[caption id="attachment_26170" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Galerie F fundraiser poster"][/caption] Three reasons to paint some fancy duds onto yourself and get over to Cole's to support your local art scene tonight... 1. As we reported last week, the peeps over at FugScreens are holding a bash with free pizza and cheap drinks to raise money for new local art space Galerie F. Headlining the event are local psych-poppers BIGCOLOUR. If the Chicago quartet's penchant for distorted, high-pitched vocal harmonies weren't so haunting, one could characterize BIGCOLOUR's brand of garage-surf as breezy, feel-good pop due to its brain-scrambling wavy guitar tones and mellow grooves. The band's recent EP YOUR BODY DOESN'T LIKE THE DECISIONS YOUR BRAIN MAKES, VOL.1 certainly puts me in a better mood and if that isn't feel-good music, I don't know what is. LISTEN: "Jokes" 2. Also spreading some musical love at this fundraiser are sludge-poppers Rodeo. The group make a meal out of chunky guitar riffs that are steeped in a thick vat of classic rock au jus; unintelligible lyrics that are accompanied by ear-piercing screams (provided by Jordan Sirven), and heavily tenderized beats (served up by George Nisbett). The game of musical instrument chairs is worth the price of the show itself and luckily this one is kind of free. Full disclosure, our own editor-in-chief Richard Giraldi serves as Rodeo's guitarist/bassist. LISTEN: "LCD Soundsystem is Playing at my Condo" 3. Chicago quintet Continental Breakfast sound like a ray of sunshine during a Midwestern winter. While that big yellow dot in the sky may feel unfamiliar at times, the group's brand of twangy indie rock certainly feels like home with its reverberating guitars, and dense, charging drum beats that are coupled by plenty of endearingly warm vocals. LISTEN: "We've Got it Good" 8:00 p.m. Monday, 4/9. Cole's. 21+ FREE! By Audrey Leon  \  comments

Local print screen studio FugScreens, which has created and/or printed poster art for Radar Eyes, Ornery Little Darlings and more, is joining forces with artist Billy Craven and art historian Allie Whalen to open a new street art-filled space called Galerie F. For the space to become a reality, the group behind it needs your help. That's why FugScreens' head honcho Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff will host a fundraiser at Cole's Bar (2338 N. Milwaukee Ave.) next Monday, April 9, at 8:00 p.m. The fundraiser will feature bands of the Chicago variety including psych-rockers BIGCOLOUR, twangy indie poppers Continental Breakfast and sludge pop trio Rodeo. The Cole's event will also have free pizza from Piece and inexpensive libations to encourage you to dole out those funds in the name of good art. And there's even a raffle with fine products donated by local businesses such as Quimby's Bookstore, Cafe Mustache and more. For more information about the Cole's event, please visit the Facebook page. To donate online, please check out Galerie F's Kickstarter page. By Audrey Leon  \  comments

[caption id="attachment_22497" align="aligncenter" width="445" caption="Hum"][/caption] It's a big weekend, folks. There's Hum's much-anticipated headlining appearance at the inaugural A.V. Fest and plenty of smaller shows by crazy kids such as Soft Speaker, Dozens and Blah Blah Blah. Let's not waste any more time. Allons-y, Alonso!

FRIDAY

GANGLIANS In the mood for some crooked surf rock? Then Ganglians are right up your alley. Reverb soaked guitars and punky vocals power this Sacramento group's intriguing sound that offers strangely intoxicating melodies. There's plenty of rad local action on the bill as well. Stephen Paul Smoker thrill with their punchy, psych-rock antics, and LLP favorites Soft Speaker are always a great time with snarling guitars that often throwback to my favorite era - the '90s alt-rock explosion. It should, nay, WILL be a great one. (Richard Giraldi) 9:00 p.m. Friday, 9/9. Beat Kitchen. 17+ $10. CROSS RECORD What can I say, it’s an breezy pop weekend. Chicago’s Cross Record, AKA Ms. Emily Cross, creates ambient, miminalist pop tracks that are showcase Cross’ angelic vocals and intriguing lyrics, as we found on her album Magnetic Current. Think Mirah at her most gentle and Cat Power at her least full of her self. Also in appearance are the ever-so-sunny pop spectacle of Careful Q. The group is fronted by the lovely Daphne Sidor, who draws you in with her siren-like vocals. Don’t fight the pop bliss. Swinging folk songstress Hawley and the less serious, more dance-friendly disco-poppers Neon City will also be there. Neon City will be rocking the key-tar. A KEYTAR! (Audrey Leon) 8:00 p.m. Friday, 9/9. Silvie’s Lounge. 21+ $5.

