The Fabulous Miss Wendy storming across the country with guitar in hand

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

She has opened for Slash and been called a 21st century Joan Jett.

In fiery fashion, The Fabulous Miss Wendy is proving that a female can wield the guitar with as much power as a man. She recently played in Chicago as part of the national Femme Fest 2013 tour.

I had the chance to talk to Wendy, www.thefabulousmisswendy.com, about her current activities.


Q - How has the tour been going?

It has been going absolutely wonderfully. We have been well-received at every single city we have gone to.

Q - Why do you like being part of a festival like this?

I love Femme Fest because it is all about girl power, and the fact that rock 'n' roll isn't a man's world any more.

Q - Do you still find yourself fighting for credibility?

Whenever I tell someone I play guitar and I shred on it, they look at me like I'm from the planet Mars.

It is difficult as a girl to get credibility, because I think a lot of people tend to write off girls as guitar players just right off the bat.

It's the great thing for me, but it is also kind of like my Achilles heel at the same time. It's a mixed bag, and I don't feel like a female guitar player, I feel like a human guitar player.

Q - So it's a novelty?

It kind of is in a way, but I don't think it should be. And in the future, I don't think it will be. The evidence in that is that there are more little girls picking up guitars than little boys.

Q - Because you yourself picked up the guitar at age 10. What attracted you to the guitar?

My older brother very much got me into rock 'n' roll music. He actually tried to teach me how to play when I was 5, but I was just so little, my hands couldn't even get around the guitar.

He played a lot of music for me that I wouldn't have necessarily heard otherwise, like grunge music and punk music, and all kinds of stuff. And he played guitar, and I just wanted to be like my big brother.

Q - And now you have this new album, "No One Can Stop Me!" that is going to be released nationally in July. You raised more than $5,000 through Kickstarter to help fund the record. Was that easy to do?

By the time it was all said and done, it was about $14,000 to make the record. Kickstarter is very, very common these days.

The reason I did Kickstarter was because a lot of people were telling me, "Wendy, you should do Kickstarter." And so I finally decided to listen to everybody's advice.

It's so wonderful. It's kind of bringing the world closer to unity, because it's encouraging cooperative efforts and entrepreneurial endeavours.

I ended up writing a lot of songs for people who gave $100.

Q - Kim Fowley, who managed the group The Runaways in the 1970s, produced the album. What did he bring to the table?

I was so happy to be working with Kim, and I also felt validated that I really did make the best record that I could. I tried so hard to make a good record, and it just felt great that somebody like Kim Fowley thought it was good.

Q - I guess he also called you a 21st century Joan Jett.

Sometimes he also calls me Joan Jett's daughter. It makes me feel great. I just have so much love and respect for Kim.

Q - Do you consider The Runaways or Joan Jett to be inspirations?

I do. They are the originators of girl rock. Nobody really came before them, to speak of. I think Joan Jett is still the queen of female rock 'n' roll.

Q - What did you learn from the experience of opening for Slash?

I learned so much. Slash is such a nice guy.

I remember the first night that I played with Slash, there was probably about 4,000 people in the audience. I dedicated the song "Crazy F..... Up B...." to all the ladies in the audience, and I heard 2,000 girls scream.
And that's when it just me that I was playing in front of 4,000 people.

Q - Did you feel that you had made it?

I felt that I was definitely on the right track. I feel like success is a lifetime process. I don't feel like success is just something that happens one day, or it doesn't.

I think that in order to be successful, you really have to apply yourself as a career artist for your entire life.

You just have to be dedicated, and keep going.

Pioneering band Chrome to perform rare show in Chicago

Photo by Angie Skulls

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

Long before there was Sonic Youth or Nine Inch Nails, there was San Francisco experimental band Chrome.

Chrome will perform a rare show May 18 at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., Chicago, as part of the HoZac Blackout Fest. More information is at www.emptybottle.com.

