Over a decade ago, Philadelphia-based The Asteroid # 4 came onto the music scene, playing the kind of drug-hazed psychedelia that was a dime-a-dozen back in the 1960s. After gaining some recognition after appearing on a Spaceman 3 tribute album, they quickly released their debut, Introducing… . However, the six-piece went more or less under the radar for many years, releasing five albums without managing to pinpoint a distinct sound. Instead they floated aimlessly between music scenes, never really finding a niche.

Eternally upbeat Swedish indie rockers I’m From Barcelona have released a video for “Paper Planes,” off of their upcoming second album Who Killed Harry Houdini?, out October 14 on Mute Records, inspired from frontman Emanual Lundgren’s erstwhile attempt at a career as a magician. A free download of a second song from the record “Music Killed Me,” can be found on the band’s website.

Of the two recent major music festivals in Chicago (Lollapalooza and Pitchfork) Lolla is the loud, obnoxious big brother to Pitchfork’s quiet, arty little brother.

Storming into Grant Park like Hannibal across Europe, Lolla flew its corporate flag proudly, and over 225,000 heeded the call. 2008 was another undeniable success for mad genius Perry Farrell, the Willy Wonka of the pop world, with fewer injuries and drunk/drug related arrests than previous outings.

Sweden’s psychedelic rock group Dungen hasn’t hit these shores since 2005, if you can believe it. Three years later, with new drummer Johan Holmegard on board, the group is set to embark on a very special tour to coincide with their latest release, 4. Beginning in New York City during the CMJ Festival this October, the show will include favorites from past albums Tio Bitar and Ta Det Lugnt. Frontman Gustav Estjes has contributed a special guest column to ALARM #33.  Don’t forget to grab your copy this September!

Chicago’s experimental folk darlings, Califone are scheduled to play a free show at the Pritzker Pavilion today at noon as part of Millenium Park’s popular lunchtime music series.

High noon. In my imagination, as the sun reaches its peak in the sky, gun-slinging dudes in Western gear engage in a winner-take-all duel. The Lollapalooza equivalent of such pronounced machismo must be Orebro Sweden’s Witchcraft, whose 70s Black Sabbath inspired psychedelic riffs rifled through the air with the flamboyance of a gang of sharpshooters in “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West.”

Radiohead “Not Just a Dream” at Lollapalooza 2008

“Why is everyone so quiet?” questioned Thom Yorke in the latter half of Radiohead’s headlining Lollapalooza gig on Friday night in Chicago. The answer, of course, isn’t that everyone was disinterested, but rather that they were giving their undivided attention to a band that hasn’t graced a major concert stage in Chicago since 2001 – which was, coincidentally, in Grant Park.

Just a reminder that EXO will be playing an acoustic show this Sunday (August 10) at Schubas Tavern. The show will be a benefit for their longtime friend and former drummer, Doug Meis, who died tragically in a car accident in 2005. Friends of the band, Absentstar and Coach K (a Brookyln DJ, not the guy from Duke) are also included on the bill.

Taking a detour into nostalgia, I arrived at the Bud Light main stage for Love and Rockets and it became clear as I strolled to nearly the front row that everyone was over on the south side of Grant Park catching the Gnarls Barkley set, leaving me surrounded by pasty faces in Bauhaus shirts.

Heavily hyped lads The Whigs took the stage in the early afternoon Sunday to a crowd of largely apathetic and sun drained fans.

Here’s your chance to win 2 vip passes to POP Montreal. This year’s gonna be a super fantastic thrill ride featuring such luminous figures as Burt Bacharach, Irma Thomas, The Persuasions, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Dodos, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Ratatat, Akron/Family, Socalled, Sam Shalabi, Julie Doiron and a lot more including: Kids Pop, Art Pop, Film Pop, our Symposium and other POPs that you need to be in Montreal to uncover.