SATURDAY

A.V. FEST Festival season will just not die. But that's a totally awesome thing. Seeing as 70% of the year for Chicago is just fucking miserable, might as well get as many outdoor events in as we can before our cars are buried in snow. This time, it's Chicago's loveable A.V. Club who are throwing the shindig. Cleverly dubbed A.V. Fest and held outside the Hideout, it offers a quaint but impressive lineup. Of course there's Chicago fuzz guitar rockers HUM headlining on Saturday and indie rock stalwarts Archers of Loaf closing things out on Sunday - but the undercard is really where its at. I can't tell you in word how awesome psych-garage rockers Disappears are, so you'll just have to see for yourself, and if the volume is loud enough, local axe-tappers Maps & Atlases will melt your brain with melody. There's also Like Pioneers, The Thermals, Telekinesis, Tokyo Police Club and more. So, rad? You betcha. (Richard Giraldi) Noon-10:00 p.m. Saturday, 9/10 & Sunday, 9/11. The Hideout. All Ages. $10. WELLS STREET FALL FEST Fall Schmall. Is this weekend the street festival’s last stand? Not only do we have the A.V. Club’s inaugural music fest this weekend, we now have the Wells Street Fall Fest happening on Wells between North Avenue and Shiller. On tap to rock Old Town are local retro pop rockers Blah Blah Blah, Chicago indie glam rockers The Handcuffs, emo kingpins The Get Up Kids and, of course, the band that made having sex and candy famous Marcy Playground. You probably don’t want to miss this one. (Audrey Leon) 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday, 9/10. & 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday, 9/11. Wells Street (between North and Shiller). All Ages. $5 donation.

SUNDAY

DOZENS There’s nothing quite like an indie pop showcase. Seriously, some times you just need to sit back and relax, maybe even sway back and forth a couple of times. Funky powerpop trio Dozens brings some lightly dusted with sugar rhythms with plenty of synths. We enjoyed their track “Sounds of Your Lovers” from their new 7” last month. So be sure to re-check that out. Also joining Dozens, are husband and wife duo The Halamays, which our own Joseph Montes showered (rightfully so) with praise in his review of their album This Boring Party. The group specialize in syrupy sweet lo-fi pop compositions that will definitely lift up your day. Also on deck are twangy garage rockers Continental Breakfast. (Audrey Leon) 7:00 p.m. Sunday, 9/11. Empty Bottle. 21+ $3. SLOW SKATE Here’s another husband and wife indie pop outfit battling it out for your Sunday night entertainment. Seattle’s Slow Skate is comprised of singer Caitlin Sherman and Jason Goessl as well as engineer Robb Davidson. When you first listen to Slow Skate, you wonder if you’ve been transported to Twin Peaks or some other David Lynch project without knowing it. Sherman’s ethereal vocals cast a spell on the listener and leaves you floating off the ground. There’s plenty of ambient strings and piano adding depth to to Slow Skate’s lounge act. The video for “Comforting” only reinforces the David Lynch influence. So grab fancy drink and let Slow Skate ensnare your soul. (Audrey Leon) 10:00 p.m. Sunday, 9/11. The Whistler. 21+ Free. By Audrey Leon  \  comments

It's Labor Day weekend, y'all! It's time to celebrate our jobs by taking some time off from them to enjoy what little is left of summer. Because of the holiday there are festivals aplenty happening in the city. We've got North Coast Music Festival happening in the West Loop and Ravenswood Remix on the Northside. Plus shows by Save the Clocktower and Dark Fog. Let's get to it!

