Oh My Rockness

Broken Water are a trio from Olympia that play post-punk shoegaze that's darkly melodic. Their songs go all noisy and sludgy and swirly and distorted-y and, well, have you ever heard of this up-and-coming band called Sonic Youth? I think they're from New York City or something? Broken Water kind of sound like that band Sonic Youth - but maybe a little more shrouded in melancholy.

All three members (drummer Kanako Pooknyw + guitarist Jon Hanna + bassist Abigail Ingram) share vocal duties. You know, like the Partridge Family. And all three of the peeps in this band sound like they're singing about something sad (that's my guess anyway... I can't really hear the lyrics over the intense "wall of sound" - thanks a lot for that invention of yours, Kevin Shields).

But what you really need to know about Broken Water is that this band is super tight and "rocks out" (sorry, couldn't come up with a better term). That tends to happen when you have a couple hundred shows under your belt. And, you know, you're good. Get Broken Water's most recent album on Hardly Art. You'll be glad you paid someone money for it. And for goodness sake, go see them play next time they're around. I mean, that's what these band profiles are all about, right? Right, guys? Right? Guys?



Broken Water play Empty Bottle, on Tuesday, May 28th.

I’ll admit I was hesitant to check out Nude Beach because they are called... Nude Beach. The last thing anybody needs is for things to get more beachy around here. But I quickly discovered that Brooklyn’s (by way of Long Island) Nude Beach doesn’t sound anything like surfing or waves or haze. At all. Actually, this just sounds like good old American poppy rock ‘n roll.

Nude Beach has an early Elvis Costello/Paul Westerberg vibe going on. You can also make a case for Springsteen. But I hear more like a little bit of early Johnny Cougar (way before the “Wild Night” era - a song I’m totally cool with never hearing again). So just to reiterate. Nude Beach definitely does not sound like Brian Wilson or Phil Spector. And they definitely don’t use reverb. Whew.

So what DOES Nude Beach do? Well, pardner. I’m sure glad you asked that. This good old good time band rocks that scratchy power pop that makes you want to go out and shoot some pool down there at the only sticks hall in town. These songs that are meant to get you “up” might even give you the gumption to go hustle a few of the locals while you’re at it. Or, get hustled yourself. Hell. It’s ok. It’s all good. It’s only money and everyone is there just to have a good old time. I believe that means getting drunk on cloudy mugs of cold beer. But you can interpret a good time any old way you want to. It’s all good. pardner.

If you like bands that just sound like (there’s really no better way to put this) good old rock ‘n roll, you very well might like Nude Beach. If you like music that sounds like an ocean paddle out, this might not be the band for you. This band is for the real people in the small towns. And I do believe there was once a Johnny Cougar song about all that.



Nude Beach play Empty Bottle, on Tuesday, June 25th.

Click here to view all the new FREE SUMMER SHOWS >>

SELECT SHOWS ADDED TO THE SITE THIS WEEK

6/02 The Whigs, Deap Vally @ Subterranean
6/07 NGUZUNGUZU @ Primary
6/12 Russell Brand @ Chicago Theatre
6/12 Free Time @ Empty Bottle
6/13 David Cross @ Chicago Theatre
6/14 Seth Meyers @ Chicago Theatre
6/15 South of France @ Beat Kitchen
6/15 Bob Newhart @ Chicago Theatre
6/16 Bill Maher @ Chicago Theatre
6/21 My Gold Mask, California Wives @ Hideout
6/22 Forgetters @ Schubas
6/27 Torres @ Empty Bottle
6/28 Big Star's Third @ Vic Theater
6/29 CSS, IO Echo @ Lincoln Hall
7/06 Deafheaven @ Subterranean
7/13 W. Kamau Bell @ Park West
7/14 Tortoise @ Empty Bottle
7/16 Magic Milk @ Empty Bottle
7/17 Said the Whale @ Bottom Lounge
7/24 Bosnian Rainbows @ Bottom Lounge
7/26 Ryan Leslie @ Metro
7/27 The Draft @ Lincoln Hall
8/27 The Cult @ House of Blues Chicago
9/02 Chandeliers @ Empty Bottle
9/03 Pinback @ Lincoln Hall
9/13 Schedule TBD, Guided By Voices @ Humboldt Park (Riot Fest)
9/14 Schedule TBD, Fall Out Boy, Blink-182, Violent Femmes, Motorhead, Rancid, Public Enemy, Brand New, FLAG (Keith, Chuck, Bill, Dez & Stephen, Guided By Voices, and many more! @ Humboldt Park (Riot Fest)
9/15 Schedule TBD, Fall Out Boy, Blink-182, Violent Femmes, Motorhead, Rancid, Public Enemy, Brand New, FLAG (Keith, Chuck, Bill, Dez & Stephen, Guided By Voices, and many more! @ Humboldt Park (Riot Fest)
9/27 Iron and Wine @ Chicago Theatre
10/11 Boyce Avenue @ Vic Theater
10/31 FIDLAR, The Orwells @ Subterranean
AND MORE...
VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Peals is a new duo from Baltimore. Their names are William Cashion - he’s in Future Islands - and Bruce Willen - he was in Double Dagger (RIP - may you be still playing as Double Dagger in Heaven - or something). Two fine Baltimore bands right there.

Actually, you might as well not even click on those two links up there and read more about Future Islands or Double Dagger. It’ll just throw you off the scent. Because this isn’t punk, you see. This is Walden Pond. And it’s easy. It’s easy like a Sunday morning (unless you work in retail or in the food or hotel industry or you’re a cop etc. - for you guys and gals, this is easy like a Tuesday morning...or whenever your day off is - perhaps you would’ve figured out what i meant regardless - but really, i just wanted to include you weekend heroes in this space here).

Using mostly quiet guitars (they explode sometimes like Mogwai - but very rarely), warm sounding keyboards, and various stringed things (that’s the classically trained technical term) Peals will set you adrift on memory bliss with their tranquil homemade instrumental soundscapes. And what is a soundscape exactly? I don’t know. It’s a word used to describe pretty stuff, I think.

But I do know this. Peals’ music is minimal. It’s peaceful. It feels like field recordings (I don’t know if they actually went to any fields to record - I wasn’t there - the wind chimes suggest someone’s super chill backyard). AND...wait for it...this band’s music is interesting. I bet you thought this was going to be boring, what, with the fields and the wind chimes and all that. Let me tell you what. Boring, this is not.

Peals’ debut album “Walking Field” is set to come out on Thrill Jockey because of course it is. That’s the perfect label for this sublime, soundscapable* journey (*well it’s a word now).

Listening to this band makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And right now, I’m just high on life...............and on Peals too.



Peals don't have any shows scheduled....yet....but save them using your MY ROCKNESS ACCOUNT and we'll let YOU know when they're playing Chicago... as soon as WE know. Cool? Cool.

Chrome Sparks is Jeremy Malvin from Ann Arbor (how doooo... how do I finnnnndddd herrrrrr! - sorry, that's a Get Up Kids song.... called Ann Arbor..... once again.... I'm sorry). Malvin also plays drummer in another recent Rockness fav, Stepdad . Just thought you should know!

As Chrome Sparks, Malvin makes chill (and slightly soulful) instrumental beats using, well, whatever one-man bands use to make their beats (apples and wires and levers, I think). Chrome Sparks has a good jam called "Marijuana." Now I only bring this up because the title might give you some further insight into Chrome Sparks' sound. Of course, I certainly wouldn't know anything about marijuana itself (aka "the pot") myself because it's illegal and I don't touch the stuff and anyway the most important point I'm trying to make here is.... wait, I lost my train of thought. Oh well. Nevermind.

So give Chrome Sparks a whirl if you like your tunes to be massively chill. And if you like, I don't know, let's say Clams Casino meets Washed Out (I'm sure chill dudes hate that comparison by now, but whattya gonna do) meets Balam Acab meets Abdecaf meets Com Truise. How about that?



Chrome Sparks play with Anamanaguchi and Infinity Shred, at Lincoln Hall, on Saturday, May 25th.

5/25 Chance The Rapper @ Metro
5/26 Chance The Rapper @ Metro
6/15 Superhumanoids @ Hideout
6/16 Eleventh Dream Day @ Hideout
6/18 Giraffage @ Schubas
6/29 Owen @ Beat Kitchen
6/29 Owen @ Beat Kitchen
7/24 Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Chicago Theatre
7/24 Rx Bandits @ Metro
8/08 The Appleseed Cast @ Fireside Bowl
8/09 The Appleseed Cast @ Fireside Bowl
8/23 Black Flag @ Cobra Lounge
8/30 Schedule TBD, Purity Ring @ Union Park (North Coast Festival)
8/31 Schedule TBD, Wu Tang Clan, Afrojack, Big Gigantic, Nas, Lotus, Purity Ring, and more tba! @ Union Park (North Coast Festival)
9/01 Schedule TBD, Wu Tang Clan, Afrojack, Big Gigantic, Nas, Lotus, Purity Ring, and more tba! @ Union Park (North Coast Festival)
9/06 tba @ Hideout (A.V. Fest & Hideout Block Party)
9/07 tba @ Hideout (A.V. Fest & Hideout Block Party)
9/10 Deerhunter @ Metro
10/25 Despareceidos @ Metro
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Toronto's Moon King are a noisy indie-dream-garage-experimental-punk duo (got all that? cool.) led by drummer/vocalist Dan Woodhead (who's recently played with his brother’s band Doldrums as well as the mighty Grimes) and guitarist/vocalist Maddy Wilde.

Woodhead, who was in this band Spiral Beach who I don't know but the cool kids in Toronto sure seem to, has also said that Moon King's going for an "electronic folk" feel. Not really what I'm hearing, but if the man says it then I'm sure electronic folk is in there, too.

Basically to me, this sounds like a fun '80s pop party that's been punked up and blasted out by the happier cousin of My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields or something. Or, maybe Matt & Kim meets The Thermals meets Rich Aucoin. Pick whichever you want of those two descriptions and run with it. I won't mind.

The most important thing you should probably know is that Moon King is meant for happy times. They're the kind of punk that's made by people having fun up there on that stage. But you know about those drummer/singer + guitarist/singer duos... those duos are always pretty jovial.

Moon King's debut album is being released on One Big Silence, the record label run by Fucked Up's Mike Haliechuk. Into it.



Moon King open for The Thermals, at Lincoln Hall, on Thursday, May 16th.

London’s Wolf Alice is a new band of four that should be pretty popular. Maybe they already are pretty popular over there “Across the Pond” (i just made that term up right now). Who knows what the hell goes on there over there. They don’t even have cell phones. They have mobiles.

Led by singer Ellie Rowsell, the band rocks a new version of ‘90s “alternative music” (i just made up that term right now too). You know, that sound that had those guitars that sometimes sounded a little....what’s the word....grunge-y? Yeah. That’s it. But sometimes Wolf Alice guitars also go all noodle-y. You like those noodles sometimes, right? Right. Also, in their quieter moments Wolf Alice can even sound a bit....what’s the word...lush? Yeah. That’s it. Lush.

This is all very melodic and accessible and very radio ready...if this were 1995. In 2013, Wolf Alice is all very streamable. Very, very streamable. Think Elastica. Veruca Salt. Hole. Mazzy Star. Garbage. Silversun Pickups. Wait. What? Band comparisons are silly. But I still do them. All. The. Time.

Listen to Wolf Alice’s song “Every Cloud.” Note. It’s not a great representation of Wolf Alice at their most ‘90s grunge-y. This is one of those times they sound lush. It’s a good song. But sample some more to really get what they’re throwing down. You know? Yeah. You know.

(Wolf Alice should tour with Speedy Ortiz....and I should mind my own business.)



Alice Wolf don't have any shows scheduled....yet....but save them using your free My Rockness account and we'll let YOU know when they're playing Chicago...as soon as WE know. Cool? Cool.

Click here to view all the new FREE SUMMER SHOWS >>

SELECT SHOWS ADDED TO THE SITE THIS WEEK

5/23 Laura Marling @ Athenaeum Theater
6/02 Calexico @ City Winery
6/03 Small Black, Heavenly Beat @ Schubas
6/05 The Field @ Empty Bottle
6/06 The Bronx, FIDLAR @ Double Door
6/08 The Uncluded (Aesop Rock & Kimya Dawson) @ Old Town School of Folk Music
6/14 LadyHawke (DJ Set), Stepdad, Kisses @ City Winery (Taste of Randolph After Party)
6/17 Tricky @ Metro
6/23 Blake Schwarzenbach @ Schubas
6/29 Cayucas @ Schubas
7/05 Squarepusher @ Metro
7/06 The Fresh & Onlys @ Beat Kitchen
7/06 Margot and The Nuclear So & So's @ Lincoln Hall
7/12 Oberhofer @ Schubas
7/17 The Polyphonic Spree @ Park West
7/26 Keren Ann @ City Winery
7/26 Cults @ Subterranean
7/27 Cults @ Wicker Park Summerfest
7/28 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists @ Wicker Park Summerfest
8/04 Tim Barry @ Metro
8/18 Jimmy Eat World @ Vic Theater
8/31 Austra @ Lincoln Hall
9/21 Pere Ubu @ Empty Bottle
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

BAM! BAM! BAM! And then it's over. That's essentially the experience you'll have listening to this band. You'll get beat up and then you'll be sad your pummeling didn't last longer.

Metz is a LOUD post-punk (whatever that means anymore) trio from Toronto that fire off the short ferocious riffs that just got their noisy ass selves signed to Sub Pop. That's what happens when you make dangerous music that RULEZ (my 11-year-old cousin told me to Caps Lock that word and end it with a 'Z' when I REALLY mean it).

If you feel like going to a show that will make you feel like you want to explode all over the venue's walls due to sheer bombastic pleasure, I suggest hooking up with Metz.

If you don't want a show that will make you want to explode all over the venue's walls, I can't say I blame you. It's a messy experience. But I also can't say you won't be missing out. If I'm going to splatter to pieces, at least it was a GUITAR and a BASS and DRUMS and DISTORTION that destroyed me. BAM! BAM! BAM! (And now it's over.)



METZ play Lincoln Hall, on Sunday, May 12th.

I’m loving the power pop revolution that seems to be happening these days in this scene (what this scene is - i do not know). Because I’m not ashamed to admit it. Yes, sir. I love guitar jingle. And yes, ma’am. I love guitar jangle too. And while we’re at it, by George and by gum, I also love singing jingle jangle songs in the shower! (whew what a load off my soul that admission was - and sorry for the rough language there)

Drowners makes good shower singing music (please note the water theme). I can easily belt some of these catchy choruses while killing time before the conditioner has set on my roots or whatever the hell it needs to take so long to do. I mean, I haven’t sung this in the shower YET. But I’m willing to try it out anytime. The truth has set me free so I don’t even care. How about tonight? Does tonight work with your schedule?

