Shows for February, 2010

MON. 2/1/10 (9:30pm; Free!)
rrind related: Cool Memories, Coughs, Learned Helplessness
Psychic Steel
Magic Is Küntmaster label: Somnimage
John Bellows
It is rare to find someone like DEWAYNE SLIGHTWEIGHT, a man who spills creativity through his pores. Dabbling in music, drawing and sculpture SLIGHTWEIGHT'S brain never stops churning out some of the most unique and interesting art in Chicago and tonight he joins up with his band RRIND to celebrate the release of their new tape (with lovely screen printed art). They are joined for this free Monday show by locals PSYCHIC STEEL, experimental vocal project MAGIC IS KUNTMASTER and local acoustic noodler JOHN BELLOWS.

TUE. 2/2/10 (9:00pm; $3 advance, $5)
The Fortieth Day + Noise Crush related: Anatomy of Habit, Animal Law, BLOODYMINDED, Haptic, Intrinsic Action, Nightmares, Super Eight Loop, A Vague Disquiet
Neil Jendon label: gutflora, Stasisfield related: Reliable Sound Products
FluiD related: Wardrobe Cathedral, D.O.D., Drug of Choice, Immaculate Corrosion, Impulse
The Kremlin related: Death Factory, Gays in the Military, Pommel
Bachir Gemayel label: Dead Audio Tapes, Phage Tapes
Brace yourself for tonight's explosion of unholy rumbles from five of Chicago's most exciting and inventive noise outfits. THE FORTIETH DAY, the infrequent public duo of ISIDRO REYES (BLOODYMINDED) and MARK SOLOTROFF (ANATOMY OF HABIT and BLOODYMINDED), rejoin with recent Museum of Contemporary Art video artist LISA SLODKI (aka NOISE CRUSH) tonight to celebrate the release of the band's eighth CD, Pelusium: 540 AD. BloodLust! label mate and analog synthesizer maestro NEIL JENDON joins the night's line-up along with abstract sound sculptor CHRISTOPHE G, aka FLuiD, static noise manipulators THE KREMLIN (featuring members of DEATH FACTORY and WILLIAM SIDES ATARI PARTY) and BACHIR GEMAYEL. When we say tonight will be "heavy," you best believe we mean it.

WED. 2/3/10 (9:30pm; Free!)
HEAVEmedia presents
Midstates & The Choir of Ghosts label: Mental Monkey
Camera label: AtmoWorks
House of Normandie
HEAVEmedia, an "innovative site written by and for people who are interested in music that is original, vibrant, and challenging," combines music coverage with intelligent, often humorous commentary on movies, television, books, popular culture and politics. Tonight they whack their stamp of approval on some local bands and celebrate the culture of the site. MIDSTATES & THE CHOIR OF GHOSTS celebrates the release of their Hate to See You Smile EP and play tunes that the Sun Times have praised for never "skimping on melody or rock n roll drive." CAMERA is known for their ability to channel their energy into tightly woven tales of age, love and distraction. The Sun Times praised their recent release Fire & Science as a work that pairs "ultra-danceable grooves with challenging musical ideas and often delightfully menacing sonic ambience," and the Chicago Examiner claims they "deliver an instantly memorable listening experience." PLANE, a group Pop Matters has called "the next big thing", play tunes off their third LP, I See Love in the Future - an album of experimental melodic pop that continues to garner them still more acclaim. Local alt rock quartet HOUSE OF NORMANDIE open. (Timeout)

THU. 2/4/10 (9:30pm; $5 (limited), $10)
The Entrance Band label: Ecstatic Peace, Universal Motown
Lights label: Drag City, Language of Stone, Twisted Nerve
White Mystery label: HoZac, Whistler
THE ENTRANCE BAND has been praised by the Baltimore City Paper for honing “itself into a rock-solid, mass-appeal beast that could shake the WHITE STRIPES from their throne,” and the Washington Post for playing “apocalyptic psych-rock that is so good it will make you welcome the end days with open arms, as the guitars menacingly swirl in the background and the drums echo the sound of the four horsemen.” We say their self-titled LP, out now via Ecstatic Peace, is so chock full of old school psych vibes and musical virtuosity that if you miss this show you’ll be kicking yourself for years to come. On tour with the ENTRANCE BAND are Brooklyn trio LIGHTS, a triumvirate of mystical ladies hitting the road with their newest album Rites, out now via Drag City. We’re pleased as punch to welcome back the ginger sibling duo WHITE MYSTERY to the stage. These two have been very busy, releasing 7”s with Hozac and Whistler Records, prepping their debut LP, pogoing with the kids on Chic-A-Go-Go and earning rave reviews from national and local publications. If you’ve seen them once, you’ll be singing along. (Loud Loop Press Timeout)

