DOWNLOAD: Nones - "Wife Meat" (MP3)

Nones @ HoZac Blackout Fest 2011 (photo by Robert Loerzel)

Chicago psych-punk outfit Nones are set to headline Logan Square's The Burlington bar on January 19th. The four-piece fronted by singer/saxophonist Brandon Bayles pack quite a punch. Their first 7" for HoZac, Space Load, is available for purchase via Permanent Records (online and in-store). Their second 7" is currently only available as part of HoZac's Hookup Klub Round 3, a 7" subscription service. Download a song of theirs called "Wife Meat" at the top of this post and/or stream it below. Stream some more songs via their Facebook. Locals Coffin Pricks will act as main support.

Sea and Cake (who recently played the Empty Bottle) frontman Sam Prekop is also playing The Burlington, the following night (1/20), when he opens for Cleared and Expo 70.

Song streams, below..

Continue reading "Nones and Coffin Pricks to play The Burlington, Sam Prekop too"

DOWNLOAD: The Juan Maclean - "Everybody Get Close" (MP3)

The Juan Maclean released their third LP, Everybody Get Close, this past October via DFA Records. Download the album's title track at the top of this post and/or stream it below.

Mishka recently reviewed the LP:

As a retrospective, Everybody Get Close is like a journey in the genesis of a Chicago styled house musician. It is obvious in every drumclap and 303 squelch. Consisting of material that dates as early as when Maclean was working on The Future is Now, this new compilation of b-sides and remixes doesn't hold together well as an album, but that never detracts from the fact that these are some heavy heavy dance tracks.

All 2012 tour dates, below..

Continue reading "The Juan Maclean are playing Berlin in January"

As mentioned, Bloomington, Indiana's Murder By Death are coming to town to play Subterranean on both December 30th and 31st. A Lull (who recently covered Bruce Springsteen) will open the first night and The Blind Staggers will support the band on New Year's Eve. Tickets are still available for both performances.

Before their NYE show at Subterranean, Murder By Death have added a 4PM Epitonic Saki Session to their schedule. Catch the band for FREE at the Logan Square record store.

All 2011/12 tour dates, and some song streams, below..

Continue reading "Murder By Death add Epitonic Saki Session; tix still available for both Subterranean shows"

Raekwon is set to release a new mixtape titled Unexpected Victory on January 1st via DattPiff. You can stream its lead single "This Shit Hard" via a widget below, which features Chicago's L.E.P. Bogus Boys, Dion Primo, and production from The Olympicks. Raekwon's fifth studio album Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang came out this past March.

Though Raekwon didn't show up to the recent Wu-Tang Clan show at NYC's Best Buy Theater, he is billed to do so at the Congress Theater on January 8th. Tickets are still available.

Raekwon's new song stream, and all Wu-Tang dates, below..

Continue reading "Raekwon is releasing a mixtape; tix still available for Wu-Tang @ the Congress Theater"

Chris Connelly

Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks, ex-Ministry) recently released a solo album titled Artificial Madness via Relapse Records. The LP was produced by Sanford Parker and recorded with the help of current and former members of Nachtmystium (who play the Cobra Lounge on the 30th), Wolves In The Throne Room, Minsk, Indian, The Swan King, and more. The post-punk leaning effort is packed with driving guitars, commanding vocals, and all around lush instrumentation. He played a record release show at the Hideout on December 8th, which you can now stream/download an audio recording of. Take a listen to the album's title track and another called "Classically Wounded," below.

Though Connelly told Windy City Rock his "life does not allow for touring right now," he's set to open for Zola Jesus at Lincoln Hall on February 21st along with her tour mates Talk Normal. Tickets are still available.

Speaking of The Swan King, they'll play The Burlington on January 14th with Backs and Bongripper. Tickets are just $5 at the door.

Song streams, album art, and tracklisting, below..

Continue reading "Chris Connelly released an LP, playing LH w/ Zola Jesus"

Xerxes

Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, hardcore punk outfit Xerxes are getting ready to release Our Home Is A Deathbed via No Sleep Records in March of 2012. The album was produced by Kevin Ratterman (whose credits include Coliseum and My Morning Jacket) and is up for pre-order now. OHIAD's first single "Tide/This Place is a Prison" made its premiere on BrooklynVegan earlier this month.

Right after the new year, the band will hit the road for a month-long trek with Code Orange Kids (who are welcoming a new 7"). They'll make their way to Chicago for a February 7th performance at Subterranean, with local support from Beggars, Droughts, and Cave Bear. Tickets are still available.