NYC’s Drowners play really nice power pop. Please note: this is more rock than indiepop. More earnest than delicate. The Drowners get compared to The Strokes and The Vaccines a lot. But they’re not really as fuzzy. Drowners rock a sound that’s a little more clean. Like Big Star. Or The Records. Or The Raspberries. Or Shoes. You know what that sound is also called? It’s called jingle. And it’s called jangle. Wait. Maybe that’s two sounds. Might need to hyphen it to make it one. But gosh, I just love jingle-jangle. (again, pardon my french - sheesh, I really have a sailor’s tongue today)

Start with Drowners song, “Long Hair.” Go ahead. It’s right there below these words. Isn’t it super catchy? That jingle! That jangle! Forget tonight. I’m ready to sing in the shower right NOW. I’ll go heat up the water and then I’ll text you the directions to.....um.....to the next Drowners show. Obviously. What. You didn’t expect me to invite you over to sing in the shower.....together...did you?? I would never (perspiration forms on brow) assume you’d want to do something (nervously tugs at collar) like that. Haha. Ha. Ha.......ha. (slinks away in shame)



Add Drowners to your list of Saved Bands on your My Rockness account and we'll let you know when they're playing LA as soon as we know. Cool? Cool.

Click here to view all the new FREE SUMMER SHOWS >>

SELECT SHOWS ADDED TO THE SITE THIS WEEK

5/18 Outer Minds, Sybris @ Hideout
5/20 MS MR, Magic Man @ Schubas
5/22 Kastle @ Lincoln Hall
5/25 Bob Mould @ Metro
6/01 Advance Base @ The Burlington
6/08 Hands @ Schubas
6/12 The Blank Tapes @ Schubas
6/18 Liquor Store @ Empty Bottle
6/20 Face to Face @ Bottom Lounge
6/20 The Luyas, Julian Lynch @ Empty Bottle
6/20 Portugal. The Man, Guards @ House of Blues Chicago
6/25 The Zombies @ Mayne Stage
7/08 Anberlin @ Subterranean
7/10 Delta Spirit @ Grant Park (Petrillo Music Shell - Taste of Chicago)
7/12 Bob Dylan, Wilco, My Morning Jacket @ Toyota Park
7/14 The Mowgli's @ Grant Park (Petrillo Music Shell - Taste of Chicago)
7/27 Reigning Sound @ Beat Kitchen
9/26 The xx @ Aragon Ballroom
9/27 Prong @ Metro
9/28 Cocks Members @ Metro
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

VIEW ALL FREE SUMMER SHOWS HERE >>

San Francisco’s Shannon and the Clams are vocalist/bassist Shannon Shaw (she was one of Hunx’s punks) and vocalist/bassist Cody Blanchard and drummer/bassist Ian Amberson (ok, he’s not a bassist too - just drums, man - just drums). Together, the trio make something like surf-soul-doo-wop-garage-punk.

Don’t roll your eyes at me. Chill. I didn’t say this WAS surf-soul-doo-wop-garage-punk. Obviously that would be a ridiculous made-up musical genre...and an abuse of hyphens...and would be like throwing a bunch of historical sound descriptors against the wall and hoping one of them sticks...before slowly sliding down to rest in a pile of its own filth. I would never resort to such tricks. That’s why I said it was LIKE surf-soul-doo-wop-garage-punk. What it IS is pop music.

I’ll tell you what else this is. Shannon and the Clams is a good time. This is like a sloppy 1960s sock hop - the kind crammed with slipshod punks and pranksters - who could be menacing - but could also dance like a dream. Wait. Maybe I’m just thinking of “Grease.” No. Wait. Maybe I’m thinking of “Grease 2.” Man, I always do that. Maybe it’s because it’s the exact same rags-to-coolness story except the genders are reversed. Cool times, producer bros.

Shannon and the Clams have a new album coming out on Hardly Art (Black Marble + Seapony + Woven Bones + lots more good bands). It’ll be good. They’re also currently touring with Ty Segall’s bb, Mikal Cronin. He’s good too. So I guess the action is hot hot HOT for these guys. It was only a matter of time before a surf-soul-doo-wop-garage-punk craze swept the nation. I’ve been predicting it for years.



Shannon and the Clams play with Mikal Cronin at the Empty Bottle, on Tuesday, June 11th.

Brooklyn's Hunters are a post-thrash-garage-punk band (I dunno, guys) featuring the dueling yelps of Derek Watson on Isabel Almeida. These dirty, distorted guitar/bass/drums jams of mild destruction definitely recall those trashy days of Williamsburg, Brooklyn circa 2002 (this band would've been rolling with Liars and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at, I don't know, Luxx or somewhere.). Remember that era? It was back before the condos controlled Bedford and back when you could smoke in bars while drinking a 32 oz. container of beer for, like, three bucks or something. Those were good days.

So Hunters aren't reinventing any of rock's wheels with this familiar sound. But it's a good sound. It's a sound that makes me want to mix it up in a bout of joyful fisticuffs. So why not let this sound get another solid go-around? I mean, what is this sound supposed to do after retiring ten years ago anyway? How long can this sound sit in Florida and bide its time before a lonely 4:30pm dinner? That's not punk rock, guys!

If you missed that old Brooklyn scene filled with all those wonderfully filthy and superbly scummy bands - here it comes again, I guess. Get on the train this time. If you want to. If not, that's fine too. It's only rock 'n roll, bros.

Now who wants to go get a chicken slice at Anna Maria's and then go explore abandoned piers in the East River?



Hunters play with Bleached and Ex Cops, at Subterranean, on Saturday, April 27th.

We have a pair of tickets to give away to each of two upcoming DEER TICK shows at City Winery, on Tuesday 5/7 and Wednesday 5/8!

For show information and tickets, click here.


Deer Tick covers Harvey Danger

Enter your name and email address below for a chance to win. Only one entry per email address will be accepted. Winners will be randomly selected on 5/3. Good luck!

NEW: FREE SUMMER SHOWS!!

SELECT SHOWS ADDED TO THE SITE THIS WEEK

5/07 Deer Tick @ City Winery
5/08 Deer Tick @ City Winery
5/08 Dillinger Escape Plan @ Reggie's Rock Club
5/21 Lissie @ Lincoln Hall
5/27 Lee Ranaldo @ Millennium Park (Downtown Sound)
6/01 Ariel Pink, Night Moves @ Do Divsion Street Festival
6/02 Gaslamp Killer, Beat Connection, JEFF The Brotherhood @ Do Divsion Street Festival
6/03 Sharon Van Etten @ Millennium Park (Downtown Sound)
6/06 Eternal Summers @ Empty Bottle
6/10 Glen Hansard @ Millennium Park (Downtown Sound)
6/12 Christopher Owens @ Hideout
6/14 Divine Fits, The Joy Formidable, Milo Greene, Bear in Heaven @ Taste of Randolph Street (June 14 - June 16 - schedule TBA)
6/16 The Mountain Goats @ Evanston Space
6/17 The Mountain Goats @ Lincoln Hall
6/17 Bernhoft @ Schubas
6/21 Sonny and the Sunsets @ Beat Kitchen
6/26 Bleeding Rainbow @ Empty Bottle
6/26 Two Gallants @ Lincoln Hall
6/27 Rogue Wave, Caveman @ Lincoln Hall
6/27 Matmos @ Millennium Park (Loops and Variations)
6/28 Rogue Wave, Caveman @ Lincoln Hall
7/02 Matt Pond PA @ Bottom Lounge
7/08 Dawes @ Millennium Park (Downtown Sound)
7/11 Kurt Vile and the Violators @ Metro
7/11 Dan Deacon @ Millennium Park (Loops and Variations)
7/12 Psalm One @ Lincoln Hall
7/18 Olafur Arnalds @ Millennium Park (Loops and Variations)
7/22 Melvins @ Double Door
7/27 Ted Leo & the Pharmacists @ Subterranean
8/31 Mudhoney @ Mayne Stage
9/21 Jake Bugg @ Metro
10/30 City and Colour @ Riviera Theatre
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Bay Area punks, Wax Idols, rock the yelping distorted ditties. Ask yer Granpaw what a dittie is. He wouldn't know or like Wax Idols though. Unless he's the coolest ol' summabitch of a Granpaw. Ok. Nevermind that now. Nevermind that now.

This band is powered by Heather Fedewa (ex-Hunx & His Punx and a bunch of other bands) who may or may not be the long lost love child of Joan Jett and Richard Hell. I mean, she's not. But I guess there is an infinitesimal chance for anything happening in this unknowable mechanism that is the world, yeah? No? Oh.

So yeah. Back to the beginning. This is punk rock. You know what that is. But it also has elements of that swirly wave-y gloom going on too. Bet you know what that is too. And oh yeah. You can dance to Wax Idols too. I don't know why. But you most definitely can.

I think all this means you can call Wax Idols "post-punk." Although that name doesn't mean anything. I heard a new Kenny Chesney song today while strolling around the Bed, Bath and Beyond. It was made in 2013. Which is after 1977. Therefore, all the songs Kenny Chesney has ever made are "post-punk." I knew I liked that ol' summabitch Kenny Chesney for a reason. This duvet I just bought will always remind me of him.

I like Wax Idols too. Maybe you will. Maybe you won't. But I believe you will. Because I believe in YOU.



Wax Idols play two upcoming shows. At Permanent Records for Record Store Day, on Saturday, April 20th, and again later that night at The Empty Bottle.

If you like Metz, The Soupcans should be one of your new favorite bands. And I'm not just saying that because both bands are trios from Toronto who play fun, thrash-y punk with lots of noisy distortion and super strong melodies and stuff. OR AM I?????

No, I'm not. I'm saying if you like Metz you might like The Soupcans because both are really good bands. And isn't that what this is all about? Attempting to lead you on a transcendent path from one good band to another good band to another and another ad infinitum until we both realize that this seemingly never-ending quest to find musical enlightenment is, in the Grand Scheme of things, a completely transitory one? Holy Smokes! You betcha, it is!

Any-who, let's toss some more comparisons at ya: The Soupcans also kind of sound like Richard Hell fronting The Stooges fronting The Sex Pistols fronting.....oooh, I was just about to say Metz. But I didn't. And therefore I did. So put that in your categorical box and smoke it.

Final thought about The Soupcans: this is aggressive, loud, and intense. But contrary to the norm when those adjectives are involved, this doesn't sound angry. At all. It's super fun, actually. So let's not call this punk. Let's call this "optimistic catharsis-core." Yeah. Sounds like a genre label that's really going to take off. More like Oh My SUCKness.

The Soupcans play sick PUNK that DESTROYS. The end.



The Soupcans play a free show at Permanent Records, on Saturday, April 20th. That's 420. Also known as National...no that's now what I was going to say. Record Store Day. It's also known as Record Store Day. (yeahhhhhh!)

Goldroom is Josh Legg. When he's not in the band NightWaves, he's busy as a producer/remixer who mostly works in the "sun-drenched electro pop" category. Is that a category? It is now. Regardless, he seems pretty obsessed with making blissful melodies. The nerve of him.

Along with his instantly accessible original pop jams, Goldroom is also one hell of a remixer. He's got the skills to pay the... hmmm, anyone have a word that rhymes with skills here? Nevermind. Anyway, Goldroom has done a ton of exceptional remixes for bands like Citizens! and Nicki and the Dove and Penguin Prison to name but a few.

Do you like Fred Falke's remixes? I don't. I LOVE them. And Goldroom's remixes are right up there with Fred Falke. Bet. You know what Goldroom's jams really sound like though? Vacation.

It's true. I'm listening to the guy right now. And sure, my body may be in a dark and cramped bedroom with a window that overlooks a dirty concrete courtyard, but my mind is drifting around right now on something inflatable over something wet. Bet.



Goldroom plays Beauty Bar, on Thursday, April 18th.

You know what band ruled that never 100% got their nationwide due? Baltimore's Double Dagger. They hit it hard (I would've loved to see a Double Dagger and Japandroids tour). So yeah, I was bummed when that band called it quits.

But DD drummer Denny Bowen has a new band that hits it hard, too. That band is Roomrunner. And this sludgy lo-fi punk rock is SICK. This furious band of four (in the studio Bowen plays all the instruments himself) reminds me a little bit of a slightly more accessible Lightning Bolt meets a less accessible Nirvana.

Roomrunner themselves say they're "Foo Fighters covering U.S. Maple." That's a great call. They must know their own music better than I do. Imagine that. So basically, if you want to go see a band that just really "rocks out" (there's no way to say that without sounding cheesy, but sometimes those are just the right two words... sometimes they're the right two words, guys) then you should go see Roomrunner.

In closing, it's never too late to get into a band, still together or not. So if you missed Double Dagger - you can still get into them by blasting them from your speakers STAT. Not the same as seeing them live, but it will still make you "rock out" pretty good.



Roomrunner plays The Empty Bottle with Marnie Stern, on Wednesday, April 17th.

SELECT SHOWS ADDED TO THE SITE THIS WEEK

5/03 Oh Land @ Lincoln Hall
5/04 Titus Andronicus @ Metro
5/15 Digitalism @ Bottom Lounge
5/16 Four Tet (DJ Set) @ Metro (SMARTBAR)
6/02 inc. @ Empty Bottle
6/07 Rachael Yamagata @ Lincoln Hall
6/11 CHVRCHES @ Lincoln Hall
6/16 The Heavy @ Double Door
6/18 Fitz and the Tantrums @ Metro
6/19 Fitz and the Tantrums @ Metro
6/22 ADULT @ Empty Bottle
6/29 Naked Raygun @ Metro
7/05 - 7/07 Audion (Matthew Dear), Caspa, Justice, Diplo, Nicolas Jaar, Rusko, and more!, Schedule TBD @ Montrose Beach (Wavefront)
7/10 The Cat Empire @ House of Blues Chicago
7/12 Come @ Empty Bottle
7/26 Ozomatli @ House of Blues Chicago
8/16 Angel Olsen @ Lincoln Hall
10/08 Marky Ramone @ Metro
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Container is Ren Schofield from Providence. He makes complicated instrumental techno madness that you can somehow almost dance to - maybe. It goes weird and it goes straight. It's challenging, but sometimes really accessible. And it's got those big time club beats often laid over piercing screeches of electronic misdirection. It's all over the place. And it's just right.

Consider Container the work of a man interested in making tight rhythmic meanderings that relaxes your mind which then allows your body to follow. Thus, the dancing. Maybe. But whatever you do, don't overthink this. You gotta feel this. And when you start to feel it, settle in and let its magic both confuse and delight you.

So yes. After reviewing the words above, apparently I can't make sense of Container either. But I like it. I sure do like it. And now if you'll excuse me. I'm going to go blast it. Yes. I. Am.



Container plays The Burlington, on Monday, April 8th.

Like The Barreracudas, Oakland's Warm Soda (ex-Bare Wires) was also one of the best bands I saw at SXSW 2013. Maybe I'm just really into retro '70s FM pop these days. I don't know how these things happen, dear Rockness reader. I don't know. But I don't worry or overthink these phases or tendencies. I just cast my fate to the wind and hope for the best.

Warm Soda are so nice I saw them twice down there in Austin, Texas. (And I would have seen them three times but I was too busy eating Doritos and wondering where it all went wrong.) These guys rock the power-glam-garage-pop that sounds big and legit and, well, real. Yes. You heard that here first. They sounded like a real band. Shocking. Of course, sounding "real" shouldn't be as rare of an occurrence as it is. But you know how it is with this newfangled technology these days. The software and buttons and plugs and wires can make everyone sound like a rock star....in their bedroom....or on their bandcamp page. It's another thing entirely to sound like a rock star from the stage. Live, Warm Soda are rock stars. I was there. I saw it. I heard it. Twice. Did I mention that?

Somewhat relatedly, I hear this band The Strokes (ask your parents, kids) have a new record coming out. If they tour for it (and ye$$$ they most certainly will tour for it), they should consider asking Warm Soda to open for them. Just my two cents - which instead of buying a booking opinion, I could have used to buy a piece of gum - and then I could've blown a giant bubble while I blasted Warm Soda. I bet these guys go great with bubblegum. And whisky. But I don't have enough money for whisky.

Please give these guys a spin below. Oh wait. I mean, a stream. An embedded play. Or something. I still don't totally understand these newfangled technology terms. I think you'll like what you hear. Go big. Go real. Or go home. That's my motto. And I'm sticking to it. Until I decide to get into a new motto. And get into some other genre other than '70s FM pop. Tribal ballet looks promising for me to embrace in 2014. But who knows. I just cast my fate to the wind, guys.



Warm Soda plays Space Club, on Saturday, April 6th.

Stepdad is a grandiose synth band from Grand Rapids (via Chicago - huh - don't see that move every day) that makes oddball-8-bit-nerdo-party-pop. If any nerds were offended by my use of nerdo, I sincerely apologize and wish to buy you a mint vintage figurine of your choice at a later date.

While still slightly under the radar (though we're still not sure who's shooting this famous "radar," anyway) Stepdad's super accessible songs are definitely going to find a larger and dedicated audience. Those who get it are going to GET it.

Think of Stepdad as rocking something that could be compared to video game heroes Anamanaguchi meets upcoming Madison Square Garden headliners Passion Pit (sheeeet, I saw them at Pianos!). Hmm. Am I comparing Stepdad to Passion Pit because Stepdad's debut full-length is being produced by Chris Zane who did Double P's album (and Holy Ghost....and Les Savy Fav...and The Walkmen...and a bunch of other really good bands)? You'll never know, guys. You'll never know.

Oh yeah. Stepdad recently played with Rich Aucoin. That's a pretty perfect pairing (check Rich out - he's sorta under that guy/girl's famous radar too).

In closing, nerdos - when you find what you want on eBay let me know - it has to be under $2.75 though.



Stepdad plays the Bottom Lounge, on Tuesday, April 2nd.

SELECT SHOWS ADDED TO THE SITE THIS WEEK

4/18 Scotland Yard Gospel Choir @ The Burlington
4/26 Free Energy @ Lincoln Hall
4/27 Ivan & Alyosha @ Schubas
4/28 The Lemonheads @ Lincoln Hall
5/01 Beach Fossils @ Subterranean
5/03 Colleen Green, Jaill @ Empty Bottle
5/04 Arrington de Dionyso's Malaikat dan Singa @ The Burlington
5/06 Bill Callahan (smog) @ Garfield Park Conservatory
5/20 Jamaican Queens @ Empty Bottle
5/21 Secret Chiefs 3 @ Schubas
5/28 Broken Water @ Empty Bottle
5/28 The Staves @ Schubas
5/31 Sea Wolf @ Lincoln Hall
6/05 Beacon @ Schubas
6/06 American Nightmare / Give Up the Ghost @ Metro
6/08 The Dandy Warhols @ Vic Theater
6/10 CHVRCHES @ Lincoln Hall
6/15 Dent May @ Schubas
6/20 Shakey Graves @ Schubas
6/21 AM & Shawn Lee @ Schubas
6/21 Manchester Orchestra @ Subterranean
6/24 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin @ Schubas
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Long live guitars like these! London's Cheatahs (yes, that's a sic - as in "I'm gonna sic you if you don't listen to their jam that I put below these words") are a super solid new band that tap into the gone-but-not-forgotten heyday of old school shoegaze.

Swervedriver circa "Raise" 1991 is definitely represented in Cheatah’s noisy guitar swirls. And also the pretty melodies of For Against - a forever good shoegaze band (formed in 1984) that never seem to get their due (but are still doing it - punk. rock.). And how about Ride at their "Twisterella" finest? To answer my own question, I hear that too (along with lots of other voices in my head... that... never... shut.... up).

If old band comparisons aren't your thing (quite understandable), Cheatahs could also do a tour with new-ish band Yuck, and I'm 99% confident no one would leave those shows saying, "Well, that was a weird pairing!" But Cheatahs aren't doing a tour with Yuck. As of this writing (January, 201... wait... this license plate says 1972 and OMG I just saw Moonlight Graham!) these guys are touring with Wavves. Huh. Who knew? You knew. That's who.

Can I throw out some other good old band comparisons - bands that aren't even shoegaze? I just feel like it today. Afghan Whigs, Sebadoh, Hum, and a less croaky J Mascis. OK. Thanks!

I can definitely see these Cheatahs guys going big time. And that's the highest compliment I know how to give (I'm emotionally stunted in the compliment department since the phantom voices in my head were my only childhood friends..... oh I KID I KID YOU. LOL. YOINKS. J to the K!) Not kidding about this band though. Big. Time.



Cheatahs play (with WAVVES + FIDLAR!) at The Smell, on Monday, April 22nd.

The Orwells are an up-and-coming (whatever that expression means anymore) band of five teenagers from Elmhurst ("where you always save more money"), Illinois - just outside of Chicago. West Suburbs: let me hear you! I said LET ME HEAR YOU!

These dudes crank up the sloppy garage classic soul rock 'n roll. It's dirty. It's scratchy. It's messy. It's boozy (albeit underage, I guess). And it's poppy as hell. It's hard to believe these guys are still in high school. There is some seriously mature craftsmanship going on here. But then again, I shouldn't be THAT surprised. I mean, Paul McCartney was 18 when The Beatles formed. And George Harrison was 17. So... I'm just saying, guys. I'm just saying.

The Orwells rock some rhythms most tight (not easy for ANY band of five). And the extended guitar solos soar when they need to soar. But mostly, this music is tightly contained - like a perfectly wrapped box of condensed aggression. And the lyrics are solid - like telling us to toss our bullets and hide our guns and help the children have some fun - relying on just the right amount of wryness. Geez. When I was in high school I wrote stuff like, "When I was at home. I felt so alone. So I called you on the phone. But you had already flown. Then my heart turned to stone." Wait. Maybe that was college.

Anyway, go see these guys play when you're in the mood to burn a few extra calories bopping your body around. Or, you could just stand there like a statue at their show, too. I don't care what you do. I just want you to give 'em a chance. Because they're all sorts of sweaty fun.

The Orwells - Who Needs You from Tony and Gabe on Vimeo.

The Orwells play the Beat Kitchen, on Saturday, March 23rd.

4/06 Warm Soda @ Space Club
4/15 Solange @ Bottom Lounge
4/18 AraabMUZIK @ The Mid
5/04 Pure X @ Beat Kitchen
5/15 Sir Sly @ Empty Bottle
5/16 The Thermals @ Lincoln Hall
5/17 Vito & Druzzi (The Rapture) @ Beauty Bar
5/19 MS MR @ Schubas
5/25 Anamanaguchi @ Lincoln Hall
5/25 Matt Pryor (of The Get Up Kids) @ Schubas
5/27 Arrington de Dionyso @ Schubas
5/31 Devendra Banhart @ Park West
6/04 The Hush Sound @ Metro
6/07 The Stranglers @ Cobra Lounge
6/07 Eleanor Friedberger (The Fiery Furnaces), TEEN @ Empty Bottle
6/07 Baths @ Metro
6/08 The Stranglers @ Cobra Lounge
6/24 Cold Cave @ Empty Bottle
10/02 Atoms for Peace @ UIC Pavilion
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

LA's Sky Ferreira (who was apparently born in 1992 - but that can't be right) once counted Michael Jackson as a family friend. Who cares though. Because I once had a birthday party at McDonald's Playland and the real Ronald McDonald's real replacement's assistant ALMOST showed up so I'm not sweating it either.

But this band profile isn't about me and the shattered hopes and dreams of my childhood (we'll save that for our next buzzy band profile). This is about Sky Ferreira. Her vibe is kind of like if Fiona Apple were electro pop, or something or like that late Liz Phair period where she decided to go super glossy for some reason.

Sky Ferreira's got that soulful seductive thing going on that turn pop people into stars. But there are also some drum machines and synths involved. So... you know... electro Apple. Right? Anyway, she's going to be huge. If she's not already. She's not already, is she? I don't know. I just really like this "Everything is Embarrassing" video. I'm not exactly sure why a playground is involved, but hey, I'll give the director the benefit of the doubt.

Oh wait. One more thing. On Sky Ferreira's Twitter page - her profile simply reads "like,whatever."



Sky Ferreira and How to Dress Well plays Schubas, on Saturday, March 30th.

4/01 Spaceghostpurp @ Bottom Lounge
4/08 ITAL, Container @ The Burlington
4/11 Joey Bada$$, Pro Era, Flatbush Zombies @ Reggie's Rock Club
4/17 Chandeliers, Architecture @ The Burlington
4/18 Pelican, Sweet Cobra @ Bottom Lounge
4/24 Geronimo!, Speedy Ortiz @ Subterranean
4/24 The Veils @ Subterranean
4/25 Danny Brown @ Bottom Lounge
4/25 Sonoi @ Hideout
5/17 Of Montreal @ Lincoln Hall
5/18 Flying Lotus @ Metro
5/19 Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie @ Vic Theater
5/24 Soft Speaker @ Empty Bottle
5/26 Anti Flag @ Beat Kitchen
5/27 Anti Flag @ Beat Kitchen
5/31 Torche @ Empty Bottle
6/04 Pure Bathing Culture @ Empty Bottle
6/09 Junip @ Lincoln Hall
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Toronto's Beliefs are another band rocking that retro shoegaze sound. Wait. I say "another" not as in, "give it a rest already." Surely I didn't give you that impression because that's the bummer "another." I only meant "another" as in, "I coincidentally just got done writing a profile on Cheatahs, who also coincidentally rock the retro shoegaze." That's what I meant. But I guess you couldn't know what I just did. So I understand the confusion. Unless you're looking at me... right... now.

But enough of that. Everyone knows there's always more room in our musical hearts for sweet retro shoegaze. Duh. It's kind of like how you always have room for dessert (scientifically speaking, this is because you actually have a second dessert stomach that the body only uses to consume small sugar-based dishes that are over 1500 calories). Who declines dessert? Duh.

Beliefs cite My Bloody Valentine + Slowdive + The Jesus & Mary Chain as influences. And of course they do. Those bands rule. But of all those great old shoegaze bands - I would place Beliefs on the more "pleasant" side of that noise spectrum where they all lived. So think less turbulent and more swirly. Although maybe swirls actually create the turbulence? The next time I'm at the airport I'll ask the first ticketing agent I see.

But Beliefs aren't just living in the past. I didn't give you that impression, did I? Surely not! Beliefs sound new, too. They sound modern. They sound like another one of those indiepop bands. Wait. Not the bummer "another" again! I only meant I just wrote about Literature! I just wrote about Literature!

Finally, indiepop? I thought I said this was shoegaze? Do the same rules apply? Is indiepop also like having a second dessert stomach? I'll consult The New Scientist journal and let you know.

Written by Patrick McNamara

SXSW is coming soon. Ready or not. Head over to our SXSW site for all the latest information.

So you know the SXSW situation. Lots of shows. Lots of them official. Lots of them unofficial. Lots of those free RSVP parties. Lots of those free RSVP parties that also have lots of that free food. Lots of those free RSVP parties that also have lots of those free.... drinks. The pause was purely for dramatic effect. You didn’t think we’d make special lists and not include one for free drinks, did you?

Oh, yeah. There are lots of bands playing SXSW too. You definitely know that. You also know there are way too many to see them all. And we’re just talking about good bands. Oh, well. Life is short. You do what you can to enjoy what you can.

We want to help you enjoy at least 13 bands, though. Below are 13 up-and-coming bands you should really try to see. These are the bands gaining traction - picking up steam - deciding to do it. Are there others you should really try to see too? Yes. There are. But these bands - these 13 bands. They won’t let you down.

ABSOLUTELY FREE

Note to self: buy stock in Toronto music scene. Absolutely Free are another good new band coming from that fine city. This band makes weird, tribal sounding pop music full of tiny explosions. It's accessible and destructive and clean and muddled and meandering and concise. It's all over the place. In a good way. In an absolutely free way. Let’s not even try to categorize them. Because NOBODY PUTS ABSOLUTELY FREE IN THE CORNER.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING ABSOLUTELY FREE SHOWS AT SXSW >>



BIG UPS

NYC's Big Ups are a completely fun and instantly likeable band. They play high energy ramshackle punk rock that you'll want to get messy and sweaty in Texas to. See Big Ups when you feel like mixing it up. But in a pleasant way. Be nice. Stay cool. Have fun. And Long Live -- Punk Rock.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING BIG UPS SHOWS AT SXSW >>



CHEATAHS

Guitars! Oh, guitars like these! London's Cheatahs (yes, that's a sic - as in "I'm gonna sic you if you don't listen to their jam that I put below these words") are a super solid new band that tap into the gone-but-not-forgotten heyday of old school shoegaze. Think early Swervedriver. Think pretty melodies. Think noise. Think Cheatahs.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING CHEATAHS SHOWS AT SXSW >>



CHRVCHES

CHVRCHES are a trio from Glasgow that play bright and squiggly synth-electro-pop. It's beautiful and happy and destined to help sell out this summer's massive festivals. Why? Because this song below is just a massive song. That’s why. Get ready for the big time.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING CHVRCHES SHOWS AT SXSW >>



FOXYGEN

These two dudes are tapping into a different time. Los Angeles’ Foxygen is Sam France and Jonathan Rado. They make pop that's swirly and hazy and druggy. It captures that musical era when rock and psych and hippy and pop all sort of merged to become something great. So if you dig, put a flower in your hair - gather a bunch of merry pranksters - do whatever it is you merry pranksters do - and then go see these guys do their thing. It’s a good thing.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING FOXYGEN SHOWS AT SXSW >>



MAJICAL CLOUDZ

Deliberate typos in your band name is the new CAPS LOCK in your band name which was the old punctuation marks in your band name. Montreal’s Devin Welsh is the mastermind behind Majical Cloudz. He makes cerebrally eccentric electronic jams. Maybe he learned some tricks from Grimes - a friend and regulator on the regular. Welsh has a good voice too. He’s a crooner. I’m always in favor of crooners. How about you? (p.s. Early indicators say bands that use symbols in their names might already be the new bands that use deliberate typos in their name - we’ll let you know.)

