Straight outta N-P-R...

Scanning the dial...

As much as I love to hate NPR, I have to admit that if I need a break from music, I do occasionally turn the dial over to 91.5 to hear who the guest is on Fresh Air with Terry Gross. I don't listen on a regular basis, but every once in a while Gross pulls out some great interviews with cult favorites of mine like Stephen Colbert (The Daily Show), Robert Smigel (Triumph the Insult Comic Dog) and Jim Jarmusch (Down By Law, Coffee & Cigarettes, etc.). For a woman in her 50's, she seems to have a really hip sense of humor and culture. This week, I've got to give Terry even more mad props for her "hip-hop week" feature on Fresh Air. Every day this week she is playing back interviews she's had over the years with some of the top names in biz, with a seeming emphasis on the genre's founders and innovators. So far, she's featured such icons as Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Russell Simons, Chuck D, Ice-T and Ice Cube. Not surprisingly, there are a few unintentionally humourous moments as an older white woman from public radio talks scholarly about hip-hop with the likes of a Kool Herc, but overall Gross holds her own and the interviews are quite interesting. Above all, you've got to applaud her for interviewing such a wide range of artists over the years and for taking an entire week to highlight the important artistic contributions that hip-hop has made to our culture. Perhaps most importantly, Gross has brought some much needed flava to the stuffy NPR line-up. Fresh Air is heard locally on WBEZ-FM 91.5 every weekday at 11am

New Releases Tuesday (8/30)

Kanye West - Late Registration (Def Jam) Recent Time magazine cover boy who helped put Chicago hip-hop back on the map returns with the follow-up to his smash debut, The College Drop-Out. Features appearances by Common, Nas, Jay-Z and Cam'ron...plus production by Jon Brion!?! Yes, that's right, the man behind the mellow sounds of Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann and the Eternal Sunshine soundtrack is responsible for helping produce one the hottest soundsystem bangers of the year, "Gold Digger." I've always thought Brion was a brilliant producer, but who knew he could do hip-hop?? By all accounts, "sophomore slump" doesn't appear to be in West's vocabulary (9.5 in the 'Fork...oh, snap!) and this album looks to only catapult his career even further...hopefully bringing even more attention to the oft-neglected Chicago hip-hop scene. OK Go - Oh No (Capitol) Chicago is representin' the major labels today! This is another sophomore release and is the follow-up to the local quartet's self-titled debut that spawned the hit, "Get Over It." Expect even more power-pop crunch this time around thanks to Swedish-bred production from Tore Johansson, who has worked with Franz Ferdinand and The Cardigans. Death Cab for Cutie - Plans (Atlantic) Veteran indie-popsters have...(gasp!) signed to a major label! I'm guessing they'll be shunned by a few of their hardcore fans who've followed them from their humble Barsuk beginnings, but this shouldn't affect their new core audience of O.C. fans. More importantly, now that they're labelmates with Led Zeppelin, can we now officially stop referring to Death Cab as "indie-rock??" Call them "pop" or "emo" or perhaps something new like "(i)Pod-rock" or "O.C. rock," but please, let's drop the indie. Various Artists - Austin City Limits Festival 2004 (Rhino) 16 track live collection from last year's festival...includes The Pixies, Franz Ferdinand, Calexico, My Morning Jacket, Broken Social Scene, Shelby Lynne and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

WHPK host takes show to the HotHouse

One of my favorite shows on WHPK, News from the Service Entrance, is heading out of the friendly confines of the Reynolds Club in Hyde Park this week for a live broadcast at the HotHouse Tuesday night. Celebrating the 4th year of his news, music and public affairs show, host Mario will be bringing his unique humor and insight to a live audience at 31 East Balbo and to a worldwide audience via a special simulcast on Live365.com. Guests scheduled to appear include former Vibe magazine editor Cheo Coker, Scoop Jackson from ESPN.com, vocalist Maggie Brown and Jeremy Adragna, who should be reprising his role as the show's resident newsman. There will also be performances by Kevin Coval (Def Poetry Jam), Triple Blak (Def Poetry Jam), Mr. Greenweedz, Ascendant, Motep and Ugochi. The live broadcast starts at 9:30pm, admission is $5, must be 21+. The HotHouse is located in the South Loop at 31 East Balbo. News From the Service Entrance is normally heard every Thursday afternoon on the South Side from 2:30 to 4pm on WHPK-FM 88.5.

Ween listening party Tuesday night

Here's another event courtesy of the fine people at The Onion: The Onion and Tonic Room present: WEEN - Shinola Vol. 1 Listening Party Date: Tuesday, August 30 Time: 8:00 PM Where: Tonic Room (2447 N Halsted) Chicago, IL If you're not versed in all things Boognish, Shinola Vol. 1 is a new collection of previously unreleased rarities from deep in the vaults of Dean and Gene Ween. No previous b-sides or random soundtrack cuts here, just 12 different tracks being released for the first time anywhere. Besides checking out this latest Ween release, you can also sign up to win an autographed copy of Shinola Vol. 1 and (here's the best part), immeditately following the listening party there will be a performance by The Pod, a Ween tribute band. Not sure if they take requests, but if so, I'm totally asking them to play "Where'd the Cheese Go?"

Jake Austen rocks Quimby's

Tonight at Quimby's, Roctober magazine author and Chic-A-Go-Go founder Jake Austen will be hosting a release party for his new book, TV-A-G0-Go, which chronicles the history of rock performances on television "from American Bandstand to American Idol." Along with readings from the book, Austen will also be screening some classic rock moments in TV history including Bo Diddley’s groundbreaking 1955 performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, James Brown on Shindig, early 1970s Soul Train footage and the infamous 1981 “punk rock riot” episode of Saturday Night Live, featuring the band Fear. The release party starts at 8pm, Quimby's is located at 1854 W. North Avenue.

Meiotic Celebrates 3 Year Anniversary at Sound-Bar

Friday night, local electronic music promoter Meiotic is celebrating its 3rd anniversary with a party at Sound-Bar. Headlining the night will be microhouse master Akufen and fellow glitchy techno-file John Tejada. While he's been cutting 12" records for the likes of Perlon and Force Inc. since 1999, this will actually be Akufen's live debut in Chicago. Tejada is a staple of the Plug Research label and, while based in L.A., is frequently grouped in with the Detroit techno scene. Speaking of the 'D,' also on the bill is SV4 vs. Todd Osbourne, a tag-team performance from two artists on Ann Arbor's Ghostly International label. In fact, not only is SV4 (aka Sam Valenti) a member of the Ghostly roster, he is actually the founder and leader of the indie-electronic stalwart. Party starts at 9pm with members of the Meiotic crew opening the night on the decks. Cover is $15 at the door, though they "highly recommend" securing tickets ahead of time. Not only will you save yourself some hastle at the door, (Sound-Bar is notorious for its long lines to get in) you'll also save yourself a few bucks in the process. However, even if there is a bit of a wait, you will get your money's worth once inside...as the party lasts to 4a. Sound-Bar is located downtown at 226 W. Ontario, as you may have guessed, this is a 21+ show

VOID viewing party tonight at Delilah's

The Onion is presenting another Flaming Lips viewing party tonight at Delilah's. Fresh off the release of the band documentary The Fearless Freaks, the Lips are back with another DVD titled VOID (Video Overview In Deceleration), a collection their music videos from 1992 to 2005. In addition to including their latest single/video, "Mr. Ambulance Driver," they've also went back and remixed all of the old videos in Doby 5.1 Surround Sound for your optimum listening pleasure. Not sure if Delilah's is wired for Dolby Surround, but I'm sure the Wayne Coyne-produced "She Don't Use Jelly" will look and sound just as good you remember it from its days as an MTV "Buzz Clip." (although, I wonder why they didn't include their classic performance from 90210?? C'mon, even Steve Sanders enjoyed it..."You know, I've never been a big fan of alternative music, but these guys rocked the house!") The VOID viewing party starts at 7pm...Delilah's is located at 2771 N. Lincoln (just below Diversey). The Onion says that an RSVP is recommended, but I'm sure the bar staff will still let you in the door if you show up thirsty for some whiskey and American brand beer in a can.

BRMC, playing Metro 9/20

New Releases Tuesday (8/22)

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl (Warner Bros.) You may have already heard that they decided to go acoustic for this record, but this is anything but just an unplugged rehash of their last two records. This is a really diverse album that spans genres from psychedelic folk to blues to gospel spirituals. I've been a fan of the band for a while, but even I'm a bit surprised at how well they pulled this off. One of the best overall records I've heard this year, probably second only to the latest Gorillaz record. With this release, I think BRMC should finally be able to shed their nickname, Black Rebel Mary Chain. Check out the video to the lead single "Ain't No Easy Way Out" here.

The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (Matador) Looks like the critics love it and the fans are stoked. T. Raumschmiere - Blitzkrieg Pop (Mute) Latest full-length from hard-driving German techno mastermind and Shitkatapult co-founder Marco Haas. Don't miss his upcoming performance at the Empty Bottle on Sept. 26. Also...

Bjork - Drawing Restraint 9 (One Little Indian) Broken Spindles - Inside/Absent (Saddle Creek) Noam Chomsky - Imperial Presidency (G-7) Orenda Fink - Invisible Ones (Saddle Creek) Gabin - Mr. Freedom (Astralwerks) I Am Kloot - Gods and Monsters (Echo) Portastatic - Bright Ideas (Merge) Rogue Wave - 10:1[ep] (Sub Pop) John Vanderslice - Pixel Revolt (Barsuk) Laura Veirs - Year of Meteors (Nonesuch) The Warlocks - Surgery (Mute) DVDs... Various Artists - Burn to Shine 2: Chicago 9.13.04 (Trixie) The Flaming Lips - VOID [music video collection] (Warner Bros.) Various Artists - Spend an Evening with Saddle Creek (Saddle Creek)

New Pornographers Midnight Sale at Hideout

Tonight at The Hideout, Reckless and Matador Records will be presenting a CD release party for the latest release from The New Pornographers, the indie-rock supergroup featuring Carl "A.C." Newman and Neko Case. Titled Twin Cinema, Brett from Reckless says "the qualities of the previous two releases are there, ingrained and exuded from the old fashioned guitar pop mayhem that I and herds of people like me who roller skated to The Cars and E.L.O. know on an intimate level." The party starts at 10pm with "correctly tuned drinks for you to listen to the record with." However, you won't want to blow all your wad on beer and shots, as the fine folks at Reckless will have specially priced copies of Twin Cinema available for your purchasing pleasure starting at midnight. Don't wait until Tuesday, be the envy of your neighborhood by being the first on your block to have this new release.

Steven Drozd to play Sonotheque!

This weekend, I inadvertently found this advert for September's Biz 3 party at Sonotheque. On one hand, Steven from The Flaming Lips is an amazing choice. While lead singer Wayne Coyne (a genius in his own right), gets most of the attention and accolades, Drozd is the real musical genius behind The Lips. Should be real interesting to see what jams he pulls out of his DJ bag. (although The Flaming Lips' recent contribution to the Late Night Tales series probably provides a few clues). Whatever he decides to spin, Drozd is a great unexpected twist to celebrate the one year anniversary of these great DJ parties at Sonotheque.

On the other hand...who the hell is Fred Armisen?? Should I know who this guy is???

