Tom Lynch

Before Tim Rutili launched Califone and before Brian Deck was the mastermind engineer behind the recent Iron & Wine and Modest Mouse records, the two were in Red Red Meat, an unsung hero of Chicago nineties indie rock that made its name on the Perishable and Sub Pop labels. Blues-influenced and experimental whenever it could be (I seem to recall pots and pans in the drum kit), Red Red Meat wasn’t completely unlike Califone, save for a bit more rock ‘n’ roll. While the band’s self-titled debut (1992) and follow-up "Jimmywine Majestic" (1994) were notable for their oddness and musical freak-outs, 1995’s "Bunny Gets Paid" was the group’s highest achievement, featuring several affecting songs, like sprawling opener "Carpet of Horses," alt-rock gravel-road track "Chain Chain Chain" and, my personal favorite, the melancholic, slow-building dream that is "Gauze." (The group disbanded in the late nineties.) "Bunny Gets Paid" closes with an inspired, bizarre and bittersweet cover of "There’s Always Tomorrow," originally from the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" film. "There’s always tomorrow/For dreams to come true/Tomorrow is not far away," Rutili sings, and his sincerity, in the moment he utters these lines, could make your heart skip a beat.

Red Red Meat plays July 10 at Hideout, 1354 West Wabansia, (773)227-4433, at 9pm. $12.

(2008-07-08)

Also by Tom Lynch

Twenty-First-Century Band
A psycho funk-jazz dance party warped together with a collection of keyboards, guitars, bass, energetic drums and elusive, sharply goofy vocals (the lyric “You better buy a breath mint with that last dime” makes an appearance), Icy Demons perplexes
(2008-07-01)

Tip of the Week
The Montreal-based colossus that is Wolf Parade, the cathartic, epic younger brother to fellow countrymen Arcade Fire, led by the charismatic and wildly prolific Spencer Krug (who also dabbles in Frog Eyes and Sunset Rubdown), is a jewel of Sub Pop Records
(2008-07-01)

Rock 'n' Roll Fun
“I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone,” the debut novel from local author Stephanie Kuehnert, is a punk-rock novel of heavy awareness. Everyone wants to be a rock star. Kuehnert’s protagonist and narrator, Emily Black, is no different
(2008-07-01)

Turn, Turn, Turn
The Dials’ excellent new record, "Amoeba Amore" (No Fun Records), not only builds on the band’s previous work, but across-the-board boasts the band’s best work, each song a fist, some of them featuring colossal crescendos of multiple vocal parts, thrilling moments that overwhelm with jarring conviction
(2008-06-24)

Tip of the Week
(2008-06-24)

Our Phair Lady
(2008-06-17)

Tip of the Week
(2008-06-17)

Soundtrack to Summer
(2008-06-10)

Tip of the Week
(2008-06-10)

Tip of the Week
(2008-06-03)

Lit 50
(2008-06-03)

Remember Your Youth
(2008-05-27)

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