FRIDAY

NORTH COAST MUSIC FESTIVAL For those of you who just didn't get your fill of big honking summer fests during Pitchfork and Lollapalooza, North Coast Music Festival brings you one last summer hurrah. In its second year, North Coast has firmly solidified itself as a destination festival with a lineup that mostly stems from the electronic and DJ genres but also features a number of jam, hip-hop and excellent locals. Acts we're looking forward to at this event? In terms of big names, you can't miss French House DJ David Guetta, pop hit machine Fatboy Slim and Chicago's hip hop powerhouse Common. But the local lineup is quite impressive as well with melodic indie poppers California Wives, funky electro-rockers Loyal Divide, heavy soul rollers The Right Now and more. North Coast Music Festival is the end of summer blowout that Chicago deserves, and here's to many more years of it rocking us into autumn. The complete lineup, schedule and all additional information can be had at Northcoastfestival.com. (Richard Giraldi) 3:30 p.m. Friday, 9/2. 12:00 p.m. Saturday, 9/3, and Sunday, 9/4. Union Park (1501 W. Randolph). All Ages. $60 (Tickets available here. SATURDAY SOLD OUT.) RABBLE RABBLE The magnificent psych-rock quartet that we have come to love and admire has decided to come back out for one last show for a few months. Yes, the band says that they need to start working on a follow up to last year’s Bangover and we’re all for that. So use this as an excuse to check out the brand new Ultra Lounge, if you haven’t already. Why not? Also bringing the heavy tonight are local rockers Mutts and indie poppers The Way It Is. (Audrey Leon) 9:00 p.m. Friday, 9/2. Ultra Lounge. 21+ $5. SWIMSUIT ADDITION If not in the festival frame of mind, perhaps you should check out Swimsuit Addition tonight. I rarely sing the praises of a band that has yet to release any official material, but this only means that the band is legit. As previously stated, the all-girl trio combines big power-pop riffs with an energetic foundation that's more akin to riot girl outfits like Sleater-Kinney (Swimsuit Addition also does a totally rad cover of SK's "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" in their live set occasionally). But it would be remiss of us not mention the other fine bands on the bill, which include raunchy rock and rollers Vamos, arty indie punks HotChaCha and grizzly riff-ragers Summer People. Gonne be a good one. (Richard Giraldi) 9:30 p.m. Friday, 9/2. Streetside (3201 w. Armitage Ave). 21+. FREE.

SATURDAY

RAVENSWOOD REMIX Neighborhood summer festivals are far from over. No, sir. Ravenswood Remix, billed as “Chicago’s first recycled art fair” is taking over a small corner near the Irving Park Brown line to bring you some fun workshops (composting and hula hooping) as well as some sweet local music. On tap for Saturday’s edition is Empty Bottle regulars, the honky-tonk swinging, Hoyle Brothers, orchestral art rock duo The Loneliest Monk, hard rockers Sybris and garage rockers Mannequin Men. Sunday’s lineup doesn’t disappoint with indie rockers Continental Breakfast, delightful pop rockers Pet Lions, and psych rockers Secret Colours and Apteka. Don’t forget to put a bird on something! (Audrey Leon) Noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, 9/3 & Sunday, 9/4. 4100 N. Ravenswood Ave. (Between Belle Plaine and Berteau). All Ages. $5 donation. SAVE THE CLOCKTOWER With enough swirling melodies and dizzying breakdowns, Save The Clocktower offer a mature and intriguing electronic sound. It's part Depeche Mode, part space rock, but always enough to get you dancing in the aisles. Our of Audrey Leon had some very nice things about their debut LP, Carousel earlier this year. Also set to get you grooving on Saturday night are melancholy pop duo Brontosaurus, who recently released their debut Cold Comes to Claim on local tape label Plustapes, instrumental, atmospheric rockers When Clouds Attack and the smooth, synth-heavy indie rockers City States, who also recently released a new and free single, "Evened Out," which you can grab at Citystatesmusic.com. Dig it. (Richard Giraldi) 9:30 p.m. Saturday, 9/3. Beat Kitchen. 21+. $8.

SUNDAY

DARK FOG Chicago’s Dark Fog are celebrating the release of its album Drug Portal: Heavy Dilemma, which you can buy off their bandcamp page for $5 or purchase the cassette. The collection of songs include moments of speedy, chugging psych-rock and slow stoner rock jams (ala Kyuss). And when the songs aren’t hovering in those two territories they are spacing out on ambient noise waves. Also on tap for this show are LLP faves Great Society Mind Destroyers. There’s nothing quite like watching this quartet get to work on wailing psych rock and eerie vocals. Opening the show are doom metal outfit Black Wyrm Seed, of whom our own Ross Meyerson called “trippy, druggy metal.” At a low, low price of $3 (that’s $1 per band), you cannot lose. (Audrey Leon) 7:00 p.m. Sunday, 9/4. Empty Bottle. 21+ $3. ANTONY & THE TRAMPS We first encountered singer-songwriter Antony Ablan and his band the Tramps when we viewed his Lightbox Session last week. Antony & the Tramps play serious folk music with a side of jazzy pop melodies. The hooks will have you bopping your head and clapping along to the spicy rhythms before you even realize what you’re doing. The group opens for Ohio folk rockers Southeast Engine so get there early! (Audrey Leon) 8:00 p.m. Sunday, 9/4. Schubas. 21+ $8 advance / $10 door. By Staff  \  comments

