Ticket Liquidator
Our cheap concert tickets include George Michael tickets, Springsteen tickets, Kenny Chesney tickets, Jimmy Buffett tickets, Jonas Brothers tickets and Eric Clapton tickets
There are very few bands, if any, that make music as innately beautiful as DeVotchKa. A band of modern day gypsies capable of haunting, possessing and inhabiting souls that are in search of the fantastic and they do it all with a flair distinctly their own.
Download: DeVotchKa - "Till the End of Time"
Continue reading "DeVotchKa w/ Basia Bulat @ The Vic 5/9/08" »
Tokyo Police Club, in support of their most recent release Elephant Shell, must have raced thru every 2 minute song in their catalog to fill the hour or so set in front of a packed Metro crowd that didn't appear to sit still for a single second of it.
Download: Tokyo Police Club - "Juno"
Bad news readers...due to rising oil prices, we've been forced to make some budget cut-backs at RFC and the "Friday 8-track" has been downsized. With gas over $4, we just couldn't justify keeping the Radio Free Mobile Unit, our beloved 1974 Gremlin with the sweet in-dash Pioneer 8-track tape deck. So, there's no reason to make any more 8-track tapes since we don't have anything to play it in. Fortunately, a six'er of cheap canned beer at the corner liquor store is still under 4 bucks, so in honor of that we bring you the new RFC Friday freature... "The Friday 6-pack."
Inspired by the good times had by all at the recent Record Store Day, I went back into RFC's vinyl vault and picked out some of my favorite b-sides and vinyl-only bonus tracks. I probably could've cheated and found digital versions of most of these on-line, but as usual, I decided to kick it old school and ripped the MP3 files directly from the actual records. Yes, you may hear a click or pop here and there, but personally I think it's worth it to get as close to the real vinyl experience as possible.
It seems like every week, there's a new buzz band being imported from the UK. Since the Arctic Monkeys made it big a few years ago, the world has turned its attention to the UK to find the next big thing. People in the UK are more fickle about bands than they are here in the U.S. They may like a band for a hot minute, then discard them and move onto the next over-hyped one. At the beginning of the year, several publications came out with their "bands to watch in 2008" lists. Oxford, England quintet Foals made an appearance touted to breakthrough this year. The band released its debut a few weeks ago, Antidotes, to tepid reviews. In a month they will have been forgotten overseas, which is a shame because Foals' record is solid and its live performances intense, frenetic and satisfying enough to prove just maybe Foals is more than a flash in a pan Vampire Weekend.
Download: Foals - "Two Steps, Twice"
Although it’s technically true to say that Earth is a drone band, this genre doesn’t fully describe their sound. There are many drone bands that tend to come off as just downright noise based or trying to be more experimental than anything else. Though this instrumental four piece from Seattle definitely offers an alternative to your standard American pop band, they’ve created music that is effective in eliciting an emotion as well.
Download: Earth - "Engine of Ruin"
Continue reading "Earth with Helen Money @ The Note 4/25/08" »
Tomorrow night, the inimitable local musical duo of Aleks & The Drummer will be rocking Bridgeport at the closing night party for this year's installment of Version Fest. The farfisa has been somewhat quiet so far in 2008, so RFC recently checked in with the band to see what they've been up to lately and if we'll finally be able to get our hands on some recorded material.
Download: Aleks and the Drummer - "scsz"
In this treacherous election year, the GOP tries to maintain its perch at the White House. San Diego band Grand Ole Party (GOP) thankfully doesn't appear to be Republican (O-bombs is their number one Myspace friend). This trio toured with Rilo Kiley year and had their debut record, Humanimals, produced by Kiley member Blake Sennett. Lead singer Kristin Gundred vocals's encapsulate the blues of Amy Winehouse, the fierceness of Karen O, and the wailing of Janis Joplin. Gundred snarls and brazenly belts out garage-blues songs on love gone wrong, the devil, drinking and other sins, all the right elements for quite a celebration.
Download: Grand Ole Party - "Look Out Young Son"
The story of Caribou has become legendary. Canadian Dan Snaith formed Manitoba in 2001 and released two albums under that moniker. But when punk rockster/wrestler Dick Manitoba sued Snaith for illegally using his name, Snaith settled on Caribou. 2005's Milk of Human Kindness was Snaith's first record under the new name. Last year's sunny pop/psyche-electronic record Andorra garnered spots on several top ten lists and solidified Snaith as superstar, especially since he played all the instruments himself. For the tour, he's enlisted a 4-piece band consisting of two drummers. Even though the Bottle's stage is small, it's the perfect venue to absorb the band's beautiful noise.
