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Twenty Years of Red Scare
Last Friday, Red Scare released a 17-song compilation titled 20 Years of Dreaming and Scheming, which of course commemorates the record label’s 20th anniversary. In addition to the compilation, they’re also marking the event with release shows this month in Chicago, Wisconsin, Portland, Seattle and Las Vegas. We recently spoke with label cofounder Toby Jeg about reaching this impressive milestone. We discussed how he went about putting this compilation together, what he’s looking forward to about the upcoming release parties, the future of Red Scare and more.
Continue Reading…
The Brokedowns – Maximum Khaki
Red Scare – Release Date: 1/20/23
Last Friday, The Brokedowns released their sixth full-length and fourth for Red Scare, titled Maximum Khaki. The album exhibits the band operating at peak efficiency and further refining their take on big-shouldered Chicago punk with touches of post-hardcore and garage punk. The record’s first song, “Obey the Fumes”, starts with a rousing intro lead and a bouncy rhythm that carries through to the verse. It’s catchy, punchy and to-the-point, and evokes shades of Toys That Kill. “Ernest Becker at a Costco” features a fuzzy guitar solo that enjoys a nice interplay with the vocal melody. The song then quiets for a brief spell, only to slowly amplify in intensity before the entire band lets loose one last time.
“UK82 Pt. 2: The Olds Are Not Alright” balances melody and dissonance and has an inventive vocal lead that slyly steals the limelight, while “Samurai Sword Decontrol” contains one of the album’s biggest choruses, with drum parts that perfectly accent the singing. “Honk If You’re Horny” is another first-rate entry, complete with a reckless rhythm and a sense of danger in the verse. It subtly recalls Chicago greats The Arrivals and employs infectious call and response vocals.
Maximum Khaki’s recording, courtesy of producer Joe Gac, bears mentioning as it captures the rawness of the band’s live shows, but also allows each individual instrument or voice to shine at the appropriate times. And the album of course earns bonus points for creative song titles like “Osama Van Halen” and “Satan in Quarantine”. Be sure to catch The Brokedowns’ record release show this Saturday at the Burlington Bar. They’re playing with Chinese Telephones, Dangerous Chairs, and Permanent Residue, and tickets are available here.
Ian’s Party 2020 Announces First Wave Lineup
The 13th annual Ian’s Party will take place Friday, January 3rd – Sunday, January 5th at both Chop Shop and Subterranean. The first wave lineup was revealed today and includes performances by Meat Wave, The Brokedowns, Vacation, The Bobby Conn Experience, Absolutely Not, Ono, C.H.E.W., No Men, Lung, Paper Mice, Typesetter, Howardian, Joshua Virtue, Malci, and Two Houses. In addition, the following acts will also appear: Blacker Face, Hitter, Masonic Wave, Bruges, Wood Chickens, Lovely Little Girls, Bev Rage and the Drinks, Topomaka, Hawley, Wig, Clickbait, Nonnie Parry, Abertooth Lincoln, and American Draft.
Early Bird weekend passes will go on sale Friday, November 1st at 10:00 AM and are available for $30 each. Purchase them here and be advised they’ll remain at this price until Sunday, November 3rd, but will increase after that. Single day passes will be available soon and more bands will be announced at a later date.
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Listen to Ian’s Party 2020 Spotify Playlist!
The Brokedowns
Last May, The Brokedowns released their latest full-length and third for Red Scare, called Sick of Space. We recently caught up with singer/guitarist Kris Megyery and talked about how the album was recorded and what some of its songs are about. The record finds the band, (also consisting of singer/bassist Jon Balun, guitarist Eric Grossmann and drummer Mustafa Daka) further evolving their approach to heavy Midwestern punk, complete with lyrics that balance social commentary and humor. The end result is easily The Brokedowns’ most focused and accessible album to date. Additionally, we discussed some of the band’s recent shows, their plans for this year and more. Continue Reading…
Ian’s Party 2019 Announces Daily Lineups
Artwork by Frank Okay // Photos by Katie Hovland
We’re happy to unveil the single day lineups for this year’s Ian’s Party, which kicks off on Friday, January 4th. Opening night will feature Salvation, Montrose Man, Fitness, Absolutely Not, ONO, Ganser, and others at Subterranean. Bands will be playing both upstairs and downstairs stages. On the same evening, Chop Shop will host Toys That Kill, Drilling For Blasting, The Brokedowns, Bust!, The Slow Death, Butcher’s Union and more. Chop Shop will divide its stage in half for the event, with bands playing on either side to limit downtime between sets. There’s also a late show on Friday at Chop Shop with Canadian Rifle and others. Continue Reading…
The Arrivals to play Ian’s Party 2019
All photos by Katie Hovland
On Friday, January 4th – Sunday, January 6th, the 12th annual Ian’s Party will take place at Chop Shop and Subterranean. Nearly 40 bands have been confirmed for the event so far, including The Brokedowns, Canadian Rifle, Drilling For Blasting, Elephant Gun, The House That Gloria Vanderbilt, Meat Wave, Sincere Engineer, Toys That Kill and many others. Also, we’re proud to announce that The Arrivals will be playing Ian’s Party 2019, marking their first hometown show in over five years. Beginning today, weekend passes are available at the presale price of $40 and can be purchased here. As of November 1st, weekend passes will be $60. Check back for further details as more announcements will be made soon.
