TONIGHT: My Gold Mask at Hideout (5/31) #DarkPop

Chi, IL Live Shows on Our Radar

Chicago's breakthrough dark-pop trio, My Gold Mask, plays The Hideout this Saturday. For fans of Crystal Castles and Karen O, My Gold Mask have climbed the ranks to be one of Chicago's most alluring and exciting live acts. Have a listen to their latest single, "Battles" on Noisey! My Gold Mask Oshwa, Savage Sister Sat, May 31, 2014 Doors: 8:00 pm / Show: 9:00 pm The Hideout Chicago, IL $12.00 My Gold Mask Plays Chicago At The Hideout This Saturday  Press Quotes "they've been amassing a cultish following for their signature sound, which blends Rochelle's Siouxsie-esque vocal melodies with driving percussion and dark riffs that simultaneously recall the Cocteau Twins and look toward "futuristic gypsy tribe shit," as their bio aptly describes." -- Huffington Post “a period homage that avoids sounding dated thanks to the band’s raw primordial stomp.” -- Pitchfork "They didn’t skimp on dramatics, with Rochelle’s pleading vocals, Armondo’s spiraling guitar riffs and lyrics that grapple with psychosis and reference Gothic literature and Italo horror flicks. The result achieves a spellbinding emotional intensity that’s easy to inhabit." -- eMusic "[they] exhibit enough emotional variation to hold a better audience, from a variety standpoint at least, than the majority of the hundreds of EP's that get sent to me each week." -- Earmilk "...the smart and cynically bleak overtures are accompanied by enough captivating sounds and artistry to ensure a dedicated fan-base come next release. Don't say I didn't warn you." -- Altsounds "My Gold Mask gets mega sounds and emotion out of two instruments" -- FADER "...dark-pop purveyors who cut their thick, smoky atmospherics with buoyant rhythms and elevated melody." -- SPIN "Gretta Rochelle's vocals paired with the bubbly synths and heavy-hitting percussion on "Battles" shows just how versitile the band's sounds have become." -- Noisey Links Facebook Soundcloud UPCOMING VIA HIDEOUT: (One of our fav small venues here at ChiIL Live Shows!) Before we get into this weeks events, if you didn't hear the news yesterday we've released the line-up for the Hideout Block Party / Onion & AV Fest!  We've got another fantastic bill with Death Cab for Cutie, The War On Drugs, The Dismemberment Plan, funky METERS, Mac DeMarco, The Handsome Family, Sylvan Esso, Valerie June, Bad Luck Jonathan and Plastic Crimewave Vision Celestial Guitarkestra!  Get all of the details here and get your tickets now!  Our limited $65 day passes will not last for too long.  More bands to be announced as well so stay tuned! On to this fabulous week!  Saturday, at the crossroads of underground and over the top, zoned in and plugged out, raw and riotous, lives Chicago’s My Gold Mask. The goth pop band’s exotic gypsy spells and murderous garage rock ballads have built a unique wall of sound that some have likened to a metallic symphony.  Oshwa and Savage Sister are kicking things off. At midnight we start dancing, with the venerable Chances Dances throwing a benefit dance party for Chicago Dyke March.  The Chicago Dyke March Collective is a grassroots mobilization and celebration of dyke, queer, bisexual, and transgender resilience.  Get your dancing shoes on because Chances always knows how to throw down. Sunday, for the second installment of Get Off the Couch, the singer-songwriter showcase is giving us a headlining set from Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts, Vivian McConnell (of Grandkids & Santah), Daniela Sloan and Sonny Apollo.  It was beautiful two weeks ago and we're happy they have landed on their regular first Sunday of every month here at the Hideout. Monday we are closed. Tuesday, we welcome back First Tuesdays with Mick & Ben.  Come and watch the Chicago Reader writers, Mick Dumke and Ben Joravsky, square off with some of the local movers and shakers in local politics.  Tonight they are joined by some of the youngest pols like state rep Christian Mitchell, AFSCME lobbyist Adrienne Alexander and recently elected state rep Will Guzzardi. Later, we welcome Theatre Oobleck on the first night of the Toosday Night Residency for all of Joon!  