Kenyan and American Thrill Jockey artists Extra Golden are rockin' the results today with the release of a free download of an extremely appropriately happy track, "Obama". Also check PBS' Frontline's interview with Extra Golden drummer Steve Onyango Wuod Omari on the eve of the election.
[video]: Extra Golden - "Obama"
Or, if you need more Obama tribute songs, check out Extra Golden's label Kanyo Records' comp Senator Barack Obama Hoyee
Chicago's favorite kid sister (er, um, Kid Sister) has a fab new track you can download from RCRD LBL right this very minute, for free. She's the rappinest, toe-tappinest girl on your musical block. Who needs a candy bar? This is going to get me past my 3pm slump. Go on, "Get Fresh". It's from her forthcoming album Dream Date, due out in November January 2009.
Back some 8 years ago, DJ C (aka Jake Trussell) was runnin' t'ings on the experimental fringe of the Boston dance scene -- recording under the moniker Electro Organic Sound System and being a prime mover in Beantown's network of junglists, trip-hoppers, and leftfield turntablists via his affiliation with the Toneburst Collective.
More recently, C relocated to Chicago about 18 months ago. He frequently spins around town at clubs like Lava and Subterranean, hosts a radio show on WLUW -- all the while continuing to run his own Mashit label from his new home base. Now via the Mashit label site, Trussell's serving up the free downloadable "Mas Hits" collection; a selection of assorted remixes, mashup antics, and a few assorted web-only remixes that's he's leaked through various sites over the past year or so.
As a seasoned junglist, C has an expert sensibility for craftily chopped beats and depth-charge bass, making a good portion of the tracks far more serviceable for dancefloor purposes that the standard mashup fare. And while there's a fair amount of prankish whimsy and silliness throughout, Trussell manages to bring some top-notch bouncement on some of the selections; especially with the bhangra/jungle/Timbaland bump of "Ooh Wadda Doo Dadda" and the Bmore/dancehall jawn "Prerogatives Change." The download also features a few bonus tracks that includes a couple of full-on jungle rollers, as well as his remix for MIA's "U.R.A.Q.T."
To get a sample or to download the whole of "Mas Hits" for free, go to the Mashit website (or just go here).
Need some good thoughts to get your mind off the latest doomsday news cycle? Turn to Chicago blog Big Rock Candy Mountain for your very own Happy Endings Mix. As a reward to his faithful readers who've been coming back again and again for two years now to enjoy sweet classic country, blues, and folk posts, blogger Brian Reese has made a sweet mix in anticipation of a "big announcement" TBA. Enjoy tunes from the likes of Sally Timms, The Willis Brothers, Johnny Paycheck and Waylon Jennings here [mp3]. (And keep an eye on the blog for his pending announcement!)
On Friday the 13th, you, along with the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery can Wake Up with Calexico...in Space. Apparently Arizona Congresswoman Gail Giffords is a big fan of the Touch & Go artists, and her husband just happens to be Shuttle Commander Mark Kelly. You can tune in to NASA TV at 4am CST on the 13th, or check it out online (click NASA TV Live). Or, you can just download the free track "Crystal Frontier" [MP3] and rock it on the ole terra firma on your own time.
Come hell or hot weather (whenever that might be), it looks like it's time to just call it -- break out the grill, take the winter coats to the dry cleaners, and just get on with business.
And here here we have a little something to help soundtrack the transition. Local mash-up misfits The Hood Internet keep busy when it comes to crafting and cranking out tracks and mixes, and this week they've added yet a new mixtape to the stack. Entitled "The Hood Internet vs. Chicago," it's a 24-track fat sack of downloadable "bastard pop," sporting an exclusively hometown theme. As in: Juice vs. Liz Phair, Cool Kids vs. Frankie Knuckles, Twista vs The Sea and Cake, R. Kelly vs. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, and a bunch of other such business (one of which manages to slip in a bit of the "Superbowl Shuffle").
So go and get it via download from The Hood Internet's website. Get a peep of the tracklisting on the other side of the jump.
