It’s July, and it’s already really gross and hot. Â Summer is looking… horrible.
If you’re not doing anything on Tuesday, you should come see my band, Jungle of Cities, play at a benefit hosted at Multikulti (1000 N Milwaukee). Â The diverse lineup also features punk, metal, hip-hop, and indie bands. Â We go on at 8:30 pm and admission is just $5. Â Check out the Facebook event page for more info.
Monday, July 2
Robbie Fulks, Justin Roberts; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation
Time For Livin’: A Tribute to MCA & The Beastie Boys, ft. Akasha, Bumpus, DJRC, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Rita J, The Right Now, and others; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $10
Gaberdine, Night Beds, Grandkids; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, free
Tuesday, July 3
???
Wednesday, July 4
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Ravinia. 5 pm, $10-25
Thursday, July 5
Idinia Menzel with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Ravinia. 5 pm, $10-90
The Knux, K.I.T.T. & the Beat Machine; Subterranean. 9 pm, $10
Friday, July 6
El-P, Killer Mike, Despot, Mr. Muthafuckin’ Exquire; Bottom Lounge. 8 pm, $21
Tycho, Onuinu; Lincoln Hall. 10 pm, $15
Black Lips, K-Holes, Circles, The Get Drunk DJs; Empty Bottle. 10 pm, $15-18
Saturday, July 7
The Young, Judson Claiborne; Hideout. 9 pm, $10
Wheeler Brothers, Thomas Pace, Wild Child; Martyrs. 9 pm, $8
The Sadies; Schubas. 10 pm, $14
Sunday, July 8
Wilco, Andrew Bird, The Congregation; Fifth Third Ballpark (Geneva). 5:30 pm, $50
Jukebox the Ghost, Savoir Adore, Now Now; Lincoln Hall. 7 pm, $12-15
Mates of State, Blonds; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, $15
It was hot in the studio (as it will be all summer) and I was starting to get fussy, but I pushed through and delivered a show for you.
If you find that you miss me, I’ll be doing a bonus show on July 4th, from 6 to 8 pm.
As always, you can hear my delightful music selections every Friday night on Chicago’s own CHIRP Radio, from 8 – 10 pm Central time.
9:55 PM Beirut • Elephant Gun • Lon Gisland • Ba Da Bing!
9:48 PM Matt Ulery • To The Brim • By a Little Light • Greenleaf
9:43 PM Controller.Controller • City Of Daggers • X-Amounts • Paper Bag
9:38 PM Mount Eerie • the Place I Live • Clear Moon • P.W. Elverum & Sun
9:33 PM Anthony da Costa • Heart Without a Home • Not Afraid of Nothing • self-released
9:30 PM Tapes ‘n Tapes • Mighty Long • Outside • Ibid
9:26 PM Jeans Wilder • Evaporated • Totally • Everloving
9:23 PM Joe Bonamassa • Jelly Roll • Sloe Gin • J&R Adventures
9:18 PM Mavis Staples • Freedom Highway • Live: Hope At The Hideout • ANTI-
9:15 PM Bobby Womack • Whatever Happened to the Times • The Bravest Man in the Universe • XL
9:06 PM Andrew Bird vs Konono N°1 & Sobanza Mimanisa • Ohnono/Kiwembo • Tradi-Mods vs. Rockers: Alternative Takes on Congotronics • Crammed Discs
9:02 PM The Lijadu Sisters • Promise • Sunshine • Knitting Factory
8:58 PM Alpha Consumer • The Crown Salesman • Kick Drugs Out of America • self-released
8:53 PM Low • When I Go Deaf • The Great Destroyer • Sub Pop
8:49 PM Beachwood Sparks • Sparks Fly Again • The Tarnished Gold • Sub Pop
8:45 PM The Roots • Doin’ It Again • How I Got Over • Def Jam
8:42 PM Chiddy Bang • Mind Your Manners (featuring Icona Pop) • Breakfast • Capitol
8:39 PM Oddisee • Maybes • People Hear What They See • Mello Music Group
8:36 PM Zapruder Point • Terrible Things • Heads Together • self-released
8:30 PM Magic Trick • Torture • Ruler of the Night • Hardly Art
8:27 PM Anaïs Mitchell • Way Down Hadestown • Hadestown • Righteous Babe
8:23 PM J. Tillman • James Blues • Vacilando Territory Blues • Western Vinyl
8:18 PM Mike Scheidt • In Your Light • Stay Awake • Thrill Jockey
8:15 PM My Brightest Diamond • She Does Not Brave the War • All Things Will Unwind • Asthmatic Kitty
8:11 PM Gayngs • The Beatdown • Relayted • Jagjaguwar
8:06 PM Supreme Cuts • Belly • Whispers in the Dark • Dovecote
8:05 PM India.Arie • This Too Shall Pass • Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship • Motown
Marissa Nadler’s been busy lately, with two releases in a year.  The Sister is her follow-up and companion to 2011’s self titled album.  While last year’s release was heavy on heartbreak and longing, Nadler looked a little more broadly for inspiration on this one.  It’s still not a perky affair, as Nadler’s etheral vocals make even the most upbeat lines sound downright depressing.  Her voice is still the centerpiece of the release, though some of the songs get much more intricate than expected, with layered vocals, piano, and fingerpicked guitar to support.  It’s not exactly a pick-me-up sort of album — the energy here is all devoted to emotion, not to making you want to dance in your seat — but is a gorgeous, haunting release nonetheless, perfect for a more down-tempo, mellow day of listening.