VIEW ALL UPCOMING MAJICAL CLOUDZ SHOWS AT SXSW >>



METZ

METZ played the Oh My Rockness CMJ show this past October. Thanks for the tinnitus, guys. We appreciate it. Just kidding. We were wearing our earplugs. We may like to rage - but we also like our hearing. It’s been good to us over the years. Anyway, these guys slay. And their shredding guitars go LOUD. They’re not angry. They’re just having fun up there.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING METZ SHOWS AT SXSW >>



PALMA VIOLETS

Another buzzy British guitar band coming over to take us over. Well, if we’re going to be taken over and held captive by someone - at least it’s someone that's armed with the good guitar jingle-jangle. So at least there’s that.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING PALMA VIOLETS SHOWS AT SXSW >>



PARQUET COURTS

Speaking of the good guitar jingle-jangle - Parquet Courts rock that solid sound too. Bouncy punk from one of the Fergus & Geronimo guys that reminds me of The Van Pelt. I liked The Van Pelt.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING PARQUET COURTS SHOWS AT SXSW >>



PAWS

Fuzzy lo-fi garage punkness from Scotland. PAWS come at you on the playful tip. See songs "Boregasm” and “Sore Tummy” for more on that. The rapid fire jams from this hyper melodic band will put you in a better mood. Bet.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING PAWS SHOWS AT SXSW >>



ROOMRUNNER

Roomrunner also played our CMJ party this past October. They blasted it. Ain’t gonna be no chit-chatting when Roomrunner play. Because you can’t hear your neighbor. No matter how loud you shout in their ear. And anyway, what could possibly be so important that you can’t wait 'til they get done playing. You’re probably just shouting, “These guys slay!” Trust us, your neighbor already knows.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING ROOMRUNNER SHOWS AT SXSW >>



SINGLE MOTHERS

Brutally fun punk from London. The one in Ontario, beeyotch. Go see them blast it. Live it. Love it. Let's get sloppy.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING SINGLE MOTHERS SHOWS AT SXSW >>



WAXAHATCHEE

Katie Crutchfield runs this show. She sings and strums mostly sad, country-folk-punk songs. I don’t know if that description will make you want to see Waxahatchee play. But this isn’t about words, anyway. This is about feeling. Watch it. And maybe you’ll feel it. And then you’ll know.

VIEW ALL UPCOMING WAXAHATCHEE SHOWS AT SXSW >>



For more show suggestions, check out our BANDS WE LIKE section here >>

SELECT SHOWS ADDED THIS WEEK

4/05 Neon Indian (DJ Set) @ The Mid
4/13 Billy Bragg @ City Winery
4/14 Rufus Wainwright @ Old Town School of Folk Music
4/19 Hem @ Old Town School of Folk Music
4/20 Fountains of Wayne @ Old Town School of Folk Music
4/23 Fitz and the Tantrums @ Double Door
5/01 Big Boi @ Vic Theater
5/02 Lucius @ Schubas
5/08 Little Boots @ Lincoln Hall
5/16 Peter Murphy @ House of Blues Chicago (Peter Murphy Celebrates 35 years of Bauhaus)
5/17 Rodriguez @ Arie Crown Theater
5/17 The Futurebirds @ Schubas
5/18 Laura Stevenson @ Beat Kitchen
5/19 The Shins, Ra Ra Riot @ Aragon Ballroom
5/24 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. @ Lincoln Hall
6/01 Ariel Pink @ Empty Bottle
6/06 Peace @ Schubas
6/08 !!! (chik chik chik), Sinkane @ Bottom Lounge
6/08 Mount Kimbie, Holy Other @ Lincoln Hall
6/11 Japandroids @ Metro
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Los Angeles band Cold Showers rock a very nice mix of post-punk darkness and jangly guitar brightness. There's a little of that goth-pop minimal thing going on here (which is often exactly the thing that you want, mind you) but there's also plenty of pretty melodies (aided by the mostly optimistic sounding guitars) to keep the darkness at bay and from fully clouding the contours of your soul. Singer Jonathan Weinberg has a nice haunting baritone that somehow sounds both relaxed and ominous, too. He's also the drummer in La Sera (Katy Goodman's band). The more you know, guys!

Cold Showers could appeal to lots of different music listeners. Put them somewhere on the "sounds like" spectrum with more recent bands like Cult of Youth and Iceage and Holograms and Wymond Miles.

And one can't forget Joy Division. No matter how hard you may try to avoid Joy Division in the band profile of a sad/happy post-punk band, you can't help it. There's nothing you can do because the ghost of Ian Curtis FINDS YOU. Spooky.

Anyway, you should go grab Cold Shower's recent 7" from Mexican Summer. And, of course, go see them play. You'll be inspired and deflated. No. Let's call that Deflated Inspiration. Yeah. That's it.



Cold Showers play The Empty Bottle with Veronica Falls and Love of Everything, on Thursday, March 14th.

photo: Dirty Projectors

3/15 Helen Money @ Township
3/23 Morrissey @ Chicago Theatre
4/03 Religious Girls @ Ultra Lounge
4/06 Joan of Arc @ Lily Reid Holt Memorial Chapel
4/21 Chad Valley @ Schubas
4/24 The Babies @ Schubas
4/26 Ghostface Killah @ Abbey Pub
5/01 Empty Mansions @ Empty Bottle
5/04 Purity Ring @ Metro
5/07 Youngblood Hawke @ Lincoln Hall
5/07 Patti Smith & Her Band @ Vic Theater
5/19 Turbonegro @ Metro
5/23 Saturday Looks Good To Me @ Schubas
6/01 Groundislava @ Lincoln Hall
6/02 Primus @ Riviera Theatre
6/11 Mikal Cronin @ Empty Bottle
6/13 Dirty Projectors @ Lincoln Hall (early show)
6/13 Dirty Projectors @ Lincoln Hall (late show)
6/29 Amadou and Mariam @ Park West
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

"The old again becomes the new" (me).... "and the seasons, they go 'round and 'round" (Joni Mitchell).... "I said, well Daddy don't you know that things go in cycles" (Q-Tip). (I give myself third place). Foxygen is the new Los Angeles duo of early twenty-somethings, Sam France and Jonathan Rado. These two dudes are tapping into a different time than 2012.

Together as Foxygen, they play '60s "inspired" (to put it mildly) pop that's swirly and hazy and druggy. It captures that musical era when rock and psych and hippy and pop all sort of merged to become something great. You know what I mean? No? Well, listen to the song below and you'll get the references to our musical past right away. Because the sound Foxygen is rocking is instantly recognizable - even to those who weren't alive when this sound first came 'round - which is most of us (hell, France and Rado's parents probably weren't around).

Foxygen have been compared to legendary "never die" artists like The Rolling Stones and The Kinks and David Bowie (please note: all of these comparisons were made by their label, Jagjaguwar). So if you dig, put a flower in your hair - gather a bunch of merry pranksters - do whatever it is you merry pranksters do - and then give Foxygen a whirl. Because..... "It's The Circle of Life. And it moves us all. Through despair and hope. Through faith and love. Till we find our place. On the path unwinding. In the Circle. The Circle of Life." (Mine was better than that one, at least.)





Foxygen plays Lincoln Hall (with Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Wampire), on Thursday, March 7th.

3/22 Flume @ The Mid
3/28 Forgetters @ Empty Bottle
4/08 Matt Costa @ Evanston Space
4/09 Chuck Ragan, Rocky Votolato @ House of Blues Chicago
4/09 Turquoise Jeep @ Lincoln Hall
4/09 C2C @ Metro
4/18 Disappears @ Lincoln Hall
4/20 The Proclaimers @ City Winery
4/25 Johnny Marr @ Metro
5/22 El Ten Eleven @ Evanston Space
5/30 Alkaline Trio @ Metro
5/31 Alkaline Trio @ Metro
6/01 Paper Route @ Schubas
6/03 Calexico @ City Winery
6/07 Son Volt @ Park West
6/07 Tomahawk @ Vic Theater
6/08 Black Flag @ Reggie's Rock Club
6/09 Glen Hansard @ Metro
6/14 Crystal Fighters @ Lincoln Hall
7/23 Bob Schneider @ Lincoln Hall
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Montreal's Devin Welsh is the mastermind behind Majical Cloudz. Here are three things you need to know about this man. #1: He makes excellent eccentro-pop mostly made by machines. #2: He's friends and a frequently collaborates with Grimes - who trusted sources tell me is buzzy and totally alt these days. #3: He's apparently not a very good speller. But as my man Meat Loaf always says, "Two out of three ain't bad." At least this isn't another vowel-less band. So count your blessings.

Welsh has a warm, crooning voice and it's the main reason why I like this band. His voice sometimes sounds like The National guy meets that Bono fellow. I'm telling you. And if you don't like that comparison, you, friend, have not yet listened to Majical Cloudz.

Of course, being firmly entrenched in the long, historical eccentro-pop tradition (a genre I made up just for the hell of it), things tend to veer a little bit on the side of odd when Majical Cloudz buckled down and started spreading these slowly swirling jams towards your cerebral headspace. In other words, don't count on verse-chorus-verse all the time. Sometimes that comes, for sure. But other times Majical Cloudz just goes off into electro space and does their own thing for an orbit or two. I've always appreciated when bands do that. How about you?



Majical Cloudz play Schubas, on Saturday, March 2nd.

3/07 The Crystal Ark, Gemini Club @ Elbo Room
4/11 Screaming Females @ Subterranean
4/12 Acid Mothers Temple @ Empty Bottle
4/13 Widowspeak @ Schubas
4/15 Purling Hiss @ Empty Bottle
4/15 Skaters @ Schubas
4/17 Marnie Stern, Roomrunner @ Empty Bottle
4/18 Goldroom @ Beauty Bar
5/03 Purity Ring @ Metro
5/04 Generationals @ Lincoln Hall
5/14 Kurt Vile and the Violators @ Lincoln Hall
5/15 Youth Lagoon, Majical Cloudz @ Metro
5/18 Foals, Surfer Blood @ Vic Theater
5/22 Of Monsters and Men @ Aragon Ballroom
6/14 Man or Astro-Man? @ Empty Bottle
6/15 Man or Astro-Man? @ Empty Bottle
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Free shows, parties, food, drinks + more.
GET THE OMR SXSW 2013 GUIDE >>

Solange is Solange Knowles. Knowles as in Beyonce. As in Solange is Beyonce's little sister. Now, I'm gonna stop being polite and start getting real with you for a minute. I'll be the first to admit that I haven't exactly been following young Solange's career from its beginnings. I'm not exactly all things Knowles. (I had to research whether Solange was also in Destiny's Child... she wasn't... and then I researched to see if Destiny's Child are still defunct... they are... I think... pretty sure).

Solange has had some big time hits before (I guess?) and has been in some movies and stuff (I guess?) and is probably famous already... but not as famous as Beyonce... that I'm pretty sure of. So if all this Solange news is totally old, I apologize to anyone whose sensibilities I may have greatly offended. But she's new to me, guys. She's new to me.

I was first introduced to Solange because I heard that the wonderful label Terrible Records (Kindness + Horrid Red + Twin Shadow + Chairlift etc.) is putting out a couple of 12"s by her. So I listened to one of the songs from one of those 12"s - because Terrible is often anything but.

The song I played is called "Losing You" from the release called... wait for it.... "Losing You." And I'm here to tell you today - this song will make it hard for you to keep your clothes on. By the second seductive electro chorus, I was down to my long underwear. And for my neighbors' sake, it's a good thing I was wearing three layers of long underwear. But seriously on the serious - just listen to the Solange song below. I think you'll like it. And that's all I've been meaning to say to you today, friends. That's all.



Solange plays Bottom Lounge, on Saturday, February 23rd.

Brooklyn's TEEN is a quartet of ladies led by Teeny Lieberson (formerly of Here We Go Magic) and features her two sisters (Katherine and Lizzie) and Jane Herships (who also makes music under the Spider moniker). The pop they make tends to bend to the psych end of things in that hazy, swirly way. But unlike lots of that hazy, swirly psych which sounds like music made by the depressed for the depressed, TEEN's psych often swirls a little to the bright. Basically that means TEEN won't be bringing you down anytime soon. I'm all for that.

TEEN are just getting revved up and they’re out and about playing shows. So you should go see them. I mean, they’re not just doing it for themselves up there, ya know? TEEN don't have a full-length album out yet, but they have released a few songs (and a really cool video) on the interwebs which you can check out.

They're all solid but I prefer the song "Electric." Because I'm 85% sure Teeny Lieberson is calling out my name throughout that jam (it's either "Patrick" or "hat trick"). I've got to wait until they get big enough to get added to those spammy lyrics searching sites before I know 100%. And boy, let me tell you.... that's going to be one long wait. TEEN are a good band. Did I mention that?



TEEN plays Township, on Tuesday, February 19th.

3/23 The Orwells @ Beat Kitchen
3/23 Big Dipper @ Bottom Lounge
3/23 Chandeliers, SHAPERS @ Hideout
3/26 Esben And The Witch, Heliotropes @ Empty Bottle
3/29 San Cisco @ Schubas
3/30 Parenthetical Girls @ Empty Bottle
3/30 The Virgins, Har Mar Superstar @ Lincoln Hall
4/02 Ducktails @ Empty Bottle
4/03 Garbage, IO Echo @ Riviera Theatre
4/03 JEFF The Brotherhood @ Subterranean
4/04 Doldrums @ Schubas
4/22 Mykki Blanco @ Empty Bottle
4/25 Blood Red Shoes @ Subterranean
5/01 Palma Violets @ Schubas
5/12 METZ @ Lincoln Hall
5/16 Fall Out Boy @ Riviera Theatre
5/26 John Talabot, Lemonade @ Lincoln Hall
6/01 Twin Shadow @ Metro
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

We like Ty Segall. He's playing two shows very soon. We just thought you should know.

Ty Segall plays two shows at The Empty Bottle, on Saturday, February 9th.

Go see these guys. They destroy. Just thought you should know.

Jaill play Beat Kitchen, on February, 8th.

2/15 Eleventh Dream Day @ Lily Reid Holt Memorial Chapel
3/04 Aesop Rock @ Metro
3/13 Jeff Tweedy @ Vic Theater
3/14 Jeff Tweedy @ Vic Theater
3/21 Single Mothers @ Abbey Pub
3/31 The Cave Singers @ Empty Bottle
4/01 Wavves, FIDLAR, Cheatahs @ Subterranean
4/02 Stepdad @ Bottom Lounge
4/13 Phosphorescent @ Lincoln Hall
4/20 Bonobo @ House of Blues Chicago
4/20 Jim James @ Vic Theater
4/27 Bleached, Hunters, Ex Cops @ Subterranean
5/02 James Blake @ Metro
5/06 Patti Smith & Her Band @ Vic Theater
5/10 Boris @ Lincoln Hall
5/11 Boris @ Lincoln Hall
5/11 Black Moth Super Rainbow @ Metro
5/20 Marina & The Diamonds @ Vic Theater
5/22 Adam Green @ Empty Bottle
6/29 She & Him, Camera Obscura @ Aragon Ballroom
7/09 OMD @ Metro
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

The stellar line-up for Coachella has been announced. Get excited. And punk out by planning your proper hydration techniques in advance. (We find drinking lots of water works best. But if you think another method is superior - so be it. What do we know. We just sort of work here.)

So in honor of the big line-up reveal (so nice, we linked it twice) we thought we'd make you a playlist featuring some of the bands playing the festival this year. So...we did. We're always doing nice things like that.

Oh My Rockness: we put the "alt" in altruistic.

