Kanye West finally took to his twitter today to announce the title of his highly anticipated, upcoming album album, which will be called…drumroll please…My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy! This title has been rumored for a while now, but it’s official. Look for it to drop on November 22. In other Kanye news, he took to the SNL stage this past weekend for a couple of pretty visually stimulating and nearly performance art, uh, performances. Here’s a video from the show of the live rendition of “Power” (Noticeably absent is the anti-SNL verse, which seems to have been re-written). Check it out:
We dug the latest EP from the Sioux Falls, SD-via-Chicago, IL indie rock group The Kickback. Well, the band is back with a great looking video for their new track “Sting’s Teacher Years” from their upcoming release (No word on a release date yet). The audio and video were recorded live on the roof of Sandy’s in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, all in one take. Be sure to check out the band when they hit Schubas on Saturday, October 16. Anyway, check check out the clip below:
Andy Rosenstein, mastermind behind Chicago pop act Clip Art, whose latest Broken By Design wowed our own Ross Meyerson, played a solo gig at The Whistler this past weekend. During his set, Rosenstein put his own spin on the little known Tom Waits gem “I’ll Be Gone”, and we happen to have a video of the performance for your viewing pleasure. The song starts at about 45 seconds in. Check it out:
Chicago’s psychedelic pop-rockers Secret Colours debuted a video foe their track “Popstar” on Pitchfork.tv earlier this week. The clip features the band in front of a projector screen, which is filled with trippy imagery that fits the song’s languid pop vibe. You can catch Secret Colours at Mayne Stage on Sunday, October 17. Check out the video below:
From the photos we’ve seen, looks like quite a few of you checked out the free “secret” Deerhunter show last weekend beneath the overpass at N. Halsted. Thanks to John Yingling of Gonzo Chicago, here’s some great footage of the band performing an eight-minute version of the track “Helicopters”, off their new Pitchfork-approved album Halcyon Digest, for the hoodie-wearing crowd. Enjoy:
We’re guessing Chicago band Silhavey are pretty big fans of Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report and The Daily Show because this video finds them covering the theme songs from both the shows. The clips begins with Silhavey keyboardist Stephen Dranger stating the band’s full support for Colbert’s “March To Keep Fear Alive” event in D.C. this October 30, asks fans to donate to Donorschoose.org and even states that Silhavey wants to play Colbert’s rally. Dragner says to consider this clip their audition tape, and while we’re not sure if there will actually be music at the rally, we’re cheering for Silhavey all the way. The clip begins with the Colbert Report theme, then moves onto the Daily Show theme and concludes with Dranger explaining some crazy conspiracy theory or something. FUN! You can also catch Silhavey in Chicago on Wednesday, October 13th at the Subterranean. Anyway, enjoy the video:
Chicago’s Rhymefest might have finally released his long awaited album, El Che, this summer, but he’s not quite done releasing new music just yet. His new song “Mermaid”, for which he held a contest for fans to create a photo-video, is a smooth and melodic electro-tinged jam. According Elchethemovement.com, Rhymefest states, “My new song “Mermaid” is about being with a beautiful woman who I can’t breathe with. Ultimately, she ends up killing me because she hates my world & I can’t live in hers.” Damn. Pretty dark stuff for one of his more poppy tracks. Anyway, check out the Bryan Carr & Francis Kmiecik-directed clip below:
