Chicago’s Labors released their debut full-length in February of this year, entitled Blue Funk. It was recorded at Strobe Recording by James Wagner and mixed by Jim Becker, and features nine tracks that further define and develop the band’s unique sound. The LP was pressed on 150 gram, recycled vinyl and can be ordered here. On May 7^th, Labors will play a record release show at The Whistler with Anthonie Tonnin from New Zealand. They also recently recorded a Daytrotter Session and on May 16^th are scheduled to play a Strobe Session. Take a listen to a song from Blue Funk below, called “Death Beds.”

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/05-Death-Beds-11.mp3|titles=”Death Beds”]

Last January, Chicago’s Top Shelf Lickers released a new EP entitled Heart Beats Brain! It was recorded by Justin Yates at Atlas Studios and contains a total of six songs. It’s the band’s sophomore release and by all accounts displays significant growth and detailed songwriting. This Friday, they play Bottom Lounge with The Architects and Guttermouth. Doors open at 8:00 PM and the show is 17+. Check out the first song from their EP below, called “Step Away.”

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/01-Step-Away.mp3|titles=”Step Away”]

This month, Sweet Cobra and Get Rad will release a split 7” on Underground Communiqué, LifeLine Records and Hawthorne Street Records. The record pays tribute to Mat Arluck, the late guitarist of Sweet Cobra, who conceived of a collaboration between the two bands before his passing in 2009. Sweet Cobra contributes two songs that come from ideas that Mat had worked on with the band prior to his death, while the final entry on their side is an instrumental track of Mat’s last piece of recorded music. Get Rad offers up two new hardcore songs that undoubtedly represent some of their strongest material to date. The record is available on clear, red and blue vinyl, with artwork by Matt Putrid and layout courtesy of Ryan Patterson. Preorder the record here and take a listen to Sweet Cobra’s song “Complaints” below.

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/02-Complaints-early-version.mp3|titles=”Complaints”]

Chicago’s An Unfortunate Woman is a relatively new band that features former members of Suns, Big Science and North Atlantic. The band’s debut album was recorded and mixed in their home studio and will be released digitally on February 11^th, which you can download here. The record is called In a Buckle Black March, I Saw Past the City, and we’re streaming one of its songs below, “Act Five: Upon the Descent Our Charms/Saints Go Moot. Discovery of Body.” Be sure to check out An Unfortunate Woman when they play Township this Wednesday, February 12^th. The show starts at 9:00 PM, is 21+ and Electric Hawk opens.

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/06-Act-Five_-Upon-the-Descent-Our-Charms_Saints-Go-Moot.-Discovery-of-Body.-1.mp3|titles=”Act Five: Upon the Descent Our Charms/Saints Go Moot. Discovery of Body.”]

On Friday, September 27^th, Chicago’s The Gunshy will commemorate the release of their new album, Silent Songs, at the Beat Kitchen. They’re set to perform as a seven-piece band, including trumpet, violin and cello, and will play the new record in its entirety. Supporting acts include Geronimo!, Rad Payoff and Sean Bonnette of Andrew Jackson Jihad. The show starts at 8:30 PM, is 17+ and costs $10. Check out the first track from Silent Songs below, called “The Independent.”

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/01-The-Independent-1.mp3|titles=”The Independent”]

On May 28^th, The Brokedowns and Vacation Bible School will release a split 7” via It’s Alive Records. Each band recorded three new songs with Joe Gac in Elgin, IL, and all songs were mastered by Dave Williams, (of the band Crusades). Check out an exclusive stream of the entire record below.

[ti_audio name=”Brokedowns / Vacation Bible School” width=”600″ height=”110″]

On April 2^nd, Mike Felumlee, (former Smoking Popes and Alkaline Trio drummer) will release his latest solo EP, entitled Adelaide. It contains a total of four songs and was recorded primarily at Backthird Audio in Aurora, IL, as well as at Felumlee’s home. Felumlee played most of the instruments on the recording and handled the vocal responsibilities, but received help from friends Travis Brown, (drums, lead guitar and acoustic guitar) and Brian Birkland, (backing vocals). In the coming weeks, Adelaide will be available on 7” vinyl, (100 translucent blue/100 translucent red) and all copies will be hand numbered. We’re streaming one of the record’s songs below, “Meet Me in November,” and when asked to describe the song, Felumlee said “It’s basically just a love song. The basic message is when times are tough and everything seems like a mess that will never get better, you have someone there for you. It’s about being there for the ones you love when they need you the most.” On Saturday, April 6^th, Felumlee will play a release show for the EP at the Penny Road Pub in Barrington, IL. The show starts at 7:00 PM, costs $7 and is 21+. Supporting acts include Lights Over Bridgeport, Sketch Middle and Zion.

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Meet-Me-In-November-1.mp3|titles=”Meet Me In November”]

Earlier this month, Hot Water Music released a live CD/DVD via No Idea Records. Entitled Live in Chicago, it was recorded over two nights at the Metro in February of 2008. The CD contains a total of 30 songs that span 90 minutes, while the DVD features 24 songs, including one that’s not found on the album. Live in Chicago is also available as a triple LP, on six different colors of vinyl that are limited to 550 copies each. Check out one of the songs from the DVD above, “Turnstile,” and be sure to catch Hot Water Music on their current tour with La Dispute and The Menzingers.