Agreed: this "spring" weather is officially, uh, bullshit. Here it is nearly June in Chicago and we're still having to keep some layers handy. Be that as it may, that hasn't stopped some of us from breaking out the summer tunes weeks ago and trying to absorb some warmth from vicarious sources.
So, as you close your eyes and picture July and tell yourself that it will (eventually) get warmer, Austin's DJ Chicken George has something that'll help pull you through the lingering chill. By way of the latest Blentwell podcast, he's served up a summery mix that was recently recorded at Chicago's own Darkroom. It's a deep set of hip-hop, nu-jazz, neo-soul, dope beats, and some remixed dusties; all of it building into an uptempo homestretch that caps off -- in a solid Southside summer barbeque tradition – with a tight reworking of a classic Roy Ayers cut. Recommended. Soak it up until the higher temperatures finally kick in.
DJ Chicken George - "Darkroom Mix" (courtesy of Mr. Blentwell)
If you're bored at work on this beautiful Friday, or just looking for a little auditory vacation, check out our first muxtape. There are 12 tracks compiled by the Gapers Block: Transmission staff, all set for you to stream. There's some new school, some old school, some Chicago bands, and some from further afield. We'll be making muxes on a regular basis, as the mood strikes us, so, enjoy!
Chicago indie rockers Canasta are shaking off the winter blahs with a remix of their latest album We Were Set Up with a mini tour and a freedownloadable remix album, appropriately named We Were Mixed Up. It's available starting today on the band's website and contains remixes by members of The Hood Internet, OFFICE, The Fake Fictions, Brighton MA, Allá, Velvetron, Crap Engine, and more. The bonus in it for you, music lover (besides a new album in your iPod rotation), is a chance at winning some neat-o "Canasta Flash Drives" (one at each out-of-town show) emblazoned with the Canasta logo and containing their entire catalogue (including the remix album).
Canasta on the road:
Friday, Feb. 22: Ypsilanti, MI
Saturday, Feb. 23: Cleveland, OH
Wednesday, Feb. 27: Minneapolis, MN
Friday, Feb. 29: Kalamazoo, MI
They'll return to town and officially release the remix album (and give away a bunch more flash drives) on March 1 at the Beat Kitchen along with Scotland Yard Gospel Choir and Otter Petter. Doors open at 9:30pm, tickets are $10 and it's 18+. Until then, enjoy your downloads.
I hate to be the only geek on Transmission posting Christmas Music. I'm not trying to be festive, in fact quite the opposite, as the first two songs I posted by Dick Smith were more anti-Christmas if anything. Today's song is not overtly about Christmas (despite it's title - "X-Mas Song"), in fact it's more of an ode to winter love by the one man Chicago-based group Fireflies.
I've written about Fireflies (just one guy named Lisle Mitnik) before and noted how it seems a bit odd that this transplanted Chicagoan records for not one, but now two Swedish labels (Music Is My Girlfriend and Lavender Records). Why can't some great Chicago label snatch this guy up? I bet the advance could even be paid out in hot soup rather than cold hard cash. His new record Goodnight Stars, Goodnight Moon, was just released in Sweden but is available here through Tonevendor.
It seems a little early but I'm in the mood for some Christmas music. Mind you, I'm more of a fan of anti-Christmas music. Music that if it were a film would surely be more like Bad Santa than Miracle on 34th Street. The Illinois band Dick Smith has added to the Christmas music canon with two offbeat odes to Christmas. On "Red Eyed Santa" you get a twist on "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" but instead of the kids catching Mommy and "Santa" kissing you get "Santa" (aka Dad) hungover beside the tree and a raft of unwrapped presents. On the bluegrass-y "Gold Front Tooth" you get a take on "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" except on this version you get the explanation on why the tooth is missing in the first place (something about an argument about the existence of Santa).
Dick Smith can be seen performing these songs and more on December 23 at Chord On Blues in St. Charles at something called "Christmas Hoo Haw".
For over two decades, J. P. Chill's Friday Night radio show on WHPK has been a cornerstone of the Chicago hip-hop scene, and the show's hosted its share of top-tier guest appearances over the years. I myself used to have a cassette that I'd recorded from his show one evening back in early 1994 -- a show that included an incredible 20-plus minute freestyle battle between Masta Ace and his posse, a pre-Resurrection Common Sense(or Common, as we know him now), and the guys in the Southside crew East of the Rock.
Apparently I wasn't the only one recording some of these shows. Courtesy of an mp3 that was recently posted over at Exclusive Trax, we get to hear Common battle a young Kanye West on an edition of Chill's show from 1996. Check it out and get treated.
Chicago's own whistler extraordinaire Andrew Bird and longtime pals Dianogah have teamed up in the past to perform and are now in the process of recording some amazing new material. Head over to Daytrotter.com to check out some exclusive free mp3s of Bird performances. Of the five free songs, two are previously unreleased (including one of Bird's collaboration with Jay Ryan and Co., A Breaks B).
Dianogah and Bird will be collaborating on a new full-length that will be released by Southern Records sometime next Spring.
It seems the music industry has sprung a leak. It was only last year that labels and bands were worrying about early leaks of their copywritten works. Now pr companies, labels and management can't get the leaks out early enough. In fact, what once was illicit is now tacitly condoned or even encouraged by the recording industry. Two Chicago area band are part of this week's leaky sieve. Songs from the new records by The 1900s and Head Of Femur have been officially leaked (an oxymoron) by the band's publicist. Both bands have been receiving a good bit of national press so it will be interesting to see if this online promotional campaign has much effect when the records are released in early October.
What's better than a tour of one of the most important historical aspects of Chicago, like our long tradition of putting out amazing blues artists? Well, how about one that's free, downloadable to your mp3 player and narrated by Buddy Guy. The City of Chicago has done just that with a new self-guided blues tour that leads you all around Chicago's blues landmarks from Maxwell Street to Chess Records to the former home of Muddy Waters. While you're walking, you'll hear interviews with legends like Koko Taylor and Buddy Guy and hear profiles on musicians such as Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon, just to name a few. Best of all, the tour will take you under an hour. Perfect for lunchtime, or when you just want to get a little bit of Chicago history under your feet and between your ears.
I know, the mash-up was dead the moment someone said, “The mash-up is dead.” But tell that to the dudes behind The Hood Internet, a couple of local musicians who have been moonlighting as the web’s latest blog darlings since launching the site in March: DJs STV SLV and ABX have received props from Pitchfork, USA Today, and even national (albeit syndicated) public radio for their mash-ups of indie rock with R&B/hip-hop/pop/etc. Today, they dropped “The Hood Internet: Mix Tape Vol 1,” a compendium of what they’ve been doing the past couple of months, with some exclusive tracks thrown in for good measure. It’s not sure if The Hood Internet will drop “Vol 2” before for the backlash begins (since 15 Minutes of Fame seems to have an Internet half-life), but their re-vision of Broken Social Scene vs R Kelly will always brilliant.
» Download “The Hood Internet: Mix Tape Vol 1” here.
On Tuesday, Touch and Go Records officially launched its digital store, which offers DRM-free MP3s as both full albums and single tracks. It's also the only place where you can purchase the digital version Shellac's latest (and its return after a seven-year sabbatical), Excellent Italian Greyhound. T&G promises more digital-store exclusives in the future -- but in the meantime, I'll be DLing all the Killdozer my little heart desires.
A brand new 25-track Kanye West mixtape entitled "Can't Tell Me Nothing (The Official Mixtape)" hit the Internet in the last week. Get the details and download it via illRoots. Make sure you check out the song "Us Placers," which features fellow Chicagoan Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell Williams under the moniker "CRS."
This has been a whirlwind month for Chicago’s Pit er Pat. They’re in the final stretch of a tour that’s had them playing 28 cities in as many days. It's their second — or is it third? — such excursion playing out to support their most recent LP, the John McEntire-produced Pyramids, which was released on Thrill Jockey this past fall. This Friday has them playing their final gig of the country-wide circuit, winding down with a homecoming set at the Empty Bottle. The show involves a meager $8 admission and kicks off at 10pm.Touring companions Priestbird are also on the bill, with local psych-folk trio Scalpels scheduled to open.
