LouieB Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I knew nothing about the Chamber Strings until about a week or so ago. There are articles about them in the Trib and Reader this week, since there is a show at the Double Door this Saturday, featuring new songs. The story is amazing; there is also stuff up on Glo No as well. Maybe someone wants to post some of the links. I am helping tape this show, so come on by. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I saw them in 2002 or so, opening for the Pernice Brothers here at the Blind Pig. It was a really good show and I ended up buying their two albums as a result. Those records aren't fantastic, but they're very good. I'd be interested to hear their new stuff. Maybe they'll come over this way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nettles Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I still have 'Month of Sundays' in the rotation, lots of pretty tunes,nice to see them back to it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted January 20, 2007 Author Share Posted January 20, 2007 Those records aren't fantastic, but they're very good.I just got them and was surprised how much I liked them. I usually don't like mopy stuff like that, but it is quite well done. ( I got both with shipping for under $10...not alot of demand at this point.) The story in the The Reader is really interesting. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 The story in the The Reader is really interesting.Wow. I had no idea. Glad he's back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted January 20, 2007 Author Share Posted January 20, 2007 Yea, this is like the show of the weekend here in Chicago. Glorious NOise has a three part documentary on they, thanks to Derek and John. I havent watched it yet. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ludwig Von Drake Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Who are the Chamber Strings? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted January 20, 2007 Author Share Posted January 20, 2007 Who are the Chamber Strings?See all the convenient links I posted...it tells the entire story. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Who are the Chamber Strings?They were/are a pretty darn good band from Chicago who put out a couple of pretty darn good albums in '97 and '01 and are apparently now back together and recording again. Linky Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WaronWar Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Yeah I read the article in the Chicago Tribune on Friday by Greg Kot, which I add was another great piece by him. Really interesting story about the band's leader going through herion addiction and being homeless. On a side note: I love the way Kot wrote in this article, and how he usually does with his Friday columns with artists, frames how music has a huge important impact on our lives. Since within The Chamber Strings article Kot ends it with a quote by the leader saying he stopped himself from committing suicide lots of times by singing a song. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted January 21, 2007 Author Share Posted January 21, 2007 The show last night was really quite something. The band was really on and it was quite a trimphant return. I was there from 4:30 until 1:30 AM and so I am pretty beat today. It was fun seeing the soundcheck and hanging with the band a bit prior to the show. The footage from the show itself should be pretty cool. The crowd was really into it and Kevin came through it well. I must admit it worried me a bit to see him drinking fairly heavily however, but I guess downing a bottle of wine is better than a needle full of heroin. Prior to the show the band was talking about who in Wilco might show up (Pat did) and John got a shout out for their co-written song, which was beautifully done. In any event stay tuned to GloNo for parts 3 and 4 of the documentary, part 4 will be the parts of the actual show. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PopTodd Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 Just wanted to bump this thread, because I found Month of Sundays at Amazon for something like $0.64! If you're a fan of The Left Banke, The Kinks, Cardinal, or any of that orc-pop stuff, this is (IMO) one of the best albums of the new millennium. (For fans of The Millennium, too!) I do hope that we hear something new from these guys at some point. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 Things were looking bad for these guys for awhile, I mean post reunion, due to the fact that they couldn't find anyone interested in their demo, but allegedly they were in the studio, so maybe...maybe we will see a new album from them. We shall see. At least they play a gig once in awhile. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hardwood floor Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 i made the mistake of picking up one of their records years back found it impossibly dull not for me Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Things were looking bad for these guys for awhile, I mean post reunion, due to the fact that they couldn't find anyone interested in their demo, but allegedly they were in the studio, so maybe...maybe we will see a new album from them. We shall see. At least they play a gig once in awhile. LouieB It bums me out that these guys are having trouble stirring up label interest. You'd think Drag City or Thrill Jockey would be all over them. Month of Sundays is phenomenal. --Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 It bums me out that these guys are having trouble stirring up label interest. You'd think Drag City or Thrill Jockey would be all over them. Month of Sundays is phenomenal. --MikeNeither Drag City nor Thrill Jockey would handle this band, despite them being from Chicago; they simply don't fit the profile of either label. I have had the "what the fuck is up with the Chamber Strings" discussion with many people and I really think that the amount of competition in the music biz keeps them from succeeding. They had their time, which is getting to be nearly a decade ago, and making a full fledged comeback for any band is a tough go; particularly now when the old rules no longer apply. We see all sorts of bands fall off the radar and new bands replace the old ones. I certainly enjoy what Kevin Jr. and company do and the band members themselves couldn't be nicer or more talented, but that isn't what makes a successful band. It is sort of sad really. The new songs they play are excellent, but they are still in that sort of retro/Kinks/Beach Boy harmony groove, which is exactly why neither DC or TJ will touch them with a 10 foot pole. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Neither Drag City nor Thrill Jockey would handle this band, despite them being from Chicago; they simply don't fit the profile of either label. I have had the "what the fuck is up with the Chamber Strings" discussion with many people and I really think that the amount of competition in the music biz keeps them from succeeding. They had their time, which is getting to be nearly a decade ago, and making a full fledged comeback for any band is a tough go; particularly now when the old rules no longer apply. We see all sorts of bands fall off the radar and new bands replace the old ones. I certainly enjoy what Kevin Jr. and company do and the band members themselves couldn't be nicer or more talented, but that isn't what makes a successful band. It is sort of sad really. The new songs they play are excellent, but they are still in that sort of retro/Kinks/Beach Boy harmony groove, which is exactly why neither DC or TJ will touch them with a 10 foot pole. LouieB Drag City picked up the High Llamas recently and I believe they handled Plush for awhile, before Liam Hayes ran up excessive studio bills trying to finish Fed, while The Chambers don't fit in with the majority of what that label releases, I am not sure it would be a huge stretch. Still, outside of Chicago very few people have heard these guys, and even when they were around they weren't that well known. It's a shame everyone I've played Month of Sundays for has absolutely loved it. --Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 Drag City picked up the High Llamas recently and I believe they handled Plush for awhile, before Liam Hayes ran up excessive studio bills trying to finish Fed, while The Chambers don't fit in with the majority of what that label releases, I am not sure it would be a huge stretch. Still, outside of Chicago very few people have heard these guys, and even when they were around they weren't that well known. It's a shame everyone I've played Month of Sundays for has absolutely loved it. --MikeYou could well be correct about this, but Kevin also has a sort of checkered past himself. At a relatively recent show at the Hideout I bought a second copy of Month, since they were selling out all the old copies. Great album and you gotta wish these guys well. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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