Tonight they present  One Up, a showcase of short solo work -- spoken, musical, and miscellaneous -- by Oobleck regulars and associates Kristin Basta, Martha Bayne, Emmy Bean (Baudelaire in a Box), Robin Cline, Barrie Cole, Kat McJimsey (Spirits to Enforce, Strauss at Midnight), Heather Riordan (Letter Purloined, Spukt), and Diana Slickman (Spirits to Enforce, Letter Purloined). Featuring new work by  Oobleck ensemble member Mickle Maher (as performed by Kat McJimsey) and most likely an accordion or two. Ronnie Kuller, of Mucca Pazza DJs before and after. At the crossroads of underground and over the top, zoned in and plugged out, raw and riotous, lives Chicago’s My Gold Mask. The band’s exotic spells and murderous ballads have built a unique wall of sound that some have likened to a metallic symphony - pretty impressive when you consider My Gold Mask has, until recently, been a duo. Lead vocalist and percussionist Gretta Rochelle first met guitarist Jack Armondo at a rooftop party; their first words to each other were about music, and ever since the conversation between the two principal songwriters of MGM has stayed there, resulting in two well-received EPs in 2010: A Thousand Voices and A Million Miles (From Where We Were Last) , which had Pitchfork calling them “a band to watch”, as well as a self-titled debut LP and the band’s latest: 2013’s Leave Me Midnight. Part of My Gold Mask’s success is that they have always been a band of versatility. From the beginning, the duo was synced by Rochelle’s expressive, genre-hopping vocals, and Armondo's reverb-soaked guitar riffs. But that hasn’t stopped the pair from evolving around those core staple elements. In both tone and structure, they’ve managed to transcend their earliest influences into modern atmospheric components from styles and nuances you can’t exactly pinpoint.  When they needed percussion, Rochelle taught herself how to play; when they wanted to fill out the textured nuances of their sound, they commissioned drummer  James Andrew (now a full-fledged member of the band). Andrew brings forth both traditional and electronic drums - triggering synth pads and basslines - for  much denser arrangements and synthetic layers, that compliment the band’s core songwriting.“My Gold Mask has always been a vehicle for our ever evolving artistic impulses,” says Armondo on the band’s evolution.  “From day one we established that the very identity of the band could change at our whims, hence the name”. “We like to explore those darker feelings that sometimes get left behind in pop music,” adds Rochelle, and the band has successfully found that balance by working on heavy-handed remixes with the likes of The Hood Internet and Crystal Castles’ engineer Alex Zelenka, who re-rendered the band’s biggest single to date, “Violet Eyes.” The song also caught the attention of fashion designer Phillip Lim who used My Gold Mask’s music in his 2010 Fashion Week shows and hosted the band for an in-store performance, which led Vogue to name it one of the “Ten Best Music Shows of Fashion’s Night Out.” In the summer of 2013, My Gold Mask returned to the forefront with a new Daytrotter session, a first-ever national headlining tour and joined Metric at Red Bull Sound Select’s inaugural concert, building on their roster of supporting acts like Twin Shadow, The New Pornographers, Blonde Redhead, and Waaves. The year also marked the debut of the band’s song "Some Secrets" on MTV's hit show "Awkward" (previously, "Ghost in Your Bed" and "All Up in the Air" appeared in episodes of "Gossip Girl"). Following suit, the enchanting number “Never Go Home” will air on Syfy’s hit supernatural show, “Being Human,” in January 2014. In 2014, the trio continues to create new material, having just released digital-only singles of “Dangerous” followed by “Severed,” the hauntingly beautiful ballad Spin.com premiered saying the band is “already looking to push their sound further.” With the latest release of the bouncy synth hit, “Battles”, which premiered on Noisey, and  remix by electro Goth artist Mr. Kitty, MGM  is proving them right. Look for the anthemic dance-rock single, “Dissipate”, produced by Sanford Parker, (producer, recording engineer, and musician at Corrections House), to be released in late May. For a band that started with a nylon string guitar, simple drums and the frontwoman of A Thousand Voices (“Gretta could have been a voiceover talent,” admits Armondo) to a now fully-realized trio with new releases already in the works for this year, My Gold Mask is edging for the spotlight they’ve been waiting for. But perhaps music magazine Pretty Much Amazing summed it up best in their review, saying the band “infuses some heart into the mundane and makes it beautiful.”

