Music, Chicago Reader

HoZac digs deep for the 2013 Blackout

Luca Cimarusti — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

The 2013 HoZac Blackout features Dwight Twilley, weirdo sci-fi postpunks Chrome, and lots more. by Luca Cimarusti Local label HoZac retired its Blackout festival with a memorable blowout in 2006, then resuscitated it in 2011; for its third year back, the notoriously rowdy, beer-soaked punk-and-garage party runs for four nights at the Empty Bottle, with a lovingly curated lineup of local and national acts that represents a huge range of generations. The fest kicks off Thu 5/16 with an art show featuring work by Goons, Greg Shirilla, Nick Ryle, and others, plus live music by Ohio underground-rock legends Mike Rep and Tommy Jay, local punky pop band Negative Scanner, and Minneapolis punks the Sleaze.…

The return of Dance Mania Records

Leor Galil — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Dance Mania Records helped birth ghetto house, juke, and footwork music—now it's back to court the EDM crowd. by Leor Galil Ray Barney has a basement full of old dance records, on shelves that stretch from the floor to the ceiling, but it's not his personal collection—it's leftover inventory from Dance Mania, a Chicago label he ran from 1986 till 2001. Barney and Victor Parris Mitchell (a producer who put out several records on Dance Mania) are relaunching the label, in part because they've learned that while this back stock has been gathering dust, original Dance Mania releases have become highly sought after, especially in Europe.…

In Rotation: Ned Hepburn of Death and Taxes on the awesomeness of the new Daft Punk album

Miles Raymer — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Current musical obsessions of RedEye columnist Ernest Wilkins, editor Ned Hepburn, and more by Miles Raymer Miles Raymer, Reader music writer Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City (XL) I liked most of the music on Vampire Weekend's first two albums, but their posh aura of privilege was too off-putting for me to self-identify as a fan.…

Gossip Wolf: Friends help Scoundrel bounce back from a van crash

J.R. Nelson — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Friends help Scoundrel bounce back from a van crash, Hunter Husar books a schizo bill in Bridgeport, and more by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil Scuzzy Chicago power-pop band Scoundrel got in a nasty van accident last week in Mobile, Alabama. Details are sketchy, but this Wolf hears that the guys suffered bruises and broken bones but nothing more grave—their gear got the worst of it.…

Summer Guide: Music festivals

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Summer Guide: Two dozen (mostly) sun-drenched music festivals

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Gossip Wolf: Forced Into Femininity pushes a new tape with an aboveground show

J.R. Nelson — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Forced Into Femininity plays an aboveground show, Templehead unveils its rock opera, and more by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil Members of Chicago noise-rock squad Coughs, who broke up in 2006, have started half a dozen hot bands in the years since, but Gossip Wolf thinks Forced Into Femininity, led by former Coughs saxophonist Jail Flanagan, is the most challenging—and the most endearing. In March the group released Messiah of Evil on tape label Human Conduct, and it sounds like Klaus Nomi singing opera accompanied by malfunctioning cash registers.…

Deerhunter's dreamily scuzzy Monomania and 14 more record reviews

Peter Margasak — Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Reviews of 15 current releases from all over the world of music: Deerhunter, Altar of Plagues, and lots more by Peter Margasak, Miles Raymer, Leor Galil, Kevin Warwick, Philip Montoro, Tal Rosenberg, Luca Cimarusti, Monica Kendrick and Bill Meyer Adult., The Way Things Fall (Ghostly International) Detroit's most abrasive electro-punk duo have trimmed their sound's serrated edges and refashioned themselves into an Italo-inflected new-wave pop group in the same neighborhood as fellow electroclash scene survivors the Chromatics. The production is smoother, the hooks are broader, and The Way Things Fall is way more accessible than anything Adult.…

Gossip Wolf: The end times come for Heavy Times

J.R. Nelson — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

The end times come for Heavy Times, Oyarsa goes transcontinental, and more. by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil Gossip Wolf hears that ripping Chicago garage band Heavy Times (which features Reader music-listings dude Luca Cimarusti on drums) broke up onstage after more or less playing at Quarters Rock 'n' Roll Palace in Milwaukee on April 27; according to Express Milwaukee, their four-song set was "incredibly unprofessional." (This could've been because one member wanted to drive back to Chicago instead.)…

