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!

Highly Recommended Lolla Bands On Our Radar: O'Brother Sunday at Noon on BMI

O'Brother to Play Lollapalooza Sunday August 4th  12:00PM on the BMI Stage 5:00PM at the Toyota + SpinMedia Soundwave Tent w/ Guards O'Brother Premiere "Perilous Love" Exclusively with AV Club! "'Perilous Love' is equal parts Soundgarden and Alice In Chains, a throwback thrasher that is pretty unrelenting." - A.V. Club “Genre-bending rockers O’Brother beat the sophomore slump on Disillusion, an album as complex and textured as it is loud. Think Deftones meet Radiohead meet Alice in Chains. From distorted, sludgy guitars (there’s three of them in the band!) to frontman Tanner Merritt’s haunting vocals, this is an album with a beginning, middle, and end—each song building upon the last and masterfully bleeding into the next....Don’t let the name fool you; this is an album that won’t let you down.” – Revolver  “...genre-bending post-metal that is as operatic as it is destructive... Expect this record to end up on a lot of year-end best-of lists.” – Alternative Press "As far as I'm concerned, there really isn't an active band that blends ethereal and skull-crushing heaviness as well as O' Brother do. Disillusion has the spacious soundscapes of a Sigur Ros record, the nuance-laced inventiveness of a Radiohead record, the haunting melodies of a Jeff Buckley record and the head banging heaviness of Isis' early work. And it's all blended together tastefully and seamlessly, with a perfect dose of patience to maximize the impact of shifts in dynamics. They set the bar awfully high for themselves after they released Garden Window, and somehow they've manage to raise it again with Disillusion. It's phenomenal." - Riley Breckenridge, Thrice *Returning to Chicago Sept. 5* Full routing below... Aug. 1—The Firebird—St. Louis, MO Aug. 4—Lollapalooza—Chicago, IL Aug. 6—Hoosier Dome-Indianapolis, IN Aug. 14—Bottletree—Birmingham, AL Aug. 15—Spanish Moon—Baton Rouge, LA Aug. 16—Warehouse Live—Houston, TX Aug. 17—Club Dada—Dallas, TX Aug. 18—Red 7—Austin, TX Aug. 20—Pub Rock—Scottsdale, AZ Aug. 21—House Of Blues—San Diego, CA Aug. 22—Constellation Room—Santa Ana, CA Aug. 23—Cobalt Café—Canoga Park, CA Aug. 24—Bottom Of The Hill—San Francisco, CA Aug. 26—Backspace—Portland, OR Aug. 27—Biltmore Cabaret—Vancouver, Canada Aug. 28—Chop Suey—Seattle, WA Aug. 30—Kilby Court—Salt Lake City, UT Aug. 31—Hi-Dive—Denver, CO Sept. 1—Record Bar—Kansas City, MO Sept. 3—7th Street Entry—Minneapolis, MN Sept. 4—Vaudeville Mews—Des Moines, IA Sept. 5—Bottom Lounge—Chicago, IL Sept. 6—Musica—Akron, OH Sept. 7—Pike Room—Pontiac, MI Sept. 8—Hard Luck Bar—Toronto, Ontario Sept. 10—Stage AE—Pittsburgh, PA Sept. 11—Lost Horizon—Syracuse, NY Sept. 12—Santos Party House—NY Sept. 13—Brighton Music Hall—Allston, MA Sept. 14—The Space—Hamden, CT Sept. 15—The Barbary—Philadelphia, PA Sept. 17—The Rock And Roll Hotel—Washington, DC Sept. 18—Local 506—Chapel Hill, NC Sept. 20—The Basement—Columbus, OH Sept. 21—The End—Nashville, TN Sept. 22—Casbah—Charlotte, NC Sept. 24—New Brookland Tavern—West Columbia, SC Sept. 25—Roc Bar—Jacksonville, FL Sept. 26—Crowbar—Ybor City, FL Sept. 27—The Social—Orlando, FL Sept. 28—Masquerade—Atlanta, GA

Lolla Bands On Our Radar: Chicago's Own Makeshift Prodigy at BMI Stage Sunday at 1:10 #Lolla

Chicago's own Makeshift Prodigy has been around the city for a number of years and now they're gaining followers on a national level and are signed to Atlantic Records and Warner Chappell Music. Musically they land in some conglomeration of Coldplay and 30 Seconds to Mars, with a little U2 thrown in for good measure. 

Who: Makeshift Prodigy

Where: Lollapalooza / BMI Stage

When: Sunday August 4th, 1:10p-1:50p

Highly Recommended Lolla Bands On Our Radar: Reignwolf Saturday at 2:00 PM on the Petrillo stage

Reignwolf is playing Lollapalooza on Saturday, August 3rd at 2:00 PM on the Petrillo stage. Reignwolf’s set has been known to take a “Paul Bunyan-sized axe swing at the nonsense that rock n' roll is dead.” – Crave Online

Track REIGNWOLF’s journey as they “Thrash and Dash” their way to Lolla on Instagram (@REIGNWOLF),  Twitter (https://twitter.com/reignwolf) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/reignwolf).

If you can’t wait and need to have your face melted ASAP, check out these links:

http://www.lollapalooza.com/news-events/artists/2013/07/16/artist-discovery-series-reignwolf/

http://www.npr.org/event/music/155866125/reignwolf-a-one-man-rock-show

Lolla Bands On Our Radar: LUKAS NELSON & P.O.T.R. Saturday

Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real "Old Familiar Pain" - CONAN on TBS

"Nothing wasted, everything gained on 

The Promise of the Real's second full length album."  

