Pinback

Sergeant Pinback of the 1970s space opera Dark Star is an ironic, stumbling practical jokester with a penchant for black humor. This glimpse of character conveys quite a lot about his namesake’s equally quirky and irreverent style. Pinback (the band) rocks in a smarmy, sinuous and sometimes smart-assed ambiguously indie style which, at its core a duo, harkens back to San Diego in 1998. Five studio albums have provided plenty of room to grow, improvise and play with audio clips since then. Lighthearted film references should not be mistaken for lack of substance, however. Rob Crow and Armistead Burwell “Zach” Smith are peculiar dreamers who can transcend their own images, weaving between the introspective guitar riffs of Summer in Abbadon (2004) to the disparate violin of their Information Retrieved EPs. Their less-serious instincts are at harmony with Pinback’s sober, targeted instrumentals, their wispy innovation and, of course, their impossibly chill sound. (Appearing with Tim Kinsella at Bottom Lounge on June 17) –text: Jessica Millman

Pinback

Hosts to some of the most ethereal and unique sounds coming of out the indie rock world in the mid-2000s, Pinback have managed to stand out amidst a sea of sound-alikes. Formed in San Diego by multi-instrumentalists Armistead Burwell Smith IV and Rob Crow in the late ‘90s, the group has earned a reputation for their accomplished songwriting and instrospective, moody electronic soundscapes. After making definite impressions with the records This Is Pinback in 1999 and Blue Screen Life in 2001, the band started to gain some serious attention with 2004’s Summer In Abaddon. The somewhat more pop-oriented sound of Autumn Of The Seraphs followed in 2007, continuing their positive critical goodwill. Over the past couple of years Pinback has been preparing a new record, which will be released later this year. In the meantime, check ‘em out live and you won’t leave disappointed. (Appearing with Judgement Day at Bottom Lounge on April 24) –text: Sean Rose

Matthew Dear’s Big Hands, Pinback, Tomorrow Music Orchestra, Rufus Wainwright

MATTHEW DEAR’S BIG HANDS
Electronic dance music often gets a bad rap, but it’s understandable when the genre’s most popular song as deemed by commercial radio is Darude’s abysmal “Sandstorm”. Rest assured, however, that the genre runs much deeper. Matthew Dear sits amongst house music’s true innovators, fashioning the sound in ways never previously imagined. Prodigiously prolific and creative, Dear has produced some of the most celebrated electronic tracks of the decade and set the standard for modern house music. He boldly expanded the scope of his sound with 2007′s Asa Breed. The album spans from rock to electronica, much of it falling somewhere in between. As Matthew Dear’s Big Hands, Dear fulfills his rockstar ambitions by playing Asa Breed with his 3-piece band. Crappy name aside, Matthew Dear’s Big Hands puts on a great show and is the best way to see this modern-day laptop Mozart working his magic. (Appearing at Sonotheque on Oct. 17) –text: Matthew Partington–photo: Will Calcutt

PINBACK
Just imagine how complex Pinback’s lush melodies would be if Rob Crow only played in one band. If he didn’t have to split time with a tedious solo career or play with other bands over the years including but not limited to Thingy, Goblin Cock, Optiganally Yours, Alpha Males, Physics, and Snotnose, he might have too many ideas to cram into the occasional Pinback LP. As it stands, he and Pinback collaborator Armistead Burwell Smith IV layer enough samples, acoustic guitars, harmonies and quirky percussion into each recording that the tunes can require up to six people to perform them live. Still supporting the last year’s Autumn of the Seraphs, the California duo has made Chicago a virtual second home since signing to Touch & Go Records before 2004’s Summer in Abbadon, with each Windy City gig feeling like a triumphant hometown label showcase. (Appearing with The Make Believe at the Bottom Lounge on Oct. 12) –text: Derek Wright

TOMORROW MUSIC ORCHESTRA
Tomorrow Music Orchestra brings together nearly 30 composers and musicians with backgrounds ranging from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to an electronic duo to everything in between. As the brainchild of bassist, composer and conductor Matthew Golombisky, TMO (as they’re known), “experiments with the idea that music’s really fun, while exploring its ability to relate to a wide-ranging audience.” The result is quite the aural and visual amusement, simultaneously artistic and intriguing. One minute they’re pumping out a big-band sound before a completely natural-sounding Afrobeat seamlessly shakes its way into the ensemble. A playful yet serious blending of genres makes TMO an un-intimidating way to expose oneself to classical and traditional jazz blended with elements of rock. A word of caution: just sit back and enjoy it — because if you spend too much time trying to identify all the sounds, you’ll just end up lost in the richness of it all. (Appearing as part of the Around the Coyote Fall Festival at Plumbers’ Hall on Oct. 17) –text: Jen Fischer

