Monday, January 31, 2011
MUGGSY McMURPHY'S ROCK PICKS
Truth be told, I ain’t gonna be at any of these shows. Yeah, I am far too cheap and way too lazy to leave my house in February. But you should go. Seriously. You should.
MONDAY 1/31Analog Pop @ Rodan
1530 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773-276-7036
DJs Rolan Vega & Adam Killing spin electronica, psych and no wave. Do I need to elaborate on that? No wave, dude.
TUESDAY 2/1
Buckcherry, Hell Yeah, All That Remains @ Congress Theater,
2135 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773-276-1235
773-276-1235
Buckcherry is absolutely fascinating to watch. They strut around the stage like they're actually a good band with good songs. I find this very interesting.
WEDNESDAY 2/2
Freak Owls, Young Suns @ The Whistler
2421 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773-227-3530
773-227-3530
The only thing I like better than a Freak Owl is a Young Sun, not like the old sun we got up there now.
THURSDAY 2/3
Less Than Jake @ Bottom Lounge
1375 W. Lake St.
866-468-3401
You may not find a less entertaining show than Less Than Jake this week. Savor it!
FRIDAY 2/4
Yo La Tengo @ Metro
3730 N. Clark St.
773-549-0203
I the got this one, although Air Supply is playing in Hammond. Tough call, but I'd take Ira & Co. in this case.
SATURDAY 2/5
Detroit Cobras, Hollows @ Double Door
1572 N. Milwaukee Ave.
773-489-3160/877-435-9849
D.C. @ the D.D.? Duh. Seems like everything's happening on Milwaukee Avenue this week.
SUNDAY 2/6
Devildriver, Cancer Bats @ Bottom Lounge
1375 W. Lake St.
866-468-3401
866-468-3401
Devils? Bats with Cancer? Know where I'll be on Sunday night? Home watching the Super Bowl. Tough break, guys.
Reglar Wiglar Band Interview: Reading Rainbow
Philly's Reading Rainbow are garnering a little bit of attention lately. It's no surprise really. Their music is infectious. Infectious in the sense that it will infect you (your brain in particular) with it's lush and reverby distorted goodness. The band's latest album (2010's Prism Eyes) is a forty minute good vibey trip through a hazy, dreamy, forgotten forest of furry melodies and fuzzy guitar. Does that make sense? I hope so. Reading Rainbow husband and wife team, Rob and Sarah, talked to the Reglar Wiglar about Philly, musical influences and stuff like that.
Read the Interview!
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Dunc the Punk on Hannah Montana
HANNAH MONTANA
Hannah Montana Forever
Dunc suspects that this is not her real name, and thinks that anyone who adopts a stupid fucking twee rhyming pseudonym is clearly an enormous bell-end who should jump in front of a bus right now.
Read more Dunc the Punk!
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Dunc the Punk on T.I.
T.I.
King Uncaged
Dunc has obviously upset the bosses at Reglar Wiglar Towers. What other explanation could there be for forcing him to review this never-ending avalanche of shit?
Read more Dunc the Punk!
Friday, January 07, 2011
Dunc the Punk on Kid Rock
KID ROCK
Born Free
Dunc would rather volunteer for a vigorous bout of cock-in-cock action than give this bigoted ball bag's latest impotent rage a listen.
Read more Dunc the Punk!
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Zine Reviews: Xerography Debt #26
(Microcosm) (Leeking Inc.)
As Davida explains in the "Basic Stuff You Should Know" section, XD is a hybrid of a review zine and a personal zine. As such, this issue like its predecessors, features columns concerning the writers' personal relationships to zines and self-publishing, and then of course there are the reviews. This issue features reviews by Clint Johns who was the zine buyer at Tower Records. It was Clint, in fact, who agreed to carry the Reglar Wiglar zine back in the early aughts, which I will always be grateful. Microcosm founder Joel Biel also contributes a column and some reviews as well. Still a great resource to find out who's doing what from publishing vets to upstarts—Chris Auman
Read more zine reviews!
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Zine Review: Shut Up & Love the Rain
SHUT UP & LOVE THE RAIN
Robnoxious (Microcosm)
Zinester, comic artist, blogger and sex-positive queer activist, Robnoxious produced this zine/comic hybrid that deals with his path towards discovering his sexuality. From childhood experimental encounters through his first homo- and heterosexual experiences, Rob presents a pretty straightforward, honest assessment of his evolution into what he calls a "uber-healthy queerness". Rob also gives his own definition of what "queer" means to him, which is basically whatever he wants it to mean. Shut Up & Love the Rain also features an interview Rob conducted with his parents about his father's coming out as transgendered. Heavy, right? You would think, but many times in these situations there is more collective relief than anger or confusion and that seems to be the case with Rob and his family. Just goes to show that a little honesty and communication can go a fuck of a long way in resolving any difficult situation—Chris Auman
Robnoxious (Microcosm)
Zinester, comic artist, blogger and sex-positive queer activist, Robnoxious produced this zine/comic hybrid that deals with his path towards discovering his sexuality. From childhood experimental encounters through his first homo- and heterosexual experiences, Rob presents a pretty straightforward, honest assessment of his evolution into what he calls a "uber-healthy queerness". Rob also gives his own definition of what "queer" means to him, which is basically whatever he wants it to mean. Shut Up & Love the Rain also features an interview Rob conducted with his parents about his father's coming out as transgendered. Heavy, right? You would think, but many times in these situations there is more collective relief than anger or confusion and that seems to be the case with Rob and his family. Just goes to show that a little honesty and communication can go a fuck of a long way in resolving any difficult situation—Chris Auman
Read more zine reviews!
