Guess what you guys, this month's edition of Creative Control, saki's in-house variety show hosted and produced by Joe McAdam, is happening tonight! How about THAT?
We like to give things away for free at Creative Control. This month, we're raffling off tickets to see Bobcat Goldthwait at UP Comedy Club, as well as a pair of passes to a sold out screening of Mike Birbiglia's new film Sleepwalk With Me at the beautiful Music Box Theatre (the screening may or may not be hosted by whose name rhymes with Elmira Glass. We'll see!).
For this month's poster, we were lucky enough to work with the amazing Paul Hornschemeier, a graphic novelist and illustrator whose work might have seen during the opening credits of IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang!. If you're lucky, you might walk away with a copy of the poster. You can see it directly below this sentence!
Look at that thing.
Here's some videos of people from this show for you to look at until the real thing happens tonight.
Joe McAdam's new web series The Joe McAdam Show!
Mikey Manker doing standup!
Stephanie Hasz also doing standup and then being interviewed on a couch!
Chris Stephens as Toblerine on the last season of The Late Live Show!
Annie from Rock Falls!
Creative Control is FREE and open to all ages. The show starts at 8pm on Friday. I hope you can make it!
So many rad in-stores coming up at saki. Want to see a full list? Yes. Remember, all shows are free, all-ages, and feel free to bring a beer or two if you're >21!
Did you guys come to see Circuit Des Yeux & Oshwa this past weekend!? Wasn't it so good!? We freakin' love both those bands... There's a lot of craziness coming up in the next week, some of it you already knew about, some will be very new and exciting. Here's the deal: We have another Creative Control this Friday (because it's the last Friday of every month). There's not much to say about that. It will be great - it is always great. Stand up comics, sketches & a musical guest. We've got Rock Falls this month. They're lovely! Check out this awesome poster that Paul Hornschemeier did for us. Paul has also done the Comedy Bang Bang! logo as well as a bunch of the animation on Comedy Bang Bang! TV. He's a raaaad dude.
So, that's that. On Saturday, we have Marble Lion playing an in-store with some friends. Marble Lion is an awesome project out of Montreal. Their new EP was recorded with Taylor from the band Braids! So, there's that too. Then we've got a nice quiet Sunday & Monday to collect our thoughts before kicking it off big time on Tuesday. We still don't quite believe it ourselves, but we've confirmed an Epitonic saki Session with Xiu Xiu on Tuesday, September 4th! They're stopping in on their way out of town so it's a really early set kicking off at 12:30. We'll be in here early setting up for it, so feel free to show up a little before we open at 12. We'll let you in.
If that weren't nutso enough for you, we've got a "saki presents" show at The Burlington Tuesday night. We're welcoming some buds from Portland, The Shivas for a great bill with locals The Sueves & the always awesome, Magic Milk! We even got these fancy posters made by Ryan Duggan. Everything about this paragraph is awesome. Check out the poster below. If we have left overs we'll bring them to sell at the show (real cheap, let's say $5).
After all that, we're slowing down for a bit until the Fugscreens opening on 9/15. That show, of all things, is one not to be missed. More info on that one to come!
After a long wait, we finally got our copies of the 2 latest Mount Eerie records, 'Ocean Roar' & 'Clear Moon'! We have limited stock on both, so don't wait to pick these up. Both come highly recommended. This is some of the best stuff Phil Eleverum has done in years!
We're offering a pretty cool sale from now until Jim Newberry's photos come down this Thursday 8/30! If you buy one of his prints, you can get 20% off any releases from the artists pictured. So, if you buy the print of Jeff Tweedy & Mavis Staples, you'll get 20% off Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, or Mavis Staples' releases. If you buy the Ponys print, you could get the discount on Ponys stuff, or Bare Mutants. Pretty cool, right? If you have any questions about this, just stop in or give us a call!
Jim's photos are coming down this Thursday, August 30th. Even if you don't plan on buying one, you should just come check them out. The Bill Callahan photo is my personal favorite...
**This post was recently updated to say Thursday, August 30th instead of Friday, August 31st**
His persona(s), his attitude, and skills have made DOOM a well respected name in hip-hop. The newest of DOOM's albums, JJ DOOM's Key to the Kuffs was released last week. A great album that brings some new musical palates into the world of DOOM; I will give a quick review of Key to the Kuffs and a short retrospective of Daniel Dumile's multiple projects and personalities.
