CHI, IL LIVE METRO SHOWS ON OUR RADAR: Rescheduled Emilie Autumn, Rescheduled Sleigh Bells, & JD McPherson #liveshowphotos

ChiIL Live Shows-Emilie Autumn LIVE at Chicago House of Blues 2/25/12

Emilie Autumn

BUY TIX

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 31

An Evening With...

EMILIE AUTUMN

Postponed to Friday, February 15 due to illness // All Tickets for 10/31 Will Be Honored

World-class violinist. Fashion icon. Famously bipolar. The list goes on, but one thing is certain: We're talking about Emilie Autumn. With world tours, glossy magazine covers, and guest spots on the albums of such artists as Courtney Love (with whom she performed on Leno and Letterman), Otep, Billy Corgan, and TV's 'Metalocalypse' under her corset strings, Emilie Autumn's devilishly dark lyrics, metal-shredding violin solos, pink-glittered pasties, and industrial-strength voice reinvent "gothic" for the masses, and goths have never had so much fun.

More akin to a Broadway musical than a standard rock performance, the Los Angeles-born starlet's highly theatrical stage show is a sexy circus of glam-rock burlesque, backed by a scantily-clad girl band known to EA's devoted fans as the Bloody Crumpets. Featuring EA's signature electric violin pyrotechnics, heartbreakingly lush orchestrations, hard-core beats, and menacing lyrics growled with enough intensity to make your hair stand on end, the resulting noise is a harpsichord-heavy romp through Victorian asylums where screaming is allowed and girls always get revenge.

Click here for ChiIL Live Shows full Emilie Autumn feature from her excellent 2/25/12 Chicago House of Blues Show.

Check out her new album, Fight Like a Girl

Tonight's Sleigh Bells' Chicago show is now rescheduled for November 4th at Metro.   Save the date and check these guys out!    Click here for their main site including their new album, Reign of Terror, streaming.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28

SLEIGH BELLS

Rescheduled to Sunday, Nov 4 // All Tickets for 9/28 Will Be Honored

**Due to a recent injury, Sleigh Bells have had to reschedule dates of their Fall 2012 tour.**

The Brooklyn duo known as Sleigh Bells emerged in the Fall of 2009 with rhythmic pop songs that combine overdriven guitar riffs and sugary female vocal melodies. Guitarist/producer Derek Miller teamed up with singer Alexis Krauss after he happened to serve her and her mother at a Brazilian restaurant in Brooklyn. As proof of their winning formula, Sleigh Bells quickly earned the adoration of critics at the New Yorker, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and more. Their debut album, Treats, released on Mom + Pop Music in May 2010, ended up on over 150 Best-Of lists for that year. Their newest, Reign of Terror, produced by Miller, is one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2012. 

Metro- Chicago, IL

November 4, 2012 9:00 PM

**THIS SHOW HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FROM SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2012 TO NOVEMBER 4TH, 2012. ALL TICKETS FOR THE SEPTEMBER 28TH SHOW WILL BE HONORED.** 

18 & Over. Valid State/Federal ID required for entry. 

Doors open at 8:00 PM. 

Also Appearing: TBA.

JD McPherson 

BUY TIX

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12

93XRT Welcomes

JD McPHERSON

LUCIUS

It’s no surprise that a tawny pocket of the American south called Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, spat out pompadour-sporting bluegrass sensation JD McPherson. Always a color-within-the-lines type of guy, painter-turned-musician McPherson approaches his brass-coated blue-eyed soul with laser-beam focus. 

McPherson’s debut album Signs & Signifiers was released this past April to overwhelming acclaim and was praised for its wide span of influences ranging from Fats Domino to Led Zeppelin to Wu-Tang Clan. Smooth-as-bourbon upright bass and rockabilly piano trills add theatricality to McPherson’s rootsy compositions depicting Cadillac convertibles, ramshackle farmhands, and pin-curled beauties. 

The juxtaposition between McPherson’s suave croons and primal vocal rips lends a jagged edge to his live performances and laces his fully loaded bombastic rockabilly arrangements with intrigue. McPherson’s appearance at Metro on October 12 is part of a worldwide tour supporting Signs & Signifiers. 