FRI. 2/5/10 (5:30pm; Free!)
Hard Country Honky-Tonk with
The Hoyle Brothers
The HOYLES consider themselves the 'real thing' and use traditional instrumentation to play Texas shuffle, rave-up and honky-tonk music from country's 'true' musical legends, for those of you who long for and recall the days when 'country was country'.

FRI. 2/5/10 (10:00pm; $5)
312unes presents
Windy City Soul Club
The WINDY CITY SOUL CLUB boasts that the "best rare soul DJs in Chicago come together to create the best party this city has ever seen," and if you're inclined to think real DJs need a box full of vinyl, you'll likely agree. Playing all original vinyl of the Northern Soul variety, Motown-style gems from labels that sometimes only had regional hits with ace dancing tunes as well as your favorite recognizable sing-along classics, if you've ever wanted to "shake a tail feather" tonight's your night to get dapper and get down. (Timeout)

SAT. 2/6/10 (10:00pm; $5 (limited), $8)
James Blackshaw (England) label: Young God
White / Light label: 3:4, Holy Mountain, Rebis, Smells Like
Sick Gazelle related: Decayist, Ibex, Yakuza
Listening to JAMES BLACKSHAW's debut LP for Young God Records, The Glass Bead Game, it might be hard to imagine that JAMES used to be in punk bands in England. He's recently received a lot of attention as a prodigy/virtuoso of the 12-string guitar, receiving comparisons to musical luminaries from STEVE REICH and TERRY RILEY to ERIK SATIE. Billboard Magazine has praised JAMES for his "downright beautiful stuff" and Pitchfork has called his work "a veritable solo symphony that's as schooled in uncommon beauty as it is in complex 20th century composition." Any way you slice it, this kid has some mad guitar skills. Playing tunes from their latest release Black Acts on Smells Like Records, local duo WHITE/LIGHT brings their "brainwave-flattering guitar and analog gadget noise jams" to the Bottle tonight to light fire to your insides…metaphorically. Local improv trio SICK GAZELLE open. (Newcity Reader Tribune)

MON. 2/8/10 (9:00pm; Free!)
King Cannibal (England) label: Ninja Tune
Phaded
Quadratic label: La Folia
Searchl1te featuring Entro related: Entro, Searchl1te
Apparently Ninja Tune’s KING CANNIBAL fulfills a New Year’s resolution to take the States by storm with his appearance at the Bottle tonight. Infamous throughout the UK for his razor-edged, uncompromising sound (Radio 1’s MARY-ANNE HOBBS deemed him “too dark”) these shows will combine “a wealth of new material and trademark KING CANNIBAL sounds rolled up with scores of favorite rowdy dance floor killers all re-edited into a non-stop, messy grindhouse party tapestry.” Warming up the crowd for the British invasion is Chicago-based experimental hip hop DJ PHADED, local DJs CHRIS WIDMAN and COLIN HARRIS who collaborate to create "dance floor oddities and headphone bangers" as QUADRATIC. SEARCH11TE featuring ENTRO open with tracks that the Chicago Reader praise as "hearty, pulse-pounding stuff." Expect a free Monday dance night full of the unexpected. (Timeout)

TUE. 2/9/10 (9:00pm; $3 advance, $5)
Snacks
Ghetto Caviar
Boots With Spurs
Far Things
Sounding like a garage band singing through a megaphone while rolling down a hill in a gallon barrel, SNACKS pound out explosive nuggets of snotty punk and with tracks called "Go to Hell and Die," what's not to love? Featuring dissonant and droning monotone vocal lines over glitchy clicky backing tracks, GHETTO CAVIAR delivers unexpected dance music with a sense of ennui. BOOTS WITH SPURS and FAR THINGS open.

