• • The Chicago Reader’s Peter Margasak muses on whether pop-up record stores, such as those by Numero Group and Hot Jams, held on Record Store Day have an adverse effect on permanent brick and mortar shops. Additionally, Saki Records’ Patrick Monaghan explains why Numero’s pop-up, held at the Empty Bottle this year, is unfair competition on a day that is designed to celebrate indie record stores.
• • The Congress Theater saga continues. Last week, Chicago Pipeline posted a letter from Rhys Pareja, the promoter of the Twista, King Louie and Chief Keef show that was interrupted by a large police presence earlier this month. Pareja alleges that the two-hour interruption from the police barricade of North Milwaukee Avenue cost him $75,000. Additionally, local CAPS volunteer Joe Kopera has resigned in part due to how the incident was handled by First Ward Alderman Joe Moreno and Chicago Police. In a letter to the community, posted by Chicago Pipeline, he called Chief Keef’s booking “a smoke screen for police action.”
• • Windy City Rock’s Rachel Angres conducts a fairly amusing interview with LLP faves Rabble Rabble. Frontman Ralph Darski and bassist Matt Ciarleglio talk their worst live show, tour survival kit and what their favorite kind of mustache.
• • The Trib’s Greg Kot reviewed rising Chicago anti-folk star Willis Earl Beal’s recent show at The Hideout. It sounds like Beal was a self-deprecating success.
• • Time Out Chicago has the deets on how to stream Maps and Atlases’ new album Beware and Be Grateful, which came out on April 17.

The band, which formed in Summer 2011, features three notables in Chicago’s music and education scene. Matt Baron is a Chicago Public School ESL teacher and booker/manager of the excellent scene documenters Coach House Sounds, Emma Hospelhorn of Chicago’s New Millennium Orchestra and garage poppers Hollows and Columbia College Associate Professor of Audio Arts Ben Sutherland.

The songs of Future Hits are, per their website, “written specifically for elementary-aged students but can be enjoyed by folks of all ages, also include differentiated assessments, activities and lesson plans, all of which can be used inside and outside of a school setting.”

And they weren’t kidding about enjoyed by folks of all ages. Just check out “At The Library” that opens their debut LP, Songs for Learning, and which can be purchased and/or streamed at Futurehits.bandcamp.com.

The song pops at the start with a super melodic and bright indie rock quality. The guitars shimmer while backup vocals are key to its catchiness. It’s short and sweet little ditty that isn’t just fun to listen to but honestly makes me want go check out a book or two. Listen to “At The Library” below:

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FUTURE HITS
3:00 p.m. Saturday, April 21.
The Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia
All Ages. $5 for Kids or $10 for Adults.
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TODAY IS OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY.

And by that I mean, we survived a digital alien invasion to bring you a very special SXSW edition of Weekend Diversions. Won’t you follow me…follow me to freedom?

Yes. Yes, you will.

FRIDAY

COMPANY OF THIEVES
Chicago power poppers Company of Thieves are making their triumphant return home with a huge show at the Metro after embarking on a 15-date Spring tour. The group has been playing some of the largest shows of its career thanks to its promising sophomore album Running from a Gamble. The tunes contained within showcase the band’s penchant for big melodies and powerful rhythms. There’s no better centerpiece to tie everything together than frontwoman Genevieve Schatz’s lush, sultry vocals that can go from a deep bluesy whisper to a booming like a firecracker. Strictly can’t miss. Also appearing tonight are bluesy pop rockers Bailiff and eight-piece soulful hip-hop outfit Sidewalk Chalk will open. (Audrey Leon)

7:00 p.m. Friday, 3/9. The Metro. All Ages. $14.

RADAR EYES
We here at LLP don’t forget about our past Bands to Watch and while we picked Radar Eyes last year, we still have the garage poppers lined up in our sights. The group just released its long-awaited debut album on HoZac, which showed everyone that while Radar Eyes can blast as many unyeilding walls of distortion as anyone else, the band is just as adept at crafting a catchy pop hook or two. It has a beat AND you can dance to it. Solid. Minneapolis noise-gazers The Chambermaids and soulful psych-rockers Heavy Deeds will open. (Audrey Leon)

9:00 p.m. Friday, 3/9. The Burlington. 21+ $5.

