Chicago-based live music archivist/recording engineer/architectural acoustician Shimby McCreery has put together a collection of his works that were recorded at the Empty Bottle throughout the past two years. TODAY (April 14), marks the release of his project on vinyl/CD/digital download. Head to the CHIRP Record Fair to grab a physical copy of the album, which features Best Coast, Ty Segall, the Black Lips, Crystal Stilts, Davila 666, Dutchess and the Duke, The Fresh and Onlys, Hollows, Hunx and his Punx, Mickey, Outer Minds, Shannon and the Clams, The Strange Boys, and Tyler Jon Tyler.

Stream Shimby Presents: Live at the Empty Bottle in its entirety, below...

Continue reading "Shimby Presents: Live at the Empty Bottle (live recordings of Best Coast, Ty Segall, the Black Lips, Crystal Stilts & more)"

Nada Surf @ the Bell House in 2010 (more by Kurt Christensen)

Wild Flag's Janet Weiss with fan @ Empty Bottle in October (more by John Yingling)

As announced, Nada Surf are set to release their new album The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy on January 24th via Barsuk Records. They'll play a NYC record release show that very night, and two other gigs close in date to the show. A full 2012 tour will kick off towards the end of March, and reaches Chicago's Metro on April 2nd. Fan pre-sale starts tomorrow (11/9), at 10AM CST. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Saturday (11/12), at noon CST.

Just a few days after Nada Surf play the venue (on Thursday, 4/5), Wild Flag will take the stage! This will mark their fifth show in Chicago (Subterranean, Wicker Park Fest, two nights at Empty Bottle), and is a large step up in size from the venues they have been playing throughout the country. Tickets go on sale this Saturday, at noon CST.

All announced tour dates for both acts are below..

Continue reading "Nada Surf & Wild Flag are both touring in 2012, playing Metro within days of each other"

Sharon Van Etten @ Lincoln Hall in April (more by Grant MacAllister)

Brooklyn-based, singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten is getting ready to release her as-of-yet untitled follow up to 2011's Epic via her new label Jagjaguwar.

Currently, she only has one announced show, and that's a supporting slot for her friends The National on December 13th at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. Van Etten has just added two more shows to her schedule, which are both right here in Chicago! She'll play Lincoln Hall on February 16th & 17th with support from Shearwater. Tickets go on sale this Friday (11/11), at noon CST.

Stay tuned to BrooklynVegan for a possible full tour to hit other cities.

DOWNLOAD: Doldrums - "Chase the Tear" (Portishead cover) (MP3)

Doldrums, the moniker of Montreal-based musician Alrick Woodhead is here tonight to headline the Bucktown venue Panchos. Chicago's own Rainbo Video, Arbit, and Environmental Sound Collapse will open the show. Tickets are still available.

Woodhead released his debut EP Empire Sound on October 31st via No Pain In Pop. Much like label mate Grimes; his music explores a similar, experimental take on pop. Stream the EP track "I'm Homesick Sittin' Up Here In My Satellite" below.

On November 14th he'll welcome a split 12" with Portishead via XL Recordings. The A-side will feature their new track "Chase the Tear," and the B-side is Doldrums' cover of the song. Download the track at the top of this post.

Continue on for all 2011 tour dates, and the music video for another EP track titled, "Endless Winter."

Continue reading "Doldrums is here, playing Panchos tonight w/ Rainbo Video"

The Walkmen @ Chicago Theatre (more by Josh Darr)

NYC's The Walkmen are getting ready to celebrate 10-years together as a band, and have announced a few special performances to observe their newfound status. For Chicago, this means a January 14th show at Metro, which is actually part of Tomorrow Never Knows 2012 (more on that later). At the moment only five-day passes are on sale. but there will be tickets for the event that are separate from that shortly. Tickets for just this show go on sale Saturday (11/12), at noon CST.

The band are currently working on a new album, and will enter the studio later this month with producer Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, The Shins, Modest Mouse). What comes out of those sessions will tentatively be released this coming summer via Fat Possum/Bella Union.

In even more decade celebration news, The Walkmen will also be reissuing their debut LP Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone on vinyl for the first time in awhile. You can pre-order a copy now.