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
Everyone knows that Rufus Wainwright is a singer but on his fifth album, 2007’s Release the Stars, he also plays the role of producer. Wainwright is well known for being influenced by Opera, Judy Garland, and Edith Piaf — his boisterous voice can always be heard over the most vivid of tracks. He has toured with the likes of Sean Lennon, Sting, and Tori Amos, but one of the most interesting things about the singer is his harsh stance against crystal meth use. Rufus is a former addict, who managed to temporarily lose his vision for a week and subsequently place himself in rehab at the urging of Elton John. In 2006 he put on a live show at Carnegie Hall in which he performed all Judy Garland material, mimicking the original songs that she performed herself in 1961. Wainwright also has reportedly set his sights on writing an opera in the future. (Appearing at The Venue on Oct. 17) –text: Elizabeth Aguirre

Pinback

I’m broke. I’m not a rock star. I’m a guy who needs to feed his family. At my best I’m a thousandaire. I’m certainly not right now, but at my best I am…I’ve got THOUSANDS of dollars…I don’t even know if I have hundreds right now.

story by Don Bartlett
photo by Drew Reynolds

This is Rob Crow: He is chatting amiably with a journalist about the new record by his band, the revered and reserved indie rockers Pinback. The sound of his kids playing fills the background, and he occasionally excuses himself for a few seconds to help his wife find something. This is also Rob Crow: He is in the dank basement of a Lower East Side rock club at 3 a.m. When the fog machine finally takes a break, it reveals the guitarist in full Grim Reaper costume, hammering out death metal tunes with a band named Goblin Cock — one of his numerous side projects.

Crow, as it seems, isn’t such an easy guy to peg. He wears the oddity well, though, and it befits his role in Pinback, a band that has never been easily defined. The band’s new record Autumn of the Seraphs picks up where its exquisite forbearer Summer in Abadon left off. The album’s tight drumming and rhythmic bass lines don’t stray far from their earlier work, but the songs do have a more pressing feel. Yet the immediacy doesn’t always lead in the same direction. Early in the record it seems they’re pointed more firmly towards the pop end of the spectrum, with “Good To Sea You” and “Walters” some of the most accessible and melodic songs the band has ever recorded. As the album progresses, however, it inches towards darker territory. “Torch”, in particular, shows the band indulging a deeper, less immediate feel. The result is the sort of quiet, emotional complexity that has enabled Pinback to consistently reap critical praise throughout its lifespan.

inback is the brain trust of Crow and bassist Zach Smith. They have written songs together since their self-titled debut came out in 1999 and if the process hasn’t evolved over the years, it certainly has varied. “It’s pretty much every way that two people could possibly collaborate other than one of them writing everything,” says Crow. The democratic process also found its way into the album’s artwork, a detail that the singer is particularly proud of. “It was done by a friend of mine. I just told him that we wanted it to be with a bunch of dead angels and stuff, and feel free to go crazy,” he says with hazy laugh. “Then me and Zach edited it so we were both happy. He and I always have a different idea of what we want.”

Yet the dead angels will likely be lost on a large number of listeners. The new record was leaked a full three months ahead of its release date, and almost overnight it was all over the file-sharing sites. While Crow clearly isn’t enthused with this development, he does his best to be open minded. “I hope it does good,” he says with nervous laughter. “I’m broke. I’m not a rock star. I’m a guy who needs to feed his family. At my best I’m a thousandaire. I’m certainly not right now, but at my best I am…I’ve got THOUSANDS of dollars,” he deadpans with mock awe. “I don’t even know if I have hundreds right now.”

To that end, the band has bundled the CD with a free 4-song bonus EP. “There were a few songs that we didn’t put on the record even though I think they’re some of the best songs that we had. I think one of them could have been the single, but they just didn’t fit in with the feel of what we were doing on the record.” In a way it’s vintage Rob Crow — taking things that don’t fit well together and somehow managing to make them coexist.

And he seems comfortable with the results so far. “I never really have an expectation; I just hope it will do okay every time,” he says. “So far I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I have all my other bands’ records I can be disappointed in.”

Pinback :: with MC Chris :: Metro :: Oct. 14.