Photo Credit: Audrey Leon

Hard rock duo Local H conjured up a special space-themed New Year’s Eve show for a sold out performance at the Double Door last Thursday.

Dubbed “2010: The Year We Break Contracts” — a play on the movie title 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the 1984 sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s acclaimed 2001: A Space Odyssey — the show began with frontman Scott Lucas and drummer Brian St. Clair donning matching white space suits equipped with helmets. Local H ripped through such spacey rock classics as Pixies’ “Planet of Sound,” David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” and Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse” before launching into its own material.

For a band that has six full-length albums in its repertoire, Local H is extremely adept in making set lists that include a bit from each. Local H kicked off its part of the show with the quiet seriousness of “Hands on the Bible,” from 2002′s Here Comes the Zoo before launching into the ever-popular around any city that is not located on the east or west coast “California Songs.”

Photo Credit: Audrey Leon

Adding to the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, film clips of several Sci-Fi movies including RoboCop, Starship Troopers and 2010 appeared on the screen behind the band. Local H expertly crafted this mood to prepare the audience for the ultimate New Year’s jam, “What Would You Have Me Do,” from 2002’s Here Comes The Zoo, a song in which Lucas details his party plans: “We don’t need nothing but cyanide / pull the teeth won’t be identified.”

While the crowd ate up songs like “High Fiving MF” and “Eddie Vedder,” from 1996‘s As Good As Dead, an electrified version of “No Problem,” from the same album, was an unexpected gem on this night. The song spanned 10 minutes and included a lengthy jam. It was the perfect last song (before the encore) with Lucas crooning the lyrics, “You had me but it’s over now.”

Photo Credit: Audrey Leon

The sound at the Double Door last Thursday was excellent. Both St. Clair, who bashed the skins as if his life depended upon it, and Lucas gave solid performances; Lucas was in a good mood and it showed. Our heroic astronauts were assisted throughout the night by a variety of guests including Ace Frehley (Married Men guitarist Peter Muschong), Jesus, and a high school letterman-jacket wearing alien (Gabe Rodriguez) who could scream like nobody’s business.

While the setting may have depicted a bleak future to come, Local H warmed the cockles of my icy heart during its 90+ minute set before sending me back out into Chicago’s brutal cold.

Set List

Robot Rock (Daft Punk)
Planet Of Sound (Pixies)
Rocket Ride (Kiss)
Astro Zombies (The Misfits)
Moonage Daydream (David Bowie)
Space Age Love Song (A Flock of Seagulls)
Eclipse (Pink Floyd)

Encore
What Would You Have Me Do?
Wolf Like Me (TV on the Radio)

Beginning December 21 through December 25, we’ll be posting Top 10 Albums of 2009 lists as determined by Loud Loop Press editors and contributors. Then beginning December 28 through January 1, we’ll up the ante by posting Top 10 Albums of 2000-2009 lists once again determined by our esteemed writers. Today contributor Ross Meyerson offers a plethora of metal in his list for the Top 10 albums of 2009.

10. Wooden Shjips – Dos
Wooden Shjips initially seemed as if they were going to scramble a lot of noise over their groove laden songs but their second full-length, Dos, tightened the ship (shjip?) and smoothed out the rough edges. And they are better for it. Dos hints at Krautrock and elements of the Doors that are cool (you know, when Jim Morrison is silent) to quite a nice hypnotic effect.

9. Telekinesis! – Telekinesis!
2009 was a stellar year for good old power pop and Telekinesis’s self titled debut was one of the best. Basically a one man band (Michael Lerner wrote all the songs and played most of the instruments) Telekinesis leans more on the pop side but songs like Tokyo and Look To the East bubble along on a steady beat. What makes this, and any power pop record for that matter, succeed is the non-stop catchiness of the melodies combined with driving power chords. It sounds simple. Telekinesis at least makes it seem that way.

8. Polvo – In Prism
Polvo surprised everyone by first reuniting and then by putting out one of their strongest records to date. In a time devoid of the rock half of art rock, Polvo reminded everyone that you can tune your guitars all sorts of ways, twist and contort your song structures and still just flat out kick ass. Welcome back old friends, and for further reading, check my review of Polvo’s In Prism.

7. Black Cobra – Chronomega
Also reviewed by yours truly, Chronomega found Black Cobra finally harnessing their power and producing a record of tight, riff heavy metal that peeked back to the heyday of thrash without sounding contrived. Like Slayer’s “Reign In Blood,” Chronomega cut out the fat and destroyed with a scalpel rather than a sledgehammer.

