As you might know, Norton Records' Brooklyn warehouse was decimated by Hurricane Sandy. Many benefit events have been happening in NYC, and Chicago will show Norton some love with an event at Bottom Lounge's Volcano Room on June 7.

Here are some details:

The first all-Norton artist trib show from the masterminds at Roctober and utilizing all the fritzy talent that the Windy City can offer!!!!

Featuring Norton R'n'B Legend - T.VALENTINE OF "Hello , Lucille , Are You a Lesbian?", "Betty Sue" , "Shake Your Funky A.S.S." fame!

The Bama Lamas play The Norton Hits !

Girl Group Chicago as The Shangri - Las !

The Polkaholics as King Uszniewicz and his Uszniewicztones !

The Dyes salute Norton Rockabilly !

Gentleman John Battles as Hasil Adkins !

James Porter as Sam The Sham !

Ratso as Esquerita !

DJ Todd Killings !

East of Edens Soul Express !

Raffles ! Prizes ! Surprises !

Bosnian Rainbows @ Bottom Lounge, February 2013 (more by Zach Pollack)

Bosnian Rainbows, the new-ish project of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (At The Drive-In, The Mars Volta) and Teri Gender Bender (Le Butcherettes), have announced that they'll be touring throughout the U.S. this summer. That tour includes a performance at Bottom Lounge on July 24, where they played on their first-ever North American tour in February. Tickets for the Chicago show are on sale now.

As you might know from seeing Le Butcherettes, Teri is an absolutely insane (in the best way possible) frontwoman. She's even a little crazier in BR, as she doesn't play guitar or keyboards like she does in her main project. Bosnian Rainbows' debut, self-titled LP is slated to hit stores on June 25 via Sargent House. You can check out their recently-released video for "Turtleneck" and full 2013 tour schedule below...

Continue reading "Bosnian Rainbows playing Bottom Lounge on summer U.S. tour"

The Music Tapes @ Bottom Lounge, September 2011 (more by John Yingling)

Julian Koster and his Music Tapes have been playing "shows" for many years now. They're currently in the midst of what they are calling The Traveling Imaginary tour, which is pretty much Koster's grand vision come to life. This, of course, includes the seven-foot tall metronome, but also makes use of a circus tent, 16mm cartoons, and much more. The Traveling Imaginary will roll into Chicago for a pair of shows at Bottom Lounge on May 1. Advance tickets for the early show (6PM) are still available. Advance tickets for the late show (9:30PM) are not sold-out, but "tickets are currently not available through TicketWeb." The venue will not be running at full capacity for these shows, due to the circus tent.

All known Traveling Imaginary tour dates and some videos are below...

Continue reading "The Music Tapes playing two shows at Bottom Lounge this week on their 'Traveling Imaginary' tour"

Kylesa @ Maryland Deathfest 2011 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Savannah-based sludge metal outfit Kylesa are gearing up for the release of their sixth full-length album, Ultraviolet, which is due out on May 28 via Season of Mist. You've already heard the LP track "Unspoken," and they've just revealed another called "Quicksand." You can take a listen to both tracks at the bottom of this post. Ultraviolet is up for preorder in multiple formats via SoM's webstore.

Kylesa will be heading out on a North American tour in support of the LP next month with Blood Ceremony, White Hills, and Lazer/Wulf. That tour includes a performance at Bottom Lounge on June 5. Ticketing information for the Chicago show is forthcoming, but check Ticketweb for updates.

Kylesa's full tour schedule and those song streams are below...

Continue reading "Kylesa playing Bottom Lounge in June, prepping new LP -- (song streams)"

Pelican @ Lincoln Hall, June 2012 (more by Zach Pollack)

Chicago post-metal outfit Pelican, who now call The Swan King's Dallas Thomas a fulltime member, are currently working on a new album. It'll be their first full-length since 2009's What We All Come to Need, though last year's great Ataraxia/Taraxis EP shouldn't be overlooked. It'll be a while until we hear anything from the LP, but knowing it's coming puts a smile on my face. Meanwhile, Pelican will play a hometown show at Bottom Lounge on April 18 with The Life and Times and Sweet Cobra. Advance tickets are on sale now. They'll also be touring throughout Europe this summer.

All tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Pelican playing Bottom Lounge, working on new album"

Danny Brown at Roseland, October 2012 (more by Brook Bobbins)

Detroit's Danny Brown is set to head out on a West Coast tour after SXSW with Baauer, and has just announced that he'll be playing a string of North American dates with Kitty (formerly Kitty Pryde) after that. A performance at Bottom Lounge on April 25 is included in his schedule. Tickets for the Chicago show go on sale this Saturday (3/9) at noon CST.

Danny also recently shared a new track, called "#Hottest MC," which will appear on his forthcoming LP Old. It was produced by Harry Fraud, and you can take a listen to it at the bottom of this post.

All Danny Brown tour dates and that song stream are below...

Continue reading "Danny Brown playing Bottom Lounge with Kitty in April"

Perpetually funky, un-google-able crew !!! are set to release their new album, THR!!!ER, on April 30 via Warp Records. That's its fantastic cover art above, and you can take a listen to THR!!!ER's lead single "Slyd" at the bottom of this post.

Like many other acts, !!! will be visiting Austin, TX to play SXSW next week. They'll embark on a proper North American tour in support of THR!!!ER in May, which includes a performance at the Bottom Lounge on June 8 with tourmate(s) Sinkane. Tickets for the Chicago show go on sale this Friday (3/8) at noon CST.

All !!! tour dates and a stream of their new single are below...

Continue reading "!!! playing Bottom Lounge with Sinkane, releasing new LP"

photos by Zach Pollack

Bosnian Rainbows at Bottom Lounge on 2.26.2013

Bosnian Rainbows, the new project of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta), Teri Gender Bender (Le Butcherettes), Deantoni Parks (The Mars Volta), and Nicci Kasper, brought their North American tour with Sargent House labelmates Marriages through Chicago for a performance at the Bottom Lounge last Tuesday (2/26). As per usual, Teri was quite the animated bandleader, and the three instrumentalists worked together to churn out their synth-y art rock. Were you there? If so, what did you think of the show?

More pictures and some videos from the 2/26 show at Bottom Lounge are below...

Continue reading "Bosnian Rainbows & Marriages played Bottom Lounge ----- (pics, video)"

Kvelertak @ by:Larm 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Norway's Kvelertak are set to release their new album, Meir, on March 25 via Roadrunner/Sony Music Scandinavia. Converge's Kurt Ballou produced the LP, and you can check out the music video for its lead single "Bruane Brenn" at the bottom of this post. The group will be supporting Meir with a North American tour in April/May, with Cancer Bats and Black Tusk. That tour will begin at the Bottom Lounge on April 21 with an opening set from Cancer Bats. Tickets for the Chicago show go on sale this Friday (3/1) at noon CST.

All Kvelertak tour dates and their video for "Bruane Brenn" are below...

Continue reading "Kvelertak playing Bottom Lounge with Cancer Bats"

Solange @ NYC's Bowery Ballroom, December 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Solange Knowles has postponed her Chicago show at the Bottom Lounge, which was supposed to take place tonight (Saturday, February 23), due to "scheduling conflicts and weather concerns." She's also postponed her February 27 show in D.C..

The Bottom Lounge say:

A new date will be announced asap. Bottom Lounge tickets will be honored. Fans should hold on to their tickets and stay tuned for more info on rescheduled show. Refunds will be available at point of purchase.

An updated list of tour dates and Solange's music video for "Losing You" are below...

Continue reading "Solange postpones Chicago show"

As part of a new Red Bull Sound Select concert series (of which BrooklynVegan is also a partner), Chicago hip hop blog Fake Shore Drive will be presenting a great show at the Bottom Lounge on February 7. Freddie Gibbs will headline the venue with support from Sasha Go Hard, ShowYouSuck, and Tree. Extremely cheap tickets ($3) for the show are on sale now.

