Maps & Atlases new album, Beware and Be Grateful, gets better with more repetition. At a first listen, the record stands precariously close to being sonically overwhelming. The diverse, unconventional sounds—looped vocals, shimmering synths and intermittent piano work—collide head on with the band’s traditional set of instruments.

However, after multiple journeys through, the listener starts to parse the music’s diverse elements, and can appreciate the multilayered and loaded tracks that comprise Beware and Be Grateful.

Just as infectious as they were on their debut LP, Perch Patchwork (2010), the Chicago indie rockers provide bubbly tracks that float along a gentle stream of music, but something darker, something sinister lies beneath the murky waters.

Beware and Be Grateful, even in its title, seems to serve as a cautionary tale of the pitfalls of love with a Benjamin Button-like affinity for reverse chronology in telling its story.

The album kicks off with the “Old & Gray,” a track with an air of desperation thanks to singer Dave Davison’s vocal work that channels the sound of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon à la For Emma, Forever Ago. The dramatic end to the song, which features only Davison’s desperate singing, a taut underlying guitar riff and the intermittent swelling of piano in short spurts, is both disorienting and exciting in its unpredictability. “Old & Gray” also gives way to Davison’s impressive lyrical styling, in which he aptly gives idiomatic phrases heartbreaking literal context: “And our writing on the wall is under three coats of paint/In an apartment we don’t live in anymore.”

If “Old & Gray” speaks to the jaded loss of love that comes with age, then the upbeat “Bugs” and “Be Three Years Old” highlight a rambling, youthful imagination. Yet the overarching feelings of spoiled innocence and heartbreak remain constant. The two tracks also carry definite parallels to the sounds of Vampire Weekend, until the breakdown in “Be Three Years Old,” where Davison’s distorted, distant vocals evokes the style of Cage the Elephant frontman Matt Shultz in “Around My Head.”

“Old Ash,” is notable for its epic and dominating drum beat—reminiscent of Japanese taiko war drums played slowly—that bears some tribal flavor.

Beware and Be Grateful may sound dense and complicated at the outset, but first impressions can be deceiving. The record requires some perseverance on the listener’s end, but those who give the music time will be rewarded with a rich, satisfying sonic experience.

Purchase Beware and Be Grateful at Kungfunation.com

Maps & Atlases -- “Remote & Dark Years”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqQ9i5m_pEk

It’s been a while since we last heard from Merlin Wall, and their upbeat, surfy geek-rock that was showcased on their underrated 2011 debut, Crushin’ From Afar. But the band is back with Party at the Docks, a record that feels looser, groovier and more collected – as if those geeks from Crushin’ finely settled into their own skin.

That’s to say the records doesn’t rock because it does with a fuzzy soul-punk attack. “Jacket Weather” opens with a Who-like grandeur of sweeping chords before tightening into nearly a prog-rock vibe, which is expounded on via the phasing synth strokes during the chorus. Merlin Wall may even reach their most abrasive yet on the tail-end of the fiery shaker, “I’m Dead.”

And that willingness of Merlin Wall to explore within their surf-rock, geek-rock, whatever-rock sound results in Party at the Docks being instantly gratifying.

Every track feels catchy even if there’s no distinct hook. “Slow Gals” is a blitz of tight riff-play, which drives the song home. And the aforementioned, “I’m Dead,” builds into a raw burst of energy punctuated by Erik Bengtsen’s straining howls.

And then when Party at the Docks does reach that sleek hook or ear-tingling riff, it all comes together. Especially on the jagged doo-wop of “Night Bird” that offers a distorted spoken-word bridge that actually works. Meanwhile, “NRBs” could practically be a Pinkerton outtake with it’s bubbling leads and punk speed.

The only downside to this album is that Merlin Wall’s future is in question with a band member poised to split Chicago sooner than later. And that’s a shame seeing how Party at the Docks is a fun and exciting listen with its mature approach to exploring power-pop. Here’s hoping this isn’t Merlin Wall’s final party.

Purchase Party at the Docks at Merlin Wall’s Bandcamp.