WHOOO! WEEKEND! HELL YEAH! Anyway, there's just WAYYYY too much going on this weekend for me to jabber on about right now. Let's just dive in, shall we?

FRIDAY

HAPPY FUGGIN’ 8TH of JULY As we reported earlier this week, local screen printers and poster artists FugScreens Studios is opening its shop to the public for a night of free food, drink and live rock and/or roll. Loud Loop Press is proud co-sponsor this event that gives you, our beloved readers, a chance to check out such awesome acts as fuzzy indie rockers Continental Breakfast, post-punks Rodeo and garage-a-billy trio Ornery Little Darlings. (Audrey Leon) 7:00 p.m. Friday, 7/8. FugScreens Studios (1735 N. Ashland Ave). All Ages. Free. ARCHERS OF LOAF That's right, Archers of Loaf. I shouldn't even have to tell you why but I guess that's my job so... seminal North Carolina indie rock! While everyone was loving on Pavement I was busy digging the heavier sounds of Archers of Loaf. Now, they are back and ready to get some of that retro love the likes of Dinosaur Jr. and Superchunk have been basking in lately. This shit is well deserved, see. Don't be a dummy and let the Archers slip through your fingers again. You've got two chances to see them and hopefully new material is in our future? In the meantime the good folks at Merge are busy readying remastered re-issues of all four studio albums starting with Icky Mettle in early August. Merge. Archers of Loaf. I mean, this is just perfect. (Ross Meyerson) 9:00 p.m. Friday, 7/8. Bottom Lounge. 17+. $25. 9:00 p.m. Saturday, 7/9. Bottom Lounge. 17+. $22. LOCAL H It was only two months ago that the hard rocking duo of Scott Lucas and Brian St. Clair - otherwise known as Local H - played to a packed audience at the Metro as a part of their “All the Hits All Night” tour. Well, now the group is changing it up, playing a smaller gig at the Empty Bottle that promises to deliver the 20-year-old band’s deep cuts. If Lucas’ stop at Coach House Sounds is any indication, the band should pull out some rare gems. Of course if you want to see “Bound for the Floor,” you should hit up the band’s West Fest set on Saturday (See below for more info). (Audrey Leon) 9:30 p.m. Friday, 7/8. Empty Bottle. 21+ $15. THEIR OCEAN Two guys known as Keith and Jason somehow make up the entirety of the rather large and lush sounding Their Ocean. You may know Jason from his other duo Boy King Island, upon whom our own Britni Day lavished some pretty heady praise. Less indie than that combo, Their Ocean take on a more of a swirling soul-like thing that at time reminds this here writer of In Tall Buildings. Tonight they are finally celebrating the release of their Still Waters EP which can be downloaded for the low low price of free here. If you like the physical, they will be selling a limited amount of handmade CDs. I still like CDs. (Ross Meyerson) 10:00 p.m. Friday, 7/8. Morseland. 21+. FREE! HOUSE SOUNDS Jingly jangly indie rock is what Chicago's House Sounds do best. A bit surfy, a bit garagey but almost always melodic and fun. But that's not all going down this evening. Quirky keyboard-n-drum duo Billy Crystal Meth are celebrating their release of their new tape. Oh, and let's not forget Minneapolis' non-NFL team spastic bedroom rockers The Miami Dolphins and double keyboard action from Jacksonville's Chicken and Whiskey. It's gonna be a grand ol' time. (Richard Giraldi) 9:00 p.m. Friday, 7/8. Streetside Cafe. Donations accepted.