ACT OUT: 3 Must See Shows Opening at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

 One of our family favs--Chi-town treasure, 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Opening:

Tonight and October 3rd we'll be at one of our favorite local spaces, the award winning Chicago Shakespeare Theater.   Check out their website for advanced tickets for their prolific, professional and profound offerings.

First up, we're super stoked The National Theatre of Scotland is presenting The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart.   

We'll be at the opening tonight 9/27 and will have a full review up shortly.    I've got a soft spot for all things Scottish, with a husband and kids who are all a bit Scottish in heritage, and a Scottish name, Bonnie.  Of course I also dig Faust, the supernatural, devilish doings, Scottish tunes, and a good tale.   So, I'm particularly intrigued about the show.   Here's a little teaser:

written by David Greig directed by Wils Wilson Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare September 26–October 28, 2012 “ You shouldn't miss this show for the world!” –The Herald (UK)

Take the strangest supernatural storytelling you've ever heard, add some Scottish border ballads, then mix in a few devilish encounters—and you have got National Theatre of Scotland's inventive, rollicking tale of The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart. Uptight academic Prudencia's dream-like journey of self-discovery is a Faustian tale, that unfolds among and around the audience in this music-filled romp of rhyming couplets and wild karaoke, which The Herald's five-star review raved is "rambunctiously life-affirming and touchingly beautiful." Approximate Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes intermission) International programming at Chicago Shakespeare Theater is supported, in part, by the Julius Frankel Foundation.

Speaking of all things Scottish...

We're also pretty stoked to see the highly acclaimed production of Black Watch, also by National Theatre of Scotland.   Click the link for video clips, behind the scenes, reviews and more.   We missed it the last time around and are eagerly awaiting it's return October 10th.   It's playing at The Broadway Armory through Oct. 21st. by Gregory Burke directed by John Tiffany at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway, Chicago October 10–21, 2012 “  A feast of rich and finely detailed work...A show those with even a drop of Scottish blood in their veins should not miss!” –Chicago Tribune “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Superb 'Black Watch' is riveting.” –Chicago Sun-Times **Recommended for audiences 13 years and older. The production contains very strong language, loud explosions and strobe lighting.** Back by popular demand! CST brings the National Theatre of Scotland's world-renowned Black Watch to Chicago audiences for a return engagement at the Chicago Park District's Broadway Armory. This impassioned, urgent telling of a heroic Scottish regiment's tour in Iraq deftly interweaves events both past and present. Battles leap to heartrending life, glorious bagpipes resound, and the intimate moments of soldiers' lives are revealed as they discover what it means to make the journey home again. Approximate Running Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes (no intermission) There are very few good theater pieces about the military. But as anyone who has served in combat will surely sense here (this is a show both veterans and those with even a drop of Scottish blood in their veins should not miss), "Black Watch" is such a piece...a clear-eyed, even-handed look at the realities of war through the eyes of the expectant sons of Dundee, Perth or Fife...And for all its careful avoidance of spectacle, it also manages to achieve an eye-popping amount of bravura theatricality, replete with song, rich movement and, in one gut-wrenching moment, an air-bound re-creation of the most awful moment of combat. The size of the Broadway Armory, the only such apt space on the show's current North American tour, allows the actors to re-create the rush of battle, in a feast of rich and finely detailed work from such young British actors.”   Finally:

Sundays in the Park With George is currently in previews and we'll have a full review for you after the press opening, October 3rd.

music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

book by James Lapine | directed by Gary Griffin

Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine

Originally Produced on Broadway by The Shubert Organization and Emanuel Azenberg

By arrangement with Playwrights Horizon, Inc. New York City which produced the original production of "Sunday in The Park With George" in 1983.

in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater

September 26–November 4, 2012

Chicago's award-winning theatrical powerhouse that brought you last season’s Follies—rated the "#1 Show of 2011" by the Chicago Tribune—kicks off the fall theater season with Sondheim and Lapine's soaring musical about a painter's struggle between creating art and living life. The dynamic setting of CST's Courtyard Theater will transform into a life-size masterpiece, bringing audience members closer than ever to this remarkable work inspired by The Art Institute of Chicago's celebrated Seurat painting. Book your tickets to this limited engagement today, and enjoy a spectacular night at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Approximate Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes intermission)

Support of the acting company of Sunday in the Park with George is provided by Merle Reskin.

Music support generously provided by Gayle and Glenn Tilles.

Music Director Brad Haak is the recipient of the Bob Tilles Music Chair, supported by the Gayle and Glenn R. Tilles Music Fund.

Sunday in the Park with George is presented in the Jentes Family Auditorium.

TONIGHT CHI, IL LIVE SHOWS ON OUR RADAR: At Township--My Jerusalem

My Jerusalem is the new project of lead singer Jeff Klein (formerly of The Twilight Singers & Gutter Twins)  and they're out on the road for their fall tour in support of their upcoming release Preachers and playing Township tonight. On Preachers, the band worked with producer Jim Eno of Spoon to record and capture their self described “Post-Modern Southern Gothic Soul" sound. Their show brings this sound fully alive on stage. Their new album is due for release October 9th on The End Records.

My Jerusalem Premiere Two New Tracks "Mono" and "Preachers" Announce Winter Tour With X Preachers Out October 9th On The End Records Tour Dates 09.26 - Township - Chicago, IL 09.27 - Club Garibaldi - Milwaukee, WI 09.28 - Smalls - Detroit, MI   09.29 - Pygmalion Music Festival - Champaign, IL     10.05 - Club Dada - Dallas, TX 10.06 - Hot Water Hills Festival - Hot Springs, AR        10.07 - The High Watt - Nashville, TN 10.09 - Glasslands - New York, NY 10.11 - Thursdays - Beaver, PA        10.12 - Slims - Raleigh, NC        10.13 - Tin Roof - Charleston, SC        10.15 - The EARL - Atlanta, GA        10.18 - The Conservatory - Oklahoma City, OK        10.19 - Holy Mountain  - Austin, TX 10.25 - Fitzgerald’s - Houston, TX* 10.26 - Chelsea’s - Baton Rouge, LA* 10.31 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Hall ^ 11.02 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues^ 11.04 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater^ 12.21 - The Fonda Theater - Hollywood, CA# 12.22 - The Coach House  - San Juan Capistrano, CA# 12.27 - Ace Of Spades - Sacramento, CA# 12.28 - Slims - San Francisco, CA# 12.29 - Slims  - San Francisco, CA# *w/ Centro-Matic ^w/ The Psychedlic Furs #w/ X Click here to pre-order 'Preachers' (Digipak or White Vinyl) 'Preachers' Tracklisting 01  Preachers 02  Shatter Together 03  Born In The Belly 04  Mono 05  This Time 06  Death Valley 07  Devoe 08  Between Space 09  Oh Little Sister 10  Chameleon 11  I Left My Conscience In You Links  My Jerusalem Website My Jerusalem Facebook My Jerusalem Twitter The End Records Website The End Records Facebook The End Records Twitter Click here to listen to "Mono" on PopMatters Click here to listen to "Preachers" on Spinner “Nobody ever paid money to see Harry Houdini escape being buried alive” says My Jerusalem founder and singer Jeff Klein. “They wanted the small chance of seeing him killed by the weight of the earth on top of him.” Behold the concept behind Preachers, the second full-length release from Austin’s My Jerusalem. From the opening piano of the haunting title track, to the unexpected pummeling guitar and drums on closer “I Left My Conscience In You”, Preachers leads the listener on a cinematic journey through a reckless, jagged landscape of Raymond Carver-esque stories, fueled by Klein’s persuasive baritone, ominous guitars, dream-like keyboards and a deep rhythmic pulse. Recorded in under three weeks by Spoon drummer Jim Eno (Heartless Bastards, Polica, Black Joe Lewis) at his Public Hi-Fi studio, Preachers is the first My Jerusalem album genuinely made by a band, not just performed by a group of musicians. Pushing aside hard drives and laptops to make way for analog tape machines and vintage keyboards, what Klein describes as the “Post-Modern Southern Gothic Soul” sounds of Preachers were born from organic, live performances Eno carefully captured and tweaked. Preachers is the follow-up to 2010’s critically acclaimed debut, Gone For Good, an album that earned the band performances on BBC Radio 6 and Daytrotter, as well as notices from NPR’s All Songs Considered, AOL/Spinner’s Song of the Day, and the iTunes Weekly Rewind. Along with European festival appearances at the Frequency Festival, Musikfestwochen, and Rock Im Saal, the band toured and played shows with a eclectic set of bands including Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Har Mar Superstar, Avett Brothers, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and White Arrows. Buoyed by the success of Gone For Good, Preachers showcases a band headed into the studio with a renewed focus and confidence.Preachers contains equal parts swagger (the swampy gospel of title track “Preachers”, the strutting intensity of “Born In The Belly”) and groove (the spooky beauty of “Shatter Together”, the crescendoing, feral drive of “Devoe”, the infectious crooner “Mono”); as much primal (“Death Valley”) as it is humane (“Chameleon”). “It’s a darker record,” says Klein, who, before forming My Jerusalem in 2010, made 3 records under his own name. “So much had changed since Gone For Good. We’d all kind of been through hell and back again in different ways, and this was the natural artistic result of all of that.  But I think it’s a beautiful, comforting darkness. It’s real, but not selfish.” “We finally have a shared collective vibe,” adds guitarist/keyboardist Jon Merz, “I believe it’s more representative of what our live shows sound like. This time around, Jeff would bring us song ideas and we would add our own perspectives to it.” The five-piece, which also features multi-instrumentalist Michael St. Clair, drummer Grant Van Amburgh, and bassist Geena Spigarelli, also had the opportunity to road-test much of the new material before recording, during their extensive touring behind Gone For Good. It was a luxury they didn’t have the first time around. “Working out the kinks live before recording them makes a big difference,” reflects Klein, “They get a chance to breathe and grow before committing them to the world permanently. Because of that process, some songs, like ‘Death Valley,’ sound nothing like their early version. We’re excited to take them on the road and see how they evolve even further.” Equal parts sweet, morbid, strange, and sincere,Preachers is an experience that could convert the most steadfast of non-believers. Copyright © 2012 Tell All Your Friends.

