While the EP isn’t set to drop until April 10, late last week the band unleashed the Ataraxia/Taraxis track “Lathe Biosas” in all it’s monster-riff glory. The tune is a nearly five-minute rocker that’s pure guitar porn for those who are headbang-starved.

And there are plenty of Pelican’s patented dynamic shifts here as the song ducks along into some tense but melodic axe work in between the epic walls of crunch. This track bares no signs of additional use of the studio as a compositional tool, which Pelican promised in a press release. So for now “Lathe Biosas,” simply acts as a reminder of just how ferocious Pelican are. Listen to “Lathe Biosas” at the top left.

The band are currently slated for a European tour this April, but there’s a good bet a Chicago date will pop-up sooner than later. We’ll keep you posted.

The duo of Scott Lucas and Brian St. Clair filmed themselves during varying parts of the recording process and posted the clips to the band’s Facebook page (like this one). It looks like most of the new jams, such as “Another Februrary” and “Paddy Considine,” that surfaced during last year’s touring cycle will appear on the new album.

Local H have holed up at Bucktown’s Engine Studios with local veteran metal producer Sanford Parker, who has previously worked with Bloodiest, Pelican and Yakuza.

“Sanford’s awesome,” Lucas said via press release. “He’s been at the forefront of the most interesting things happening out of Chicago for a while, and it’s truly an invigorating experience to work with him. And, if he would quit fucking feeding me all this whiskey, I’d be all right.”

Local H’s new whiskey-soaked album, which is tentatively-titled Hallelujah! I’m A Bum, is expected to be out by summer. It will be their seventh studio album and first collection of new material since 2008′s 12 Angry Months.

The Chicago prog-metalers are set to release their first new material in two years in the form of a new EP, Ataraxia/Taraxis, which is set to drop on April 10 via Southern Lord.

According to a press release, the EP finds Pelican relying more on composition and, “…the utilization of the recording studio as a creative tool in the songwriting process.”

Only four tracks in length, Ataraxia/Taraxis will not only offer the band’s patented epic doom riffage, but will also apparently find them dabbling in some minimal electronics. The EP was recorded in four different studios including sessions with Chicago metal super-engineer Sanford Parker and Aaron Harris (known for his work with ISIS).

Check out the Ataraxia/Taraxis tracklist after the jump.

Ataraxia/Taraxis Track Listing:
1. Ataraxia
2. Lathe Biosas
3. Parasite Colony
4. Taraxis

(video credit: YouTube user “will1573“)

Pelican

Three cheers for the weekend! Lot’s of great acts will descend on our many rad venues including Twin Shadow at Lincoln Hall, Pelican at The Empty Bottle and much more.

Snap yo fingers and let’s get to it.

FRIDAY

THE LUCK OF EDEN HALL
Chicago psych rockers The Luck of Eden Hall have been banging around the local scene since the early 90s and can still kick out the jams with deadly precision. Younger audiences could equate them with the likes of Brian Jonestown Massacre’s sweet and yet not-so-innocent-as-it-seems grooves. And there are a lot of similarities but don’t expect Luck of Eden Hall singer Gregory Curvey to start throwing tantrums and fighting with band members during a performance of its single “Chrysalide.” (Audrey Leon)

8:00 p.m. Friday, 9/30. Red Line Tap. 21+ $5.

SATURDAY

WILD BEASTS
This has certainly been the year for Wild Beasts, hasn’t it? The latest from the English art-funkers, Smother, was critically acclaimed for its intimate tone and danceable rhythms. The result was being named a legit buzz band, which gave way to bookings on the major festival circuit. Now on their Smother victory lap, Wild Beats come to Lincoln Hall on Saturday night with another indie up-and-comer, Twin Sister. (Richard Giraldi)

10:00 p.m. Saturday, 10/1. Lincoln Hall. 18+. $15.

AM TAXI
Looking for something a little more rowdy? Then local punk rockers AM Taxi might be more up your alley with their anthemic attacks that feature melodic, pop nuances. Then there’s The Architects who also dabble in a little punk rock that recalls the crunchy guitar of Superchunk and the expansive feel of The Gaslight Anthem. Finally, Mutts are not punk rock. Instead, they tend to lean on muddy grooves from a dirty organ. (Richard Giraldi)

10:30 p.m. Saturday, 10/1. Beat Kitchen. 17+. $15.

