Illinois: Upbeat
state of mind

Music Row
By Brian Rademaekers

The title of indie rockers Illinois’ second EP, What the Hell Do I Know?, raises an important question. After all, we so often use rock bands and other musicians to guide us toward the moral and philosophical highroads of our lives, right?
Shouldn’t we be asking about their qualifications for this daunting task?
One thing they don’t seem to know much about is cartography. Illinois is, in fact, a foursome of local chaps from bucolic Bucks County.
They also don’t seem to be aware that the banjo, played here by lead vocalist Chris "Arch" Archibald, isn’t supposed to be one of the lead instruments in songs that amount to jocular romps through pop glory.
But that lack of conventional wisdom hasn’t stopped them from doing what they know how to do best: creating gorgeously fun rock ditties.
Dropped in March, What the Hell Do I Know? is a seven-song collection detailing pop done right. It’s do-wop lingo and harmonies, blended with driving rock and a warm glow of atmospheric fuzz, make the short play a joyously refreshing one.
Recalling Ben Kweller’s Sha Sha, Pavement, and early Beck, Illinois has drummed up a considerable following amid those who like their rock served up with a dose of goofy irreverence. Not that Illinois can be pinned down simply as another indie pop band devoid of any kind of heart.
Pop, though often conjuring sentiments like "fluffy" and "meaningless," is an art form in itself that demands a balance between carefree undertones and truly captivating musical riffs. Call it, if you will, cerebral pop. Whatever it is, it will beg you to sing along while still pulling at your heartstrings in places Avril Lavigne doesn’t even know exist.
Take, for example, Alone Again. Rife with ba ba ba’s and backed by a jangling piano and wavering guitar, the song is a coed duet featuring a lonely girlfriend chronically left at home on the weekends. The line "left alone on the weekend" is repeated throughout the song. It’s not exactly a feat of modern poetry, but the musical landscape is lush, the lyrics direct. The result is powerful, striking the listener with its simple beauty and imbuing a tinge of sympathetic depression.
Others, like Irish Whiskey, are darker, more inebriated glimpses into the minds behind Illinois, while Screen Door, a condensed two-minute serenade, abounds with lightheartedness.
Even if Illinois’ approachable style doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to the world of rock, they are bringing plenty of good taste and proving that there is still plenty of uncharted territory in pop rock. They are also setting the bar a bit higher for the bands that come in behind them, attesting to the fact that spiking melody with tenderness and a pinch of brains actually pays off.
Their knack for penning songs that are sonically engaging and mentally arousing has helped the boys of Illinois quickly ascend from the local circuit to spots at big-time festivals like Lollapalooza and legendary nightclubs like the Bowery Ballroom in the Big Apple.
This Saturday they’ll be returning to their home turf and playing at what is increasingly becoming one of the city’s best venues — Johnny Brenda’s.
Still, if there is one thing that Illinois has to learn soon, it’s that you have to keep your fans well fed. The seven songs captured on What the Hell Do I Know? were boiled down from a few notebooks containing more than 100 original compositions. With two celebrated EPs behind them, it’s time the boys dish out a full-length experience. Using their previous work as a predictor, their next release will likely see them make a jump from being a staple at independent record stores and college radio stations to finding airplay in even wider audiences.
If nothing else, Illinois is a troupe of talented local musicians with a well-honed flair for laid-back pop and enticing songwriting. Their earliest efforts signal a future with few limits, and their performance in Fishtown this weekend could one day end up being one of those "remember when" moments. ••

See them play . . .

Who: Illinois
What: Purveyors of powerful pop rock and one of the region’s most successful bands.
Where: Johnny Brenda’s, Frankford and Girard avenues in Fishtown.
When: Saturday, June 24. Tickets are $10 and go on sale at 8 p.m.