The 4th Annual Chicago VeganMania Celebrates with the Vegan Black Metal Chef, Artisan Vegan Cheese and More #food

ChiIL Mama/ ChiIL Live Shows are huge fans of Chicago VeganMania and we've been there to cover every year from the start.   The free, all ages fest is a celebration of all things vegan, including a great food court, booths, entertainment and a kids' area.   Vegetarians, Vegan curious, and even carnivores are welcome.   The fest is run by our old friends we've known nearly 2 decades--Chi-town's own uber talented husband/wife duo of Beske and Rose--artist and author activists and parents to vegan boy wonder, Justice.   

Marla-The Vegan Cupcake Fairy

Marla is the author of The Adventures of Vivian Sharpe, Vegan Superhero.   We just gave away a copy of her novel to one of our lucky readers earlier this month and we've been listing all her area readings/book signings.

We've been reading the book as a family before bed time and will have our own full book review feature coming soon.

After three amazingly successful years, Chicago VeganMania returns as a free, day-long celebration of vegan culture, commerce, community, cuisine and couture. The event takes place Saturday, September 29, between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at a new, bigger location – the Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway in Chicago. The previous three events have drawn thousands of attendees.

Nationally known presenters will be featured at Chicago VeganMania again this year, including YouTube sensation, the Vegan Black Metal Chef, whose hilarious and appropriately disorienting videos have gone viral. In addition to the VBMC, we will be welcoming best-selling author Victoria Moran, who wrote the recent book Main Street Vegan, and Miyoko Schinner, author of the new cookbook, Artisan Vegan Cheese, whose innovative and wholesome recipes are currently featured in VegNews Magazine. In addition, Chicago VeganMania is bringing respected dietician Ginny Kisch Messina and Ellen Jaffe Jones, author of Eat Vegan on $4 a Day.

