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.”

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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.

• • Problems just keep following the Congress Theater. On Friday night, a concert featuring 16-year-old Southside rapper Chief Keef (who is currently under house arrest and sporting an ankle-monitoring device) was interrupted by a fight among patrons inside the venue, which led to a huge police response and the temporary closure of Milwaukee Avenue. As WBEZ blogger Jim DeRogatis points out, this new incident comes just days before The Congress is set to defend itself at its Deleterious Impact/Public Nuisance hearing at City Hall on Tuesday, April 17.
• • Gapers Block has the deets on Chicago’s latest summer electronic music festival, Wavefront. The two-day fest takes over Montrose Beach the weekend of June 30 and boasts appearances by Erick Morillo, Sasha, and Duck Sauce as well as DJ sets by Matthew Dear and James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.
• • If you ever needed confirmation that Kanye West is “a jackass,” wonder no more! The May issue of The Atlantic profiles the rapper and when President Obama was asked his thoughts on the eccentric performer he replied, “He is a jackass, but he’s talented.” Case closed.
• • The Chicago Tribune’s Jessica Hopper talked to Mary McKane, lead singer of garage poppers The Runnies ahead of their Township show this past Saturday. McKane talks about the band’s beginnings, learning how to write songs and what is like being in a band with her fiance, Russ Calderwood.
• • In his latest column for the Chicago Reader, Miles Raymer tackles the “Tumblrfication” of music and what it means for the future of original creative expression.

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 drama between Congress Theater owner Eddie Carranza and First Ward Alderman Proco Joe Moreno continues. After a lengthy interview with WBEZ blogger Jim DeRogatis in which DeRogatis questioned Carranza and his lawyer about a variety of topics including the condition of the venue’s bathrooms, Carranza responded with a point-by-point rebuttal of the accusations levied against his management and his venue on Chicago-Pipeline.com. The Deleterious Impact/Public Nuisance hearing against the Congress is scheduled for Tuesday, April 17, at 11:30 a.m. at City Hall. The public is encouraged to attend.
• • Gossip Wolf talks Lollapalooza predictions in this week’s issue of the Chicago Reader. And yes, you guessed it, one pick is… Marilyn Manson. Maybe he’ll tear a couple of pages from the Bible for old time sake.
• • Greg Kot catches up with Chicago’s best kept secret, garage poppers Radar Eyes and talks about the group’s HoZac debut, lead singer Anthony Cozzi’s love of cassettes, and why Radar Eyes is not a hobby band.
• • Time Out Chicago has some great shots of Andrew W.K. partying hard at The Riviera.
  
• • Jessica Hopper chats with Daniel Smith, one of Neon Marshmallow Fest’s co-organizers, about his stint at The Whistler DJ’ing House music.

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.

• • First ward alderman Proco Joe Moreno calls the Congress Theater “a dump” in a recent interview with WBEZ blogger Jim DeRogatis. Moreno has scheduled an Deleterious Impact/Public Nuisance hearing for Tuesday, April 17, at 11:30 a.m., which will be held at City Hall, to address public safety and noise concerns. The community is invited to attend. If the Congress doesn’t meet its community commitments, it stands to lose its liquor license.
• • Michael Orlove, one of this city’s prolific music programmers for the city’s many free music events like Downtown Sound: New Music Mondays and World Music Festival among others, has been hired away by the National Endowment for the Arts. No word on how this will affect Downtown Sound.
• • Leor Galil chronicles the story of DIY venue Summer Camp which hosted its last show last year. The final show will be commemorated with a four track 7-inch and a two and a half hour DVD to be released in April.
• • Are you ready for the return of R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet? Because it’s happening.
• • It’s about time OK Go started their own dating website.

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 Tribune’s Bob Gendron attended this weekend’s sold-out Morrissey show at the Congress and was particularly struck by the British singer’s flair for the dramatic.
• • Gapers Block captured some excellent photos from The Joy Formidable’s appearance at the Metro last Wednesday night.
• • Time Out Chicago’s music editors Brent DiCrescenzo and Areif Sless-Kitain named their “Best Chicago Albums of 2011” lists and came to an agreement about including CAVE’s Neverendless.
  
• • A.V. Club Chicago spoke to I Fight Dragons vocalist Brian Mazzaferri about money, namely what the band would do with a cool $1 million.
• • During Wilco’s Chicagoland takeover last week, frontman Jeff Tweedy stopped by WGN’s morning show to deliver not only the rock, but also the weather with a side of “supplemental hair.” Don’t quit your day job, Jeff.

Oh, what a weekend Chicago has in store for us all. Riot Fest, which technically kicked off yesterday, continues with big, big, big shows around town including DANZIG, Smoking Popes and Weezer. But if you’re not into the insanity of our annual punk-a-thon, look no further than T-Bone at Quenchers, Great Society Mind Destroyers at the Viaduct and a few more fests we think you’d enjoy immensely.

You don’t want to find hell with me, mother. So let’s get to it.

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Mad Decent Block Party

I believe it was rock legends (ha!) Loverboy who said, “Everybody’s working for the weekend.” Well, it looks like we’ve reached that miraculous part of our week where we can shrug off the fatigue and get ready to party.

If you thought the summer festival season ended with Lollapalooza, you’d be wrong. We’re talking about Mad Decent’s Block Party in Bucktown this Saturday as well as fabulous shows by Birth (last show!), White Mystery, Pretty Good Dance Moves and Tyler Jon Tyler, to name a few.

Let’s get to it!

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