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MERLIN WALL
10:00 p.m. Saturday, May 5.
Cole’s, 2338 N Milwaukee Ave.
21+. Free.
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Shimby Presents: Live at the Empty Bottle works as more than just a live album. Recorded by local musician and music archivist Shimby McCreery, it’s an audial snapshot of tweener Chicago, which has taken stock in thrashy garage rock that sometimes is played with a metallic fierceness and others a near quirky looseness. But perhaps more importantly, the record seamless integrates local favorites with popular indie buzz acts proving that Chicago knows what’s up.

Near the record’s mid-section, the wild fuzz romp of Ty Segall’s “Girlfriend” leads into the creepy greaser-punk of Mickey’s “Dance.” The transition is an odd one with the mood shifting from freakout to freaky, but the change in tone and mood between songs makes the LP feel, and even sound, like a really one really kick ass showcase at one of the city’s most cherished rock ‘n’ roll clubs.

Shimby, who assembled this compilation from his large collection of live Empty Bottle recordings, also peppers in a few more candid moments of crowd-artist interaction. Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino awkwardly recalls watching Raekwon make his song a sandwich, and The Dutchess and the Duke explain that the reason there’s an excessive amount of people on stage is because member Jesse Lortz badly cut his finger trying to pick up a food processor blade.

Yet with a member’s injury, The Dutchess and the Duke still decided to perform at the Empty Bottle that evening. It shows that the Empty Bottle, to both locals and non-locals alike, has become hallowed ground for listeners and performers. It’s an exciting time to live in Chicago and have a venue book such refreshing, buzzworthy and often innovative acts night after night. And thanks so Shimby McCreery, there’s now a great sounding record that documents just that.

Purchase Shimby Presents: Live at the Empty Bottle at Emptybottle.bandcamp.com.

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SHIMBY LIVE AT THE EMPTY BOTTLE RECORD RELEASE
9:30 p.m. Thursday, May 24.
Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave.
21+. $10.
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It makes complete sense that at their New Years Eve show at the Empty Bottle this past January that Disappears played a set that featured new songs and a number of covers from bands such as Joy Division, New Order, David Bowie, Suicide and The Stooges. Their latest release, Pre Language, finds the band at their strongest in terms of songwriting. Each track is distinct in mood and feel – much like the aforementioned bands – and finds the Chicago noir-rockers putting more stock into their tones, textures and nuances, which results in their best record yet.

On their 2011 release, Guider, Disappears jammed hazy and often hypnotic tunes that featured garage-y grooves and concluded with an epic 15-minute take, “Revisiting.”

This time around, the band has upped the production quality, and Pre Language offers up a sharper sound – one that feels as though both the rhythm and Jonathan van Herik’s reverb-laden lead guitar are popping out of the listener’s headphones slash speakers as if the band was playing inches from your face.

Add to that Steve Shelley’s uber-tight snare and bassist Damon Carruesco’s syrup-thick bass, and every track on Pre Language becomes an event in it’s own right. Each of the nine songs feels like a dynamic statement that draws from the band’s musical inspirations.

Opener, “Replicate,” hangs on a simple rhythm but really pops thanks to hammer-like snare play. The guitars eek in and out during the verses until the chorus brings forth a swell of riffs. “Hibernation Sickness” finds Disappears delving into some punk-like leanings with opening Who-like chord strikes, and “Love Drug” is a dark, post-punk affair accentuated by two-note creeping guitar and an off-kilter drum beat that sounds as if it were from a completely different song before pulling together and launching into a psychedelic jam near its conclusion.

At the center of the record is “Joa,” a hulking, groove-driven number that no doubt ranks among Disappaears’ best yet. The song manages to be both collected and wildly intense thanks to lead singer Brian Case’s haunting screeches during the verse that occasionally recall The Fall’s Mark E. Smith.

Like all of Disappears’ previous efforts, Pre Language has a central thematic element at play all the way through, this time being love. But don’t be fooled. While the lyrics do hang on the fringes of the concept of love, you won’t find the band uttering “Baby” or “Girl” to a ballad or smooth sax anywhere.