Cooking demos are back again this year, and Chicago VeganMania is very excited to announce that we will be featuring people who are creating some of Chicago’s most innovative purely plant-based cuisine, featuring chef Kendall Huff of the popular Native Foods, Kat Barry of Kat’s Hot Cakes, Chicago Vegan Foods and others. Everything demonstrated and sampled will be free of animal ingredients. [VBMC and Miyoko are giving chef demos]

“We are thrilled to be putting together another event,” says Marla Rose, Chicago VeganMania co-founder. “It is a really positive and fun celebration of vegan culture and community but it’s also very appealing to those who are just curious about the vegan lifestyle. Anyone who enjoys a free, lively festival with diverse vendors, great speakers and entertainment as well as, of course, delicious, healthy food will enjoy Chicago VeganMania.”

What outfit do you have planned for VeganMania 2012?!   You are what you eat.   We shot this green girl at VeganMania 2010.   Lettuce entertain you indeed.

Included in the day’s festivities will be our popular Culture Café with coffee and an alternative milk bar and live music, a full day of Q&A panels addressing everything from vegan health and wellness to using one’s creative talents for animal advocacy, a “Vegan Rock Star” photo booth and cruelty-free swag bags for the first one hundred people through the door.

In addition to all this, there will be a huge food court featuring delicious options from a dozen of Chicago's best vegan restaurants, caterers and food companies, as well as an exhibit hall packed dozens of diverse vendors, featuring everything from jewelry to body care products, candles to high fashion. All vegan, of course!

Check out their main site for all the details

TONIGHT Final Show--Bat Honey-Ironwill Tate Adult Puppet Show #photos

We thoroughly enjoyed checking out the adult puppet show, Ironwill Tate, on Sunday night.  Bat Honey is from Missoula, Montana and they're just swingin' through Chi-town for 3 shows only, on their cross country tour.  Come on out and see 'em tonight.   We'll have HD show clips coming soon.

“Ironwill Tate” is a fantasy-filled puppet extravaganza for adults. The show features over 40 handmade puppets utilizing ancient and modern puppetry styles. In “Ironwill Tate” we follow a family on the last leg of their cross-country road-trip. At the wheel is Tate, the father and fanatical schedule keeper who decides what they will and will not stop for. Drunken zoo animals, dying wizards, and giant robots vie for the family’s attention, but Tate will stop at nothing to keep that pedal down. This main narrative is the springboard for a series of vignettes woven throughout. It gets strange, folks.

Bat Honey is comprised of Britt Juchem and Ariel Gregory. Britt and Ariel began their career as stop motion animators. Veteran Los Angeles model makers for film and television, they have been collaborating for over ten years.

*Show contains language and adult intellectual themes and content


Catch their final Chi-Town show TONIGHT on the north side at Portage ARTspace!

Event:

Ironwill Tate Plays Portage ARTspace

Start:

Sept 25, 2012 7:00 pm

End:

Sept 25, 2012 8:00 pm

Updated:

Sept 17, 2012

Venue:

portage ARTspace

Address:

4837 W. Berenice Ave. ,Chicago, IL,60641 ,United States

Please come to portage ARTspace to see our road-trip odyssey Ironwill Tate.  The show starts at 7pm at portage ARTspace, 4837 W. Berenice Ave.  Chicago, IL 60641

This past weekend, Bat Honey performed at Southside Hub of Production, a cool, Hyde Park art gallery Saturday and Sunday night, where an eclectic audience brought pot luck food and wine to share.  Their 1910 space is full of gorgeous wood work and wabi sabi, salvaged furniture.  Check out their upcoming events here.  They're planning openings and events for artists' month in October, so check out their main site and calendar of events.


Check out our past Ironwill Tate coverage here.