WED. 2/10/10 (9:30pm; $3 advance, $5)
The Vindits
Baron Von Something
Deadlands

FRI. 2/12/10 (5:30pm; Free!)
Hard Country Honky-Tonk with
The Hoyle Brothers
The HOYLES consider themselves the 'real thing' and use traditional instrumentation to play Texas shuffle, rave-up and honky-tonk music from country's 'true' musical legends, for those of you who long for and recall the days when 'country was country'.

FRI. 2/12/10 (10:00pm; $5 (limited), $10)
Welcome To Ashley
I Lost Control
The Handcuffs
Time Out Chicago has praised local quartet WELCOME TO ASHLEY for consistently bringing out their "breezy, evergreen power-pop," Q101 named them "among the best bands of 2008" and the Empty Bottle is pleased to welcome them back to the stage tonight. Expertly combining their loves for BOWIE, The ROLLING STONES and THE SMITHS, WELCOME TO ASHLEY sound like a band out of time with a glam-rock swagger that is rare in rock today. I LOST CONTROL and THE HANDCUFFS open. (Lumino)

SAT. 2/13/10 (12:00pm; Free!)
Handmade Market
HANDMADE MARKET "is a unique event to connect the makers of beautiful things to people who appreciate the unique and handmade. Do you want your money to go directly to the people that make the things you buy? Here you can establish a personal connection, and our makers are even encouraged to demonstrate or make their products during the event. Markets include funky jewelry, glass pendants, knitted items, clothing, handbags and more!" (NBC Reader Timeout Timeout)

SAT. 2/13/10 (10:00pm; $12)
Fucked Up label: Jade Tree, Matador
Kurt Vile label: Matador, Mexican Summer, Testostertunes, Woodsist
Zola Jesus label: Sacred Bones
Boystown
Last year we enjoyed the dulcet sounds of FUCKED UP on Valentine's Day and this year we are very pleased to welcome them back for Valentine's Day Eve. Throw those roses in the trash, scarf down those chocolates and bring your sweetie down to a very steamy and romantic shows with our favorite Canadian hardcore five-piece. After several years of releasing frenetic, gut punching, politically relevant singles, FUCKED UP have recently unleashed Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009 through Matador Records. Featuring 24 hard-to-find 7" and 12" tracks, the collection spans an extraordinarily varied musical career that has mainly been documented on singles released around the world on a slew of labels in a plethora of countries. Through the years these releases have garnered the group massive critical acclaim as they've pushed themselves to miraculous new heights creating multi-layered anthems of cultural frustration. Label mate KURT VILE joins them here (as well as at the VIADUCT) along with experimental and compellingly beautiful, devastating and unsettling ZOLA JESUS and local party starters BOYSTOWN. (Flavorpill Flavorpill Oh My Rockness Reader Reader Timeout Tribune)

SAT. 2/13/10 (9:30pm; $12)
(@ Viaduct Theater - 3111 Western - 17+)
Fucked Up label: Jade Tree, Matador
Kurt Vile label: Matador, Mexican Summer, Testostertunes, Woodsist
Last year we enjoyed the dulcet sounds of FUCKED UP on Valentine’s Day and this year we are very pleased to welcome them back for Valentine’s Day Eve. Throw those roses in the trash, scarf down those chocolates and bring your sweetie down to a very steamy and romantic shows with our favorite Canadian hardcore five-piece. After several years of releasing frenetic, gut punching, politically relevant singles, FUCKED UP have recently unleashed Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009 through Matador Records. Featuring 24 hard-to-find 7” and 12” tracks, the collection spans an extraordinarily varied musical career that has mainly been documented on singles released around the world on a slew of labels in a plethora of countries. Through the years these releases have garnered the group massive critical acclaim as they’ve pushed themselves to miraculous new heights creating multi-layered anthems of cultural frustration. Joining FUCKED UP at this special 17+ early show is Philadelphia based lo-fi singer/songwriter KURT VILE. KURT has been crafting carefree, blissful pop tunes for several years as a solo artist and with his band WAR ON DRUGS, slowly creating buzz around his self-released CD-Rs. With the Woodsist reissue of Constant Hitmaker, VILE’s buzz came to a head and he was signed by Matador to release his next full length, Childish Prodigy, at the end of 09. He plays these two shows in support of that release joined by his band of VIOLATORS to flesh out his haunting, reverb heavy psych-folk. (Oh My Rockness)

