Le Butcherettes, O’Death & Murder by Death are first bands to be announced to play this years Do Division Street Festival which is set to take place from June 1-3 in Wicker Park. Le Butcherettes will be playing on June 2nd and will also play their own show at Subterranean on June 1.

That’s it for now. Stay tuned for more lineup additions.

(Source: artistdata.com)

Russian Circles are a band that I’ve been wanting to write about for a long time. In fact, they are one of the last shows I saw in 2009 before I started Chicago Jam Scene. Their show at Bottom Lounge was one of the last shows about which I said, “This is awesome. I should write about this,” and just started doing it. This band has consistently been in my rotation since I discovered them around 2006 because they are such a versatile band for a number of situations. While their melodic, instrumental style makes a great soundtrack for studying (or other cerebral activities), their heavy & aggressive sound is the perfect way to get fired up while bike riding (or any other physically demanding task). This is quite the odd combination but Russian Circles is far from an ordinary band.

Lincoln Hall was crush-packed as the members of the band were setting up their instruments following an opening act. I managed to squeeze my way to the front somehow, ending up right in front of the speakers. This would have been a whole lot cooler had I not somehow lost my earplugs on my way to the show. But I was there, dammit, I was gonna get some photos and stand there as long as I could handle it. What’s a little more hearing damage at this point? A small bit of photography room opened up at the stage, which I immediately seized, as they started a long & measured build up to the opening song from their debut album Enter: “Carpe.” Enter is still my favorite album and the one I’ve listened to the most. So it really struck me how much more frantic the drumming of Dave Turncrantz was in the live setting. It might not have technically been much different but it sure felt different. Since they just released a new album, Empros, they could have easily hit us over the head with that material, so it was gratifying that they came out of the gate with a song from their oldest release.

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1. Le Butcherettes, Sin Sin Sin (Rodriguez Lopez Productions)

Smart, fierce, ferociously funny, and tremendously sexy, Mexico’s Teri Gender Bender, a.k.a. Teri Suarez, celebrates love, lust, and social justice while raging against gender inequality and every other tool that the powers that be would use to keep us down, in the process providing absolutely the most necessary, vital, and timely sounds of 2011.

Click to See Full List of Top 40 Albums

Le Butcherettes inspired some rave reviews from people who saw them play at SXSW and Lollapalooza this year, and it’s easy to see why. The band, led and completely dominated by bloody-apron-wearing and stage-diving singer-keyboardist-guitarist Teri Gender Bender (aka Teri Suarez), plays with almost alarming intensity. Friday night at Subterranean in Chicago, Teri Gender Bender and her cohorts were in good form, playing songs that sounded at times like Rid of Me-era PJ Harvey and plunging into the crowd. Unlike the Lolla set, there was no vomiting.

Photos by Robert Loerzel - Click to see more

Boris, Tera Melos, & Coliseum @ Metro 

Tera Melos is a unique blend of math rock, slacker indie pop, grunge, punk, and noise. At one minute they’ll be playing a fairly poppy song, maybe with a few strange chords, and suddenly it breaks down into chaos. During these sections, Nick Reinhart randomly tapped frets on his guitar, staring at his jerkily moving fingers as if the instrument had possessed them. It was reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age’s psychedelic freak-outs on their first two albums. When they got heavy it was abrasive with loose rhythm and tone. John Clardy’s jazzy punk drumming was aggressive with many intentionally arrhythmic moments. Their new honorary member joined them on stage, a Freddy Krueger costume that was suspended next to Reinhart.

A very intoxicated man ranted to me about how seeing Boris is as awesome as our parents going to Steely Dan or Led Zeppelin, which I found funny at first but it actually made some sense after a couple songs. Boris gave off a rock star aura as they walked on stage, enhanced by the volume and enthusiasm of the audience’s cheers. Atsuo wore a headset mic, playing drums made of clear acrylic in the tradition of John Bonham, raised high on the stage to compete with the height of the towering full stack guitar amps and cabinets. Takeshi had a double-necked guitar that was split between a bass and a standard guitar, which I heard someone refer to as a “Swiss Army-tar.” They covered a ridiculously wide range of rock sub-genres, including stoner metal, indie rock, hair metal, classic rock, and pop punk while maintaining an overall ambient and sludgy tone.

Head here to view all the pictures from all three bands and Boris’ setlist.

Thanks to Audiotree Live in Chicago for having Gypsyblood in for a great live session playing songs from their album Cold In The Guestway and hear their answers to some interesting questions. Click the picture to listen to the session and interview. 

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In 2006, I was introduced to a band by Dave Davison of Maps & Atlases out of Chicago called Karma with A K. I fell deeply and madly in love with them. They never even got around to releasing an album before they disbanded.  I was so sad when I heard they called it quits without ever having really left Chicago. But I kept dibs on the boys of the Karma unit for years waiting. Then one day Dave Davison emailed me two demos of songs that blew my mind and he said “Remember Karma with A K ? Well this is Adam and Kyle’s new band GYPSYBLOOD. The rest is history. I signed the bloods and this my friends is that story.

So, May we Introduce you to GYPSYBLOOD? All this week their album Cold In The Guestway is FREE for download HERE. They have mellowed, my Karma boys but oh what sweet tunes they make. So, what have you got to lose? Get turned on, I know I did. And if you love our “May We Introduce You” Free downloads thing make sure and help us spread the music! 

