Last month, Dillinger Four played the Double Door as part of a brief tour commemorating their 21st anniversary as a band. After the string of shows wrapped up, we talked with singer/bassist Patrick “Paddy” Costello about how everything went. We also discussed the band’s history, including some of the more noteworthy shows they’ve played in Chicago over the years. In addition, we conversed about D4’s most recent album, Civil War, and Costello touched on some of what they have planned for next year, which involves releasing new material and more touring.
In August of this year, The Bollweevils released a new 7” via Underground Communiqué, entitled Attack Scene. It marks the band’s first new material in 17 years. Containing two tracks in total, the 7” was recorded at Million Yen Studios by Jeff Dean and was mastered at Azimuth Mastering by Bill Henderson. The cover art was done by Wade Marks and the record is available on clear blue or black vinyl. When asked how it feels to be releasing new music for the first time in many years, singer Daryl Wilson explained “Damn it’s been too long! It’s exciting! Love the new songs and we are totally excited to get the other new songs recorded and released. We have gotten so much better with the passage of time and are having a blast doing what we do. It’s the best feeling seeing something we created come together and have the opportunity to share that creation with others. Especially if those people like it as much as we do.” Combining the melody of their Stick Your Neck Out! LP with the aggression and hardcore tendencies of Heavyweight, these songs find the band sounding invigorated and developing upon the sound in which they’re known for.
We’re streaming the record’s first song below, “Honesty Isn’t So Simple,” and asked Wilson what inspired its lyrics. He said, “Everyone has aspects of themselves that they never reveal. It’s really hard to be completely honest and show vulnerability to other people. If you show your hand you fear that it’s not always reciprocated. All we want in life is to trust others but it’s pretty hard to do that sometimes.” While the subject matter is fairly serious, the band definitely shows their humorous side on Attack Scene’s other track, “The Bollweevils Anthem.” Take a listen to “Honesty Isn’t So Simple” below and purchase the record here.
Also, this Thursday, 11/05, The Bollweevils are playing at 1st Ward, (2033 W. North Ave.) with Break Anchor, Union 13 and The Mizzerables. The show starts at 8:00 PM, is 18+ and costs $10. Tickets for the event can be obtained here.
[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/the-Bollweevils-Attack-Scene-EP-01-Honesty-Isnt-So-Simple.mp3|titles= “Honesty Isn’t So Simple”]
For its inaugural year in Douglas Park, Riot Fest continued to grow and expand, while still retaining its formula of legacy acts mixed with eclectic and emerging artists. Despite the change of location, Riot Fest felt right at home in its new digs, taking advantage of an open layout that made for easy navigation from one stage to another. There was a little rain and a fair amount of mud, but those that weren’t deterred by the elements were treated to a surplus of memorable sets from a genuinely diverse collection of bands. We recapped some of our favorite moments and observations from what was an eventful, action-packed weekend. Written by Jamie Ludwig, (JL) and Bill Denker, (BD). Photos by Katie Hovland.
Local band Ribbonhead is set to release its new EP Animals on 10/14 through Bandcamp and on cassette. The EP was engineered by Nick Biscardi at Flashpoint Studios, while the band handled mixing duties and Bill Henderson of Azimuth mastered the record. Writing and playing out since mid-2014, Ribbonhead consists of Josh Glass, (guitar/vocals) Lee Zickwolf, (bass/vocals) and John Sant, (drums). The Bandcamp release will be immediately available on 10/14, with the tape release that includes an exclusive track following shortly. They’ll be hitting Liar’s Club at 9:00 PM tonight, 10/12, alongside Honah Lee, Beat the Smart Kids, and Butchered.
On Sunday, October 11th, Chicago’s Dog & Wolf will self-release their debut album, called Filler for the Vacancies. Formed in 2012, the band consists of Kyle Geib, (guitar/vocals) Nick Arvanitis, (bass/vocals) and Dan Tinkler, (drums). The LP was recorded at Atlas Studios by Matt Jordan and mastered at Boiler Room Mastering by Collin Jordan. Coinciding with the record’s release, Dog & Wolf is playing a show at Fireside Bowl on the same day. The event is part of Phantom Note Production’s Phantom Fest and the lineup that evening includes Sincere Engineer, Turnspit, Mean Sean and Dowsing. Filler for the Vacancies will be available on CD at the show or it can be obtained digitally via the band’s Bandcamp page. Dog & Wolf will also be touring later this month in support of the album, including a stop at The Fest in Gainesville, FL. Check out an exclusive stream of the entire record below.