I had the chance to talk to Chrome guitarist Helios Creed, www.helioscreed.com, about the show and Creed's upcoming album of unreleased material, "Half Machine from the Sun, the Lost Chrome Tracks from '79 to '80."

Q - Great to be able to talk to you. Will you be performing any of your unreleased tracks at the May 18 Chicago show? What should people expect from the show?

Hi. Yeah, we are performing some of the Lost Chrome Tracks, which are something like 35 years old, but haven’t been released yet. And we are performing our new single, " Prophecy," from our upcoming album of 2012 and 2013 material. 

"Prophecy" is on our www.Pledgemusic.com/chrome site for pledgers if you want to hear it. Expect a great show, what else!

Q - I understand the "Lost Chrome Tracks" were actually lost. When you heard them again, what were your thoughts? Do you regret not using the material on "Half Machine Lip Moves" and "Red Exposure?"

When I heard them, my thoughts were about how good the songs were and wondering why we didn’t release them.

It took a while to remember all the head trips of why. Yeah sometimes I regret it, but if I did they wouldn’t be able to be released now, so there wouldn’t be anything new from that era to hear now years later.

It's interesting to release all this time later, we’ll see what happens.

Q - In forming Chrome, what were your goals? Did you think you were pioneers at the time?

No, not really, we were trying to make cool music.

Q - Chrome is credited for influencing a number of bands, including Sonic Youth, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry and others. Do you see that as a compliment that so many bands would credit you for influencing them? What do you think about what those bands have created?

If they’ve credited Chrome, that's kind of cool, it's cool to inspire artists to find a new sound of their own, everyone feeds off everyone. I don’t find them very Chromish, though.

Q - After Damon Edge passed away in 1997, you continued with the band. What made you want to continue Chrome?

Because he didn’t do any live shows and I thought people deserved good live shows after supporting the band all these years.

Q - "Angel of the Clouds" was re-released this year. Do you see the album gaining new fans with its re-release?

Hopefully, it did really good in Germany I hope it does really good here.

Q - The music business has changed drastically since you first started. Do you think it's easier or harder to be a musician these days? What advice would you give to an up-and-coming guitarist?

Get a job.

Q - Are there any musicians today that you admire what they are doing? What do you think of the music scene in general these days?

I think its a good music scene, there is a lot of good music out there and a lot of good musicians to go see and support, there will always be that, support your local good bands.

Q - After the album is released in June, what's next for you and Chrome? Do you have any dream projects or collaborations?

After the release "Half Machine from the Sun the Lost Tracks from ‘79-80," we will finish our album of new material that is almost done also. Then more live shows, and hopefully a world tour.

Chicago band JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound explores new musical ground on upcoming CD

Photo by Clayton Hauck

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

On its upcoming CD, "Howl," Chicago indie soul band JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound turns personal.

The album, its second for Chicago-based Bloodshot Records and third overall, is darker both musically and lyrically than its previous efforts. But that's just another step in the evolution of the band, which had gained attention for its inventive take on Wilco's "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart," which JC Brooks and The Uptown Sound performed with Jeff Tweedy in 2011 at Wilco's Solid Sound Festival.

"Howl" will be released on May 21, and the band, www.jcbrooksandtheuptownsound, will celebrate its release by performing May 25 at Mayne Stage, 1328 W. Morse Ave., Chicago. The show starts at 9 p.m., and tickets are $28, available at www.ticketweb.com.

I had the chance to talk to JC Brooks about the new album.

Q - Great talking to you again. You guys just got back from playing in France. How are audiences over there different from those in the states? Have you been able to build a good fan base over there?

Thanks man, right back at ya.  Over there it feels like shows are based more on emotion because the language barrier keeps me from using too much banter.

They appreciate that we've come so far to play for them, and we're excited to be there so it creates this feedback loop of good energy that makes for great shows. This was just our first trip to France, but I feel like we made a bunch of new fans and laid a good foundation for a return trip.

