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chris connelly, I:scintilla and more
Sunday 14th December 2008
Live: chris connelly, I:scintilla, side-project and more
Performances: red hot annie's vaudezilla burlesque tropue
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2210 west chicago ave
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Tickets: $6
Time: 7pm - 0am
As many of you know we have started a monthly Sunday Night Showcase, which
focuses on Electro, Industrial, Gothic, New Wave,Metal and trip-hop bands both
local and national. The night is sponsored/hosted by our very own Dave of
WTII
Records.
WTII Record's Dave's Upcoming Sunday Showcases
Darkroom is located at 2210 W. Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
773-276-1411
Sunday DEC 14th
Special WTII Records Sunday Showcase Holiday Show
CHRIS CONNELLY
I:SCINTILLA
SIDE-PROJECT
SPECIAL HOLIDAY BURLESQUE PERFORMANCE from Red Hot Annie and the ladies of Vaudezilla
Ticket prices are $6
21+ doors at 7pm
Dj for this evening is DJ Toast
www.myspace.com/christopherconnelly or www.chrisconnelly.com
www.myspace.com/iscintilla or www.iscintilla.com
www.myspace.com/westtownsideproject
www.myspace.com/annmariewe
www.myspace.com/7283165
www.wtiirecords.com
www.darkroombar.com
Tickets will be available online at www.darkroombar.com
To celebrate what can only be described as an incredible year that has seen several outstanding WTII sunday night showcases take place we decided to have a special "Holiday" show with artists and friends that you know and love. Just to make it a true holiday party we have also brought in Red Hot Annie and her Vaudezilla burlesque troop and, word around town, is that the "big fat man" may make an appearance as well. Don't miss this VERY special evening!
CHRIS CONNELLY:
Of the multitudes of recording artists which populate the various strata of the contemporary music world, very few have either the verve or tenacity in sonic metastasis as the likes of Chris Connelly.
His arc of evolving talent is quite well known to the initiated: constantly shifting gears and mutating from the earliest of days in Rigor Mortis (later to become Fini Tribe) to the infamous Revolting Cocks, or side projects like Acid Horse (with members of Caberet Voltaire) and the one-off release The Love Interest. The hey-day of the loosely fitting term “industrial rock” had all but wound up during the late Eighties and early Nineties, through which Connelly maintained a high profile within the ranks of Ministry and then shortly after crossing over to the post-punk experimental circus called Pigface, helmed by Martin Atkins and Invisible Records. In retrospect, this change would prove to be a blessing in disguise of sorts, allowing for Connelly to exhibit deeper lyricism as well as a far wider range of vocal skill more true to his own style rather than that of the atypical distortion-blistered screams of metallic mechanical rage. Murder, Inc. followed suit, bringing to light a brilliant blend of Chris’ angst-laden lounge crooning against a backdrop of Killing Joke-esque post-industrial noise rock. To the converted, this record remains a fan favorite not quickly forgotten; when later incarnations of Pigface (without Connelly) would play the album’s title track, crowds would tend to fall into a chaotic reverie of shaking fists and shoulder-to-shoulder mosh pits.
Amongst the revolving melee of his interactions, collaborations and contributions to numerous projects and records, Connelly released his first proper solo outing, Whiplash Boychild, in 1991 after the wake of Ministry’s A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste tour and Pigface’s initial effort Gub. Those anticipating the chain-link fence bashing, dreadlocked, sinister vocalist to do more of the same were in for a rude awakening indeed. Eschewing the violent, metallic and overtly electronic overtones of prior efforts, what Connelly delivered instead was a melodic, poetic, often times beautiful affair, maintaining the truisms of underground music whilst flirting with the conventions of well intended pop. Many comparisons have been drawn countless times through the years toward the likes of David Bowie and Scott Walkeras well as some early eighties Iggy Pop. His 1992 follow up, Phenobarb Bambalam, was a more extreme record; bipolarizing the two fronts of his songwriting between the excesses of angry post-rock and the melancholia of smoke-filled lounge balladeering, both exercised (and exorcised) with ingenious clarity. Aside from a live acoustic EP, Songs for Swinging Junkies, it would be two years before he would release another full length studio recording.
The wait would prove to be worthwhile. His third studio release Shipwreck laid out the perfect amalgam of the two previous records, delivering elements of pop, post-modern rock and endearingly touching lounge ballads that make your head swim. .
While now no longer on his longtime label Wax Trax, Chicago based Hit It! Records released an album of his new material under the moniker The Bells. The album was titled The Ultimate Seaside Companion, which — along with Chris — featured his long running friend and collaborator Bill Rieflin as well as other indie luminaries such as Chris Bruce and Jim O’Rourke. Far and away, this record was a clear and distinctive departure from Connelly’s past approaches to structure and production. Not merely handling the lyrics and general basis of his material, he wholeheartedly took the helm of his own ship: playing and directing the songs with acoustic and electric guitar, banjo, and even utilizing the harmonica at points. Having stripped away the artifice of so-called “rock production” and unconcerned with carrying the weight of his past reputation (under the pseudonym of a band rather than his own name), Connelly was able to quite simply get down to basics: writing emotive and sincere songs without the prejudice of an already established audience preying on his past. The Ultimate Seaside Companion’s successes lay strictly within that regimen: pure, focused, honest songs done without the need and greed of the almighty dollar, MTV, or the overzealous “industrial” fan who still think of Chris Connelly as the dreadlocked, enraged duke of RevCo, Ministry and Pigface.
What happened next was probably the most surprising and unexpected move that Mr. Connelly could have ever considered at that particular point of his career.