Pre Language simply finds Disappears reaching into their vast bank of classic, psychedelic and krautrock influences and giving us their best shot at recreating tunes that shaped them as musicians. Luckily, they did just that and deliver a record that sounds incredible, feels fresh and rocks hard.

Purchase Pre Language on LP or CD at Kranky.net.

Disappears – “Replicate”

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DISAPPEARS
10:00 p.m. Friday, April 13.
Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave.
18+. $12 or $14 at door.
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In the years that have passed since that Lincoln Hall gig, Wanton Looks have grown up and buffed out those rough edges. The production values on Wanton Looks’ debut are certainly crisp and clear, the kind that is more befitting a power pop group than punk rockers certainly. However, Wanton Looks’ self-titled album reflects the simple fact that punk can clean up without having to lose any of the flavor.

Wanton Looks (the album) plays like a vinyl record even if you listen to it on some digital platform. The songs rise and fall with intensity on both “sides.” Album opener “Electromagnetic Force” kick-starts “side one” with a bouncy, light-hearted guitar riff that weaves throughout while middle track “All I Want is You” slows things down only to have the mood turned upside down again for “side two” with the machine gun-like drums of “Demons” (courtesy of Meg Thomas) hammering you into submission.

This album brings to mind punk rockers the Distillers and The Pretenders. Both bands exhibit the same penchant for mixing slick pop melodies into serious hard rock grooves that Wanton Looks craft on its debut. Songs such as “86 Me,” “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah” and “All Your Fault” feature crunchy guitars (Inga Olson and Susie Q. Winn) and rough and tumble vocals, courtesy of lead singer and bassist Traci Trouble.

Wanton Looks are at their best when they are having fun and being playful, rowdy rockers. While there’s no substitute for the quartet’s live shows, Wanton Looks’ debut is certainly the next best thing for your daily infusion of infectious pop with a bit of hard rock edge.

Wanton Looks’ self-titled debut album is available on vinyl and mp3 via the group’s Bandcamp page.

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WANTON LOOKS (Album Release Party)
10:00 p.m. Saturday, March 31.
Schubas, 3159 N. Southport Ave.
21+. $8.
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How fitting that Renton’s observations are made in a disco: Shake It For Grandma (SIFG) make amazingly danceable synth pop. The duo, consisting of Ian Reynold and Ashley Wylde, has put out two EPs to date. Fuchsia Package dropped in March of 2010 and just this month its follow-up, Delirium Tremendous, was released (Fuchsia is free and Delirium is name-your-price on Bandcamp). Both records are teeming with sexually amped, laughter-inducing lyrics; complex, time-shifting music; and frenzied, demented sounds. It’s dense, ambitious stuff.

It should be noted, however, that SIFG owe a great debt to Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal, who certainly paved the way for this style of psych/synth pop and who SIFG undoubtedly take many stylistic cues from. Still, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and being able to emulate Barnes is no small feat. There is real craft and skill at work here to make this very detailed music feel lighthearted and off-the-cuff.

Take a song like “Ode for Arslan” (stream below) from Fuchsia Package. SIFG effortlessly unfurl this convoluted story about a 4 a.m. encounter with a pill-popping Kazakhstani man trying to buy a phone card to contact his dead wife. The chorus “pour your heart out to strangers/all your sorrows and angers” leaves you reminiscing about your own (or someone else’s) past emotional explosions and, most importantly, singing along. It’s easy to gloss over how the song deftly cycles through multiple instrumental interludes and tempo shifts.

Likewise, my favorite track from Delirium Tremendous, “Mouthful For Your Earhole,” covers more sexual ground than your average Internet wank session. In the span of one track, masturbation, menstruation, anal, rimming, blowjobs, sexting, underwear thievery and “coital cunt fermentation” (whatever that is) all make an appearance. It’s a cornucopia of sex that somehow evades feeling overwrought. Quite the opposite, the wild spray of imagery, set to a kaleidoscopic array of synths and beats, makes you want to give up your gender and join SIFG’s strange little pansexual army. Indeed, as Renton would say, it “sounds great to me.”

