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 Chicago Tribune’s Jessica Hopper interviewed Man is Man’s Christa Meyer about her recent solo debut, Those Birds Will Eat Us, and how she discovered her empowering new sound.
• • WBEZ’s Jim DeRogatis gives us the behind-the-scenes scoop on the new talent booker for both House of Blues and Bottom Lounge and his connection to Ticketmaster-Live Nation.
• • A.V. Club has the details on a new Chicago winery/music venue called City Winery, which is expected to open in the West Loop this summer.
• • Gonzo Chicago introduces us to soulful noise punks Bomb Banks. Take a gander at this live clip from their Dustbowl show.
• • The folks at Time Out Chicago dig deep to find the best new acts of 2012, and it doesn’t include Lana Del Ray.

By Audrey Leon  \  comments

Back in 2010, local indie duo Puerto Muerto made our 10 Chicago Bands To Watch In 2010 list. And watch them we did…until they broke up shortly thereafter. C’est la vie! But the female half of Puerto Muerto, Christa Meyer, has a new project called Man Is Man. Here now is a video of a very intimate acoustic performance on Chicago’s west side of the hauntingly beautiful number, “The Horse,” which also features cello work by Ben Kulp. Also, you can catch a Man Is Man performance tomorrow evening at Comfort Station Logan Square, located at 2579 N. Milwaukee Ave. In the meantime, check out the video below:

By Richard Giraldi  \  2 comments

Three wait-I-have-get-coffee-brewing-before-I-can-tell-you-about-this-rad-show-so-hold-on-one-second-please reasons to shave and put on a clean shirt because you’re not a child anymore and head over to The Whistler this night…

1. Chicago’s I Ching Quartet play front porch folk. No, not like that Depaul student sitting on the front steps to his dorm strumming an acoustic guitar shit. Like a bunch of folks well schooled in the history of folk strumming acoustic guitars on their front steps. Oh, with one of them dragging a drum kit out too. Ok, so maybe this either annoys the neighbors or is an analogy that is breaking down a bit. But they started it since I can count up to nine members (including Rick, if they can get him) in this quartet so who’s to say what is real anymore.

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By Ross Meyerson  \  comments

It’s always a bit odd when a band cuts a new record and splits shortly after its release, but Chicago’s folky duo Puerto Muerto did just that. However according to some recent posts on their Facebook page the female-half of the duo, Christa Meyer, isn’t going into hibernation anytime soon.

First off Meyer is helping plan a brand spankin’ new summer festival in our fair city. According to the logo and brief info from a Facebook note the event is titled Boulevard Bash in Logan Square, and looks to launch the second weekend of July. The fest is currently in the band-booking stage.

(UPDATE AFTER THE JUMP)

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By Richard Giraldi  \  comments

It’s odd writing this review knowing that the album’s creators are merely hours away from no longer existing. In case you haven’t been paying attention, Chicago duo Puerto Muerto, consisting of Christa Meyer and Tim Kelley, are playing their last show tonight at the Empty Bottle. And it’s quite a shame seeing how their latest release, Drumming For Pistols, is an excellent excercise in painfully honest emotional salience told through a veil of midwestern blues.

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By Richard Giraldi  \  2 comments

UPDATE: It looks like the end of Puerto Muerto maybe closer than we thought. According to a post on Puerto Muerto’s Facebook page, Christa Meyer will not perform with the band at their February 13 record release show in St. Louis.

It’s usually not a good sign when one member of a duo doesn’t show. I suggest catching Puerto Muerto on February 22 at the Empty Bottle as it might be your last chance to catch the band…possibly forever. The full note from Christa is below:

Hello all!

I just wanted to let the fine folks of Saint Louis know that I will not be performing with Puerto Muerto on Saturday night. I wish I could be there, but he spirits have carried me to another place and I’ll be hanging out in a romantic cloud somewhere nice with my valentine.

I hope you have a smashing evening with Tim and the gang!

Love
Christa

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By Richard Giraldi  \  3 comments

Simply put: There are thousands of great local bands playing every week in our fair city. Some you might know and some you might not. Seeing as it’s the beginning of a brand new decade, we thought we’d point out some local bands who we think are on the verge of breaking into the big time. And isn’t it always cool to say you were a fan of popular act back in the day when they were playing for eight people in a crappy dive bar? Yes, it is always cool. (Ed. Note: Although numbered, this list is in no particular order)

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By Richard Giraldi  \  1 comment