JJ DOOM - Key to the Kuffs (Lex Records)
Key to the Kuffs, the collaboration of DOOM and Jneiro Jarel, has similar structure to the rest of DOOM's catalogue: familiar interludes, sound collages, and DOOM's clever wordplay. Who else but DOOM could fit Eyjafjallajokull (the name of a volcano in Iceland) into a verse? It is distinctly a DOOM record. The production is considerably more jagged than previous albums which gives proof to the versatility of his flow; but the "buttery flow" he spoke of in "Raid" off of Madvillainy is somewhat missing. Regardless, the album is a must for any DOOM fan.
Some key tracks to check out: "Guv'nor," "Banished," "Retarded Fren," and "G.M.O."
For any newcomers to DOOM, I have put together an essential list of DOOM's extensive library.
London-born man of many aliases, Daniel Dumile (Zev Love X, MF DOOM, Madvillain, the Supervillain, Metal Fist, Metal Fingers, Viktor Vaughn, King Geedorah, DANGERDOOM, DOOM, JJ DOOM) has thrown his hat (or mask, rather) into the ring with many collaboration albums and numerous solo albums after getting his start in the group KMD in the early 1990s.
Anyone curious of Daniel Dumile's mission statement should look no further than MF DOOM's "Doomsday." DOOM "came to destroy rap." In that light, Daniel Dumile has taken on the persona of a villain for the better portion of his career but also can slip into the space-monster-rap of King Geedorah or the smooth thug known as Viktor Vaughn who is featured on "Fancy Clown," off of Madvillainy. The song is a clever diss-track of Viktor Vaughn calling out DOOM (in reality, both personas being in the mind of one man).
Between 2003 and 2004, Daniel Dumile released some of his most well received work such as King Geedorah's Take Me To Your Leader, Viktor Vaughn's Vaudeville Villain, MF DOOM's Mm..Food?, and the most celebrated, Madvillain's Madvillainy.
Madvillain - Madvillainy (2004/Stones Throw)
Since his most prolific period, DOOM has dropped the "MF" from his name, produced two tracks off of the Joey Bada$$ mix-tape, 1999, has allegedly been working with Ghostface Killah for a new collaboration album, and has just released JJ DOOM's album, Key to the Kuffs.
Below is a list of songs that any newcomer or long time fan of DOOM should enjoy.
01. MF DOOM - "Doomsday" - Operation: Doomsday
02. Madvillain - "Fancy Clown" - Madvillainy
03. Madvillain - "Figaro" - Madvillainy
04. King Geedorah - "Fazers" - Take Me To Your Leader
05. Madvillain - "Accordian" - Madvillainy
06. MF DOOM - "Vomitspit" - MM..Food?
07. King Geedorah - "Next Levels" - Take Me To Your Leader
08. MF DOOM - "Rhymes Like Dimes" - Operation: Doomsday
09. Madvillain - "Money Folder" - Madvillainy
10. Madvillain - "Meat Grinder" - Madvillainy
11. Madvillain - "Raid" - Madvillainy
12. JJ DOOM - "Guv'nor" - Key To The Kuffs
13. DOOM - "Ballskin" - Born This Way
14. DOOM - "Gazzillion Ear" - Born This Way
15. DOOM - "Absolutely" - Born This Way
16. DANGERDOOM - "Sofa King" - The Mouse & The Mask
17. Madvillain - "Curls" - Madvillainy
18. Viktor Vaughn - "Raedawn" - Vaudeville Villain
19. MF DOOM - "Beef Rapp" - MM..Food?
20. MF DOOM - "Hoe Cakes" - MM..Food?
21. JJ DOOM - "Banished" - Key To The Kuffs
22. MF DOOM - "Kon Karne" - MM..Food?
23. Viktor Vaughn - "Let Me Watch" - Vaudeville Villain
Cold Showers "Decay" 7"
Dan Deacon "America" LP
Matthew Dear "Beams" LP
Divine Fits "A Thing Called..." LP/CD
Entrance Band "Fine Flow" LP
Richard Hawley "Standing At The Sky's Edge" CD/LP
Isley Brothers "Twist & Shout" LP (re-issue)
Kemp & Eden "Black Hole Lace" LP
Michael Kiwanuka "Home Again" LP/CD
Maria Minerva "Will Happiness Find Me?" LP
Minus The Bear "Infinity Overhead" LP/CD
Nick Edwards "Plekzationz" LP
Orbital "Wonky" LP
Pallbearer "Sorrow & Extinction" LP
Swans "The Seer" CD/LP
Teen "In Limbo" LP
Wild Nothing "Nocturne" LP/CD
Townes Van Zandt "No Deeper Blue" CD
Why? "Sod In The Seed" LP
"Someone who owned 10,000 hardcover books and the same number of vinyl records could bequeath them to descendants, but legal experts say passing on iTunes and Kindle libraries would be much more complicated.