After forming in early 2014, New Orleans’ PEARS wasted little time writing and recording their debut LP, Go to Prison. Soon after, they caught the attention of Off With Their Heads singer/guitarist Ryan Young, who subsequently released the album on vinyl via his label, Anxious and Angry. Extensive touring followed and in July of this year, Fat Wreck Chords re-released Go to Prison. We caught up with guitarist/singer Brian Pretus after the band’s recent performance at Riot Fest Chicago at talked about how PEARS got its start. We also discussed their unique sound, which combines aggressive hardcore/punk, chaotic yet detailed songwriting and a hint of melody. Our conversation also touched on the band’s forthcoming second album, which is due out early next year, and more. Click here to view…
I’ve been Jaded in Chicago for several years now but I was born in Detroit and raised on its music, so I was stoked to see the city that first brought you punk rock represented so prominently on this year’s Riot Fest bill with proto-punk trio Death taking the Riot Stage on Friday afternoon and the indefatigable Iggy Pop headlining the Rock Stage on Saturday night (plus a performance from Bootsy Collins, if we want to discuss his Parliament-Funkadelic years, which we most certainly do).
If you’re still unfamiliar with Death, not only are they an incredible band, they have one of the most incredible back stories in the history of rock music too. You can watch the award-winning documentary, A Band Called Death (here’s the trailer) to learn more, but here’s the short of it: Death was formed by brothers David, Dannis, and Bobby Hackney in Detroit in the mid-70s. As black teens playing raw, unbridled rock ‘n’ roll, the group was marginalized, overlooked, and misunderstood (they even turned down the chance for a recording deal with Clive Davis, who wanted them to change their name), before they finally disbanded out of frustration in 1977. David passed away due to illness in 2000 but not before giving his brothers Death’s master tapes and promising that someday the world would come looking for them. It may sound like something out of a fairytale, but a couple of years later that’s exactly what happened (seriously, watch the documentary). Bobby and Dannis reformed Death with guitarist Bobbie Duncan in 2009, and the trio has been going strong ever since. They’ve continued to celebrate David’s memory with a series of archival recordings and frequent touring and in April, 2015, they revealed the latest chapter of the Death story with an album of all new material, appropriately titled N.E.W..Click here to view…
This past June, Bad Cop/Bad Cop released their debut album on Fat Wreck Chords, called Not Sorry. We caught up with the band last month when they played House of Blues Chicago as part of the Fat Wrecked for 25 Years tour. We spoke with singer/guitarist Jennie Cotterill and talked about how the group got its start, as well as what it was like recording their new record. We also discussed Bad Cop/Bad Cop’s unique sound, which combines three-part vocal harmonies, West Coast ‘90s punk and a relentless supply of energy. Additionally, we conversed about the lack of female musicians in punk rock today, the band’s plans for this fall/winter and more. Click here to view…
Last month, the second full-length from Dan Andriano in the Emergency Room was released by Asian Man Records. Entitled Party Adjacent, the album is much more of a collaborative, full-band effort than the first Emergency Room record. We spoke with Dan about how he brought together this group of musicians and what it was like working with producer Jeff Rosenstock. We also talked about how this project compares to Dan’s principal gig as the singer/bassist for Alkaline Trio. Also discussed was the album’s writing and recording process, the meaning behind some of its songs, future touring plans and more.Click here to view…
Fat Wreck Chords really doesn’t require much of an introduction. It was founded in 1990 by NOFX singer/bassist Fat Mike and his then-girlfriend Erin Burkett, and quickly rose to become one of the most popular and influential punk rock record labels in the world. They helped launch the careers of bands like Lagwagon, Propagandhi, No Use for a Name, Strung Out, Good Riddance and many others. They continue to develop emerging and dynamic bands to this day, and do so while maintaining the standards of quality they’ve displayed since their inception. Fat recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and we spoke with co-founder Erin Burkett about the label’s history. We talked about its humble beginnings, how the label grew and some of the challenges they faced along the way. We also discussed the current Fat tour, the label’s future and more. Click here to view…
Jackson Mud is a newly-formed blues band that’s fronted by Smoking Popes singer/guitarist Josh Caterer. Their lineup also includes bassist Ray Somera, keyboardist Renaldo DeSouza and drummer David Benkert. Last month, they released their debut EP via Artistic Integrity Records, called Down Time Blues. We spoke with Caterer and discussed how the EP was written and recorded, as well as what some of its songs are about. We also talked about his early exposure to the blues, how Jackson Mud formed, the origin of the band’s name and more. Click here to view…
The Bigger Empty traces its origins back to 2007, when Mike Felumlee, (current/founding Smoking Popes drummer, former Alkaline Trio drummer) began playing solo shows. He called upon some friends to assist him in playing live, and after a few years of playing shows together they’d grown to become more of an actual band than a solo project. As of last year, they started calling themselves The Bigger Empty, with a lineup consisting of Felumlee on vocals/guitar, guitarist Jim Steinkraus, bassist Reuben Baird and drummer Kevin Baschen. When asked as to what inspired the band’s name, Felumlee said “We have a song called ‘The Bigger Empty’ about my dog that runs away quite frequently. It’s about him going out into the world and discovering that it’s really not that great out there and he’d rather be back home. We loved that song title, so we decided to use it as our name. The lyrics and title were written by our friend Brian Birkland. I team up with him a lot when I’m stumped on writing lyrics.”
