Champaign Is Also A Band

Episode 59 - Kyle Lang of Special Death "Remember"

Sven zooms with Kyle Lang of Special Death about his song "Remember" off of his self-titled EP: "Special Death" We talk about the reissue on vinyl of Easter's "Demonstration" EP on Beloved Records, favorite house venues in CU, and Kyle's favorite non-muisical thing(s).
SONG: Remember
ALBUM: Special Death
BANDS: Pontow, Well Read Devils, Nunpuncher, Easter, Adult Books, The Tyrants, Need, Special Death
Favorite Treat: Chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips
Photo Credit:  Josh Karlson
 
REFS:
NNAMDÏ
ThrashKitten
Ratboys
Sean Neumann (EP5)
Jupiter Styles
Terror House [Venue]
Error House [Venue]
Dan Aykroyd's House [Venue]
Dumb Records
Weekend Nachos [Band]
Wabeano Rock Farm [Band]
Sweettooth [Band]
Belleville, IL
Easter [Band]
Beloved Records
"Demonstration EP"
Oak Forest, IL
Garfield's Garden [Venue]
Rat King Records
Dude Ranch [Venue]

Episode 58 Cara Maurizi of Linea Crux "Twist and Turn"

Sven zooms with Cara Maurizi of Linea Crux to talk about her song "Twist & Turn" off of the album "Stronghold." We talk about working in the studio to bring new life to her songs, where the name "Linea Crux came from, and maybe even what her favorite color is...
SONG: Twist & Turn
ALBUM: Stronghold
BANDS: Linea Crux, Backup singer with Slick Lisp, and Modern Drugs
Favorite Treat: All baked goods, Espresso, Coffee Tea, whiskey, wine, and really good beer
Photo Credit:  Della Perrone
REFS:
Ryan Groff (EP35)
Perennial Sound Studio
Audio Compression
EQ (Equalization) [Video]
Brian Wilson
Wall of Sound
Linnea (Flower)
Moons of Neptune
Opera
Highdive [RIP]
Seven Saints
Mike n' Molly's
Pour Bros. Craft Taproom Champaign
Elsinore
Brandon T. Washington
Mike Ingram
Ci La Cole (EP46)
New Souls
Tera Terra [Band] (EP41)
Milford Men [Band] (EP35)
Modern Drugs [Band] (EP35)
Galesburg, IL
Prairie Players
The Station Theatre
Parkland Theater
CUTC
Pens to Lens
The Double Machine [video]
Taste of Champaign
West Side Park
Greycoats [Band]
Common Loon [Band]
Color Theory
"Use What You Have Decorating" [Book]

Episode 57 Jarrel Young "Doin' To Me"

In this episode Sven zooms with Jarrel Young to talk about his song "Doin To Me," off the album "I'd Be Mad Too..." the CU music scene, and his two favorite non-musical things.
SONG: Doin To Me
ALBUM: I’d Be Mad Too…
BANDS: Live band: Misfit Music
Favorite Treat: Spring Water, Assorted Herbal Tea and chips, preferably plain ruffles.
Photo Credit:  Boots Howard
 
REFS:
Doin To Me [Video]
H.Kal-El.
THEGR8THINKAZ
Hook
Cowboy Monkey [Venue] RIP
The Canopy Club [Venue]
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Eclipse Studios
Charlie Wilson
Boyz II Men
Montana of 300
Luyando Boxing & Fitness
 
 

Episode 56 Blair aka lovenloops - "Black Girl Levitation"