3/02 Autre Ne Veut, Majical Cloudz @ Schubas
3/09 Cult of Youth, Big Ups @ Empty Bottle (Impose pre-SXSW party)
3/27 Shout Out Out Out Out @ Schubas
3/30 Sky Ferreira, How To Dress Well @ Schubas
4/02 The Joy Formidable, Kitten @ Vic Theater
4/08 Deerhoof @ Lincoln Hall
4/11 The Men @ Lincoln Hall
4/16 Akron/Family @ Empty Bottle
4/19 The Black Angels, Allah-Las @ Vic Theater
4/21 The Warlocks @ Subterranean
4/24 Clinic @ Lincoln Hall
4/25 White Lung, Hunters @ Empty Bottle
5/10 Gold Panda @ The Mid
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS >>

This is some darn good '80s inspired synth-pop, I'll tell you that much, bub. St. Lucia is the resplendently blissful pop project of Brooklyn's (via South Africa via England) Jean-Philip Grobler (live, he's got a band - just telling you that to manage expectations here). This is some of the happiest and catchiest electronic jams I've heard since I first fell for Chad Valley's stuff.

Actually, St. Lucia and Chad Valley should tour together. How do we make that joyful partnership happen? I'll help with the "promo," bros.

St. Lucia's 100% accessible music (that only god-forsaken MONSTERS wouldn't like) has also been compared to OMD. And you know who likes OMD? EVERYBODY. And hey, how about I throw out a little Rick Astley shout-out too? I think enough time has passed for me to do that with sincerity, don't you?

So to recap: St. Lucia's pretty much perfect synth-pop is like Chad Valley meets OMD meets Rick Astley.......... meets Fugazi. Hey now. Just kidding on that last one, bub (obviously I meant Pavement).

St. Lucia plays the Aragon Ballroom, on Tuesday, January 29th, with Ellie Goulding.

2/15 Matmos @ Empty Bottle
2/16 Devotchka @ Park West
2/19 TEEN @ Township
2/27 The Deer Tracks @ Empty Bottle
3/03 Minus the Bear @ Metro
3/09 Citizens! @ Lincoln Hall
3/16 The Hood Internet @ Logan Square Auditorium
3/16 Animal Collective, Dan Deacon @ Riviera Theatre
3/19 Fol Chen @ Schubas
3/21 Local Natives, Superhumanoids @ Vic Theater
3/25 Delicate Steve @ Subterranean
4/06 Bad Religion @ Congress Theatre (RIOT FEST Presents)
4/06 White Lung, Hunters @ Empty Bottle
4/06 Cold War Kids @ Metro
4/18 Pissed Jeans @ Empty Bottle
4/19 Cloud Cult @ Lincoln Hall
4/20 The Besnard Lakes @ Schubas
4/21 Stereo Total @ Empty Bottle
5/02 Goat @ Empty Bottle
5/09 Daughter @ Lincoln Hall
5/17 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Vic Theater
AND MORE...

FIND ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Get ready. Another "buzzy" British guitar band is coming to try and conquer us (and you too, dear overseas reader). Palma Violets are receiving lots of "hype" from "Across the Pond" because their song "Best of Friends" was made "the song" of "2012" by "NM""E." Wait. I think I'm getting my sarcastic quotations confused. And anyway, I'm not sure how or why that started. Sorry. Let's start again.

Palma Violets are a garage-infused punk band that relies on their jaggy post-something guitars to propel their singable, whiskey based melodies to heights probably most popular. OK, I should clarify. These melodies aren't exactly made out of "whiskey." I think they're made out of "notes" (damn, sorry). Oh yeah, this band is on Rough Trade. And oh yeah, of course they are. It just wouldn't be the same buzzy British guitar band experience without that record label involved.

Anyway, you're gonna want to go ahead and give these guys a whirl. You'll see we have that "song" of "the" "year embedded" below "for" your listen"ing" ple"a"su""r"e. Thank you for playing.



Palma Violets play Schubas, on Friday, January 25th.

1/27 ITAL @ Empty Bottle
2/11 Guards @ Empty Bottle
2/14 Jozef Van Wissem @ Hideout
2/22 H2O @ Bottom Lounge
2/23 Solange @ Bottom Lounge
2/23 Yawn @ Subterranean
2/27 Mountains @ Hideout
3/01 Pet Lions @ Lincoln Hall
3/11 Psychic Ills @ Empty Bottle
3/17 Talk Normal @ Empty Bottle
3/19 Jacco Gardner @ Empty Bottle
3/22 Low @ Metro
3/23 Javelin, Raleigh Moncrief @ Empty Bottle
3/29 Chelsea Light Moving (w/ Thurston Moore), Cave @ Empty Bottle
4/10 Iceage @ Empty Bottle
5/15 Telekinesis @ Lincoln Hall
AND MORE...

FIND ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Photos, from left: Chelsea Light Moving (Carlos van Hijfte), Iceage, Solange, Low

Tampa's Merchandise is a band whose members all have strong roots in the punk/hardcore community. But punk/hardcore isn't the music this trio are making these days. No. Merchandise (currently) plays something that's like shoegaze surf-synth-pop ----- but this is all done in a post-punk-meets-new-wave kind of way.

Got all that? Good. Because I don't. Why do we have to define everything, mannnnn! And put labels on things and boxes around things, mannnnn! And actually, Merchandise constantly changes their sound from one moment to the next. So you couldn't even pin them down if you tried. Merchandise are too fast for your pigeonhole, mannnnn!

How about we just say that Merchandise is a band that makes really good jams. Could we do that? And right now this band seems most interested in making jams that are super melodic in that noisy, swirly sort of way... whatever that means.

You know what? Just go listen to their recent track "Time" and you'll see what I mean (don't you hear a little Real Estate in that riff? Oops, just did the band comparison thing). And then check out their fantastic new album "Children of Desire" and get confused again... because that record is all over the sound map. In closing another brilliant band profile, Merchandise should tour with Cold Cave (oops, just did it again).



Merchandise plays Schubas as part of the Tomorrow Never Knows Festival, on Thursday, January 17th.

1/10 Mykki Blanco, Supreme Cuts (DJ Set) @ Beauty Bar
1/25 James Murphy (DJ Set) @ The Mid
1/27 Action Bronson @ Reggie's Rock Club
2/08 H.R. (Bad Brains) @ Cobra Lounge
2/14 White Mystery @ Schubas (9th Annual Chris Saathoff Foundation benefit)
2/21 Daedelus, Ryan Hemsworth, Samo Sound Boy @ Bottom Lounge
2/22 XXYXX, Teen Daze (DJ Set) @ Schubas
4/09 Caitlin Rose @ Schubas
4/26 Killing Joke @ Empty Bottle
4/27 Killing Joke @ Empty Bottle
AND MORE...

FIND ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

San Francisco's The Soft Moon (the main man is Luis Vasquez, but he brings some guys on the road) is a heavy, sludgy and psych-y band that will noisily lead you toward the darkness. And you're going to like it. You might even love it.

Live, The Soft Moon are loud. Really loud. And they've got all these intense visuals swirling around all the noise too. It's a sensory trip. I'm not sure if it's a good trip or a bad trip (what if it NEVER ENDS AND I'M STUCK IN THIS VENUE FOREVER??!?!) but it's definitely a trip.

The Soft Moon are one of those bands you just have to see to know what they're all about (bring earplugs unless you're some kind of monster). But they do have a new (and very well received) EP out on the exceptional Captured Tracks (DIIV, Wild Nothing, Widowspeak and, well, you know) that you can listen to. Anyway, this band rules. Just thought you should know.



The Soft Moon plays Empty Bottle, on Saturday, January 12th.

New Year’s Eve is a celebratory night immediately preceding New Year’s Day, a celebratory day if not for the lack of postal mail. New Year’s Day is the first day of a New Year - in this case, 2013. New Year’s Eve is the last day of an Old Year - in this case, 2012.

Though time is but an allusion and no calendar can contain its fluid whims of furious passage, many people throughout this land like to celebrate this transition from an Old Year into a New Year. This annual metamorphosis is oftentimes celebrated by venturing outside of the house to find a public establishment in which to clock watch with other like-minded individuals. This gathering and subsequent socialization is called being “merry.”

Merriment means many things to most people. Some believe being merry means imbibing liquids that alter your perceptions of this transitory reality in order to get a better cerebral grasp on the curious concept of fleeting infiniteness. Others believe being merry involves moving your body in time with rhythmic music - often performed on a raised platform, i.e. a “stage,” by a musical collective. And still others believe being merry involves spending a significant sum of money on things that on any other ordinary Eve wouldn’t even cost a fraction as much.

So in order to help you make sense of things we’ve listed The Best New Year’s Eve Shows. It will help you determine which musical collectives you should see and where and how much and why. It won’t help you solve The Riddle of Time, however. That’s up to the wind in which we are all dust.

In summation....Happy New Year! Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes!

New Year’s Eve is a celebratory night immediately preceding New Year’s Day, a celebratory day if not for the lack of postal mail. New Year’s Day is the first day of a New Year - in this case, 2013. New Year’s Eve is the last day of an Old Year - in this case, 2012.

Though time is but an allusion and no calendar can contain its fluid whims of furious passage, many people throughout this land like to celebrate this transition from an Old Year into a New Year. This annual metamorphosis is oftentimes celebrated by venturing outside of the house to find a public establishment in which to clock watch with other like-minded individuals. This gathering and subsequent socialization is called being “merry.”

Merriment means many things to most people. Some believe being merry means imbibing liquids that alter your perceptions of this transitory reality in order to get a better cerebral grasp on the curious concept of fleeting infiniteness. Others believe being merry involves moving your body in time with rhythmic music - often performed on a raised platform, i.e. a “stage,” by a musical collective. And still others believe being merry involves spending a significant sum of money on things that on any other ordinary Eve wouldn’t even cost a fraction as much.

So in order to help you make sense of things we’ve listed The Best New Year’s Eve Shows. It will help you determine which musical collectives you should see and where and how much and why. It won’t help you solve The Riddle of Time, however. That’s up to the wind in which we are all dust.

In summation....Happy New Year! Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes!

New Year’s Eve is a celebratory night immediately preceding New Year’s Day, a celebratory day if not for the lack of postal mail. New Year’s Day is the first day of a New Year - in this case, 2013. New Year’s Eve is the last day of an Old Year - in this case, 2012.

Though time is but an allusion and no calendar can contain its fluid whims of furious passage, many people throughout this land like to celebrate this transition from an Old Year into a New Year. This annual metamorphosis is oftentimes celebrated by venturing outside of the house to find a public establishment in which to clock watch with other like-minded individuals. This gathering and subsequent socialization is called being “merry.”

Merriment means many things to most people. Some believe being merry means imbibing liquids that alter your perceptions of this transitory reality in order to get a better cerebral grasp on the curious concept of fleeting infiniteness. Others believe being merry involves moving your body in time with rhythmic music - often performed on a raised platform, i.e. a “stage,” by a musical collective. And still others believe being merry involves spending a significant sum of money on things that on any other ordinary Eve wouldn’t even cost a fraction as much.

So in order to help you make sense of things we’ve listed The Best New Year’s Eve Shows. It will help you determine which musical collectives you should see and where and how much and why. It won’t help you solve The Riddle of Time, however. That’s up to the wind in which we are all dust.

In summation....Happy New Year! Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes!

We have a pair of tickets to give away to see DJ Sets from WASHED OUT with Gemini Club and Hey Champ at The Mid on Friday, December 28th!

For show information and tickets, click here.

Enter your name and email address below for a chance to win. Only one entry per email address will be accepted. Winner will be randomly selected on 12/27. Good luck!

Another year. Another 365 days of our hopes and dreams slowly (but surely!) dissipating into a cesspool of regret! Just kidding, guys. Come on. I’m just J’ing to the K! 2012 was a pretty good year.... all things considered. My cat came back, I cut the credit card, and I even sweated for pleasure... twice. Oh yeah, I also saw some good shows and got to listen to some pretty big time jams. And those big time jams are what I want to talk to you about today (maybe I’ll get around to talking about those shows too - only the online content gods know, guys... only the online content gods know).

Below is a list of my favorite ten songs of 2012. They are in no particular order - unless my subconscious was at work again without me knowing it. I wouldn’t be surprised. My subconscious can be a real sneaky bastard.

So without further ado... let’s ado this!

Oh My Rockness’ Top Ten Songs of 2012



DIIV :: (Druun)
This here is just a really pretty instrumental guitar song. Why don’t more bands just try to make pretty songs like this? Is it because it’s hard to make pretty songs? Yeah. That’s probably it. This song should be used in a movie montage - preferably when the flawed main character (he’s damaged, sure, but he has a good heart), finds that almost in spite of himself he’s having a really nice day with someone he never expected to have a nice day with. I can totally hear “(Druun)” when that montage happens. Oh wait, maybe I’m just describing my next screenplay. Hey DIIV, can I use (Druun) when I make that movie? Shhh. Say no more. That’s a deal.

Diiv - Druun from Alex Williams on Vimeo.

College :: A Real Hero (featuring Electric Youth)
Ok. Fine. Fine. Technically, this song was featured prominently in the film “Drive” which came out at the end of 2011. And even more technically, the song was a few years old before it was even in that movie. But I’m including it on this list because 1.) Rules were made to be broken, 2.) I saw “Drive” for the first time in 2012 and 3.) THIS IS MY MUSIC BLOB SO LEAVE ME AND BRITNEY ALONE!!! (That reference is nowhere even close to being from 2012.) So this must be one helluva song to find all those loopholes, yes? Yes. It’s one helluva song. You’ve got your classic College bass-y synth sound that takes my soul to strangely intoxicating places under the subtly beautiful vocals of Elecric Youth’s Brownyn Griffin. It’s a song that takes you somewhere better. And perhaps more impressively, it left me leaving “Drive” thinking it was a better movie than it actually was (so... what Michael Mann perfected in the ‘80s....yeah?).





Poindexter :: Helpless
I consider this to be the definitive jam of my summer. It’s the perfect summer song. Seriously. Blast it right now and you’ll know what we mean. Go ahead. Blast it. We’ll wait. Are you blasting it? Good. Now doesn’t it make you want to go surfing or lick a cone or cruise in a convertible or make out under the bleachers or get stoned or whatever it is the kids do these days in summer? It doesn't even matter that the guy is singing about, you know, being helpless...and falling to pieces...and having his heart stolen and broken. But moving on, when I first heard this song, I thought “Helpless” was going to be HUGE. But a few months after its release, I’m still not even sure who this Poindexter guy is. I guess he’s from Portland? And his name might be Andrew? Um... that’s all I got. Thanks a lot! You guys have been great! Louie CK is up next! But first, lemme see you put your hands together for “Hhhhhhhelppppless!”





Chad Valley :: Younger Hunger
Oh, Chad. I mean, Hugo. You know you’ll always make any top ten list that I do (unless you don’t put anything out for a year... or, if you do, all the songs completely blow... but that will never happen with you, Chad... I mean, Hugo). “Younger Hunger” is the best song from Chad Valley’s newest album. That album is called.... wait for it.... "Younger Hunger." So even Chad (I mean, Hugo) knows this is his best jam. Go ahead and give this a spin (that’s an old disc jockey, aka “DJ” term - you see music wasn’t always streamed - I know! - there was a time when songs were played on wax that “spun” around and around). I bet this song will make you feel a little bit better about your day. And I hope it gives you hope that your night has a chance to be transcendent. You can thank Chad for that. I mean.... Hugo.