Freddie Gibbs dropped his most recent project, Baby Face Killa, back in September. You can take a listen to the 18-track tape in its entirety at the bottom of this post. Gibbs released a video for Baby Face Killa's "The Hard" last month, which is also below.

Sasha Go Hard is set to release her new mixtape, Round 3, on February 4, just in time for the show. Earlier this month, she released a video for a new song called "Pretty Fly." It's unclear if "Pretty Fly" will be featured on Round 3, but either way you can check out the video below.

ShowYouSuck celebrated the release of his newest mixtape, One Man Pizza Party III: Rest In Pizza, with a performance at the Bottom Lounge a couple of weeks ago. Were you there? It was packed, and they gave out free pizza.

Tree's latest project, titled Tree Featuring The City, was released on December 31 and features Project Mayhem, Chance the Rapper, Naledge, and others. That mixtape is available for free download HERE.

Song streams // videos from all are below...

Continue reading "Freddie Gibbs playing Bottom Lounge with Sasha Go Hard, ShowYouSuck & Tree"

Napalm Death @ Gramercy Theater, Oct 2012 (more by Greg Cristman)

Decibel Magazine recently celebrated their 100th issue with a big show at Philly's Union Transfer. They've also got something else to celebrate: the return of their annual tour, which features Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, and Immolation this year. The Decibel Tour begins on the East Coast in May, and will visit Chicago for a performance at the Bottom Lounge on May 28. Tickets for the Chicago show go on sale this Saturday (1/26) at noon CST.

All Decibel Tour dates and a tour flyer are below...

Continue reading "2013 Decibel Tour (Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, Immolation) is coming to Bottom Lounge"

Canadian producer Ryan Hemsworth dropped his most recent project, the No Words EP, in August of 2012 via We Did It. He also hasn't been taking it easy between the release of that EP and present day, and has instead been playing a lot of shows and sharing new tracks. Hemsworth just recently shared two new ones, called "BasedWorld" and "An Overture Might Help Me Stop Thinking About You," both of which are available to stream at the bottom of this post. He's also got a new video for No Words' "Colour & Movement," which you'll also find below.

This February, Ryan Hemsworth will head out on a North American tour with Daedelus, Salva, and Samo Sound Boy. That tour includes a performance at the Bottom Lounge on February 21 with Daedelus and Samo Sound Boy. Advance tickets are on sale now. All dates are listed below.

All known Ryan Hemsworth tour dates and some song streams // videos are below...

Continue reading "Ryan Hemsworth touring with Daedelus, playing Bottom Lounge (song streams, dates)"

Solange @ NYC's Bowery Ballroom, December 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Solange Knowles welcomed her excellent collaboration with Dev Hynes, the True EP, late last year via Terrible Records. Knowles has played a small number of shows in support of True, though hasn't done a full tour yet. That'll change when she hits the road later this month for a winter tour, which includes a performance at the Bottom Lounge on February 23. Tickets for that show go on sale this Friday (1/11) at noon CST. All dates are listed below.

All Solange Knowles tour dates and the video for True's "Losing You" are below...

Continue reading "Solange playing Bottom Lounge on North American tour"

it's 3D, do you have a pair of glasses?

Young Chicago rapper Rockie Fresh entered the game in 2009 with his debut mixtape, Rockie's Modern Life. Fresh continued to pick up steam with 2010's The Otherside and 2011's The Otherside Redux, and then really showed us he was out to make a name for himself with 2012's excellent Driving 88. Back in July, he inked a deal with Maybach Music, who will be releasing his new tape, Electric Highway, on January 21 and his as-of-yet untitled debut LP later this year. You can watch the video for Electric Highway's lead single, "Nobody," at the bottom of this post. You can also download "Nobody" for free via a widget below (in exchange for your email address).

Rockie Fresh will be playing a pair of record release shows for Electric Highway: One at NYC's SOB's on January 23 with Lunice and another at the Bottom Lounge on February 2 with Chance the Rapper, Mark Battles, and R.O.E.. Advance tickets for the Chicago show are on sale now. All proceeds will go to benefit JDRF, a charity in effort to help juvenile diabetics.

