Blog: loudloop

Glam-pop heartthrobs Smith Westerns will drop Soft Will on June 25, the follow-up to their solid 2011 effort, Dye It Blonde . The first single from Soft Will is "Varsity," a slightly new wave and mellow tune that's pretty darn catchy. The band also released a video for "Varsity," which for fans of fruit and intense make-out sessions, will definitely please. In other Smith Westerns news, you can catch the band at Lollapalooza 2013 in August , but check out the video for [...]

The Quick Fix showcases the best of Chicago music news, views and stories from around the interwebs and blogosphere that we might have missed. • If you haven't seen it yet, the Riot Fest lineup this year looks pretty solid . In addition to amazing acts like Bad Brains, Motorhead, Dismemberment Plan, Dinosaur Jr, (Blondie for some reason?), there's also great local acts including The Lawrence Arms, Smoking Popes, Maps and Atlases, White Mystery, Twin Peaks, and Empires. • Brooklyn Vegan Chicago reports that a piece of Brooklyn is coming to [...]

Architecture play The Burlington this Thursday Welcome to Weekly Diversions! This is our new weekly show calendar in which we preview our local show picks for Monday through Thursday. MONDAY NETHERFRIENDS Longtime fans of one time Chicago-based psychedelic-pop musician Shawn Rosenblatt, better known as the brainchild of Netherfriends, should probably know about his ambitious project from a couple of years ago to write and record a song [...]

T to the G to the I to the F! Seriously, Friday could not have come sooner, but it's all good because we have some great shows to turn your weekday frown upside down. This time we're talking about the last ever Dick Wolf! show at the Burlington, and Outer Minds at the Hideout. Up and ATOM! FRIDAY DICK WOLF! It's time to pour one [...]

Local alt-rockers Hospital Garden have returned to the scene with a new album and new single. The band's video for single "What to Do" shows the trio play some good ol' American football at the Jackson Prison Grounds in Jackson, Michigan. There's lots of tackling and feelings along the way. Personally, the golden retriever that comes out of nowhere is the best part of the video, but the song is definitely a close second. Hospital Garden will release its third album Mover on Forge Again Records next Tuesday, but you can see [...]

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Where some bands are concerned, change can be a terrible thing, kind of like KISS without makeup. However, pulsating power punk trio The Cell Phones decided to pick up where they left off on their 2011 Hospital Spaceship EP and pack their brand new full-length, Get You Alone , full of grinding pop and punk numbers that fall somewhere between Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Death From Above 1979, but are as equally satisfying. [...]

The Quick Fix showcases the best of Chicago music news, views and stories from around the interwebs and blogosphere that we might have missed. • Extremely rad local imprint Notes and Bolts are offering something special for local experimental and noise enthusiasts. An ONO/Piss Piss Piss Moan Moan Moan Split 73 , which is limited to 100 copies with a 1.53 button and an poster included. You can pre-order this bad boy at Notesandbolts.net now until June 1. • Lollapalooza revealed their daily schedule today , which [...]

An Aesthetic Anaesthetic perform at Reggie's on Monday, May 13 Welcome to Weekly Diversions! This is our new weekly show calendar in which we preview our local show picks for Monday through Thursday. MONDAY AN AESTHETIC ANASTHETIC As much as I dug AAA's release, Before the Machinery of Other Skeletons , their most recent release, NAMES , tops it because of [...]

White Mystery play The Hideout on Friday, May 10 Hey, folks! It's time to shrug off that work week and get ready to rock. We're itching to talk about some great shows this weekend featuring White Mystery, The Runaway Five, Metz and more. Ch-ch-check it out. FRIDAY WHITE MYSTERY It's post-4/20, so that means White Mystery has dropped another record for us to bash around to. This year, [...]

If you're a sports fan, and in Chicago it's damn near impossible not to be, then you probably know that tonight the mighty Chicago Bulls face the evil Miami Heat in game two of the eastern conference semifinals. Not only are the Bulls up a game on the star-studded and last year's champs Miami Heat in this best of seven series, but they beat the woeful Brooklyn (lol) Nets in the first round of the playoffs. For the Bulls, this is a pretty impressive [...]

