Spank Rock

Nearly five years since their debut, veteran collaborator MC Spank Rock and his collective of party boys are officially back on the radar with the group’s second full-length studio album. If you’re unfamiliar with the infectious, raunchy music of Spank Rock, try not to let the fact that they spent their summer touring with LMFAO and Ke$ha discourage you from listening. Since 2006′s glitch-hop album YoYoYoYoYo (recorded in producer Armani XXXchange’s Brooklyn apartment), these guys have earned plenty of indie street cred, including over a dozen collaborations and a 2 Live Krew tribute album. This time around, Spank Rock returns to their electro-rap roots with September’s release of Everything Is Boring and Everyone Is a Fucking Liar. Their live show? Just as in-your-face as ever. With bass-heavy tracks like “Nasty” and “Bump,” blatantly filthy lyrics have never sounded so appropriate. (Appearing at The Mid on October 28) –text: Valerie Wojs

Brand New, DJ Bald Eagle, Explosions in the Sky, Jamie Lidell, Okkervil River, Spank Rock

BRAND NEW
Even high school kids need somewhere to go during the summer, right? Not all of them work seasonal jobs, saving up for much-needed future keg money. A good chunk of them sit alone in their basements scrawling love poems into notebooks and shouting (or maybe crying) in the shower every night. But every now and then, this lot pools their collecting loathing — and often it’s to the tune of screaming pop songs a la Brand New. (Saturday, 4:30-5:30, AT&T Stage) –text: Derek Wright–photo: Josh Rothstein

DJ BALD EAGLE
As a staple of the Life During Wartime scene since co-launching the regular Chicago dance party in January 2003, DJ Bald Eagle (a.k.a. Metro talent buyer Chris Barroner) has transformed himself into one of the city’s — if not the country’s — biggest draws on the decks. More than just some old records and a few dusty slogans, the fun-loving pop-appreciator’s beats consistently lay the groundwork for a perfect summer party. (Saturday, 5:15-6:00, BMI Stage) –text: Derek Wright

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
You’ve probably heard the music of Austin’s Explosions in the Sky even if you don’t realize it. The band’s haunting compositions have served as the backdrop for so many commercials, films and television shows it would be hard to have missed them. While some will cry foul along predictable “sellout” lines, in this case the commercial platform served as a perfect gateway drug for people that might ordinarily be turned off by the idea of a band that consists of three guitars and a drummer and traffics in songs that consistently clock in at over seven minutes. Guitarists Manaf Rayani, Mark Smith, and Michael James construct their epic instrumentals over Chris Hrasky’s heavy hitting drums, creating a tension between delicacy and muscle that serves the band elegantly. The sweeping, cathartic melodies that result should provide a festival highlight. (Saturday, 4:30-5:30, Bud Light Stage) –text: Don Bartlett–photo: Dianne Jones

JAMIE LIDELL
Soul never goes out of style. Souls, on the other hand, are so last century. And while spiritualism might be as passé as heroin, it’s never uncool to belt out smooth R&B over groovy rhythms. Enter Jamie Lidell, a funky 35-year-old Englishman with a healthy appreciation for Stevie Wonder and cabaret-style getups. Supporting this year’s underappreciated Jim, Lidell’s fluid chops will take a bit of the sting out of the oppressive summer heat. (Saturday, 5:30-6:30, MySpace Stage) –text: Derek Wright–photo: Nicole Nodland

OKKERVIL RIVER
What kind of band releases a covers album for free without alerting the media? Okkervil River, for one, because they “wanted to do a release fast and for fun and give it to you guys for free.” Not only is this act of charity (a.k.a. Golden Opportunities) notable for its appreciation of fandom, it’s also a good angle into the style of this Austin indie rock band. They’re just as loose and conversational in their musical approach, rendering a sound akin to that of a basement hangout. One could easily picture a Big Pink atmosphere of friends, lovers, fans and enemies intertwining within the rock and roll of Okkervil River. This rollicking touch was most recently employed on their breakthrough album, The Stage Names, which functions as a soundtrack for both the heartbreak and the rebound. Loneliness and community never sounded so alike. (Saturday, 5:30-6:30, PlayStation Stage) –text: Tim Slowikowski