Download: Caribou - "Hello Hammerheads"
The first time I listened to Blitzen Trapper's 2007 release, Wild Mountain Nation, I confess to thinking it was a bit of a disjointed mess. But, after seeing the band live several months ago, the album became a magnificently disjointed mess.
Download: Blitzen Trapper - "Wild Mountain Nation"
The Everybodyfields pen delicate dreamy country songs that are most at home when wallowing a bit in melancholy and despair.
Download: The Everybodyfields - "Aeroplane"
If The Felice Brothers most recent self-titled release summons visions of The Band via The Basement Tapes you would certainly not be alone but prepare to have such lovely illustrations shattered if you take in a live show.
Download: The Felice Brothers - "Frankie's Gun!"
The genre of post rock has always been a curious one… It’s almost as if it implies that rock music has disappeared off of the face of the Earth. I always feel like I’ve missed some catastrophic event, as if I was in a coma the day the aliens came and informed every man and woman playing a guitar “Rock is over. Now, begin the next stage of your life!” Explosions in the Sky have often been labeled with the post rock moniker and it feels ill fitting to me. For example, though they are not by any means a standard rock band, their guitar playing builds and intensifies throughout many of their songs as the very name of the band suggests. It’s not exactly rock music but it has its roots based in the genre. Perhaps, it just uses some of this and can take it farther. It would be fair to call the band experimental and instrumental. They are also incredibly creative in their use of musical frameworks that develop over the course of each song. Though it’s not a specific genre, I’d also call them experiential because it’s the sort of music that fills you up and, at its best, takes away the emptiness inside.
Continue reading "Explosions in the Sky with Lichens @ The Congress Theater" »
It’s always something to be ecstatic about when you run into a lineup as exceptional as this one last Friday night at Schubas. The Ruby Suns dimmed the lights but brought out some fantastic psychedelic melodies. Le Loup played a joyfully energetic set as well, definitely not disappointing the crowd in the least while headliners Bodies of Water sang as if their lives might depend on it!
Continue reading "Bodies of Water, Le Loup, and The Ruby Suns @ Schubas " »
Washington D.C based septet Le Loup is a band everyone should know about. After only playing a few shows, they immediately got signed to the Hardly Art label. With the release of last year's melodic and lengthy titled "The Throne Of The Third Heaven Of The Nations' Millennium General Assembly" album, comparisons arose to Islands and Animal Collective. Filled with a banjo, french horn, guitars and references to Dante, the record swells with emotional beauty. Seeing the group live is a completely different experience, though. On tape, they sound sedate, but live, they become a full-fledged rock band. Sam Simkoff started the band himself and then posted an ad on Craigslist to find other members. Seven musicians strong, the group encompass three guitars, four vocalists and Sam Simkoff rotating a banjo, piano and toy instruments. Throughout their eight song set, they generate a cacophony of noise: the percussion resonates, Simkoff's body seizures as he yelps along, the french horn throttles transitioning into a spectacle of joyful chaos. After the show, drunken audience members scream, "One more song!" leaving them wanting more. Before their awesome gig at Schubas, we sat down with Simkoff to discuss how it feels to be touted "the next big thing," touring the world and how they are all well behaved musicians.
Download: Le Loup - "We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!"
Headlining a sold out show at Schubas, Beach House fans surely echoed the Devotion. Though I’d seen them two previous times, once opening for The Clientele at the Subterranean and another time playing Pitchfork music festival last summer, this third time at Schubas felt more right than either of the previous. With it’s warmth and hard wood floors, the languid and enveloping tones of the music was brought out perfectly. It shouldn’t also be understated that Beach House’s live performance has shown some improvement as well in the last year. Both with the release of their second album and with touring, their sound has really come to fruition. The super melodic songs of this Baltimore two piece seem altogether more self assured and capable of filling the void of emptiness within any human space.
Download: Beach House - "Turtle Island"
Hailing from outside of Manchester, England, Ting Tings has become the latest UK electropop group trying to infiltrate the States to spread their Blondie and Talking Heads-inspired musings. Consisting of duo Katie White and Jules de Martino, White sings and plays guitar as de Martino beats those drums. Buzz has been escalating since the debut of their first demo single, the insanely catchy "Great DJ." Before signing to Columbia, they toured with only three songs in their arsenal. Luckily, they have more songs now that'll be released on their Columbia debut album sometime this year. In the vein of international jet setters New Young Pony Club and the Sounds, Ting Tings set out to become the next big thing.