All known tour dates and the video // widget download for "Nobody" are below...

Continue reading "Rockie Fresh playing select 'Electric Highway' release shows (Bottom Lounge included); shares new video, cover art"

In late-December, Chicago rapper ShowYouSuck released the third and final mixtape of his One Man Pizza Party series, Rest In Pizza. The 26-track tape features a guest spot from Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire (on "Carne Asada"), a few skits, and even a few bonus tracks. One of those bonus tracks is the smooth, Thelonious Martin-produced "Pop Yo Pizza." We're happy to be premiering that video today, which you can watch at the bottom of this post.

ShowYouSuck is set to play a release party for One Man Pizza Party III: Rest In Pizza at the Bottom Lounge on January 12. St. Millie and Warhound will act as main support, and advance tickets for the all ages show are on sale now.

ShowYou's new video, a stream of OMPP III, and a poster for the record release show are below...

Continue reading "ShowYouSuck has a new video (premiere), headlining the Bottom Lounge next week"

We've been talking New Year's Eve for quite some time, and since the world didn't end last week, all the great shows and parties we told you about are still happening.

Refresh your memory below...

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"The Screaming Eagle of Soul" himself, Charles Bradley, will be visiting Chicago for a two-night stand at Lincoln Hall on December 30 & 31. Advance tickets are still available for both shows, and though his New Year's Eve performance will cost you twice as much as the 30th, you'll receive complimentary drink tickets, appetizers, and a Daptone Records drop card for a free digital sampler.

Speaking of Lincoln Hall, their sister venue Schubas will be hosting Maps & Atlases on December 30 & 31. Gypsyblood will act as main support on the 30th, Santah will open the show on New Year's Eve, and advance tickets for both shows are still available. There's also a two-show pass for sale.

Screeching Weasel are celebrating their 27th anniversary with a two-night run at Reggie's on December 30th & 31st. Though Night 1 (with The Queers, The Manges, and Vatican Junkies) is sold out, advance tickets for Night 2 (with The Queers, The Manges, and They Stay Dead) are still available.

Local H are playing the Beat Kitchen on December 30 (with State & Madison) & 31 (with All Eyes West). Their NYE show is sold out, but tickets are still available for their 12/30 performance.

Tilly and the Wall are yet another act that will be playing two Chicago shows during New Year's Eve weekend. You'll be able to find them at Subterranean on December 30 (with California Wives) & 31 (with My Gold Mask and DJ CC Rider). Advance tickets for both shows are still available.

Butch Walker and Dick Prall are also playing two nights in Chicago. They'll appear at the Double Door on December 30 and at the Bottom Lounge on December 31. Both shows are sold out.

The Eternals will be performing "the Espiritu Zombi Suite," a piece written for a larger group-version of the band, at the Hideout on New Year's Eve. As discussed, core members Damon Locks, Wayne Montana, and Areif Sless-Kitain will be joined by six additional musicians on vibes, coronet, flute, saxophone, and more. Chandeliers will act as main support and will also play a DJ set around midnight. Advance tickets are still available.

"The Queen of Rockabilly," Wanda Jackson, will be headlining the Double Door on New Year's Eve. JD Wilkes and the Dirt Daubers, Burlesque le' Moustache, and Soul Summit DJs will open the show. Advance tickets are still available.

Alejandro Escovedo and his band The Sensitive Boys are set to play SPACE in Evanston, IL on New Year's Eve. Nicholas Tremulis will open the show, and advance tickets are still available.

Naked Raygun and The Dwarves are playing the Cobra Lounge on New Year's Eve. Though advance tickets are sold out, there may be a small amount available for purchase at the door.

Denton, TX's The Marked Men are playing the Empty Bottle on December 31 with Bad Sports and Terrible Twos (tickets). As discussed, Marked Men side project Mind Spiders are playing the Bottle on December 29 with The Novice and Dumpster Babies (tickets).