6. Baroness – Blue Record
I’m not even sure this is a metal album. Yes, there are heavy riffs and wailing guitars but there are so many different fights of fancy, from Ian Mackaye like vocals to finger picking guitar work, that it defies easy categorization. The strength lies in the fact that all of these divergent elements come together seamlessly to form a nearly flawless album.

5. Built To Spill – There is No Enemy
Built To Spill produced an album that took time to seep in but was built, so to speak, around a real sadness that, when it all started to make sense, became maybe their most powerful album since Perfect From Now On. And once again, feel free to check out my review of There Is No Enemy.

4. Woods – Songs Of Shame
Speaking of Built To Spill, Woods’ Songs Of Shame hearkened back to There’s Nothing Wrong With Love-era Built To Spill in that it was somehow lo-fi but sounded larger than life. And its tweaky take on guitar lead indie rock combined with the front porch/campfire song vibe made it as fresh and exciting as There’s Nothing Wrong With Love was back when it came out. High praise, indeed.

3. Shrinebuilder – Shrinebuilder
Please refer to my full review for additional details, but Shrinebuilder stared down the face of decades of limp supergroups and showed everyone how it is done. They embraced everyone’s individual sensibilities but synthesized them into a cohesive whole. And what a loud, heavy, brutal whole it was.

2. Mastodon – Crack The Skye
Yes, Crack the Skye lacked some of the musical power of Leviathan or Blood Mountain. That said, the void was more than filled by an emotional core seldom seen in metal. It’s a rare treat to see a band continue to set the bar higher and higher for themselves and consistently achieve their goals. That this is accompanied with sweet riffs and an otherworldly musicianship is just icing on the cake, man.

1. Slayer – World Painted Blood
They never went away but it is still fair to proclaim that Slayer are back! World Painted Blood took me by surprise. There’s good old Slayer playing, somehow decades later, with as much ferocity as bands half their age. Yes, most of the riffs have an air of familiarity but not since South Of Heaven has Slayer built songs around these riffs so perfectly. Everyone is at the top of their game. Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman shred mercilessly, Tom Arraya screams like he’s losing his shit, and Dave Lombardo plays even tighter than back in the day. What sets “World Painted Blood” apart from Slayer’s mid-90′s-2000′s output (besides Lombardo being back) is the slower songs. These are easily the best they’ve written in years and they give World Painted Blood room to breath. This album just straight kicks ass. And I never saw it coming.

1. Together for nearly 20 years, this Canadian rock outfit continues to put out music chock full of fresh harmonies and toe-taping melodies including this year’s Hit and Run EP, featuring the single “Take it Upon Yourself.”

2. Sloan’s 1996 album One Chord to Another may be one of the best pop albums ever made. Take that, Celine Dion!

3. Check out Chris Murphy and Co. cutting loose on the song “She Says What She Means” in their native Canada:

7:00 PM. Monday, 12/7. Lincoln Hall. All Ages. $20.

Three Reasons to see Meat Puppets at Schubas tonight…

1. Do you ever find yourself longing for the old days of alternative rock? Well, then, the Meat Puppets’ three-night stand (Nov. 12-14) at Schubas is just what the doctor ordered. Meat Puppets may be best known for appearing alongside the members of Nirvana for their now legendary MTV Unplugged in New York performance, but this Phoenix, Arizona, “cow punk” band has been around since the early 1980s.

2. Meat Puppets blazed trails alongside their SST labelmates Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr. and Black Flag. However, it was their switch from hardcore to country-fried rock for 1984’s Meat Puppets II, which featured the songs “Plateau,” “Oh, Me” and “Lake of Fire,” that earned the band its fame. The Meat Puppets had further success with the song “Backwater” from 1994’s Too High to Die. The band released its twelfth studio album Sewn Together in May 2009.

3. Check out the Meat Puppets performing “Plateau” at Schubas earlier this year.

Schubas, 9PM, 21+, $18

Photo Credit: Audrey Leon

Local electro-rockers Prairie Cartel celebrated the release of their debut album Where Did All My People Go with a gig at the brand new Lincoln Hall. The 45-minute set included such notable tracks as “Homicide” and the single “No Light Escapes Here.”

For a band that is still in its relative infancy – Prairie Cartel came about in 2005 – it hosts such seasoned Chicago rock veterans as Scott Lucas (Local H) on guitar and keyboards, Blake Smith (Caviar, Fig Dish) on vocals and guitar and Mike Willison (Caviar, Fig Dish) on bass. This is why it is surprising and maybe even refreshing to see the band members work out the kinks live on stage, even if it causes Smith some vexation.