SONG TEMPORARILY REMOVED (SAMPLES)
Sven zooms with Blair aka lovenloops to talk about her song "Black Girl Levitation (ft. Nikky Finney)" off the album Don't Ever Forget It. We talk about SOLHOT "We Levitate," the first Black Girl Genius Week in 2014, how it's grown and hopes for the future.
SONG: Black Girl Levitation
ALBUM: Don’t Ever Forget It
BANDS: SOLHOT We Levitate (Saving Our Lives Hear our Truths)
Favorite Treat: bourbon whiskey/sugar cookies 
Photo by: Kamari Smalls
REFS:
SOLHOT
Nikky Finney
Black Girl Genius Week
Hip Hop [Genre]
Funk [Genre]
Jazz [Genre]
Lo-Fi [Genre]
Dr. Ruth Nichole Brown
The World Is Round [Book]
Syracuse University
College of William & Mary
Hassaan Mackey
J Dilla
Madlib
Roland SP-404 Beat Machine
Black Feminism
Mother Nature
Klevah
TRUTH
Hear Our Truths: The Creative Potential of Black Girlhood [Book]
Dissertation
Dr. Porshé Garner
Jessica L. Robinson
Imposter Syndrome
Pygmalion
June Jordan [Author]
Gwendolyn Brooks
"Spin a Soft Black Song"
Nikki Giovanni [Author]
Recipe for 7-UP Lemon Pound Cake (not Blair's recipe)
 

Episode 55 Sandman Slimm - "The One"

Sven zooms with Sandman Slimm (Formally "Truth aka Trouble") about his favorite song the one (prod. by BMTJ)Find out about how Trouble Chasin’ got started, creating the Beautiful Chaos EP, and how stillness & returning to nature is the key to everything.
SONG: the one (prod. by BMTJ)
ALBUM: Beautiful Chaos EP
BANDS: Trouble Chasin’, Dizzy Ape, 10 Flow.
Favorite Treat: Gin & Tonics & Red Vines
Photo Credit: Boots Howard
 
Refs
BMTJ
Zack Fox
"Jesus Is the One (I Got Depression)" [Article]
"Six Feet" [Song]
GOAT - Greatest Of All Time
Wolf of Wall Street
"I AM NOT OK" [Song]
Stickup [Song]
Vent [Song]
Systemic Racism In Education: [Articles]
1. Fighting Systemic Racism in K-12 Education: Helping Allies Move From the Keyboard to the School Board
2. Systemic racism has led to education disparities
3. Resources for Exploring Systemic Racism
Toto Riina
Bravado
The Canopy Club
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
10 Flow
SIUC
Freestyle
Dre Bill
Kodak Black
H.a.t.e. Tape Mixtape (High Above The Enemy)
Chase Scott aka Chase Baby (EP 38)
Trouble Chasin'
Illini Union
Go Crazy (Feat.Truth aka Trouble, Prod. by TheGr8Thinkaz [Song]
Champaign & A Movie [Mixtape]
Trouble Chasin' [Spotify]
Richard Kadrey (Sandman Slim Series)
Stov Da CEO
Kickapoo State Park

Episode 54 Oliver Groff of Cactuss - “The Reason Donald Trump Should Be in the Trash”

**Inauguration Day Special!!!*
In this episode Sven zooms with Oliver Groff: vocalist, lyricist, and artist behind the band Cactuss.  We talk about his song "The Reason Donald Trump Should Be in the Trash," we talk about the inspiration behind the song, their creative process, working with producer Ryan Groff (EP35), and running a world class CU local recording studio.
SONG: The Reason Donald Trump Should Be in the Trash
ALBUM: Single
BANDS: CACTUSS
Favorite Treat: Bubly and chocolate
Photo Credit: Ryan Groff (EP35)
 
*Please note: a Ghee-Tar is like a Key-Tar, but with clarified butter.  ;-) 

Episode 53 Michael Skibski - “I'll Stay With You”

In this episode Sven zooms with Mike Skibski, Vice President of Music for the Masses UIUC. We talk about his song "I'll Stay With You," Music for the Masses, and planning for the future.
SONG: I’ll Stay With You [Spotify Link]
ALBUM: I’ll Stay With You
BANDS: Solo
Favorite Treat: Blueberry Acai Green Tea and Dark Chocolate Hershey's Kisses
Photo Credit: Jackson Skibski
Refs
Music For the Masses UIUC
Ukelele
Tremolo
Metaphor
Shotgun Microphones [Video]
Vance Joy
RSO [Registered Student Organization]
UIUC Union
The Canopy Club
Introversion
Singer-songwriter
Midwest Emo [Genre]
Math Rock [Genre]
String Harmonics
Tapping
Bottom Bracket [Band]
Rat King Records [Label]
Information Systems
Entrepreneurship
 