INCOMING: Ex-Cult at Empty Bottle TONIGHT 21+ #Punk

Chi, IL LIVE Shows on Our Radar: Returning to the Bottle for their first show here since opening for MAC DEMARCO at last Summer's Pitchfork After Party are Memphis punks EX-CULT, a band we've come to know and love since we came across their debut record in 2012. Released on the esteemed Goner Records and produced by eventual tour partner TY SEGALL, that album was one of the best, most under-appreciated punk releases of the year and you can bet your ass they've outdone themselves with their second LP, Midnight Passenger, out April 29th on Goner. Formerly known as SEX CULT, this seasoned five-piece play ripping punk rock like none other, incorporating angular post-punk, flying saucer fuzz guitar, layers of psychedelic slime and snotty vocals with a bash-your-head-in energy that needs to be seen live to be believed.  Thu May 29 2014 9:00 PM 21+ Ex-Cult FacebookSoundcloud Running BandcampSoundcloud Earring FacebookBandcamp $10.00 Chicago noise-punks RUNNING are a band that give very few fucks (if any fucks at all). Their second full length LP, Asshole Savant, released last year via Captcha, is a mess of reverbed-to-heck vocals, pummeling drum and bass, and abrasive, feedback-heavy guitar. RUNNING caught the ears of JOHN DWYER, hunky frontman of THEE OH SEES, and his own Castle Face Records put out the band's third record, Vaguely Ethnic, at the end of last summer. The LP continues RUNNING's path of destruction in and around Chicago, shriveling the tits and testicles of any sniveling boners who try to stand in their way. The trio has a brand spanking new 7-inch out, courtesy of the fine folks at Drag City. Pick it up tonight or at one of your local record stores.  Local Freak-punk duo EARRING return to the Bottle tonight to open this punk explosion and they've been creating quite a stir around the city the past few months. Luca from the Chicago Reader selected them as one of the Top Chicago Bands of 2013, saying "Their lean, simple pop hooks, blasted through a tower of warm guitar amps and drenched in a droney, melancholy vibe, make for the year's prettiest, most irresistible collection of songs from a young local band." Included in Luca's list were some other local favorites DISAPPEARS and OOZING WOUND, so these fellas are in damn fine company. Memphis' Ex-Cult are one of the most exciting punk bands in the US. Their latest record Midnight Passenger  is the result of a never ending obsession with the open road. While touring with the likes of Ty Segall and the OBN III's, Ex-Cult perfected their own brand of psych tinged  proto-punk, helmed by wild eyed, sneering frontman Chris Shaw. Pitchfork: Advance streamed the band's latest LP  "Midnight Passenger" noting, "The production opens up the band's sound exponentially.  Nothing's remotely muffled, so the guitars jump out a little faster, and Shaw's voice is given more of a spotlight. " You can check out Ex-Cult's Ty Segall produced Record Store Day version of "Ties You Up" on Pitchfork here! Ex-Cult Stream "Midnight Passenger" LP  On Pitchfork Advance Out April 29th On Goner Records  On Tour This Spring Tour 05-02 Memphis, TX - Hi-Tone * 05-16 Nashville, TN - The End 05-17 Atlanta, GA - 529 05-18 Durham, NC - The Pinhook 05-19 Richmond, VA - Strange Matter 05-20 Washington, DC - DC 9 05-21 Philadelphia, PA - Black Box 05-22 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge ^ 05-24 Beacon, NY - Quinns 05-26 Cambridge, MA - Middle East Upstairs 05-28 Cleveland, OH - Happy Dog 05-29 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle # 05-30 Iowa City, IA - Firecracker 500 Festival  * w/ Sector Zero and Gimp Teeth ^ w/ Pampers # w/ Running Praise For Ex-Cult: "'The album suddenly feels vital and electric" --Pitchfork "Not A Threat” is also crisp and streamlined, its guitar tracks locking into mechanical combustion fits while Chris Shaw barks with swaggering unhinged authority" --Stereogum "It's all about the live show, and, without a doubt, Ex-Cult has that blindfolded, on one-leg and with their arms tied behind them." --NOISEY "[Midnight Passenger's] title track, a relentless mix of propeller-chop guitar, churning noise-rock squall, and monotone taunts.” – SPIN “Singer Chris Shaw is a classic punk frontman, wild-eyed and always on the edge" --Brooklyn Vegan “Memphis punk outfit Ex-Cult is twisting the genre into new shapes on their self-titled debut.” – MTV Hive Listen To The RSD Version Of "Ties You Up" On Pitchfork Ex-Cult's Midnight Passenger is the result of a never ending obsession with the open road. It's the sound of five people spending the last year in countless dive bars, disgusting motel rooms and on dozens of dirty floors.  Since recording with Ty Segall in 2012 the band hasn't come up for air, putting four US tours and tons of weekend trips under their belt with the likes of OBN III's, Captive and Ty Segall. It was in these dive bars across the USA that Ex-Cult truly found their sound. While some of the songs were played for audiences as early as January of 2013, it wasn't until a West Coast tour in June that the blue print for Midnight Passenger really started to take form. Taking pieces of every tour back home with them, the band began to hone a sound that captured the desperation of the first record, while being careful to integrate new techniques of negative noise. Recorded by Doug Easley in January of 2014, Midnight Passenger is comprised of ten songs that were meant to be heard together, each one following a different, damaged storyline. The buzz-saw guitars, kraut rock rhythm section and sneering vocals are all still present, but with Midnight Passenger, Ex-Cult has added a few layers of psychedelic slime to their sound. Pre-Order "Midnight Passenger" Digitally Pre-Order "Midnight Passenger" On Vinyl "Midnight Passenger" Track Listing: Side A Shattered Circle Ties You Up Midnight Passenger Confusion Hill Catholic Entries Side B Flickering Eyes Venice Illusion Sid Visions Not A Threat Lights Out Club Links: Ex-Cult Facebook Ex-Cult Tumblr Goner Records Midnight Passenger is out on Goner Records on April 29th 2014. Media Listen To 'Not A Threat' On Stereogum Listen To 'Shattered Circle' On NOISEY! Listen To 'Midnight Passenger' On SPIN!

