** NOTE: As of 4/03, this show has sold out. Please adjust your RSVPs accordingly. I hope many of you were able to get your tickets ahead of time. **
Come join CIRF this evening with one of Scotland's finest exports of indie pop, Glasgow's Camera Obscura.
Camera Obscura returns to Chicago for the first time since their last visit at the Metro in May 2009. They are a talented quintet led by principal lyricist and songwriter Tracyanne Campbell. Formed in 1996, they released their first full-length Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi in 2001. Their sound has often been described by some as "melancholy, melodic indie pop", similar in vein to their Scottish musical cousins, Belle and Sebastian.
The band is back Stateside to continue promoting their most recent full length, My Maudlin Career just released last Spring. The album gained a respectable 8.3 review from local hard-guy critics Pitchfork, and is a firm foot forward from their previous release, 2006's excellent Let's Get Out of this Country. Some of Maudlin's acoustic highlights include"The Sweetest Thing", "French Navy", "James", the title track, and the fine closer "Honey in the Sun".
Opening act Princeton may be from Southern California, but they sure don't sound like it. Formed by brothers Jesse & Matt Kivel while living in London in '05, they released their EP Bloomsbury in '08 and their first full-length Cocoon of Love last year. To me, they sound like a mix of late-60's Kinks and Fanfarlo.
Meetup and Ticket Details: The pre-show meetup will be held at Lincoln Station (next door) at 7:30pm - I will be at one of the tables with the Blue CIRF tabletop sign. Princeton is scheduled to start off the night at 8pm. Tickets are $20+online fees and can be purchased through the Lincoln Hall ticket site here.