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Jason S. Thompson – “Troy’s Bucket”
Earlier this month, Jason S. Thompson released his latest EP and first for Paper + Plastick, called Half Empty. Thompson previously played in The Sky We Scrape and is a current member of Little Teeth. The record was written throughout his move from Chicago to Germany and was recorded entirely in Thompson’s home. When detailing the writing process, he said “Some of these songs are older songs that I reworked for the album because I thought they would be a good fit, and others are only a few months old. The most recent is ‘Timezones’ and I wrote that one during the recording of Half Empty. The overall writing process for more ‘solo’ stuff was during the swan song phase of my old band, The Sky We Scrape. I had a small batch of songs that weren’t a great fit for TSWS, and since that band was breaking up, I decided to rework them into something I could do on my own.” He continued, “Another large factor for Half Empty was my move to Germany. Focusing on a solo album is a much easier way to create when you move away from your social and musical circle that you’ve been with your entire life, so that made it an easier transition.”
Recording at home had both advantages and difficulties, according to Thompson. It allowed him to learn more about engineering while simultaneously taking his time, but it also didn’t provide a distraction-free environment that a typical studio often does. In terms of the finished product, he said “My favorite aspect of how Half Empty was recorded is probably the fact that I let myself make mistakes and not make it a ‘perfect’ album. I wanted it to be more of a reflection of what a small living room show might be like. I make some flubs at times and sometimes you’ll hear some fret buzz or scraping. Sometimes the notes aren’t perfect, but for this album I didn’t want to stress about that. When I play live, I’m not going to be perfect and this is sort of a reflection of that mentality.”
We’re streaming one of the album’s tracks below, which Thompson wrote when he was at a crossroads in life. He explained, “I was working at a job where I wasn’t feeling creatively fulfilled and my old band was offered our second tour of Europe, so I had to make the decision to either stay at that job or to take the tour. I quit my job and made the jump to freelance so that I could go on tour, and the song is basically me working through that at the time.” He added, “It was one of the best decisions I ever made and after a year of freelance the same company I left offered me a new job where I’d be able to live half the year in Germany and half the year in Chicago. I ended up going back to them after a year off and that’s what ultimately led me to moving to Germany full-time. Now I’m over here in Munich and whenever I play that song I always laugh because this is not how I expected it to all play out when that song was written.”
Check out the song now and order a digital copy of the record here, (this version has an optional enamel pin). The record is also available with custom whiskey rocks glasses and those can be ordered here. Lastly, 25% of all Bandcamp proceeds will go to Hope for the Day, an organization that is committed to suicide prevention and mental health education.
The Sky We Scrape – Divides
Self-released – Release Date: 2/19/13
With Divides, The Sky We Scrape has crafted nothing short of an impressive debut album. Having formed in 2008, the band has worked steadily over the years to hone their sound and refine their musicianship. The end result is a record that displays significant growth and incorporates an array of influences, yet remains consistently listenable throughout. Their sound is rooted in post-hardcore, but is accented with intricate guitar leads and a healthy dose of gritty Chicago punk. There’s also an emphasis on unique song structures and soaring choruses, all of which is brought to life by producer Charles Macak. The fact that the album was mastered by Stephen Egerton of Descendents/ALL fame doesn’t hurt either. Divides gets underway with “Sing Your Way Home,” a fitting opening track that enjoys a driving rhythm, technical guitar work and a spirited chorus. “Continental Divide” begins fast-paced and aggressive, but eventually gives way to a substantial, sunny-sounding hook. Further highlights include the melodic anthem “The Shortest Distance” and the urgent rocker “Albatross,” the latter featuring guest vocals from Garrett Dale of Red City Radio. Before the record draws to a close, “Southern Hospitality” takes center stage and proves to be one of the album’s most personal tracks. It’s also undeniably catchy and serves as a great example of each band member’s musical talents. Without question, Divides marks a new chapter in the story of The Sky We Scrape and positions the band for a larger audience. Take a listen to “The Shortest Distance” below and get acquainted with one of Chicago’s new favorites.
[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/06-06-The-Shortest-Distance.mp3|titles=”The Shortest Distance”]The Sky We Scrape/Hawkbit – Sound Pets
Cassette Deck Media – Release Date: 10/21/11
When bands do split records it always comes off as a bit of a competition. Despite the fact that we know the bands involved are probably all friends, it’s still fun to see them go head to head, three songs each, no holds barred. Here we have two apparently worthy Chicago bands, a funny cover concept, (The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds take off) and some pretty, mixed grey vinyl. But, you might ask, who wins? The Sky We Scrape starts the whole thing out with “Southern Hospitality”, a mid-tempo grinder in the vein of Iron Chic or Hot Water Music. Catchy, sing-along chorus; I like it. Nice, clear, but not over-produced production too, (courtesy of Corey Wills at The Bunker). Second and third songs “Albatross” and “Fatima” add some heaviness and more intricate guitar work to the mix, but still remain catchy as hell. All in all, three very solid songs. Hawkbit, (is that a Watership Down reference?) kicks off side two with “Working in the Dungeon for the Light”, a ragged, Lawrence Arms-esque shouter with some nice bass playing. “MLK” adds some dissonance to the gang vocals, making for a more distinctive sound. In “No Folk Lies”, it seems Hawkbit saved the best for last. Kind of a Planes Mistaken For Stars/Iron Chic hybrid, catchy and driving, good stuff. So, you’re probably asking, who won, Marc? I dunno, why don’t you listen to both of the damn bands for yourself and decide? What do you think this is, The Voice?
– Marc Ruvolo
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