As discussed, HoZac Blackout Fest 2013 is slated to take place from May 16-19 at the Empty Bottle. The four-day festival features headliners Chrome, Unnatural Axe, Dwight Twilley, and Mike Rep + Tommy Jay, with support from Wizzard Sleeve (with Mr. Quintron), Negative Scanner, Pezband, and many more acts. Four-day passes and individual tickets for each night are still available, and we've also got a festival pass to give away!

The full lineup for Blackout Fest '13, contest details, and some videos are below...

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Deer Tick @ Brooklyn Bowl in December of 2012 (more by Tracy Allison)

Deer Tick, who are working on a follow-up to 2011's Divine Providence, will be embarking on a U.S. tour later this month. That tour includes a two-night stand at City Winery Chicago on May 7 & 8. Advance tickets (standing room and/or reserved seating) for both shows are on sale now, and we've also got a pair of standing room tickets for each night to give away!

All known Deer Tick tour dates, contest details, and a couple of videos are below...

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Marnie Stern @ BV-CMJ 2010 (more by Andrew St. Clair)

As discussed, guitar heroine Marnie Stern is gearing up for the release of her album, The Chronicles of Marnia, which is due out on March 19 via Kill Rock Stars. You've already heard "Year of the Glad," "East Side Glory," and "Nothing is Easy" from the LP, and NPR are now offering a complete stream. Though her virtuosic style is still present, The Chronicles... sees Marnie really honing in on her songwriting.

Marnie and co. will visit Chicago on their North American tour with Roomrunner for a BV Chicago-presented show at the Empty Bottle on April 17 with openers Mayor Daley. Advance tickets are still available, and we've got a pair of tickets to give away! Details on how to enter to win can be found at the bottom of this post.

All Marnie Stern tour dates, contest details, and a few song streams from her new LP are below...

Continue reading "Marnie Stern streaming new LP; win tickets to her show at the Empty Bottle with Roomrunner & Mayor Daley"

Sweden's The Deer Tracks welcomed their new album, The Archer Trilogy Pt. 3, last week via The Control Group. The duo have just kicked off a North American tour in support of the LP, and as discussed, they'll play the Empty Bottle on February 27 with Glass Lux and Love and Radiation. Tickets for the Chicago show are still available, and we've also got a pair AND a vinyl copy of their new album to giveaway!

All Deer Tracks tour dates, contest details, and a stream of their new LP are below...

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Hot Water Music @ MHoW last week (more by Jonathan McPhail)

As discussed, Gainesville, Florida's Hot Water Music are currently on tour throughout North America with La Dispute and The Menzingers. That tour will roll into Chicago this Thursday (1/31) for a sold-out show at Metro. We hope you got tickets in time. Check out some photos and a recap from their recent show in NYC over at BrooklynVegan.

Earlier this month, HWM released a Live in Chicago 3xLP/2xCD+DVD that was recorded at Metro in 2008. The triple album includes 30-songs, clocks in at 90-minutes, and has been pressed in six different colors that are each limited to 550-copies. We've got three copies of the red 3xLP to give away! Contest details can be found at the bottom of this post. We're also proud to premiere video footage of "Choked and Separated" from the DVD, which can also be found below.

All Hot Water Music tour dates, contest details, and footage of "Choked and Separated" are below...

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As you may know, The Comedy, Rick Alverson's new film starring Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, James Murphy, Gregg Turkington (aka Neil Hamburger), and others, is screening at theaters throughout the country on a limited basis. It's currently playing multiple times a night at Facets until November 29. Advance tickets are still available, and we've also got a pair to give away (screening of your choice)! Additionally, the winner will also received a vinyl copy of the film's soundtrack, which features Gayngs, Gardens & Villa, William Basinski, and more.

Contest details, a list of all Facets screenings, and the film's trailer are below...

Continue reading "'The Comedy' is screening at Facets (win tix & the soundtrack)"

Cold Specks @ Hotel Vegan in Austin (BV-SXSW 2012) (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Soulful folk siren Cold Specks (aka Al Spx) is currently on tour throughout North America. As discussed, that tour hits Chicago on November 29 for a performance at Schubas. Locals Está Vivo will act as main support for that show, and advance tickets are still available. We've also got a pair to give away! Details on how to enter to win can be found at the bottom of this post.

Al's fantastic debut LP, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion, hit stores in May via Mute Records. We've been able to catch her both solo (BV-CMJ 2011) and with a backing band (BV-SXSW 2012), like she has on the record. Both versions of Cold Specks are equally powerful and excellent-sounding live.

All Cold Specks tour dates, contest details, and some videos are below...

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DOWNLOAD: Simon Joyner - "If I Left Tomorrow" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Simon Joyner - "The Last Parade" (MP3)

Folk troubadour Simon Joyner is currently on tour throughout the US in support of his most recent album, a double LP called Ghosts. Ghosts is the Omaha singer-songwriter's first new material since 2009's Out Into The Snow, and you can grab the album tracks "If I Left Tomorrow" and "The Last Parade" above. Take a listen to the LP in its entirety at the bottom of this post. As part of Joyner's current tour, he'll hit Chicago this Sunday (11/18) for a show at the Empty Bottle with John Bellows and Circuit des Yeux. Advance tickets are still available, and we've also got a pair and a vinyl copy of Ghosts to give away!

All Simon Joyner tour dates, contest details, and a stream of Ghosts are below...

Continue reading "Simon Joyner is on tour, playing the Bottle on Sunday (win tix!)"

A Place to Bury Strangers @ MHoW in July (more by Chris La Putt)

NYC noise rockers A Place to Bury Strangers are currently on tour in support of their third full-length LP, Worship, which hit stores in June via Dead Oceans. As mentioned, they'll visit Chicago this Wednesday (11/14) for a performance at the Empty Bottle with Bleeding Rainbow and DJ Peroxide. Advance tickets for that show are still available, and we've also got a pair to give away (earplugs not included)! Details on how to enter to win can be found at the bottom of this post. For those of you who already bought tickets, you've been entered to win an APTBS prize package from Dead Oceans. That package consists of a copy of Worship, an And I'm Up 7", and a tour poster.

All APTBS tour dates, contest details, and some videos are below...

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Twilight Sad @ Boston's Brighton Music Hall in Feb. (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

As mentioned, Scottish outfit The Twilight Sad are currently on tour throughout North America with fellow Scots Errors. That tour visits Chicago on November 16 for a performance at the Empty Bottle with When Clouds Attack. Advance tickets are still available, and we've also got a pair to give away! Details on how to enter to win can be found below.

Later this month, The Twilight Sad will be welcoming a new remix record, called No One Can Ever Know, which is a collection of tracks from their 2012 LP of the same name. Liars, Tom Furse (of The Horrors), Com Truise, and others contributed to the album. Preorder a copy via Fat Cat Records. Take a listen to the original No One Can Ever Know and remixes from Liars and Com Truise at the bottom of this post.

All Twilight Sad tour dates, contest details, and some song streams are below...

Continue reading "win tix to see The Twilight Sad & Errors at the Empty Bottle"