Album Review: Eleventh Dream Day - Riot Now!

Tweet

Every city has that talented band that should have been bigger than what it was and only gathered a fraction of the attention and love nationally that their hometown fans willingly give. In Chicago, there are no better candidates for this title than Eleventh Dream Day. For almost three decades, the core members of Rick Rizzo, Douglas McCombs and Janet Beveridge Bean have been exploring the boundaries of rock and roll at its most sincere. Their humble beginnings are the stuff of legend starting with the blistering microlabel breakthrough Prairie School Freakout that garnered a major label contract on Atlantic. Three albums of brilliant, yet ignored muscular music tinged with punk brought an unceremonious contractual release and the next, independent phase of Eleventh Dream Day's tenure. One album on jazz/experimental label Atavistic led to a comfortable home on Thrill Jockey where finally this battle tested trio of well traveled virtuosos gets the appropriate support and respect they deserve. For their tenth LP, and their first in five years, Eleventh Dream Day have decided to go back to their untamed roots for Riot Now! with essentially positive results.

Eleventh Dream Day are all in from the jump, reeling off three bare-boned barn burners that would make any new indie band blush with jealousy. "Damned Tree" creaks and moans from heft like a old building well past capacity. All instruments including Rizzo and Bean's confrontational duet are raw and unfiltered allowing the live energy to burst from the performance. The burning guitar work spills into the lively stomp on "Cold Steel Grey" squealing under the practiced hands of Rizzo while the dependable bass of McCombs is the concrete that holds it all together. Finishing the opening trilogy is "Satellite" that gets that extra boost from the new addition of Mark Greenberg. His storm cloud effects under the rhythm section burst like Mother Nature and punctuate the album's missive.

The rest of Riot Now! vacillates through the Eleventh Dream Day catalog like a well-eared collection of an author's best work. "That's What's Coming" and "Away With Words" are lovely expressions not unlike the lengthiest songs from Eighth, beginning with flecks of feedback that burst into Rizzo's howling riffs. The hearty Americana rock of Lived To Tell is referenced in "Divining For Water" and "Sonic Reactor" where Rizzo does his best Neil Young homage while the rest of the band stoke the fury. Although this is an Eleventh Dream Day album, Riot Now! is a Rick Rizzo showcase burning with the guitar work and guileless lyrics that made this band so beloved for a quarter of a century.

The record release party for Riot Now! is on Friday, April 22 at Lincoln Hall in Chicago with Eleventh Dream headlining the show. Tickets are still available here.

Purchase Riot Now! here.

Eleventh Dream Day - Satellite (Download)


Eleventh Dream Day - Sonic Reactor


Bonus: Eleventh Dream Day recently released a couple extra, non-album tracks for free. Give them a listen below.

Eleventh Dream Day - I'll Come Running (Brian Eno cover) (Download)


Eleventh Dream Day - Isolation (Live - Joy Division cover) (Download)

Eleventh Dream Day Give Away New Song, Album Out March 15

Tweet

Chicago-based unsung musical force Eleventh Dream Day have been making blistering and woefully under-appreciated rock for well over 20 years. After going through many lineup changes, the core members Rick Rizzo, Janet Beveridge Bean and Douglas McCombs are still present and joined by multi-instrumentalist and former Cocktails member Mark Greenberg. Their tenth LP Riot Now! is due out on Thrill Jockey March 15 and a track has finally found its way into my lap. As a long time fan of this band's raw and uncompromising sound, I am truly piqued for this album after hearing this fiery single and obvious throwback to their inspired heyday.

The low rumble beginning the new track "Satellite" sets the mood as the heavy drums and thick bass are laid like concrete under the sturdy guitar riff. Rizzo cuts in to spit out his opaque words and the sober tone slowly becomes even more serious. It is the undeniable storm of synth work and feedback cracking through the song's foundation that builds these gale force winds into a raging tornado. This was the kind of power propagated on albums such as Prarie School Freakout and Beet, then was flecked throughout their later, more matured works that kept me a dedicated follower for all of this time. In 2011, the art of the power chord throwdown has either been abandoned or obscured by effects and studio tricks. I am not sure what could bring this brand of guileless, pure rock & roll back, but Eleventh Dream Day still stands as an ad hoc reminder that the roots of indie sprouted from this kind of passion.

Right-click to download Satellite here.

Preorder Riot Now! here.

Eleventh Dream Day - Satellite