Although anything 2013 at this point may seem like old news, but today we are bringing you some almost-new music from Springfield emo band Wir Können as part of their “2013 Demo”. You can stream the four-song demo below, or head over to bandcamp where you can stream and download them all for free.
Wir Können will be playing Springfield next this Tuesday, January 7th at Black Sheep along with Dan Mariska, See Through Dresses, and Mario Cannamela.
A brand new song from Springfield pop punk band Hospital Job has recently appeared on a compilation put together by It’s Alive Records. The compilation is called Show’Em The Hand Vol. 3 and it is available for streaming and pay-what-you-want download on bandcamp. The new Hospital Job track on the compilation is called “Tell Me Four Things About Yourself” and you can find it streaming below along with the rest of the songs on the sampler. It appears that Hospital Job have been recently working on new material for an unknown and upcoming release.
Hospital Job will be playing Springfield next at The Poon Lagoon on Saturday, February 22nd along with Be My Doppelganger, Horrible Things, and Nephrons.
Happy New Year everyone! 2014 is going to be a very busy year for Black Sheep and South Town, with the coming of Dumb Records in just a few days, and a new recording studio/practice space. Here is a show happening on Saturday, February 1st. It features a new stoner/rock band Dirt Wizard from Peoria, Illinois. You can check out some of their heavy tunes on the player below. Then we have Central Illinois post-hardcore band Hope For Now. This show will also feature the return of Witchweed to Black Sheep. They play doom/stoner/sludge and come from the cities of Taylorville and Pawnee. The show will also feature Central Illinois band Loses The Mighty, who are also playing January 24th at Black Sheep. To top that all off we have Remmington, a newer Chicago-area band featuring members of NEED.
This show starts at 7:00 pm and admission is $5. You can find a facebook event for this show right here. Also don’t forget to check out our shows page for a list of everything we have coming up at Black Sheep.
Are you all ready to dive into the new year? We already have a large amount of shows lined up at Black Sheep for 2014 and today we are telling you about this one happening on Friday, January 24th. This show will feature Deviant from all over Central Illinois. They play a melodic type of hardcore. We also have newer band Loses The Mighty also from various parts of Central Illinois. You can check out their demo streaming on the player embedded below. Then we have a scary rock n’ roll band called Airacobra from parts unknown. Try not to get bit by the Airacobra! There is another band playing called Your Phobia. Very spooky! Last but not least the band Trapped In A Painting will be playing this show. They are from Decatur.
This show will kick off at 6:00 pm and admission is $6. Dumb Records will be open for this show so there’s even more reason to come out! You can find a facebook event for the show right here. Don’t forget to check out our shows page for a complete list of shows we have coming up at Black Sheep.
Tonight is a very special night of nights, and that is because it is New Year’s Eve! There are probably multiple events happening around Springfield that would be great to go to, but we are here today to tell you about a certain house show at one of Wikipedia’s notable “punk houses”, The Harm House. The show tonight features local hardcore punkers from the 44th annual New Year’s Eve show, Soap Scum. Soap Scum will be returning from their short tour with Champaign/Urbana’s Kowabunga! Kid who play nice and fuzzy punk pop. Another band playing from last year’s New Year’s Eve show at The Harm House and coming all the way from Milwaukee, Wisconson is Estates. There will also be a performance from Toopin– a band featuring Kyle Hall who played at Black Sheep on December 1st, and also Mitch Baker of Looming, Wir Können, and Lovecow. There also might be a surprise set from the mysterious Mother Leopard. (Sorry for ruining the surprise).
The show tonight starts at 8:00 pm and The Harm House will be taking donations for all of the touring bands on this show. If you don’t know the address, ask a friend or email bggalecki34@gmail.com. You can find a facebook event for this show right here. And don’t forget, record of the night.
The weekend of January 10th and 11th will surely be a big weekend for Black Sheep and South Town with the grand opening of Dumb Records on the 11th. It looks like Donnie’s Homespun also has something big planned for that weekend that will be too good to pass up! There’s no reason not to make it out to both events!
Frost Fest will be happening at Donnie’s Homespun, which is located at 107 West Cook Street. The event is $10 per day or $17 for both. The event is also ages 18 and older. Want to hear the lineup of bands and artists performing? Here we go!
