Tuesday, March 31, 2009

New Helicopters - "White Lily No Soul"


Download: Helicopters - "White Lily No Soul"

Mixing electronica with pan-Asian musical elements, the new song from digit-pop trio Helicopters "White Lily No Soul" is a scathing, but melodic, kiss-off against a vapid starlet. Sure, as far as targets go, that's like shooting fish in a barrel, but when the results are this ingratiating, who can complain? Download the track at the top of the post.

Helicopters MySpace Page

Monday, March 30, 2009

New Music: Mazes - "Cat State Comity"


Download: Mazes - "Cat State Comity"

Another download released for your enjoyment, courtesy of Mazes and Parasol Records. "Cat State Comity" continues the impeachable pop melodies of The 1900s. Listen to it at the top of the post.

Mazes MySpace Page

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Anni Rossi gets an 8.0 on Pitchfork


Download: Anni Rossi - "Ecology"

If you haven't already picked up Anni Rossi's latest record, Rockwell, named for the street she lives on in Chicago, then you absolutely should. Personally speaking, I'm more partial to the Afton EP which came out last fall (which I retroactively put on my best-of list for 2008, b/c I'm a dumbass), but Rockwell has more than its fair share of viola-plucked charms and unique vocal stylings. After being released on March 10th, Pitchfork has finally gotten around to reviewing Ms. Rossi's disc, and they've bestowed upon it a very great score of 8.0.

Here's the a key paragraph:

Anni Rossi's 4AD debut full-length, Rockwell...is the conclusion of a series of recording experiments taken over the last few years. Her instrumentation is so sparse that it naturally calls for the highest standards of recording to fully translate the relationship between the vocals and strings, so it's not surprising that she chose to record Rockwell with Steve Albini, albeit in a day


Read the rest of Mia Clarke's review here.

Check out video of Rossi performing in the MPLS right here.

Read my review of Rockwell for Decider Chicago here

Anni Rossi MySpace Page

(actual words by Jon Graef, but written in spirit by Ian Anderson)

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Video: Rhymefest Explains Charles Hamilton Beef


(part one)


(part two)

Rhymefest explains his diss records against hipster-rapper Charles Hamilton. Video courtesy of Fake Shore Drive

Rhymefest MySpace Page

Monday, March 16, 2009

New Music: New Ruins - "Ships"


Download: New Ruins - "Ships"

The Parasol press page for the New Ruins' new song, titled "Ships," and taken from the East Ill. group's upcoming album, We Make Our Own Bad Luck, notes that the track bears sonic resemblance to a "droney acoustic/electric rock, songs rendered in sepia-tone, awash in rural melancholy." At first, I immediately thought of Zelionople, but the moment that New Ruins jangly, mid-tempo, and definitely melancholic guitar strums popped up on "Ships," any impressions of trance disappear. Instead, what listeners get is pleasantly mobile indie-pop that, yes, is sepia-toned. Check it out at the top of the post.

New Ruins MySpace Page

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Monday, March 9, 2009

Video Blog: Wounded Roots



Watch the latest video blog from the promising up-and-comers at the top of the post.

Wounded Roots MySpace Page

Friday, March 6, 2009

Smashing Pumpkins License "Today" To Visa

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Reunited Jesus Lizard To Open Pitchfork 2009


Via Chicago Breaking News:

The reunited Jesus Lizard will play its first hometown show in 11 years July 17 at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park, promoters will announce Friday.

The noise-rock quartet broke up in 1999, but the original lineup of David Yow, Duane Denison, David Wm. Sims, and Mac McNeilly has announced plans to play a handful of shows this year while their label, Touch & Go, reissues much of their back catalogue.


I think there's a used copy of something Jesus Lizard-related with my name written all over it.

The Jesus Lizard Wiki Page

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The Sea and Cake Used In Citibank Commercial



Download: The Sea and Cake - "Car Alarm"

Found this over at Videogum. Say what you want about either Citigroup or jazz-influenced, post-rock pioneering Chicagoans The Sea and Cake, at least they're not hiring Sheryl Crow for golf outings. Incidentally, guess which bank I belong to? The answer may surprise it's Northern Trust.

Speaking of corporate and/or municipal fuckery, have you check this out yet?

The Sea and Cake MySpace Page

Alla Announce Record Release Show for "Digs"


Download: Alla - "Love Lockdown"

Everyone's favorite modern psychedelic trio Alla have announced that the CD Release Party for their covers EP Digs (yay for puns that don't reveal themselves until you read the record sleeve). The show will take place on April 2nd at Schubas Tavern. The group announced it themselves via a MySpace blog. Here's the remaining information, including openers:

Confirmed to perform so far ...

My Were They

Black..Math

and Lance of Permanent Records (our favorite record store..) spinning throughout the evening.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!..!!! Our last couple of shows at Schubas have sold out, so don't say I didn't warn you, get your tickets now!


You want to know what Alla probably doesn't dig? The Chicago Promoters Ordinance.

Alla MySpace Page

Helicoptors Appear in the "New York Post," Announce CD Re-Release Show


Download: Helicopters - "Emergency"

Eclectic electro-pop trio Helicopters have been flying all over the place lately, including papers known for publishing editorial cartoons of questionable taste. The band appeared in the New York Post's "Popwrap" music column. Here's a taste of what the Post wrote:

Helicopters mesh pop, hip hop, folk, electronica and rock in a way that may become its own genre. Each song on their junior EP is a journey into a different unique sound. And when you're a band consisting of three members (hehe, members) forming a cohesive idea can be the pits.


Well, aside from Sizing Up The Distance being an full-length LP (no?), and the completely superfluous dick joke--then again, are there any other kind?--I would say that the Post write-up was flattering praise indeed. Well done, lads.

Of course, the band wouldn't be written about in any paper, dick jokes or not, were it not for the fact the Helicopters is digitally re-releasing last year's Sizing Up The Distance. To celebrate this occasion, the band announced via their Twitter page that their CD Re-release show will take place on May 5th at the Double Door.

That is, unless the DD hasn't been driven out of business yet by the Chicago's Promoters Ordinance.

Helicopters MySpace Page

Video: Andrew Bird - "Fitz and Dizzyspells"

Andrew Bird with Mucca Pazza - "Fitz & The Dizzyspells”


Filmed at the Hideout, one of the many excellent venues in the city which would be affected by the utterly heinous Chicago Promoter's Ordinance. Additionally, the marching band? Mucca Pazza.

Andrew Bird MySpace Page

Monday, March 2, 2009

New Music: Kanye West on VH1 Storytellers




Fake Shore Drive
was kind enough to upload a mixtape of Kanye West's appearance on VH1's storytellers. Download it in whole here.

Videos: Jimmy Eat World Live @ The Metro (2-28-09)


(Jimmy Eat World - "No Sensitivity")

For those who missed third-wave emo touchstone Jimmy Eat World's Don't-Look-Back-esque performance of their 1999 classic Clarity, worry not: As always, YouTube's got you covered. Several videos of the quartet have emerged. Naturally, some videos are of a better visual quality than others, but sound is decent on all. Check them out:


(Jimmy Eat World - "Lucky Denver Mint")


(Jimmy Eat World - "What I Would Say To You Now")

Watch more here.