Shortly after Lucas rushed over to the keyboard on Smith’s right side to play the intro to “Cracktown,” a bass-thumping ode to the Uptown neighborhood, bassist Willison asked to start the song over.

Photo Credit: Audrey Leon

Probably sensing the ensuing drama, Lucas retreated into the darkness to stand by an amp. An annoyed Smith refused saying, “That’s not rock and roll!” However, several voices in the crowd disagreed and shouted for the band to continue; Smith begrudgingly gave the song another go.

The re-start was not the only hiccup of the night. Later into the set, Lucas broke a guitar string as he took over lead vocals on “Homicide.” Lucas, however, did not skip a beat and soldiered through the rest of the set without changing guitars or strings.

Photo Credit: Audrey Leon

The track “Jump Like Chemicals” is one of the strongest songs off of Where Did All My People Go and it holds up extremely well live. It is hard to listen to this song without your feet and head reacting to each pulsating beat. Prairie Cartel closed out the night with the remix of Local H’s “Fuck Yeah That Wide.”

As trite and as cliche as this sounds, a Prairie Cartel live show is a lot like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get. Blemishes and all, you may still be pleased with what you find.

Photo Credit: Audrey Leon

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists played to a packed house at Lincoln Hall’s official Grand Opening celebration concert on Sunday, Oct. 25. The band took full advantage of its special one-off Chicago appearance to test new material for the Pharmacists’ forthcoming Matador Records debut.

Most of The Pharmacists’ 75-minute set was devoted to new tunes such as the memorable number “Bottle and Cork.” During the song’s performance, drummer Chris Wilson’s kit broke, forcing him to borrow the bass drum and snare drum stand from opening act, The Jai-Alai Savant. Frontman Ted Leo and guitarist James Canty took the situation in stride and “jammed,” repeatedly singing the lyric “Tell the bartender I think I’m falling in love,” until Wilson’s kit was fixed.

Leo’s new songs do not stray far from the Pharmacists’ signature peppy pop-punk sound but at least two sped up faster than the usual pace. While the night belonged to Leo’s new material, the Lincoln Hall crowd’s general demeanor went from a zombie-like stillness to instantaneous, but polite, enthusiasm for older songs “Where have all the Rude Boys Gone” from 2003’s Hearts of Oak and “Me and Mia” from 2004’s Shake the Sheets.

Leo was in good humor, bantering back and forth with the crowd about such topics as bonding with an ex-girlfriend’s southern parents and Leo’s home state New Jersey. During the encore Leo accepted a vegan pumpkin loaf from a female fan before launching into two solo covers of songs by Eddie and the Hot Rods and The Waterboys. Leo was rejoined by the Pharmacists for a full-band version of “Little Dawn” from 2004’s Shake the Sheets.

Despite the crowd’s lack of excitement during most of the show, the Pharmacists soldiered on, sounding clean and crisp the entire night. Lincoln Hall was the perfect venue and Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, with their fast and loud brand of rock, proved to be the perfect band to test Lincoln Hall’s sound system for its official opening night. Combined with flattering track lighting and excellent views from either the balcony or main floor, Lincoln Hall is destined to become one of Chicago’s best live music venues.

Photo Credit: Richard Giraldi

Who knew animated characters could be this loud? The fictional metal group Dethklok from Adult Swim’s Metalocalypse obliterated a sold out crowd at the Aragon Ballroom with insanely heavy, lightening fast riffs and tounge-in-cheek lyrics last Saturday night. But it was their tour mates and prog-metal gods Mastodon who gave a performance filled with more heavy hits and explosions than a Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon.

The double headliner thing can always get a bit awkward. Two huge bands but only one headlining spot. But it gets even more weird when the headliner is a fictional band from a cartoon. But Dethklok played the part well, and their video screen showing scenes from the show really helped push the idea that these guys were real. Still, Mastodon was the night’s highlight by a long shot playing a mesmerizing set that included their newest bombastic effort Crack The Skye in its entirety.

What makes Mastodon so impressive is that they’ve reached nearly classic metal band status while being a relatively young group. Crack The Skye is metal, but metal rooted in the heaviness of classic rock acts such as Zeppelin, Floyd or Deep Purple. And the band even performs with the exact precision as those same former greats.

