Jeez. Another week, another case(s) of local band thievery.

It’s unfortunate to report but the most recent theft cases involve psych-poppers Loyal Divide and indie rockers Scotland Yard Gospel Choir.

According to the Bloodshot Records website, the members of Scotland Yard Gospel Choir were throwing a going away party for band member Elia, who is bolting for NYC, at The Whistler in Logan Square this past weekend. While the event, which was a charitable one with proceeds going to Dave Egger’s literacy project 826, was going on, SYGC violinist Ethan had a number of musical instruments stolen form the trunk of a car.

Even more recently, Loyal Divide took to their twitter on Monday to announce that their van (a 2000 Ford E350 Super Duty – photo of which is at the top left), was stolen, and asked if anyone is willing to rent them a van for their February shows. If you or someone you know has any information on the van, please contact the band.

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By Richard Giraldi  \  1 comment

If you were outside last Friday night, you probably witnessed the massive storm that provided Chicago with its wettest day ever.

Unfortunately, the rain didn’t just soak those who were caught in it, it also severely flooded portions of CHIRP’s (Chicago Independent Radio Project, duh) studios.

Their insurance is covering some of the costs, but not all, so they’re asking listeners and supporters alike to give a little bit if they can. That’s where you come in.

Have some cash to spare? Head over to Chirpradio.org and donate. Or if you prefer paypal, send a payment to chicagoindieradio@gmail.com.

You can’t deny how much CHIRP does for the local scene, so supporting them supports the scene as a whole, no doubt. As the song goes, “Give a little bit … Give of little bit of your money to CHIRP.”

By Richard Giraldi  \  comments

Late last month brought major storms and flooding to the Midwest especially in the Chicago area. Many were affected including Chicago’s independent record label Graveface Records.

The storm caused three feet of water to inundate Graveface Records’ stock and parts space in the Logan Square neighborhood, which caused 50-60% of their mostly assembled product to be destroyed. Even more devastating is that insurance will not cover any of the damages due to the flood being an “Act Of God.”

Therefore, Graveface is asking for donations through a donation-based raffle in which donors get something back. It works like this: There are multiple tiers based on the amount of money donated. Each tier gets the donor something for free as well as a raffle ticket number (in this case, your Paypal transaction ID number). On October 16, Graveface will hold a drawing by printing the ID numbers per tier, and the winners get prizes based on the tier of their donations.

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By Richard Giraldi  \  1 comment

Thee Oh Sees’ 2008 album, The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending, although steeped in 60′s garage and psychedelia, had a feeling of not existing in a particular time or place. The band sounded like they played underground, possibly underwater. Though their new album, Help, offers a similar sound to their previous effort, it does seem that the band has at least come up for air.

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By Ross Meyerson  \  2 comments