TONIGHT: Maximo Park at Bottom Lounge 5/18/14 (17+)

Incoming: Maximo Park

Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar

ChiIL Live Shows will be there tonight... will YOU?! We caught Maximo Park back in October of 2012 at Schubas and and can't wait to shoot stills again tonight at Bottom Lounge! The band puts on a great, live show.

Click here for our past coverage and full set of LIVE original Maximo Park photos. Our favorites are embedded at the bottom of this post.

CHIRP Welcomes: MAXIMO PARK * ETERNAL SUMMERS

Date: 05/18/2014
Bottom Lounge

1375 W. Lake St 

Chicago, IL 60607 

Maximo Park

Sunday, May 18, 2014 7:00 PM CDT
Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL
17 years and over

$15.00

Status updates, tweets, memes, constant communication: seeing through the data smog is harder every day. Through all the neon flash and white noise, however, there are transmissions that slash straight through all the static and cut to the quick. Maximo Park’s fifth album Too Much Information is one such record, that hooks out life’s critical moments from the dizzying ebb and flow and brings them into HD-sharp focus. It’s the work of a band who, despite their compelling development since 2005’s febrile debut A Certain Trigger, have never confused consistency with give-the-people-what-they-want reliability.

“After five records you want to make a statement to the world and say ‘this is us and if you don’t like it, unlucky – we’re not going to change for you,’” says singer Paul Smith.

Click Here To Watch Video For "Brain Cells" 

Click Here To Watch "Midnight On The Hill" Video On VEVO Maximo Park have announced US tour dates in support of the band's fifth LP, 'Too Much Information', available In The US On April 1st Via Daylighting / [PIAS] America.  'Too Much Information' was recorded and self-produced  by the band in Newcastle and Sunderland  with additional production duties from The Invisible’s Dave Okumu and from Field Music’s  David and Peter Brewis. The album is the follow-up  to 2012’s  critically acclaimed ‘The National Health’, and sees the band reach new heights in their remarkable songwriting and  sonic experimentation. From the beautiful weirdness of "Brain Cells", to the poetic "Leave This Island" and "Midnight On The Hill," and the refined rock of "Give, Get ,Take", 'Too Much Information' sees the band keen to challenge the listener  with some of their most adventurous musical and lyrical work to date. ‘Too Much Information’ will be available in the US on vinyl, CD and digitally via all reputable outlets  through Daylighting / [PIAS] America. Maximo Park are: Tom English (Drums), Duncan Lloyd (Guitar), Paul Smith (Vocals), Archis Tiku (Bass), Lukas Wooller (Keyboards) Press Quotes “[Too Much Information] eases up on the gas while deepening their commitment to contemplative songwriting” – Pitchfork "Proves that the standard guitar-bass-drums lineup doesn’t have to be an outdated one, with its emotive Smiths-draped massiveness" - Alt Sounds “Cleverly maneuvered their way into the slipstream of far cooler Alt.rock pioneers” – NME “Catchy as ever” – The Guardian “Beatific, melancholy-kissed rock that almost no one does well anymore” - Slant

Too Much Information LP Available In The US As of April 1st Via Daylighting / [PIAS] America Remaining Tour Dates 05/18/14 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge 05/20/14 - Washington, DC - Rock n Roll Hotel 05/21/14 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts - Wolf Building 05/23/14 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza 05/24/14 - Boston, MA - Boston Calling 'Too Much Information' Deluxe Edition Tracklisting: 1. Give, Get , Take 2. Brain Cells 3. Leave This Island 4.  Lydia, The Ink Will Never Dry 5. My Bloody Mind 6. Is It True? 7. Drinking Martinis 8. I Recognise The Light 9. Midnight On The Hill 10. Her Name Was Audre 11. Where We’re Going Deluxe tracks (Digital Only): 1.  ‘Middlesbrough Man’  - The Fall 2.   ‘I’ll Be Here In The Morning’ – Townes Van Zandt 3.   ‘Lover, Lover, Lover ‘ – Leonard Cohen 4.   ‘Northern Sky’  - Nick Drake 5.   ‘Final Day’ - Young Marble Giants 6.   ‘Fade Into You’ – Mazzy Star 7.   ‘On The Sly’ (iTunes bonus track) Links Maximo Park Website Soundcloud Facebook Follow:  ChiIL Live Shows Website Facebook Twitter We'll have LIVE Maximo Park show shots and a full review of the new album up shortly. Check back with us like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. Two ii's, one L, for great entertainment & urban lifestyle coverage in Chi, IL and beyond. We have loads of giveaways, photo and video filled original content and more.  Follow us so you'll be the first to know.