SUNDAY

PELICAN
Chicago instrumental post-rockers Pelican are not the kind of band that let lyrics and vocals get in the way of badass guitar riffs and throbbing back beats. Why? Because it is wholly unnecessary. Pelican’s heavy compositions speak for themselves. The quartet is able to convey as much twisted, tormented emotion as any brilliant lyricist can. Don’t take my word for it, let “Specks of Light” from 2009’s What We All Come to Need seep into your brain and turn fluffy white clouds, black and grey. On this night, Pelican headlines the Empty Bottle’s last night of “Outsider Sounds” along with Dexter Tortoriello’s electropop side project Dawn Golden and Rosy Cross, psych-poppers Ducktails and drone-wave sound manipulator Nicholas Szczepanik. (Audrey Leon)

9:00 p.m. Sunday, 10/2. Empty Bottle. 21+ $15.

TWIN SHADOW
Gimme some sweet synths that sound upbeat, yet ultimately feel depressing any day of the week. Brooklyn’s Twin Shadow triumphantly returns to Chicago after the group’s set at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival. Twin Shadow’s retro new-wave sound is truly infectious and impossible not to dance to (or sway, whatever works for you). Pull up your legwarmers, adjust your side-ponytail and wander over to Lincoln Hall. Pitchfork darlings Toronto glam poppers Diamond Rings get the party started. (Audrey Leon)

9:00 p.m. Sunday, 10/2. Lincoln Hall. 18+ $14.

The series kicks off at the Empty Bottle on Wednesday, Sept. 28, featuring Synthpop composer and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti keyboard player John Maus, Brooklyn black metal outfit Liturgy, retro-poppers Dirty Beaches, and Chicago’s own experimental electronic outfit Chandeliers.

The event will also expand outside the Empty Bottle’s own walls and into the fine gallery space of The Museum of Contemporary Art on Friday, Sept. 30, which will feature a performance by Oval; and Wicker Park’s own Heaven Gallery at 1550 N. Milwaukee Ave. on Saturday, Oct. 1, featuring a performance by Oneohtrix Point Never.

Chicago instrumental hard rockers Pelican, psych poppers Ducktails, one-man electropop outfit Dawn Golden & Rosy Cross will close out Adventures in Modern Music at the Bottle’s home stage on Sunday, Oct. 2.

Tickets are $15 per event, except the Museum of Contemporary Art which has three admission price tiers: $16 for members, $20 for non-members and $10 for students.

For more information including the entire lineup, please visit the Empty Bottle’s Tumblr page.

Pelican

It’s that time again, Chicago! May we present Loud Loop Press’ picks for top weekend shows. There’s plenty to go ’round including Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan at Lincoln Hall, Chicago’s own Pelican at the Bottom Lounge, Max Weinberg’s Big Band at Old Town School of Folk Music and much more!

Let’s get to it, shall we?

FRIDAY

ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN
Chanteuse and mad genius Isobel Campbell plays a game of Beauty and the Beast with former Screaming Trees/frequent Queens of the Stone Age collaborator Mark Lanegan on their third folk pop album Hawk. Lanegan’s sultry, gritty vocals take center stage as Campbell relishes her place in the shadows, pulling the strings, composing the songs and singing ghostly backing vocals. Folk singer Willy Mason – who appears on the Hawk track “No Place to Fall” – will open. (Audrey Leon)

10:00 p.m. Friday, 10/22. Lincoln Hall 21+. $17.

BLONDE REDHEAD
Blonde Redhead is hard to describe, but that’s a good thing… honestly. Early in its career the band drew comparisons to noise rockers Sonic Youth. These days the three piece of Kazu Makino (vocals), brothers Amadeo (guitar) and Simone Pace (drums) have settled into dreamy, experimental pop rock. Blonde Redhead’s latest album Penny Sparkle pushes the group further into experimental territory but one thing will always remain the same, singer Kazu Makino’s soothing ethereal voice, which serves as a guide through any Blonde Redhead album. (Audrey Leon)

8:30 p.m. Friday, 10/22. The Vic Theater. 18+. $32.75.

TV GHOST
Indiana’s TV Ghost remind me of someone. That someone? Early Butthole Surfers, that’s who. Between their dark chaotic tunes and paranoid vocals, they summon all the greatness that was the pre-MTV Surfers. That’s not to say they are a mere clone. Not many bands have done what the Surfers did and hearing TV Ghost’s take on that sheer madness is pretty rad. Chicago’s Loose Dudes want you to believe they are a smart band. I’ll buy that. Punk rock may seem childish at times, but, like pretending to be bad at roller skating, it’s not as easy as it looks. (Ross Meyerson)

10:00 p.m. Friday, 10/22. Hideout. 21+.$8.

