Chicago’s very own Mannequin Men right here with their video for the song ‘Cream Rises’ off their latest release “Lose Your Illusion, Too” on Flameshovel Records.

This year we will be expanding with more OKR goodies… OKR sponsored events… shows… in depth articles… and a ton more fun than you can even handle. Thanks for tuning in… and leaving us your comments!

Cheers,

John B.
c/o Onekindradio.com

OKR has a new show for your today bringing you more of the best in Independent music from around the world all for you on one radio show. This show has our brief interview with Little Cow and music from some of the bands who played at the 2008 Hideout Block Party. OKR would like to thank all the bands and artists that took their time out to talk to us at the Hideout Block Party…. Xtine and myself would also like to thank all the fine people at the Hideout (Mike, Joe, Lily, Jen, etc.) for putting together the BEST Festival/Block Party in Chicago for 2008, and finally…. a HUGE thank you to all the fans who came up to us throughout the event to say hello and even share a conversation or two with them about the stellar performances that were going on!  OK… is that a big enough run-on sentence for you?… lol… Welcome to the world of DJ John B writing skillz.

One Kind Radio has taken off as of late with twice the amount of listeners tuning in and from over 50 countries this month since we started up with the new format on August 15, 2008. Thank you for spreading the word and keeping Independent music alive… and a big thank you to all the bands and labels for keep in touch with us about how great we are doing (with some even leaving personal comments on our site here at Onekindradio.com as well). OKR would not be the same without all the hard work of our staff and we are looking forward to bringing you more news, reviews, music, and more every week…. so thank you for clicking on over.

Next…. did you know that we now have our very own music store & new OKR Gear for you? Look at the toolbar at the top of the page and you will see these links to these pages. All orders that you make… allows for us to keep bringing you this amazing music every week. It’s great to see some of our favorite bands and a ton of fans from shows across the country already wearing these fine shirts… some even made by our friends at American Apparel.

Last but not least… OKR has always been proud to work with charities of all kinds over the years and to start off the new year we are raising money for the great organization Rock For Kids. Recent studies show that there is a direct link between music education and better math scores, computer skills, language learning, cognitive growth, emotional well-being and positive self-imaging. It is imperative that children are not denied the chance to grow, learn and excel through music simply because they were born into poverty.
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS GREAT ORGANIZATION BY CLICKING HERE!

Cheers,

Xtine, John, Karen, Sarah, Carly, Miranda, Eric, Jason, and Heidi

This weekend Sept. 20 & 21 you don’t want to miss the Hideout Block Party with Neko Case, The New Pornographers, Ratatat, Honeyboy Edwards, and more… Xtine and DJ John B will be there covering the event… come on out and listen to some great music and stop on up to say hello when you get a chance… we love talking to fans.

For more info goto: www.hideoutblockparty.com

Cheers,

John B.
jbowles@onekindradio.com

Tracks of interest: Present of Future End, Compliance, Battle Hymn of the Republic, and Neurasthenia

The Stills – Oceans Will Rise

So I’ve been listening to “Oceans Will Rise” for about a month and all in all I can clearly say that
The Stills has something good going here. My mp3 player has been playing “Snow In California”, “Being Here”, “Snakecharming the Masses”, “I’m With You”, and “Rooibos-Palm Wine Drinkard” on heavy rotation with that sonic and distorted wave of sound that hits you hard and has you singing along with the delicate yet strong vocals of Tim Fletcher. Imagine a blend of the early Verve sound, and a splash of Catherine Wheel… shake that drink up… and you would only get a fraction of the talents that the Stills have produced on “Ocenas Will Rise”. My hats off to you for sharing such good tunes with me and the listeners. The Stills have that original sound that will have you coming back for more. I mean I’m still loving the drums pounding me into a trance with “Snakecharming The Masses”. Just pick your copy up today, or I’ll beat you about the head with a very large stick.

Shearwater’s seventh studio album doesn’t hide it’s dramatically sorrowful core. Yet the rise and call of the albums soaring arc is achingly earnest, and far from theatric.

Rook opens with melancholy male vocals and delicate piano. The song surprises the listener by breaking into unexpected thralls of throbbing instrumental passages much like sudden storm over the sea. There is the sense of the epic voyage about this collection of songs. With titles such as, “One the Death of the Waters” and “Leviathan, Bound,” it’s only natural.