Here are a few of our favorite past original Maximo Park shots:

INCOMING: YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN at Bottom Lounge THIS Friday 5/9

Chi, IL Live Shows on Our Radar

YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN are playing at Bottom Lounge this Friday, May 9th.

The band is playing a run of North American dates in support of their critically acclaimed album UZU, released on Suicide Squeeze last fall. A record that Pitchfork describes as "an extension of their previously coined "Noh-wave" sound, a loose combination of metal and theatrics... operatic piano ballads along with sludgy tracks... while they invoke deities and write epic stories of destruction and heartbreak, they're also creating allegories inspired by the band's real lives."

Their live performance is always epic, incorporating elaborate sets and costumes to create a full blown sensory experience.

YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN
Photo Credit: Derrick Belcham

Current Tour Dates / 05.06.14 - Melt - St. Louis, MO * 05.07.14 - Sweatshop Gallery - Omaha, NE * 05.08.14 - Gabe's Oasis - Iowa City, IA * 05.09.14 - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL 05.10.14 - Trumbullplex - Detroit, MI * * w/ Perfect Pussy, Green Dreams Bio / The rock opera generally references the ambitious and occasionally bloated concept albums of seasoned big name artists. Rarely is it used to conjure a Pynchon-worthy fusion of high and low culture or a blurring of the lines between theater and music. But in the case of Toronto/Montreal art partnership YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN, rock opera carries all the latter connotations of the nexus between tradition and irreverence, performance art and unbridled noise. The duality of fusing Old World classicism with New World innovation goes to the very core of the group—their name is a melding of the Buddhist “terminator of death” deity with a song title by seminal stoner doom band Sleep. They describe themselves as “Noh-wave”, a nod to both classical Japanese drama and the nihilistic art-punk scene of a pre-Giuliani New York City. The yin-and-yang philosophy permeates every facet of YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN. The project centers around Alaska B and Ruby Kato Attwood, two art students with a mutual love of opposing forces—heavy metal’s brutish assault with Japanese manga’s cartoonish appeal, Boredom’s experimentalism with Chinese opera, lofty schemes and low budget endeavors. The duo started out by building instruments out of found objects—once again highlighting their paradoxical nature by turning trash into art and rendering structured beauty out of detritus. Their performances veered more towards theater, with Alaska and Ruby constructing elaborate stage settings out of cardboard pasted with industrial-sized Xeroxed designs and donning elaborate Kabuki-style costumes and make-up. Such unorthodox ventures could repel the rock crowd, but YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN’s debut album YT//ST dispelled any concerns that Alaska and Ruby didn’t know how to lay siege with their instruments. Anchored by Alaska’s unrepentant drumming—a blend of Melvins drummer Dale Crover’s signature stomp and Einsturzende Neubauten’s proto-industrial thud—and Ruby’s soaring soprano, YT//ST took the narrative arc and keyboard foundation of Genesis’ rock opera The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and injected the psychedelic doom of Boris’ Pink. With their sophomore effort UZU, Alaska and Ruby continue their exploration of cultural dualities. While YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN has always provided an outlet for the core duo’s celebration of their Asian heritage, the inclusion of auxiliary musicians and artists into the fold has reinforced one of the most crucial defining dualities of the group: the merging of diasporic and indigenous perspectives. This meeting of East and West is perhaps most visible in UZU’s lead single “One”. As the first YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN song to extend the songwriting credits beyond the core duo, “One” incorporates the indigenous upbringings of the extended group by leading off with a traditional Iroquois song. The introductory chant is a social song calling all people together, and is performed by people of the Mohawk tribe. From there, the band kicks into a driving guitar line and a vocal hook as sweet as any J-pop hit. Metal riffing, free-jazz cacophony, and meditative Eastern percussion patterns accentuate the song. In the hands of lesser visionaries, this kind of cross-pollination would sound like a schizophrenic genre mash-up.  But YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN’s appropriations never sound forced. Rather, it sounds like a celebration of the cultural collision of Alaska and Ruby’s upbringing. The hybridization is evident throughout UZU--you can hear it in the operatic piano-and-vocal opener “Atalanta” segueing into the dynamic prog of “Whalesong”, the Eastern melodies seamlessly melding into the synth arpeggio and guitar dirge of “Windflower”, the musical storytelling tradition of “Seasickness Pt. 1” juxtaposing with the Heart-like classic rock gallop of “Seasickness Pt. 2”, and the closing choir passage of “Saturn’s Return” descending into Merzbow-esque white noise. It is safe to say there is no other band like YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN on the planet. In a world that is increasingly homogenized, a record like UZU is all the more important for demonstrating how disparate cultural perspectives can merge into something entirely new while retaining their individual sovereign character. UZU is now available on CD/LP and digital formats in the United States via Suicide Squeeze Records. The LP version contains a free download of the album and the first 500 copies are pressed on grey vinyl.