This Saturday, 7/25, The Bigger Empty is playing Subterranean with Spitalfield and Daniel Wade. The show starts at 6:00 PM, is 17+ and costs $17. They’ll have copies of their debut EP available at the show, though it officially comes out on 8/08 via Artistic Integrity Records. The EP is called vs. The Cloud and was recorded at bassist Baird’s studio, Chicago Sound Lab. Check out a song from the record below, called “My Great Escape.”
[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ESCAPE.mp3|titles= “My Great Escape”]
For their second album, Matt Skiba and the Sekrets forgo the melodic punk influences that dominated their first record in favor of power pop and ‘80s synthesizers. And that makes sense, as their first effort was comprised of leftover song ideas from Alkaline Trio, (Skiba’s primary band). This time around, Skiba wrote specifically for the Sekrets, and once again enlisted bassist Hunter Burgan, (AFI) and drummer Jarrod Alexander, (My Chemical Romance). The result is a much more collaborative album that’s brought to life with great success by producer Rob Schnapf. The record kicks off with “Lonely and Kold,” a radio-ready song that evokes hints of The Cure and is propelled by a catchy guitar lead courtesy of Schnapf. Skiba’s voice sounds clear and confident as he sings about breaking old habits and moving on to better things, a theme that emerges several times throughout the album. “She Wolf” comes next and it’s a danceable, Bowie-like tune that’s loaded with keyboards, vocal effects and the masterful bass playing of Burgan. “Krashing” is another prominent entry and features a layered arrangement, creative drumming and a memorable, monster hook. The record concludes nicely with the vulnerable, piano-laced track “Never Believe” and the nostalgic, atmospheric charm of “Vienna.” KUTS is a cohesive, listenable album that’s both inspired and well-written. Longtime fans of Skiba’s work are sure to enjoy this, as are those interested in hearing him effectively experiment with synthesizer-driven rock.
The Suizos formed in 2011 and feature singer/guitarist Darren Vorel, (That Lying Bitch) and singer/guitarist Chris Mason, (Super Happy Fun Club). Their name is inspired by the suizo burritos found at Taco Burrito Palace #2 in Lincoln Park. Mason lives nearby and after late night writing/drinking sessions, the duo would often find themselves indulging in the fine cuisine at said restaurant. The band recently recorded a four-song EP at Atlas Studios with Matt Allison, and “Fuck Work” is the second single from the release. Mason handled drum responsibilities on the recording, while Dave Tirio, (Plain White T’s) played bass. According to Vorel, the basis for many of The Suizos’ songs is “stuff we don’t like,” and this song certainly falls under that category.
To coincide with the song’s debut, The Suizos also created a video for the track, which Vorel and Mason co-directed. The concept for the video came to the band while on a recent road trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to witness Green Day’s induction. When asked what filming the video was like, Vorel said “It’s always fun to do music videos. I wanted to be an actor when I was a kid, so this is as close as I’m going to get. Chris and I managed to rally a lot of amazing people to be part of this. We had a high school kid named Spencer help us with camera this time, so we could focus more on our roles. Corttanie, (our lead) is someone I met while doing the Mancow show with my other group. She is totally amazing, foxy and has a fantastic potty mouth that livened up the set. Chris was like ‘What if we got Matt (Allison) to play the boss man?’ I was like ‘That’ll never happen.’ And then it did. That was my favorite part. The guy’s a natural and had us all in stitches on his shoot day. We have an hour of bloopers that are just terrific.” The Suizos don’t have any upcoming shows booked as of yet, but do plan on releasing the remaining two songs from their EP very soon. Check out the exclusive premiere of the “Fuck Work” video above and buy the song on iTunes here.
Originally a printed zine from 1998 – 2004, our goal is to provide coverage of Chicago’s expansive independent music community, and to occasionally highlight some of our past work. National and international bands will be featured as well, but above all, we hope to create lasting content for music fans everywhere.
