Hi. I is a musician, designer and developer residing in Chicago, IL USA. This is where I vent on the interweb. Email me.
If you dig any of the music I post, please go buy the music, go to their shows and buy their merch. Musicians have to eat too. If there is a problem with the ownership of a song, please let me know and I will take care of it ASAP.
Oh hey there! I know it has been a while, but I am back from my European trip and looking to do a little blogging again. Sweden was my homebase and I was fortunately exposed to some amazing music while staying there. The female Swedish singer/songwriters are rocking my world right now. As you know I am quite fond of Lykke Li, but my current Swedish crush is Anna Ternheim. I had the privilege to catch her at an old cathedral called De Duif in Amsterdam and again a few weeks ago here in Chicago at Bottom Lounge. Her latest album, Leaving on a Mayday, produced by fellow Swede Bjorn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn & John, is pretty damn amazing. Below is a stripped down version of her single “What Have I Done.” Dig it!
My first month in Europe is about to come to an end. It has been a wild ride fo realz! I have covered some good ground, but the big journey is still ahead. Access to communicative devices (internet, phone) has been rough and expensive. Have you ever spent $6 for a half hour on the interweb? Yeesh!? I am currently in Koln Germany with an old friend. Tomorrow I head back to Stockholm where I have intentions of getting some pics uploaded to the web to share with y’all along with the many stories of life, love and leather. Sit tight, hold on to your ear and smile. I miss and love you all!
This past Monday evening was the debut of my new project Old Stable Hands. We were fortunate enough to play to an amazing sold out crowd at my favorite Chicago venue Schubas. Thanks to everyone that made it out that night and was lucky enough to score a ticket! Special thanks to Ha Ha Tonka for letting me be apart of the eve of the release of their new album, Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South, and to the boys of Blane Fonda for helping the music come to life (oh and of course Keenan Wells, my writing partner). For those of you that have not checked out either bands new albums, please do, both are quite amazing!
So in other non-music related news, as some of you may or may not know I am heading over to Europe (Sweden in particular) for a while. I leave July 1 and should be back this fall, but who knows? To coincide with this change in my life I will be changing the direction of BradMatthew.com to more of a journal of my adventures through Europe. Yes, some of these adventures include music (Kings of Leon in Copenhegan, Radiohead in Prague), but most will fall in the life category. Two Thousand Nine is a year of change for everyone. As the late Jim Morrison once proclaimed, “I wanna get my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames!”
Is it just me or does MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular, which was released well over a year ago, seem to never go away? While they might not be all that great live, the album is pretty amazing, making my top albums of 2008 (although it was technically released in late 2007). Just when you thinkthe buzz for this album is over they release an amazing music video for one of the best tunes on the album, “Kid’s.” The kid staring in this video is gonna have some issues to sort out after this one. Yikes! Although, I think he is gonna be just alright considering his mother in the video is the ever-so-beautiful Joanna Newsom. What a woman!
June 15 marks the debut of my new solo project Old Stable Hands. I have been working on it for the past 8 months or so and it has finally come to light. I will be sharing the stage with my dear friends Ha Ha Tonka and Treaty of Paris. A special thanks to the Tonka boys for putting me on their Record Release show! If you haven’t heard any of their new tunes, head over to their Myspace profile and check them out. I have had their new album on repeat for the last few months. Amazing!
What should you expect from Old Stable Hands? Well, I can assure you it will be an eclectic set full of surprises and guest musicians. I have stepped away from the bass and gone back to my root instrument, guitar. I will be heading the lead vocals as well, which is a first. It’s all very exciting and scary at the same time.
ALERT: As of last week, this show was nearly SOLD OUT, so please please please if you plan on attending, buy tickets ASAP! You can by them HERE. Also, I play a 30 minute set starting promptly at 8PM, so if you show up late, you will miss most, if not all, of my set.
JUNE 15
@ Schubas
3159 N Southport
Chicago, IL
8PM - 21+ - $10
w/ Ha Ha Tonka (Record Release!) & Treaty of Paris BUY TIX
UPDATE: Looks like Wilco (The Album) was leaked last night, so in response the band has put the whole album up on their site to stream. Listen to it HERE!
About a month ago I had the pleasure of seeing Wilco up in Milwaukee at the second of 2 sold out shows at the Pabst Theater. During the show, Jeff Tweedy made reference to a photo shoot before the show that would possibley result in being the cover of their seventh LP, Wilco (The Album), due out June 30, 2009. Well, the results are above. Ha! That is one hell of a album cover I must say. Anyone recognize the Milwaukee location this was taken at?
Wilco (The Album) Track Listing:
“Wilco (The Song)”
“Deeper Down”
“One Wing”
“Bull Black Nova”
“You and I”
“You Never Know”
“Country Disappeared”
“Solitaire”
“I’ll Fight”
“Sonny Feeling”
“Everlasting Everything”
Wilco debuted the opening track, “Wilco (The Song)”, on The Colbert Report in October of last year. Pretty awesome tune! Really looking forward to this album.
This past Monday evening was the debut of my new project 