 
 
 

Episode 52 Elena & Travis of Soft and Dumb - "Tony, Please"

In this episode Sven zooms with Elena and Travis of Soft and Dumb to talk about their song "Tony, Please." Find out if there IS a Tony, being self-conscious about making music, and how to be a band that has only had one live show before COVID-19 locked everything down.
SONG: Tony, Please
ALBUM: Out of Bed
BANDS: Soft and Dumb
Favorite Treat:
Elena: hot apple cider
Travis: cold apple cider
REFS
Star Wars Order
Ghostwriter
Natural Harmonics
DAW [Digital Audio Workstation]
Looper Pedal
2021danceparty [Song]
Inception
Chronologically
Cult Leader
Anthem
Barre Chords
Drop D Tuning
Power Chords
Dissonance / Consonance
Spat [Song]
Birdhouse [Venue]
Hazy Seas [Band]
Dog Mom [Band]
Waluigi's Mansion [Venue]
The Forest [Venue]
King Kruel [Band]
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Campy
Call of Duty - Zombies
Freddy Krueger
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Breaking Bad
Joss Whedon
Sitcom
Musical Episode of Buffy -"Once More, with Feeling" [Ssn 6, Ep 7]
"No One Can Speak" Episode of Buffy - "Hush" [Ssn 4, Ep 10]
Light Pollution

Episode 51 AMS. The Nerd King - Part 2

Every great episode needs a sequel, EP51 is no exception. Consider this bonus material from part 1.
We talk about Sven finding joy in hip hop, recording an upcoming album, supporting artists, AMS' family history in CU, all the CU hip hop connections he's made, and finally what makes a good scene!
BONUS SONG: "Half (a Life)" from the upcoming album: Strange Days, Stranger Tomorrows
Photo by: Yevgeniya Mazur

Episode 51 AMS - “Sisyphus”

Sven zooms with AMS. the Nerd King to talk about Grecian Myth, the "keys" to happiness, why you can't say the word "bear," and a very special teacher from Hyde Park who was a powerful influence on AMS' voice.
SONG: SisyphusALBUM: The Over/Under EPLyrics by AMS. Produced by SAMIYAM. Turntablism by DJ RTST. Recorded at Soapbox Music in Chicago, IL.
BANDS:  Boombap Savant and FUTURE CULT LEADERS OF AMERICA, aka FCLA.
Favorite Treat: OJ  - plain and simple
Photo: Sarah Larson
 
REFS:
SAMIYAM.
Sev Seveer
Sisyphus
Hades
Tantalus (the pear guy)
Ad infinitum
Helping Verb
Breath Control
Metronome
Metalhead
Post-Punk [Genre]
Post-Hardcore [Genre]
HipHop [Genre]
Jazz [Genre]
Motown [Genre]
Funk [Genre]
Soul [Genre]
Classic Rock [Genre]
Psychedelic Rock [Genre]
Universal Zulu Nation [Group]
Metallica [Band]
4 Elements of HipHop
Graff Artist
Breakdancing
Rawkus Records - Soundbombing II
Company Flow [Group]
"Patriotism" [Song]
National Honor Society
Scholastic Bowl
Footwork battles
Breaking Battles
Martin Luther
"Sin Boldly"
Water into wine miracle.
Windmills - Don Quixote 
Roman Catholic Church
Latin Mass
Boy Scouts of America
Cursive [Band]
"Art is Hard" [song]
Blunderbuss
Mad Libs
Igneous
Eagle Scout
Capcom
Mega Man
Yellow Devil
Saying the word "Bear"
Making a custom keyboard
Through hole soldering
Chase Baby (EP38 and BEP09)
"Lifelines" Feat. AMS the Nerd King
The Dissociation EP - Chase Baby