Invisible Records’ Martin Atkins was busy getting up a new project with his former PiL band mate Jah Wobble, who in turn suggested Killing Joke guitarist Geordie Walker to round out the experiment’s music section. As rumor has it, once things got going, they had attempted to get John Lydon to handle the lyric/vocal duties but were dismissed. Atkins (and appropriately so) suggested Connelly. The result was the Damage Manual; with one EP and one full-length album under its belt, it would, in a sense, mark the “return” of Chris Connelly to the “industrial” realm once again.
Later that same year, Mr. Connelly would release yet another album: the swooning, eloquent and near cinematic Blonde Exodus. Again utilizing the assistance of Bill Rieflin and continuing upon the path laid down by The Ultimate Seaside Companion, Blonde Exodus would deliver even more clearly the radiant and minimalist ingenuity of Connelly’s songwriting abilities — both as a sublime lyricist and a heartfelt vocalist. In the midst of this period, Chris and Bill would also record an album called Largo, which was released on Rieflin’s First World label.
in 2002, Underground Inc. released a collection personally selected by Connelly, Initials C.C. Vol. 1, culling material spanning over 20 years: a widely diverse and scattered collage of his musical experimentation including tracks from his “home-made” tape experiments with Andy McGregor, out-takes from his involvement with the likes of Fini Tribe, Revolting Cocks, Pigface, F/I, PTP, The Damage Manual and, of course, his solo work. Without question a fine addendum to his steadily growing catalogue.After a challenging and long-running road show of touring throughout ‘02 and ‘03, a break from the rigors of international touring indeed seems well-deserved.
Fast forward to 2008 and we now see Chris Connelly as a successful writer/author of not only poems but also of his autobiography , Concrete,Bulletproof, Invisible & Fried as well as having just released his ninth solo work the new EP Forgiveness and Exile this past October.
I:SCINTILLA:
Chicago's I:Scintilla (pronounced eye-sin-til-uh) have jumped from recording demo songs in a bedroom to collaborating with some of modern music's best artists and releasing music on an international level. Fronted by Brittany Bindrim (vocals/words) and backed by Jim Cookas (guitar/programming), Vincent Grech (drums), and Chad Mines (bass), the group seamlessly fuses electronic and rock elements while pushing the boundaries of pop music. Bindrim's intensely seductive voice and insightful words paint a dark picture of loss, redemption, and introspection and are delivered via insatiably catchy hooks. The music drapes the mood with intricately layered synthesizers, grinding guitar riffs, and a mix of live and programmed drums. The quartet's unique sound has drawn comparisons to Garbage, Theatre of Tragedy, and The Birthday Massacre.
Upon forming in 2003, I:Scintilla quickly wrote and recorded songs that would be part of their self-released debut album, The Approach (July 2004). After consistent critical praise and a solid year of live performances, a buzz began to spread and record labels began to take notice. The band eventually signed with Belgian electro label, Alfa-Matrix, and joined an impressive roster that includes Front 242 and Collide. On Havestar (August 2006), the first release with their new label, the band worked with famed electronic producer Wade Alin (Atomica, Christ Analogue) and the result was four electrifying recordings with top notch production elements. The EP was rounded out by club remixes, including stellar interpretations from the likes of Combichrist and Claus Larsen (Leather Strip). The release found success with the critics, clubs, radio, and a varied cross-section of music fans. As a result, Havestar spent four weeks on the DAC (Deutsche Alternative Charts) Top 20 Singles and peaked at #13.
Their latest full-length effort, Optics (June 2007), found the band exploring new sounds and traversing genres while maintaining an emphasis on sophisticated songwriting. Bindrim's voice soars on the epic opening track, "Cursive Eve", and she never looks back. With Alin producing again, the quartet shows off their polished new sound with sexy dance-rock ("Ultravioletfly", "Machine Vision") and club-friendly synthpop ("Melt", "Toy Soldier"). Meanwhile they are just as comfortable utilizing organic rock elements on the beautifully haunting "Translate" and powerful "Salt Of Stones". Bindrim's lyrics have never been better as she explores topics of a more political, social, and sexual nature on the 12-track set. Optics is also available as a limited edition 2-CD box set, which includes a poster, additional artwork, and a 12-track bonus disc with remixes from Combichrist, Clan of Xymox, Mortiis, and many others.
The band made a big impact in 2007. In May, they performed at Wave Gotik Treffen, the world's largest dark music and arts festival held in Leipzig, Germany. Upon its release in June, Optics once again found success with the European music scene and spent seven weeks on the DAC Top 10 Albums, peaking at #6.
I:Scintilla are coming off a 3month 70+ show tour with the Cruxshadows and Ayria and are currently writing and recording material for their upcoming album, slated for a December 2008 release.
SIDE-PROJECT:
Who and What is Side-Project? It's not the "who" that you should concern yourself with but the why? Side-project was conceived after what was to be the first of many nights of consuming too much Duval, pondering an incessant debate on the genesis and mannerisms of zompyres, and their love of the Dark Clan. This union was made even stronger by the daily perusing of the popular on-line forum Side-Line and their many references to hoinh, wyominf and jank (also, deahkey).
But again you ask who are Side-project? Side-Project is a duo that consists of one of the core members of Iris/Stromkern/Alpha Conspiracy as well as a mysterious female vocalist/keyboard player of which very little is known. A relative newcomer to performing live, she made her singing debut back in march, 2008 along side the Milwaukee cold-wave band Am.Psych, and then made a unannounced appearance at this year's Reverence festival in Madison as a member of the "supergroup", Stromberg.
What does the future hold for Side-Project? That remains to be seen but you can expect alot of Duval will be involved!
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