As a special bonus for fans, Thrill Jockey recently posted a page featuring Pit er Pat performing covers of some of their own cult fave songs. Featured are the band’s interpretations of tunes by Yoko Ono, Oneida, Sade (yeah, you read that correctly), and the perennial classic “Underneath the Arches.” Check ‘em out:
It's been a big year for North Carolina's Merge Records already with the releases of Arcade Fire's Neon Bible and the excellent God Save the Clientele by The Clientele, but it's only going to get bigger. Percussive Texan mood rockers Spoon will be releasing their sixth full-length entitled Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga on July 10th. This ambiguous title is interpreted by me, as a good Southern-born man, to be five repetitions of the state abbreviation for Georgia. Any way you look at it, though, this is a big release for the Austin, TX four piece. After a big hit in 2005's Gimme Fiction, and a fantastic set at Pitchfork last year, Spoon will be gracing the stage at Lollapalooza in Grant Park this August. As an aural treat to prep you for the summer's end festival, here's the first released track off of the record. Entitled "The Ghost of You Lingers," the trademark heavy keys and exasperated gasps of frontman Britt Daniel's abound. But be warned: this isn't a chart-topper, though I would be surprised if you can get that keyboard part out of your head anytime soon.
Billboard reports that local label Touch and Go will launch a digital download store later this summer, offering up DRM-free MP3s from its roster with pricing at 99 cents per song and $9.99 per album. It will also be the exclusive place to purchase downloads from any of Steve Albini's bands -- the new Shellac album, Excellent Italian Greyhound, drops June 5.
I was frantically searching for Swedish music to write about last night (don't ask!) when I came across a promising sounding band called Fireflies on the nice little Swedish indiepop label Lavender. But when I finally tracked down the band's MySpace page it turns out they're from Chicago not Stockholm. How ironic, a guy from Chicago looking for Swedish music instead finds a Chicago band on a micro label from Sweden?
Fireflies (really just one guy named Lisle) is clearly influenced by the type of music you'd find on some out of print 7" from Sarah Records, or maybe early Belle and Sebastian before they learned any modern production techniques (and when they were still shrouded in mystery) or maybe a b-side to some epic tone poem by the Endlish band Felt.
"Cherry Blossum Girl" is like an indiepop lo-fi remake of the Dione Warwick hit "I'll Never Love This Way Again" right down to the somber chorus of "I'll Never Love Again. Can I say that to you? Will you run away if I try to be true?" I'm not sure how this would translate live but you can find out April 27 at 6pm at the Columbia College Center for Book and Paper Arts.
Eccentric four-tracker and producer to the stars John Vanderslice isn't the only good thing hitting Lakeshore Theatre this Friday. Crushworthy Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, will be opening for the Pacific Northwest songwriter, and will bring her own brand of dynamic tunesmithing to the intimate confines of Lakeview's best venue. St. Vincent, who put on quite an entertaing "one-woman band" performance opening for Midlake at Schubas in February, has a rookie full-length coming out on Beggar's Banquet on July 10. Entitled Marry Me, the record will feature such live favorites as "Paris is Burning," a wartorn cabaret ditty, "All My Stars Are Aligned," a Patsy Cline-esque piano ballad, and "Marry Me, John," a Carole King ride on the darkside. Check out the brilliant shuffle of "Now Now" below, and check out St. Vincent in the flesh this Friday, April 13 at Lakeshore Theater at 10 PM for 12 bucks.
