I mentioned yesterday that I’d returned from a trip to Minneapolis, where I had the good fortune of checking out some really great shows, which is a given in Minneapolis. I’m always certain to learn about, fall in love with a few great bands. 

Thursday night I went to see Houses, Braids and Baths at First Ave (7th St. Entry) I’d heard a bit about Houses but was really impressed by his set. For someone with a cold, he sustained the crowd well- all attentive to the washed out electronic samples and tribal rhythms likely inspired by his time spent in a remote Hawaiian cabin with his girlfriend.

His otherwise mild-mannered posture, in brief moments when he slips in and out of character from being completely overwhelmed by the sounds he himself produces, would suggest a young Chicago kid who manipulates noises in his bedroom. But the best part about Houses is his story, as he so describes it, “I got laid off from my job at the end of last year and decided I needed a change. My girlfriend put in her two weeks and we moved out to a little cabin in Papaikou, Hawaii. It’s a pretty remote place outside of Hilo (i.e no plumbing/electricity/gas). We worked for meals during the day cultivating indigenous microorganisms and learning the basics of sustainable living. We drank showered and cooked with rain water. It was a beautifully simple experience. In our downtime, she would paint and I would record.” 

He returned to Chicago with an album called “All Night” which is a beautiful collection of electronic sounds textured beneath his soft vocals. Check out the track “Endless Spring” below: