Top five shows of 2013

Another year draws to a close and I cannot help but think back on all the great shows that happened in 2013. Here are five of my favorite shows from the last 12 months, in no particular order. Did you go to any of these shows, or what were your favorite shows of 2013? Tell us in the comments.

Titus Andronicus, The So So Glos, Sharpless at the Metro

This stands as my only time seeing Titus Andronicus, so it is no surprise that this was one of the most memorable shows of the year. "The Monitor" is one of my favorite albums in recent years and their other work is nothing to sneeze at. Seeing them play "No Future Part Three," "A More Perfect Union" and "Titus Andronicus Forever" was something I had hoped to experience for a long time. They played all those songs and more from "The Monitor" as well as choice selections from "Local Business." The So So Glos, from Brooklyn, opened in support of their excellent new album "Blowout." I had heard a few songs from this band before but had never seen them. They were the best kind of opener: the kind you want to keep playing and you look up after the show. This show happened to fall on the anniversary of MCA's death. At the end of Titus Andronicus' set, all the bands got up on stage and covered The Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" together. It was one of those moments in music that makes a big world feel small and strangers feel like friends.

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Cloud Nothings preparing new album for 2014

Cloud Nothings announced their fourth full-length album is in the works and should be released in 2014. Their previous album, 2012's "Attack on Memory," was one of my favorite albums of that year. Catchy tunes like "Stay Useless" grabbed my attention, but the gritty thinkers "No Future/No Past" and "Wasted Days" are the real meat of the album. There is not much information on the band's new disc yet, aside from the 2014 release date and the mention that new material will be performed at a show in New York City next month. See Cloud Nothings' video update below:

Cloud Nothings, busy as they are, contributed two songs to Polyvinyl Records' 4-track single subscription series. The record label will release one new 7-inch every month next year, featuring songs recorded by 12 different artists on the same 4-track recorder. This physical format only, subscription only series is clearly targeted at music geeks who still prefer the feel of vinyl to the texture-less mp3. The series also includes new music from Hospitality, Thao and The Get Down Stay Down, Diane Coffee (of Foxygen), John Vanderslice and more.

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New Year's Eve guide

In a few short weeks, this year's final hours will ring out with a slew of exciting shows around the Chicago area. Once again, the challenge of living near a major metropolitain area is not finding something to do, but deciding which thing to do. Here is a roundup of some of the more eye-catching places to be to close out 2013. Choose wisely.

The Lawrence Arms at Concord Music Hall

First off, in the interest of full disclosure, this is the show I will attend this December 31. The Lawrence Arms, local punk heroes, are set to release their first full-length album since 2006's "Oh, Calcutta." They signed to Epitaph for the release, which is their first studio release of any kind since the "Buttsweat and Tears" EP in 2009. Check out the first single from the new album above. Concord Music Hall opened a few months ago as a sort of gap-filler for the at least temporarily defunct Congress Theatre. Masked Intruder, Downtown Struts and Direct Hit! round out the lineup for a solid night of pop punk.

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Dave Anians - December 8, 2013

Chris Dertz is up next! Chris’s current music project is called Bedroom Sons and it is an awesome mixture of acoustic/rock/indie/punk/whatever/it’scool. He hails from west Illinois but currently lives in Chicago playing shows and hangin out. I’ve known Chris since the open mic era of my college experience and have done a split with him and even played bass for a few Bedroom Sons shows.

He’s a cool dude, so I asked him some of the same questions as the previous Green Dots and some new questions and all that so check it out.

B Sons has a new album out as well, and it’s really good, and you can find it here.

Read the interview here.

The last days of Streetlight Manifesto

How did it come to this?

So I spent last weekend in New Jersey. That’s right New Jersey. And I had a damn good reason to be spending time in New Jersey. Nov. 15th and 16th were nights two and three, and therefore the last nights, of Streetlight Manifesto as a full time touring band. Or for all intents and purposes, at least in my mind, the end of Streetlight Manifesto. It was a celebration of a decade of Streetlight. Night 1, on Nov. 14th was a night of rarities. I arrived for Night 2, the early days of Streetlight. Night 3 was, obviously, the later days of Streetlight.

The shows were at the Starland Ballroom, out in the middle of nowhere. You could either park at the venue’s parking lot or across the street at the VFW. There was nothing else around. The place was packed though, as both nights were sold out. And since it was a ska show, that meant a lot of underage kids. Who, since they couldn’t drink, had to find others ways to entertain themselves. Luckily there was a screen in front of the stage, playing ads for upcoming shows and local businesses. One of those businesses: IHOP. The crowd figured out the ad before the IHOP one and would have a countdown. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, [EVERYONE CHEERS]”. This happened each time, both nights. Whoever was running the powerpoint decided to have some fun, and inserted pictures of pancakes and waffles after the IHOP slide, asking “Pancakes…” “…Or Waffles?” The crowd overwhelming voted for pancakes. (I vote waffles). On night two, a slide was inserted with the Denny’s logo crossed out, leading to a chant: “Fuck you Denny’s.” Oh yes, the underage crowd found ways to entertain themselves. And I’m sure IHOP found themselves with lots of late night business.

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Recap: Lipstick Homicide at Township

Lipstick Homicide, Iowa City's finest pop punk trio, played Township in Logan Square last night. This is a band that has lightning energy and a sense of humor, two qualities that have earned many bands in the punk world dedicated followings. Lipstick Homicide played with the tight force of a band that has clearly been playing a lot of shows lately, their chemistry unmistakable. Yet they do not give off the air of a band taking themselves too seriously. Guitarist and vocalist Kate Kane came out wearing an "Evil Dead" T-shirt. Together with bassist and vocalist Rachel Feldmann and drummer Luke Ferguson, the band appear to be three friends who have probably been hanging on each other's couches talking about vampires and posers for as long as they have been playing music.

Dave Anians - November 13, 2013

Our next Green Dot Sessions is with Paul Aluculesei, a Chicago area guitarist and studio manager and freelance engineer at IV Lab Studios. I’ve known Paul since high school and he has always been a solid dude and an excellent musician. In the past three or so years, he has recorded, mixed, and mastered a solid chunk of my music. It has been a very fulfilling experience as I learned how to not sound like total crap and he learned how to make sure I didn’t, culminating to our last big project at IV Lab, my concept album WAITT (woo self plug!): http://daveydynamite.bandcamp.com/album/waitt

He’s a guitarist in two bands currently: Fathoms and more recently, Warforged.

Check out a badass video of Fathoms that I show people when I drink too much here (my favorite part starts around 2:40).

As a metal/progressive guitarist and a professional audio man, Paul has a lot of experience in things that I have very limited knowledge and understanding of, so this was fun! Hopefully you’ll think so tooooo. Read the interview here.

In Rotation: Last False Hope: "Dig Nails Deep"

Last False Hope's debut full-length album has to be one of the most hotly anticipated releases in Chicago punk this year. The crusty folk punks have been on the scene since 2010 but the band's members have been in the music world for much longer. Together as Last False Hope, they have blazed a quick path to high profile shows and collaborations with esteemed colleagues in the punk world. Scott "Stza" Sturgeon (Choking Victim/Leftover Crack/Star Fucking Hipsters) performed on "Drag Me to Hell," a standout track on Last False Hope's first EP, "The Shape of Bluegrass to Come." Now, on their debut full-length, "Dig Nails Deep," Jorge Herrera (The Casualties) performs on "Tear It Out" and Shooter Jennings performs on "My Marybeth" and "Methlehem" (in addition to producing the album). I saw Last False Hope in their early days opening for Star Fucking Hipsters at Reggies. In September, they played a set at Riot Fest in Humboldt Park.

Their sound has been immediate and energizing since their formation. The 10 songs on "Dig Nails Deep" build on that sense of urgency. The band continues to explore the deep possibilities afforded to them by a lineup of talented musicians handling an arsenal of instruments that gets them tossed into several genres. The group consists of Jahshie P on vocals and mandolin, Shawn Connors on guitar and vocals, Dave Wiegers on guitar and vocals, Colleen Mary on violin, Ian Watson on stand up bass, Stevie Lee on drums and Brendan Franklin on the lap steel guitar. This set of songs exhibits an expanding texture of the auditory fabric. "Goddamn You," "Methlehem" and "Guilty, Until Proven Innocent" all progress into fierce breakdowns. This is an album full of tunes that will get the kids in the crowd slamming in the pit. It is a thrill to hear Jorge Herrera of The Casualties trade vocals with Jahshie P on "Tear It Out." It would be great to see an on stage collaboration when these bands play a show together later this month at Reggies.

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Songs for your skulls

Halloween is here and if you are like me, you have been spending your nights watching an increasingly obscure run of horror films. There are the classics that remain worth the watch every year, but these things don't get scarier the second time. To keep the scares fresh, the depths of the horror pantheon must be mined. Wading through the expanse takes more than one Halloween season. Don't forget, in the meantime, all the horror punk bands and horror themed songs out there. Let this playlist soundtrack your descent into the darkness of the most evil, sugar-coated holiday ever.

This Friday is stacked

There are no less than four solid shows happening in the area this Friday. This happens from time to time, living near a city as large as Chicago, but usually only two shows will fall on the same night. Well, on Friday there are four shows to choose between. This, of course, is a good problem to have.

First up, Off With Their Heads (pictured above), Set Fire to Reason and Turbo Vamps! play at Brauer House in Lombard. The last time I saw Off With Their Heads, they were at The Rave in Milwaukee, opening for Alkaline Trio. So, this would be a relatively intimate venue to see them play. On top of that, Turbo Vamps! are playing their first show in a good while and I hear they will have copies of their singer's side project, Friskie Morris & Friends. This album features contributions from dozens of local musicians and I am excited to get my hands on it.

Meanwhile, at Reggies Rock Club in Chicago, there is a mega ska show happening. Voodoo Glowskulls headline a night that also includes The Toasters, Left Alone, On Your Marx and La Mata. On any other night, this show would be a no-brainer. Now it has to compete with three other good shows. This is already looking like a tough call.

Down at Township, it is none other than the man with the moustache himself, Franz Nicolay and local heroes Elephant Gun. Franz Nicolay was a long time member of The World/Inferno Friendship Society and The Hold Steady and has performed with Against Me!, Star Fucking Hipsters, Frank Turner and more. I was lucky enough to see him on stage with Against Me! for their Lollapalooza set a few years ago. He played accordion, keyboard, did backing vocals, had a moustache. How could anyone turn that down?

Fourth, at the Disastr House in Rockford, is a Ska-lloween show featuring 4 Aspirin Morning, The Atrocities, Skinny Pete & the Badgers, PTS and EmE. Ska and Halloween are two of everyone's favorite things, right? Combine them and you get something like a bunch of candy corns blasting out of a trumpet. Skeletons skanking all over the place. People picking up pumpkins. Check out 4 Aspirin Morning's music video for "Cemetery Song" and get in the Ska-lloween spirit!