The title track has a pacing, autumnal beat and the words eerily plot what seems to be both a suicidal frenzy of birds as well as their takeover. The rooks are “burned in a feathering pyre,” one of my favourite lines on the album, while still, there is still nowhere to run from the dangers present. A key theme is revealed in a climatic line of this song: “We’ll sleep until the world of man is paralyzed.”

In addition to being meticulously crafted musically, the lyrics put forth on the album are pure poetry. As a “lyric person,” I can’t help but pay attention to words used in a song. The lyrical element can make or break a song or album. On “Home Life,” a story is revealed that could be a poem on the page in and of itself. This is unusual for song lyrics, which often require the vocal melody and instrumental harmonies to carry the message effectively (simply part of the nature of as song, not a shortcoming). But I find that the words of this song could stand effectively on the page. Yet the layered music and tremulous vocals make the message even more potent and affecting. The first two verses/stanzas create a visual effect as well as a storyline opening: “When you were a child/ you were a tomboy / and your mother laughed at the serious way / that you looked at her / and from your window at night / there were the star’s little fires / and the armory lights…”

Shearwater avoids monotony with a variety of song styles while still remaining consistent with their sound. “Century Eyes” is a more rock-flavored track and picks up the pace with heavier drums and a bit of distortion. It is a song ripe for radio with a necessary message. The words seem to set forth an anthem against blindness and even media, shouting “Turn it off!” and warning, “With our backs to the arch and the wreck of our kind / we will stare straight ahead for the rest of our lives.”

The album then sinks into the lullaby of “I Was A Cloud,” yet it is a sullen lullaby. Jonathan Meiburg’s vocals on this track contrast some of the more bold, strident vocals of earlier tracks. He sings low and quiet with the cycling notes of guitar strings and piano keys. A brush of harp punctuates the later part of the melody.

Others are built on piano riffs that recall the sound of rain or piercing violins that stitch the melody straight to your heart. The album in fact depends greatly on piano and strings, but doesn’t neglect more modern ingredients of distorted guitars and a heady bass drum. Xylophone, horn, glockenspiel and dulcimer are woven into the songs as well.

This album is versatile, haunting and complex. It took me several listens to absorb the entirety of it, and still I want to keep listening to find the core. A well-crafted record.

Related Links:
Shearwater

Buy Rook

I cannot pronounce the name of Sigur Rós’s newest album anymore than I could tell you half of what their lyrics say. But I can tell you that despite this fact, this album speaks to me.

The tracks on this collection are definitely a departure in sound in certain ways from previous work. There is a pervasive sense of joy and less of an emphasis on musical layering. The vocals are more of a centerpiece. The lyrics are clearer and more of a focal point. This album seems less about the elaborate soundscape and more about the song. While all the songs flow well together, connect and create an effect of wholeness, each song is more self-contained.

If the first track, humorously titled “gobbledigook,” doesn’t put a smile on your face you may want to check your pulse. It is a stomping, rollicking song with a joyful, playful mood. The choruses of la’s are tongue in cheek along with the clapping and curious, squeaking “oohs” that dot the song. I absolutely adore it.

There are more classic instruments that make appearances, such as acoustic guitar, jangling piano, and xylophone. The playful mood and sense of joy certainly continue through many of the tracks, as well as grow and evolve in later tracks, mixing with quieter emotions.

The latter half of the album slows a bit. But certain tracks, such as “festival,” begin quiet and slow, especially angelic and spare, but gain a surprising amount of momentum towards the end. There is both an orchestral quality and a more intimate, campfire jam spirit present on this collection. All the while, this is by no means unrecognizable. Every song is distinctly Sigur Rós, and their signature is all over it.

The fifth major release for the band is also the first to ever contain a track sung in English. The final song on the album, “all alright,” is so quietly sung this is almost not initially apparent. The words are simple but beautiful: “I’m sitting with you / Sitting in silence / Let’s sing into the years / like one / Singing in tune, together / A psalm for no one.”

It only makes me wish I spoke Icelandic so I could understand the rest of the lyrics. I’m sure they are nothing short of incredible. Despite this personal short falling, the syllables scattered and pinned over the music make an impression on me and there is a communication that happens. Somehow, as I listen, there’s something I understand through the profound vulnerability and expressiveness released in the vocals. Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is a place to get lost, like a fixed point on an ever-changing map.

Related Links:

Sigur Rós
Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

Click here to pick yourself up a copy!