SATURDAY

HOLLOWS
After witnessing Chicago quintet The Hollows fill the Pritzker Pavilion with serious 60’s throwback cuteness earlier this summer, the Empty Bottle stands no chance against their sweet, sugary retro-pop styling. Hollows will get you in a mood to twist and shout every day until Halloween with songs like “Shadows in the Dark” and “Do the Scarecrow.” Recently reunited Detroit garage rockers The Gories will headline. (Audrey Leon)

10:00 p.m. Saturday, 10/23. Empty Bottle. 21+. $15

PELICAN
There isn’t much more to add about Chicago’s Pelican. If there’s ever a conversation about Chicago metal, Pelican are undoubtedly brought up as their album, The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw, is a near instrumental metal classic. The band have influenced quite a few including the Russian Circles, who have notched quite a name for themselves. But Pelican aren’t ones to be hold anything against anyone, as the band lent brothers-in-metal-arms Russian Circles their touring band after Circles’ was totaled in an accident. Still touring on their 2009 release, What We All Come To Need, prepare for some of the biggest riffs this side of the Mason Dixon. (Richard Giraldi)

8:00 p.m. Saturday, 10/23. Bottom Lounge. 17+. $13.50.

SUNDAY

MAX WEINBERG’S BIG BAND
It’s impossible to think of Max Weinberg without thinking of two people: Bruce Springsteen and Conan O’Brien. As a fan of the latter, I can’t really see Weinberg without thinking of all the skeevy (and hilarious) sketches in which he willingly participated on both of O’Brien’s shows. Now that Weinberg won’t be accompanying O’Brien to his latest late night home, this is the one chance fans will get to see the man live since his recent open heart surgery in February. So if you like swing music, 15-piece orchestras and dapper drummers, you’ll want to attend this show. (Audrey Leon)

7:00 p.m. Sunday, 10/24. Old Town School of Folk Music. All Ages. $38

Per an Earsplit PR press release, the Berlin record label Viva Hate will release a wooden box set of the band’s four full-lengths and three EPs. Only 500 sets will be available for purchase.

Pelican will also return to the Bottom Lounge for a show on October 23 with Kansas City rockers The Life & Times and Chicago rockers The Swan King. Tickets are $13.50 and go on sale Friday, August 13, at noon Chicago time.

However, the best anniversary present of all will be the debut of Pelican’s own brew created by Munster, Indiana, brewers Three Floyds. The not-yet-named Pelican-inspired brew will be a doppelbock (double bock), a dark German lager that is malty and has a reputation for being “liquid bread.” The beer will be available for consumption at the Bottom Lounge show and at other venues around Chicago for a limited time.

Finally, the start of Chicago’s summer festival season is upon us as the Do-Division Street Fest kicks off tomorrow! Lets just hope the rain doesn’t spoil the fun.

What’s that? You’re one of those poor souls who works during the weekend? I feel for you, brother! Luckily, there are quite a few more awesome shows around town this weekend including CAVE at the Hideout, Yakuza at the Beat Kitchen, Toro y Moi at the Empty Bottle and much more!

Lets get to it, shall we?

Friday

CAVE
By now you’ve surely read my review of Cave’s latest, Pure Moods. Too lazy? In brief, Pure Moods is good, really good. So there you go. This is their official release party show country throw down so get out there and hear the raging “Teenager” live and in person. Columbia, Missouri’s Jerusalem and the Starbaskets are Cave-like weird but in a more traditionally weird way. Something is happening in Columbia, Missouri, something trippy. Heads up, opener Daniel Lutz isn’t a dude but she does play some hauntingly beautiful music. That she does. (Ross Meyerson)

10:00 p.m. Friday, 6/4. The Hideout. 21+. $8.

THE GOOD LIFE
The Good Life started out as a side project for Cursive frontman Tim Kasher and it ballooned into a full-fledged band with four full-length albums and two EPs under its belt. The Good Life gives Kasher a chance to indulge in his softer, more acoustic pop side. The Good Life is supporting its latest release Help Wanted Nights with a show at Subterranean and an appearance at Do Division Fest’s Leavitt stage on Saturday. (Audrey Leon)

9:00 p.m. Friday, 6/4. Subterranean. 17+. $12.