SUN. 2/14/10 (7:00pm; Free!)
Rock & Roll Cinema featuring
Anvil! The Story of Anvil related: Anvil
What better way to spend the end of your weekend than hanging out and watching some rock and roll cinema at the Empty Bottle? A free rock movie and cheap drinks sounds like a pretty swell way to spend a Sunday evening, so come on down for ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL! Formed by two 14-year-olds in the 1970s, Canadian heavy metal band ANVIL influenced the great metal acts that followed, from ANTHRAX to METALLICA. This documentary joins ANVIL'S now middle-aged founders as they recover from a disastrous tour of Europe. Hoping to end their youthful dreams and careers on a high note, the band sets out to record their 13th album, "This is Thirteen." Middle-aged man toplessness ensues. (AV Club)

SUN. 2/14/10 (9:00pm; $3)
Yawn
Netherfriends label: Emergency Umbrella
Baby Magdelene (DJ set)
plus photobooth by Lenny Gilmore
Local quartet YAWN headline tonight's St. Valentine's Day show with their enchanting breed of lush and inventive dream-pop. JIM DEROGATIS of the Sun Times has praised YAWN for putting "its own unique stamp on the "Graceland"-derived grooves with more cascading percussion and burbling synthesizers," and I Guess I'm Floating has gushed about their "exciting" and "truly original" tunes. NETHERFRIENDS is the brainchild of local recent college grad SHAWN ROSENBLATT. Recording songs in his bedroom, he's spent much of the past year piecing together tours that have seen SHAWN and co. traveling through the South, Midwest and East Coast playing tunes off the recently released Calling You Out EP, which RCRD LBL has called "some of the most likeable music. It's fun, poppy, catchy as all get out and smart as a whip." BABY MAGDELENE DJ throughout the night to keep the lovie dovie pop going all night long.

MON. 2/15/10 (9:00pm; Free!)
Rabid Rabbit label: Interloper
Reds & Blue
Anatomy of Habit related: Animal Law, BLOODYMINDED, Brise-Glace, Burrow, Cheer Accident, Crippled Intellectual, Dylan Posa & Three Cheers for One Dead Man, The Flying Luttenbachers, The Fortieth Day, Intrinsic Action, Nightmares, No Funeral, Radar Eyes, Series Founders, ssseepage, Super Eight Loop, A Vague Disquiet, Vertonen
Let's Pet label: Migration Media, Thirty Ghosts related: Teith
Proto-metal bombasts RABID RABBIT have been accused by the Reader of vibrating "every loose bit of hardware in the room," and cacophonous yet calm trio REDS AND BLUE features dissonant female harmonies chanting around prog rock-esque keys, heavy drums, and droney bass. Add to that BLOODYMINDED yowler and Death Musick Ritual deejay MARK SOLOTROFF's ANATOMY OF HABIT and TEITH's new incarnation as LET'S PET and you've got a night that promises to be dark, harmonious, heavy and gorgeous all in one fell swoop. Plus, you know, it's free.

MON. 2/15/10 (9:00pm; $25)
(@ Logan Square Auditorium - 2539 N Kedzie - All Ages)
An Evening with The Residents: The Talking Light Tour label: Charisma, Cordless, Mute, Pre, Ralph
Join us to welcome back the long running experimental concern THE RESIDENTS. By turns alluring and disturbing, THE RESIDENTS have been confounding audiences and critics for nearly forty years now with their highly conceptualized take on avant-garde rock and visual aesthetics. On this "Talking Light" tour, THE RESIDENTS ask "What are ghosts? In a world where nearly everything has become defined and categorized, how do we fill our obvious, purely human need for the fuzzy , vague and supernatural - with TV commercials? The ghost of a morbidly obese woman haunts her lesbian lover, filling the void of death with food commercials and Dr. Phil. A man becomes obsessed by the spirit of an executed serial killer who stuffed the mouths of his victims with Puddling Roll Ups, an extinct kid's food from the 1980's. A dead boa constrictor named Leonard (after LEONARD COHEN, of course) plagues the mind of its former owner, currently consuming Oscar Meyer hot dogs by the dozen. These are just a few of the 'ghost stories' told through the magic of THE RESIDENTS' Talking Light." (AV Club Flavorpill)

