Blog: loudloop

Late last month, local dance-punk trio The Cell Phones made their Empty Bottle debut. Since the band were pretty excited about it , they chose to make the night even more special by busting out a cover of Rihanna's "Only Girl (In The World)." The Cell Phones, of course, do it up in their own style as club beats are traded for Pat Benetar-esque power rock. And if you're wondering if frontwoman Lindsey Charles can match Rihanna's sweet pipes...you god damn right she can. Watch the band rock "Only Girl (In [...]

Creepy Band Three reasons to party like it's almost Friday at Township tonight... 1. So what if the calendar says it's March? Chicago quintet Creepy Band make every day feel like October 31 with its psychedelic rock style that is heavy on organ. It's hard not to paint Creepy Band with a Doors brush, but that's what happens when your singer yelps with true guttural growls ala the Lizard King, Jim Morrison. LISTEN: " Rays Riff " [...]

Last week, I reviewed the latest release from Chicago psych-popper Netherfriends (a.k.a Shawn Rosenblatt), Middle America , the latest record from his ambitious 50-Songs-50-States project . Well, live performance documenters Show Me Shows recently posted a very nice looking video of Rosenblatt performing the Middle America tune, "St. Louis," on a rooftop of, you guess it, St. Louis, MO. Will Rosenblatt's next big project be Middle America songs performed in their respective cities captured in high quality video? We wouldn't put it [...]

Pillars & Tongues | Photo by Emily Cross Three reasons to grab your flameless candles and head over to the Burlington tonight... 1. Spice up your Wednesday with a little something different. Chicago quartet Pillars and Tongues make the unusual beautiful, honing its gothic folk sound by pairing hypnotic atmospherics and melodies with rhythmic, liberal use of a harmonium. Pillars and Tongues must be seen to be believed. And as luck would have it, the band has stated on its Facebook page that this will be the [...]

With Spring almost sprung, it's about time we have a song that makes us think about long road trips and warm sunshine. Enter, Disappears . The group's new video for its single "Replicate," matches the song's tight hypnotic rhythms to images of cruising through downtown Chicago and light dancing on top of rippling water. You can almost hear the freedom of the road calling your name.

White Mystery recently set out on two-month tour that takes them to SXSW, New York City and beyond. But that didn't stop the Chicago garage rock stalwarts from dropping new tunage. While the duo's new EP, PEOPLE POWER (Sea of Infamy) , doesn't drop until April, 20, last Friday White Mystery debuted the release's title-track "People Power" over at MTV. Yes, that MTV . Anyway, "People Power," is a fuzz stomper that finds a slightly muffled Alex White barking, "Girl Power! Boy Power! People Power All Together!" [...]

Chapter24 And now three reasons to get yer rock 'n' roll on at The Empty Bottle tonight... 1. Buzz band alert! London's Chapter24 have been garnering some acclaim as of late, and it's easy to see why. The band serve up a hot plate of twitchy, dynamic art-rock that will undoubtedly satisfy your palate. Chapter24 do from noisy and frantic to poppy and melodic with ease, and singer Claire Smith leads the way with her energetic, Carrie Brownstein-esuqe vocals. LISTEN: "Spindle" [...]

Monday Afternoon Quick Fix runs every Monday afternoon to showcase the best of Chicago music news, views and stories from around the interwebs and blogosphere that we might have missed. • The Chicago Tribune is reporting that, in order to deal with declining enrollment, a Columbia College report has recommended the closure of Chicago Jazz Ensemble , Center for Black Music Research and the Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in Arts and Media. A final decision will be made in June. • Congrats to [...]

Every so often you come across a piece of video that just makes you yearn for your rowdy teen years. Today that video is brought to us by the fabulous John Yingling of Gonzo Chicago . Yingling and Mark Ciarleglio captured the true charm and grace of our favorite retro rockers Magic Milk at their recent appearance at the VFW. And this video has everything: the pure rock attitude of "Demolition Blue," angry old people, condoms, and even frontman Kenny Alden's butt. What more could you ask for? A knife fight? Maybe next [...]

And now three reasons to celebrate Pulaski Day by rocking out at Schubas tonight... 1. Another month, another month-long residency at Schubas that features an up-and-coming Chicago act. Every Monday in March brings indie rockers The Kickback to the Lakeview bar. I really dug the Kickback's 2010 EP, Great Self Love , as it showcased a versatile band with the chops to boot. On it, the band crafted tight, melodic pop songs that still featured quite a bit of edge via alt-rock leaning guitars [...]