- No Depression

"pounding out vibrant blues/rock riffs with propulsive flair...Nelson and his band had the audience on its feet by the end of their set." - Baltimore Sun 

"...blows away crowds at every opportunity."  - Fort Worth Weekly 

For Lukas Nelson & P.O.T.R., the last couple of years were packed with over 200 performances each year, the chance to spread their unique brand of gritty rock and roll to millions via the greatest of the late night shows, and the adoption of the name "Realers" by their growing base of supporters.

  

Since then the band - which includes vocalist and guitarist Lukas Nelson, drummer Anthony LoGerfo, percussionist Tato Melgar and bassist Corey McCormick - made good on that promise to keep it real.  In 2012, they found a way to bring their live performance experience to their second full-length release, Wasted, both lyrically and musically.  Nelson penned all of the tracks and produced the record with the band. "There's a lot of magnetism, energy, and that live feel, and a lot of warmth to it. I feel like this record sounds more like what you get when you see us perform," said Nelson

  

This year, the acclaimed band has already performed at SXSW, on the Delbert McClinton Blues Cruise and the Kid Rock Cruise, jammed with Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Warren Storm. They continue to bring their electric and infectious live performances with more dates including a stop at Billy Bob's Texas in April and at The Gathering of the Vibes music festival headlined by Phil Lesh in July.

  

The band has truly earned praise after years of honing their unique sound through doing it the old-fashioned way, by touring constantly and gelling as a band live first. And at the core of Lukas Nelson & P.O.T.R. and Wasted is what their fans know and love best - Rock n Roll that speaks from the heart.

LUKAS NELSON & P.O.T.R. WILL BE PERFORMING AT LOLLAPALOOZA IN CHICAGO ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 3RD.

TODAY Lolla Bands On Our Radar: Brick + Mortar play the Lolla BMI stage at 2:10pm on Friday

The band has a great sound and an amazing back story.  They released their debut “Bangs” EP on July 30. The singer's blood diamond smuggling dad inspired a lot of their music.  Check them out. 

Brick + Mortar (Asbury Park, NJ) are an indie rock, drum and bass duo formed by Brandon Asraf (bass guitar, vocals) and bandmate John Tacon (drums, electronic samples, vocals).  Brick + Mortar have garnered a notable amount of regional success since their 2008 formation, making them a significant part of the musical and artistic culture of Asbury Park, New Jersey as it is the first electronic drum and bass pop duo to have such success in the area. 

Since middle school, the two bonded further over their shared interest in the artistry of songwriting.  As Brick + Mortar, they began focusing more heavily on the use of electronic samples in their music as well as relying less on improvisation and more on structured pop songs.  Brick + Mortar represent the underground, the oppressed, the disillusioned, and voiceless.  Fusing driving percussion, grooving bass, eclectic samples, and anthemic vocals, the band creates a new world sound that is so fresh you truly need to hear it for yourself. 

The roots of several of Brick + Mortar's songs stem from the incredible experiences of lead singer Brandon Asraf's childhood as the son of a international blood diamond smuggler.  In the band's lead single "Bangs", the bass hits like a massive punch to the face, and the narrative of the ultra-violent accompanying video, based on the life of Asraf's father, is likely one of the more brutal stories you've ever bore witness to.  "This video opened the door for us to be more than a band.  People seem to wait for that song to sing their hearts out at shows," explains Asraf of the impact the single has had on the band.  To quote Nylon Magazine, “There’s an undeniable energy that charges through New Jersey-based duo Brick + Mortar…Lead singer Brandon Asraf’s voice has a ferocious punch to it and effortlessly moves from solemn croon to savage cry without losing an ounce of passion along the way. Tensions build and tribal beats boom under biting lyrics. These guys will hit you like a delightful ton of bricks (pun intended).”

Brick + Mortar are set to release their 7-song EP titled “Bangs” on July 30th, and includes favorites such as “Bangs”, “Heatstroke” and “Old Boy” along with brand new tracks “Terrible Things”, “No I Won’t Go”, “Locked In A Cage”, as well as “Keep This Place Beautiful” which was co-written by Justyn Pilbrow (The Neighborhood - “Sweater Weather”).

Brick + Mortar's consistent performances quickly gained them a strong following as one of the best live bands in the Asbury Park music scene. Notable support for national acts include performances with Galactic, Jimmy Eat World, H.R. [Bad Brains], and Cymbals Eat Guitars.  Their live show is a party that erupts like a magnetic sonic volcano catching the attention of everyone in the room, drawing them to the stage full of intrigue and energy.

Aside from touring Brick + Mortar will also be busy with several other projects this Fall, including putting out a fully animated music video created by artist Richie Brown and focusing on writing for their debut full length.  "The goal is to make our album an audiovisual experience.  I feel like the songs we are working on are our best yet.  We are ready to make a full length record.  We are not for the faint of heart.  Our brash, gritty, whip-smart sound foregoes guitar in favor of bass, drums, and electronic samples.  At our shows, the audience is part of the band.  That's what makes playing each show uniquely exciting and inspiring. We will give you 100% every time because we truly love what we do.  Hopefully, you give us 100% back".   

Lolla Bands on Our Radar: GRiZ Sax Playin' DJ #lolla

Check out GRiZ Saturday at Lollapalooza. Just off a tour with Bassnectar, 23-year-old Grant is an adorable music nerd. He plays the saxophone during his set for a funky vibe unlike any other DJ.

Grant's chill, upbeat presence and sophisticated music style has won him tons of admirers.  Jason from True Blood fanboy'd him during Kanye at Gov Ball, and Edward Sharpe (GRiZ's favorite singer) also paid his respects.

He's got a new full-length album due out in fall,  and lots of exciting things coming up! 

Interview with Grant on Jay Z's Life & Times http://lifeandtimes.com/griz-the-soul-house-edm

Interview with The Dankles: http://thedankles.com/2013/07/29/an-interview-with-griz/