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While the first annual Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival seemed to offer very little in the form of traditional Bluegrass or Blues music, from an enjoyment standpoint the festival was a success and headliners, the Avett Brothers, were the main reason behind that success.
Continue reading "CBGB Festival @ Congress Theatre 11/22/08" »
Sup, turkey gobblers. Many of you are getting ready to skip town (probably to Michigan, I feel like one-in-three people I've met since moving here is from Michigan), but if you are sticking around there are a couple shows well worth checking out this week. Spain's El Guincho DJs at the Museum of Contemporary Art at 6:30 and plays The Empty Bottle later tonight. If you're a fan of Os Mutantes, Gilberto Gil or Caetano Veloso, or if you like Animal Collective (who are clearly huge fans of Os Mutantes, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso) you should pick up "Alegranza." It's the perfect music to mull mint and sugar to as you prepare the traditional Thanksgiving mojitos. Rum and tryptophan: A match made in heaven.
Wednesday night at the Metro, Kid Sister is having the release party for her "Get Fresh" single which you can download here. Also playing are Flosstradamus (featuring her actual Kid Brother Josh) and Hood Internet. It's all ages and you know what that means: Sessy young ladies and tons of chances to thrust your green bracelet towards the kids while yelling "IN YO FACE" as you head towards the bar. Yup, being a grownup is pretty awesome. Happy Holidays!
Download: El Guincho - Polca Mazurca
Download: Flosstradamus - Overnight Star (Twista vs Sigur Ros)
/// There is an abundance of live music options this weekend if you muster the gumption to brave the cold weather. Tonight School of Seven Bells and M83 play the Bottom Lounge. On the north side The Acorn and Calexico play the Metro. Tomorrow night Sebastian Grainger (former drummer/vox of Death From Above 1979) and The Mountains play Beat Kitchen. Brightblack Morning Light are at Hideout and Margot & The Nuclear So & So's blow up the Bottom Lounge. Also, don't forget tomorrow, The Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival is going down at the Congress with a bevy of acts including the Avett Brothers and Ha Ha Tonka.
///Guns 'N Roses long awaited (as in 15 years) follow up to "The Spaghetti Incident" was relea
sed on MySpace and it's making waves on the interwebs. According to NME Chinese Democracy "has broken all records after being streamed on MySpace" with the album receiving around 25 listens a second in the span of 24 hours. I'm not what one could consider a G 'N R fan, per se, although I do enjoy a little "Patience" and "Mr. Brownstone" here and there. Pop-culturalist Chuck Klosterman writes what might be the greatest album review of all time in the Onion's AV Club. Read it.
/// The Flaming Lips first feature length film "Christmas On Mars" will play in a limited engagement at Chicago's Music Box December 5 and 6. Times aren't up yet but keep your eyes peeled, those shows will probably sell out.
/// Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novaselic waxes on his infamous 1992 MTV Music Video Awards guitar toss in the blog he maintains on the Seatle Weekly website. To be honest I was expecting a little more drama but it's a bit of an entertaining story none the less.
I don't know if it's me getting older or more curmudgeonly or something, but Matt and Kim are one of those bands that I tend to only enjoy in smaller intervals. I like their music well enough; it's just that the slew of twee mixed-gender pairs in indie-pop , while enjoyable and charming, has reached a personal saturation point for me. (waves at Ting Tings, Mates of State, Submarines... you get the point)
So, the "kids" tell me that the most talked about show of last year, Gossip Girl, is set to release its first official soundtrack and it's chock full o' indie rock fun. To celebrate this momentus occasion, we've been offered to award one lucky RFC reader a complete Gossip Girl prize pack featuring the aforementioned soundtrack and Gossip Girl Season 1 on DVD.
But wait...there's more! If you're one of the first 100 entries to the contest, we'll also throw in the all new Gossip Girl board game "Never Have I Ever." (oh, snap! an RFC first...we've never given away a board game before! )
To win this, like, totally awesome prize pack that like you know you like, totally want, just drop us a line to radiofreechicago(at)gmail.com with "OMFGG" in the subject line. One winner will be drawn at random next Wednesday.
Just as much as the early Saturday post-Halloween show at Schubas could be described as a celebration of Swedish music, the same could be said for the late show being a happy mini showcase of the sounds of Canada. Headlined by The Acorn, Ottawa's five piece played their interesting mix of blissful indie folk rock. It was difficult not to also adore the sounds of Toronto's cute indie pop band Ohbijou, an opener that proved more than capable of welcoming in the Canadian presence.
Continue reading "The Acorn and Ohbijou @ Schubas 11/1/08" »
Next weekend, the Congress Theater will host the inaugural Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival. While rooted in the foot-stomping influences of bluegrass and blues, the CBGB Festival will transport the concertgoer through the genre-defying evolution of music today. The one-day event will serve as a tribute to two schools of music that continue to shape and inspire contemporary rock, jamband, funk, folk, roots, Americana, and indie cultures, while allowing festivalgoers to save a heart.
Does this sound like your cup o' tea? RFC has your hook-up for a four pack of tix so you can be enjoyin the pickin' and a grinnin' for free with your friends all day long. Just drop us a line at radiofreechicago(at)gmail.com with "CBGB Fest" in the subject line and we'll draw a winner at random on Friday. Good luck!
What is it with numbered album titles this year? In 2008, we’ve already had 3 by Portishead, Forth by The Verve and now comes 4 by Dungen. Unfortunately, I have to say that music within Dungen's forth, make that fifth, release is as bafflingly unoriginal as its title. This isn't a bad record by any means, it's just not nearly as engaging as their (or should I say his) previous albums. I received a copy about a month ago, and despite repeated efforts to give it a fresh listen, it just won't "stick." In other words, I find myself drifting off while listening to it and then completely forgetting about it for days afterward.
Counterpoint: Shutterbuggery
That being said, in the end I think I may have to side with the non-camera users on this one. I'm not advocating any sweeping mandates to further restrict photography at venues, but I think the fervor to click and capture every single moment at every single event has really got out of hand. Here's a novel idea for all you trigger-happy shutterbugs and camera-phone arm stretchers...every once in a while, how about just going to a show to experience the music and atmosphere?
Continue reading "Counterpoint: Shutterbuggery" »
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