After a few years of delays, political/humorist punk group Dillinger Four will finally release CIVILWAR, its fourth full-length album and first in six years, on October 14. Its label, Fat Wreck Chords, calls the band “the Redd Foxx – mixed with Chalmers Johnson – of punk rock,” and taking one look at its track listings makes that obvious. To mark the occasion, here are the group’s ten best song titles and their themes.
Music
Q&A: God of Shamisen
Led by Tsugaru-shamisen master Kevin Kmetz, Santa Cruz’s God of Shamisen creates cultural collisions in the form of shredding, Japanese-infused progressive metal. Scott Morrow catches up with Kmetz and bassist/producer Mark Thornton on the heels of the group’s full-length debut release.
BPM Counter: 24 Hour Party People’s Weekly Picks
Mark Knight: Toolroom Knights 2xCD (Toolroom)(UK)
Probably one of the best mixes of the summer comes from one of the fastest rising stars in dance music — the Kent-based Mark Knight. The Toolroom Knights series has actually been pretty uneven up to this point and I’ve found myself more irritated by the obviousness of some of the programming like on the Gabriel & Dresden installment and the overkill bombast of others like Martin Ten Velden than the delight of the small smattering of actual Toolroom releases appearing in the series.
Austin City Limits Preview
Those familiar with the national festival circuit might get a sense of déjà vu when looking at the lineup for Austin City Limits. No matter – there are plenty of quality jams to go around the fest’s eight stages, and we have our recommended itinerary ready for you.
Local Shows that Have Us Excited (9-26-08)
Being in Chicago means always having great show options, and this weekend (bleeding into early next week) is no different. If you’re around our city this weekend, you may see one or all of us at the following shows, including sBACH, the buzzing Nintendo rock project of Hella guitarist and The Advantage drummer Spencer Siem (shown left).
Chicago’s Decibelle Festival Packs a Dynamic Lineup
Showcasing some of the most notorious women in music, art, and film, the Decibelle Festival (formerly Estrojam) returns to Chicago from September 23-27. Performances include electro-clash all-stars Miss Kittin & The Hacker, Brilliant Pebbles, Plushgun and The Lady Tigra. The festival will also host the Chicago premiere of acclaimed documentary The Gits about the early ’90s Seattle band. Featuring interviews with Joan Jett and Kathleen Hanna, the film has been making an impact at film festivals across the country.
CSS: The Mayan, Los Angeles, 9/22/08
L.A. doesn’t deserve CSS. Maybe the concertgoers were having a case of the Mondays, but it took them until the encore to show gratitude to the Brazilian tastemakers. Granted, the set was abbreviated, topping out at under an hour, but it was so sparkly and frenetic, the lack of enthusiasm in the venue was downright insulting.
Weekly Burlesque Interview with Jen Gapay
With the New York Burlesque Festival almost upon us, this seemed like a great time to nab a quickie interview with producer / entrepreneur / all-around hottie Jen Gapay! Jen is the owner of Thirsty Girl Productions, which produces the NYBF with the Pontani Sisters, and I’m happy to have a chance to tip my pastie to one of the most charming and hard-working producers in the scene. What would we do without her?
The Top 10 Parts of The Shape of Punk to Come
Just prior to an acrimonious breakup in 1998, Swedish hardcore group Refused released its magnum opus, The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts. It was as much an assault on capitalist philosophy as it was a striking stylistic evolution, and it did its best to advance hardcore in the way that its titular influence, Ornette Coleman’s The Shape of Jazz to Come, did with jazz.
Ra Ra Riot Play Chicago’s Subterranean 9/11/08
Singer Wesley Miles was jovial in his proclamation that this was Ra Ra Riot’s third visit to Chicago this year. Then again, how could he not be? The band has seemingly blown up overnight with the release of their new critically acclaimed album, The Rhumb Line.
Weekend Planner (9-19-08)
If you’re in New York or Chicago, you have some mighty fine festival options this weekend. Check out our recommendations for ATP New York and Chicago’s Hideout Block Party, including My Bloody Valentine (shown left), Tortoise, Plastic People of the Universe, Tim Fite, and many others.