Random Records with Steve O

Good Riddance - Operation Phoenix

So I think of Good Riddance as one of those legendary 90s, Fat Wreck bands. And yes, I’ll admit the fact that singer Russ Rankin is vegan, straight edge, and a huge hockey fan might have something to do with why I love this band. Now that that’s out of the way, they were doing the political, melodic hardcore thing years before Rise Against got huge doing the same thing. They were prolific, releasing 7 records in 11 years. They broke up in 2007, but reformed in 2012 playing the occasional show. 1999’s Operation Phoenix stands as my favorite of their releases. It has blazing political songs like “Indoctrination”, “Shit-Talking Capitalists”, and “Winning the Hearts and Minds” along with more melodic numbers like “Letters Home” and “The Hardest Part”. The longest song, “Article IV” peaks at 3 minutes, but it sandwiched with sound-clips, giving it some extra length. The record is full of sound-clips, which personally I’m a big fan of, adding a different feeling to the songs. It also has a sweet cover of Black Flag’s “My War.” Check out Operation Phoenix in full.

Streetlight Manifesto play final (for now) Chicago show

Streetlight Manifesto played their final Chicago show for the time being on Saturday night at the House of Blues. Through the years, they have played ska with more complexity than it is typically known for, and their frequent touring will be sorely missed. I rank Streetlight among my favorite bands, so it is difficult to see them move on, even if they are not officially breaking up. I was lucky enough to be there for the Chicago show on their End of the Beginning Tour, which was also their first Chicago show since releasing their third album, "The Hands That Thieve."

The lead up to the release of "The Hands That Thieve" was a long series of moments when it seemed like it was ready to come out and then it would get delayed. The band had long running problems with their label, Victory Records, and finally reached the end of their contract with the release of this album. The band wanted to be able to distribute it through their own means, along with a companion Toh Kay album. Victory did not allow this to happen. "The Hands That Thieve" is out now, and after the conclusion of this tour next month in their home state of New Jersey, Streetlight Manifesto will be finished touring on a consistent basis.

It was ironic to see some of these songs performed for the first time at what was likely the band's last show here for a good while. Songs like "They Broke Him Down," "Toe to Toe" and "The Three of Us" surely would have continued as staples in their live set. They also played many of their classics, including "A Better Place, a Better Time," "Here's to Life," "We Will Fall Together," "Watch it Crash," "A Moment of Silence," "A Moment of Violence," "Somewhere in the Between," "Down, Down, Down to Mephisto's Cafe" and "The Big Sleep." The band has left the door open to play festivals and do short tours on an irregular basis. I cannot imagine Tomas Kalnoky, who was the lead singer for Catch 22 before starting Streetlight more than 10 years ago, would just stop making music. Still, watching them close the night out with "The Big Sleep," I could not help but feel emotions about Streetlight and ska and music.

During his opening set, Mike Park, founder of Asian Man Records, mentioned a letter he found from Tomas Kalnoky, written a long time ago. In the letter, Tomas asked Mike to release Catch 22's album. After giving it some consideration, Mike passed on the record. Catch 22 ended up signing with Victory Records and Streetlight Manifesto signed with Victory shortly after forming. Mike Park and Streetlight Manifesto might have both been better off had Catch 22 signed with Asian Man Records all those years ago. The fact that we still have some of the best ska albums I could hope for says something about this band's determination to be heard.

Suicide Machines headline night of ska, hardcore and folk punk at Reggies

Friday night at Reggies Rock Club, Suicide Machines headlined a great show stacked with talented acts from top to bottom. Suicide Machines are best known for their debut album, "Destruction by Definition," which came out during the height of the third wave ska revival. They are the epitome of skate punk. "New Girl" was featured on the original "Tony Hawk" videogame and they wrote a whole song about how much they like Vans, a brand which is forever associated with skating. Their ska-punk and hardcore songs are their most vibrant and they largely stuck to those songs on Friday night, as they did the last time they played Chicago, at Riot Fest in 2011. They played "New Girl," "S.O.S.," "Too Much," "Islands," "War Profiteering is Killing Us All" and "DDT." Two of the biggest highlights had to be two songs that they did not play at Riot Fest a couple years ago. "Hey" is my favorite song of theirs and finally seeing them play it live was a blast. Check out this video of them playing "Hey" at The Fest in 2010:

I ran to the front as soon as they started playing their cover of Minor Threat's "I Don't Wanna Hear It." Suicide Machines switched frequently between ska and hardcore throughout the set, the crowd alternated between skanking and moshing.