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Zine Review: Scam
(Microcosm)
Even though this four issue anthology of Erick Lyle's Scam zine almost hits the 300 page mark, it's still an abridged version! That's pretty impressive. What makes Scam different from hundreds of other punk rock zines is that its focus was not just on music and it wasn't overtly political either, yet it was entirely political because it served as a guide to living outside society. Scam unabashedly encouraged theft, vagrancy, squatting and vandalism (as well as beer consumption). Scam was to be taken literally and was a part of the punk rock ethos of its creators. Taking what you want and doing what you want to do was central to this. From generator shows and squatting to scamming free copies at Kinkos and dumpster diving, Scam was equal parts how-to and holy-shit-look-what-I-got-away-with-you-can-too.
Scam was a cut-and-paste, handwritten, collage-style publication so unfortunately much of it is difficult to read. I'm sure the thought of transcribing the handwritten text into a more readable type would be considered heresy in the Scam Camp, but it did make for rough going and I couldn't make it through the bulk of it. Maybe that's not a bad thing. Not every article still has relevance or will resonate with every reader. That's true with most zines. I was able to read enough to get a general understanding, however. Enough to recognize Scam's role as an important document of punk rock life in the 90s—a decade that, despite current public sentiment, was full of activism and great music, but is more associated with Grunge, Green Day and lo-fi, than punk rock. That's a common perception that maybe this zine will help change. So keep scammin' kids... but don't scam me, please—Chris Auman
Scam was a cut-and-paste, handwritten, collage-style publication so unfortunately much of it is difficult to read. I'm sure the thought of transcribing the handwritten text into a more readable type would be considered heresy in the Scam Camp, but it did make for rough going and I couldn't make it through the bulk of it. Maybe that's not a bad thing. Not every article still has relevance or will resonate with every reader. That's true with most zines. I was able to read enough to get a general understanding, however. Enough to recognize Scam's role as an important document of punk rock life in the 90s—a decade that, despite current public sentiment, was full of activism and great music, but is more associated with Grunge, Green Day and lo-fi, than punk rock. That's a common perception that maybe this zine will help change. So keep scammin' kids... but don't scam me, please—Chris Auman
Read more zine reviews!
Monday, January 03, 2011
Vinyl LP Review: Hozac Hookup Klub Round 1
Hozac Hookup Klub Round One LP (HoZac)
Round One for the HoZac Hookup Klub is in effect with this fifteen song comp. featuring about a dozen bands with a similar no-fi aesthetic. Idle Times kick off the A-side with their buzzy Hüsker Dü-ey "Million Miles Away". Woven Bones turn in the first of two tracks of their bummer psych rock as do the Dum Dum Girls who lower the bar on the sound quality tip, if that's even possible. Tee Pee step in to bring a brother down further, but then Teeth bring it back up with a twisted carnival ride, setting up Box Elders to deliver their pop nugget "Tiny Sioux". Mother of Tears get down-right natty on the rockin' title "Little Ratty"--this is what 80s rock radio should have sounded like (yeah, I'm talkin' to you Beaver Brown Band!).
The B-side sets the bar still lower for crappily recorded music with Flight's "Feels So Good". Dum Dum Girls come sk-rockin' again. White Mystery kicks out the "Power Glove", Idle Times and Teepee return with two UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS. Teeth stay creepy on the "B is for Buck Knife" tune. Woven Bones swing back in with their nasty on "Sitting Sick" and Art Thieves have had it and frankly, so have I. I need to get some Beach Boys into my beat up brain—Irresistible Frank
Round One for the HoZac Hookup Klub is in effect with this fifteen song comp. featuring about a dozen bands with a similar no-fi aesthetic. Idle Times kick off the A-side with their buzzy Hüsker Dü-ey "Million Miles Away". Woven Bones turn in the first of two tracks of their bummer psych rock as do the Dum Dum Girls who lower the bar on the sound quality tip, if that's even possible. Tee Pee step in to bring a brother down further, but then Teeth bring it back up with a twisted carnival ride, setting up Box Elders to deliver their pop nugget "Tiny Sioux". Mother of Tears get down-right natty on the rockin' title "Little Ratty"--this is what 80s rock radio should have sounded like (yeah, I'm talkin' to you Beaver Brown Band!).
The B-side sets the bar still lower for crappily recorded music with Flight's "Feels So Good". Dum Dum Girls come sk-rockin' again. White Mystery kicks out the "Power Glove", Idle Times and Teepee return with two UNRELEASED BONUS TRACKS. Teeth stay creepy on the "B is for Buck Knife" tune. Woven Bones swing back in with their nasty on "Sitting Sick" and Art Thieves have had it and frankly, so have I. I need to get some Beach Boys into my beat up brain—Irresistible Frank
Read more record reviews!
Sunday, January 02, 2011
CD Review: Mermaid Bones EP
Mermaid Bones EP CD (no label)
Landing in Oakland after time spent in Hawaii, former Chicago resident and ex-Hog Lady guitar player, Dave Gill, makes a return to music after a decade out of the "scene" (so to speak). The self-titled debut EP from Oakland's Mermaid Bones features five songs sung by the nautical chanteuse Sophia, (yes, an actual mermaid). The EP opens with the jazzy "Casio Casino" but "A" goes full on hard rock with a Black Sabbath sized riff which showcases the M. Bones ability to alternate between slow jams and fast rockers—H.C. Anderson [Mermaid Bones]
Read more music reviews!
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