Download: Ting Tings - "Great DJ"
This happens year after year: winter wears on me. I feel so sick of the snow, the howling wind, the feeling of cold in my bones that I can’t keep out with a million radiators. I ask myself, “Why do I live in this cold city?” And then, someone as fantastic as Hanne Hukkelberg comes along and pulls me out of it with a radiance of her own. I come to realize…it’s not just the fact that there are people as creative as her in existence that make life worthwhile but the fact that we live in a city committed to supporting international bands and musicians like her. It makes you start to realize that, when this is possible, there is much less isolation. Instead, ideas are shared and you’re filled with a sense of awe and luck. At the end of the day, seeing someone as creative as Hanne from Oslo, Norway changes you in a positive way.
Download: Hanne Hukkelberg - "Cheaters Armoury"
Continue reading "Hanne Hukkelberg w/ Haley Bonar@ Schubas 3/17/08" »
Next Monday at Schubas, it's a "Radio Free Silver Lake recommends..." show with L.A. favorites Rademacher. While actually hailing from Fresno, they've made a name for themselves around Los Angeles the last couple of years and they come highly recommended from Joe over at our sister site, RFSL.
But don't take Joe's word for it, check them out for yourselves...we've got some free passes for you here at RFC so you can check them out risk free. Just drop us a line at radiofreechicago(at)gmail.com with "Rademacher" in the subject and we'll put you in the drawing to get on the list. Get your entries in by this Friday, and in the meantime, click on over to the jump to check out a random clip of the band rocking out their track "Robot Store" at some hippy store in Wyoming.
Download: Rademacher - "If You Got Some Magic"
The Magnetic Fields must really like Chicago, for over the course of the three nights, they played two shows a night--more than any other city on their tour. The last time the Fields played in Chi-Town was in 2004 in support of their record i. In January, they released Distortion, an affable album filled with fuzzy feedback, ironic considering lead singer Stephin Merritt suffers from hyperacusis. It's a condition where high frequencies, ie, distortion, causes great pain in his eardrum. To abate his condition, the band only plays acoustic songs with hardly any electronics present. Despite this scenario, the Magnetic Fields impressed with a lovely and engaging set. Those folks in Austin didn't know what they missed.
Continue reading "The Magnetic Fields @ Old Town School of Folk Music, 3/14/08, First Show" »
It's not uncommon to find musicians who also excel in other forms of art, but you'd be hard pressed to find another musician as multi-talented as Kim Hiorthøy. Check out this impressive resume:
As a graphic designer he is responsible for the Rune Grammofon artwork, as well as most of Smalltown Supersound’s [his record label] artwork. He is also an artist (check out www.standardoslo.no for more information about his art) and a writer. Kim wrote the book Du kan ikke svikte din beste venn og bli god til å synge samtidig on Norwegian literary publisher Oktober Forlag. He has released a book of photography in Japan, a book of drawings, Alt Fins, and a design book, Tree Weekend on Die Gestalten Verlag in Germany. Additionally, Kim has illustrated several children’s books. Kim has worked in film as a photographer, having shot the acclaimed Norwegian movies “Kroppen Min” and “Ungdommens Raskap”, as a video director for the concert film “Supersilent7”, and as a filmmaker, having just debuted as a director/screenwriter with the Swedish/Norwegian co-production, ”Hur Man Gor”.
Somehow in between all those endeavors, Hiorthøy has managed to release some great lo-fi/leftfield electronic records for the Norwegian label Smalltown Supersound. This Saturday, he'll be in town to play the Empty Bottle as a part of a Smalltown label showcase with diskJokke and Bjørn Torske. RFC recently caught up with Hiorthøy via email to find out how he manages to make enough time to be such a prolific musican and artist.
Download: Kim Hiorthoy - "I Thought We"
This was a fantastic night of music, headed by Seattle’s Grand Archives, a five piece led by Matt Brooke, previously of Band of Horses and Carissa’s Weird. Grand Archives stays truer to form to Carissa’s Weird with more of the darker introspective sense than the overblown rock band I’ve always found Band of Horses to be a little guilty of. Because of that, it’s perhaps easier to connect with on smaller stages and a nice balance between both of these previous efforts. Brooke also seems like a sweet and modest guy, thanking Chicagoans for buying his record (apparently the 2008 Sub Pop release has sold really well in Chicago in particular.) Their set wasn’t incredibly long in length due to the fact that the band’s incarnation is recent but they did play a new song not on the record and ended with a long medley of covers beginning with the famous “I Started a Joke” by the BeeGees.