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Dave Anians - October 7, 2013

Welcome to the new Green Dot Sessions! These are interviews done over facebook messaging, which allows both parties to take time to formulate responses and chat in a less formal way. I’m super new to the whole interviewing business, but I think this will be a fun way to get to know musicians from all around and the way they write and feel about their role in the music world.

Also, I’m probably not gonna stay in the background of these interviews. Many of the people I’ll be talking with are good friends, so including my own stories and relationships with these people will make it easier for me and hopefully give a fuller picture of what I’m trying to show from these interviews.

So yeah! Thanks!

Check out our first Green Dot Session, featuring Jake Joyce of Seasonal Men's Wear:

Random Records with Steve O

Hanson Brothers - Sudden Death

In honor of the start of the NHL season this week, Random Records is all about hockey. Which means the Hanson Brothers! Now would be a good time to mention that if you haven’t seen the movie Slapshot, drop what you are doing right now and go watch it. The Hanson Brothers obviously take their name from that movie. It’s the side project of the guys from Nomeansno, playing Ramones-core all about hockey and beer. Sudden Death was their second record, released in 1996.

It should be pretty obvious what kind of music you’ll find on Sudden Death. While Nomeansno tend to have rather intellectual songs, the Hanson Brothers are juvenile. Musically, they sound like every Ramones-core band. Lyrically, it’s beer, girls and hockey. The best part of the Hanson Brothers is all the hockey references. Sudden Death features songs like “Stick Boy,” “Third Man In,” “Rink Rat,” “Danielle (She Don’t Care About Hockey),” “He Looked a lot Like Tiger Williams” and their version of “The Hockey Song” (see below). Yeah, hockey’s great.

RVIVR blast through Township

A lot can happen on a massive tour. RVIVR is on the first leg of such a tour right now. The band stopped in Chicago for a show at Township last night, a show which easily could have been a casualty of fate. RVIVR started their current jaunt in Seattle a couple weeks ago and played their hometown of Olympia, Washington the next day. By mid November, the tour will take the band to every corner of this country, playing shows nearly every day including three shows in Canada and one in Mexico.

A few days before the Chicago show, singer and guitarist Mattie Canino broke his pinky finger, forcing the band to cancel a show in Minneapolis and reschedule a show in Milwaukee as a solo set by singer and guitarist Erica Freas. It was determined soon enough that the broken finger would not bring this 50 plus show tour to a grinding hault, Canino would be able to play through the pain. Perhaps he took inspiration from RVIVR's songs, which at a simplistic level can often be boiled down to the idea of playing through the pain. He noted during the show that Chicago icon Michael Jordan's performance with a broken finger in the playoffs was a source of inspiration. The crowd was quick to point out that he had been misinformed and Jordan had not played with a broken finger, but actually played with the flu (game 5 of the NBA Finals in 1997, for anyone keeping score.)

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Random Records with Steve O

The Sainte Catherines - Fire Works

So the next Random Record is the last one released by Montreal’s the Sainte Catherines. Fire Works was released in 2010, while the Sainte Catherines called it quits in 2012. Their full length prior to this one, was 2006’s Dancing For Decadence, released on Fat Wreck Chords. I stumbled across it at Record Breakers, before they moved to the city, I thought it looked cool and the fact that it was released by Fat Wreck was all the convincing I needed. That ended up being a great decision, as Dancing For Decadence is fucking amazing and definitely one of my favorite records of any genre. But I’m not gonna rave about that record here. I’m gonna talk about the follow up, which I had huge expectations for…

…Only to be let down. I was totally bummed the first time I heard Fire Works. Dancing For Decadence was this blazing fast, catchy punk record. Fire Works slowed down and didn’t seem very catchy. Yeah, there were some good songs and it has Hugo Mudie’s awesome gravel voice, but it wasn’t like Dancing For Decadence, which didn’t have a bad song on it. But I persisted and kept giving another try after another try. And it took a while, but I came to love Fire Works for what it was. Some of the songs on here have become my favorite Sainte Catherines songs (i.e. “No Friends,” “Reinventing Ron Hextall (I Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye),” and “D’You Guys Wanna Fuckin’ Party After This? No.”). They seem much more heartfelt, more meaningful, more sincere. More hockey references! Both of these are records I still listen to regularly.

