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)"

Disappears @ Cake Shop in July (NYC) (more by BBG)

As mentioned, Disappears are set to release their new LP, Pre Language, on March 1st via Kranky. The band have some upcoming West Coast dates with The Fresh & Onlys and then will hop the pond in late-March for a two-week European run. They'll return stateside in mid-April, kicking off a spring North American tour with Lotus Plaza (aka Lockett Pundt of Deerhunter) here in their hometown of Chicago at Lincoln Hall on April 13th. The tour, lasting through the end of April, will bring Disappears to the East Coast and then down to Texas for a performance at Austin Psych Fest 2012 (which Lotus Plaza also plays). Tickets for the Chicago show go on sale tomorrow (1/20), at noon CST.

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

Continue reading "Disappears announce tour w/ Lotus Plaza (LH included)"

DOWNLOAD: Disappears - "Replicate" (MP3)

Disappears are set to release their new LP, Pre Language, on March 1st via Kranky. The album marks the first studio material that new-ish drummer Steve Shelly is featured on. Like Guider, Pre Language was recorded at Sonic Youth's Echo Canyon West Studio in Hoboken, NJ and mixed with John Congleton. Download its lead single, "Replicate," at the top of this post and check out the tracklisting below.

The band have some upcoming shows with The Fresh & Onlys, though no hometown gig to speak of. Fellow Chicagoans E+ on the other hand, featuring Disappears members Damon J Carruesco and Jonathan Van Herik, have two local shows. They'll play Beat Kitchen on January 18th with Summer Girlfriends, Pearls, Magic City and then headline Schubas on February 1st with support from Wimps. Stream some demos via their Facebook and stay tuned for a proper record. You can also catch Disappears frontman Brian Case on January 25th, when he plays a DJ Set at the Hideout as part of their Soup & Bread series.

All 2012 dates and Pre Language's tracklisting, below..

Continue reading "a new Disappears MP3 & LP details; check out E+"

Justin Townes Earle @ Governors Island in August (more by Chris La Putt)

today in Chicago
* Young Prisms, Melted Toys @ Subterranean
* Justin Townes Earle, Jessica Lea Mayfield @ Metro

Starting 2/27 Young Prisms will be on The Fresh & Only's/Crocodiles co-headlining tour. Their scheduled dates will bring the three bands to Chicago on 4/20 @ Lincoln Hall.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"