In a little over 2 months, fans of Wilco (and really, isn't that all of us?) will have a new aural gift for unwrapping on our collective record players. Sky Blue Sky will hit the shelves on May 16th via Nonesuch Records and include the following tracklist:
01 Either Way
02 You Are My Face
03 Impossible Germany
04 Sky Blue Sky
05 Side With the Seeds
06 Shake It Off
07 Please Be Patient With Me
08 Hate It Here
09 Leave Me (Like You Found Me)
10 Walken
11 What Light
12 On and On and On
As a gift, or teaser might be more appropriate, Wilco's website is offering a free mp3 of penultimate track "What Light." Surprisingly, the track has none of the following: 4 minute guitar noodling, bizarre keyboard sounds, or off-kilter syncopation. In lieu of such avant-posturing found on the last two Wilco records, "What Light" actually sounds like something off of AM or Being There - bright acoustic strumming, slide lead, and Uncle Tupelo-era lead vocals from Tweedy. Is a step backward the way forward? Who knows, but it sounds damn good.
The Kamikaze Hearts are one of the few great young alt-country acts with a chance to crossover, had the country's radio landscape not shifted so drastically over the last decade or so they would at least have had a shot at being a household name. The band is from Buffalo, but is becoming a Chicago favorite as they visit Chicago for the third time in the past year. They'll be playing The Hideout on Friday, March 9 on a double bill with The Gunshy.
Here's two songs from their 2006 release, Oneida Road, set to be released in the UK on One Little Indian on March 19:
The Gunshy has just relocated to Chicago, so they are officially the Chicago band on the bill. The Gunshy is basically Matt Arbogast. His voice is a spent, worn out thing; like Tom Waits on a good day. Musically he's all over the map, but If I had to categorize his sound I'd call it gothic, folk-punk. Get to Martyr's early on March 9th to see this one of a kind artist.
Here's the title track from his new record on Latest Flame Records.
Some people might claim that Youtube or Myspace lead the way in sucking souls into an Internet addiction.(or at least are frontrunners for killing time by the hours) These people have yet to met the Internet Archive. While "Archive" has over 200,000 professional video clips, podcasts, open source texts and other digitial items, their Live Music Archive is a real blessing (or a curse) for the serious music fan. With nearly 38,000 concerts available to stream or download, (in various forms) the Live Music Archive has something for every music fan. Want to know if the current lineup of Camper Van Beethoven are worth seeing live next time they come to town? Check out the 10 shows they have on Archive from last year. Haven't got out to see local buzz band Suffrajet? Don't worry. Give one of their six shows a listen from the comfort of your own home. Most bands have under 20 shows, (the Grateful Dead and String Cheese Incident have thousands) but the list of bands is extensive. The majority of the taping found on Archive is done by amateurs with their own gear and a passion for live music, so not all recordings match actually being there. (check the quality ratings provided for each show) But many of them are. Plus you can hear them without the smoke, high beer prices and Ticketmaster surcharge fee. Now that's the foundation for a good ol' Internet addiction.
The Chicago band The Zincs are heading to SxSW. I wish I could be a fly on the wall when the group's leader Jim Elkington checks in at registration. When this Englishman claims to be from Chicago I bet he'll get a few stares. When SxSW says there's been a mix-up maybe he can put on a Chicago accent and throw in a couple "da Bears."
Given the band's English heritage (Elkington moved to Chicago in 2000) it's hard to peg them with any kind of midwestern sound. The band's new album, Black Pompodor, comes out on March 20 on Thrill Jockey. "Head East Kasper" is the first song released off the new record and it continues to develop the sounds and themes from their 2004 debut, Dimmer, in particular its dark pop sound, Elkington's deep baritone and the way the guitars cut huge swathes in space. The band will play Uncle Flirty's Loft in Austin as part of a Thrill Jockey SxSW showcase on March 17.
I know it must seem like someone's paying us here at Transmission to cover Bobby Conn but that's just not true (the check's in the mail, right?). The fact is Bobby Conn could go a long way to putting Chicago back on the map as a home for creative, experimental, pop music. Today's post deals with the collaboration between Bobby Conn and the Chicago band Baby Teeth on the song "Sarah". We Live Here is the new four song Chicago-centric ep from Baby Teeth. It's being released in advance of the upcoming disc, The Simp, coming out on March 13 on Lujo Records.