Download: Grand Archives - "Miniature Birds"
Continue reading "Grand Archives/The Acorn/Builders and the Butchers at Schubas 3/8/08" »
There will always be countless numbers of folk singer-songwriters strumming their acoustic guitars at any given moment, but few will ever make music as compelling and convincingly personal as Nina Nastasia.
Download: Nina Nastasia - "Settling Song"
Shake off the post-Valentine blues and find some 'love' in the Heart! RadioFreeChicago.org is presenting another dance your pants off event on February 22nd at the Heart of Gold, in honor of the Great General George Washington, first president of the United States, and purveyor of glam rock fashion. So, dust off your powdered wig and get thee to ye olde Heart of Gold on 2.22 and enjoy the musical stylings of Unicycle Loves You, The Safes, and The Pinks!
The Details:
RadioFreeChicago.Org presents:
Unicycle Loves You, The Safes, & The PinksFebruary 22nd, 2008 TONIGHT
Show starts at 9PM - $5 *suggested donation
21 and over
Heart of Gold
3036 N. Lincoln Ave, 4th FL
Chicago, IL 60657
More about the Bands after the jump!
Continue reading "Radio Free Chicago Presents at The Heart of Gold!" »
So, there's this synthpop band called Freezepop. Until last Wednesday night, I'd never heard of them. My friend is a huge fan and roped me into going. The trio is best known for contributing their music to video games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band. It makes sense since Freezepop's music encompasses bleeps and beeps and centers on lyrics about school boy crushes and technology. At the venue, I was shocked to discover what a cult following this band truly has. The place was packed with a division of either 20 year-old ravers or video game geeked out guys. What followed was surely a memorable evening.
Download: Freezepop - "Brain Power"
I hold these truths to be self evident: 1. Super Furry Animals are one of the top ten bands of all time. 2. The Super Furry Animals put on one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. 3. Out of all of the bands putting out music in the world today, the Super Furries are one of the most creative, dynamic, and perhaps just downright weird bands I’ve ever heard or witnessed in the flesh.
Basia Bulat's debut full length, Oh, my Darling, is every bit as precious as the title would insinuate. The album is full of sweetly seductive vocals atop of ukelele, strings and claps that seem to insist upon your return for more, all while maintaining a sort of a harmless, wholesome perspective.
Download: Basia Bulat - "Snakes and Ladders"
If you haven't heard it yet, click below to rock the new track from Gnarls Barkley...
Listen: Gnarls Barkley - "Run"
If you'd like to follow along at home or try your hand at your best Cee-Lo impression, the complete lyrics can be found after the jump...
Full-length album titled The Odd Couple drops on April 15.
Church is a means for people to worship a deity, whatever shape or form that may be. But for some people, there is such a thing as a music god. Sunday may be a day for attending mass, but Saturday night at Metro became a different sort of worship. Led by demi-gods Dan Deacon and Gregg Gillis of Girl Talk, they basically led their congregation of kids into a blitzkrieg of electronic beats and transformed the youth into abiding, sweaty dance machines.
Download: Girl Talk - "Bounce That"
Download: Dan Deacon - "The Crystal Cat"
Continue reading "Girl Talk w/Dan Deacon @ Metro 1/26/08, Late Show" »
1. Blake/e/e/e - "New Millennium's Lack of Self Explanation"
"Based out of Chicago, Blake/e/e/e is a new project finding two members of the Italian band Franklin Delano half relocated to the States... world ethnic spirituals to alt. Country, filled with drones and bones" - from the ablum Border Radio, dropping April 8th on Free Folk Records [LINK]
"Cascading vocal harmonies, detail rich pop arrangements" - debut full length from this local 5-piece out in April on Moorworks [LINK]
3. Food For Animals - "Tween My Lips"
"Southern hip-hop, ghettotech, Baltimore club, dubstep, power electronics, straight-up noise" - from the album Belly, out now on HOSS [LINK]
4. Carlos y Gaby - "Hot Heavy Heat (A Chase Theme)"
"Analog bliss from veteran sound sculptors" - check out La Voz Sabie De Los Cosmosm, available on vinyl in March on Alpha Pop [LINK]
Continue reading "Friday 8-track: New Music Sampler - Winter '08" »
White Williams (Ne Joe Williams) has been breaking out since dropping his debut record, Smoke, last November. Pitchfork and many other media outlets gave it quite a bit of love. This fall he opened for mega-group Battles so it was just a matter of time before he'd headline his own show. Using processed beats, analog synths, and live guitars and bass, Williams instantly garnered comparisons from party monster Girl Talk to throwbacks of glam rock and everything good that's evolved from electronica in the past 20 years. But with such great songs and great hype on his side, why did Williams fall flat?
