Wilco appears to be parting ways with Nonsuch Records with plans to possibly start its own record label. Paste Magazine picked up on an interview Nels Cline gave to Washington D.C. based Express Night Out where the guitarist gave  few details about the band's label future. According to the interview with Cline and a followup by Paste with Wilco’s publicist, Deb Bernadini, the contract with Nonesuch will not be renewed and the possibility of Jeffy Tweedy and Co. starting their own label is very real. Cline and the rest of Wilco will be in the studio in August and October recording their new album for their supposedly new label. By Andrew Kahn  \  1 comment

Liz Phair released her new album Funstyle via her website last weekend. This new collection of songs comes as a surprise to most as there was no prior publicity before the album hit the street. Phair is selling the 11-track record, her first bit of new material since Somebody’s Miracle in 2005, for the cool price of $5.99. According to Spinner, Funstyle is being released without the help of a major label, despite Phair’s recent relationship with ATO Records who handled the 2008 reissue of Exile in Guyville. Phair’s website says a new site and tour dates are coming soon. Phair is slated to perform at the 21st Anniversary Celebration of her old label Matador Records in Las Vegas, Oct. 1-3 at the Palms Casino and Resort. Check out the Funstyle’s first single “Bollywood.”

By Andrew Kahn  \  3 comments

[caption id="attachment_10672" align="alignleft" width="269" caption="PHOTO CREDIT: JULIO ENRIQUEZ"][/caption] Dave Matthews Band will officially be playing two shows at Wrigley Field as earlier reports indicated. The group’s extensive summer tour will close at the ballpark on Friday, Sept. 17 and Saturday, Sept. 18.  Jason Mraz will open each night. This will be the band’s first appearance at Wrigley Field and their first concert inside the city limits since December 13, 2002 at the United Center. Tickets can be purchased via Tickets.com or at (800) THE-CUBS (800-843-2827) starting Saturday, July 17 at 10 a.m. Here’s information on pre-sale and VIP tickets via the Warehouse:

Tickets for the Wrigley show will be offered to Warehouse members in advance of the public on sale date. The Warehouse Series 8-2010 ticketing request period will open at 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday, July 2nd and will close at 12:00 pm noon ET on Monday, July 12th. The ticketing request period is not first come-first serve, all members have the same chance of being randomly chosen for tickets. Warehouse confirmations will be posted by the end of the day on Friday July 16th. The public on sale for the Wrigley Field show will take place at 10:00 am CT on Saturday July 17th through Tickets.com. VIP Packages for both Wrigley Field shows will also be available to Warehouse members and will be listed as separate event listings on the Request Tickets page. VIP Packages include your concert ticket, access to the VIP viewing area surrounding the house mix platform for GA Field VIP ticket holders, a souvenir laminate and access to a complimentary PRESHOW dinner buffet. VIP Grandstand Seating will also be offered. The cost per VIP Package per person is $275.00 plus applicable convenience and handling fees - members may request up to 4 regular priced tickets and 4 VIP Packages for each of the Wrigley shows. To place a Warehouse ticket request once the ticketing request period opens, click on the Ticketing section and Request Tickets link and scroll down to the September 17th – 18th event listings. Tickets for the show will ship approximately ten business days prior to the show via FedEx 2-business day signature required service. Please direct all questions to whtix@davematthewsband.com.

By Andrew Kahn  \  comments

[caption id="attachment_10537" align="alignnone" width="445" caption="Photo by Craig Shimala - craigshimala.com"][/caption] LoudLoopPress.com was one of the blogs chosen for Lollapalooza's Best Local Music Blog contest to write previews for the fest's 2010 acts, which will also appear on Lollapalooza.com. In our first of three band previews, Associate Editor Andrew Kahn introduces us to The Morning Benders.
Spend a day or two out on the West Coast and you’ll pick up on the laid-back, worry-about-it-tomorrow attitude that persists throughout many of the various locales. Give Big Echo, the sophomore album from Berkeley, California’s The Morning Benders a spin or two and just as quickly you’ll pick up that airy West Coast vibe. Despite the relaxed atmosphere there’s nothing lazy about the group bringing their melodic and breezy brand of pop to Lollapalooza’s The Grove stage at noon on Saturday, Aug. 6. The quartet, led by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Christopher Chu, worked with Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor on Big Echo to capture a lush but warm sound that the group has transferred to their live show. In the studio or on stage there’s a cool confidence in what they do. “The grass is always greener – when we are in the studio, I get antsy, and all I want to do is go on tour,” said Chu, “When we are on tour for months at a time, all I want to do is get back in the studio and make something new. Can't have one without the other.” At a recent performance at The Vic Theatre opening for Broken Bells in Chicago, Chu personalized the set by chatting with the audience between songs. He’ll try and do the same in front of the larger, outdoor festival crowd at Lollapalooza. [caption id="attachment_10539" align="alignnone" width="445" caption="Photo by Craig Shimala - craigshimala.com"][/caption] “I always find a way to feel connected to the audience when I am performing,” said Chu. “And even if we can't talk to people from the stage, we'll go into the crowd after and talk to everyone. We do that at every show.” Chu’s ability to connect with the audience is aided by his charming and vulnerable lyrics that are laced with romantic imagery. There’s sincerity in his tone that’s bolstered by the focused rhythms of drummer Julian Harmon and bassist Timothy Or and the blissfully harmonic guitar of Joseph Ferrell. The Morning Benders have toured extensively in 2010, already having played in Chicago twice. But Chu and company are excited to be coming back for Lollapalooza. “Chicago is one of our favorite cities to play,” said Chu. “Festivals are a lot of fun for us though because we get to see a lot of our friends in bands. Due to our crazy schedules there are few times when all our band homies are in the same place at the same time. Who is Chu looking forward to catching at Lollaplooza this year? “I would love to see The Strokes, and Arcade Fire. I very rarely go to see big bands like these at shows, and a huge music festival seems like the ideal venue to see them in. Could be epic.” The Morning Benders - "Excuses" from Yours Truly session httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jgmgE-QDzA By Andrew Kahn  \  comments

Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival finalized its lineup and schedule for the event slated for Aug. 13-15 at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass. Though the fest will take place outside of Boston, the band is making sure the weekend is filled with some Chicago love. Among those included on the bill are Mavis Staples, whose upcoming album You Are Not Alone was produced by Jeff Tweedy, Wilco side projects The Autumn Defense, Pronto and The Nels Cline Singers, Deep Blue Organ Trio, On Fillmore and several audio/visual DJ sets by Numero Group. Throughout the weekend there will be a comedy stage hosted by Todd Barry and on Sunday, Aug. 15 there will also be a special Jeff Tweedy solo performance, billed as “Solo Plus” which hopefully indicates he’ll be joined by some of the festival’s other artists. Here’s the full schedule for the weekend:

Friday, August 13 8 p.m. - Midnight

The Books Pronto Deep Blue Organ Trio plus SOLID SOUND LAUNCH PARTY featuring the audio/visual collective The Numero Group w/Special Guests

Saturday, August 14 1 p.m. - Midnight

WILCO Mavis Staples The Baseball Project Bread & Puppet Mountain Man Vetiver On Fillmore Sir Richard Bishop Brenda plus The Numero Group (DJs) Story Pirates (Kid Friendly) Comedy Cabaret Featuring Hannibal Buress, John Mulaney, Kristen Schaal and Todd Barry

Plus

Weekend Pass to MASS MoCA featuring the Sol Lewitt Retrospective, Material World Exhibit, the kid-friendly Kidspace and the Solid Sound Specific Nels Cline's Solid Sound Stompbox Station • Glenn Kotche's Interactive Drumhead Exhibit • Pat Sansone's Polaroid Exhibit • Cassandra C. Jones' - Video Installation • WILCO Curated Film Series • WILCO Poster Retrospective • Poster Printing Workshop • On-site Luthier

Sunday, August 15 Noon - 8 p.m.

Jeff Tweedy Solo + Avi Buffalo The Nels Cline Singers The Autumn Defense Outrageous Cherry Deep Blue Organ Trio plus The Numero Group (DJs)

By Andrew Kahn  \  comments

Fred Anderson, a pioneer in Chicago’s free-jazz scene and owner of one of the city’s most well-known jazz clubs the Velvet Lounge died Thursday at the age of 81. The legendary tenor saxophonist, who played with Sun Ra and Joseph Jarmon, had suffered a heart attack on June 14. Anderson was born in 1929 in Monroe, La. and moved to Chicago when he was 10.  He opened the Velvet Lounge in 1982 and helped start the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in 1965. For more about the life of Fred Anderson check out the Sun-Times obituary and Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune’s profile. By Andrew Kahn  \  comments

Lollapalooza sponsors C3 Presents and their partners are being investigated by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan for anti-trust violations reports Jim DeRogatis on Vocalo.org. DeRogatis confirms that agent Marc Geiger, who originally founded Lollapalooza with Perry Farrell, received a subpoena from the attorney general's office. According to the post the attorney general's office would neither confirm nor deny if an investigation had been initiated and C3 Presents had no comment regarding reports they too received subpoenas. The anti-trust violations being investigated center around the radius clauses included in contracts bands who play the festival are required to pay. The clauses, the story notes, have been the subject of controversy because of their unusually long time frames that encompass the months before and after Lollapalooza -- preventing the artists from playing local clubs during that time. Lollapalooza is scheduled for Aug. 6-8 in Grant Park By Andrew Kahn  \  comments