SATURDAY

WEST FEST We’ve hit that wonderful mid-point in summer where it is the Wicker Park neighborhood’s time to shine. It's the second weekend fest of the season for the neighborhood and West Fest is chock full of great bands and DJs for your listening pleasure. Saturday gives us a super diverse lineup. How about black metalists Liturgy? Or girly garage rockers Hollows followed by the hard alternative rock stylings of the aforementioned Local H? Sunday promises to be just as eclectic with Chicago teen poppers Purple Apple, punks Team Band, and experimental rockers A Lull. Check out the entire lineup at WestFestChicago.com. Noon. Saturday, 7/9 & Noon. Sunday 7/10. West Fest (Chicago Avenue between Damen and Wood). All Ages. $5 donation. WE REPEL EACH OTHER Noisy, abrasive, tension-filled, We Repel Each Other do all of these things well. Very well, in fact. Their latest releases are a set of two distinctly different EPs. The first, the logically titled sussurra?:?canta?:?deride, can maybe, possibly be considered "accessible" at times like on the out-of-nowhere sludge blues of “racetrack jack”, while the second EP, interruptions, fills the band's need to make uncomfortable cacophonies. But We Repel Each Other is not the ONLY reason to get to Memories on Saturday night. Surfy punks Hotlips Messiah will also make an appearance as will power punkers Samantha and minimalist post-posters Lil Tits.(Richard Giraldi) 8:00 p.m. Saturday, 7/9. Memories. 21+. $5.

SUNDAY

THE ULTRA-VIOLET PETTING ZOO FESTIVAL Have you been to Chicago street fests this summer and thought, "Man, this fest really does lack in the petting zoo and carnival games department." If so, then the Ultra-Violet Petting Zoo Festival might just be what you're looking for. Curated by our local-music-loving allies Chicago Mixtape, the fest has one helluva lineup that includes, but not limited to, those wild and crazy kidders White Mystery, blusey soul-bruisers Bailiff, melodic slow burners The Record Low and much, much more. Oh, and did we mention there will be a real live fucking petting zoo where you can touch animals and shit? WHOA! And to cap it all off, it's a benefit for the Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club. Does it get any sweeter? No. It does not get any sweeter.(Richard Giraldi) 2:00 p.m. Sunday, 7/10. Revere Park (3900 N Rockwell). All Ages. $5 Donation. TINY FIREFLIES It’s about time these local new wave-inspired indie rockers booked a show in town. Tiny Fireflies, better known as Lisle Mitnik and Kristine Capua, specialize in making music that consists of sweet, sparkling synths and deep, dreamy Mazzy Star-esque vocals. If those names look familiar, it’s because Mitnik and Capua also lend their musical talents to the Chicago band Very Truly Yours. Mitnik and Capua’s last venture under the Tiny Fireflies moniker was an appearance at NYC PopFest. So let’s encourage them to make way more appearances in their home city by catching Tiny Fireflies' opening spot set at Schubas. (Audrey Leon) 8:00 p.m. Sunday, 7/10. Schubas. 21+ $10. THE BLACK TAPE The Black Tape are smooth. Real smooth. Their guitar-focused quartet is heavily influenced by the '60s sounds of the Kinks and the Beatles, but their music comes across much cleaner sonically. Their tunes are crafted, poppy, melodic and tight as some kind of super tight knot. Of course, that's not all. If you didn't get your fix of them last weekend at their epic Obbityfest spectacular, indie space machiners Earth Program will keep doing what they do best: rock your face. Also, stick around for Unplugged and Reborn and The Window Theatre. They're both totes rad as well.(Richard Giraldi) 8:00 p.m. Sunday, 7/10. The Beat Kitchen. 17+. $10. By Ross Meyerson  \  comments

Like Thanksgiving and Christmas some holidays never end. Local screen printing artists FugScreens Studios aims to keep the July 4th festivities going with its “Happy Fuggin’ 8th of July” party this Friday night at its studios located at 1735 N. Ashland Ave. Loud Loop Press is proud to sponsor this event that opens up the already pretty open art studio to the public for a night of live music, hand printed t-shirts, colorful poster art, raffles, and free food and drink. Other sponsors include Old Style, Koval Distillery, Piece Pizza, Cafe Mustache and Busy Beaver Buttons. But you only care about the live music part, right? On tap to tear your ear drums a new one are Chicago indie fuzz rockers Continental Breakfast, post-post punks Rodeo and garage-rockabilly hybrid Ornery Little Darlings. The party kicks off at 7 p.m. and we hope to see you there for a little screen printing, drinks and rock & roll. By Audrey Leon  \  comments