TUE. 2/16/10 (8:00pm; $5)
Accessible Contemporary Music presents
Palomar Quartet
"Accessible Contemporary Music is a non-profit organization based in Chicago, IL. It is our artistic mission to promote the performance and understanding of contemporary music, especially the music of living composers. In pursuance of this goal we take a very direct approach to concert giving, frequently including pre-concert talks and discussion sessions between the audience and the composer. Every concert that we give includes a World Premiere or at least one piece, if not several pieces, by composers in the early stages of their careers." (Chicagoist)

TUE. 2/16/10 (10:00pm; Free!)
Brian Costello + Sara Bassick (DJ set)

WED. 2/17/10 (9:30pm; $3 advance, $5)
Pervertable Tongues related: My Uncle Is A Cannibal
Dadad
Furious Frank label: Southern Love

THU. 2/18/10 (9:00pm; $5 advance, $8)
Members Only related: Far Rad
Weatherbox label: Doghouse
Animal City label: Sophomore Lounge
State Champion label: Sophomore Lounge
Tonight features four Chicago bands making distinctly different and interesting music. MEMBERS ONLY features members of FAR RAD, and from what we've seen on YouTube, expect some irreverent covers of anything from DEPECHE MODE to THE SMITHS. Last year WEATHERBOX released The Cosmic Drama via Doghouse Records, which Absolute Punk called "a journey through the tangled, foggy mind of BRIAN WARREN: a deep space, introspective, time-traveling indie rock fantasy. Every note, every word, every melody oozes with WARREN'S quirky charm." ANIMAL CITY return to the Bottle to play tunes off their newest effort Breakfast Rider before heading out on a quick jaunt through the Midwest - farewell fellas! Chicago/Louisville rockers STATE CHAMPION open up tonight playing tunes off their recently released State Champagne LP - forty minutes of sincerely howled, sloppily executed, stripped down garage-country. With a unique blend of face paint, violin and world-weary vocals, STATE CHAMPION are setting themselves up to be one of our favorite bands of 10.

FRI. 2/19/10 (8:00pm; $15)
Four Tet (England) label: Domino
Nathan Fake (England) label: Border Community
Electronic producer KIERAN HEBDEN has long been a forbearer of taste and his work with FRIDGE and as FOUR TET has propelled electronic music in bright, surprising and wholly original new directions. His newest effort, There Is Love In You, released last month through Domino was named "best new music" by Pitchfork and the new work is incredibly focused, refined over the course of a long stint as a resident DJ at the London club Plastic People. The 'fork praises the album for being "both heady and physical, subtle but powerful music for thinking and moving or ideally doing both at the same time: It's been a while since a brisk walk through the city sounded this good." So put these tracks on your music device of choice and get yourself over the Bottle tonight. On this tour is fellow Brit NATHAN FAKE, playing tunes off his Border Community releases Hard Islands and Drowning in a Sea of Love. (AV Club Chicago Now Flavorpill Newcity Pitchfork Reader)

FRI. 2/19/10 (11:00pm; $15)
Four Tet (England) label: Domino
Nathan Fake (England) label: Border Community
Electronic producer KIERAN HEBDEN has long been a forbearer of taste and his work with FRIDGE and as FOUR TET has propelled electronic music in bright, surprising and wholly original new directions. His newest effort, There Is Love In You, released last month through Domino was named "best new music" by Pitchfork and the new work is incredibly focused, refined over the course of a long stint as a resident DJ at the London club Plastic People. The 'fork praises the album for being "both heady and physical, subtle but powerful music for thinking and moving or ideally doing both at the same time: It's been a while since a brisk walk through the city sounded this good." So put these tracks on your music device of choice and get yourself over the Bottle tonight. On this tour is fellow Brit NATHAN FAKE, playing tunes off his Border Community releases Hard Islands and Drowning in a Sea of Love. (AV Club Chicago Now Flavorpill Newcity Pitchfork Reader)