SPANK ROCK
Since their debut 12-inch Put That Pussy On Me, Spank Rock have been riding high on a hot mix of 2 Live Crew-inspired booty rhymes and the Baltimore/Philly club-rap sound of producer Armani XXXChange, Benny Blanco and DJs Chris Rockswell and Ronnie Darko. Now in the wake of their successful debut full-length Yoyoyoyoyo and the X-rated Bangers & Cash EP, they’ve truly earned the self-proclaimed title of “International Party Starters.” Take a look at the stage and see for yourself. (Saturday, 5:00-6:00, Citi Stage) –text: Mike Scales–photo: Mike W. / visualdiction.com

Ted Leo, The Futureheads, Matmos, Spank Rock

THE FUTUREHEADS
It’s been over a year, but The Futureheads return to Chicago as one of the top acts on the Pitchfork Music Fest lineup. Those who didn’t want the band’s Metro show in June 2005 to ever end can now look forward to a band that has shown considerable signs of growth. This past May the quartet from Sunderland, England, released their sophomore album News and Tributes (Vagrant) and already heads are turning. After the 2004 self-titled debut The Futureheads, the band faced skepticism, as if their 100 m.p.h. style of play forever locked the band in Franz Ferdinand-meets-The Jam mode. News and Tributes changes all of that. “The main thing, as far as we’re concerned, is that we want to be considered as one of those bands that can be around for a long time,” said guitarist Ross Millard. Now, more than ever, The Futureheads appear to have opened new doors. (Saturday, 7:10-8:10, Main Stage) –text: Chris Castaneda

TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS
Ted Leo’s music is rousing, intelligent, and instantaneously memorable. After a handful of albums and some cast changes, the hard-working Leo still continues to make exciting, accessible, soulful, nearly perfect songs utilizing elements of Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello, and the Clash. His music bends from melodic and poignant to angry and tragic, but maintains continuity by virtue of Leo’s signature sound, which is laced with modern lo-fi and distortions. Buoyed by The Pharmacists, and in particular its winsome drummer Chris Wilson (whose stick smashing and cymbal splashing is a sight for sore eyes), Leo’s live performances are second to none in their intensity. Colored by amiable stage banter and engaging theatrics, most notably his gleeful half-splits and jump-kicks, they soar with an unabashed vitality of flight and energy found in all great live bands. Tenacious, muscular, and smart while full of anger, hope, and passion, TL/RX is the doctor’s orders: a much-needed dose of thinking person’s punk that is both refreshing and fun. (Saturday, 6:10-7:10, Main Stage) –text: David Barrett–photo: Tad Kubler

SPANK ROCK
Spank Rock’s success and hipster street cred is emblematic of the triumph of style over substance. Producer Armani XXXchange pretty much nails it when he described the group’s sound to Urb as “American kids ripping off European kids who are ripping off American hip hop. So it’s like a triple rip-off situation.” XXXchange and his partner MC Spank Rock borrow old-school block party breakbeats, mash them up with flashes of electro noise and grime bass before topping everything with the nasal flow of Spank’s callow sex rhymes. The music is all about getting some grinding started on the dancefloor, and in this respect Spank Rock succeed. Their beats move enough, the lyrics are easy to follow and the basslines thick and ample — but upon close inspection they just don’t come with anything fresh. For all the banging beats and dirty talk, Spank Rock never quite separate from their inspirations. (Saturday, 5:25-6:45, Biz3 Stage) –text: Noah Levine

MATMOS
Is there a noise that can’t be mined, squeezed or contorted for musical impact? Can a birdcage, a machete, a cow uterus and semen become instruments? As Matmos, abstract sound coordinators M.C. Schmidt and Drew Daniel attempt to answer these and other questions while continuing the tradition of the musique concrete school of sound collagery. Their ambitious musical art could easily lose focus in the hands of lesser talents, but Matmos know how to reign in every exotic noise and uncommon instrument to keep the novel from slipping into novelty. Matmos songs might be collections and arrangements of sounds, but that does not mean they drift into random noise experiments. Schmidt and Daniel keep things thematically bound, finding clever ways to combine their sounds to create engaging rhythms and melodies. After sharing stages with Bjork, Slint, Wolf Eyes and countless others, the duo are equally skilled at working their sonic proficiencies on stage. (Saturday, 6:45-7:40, Biz3 Stage) –text: Noah Levine–photo: Lissa Ivy Tiegel