Weekend Music Outlook

It's attack of the RFC Interview Bands... Another band recently profiled on these pages, 7 Inch Wave, is playing tonight at the Beat Kitchen. Also on the bill are local bands Tenki, Hanalei and This is Cinema. Show starts at 9pm, 18+...$8 cover. Click here to check out 7 Inch Wave's RFC interview from last May. On Sunday, RFC Chief Image Coordinator Nicole recommends checking out the rockumentary, Burn to Shine 2, at the Music Box. Playing as a part of the Chicago Underground Film Fest, this is the second installment of a series where local bands are filmed playing live in an empty house that is about to be demolished. After completing the first Burn to Shine in D.C., the filmakers (led by Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty) decided to head to Chicago next, gathering an all-star cast of locals including Wilco, Tortoise, the Ponys, Pit er Pat, Shellac and the Lonesome Organist. The screening is at 10pm Sunday night at the Music Box Theater, 3733 N. Southport Ave. If you don't feel like going out late on a Sunday, Burn to Shine 2 also hits store shelves next Tuesday (8/23) on DVD.

Free Show Tonight in Liquor Park

Local synth-rockers (via the 'Natti) Coltrane Motion are playing a free show tonight at Pontiac Cafe. RFC did an interview with them in June, but unfortunately I think the piece got buried by the big Double Door court settlement story...so if you happened to miss it the first time, click here. The FREE show starts at 8p, Mistakes and Teratoma open. The Pontiac is located at 1531 N. Damen...must be 21+

Scanning the dial...

The latest issue of the locally produced bi-monthly rag Punk Planet has a great cover feature about "The End of Radio" (as we know it). The magazine investigates how recent advances in microbroadcasting, low-power FM and Podcasting are making great strides in giving the voice of the airwaves back to individuals, rather than corporations. And, as a wonderful by-product, how these DIY broadcasters are making radio an interesting and artistically viable medium again. Punk Planet is available locally at Quimby's, Reckless and most other independent book and record stores throughout the city. You can also check out an excerpt of one the features, an interview with the founders of the "other NPR," via their website here.

Damn you early birds!!

Despite two large festivals last month, it doesn't appear that Chicago music fans have lost their appetite for live music. With the indoor concert season back in full force in September, four major shows have already sold out well over a month ahead of time. Most recently, it was announced that Sufjan Stevens' home state performance of ...Illinoize at Metro (9/16) sold out, but procrastinating fans don't fret...another show has been added at Metro for Saturday, the 17th. Of course, if you really want to get a true Illinois experience, you can also take a short road trip downstate on the 15th to see Stevens at the Canopy Club in Urbana. Perhaps he and his band will don those U of I cheerleader outfits from the press photo for this show? And here's a free tip for Stevens' publicist:...because of the whole cover art debacle, what about a quick promo concert in front of the Superman statue in beautiful Metropolis, IL? (just 3 1/2 hours south of Champaign!) Sure the tour schedule is booked solid and no one in the town would know who fuck Sufjan is...but hey, it would make for some great pictures or documentary fodder. Also joining Sufjan on the sold-out show list this week is Beck. Both of his shows at the Riviera (9/20-21) are now sold out, barely a week after they were announced. Also at the Riv, The Arcade Fire show on September 29 sold out last week, which wasn't too much of a shock after seeing the huge crowd they pulled at Lollapalooza. What was a bit of a surprise was seeing that The National and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have already sold out their 9/23 gig at Schubas. First, Schubas isn't really the type of place that usually sells out shows over a month ahead of time, and second, I didn't realize these bands had become such indie-rock phenoms. However, fans of The National aren't completely out of luck, an early show at 7pm (without Clap Your Hands...) has been added.