Fang Island :: Victorinian
This is quite possibly the most optimistic song I have heard. Not this year. OF ALL TIME. You calling me hyperbolic? You calling me hyperbolic? Well I’m the only one here. Who the f.... well, never mind about all that. So I get how these guys can be polarizing. Because no matter what happens - there will always be people who shit on hope and enthusiasm. And Fang Island have plenty of both, it seems. But I don’t hate those people who hate enthusiasm. Cuz that’s just hate spinning (not to be confused with the DJ term) it’s hateful wheels, you know? Yeah. You know. I encourage anti-enthusiastic people to listen to “Victorinian.” See if the listen plants a tiny seed of hope in your heart. Then hopefully you’ll want to listen to this hopeful JAM a few dozen more times. And perhaps that tiny seed of hope will sprout into a tiny sapling of happiness. I’m not saying it’s going to happen. I’m just saying it could. As for me, I now have a big old tree of hope in my heart. That’s how many times I’ve listened to this song in 2012. I call that tree Old Hopeful.... for now. I’m open to other suggestions.... for the name of my tree... in my heart.





Japandroids :: Younger Us
Speaking of hope.... hmmm, I’m sensing a theme emerging with these ten songs (damn you, you sneaky subconcious!) Japandroids are one optimistic, happy, fun band. And “Younger Us” is a song that’ll make your eyes well up with pride for humanity and the fragile, beautiful world in which we all exist in and enjoy together. Or, you know, it’ll just make you want to rock out really hard. Yeah. That’s probably it. There are very few better “rock out” bands right now than these two dudes. So Hallelujah (!) for Japandroids and here’s to being young FOREVER.... even if we’re all already the oldest we’ve ever been :(





Royal Headache :: Never Again
It was hard to pick just one Royal Headache song as a top ten song of 2012 because, honestly, all of their songs kind of sound the same. But it’s a really good sound these Australians consistently rock. So I don’t hold the uniformity against them. To me, it just means they do awesome over and over and over again. And what’s wrong with that? Nothing. But “Never Again” is as good of a place as any to get introduced to these guys. I recommended listening to this song after a night of heavy drinking. Because this will make you want to jump around and sweat out some of those poisonous toxins before going to bed. And because you found that second wind to jump around to Royal Headache, the next morning will be slightly easier to embrace. However, depending on how much you went for it, you still might wake up with one royal..... oh nevermind. (PS I didn't know Tom Jones was the singer of this band)





Ricki-Lee :: Do It Like That (Fred Falke remix)
I still don’t really know who Ricki-Lee is. She’s probably pretty famous. But I know who Fred Falke is. You can bet I know that. He’s one of the best dance jam remixers in the game. And when I stumbled across this mix he did, I gave it a listen. I’ll listen to anything that guy remixes. So I think this is the kind of song they play “at the club.” And maybe Ricki-Lee is really huge “at the club.” But I don’t go to those clubs. I can get bottle service on my couch, thank you very much. But dammit if this isn’t a BIG TIME JAM (and I make my CAPS LOCK count - so you know things are getting serious). Maybe it borders on being the kind of song they played at the terrible roller rink I used to hang out in 7th grade where everyone skated around in tight-rolled stonewashed jeans... but I don’t care. This is a JAM. And you know what? I’m just realizing right now that I’ve never even heard the Ricki-Lee’s original version. Maybe it rules as much as this? I doubt it though. Fred Falke makes this jam a JAM. I just know it.





Fort Romeau :: Jack Rollin’
Another dance JAM - but not necessarily one they would “spin” “at the club.” I don’t know - I guess it depends how cool the club is. But if the club’s bathroom is illuminated in black light and has an attendant handing you paper towels and also trying to sell you random shit like candy and hair gel - no chance that club is playing “Jack Rollin’.” This song, while stellar throughout, really gets good around the 2:40 mark when it does that “check-uh-check-uh-check-uh-check” thing or whatever it is that machine-made robot man is saying. That part gets me revved up and ready to rage (or at least get off my aforementioned couch and hunt for my remote with more zeal). So be sure to stick around for that part. The best part.





Sky Ferreira :: Everything is Embarrassing
Am I slightly embarrassed that this made my top ten songs of 2012 list? Perhaps, guys..... perhaps. But hey, it’s not my fault that the former family friend of the late great Michael Jackson, who was born in 1992 and has a Twitter profile that just says “like, whatever” and whose career seems manufactured by someone or something, made a big time JAM in 2012. It’s not my fault. I just sorta work here.



So those are my top ten songs (i.e. JAMS) of the year. Tah-dah! Hope you enjoy them. Hope your 2012 was good. Hope your 2013 is better.

12/22 Andrew Bird @ Hideout
1/10 Victor Villarreal @ Township
1/25 Ava Luna @ Empty Bottle
1/25 Ultraista @ Lincoln Hall
2/01 Big Freedia @ Empty Bottle
2/08 Jaill @ Beat Kitchen
2/08 Angel Olsen @ Hideout
2/08 The Mother Hips @ Schubas
2/08 Baauer @ The Mid
2/09 The Maccabees @ Lincoln Hall
2/09 Retribution Gospel Choir feat. Alan Sparhawk @ Schubas
2/14 Nick Waterhouse @ Metro
2/14 Bad Books, The Front Bottoms @ Subterranean
2/16 Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears @ Metro
2/26 Trust, Eraas @ Lincoln Hall
2/26 Lucky Dragons @ Museum of Contemporary Art (Face The Strange)
3/01 Murs @ Abbey Pub
3/01 The Gaslight Anthem @ Riviera Theatre
3/02 Night Beds, Indians @ Empty Bottle
3/15 Django Django @ Metro
3/18 Mount Moriah @ Schubas
3/23 Frightened Rabbit @ Riviera Theatre
3/26 Kim Gordon @ Museum of Contemporary Art (Face The Strange)
AND MORE...

FIND ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

NYC's Parquet Courts is a good (relatively) new band fronted by Andrew Savage (who also does Fergus & Geronimo - a very nice band in their own rate). His brother Max and a couple of other dudes are in this band too. Isn't this fascinating musical information so far? Maybe I should tell you what their favorite colors and spirit animals are, as well? Or, I can just tell you what they sound like. Yeah. I can do that now.

Parquet Courts are a jingle jangle guitar bands that make you want to bounce up and down. Not jump. Just bounce. Because that's what happens when you listen to lo-fi punk ditties like this. You bounce along... pleasantly. So if you listen to Parquet Courts long enough - I guess you'll develop some really nice calf muscles. And calf muscles are the new biceps, don't you know.

But back on track - think if Lee Renaldo from Sonic Youth was playing surf-rock in NYC in 1977. That's what Parquet Courts sound like. You can listen to some of their jams below. Actually, you probably already are.

So two questions: 1.) Parquet Courts are good, right? And 2.) How did I do with that whole Lee Renaldo surf-rock NYC 1977 thing? I kind of nailed it, right? Right? Hello? Guys? Hello?



Parquet Courts play The Echo, on Tuesday, January 15th.

Thomas Mullarney III and Jacob Gossett are the duo known as Beacon. They're based out of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. As an important aside, if you ever find yourself in Greenpoint you should definitely seek out the empanadas made and sold in that Laundromat. To die for, I tell you.

But moving on, this electronic duo makes down-tempo soulful jams meant for making out, or staring at the moon, or fileting some mignon. There is no wrong activity to accompany down-tempo electronica, after all. It's like the color black; it goes well with everything.

Beacon's sound has been compared to The Weeknd and James Blake and Fever Ray. And I think Mullarney's vocals over this groove-nasty electro seduction often sounds like the Sigur Ros guy meets a little bit of Thom Yorke. That hybrid leads you to a pleasant voice.

All of this probably means only one thing: Beacon is one mellow band, baby. So when you want to go mellow, Beacon isn't a bad place to start for help in getting there. And when you're done getting mellow, grab some of those empanadas from that Laundromat to pump yourself back up. They're a taste explosion in your mouth.



Beacon plays with How to Dress Well, at Co Prosperity Sphere, on Friday, December 14th.

12/22 Andrew Bird @ Hideout
12/28 Washed Out (DJ Set) @ The Mid
2/01 Mice Parade @ Schubas
2/14 Kishi Bashi @ Lincoln Hall
2/15 The Residents @ Schubas
2/16 The Residents @ Lincoln Hall
3/19 Starfucker @ Metro
3/20 Boy @ Schubas
3/21 Mac DeMarco @ Empty Bottle
3/21 Boy @ Schubas
3/22 Darwin Deez @ Schubas
3/23 Stars @ Metro
3/25 Ava Luna @ Empty Bottle
3/28 Alt-J @ Metro
3/29 Thao & The Get Down Stay Down @ Lincoln Hall
4/01 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Sharon Van Etten @ Chicago Theatre
5/02 IAMX @ Lincoln Hall
5/16 Shout Out Louds @ Metro
AND MORE...

FIND ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

12/03 Twin Shadow @ Secret Location (NOT NORMALcy: RCRD LBL & MINI Present)
12/07 Poolside (DJ Set) @ Primary
12/29 Com Truise @ House of Blues Chicago
12/31 The Hood Internet @ Beauty Bar
1/06 Breathe Owl Breathe @ Schubas
1/12 Quicksand @ Metro
1/25 Palma Violets @ Schubas
1/26 Jenny Owen Youngs @ Beat Kitchen
2/08 Buke and Gase @ Lincoln Hall
2/21 Why? @ Lincoln Hall
2/23 EELS @ Vic Theater
2/24 Delta Rae @ Lincoln Hall
3/06 Tame Impala @ Vic Theater
3/07 Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ Lincoln Hall
3/09 Jukebox The Ghost @ Metro
3/14 Veronica Falls, Cold Showers @ Empty Bottle
3/19 Efterklang @ Lincoln Hall
4/06 Jamie Lidell @ Lincoln Hall
AND MORE...

VIEW ALL JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS HERE >>

Think of an acoustic country troubadour standing in the middle of a deserted crossroads, politely asking the Devil if he wants his soul and in exchange for... well.... nothing. The Devil can just have it. That could be what happened to King Dude (note: it's also the slightly modified plotline of 1986 box office flop "Crossroads" starring a young Ralph Macchio trying to escape his "Karate Kid" success).

King Dude is Seattle's TJ Cowgill. He also sings in evil-core band (full disclosure: think I just made that genre up but I don't care), Book of the Black Earth, and runs the site, Actual Pain (the go-to online store for all of your Occult-ing needs). So yeah, this Dude goes pretty dark. But it's weird too, man.

Is witch-folk a term yet? I mean, if evil-core can be a term - why can't witch-folk? And anyway, hyphens are a neat trick to help to define all sounds. Even the indefinable sound a dude like King Dude is rocking. This is a man who sounds like Johnny Cash if he had a post-Demon Possession phase.

But why am I telling you all this. I could've just told you that one of King Dude's songs is called "Lucifer's The Light of The World" and the chorus goes, "Lucifer's the light of the world." And then you'd be like, "OK. Got it, Rockness." Anyway, it's very strange. Never thought I'd listen to a singer-songwriter-Satanist.



King Dude plays Empty Bottle, on Wednesday, December 12th.

12/06 Young Hines @ Tonic Room
12/20 Cains & Abels @ Hideout
12/27 The Gizmos, Parquet Courts @ Empty Bottle
12/28 Azita @ Empty Bottle
1/11 Mako Sica @ Hideout (Chicago Psych Fest IV)
1/11 Sons of the Silent Age @ Metro
1/12 The Soft Moon @ Empty Bottle
1/12 Velcro Lewis @ Hideout (Chicago Psych Fest IV)
1/13 The Ocean Blue @ Schubas
1/16 Bear in Heaven, Hooray For Earth, Supreme Cuts @ Schubas
1/17 MAGIC TRICK @ Empty Bottle
1/19 Lucero @ Metro (Tomorrow Never Knows)
1/21 Freakwater @ Hideout
2/01 Shabazz Palaces @ The Shrine

We just base our profiles on whatever the band's MySpace profile says; because no media outlet is more accurate or respected. So with that being said... Midnight Magic are from Brooklyn and play Disco House and their label is Permanent Vacation and based on the sheer volume of plays (and remixes), their big time jam appears to be "Beam Me Up." They have 348 friends and their last login was 7/07/11 and perhaps most importantly they've been a member since 3/11/08. Boom!

Now I bet you couldn't write a better band profile than that even if you tried, like, REALLY hard! So all MySpace stuff aside, Midnight Magic is a really tight electro-pop band with plenty of those clubby beats to get you dancing. Or drinking. Or dining in. I'm not going to tell you what to do with clubby beats.

This sweet dance crew of four is opening for Holy Ghost! @ MHOW. I wish I could open for Holy Ghost! @ MHOW. But that would be impossible. I'm just a lowly neurosurgeon. So I'm not sweating it either. Now I'm going to end this profile by telling you something MySpace can't. Ready? Here it goes. "MIDNIGHT MAGIC FOREVAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

Midnight Magic plays Lincoln Hall, on Saturday, November 24th.

Black Marble is a new, good and gloomy band from Brooklyn that features Ty Kube of Team Robespierre (loved those guys). This is dark and sparse spacey-synth-wave that highlights the void of... well, everything. Is that called coldwave? Kids and their genres today, I tell ya.

So yeah, veering towards the doom side of the musical spectrum, Black Marble is not exactly the type of electro band that'll "get this party started" like Team Robespierre was. But then again, life isn't a party all the time, right? Sometimes life can be a bum-out. Hey, you heard that here first. I should be a life coach.

Anyway, Black Marble's haunting pop hypnosis reminds me of another new favorite band, Trust. If you like Trust, I'm betting you'll like Black Marble. And if you like good music, you'll like Black Marble, too. Because Black Marble is a good band that makes good music. See how that works?

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go sit in the corner and try to wrap my head around the meaning of life having no meaning... and I'll do so by blasting Black Marble.



Black Marble play The Burlington, on Tuesday, December 4th.

We have a pair of tickets to give away to see SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO with JDH & DAVE P at Bottom Lounge on Saturday, December 15th!

For show information and tickets, click here.

Enter your name and email address below for a chance to win. Only one entry per email address will be accepted. Winner will be randomly selected on 12/10. Good luck!

11/30 Nobunny @ Bottom Lounge
12/15 Prince Rama @ Schubas
12/19 The Babies @ Permanent Records
12/20 Tortoise, The Sea and Cake @ Empty Bottle (Free w/ RSVP)
12/20 Stagnant Pools @ Township (formerly Panchos)
12/28 Shlohmo, Sepalcure @ Bottom Lounge
1/15 Christopher Owens of Girls @ Lincoln Hall
1/19 Chelsea Wolfe, King Dude @ Schubas
1/20 Geographer @ Schubas (Tomorrow Never Knows 2012)
1/29 Soundgarden @ Riviera Theatre
1/30 Soundgarden @ Riviera Theatre
2/01 Yo La Tengo @ Vic Theater
2/09 Coheed & Cambria, Russian Circles @ Congress Theatre
2/22 Passion Pit, Matt & Kim @ UIC Pavilion
3/16 They Might Be Giants @ Vic Theater
4/02 Sigur Ros @ UIC Pavilion
AND MORE...