Q - Of course, the band's new album comes out this month. It seems like "Howl" is darker musically and lyrically than your last album, "Want More." In sitting down to make "Howl," what were your goals and do you think you achieved them?

We wanted to make something a lot more personal that speaks to people who feel like they're alone or yearning. I just wrote from the heart - we all did, and I'm very excited about the result.

Q - I understand "Howl" is a song about young love. What are the major themes on the album?

Isolation, despair, loneliness, heartbreak...sounds like a total downer, but we tried to find a way to delve into these ideas without being all 'woe is me' about it.

Q - How did the "Rouse Yourself" campaign go? I understand celebrity guests will be featured in the video. Can you tell me about the concept for the video?

As of right now, it's still going on. Billy has a friend out in L.A. who was willing to help us out because he likes the band but he's a busy guy with a tight schedule so we had to get out out there and shoot some stuff before he was unavailable. I don't want to say too much but it has hints of Scorsese's "The King Of Comedy."

Q - Howard Bilerman, who has worked with such bands as Arcade Fire and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, produced "Howl." How did you hook up with him and what do you think he brought to the table?

We came to work with Howard because we were looking for a producer who would be able to help us flesh out the new sound that we're working with.

After putting out lines to a couple of different guys, Howard seemed like he really understood what we were trying to do. We're working with different themes and new sounds -stylistically and with instrumentation (i.e., synths as opposed to Hammond, etc) but we didn't want to lose the rawness that was sort of the essence of our previous records.

Howard understood that and work with us in a really relaxed way. Based on our demos he had ideas coming into the process, but he did more gentle guiding than being dictatorial about it.

We rewrote stuff that was fun but didn't quite work, and he helped us find a common thread that brought all of the different sounds together.

Q - Who are your biggest musical inspirations and how do you think they play a part in your music?

As far as song writing it changes day to day because I feel like I'm constantly immersed in awesome music. For performance, its a lot of lady musicians - Beyoncé, Janelle Monáe, Patti LaBelle, Tina Turner.

They're all highly emotive, energetic performers who leave it all on the stage. I can't imagine someone going to one of their shows and not feeling like they got their money's worth.

Q - I know that you don't like the term neo soul in describing the band, but there seems to be continued interest in soul music, both on a local and national level. Why do you think soul music has such a long shelf life?

Hey, "neo-soul" is better than "soul-revivalist", lol.  I think that soul music continues to be popular in one form or another because it tends to come from a genuine place, which a lot of music does, but it also usually has a very pleasing groove, so the music pulls you in and you identify with the content at the same time.

It's also a genre associated with expressing strong ideas in tumultuous times

Q - This is your second record for Chicago-based Bloodshot Records. Being a Chicago band, is it extra special to be on a Chicago record label?

Absolutely! We live in a great city with an awesome musical heritage, and I'm glad to keep it all in the family - so to speak.

Q - Do you think you guys grew your fan base after playing at last year's Lollapalooza's festival in Chicago? Was that a privilege, knowing you were playing at a prestigious festival right in your backyard?

I know that we got in front of a lot of people who had never heard of us before, so in that respect, yes. It was super cool to be able to play Lollapalooza because there were a ton of incredible acts on the bill, and it's flattering to be included in their number - plus it was nice to only have to drive 15 minutes to load in.

Q - It frustrated me that radio stations like WXRT continued to only play your Wilco cover, "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" even though you had a new album out, "Want More." Do you find it frustrating when radio stations overlook your current songs and don't give them a chance?

A little, but it's also a thrill to hear your work getting played on the radio. As much as I wished that any station would explore the album beyond that single, you have to trust that the programming directors know what they're doing. XRT's been super supportive of us, and we get a lot of great feedback from their DJs.

Q - How do you think the band has grown since it formed in 2007? Where do you see the band going from here?

I think that our sound has coalesced into something that is more uniquely us as opposed to a somewhat angular mix of our influences.