SATURDAY

THE HIDEOUT’S ANNUAL SXSW SEND-OFF
Anyone who’s anybody in music business probably know it’s SXSW Music next week and will be heading to Austin. We, however, are Chicago through-and-through and aren’t going anywhere. Yeah, that’s it. Anyway, once again, The Hideout is providing the perfect send-off for a few of our awesome local acts. From abrasive sports rockers FOOTBALL to the folky leanings of In Tall Buildings to buzzworthy jazz-hoppers Kids In These Days and way, way more, this show has something for everyone. So, let’s send off our excellent talent off in style, eh Chicago? (Richard Giraldi)

1:00 p.m. Saturday, 3/10. The Hideout. $10.

SAUSAGE FEST
As we previously reported, the Empty Bottle will also host a two-day SXSW send-off event this weekend dubbed…ahem…Sausage Fest. This one features some big names from the local punk, noise and garage underground circuit including, to name a few, Heavy Times, Running, Bitchin’ Bajas and Bad Drugs, who will unfortunately be performing their final show at this event. But don’t let that bring you down! The event is sponsored by a slew of indie labels including Chicago’s Permanent Records, and it’s is all about a good time, which is why there will be plenty of free schwag and food. Get down on that. (Richard Giraldi)

8:00 p.m./9:00 p.m. Saturday, 3/11 & Sunday, 3/12. The Empty Bottle. 21+. $10 (per day).

SUNDAY

STARING PROBLEM
I don’t believe I’ve ever heard the phrase “Goth as Fuck” in a band biography, but Carbondale trio Staring Problem go where others have feared to tread. The group play minimalist pop with a punk edge. The whole “Goth as Fuck” thing seems to rear its head in regards to the band’s artistic expression: in the band’s video for “Stoked,” a slow methodical rocker, each member of Staring Problem levitate and hang themselves. It gives an entirely new meaning to “uplifting.” Chicago indie rockers Empty Isle and one-man “post-something” synth rocker UNUR will open. (Audrey Leon)

9:00 p.m. Sunday, 3/11. Township. 18+ $5.

Last week the band announced on their Facebook that they’ve completed work on a new EP, which was recorded by The Ponys/Bare Mutauts/Football member Jered Gummere. And today, the band unleashed the first song from those recording sessions, “Too Many Voices.”

“Too Many Vices” is a well crafted exercise in neo-psychedelia. The song rolls along Luca Cimarusti’s (Heavy Times) skin tight rhythm as bursts of new wave synths and cathartic guitar are littered throughout. Together with Damon J. Carruesco’s (Disappears) spacey vocals, “Too Many Vices” recalls something that would satisfy fans of both Joy Division’s dark post-punk and MGMT’s more atmospheric material. Listen to the track after the jump.

Dig it? Of course you do. That’s why you’ll want to know that E+ are set to rock The Hideout on Saturday, March 3. Grab tickets now at Hideoutchicago.com.

• • The Reader’s Miles Raymer breaks the news that there’s more to Tumblr than porn and Futurama memes; there’s also a music movement brewing with ties to Chicago called “Sea Punk.”
• • Brooklyn Vegan Chicago alerts us to the news that Dixie Square Mall in Harvey – made famous in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers is set to be demolished.
• • Chicagoist provided us with this killer review of Portlandia: The Tour‘s recent stop at the Hideout. Surprise guests included Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy’s two sons Sammy and Spencer, The Mekons’ singer Sally Timms, and Eternals’ frontman Damon Locks.
• • The Tribune braved Friday’s gnarly weather to review The Kills’ gig at The Riviera. Sounds like it was well-worth the frost bite.
• • Time Out Chicago’s Brent DiCrescenzo isn’t afraid to kick Lana Del Rey when she’s down, and does so in what is likely the best-written indictment against the singer.

Dastardly | Photo by Tiela Halpin

From their raucous live performances to their elaborate music videos, it doesn’t take much media consumption to figure out that the members of Dastardly are pretty cool customers. The Americana outfit craft soulful harmonies around rich, heartfelt storytelling and playful rhythms. The group’s debut EP May You Never… was somewhere between Elliott Smith and light-hearted bluegrass. Since then, the band has moved into a house together, pulled off a musical variety hour at The Hideout that absolutely slayed and recorded a follow-up that sounds grown-up, but still knows how to amuse.

If 2011 was busy, expect 2012 to be jam-packed for the band. Dastardly releases Bury Me in the Country on January 31, but the band celebrates the album’s release tonight at Lincoln Hall with friends Brighton, Ma, and Santah.

Loud Loop Press caught up with Dastardly’s frontman Gabe Liebowitz to steal his storytelling secrets and to discover what brand of bourbon he consumes most often.

LLP: If there’s one thing that immediately draws me into Dastardly’s music, it’s the storytelling. The imagery is very rich. Is storytelling something you can learn or is it something you’re born with. And if it’s something you can learn, who taught you the tricks of the trade?

Gabe Liebowitz: Hey, thanks! Words are definitely super important to me. I was actually a writing major for a year at Columbia College. When I dropped out, I pushed myself to read a lot of literature so I could feel like I was making an effort to improve my intellect in one way or another, and was definitely turned on to a lot of different ways to get your imagery cross.

I actually listen to a lot of hip-hop. I respect the hell out of it, because the guys who are super serious about it, they know that lyrics are really the only thing they’re bringing to the table, so they put as much effort crafting their words as a songwriter would crafting an entire song. When I’m writing a song, I’ll usually drink a Red Bull and listen to “3 Peat” by Lil Wayne or Eminem’s verse on “Renegade.” The way that these guys weave different thoughts and stories together into one cohesive unit is so impressive to me. I remember, I saw Nas last summer, and afterwards I felt like I had spent a night hanging out with him, and that I suddenly had all of these anecdotes of funny and fucked up things Nas had told me.

And that’s really what I aim for. My goal is less to tell a story, and more of giving people the feeling that they’re at a bar with me, and I’m drunk and rambling about my dumb opinions on life and random stories and things like that.

I really love when a songwriter establishes a character. Like, those early Jonathan Richman records are amazing to me. He was able to set up the music in a way that made it a springboard for his bizarre ramblings, and all of the songs are so consistent with his outlook. I love the idea of being able to write about whatever I want in the confines of a song. The other day I wrote a song about going to the grocery store. That sort of stuff is really appealing to me, to take the most boring, every day activity and show it through the eyes of your character and make it as interesting as possible.

But when it comes down to it, I try to have my lyrics be as uninspired as possible from other songwriters, and try to pull from different sources in order to make something unique. I want to give the sensation of laughing and crying from a Charlie Chaplin flick. I want to create the oddity and uncomfort of Andy Kaufman, the sweetness and quirkiness of The Muppets, the dysfunction and Jewish self loathing of Woody Allen, etc. etc. all in a 3 minute song!

LLP: Last year, you wrote a guest blog for ChicagoTunes.net about your musical journey, which has ranged from heavy metal to prog rock to country and blues. How or when did you know that you wanted to front an Americana band?

Gabe: Well, in ’09 I was fronting a pretty aggressive proto punk-sounding band with lots of bashy drums and distorted guitar and things like that. I was so completely out of my comfort zone, and all of the lyrics I was writing were so meaningless and did absolutely nothing for me. I’d always adored Townes Van Zandt and Gram Parsons, and just kind of had a revelation right around the time the rock band was falling apart. The way Townes writes a song and just says what he wants to say, with no bullshit or beating around the bush, suddenly became super exciting to me, and made me really investigate the genre of Hank Williams, George Jones, etc. The simplicity and honesty of it all made me feel like it would be the perfect vehicle for my writing, even though I’m a Jew from the east coast.

So that’s how it springboarded, and I later on got super interested in the delta blues and older hillbilly music, and what’s so great about the music is how ancient it is. The instrumentation of that stuff makes it feel completely of the earth. Everyone’s trying to make timeless music, right? For me something about the sounds of acoustic guitar, banjo, accordion, is just timeless and holy to me.