Supreme Cuts is a Chicago production duo comprised of Austin Kjeultes and Mike Perry. Together, they mix and match and manipulate and blend (mostly) hip-hop beats over smooth, soulful samples to create darkly skittish and (mostly) down-tempo machine made jams.

If that description makes Supreme Cuts sound like they are some kind of goth-y dubstep crew, well, that's not how they see it. Supreme Cuts has said they make "future R & B." Sounds good to me since I hear some sounds that resemble creepy alien sex, I guess. But my ears are also telling me that Supreme Cuts will appeal to fans of dudes like Clams Casino and Gold Panda and Luke Abbott and Burial and Sepalcure.

But wait. Aren't all those guys kind of dubstep? What is dubstep anyway? Is that what Korn and Al Gore invented? Oh, who cares. All I really care about these days are the big time beats. And Supreme Cuts have lots of those.

Get excited for their debut full-length Whispers in the Dark on one of our favorite current labels, Dovecote Records. (By the way, how has no one named their band Supreme Cuts before these guys?)



Supreme Cuts open for Thurston Moore, at The Burlington, on Saturday, November 17th.

Quilt is a band from Boston that is straight up hippie-dippy. I don't mean that in a pejorative way. It's just what they are. This is straight up Mama and the Papas on acid. I'm telling you.

Quilt's blast from the blissed out past is all about good vibes and crazy sounds and groovy visuals and breezy harmonies. It's not for squares, baby. It's for cats like you and me that like to turn on, tune in and drop out. You know how it goes. And hey baby, I can dig Quilt's vibe. I can dig it.

I'm not trying to be mean with this whole thing. I just want to love them as much as their music loves me and all of Mother Nature's creatures. We're all one earth, right? And love is what makes that one earth go magically around and around and around, man. And it doesn't ever stop. It just keeps going and we keep spinning and the music is the balance, man. The music is the balance!

I got to stop there and contemplate the heaviness of what I just discovered. I need to just be with that for awhile. Yes. Yes. Be with it.



Quilt open with The Fresh & Onlys, at Lincoln Hall, on Saturday, November 17th.

11/17 Thurston Moore, Supreme Cuts @ The Burlington (Neon Marshmallow Fest)
11/21 Tight Phantomz @ Empty Bottle
11/26 King Khan & BBQ Show @ Empty Bottle
12/02 Band of Horses, Alabama Shakes @ Chicago Theatre
12/05 Public Enemy @ House of Blues Chicago
12/08 French Horn Rebellion @ Ultra Lounge
12/12 King Dude @ Empty Bottle
12/14 Maritime @ Empty Bottle
12/30 Maps & Atlases @ Schubas
12/30 Tilly & The Wall @ Subterranean
12/31 The Airborne Toxic Event @ Metro
12/31 Maps & Atlases @ Schubas
12/31 Tilly & The Wall @ Subterranean
1/18 The Walkmen @ Vic Theater
1/31 Hot Water Music @ Metro
2/09 Ty Segall, Ex-Cult @ Empty Bottle
2/19 Toro y Moi @ Metro
3/01 Ra Ra Riot @ Metro
3/04 Muse @ United Center
AND MORE...

I'm telling you, guys. The Magician's Soundcloud page has saved my ass on SEVERAL occasions. You see, not to get too technical but I've got an "external hard drive" that houses all of my music in "mp3" form. And sometimes when I'm at a "coffee shop," I forget to bring this "external hard drive" and I get panicky because something like Sarah Mclachlan's "Surfacing" is usually being played over the PA.

Then I remember that The Magician has hours upon hours of big time dance jams streaming on his Soundcloud page; one click away. Seriously, you could press play on that page and be set all the way until next Thursday. But this isn't a commercial for Soundcloud. Who cares, Rockness.

The most important thing to know is that if you like exceptional electronic music, you're going to like The Magician's jams. Shockingly, The Magician is not this guy's given name. Nope, The Magician is Belgian based DJ/producer/programmer Stephen Fasano. Maybe his friends call him Steve, I don't know.

Prior to making magic, he led that disco loving band Aeroplane. So if you liked them, you'll like this. Similar vibe. Using some synths and lots and lots of machines Fasano makes... well... dance music. That's all this is. This is dance music. And I don't know about you, but there's nothing I would rather listen to at a coffee shop that's blasting "Surfacing."

The Magician plays The Mid, on Friday, November 2nd.

L.A.'s Milo Greene (a band, not a person - and I'll save you some time - the story behind their name isn't that interesting even though everyone is mentioning it) do pretty harmonies over shimmering guitars. It's dramatic, well-produced pop that's got a slight alt-country vibe to it. Imagine Band of Horses meets Explosions in the Sky.

That's sort of the best way to describe this band's situation. Or, maybe Crosby, Stills and Nash meets Godspeed! You Black Emperor. Not exactly on that last one, but you know what I'm saying. I know you do. Because we're pals at this point, right?

This band also sounds very much like a band that's from Los Angeles in 2012 - their pop comes with that polished sheen (see People, Foster The). Yes. Yes. Yes. Before you protest. I get it. Not all L.A. bands have that sheen. Maybe that sheen is just what pop is. I'll have to think about it some more, but for right now I'm sticking with it being an L.A. thing.

Also this - Milo Greene are going to be REALLY popular. It's just going to happen. Their sound is what's huge right now. So go place your bets in Vegas before it's too late. There's a counter near the back of the Mirage where you can bet on buzz bands. Probably.



Milo Greene plays Lincoln Hall, on Friday, November 2nd.

London's Disclosure are a dance-dub-house duo comprised of teenage brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence. Man, when I was a teenager I'm pretty sure my brother and I were still playing one-on-one Nerf basketball on the plastic hoop hung from a door jam. Oh well. At least I was amazing raining down threes with a foam ball and a hand in my face.

Anyway, Disclosure bring throbbing bass jams that will get your blood kicking. It's a little stutter step glitchy at times, but mostly these songs are straight-up dance jams designed to get your body to feel the seductive rhythms of your soul..... or something.

Disclosure is recommended for people who like, well, dance music. If you're not into beats, this ain't gonna be your thing my friend. You'll probably also appreciate Disclosure if you like similar sounding up-and-comers like Rustie and Sepalcure and Howse.... or maybe if you want to like Burial but wish Burial wasn't so boring (sorry, Burial.)

These teenage bros definitely know how to get down. I'll give them that. But can they do a blindfolded windmill dunk from the confines of their bedroom? That's what I really want to know.



Disclosure plays Schubas, on Sunday, October 28th.

BAM! BAM! BAM! And then it's over. That's essentially the experience you'll have listening to this band. You'll get beat up and then you'll be sad your pummeling didn't last longer.

Metz is a LOUD post-punk (whatever that means anymore) trio from Toronto that fire off the short ferocious riffs that just got their noisy ass selves signed to Sub Pop. That's what happens when you make dangerous music that RULEZ (my 11-year-old cousin told me to Caps Lock that word and end it with a 'Z' when I REALLY mean it).

If you feel like going to a show that will make you feel like you want to explode all over the venue's walls due to sheer bombastic pleasure, I suggest hooking up with Metz.

If you don't want a show that will make you want to explode all over the venue's walls, I can't say I blame you. It's a messy experience. But I also can't say you won't be missing out. If I'm going to splatter to pieces, at least it was a GUITAR and a BASS and DRUMS and DISTORTION that destroyed me. BAM! BAM! BAM! (And now it's over.)



Metz play Empty Bottle, on Saturday, October 27th, and earlier that day a FREE performance at Permanent Records.

Canada's Grimes is actually Montreal's Claire Boucher. I guess you can call this ethereal atmospheric electronic music, but then you'd probably want to walk away from this profile at best and... well... let's not get into worst case scenarios here.

You and I both know that what I just said to describe Grimes' music means absolutely nothing. After all, Enya (and whatever Enya’s sister or cousin or whoever that relative was who was riding Enya’s coattails for a while there circa 1994) could also be described as ethereal atmospheric electronic music. And Grimes doesn't sound like Enya. You heard that here first. "Ethereal" music like this is hard to describe. That's why people say things are "ethereal." No one questions "ethereal."

Let's start over and try to do a better job of describing Grimes. How about this, "Grimes sounds like a pop triumph!" Oops, that's another thing that doesn't mean anything. How about, "Whatever Grimes is; chillwave and Dub Step this is not." Closer. How about, "Don't walk! I command you to RUN and see Grimes play!" Farther. Ok, final try. "Grimes is good music made with good machines and sung by a good singer who has a good voice." BOOM! (Grimes also sounds like whales jumping out of the sea in slow motion.)



Grimes play Metro, on Tuesday, October 23rd.

Poolside is an LA duo comprised of Filip Nikolic (he's originally from Denmark... just thought you should know) and Jeffrey Paradise (and if that's Jeffrey’s real last name I just don't know what to do). This is exceptionally sunny synth-disco-pop. And of course it is, Rockness! The dudes go by Poolside! (I often have arguments with myself... it's no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy).

You're going to like Poolside's jams if you like any of the following: a.) happiness b.) lights c.) parties where things just "click" and everyone is having fun d.) drinking during the day e.) the smell of gasoline f.) friends you can rely on g.) swimming h.) Lit i.) good vibrations j.) just being yourself. Man, it's a bummer the alphabet stops at the letter J because I could go on and on and on for like at LEAST 16 more letters.

Poolside is a very likable band. I feel like both you and I are better people because they exist. Things will get better. And who knows, maybe I'll even stop sleeping with my clothes on ("Please tell me! Please tell me whyyyyyyy!").

(*I'm not sure where all the Lit "My Own Worst Enemy" song references came from. I sincerely apologize. Profusely.)





Poolside plays the Bottom Lounge, on Thursday, October 18th.

New York's Devin rocks the good old dirty classic garage with some raspy punk rockabilly thrown in. This guy looks like he could be the undisputed leader of The T-Birds gang. Don't mess with The T-Birds, especially when they’re singing and dancing about their girls and Grease Lightnin'.

And using that sweat, swagger and saucy slickness, Devin takes snarling command of his band and the stage. He's a sure showman intent on reaching star status by channeling rock's history.

Devin's lightning-charged live shows have received comparisons to the legends of old like Iggy Pop and New York Dolls' David Johansen. Those were some pretty brutal boys back in the day. (Iggy Pop is still brutal, but Buster Poindexter? Not so much.)

This distorted, guitar-driven garage seems fueled by whisky and determination, and is fronted by a dude who wants to rock you out all down and dirty like. For greasers, hustlers and grifters... and, of course, fans of classic rock 'n roll.



Devin plays Schubas, on Thursday, October 11th.

Zammuto is Nick Zammuto. He was one half of The Books. The Books, a good band, are no more. Yes, that's sad. But it's also entirely ok, because Zammuto is just as good and very similar in futuristic alt-electronic style.

Still using computers and other assorted gadgetry, Zammuto creates extended, experimental (whatever that means) pop songs that are highly accessible and powered by a craftsman's (i.e. music geek's) touch. I don't know how this guy makes the sounds that he makes, and honestly I don't want to know - just like I didn't want to know how David Copperfield made The Statue of Liberty disappear (A turning stage? Gimme a break!).

All I know is that, like The Books, this is a highly original exploration of what electronic pop music can sound like if it's made with a vision incomparable to any other electro popper out there.

So in other words, no, this doesn't sound like New Order. It sounds like Zammuto... and The Books.



Zammuto plays Schubas, on Tuesday, October 9th.

John Talabot is an electronic Producer/DJ dude from Barcelona who creates chill club jams that go thump in the night. You can call these sounds deep disco-house, I guess. But I don't really know that means - because it doesn't really mean anything.

You know what does mean something though? Calling your mother on Sundays. That has absolutely nothing to do with John Talabot, but his songs have some beats I bet my mom would even like (that's my attempt at tying together absolutely nothing with a string... and anyway, my mom would NOT like this).

There's also twinge of darkness to John Talabot's jams. Not TOO sinister, it's just that sometimes these beats sound like they want to kill me - no big deal. I guess Talabot's beats don't like my funny looking face. So does this electronic darkness mean this is actually called witch-goth-dub? Step-acid-core? Spain-synth-glitch? I can never keep up with all the new genres and soundzzzz.

I do like John Talabot though. I'd go see him play. I'm not afraid to show myself to these beats. If I get thumped, I get thumped.



John Talabot plays Metro SmartBar, on Friday, September 28th.

10/20 Chad Valley @ Schubas
11/14 A Place to Bury Strangers, Bleeding Rainbow @ Empty Bottle
11/15 The dB's @ Hideout
11/16 The dB's @ Hideout
11/18 Franz Nicolay @ Township (formerly Panchos)
11/21 Gemini Club @ Lincoln Hall
11/29 Cold Specks @ Schubas
12/01 Alabama Shakes @ Riviera Theatre
12/11 The Polyphonic Spree @ Logan Square Auditorium
12/16 Of Monsters and Men @ Riviera Theatre
12/21 The Killers @ UIC Pavilion
2/13 Lady Gaga @ United Center
AND MORE...

Edinburgh's Django Django is a fun, oddball band that makes strange and happy synth-driven pop for music geeks. It sounds like space meets surf meets tribal meets robots. I think that's called "art rock," but I'll have to double-check with my artist friends just to be sure about that.

Most of the Django Django attention has happened over there in the U.K., and that buzz was based on the strength of their crazy live shows. On stage, they like to use lots of wacky props (unfortunately, as of this writing, they've never used a huge novelty lemon), they get all trippy with the lights (so bright and colorful!), and they slam together coconut shells (for percussive purposes... duh).

Django Django gets a lot of comparisons to The Beta Band (main Django David Maclean's older bro was in Beta Band, actually) meets the Beach Boys. I never got into The Beta Band, but that's ok, because The Beta Band never got into me. And I'm into Django Django. I don't know why, exactly. But I am.



Django Django plays Schubas Schubas, on Thursday, September 20th, and Friday, September 21st.

Alt-J (the Mac command to get the "Delta" sign that's really their name. Get it? Me neither...) is an eccentro-pop band that's, well, kind of weird I guess (instead of a cymbal the drummer uses a saucepan... now THAT'S zany!). But they're wacky in that completely melodic way that the radio really likes. Call Alt-J "safely strange" then.

Supposedly, the four members of Alt-J are from Cambridge (the English one, guys - not everything REVOLVES AROUND THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES!). But Alt-J has a sound that could easily fit in with that glossy pop thing that exists in parts of the LA music scene. You know that glossy pop thing I mean. I know you do (however if you're wearing a fedora right now, I don't expect you to get it).

On a related note, Alt-J should consider touring with LA's Milo Greene... and maybe that other LA band, American Royalty. You're welcome, booking agents everywhere.

Anyway, Alt-J is probably going to be famous. They just have that famous sound. At the very least, I hear many commercials in their future. After all, every good marketer knows that singable wackiness helps sell cars and jeans and tablets.



Alt-J play Empty Bottle, on Friday, September 21st.

Chomp features two Cloud Nothings (Joe Boyer and Jayson Gerycz) and one Total Babe(s) (Chris Brown... no, not Chris Brown the asshole... c'mon guys, it's a pretty common name). Do you like those two bands Cloud Nothings and Total Babes? Why aren't you answering? You can talk directly into your screen or phone or tablet. Don't worry, I'll be able to hear it.