Photo Credit: Richard Giraldi

This was the second time Mastodon have performed Crack The Skye in it’s entirety in Chicago, the first being last May at the Metro, and this performance was even tighter. The band really hit their stride during the mid-section of the 11-minute “The Czar” when big power riffs give way to a almost-funky bass-heavy bridge. Bassist Troy Sanders leaned back with his bass hung low and belted out a deep grunt before delivering his vocal section.

The intricacies of guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher’s collaborative riffage can’t be understated, and drummer Brann Dailor’s punk meets sludge meets jazz rhythms lift the songs to epic heights. The band’s encore consisted of a range of older material including the twisted “Circle Of Cysquatch” off 2006′s Blood Mountain and the heavy-as-all-fuck “Mother Puncher” from 2002′s Remission. After closing with an almost-as-good-as-the-original cover of The Melvins’ tune “The Bit,” the tinnitus began to set in, but there was no rest for the weary on this night.

Shortly before Dethklok hit the stage, the crowd began chanting “Dethklok!” and threw fists in the air as if the animated characters from part-American/part-Scandinavian death metal were literally about to walk on the stage. I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of Metalocalypse. Infact, I’m more of a Home Movies type of fellow, but Dethklok’s seemingly cult following really peaked my interest.

After a short opening video featuring a gag about Dethklok fans being languid mutants, the band hit the stage. Unfortunately, the only cartoon characters anywhere to be seen were on the video backdrop. The actual Dethklok consists of drummer Gene Hoglan, guitarist Mike Keneally, bassist Bryan Beller and lead guitarist, vocalist and Metalocalypse creator Brendon Small, who plays the part of Dethklok’s monstrous front man Nathan Explosion quite well.

The concept is that the live band plays to a bunch of quickly edited music videos featuring characters and scenes from the animated show that are projected on the screen behind them. It really seems to take the pressure off the musicians because most of the crowd were fixated on the violent images before them, leaving the band cool, collected and smiling as they deliver nearly grinding metal songs one after another.

Unfortunately, the fun of a Dethklok show only lasts for a few minutes and ultimately becomes gimmicky. The songs are metal, sure, but some of the takes are obviously jabs at the genre. Take the selection, “Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle,” which features a jackhammer-like double bass drum, sludgey riff and Iron Maiden-esque solo, but the lyrics, sung in a deep growl, are about coffee and why it’s so awesome. It’s cute and quite a few Chicagoland tweens enjoy it, but the question remained: Why are these guys headlining over Mastodon?

But at the end of the night, it was apparent that the show was simply a celebration of heavy metal. Old, young, older, younger all came out to hear big distorted riffs and insanely fast drums. Lets just hope that the younger breed of metal fans realize that great metal doesn’t have to be animated.

PHOTO CREDIT: Audrey Leon

Portland-based soul punks The Gossip brought sexy back to the Metro stage on Friday night. Outfitted in a slinky, glittery black dress with neon red hair Gossip vocalist Beth Ditto captivated the near-capacity audience with her dynamic stage presence and powerhouse vocals. Ditto never once let up, jumping and screaming along to each pulsing dance beat. Her enthusiasm so infectious, those in attendance could not help but go completely wild.

The Gossip began the night with “Dimestore Diamond” off 2009’s Music for Men and proceeded to serve up a decent mix of songs both new and old. By far, the biggest crowd reactions were reserved for new song “Love Long Distance” and “Your Mangled Heart,” off of 2006’s Standing in the Way of Control. Both songs had audience members off their feet, dancing and pogoing as Ditto testified from on high.

The ever-charismatic Ditto apologized to the audience for being too sick to hit the right notes, but if this was Ditto’s voice at its worst the crowd did not notice. Ditto’s southern roots seeped out of every note sung in the heavily gospel hymn-inspired “Don’t (Make Waves)” from 2003’s Movement, much to the crowd’s delight.

The Gossip brought the evening to a close a rousing rendition of the Tina Turner classic “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” although it was not the only time the Gossip sampled the work of others Friday night. After dedicating “8th Wonder” to Bikini Kill founding member Toby Vail, Ditto briefly launched into the Bikini Kill classic “Rebel Girl.” As the Gossip slowed things down during “Standing in the Way of Control,” Ditto sweetly crooned the opening verse of Nirvana’s “Smells like Teen Spirit” before frantically screaming her way back to her own song.

A Gossip live show has a little something for everyone whether that may be songs infused with pulsating, dance-pop beats, songs with politically-charged lyrics or a vivacious, soulful vocalist who can belt it out like nobody’s business. Either way, at a Gossip show you’re going to dance and you’re going to like it.