Insound says:

This is an extremely limited repress of the band's debut full-length album which has been out of print on vinyl for years! Only 1000 records pressed! Limit one per customer. Once these are gone, they are gone forever.

Continue reading "The Walkmen announce performance @ Metro, celebrating 10-years +++ working on a new LP"

DOWNLOAD: Owen - "I Believe" (MP3)

Chicago's own Owen (aka Mike Kinsella) is set to release his sixth studio album Ghost Town on November 8th via Polyvinyl Records. The record was produced by Brian Deck and Neil Strauch, whose production credits include Iron & Wine and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy respectively. Ghost Town is Owen's most rock album to date, discarding his more singer-songwriter sound for a louder, full band one. Download the album's first single "I Believe" at the top of this post. Ghost Town is up for pre-order via Polyvinyl's webstore.

Owen kicks off a short, fall tour tonight (11/4) in San Antonio, TX. He'll return to Chicago on November 12th to play two shows at the Beat Kitchen. The first is a 6PM, all ages show with Into It. Over It.. The late show is a 21+ event with opener Love of Everything. Tickets are still available for both performances.

Head below for Ghost Town's tracklisting, and all 2011 tour dates.

Continue reading "Owen to release 'Ghost Town,' playing two shows @ Beat Kitchen, & other dates"

Mark Sultan @ the Mohawk in Austin, TX (more by Tim Griffin)

Mark Sultan (also known as BBQ) released two vinyl LPs, Whenever I Want and Whatever I Want, plus a CD combining cuts from both dubbed Whatever/Whenever on October 25th via In The Red Records. Check out "Song in Grey" from Whatever I Want and the companion CD, via a widget below.

Sultan began a tour in support of the releases a few days ago, which will hit Chicago's Ultra Lounge this Saturday night (11/5). Slushy, Absolutely Not, and Lionlimb will round out the bill. Tickets are still available.

Head below for all 2011 tour dates.

Continue reading "Mark Sultan released a bunch of stuff, playing the Ultra Lounge this weekend, & other dates"

Megadeth's Gigantour 2012 has been announced, featuring 1/4 of "The Big Four" (as always), Motorhead(!), Volbeat, and Lacuna Coil. The month-long run, taking form at the end of January will hit Chicago's Aragon Ballroom on February 10th. Tickets go on sale this Friday (11/4), at noon CST.

Megadeth's new (and 13th) LP, TH1RT3EN came out yesterday (11/1) via Roadrunner Records. The band performed its lead single "Public Enemy No. 1" on Jimmy Kimmel on Halloween (10/31), in full costume. Check out a video of their performance below, along with all tour dates..

Continue reading "Megadeth's Gigantour 2012 (Motorhead, Volbeat, Lacuna Coil) is coming to the Aragon Ballroom (dates)"

Mannequin Men LP

Chicago garage rockers Mannequin Men are set to release their new self-titled LP on November 8th via Addenda Records. You can stream clips of each song on the 12-track album over at their site. The album was recorded at the Key Club Recording Co. in Michigan by production duo Bill Skibbe/Jessica Ruffins, who also did the recent Jacuzzi Boys and The Kills records. The first 150-vinyl copies of the self-titled LP will come in "beer colored" wax. Though it's about two and a half weeks too early, hopefully they'll have the album for sale tonight (10/29) when they play the Empty Bottle.

Football will headline, leaving Mannequin Men with the second slot. Coffin Pricks and then Outer Minds will kick off the night. Tickets are still available.

Head below for the album's tracklisting.

Continue reading "Mannequin Men to release new LP, playing Empty Bottle tonight w/ Football, Outer Minds, & Coffin Pricks"

MURS

LA rapper MURS released his most recent LP Love and Rockets, Vol. 1: The Transformation just two weeks ago under the umbrella of Damon Dash's DD172/BluRoc. The album is a collaboration with rapper/producer Ski Beatz, who is also one of his current tour mates on the Hip Hop & Love Tour which hits Reggie's tonight (10/28)! Tickets are still available and the bill will also feature McKenzie Eddy, Da$H, and Sean O'Connell.

Check out some videos below, and all dates for the Hip Hop & Love Tour.

Continue reading "MURS released a new LP, playing Reggie's tonight w/ Ski Beatz, Tabi Bonney, & others"