This weekend, we plan on getting Blacked Out at the Empty Bottle, do some Dumpster diving at the Burlington, make a Day of it at Cole’s and so much more.

Let’s do this…

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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.

9:30 p.m. Monday, 5/14. Empty Bottle. 21+. FREE.

Weekend! Time to hit the clubs! This time around we’re talking Dead On TV at Ultra Lounge, the Velcro Lewis Group at Cole’s, Population at the Empty Bottle and more!

Let’s do this…

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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.

• • A cab driver, possibly Kool-Aid Man, has crashed his vehicle into a wall at Schubas this past Thursday. No one was hurt but the brick wall outside the historic building will need repairs.
• • Jessica Hopper catches up with Jeff Tweedy’s son, Spencer, to talk about his rock band, The Blisters.
• • The Reader has the details about the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s Summer Jazz series, which will run every Tuesday from June 5 to September 25.
• • Consequence of Sound reviews M83′s recent tour stop at the Riviera.
• • Time Out Chicago has a few snapshots from Rabid Rabbit’s gig at the Empty Bottle.

Archie Powell and the Exports

It’s the last weekend in April and we can’t just let you go on your merry way without making a few suggestions on how best to live it up and rock it out.

Grab your hippest rain poncho and brace yourselves because we’re talking Archie Powell and the Exports’ record release show at Subterranean, Panda Riot’s gig at Bottom Lounge and Rabid Rabbit’s takeover of the Empty Bottle.

Up and Atom!

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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.

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Magic Milk is quickly becoming one of our (and Chicago’s) favorite bands because of their raucous garage rock attack and rowdy live shows, which usually end with lead singer Kenneth Alden pantsless.

That’s why I was momentarily concerned when I got wind that the band’s next release is titled Mellows, and it contained a song about Dolphins.

Fear not, fans of dirty Chicago rock ‘n’ roll. Mellows isn’t that mellow, and Magic Milk still get down with fuzzed-out guitars (“Drives Me Wild”), while occasionally dip into some acoustic psychedelia (“The Year 2000″). But the standout of Mellows is definitely opener, “Dolphins’nBullshit.”

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