songwriter.

The Reputation plays a CD-release party May 14 at the Double Door.

Unfortunate migration:

One of the least likely candidates for leaving Chicago has done just that.

Evil Beaver, the two-woman progenitor of excessively heavy and loud rock as well as a mainstay in Chicago for the better part of a decade, is in the process of relocating to Los Angeles. Speaking from Germany (the Beaver is presently on tour in Europe), Laura Ann Beaver explains. "Alas, yes. I feel like I got squeezed out of Chicago, but more for work than anything else. I could not get a job that was cool with me leaving all the time, so I picked up and moved to Los Angeles."

Though the pair (Laura Ann and Evil Evie) has one foot in Chicago and one in L.A., and they both still consider Chicago home, they figure to move to sunny California permanently by July. Before departing, the Beaver plans on at least a few more shows, including an opening spot for Nina Hagen at the Empty Bottle in July. The Beaver have recently seen an upsurge in press coverage, not the least of which was a profile of Laura Ann in ROCKRGIRL Issue 51, The Drummer Issue.

And what will the Beaver be occupying itself with in Los Angeles? "Maybe I'll open a hotdog stand and serve Old Style," Laura Ann jokes. "You know, L.A. Beaver's Weiner hole."

Festival shmestival:

A pair of festivals hit Chicago this weekend, making for an unofficial kickoff to the summer.

First off, Horizontal Action brings its annual Blackout to the Empty Bottle for the first time (there's more on the individual shows strewn throughout the music issue). Why is it called the Blackout? At last year's event, one of the H.A. editors was so drunk that he was hardly able to stand. The next night, when I reminded him of our (somewhat one-sided) conversation, he gave me a blank stare before stating, "that's why it's called the Blackout."

The second festival, which actually began May 12, is the Music Education and Career Advancement (MECA) Conference and Festival. Slanted in a significantly different angle than the Blackout (which is composed of blistering, possibly harmful rock 'n' roll), The MECA Fest includes more than 200 bands (few, if any, of which rival the chaos of the Blackout bands) and spans fifteen venues. There are also various workshops and panels covering insider industry subject matter--careers, A&R, legal issues, marketing; all the stuff that, although important, absolutely torpedoes all the fun out of music. Bands were chosen by a "panel of music journalists and industry professionals," though with the likes of Buddahead, Air This Side of Caution, and Down the Line topping the list, it's worth mentioning (and emphasizing, with pride) that the "panel" did not include the author of Raw Material.

For more information about the various whens, wheres and prices, go to www.mecaconference.com. (Newcity is a media sponsor of MECA.)

(2004-05-12)

Also by Dave Chamberlain

Tip of the Week
Not exactly a typical opener for Ms. Peaches and her electrophile, much discussed and publicized pussy, but you've got to love an unlikely combination like this
(2004-05-05)

Raw Material
The post-punk idea is updated and intensified, keyboards are fuzzed and mashed, guitars sting more than sing
(2004-05-05)

Raw Material
In the next couple weeks, a trio of strong rock records from local bands will be released into the wild
(2004-04-27)

Tip of the Week
Teeming with intricate but not overly complex melody and hooks, as well as ample referencing of all the major movements in contemporary rock
(2004-04-22)

Raw Material
(2004-04-22)

Tip of the Week
(2004-04-14)

Raw Material
(2004-04-14)

Tip of the Week
(2004-04-09)

Raw Material
(2004-04-09)

Hustler soundtrack
(2004-03-31)

Tip of the Week
(2004-03-30)

Music 45
(2004-03-25)

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