Speaking of 2012 shows at Subterranean, Narrows and All Pigs Must Die will visit the venue on March 21st. Narrows are comprised of Dave Verellen (Botch), Jodie Cox (Bullet Union), Ryan Frederiksen (These Arms Are Snakes), Sam Stothers (Makeout Boys), and Rob Moran (Unbroken). They played a BrooklynVegan-presented show in NYC, in 2010. Tickets are on sale now.

2012 tour dates, and song streams from all, below..

Continue reading "Xerxes are coming to Subterranean; Narrows too"

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

Chicago-based R&B artist How To Dress Well (aka Tom Krell) has had a big year. 2011 saw the release of his latest; an orchestral EP titled Just Once which was dedicated to a friend who had passed away in 2010. Not even a week after Love Letters Ink released the EP, he performed it with a string section and keyboardist/drummer at the Pitchfork Music Festival. How To Dress Well was also featured on Active Child's incredibly catchy single "Playing House," which was also remixed by Chad Valley.

Touring a bit throughout the year, most recently in Australia and Japan, Krell only played a handful of Chicago shows (including one with Panda Bear). When searching through The Whistler's site the other day, I noticed that How To Dress Well is booked for a January 30th DJ Set! As we've pointed out many times, shows at The Whistler are always free. Maybe he'll debut some new material in his mix.

Krell recently posted his top 25 favorite records of 2011 to his website. The list includes Prurient's Bermuda Drain, Shabazz Palaces' Black Up, Tim Hecker's Ravedeath, 1972, and more.

Some song streams, and videos, below..

Continue reading "How To Dress Well schedules DJ Set @ The Whistler"

Common @ Central Park Summerstage in 2010 (more by Andrew Frisicano)

Common released his 9th studio album The Dreamer/The Believer earlier this week via Warner Brothers/Think Common Music, his first under the label. The album features production from No I.D., guest spots from John Legend, Makeba Riddick, and Nas (who he's at work on a 2012 collaborative LP with), plus an original poem by Maya Angelou. More on The Dreamer/The Believer at BrooklynVegan.

The Chicago-bred rapper will be making a hometown appearance on Wednesday evening (12/28), at F.Y.E. in The Loop (26 East Randolph Street), at 5PM CST. For a chance to meet Common, I've been told you must do the following: (1.) Purchase The Dreamer/The Believer at THAT STORE and save your receipt. (2.) Wristbands will be given out to all bearing receipts starting at 8:30AM CST that day. Good luck.

Some videos from the album (including one featuring Nas), below..

Continue reading "Common released 'The Dreamer/The Believer;' appearing at FYE in The Loop on Wednesday"

Parenthetical Girls @ Subterranean in June (more by Shelby Shaw)

As they've done before, the Parenthetical Girls have released a new free Christmas EP, Parenthetical Girls Save Christmas via their Bandcamp. As BrooklynVegan's Andrew Sacher said, "It's a great 3-song EP that otherwise sounds like any of the recent Parenthetical Girls releases except for the sleigh bells that fill every track."

Their friends (and collaborators) Los Campesinos! will take them on the road in 2012, as support for their winter North American tour. This includes the previously announced January 27th show at Metro. Tickets are still available. PG frontman Zac Pennington recently appeared on their track "Dreams Don't Become You," which you can hear below.

All 2012 tour dates, and the above promised stream, below..

Continue reading "Parenthetical Girls released a new free Christmas EP, opening for Los Campesinos! @ Metro"

DOWNLOAD: Victor Villarreal - "Enters" (MP3)

Victor Villarreal of Cap'n Jazz and its related projects (Joan of Arc, Owls, Ghosts & Vodka) is set to release his debut solo effort Invisible Cinema, out January 24th via Joyful Noise. The album's first track (and single) "Enters" is available for both download above, and to stream below. To quote BrooklynVegan's Andrew Sacher:

Like his guitar work in his previous bands, "Enters" is filled with math rock noodling through pretty chord progressions. The largely acoustic guitar and string arrangement-led track is most reminiscent of fellow Cap'n Jazz member Mike Kinsella's work in Owen, but when the vocals finally come in at the end, he reveals a much starker voice than Owen's brokenhearted throb.

Villarreal will kick off a month-long run with Meryll on January 20th, at Mike & Molly's in Champaign. The following day, he'll play a 5PM instore at Reckless Records and then at Panchos that night with Meryll, A Tundra, and White/Light. Tickets are on sale now. His final in-state show will be on January 27th, at Owen Pye's in Lebanon (which is about 5-hours outside of Chicago). In support of the full tour, he's launched a Kickstarter campaign to help with its costs. At the time of this post, the campaign has hit $730 of his $1,900 goal (with 17 backers).

Invisible Cinema's tracklisting, a song stream, and all 2012 tour dates, below..

Continue reading "Victor Villarreal (of Cap'n, JoA, etc.) to release solo LP, playing 4-IL shows (2 in Chicago)"