With that being said, once I understood the form and vibe and imagery of the old music like the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, it’s been great to collectively take this ancient music and modernize it in our own way, make it proggy, avant garde, noisy, fill it with curse words, and so on. I just love the idea of being able to present people with our own twisted interpretation of this ancient American folk music.

LLP: Going back to the new album, Dastardly just released a new video for “Fever” and there are plans to film another. Do the members of Dastardly enjoy the video process or is it just a necessary evil?

Gabe: We’ve been super lucky on the video front! This guy Logan Hall, who’s Sarah’s boyfriend and also happens to live with us in the Dastardly house, is a super talented director who works at this great post production video house downtown called Opt1mus, and they do a lot of national TV spots. I kind of think of Logan as the sixth member of Dastardly, because he’s always conceptualizing these super cool ideas and helping us out with videos.

I think videos are super important and completely necessary. I definitely think we generated a lot more excitement dropping this new track as a little video instead of if we just plopped it online as a Soundcloud stream. I was talking to my buddy Kenny who books at this space in Madison, Wisconsin, called the Project Lodge, and he was saying that when bands e-mail him, all he does is look at a video. I think the days of the EPK are done. A booker wants to see a video because they can hear how you sound and see how you perform live at the same time.

Also, I do Dastardly full-time and tour a lot solo, but the full band isn’t able to do as much touring since the rest of the folks are working and in school. But I think of these videos almost as if we’re touring…we’re able to capture a performance and have people from all around the world see us. It’s important to me that we always have material to be releasing on a regular basis so people don’t forget about us, and right now we have a backlog of really awesome videos that we’re just kind of stashing until the time is right.

People say that music videos are dead because MTV and VH1 stopped showing them, but I think music videos are more popular than ever. If you go to Youtube, for every letter of the alphabet, the first suggestion they give you based on popularity is a band or an artist. Lady Gaga’s getting fucking 440 million views. Even indie bands like Grizzly Bear are getting video hits in the millions.

So yeah, videos have definitely done a lot to help boost our web presence. It also doesn’t hurt that we’re all fucking gorgeous.

LLP: Last year, Dastardly put together a fun music and comedy variety hour at the Hideout. Is this something the band would do again in the future?

Gabe: Man, that was probably my favorite thing I’ve ever done! It was so awesome to work with these amazing comedians and put on a cohesive show, and the response was way better than I expected. The Hideout is super down with it, and we’ve actually agreed to make it a quarterly affair, so we’re going to be doing a different sort of variety show at the Hideout three or four times a year. I couldn’t be more pumped! Our next one is actually going to be on March 20th, and it’s called DASTARDLY PRESENTS MEGACHURCH. That’s about all I’m at liberty to say.

LLP: And finally, in various venues it has been mentioned that bourbon is the band’s drink of choice. What’s your brand?

Gabe: When we were in the east coast, we were drinking a handle of Jim Beam a night because they were fucking 20 dollars a bottle at the state border of New Hampshire. No sales tax! One night, we played a show in Boston at the house of this guy Will who does press for us and has been kind of mentor on all things music for me since I was 16. He went up to me after we played and said, “You know, you guys sound really good. The songs are great, good harmonies, good energy. But what really impresses me about you guys is that you all drink Jim Beam like it’s milk.”

So, Jim Beam is pretty responsible for a lot of the rowdiness of our shows, and mistakes and so on. I am really hoping that they pay me for this paragraph. If you’re reading, you can just dump it in our PayPal, guys!

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View Dastardly’s recent Audiotree session
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DASTARDLY (Record Release!)
8:00 p.m. Thursday, January 19
Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave.
18+ $10.
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1. Chicago sugary shoegazers Panda Riot make music that comes at you like a tidal wave with its swirling distortion guitar, spacey atmospheric noise and multi-part angelic harmonies. It’s not always a hard impact; for instance on “Streetlight & you & me” from 2010’s Far and Near EP, Panda Riot hits back more like an overwhelmingly gentle embrace. No matter the mood, Panda Riot always strikes the right one. LISTEN: “16 Seconds.”