And one’s heirs stand to lose huge sums of money. “I find it hard to imagine a situation where a family would be OK with losing a collection of 10,000 books and songs,” says Evan Carroll, co-author of “Your Digital Afterlife.” “Legally dividing one account among several heirs would also be extremely difficult.”
Part of the problem is that with digital content, one doesn’t have the same rights as with print books and CDs. Customers own a license to use the digital files—but they don’t actually own them.
Most digital content exists in a legal black hole. “The law is light years away from catching up with the types of assets we have in the 21st Century,” says Wheatley-Liss. In recent years, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Indiana, Oklahoma and Idaho passed laws to allow executors and relatives access to email and social networking accounts of those who’ve died, but the regulations don’t cover digital files purchased.
Apple and Amazon did not respond to requests for comment."
You might want to sit down for this one, guys. We've got a really special giveaway piece for you. Carpark/Paw Tracks records sent us some Dent May lip balm & we just don't have that much need for lip balm right now. Another time of year we might just keep this all for ourselves, but right now we're going to spread the wealth. So, if you want some Dent May lip balm, come on in. We've got you covered!
saki is thrilled to present "Fug Comics," an exhibition of FugScreens comic-oriented prints.
"Fug Comics" is artwork by Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff, the owner and
operator of FugScreens Studios. Tasseff-Elenkoff specializes in
commissioned gig posters and personally designed fine art prints. His
fascination with color and form is expressed through his highly
individualistic style. Tasseff-Elenkoff's work is acclaimed at an
international level for his ability to impact and communicate with a
varied audience. Tasseff-Elenkoff's latest endeavor is the opening of
Galerie F, Chicago's latest art gallery and retail shop with an emphasis
on printmaking and street art.
In 2012 alone, FugScreens has
been represented around Chicago at Black Cloud Gallery, Maxwell Colette
Gallery, I Am Logan Square, Chicago Journeyman Plumber's Union, and
Strange Beauty Salon, as well as shows in Liverpool and London.
Please join us Saturday, September 15th from 6-9pm for the opening of
"Fug Comics." Enjoy a great night of fine poster art, drink cool
beverages from Finch's Beer Co. & Cellar Rat, and enjoy food
provided by saki. This event is FREE.
I'm trying a new thing this week. I've pasted our weekly newsletter e-mail blast to the blog for everyone to see. What do you guys think?
Hey folks, first we'd like to thank everyone who came out for Bully In The Hallway & The Luck of Eden Hall this weekend. It's nice to see you all as always! We've got Circuit Des Yeux & Oshwa this Friday, so don't miss that one. It's also an Epitonic saki Session, so you can check out the entire set on Epitonic a few weeks from now. That's it for this weekend, but next weekend we've got another Creative Control show. Check the Facebook event for more details, but we've got the always lovely, Rock Falls, as a musical guest & we'll hopefully have some new show posters printed up. They're designed by Paul Hornschemeier. You may recognize his style from the Comedy Bang Bang! (podcast & TV show) and Comedy Death-Ray Radio logos, as well as, you know, lots of other stuff that he's done, but mainly those two things. Either way, Creative Control is always great, so come out and learn to laugh you grumpy guses!
We also have some guest list spots left for upcoming Metro shows including First Aid Kit, Menomena & Heartless Bastards! Come in quick and snag those, or check the Schubas/Lincoln Hall calendars because we always have our running promotion with them! Listen, you should be buying records anyway, so why not buy a record and get to see the show for FREE. If you look up "awesome deal" in urban dictionary there's a picture of this deal next to it (probably not really, but we're working on that).
Have a good week everyone! See you at The Burlington's 5th Anniversary Party on Saturday!
Upcoming events: Friday, August 24th @ 5pm
Epitonic saki Session w/ Circuit Des Yeux & Oshwa!
Friday, August 31st @ 8pm
Creative Control hosted by Joe McAdam!
Tuesday, September 4th @ 9pm
saki presents: Magic Milk, The Shivas & The Sueves @ The Burlington!