CHI, IL LIVE SHOWS ON OUR RADAR: The Intelligence at Empty Bottle 10/10

The Intelligence Announce Fall Tour With King Tuff + Solo Dates Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me Out Now on In The Red Records Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me Tracklisting I Like LA Hippy Provider Evil Is Easy Techno Tuesday The Entertainer Reading And Writing About Partying Dim Limelights (They Found Me In The Back Of) The Galaxy I’m Closed Little Town Flirt Return To Foam Sunny Backyard Fidelity  Press Quotes “You always wonder, listening to deliberately lo-fi albums, whether the fuzz is there to cover up weaknesses, and what these songs would sound like if you could actually hear them. In The Intelligence’s case, they sound pretty damned good. I’m just not sure that would hold true for everyone.” - Dusted "Everybody's Got It Easy But Me is at once the Intelligence's most lyrically direct and musically exploratory album to date, introducing pastoral psychodelia, space-age bachelor-pad vibes, and at least one proper ballad to the mix." - Pitchfork "Although Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me is notably less frenzied and raw than the band’s past decade of output, The Intelligence has not lost their edge, despite some of the slower, acoustic-based numbers. Rather, they’ve created an often thrilling voyage that defies repetition and predictability." - Cosequence of Sound "Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me is a punk rock record that sporadically soothes your spirit, gets you pogo-ing, and almost always will make you dance. The Intelligence (and lest we forget Shannon Shaw) have made a rock record that anyone could ask for, and that everyone should remember." - Heave Media Tour Dates 10/04 - The Satellite - Los Angeles, CA 10/06 - Hi-Dive - Denver, CO 10/08 - Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN 10/09 - Cactus Club - Milwaukee, WI~ 10/10 - Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL 10/11 - The Lager House - Detroit, MI* 10/12 - The Garrison - Toronto, ON* 10/13 - ll Montore - Montreal, QC* 10/14 - Le Cercle - Quebec City, QC* 10/15 - Signal Kitchen - Burlington, VT 10/18 - CMJ - New York, NY 10/19 - CMJ - New York, NY 10/20 - AS220 - Providence, RI* 10/21 - Whitson's - Purchase, NY* 10/22 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA*% 10/23 - Black Cat (backstage) - Washington, DC*% 10/24 - Duke Coffeehouse - Durham, NC* 10/25 - Earl - Atlanta, GA*# 10/26 - Nobby's - St. Augustine, FL* 10/28 - Will's Pub - Orlando, FL* 10/30 - Retrofit Records - Tallahassee, FL* 10/31 - Bottle Tree - Birmingham, AL*^ 11/01 - One Eyed Jacks - New Orleans, LA* 11/02 - Victoria House - Beaumont, TX* 11/05 - Low Spirits - Albuquerque, NM 11/06 - Topaz Tundra - Tucson, AZ 11/07 - Yucca Tap Room - Phoenix, AZ 11/08 - The Griffin - Sand Diego, CA * w/ King Tuff %w/ Poor Moon # w/ Mike Watt ^ w/ Man or Astroman? ~ w/ footballs   The Intelligence have been a band / musical project since 1999. To date The Intelligence have released seven singles, five split singles, two EPs, seven albums and have made eight compilation appearances. I’ve probably even missed a couple. They join the ranks of artists like Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall in the department of those whose output could be considered hyper-prolific or impossible to keep up with. That said, like the afore mentioned artists, with each release The Intelligence continue to evolve, grow artistically and top themselves. And, YES, you do need to keep up with all the releases. On “Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me' The Intelligence do indeed top themselves. Like their last album, “Males” from 2010, they have returned to The Hangar with Chris Woodhouse to record. As with “Males” they seem to continue to jettison their previous deliberate blown-out, lo-fi recording approach for a much clearer sound. Not that there’s any give-up in intensity. The band’s scrambling post-punk guitars, its straight-up, dry-as-a-bone drums, its laconically abstract verses are all here, just viewed through an unusually clear lens. If you didn’t have the songs or the chops this sort of thing could reveal some weaknesses but, in this instance, it showcases Lars Finberg’s knack for writing catchy songs, which incorporate pop hooks, metronomically repetitive guitar riffs and new wavey synth moves. For those who haven’t been paying attention, "The Intelligence" are the brainchild of Lars Finberg (former of the A-Frames, currently of Thee Oh Sees and Wounded Lion). The Intelligence began as a studio project in which Finberg played all instruments on his home recordings. As the band began to play live and tour the releases have volleyed between full band recordings and Lars layering all tracks himself. On “Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me” Finberg has gone for a mixed approach. Having recently relocated to Los Angeles, Lars assembled an LA line up of the band. Still spending much time at the band’s original home base of Seattle, he has retained a separate line up in that city as well. For this new album he has used them both….as well as doing some songs all by himself. He also invited a number of guests to come in and add to it. The result is the most varied yet cohesive Intelligence album to date. Links: Band Website Band Facebook