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MIDNIGHT OIL Full Tank
( Legacy )
Following international touring in 2002 for the energized but underappreciated Capricornia album , Midnight Oil was sidelined as frontman Peter Garrett focused on a successful bid to serve in the Australian Parliament . The politically active band made a few appearances for special causes in their home territory , but fans around the world went without until 2017 . This year , the group has embarked upon its ambitious , globetrotting Great Circle tour . In celebration , the band has released Full Tank to introduce a new generation to the Oils catalog .
Full Tank includes remastered versions of the band ’ s full-length studio albums from 1978 – 2002 . The set is housed in a coffee-can sized tin made to resemble the battered oil drum that Rob Hirst bashes nightly during his solo for “ The Power and the Passion ” from 1982 ’ s 10 , 9 , 8 , 7 , 6 , 5 , 4 , 3 , 2 , 1 . 1978 ’ s debut Midnight Oil ( aka Blue Meanie ) and 1979 sophomore offering Head Injuries benefit from the fresh attention . “ Powderworks ,” “ Surfing with a Spoon ,” “ Run by Night ” and “ Cold Cold Change ” all pack a visceral gut-punch from the youthful Oils , led by Garrett ’ s punk snarl .
Essential EPs Bird Noises and Species Deceases are also present , home to key tracks including “ No Time for Games ,” “ Progress ” and the feral , anti-nuke protest “ Hercules .”
The material spans 10 and a half hours of music , and there are plenty of highlights . 10 , 9 , 8 … was the first inkling for many North American listeners , with the white-hot fury of tracks like “ Only the Strong ” and “ US Forces ” bridging the gap between the Clash and the Who . 1984 ’ s Red Sails in the Sunset upped the Cold War tension and featured bracing singles “ Best of Both Worlds ” and “ When the Generals
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Talk .” Diesel and Dust was the band ’ s international breakthrough with “ Beds are Burning ,” a danceable protest anthem for Aboriginal rights . The band ’ s firebrand intensity was again deployed against far-right policies on the hardcharging title track to 1998 ’ s Redneck Wonderland . The band found cause for hope with the shimmering , 12-string drive of Capricornia ’ s “ Golden Age .” Live albums including 1992 ’ s Scream in Blue are absent , but a new DVD set 40,000 Watt RSL is a welcome addition . The DVD ’ s 27 videos include the band ’ s best-known MTV fare like “ Beds are Burning ,” jangling acoustic “ The Dead Heart ,” chiming “ Forgotten Years ” and urgent “ Truganini ,” alongside lesser-seen footage such as a live video of Breathe single “ Underwater .” The set also features a CDsized booklet with an essay , photos and album credits .
In addition to Full Tank , Midnight Oil have also cleared the decks with the 12- disc Overflow Tank . The latter set includes unreleased studio recordings , B-sides , live tracks and eight DVDs of concert and documentary footage . ? – Jeff Elbel
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KATIE ELLEN Cowgirl Blues
( Lauren )
There was a distinct void in the music world when Chumped announced an indefinite hiatus in 2015 . The band was riding the wave of success powered by their album Teenage Retirement – a pop punk classic that fans of the genre should go back and discover . Former Chumped members Anika Pyle and Dan Frelly didn ’ t keep fans wait long , they quickly formed Katie Ellen after the Chumped sabbatical . Fast forward to 2017 , and the band released their debut album Cowgirl Blues , that ' s first and foremost a break-up record . In interviews , singer / guitarist Anika Pyle has stated that the album was written at the end of an eleven-year relationship . The themes of heartache and pain are raw on songs like “ Proposal ,” “ TV Dreams ” and “ Houses into Homes .” While not an upbeat album by any means Cowgirl Blues still delivers catchy and anthemic songs that will be stuck in listeners heads for a long time . This is an incredible debut album and I expect Katie Ellen to only get better .
