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.V. Club Chicago has assembled a list of Chicago-inspired songs they enjoy more than the new song commissioned by Chicago's tourism board.
• • The Reader's Luca Cimarusti has the deets on this year's Do-Division street festival, which includes the return of indie rockers Pinebender.
• • Windy City Rock's Andrew Hertzberg shares his thoughts on the new LP by Stephen Paul Smoker.
• • The Chicago Tribune was there this past Friday night to review JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound's first headline performance at the Metro.
• • WBEZ's Jim DeRogatis gives his take on the new album by local rootsy songstress Kelly Hogan.

By Audrey Leon  \  comments

Sunny pop rockers Gold Motel have launched a social media campaign asking fans to submit Instagram photos that embody the group's music. The band intends to use the photos as artwork on their upcoming self-titled album due out this summer. While Gold Motel was in the midst of assembling artwork for the new album, guitarist Eric Hehr kicked around ideas for how to directly involve fans in the process. Hehr said in an interview with Loud Loop press that the Instagram campaign arose as one way fans' vision of the band could become unified with the band's own vision. "By launching this campaign through Instagram, fans can enter our world, reinterpret it, and become a permanent fixture of our new music," Hehr said. "As a music fan and a musician, I think it’s pretty amazing that such an idea is even possible." Gold Motel, Hehr said, is no stranger to using social media to strengthen interact among its fans. "[Direct-to-fan contact] has always been a focal point for Gold Motel as an independent band," Hehr said. "We’ve tried to interact as much as possible with fans through things like re-mix contests and live video-chats." Hehr said he has been both humbled and impressed by the quality and accuracy of the submissions so far. "Most of the submissions we have received look like our songs transformed into images: lots of pictures of beaches, backyard pool parties, firework displays," he said. "Our fans have such an acute understanding of our music that they can conceptualize it into photography that is cohesive with our music." And Gold Motel's music this go-around is all about growth. The band named the album after itself to reflect that this collection of material is a full-band effort. "With the exception of our Talking Fiction EP, these songs are the first to showcase Gold Motel as a band made up of distinct personalities," Hehr said. "Because of this, I think the album is very colorful and covers a broader spectrum of musical territory than (debut album) Summer House." Hehr said the new material explores the themes such as the passage of time and the idea of leaving home. Despite calling it bittersweet, he said the new material still sounds like Gold Motel. "It’s still very much a pop album - lots of hooks, catchy melodies, and danceable rhythms," Hehr said. Gold Motel's Instagram campaign will run until Sunday, April 15. The band will review all submitted photos and choose a select few to be included. To submit artwork follow the band on Instagram at @goldmotel, connect your Instagram account to Twitter, post your Gold Motel-inspired photo with the hashtag phrase #goldmotelalbum. For more information on how to enter or to read the submission guidelines, click here. Gold Motel play the Metro with soulful R&B groovers JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound on Friday, April 27. By Audrey Leon  \  comments

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.

• • Greg Kot at the Tribune announced that Lollapalooza ticket prices will rise this year after the festival renegotiated its tax deal with the city. The new agreement will raise over $4 million in city and county revenue and keep the annual music fest at Grant Park until 2021.
• • The Sun-Times has the details on Mayor Emanuel's plan to charge $25 per seat at Taste of Chicago concerts held at Petrillo Music Shell.
• • Soul rockers JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound provided Gapers Block with a SXSW tour diary filled with their Austin adventures. Local jazzy hip-hop outfit Jip-Jop contributed as well.
• • Speaking of SXSW, in an effort to see who still cares what he has to say, Billy Corgan called today's mainstream artists "prostitutes" and "strippers." He also said this gem: "I was part of a generation that changed the world – and it was taken over by poseurs." The more you know.
• • Time Out Chicago has photos from Company of Thieves big hometown show at the Metro two Fridays ago.

By Audrey Leon  \  comments

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.

• • Windy City Rock has the deets on The Empty Bottle's new book club. First meeting is this Sunday!
• • Gapers Block reviewed JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound's record release party and included a few sweet photos.
• • Per the AVClub, Jeff Mangum is coming to Chicago! Get ready for a road trip, April Ludgate!
• • Local boys CAVE, who play for FREE at the Bottle tonight, get the 7.9 treatment from Pitchfork.

By Richard Giraldi  \  comments

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 caught up with JC Brooks & The Uptown sound to discuss the group’s beginnings.
• • Gapers Block reviewed last Thursday’s sold-out Thrice show.
• • The Sun-Times follows up with White Mystery and we all discover that The Who was a turning point for a young Alex White.
• • The Tribune also highlighted the history of The Bassment (1415 N. Ashland Ave.), a purveyor of hip-hop mixtapes, CDs, clothes and more in Wicker Park, which celebrated its ninth anniversary with a show at the Metro featuring Mobb Deep, YP, and King Louie.
• • Time Out Chicago reviewed last week’s Obits, Coffin Pricks show at Subterranean.