• slushypop - I love the Bulls

The Quick Fix showcases the best of Chicago music news, views and stories from around the interwebs and blogosphere that we might have missed. • NEW SHELLAC RECORD! AV Club has the details. • WBEZ's Jim DeRogatis confirms the musical lineup for this year's Taste of Chicago and it boasts some pretty big names including: Robert Plant, Neon Trees, Estelle, and fun. • The North Coast line up is also out and this year's headliners include Wu-Tang, Afrojack, and Nas. Locals JC [...]

Roach Beach play this Thursday at Quenchers Welcome to Weekly Diversions! This is our new weekly show calendar in which we preview our local show picks for Monday through Thursday. MONDAY FOUL TIP Foul Tip is a new project from T'Bone drummer Ed Bornstein and multi-instrumentalist Adam Luksetich. The The jist of the band is this: They were once a band in Iowa. Then they weren't. And [...]

Let's get the party started... FRIDAY THE CELL PHONES It's really no secret how much Loud Loop Press loves The Cell Phones. The local outfit's rhythm section – Justin Purcell, drums; Ryan Szeszycki, bass – wag a fierce, pounding assault that infiltrates every pore on your body, jostling every cell until you’re arms are flailing and feet are kicking up dust. What really makes The Cell Phones rise to the ranks [...]

The Quick Fix showcases the best of Chicago music news, views and stories from around the interwebs and blogosphere that we might have missed. • Gapers Block has the scoop on Reggie's new Wax On Wax Off weekly amateur DJ night . • Emo is back! In pog form, or something. The Village Voice created a list of 30 Emo Bands to Know that includes Chicago's own Into it. Over it. • Andra Kulans, of the 1900s, performed with Iron & Wine on [...]

Scott Lucas and the Married Men play the Empty Bottle this Wednesday Welcome to Weekly Diversions! This is our new weekly show calendar in which we preview our local show picks for Monday through Thursday. MONDAY NUDE SUNRISE If you're in the mood for some tasty psychedelic rock, look no further than Nude Sunrise. Back in 2011, contributor Joseph Montes reviewed their LP, [...]

Swimsuit Addition play the Empty Bottle on Sunday April 28 Let's get the party started... FRIDAY THE PEEKABOOS Hey, look! One of our 13 Chicago Bands To Watch In 2013 is playing. In Chicago. Tonight. I mean, tonight! Anyway, you should definitely heed my advice and check out these cats. The Peekaboos’ Stay Positive is pure geek rock on the surface, with plenty of pup [...]

Last weekend was a big one for Their/They're/There. Not only did the new band featuring members of Into it. Over it., Loose Lips Sink Ships and Owen/Cap'n Jazz (Evan Weiss, Matthew Frank and Mike Kinsella, respectively) release their debut self-titled EP on Polyvinyl Records , but they also played their first show - a Record Store Day in-store performance at Permanent Records . And it's easy to see, or hear, why this young band packed the house at Permanent and why their the lead single from [...]

The Quick Fix showcases the best of Chicago music news, views and stories from around the interwebs and blogosphere that we might have missed. • The future is not looking too bright for the Congress Theater. WBEZ's Jim DeRogatis breaks down the 26 violations the city of Chicago found inside the Logan Square venue . • Gossip Wolf raves about Lil Tits new tape Rat Mansion//Do it Til You Puke • Notes and Bolts celebrated their one-year anniversary podcast with [...]

The Bingers play Schubas on Wednesday | Photo by Drew Reynolds Welcome to Weekly Diversions! This is our new weekly show calendar in which we preview our local show picks for Monday through Thursday. MONDAY OOZING WOUND Seeing how it's Metal Monday, in cool people's camps at least, it's fitting that Oozing Wound plays this evening. Featuring two members of the now defunct Cacaw (drummer Kyle [...]

Wax Idols play the Empty Bottle on Saturday TGIF, amirite? Lots of good shows happening this weekend, and boy, is it ever a weekend to do some forgetting. Before we get to the shows, remember tomorrow is Record Store Day! And to help plan your day accordingly, be sure to check out our Guide to Record Store Day in Chicago . We're talking about Slushy at Cole's CIMMFest event, Wax Idols at the Empty Bottle, and Thin Hymns at The Burlington. Let's get the party started... [...]