I honestly don't know where we're going to go from here, if you asked me a year ago what the next record with sound like I might have had some ideas but I also probably wouldn't have described what "Howl" turned out to be.

It's totally a growth process  - you never know where inspiration or influence is going to come from, and believe me, I'm really shitty at predicting the future :)

Indie roots band The Pines bringing darkly uplifting music to Chicago

By ERIC SCHELKOPF

On its latest album, "Dark So Gold," Minneapolis-based indie roots band The Pines presents songs that are darkly atmospheric but uplifting.

Comprised of Iowa natives David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey, The Pines, www.thepinesmusic.com, will perform May 18 at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. The show starts at 9 p.m., and tickets are $18, available at www.schubas.com. 

I had the chance to talk to Ramsey about the band's current activities, which include making a new album.

Q - Great to talk to you again. Of course, you guys are touring in support of your latest album, "Dark So Gold." I understand that you came up with the album's title before you even wrote the songs for the album. How did that happen and do you think that helped in the creative process of making the album?

We did a tour of England the winter before we recorded "Dark So Gold." I think we were in Scotland when the phrase appeared. It was a heavy winter up there and it was very pretty and lonesome.  

We were never for sure it would be the title. It's rare that little ideas as that sticks around for very long, because we try to stay in the moment, whatever that means.  

But I do think it helped the creative process. It was sort of a guiding light. The phrase holds a feeling and I think it resonates through the record. 

Q - In sitting down to make "Dark So Gold," what were your goals and do you think you achieved them? 

The goal for us is always songs, but there is always this other thing that is hard to name that we have been wanting to capture, a landscape. I think "Dark So Gold" brought us closer to that place. 

Q - Your previous album, 2009's "Tremolo," received rave reviews. Did you feel pressure in following up the album? 

"Tremolo" got some great reviews and was a great record for us, there was a little pressure to hold the bar up for us but not as much as the pressure we put on ourselves to create a record that we are proud of. 

I think for us, since we started, we knew it was going to take awhile to be able to make the record we are wanting to make, and each one i think gets us closer. 

What do you see as the main themes on the album?

I think for me if there is a main theme, it's coping with modern times, the space between cities, the light pollution, the way technology seems to be connecting us but underneath is really separating us on a profound level.

I think these songs are meditations on that. 

Q - Even though the both of you are from Iowa, I understand you guys met in Arizona, where you both lived in a Mexican barrio. Was there a strong musical chemistry right from the start?

Our immediate connection were Iowa songwriters like Dave Moore, Joe Price, Greg Brown, Dave Zollo, etc. And blues music. The Delta blues and the Chicago blues were our foundation from the start and still is our foundation. 

Even though our songs might not seem like blues music, the blues is very mush at the core of what we do.

Q - Some people might think of your songs as being dark or bleak. How do you view your songs?

I think there is a light and dark to the songs. I think there is a darkness but it has to be dark to see the stars - with "Dark So Gold," we did try to explore the pretty, peaceful side of dark.

Q - Alex Ramsey is also part of the band. How is that working? Do you ever worry that sibling rivalries will cause a rift in the band?

Having Alex as a full time member has been nothing but great. He adds another dimension, in his playing and just his spirit. 

I'm so blessed to get to work with him. 

Q - The band opened for Loudon Wainwright last year at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. What does the band learn from sharing the stage with musicians of such caliber?

We have opened and shared stages with so many great artist of our time. It is always interesting to see how the guide their ship. There is a lot to be learned from the ones that have been doing it for a long time, from their shows to the way they treat people around them.  

We did a couple of shows with Mavis Staples, and we were just in awe at her spirit and her ability to be fully present and in the moment. The music didn't feel like it was just be performed but being created right there. 

Q - What are the band's short term and long term goals? 

In the short term, we are writing and getting ready to record a new record and hope to have it out later this year. 

Our long term goals are to continue to grow as artists.