Happy weekend, guys and dolls! I know it's cold and gloomy outside, but you can't celebrate the fourth annual Windy City Winter Ball without a little snow/sleet/freezing rain. And you definitely couldn't ask for better weather for when Scotland's the Twilight Sad ride a wave of depression into town. Hike up those snow boots and let's get going. FRIDAY THE TWILIGHT SAD You'll be hard-pressed to find a [...]

Back on Fat Tuesday, local band to watch T'Bone brought their math-punk antics to The Burlington . Luckily, there was a camera rolling when they launched into a brand new track, "Song Of Praise." The song features a driving rhythm from drummer Ed Bornstein and bassist Lee Meiners while guitarist Pat McPartland lays down a saw-toothed riff. The rowdy chorus actually maintains a sweet groove, while the tail end gets super punky. Watch T'Bone rock this new piece below: [...]

Greater Than by Sharpless Sharpless' new single, "Greater Than," shows the maturation of lead singer/guitarist Jack Greenleaf's songwriting from the band's debut album, Sharpless (+<) , released in February 2011. However, the Chicago-based outfit (all members attend Columbia College) still wears its major influences on its sleeve. Greenleaf, a self-proclaimed "Japanophile," integrates aspects of Japanese culture into "Greater Than"—from the use of the koto in the introduction to the upbeat background chanting. Greenleaf and drummer Ian Cory—who grew up together—agree the duo's early musical [...]

While some are merely inspired enough by a locale to write a song, Shawn Rosenblatt, better known by his psychedelic pop leaning moniker Netherfriends , took from both the inspirational and experiential for his latest record, Middle America . You see, nearly two years ago Rosenblatt set out on a very ambitious project where he aimed to play a show and record a song in all 50 states. And wouldn't you know it, he actually did it (and yes that [...]

On again Off Again Three reasons to go-folk-yourself tonight at Subterranean... 1. Chicago quartet On Again Off Again mesh folk pop and groovy jazz funk together to create the smoky jams found on its debut full-length Acres . And the band is celebrating the album's release tonight. On Again Off Again has grown considerably since its last EP (Re)Cycles , which saw the group showcasing its quirky indie rock leanings. Adulthood looks good on them. LISTEN: " Gemini " [...]

A fan of Muse's expansive progressive rock or Mew's edgy space pop? Then you should probably get to know Chicago's Molehill . The quartet offers up some pretty melodic nu-prog that shifts between sweet piano balladry and epic power riffs. Better yet, they'll be dropping their debut LP, Equinox , at their record release party this Saturday at the Beat Kitchen . Equinox 's lead single is the dramatic rocker, "No Reprieve," which is the perfect introduction for those new to Molehill. "No [...]

polica Three reasons to dress up as Leap Day William at Lincoln Hall tonight... 1. Minnesota is well represented tonight. Minneapolis' own rising indie darlings Polica delight with thumping bass, double drum theatrics, and lush, autotuned vocals. The quartet's tasty electronic R&B flavor more than makes up for the omission of electric guitars on its debut album Give You The Ghost , which was produced by Gayngs' Ryan Olson. WATCH: " Lay Your Cards Out " [...]

Girls Rock! Chicago has announced the dates for its seventh annual rock and roll education camp for girls aged 8-16. The camp returns for two, one-week sessions June 25-July 1 and July 23-July 29 at Chicago Quest , its new location. Chicago Quest, a new Chicago International Charter School, is located at 1443 N. Ogden Ave . on the Near North Side. Applications for campers and volunteers will be available on GR!C's website soon. No word yet on dates for the Ladies camp. Girls Rock! [...]

When Spring is right around the corner in Chicago, that means three things: no more snow, warmer temperatures and, of course, summer music fest lineups. Today, the initial lineup for the 2012 edition of the Pitchfork Music Fest was announced. The fest once again goes down in Chicago's Union Park on Friday, July 13 - Sunday, July 15. The biggest names on the bill so far appear to be car commercial, afro-poppers Vampire Weekend , mellow pop songstress Feist , [...]

And not three reasons to kick your Tuesday up a notch and head to Township... 1. The beginning of a new week is always a drag, which is why locals Truman & His Trophy are perfect curing those work day blues. This local indie oufit offer up melodic and rambunctious rock 'n' roll antics that straddles the line between punk and chorus-fueled pop anthems. LISTEN: "Jake Babe" 2. On their Jan 2012 release, Temple Said No-Brainer , [...]