Thursday, September 13th @ 6:30pm
Epitonic saki Session w/ Handsome Family & Daniel Knox!
Friday, September 18th @ 6pm
Opening Reception of Fug Comics: A Collection of Fugscreens comic-oriented prints!
Monday, October 29th @ 6pm
Aquarium Drunkard Presentes: An Epitonic saki Session w/ Father John Misty & The Orwells!
This book is awesome and you need a copy so you can spend the rest of your life doing something worthwhile. Like, hunting for these obscuro 70s European picture sleeves!
I know what you're thinking "Who's Alvin Stardust?"; "Why did France need its own pressing of Zenda Jacks "Rub My Tummy"; "Is Pantherman really my friend?", "Did Orange know about Grapefruit?" The answer to all these questions is simple, "Who the fuck cares!" Dig those crazy mutton-chops! Check out that freakin' cheetah! What a nice cape!!!
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti "Mature Themes" CD/LP
Amanar "Alghafiat" LP
Audacity "Mellow Cruisers" LP
Bailterspace "Strobosphere" LP
Bart & Friends "It's Not The Words That You Say" CD
Big Brother & The Holding Co. w/ Janis Joplin "S/T" LP (re-issue)
Ali Birra "Ammalele" LP
Bloc Party "Four" CD/LP
Evan Caminiti "Dreamless Sleep" LP
Dead Can Dance "Anastasis" LP
Dinosaur Jr. "Bug - Live @ the 9:30 Club" LP
Directions In Music "S/T" LP (re-issue)
Dreamscape "La-Di-Da Recordings" CD/LP
Bill Fay "Life Is People" CD/LP
Tsege Mariam Gebru "Spielt Eigene Kompositionen" LP
Lee Hazlewood "A House Safe For Tigers OST" CD/LP (re-issue)
Carol Kleyn "Takin' The Time" CD/LP (re-issue)
Lindstrom "De Javu/No Release" 12" (remixes)
Low "Long Division" & "I Could Live In Hope" CD (re-issues)
Mount Eerie "Ocean Roar" LP (delayed!)
Myrrh "S/T" LP
Ombre "Believe You Me" LP (feat. Julianna Barwick)
Owl City "Midsummer Station" CD/LP
Sea & Cake "One Bedroom" & "Oui" LP (re-issue)
Sigur Ros "Varud" 10"
Six Organs Of Admittance "Ascent" CD/LP
Teengirl Fantasy "Tracer"LP
V/A "5 Minutes To Midnight" 10" (Mississippi Recs. release)
Matthew E. White "Big Inner" CD
Xiu Xiu "Remixes" 7" (feat. Deerhoof & Kid 606)
Yeasayer "Fragrant World" LP/CD (vinyl comes with ltd. bonus 7")
Sundress "California Dreams" 7"
Tortoise "It's All Around You" LP
Animal Collective's Centipede Hz hit the ears of enthralled fans who have been waiting to hear the true follow-up album to Merriweather Post Pavilion last night. Things have changed in Animal Collective since 2009. Deakin, their guitarist, has made his return and, as indicated by their Honeycomb/Gotham 7" that was released earlier in May, they have gone back to the more spastic style of earlier albums. The album was promoted by a string weekly radio shows, titled Centipede Radio, compiled by each of the band's members. At 9:08 PM, the opening countdown exploded from my speakers.
Animal Collective - Centipede Hz (Available September 4th)
"Moonjock" starts the album off with a heavily distorted buzz and cymbal crash. The watery, washed-out sounds that were present on Merriweather Post Pavilion have been traded for the bare-bones, rawness that was the Feels/Strawberry Jam era. Atmospherically spacey and seemingly influenced by radio sounds; these embedded throughout Centipede Hz's sonic pallet. One of the first notable changes was having the usual percussion manned by Panda Bear and the accents of Deakin's guitar-work. The first single, "Today's Supernatural" released three weeks before the stream, sticks to this formula. Catchy and adventurous; it was a great choice for a perfect single.
Abby Portner, sister of Avey Tare, who also created the album art, created the video for the stream containing psychedelic animation and a boat load of effects that correlate to the album's lyrics. The video enhances and compliments the chaos very well. Check out the newest video for "Today's Supernatural" up above.
First reveal of album artwork for Centipede Hz
"Rosie Oh" features a bouncy guitar track with a multitude of blippy sounds found in just about every nook and cranny of this album.
