DOWNLOAD: Amadou & Mariam - "Dougou Badia" (feat. Santigold) (MP3)

Malian duo Amadou & Mariam released their new album, Folila, last month via Nonesuch in the US. Their rhythmic blues-rock features hints of traditional West African music, employing deep djembe drums and iron bells. Vocal guests on the album include Santigold, TV On The Radio's Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone, Bertrand Cantat, Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears, Ebony Bones, Abdallah Oumbadougou, and Theophilus London. Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner plays guitar on a few tracks and production was handled by Manu Chao, Damon Albarn, and Marc-Antoine Moreau. Download the album's opening track "Dougou Badia," featuring Santigold, at the top of this post. They've also have a music video for the song "Wily Kataso," featuring Tunde and Kyp, which you can watch below.

Amadou & Mariam will head to North America this summer for a select string of festival appearances and some club shows. Among those are Osheaga, Central Park Summerstage, Lollapalooza, and Outside Lands. They'll hit Chicago for Sunday (8/5) of the three-day festival. Single-day passes for Sunday only are still available.

All Amadou & Mariam tour dates are listed below, alongside their video for "Wily Kataso."

Continue reading "Amadou & Mariam released a guest-filled LP, playing Lollapalooza"

photos by John Yingling

DOWNLOAD: Redd Kross - "Researching the Blues" (MP3)

Redd Kross @ HoZac Blackout Fest on 5/19/2012

HoZac Blackout Fest 2012 took place this past weekend at the Empty Bottle. A set of pictures from Saturday (5/19) of the festival are in this post.

Saturday night was headlined by Redd Kross, serving as one of the group's two recent US shows. As mentioned, their first album in over 15-years, Researching the Blues, hits stores in August via Merge. Download the album's title track at the top of this post and/or listen below. Along with the pictures, we've also got a few videos of their headlining set.

Gentleman Jesse & His Men, Homostupids, Fungi Girls, Teledrome, Pleasure Leftists, Far Out Fangtooth, Ketamines, Barreracudas, and White Mystery all played the Bottle on Saturday as well.

A full set of pictures from Saturday of Blackout Fest, some Redd Kross videos, and a stream of their new single below...

Continue reading "Saturday of HoZac Blackout Fest in pictures (Redd Kross, Gentleman Jesse, Fungi Girls, White Mystery & more)"

by Parker Langvardt

DOWNLOAD: Many Places - "Helmet Hug" (MP3)

Singer-songwriter Kevin Rieg had been performing around Chicago for several years before putting together Many Places, his folk project that includes members of the indie rock group Honest Engines. Their self-recorded debut album, Another Oath, will be released on Tuesday (5/29) via local label Tandem Shop. Preorder a copy of Another Oath via the label's webstore.

For being recorded at home, Another Oath sounds surprisingly studio-quality. It's a bit on the lo-fi side, but there is a great ambience that helps contribute to the relaxing and serious tone. Rieg began writing the songs for this album as far back as 2009 before shaping them during the recording process. The instrumental interludes frame the album well, from the ambient opener "No One & Everyone," to the mid-album acoustic guitar experiment "Blankenship," and the gently bouncing "Brontosaurus" prior to the closer. Download the album's lead single "Helmet Hug" at the top of this post and stream Another Oath in its entirety below.

Many Places will be celebrating the release of this album on June 10 at The Whistler with folk singer-songwriter Zapruder Point. As always, shows at The Whistler are FREE.

Stream Another Oath below...

Continue reading "meet Many Places (stream their debut LP, see them @ The Whistler)"

DOWNLOAD: How To Dress Well - "Ocean Floor for Everything" (MP3)

How To Dress Well @ Pitchfork Fest 2011 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Chicago-based R&B artist How To Dress Well (aka Tom Krell) is back with a new LP, Total Loss, due out this fall via Acéphale in North America / Weird World internationally. Download the album's lead single "Ocean Floor for Everything" at the top of this post and/or stream it below.

As seen on BrooklynVegan, Krell will head out on tour next month with Babe Rainbow and Aaron Read. They won't be playing a Chicago show but How To Dress Well is set to perform at the Sled Island Festival in Calgary, Alberta, alongside fellow Chicagoans Willis Earl Beal and Russian Circles.

All 2012 tour dates and song stream below...

Continue reading "listen to a new track from How To Dress Well (MP3)"

DOWNLOAD: Dope Body - "Weird Mirror" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dope Body - "Lazy Slave" (MP3)

Baltimore noise rockers Dope Body release their new LP, Natural History, today (5/22) via Drag City. We've got two of the album's tracks, "Weird Mirror" and "Lazy Slave," available for download at the top of this post. "Weird Mirror" is a fast, punky number, that features shouted vocal lines from frontman Andrew Laumann. "Lazy Slave" starts off with deep bass swells and pounding drums, which transition into a guitar-based jam by the track's end. Stream the LP in its entirety via SPIN. Purchase Natural History via Drag City's webstore.