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Riot Fest recap: Day Three

During the final day of Riot Fest, I tried to keep my glasses on and only get soaked as opposed to super-soaked. Against Me!, Mission of Burma, Chuck Ragan, Pet Symmetry, Best Coast, Suicidal Tendencies, Pixies and The Replacements performed. Read the full recap here.

Random Records with Steve O

Antillectual - Perspectives & Objectives

So Phil had told me he was starting up his music blog again and asked if I wanted to contribute to it. And I’ve finally come up with a worthwhile way to participate. Random Records with SteveO! I’ve got more music on my computer than I know what to do with and I seem to spend a good amount of time listening to it. The point is to highlight a record or band you might not be very familiar with (or even know at all) and just have a short write-up about them. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your new favorite band.

So for the initial Random Records… I bring you Perspectives & Objectives, released just last month by the Dutch band Antillectual. I saw these guys last year in Albany while they were on their way down to the Fest. They put on a great show with lots of energy, which was made more impressive by the fact that the energy was missing from the crowd. I bought a record and talked to them for a while after the show, about vegetarianism, what it was like touring in another country, where they were going next. They were super friendly guys and were willing to chat with people despite with their accented and limited English.

Read more here

Riot Fest recap: Day Two

Riot Fest's second day included performances from Rancid, FLAG, Blink-182, Violent Femmes, The Selecter, Pennywise, Dinosaur Jr., T.S.O.L., and Surfer Blood. My glasses got rocked off. See more pictures and the full recap here.

Riot Fest recap: Day One

The whirlwind of Riot Fest weekend has passed, and now that I have had a few days to recover, it's time to take a look back. Friday was a shorter day than the other two, but packed a solid punch. I got things started off right with The Flatliners, Flatfoot 56, Smoking Popes, On Your Marx, Bad Religion, Sublime With Rome, and Danzig. See more pictures and the full recap here.

Local bands to watch at Riot Fest

Among the many, many bands playing this year's Riot Fest are some local acts worth checking out. If you have not had a chance to catch these bands around town, this is a good time to see them play in front of massive crowds. Highlighted here are a few local bands on the rise. There are several well-established bands from the Chicago area playing as well, including The Lawrence Arms, The Broadways, Smoking Popes and Screeching Weasel.

On Your Marx

This local ska punk group runs away with the award for best band name. Really, how could a band ever live up to a name as good as On Your Marx? Their red and yellow Chicago flag sticker is nothing to sneeze at, either. I saw On Your Marx open for Mustard Plug at Cobra Lounge a few months ago. They put on a fun, energetic set, as any ska band should. Featuring nine members, they fill up most stages, but this may be the biggest stage they have played on yet. They join a healthy crop of ska bands at the fest this year, including The Selecter, Sublime With Rome, and fellow locals Deal's Gone Bad. On Your Marx plays at 6 p.m. on Friday on the Rebel stage. Stream some of their music at reverbnation.

Last False Hope

Local folk-punkers Last False Hope absolutely tear it up live. The first time I saw them, a few years ago, they said it was their sixth show ever. They were opening for Star Fucking Hipsters at Reggies. I saw them again last year at Reggies, opening for The World/Inferno Friendship Society. They sounded tighter, banjo blazing through their crusty folk tunes. This band has moved fast from the start, so it is no surprise to see them booked for Riot Fest before their first full length album is even out. That album, "Dig Nails Deep," should be released this winter. Their first EP, "The Shape of Bluegrass to Come," is a four song blast of addictive anthems. Last False Hope plays at 5 p.m. on Friday on the Rebel stage. Stream music from Last False Hope at their site.