Tuesday, June 26
Cory Branan, Audra Mae, Briar Rabbit; Schubas. 8 pm, $10-12
Young Man, Catacombz, Mines; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $10
Chappo, Canadian Pavers, Nick Shaheen; Subterranean. 8:30 pm, $10
Northern Magnolia, Sarah Holtschlag & the Crosscuts, Northland Ghost; Double Door. 9 pm, $1
Wednesday, June 27
?!
Thursday, June 28
Fruit Bats, Yellowbird; Schubas. 7 pm & 10 pm, $15
Brendan Benson, Young Hines, Howling Brothers; Lincoln Hall. 8 pm, $20
Cameron McGill, Rachele Eve, The Calumet Reel; Hideout. 9 pm, $10
Friday, June 29
Joe Pug, Ben Folds Five; World’s Largest Block Party (Madison & Desplaines). 5:30 pm, $40
Todd Hembrook & the Hemispheres, Ryan Shaw, The Right Now; Martyrs. 8 pm, $12
Joe Purdy, The Giving Tree Band; Double Door. 9 pm, $18-20
Saturday, June 30
Owen, The Rutabega; Schubas. 7 pm, $15
The Pines, The Canoes; Schubas. 10 pm, $10
It’s been a little quiet here this week; I blame the heat, which has sapped my will to move.
I played a bit longer of a set this time around, but I’ll be back to my usual two-hour bonanza of fun next week.  As always, you can hear my delightful music selections every Friday night on Chicago’s own CHIRP Radio, from 8 – 10 pm Central time.
9:53 p.m. Mike Reed’s People, Places & Things » Clean on the Corner » The Lady Has a Bomb » 482 Music
9:49 p.m. Elvis Perkins » Ash Wednesday » It’s a Sad World After All » XL
9:44 p.m. Peter Wolf Crier » Garden of Arms » Hard Heart » Jagjaguwar
9:41 p.m. Christine Fellows » The Last One Standing » Surprise! » Six Shooter
9:37 p.m. Niki and the Dove » Instinct » DJ Ease My Mind » Sub Pop
9:32 p.m. Thea Gilmore » Murphy’s Heart » This Town » FullFill
9:29 p.m. Jherek Bischoff » Composed » The Nest (with Mirah Zeitlyn & Paris Hurley) » Brassland
9:25 p.m. Chris Pureka » How I Learned to See in the Dark » Shipwreck » Sad Rabbit
9:21 p.m. An Horse » Rearrange Beds » Horizons » Mom+Pop
9:17 p.m. These United States » These United States » The Angel’s Share » United Interests
9:13 p.m. Neko Case » Fox Confessor Brings the Flood » John Saw That Number » ANTI-
9:10 p.m. Miles Kurosky » The Desert of Shallow Effects » Dog In The Burning Building » Majordomo
9:05 p.m. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros » Here » Dear Believer » Vagrant
9:01 p.m. Shooter Jennings » Family Man » The Long Road Ahead » Black Country Rock
8:57 p.m. Bic Runga » Birds » Winning Arrow » Sony/BMG
8:54 p.m. Saint Etienne » Words and Music By Saint Etienne » Last Days of Disco » Heavenly
8:50 p.m. David Bowie » Diamond Dogs » Sweet Thing » RCA
8:46 p.m. Wilco » Yankee Hotel Foxtrot » Kamera » Nonesuch
8:41 p.m. Many Places » Another Oath » Wonder You » Tandem Shop
8:38 p.m. Adanowsky » Amador » You are the One (with Devendra Banhart) » Everloving
8:34 p.m. Edmund II » Floating Monk » High Tide & Wide Eyed » self-released
8:29 p.m. Damien Rice » O » I Remember » Vector
8:25 p.m. Glen Hansard » Rhythm and Repose » You Will Become » ANTI-
8:21 p.m. OK Go » Oh No » Oh Lately It’s So Quiet » Capitol
8:17 p.m. The Antlers » Hospice » Shiva » Frenchkiss
8:14 p.m. Hot Chip » In Our Heads » Look At Where We Are » Domino
8:10 p.m. Thao with the Get Down Stay Down » Know Better Learn Faster » When We Swam » Kill Rock Stars