Marc Ruvolo, owner of Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records, recently released a compilation to benefit his store. After a flood damaged the shop, Ruvolo decided to enlist the help of some friends. The end result is a 12-track album, comprised of acoustic songs from Sean Bonnette of Andrew Jackson Jihad, Jon Lewis of The Dopamines, Jason Smith of Sass Dragons and more. Most of the record was recorded by Matt Arbogast at 8AM Studio, while Ruvolo was responsible for the cover art. When asked about how the album came together, Ruvolo said “The idea came from many of these guys and gals, who are in full electric bands for their primary gig, playing in my store acoustically. I thought it would be fun to document that aspect of the store.” In terms of the record’s distinctive style, he added “What’s unique about it is that you’re hearing musicians that are usually performing in a group setting stripped down to the basics, just their voices and some minor accompaniment. In almost every case it sounds far different than what people have heard from them in the past. They are all my friends too, so I get a warm fuzzy feeling listening to them.” The album, titled A Caustic Acoustic: a Benefit Compilation for Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records, can be obtained via Bandcamp. Check out one of its songs below by Little Dave Merriman of The Arrivals, called “Take Me In.”

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/09-Little-Dave-Merriman-The-Arrivals_Take-Me-In_1.mp3|titles=Little Dave Merriman (The Arrivals) “Take Me In”]

On December 11^th, Dead Ending will release its second EP, the aptly titled DE II. It was recorded at Million Yen Studios in Chicago, contains a total of five songs and will be available through Alternative Tentacles. The band’s lineup of course consists of singer Vic Bondi, (Articles of Faith) guitarist Jeff Dean, (The Bomb, Noise By Numbers, All Eyes West) bassist Joe Principe, (Rise Against) and drummer Derek Grant, (Alkaline Trio). We’re excited to present an exclusive stream of one of the EP’s songs, called “Ayn Rand Chicken Sandwich.” When asked about the song’s meaning, Bondi said “I was beside myself at the stupidity of the Chick-fil-A nonsense. As though the highest expression of your ‘moral values’ was to buy a chicken sandwich. But it’s always like that with that crowd, dumb on dumb, undergirded by crazed homophobic panic. So the song kind of wrote itself, in about five minutes.” Check out the song below and be sure to catch Dead Ending on the road in 2013.

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/4-Ayn-Rand-Chicken-Sandwich.mp3|titles=Ayn Rand Chicken Sandwich]

Billy + Joe is comprised of Smoke or Fire singer/guitarist Joe McMahon and Vancouver-based singer/songwriter Billy the Kid. The recently formed duo began 2012 by covering one song per day for the month of January. They created both a Facebook and a YouTube page to document their work, and have since covered songs from bands such as: The Descendents, Rancid, Jawbreaker, Face to Face, Hot Water Music, Samiam and more. The pair has also written some original material and played a few shows, and plans to continue doing so in the future. Take a look at one of their videos above, a cover of Billy Bragg’s “To Have and To Have Not.”

Eastland Disaster is a new Chicago band that features singer/guitarist Dan Knapik, (Textbook, Venom Lords) singer/bassist Gina Knapik, (Venom Lords) and drummer James Farn, (Kamikaze Eyes, Duress). They’re playing this Friday, January 13^th at Beat Kitchen, along with About the Mess, The Heat Tape and Dan Vapid & The Cheats. The show starts at 8:30 PM, costs $10 and is 17+. Last summer, Eastland Disaster recorded several songs with Matt Allison at Atlas Studios, some of which will appear later this year on a seven-inch for Underground Communiqué Records. Check out one of the band’s songs below, called “Still Not Over You.”

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Still-Not-Over-You.mp3|titles=Still Not Over You]

This January Underground Communiqué Records will rerelease The Methadones’ classic 2004 album, Not Economically Viable. It was remixed by Matt Allison at Atlas Studios and basically rebuilt using various master tracks from the original recording sessions. The end result is a complete and highly favorable reproduction of one of the best pop punk records of the last decade. Also included is a previously unreleased song called “Let’s Call It a Night.” The LP will be available on three different colors; white, clear red and clear with smoke, and will feature updated album art as well. Check out the new version of “Sorry to Keep You Waiting” below.

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Underground-Communique-Records-Not-Economically-Viable-03-Sorry-to-Keep-You-Waiting.mp3|titles=Sorry to Keep You Waiting]

Noise By Numbers recently released a video for the song “Disappointed,” which comes from their latest album and Jump Start Records debut, Over Leavitt. Noise By Numbers features members of The Bomb, Dan Vapid & The Cheats, Textbook and others. Later this month they’ll release a split seven-inch with England’s The Magnificent, and it will be available on colored vinyl via Solidarity Recordings, (USA) and Drunken Sailor Records, (UK). Take a look at the video above and order the new record here.

Chicago’s Big Science is playing this Friday, May 6^th at Subterranean, (2011 W. North Ave.). Color Radio and An Aesthetic Anaesthetic open the show, which starts at 9:30 PM, is 17+ and costs $10. Check out a brand-new, previously unreleased song from Big Science called “Loose Change Century” below.

[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Loose-Change-Century-1.mp3,|titles=Loose Change Century]