New release: Wolf Parade’s ‘Expo 86′
Wolf Parade’s new album, Expo 86, gets an official release Tuesday. It’s highly recommended. Go buy it.
What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way) – Wolf Parade
Best bet: Woven Bones at Empty Bottle
The Taste isn’t the only venue for good garage rock tonight. The very cool Austin, Texas, band Woven Bones headlines an Empty Bottle show.
Garage Rock day at Taste of Chicago
The headliner on the Petrillo stage at Taste Saturday is Gavin Rossdale. Once again, Taste tops itself for lameness.
But on the Taste stage (the one with the big Illinois Lottery banner), it’s Garage Rock day. Some local bands, including White Mystery, Mannequin Men and Lake Forest’s very own the Yolks, promise to throw a real cave stomper.
The headliner, White Mystery, is Alex White (fka Miss Alex White and the Red Orchestra) and her brother Francis. She plays guitar and he plays drums. It’s a reverse of the early White Stripes schtick. The duo plays a stripped down, raw garage sound.
The Mannequin Men are a fun, punky band. The Yolks play an early ’60s garage style. Check the schedule for times and a full lineup.
Lollapalooza promoters investigated
Lollapalooza’s promoters C3 are being investigated for possible anti-trust violations by Illinois’ attorney general, according to a report.
Chicago music critic Jim DeRogatis says sources tell him that Attorney General Lisa Madigan is looking into Lolla’s requirement that bands playing the big gig can’t play any nearby shows for months before or after the festival.
Chicago music clubs have been complaining for at least the last couple of years about Lolla’s restrictions on bands. Artists, ranging from headliners to opening acts, have to agree that they won’t play other nearby shows unless Lolla blesses the gigs as afterparties.
In some cases, contracts say bands cannot play other Midwest shows six months before or three months after Lolla. A contract can prohibit a band or artist from playing a 300-mile radius, which means markets as far away as Detroit, Indianapolis, Iowa City, Madison or Milwaukee are screwed by a single Lolla contract, DeRogatis reports.
New release: Stars’ ‘The Five Ghosts’
The new Stars album, The Five Ghosts, is out today. The single Fixed has been floating around the Interweb for at least the past couple of months.
Best bet: Jeff the Brotherhood at the Bottle
The choices for Monday night live music usually aren’t so great. But tonight there’s actually decent competition. I already noted the Tame Impala show at Subterranean.
Jeff The Brotherhood is headlining a free show at the Empty Bottle. Like Tame Impala, the two-man Jeff The Brotherhood dabbles in psychedelic but also rocks.
Happy Father’s Day dads
Happy Father’s Day.
Superchunk, Lucero head Taste of Randolph
Taste of Randolph historically has been one of the best street fests in Chicago for live music (and is far better than Taste of Chicago in every way). This year isn’t a blowout lineup but there are some notable acts.
Superchunk, one of the great bands of the ’90s, headlines Sunday night. Califone and Headlights open. The rootsy band Lucero headlines Saturday and Athens, Georgia’s Twin Tigers plays earlier that day.
Tame Impala rolls into Chicago
Australia’s very cool psychedelic band Tame Impala plays a pair of Chicago shows. The band opens up for MGMT Friday night at a sold-out Riv appearance and then gets its own gig at Subterranean on Monday.
I highly recommend seeing these guys. Check out a couple of their videos below. The highly addictive Solitude Is Bliss is made into an over-the-top video. The second video is from a live show.
Pavement to play Millennium Park show
As it turns out, Pitchfork won’t be the only Chicago stop for the reunited Pavement. The band will play a Sept. 13 show at Millennium Park. Unlike most of the Monday night shows at the Pritzker Pavilion this summer, you will have to pay. Tickets are selling for $15 to $40.
This is exciting news. Pritzker is a great venue and we Pavement junkies couldn’t possibly be satisfied by one show.
Another Pair of Arcade Fire songs leak
Two new Arcade Fire songs off the upcoming The Suburbs trickled out: Ready to Start and We Used to Wait.
Roundup: Wavves, Dum Dum Girls and more
It’s time for a roundup. Wavves put out a single and Dum Dum Girls just released a video. Japandroids have a new song. And, of course, Arcade Fire teases us with new tracks.
New video: Miike Snow’s ‘The Rabbit’
Check out Miike Snow’s video for The Rabbit (with a nod to 2 Live Crew).
New music: Drums top new release Tuesday
The latest buzz band from Brooklyn, the Drums, releases its self-titled, full-length debut Tuesday.
Other releases: Here We Go Magic’s Pigeons, Deer Tick’s The Black Dirt Sessions, Tokyo Police Club’s Champ, Teenage Fanclub’s Shadows and Before Today by Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Also, Golden Smog’s Down By the Old Mainstream is re-released on vinyl.
Breakneck Speed – Tokyo Police Club
Best bet: Do Division street fest
There are only a handful of Chicago street fests that really do a good job of booking music. This weekend’s Do Division fest is one.
There are two stages, one curated by Empty Bottle and the other by House Call Entertainment, the guys who book Subterranean and Beat Kitchen. Headliners Saturday are the Night Marchers and the Hood Internet. Sunday’s closers are Yacht and Jason Isbell (formerly of Drive-By Truckers).
Other acts include Pelican, Headlights, Ponys, Poison Arrows, Sybris, Warpaint and CoCoComa.
Mannequin Men, Jacuzzi Boys play the Bottle
Here’s a nasty little rock ‘n’ roll show for you: Chicago’s Mannequin Men and the Jacuzzi Boys hit the Empty Bottle Friday.
New video: Foals’ ‘Miami’
This new video for Foals’ Miami has everything: body builders, drag queens, a bouncing car.
