On her new studio album, White Chalk, PJ Harvey leaves her signature guitar in its case. Instead Harvey favors the piano on this Island release. If you are not keen about this ever-evolving artist pursuing the Keane sound, just consider her eclectic catalog and multiple collaborations. The British talent will not leave fans 'dry' with the guitar-free White Chalk. This Mercury Music Prize winner puts on quite a live performance, but only four dates have been announced so far.
Having launched her tour at Chicago's Denial Fest this summer, Alison Chesley makes another stop in the Windy City on Sun., Sept. 23, at Fireside, 5739 N. Ravenswood. In the same fashion as Harvey, Chesley passes on the six-string, preferring to plug her cello into an electric guitar amplifier for an untraditional way to make a fantastic sound. Citing Jimi Hendrix, The Minutemen and Bob Mould as influences, Chelsey's live shows and debut bow, Helen Money, are entirely instrumental. Her unique craft has given this cellist the opportunity to open for Frank Black, Liz Phair, Morrissey, The Counting Crows and Live. Per her MySpace page, Chesley, along with poet Krista Franklin, already has finished another album titled Aural Anarchy, which is an ode to the influential and enigmatic purple haze left by Hendrix.
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Pictured above: Sinead O'Connor
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On Sun., Sept. 23, Sinead O'Connor is slated to perform at Orchestra Hall, 220 S. Michigan, with Damien Dempsey. Unlike her last appearance in Chicago, O'Connor's set list for this tour is supposed to span her career, not just her reggae-flavored material. Living up to the title of her 1994 album Universal Mother, O'Connor nurtures her listeners on Theology, a two-disc set with hymns, lullabies and covers. The Irish siren also appears on Ian Brown's forthcoming record World Is Yours. Here, she duets with the former Stone Roses frontman on the tracks Some Folks Are Hollow and Illegal Attacks, where the two demand 'soldiers come home.'
Like O'Connor, Paula Cole is re-emerging after a self-imposed retirement from the music industry. This Grammy winner returns with her fourth album, Courage, on Decca Records. Like her previous efforts, Cole pairs her jazz vocal training with her pop-folk leanings on tracks like Comin' Down, Hard To Be Soft and In Our Dreams. Once Peter Gabriel's back-up singer, Cole is no stranger to controversy. First, she appeared nude on the cover for her crossover album, This Fire, and then she confronted Entertainment Weekly for air-brushing a photo containing the Lilith Fair veteran's armpit hair.
Have you been waiting for a proper retrospective by Ani DiFranco? Well, the Righteous Babe artist is delivering the goods, something her loyal audience can wrap 'both hands' around. The double disc Canon is loaded with DiFranco favorites as well as five of her classics updated just for this package. With an impressive 19 albums out in less than 20 years, Canon also makes a good launching pad for new DiFranco fanatics. On Sat., Sept., 22, she will be 'here for now,' performing at The Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress, with Melissa Ferrick.
After recently mentioning Naked Eyes' covers album, Fumbling With The Covers, in this column, people have come out of the woodwork saying how they enjoyed founding member Pete Byrne's show at The Whole Foods Festival last month. As another reason to raise those glasses, Naked Eyes will be back at The Lincoln Park Octoberfest on Sat., Sept. 29.
In between his duties with his band Super Furry Animals, Gruff Rhys recently released Candylion on Love Team Records. Unlike 2005's Yr Atal Genhedlaeth, Rhys sings partially in English here, not just in Welsh. Candylion is a sweet confection, in particular the songs The Court Of King Arthur, the psychedelic masterpiece Now That the Feeling Is Gone and the Beck-sounding Skylon. For his live show, the multi-instrumentalist is joined on stage only by back-up singer and xylophone player Lisa Jen. Rhys is due to play on Thurs., Sept. 27, at Schuba's, 3159 N. Southport.
Pere Ubu could not have come up with a more provocative title for its latest Smog Veil set. The quintet's songwriter, David Thomas, says the album title—Why I Hate Women—came to him while at his local pub. Combining Thomas's growl with audio effects, the set's most upbeat number, Caroleen, has screeches in the background, as if the perfect frequency has yet to be found. On the other hand, the lush Blue Velvet serves as the album's tortoise. The Midwestern punk outfit returns to Chicago on Thurs., Sept. 27, at The Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western.
The Infamous Stringdusters are on the right path with the debut, Fork In The Road, out now on Sugar Hill Records. Garnering plenty of buzz in the bluegrass scene, these newcomers are winning over skeptics with their live shows. The Nashville sextet is undertaking a tour with an appearance at The Oaktoberfest in Oak Park on Fri., Sept. 21, and then at The American Legion Music Hall, 1030 Central, Evanston, the following night as a part of Chicago's Bluegrass Legends Concert series.