White Mystery

Grungy brother-sister duo White Mystery released their third album in the spring. I saw them open for Naked Raygun at the Metro in June. Their live performance instantly makes clear that they will hold their own with whoever they play with and they are sure to unleash the full attack at Riot Fest. The pair, Miss Alex White and Francis Scott Key White, sport matching long red curly hair. Catch this band at the House Cafe in Dekalb on 9/21 if you miss them at Riot Fest. White Mystery play at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday on the Rebel stage. Stream some of White Mystery's tunes at their site.

Riot Fest schedule released

The hotly anticipated schedule for Riot Fest was released this afternoon. The first bands begin at 4 p.m. on Friday in Humboldt Park, with the gates opening at 2:30 p.m. Gates will open at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. There are several conflicting set times to decide between in the next few days. Rancid and Public Enemy playing at the same time is a particularly rough one for me. I would love to see Public Enemy, but Rancid is the absolute number one band I want to see at Riot Fest. I suppose having too many good bands at a festival is a good problem to have, but here are a few of the tougher calls:

Friday

• Bad Religion (6:45-7:45) v. Screeching Weasel (6:30-7:30)
• Sublime with Rome (8:45-9:45) v. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (8:30-9:30)

Saturday

• Guided by Voices (4:45-5:45) v. DeVotchka (4:45-5:45)
• Blondie (6:45-7:45) v. The Lawrence Arms (6:45-7:45)
• Rancid (7:45-8:45) v. Public Enemy (7:45-8:45)

Sunday

• Suicidal Tendencies (5:30-6:30) v. Off with Their Heads (5:30-6:00)
• Pixies (8:00-9:15) v. The Broadways (7:30-8:30)

Andrew Jackson Jihad, the full band

Double live LP out now

Andrew Jackson Jihad, Phoenix folk punk stalwarts, released their first live album this week. Putting out a live album may not sound like anything spectacular. Why record new songs when you can record old songs again? This particular live album documents an exciting time in the band's history. There is a reason that this, nine years in, is the moment to do a live album. Andrew Jackson Jihad has gone electric.

I have seen Andrew Jackson Jihad many times over the years. For many of those years, the lineup consisted of two men: Sean Bonnette and Ben Gallaty. They recorded their albums with many contributing artists. Play one of their records and you will hear all manner of instrumentation, but an Andrew Jackson Jihad show was Sean Bonnette on acoustic guitar and Ben Gallaty on stand-up bass. Plus a heard of elated fans screaming the lyrics with comprehensive accuracy. Then, about two years ago at the Subterranean, a funny thing happened. Halfway through the set, a few other gentleman joined Bonnette and Gallaty onstage for the end of "White Face, Black Eyes." Drums, electric guitar, electric bass - it was all happening. They remained a full electric outfit for the rest of the set, ripping through "Gift of the Magii II," "Heartilation," and a cover of "Hybrid Moments" with newfound vitality.

About a year later, in November 2012, Andrew Jackson Jihad, the full band, stopped at the Bottom Lounge. They played an entire electric set, with an acoustic break in the middle. The setlist was similar to what ended up on "Live at the Crescent Ballroom," which was recorded on the final date of the same tour, at the hometown show. Jeff Rosenstock of Bomb the Music Industry! was on hand to open the show and played saxophone on several songs with Andrew Jackson Jihad. "A Song Dedicated to the Memory of Stormy the Rabbit" with full instrumentation, including Jeff Rosenstock on saxophone, was absolutely thrilling to watch. Whether or not Andrew Jackson Jihad carries on as a full band at shows or returns to their two-man form, this tour was a moment that needed to be shared.

