Hush Now

Rather than just talk about a band I would recommend going to see tomorrow night at Schubas, I asked Michael Hush, lead of pop-rockers Five Foot Nine, to tell me his favorite pop culture tidbits from 2008 (Now that it’s over).

Before I get all list-y, the Five Foot Nine play fresh, clever, well-arranged rock that most immediately reminds me of Brooklyn’s Bishop Allen. Both bands combine tasteful guy/gal harmonies, tight rhythm sections, and great sing-along choruses with charm to spare. Local swaggering glam-punk poppers The Handcuffs are also playing.

MP3: Five Foot Nine, “Back to the Tunnels” (file courtesy of Radio Free Chicago)

Here’s were Mike’s Pop Picks of 2008.

Books: as for fiction… Here are 3 novels that I really admired this year

• Denis Johnson, “Tree of Smoke”
• Michael Chabon, “Yiddish Policeman’s Union”
• The Lazarus Project, “Alexander Hemon”

Movies:

Sally Hawkins in Happy Go Lucky

• The Visitor
• Frozen River
• Happy Go Lucky

Music:

• Los Campesinos
• Bonny Prince Billy
• The Hold Steady

Commercial:

• Probably Holiday Inn Express spot where the geeky marketing dude displays his dope rhyming skills on the corner in NY…

Pop Culture Moment:

• …got to be Grant Park on election night