The four songs on the new ep are covers of Chicago bands and some feature other Chicagoans as guests, most notably Bobby Conn and Kelly Hogan. "Sarah" has that Quensy over the top sound that Baby Teeth is becoming know for, while "Fool For You" is a bedroom psych-pop reimagining of The Impressions' soul classic. These songs are all free downloads. You can buy Baby Teeth's forthcoming cd, The Simp, directly from Lujo Recordshere for $10 and receive a free ep by The Heathers and a poster to boot.
The big news this week in the indie record label world is Ropeadope's move to all digital (mp3's). The plan is to release new music on their website the first Tuesday of every month priced at $7.98 per "album". The first batch of releases just dropped, and Chicagoan Josh Abrahms is prominently featured in the mix.
Reminder is the solo project of Josh Abrahms. Over the last decade Josh has played with Town & Country, Sticks and Stones and Prefuse 73, and has become a prominent member of the Thrill Jockey extended family. Guitarist, Tortoise member and Chicago jazz mainstay Jeff Parker contributes to the track below. Back in the day they'd call this acid jazz (mixed with a little dub), but in 2007 that would be a little passé. Check out "Halfsies" to see what you'd call it. Buy West Side Cabin #1here.
We REALLY like this whole "Bears go to Super Bowl, song gets made/recorded/performed" thing, so let's continue with the two most visible Chicago hip-hop artists and their contribution. Apparently, while taking breaks from both of their albums (due out later this year), Common and Kanye decided to show love. After a Bears win, maybe this (with a special verse) will show up on one of their albums.
Chicagoans support their teams and the musical community isn't slacking by any means. Not only has the Lyric Opera got in the spirit, but the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has put their version of "Bear Down, Chicago Bears" up on their website. The song was recorded in 1986 and conducted by Sir Georg Solti to celebrate the Bears Super Bowl XX victory. The crowd chimes in to add lyrics to the song originally done by Jerry Downs. Nothing says Monsters of the Midway like some classical music.
This tape is of late 70's or early 80's polka radio in Chicago. I love the DJ hamming it up, giving shout outs, and his intro to a song by Tony Rodemaker "the Rocker" from Kettle Merain. The commercial for Al's Superette is fantastic as well.
I guess back in the day Chicago was pretty well known for their Polka radio. There was even a polka shock jock. You can read more about him here.
Eight Forty-Eight interviewed musician and teacher Michael Droste this morning about his just-completed One Song Every Day project , which began as a New Year's resolution in 2006. Listen to the interview here (mp3).
Later in the show, Chicago Public Radio's decision to kill its nighttime jazz programming was defended by music critic John McDonough (mp3), who pointed out that many of the most vocal opponents of the decision don't actually listen to jazz on the radio.
If you do listen to jazz on the radio, your last chance to do so at 91.5 on your FM dial is tomorrow (Thursday) night beginning at 8pm, when Dan Bender, Richard Steele and Sarah Toulouse will host the final eight hours of jazz programming as a team.
This week's audio comes from an answering machine microcassette tape. This is one of the best message tapes I have. It's absurd, dramatic, mundane and hilarious. This might also be proof that Elvis is still alive.
Chicago's a pretty good opera town, so it's not surprising that an opera podcast would originate from here. OperaNow! is new, weekly-ish podcast by local singer Michael Rice. A recent episode featured OperaModa and their recent "OperaModa Uncovered" calendar, as well as a recent production of Salome at the Lyric Opera featuring Deborah Voight, who made headlines after being fired for not being "too fat" for a part. It's available through iTunes.
These two stories are about a Hinsdale man who built a replica WWI plane with his son. I am guessing that these were rough audio mixes for a possible TV news story. I prefer the second version because it has a more "this guy is crazy" feel.
[Hi Transmission readers, my name is RJ Porter and I have been a hunter of found audio in Chicago for a number of years. Chicago has turned out to be a treasure trove of lost audio gems and I will be sharing some of my finds here every couple weeks right here in the Transmission blog. Visit my site Tape Findings to check out my archive of found audio.]