By Audrey Leon  \  comments

Happy Halloween, folks! And a good Jesusween to all you lil angels. We’ve got a packed weekend again with JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound combining forces with White Mystery tonight at the Double Door and Mannequin Men making plans to tear it up at the Empty Bottle tomorrow night. Let's not waste anymore time. Allons-y!

FRIDAY

JC BROOKS & THE UPTOWN SOUND JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound have a new record out titled Want More, and based on what we've seen and heard, it's everything you imagined it to be and more. This means, of course, it's a fun and funky listen than seamlessly melds classic Chicago soul with indie rock tendencies. Tonight is the album release show at the Double Door, so you know it's going to be on hell of a time especially considering also on the bill are the mighty White Mystery. (Richard Giraldi) 9:00 p.m. Friday, 10/28. Double Door. 21+. $10-$12. DISTRACTIONS All the coolest local bands seem to be playing the Burlington lately. And Chicago dream poppers Distractions are the perfect fit. I once called them the ultimate modern lounge act due to their big sound that comes equipped with a piano and horn section. It doesn’t hurt that singer Tom Owens’ deep crooning vocals swoop in to whisk you off to sensual beachfront vacation on the toe-tappin’ jam such “We Were Better Off in the Rain.” Distractions will be joined by fuzzed-up indie rockers House Sounds and Kansas City’s atmospheric poppers Minden. (Audrey Leon) 9:00 p.m. Friday, 10/28. The Burlington (3425 W. Fullerton Ave). 21+ FREE!!!! SPOOKFEST: 3-D Rock & Roll Monster Party Yes, it's a good ol' fashion 3-D Rock & Roll Monster Party at the Viaduct Theatre tonight. There will be bands, art, video games, baked good a petting zoo...well, wait...scratch that last one. Set to rock late into the night are power girrrrls Swimsuit Addition, phuny post-punkers T'Bone, garage poppers The Runnies and much more. On a sadder note, tonight's Spookfest also brings about the end of Earth Program as you currently know it as the band will go separate ways. They're calling it a "hiatus," but that;s never a good word. Anywho, tonight they will still rock, so lets "Get Bored!" one last time, shall we? (Richard Giraldi) 9:30 p.m. Friday, 10/28. Viaduct Theatre. 18+. $7 w/ costume. $10 w/out.

SATURDAY

ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER The Oak Park native and one-half of brother/sister duo Fiery Furnaces returns to Chicago to promote her first solo album Last Summer. The whole record is covered in Friedberger’s light-as-air pop and filled with as much sunshine and bouncy beats as one would expect summer to sound like. Need more convincing? Check out her single "My Mistakes." Not to mention, Friedberger’s golden, smoky voice is reason alone to catch her on stage. Joining Friedberger on Saturday is Chicago’s own melodic indie rockers Pet Lions. 8:30 p.m. 10/29. Subterranean. 17+ $12. MANNEQUIN MEN Hot of the heels of their super rad new LP, Mannequin Men, Chicago's anti-dubsteppers Mannequin Men hit the Empty Bottle on Saturday night to play Football. Whoops. I mean play WITH Football, and their rowdy, punky take on indie rock. Lest we forget the sweet, sweet smile-pop of Outer Minds and the twisted guitar workings of Coffin Picks. (Richard Giraldi) 9:00 p.m. Saturday, 10/29. Empty Bottle. 21+. $10.

SUNDAY

PILLARS & TONGUES It’s not Halloween until someone breaks out the Harmonium. Luckily for all of us, hypnotic folk quartet Pillars & Tongues have one and, boy, do they know how to use it. The chicago band entrances and delights audiences with its slow, methodical atmospheric rhythms and ghostly low, rumbling wails. If you need more convincing on the type of captivating live act Pillars & Tongues can be, check out my review from May. Pillars & Tongues will open, This is Cinema headlines. (Audrey Leon) 8:00 p.m. Sunday, 10/30. Panchos. 18+ $5. By Audrey Leon  \  comments

To get you in the mood for JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound’s record release show tonight at the Double Door, we’ve found this tasty clip of the band adding a dash of soul to everyone’s morning on ABC-7’s “Windy City Live” earlier this week. The Uptown Sound banged out a fresh performance of “Everything Will Be Fine” and then gave a brief interview with host Val Warner about the group’s influences and how they got together. The Want More release party kicks off at 8 p.m. with performances by DJ Sloppy White, Satan's Youth Ministers and White Mystery. Tickets are $12. By Audrey Leon  \  comments