High Priests – “Control”
Last month, Chicago’s High Priests released their debut album on Triple Eye Industries, called Spinning. The trio features Mikey Alesi, (vocals/guitar) Justin Gutierrez, (bass) and Mustafa Daka, (drums). Collectively, they’ve played in or currently play in bands such as: The Brokedowns, Wide Angles and Post Child. Recorded by Joe Gac, (Meat Wave) and mastered by Justin Perkins, the record does an impressive job of balancing the group’s inherent rawness with an appropriate amount of polish, thereby allowing the intricacies of the arrangements to really standout. When asked about the recording process, Daka said “I’ve recorded with Joe so many times over the years. He’s who I want to continue working with because I feel he gets better every time and he’s already amazing.”
We’re streaming the album’s opening track below, “Control,” which exemplifies the band’s fierce interpretation of contemporary noise-rock. When speaking as to how they typically go about songwriting, Daka said “Mikey usually comes in with a song and I beat my brain up a little to figure out any of his weird timings. Then Justin and I figure out parts that we think best complement what Mikey’s written and eventually they end up all being fun songs to play.” Take a listen to “Control” now and purchase the record here.
The Brokedowns – “Life Is a Breeze”
Elgin’s favorite sons, The Brokedowns, recorded a live performance last month at Live! from The Rock Room. This is the first video to be released from the session, and features the band performing their song “Life Is a Breeze,” the title track from their most recent album. We recently caught up with the man behind Live! from The Rock Room, Mike Felumlee, to discuss his motivations for this project. We talked about how he got things off the ground, some of the Rock Room’s unique features, where he hopes to see this endeavor in the future and more. Continue Reading…
Post Child – “Getting Closer”
Chicago’s Post Child formed in 2012 and features members of The Brokedowns, High Priests, Wide Angles, Peekaboos and Elephant Gun. They recently finished work on their second full-length, called Wax Wings, which was recorded by Joe Gac. “Getting Closer” is the second single from the forthcoming album and it talks about the various relationships that we as humans have, whether it’s with ourselves or with things like technology or money. The band partnered with Chicago-based production company On The Real Film to create an impressive, effects-laden video for the song. Post Child is slated to play Township next month on Thursday, 9/29 with their pals Cubits from Iowa. Check out the video above and keep an eye out for Wax Wings to be released this fall or possibly winter.
Meat Wave
Photo by Katie Hovland
This fall, Meat Wave released their second album and first for Side One Dummy, entitled Delusion Moon. We recently spoke with singer/guitarist Chris Sutter and talked about what writing and recording the record was like, as well as what some of its songs are about. We also discussed the album’s cover art, some of the band’s recent tours and their plans for next year. Don’t forget to check out Meat Wave when they play Ian’s Party on Sunday, January 3rd at Double Door. Continue Reading…
Ian’s Party 2016
Poster art by Frank Okay
The ninth annual Ian’s Party is scheduled to take place this January 1st through the 3rd, at Double Door, Subterranean and the Chop Shop. The event began in Elgin and moved to Logan Square in 2011, but this year has shifted to Wicker Park in hopes of creating more of a festival feel with the venues located so closely together. This year’s lineup is nothing if not eclectic, with genres ranging from pop punk to folk to electronic. A majority of the scheduled bands are also Chicago-based. The shows are 17+ and three-day passes can be purchased here for the only $25, but the price will increase to $30. Single-day passes are available on all venue sites for $12 or they’ll cost $15 at the door. Friday will feature sets from The Brokedowns, Prizzy Prizzy Please, Drilling for Blasting, Truman and His Trophy, Rad Payoff and approximately 15 other bands. Saturday will host Absolutely Not, Vacation Bible School, Sass Dragons, Dethwarrant, Al Scorch, Canadian Rifle, Elephant Gun and over a dozen more. Sunday concludes with Panda Riot, The Howl, Sweet Cobra, Brickfight, The Mons, Mean Sean and many additional acts, including local favorites Meat Wave. Half Acre Beer Company is sponsoring the entire event, which promises to maintain its party-like atmosphere while simultaneously showcasing some of the most exciting bands in Chicago’s underground. Check out some of the tracks below for a sample of what to expect this year.