Another return to form, "Applesauce," gives Avey the opportunity to spout off his rapid fire lyrics. Avey Tare controlled much of the vocals this time around. Considering the listener's preference, that may or may not work to the album's strength. I do believe the album's sandpapery-sound fit Avey's sporadic delivery more-so that Panda Bear's usually serene vocals.
"Wide Eyed" is unlike any other Animal Collective song to date. Deakin takes an active role vocally. While it's similar structure-wise, his voice brings forth another dynamic. His voice is in no way comparable to Avey Tare's or Panda Bear's. It is a great centerpiece that nicely juxtaposes the rest of the album.
"New Town Burnout" gives an eclectic mix of instruments such as what I believe to be a violin and warbling electronics before flowing into, in my opinion, the album's magnumopus.
"Monkey Riches" is that song: A song that can stop you in your tracks and beg to be replayed X amount of times. That song. Up there with their finest such as "The Purple Bottle," "Fireworks," and "My Girls," this song emulates a warm, sincere burst of raw emotion most accentuated by its hyper arrangement of a busy rhythm, gorgeous low end, and glitchy blips swelling in and out of the mix. My favorite song on the album. Which is saying something! This song will be up there with my top picks of 2012 for sure.
Centipede Hz can be listened to in its entirety, as well as their four radio transmissions here!
Q: So how does it stand with the the band's other eight full lengths?
It is a nice middle ground between Feels and Strawberry Jam, but surely there are some Merriweather Post Pavilion influences left intact.
Q: Can a Merriweather purist love this album?
I believe so. I think while it is a little more abrasive than the immaculate Merriweather (and probably will receive some flack for that fact) it offers just as much.
Q: Can a Spirit, Danse Manatee, Campfire Songs, Here Comes the Indian, or Sung Tongs purist love this album?
That question is a little harder. There is really no comparison to their earliest of albums. The folk aspect has been gone for some while. With these past two albums, the band has buried any possible return to form with their focusing highly on programming and samples.
With these questions I say, no matter what era Animal Collective fan you are, give Centipede Hz a listen!
What to look forward to: Next blog I will give a brief overview of the new JJ DOOM album and prepare a guide to all the works of Daniel Dumile, otherwise known as MF DOOM.
The Happy Dreamhost people are gonna switch us back to our old server machine that has the software to make sakistore.net/Mailorder work correctly. The only downtime should be while the DNS servers of the shadow government catch up to our new IP address. Please bear with us.
Yes, some of these are a ways off, but you should jump on it fast because we've only got the one pair for each show! As usual, all you have to do is buy an item from any of the bands on the bill, and we'll get you on the guest list for that show.
It feels like it's been forever since we hosted our last Epitonic saki Session. In fact, it's been about two weeks, but that feels like an eternity for us. So, we're super excited to be back at it this weekend with The Luck of Eden Hall & Bully In The Hallway!
Sure, both have Hall in their name & are from Chicago, but they play two pretty different brands of rock. LoEH leans towards the more psychedelic & progressive genre of rock music, while Bully In The Hallway present a much more angular and sometimes anthemic sound, reminiscent of 80's-90's Dischord bands and their progenitors.
It should make for a pretty awesome weekend afternoon! So grab some drinks, maybe bring a lawn chair & just camp out here all day Saturday. We'll play you some good music & you'll get to hear yourself clapping when we release the sessions on Epitonic. Good deal, right!?
***The above picture is not of the band Bully In The Hallway, but is, in fact, a picture of a bully in a hallway. Pretty creative, eh?***
Wanted to share this tumblr that archives the personal gifts that the essayist, journalist, and actor David Rakoff generously made and gave to his friends. David Rakoff passed away last week. It's an incredible archive of his "hobbies" that are far more amazing than anything I could hope to do with my life efforts. While you're thinking about David Rakoff, take a listen to his hilarious segment "Christmas Freud" from This American Life, of which he was a frequent contributor.
Speaking of podcasts showing up live in Chicago – Radiolab will be doing a live show at the Chicago Theatre on September 28. While I would love to hear Jab Abumrad and Robert Krulwich IRL, they're popular and, as it goes, pricey. Regardless, it is sure to be entertaining if you want to shell out the minimum $28 + $15 of service fees.