8:07 p.m. Priscilla Ahn » A Good Day » Red Cape » Blue Note
8:05 p.m. Friends » Manifest! » A Thing Like This » Fat Possum
8 p.m. Black Kids » Partie Traumatic » I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You » Columbia
7:56 p.m. David Gray » Sell, Sell, Sell » Light Night Radio » EMI
7:52 p.m. DeVotchKa » 100 Lovers » One Hundred Other Lovers » ANTI-
7:49 p.m. Mount Eerie » Clear Moon » Over Dark Water » P.W. Elverum & Sun
7:44 p.m. Greta Gertler » New Arrivals Vol. 4: Artists Against Youth Homelessness » Veselka » MPress
7:41 p.m. Josephine Foster & the Supposed » All the Leaves Are Gone » Jailbird (Hero Of The Sorrow) » Locust
7:39 p.m. Bone & Bell » Organ Fantasies EP » Weave the Marrow » Knife Fight
7:33 p.m. A Tribe Called Red » A Tribe Called Red » General Generations » self-released
7:30 p.m. Glasser » Ring » Mirrorage » True Panther Sounds
7:27 p.m. Ladyhawke » Anxiety » Black White & Blue » Modular
7:21 p.m. Aimee Mann » Whatever » Mr. Harris » Geffen
7:17 p.m. Langhorne Slim & The Law » The WayWe Move » Salvation » Ramseur
7:13 p.m. The Decemberists » Picaresque » 16 Military Wives » Kill Rock Stars
7:08 p.m. The Tallest Man on Earth » There’s No Leaving Now » There’s No Leaving Now » Dead Oceans
7:02 p.m. Kaki King » Dreaming of Revenge » 2 O’Clock » Velour
In addition to all of the below shows going on this weekend, Make Music Chicago takes place all day on Thursday, involving over 700 musicians at 75 sites across the city. More detailed information can be found on their website, but I am mostly excited about SOUSAPALOOZA on Thusday, where dedicated music nerds will gather at Daley Plaza on their lunch breaks to play a bunch of Sousa marches. I am reasonably certain that I’ll be there. Time to dust off the clarinet!
Monday, June 18
Judson Claiborne, Cloud Cult; Millennium Park. 6:30 pm, free
Robbie Fulks, Don Stiernberg; Hideout. 7 pm, $10 suggested donation
Volcano!, Like Pioneers, Songs for Gods; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, free
Tuesday, June 19
Laura Marling, Willy Mason; The Athenaeum Theatre (2936 N Southport). 8 pm, sold out
Theresa Andersson, Sister Crystals; Schubas. 8 pm, $12
Steve Poltz, Brigitte DeMeyer; SPACE. 8 pm, $12-20
The Ragtones, Pearls, Nature Show, Wilshire; Subterranean. 8 pm, $8
Wednesday, June 20
Simple Machines, Scony Mack, Barefoot Elephants, Sam Vicari; Subterranean. 8 pm, $8
Julie Marie Byrne, Mines, Johnny Young, T’Bone; Empty Bottle. 9:30 pm, $8 or free with RSVP
Thursday, June 21
JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound; Millennium Park, Chicago Gospel Music Festival. 7:30 pm, free
Brendan Losch, Jessica Robbins, Michele McGuire; Schubas. 8 pm, $8
Friday, June 22
Dinosaur Jr., Innkeepers; Subterranean. 10 pm, sold out
Saturday, June 23
Santah (1:30 pm), Bailiff (5:30 pm), Hey Rosetta! (6:30 pm), Dinosaur Jr. (8 pm); Green Music Festival (Damen/North). $5 suggested donation
The Raveonettes, Secret Colours; Subterranean. 10 pm, $18
Sunday, June 24
A Day in the Country, ft. The Brothers Goforth, The Lawrence Peters Outfit, Jonas Friddle & the Majority, Al Scorch’s Country Soul Ensemble, others; Hideout. 1 pm, $10
Blind Boys of Alabama; Ellis Park (37th & Cottage Grove), Chicago Gospel Music Festival. 5:45, free
Booker T. Jones; SPACE. 8 pm, $28-68