For my first post I have chosen a tape from my collection that continues to give me joy every time I hear it. This is a practice session of an unknown women's singing group that I suspect would preform at senior centers or similar places around Chicagoland. These ladies have a truly unique act incorporating a chorus of kazoos, crashing percussion, and some goofy jokes to a accompany old-time standards. Truly odd and inspiring music. [MP3]: All Women Kazoo Band Medley (8:58)
For more songs by these ladies click here.
Lupe, Kanye and Common may be the Chicago hip-hoppers gettin' the most press lately, but Bonafyde Recordings has some less traditional rap of local origins up its sleeve. Serengeti's unconventional take is epitomized in "Dennehy" [MP3], a character-driven jam named after actor Brian and taking place along Western Ave. Stream the full-length album of the same name here. Haiku, on the other hand, has a more chill, tru-school sound, and he's notable for being a rare Asian face in the game. Rather than beef about the battle, "Pendulum Head" [MP3] is a different sort of diss rap, if only cos it calls out "Wicker Park rich kids"; stream the album Blewhere. Both acts have shows upcoming, including a joint gig at the Empty Bottle next month.
Lollapalooza has announced that select sets from this summer are now available for purchase on iTunes. My recommendation, the weekend ending (at least for me) set by Broken Social Scene.
Folks interested in what might be called "the creative process and how studio productions unfold over time" (that's how they describe it, anyway) can hear some of Office's demos at the band's MySpace page. This is a limited time offer -- they'll only be up for a day or two -- so get while the gettin's good.
Sub Pop'sRogueWave hits Logan Square Auditorium September 7th in support of their new album, Descended Like Vultures. Picking up steam from inclusion on the Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack and repeated play on tv's The OC, Rogue Wave's adventurous, glistening indie pop seems destined to win over fans of like-minded indie faves Death Cab for Cutie and Built to Spill.
What are you still doing home? Haven't you heard? There's a show tonight. Chicagoan Chris Mills brings his seventeen piece band The City That Works to The Subterranean tonight and word is, they put on a phenomenal show. The real treat, though, may be the opening act.
Brooklyn's Bishop Allen has been getting a good deal of pub lately for its ballsy 2006 release strategy. Each month, they've self-released another mail order four song EP. That's 28 tracks so far of good-natured, optimistic indie pop. The EPs have created a steadily growing fan-base, all waiting by the mailbox to see what's next. A loving tribute to a Civil War ship? Check. Moody Arcade Fire-esque anthem? Check. Even when the band's original songwriting chops lag a bit, they manage clever classic rock knockoffs like March's "The History of Excuses" (via the Stones "Street Fighting Man") or February's "Vain" (via Boston's "More Than a Feeling.") Check 'em out at the Subterranean at 10 pm tonight (Friday) and get your fill of warbly gang vocals, cheerful handclaps, and playful singalongs. More on Bishop Allen in this NPR piece from 2003.
Gorilla vs. Bear points out the upcoming re-release of The M's debut album. Along with comes a 7" featuring the band's cover of "Turn on, Tune In, Drop Out," a cover so long it takes up both the A & B sides. If you've not got a record player, Polyvinyl offers the song as an electronic (and legal) download: part 1 and part 2.
The Taste had quite a lineup for this year's July 4th show: Ray Davies, My Morning Jacket, and Mike Doughty. But if you couldn't bear the heat or the crowds or the bad barbecue sandwiches, you can find all three performances online. The Davies and MMJ shows are reg. req'd and require a bit of FLAC and torrent nerdery, but the Doughty tracks are available in a simple mp3/zip package with a streaming online player to boot. Enjoy the fireworks.
In the iTunes Music Store, you can now download five tracks from five of the bands playing Lollapalooza next weekend (that's 3.8% of the total bands playing). The tracks are from Thievery Corporation featuring Sister Nancy, Mates of State, Nada Surf, The Hold Steady and Cursive. Just redeem this code (HP9W937TMXPH) to get your five before August 17th, after you create an iTunes Music Store account. Another bonus announced: they'll be giving away a 20-song sampler of Lollapalooza acts at the gates, while supplies last.
Love them, loathe them, want to move in — you know a rock dive when you're in one. Catch up on our favorites, and maybe find a new home away from home this week.