Sigur Ros, coming to the Chicago Theatre 9/21

New Releases Tuesday (8/16)

Sigur Ros - Sæglópur (Geffen) First domestic single from the Icelandic band's forthcoming album, Takk, due out on September 13. Don't go looking for this on a 45 or CD single, this is a download-only release available at such sites as iTunes. Preview the track for free here. New to the band?? Download some of their older material for free via the band's website. Idlewild - Warnings/Promises (Capitol) This was supposed to be available domestically today, but as Shivy Shiv from woxy.com points out, Amazon now lists the release date as September 6? Couldn't find any news about its delay, but here's what Captiol says about the new album: Warnings/Promises is the band's first album to be written with a new lineup featuring bassist Gavin Fox and longtime touring guitarist Allan Stewart, and its songs, although clearly coming from Idlewild, have become broader, richer and more ambitious. Perhaps not a coincidence, Sept. 6 is also when Idlewild kicks off their U.S. tour, which will be making a stop at Metro on Sept. 22. Malcom Middleton - Into the Woods (Chemikal Underground) Speaking of Scottish rockers...this is the second solo album from the frontman of Arab Strap. Not recommended if you like happy, upbeat music. ALSO... Cowboy Junkies - Early 21st Century Blues (Zoe) Madness - The Dangermen Sessions, Vol. 1 (V2) The Ramones - Weird Tales of the Ramones [Box Set] (Rhino) The Stooges - The Stooges [Deluxe Reissue] (Rhino) Various Artists - Luaka Bop Remix (Luaka Bop)

Join RFC on MySpace

It was a bit of a slow weekend, so I finally got around to setting up a Radio Free Chicago account on MySpace. Not exactly sure what I'm going to do with it, but hey...go to www.myspace.com/radiofreechicago, add RFC to your friends list and we'll see what happens?!? ALSO... Finally got the film developed and pictures scanned from Lumpenrave, the big buddY Gallery blow out bash at the end of July. Check out the pics on the RFC Photo Archive here.

Aesop Rock vs. Mountain Goats

How's this for a disparate pair? Tonight's latest installment of the Biz 3 DJ series at Sonotheque features underground hip-hop artist Aesop Rock matched up with indie-rock singer/songwriter John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats. Ben from Biz 3 says, "I can't even imagine what the hell these two are going to play....some Appalachian folk next to Chickenhead?" My thoughts exactly. Aesop will undoubtedly be crankin' up the bass and dropping some mad hip-hop beats, but Darnielle is a noted purveyor of all things lo-fi (i.e. no bass)...so there could be some interesting musical transitions between the two. Perhaps they can drop some hot mash-ups by putting some of Darnielle's lo-fi noodling over the top of some bumpin' El-P instrumentals?? Should be an interesting night nonetheless... Doors open at 9pm, $10 cover...21+. Sonotheque is located at 1444 W. Chicago

Another Chicago benefit for Dax Pierson this Fri

This Friday at The Empty Bottle, Tortoise will be headlining a special charity show benefiting the Dax Pierson Recovery Fund. Dax was the keyboardist from the hip-hop group Subtle who suffered a severe spinal injury in February when the group's tour van was involved in a serious accident en route to a show in Minneapolis. He has been recovering well, but is still undergoing treatment in Texas at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research and isn't expected to be able to leave until October or even November. Friday's benefit show, along with the many others that have been organized around the world in the past few months (like the David Cross DJ night in June at Sonotheque), will help raise funds to cover Pierson's insanely high medical and rehabilitation costs. Friday's show starts at 10pm, tickets at the door are $15. Experimental duo Locks will open. The Empty Bottle is located at 1035 N. Western...as always, must be 21+

Serious Rock Geeking Tonight at Hideout

Tonight at the Hideout, Joe Losurdo from Hi-Fi Records Eric Coli of ModChicago will be hosting "Welcome to the Void," a musical exploration of the post-psych, pre-metal heavy 70's. According to local rock historian/puppetronic cable access producer Jake Austin, Losurdo and Coli will "spin sounds that will make the Earth tremble with over-driven bass guitar, flute solos, prog-funk-boogie, and tales of Saxon, Celtic, Futuristic, and Sexual conquests." Expect to hear some classic favorites like Grand Funk, Floyd, Blue Oyster Cult as well as plenty of rare rock grooves from deep in the Hi-Fi archives. Cover is only $3, but you must be 21+. The Hideout is located at 1354 W Wabansia, near the corner of North and Elston.

