Welcome to the new, not-really-improved BabyStew This Week In Chicago listing. What's new about it, you ask? Absolutely nothing, except that it now covers the week from Monday through Sunday rather than Sunday through Saturday. It always seemed weird to me not to be listing Sunday shows until the morning of – when not many people are reading blogs – for the sole purpose of sticking with the conventional definition of "week" ( i.e. , Sun-Sat). But convention be damned. So here's what's going on in Chicago this "week". [...]
On the heels of Part One of our Northside Festival recap, Leo Maymind of Spanish Prisoners checks in with EF for Part Two: The first of what is reportedly going to be an annual event in Williamsburg took place this weekend at over 25 different music venues, from as large as the Music Hall of Williamsburg to the intimate Pete's Candy Store. Dubbed the Northside Festival , the four-day celebration of art, music, and community was put on by the ever-growing L Magazine [...]
Could Lo-Fi Be Popular Music? Lo-fi recordings seem to be popping up everywhere nowadays. Is it because the artists like the sound that a lo-fi recording produces, or is it that us music bloggers can't wait to jump all over a new artist, so we put the lo-fi recordings out for them? Which ever it is, there's been some fantastic lo-fi recordings recently that I far prefer over polished studio recordings. Some good examples are right on our doorstep; Nevernudes, Moron Says What?!, Sets and Damsels are all far more [...]
Singer-songwriter John Vanderslice first appeared on the music scene as a member of the band, Mk Ultra. This San Francisco-based band issued three albums throughout the 90's during an on/off career, 'Mk Ultra', 'Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' and 'The Dream Is Over'. Vanderslice also started Tiny Telephone, a small recording studio, in 1997. Tiny Telephone gained a reputation as an affordable recording outlet for San Francisco's indie rock community and it also produced Vanderslice's solo debut, 'Mass Suicide Occult Figurines' in 2000. After his debut album, Vanderslice went on to [...]
When I listen to Miracles Of Modern Science's debut EP, I can't help but think to myself, "This is how music is supposed to be." Floating somewhere between the pop styles of Ra Ra Riot and the everything else sound of Broken Social Scene, MOMS (hey I just realized their name spells moms-coincidence?) plays grand orchestral pop that catches my ear and surprisingly rocks. I say surprisingly because they are largely string instrument based so you wouldn't think there would be many moments of head banging. Their live show is supposed to be out of this world (some [...]
Hey! I like Art...and I like Funk...so it's only natural that I would be completely mesmerized by an electronic Art/Funk band Chandeliers. Residents of the Shape Shoppe loft/recording studio in Chicago, Chandeliers will release their debut LP, The Thrush , October 14th on Obey Your Brain (run by members of Man Man/Icy Demons). When I listen to The Thrush the first impression I get is another analog DJ buried in synth dreams. That's not the case though. Chandeliers are a four piece full live band rooted in vintage synths, thick beats, and broad sounds. This [...]
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
WKND PLYLST!! This has nothing to do with NEW MOON!
HOT CHIP TAKE another crack at IT and I’m IN
Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#25-21)
Tila Tequila NSFW UStream Freak Out (Video)