UZU | Tracklisting / 01. Atalanta 02. Whalesong 03. Lamia 04. Windflower 05. Hall of Mirrors 06. Seasickness Pt. 1 07. Seasickness Pt. 2 08. Bring Me The Hand Of Bloody Benzaiten 09. One 10. Saturn's Return  Press Quotes / "The record feels wholly substantial and satisfying in its own right, and even those with no prior knowledge of YT//ST's history and elaborate intentions can just enjoy it for what it is: volcanic prog-rock colored with equal parts post-punk urgency, stoner-metal heft, and psychedelic pop whimsy." Pitchfork "YT//ST creates full-scale events, complete with eerie face-paint, monochromatic paper sets and Boredoms-style drum blasts that blend black metal and kabuki into a jaw-dropping new form. The group's debut album is equally epic, yet it's all just a glimpse into their master plan to freak out the squares with a stage production so large no theatrein the world could contain it." Noisey "We'll sheepishly admit we're relatively new to Yamantaka's unique breed of gloomy, Kabuki-tinged metal-cum-experimental rock opera (or "noh-wave." as they call it), but from what we've heard (and seen) from the collective, we definitely dig." SPIN "The music they create is a compelling blend of psych-rock, metal and thundering atmosphere." Stereogum "We're particularly psyched on sludgy, proggy Montreal music and performance-art collective Yamantaka // Sonic Titan." Time Out New York "We realized Canada’s Yamantaka//Sonic Titan was basically the most amazing band on the planet when we heard their debut album YT//ST. That gorgeous mountain of rock led us to interview the entire band for about an hour, in which time they basically took turns blowing our minds. Their awesomeness is top of mind." MTV  "A reputation for elaborate designed DIY live shows, which, like the group’s music, incorporates influences from across time and space. But most importantly, its music, as strange and dense as it can be, is an oddly accessible and strangely enjoyable listen." AV Club "At times, YT//ST feels like some sort of ritual guide into another world. There, priestess attempt to drone a second sight into followers, standing in a forest of shuddering percussive trees, just at the edge of a sea of jagged guitar waves." Consequence of Sound "The beauty of YT//ST is that they fully support own their vision, which is simultaneously fantastical and factual. And they've got the songs and chops to back it up. UZU is stunning and melodic, and consistently absorbing. The only thing better than listening through headphones in a dark room is to experience the band in the flesh. Seeing is believing. One thing is certain—it's been a while since anything like this has come around." Paste Magazine Links / YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN Website YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN Facebook YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN Twitter Suicide Squeeze Records

TAMAR BRAXTON ANNOUNCES EXTENSIVE 2014 TOURING PLANS SUPPORTING R.KELLY IN ARENAS THIS SPRING EMBARKING ON LOVE AND WAR HEADLINE TOUR

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

Known for powerful and passionate live performances, Tamar Braxton will bring her dynamic and unforgettable show to audiences across North America this spring and summer.

Tickets on sale Friday, March 28 for Tamar Braxton at Concord Music Hall on Friday, June 6th, at Clubtix.com

The Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, personality, and television producer is set to be direct support for R&B legend R. Kelly on his upcoming arena jaunt followed by a headline run of her own.

Expect to hear and see her Streamline/Epic debut, Love and War, come to life vividly and vibrantly on stage nightly. Her instantly recognizable voice always captivates, while her presence remains invigorating. Idolator has called her live show, "very impressive", while Perez Hilton claims, "her vocals are ON POINT". You'll definitely feel Love and War stage when she rolls through your town.

Right now, Tamar is also compiling ideas for her forthcoming release and preparing for the nationwide launch of The Real— the syndicated, one-hour daily talk show set to launch nationwide in Fall 2014 on Fox Television Stations and premiering in a second window on BET. Viewers can also catch her on the  hit series Tamar & Vince and Braxton Family Values.