The Brokedowns
Photo by Katie Hovland
In December of last year, The Brokedowns issued their latest full-length, Life Is a Breeze. By any measure, the album is both aggressive and authentic, and witnesses the band continuing to refine their distinctive brand of gruff, unpredictable punk rock. We spoke with singer/guitarist/resident comedian Kris Megyery and talked about how the record sounds, what recording it was like and the meaning of some of its songs. We also discussed the band’s birthplace of Elgin, IL, their plans for the remainder of the year and more. Continue Reading…
The Brokedowns – “Born on the Bayou Too”
Cover art by Matt Semke
Back in December, The Brokedowns released their second album for Red Scare Industries, entitled Life Is a Breeze. Containing 16 songs in total, the record is not only comprehensive, but also a good representation of the band’s best characteristics. There are influences of Dillinger Four and Hot Snakes to be found, but those are overshadowed by The Brokedowns’ unique take on Midwestern punk and the sheer amount of aggression they generate in their songwriting. This Sunday, 3/01, they’re playing Beat Kitchen, along with Meat Wave, Canadian Rifle and Foul Tip. The show starts at 8:00 PM, is 17+ and costs $8. Check out a track from Life Is a Breeze below, called “Born on the Bayou Too.”
[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/06-Born-On-The-Bayou-Too.mp3|titles= “Born on the Bayou Too”]
V/A – 10 Years of Your Dumb Bullshit
Artwork by Miguel Angel Echemendia
Red Scare Industries – Release Date: 9/22/14
Ten years ago, former Fat Wreck Chords employee Tobias Jeg was living in San Francisco when The Falcon expressed that they were looking for a new label to release its debut EP, God Don’t Make No Trash or Up Your Ass with Broken Glass. Jeg put it out and Red Scare Industries was born. Ten Years of Your Dumb Bullshit showcases 17 new songs by bands that Red Scare has lifted up and out of the basements over the past decade. Starting the compilation is the catchy occult-themed track, “Pyramids” by The Lillingtons, the first new recording in eight years by Red Scare’s longest-running band. Following that, The Falcon pops in for 1:43 after six years with “We Are the Bald,” an upbeat yet self-deprecating song that’s difficult not to crack a smile at. Masked Intruder offers up “I Don’t Mind,” a song about being so malleable in a relationship that death is the only way the subject can get rid of the suitor. The Copyrights, who just released a full-length on Red Scare, offer up the shortest and one of the most melodic songs on the compilation, “Oedipus Dill,” clocking in at 1:25. Teenage Bottlerocket keeps it straightforward with “TV Set,” a simple song about being overwhelmed by and sick of television. Elgin, Illinois’ Brokedowns really stand out with “Ouija Jive,” which sounds like a B-side to the Species Bender recording session that should have made it on the album. The Reaganomics come back after four years with “Bite Your Tongue,” a pop punk track about self-righteous individuals who post on the internet trying to change the world, but only end up sounding ignorant. One of Red Scare’s first bands, Cobra Skulls, contributes an angst-laced song sung in Spanish called “No Puede Mas,” which translates to “I’ve Had Enough.” The Methadones played their last show in 2010, but chalk up a new tune called “Trip Wire,” reminiscent of The Ramones, but with the Methadones’ refreshing signature power pop style. The comp’s tone mellows out a bit with “The Wallflowers,” a melodic indie jam by The Sidekicks. Brendan Kelly makes a second appearance on vocals with “Gluesday Evening Blues” by his band Brendan Kelly and the Wandering Birds – quite a bit slower and folkier than The Falcon. Great new tracks by Elway, Nothington, Enemy You, Direct Hit! and Druglords of the Avenues round out this compilation nicely. The album ends on a soft, sobering note with an acoustic song called “Forever West” by one of the newest additions to the Red Scare family, Sam Russo. His poetic, somber tone gives a great balance to this heavily punk-driven compilation. Check out the Red Scare Records 10-year anniversary show this Saturday at the Metro at 3:45 PM, featuring The Falcon, The Lillingtons, The Methadones (reunion show), Masked Intruder, Enemy You, The Sidekicks, Teenage Bottlerocket, Brendan Kelly and the Wandering Birds, The Holy Mess, Direct Hit!, Elway, The Brokedowns and The Reaganomics.
– Jason Duarte
Brokedowns / Vacation Bible School Split 7”
Artwork by Natali Wiseman
On May 28th, 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″]
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