2. Making the evening more eclectic tonight are Brooklyn synth-pop duo Kodacrome. Principle players Elissa Pociask and Ryan Casey effortlessly switch it up musically, going from metallic electrop-pop on their track “Modern Man” to more hip-hop flavored rhythms found on the quirky track “What’s Your Engine?” Pociask’s deep, rich vocals often become yet another instrument for Kodacrome’s crafty experiments. WATCH: “Robbery”

3. A true treat, dark cabaret-style pop group Magic Key, formerly Aleks and the Drummer, delights with body grooving rhythms and breezy vocals that are rich and fully of theatrics. Opening the show are booty shaking electro-poppers J+J+J. The Shiller Park duo bring the party with just a drum machine and synthesizer. Excellent.
LISTEN: J+J+J – “Old People (Take Back the Nite)”

9:00 p.m. Thursday, 1/5. The Hideout. 21+ $8.

Let’s rock and roll, hoochie koo.

FRIDAY

THE CELL PHONES
It’s hard to believe that the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Fever to Tell has been around for nearly a decade. The chaotic art punks, led by outrageous front woman Karen O, set a new standard, and one that Chicago dance punks The Cell Phones seem to embrace. The trio rattle off hard-charging grooves with ease; all the while led by an extremely charismatic lead singer who can belt it out with the best of them. Also appearing tonight are blistering psych-rockers Rabble Rabble, who are always enjoyable; garage rockers White Mystery headline. (Audrey Leon)

10:00 p.m. Friday, 12/2. The Hideout. 21+ $10.

SATURDAY

RUSSIAN CIRCLES
It probably doesn’t get more epic than Chicago prog-metalists Russian Circles. The band is doing a victory lap after releasing its latest album Empros, which, as our editor Richard Giraldi stated last month, crushes. The band promised “its heaviest album to date,” but it got more complex than that. Russian Circles didn’t do away with melody, but they became more efficient at bringing forth destructive, hypnotic compositions while also giving way to life’s more serene moments. Eerie post-metal outfit Anatomy of a Habit, and Louisville, Kentucky, noise rockers Young Widows open the show. (Audrey Leon)

10:00 p.m. Saturday, 12/3. Lincoln Hall. 18+ $15.

THE LIFE AND TIMES
The Life And Times sure know their way around a fretboard. The Chicago post-rockers’ dense and swirling guitar attack is nearly cinematic, and yet they manage to not sound overblown via moody tones and spacey tendencies. Add to the fact that their live show is usually an ear blistering occasion that recalls the power and intensity of My Bloody Valentine, and you just might call the Life And Times a sure bet. Opening are Office Of Future Plans and All Eyes West. (Richard Giraldi)

9:00 p.m. Saturday, 12/3. Beat Kitchen. 17+. $12.

MANNEQUIN MEN
Has anyone else noticed a parallel between Mannequin Men and the 2011 Chicago Bears defense? A little bit older, a little bit wiser and yet they’re still playing at the top of their game. But unlike hard sacks and athletic interceptions, Mannequin Men beat the opposition because their latest self-titled LP is full of infectious hooks coupled with jangly guitars antics. And they really prove that maybe the best approach is always the simplest. Locals Vee Dee open the show with their gritty blue collar psych blues. (Richard Giraldi)

9:00 p.m. Saturday, 12/3. The Hideout. 21+. $10.

SUNDAY

MISSING MONUMENTS
Missing Monuments mastermind King Louie Bankston is a garage rock veteran, first starting out only for 25 years ago; in that time, he has played with The Persauders, The Exploding Hearts and even manned the skins for Jay Reatard. His new venture Missing Monuments dips its toes into the cooling waters of country-fied power pop. It’s not far from the mellowness of Cheap Trick, but it’s got a beat and you could dance to it. Also appearing tonight are swinging Chicago throwback rockers Tyler Jon Tyler and Lover!’s frontman Rich Crook. (Audrey Leon)

7:00 p.m. Sunday, 12/4. Empty Bottle. 21+ $3.