 

Gypsyblood playing a FREE show as part of the Pitchfork After Parties brought to you by Sailor Jerry it’s FREE with RSVP on July 17th at Cobra Lounge and just another awesome poster by the one and only Ryan Duggan. Hit That. CHI TOWN. 

Chicago’s own Gypsyblood play a FREE show TONIGHT May 16, at the Empty Bottle (9:30pm, 1035 N. Western Ave.) in support of their newly released full length LP Cold In The Guestway. We recently caught up with Gypsyblood guitarist/vocalist Adam James, and got to ask him a few questions about the record. We’ve also got a copy of the new LP to giveaway to one lucky person, so keep reading to find out how to win!

The Vinyl District: The new record just came out last month on Sargent House, what’s the meaning behind the album’s title Cold In The Guestway?

Adam James: To us, it speaks more to color and tone. When everything has lost its meaning, you can only know how you feel. The viscerality of being in a place at a moment. Like an old soul who knows their being is true when everything is telling them otherwise. When reality has been proven to be the variable within society, we are here to tell you that your being is true and Cold in the Guestway.

TVD: How’d you get hooked up with Sargent House?

Adam: We’ve been in bands playing in and around Chicago for quite sometime and along the way we’ve gotten to know some remarkably talented people. Musicians, artists, vagabonds, mercenaries, hobos, and visionaries. In saying, we’re both pretty bad at self promotion, you just do what you love and the rest will come.

So Kyle was driving around giving one of the album mixes a car test, and ran into longtime friend Dave Davison of  Maps & Atlases/Cast Spells. Dave liked what he heard and got a copy with which he sent over to Cathy and Marc at Sargent House and that was that.

The great thing about Sargent House though is that they are a genuine family. Before they make any moves on a band they spread it around the office to get everyone’s take, and if everyone’s jazzed they go with it. That kind of atmosphere has always appealed to us.

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Another band we kept hearing about during last month’s South by Southwest festival was Chicago’s Gypsyblood. The bandformed in 2009 and just released their debut full-length, Cold in the Guestway, which spans a range of sounds—all raw, all rough, and all undeniably appealing. One of our favorite tracks from the album, ”In Our Blood,” is this week’s Song of the Week. Gypsyblood’s Adam James took a few minutes recently to sit down and talk with us about their sound, why Chi-town’s awesome, and getting crapped on at shows. 

Kindness of Ravens: So, alright, first thing’s first: Really awesome record. Original sound too—very raw and rough but still surprisingly melodic and catchy. Though there are seemingly some definite nods to a few bands I adored in my high school years, Jesus and Mary Chain prime among them. Were you two looking for a particular sound or is it just something that was born organically?

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Chicago is, in my humble opinion, one of the best cities for truly creative work. Granted, I am bias since it’s where I call my home, and also where I’m involved in the arts, but when it comes solid music, theater, and art, Chicago is where it’s at. Other cities have a lot of creative people doing creative things, but Chicago artists seem to still have a strong foothold in reality. There’s a difference between being artistic and jerking off. As far as I have seen, folks here know when to put the Vaseline away.

Case in point, Chicago’s own Gypsyblood. It would be very easy for these gentlemen to take their noisy and fuzzy intensity to a sonic extreme just for the thrill of making the audience think they are “deep” and making everyone shift in their seats. Instead, Gypsyblood pushes out some damn fine dance tunes and melodies from the fuzz. Their debut album, Cold in the Guestway, is a tight amalgamation of influences with a sprinkle of Chicago punk grime.

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Gypsyblood will be celebrating the release of their debut album Cold In The Guestway with a hometown Chicago show on April 29th. Yes, we know its two weeks after it comes out but they are doing a mini tour first with Maps & Atlases & Delicate Steve. And who better to join them than the man who brought Gypsyblood to Sargent House,  Dave Davison, Mr. A&R himself will be playing his own Cast Spells on this fine evening at the Liars Club. Don’t miss it Chicago. Both bands you should be proud to call natives.

Oh and Thanks Dave for turning us onto the Bloods….

(Source: artistdata.sonicbids.com)

Russian Circles head into the studio to record their fourth album starting on April 1st. Brandon Curtis of The Secret Machines & Interpol who produced & mixed the bands last album Geneva returns for this one. The new album is being recorded at Phantom Manor in Chicago. 

Sargent House is happy to announce that we will be releasing the new album worldwide in all formats and that it is tentatively scheduled for an October 2011 release. 

This Summer Russian Circles will head to Europe for a co-headlining tour with SH label mates Boris. Tour dates will be announced soon.

(Source: myemail.constantcontact.com)

GYPSYBLOOD
A trifecta of greatness will be taking over Lincoln Hall as Gypsyblood, Light Pollution and Maps and Atlases rock the stage this Friday. All three bands have ended up on our recent plethora of “Top Ten” lists, so this show will be incredible. Indie hard rockers, Gypsyblood, are known for their acrobatic stage antics, big rock sound and intense vocals. Light Pollution will make you dance the night away (and probably shake it with you) with their upbeat, jangly indie rock sounds and swirling keyboards. And Maps and Atlases will be headlining with their eccentric prog-rock, open-hearted vocals, and sophisticated arrangement. Fans will absolutely enjoy all the musical love these three have to give. (Britni Day)

10:00 p.m. Friday, 3/11. Lincoln Hall.

(Source: loudlooppress.com)

The Deli Magazine names Gypsyblood as one of their bands from Chicago to see at SXSW 2011. Click to see Full Issue with our very own Fang Island on the cover!