Speaking of the Empty Bottle, they're also presenting Mucca Pazza, White Mystery, and Jon Drake & the Shakes at the Logan Square Auditorium on New Year's Eve (tickets). They're also doing "New Year's Eve: Two Thousand Turnteen" with The Hood Internet, Moon Boots, Only Children, and DJ Esquire at Beauty Bar (tickets).

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound are set to play the final show of 2012 at Mayne Stage on December 31. Advance tickets for that show are still available.

The Airborne Toxic Event and On An On play Metro on New Year's Eve. Tickets are still available, and don't forget: Neurosis, Bloodiest, and The Atlas Moth play the venue on December 30 (tickets).

Magic Milk, Rabble Rabble, Vamos, Kodiak Farm Boys, The Electric Dollhouse Groove Buggy, Don't Forget Your Dinosaur, and The Sueves are ALL set to play Quenchers on New Year's Eve. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

Outer Minds, The Hello Hello, and Absolutely Not will be performing at The Burlington on December 31.

South Loop dive bar Cal's are closing on New Year's Day. They'll be throwing a farewell // New Year's Eve show, featuring performances by Mercy Mercy, Demerits, and Larroquettes.

Hannibal Buress is playing three shows at Zanies on New Year's Eve. Advance tickets for his three NYE shows in Chicago are sold out, but the Zanies box office might be holding onto some.

Perhaps you're looking for something a bit more electronic? Porter Robinson is coming to Chicago for a two-night stand at the Congress on December 30 & 31. Hardwell and Deniz Koyu will act as main support on the 30th, and Mat Zo and The M Machine will open the show on the 31. Advance tickets for both nights are still available. Paul Oakenfold is also playing Castle Nightclub (tickets).

ALSO: You'll be able to ride the CTA from 10PM - 4AM on New Year's Eve for 1¢. For more information on how that works visit the CTA's website.

What did we miss?

Heading to Austin or New York? We also have a list of shows that are happening in both of those cities.

Happy (almost) New Year!

photos by Jimmy Farabi

Simian Mobile Disco @ Bottom Lounge on 12.15.2012

Right before heading down to Florida to board the Coachella Cruise(s), electro duo Simian Mobile Disco visited Chicago on Saturday night (12/15) for a performance at the Bottom Lounge. Before hitting Chicago last weekend, Simian had been touring throughout North America in support of their most recent effort, Unpatterns. Were you there? How was it?

More pictures from their headlining set at the Bottom Lounge continue below...

Continue reading "Simian Mobile Disco played the Bottom Lounge (pics)"

Bosnian Rainbows live in Tokyo, Japan earlier this month (photo by Kazumichi Kokei)

Bosnian Rainbows (formerly known as the Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group) will be touring throughout North America in 2013. They'll hit the road in mid-February and will reach Chicago on the 26th of the month for a performance at the Bottom Lounge. Advance tickets for the Chicago show are on sale now. All dates are listed below.

Though details are sparse, Bosnian Rainbows are expected to release their debut LP early next year. While rehearsing for a fall European tour at Clouds Hill Studios in Hambourg, Germany, Bosnian Rainbows recorded a half hour-long live session. That session has been released this month on 10" vinyl and DVD as a part of the Live at Clouds Hill box set. The set also includes a collaboration between Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Faust. It's available for purchase via Clouds Hill's webstore. That tour featured Le Butcherettes vocalist Teri Gender Bender, who is now a full-time band member. If you recall, Le Butcherettes headlined Saturday of Do Division 2012, and absolutely killed it.

All known Bosnian Rainbows tour dates and a few videos are below...

Continue reading "Bosnian Rainbows touring North America in 2013, playing Bottom Lounge"

Butch Walker @ Music Hall of Williamsburg in 2011 (more by Chris La Putt)

Producer, songwriter, and former Marvelous 3 frontman Butch Walker has been booked to play the final show of 2012 (New Year's Eve) at the Bottom Lounge. The Chicago show is currently Walker's only announced tour date, and is also his first New Year's gig in a long time.