Appearing 10 / 6 at Township , Chicago – Michael Obrecki
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SHOKKER III
( Self )
Local trad metal band Shokker takes the best parts of ’ 70s hard rock and ’ 80s heavy metal and forms the perfect blend on their third release III . Combining killer riffs , shedding guitar solos , a pounding rhythm section and a singer who sings her ass off , Shokker shines on their 10 tracks . Rachl " Raxx " Quinn has a glorious set of pipes . Her natural vibrato shines like a million suns . Title track and album opener boasts a killer Judas Priest-esque flanged riff with a NWOBHM vibe . A ferocious Girlschool meets Motörhead hybrid graces “ Hammerhead ,” while “ Life & Despair ” contains a glorious , fist-pumping chorus . The Maiden-esque “ Snake Eyes ” also commands attention with its classic metal assault . Although ballad “ Blessed Be ” creates a different dynamic , it ultimately fails throughout its 5-plus minute runtime . Same goes with the equally weak ballad “ Hello .” However , the album highlight , “ Adrenaline ” and the Motley Crüe-ish “ Midnight Sun ” contain some of the best head-banging riffs on the album . There ’ s an obvious familiarity to the songs throughout III , and although the band isn ’ t trying to reinvent the wheel , it impressively pays tribute to the classic metal genre . Like classic metal bands from days of yore ( Paradoxx , Trouble ) Shokker is doing Chicago metal proud .
Appearing 10 / 1 at Reggies , Chicago
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– Kelley Simms
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MUDDY WATERS & THE ROLLING STONES Checkerboard Lounge : Live in Chicago 1981
( Eagle / Universal )
Filled with energized takes on blues standards that fired the Rolling Stones ’ imaginations as starry-eyed upstarts , last year ’ s Blue and Lonesome was arguably the band ’ s most warmly welcomed release since 1983 ’ s Undercover . The band clearly relished taking a three-day breather from work on new material to reconnect with its roots . Checkerboard Lounge connects to a
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similar spirit .
On November 22 , 1981 , the Stones were touring North America behind Tattoo You . An after-hours excursion preceding three gigs at Chicago ’ s Rosemont Horizon coincided with a hometown set by friend and hero Muddy Waters at Buddy Guy ' s Checkerboard Lounge . Waters ’ esteemed band welcomes the crowd on its own with “ You Don ’ t Have to Go ” before being joined by Mick Jagger , Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood for “ Baby Please Don ’ t Go ” and nine other songs . No sooner has Richards been called to the stage , but the beloved mentor Waters is throwing his disciple solos . Richards is clearly in his element , and settles right in . After some enthusiastic vocal call and response , Waters gives Jagger a verse of “ Hoochie Coochie Man ” to sink his teeth into . Late Stones pianist Ian Stewart also joins throughout the set , including “ Long Distance Call ” and “ One Eyed Woman .” As if the British acolytes weren ’ t enough , Waters continues to fill the stage with local heroes . While Wood peels off hot licks of slide guitar during “ Mannish Boy ,” Guy joins on vocal and guitar . As the song stretches toward ten minutes , blues harp legend Junior Wells and guitarist Lefty Dizz join the fray .
The set sounds loose and impromptu , in just the right way . Any lack of precision is easily dismissed in the sheer excitement of the moment . This recording captures the spirit of something that happened only once , unrehearsed and created on the spot .
– Jeff Elbel
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NECK DEEP The Peace and the Panic
( Hopeless )
One look at the online comments of any recent Neck Deep web posts , the common theme shows fans of the band panicking . The main gripe is fans see The Peace and the Panic as Neck Deep selling out and changing their sound to appeal to a wider audience . To those fans I say , just relax . While the new album may be less aggressive and in your face than previous Neck Deep albums it ' s still a solid record . These Welshman deliver pop punk excellence on songs like “ The Grand Delusion ,” “ In Bloom ” and “ Critical Mistake ” while also diving into politics on “ Don ’ t Wait Up ” and “ Happy Judgment Day .” The only dull moment on the album comes with the song “ Parachute ” which should have been replaced with “ Beautiful Madness ” which appears as a bonus track on the album . I honestly can ’ t see why fans are upset with Neck Deep and this new album . The band did what they always do they released a pop punk record and a good one at that .
Appearing 2 / 12 / 18 at Concord , Chicago – Michael Obrecki
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