If you live in Chicago this poster may not mean much to you, but we thought it was pretty cool because it features The Shivas. Aside from being on this awesome tour, and having a track featured on the awesome Calvin Johnson-curated mixtape that comes with the current music issue of the Believer (available at saki), and from which the "Love Songs for Lamps" tour is derived, The Shivas are also on their way to Chicago!
Have you forgotten about our running promotion with Schubas & Lincoln Hall? All you have to do is buy the artist's stuff from us, and we'll
get you on the guest list with a friend, while the spots last (we need
at least 2 days notice to send your name in though). Here's a few shows
coming up that we recommend:
The summer is about to end and this intern must resume his scholarly duties. But don't worry, if you have at all enjoyed these blogs, there will be much more on the way. I am happy to report have been given the go-ahead to continue writing a weekly entry for Saki.
I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who has read these blogs and to Carrot Top who took me in for yet another summer! This was a busy summer of press releases, inventory, and preparing shipments. It is something I surely will miss but I know the good folks at Carrot Top and Saki have not seen the last of me. With four months left in the year, there is still so much talk about. I will be writing about the newest albums and judging by this fall's large amount of highly anticipated releases, I should not be short on music to talk about.
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes
Bonus blog within a blog: The new Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti album, Mature Themes, is now streaming on NPR. The album opens with the zany "Kinski Assassin." This Doors-"Light My Fire"-esque track contains the usual Ariel charm: lyrics first seeming out-there and laughable which become infectious upon multiple listens. Try to not repeat the hook "Who sunk my battleship? I sunk my battle ship!" to yourself during your listening pleasure. "Only In My Dreams" is a love song in the way that only Ariel Pink can do love songs and is an immediate standout. Most comparable to their 2010 breakout, Before Today, more-so any other in their catalogue proves to be a good thing. The basslines are just as solid and even possibly improved is Ariel Pink's voice. Anyone looking for the weirdness that is present on their earliest releases can rest easy knowing that it is still very present. "Schnitzel Boogie" is among the more odd tracks including lyrics about eating schnitzel set to a catchy bassline and a gang of lively backing vocalists. "Pink Slime" features some glowing synths and hyper-active vocals which is followed by the dreamier, Beach Boy styled croon of "Farewell American Primitive." The flow of the album is vital to the album's success. Acting as a true closer, the seven-minute murky, hypnotic "Nostradamus & Me" has Ariel announcing "goodbye" through a progressive drone (a contradiction, I know.). "Baby," the actual closer is another stand out. While it is undeniably Ariel, I felt it was best that it put the Donny and Joe Emerson cover at the end of the record as to not disrupt the album's flow as a whole. The album is out August 20th. Make sure you check this one out! Highly recommend!
JJ DOOM - Key To the Cuffs
Animal Collective - Centipede HZ (Set to premier next week!)
Death Grips - NO LOVE DEEP WEB
WHY? - Mumps, Ect.
I will also be preparing a top 50 songs of 2012 in early December. For now I will leave you with "Twenty Seven;" the bizarre, tempo shifting gem from the new WHY? EP, Sod In The Seed, which can be downloaded in its entirety off of their label, Anticon's Soundcloud. Enjoy!
Our mail order site is back up & running. Please let us know if you run into any further issues! Sorry for any inconvenience.
Once again, we are victims of the seemingly grand fail rate of the Happy Dreamhost team. Since this morning when they announced that there was nothing at all wrong with the very slow service at sakistore.net, they eventually admitted that the inability to access our retail and wholesale database might actually be a problem. Dreamhost then moved us over to yet another new Virtual Private Server and gave us a new IP address, but in doing so they screwed up the SSLness and now you can't access our website.
And here we are.
We apologize for any inconvenience that this may have cause, are extremely sad about our lost business, and look forward with great anticipation the $7 credit we'll get to make up for it.
*sigh*
To entertain all of us while you're not spending money and we're not making it, we present this video of The Handsome Family playing their post-Appalachian classic, "Down in the Ground" at a 2010 Halloween show, complete with costumes and a dog on stage.
Afterhours "Sleepwalker" LP
Oren Ambarchi "Sagittarian Domain" LP
Babies "Moonlight Mile b/w Places" 7"
Bottomless Pit "Lottery 2005-2012" CD
Camera "Radiate" LP
The Crystals "Twist Uptown" LP
Dead Can Dance "Anastasis" CD
Decimus "#11" LP
Dignan Porch "Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen" LP/CD
The Field "Looping State Of Mind - Remixes" 12" (Blondes/Junior Boys rxs.)