New Releases Tuesday (8/9)

Local Releases Sybris - s/t (Flameshovel) Chin Up Chin Up - s/t [ep] (Flameshovel) Other Notables Cursive - The Difference Between Houses and Homes [b-sides and rarities] (Saddle Creek) Holopaw - Quit+/Or Fight (Sub Pop) Minotaur Shock - Maritime (4AD) The Juan McLean - Less Than Human (Astralwerks) Various Artists - Little Movies, Big Noises: The Complete Definitive Jux Video Collection [DVD] (Def Jux)

The Changes begin Schubas Residency

Tonight, local indie-popsters The Changes begin a month-long Monday night residency at Schubas. The band has only has two self-released eps under their belt, but they've been able to generate quite a bit of buzz both locally and nationwide. In fact, they even recieved a glowing brief blurb in a recent issue (7/30) of Billboard magazine: For a young, unsigned Chicago pop act, the Changes have a powerful ally. Manager Chris Baronner books shows for the city's famed Cabaret Metro, which has helped the Changes play in front of the likes of Stephen Malkmus, the Futureheads and the Walkmen...with bouncy keyboards, jangly guitars and easy-to-hum choruses, the Changes have become darlings of the city's pop scene. The group stands apart from its peers by adding a light tough of jazzy improvisation, a la Chicago's beloved Sea and Cake. The Changes will perform in their hometown July 24 at Lollapalooza, the lone unsigned act on the festival's bill. Yeah, the Sea and Cake comparisons are inevitable at times, but they've also got plenty of their own power-pop choruses and jangly hooks to keep them from being discounted as mere Prekop/Pruitt copy-cats. Case in point: "Her, You and I." An unbelievably infectious tune that just may be their ticket to a juicy major-label deal. Then again, that track is by far the least listened to song on their MySpace page, so what do I know??? All of the August residency shows start at 8pm and are 21+, except for the 22nd performance which is 18+. Different bands will open every week...with Baby Teeth and The Narrator getting the nod for tonight's kick-off performance. Price at the door is a dirt cheap $6. Cans of tasty Schlitz beer are only $2.

More Great Free Music at the Bottle

In addition to tonight's FREE launch party for Sneaker Pimps at the Open-End Gallery, The Empty Bottle is also featuring a great FREE music event this weekend. Sunday night kicks off their new monthly series dubbed Alternate Currents that features "a series of art exhibitions by artists whose work straddles the disciplines of music and visual media." Here's the official manifesto from the Bottle website: Music and visual art have been interrelated fields of artistic expression for as long as man has been a creative animal. Each generation of musician and artist has been inspired by and often worked with others in these related fields of creativity. Historically, though, the worlds of fine artist and serious musician has been characterized as opposing fields of study. The opinion has often been expressed that no serious artist can also study music and vise versa. In the past 2 decades a new generation of artists has emerged that refuses to be characterized within a specific field. Why just be a musician or a painter or a filmmaker? Creativity seeks a language for expression and ideas often develop that require more than one discipline. Alternate Currents presents work by those artists who have taken the reigns of a multidisciplinary course of creative output. Kicking off the series on Sunday will be local jazz trumpet virtuoso Rob Mazurek, founder of the Chicago Underground Duo and solo artist who has recorded for the legendary Delmark label. Starting at 7pm, you can grab an ice cold PBR at the bar and enjoy an exhibition of art works by Mazurek. Then, promplty at 9, Rob will take the stage for a music set constructed specifically for this unique event. ALSO...

The Bottle's unbelievably strong free Monday music series continues the following night with a showcase from local label File-13. Electronic experimentalists Fahsion Flesh headline, with an opening set from the newly reconfigured TRS-80. Labelmates Poison Arrows and Odiorne round out the bill, festivities begin at 9:30p. Again, this event is also FREE.*

*(Trust me, you'll want to take advantage of these free events while you can...have you seen the all the great shows coming up in September?? Yeah, start saving those pennies..)

