Smoking Popes and Alkaline Trio were celebrating their 20th and 15th anniversaries, respectively, at the first of two sold-out shows at the Metro on Monday evening, and the bands both reflected their relative ages. While the older-brother Popes were mainly content (with notable exceptions) to forego high-octane physical performances in exchange for precision and crispness, the still-rambunctious Trio cranked up the energy, letting the band members’ adroitness on their instruments fade behind the wall of sound. However, the show delivered exactly what the fawning crowd came to see: two superior punk rock bands playing songs that are guaranteed to get you moving—or, in this case, moshing.

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Listening to James Collin’s mot.ion, one is hard-pressed to pick out which bands may have influenced the writing of the album. Though a pleasant blend of electronica and soundscapes, there isn’t a simple, “Oh, that’s The Field” or “There’s the Tim Hecker part.” Instead, mot.ion is something different: it’s what it sounds like when a instrumental post-rock artist branches into keyboards, and the results are largely successful, even if the EP ultimately doesn’t push boundaries of what electronic music can do.

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By Andy Kondrat  \  2 comments

When Beach Fossils frontman Dustin Peyseur announced midway through the band’s set on Thursday night that they were in the midst of their first-ever tour, the dynamic of the show started to make sense. The band was clearly excited to be playing live, and the crowd was clearly excited to get a chance to see the “Latest and Greatest” new thing, and so the Empty Bottle was treated to an energetic set far exceeding what the lo-fi chilled-out surf-rock music requires, with a contingent of fans literally moshing along.

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By Andy Kondrat  \  2 comments

If Louis and the Hunt had released the first two tracks of their self-titled EP as a stand-alone 7”, the band would already be in competition for the best single of the year. Both “They Saw Those Lights” and “Footprints On A Bed” combine anthemic songwriting with restrained production to create tracks that could fill an arena, yet still feel intimate. The remaining four songs on the EP can’t live up to the two openers, but Louis and the Hunt certainly have a strong offering on their hands that is well-played and well-sung, showcasing a band that already has a mature, streamlined sound on its first record.

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Seeing how our staff has distinct tastes and opinions on music, it would be nearly impossible for us to determine a 10 Albums of 2010 list as a single entity without excessive bloodshed. Therefore in the next two weeks, we’ll be posting multiple Top 10 Albums of 2010 lists as determined by Loud Loop Press editors and contributors. Today we kick things off with contributor Andy Kondrat’s list for Top 10 Albums of 2010.

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By Andy Kondrat  \  3 comments

Three oh-fuck-is-December-really-tomorrow-time-to-think-how-old-you’ll-turn-next-year reasons (I think Ross is better at these than I am but you’re gonna have to deal with it today) to check out B1g T1me at Morseland tonight…

1. You love Tom Waits. But there’s a problem. Dude only tours like once a decade, and then when he does, he’s so scatter shot in where he plays there’s a good chance you’re not going to be anywhere near where he is. Last tour I had to fly from San Diego to Phoenix for an overnight trip on a Tuesday to see him play. So, you know what’s much easier? Seeing a Tom Waits cover band, right here in Chicago. And that’s where B1g T1me comes in. They’re a Tom Waits cover band, right here in Chicago. And they’re good. Very good. And there’s no cover. That’s right. No cover. Except for the songs. Because it’s a cover band. But you know what I mean. Maybe I should have just said “free.”

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Three I’m-not-Ross-but-that-doesn’t-mean-this-isn’t-a-totally-worthy-Daily-Diversion reasons to hit up the Subterranean tonight…

1. Forgetters is is Blake Schwarzenbach’s new band. That’s right, the guy that taught you how jam out with your ham out (ew) with Jawbreaker and how to angst out with your jangst out (go with it) with Jets to Brazil is back with a new project. And, if half as good as either of the previous two bands, it’s just going to squish the shit out of your mindgrapes (wait…what?).

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By Andy Kondrat  \  2 comments