Download both Fuchsia Package and Delirium Tremendous at Shake It For Grandma’s Bandcamp.

Second: Cat Fight, the latest from Chicago’s Lasers and Fast and Shit, may just be the musical equivalent of base jumping. At five tracks and a hair under 10 minutes in length, the band plow through frenetic, metallic-tinged punk rock that straddles the line between danceable and rage-worthy.

It’s commendable when a band lives up to their name, and Lasers and Fast and Shit do just that on Second: Cat Fight. To say the band’s tunes are fast is an understatement – no track on the EP comes within 15 seconds of the three minute mark.

Yet the songs don’t feel rushed because LFS seem to know their strengths are concise, rowdy and careening moments that are all about fat, crunchy guitars, bullet train rhythms and distorted, hardcore screams.

And within this context the band still play it pretty melodic. The album’s production is quite clean, which really works to separate them from the lofi trendiness that would have been an obvious approach. This results in a few moments that are actually quite bouncy like the ascending, skank-able groove of “Airports,” that also works to spread the gospel that airports are, in fact, “BORING!”

“Detroit City Lions of Mexico City” kicks off with skintight snare hits alongside warbling bass before opening up into an unnerving set of freight train riffage. Meanwhile, the coked-up jam “Cat Fight USA,” which seems to come from the prospective of one pissed off pussy, alternates between OFF-like guitars and stoner metal breakdowns.

It’s hard to argue with output like this when it’s coming from a band called Lasers and Fast and Shit, which is why I won’t even try. For those in need of chaotic energy bursts that aren’t short melody and fun, pounce on Second: Cat Fight.

Pre-order the physical copy or purchase a digital copy of Second: Cat Fight at Hewhocorruptsinc.com

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LASERS AND FAST AND SHIT
9:00 p.m. Sunday, March 25.
The Burlington
21+. $5.
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Dirty surf. Cheerleader grunge. Candy thrash.

These are some of the genres in which Chicago almost-all-female punk band Swimsuit Addition places itself on the group’s Facebook page. And it’s true. During the Kitty Hawk’s short five-track run—clocking in at just under 13 minutes 30 seconds—it’s almost impossible to not notice Swimsuit Addition’s disparate influences.

It’s also almost impossible to not find your head nodding to the catchy, upbeat ’90s alternative rock guitar riffs and guitarist/vocalist Jen Larson’s sometimes bubbly, sometimes coarse lead vocals. The immediate comparison to make is to liken Swimsuit Addition to Bikini Kill or Le Tigre, a couple of bands at the forefront of the rebel grrrl movement that began in the ’90s. However, Swimsuit Addition’s Kittyhawk has a lot more going for it than just female power punk.

The opening track, “Ghosted,” is a patchwork of distinct styles seamlessly sewn together. The guitar riffs alone transitions from distorted grunge rock to airy surf rock to the crunch of garage rock.

“Good Question, Dad!” is perhaps the most exciting track on the album, with its alternative rock styling—in the tradition of Breeders and The Cure—paired with Larson’s rough vocals highlighted by softer, melodic vocals chanting in the background. A churning, driving drumroll pushes the song forward toward its powerful ending.

One of Swimsuit Addition’s strongest features is the vocal contributions that all members put forth, making the final three tracks—“Good Question, Dad!,” “Spinster” and “Atom Smasher”—especially engaging because there are so many layers of varied singing styles effortlessly coalescing.

This is an undoubtedly exciting year for up-and-coming band Swimsuit Addition. If Kittyhawk —a solid entry into the realm of female-led pop-punk— is any indication, the future is bright with possibilities for the band to integrate a variety of different rock genres into the band’s music, as well as the vocal strengths of Swimsuit Addition’s individual members.

Purchase the digital version of Kittyhawk at Swimsuit Addition’s Bandcamp.

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SWIMSUIT ADDITION
7:00 p.m. Friday, March 23.
The Spaceship
$5.
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While some are merely inspired enough by a locale to write a song, Shawn Rosenblatt, better known by his psychedelic pop leaning moniker Netherfriends, took from both the inspirational and experiential for his latest record, Middle America.