Download: White Williams - "New Violence"
Holidangs got you down? Then, head out to the Abbey Pub tonight and get up with Flosstradamus and Pase Rock
! Cover is only $3, but if you sign up at CamelSmokes.com you can print up a FREE ticket. What better way to work out all that holiday stress, bust it out on the dance floor! It's 18 and over for most of the kiddies, and the turntables will be in the middle of floor, so don't bump the table!
Download: Flosstradamus-"Overnight Star"
Download: Flosstradamus - "Girlie Rock"
After missing a show earlier this month due to van problems, The Panda Band finally made their return trip to Chicago at the Subterranean on Friday. These Aussie gentlemen offered up a heaping dose of inspired and warbling melodic pop to a warm response on a particularly chilly night!
Download: The Panda Band - "Musical Chairs"
Continue reading "The Panda Band @ Subterranean 11/30/2007" »
Well, the holiday season is back, so we'd thought we'd reload the RFC X-Mas 8-track once again this year...hope these sound just as good in your iPod as they do in our Germlin sports wagon's stereo deck.
99.9% of Christmas songs are absolute crap. So, as a public service to get you in the holiday spirit to consume this month, RFC is bringing you some of that .1% that don't completely suck. Warm up the chestnuts, crank up the iPod and enjoy!
Continue reading "The Friday 8-Track: X-Mas Songs That Don't Suck!" »
The abominable weather Saturday night seems like it would have been enough to keep anyone indoors but they still managed to pack them in to the Empty Bottle for Scott Herren, a.k.a. Prefuse 73 in support of his recent release Preparations.
Download: Prefuse 73 - "Class of 73 Bells" (featuring School of Seven Bells)
Continue reading "Live Pics: Prefuse 73 @ Empty Bottle 12/1/07" »
Spiller Whale, a relatively fresh Chicago 3-piece is gearing up to free the fruits of their labor into the recorded realm with the upcoming release of their EP, Fresh Tables on DIY label Uncle Grandpa Records. To celebrate, they are throwing a record release spectacle tonight at Subterranean, sharing the bill with RSTLNE and The Panda Band. Spiller Whale's inviting blend of post-punk, jazz, and synth-pop, will give fans of Fugazi and Menomena something to enjoy. We caught up with Sean, Keenan, Matt to quiz them on the new EP, Chicago, and what's on their playlists.
Download: Spiller Whale - "Maps With No Names"
Reggie's is a fairly new South side rock venue with excellent sound hosting a wide array of bands thus drawing crowds as diverse as teenage punksters to 35 year old yupsters. Juliette Lewis is mainly known for her celebrated acting career. You might remember her in such classics as Kalifornia, Christmas Vacation, The Other Sister, and of course her Oscar nominated turn in Cape Fear at the tender age of 18. Juliette has put her acting career on hiatus to focus on her four-year old band, the Licks. With Juliette at the helm and local based rock band Suffrajett and San Fransisco indie group Scissors for Lefty opening, it all made for quite an impressionable evening with a lot of clothing being removed onstage and a wet beer fight offstage.
Continue reading "Juliette & The Licks w/ Suffrajett and Scissors for Lefty @ Reggie's 11/16/07" »
After a couple of days hanging out with the family over Thanksgiving, we know you're going to be dying to get back out on Friday night...and we also know it's probably going to take a couple of stiff drinks to get back to feeling 100% normal once getting back out. So, as a public service this week, RFC is giving you chance to win free admission (with a +1, of course) to either the Hideout or The Empty Bottle on Friday, so that you'll plenty of cash still in your wallet to spend on those double tall whiskey drinks that are sure to be calling your name.
So, what's your preference?
The down-home confines of The Hideout who will be hosting Australian post-punks Love of Diagrams?
OR