Friday, January 10th:
The Blue G’s
Lowder
The Dirty Feathers
Josh Catalano & The Dirty Thoughts
Medusa
Micah Walk & Elizabeth Eckert
M the Tash & Olivia Feherenbacher
Tom Irwin
Dave Littrell
DJ Lawrence
Master Jam Pluto
Nerd Noize
Mondope + Full Cardio Workout
DJ Yatti
Saturday, January 11th:
Brooke Thomas and the Blue Sunds
Juke House
Indiha
Mondope
The Untouchables
Chicago Farmer
Sunshine Daydream
Looming
Loud Clouds
Murder of Crowes
Yurt K
Funhouse
Ms Miche
Sir Racha
Annatomic
E-holla
Danny Grooves
Chris Bradley and Jen Hood
Micah Walk and Dave Littrell
Lorin Devine
Nick Ratney
Wow that’s a lot of music! The event starts at 4:00 pm on both days, and you can find more info for both days on the Donnie’s Homespun website. Don’t forget to also check out our Springfield shows page for an updated list of events going on around town outside of Black Sheep.
And now we are to the third and final part of our three-part best of Springfield 2013 poll results. We counted 37 different releases (and there were probably more that we didn’t catch), when last year we had counted only 15. All of the bands that were active in town this year deserve to be mentioned on this list, but with this list we are highlighting five of your favorites. Here they are!
5. Josh Catalano & The Dirty Thoughts – Give Away The Night
Josh and crew are at it. As you must remember, I wrote about “When We Were Young” last year. It got #2 Best Song of 2012. Josh Catalano & the Dirty Thoughts have released a reimagined and repolished collection of songs called “Give Away The Night.” Let me tell you: IT PAID OFF. Last year, I called “When We were Young” an “amazing pop hit.” Things have changed WAY for the better. These reimanaged songs raise the bar they set for themselves last year. As a whole, “Give Away The Night” hits the nail right on it’s pop-hit-head. The album blends Josh’s solid vocals with just enough twangy guitars (“Light), driving drums (“New York Hearts” + “Dead In Her Boots”), strings (They really stepped up “When We Were Young), and hooks (Seriously, the bass hook in “They Look So Lonely” is straight out of “Graceland”). They started where the demo left off, and went buck wild. The production quality and song construction are top notch. I think JC&TDT are Springfield’s best kept secret right now, and won’t be for too much longer. -Cory VanMeter (Say Something, Soap Scum, Hospital Job, Caterpillar Club)
4. Our Lady – Vessels 7″
After a few “personnel changes”, it appears that the hardest working band in Springfield (in my opinion, anyway…these kids never seem to stop touring!), Our Lady, has finally become comfortable in their own skin. After listening to their EP, “Vessels”, released on Mind Over Matter Records earlier this year, it’s very clear that this band has really perfected it’s sound and songwriting abilities. Three beautifully constructed songs pressed onto a limited run of 100 translucent red or 100 opaque lavender vinyl housed in what is easily the nicest packaging I’ve ever seen committed to a 7” release. A six-panel silkscreened fold-out jacket with a hand numbered vellum pocket housing the actual record itself. Wonderful artwork by Brian Galecki, adorns the outside of the jacket. I’ve always loved Our Lady’s unique sound (how many other bands feature a cello player plugged into a Marshall?) and this release is certainly no exception. Our Lady is certainly a well-oiled machine, and at this rate could be the next big thing. Who knows? They certainly deserve it! -Anthony Bollero (Some Things Can’t Be Ignored)
3. Soap Scum – Demo
One of the top voted releases of the year 2013 is one from earlier in the year, the Soap Scum Demo. A band that has been cloaked in mystery since their very beginning, Soap Scum introduced us to their fast brand of punk with a surprise set at the last New Year’s house show. Their set was a hectic smash, with everyone moving and slamming, and is captured perfectly with this release. It is dripping with filth and catchy rhythms, with 5 songs that pummel you with the kind of angst that will leave you asking “What was I thinking?”
The first track Scum Town begins with a very brief feedback lead in before dropping you down face first into this very fast punk song that keeps it short and sweet. The next track Wreckage keeps up the tempo, but mixes in some catchy grooves that continue on throughout the third track, Fiberglass. Television Head is layered extra thick with some great guitar riffs that wriggle their way into your ear and refuse to leave. The closer track, Compactor ends fades away with an appropriate amount of chaos, guitar wanking, and stead drums holding it all together, just barely. It was without a doubt one of top punk releases of the year for the Springfield music scene. -Drew Kodrich (Gazeebo)
#2. Our Lady – Dawning (II)
Over the past 3 years Our Lady has become a common name to the Black Sheep tongue because of a reputation for their impactful songwriting and aggressive live performance. Dawning II was the most recent release, but certainly not the only one. Our Lady has toured 5 times through 30 different states this year alone, it’s no wonder they have come to our attention for this year’s Best Of. Dawning II is a new perspective on Our Lady’s cassette release earlier this year giving us the re-recorded and re-mastered version of what they truly envisioned themselves to be. The new recordings give Our Lady the sound that they deserve, holding them up to par with their live performance. They kept all of the old songs, adding more distortion and more power, raising the bar for their own future. Dawning II also features an acoustic track that has taken off as one of Our Lady’s most popular songs yet. It starts off with vocalist and guitar player, Tim Williams, talking about his past experiences in the background of subtle distortion and acoustic guitar. Tim’s dark, relatable lyrical content keeps you sucked in.