Dope Body will kick off a short string of summer dates by performing in Brooklyn's Northside Festival in mid-June. The band will make their way to Chicago to play the Empty Bottle on June 22 with Roach Beach and The Hecks. This show is FREE with RSVP and advance tickets are also on sale.

All Dope Body dates are listed below, along with Natural History's cover art and tracklist.

Continue reading "Dope Body welcome 'Natural History,' playing the Empty Bottle"

DOWNLOAD: Lemonade - "Neptune" (MP3)

Brooklyn-based trio Lemonade are set to release their new LP, Diver, on May 29 via True Panther. Download the album's lead single "Neptune" at the top of this post and check out their new (NSFW) music video for the track below. Diver is up for preorder now.

The band recently finished up a string of dates with Neon Indian, and have announced a summer headlining tour of their own. They kick things off with a NYC record release show on June 2 and then will visit the Empty Bottle on June 8. Tickets go on sale this Friday (May 18), at 10AM CST.

All Lemonade dates are listed below, along with their new video for "Neptune."

Continue reading "Lemonade welcome 'Diver,' playing the Bottle on tour ------- (MP3 & dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Joe Jackson - "I'm Beginning to See the Light" (MP3)

Joe Jackson is set to release his new LP, The Duke, on June 24 via Razor & Tie. The album features guest musicians including Iggy Pop, Sharon Jones, and Questlove, and as its title suggests, it's a tribute to Duke Ellington. Download Jackson's version of the 1944 jazz standard "I'm Beginning to See the Light" at the top of this post.

In support of the record, the new wave icon will hit the road this fall for a string of dates. He'll visit Chicago's Vic Theatre on September 28. Tickets go on sale this Saturday (May 19), at 10AM CST.

All Joe Jackson dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Joe Jackson releasing 'The Duke,' playing the Vic this fall"

DOWNLOAD: Grass Widow - "Goldilocks Zone" (MP3)

Grass Widow @ Prospect Park in 2010 (BKLYN) (more by Matthew Eisman)

Grass Widow will release their new LP, Internal Logic, on May 29 via the band's own HLR Records. Download the album's lead single "Goldilocks Zone" at the top of this post and/or stream it below. Preorder Internal Logic via HLR now.

In support of the album, the group will head out on a North American run at the end of this month. They'll make a stop in Chicago on June 2 to play the Beat Kitchen with The Soft Pack and Soft Speaker. Advance tickets are on sale.

All dates are listed below, along with a stream of "Goldilocks Zone" and an album trailer.

Continue reading "Grass Widow welcome 'Internal Logic,' playing Beat Kitchen on tour (dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Aesop Rock - "Zero Dark Thirty" (MP3)

Aesop Rock is gearing up for the release of his sixth LP, Skelethon, due out on July 10 via Rhymesayers. The album serves as Rock's first new solo material since 2007's None Shall Pass, and features a slew of guest appearances including Kimya Dawson, Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz, Hanni El Khatib, and more. That's its cover art above, along with a download of the lead single "Zero Dark Thirty." You can also watch a video for the song and check out Skelethon's tracklisting below.

In support of the album, Aesop Rock will kick off a summer North American tour in July. All dates will feature support from Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz, and most of them also include Edison and Dark Time Sunshine. The Chicago show, taking place on July 28 at Metro, has all five artists mentioned on the bill. Tickets go on sale this Saturday (May 12), at noon CST.

All 2012 tour dates, song streams, and videos below...

Continue reading "Aesop Rock will tag Metro this summer on tour w/ Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz, Edison & Dark Time Sunshine (dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Blues Control - "Iron Pigs" (MP3)

The Young at Bar 96 for the BV official SXSW showcase (more by Tim Griffin)

Austin's The Young are set to kick off a North American tour in June, which reaches Chicago's The Hideout on July 7. Judson Claiborne will act as main support, and advance tickets are on sale. The band's Dub Egg LP came out Tuesday (May 8), via Matador.

A number of The Young's dates in late-June are with Philly's Purling Hiss, who have dates of their own with Wilco and one with Blues Control. Blues Control are also coming to The Hideout, on July 27. Support comes from Chandeliers, and advance tickets are on sale. The band's new album, Valley Tangents, is due on June 19 via Drag City, and its lead single "Iron Pigs" is available for download above/to stream below.

All 2012 tour dates and song streams for both acts below...

Continue reading "The Young are coming to The Hideout; Blues Control are too"