He recently posted this message on the blog of his website:

hey.... psssst.... what are you guys doing for New Years Eve? me? i'm gonna play my first New Years Eve concert in 13 years. no biggie... it's just gonna be the BEST FREAKING NIGHT EVER.

Butch dropped his most recent LP, The Spade, in August of 2011, and his autobiography, Drinking with Strangers: Music Lessons from a Teenage Bullet Belt, arrived just a couple of months after that. So far this year, the pop-geared producer has been credited with production on new albums by Lit and Pink.

A few Butch Walker videos are below...

Continue reading "Butch Walker playing New Year's Eve at the Bottom Lounge"

The Promise Ring @ Metro in February (more by Grant MacAllister)

As mentioned, The Promise Ring are one of the many acts performing at Riot Fest Chicago 2012 next weekend (September 14-16). Tickets for the festival are still available. TPR will also be playing an aftershow at the Bottom Lounge on September 15, with Like Pioneers. This will serve as their second Chicago club show since reuniting in late-2011. Advance tickets are on sale now.

All known Promise Ring dates and a stream of their 1997 LP, Nothing Feels Good are below...

Continue reading "The Promise Ring playing Bottom Lounge during Riot Fest"

Com Truise @ Sasquatch 2012 (more by Chris Graham)

Com Truise (aka Seth Haley), who was here this past weekend to perform at North Coast Music Festival, has added a Chicago show to his fall North American tour with Bonde Do Role and Poolside. The three acts will play the Bottom Lounge on October 18. Tickets go on sale this Friday (9/7) at noon CST.

Haley recently contributed the song "Chemical Legs" to the Adult Swim Singles Program. You can stream the track at the bottom of this post and/or download it via Adult Swim.

All 2012 tour dates and a stream of "Chemical Legs" are below...

Continue reading "Com Truise adds Chicago show to tour w/ Bonde Do Role & Poolside (updated dates)"

Trail of Dead @ BV-SXSW in 2011 (more by Chris Gersbeck)

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead have been hard at work recording a new album this summer (just check their Twitter). While we're waiting for them to share new music, one thing that they HAVE shared are some 2012 tour dates. The group will be visiting Europe in October and are set to tour North America in November. The North American leg of their tour includes a performance at the Bottom Lounge on November 21. Tickets go on sale this Friday (8/24) at 11AM CST.

All known Trail of Dead dates and the video for "Summer Of All Dead Souls" from 2011's Tao of the Dead are below...

Continue reading "Trail of Dead touring North America in November, playing Bottom Lounge"

Simian Mobile Disco @ PS1 in 2011 (NYC) (more by Erez Avissar)

UK electro project Simian Mobile Disco released their most recent album, Unpatterns, in May via Wichita Recordings. The duo have already done some touring in support of the record and will be returning to North America for a December run. One of the final dates on that North American tour is a performance at the Bottom Lounge on December 15. Advance tickets are on sale.

All S.M.D. dates, a stream of Unpatterns, and a couple of videos are below...

Continue reading "Simian Mobile Disco touring North America in December, playing Bottom Lounge"

DOWNLOAD: METZ - "Headache" (MP3)

METZ's - METZ

As mentioned, Toronto-based noise rock crew METZ recently inked a deal with Sub Pop, who will be releasing their self-titled debut on October 9. The LP is now up for preorder, which includes a limited "Loser Edition" and a bonus 7". Download METZ's lead single "Headache" at the top of this post and/or stream it below.

METZ have a few summer tour dates left on their schedule, including a Chicago show on August 24 at the Bottom Lounge with Archers of Loaf (tickets). After a quick European run in October the group will kick off another string of US dates, which hasn't been announced in full, but includes an October 27 show at the Empty Bottle. Tickets go on sale this Friday (8/10) at 10AM CST.

All METZ dates, a stream of their new single, and a couple of LP teaser clips are below...

Continue reading "METZ share new single (MP3), playing the Bottle in October"