SAT. 2/20/10 (10:00pm; $5 advance, $8)
Melismatics
Cavalry
Regal Standard
It's been almost 7 years since we've lasted hosted MELISMATICS and we're happy to welcome them back to the Empty Bottle tonight. With multiple LPs under their belts, the band has toured the country a handful of times and return tonight supporting The Acid Test, their most recent release on Susstones Records. Chock full of the arena-ready rock jams they've become known for, expect one heck of a live show from this Minneapolis-based quartet. In the words of their bio, CAVALRY are "four blue-eyed Midwestern kids doing what they know best: Rock & Roll." Their newest EP, New Blood, is out this month, expect new tunes from that effort full of urgent hard rock songs. It's been said more than once that Chicago-based REGAL STANDARD fall squarely between the likes of CHEAP TRICK and THE BEATLES, with their complex chord structures and angular vocal melodies over sugary-pop songs. Expect a night of bombastic rock from these three.

SUN. 2/21/10 (7:00pm; Free!)
Rock & Roll Cinema featuring
We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen related: The Minutemen
What better way to spend the end of your weekend than hanging out and watching some rock and roll cinema at the Empty Bottle? A free rock movie and cheap drinks sounds like a pretty swell way to spend a Sunday evening, so come on down for WE JAM ECONO: THE STORY OF THE MINUTEMEN, a documentary that chronicles the ups and downs of pioneering punks THE MINUTEMEN. Weaving together more than 80 interviews to tell the story of the underground punk band from San Pedro, CA, punk icons discuss the band's influence on the genre intercut with never-before-seen vintage footage capturing the raw intensity of THE MINUTEMEN live onstage.

SUN. 2/21/10 (9:30pm; $3)
The Daredevil Christopher Wright label: Almost Musique, Amble Down
Louis and The Hunt
Conrad Plymouth label: Sector Five
Three dudes from Eu Claire, WI, THE DAREDEVIL CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT, stop in Chicago tonight in the midst of a three month long tour that sees them bring the tunes from their newly released In Deference to a Broken Back from Maine to Texas. Their new LP has been called "folk-rock still fiercely flowering, bloody bleeding, finding new trees to climb," by Said the Gramophone and Paste offered that "like any good escape artist, the band's refusal to surrender to presumed restrictions seems to be the key to their success." Come out and show these guys a Chicago welcome tonight. (Flavorpill)

MON. 2/22/10 (9:30pm; Free!)
Puerto Muerto (final show, record release) label: Fire
The Glorious Vapors
Daniel Knox
Local duo PUERTO MUERTO celebrate the release of their newest effort Drumming For Pistols, out this month via Fire Records. The album has already received some impressive acclaim, with NME calling them "Heavenly," the Guardian praising their "weird, wonderful results," and Time Out claiming they are "deliciously fucked-up." The band themselves claim that they sound like "making love with a soft corduroy couch," so if you've ever wondered exactly what those sonics would be, come party with these two tonight. (AV Club AV Club Daily Herald Gapers Block Metromix Sun Times)

TUE. 2/23/10 (9:30pm; $12 advance, $15)
Dark Wave Disco presents
Vitalic (live) label: Citizen, PIAS
Lazer Crystal label: HBSP-2X
Dark Wave Disco DJs
Renowned Chicago nightlife institution DARK WAVE DISCO was born on a Tuesday night in 2005 at our former sister dancehall haven Sonotheque. It originated as the brainchild of Chicago DJ MARK GERTZ and graphic artist PAUL RODRIGUEZ and together the pair went about assembling their nightlife super-group dream team . GERTZ claims to have drawn inspiration from Andy Warhol's promotion of obscure sub-pop culture and "the parties he threw at his factory, the bringing together of fashion, art, music and film." Tonight they team up with VITALIC, the French dance-floor innovator who comes to play live at the Bottle tonight supporting his newest effort, Flashmob. An album full of ruthlessly effective electro. it lives up to VITALIC's reputation as a pioneer and innovator in the genre of electronic music. We'd venture to say there will be no other place in Chicago this Tuesday night as full of dance floor bangers.