What music's outsiders and oddballs got up to before the Internet

Peter Margasak — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

The coffee-table book and CD set Enjoy the Experience documents the weird bygone world of private-press records. by Peter Margasak In 2002 sample master DJ Shadow released his second full-length, Private Press, but I didn't get the reference in the title till a few years later. In the mid-aughts, obscure private-press albums that had been fetching ridiculous prices from rabid record collectors—Red Hash by Gary Higgins, You Think You Really Know Me by Gary Wilson—were reissued in a steady stream.…

In Rotation: Jim Dempsey of Corbett vs. Dempsey on Nardwuar the Human Serviette

Kevin Warwick — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:00:00 -0500

Current musical obsessions of Julie Shapiro of Third Coast and Jim Dempsey of Corbett vs. Dempsey by Kevin Warwick Kevin Warwick, Reader associate editor CHIRP Record Fair When you see Permanent Records honcho Lance Barresi stepping out to take a breather and "get more cash," you know there are treasures to be had.…

The Secret History of Chicago Music: Johnny Griffin

Plastic Crimewave — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin isn't exactly obscure, but he's been unjustly overshadowed since his heyday in the 50s and 60s. by Plastic Crimewave

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Gossip Wolf: HoZac saves Dwight Twilley's shark from the dark

J.R. Nelson — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:00:00 -0500

Vintage Dwight Twilley on HoZac Archival, a photo op for Cherries Records, and a lineup change for Terminate by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil Gossip Wolf is "on fire" with the news that local garage label HoZac is doubling down on its love for Dwight Twilley. Not only is the Oklahoma-born power-pop genius headlining the closing night of HoZac's annual Blackout fest at the Empty Bottle (that'd be Sun 5/19), but the label's Archival imprint will soon release a seven-inch of his massive jam "Shark (in the Dark)."…

Artist on Artist: Brian Chippendale of Black Pus and Lightning Bolt talks with Seth Sher of Zath and Psychic Steel

Luca Cimarusti — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:00:00 -0500

Brian Chippendale of Black Pus and Lightning Bolt talks drums with Seth Sher of Zath and Psychic Steel. by Luca Cimarusti Music fans know Brian Chippendale as a guy who's created an astonishing, hyperactive racket from behind a paint-splattered drum kit for almost 20 years now. Comics fans know him as a guy who crowds pages with anxiety-inducing panels in the series Maggots and Puke Force.…

Gossip Wolf: Night Terror is pleased to meet you

J.R. Nelson — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Night Terror's debut full-length, a new juke collection from DJ Earl, and a benefit show against handgun violence by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil Last week Gossip Wolf was six kinds of stoked about the new album from Fielded, aka former Ga'an vocalist Lindsay Powell; this week we're stuck on Night Terror, a project from former Ga'an bassist and synth dude Tyson Torstensen! Last month Torstensen released his debut full-length, a cassette called Night Terrors, on LA label Living Tapes, and its solid synth squelch wouldn't be out of place in a spooky John Carpenter soundtrack.…

Chance the Rapper drops Acid Rap

Leor Galil — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:00:00 -0500

Chance the Rapper drops Acid Rap—and it's going to take him to places he's only imagined. by Leor Galil Chance the Rapper didn't headline Fake Shore Drive's Red Bull Sound Select showcase at South by Southwest last month—in fact he was only second on the bill, performing after fellow Chicago MC ShowYouSuck. But you could be forgiven for assuming that everybody was there to see him: when he was done, a big chunk of the audience left, and the crowd didn't get that big again till just before the Cool Kids played, three acts later.…

In Rotation: MC Zulu on Major Lazer

Tal Rosenberg — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Current obsessions of DJ and producer Searchl1te and global-bass reggae artist MC Zulu by Tal Rosenberg Tal Rosenberg, Reader digital content editor, is obsessed with … Kurt Vile, Wakin on a Pretty Daze The album everyone in Logan Square will be playing outside in the sun all summer long.…

Our guide to Record Store Day

Reader staff — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Record Store Day has been getting more hectic and harder to enjoy, but we're here to help. by Reader staff Record Store Day, which falls on April 20 this year, has turned into a zoo. It's no longer the domain of giddy discophiles who sweat uncontrollably upon hearing the words "limited" or "out-of-print"—those folks were overwhelmed by the crowds after the first installment in 2008.…