In just the past year, Tamar has solidified herself as one of R&B’s leading divas. Love and War became the #1 R&B album upon debut, selling 400,000 copies since its September release. In support of the record, she performed to packed houses across the U.S. on a 30-city tour supporting John Legend, engaged in a whirlwind European promo run, and even picked up two 2013 Soul Train Awards, after performing at the event in Las Vegas. She also released her very first holiday album, Winter Loversland. On top of it all, she gave birth to her first son, feeling like as she puts it, “I won!”

Love and War hit #2 on the Billboard Top 200 upon release, making for 2013's highest debut from a female R&B artist. Meanwhile, it also topped the Billboard Top R&B Albums Chart and iTunes Top R&B Albums Chart. Press acclaim also showered the release. Vibe described the record as "Emotional and amazing", while ARTISTdirect.com called it "everything a classic R&B record should be and so much more". After gracing the cover of Ebony Magazine, she celebrated the album's release with performances on Good Morning America, Live With Kelly & Michael, and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

INCOMING: Jazz Showcase Weekend With 10 of Chicago's Best Jazz Players

Chi, IL live Shows on our Radar

Local alto saxophonist and composer Shawn Maxwell has an ambitious new project and accompanying album for 2014. Shawn Maxwell’s Alliance features ten of the city’s best jazz players, all of whom will assemble for a weekend of shows at Jazz Showcase, Thursday, Feb. 20 through Sunday, Feb. 23.

Click here for the full show details 

INCOMING: The Black Angels LIVE at Park West THIS Wednesday & at Moogfest in April

Park West

8pm

18+

The Black Angels

with Roky Erickson and Golden Animals

Park West, Chicago IL

February 5, 2014 8:00 PM
Door Open: 7:00 PM

TICKET PRICES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

INDIVIDUAL: 

Ticket Price: $26.00

Fees: $7.61

Order fees: $3.00

RollingStone Premiere:

The Moog Sound Lab ft. The Black Angels

WATCH : THE BLACK ANGELS PERFORMING "DON'T PLAY WITH GUNS"

(CLICK BELOW)

In December, Moog Music partnered with Rolling Stone to premiere the next video in their Moog Sound Lab series with Austin-based quintet The Black Angels (Alex Maas - vocals, bass, organ, drone machine; Robert "Bob" Mustachio of The Warlocks standing in for band member Stephanie Bailey - drums, percussion; Kyle Hunt - keyboards, percussion, bass, guitar; Christian Bland - guitar, drone machine/organ; Jake Garcia - guitar, bass). Following 2010's acclaimed Phosphene Dream, the band stopped by the Moog Sound Lab to perform their new single "Don't Play with Guns" off their new album, Indigo Meadow. This LP marks The Black Angels' fourth full-length studio album, and their most revelatory song collection to date. 

Kyle Hunt of the Black Angels says of the Moog Sound Lab experience, "So glad we had time to swing by the Moog Sound Lab to record with nothing but Moog synthesizers!  We doubled some bass lines in the studio with a vintage Moog Prodigy (while recording Indigo Meadow). After playing through the Sub Phatty (in the Moog Sound Lab session) that day I realized that I could pull off some of the doubled bass lines with my left hand while playing the organ parts on my right hand. It was fun to strip away our "go to" guitars, organs and fuzz pedals and see what can happen when you explore analog synthesis with modern stability and patching!" 

The Moog Sound Lab is an original content media channel produced by Moog Music that invites artists and bands to perform in the Moog Music factory in Asheville, North Carolina. Armed with an unlimited supply of electronic instruments from Moog, musicians create a unique analog interpretation of their original material. The first half of the 2013 Moog Sound Lab series included Toro y Moi, Washed Out and Zola Jesus.  For behind the scenes photos of Moog Sound Lab session, visit www.facebook.com/moogsoundlab.

Moog Music is currently gearing up for Moogfest 2014, the annual festival created by Moog that celebrates the innovative spirit of its founder, Dr. Bob Moog. The iconic synthesizer manufacturer recently announced that the festival is returning as a 5-day event with a variety of activities, including daytime conferences and nighttime music showcases. Taking place April 23 - 27, 2014 in Asheville, North Carolina, the daytime presenters will include Laurie Anderson, Giorgio Moroder, film scorer/musician Cliff Martinez (Drive Soundtrack)  and other futurist thinkers.

Today Moogfest announced headliners including Electronic Music Pioneers KRAFTWERK 3-D to present 3 Concerts at Moogfest 2014 and a dance party featuring music super producer Nile Rodgers and his band CHIC plus more HERE. 70+ more artists to be announced - Sign up for the mailing list at Moogfest.com to keep up with breaking news, announcements and ticket information.