Spank Rock

You have to step into a certain role in order to sell your music.

story by David Mittleman

You might never have heard of potty-mouthed MC Naeem Juwan of the left-field hip-hop group Spank Rock; but as Juwan nonchalantly retorts on Spank Rock’s debut album Yo Yo Yo Yo Yo (out April 10 on Big Dada), “I don’t give a fuck.” You see, for Juwan and Spank Rock’s dual DJs xxxchange and Chris Rockswell, life is a party — and the only goal is to get buck wild in the club.

Growing up in West Baltimore, Juwan got hip to the city’s tawdry club scene at an early age. Reached via telephone, Juwan explains that, “[I started going out to clubs] when I was like 16. None of the clubs sold alcohol. It was like high school clubs, a couple of 18-and-over clubs. Everyone would like pre-game in the parking lot, get drunk, smoke weed, and then wild-up in the club.”

Though the clubs may have been filled with sex-hungry teens, the atmosphere was decidedly adult. “The Baltimore club scene was insane,” according to Juwan. “It was like a bunch of young kids going crazy in the clubs. The song would drop like, ‘East Side, where the fuck you at?’ They would shout out street blocks, people would start fighting if they saw somebody from West Baltimore. Girls just be in there throwin’ their asses on dudes, just bein’ real nasty, pretty much just drive up on people on the dance floor, real crazy. They would just beat people up; throw motherfuckers out the door. It was a really, really exciting time.”

For Juwan, all of this crazed energy was par for the course. “I didn’t really think anything [going on in the clubs] was bizarre because I was being a part of it,” he says. “I just thought it was normal behavior. I don’t have any recollection of anything like, ‘yo, that’s some crazy-ass shit.’ It was just what we did as kids there. It wasn’t really bizarre.”

Spank Rock, while exuding brash, uncontrollable energy, balances a delicate dichotomy. Juwan describes the group as “a whole squad of ADD children on drugs malfunctioning going to the moon,” whereas Spank Rock’s official bio alleges that “Naeem Juwan possessed habits of being meek and dangerously insecure.” This begs the question, how does such a meek and insecure MC go on to release a 12″ provocatively titled “Put That Pussy On Me”? Juwan explains that, “When I perform it’s crazy, you know? You have to step into a certain role in order to sell your music. But, on a daily basis, I have a lot of insecurities. I’m very quiet most of the time. Sometimes when I’m drunk, I’m not quiet. When I wake up in the morning, I’m pretty quiet and sad. That was a hard question; that was a good question, though.”

If Spank Rock were nothing more than a gaggle of club-crazy kids, they wouldn’t even bear mention. What makes them stand out is their infectious music. Even though Spank Rock hails from Baltimore, a.k.a. “Charm City”, (not usually considered to be a hot-bed of cutting edge music) they churn together influences from across the globe: the boogie-down Bronx (hip-hop), dirty London (grime), Jamaica (dancehall), Brazil (ghetto bailie funk), West Africa (djembe drums), Germany (electro-tech), Philadelphia (Diplo-esque beats) and Miami (raw booty-bass).

Few hip hop groups have come out the gates with a debut album as strong as Yo Yo Yo Yo Yo. Throughout the album, Juwan sounds like an African-American male version of Peaches — but with superior lyrical flow. The sexual energy is so strong that unless you slap on a jimmy-cap while listening, you’re likely to catch an STD. Tunes like “Backyard Betty,” “Touch Me,” “Coke & Wet,” and “Screwville, USA” pop out of the speakers like a porn star on Viagra.

For the adventurous club denizens who turn out for Spank Rock’s upcoming appearance at the Empty Bottle, Juwan promises a no-holds-barred, crazed club experience. The only prerequisite for an explosive evening is a crowd ready to be dazzled. If you bring the love, Juwan and crew will be happy to oblige — with a filthy as fuck live performance.

Spank Rock :: Empty Bottle :: April 18.