Record Store Day special releases that are extra special

Kevin Warwick — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Record Store Day special releases include Charlie Poole's pre-Depression banjo, the GZA's chess set, and "Gay Fish." by Kevin Warwick, Peter Margasak, Miles Raymer, Leor Galil and Luca Cimarusti At the Drive-In, Relationship of Command LP (Twenty-first Chapter) This reissue of At the Drive-In's magnum opus—first released in 2000 on the Beastie Boys' long-defunct Grand Royal label—is an obvious result of the band's popular yet short-lived 2011 reunion (or cash grab, depending on your perspective). A must-have for any early-aughts posthardcore fan, Relationship of Command is a moody, restless confluence of ragged guitar melodies and Cedric Bixler-Zavala's powerful vocals, which are trippy but not yet Mars Volta trippy.…

The Secret History of Chicago Music: The Sundowners

Plastic Crimewave — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Country workhorses the Sundowners never scored a hit, but their 25,000-song repertoire made them hugely influential on the alt-country scene. by Plastic Crimewave

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Of Paramount's importance

James Hughes — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:00:00 -0500

Record Store Day is a good day to remember that legendary early blues-and-jazz label Paramount was a subsidiary of a furniture company. by James Hughes Among the more extravagant reissues making a high-dive splash this Record Store Day is a vinyl version of the Flaming Lips' 1997 album Zaireeka, whose four discs were designed to be listened to simultaneously—requiring precise queuing by four fingers on four CD players. A release that mandates synchronous play on four turntables is even more excessive, but it also points to the communal spirit and showmanship that surround Record Store Day.…

Record Store Day 411

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:00:00 -0500

All the stores, in-stores, discounts, and goodies for Record Store Day 2013 All stores participating in Record Store Day will stock a selection of special RSD releases, but in most cases retailers won't know until the last minute precisely what they'll get. So these listings don't attempt to address that question—they're about special events, in-store performances, discounts, promotions, and giveaways.…

Gossip Wolf: Hollywood Holt joins Beyonce and Andre 3000 on the Great American Soundtrack

J.R. Nelson — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:00:00 -0500

Hollywood Holt produces Beyonce and Andre 3000, Fielded shares a track, and more by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil This wolf was blown away by the looks of the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann's take on The Great Gatsby, which includes a cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" by Andre 3000 and Beyonce. It gets better: the song was produced by Chicago rap phenom and Treated Crew member Hollywood Holt!…

Gossip Wolf: Bobby Conn re-creates his Hideout residency on Bandcamp

J.R. Nelson — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0500

Bobby Conn re-creates his Hideout residency on Bandcamp, and more by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil Bobby Conn's ambitious and fruitful weekly March residency at the Hideout—which featured percussionist Michael Zerang and folks from KK Rampage, Mucca Pazza, Joan of Arc, and Cave, among others—went so well that he's decided to try to replicate the shows in sessions at his home studio! The Chicago avant-pop chameleon tells Gossip Wolf that he hopes to have a few albums' worth of "immediate and close to the edge" recordings—including Bobby originals, covers of Tuxedomoon, Roxy Music, and Os Mutantes, and tunes swiped from 60s naked-hippie musical Hair—available via Bandcamp as early as late May.…

Artist on Artist: Marnie Stern chats with Dave Reminick of Paper Mice

Luca Cimarusti — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:00:00 -0500

Marnie Stern talks inspiration, self-criticism, and deep-dish pizza with Dave Reminick of Paper Mice. by Luca Cimarusti Conventional songwriting isn't really Marnie Stern's thing. Though her new record, The Chronicles of Marnia (Kill Rock Stars), is packed with beautiful melodies and sticky hooks, they're not exactly spread out on a platter for you.…

In Rotation: Bassoonist Katherine Young on music from Malian cell phones

Philip Montoro — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:00:00 -0500

Current obsessions of bassoonist Katherine Young and Joan of Arc drummer Theo Katsaounis by Philip Montoro Philip Montoro, Reader music editor, is obsessed with . . . Rorcal, Vilagvege Swiss band Rorcal titled their third full-length with the Hungarian word for the end of the world.…