
As I said, Matthew Lindley & Troubadour Deluxe were the openers. If it falls on the opening act to truly warm up a crowd, in a bar, on a Friday night, ML&TD did the trick just fine. Not too flashy, just a five-piece with a few pretty harmonies, glib songwriting and a lead guitarist (Dean Kattari) that deftly noodled through each song like it was the first one he ever learned. Lindley's songs tend toward the stories of Americana; sappy love songs, soul baring confessionals with a sense of fun and a country edge. Highlight was [...]

So here we are at the weekend before the holiday season officially begins and everyone's schedule gets really busy, so get your music fixes in now. On Thursday night you can check out the final night of the Jenny Dee & The Deelinquints residency at the Lizard. It's also the first night of the International Pop Overthrow 4 night stint at Church. Night 1 of the IPO has The Buckners, The Doom Buggies and more. There are also 2 great free shows on Thursday, Lars Vegas is at the Alchemist and Sally O'Brien's has an impressive lineup. On Friday Thalia [...]
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". [...]

Yes, we like our lo-fi indie rock as much as the next person. And we especially start swooning when it comes in the form and sounds of The Mother Hips , the talented San Franciscan foursome. In April 2007, the quartet released Kiss the Crytal Flake , the band's sixth studio album which also spawned one of my favorite songs of the 2000's with Time We Had . Now, with their latest album, Pacific Dust , garnering [...]
Here are the Wisconsin and Illinois shows we recommend you take in this week. Check them out below and let us know which ones you'll be attending or ones you think should really make our list . Upcoming Wisconsin Shows: 11/17 - Bruce Hornsby - Northern Lights Theater, Milwaukee 11/18 - Brendan Benson + Cory Chisel - Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee 11/19 - Surgeons In Heat + Jason Mohr (Juniper Tar - Sugar Maple, Milwaukee [...]

A new album from the Mother Hips?!? We couldn't think of any better companion than the vocals of Tim Bluhm in complimenting our road trip down the California coastline this weekend. The Mother Hips have flown under the radar as true indie music pioneers for almost two decades. With the release of their new album Pacific Dust (available October 27th on Camera Records), California's unsung psych-pop heroes tell their story. Hailed by critics for their "rootsy mix of 70s rock and power pop" (pitchfork.com) and for their unflinching ability to "sing it sweet and play it dirty" [...]
Today's free and legal mp3 downloads: Backyard Tire Fire : 2009-02-28, Iowa City [mp3,ogg,flac] "Miss You (Rolling Stones cover)" [mp3] other Backyard Tire Fire posts at Largehearted Boy Brittany Reilly : 2009-11-06, Blowing Rock [mp3,ogg,flac] "Blue Kentucky Girl (Loretta Lynn cover)" [mp3] Brittany Reilly : 2009-08-28, Greenville [mp3,ogg,flac] "Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen cover)" [...]

We've been on hiatus this week test driving cars and listening to snarky salesmen pitches. What I wanted was a sports car so rad it would magically melt the clothes off any hottie on the street. Alas, what I got was a whole lot different. W e ended up with an affordable and easy on the gas Kia Sportage. I will say for a factory job, the audio system is banging, equipped with Sirius sat radio, a USB connection, iPod/mp3 player jacks. It also comes with all [...]
Today's free and legal mp3 downloads: Alejandro Escovedo : 2009-07-12, Santa Monica [mp3,ogg,flac] "Dear Head on the Wall" [mp3] other Alejandro Escovedo posts at Largehearted Boy Billy Corgan : 2009-11-08, Los Angeles [mp3,ogg,flac] "Plastic Fantastic Lover (Jefferson Airplane cover)" [mp3] other Billy Corgan posts at Largehearted Boy Blitzen Trapper : [...]
The Mother Hips tour dates The Mother Hips have added dates to their 2009 Fall/2010 Winter tour schedule. The Bay Area psych-rockers continue to tour nationally behind their brand new 11-song studio album " Pacific Dust ". Download two free tracks here . 11/12/09 Arcata,CA Humboldt Brews 11/13/09 Caspar, CA Caspar Inn 11/14/09 Crockett, CA Toot's Tavern 11/17/09 NY, NY Joe's Pub 11/18/09 NY, NY Joe's Pub 11/20/09 Chicago, IL Schuba's Tavern 11/21/09 Chicago, IL Schuba's Tavern 12/4/09 Austin , TX Emo's 12/5/09 Austin, TX [...]
THE MOTHER HIPS EXPAND FALL TOUR SCHEDULE & ANNOUNCE WINTER 2010 DATES The San Francisco quartet enters Billboard's Heatseekers Chart with their new album Pacific Dust "..loud fuzzed-up garage rock. A favorite of 2009." -HearYa.com "A romping strain of countrified psychedelic power pop." -NEW YORKER The Mother Hips have added dates to their 2009 Fall / 2010 Winter tour schedule. The Bay Area psych-rockers continue to tour nationally behind their brand new 11-song studio album, Pacific Dust, which reached # 82 on Billboards Heatseekers chart this week. After a recent return from [...]