Stream the full live album at Andrew Jackson Jihad's bandcamp, or buy it on vinyl through Asian Man Records.

Dog Party releases music video for "Lost Control"

Dog Party, comprised of two sisters from Sacramento, released this music video for the title track from their latest album. It may be true that only one of them is old enough to drive, but this band is going places fast. Their excellent third album, "Lost Control" is available now on vinyl and CD via Asian Man Records.

Riot Fest aftershows include Lawrence Arms, Against Me!, Sublime with Rome, more

Riot Fest's aftershows, listed in full below, offer some solid options for live music after Humboldt Park has closed for the evening. So if you have not had enough moshing, skanking and screaming lyrics by the end of the day, head to one of these venues. They may fill up quickly, especially the Cobra Lounge shows, so get there early or get tickets in advance to be assured a spot in the house. This also creates the first of what are sure to be many conflicts in set times during the course of the weekend. Friday night, Sublime with Rome plays at the Concord Music Hall, while The Lawrence Arms perform an intimate set at Cobra Lounge. This is a tough call. Concord has the larger capacity so there is a better chance of getting into the show. Sublime with Rome does not come around very often, and they usually play larger venues when they do. On the other hand, The Lawrence Arms usually play larger venues than Cobra Lounge. Seeing them there would be a blast. I fully expect that show to be packed well before Brendan Kelly and Co. take the stage. The Chicago crew is preparing their first new album since 2006. Saturday, Against Me! plays Cobra Lounge, which is a much smaller venue than they normally play as well. They are also working on a new album, which will be the band's first since lead singer Laura Jane Grace's sex change and the departure of longtime bassist Andrew Seward. Riot Fest takes place in Humboldt Park from September 13-15. Tickets for aftershows go on sale on 8/30 at 11 a.m. The aftershow schedule is as follows:

Friday

• Sublime with Rome 10:30 p.m. at Concord Music Hall, 18+
• The Lawrence Arms 10:30 p.m. at Cobra Lounge, 21+
• Andrew W.K. 10:30 p.m. at Double Door, 21+

Saturday

• Against Me!, The Flatliners 10:30 p.m. at Cobra Lounge 21+
• Rocket From the Crypt 10:30 p.m. at Double Door 21+

Sunday

• Peter Hook and the Light 10:30 p.m. at Double Door 21+
• The Lillingtons 11 a.m. at Beat Kitchen
• Quicksand 10:30 p.m. at Cobra Lounge 21+

Concord Music Hall to open August 1

Chicago's newest live music venue, Concord Music Hall, is set to open August 1. The venue will open just down the street from the temporarily closed Congress Theater, taking some of the shows that were scheduled there in the coming months. Concord Music Hall is jointly owned by promoters React Presents (Spring Awakening, North Coast Music Festival), Silver Wrapper and Riot Fest. Adam Ant will play the venue's first show on August 1. The official launch party will be on August 17th with Gogol Bordello. Both shows were moved from the Congress Theater. Concord will also host after shows for the North Coast Music Festival (8/30-9/1) and Riot Fest (9/13-9/15). Located near Logan Square and Wicker Park, at 2407 N. Milwaukee Ave., Concord is set to fill the void left by Congress Theater, which is closed for building code violations. The earliest Congress could reopen is October, but it is unclear whether that will actually happen. The theater is seeking a new owner. Concord, which will have a capacity of 1,600, appears to host electronic and punk rock shows. Jimmy Cliff, The Misfits and Less Than Jake are also booked for the fall.

Against Me! release two new songs

Free for a limited time

Phil Collins - July 29, 2013

Gainesville punk outfit Against Me! released a new two song EP as a free download through their web site. The "True Trans" EP is the group's first studio release since singer Laura Jane Grace's sex change. The EP features two acoustic songs. Against Me! is set to perform at Riot Fest on September 15.