Sneaker Pimps at Open-End Gallery

Every time I see the listing for this, I want to crank up the Nelly Hooper edit of "Six Underground"... but alas, this event has nothing to do with the one-hit wonder trip-hop sensation from the mid-90s. It's actually the world's largest global touring sneaker exhibition featuring over 600 pairs of rare and customized sneaks. It's actually a very similar event to the recent Up Our Sleave exhibition at Open End, except instead of using blank record sleaves, a wide range of artists from around the globe have created works art of using old pairs of Nikes and Addidas. The event takes place both Friday night and Saturday afternoon, but you'll definitely want to try to hit the opening night festivities. Adding to your sneaker viewing pleasure on Friday will be DJ sets from Sapien (Diverse), Ben Fasman (Biz 3) and Rude One (Simple Minded Pros) , plus live art installations from Gary Baseman, Ethos and Goodfoot. The opening night party starts at 8pm and is a FREE all ages event. The Open-End Gallery is located at 2000 W. Fulton.

From the RFC press wires...

-Local independent art zine Love, Chicago has expanded from the shelves of Quimby's and Reckless to the expansive regions of the world wide web. Found at www.lovechicago.org, the debut web version of Love,.. features articles from Issue#2 of the print rag, including profiles of local musicians Paul Caporino and Devin Davis, the new Foundation Gallery art space and legendary Lakeview watering hole Jake's Pub. Launched last August, Love, Chicago is led by editorial director Erica Burke and creative director Chris Beck, who is leading the new web efforts. -Looking to start your own Internet radio station and have about $3k lying around the house?? Go to worldvibrations.com and check out the cool little gadget they call a "Radio Station in a Box." All you have to do is plug in a microphone, upload some songs and...voila! You've got the tools to create your own professional-quality radio station. OK, granted you can make your own basic radio stream via just about any PC and some Winamp software. However, this box gives you the tools that the professionals use like voice tracking, extensive music scheduling software, programming logs, live feed capabilities and even network feed capabilities. The box also operates on 12 volts, so it can run off of a car battery, which their website says makes it "ideal for creating a radio station in a small village." Sounds to me more like that feature would be perfect for running a pirate radio station in a large metropolitan area (where it's essential to keep moving transmitter locations to avoid the FCC), but of course that would be "illegal" and RFC would never condone such behavior. Oh, and speaking of which, the box also includes software and a reporting service that can take care of all those pesky royalty issues if you are serious about starting a legit station that plays commercially-licensed music. Overall, the cost for this is too much for your garden-variety basement pirate, but if you're part of a well-organized group with broadcasting aspirations, you may want to seriously check this magic box out and start pooling some money.

New Releases Tuesday (8/2)

Public Enemy - Power to the People and the Beats: Greatest Hits (Def Jam) Yeah booyiee...PE in full effect! All da greatest hits from the legendary Chuck D, Flavor Flav and Co. Includes "Bring the Noise," "Fight the Power" and "911 Is A Joke." All young hip-hop fans should be required to buy this record, this is what the genre is all about. ALSO... The Greenhornes - East Grand Blues [ep] (V2) Richard Hell - Spurts - The Best of (Rhino) Zuco 103 - Whaa! (Six Degrees) (that's basically it today for new records...really slow week for releases)

buddY bids adieu

As of today, the crew from Lumpen magazine will be packing their bags at 1542 N. Milwaukee as they've lost the lease on their venerable 2nd floor loft known as buddY gallery. Friday night was the final hurrah for the space, with a dancetastic rave-themed party dubbed "Lumpenrave" that also extended next door at Heaven gallery. In true buddY fashion, there was plenty of PBR, costumed party-goers and, of course, a visit from some of Chicago finest. The space will be missed (especially that great patio), but don't worry, Lumpen will be back very soon with a new artist-run performance space on the Near West Side. Stay tuned...