Audrey Leon’s Flickr Photo Gallery from the show.

Now in its fifth year, Riot Fest has become one of Chicago’s most unique festivals. Riot Fest is in autumn, takes place in doors at six of Chicago’s top music clubs and caters to one specific musical niche: the Punk Rocker.

Yes, Riot Fest is not the type of place to find the eclecticism of Lollapalooza or Pitchfork. It’s down to the bone, all business punk rock this weekend. Riot Fest officially kicked off last night at The Metro with a headlining performance from the Butthole Surfers. But beginning on Friday, October 9 until Sunday, October 11, don’t be alarmed. That racket you hear is probably just the crowd skanking, maybe doing the pogo.

So it’s Thursday, which means starting tomorrow, you’ll have big decisions to make. Namely deciding if you want to go to The Metro, Congress Theater, Beat Kitchen, Subterranean, or the Cobra Lounge to get your punk on. Well, us here at LoudLoopPress are a friendly bunch who love to help out. So, if you’re still all disco and indecisive, here’s some acts we think you should check out this weekend…

WAX -- Friday, October 9, The Metro

Los Angeles based, surf inspired, punk rockers WAX are geared up to reunite for their first show in over 14 years at The Metro for Riot Fest. The four-some are best known for an MTV song and video “California,” which was directed by Spike Jonze. The clip features a man on fire running in slow motion and soon after its release was banned from daytime airplay on the channel. That’s not the band’s only MTV connection to the channel though; drummer Loomis Fall has a recurring roll on the shows Jackass and Wildboyz. Once Riot Fest is over, who knows when WAX will play another show together so you should definitely check them out on October 9 at The Metro, doors open at 6PM. -- Shelby Blitz

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPT7q825gwI

Riverboat Gamblers -- Friday, Oct. 9, Congress Theater

Texas-based punk rockers The Riverboat Gamblers may not be as well-known as some of the bands (Dead Milkmen, Murder City Devils) they will share the stage with at Riot Fest on Friday, but they make up for it with their hard-charging riffs and wild stage show. Vocalist Mike Wiebe is a memorable frontman whose performance is strictly high energy, flailing his arms and legs about on stage as if his life depends upon it. Riverboat Gamblers released its new album Underneath the Owl on Volcom records; it features the ultra-catchy tracks “Victory Lap,” “A Choppy, Yet Sincere Apology” and “Catastrophe.” -- Audrey Leon

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImYxl9x_ilA

Naked Raygun -- Friday, Oct. 9, The Metro

Coming back to show these youngsters how Chicago Punk Rock should really sound is Naked Raygun. There isn’t a band at this year’s Riot Fest that hasn’t been influenced by them, and after experiencing their musical energy, it’s not hard to see why. Formed in 1981, Naked Raygun was one of the first post-punk bands in Chicago. Influenced by the art-punk music of Wire and Gang of Four, Naked Raygun is known for their fearless lyrics, use of complex melodies and hardcore punk music that keeps the crowds wanting more. Compared to other screaming punk bands, Naked Raygun’s music is intelligently written and uses intricacies not seen in other 3 chord punk bands. In 1992, the band parted ways leaving a hole in Chicago’s punk scene. However, they triumphantly returned in 2006 and headlined at Riot Fest to an audience of 4,000 people. Naked Raygun has carved their name into Chicago punk rock and will continue to show audiences all the reasons they demand respect in the scene. -- Britni Day

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e2J3o8001o

Murder City Devils -- Friday, Oct. 9, Congress Theatre

The Murder City Devils are dead…except someone forgot to tell them? The band will resurrect the act once again as they set sail for the Congress Theatre on Friday, October 9th as Chicago’s infamous Riot Fest opens this weekend. Since disbanding in 2001, these pirate prog-punkers have only played a handful of shows after reuniting in Seattle at the 2006 Capitol Hill Block Party. Rumors of a reunion tour and new album continue to swirl around MCD and some west coast fans got a small taste as the band embarked earlier this year on a small left coast tour. Friday’s show will also feature punk-rock legends The Dead Milkmen and electric upstarts The Riverboat Gamblers. Tomorrow night, Murder City fans will most certainly trade their rum for whiskey and always remember; there is no grave, but the sea… -- John Niederkorn