THU. 2/25/10 (9:30pm; $3 advance, $5)
Locrian label: At War With False Noise, Basses Frequences, Small Doses, BloodLust!
Sun Splitter
Neil Jendon label: BloodLust!, Gutflora, Stasisfield related: Zelienople
Instinct Control
Electronic drone metal heads LOCRAIN play tonight and we are hoping for preview tracks from their upcoming Territories LP scheduled to hit in March 2010. Their disembodied, doomed pieces are among our favorites, and even the Chicago Reader has taken note praising their "alien beauty" and "eerily gorgeous noise."

FRI. 2/26/10 (5:30pm; Free!)
Hard Country Honky-Tonk with
The Hoyle Brothers
The HOYLES consider themselves the 'real thing' and use traditional instrumentation to play Texas shuffle, rave-up and honky-tonk music from country's 'true' musical legends, for those of you who long for and recall the days when 'country was country'.

FRI. 2/26/10 (9:30pm; $8)
5th annual John Glick Memorial Show featuring
Maximum Wage
The Returnables label: Dirtnap, Jettison
The Bama Lamas
Swiss Dots related: Telenovela
Join us for the fifth annual John Glick Memorial Show. As many of you know, local musician JOHN GLICK was killed in 2006 in a tragic car accident, alongside musician friends MICHAEL DAHLQUIST and DOUGLAS MEIS. Proceeds from the evening will be donated to the John Glick Memorial Fund, which helps musicians in need and promotes arts and music education in under-served communities. Tonight's show features MAXIMUM WAGE, THE BAMA LAMAS and SWISS DOTS and a special set by THE RETURNABLES, playing their first show in four years and celebrating what would have been John's 40th birthday by playing some of the great pop nuggets he penned. Come on down for a night of great music for a great cause in memory of some great men.

SAT. 2/27/10 (10:00pm; $12)
YΔCHT label: DFA
MNDR
Bobby Birdman label: Fryk Beat, Hush, Not Not Fun, States Rights
Much, much talked about duo YACHT return to the Empty Bottle tonight in the midst of a true World tour. Conceived by electronic musician and producer JONA BECHTOLT, YACHT has been releasing work for a half dozen years now, much of which has been collaborative in nature. The latest offering, See Mystery Lights, finds BECHTOLT and vocalist CLAIRE L EVANS reaching new creative heights, an album that Pitchfork has rightly called "a triumph." For this tour, the duo has recruited a three-man crew featuring BOBBY BIRDMAN, JEFF BRODSKY and REUBEN SNYDER. Meeting up with YACHT for the second leg of their tour is one-woman DJ/producer/electronic artist MNDR with her catchy, fractured electro-pop tunes and on the road with YACHT from the get-go is backing bander BOBBY BIRDMAN. (Chicagoist Chicagoist Reader Tribune)

SUN. 2/28/10 (2:00pm; Free!)
Accordion Club

SUN. 2/28/10 (7:00pm; Free!)
Rock & Roll Cinema featuring
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song related: Pete Seeger
What better way to spend the end of your weekend than hanging out and watching some rock and roll cinema at the Empty Bottle? A free rock movie and cheap drinks sounds like a pretty swell way to spend a Sunday evening, so tonight we present Pete Seeger: The Power of Song. A blending of archival footage, interviews and home movies create an affectionate portrait of pioneering folk singer and political activist PETE SEEGER, best known for the classic anthems "If I Had a Hammer" and "Turn, Turn, Turn." Highlights include candid conversations with legendary artists including JOAN BAEZ, BOB DYLAN and BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. (Reader)

SUN. 2/28/10 (9:30pm; $3)
The Sandwitches label: Turn Up related: The Fresh & Onlys
Bird Talk
Other Minds
On a national tour supporting How to Make Ambient Sadcake, San Francisco's THE SANDWITCHES make their Empty Bottle debut tonight. Featuring two out of the three members of THE FRESH & ONLY'S, this new three piece has been receiving a lot of attention for their mix of 60s pop, folk and shining melodies with an appealing DIY sound that combines bedroom recordings with wall of sound girl band nuggets. (Newcity)