The M’s were the band of my summer,” a friend said as I played a tune from their 2004 self-titled full length a few days ago. Not an obvious choice for the sounds of summer since there is nothing particularly “sunny” about their sound – think instead “Surfin’ Safari” by the Beach Boys. But speaking in terms of weather conditions, the M’s fit more of a humid overcast day glazed with a shiny glare – and that’s perfectly typical of summer months in this city.
The M’s grungy guitars and passively cheeky soul-strained vocals mold the oh-so-familiar ’60s garage sound into something all their own. With Chicago as their backdrop, their music seems most appropriate polluting the city’s West side warehouses and littering alley ways with its distinctive low-fi muddle and cheeky wink-of-an-eye flare. On their latest full-length album, Future Women, as well as previous releases, vocals sound like a mix of T.Rex frontman Marc Bolan and a man choking from too much cigarette smoke – a tease if anything else, playfully inviting you to join the textured harmonies of a sparse, sweet tone mixed with an arrogant strain, then strangling your soft side with the grimy bend of a guitar string.
Luckily for those calling Chicago their home this summer, the M’s will be taking advantage of what only the band’s hometown has to offer – besides a big bean-shaped mirror and mustard-covered hot dogs.
Along with a show this Sunday at the Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave., the M’s are putting outdoor festivals high on their summer check list. After playing last year’s Intonation Festival, the M’s secured slots at both local neighborhood music festivals – like Northcenter’s Ribfest on June 11 – as well as on the first day of the nationally notorious three-day Lollapalooza.
“Chicago deserves to have (Lollapalooza) here,” says Arkansas native and Chicago loyalist Joey King, the M’s bassist/vocalist. But don’t think you’re the only one fretting over which of the 130 bands to see at the spectacle; King is having trouble making up his own mind.
“It’s almost overkill with eight stages; that we’ll be in competition with seven other stages when we play is a strange thing to think,” King says. “I like to pick a couple things to do and then do it. I get a little confused with such a big selection. And I’m not going there to think, I’m there to get trashed on beer and (listen to) music.”
Regardless if admission is free or well over $100, “an outdoor festival is an outdoor festival,” according to King. “All festivals mean is beer and a big stage, which are always fun,” he says.
It seems a fun-filled summer lies ahead of the M’s, even though work calls in the forms of a few “tame” recording sessions for new album material and a two-week tour through Canada with Wilco in July. Poor dears.
So what will the M’s do with all this lazy downtime? King, at least, has a list of his summer favorites, including said music block parties, parks, trips to Chinatown and ethnic food.
“If you get to the corner of Ashland and Division, or in any Hispanic neighborhood, there are always guys with push carts with the best summer food,” King says. “You can get mangos covered in chili powder and spices or a cup of elote (corn) with cheese and butter for about $1.50. It’s pretty fattening, but it’s so good.”
Surprise King with a cup of elote at the M’s Double Door appearance May 28. Miss Alex White and the Red Orchestra and the Like Young are opening the 21+ show which starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door and can be purchased through www.doubledoor.com.4
Medill sophomore Kate Puhala is the PLAY music editor. She can be reached at [email protected].