Seattle hip-hop trio Champagne Champagne teamed with Portland, Oregon-based indie-rock band Starfucker in a recent show at Lincoln Hall in Chicago. Champagne Champagne, composed of emcees Pearl Dragon and Sir Thomas Gray and multi-instrumentalist DJ Gajamagic (formerly of The Blood Brothers), stormed through a high-energy, punk-rap set culled largely from its self-titled album, released in 2009. Tracks like the twisted love song “Molly Ringwald” showcased the group’s unorthodox production and penchant for pop-culture allusion. ALARM staff member Kyle Gilkeson was there to capture the action.
Austin-based four-piece The Octopus Project has spent the fall co-headlining a US tour with Polyvinyl’s newest signing, STRFKR.