Throughout Illusions, the latest from Chicago’s Golden Birthday, the band stretch and tweak exotic art-pop and electronica to their tension-filled breaking point. The simmering cut, “Beyond It,” is richly layered with sharp but bouncy melodies that give the tune a peculiar retro feel. Other times Golden Birthday emit a sullen mood such as on the crawling “Vexed,” and it’s deep vocal tones and synth play. While Golden Birthday are aiming for new territory, their music offers an eerie familiarity like a John Hughes soundtrack bathed in acid. LISTEN: “Beyond It” | Also appearing: Experimental synth-pop artist Dylan Ettinger & Ambient/Experimetal outfit Criminals.
9:00 p.m. Wednesday, 5/16. The Burlington. 21+. $7 donation.
In a world filled with dubstep DJs and party rock anthems, Chicago punks Coffin Pricks are standing tall under the banner of “unchill wave.”
Coffin Pricks take a page or two from bands like Mission of Burma and Husker Du by displaying speed and agility while maintaining a minimalist punk approach. Because of this, the lead track on the group’s recent EP, “Group Home Haircut,” isn’t overly intimidating. There’s enough melody and catchy guitar parts to compel listeners to dance while the back beats crackle at their feet.
If “Group Home Haircut” sounds like a weary, but wise old track, maybe it’s because Coffin Pricks themselves have seen and heard it all while playing in previous bands such as Ignition, Maximum Wage, Daylight Robbery, and Bob Tilton.
On their latest release, A Natural Thing (Unnatural To Me), The Gorilla Press fully embrace their alt-rock influences and deliver a beautiful sounding record that alternates between urgent and collected. Album opener, “On Fire,” is fun and melodic indie rock romp that concludes with an epic choral call to arms, while “Everything That Can Be Done” is a fiery, grungy shapeshifter that explodes into arena rock solos. The Gorilla Press also flex their dark and synths muscles on the slow burner, “When I Care.” It’s one thing when a band feels as focused as Gorilla Press do on A Natural Thing (Unnatural To Me), but it’s another to do so and still deliver the goods. LISTEN: “On Fire” | Also appearing: Punk rockers Old Black and Blue Eyes & Melodic alt-rockers Lights Over Bridgeport.
Monday Afternoon Quick Fix runs every Monday afternoon to showcase the best of Chicago music news, views and stories from around the interwebs and blogosphere that we might have missed.
• The Chicago Reader has raised the ire of the Chicago hip-hop community with its recent cover story, “Scratch and Stitch,” about the relationship between Chicago rappers and the streetwear companies that release their music. The cover depicts local rapper ShowYouSuck with a circle over his face that reads: “Insert Chicago Rapper Here,” which many including ShowYouSuck (AKA Clinton Sandifer) interpreted that action as the Reader saying that all rappers are the same. Gapers Block has responses from both The Chicago Reader’s editor-in-chief Mara Shalhoup and ShowYouSuck about the controversy.
• The Congress Theater’s owners have filed a lawsuit against the city for what it calls an unfair crackdown on the concert venue’s ability to sell alcohol during concerts. Chicago Pipeline reported last week that the Congress’ general manager was taken into custody and charged with “failure to cooperate with police regarding illegal activity in a licensed premise and with violation of hours of operation.”
Chicago indie-poppers Moritat recently released a brand new video for the track, “Cats,” from their new album, Clill Blanzin, which is due out June 26. The video offers a cheap feel as it’s set-up as one of those weird cable public access shows one might stumble on at four in the morning. But once Moritat rip into the opening melody of “Cats,” some trippy VHS-looking effects take over that really fit’s the song’s loose synths and wild guitars. Honestly though, the best part may be the acting of the show’s “guests” who seemingly freak out at the lush sonic attack “Cats” provides. Check it out for yourself below:
It’s hard to not just plug in the lava lamp and roll one up when Killer Moon come on. Their sludgy neo-psychedelia references every classic rock band ever associated with expanding one’s mind – Sabbath, Hendrix, Floyd. Their tunes, which usually keep at a crawl, are carried by shimmering guitars leads and lead singer Jesse Garza’s spacey mumbles and occasionally majestic howls. But it is impressive how they’re able to channel their influences so fluently. And tonight Killer Moon celebrate the release of their new self-titled EP, which unfortunately does not come with a free bottle of Febreze. LISTEN: “Heavy Trip” | Opening: Eerie rockers Creepy Band & Sludgy shoegazers Alma Negra.
Throughout Illusions, the latest from Chicago’s Golden Birthday, the band stretch and tweak exotic art-pop and electronica to their tension-filled breaking point. The simmering cut, “Beyond It,” is richly layered with sharp but bouncy melodies that give the tune a peculiar retro feel. Other times Golden Birthday emit a sullen mood such as on the crawling “Vexed,” and it’s deep vocal tones and synth play. While Golden Birthday are aiming for new territory, their music offers an eerie familiarity like a John Hughes soundtrack bathed in acid. LISTEN: “Beyond It” | Also appearing: Experimental synth-pop artist Dylan Ettinger & Ambient/Experimetal outfit Criminals.
On their latest release, 
It’s hard to not just plug in the lava lamp and roll one up when 