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XrPCCh-5aw

Youth Brigade -- Saturday, Oct. 10, Congress Theatre

Holy crap! Youth Brigade have been around forever. In the early 80′s, at least for a short time, they seemed every bit as important as Minor Threat. True, that didn’t really pan out but Sound and Fury is still a classic slice of 80′s hardcore. And give the Stern’s (Mark, Adam, and Shawn) credit for trying to bring some positivity to the punk scene. I still remember watching Another State Of Mind on Night Tracks on TBS in high school. See what these guys have left Saturday at the Congress. -- Ross Meyerson

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IJrWu3CNvo

88 Fingers Louie -- Saturday, Oct. 10, Congress Theatre

Reunions are like Pringles: Once you pop, you just can’t stop. I mean why play only one show when you can play two? Last time we checked in on seminal Chicago punk rockers 88 Fingers Louie, they were reuniting for the first time in nearly a decade for a one-off show at the Bottom Lounge last August. Unfortunately, founding member, bassist Joe Principe, couldn’t make it because he was busy with his new band called Rise Against. I’m sure some of you might have heard of them. Anyway, 88 Fingers Louie are back! Again! It’s the only show listed on their Myspace page, so this might really be it. Really. -- Richard Giraldi

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPihnJBngZs

NOFX -- Saturday, Oct. 10, Congress Theatre

Formed in 1983, political punk rockers NOFX have released a total of 11 studio albums, the latest being 2009’s Coaster. NOFX made its career challenging political, racial and ethnic stereotypes with a sound that combines punk, ska and hardcore. Nowhere is this more prevalent than NOFX’s 1992 album “White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean, which features the songs “Stickin’ in my Eye” and “Please Play This Song on the Radio.” NOFX quickly rose to fame selling over 500,000 copies of 1994’s Punk in Drublic, featuring the tracks “Don’t Call Me White” and “Linoleum.” -- Audrey Leon

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtak7jJmv8o

Screeching Weasel -- Sunday, Oct. 11, Congress Theatre

Everyone loves to hate Screeching Weasel. Sure, Ben Weasel isn’t the most lovable gent. Still, he and his band have put out some of the best and smartest pop punk this side of the Ramones. There’s something precious about songs like Cindy’s on Methadone. And the album Anthem For a New Tomorrow, keyboards and all, is pretty much a masterpiece. Ben has enough hits to make Friday’s show at the Congress theater worth dealing with his crap. -- Ross Meyerson

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EpSTGKOZdQ

Alkaline Trio -- Sunday, Oct. 11, Congress Theatre

Chicago natives Alkaline Trio released its sixth album Agony & Irony in 2008; Alkaline Trio was founded in 1996 by vocalist Matt Skiba, drummer Glenn Porter and bassist Rob Doran. Skiba found a songwriting partner in Dan Andriano, who replaced Doran in 1997. Alkaline Trio crafted its sound from punk roots adding a dash of gloomy pop hooks and pairing it off with anthemic lyrics. Drummer Derek Grant joined Alk3 in 2001, just in time to record 2003’s acclaimed album Good Mourning, featuring “We’ve Had Enough.” Alk3 released Crimson in 2005, featuring the singles “Time to Waste” and “Mercy Me.” -- Audrey Leon

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM0rkQ3tKdg

Photo Credit: Audrey Leon

A veritable diamond in the rough among the many musical acts featured at the Elbo Room, Chicago’s own The Gorilla Press brought it loud and proud on Sunday, Oct. 4.

The Gorilla Press’ hour-long set included the hard-charging songs “Possibilities” and “Everything That Can Be Done,” both featured on the band’s MySpace page. The Gorilla Press’ material has many layers, harkening back to the good days of 90s alternative (think Radiohead, Failure, Foo Fighters) coupled with all the trappings of prog rock.

This local quintet features vocalist and guitarist Chris Kang, bassist Marc Najjar, keyboardist Brian Pavloff, guitarist Kirill Orlov and drummer Josh Rockel; however, the band members are not tied to these roles as Kang, Pavloff and Najjar engaged in a game of musical chairs with their instruments on stage.

The Gorilla Press exudes the confidence and command of stage often found with more seasoned bands. Kang is a highly emotive frontman; so into the music, his hands often leave the guitar to gesticulate wildly.

In a sea of unknown local groups, The Gorilla Press stands out for bringing back an era of rock ushered out too quickly by nu-metal and bubblegum Disney pop. The Gorilla Press is one Chicago band worthy of your undivided attention.
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Catch The Gorilla Press Saturday, October 17, at Eastern Illinois University.
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