You see, nearly two years ago Rosenblatt set out on a very ambitious project where he aimed to play a show and record a song in all 50 states. And wouldn’t you know it, he actually did it (and yes that meant flying to Alaska and Hawaii). So, Middle America is far more than just a collection of songs about the central and mid western portions of the country.

The record documents Rosenblatt’s journey through America’s heartland with songs like “St. Louis, Mo,” “Des Moines, IA” and “Omaha NE” to name a few. But he’s often self-referential and writes about the seemingly ridiculous goal he’s set out for himself. On “Madison, WI,” Rosenblatt sings, “I was 23 years of age / writing 50 songs in 50 states / leaving your house was a big mistake / a mistake that I needed to make,” in a tired drawl.

And yet while on previous releases, Netherfriends has often been grouped in with psych-pop groups such as Animal Collective and the like, Middle America finds Rosenblatt embracing the blue collar-ness of middle America with more folk and alt-country leanings.

“Bloomington, IN” features airy guitars and galloping drums over a seemingly uptempo refrain of, “Everybody, Everybody wants to have a good time,” while the ode to Rosenblatt’s hometown, “Chicago, IL,” maybe the most edgy of the bunch as it’s lead by crooked-yet-expansive guitar hook.

That’s not to say Rosenblatt has completely abandoned his psychedelic roots. “Fargo, ND” opens with dirty tribal drums before shifting to dreamy keys, and “Columbus, OH” begins with dense echos before turning into quite the funky little number.

In the end, Rosenblatt has crafted Netherfriends’ best effort yet with Middle America because of it’s accessible and organic sound, clever wit and ambitious nature.

Purchase Middle America at Netherfriends.us

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NETHERFRIENDS
8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 1.
Double Door, 1572 North Milwaukee Ave.
21+. $7 donation.
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Change. It’s the central conflict and inspiration for Chicago indie rock band Young Jesus’ first full-length album, Home. Encompassing a wide variety of sounds—from the airy acoustic, folk beginning of “News” to the gritty, ‘90s garage rock of “The Greater Boulders” — Young Jesus’ musical diversity accentuates singer/guitarist John Rossiter’s impressive narrative thread.

The opening track, “Family and Friends,” embraces the listener with the gentle tempo of its acoustic guitar, but frantically builds to an aggressive and energetic climax. The singing rapidly transitions from sultry and soulful to frenzied and passionate in a matter of seconds. Rossiter employs a similar tactic in the album’s most sonically impressive track, “News,” which begins like a campfire sing-a-long. However, with Arcade Fire-like intensity, the song transforms into elegant discord with its visceral screaming backed by its upbeat guitar riff and constant crash of cymbals.

The most interesting aspect of the album is its major character, David, who makes appearances in four of the 11 tracks. His introduction comes in “David,” a hauntingly beautiful ballad about his dreams, love and innocence lost at the hands of a woman named Eloise.

“Away” provides the turning point in the story arc, and speaks to the delusions of idealistic memories. Calling to mind a Holden Caulfield-like fear of change, the surreal and complex track draws from its vivid imagery of a grotesque realization of “memory lane.”

David makes his triumphant return in three of the last five tracks, and Rossiter blurs the uncertain line between him and his character. In the final track, “Home,” he croons, “I am David. I am David/ I am Eloise, I am jaded!” It’s a fantastic story that comes full circle, drawing a sharp contrast between the first and last tracks—“Family and Friends” and “Home.”

Places and people may change, which is the root of the anxieties apparent in Young Jesus’ lyrics. David represents fears, vices and the person Rossiter doesn’t want to become—“half-Cain, half-Abel,” as he puts it in “David.”

However, family and friends—true friends—stay the same, and, in turn, anchor him. Rossiter, in “Home,” optimistically concludes, “I am happy, I am sound/ I’ve got my family and my friends.”

Purchase the digital version of Home at Young Jesus’ Bandcamp.

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YOUNG JESUS
6:30 p.m. Saturday, February 25.
Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave.
All Ages. $10.
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