Dawning II ends with my personal favorite, Balancing Stone, a brand new full band song that was not on the original Dawning. Balancing Stone uses cello and guitar to create a brooding atmosphere that bursts into the full band chorus with a sense of urgency that gives you chills. You know what they say: you haven’t lived until you’ve cried at an Our Lady show. You can listen to Dawning II along with their past releases for free at ourlady.bandcamp.com. -Jess Knight (Looming, Mother Leopard)
#1. Looming – Looming EP
Looming EP is one of my favorite local albums of the year. Jessica Knight’s voice shines over this gritty pop themed four piece. “Definition of Home” is one hell of a catchy song with a driving rhythm and great guitar line. I also love the sing-a-long “Ohs” in the chorus. “Steadfast” is a well crafted song full of love, lies and poetry. Brandon Carnes’ drumming pushes the compelling line, “Don’t tell stories your eyes can’t tell,” while the band explodes. Looming will leave a lasting impression on the Springfield music scene. I can’t wait to hear more. -Josh Catalano (Josh Catalano & The Dirty Thoughts)
We have finally made it to the end of 2013 and wow! What a year! We want to thank everyone who participated in our year-end poll. There were more voters who participated than last year, and also much more music coming out of Springfield. We have to say that pretty much all of the music that came out of Springfield this year is worth mentioning and all of you musicians and artists out there deserve a round of applause. We are going to start off by listing some of your favorite songs that came out of Springfield this year. Write-ups have been done by different people who have been active in various parts of the music scene this year. This was a close contest with ties for the number 2 and number 5 choices, and a couple of bands had multiple songs in the running.
5. Josh Catalano & The Dirty Thoughts – When We Were Young
When you press play on any of Josh Catalano‘s work, you’ll immediately be glad you did. Light, inspirational guitar work and honest, beautiful vocals collide in the song “When we were young” for a truly pleasant experience. I’m honestly sad it took me this long to discover this gentleman’s work. Catalano comes together with his company in Josh Catalano & The Dirty Thoughts to bring you a series of wonderful tracks, but “When we were young” jumps out as an instant hit. It starts with a nearly quiet acoustic guitar line into a beautiful vocal melody, eventually building via string section and well placed guitar work into a driving, meaningful experience altogether forcing you to replay over and over. Its short and sweet, and definitely one of my favorite pieces to ever come out of this local music scene. If you haven’t given this music a listen, I strongly suggest you do. “When we were young” will be on repeat for me, as a great listen, and an inspiration to me as a musician. -Clint Kesinger (Good Times, Battalion)
5. Soap Scum – Fiberglass/Compactor
If there was one definitive sound of 2013, it was Cory VanMeter’s opening bassline to Fiberglass, Soap Scum‘s epic ballad that tells the tale of Brian Galecki cleaning out Black Sheep’s fiberglass, resulting in one if the most memorable coughing fits in the history of Springfield’s music scene.
On the other hand, the phrase of 2013 was “Sweep the floor; Mop the ceiling,” from Soap Scum’s all star smash hit, “Compactor.” As my personal favorite Soap Scum song, it holds a special place in my heart, but not without subjecting my ears to minutes of reckless guitar from groovemaster Mario Cannamela, paired with some sick beatz from Papa Kevin. Two great tracks from some of the best hardcore I’ve ever seen come out of little old Springfield, IL. -Mitch Baker (Lovecow, Wir Können, Looming)
5. Big Storm – Wasting Away
2013 was a big year for emo, harsh noise, band reunions, and… power pop? Big Storm had a good year, particularly with the release of “Wasting Away”. When first listening to this song it seems like nothing to write home about, some dude just whining about being alone, like that’s never happened before. But Brandon Carnes and company aren’t like most guys, they have horn sections and big harmonies! I can’t wait to see what 2014 brings for this band and this guy hopes they “stay here forever” and keep bringing the feel good! -Jeff Black (The Radon Lounge)
4. Battalion – Resilience
With earth shattering guitar tones, creative drumming, heavy grooves, killer two steps, gang vocals, and all ending with a fantastic melodic passage, it’s no wonder that Battalion’s song, “Resilience” made the cut for this list. Battalion has been around for quite sometime in the Springfield music scene and resilience completely solidifies what the band has grew into. As voted by the people, the results have obviously been well received! Fans of modern heavy music, you won’t be disappointed at all by this track. -Cameron Franklin (Table Drama, Skywalker)
2. Good Times – All My Friends Are Ghosts