Saturday

DO-DIVISION STREET FEST
The summer street fest season officially kicks off this weekend (don’t even try and tell me the Belmont-Sheffield fest is real) with the always-awesome Do Division, and we’ve got two days of bands lined up to get your dancing shoes a-moving. On Saturday, be sure not to miss Chicago’s own CoCoComa at 4pm (also playing the Empty Bottle Friday!) for their sing-alongable garage punk that would do the Ramones proud. Right after that, at 5:20, things get a little bluesier and a little sludgier but stay just as rad with locals Bailiff, who will get you to bang your head slowly. BUT THERE’S MORE! Stick around til the end on Saturday to check out The Night Marchers, John Reis’ newest project. If you’ll recall, two of Reis’ bands made my top ten of the decade , and though The Night Marchers don’t pack the same raw energy of Reis’ previous projects, the band shreds live. Plus, a chance to see Reis’s frontman showmanship is never to be missed. And if you’re lucky, the band will play their non-album track “Fisting the Fanbase,” which is one of the best songs not committed to wax in the past few years.

And that’s only Saturday! On Sunday, see the now-not-on-hiatus Chicago institution The Ponys at 7pm, who have come back to rock your faces. I was lucky enough to catch them at Pritzker Pavilion last week, and I know that you don’t want to miss these garage rockers bring their feedback to the stage. Then stick around for the 8:30 act, YACHT, to end your festival day with some DFA-style dancing that’ll leave you with a smile on your face. And if that wasn’t enough, comedy legend Neil Hamburger is hosting the Damen stage both days. So get your ass out to Division this weekend. It’s gonna be epic. Also, check out the complete lineup right here. (Andy Kondrat)

1:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Saturday, June 5, and Sunday, June 6. Division Street from Ashland to Leavitt. All Ages. $5 Suggested Donation.

YAKUZA
Chicago’s Yakuza have been around for awhile now but I still think they are the future of metal. Their ability to go from gut wrenching noise to epic beauty to free jazz freak outs is pretty impressive no doubt. This show is their record release party for June 22nd’s “Of Seismic Consequence” and rumor has it you might be able to pick up the album at the show early like. If “Stones and Bones” – listenable on their Myspace page now – is any indication of the scope of this record it might be safe to say Yakuza are ready to be the future that they should have been already. Fellow Chicagoans Alaya Conscious and The Swan King open. Heavy and epic indeed. (Ross Meyerson)

Doors 9:00 p.m./Show 10:00 p.m. Saturday, 6/5. Beat Kitchen. 21+. $10.

ENTOMBED
You’ve got to at least give props to late 80′s/early 90′s metal bands that stuck around through the shit storm of bad mid-90′s metal and are at least getting the recognition they deserve now. Entombed deserves your props for not abandoning their metal-ness during the dark days of neu metal. Maybe not the death metal band they were early on, Entombed have twisted their sound without ever looking towards the mainstream and that’s metal enough for me. Kenosha’s Jungle Rot Ohio’s Woe of Tyrants, and Chicago’s kind of radder than most Sweet Cobra open. (Ross Meyerson)

7:00 p.m. Saturday, 6/5. Reggie’s. All Ages. $18.

TORO Y MOI
Toro y Moi, the chillwave, elctro-pop product of Chaz Bundick, mixes samples and laptops with live musicians. Bundick and Co. create dreamy layers of sonic goodness that envelop you like a warm summer breeze. Hailing from South Carolina there’s some Southern softness that flavors the overall electronic sound. It’s basically the perfect soundtrack to an early June night. Locals Save the Watchtower and Glitter Bones get the live-tronica night started. (Andrew Kahn)

10:00 p.m. Saturday, 6/5. Empty Bottle. $12. 21+.

Sunday

DO-DIVISION STREET FEST
See above.

1:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Saturday, June 5, and Sunday, June 6. Division Street from Ashland to Leavitt. All Ages. $5 Suggested Donation.

On Monday, May 24, Pelican song “The Creeper” from their latest release, What We All Come To Need, will appear in the season finale of CSI: Miami on CBS. Additionally, more music from Pelican’s latest will be featured in the really cool IFC show Dinner With The Band on June 8 in an episode hosted by the recently reunited Murder City Devils. Check your local listings for air times.

Pelican also have two Chicago shows already on tap for this summer. As previously reported, the band will perform on Saturday, June 5, at the Do-Division Street Festival, and Pelican will also headline a show at the Empty Bottle on Sunday, June 6. Admission to the Do-Division Festival is a $5 donation paid upon entry to the fest, and tickets for the Empty Bottle show are on sale now for only $12 at Ticketweb.com.