About Moog:

Moog Music is the leading producer of analog synthesizers in the world. The company and its customers carry on the legacy of its founder, electronic musical instrument pioneer, Dr. Bob Moog.  All of Moog’s instruments are hand built in its factory on the edge of downtown Asheville, NC.

Moog:  Website |  Facebook  | Twitter 

Moog Sound Lab:  Website  |  Facebook 

Moogfest:  Website  |  Facebook  | Twitter

INCOMING: Nick Waterhouse at Lincoln Hall 2/21 #FreeStreaming #NewRelease

Nick Waterhouse is one of our current top favorites here at ChiIL Live Shows.   So we're eagerly awaiting the March release of his new album, Holly.   He'll be playing Lincoln Hall on February 21st in celebration of his latest release, as part of a nationwide tour.

We had the great pleasure of catching him twice last year, and shooting stills at Lincoln Hall.   Click here to check out our prior coverage and more live Nick Waterhouse show shots.

The video for “This Is A Game,” the lead single off Nick Waterhouse’s latest album Holly (due March 4 on Innovative Leisure), is now streaming right here. 

NICK WATERHOUSE’S “THIS IS A GAME” VIDEO PREMIERES AT ESQUIRE

SOPHOMORE ALBUM HOLLY SET FOR MARCH 4 RELEASE ON INNOVATIVE LEISURE

NATIONWIDE TOUR DATES CONFIRMED

“A timeless talent…”—NPR’s “World Café”

“The real deal…”—GQ

“…he’s a tightly wound, meticulous rock & roll scholar who commands up to a dozen musicians onstage beside him with the authority of a seasoned bandleader.”—LA Weekly

The video for “This Is A Game,” the lead single off Nick Waterhouse’s latest album Holly (due March 4 on Innovative Leisure), is now streaming at Esquire http://bit.ly/1e2AdQQ. The new record, which follows Waterhouse’s 2012 debut Time’s All Gone, has received early critical acclaim—Rolling Stone explains “Nick Waterhouse is a soul man, through and through,” while Paste Magazine praises the music as a “…cohesive selection of work that, presented together, tells a story.” To celebrate the release, Waterhouse will embark on a nationwide tour. See below for details.

Holly was produced by Waterhouse and Kevin Augunas (Cold War Kids, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros) and includes song writing collaborations with friend Ty Segall, as well as covers of tracks by Young Holt Trio and Mose Allison among others. Of the new music, Waterhouse notes, “Thematically this record feels more like a novella, or poem with sections, or even a film, than a collection of songs. It is a work of fiction, with a protagonist, but also a floating omniscient narrator, and fragments of conversation from other characters. I was heavily influenced by my surroundings in young Los Angeles, as well as the concept of fate.”

Waterhouse grew up in Huntington Beach, CA. He established his musical sensibilities in the middle of the burgeoning Southern California psych-garage scene, while retaining his unique perspective on the spirit of American rhythm & blues and rock & roll. Waterhouse started performing as a teenager. “I found it had the same feeling I got racing motorcycles as a kid, which is a fight-or-flight feeling of things happening in ‘real time’…I felt like that was the most focusing thing about playing music versus other forms of art. You have to live with what you do in an immediate moment,” he explains.

NICK WATERHOUSE TOUR DATES

February 19                                     Pittsburgh, PA                                                             Club Cafe

February 20                                        Detroit, MI                                                           Lager House

February 21                                       Chicago, IL                                                           Lincoln Hall

February 22                                      Toronto, ON                                                 Horseshoe Tavern

February 23                                      Montreal, QC          Montreal Highlights Festival @ Club Soda

February 25                                       Boston, MA                                              Brighton Music Hall

February 27                                     New York, NY                                                 Bowery Ballroom

February 28                                   Washington, DC           Bulldog Alley @ Georgetown University

March 1                                         Philadelphia, PA                                        First Unitarian Church

March 7                                         Los Angeles, CA                                             Hollywood Legion

March 8                                        San Francisco, CA                              Great American Music Hall

March 10                                         Vancouver, BC                                                               Biltmore

March 11                                           Seattle, WA                                                                  Neumos

March 12                                          Portland, OR                                                               Doug Fir

March 13                                             Reno, NV                                                      Knitting Factory

March 14                                    San Luis Obispo, CA                                             Downtown Brew

March 15                                       Pioneertown, CA                                               Pappy & Harriets

Holly Tracklist

1. High Tiding

2. This Is A Game

3. It no. 3

4. Let It Come Down

5. Sleeping Pills

6. Holly

7. Dead Room

8. Well It’s Fine

9. Ain’t There Something That Money Can’t Buy

10. Hands On The Clock

Photo Credit: Naj Jamai