Well, I guess you're not up for that type of intimacy yet. But moving right along, Chomp plays quick garage-punk-pop songs that have been compared to Superchunk. Sounds good to me. Maybe throw in a "messier early Weezer" reference just for kicks, too. I mean, why the hell not, right guys? Sometimes the biggest risk in life is not taking one.

So yeah, Chomp sounds like that rocking GUITAR indie rock of the early to mid '90s. Remember that era? It was the era right after that synth-pop fad and right before that synth-pop fad. Chomp plays happy nostalgic rock for angry people. Or, angry nostalgic rock for happy people. One of the two.

Get into Chomp. You can file 'em under Loud and Fun. And then for the love of god STOP FILING. Get out of the house and go see a show or something. It's a beautiful night.



Chomp open for Cloud Nothings at Lincoln Hall, on Tuesday, September 18th, and Wednesday, September 19th.

Stagnant Pools are two brothers from Bloomington, IN making broody and moody pop that rocks out rather nicely once it gets revved up. Singer/guitarist Brian Enas is 22. And Drummer Doug Enas is 20. Now that you know their names and ages, all we need now is their mother's maiden name and their respective social security numbers and we'll be good to go.

Anyway, Stagnant Pools use a lot of distortion over pretty melodies to make something that sounds a little like a harder edged Interpol perhaps. But I'm not even sure that's right. I guess I just wanted to say that because Interpol was moody. But so were The Moody Blues. Why didn't I say them? Actually, come to think of it... The Moody Blues weren't moody AT ALL. What a fake name.

As you can probably tell by my meandering and changing of topics, it's hard to express the right words to get you to check out Stagnant Pools. But I guarantee if you give them a chance, they'll immediately sound familiar to you... in the good way... familiar like coming home.

So maybe let's leave it at that. Stagnant Pools sound like coming home. (I'm so sorry guys; I failed you on this one... I failed you. But Stagnant Pools are a GOOD band. Honest!)



Stagnant Pools open for Maximo Park at Lincoln Hall, on Monday, September 17th.

Here's the story about Holograms. They are four early twenty-something dudes from Stockholm who all work in a factory together and make aggressively melodic punk on the off hours. They don't have any money to buy better instruments than the shittty ones they already have. The result is messy and sweaty and boozy lo-fi punk that comes at you aggressive and angular and distorted and fast and, well, you get it. It's good stuff.

But the best thing about Holograms is not that their jams have that snappy angry energy we all know and love from our punk. No, the best thing about Holograms is all the pretty melodies they got going on over all this angst.

Punk and pretty? My goodness, who has ever heard of such a thing! Oh yeah, there was that whole "emo" movement, I suppose. But why are we talking about emo?

Let me break Holograms down to you right quick. You know that band Iceage? Holograms sounds like Iceage. But Holograms would sound MORE like Iceage if Iceage wrote songs you could (almost) get away with singing in the shower. Cool? We good? Whew. That was a rough one.



Holograms play The Echo, on Sunday, September 23rd.

9/16 Trash Talk, Odd Future @ Subterranean
9/28 Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall @ Logan Square Auditorium
10/03 Jens Lekman, Taken By Trees @ Lincoln Hall
10/03 EXITMUSIC @ Subterranean
10/04 Woods @ Subterranean
10/13 Chandeliers @ Hideout
10/13 Psychedelic Furs @ Vic Theater
10/18 Com Truise, Bonde do Role, Poolside @ Bottom Lounge
10/25 Divine Fits, Cold Cave @ Logan Square Auditorium
11/01 Shiny Toy Guns, MNDR @ Subterranean
11/03 VHS or BETA @ Double Door
11/03 Walk Off The Earth @ House of Blues Chicago
11/07 The Sword @ Double Door
11/07 Dan Deacon @ Lincoln Hall
11/08 Cave, Tyvek @ Hideout
11/09 Bob Dylan @ United Center
11/13 RNDM @ Lincoln Hall
11/18 Future Islands @ Lincoln Hall
12/09 Of Montreal @ Metro
AND MORE...

Here's the story about Holograms. They are four early twenty-something dudes from Stockholm who all work in a factory together and make aggressively melodic punk on the off hours. They don't have any money to buy better instruments than the shittty ones they already have. The result is messy and sweaty and boozy lo-fi punk that comes at you aggressive and angular and distorted and fast and, well, you get it. It's good stuff.

But the best thing about Holograms is not that their jams have that snappy angry energy we all know and love from our punk. No, the best thing about Holograms is all the pretty melodies they got going on over all this angst.

Punk and pretty? My goodness, who has ever heard of such a thing! Oh yeah, there was that whole "emo" movement, I suppose. But why are we talking about emo?

Let me break Holograms down to you right quick. You know that band Iceage? Holograms sounds like Iceage. But Holograms would sound MORE like Iceage if Iceage wrote songs you could (almost) get away with singing in the shower. Cool? We good? Whew. That was a rough one.



Holograms play Schubas, on Friday, September 14th.

London based (and Glasgow born) Rustie (Russell Whyte) is an up-and-coming dance jam master. You heard that here FIRST... well, actually maybe not first. There are a lot of websites out there on the world wide blob. But maybe you heard it here... 4th? Hey, 4th is pretty good, all things considered.

Anyway, Rustie makes super melodic disco synth that comes at you hard with soulful bass booms and big time jazzy beats; you know, the kind of jazzy beats that skip and stutter and go perfectly all over the place. So yeah, read between the lines on all that and call this dubstep similar to Burial and Sepalcure and... Skrillex?

Ah, dubstep... shmubstep. That term doesn't even mean anything anymore. (By the way, remember that genre of music called "college rock?" Yeah. That was pretty ALT.) As long-time Rockness readers know, I simply prefer to call anything that's a jam and makes me want to dance a DANCE JAM.

Let's not complicate things. Rustie makes dance jams. Free your mind and your body will follow.



Rustie - Dreamzz by Rustie

Rustie plays Metro SmartBar, on Thursday, September 13th.

Dustin Wong was a member of Ponytail. Ponytail was a good band from Baltimore that's unfortunately no longer. Bust. But fortunately, the stuff Wong has been doing "solo style" is ridiculously good.

Using lots and lots and LOTS of guitar loops, Wong is a one man wizard that makes transcendent instrumental magic all by his lonesome from a mostly empty stage. These jams immediately call to mind the great Battles (or Battles precursor; “American Don” era Don Caballero), but perhaps Wong's songs are even more melodic since they often skip the abrasive stage and just go straight for the prettiness.

I'm aware that "epic" is an overused term, but overused terms have always done me right so I'll say these songs are certainly EPIC. They slowly build using layers upon layers of repetition as the foundation, before breaking free to soar and glide majestically over amber waves of... well, you know the rest.

Dustin Wong's second LP is out soon on Thrill Jockey. It's going to be good. And see him do his thing live for sure. Is this just a whole lot of guitar loops? Or is it magic? There's only one way to find out.



Dustin Wong plays with Beach House, at the Wiltern, on Tuesday, September 25th, and Wednesday, September 26th.

I love when a guy comes out of nowhere to fill up your streaming radio player with the sweet sounds of undiscovered goodness. I had never heard of AbdeCaf (real name Steve Vayneshtok) until just yesterday. But I've been doing a lot of listening and semi-researching in the last 24 hours.

So to start, here's what I know from my exhaustive semi-research: AbdeCaf is a 20-year-old producer from Miami. He makes instrumental beat jams primarily using his laptop and Yamaha CS1x. Tah-dah! I should be a human search engine; you know what I'm saying?

Ok, now here's what my ears tell me: this is chill-sweetness and is similar in sound to what (the super solid) Clams Casino is doing. AbdeCaf might go even more laid-back and slightly darker than CC, but you definitely can hear the influence.

To that point, AbdeCaf also lists as an influence Com Truise (he's also shared the stage with that guy; I would definitely go to that show), Balam Acab (for sure), James Blake and SBTRKT. Sounds good to me, man.

Oh yeah, almost forgot to tell you. AbdeCaf recently released his debut EP for FREE. I love when they do that. You can listen to the EP in question below. And you should. Because it's really good. This guy is flying pretty well under the radar at this moment, but with jams like these, that's not going to last long. I'd bet on AbdeCaf now.

Unravel EP by AbdeCaf

Abdecaf plays House of Blues, on Friday, August 31st.

BAM! BAM! BAM! And then it's over. That's essentially the experience you'll have listening to this band. You'll get beat up and then you'll be sad your pummeling didn't last longer.

Metz is a LOUD post-punk (whatever that means anymore) trio from Toronto that fire off the short ferocious riffs that just got their noisy ass selves signed to Sub Pop. That's what happens when you make dangerous music that RULEZ (my 11-year-old cousin told me to Caps Lock that word and end it with a 'Z' when I REALLY mean it).

If you feel like going to a show that will make you feel like you want to explode all over the venue's walls due to sheer bombastic pleasure, I suggest hooking up with Metz.

If you don't want a show that will make you want to explode all over the venue's walls, I can't say I blame you. It's a messy experience. But I also can't say you won't be missing out. If I'm going to splatter to pieces, at least it was a GUITAR and a BASS and DRUMS and DISTORTION that destroyed me. BAM! BAM! BAM! (And now it's over.)



Metz play Bottom Lounge (with Archers of Loaf!), on Friday, August 24th.

9/17 Love of Everything @ Empty Bottle
9/19 Dinosaur Feathers, Shark? @ Empty Bottle
9/26 Wooden Wand @ Empty Bottle
9/28 Moon Duo (members of Wooden Shjips) @ Empty Bottle
10/03 Gossip @ Bottom Lounge
10/04 Freelance Whales @ Lincoln Hall
10/13 The Octopus Project @ Subterranean
10/14 The Jezabels @ Lincoln Hall
10/17 Regina Spektor @ Chicago Theatre
10/17 White Rabbits @ Lincoln Hall
10/17 Cadence Weapon @ Schubas
10/27 The Afghan Whigs @ Metro
10/28 Cat Power @ Riviera Theatre
11/01 Those Darlins @ Schubas
11/02 Milo Greene @ Lincoln Hall
11/07 Crooked Fingers, John Vanderslice @ Schubas
11/08 Grouplove @ Riviera Theatre
11/08 Crooked Fingers, John Vanderslice @ Schubas
11/10 The Helio Sequence @ Lincoln Hall
11/13 Gallows @ Subterranean
11/14 Aimee Mann @ Park West
11/15 Aimee Mann, Ted Leo @ Park West
11/17 The Fresh & Onlys @ Lincoln Hall
11/19 Delta Spirit @ House of Blues Chicago
12/02 Patrick Watson @ Lincoln Hall
12/08 Boys Noize @ Aragon Ballroom
AND MORE...

I'm listening to The Very Best as I write this and I'm feeling a strange emotion I think might be happiness. This band just has that effect on people (well, on me anyway).

The Very Best are from all over the place. Technically based in London, countries of origin between the three members include Malawai (singer Esau Mwamwaya), France (Etienne Tron; 1/2 of the Radioclit DJ duo) and Sweden (Johan Karlberg; the other 1/2). Together, this jubilant electro-Afropop trio creates crazily catchy club beats that will get the kids of any nation up and dancing.

There's something entirely life-affirming about The Very Best listening/live experience. Mwamwaya often sings in his native Chichewa language (and other languages, English among them) so I don't have conclusive proof that these songs are all about joy. But it sure sounds that way.

Since they first started putting out well-received underground mixtapes, the band has seen a rapid rise. They've already collaborated with some big names including M.I.A. (they remixed her very early on... guess she liked it), Santogold, The Ruby Suns, and most notably Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend (he sings on their standout track "Warm Heart of Africa" --- The Very Best also admirably covered Vampire Weekend's "Cape Code Kwassa Kwassa").

When a band makes pretty much everyone who listens to them feel good all over (ok, maybe I'm just talking about me again), I'd bet my money they'll be sticking around for awhile. Yes, this is definitely happiness.



The Very Best play Lincoln Hall, on Friday, August 17th, and at The Dixon Stopover, on Saturday, August 18th.

8/31 Girl Talk @ Congress Theatre (North Coast After Party)
9/01 Dan Deacon @ Cobra Lounge (North Coast After Party)
9/15 Callers @ Subterranean
9/16 Wild Nothing, DIIV @ Empty Bottle
9/18 Cloud Nothings @ Lincoln Hall
9/19 Cloud Nothings @ Lincoln Hall
9/19 GZA, Sweet Valley, Bear Hands @ Metro
9/20 The Hood Internet, Body Language @ Metro
9/20 Django Django @ Schubas
9/21 Silversun Pickups, School of Seven Bells @ Aragon Ballroom
9/21 Alt-J @ Empty Bottle
9/21 Django Django @ Schubas
9/21 Mono @ Subterranean
9/25 The Jealous Sound @ Bottom Lounge
9/30 Frankie Rose @ Empty Bottle
10/03 Perfume Genius @ Logan Square Auditorium
10/05 Crocodiles @ Subterranean
10/09 Two Door Cinema Club, Friends @ Riviera Theatre
10/10 Nick Waterhouse @ Lincoln Hall
10/11 A$AP ROCKY, Danny Brown @ Congress Theatre
10/11 Generationals @ Schubas
10/16 Wolf Gang @ Lincoln Hall
10/19 Black Prairie @ Schubas
10/20 Nouvelle Vague @ Bottom Lounge
10/20 Cult of Youth @ Empty Bottle
10/21 New Order @ Aragon Ballroom
10/21 Public Image Limited @ House of Blues Chicago
10/21 Crime and the City Solution @ Lincoln Hall
10/26 Electric Guest @ Lincoln Hall
10/27 The Mountain Goats @ Vic Theater
10/28 Disclosure @ Schubas
10/30 A.C. Newman @ Empty Bottle
10/30 Father John Misty @ Lincoln Hall
11/06 Propagandhi @ Bottom Lounge
11/09 Supersuckers @ Double Door
11/10 Matt & Kim @ Congress Theatre
12/08 Nada Surf @ Metro
12/15 Simian Mobile Disco @ Bottom Lounge
AND MORE...

This guy knows the beats, bros. He knows the beats. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (no way I am writing that out again) is a long name for the thumping electro project of just one dude, Orlando Higginbottom. He's from Oxford, England.

And speaking of which, what is UP with the Oxford music scene cranking out all the big time dance jams lately?! Amazing! Ok, maybe I’m just thinking of Chad Valley and TEED. But that's 2 more big time dance jam masters from Oxford than I've ever thought of before, so... there you go.

Live, this guy doesn't just twiddle some knobs behind some machinery with his head down. This is a SHOW. He throws around confetti (from a gun, obviously) and messes around with silly props and blasts crazy light swirls and just generally creates the perfect environment for a big dance party. And oh yeah, Higginbottom definitely dresses up as a dinosaur when he plays live. So there's that.

Anyway, this guy isn't concerned with being too super serious as he cranks out the club hits. And 90% of the time I will always back that carefree attitude 100% of the time. After all, it's only rock 'n roll... errr... electro. Right? I like this so much I'm going to contradict myself and write out the name again; go see Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. You'll have a good time. I guarantee it*. (*not a guarantee)



Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs plays Berlin Nightclub, on Thursday, August 2nd, and Lollapalooza, on Friday, August 3rd.