San Francisco quartet The Mother Hips have released their seventh album, Pacific Dust . The record was recorded at Mission Bells Studios in San Francisco with producer/engineer David Simon-Baker. Enjoy the songs from Pacific Dust featured below. sound: White Falcon Fuzz [...]
The Mother Hips have been one of the most underrated bands for years. After a brief stint on Rick Rubin's label, American Recordings, the Bay Area quartet has had a consistent output of California soul. Newcomers like The Donkeys seem to have been influenced by them. A few years ago, I had a conversation wondering how a label or PR person was never able to get these guys consistent airplay on a station like XRT here in Chicago who has a pretty eclectic playlist as far as terrestrial stations go. The second tune, a rocker titled "Third [...]

With the year drawing to a close musically speaking, Drake runs down two of the most anticipated follow-up releases of 2009. -ed. We're quickly approaching the point of no return as far as significant releases go, before the tide turns to that of gift-oriented, so we have to savor what morsels are thrown our way. This week that means the latest from The Swell Season, Devendra Banhart, Tegan & Sara, Wolfmother, Gemma Ray, Broadcast And The Focus Group, Boat , a live release from R.E.M. , a compilation from The Breakaways [...]

Top Album Releases: October 2009 Nick's Top Neon Indian: Psychic Chasms Black Heart Procession: Six Califone: All My Friends Are Funeral Singers Jay-Z: The Blueprint 3 The Flaming Lips: Embryonic Monsters Of Folk: Monsters [...]
Today's free and legal mp3 downloads: Arms Akimbo : "Giving Up for Good" [mp3] from You Want It (out December 1st) other Arms Akimbo posts at Largehearted Boy Bill Coleman : free and legal Welcome to the Breakdown EP (tips appreciated) [mp3] other Bill Coleman posts at Largehearted Boy Brown Bird : [...]
Ticket Giveaway: The Mother Hips @ Joe's Pub on 11/17 in NYCGet your tickets above!! All you have to do is enter... pretty easy!
The Mother Hips Pacific Dust Camera Records [2009] Fire Drill Review: Most don't know that The Mother Hips first appeared on the Aware 2 compilation back in 1994 with the likes of Better Than Ezra, Verve Pipe, Edwin McCain, Vertical Horizon and Hootie. From there, like others, they made several albums for the majors but eventually were dropped due to not ever catching on with the masses. Lucky for us the band trudged on [...]

There are probably only three improbable bands that are more ingrained into my being than The Mother Hips (three guesses on who they are). Bands whose songs have been there through the best and worst times of my life, songs that bring the warmth and comfort of mom's homemade mashed potatoes. That's saying a lot. And The MoHips seem to get better with age. The San Francisco four-piece just released Pacific Dust , which continues where 2007's Kiss the Crystal Flake left off-breezy harmonies tempered [...]

Dylan said he'd know his song well before he'd start singing. Jai Little Diamond (one Mike Taylor) isn't in a hurry to sing any half-learned tune. When his celebrated alt-country band, The Court and Spark, darkened several years ago Diamond and fellow Sparker, Scott Hirsch, wrote some tunes, gathered together a roadworthy band and played some dates as Hiss Golden Messenger . Fast forward to the summer of 2009; Diamond is resettled in rural North Carolina, Hirsch is in NYC and their first album, Country Hai East Cotton (reapandsow), is signed, sealed and delivered. Boasting a lineup [...]