Clint Kesinger’s project Good Times is a clear stylistic departure from Battalion, the band he’s fronted for quite some time now. The first track of his ‘Good Times’ EP (available for free download at goodtimesstl.bandcamp.com) is a 3 and a half minute sample of Clint’s softer, more easy-going side. ‘All My Friends Are Ghosts’ chronicles a night of waking a ghost, presumably with song, and inviting her to ‘kick back and chill’ with him. It’s an upbeat tune that’s easy to nod along to, and has hooks that are bound to keep you repeating the chorus, “we’ll all keep singing along, and i won’t tell anyone”. This jaunty tune is a great introduction to Good Times, a fantastic way to start off of the EP, and one can only imagine there’s plenty more ‘Good Times’ to be had! -Brandon Carnes (Looming, Big Storm, The Timmys)
2. Our Lady – Buque/Feeding Fields
Our Lady definitely brought their A game this year, and this song is certainly no exception. With Buque, the band showed a more intense side of themselves. With this song being the first revealed from Dawning, the band finished their transition and became dark as all heckie. Our Lady blew up bigger than they already previously were this year, and with this song, they only grew stronger. They are now a 12 foot, 2 ton beast waiting to take on every scene in the entire world. Watch out, everyone. -Austin Connelly(Wir Können, Montagh)
1. Looming – Definition of Home
Surely by now you have all heard Looming’s “Definition of Home” and probably know most of the lyrics. The song was the band’s very first and they debuted it well before their first show. That first day it hit the net, I listened to it at least 10 times. It is good. Really good.
Definition of Home is a well crafted song. The lyrics allow the listener to create their own meaning and ideas. I relate to the lyrics on a personal level. “I’m running home when everyone’s running away” can mean different things. To me, it is about accepting your surroundings and making the most of them.
I feel Springfield in my bones. I like my bones. Please celebrate your own definition of home. Your city, your music scene, your bones, and Looming’s 6 track EP. It’ll make Springfield a better place… and you a better person. -Robbie Kording (The Black Sheep Radio Show, The Timmys)
Our Dumb Records Grand Opening and Art Show is coming up here in a few weeks, and it’s surely going to be a South Town extravaganza you won’t want to miss! One, you’ll get to experience our rad record store in all of its shiny new rays of glory. Two, you’ll get to hear some spoken word from our local folks and see some art pieces by them. The celebration and art show will be taking place from 12:00 to 9:00 pm that day, and Dumb Records will open at 10:00 am. There will also be a soft opening at Dumb Records on Friday the 10th from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. Here’s a list of who exactly will be throwing down for all of this and the location and time slots they will be performing.
Dumb Records Acts
12:00 pm – Brandon Carnes
1:00 pm – Jess Knight
2:00 pm – Jared Small
4:00 pm – Lovecow
5:00 pm – Montagh
6:00 pm – Kamila Glowacki
7:00 pm – Good Times
Black Sheep
2:30 pm – Mike Tirehaus
3:30 pm – Matt Hill
5:30 pm – Clare Frachey
6:30 pm – Paqui
7:30 pm – Mario Cannamela
8:30 pm – Aubrey Puyear
Artists
Brian Galecki
Tater Cronin
Mike Tirehaus
Amanda Aulich
Kamila Glowacki
Clare Frachey
Nathan Shepard
Martin “Lumpy” Meyer
Emily Johnson
John Mechana
Angelea Cooke
Kristin Walker
Mario Cannamela
Matt Hill
Heidi Abegg
Vince Merriman
Julia May
Jess Black
We still have a few open time slots for acoustic acts and spoken word artists! Email us at blacksheepspringfield@gmail.com if you are interested. Try to make it out to see these acts and pieces of work as well as the opening of Dumb Records! This event will have no cost, however you may want to bring a few bucks for all the cool stuff Dumb Records has to offer. A facebook event for this whole enchilada is right here so make sure to check it out and come if you can!
This show at Poon Lagoon is gonna be ballin! All the way from way out of town, Be My Doppleganger is gonna be rockin out with some alternative punk jivvy jams. The rad folks from Champaign based Horrible Things will be indulging our breakfast punk cravings. Hospital Job will be playing as well and they’re sure to give a heart-warming, musically nourishing pop-punk set. Then to finish off the evening in a grand way, Nephrons will play some retirement home pop-punk, the kind that will make us feel delirious and wobbly in the best way possible.
This show is gonna be yet another classic in Poon Lagoon world, so come to this show on Saturday February 22nd and get your “swag and stab on”! This won’t cost any money but donations for the touring bands and charming locals are definitely welcome. Here’s the facebook event so check it out! Curious about other Springfield shows? We have a page for that, so definitely take a look at that as well and keep your eyes out for upcoming Black Sheep shows.
Dumb Records 