Haxan Cloak "...The Men Parted The Sea To Devour The Water" CD/LP
Lijadu Sisters "Horizon Unlimited" LP
Lindstrom "Call Me Anytime" 12" (Ariel Pink/Oneohtrix Point Never/Mark Mcguire rxs)
Moonpool & Dead Band "Human Fly" 12"
Nude Beach "II" LP
The Ronettes "Presenting: The Fabulous Ronettes" LP
S ND Y P RL RS "Rex" LP
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion "Bag Of Bones b/w Black Mold" 7"
Two Gallants "Broken Eyes" 7"
Woods "Cali In A Cup" 7"
Word of it's evil unleashed on the streets of our loving world CONFIRMED(!) regarding the new LP/CD from Six Organs of Admittance entitled Ascent - check out the informational and educational (perhaps instructional?) video from the fine folks at Drag City.
On 8/25 our buds at The Burlington are celebrating their 5-year anniversary. In addition to a full day of bands, including Bloodiest, Cave, E+, Obnox, Rabid Rabbit, Paul Cary & Lasers and Fast and Shit, they'll also be raffling off some prizes, and of course, serving your delicious beverages all day.
Here's where we come in... we'll be raffling off some saki prizes, like gift certificates, tote bags & t-shirts (both of which are good for 5% off at the shop when you use/wear them), but you can also take your saki receipt to the bar on the 25th and you'll get a FREE BEER! They're giving away free PBR at different times throughout the day, but your saki receipt is good for a free draft beer. Live it up & we'll see you there!
Oh, and just a few weeks later, we'll be presenting an awesome show at the Burlington with Magic Milk, The Shivas & The Sueves so you can look forward to that too!
Make sure you set aside time to attend the opening of Computers Have A Lot To Answer For at Public Works Gallery on September 7th. Storm Thorgerson's artwork is immediately recognizable as iconic. The show is a 40-year retrospective of an artist who produced many of the defining images of music culture, including album covers for Pink Floyd (Wish You Were Here, Dark Side of the Moon, Animals), Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel, Black Sabbath, Def Leppard, Paul McCartney, and many more. Thorgerson is a strategist and production mastermind, whose intricate work he's always produced without digital technology remains unsurpassed.
Look through his vast collection of work, learn more about his intricate processes, or even ask him yourself (Storm will be in attendance). Read more about the exhibition HERE. Computers Have A Lot To Answer For will be in the Public Works Gallery from September 7 until November 2.
As a magazine, the Believer is always a little hit or miss for my taste. Most issues I've bought have had some really great article/essays, but just as many cloying and overly pretentious ones. For that reason, I've never subscribed. One issue that I never pass up, however, is the annual music issue. It always comes with a handpicked mix CD, often on a certain theme, as well as a solid collection of writings from authors famous, not-so-famous, and altogether unknown.
This year's music issue features a mixtape handpicked by Calvin Johnson (K Records, Beat Happening, Dub Narcotic Sound System, Halo Benders). I can't say for sure, but I'd be surprised if all the bands on it weren't from the Pacific Northwest. It boasts tracks from Broken Water, Ruby Fray, White Rainbow, Priests & a band that saki is presenting at The Burlington early next month, The Shivas! I'm only halfway through the articles, but so far I've read more than I ever thought I would about Steely Dan & Wes Borland from Limp Bizkit, an incredible story about a town called Love Valley in North Carolina & the misguided music festival that they hosted post-Woodstock, and the section I always skip straight to - Sedaratives - guest-answered by that dude from Flight of the Conchords, you know, the tall ugly one.
I'll be working my way through the rest of it tonight, but we've got 2 more copies in the shop if anyone wants to join me. They're $12 unless you're a Canadian, in which case it says I have to charge you $13. Must be a border crossing fee or something...
It's same ol' deal, folks! Just purchase any items from Mucca Pazza or Archers of Loaf at the shop and we'll put you on the guest list for their respective shows coming up at Bottom Lounge!
Mucca Pazza plays with the Occidental Brothers Dance Band on 8/18 & Archers play 8/24!
We've got limited spots for both shows, so don't wait! Thanks to Bottom Lounge for the hook up!
Hey, we're down to our last copies of these Jay Howell zines! Pages From Books is the
first collection in an ongoing series from Jay. It features all the skinny guys w/ boners,
naked chicks on skateboards, dogs, beers, rockers, & endless good
times you've come to expect from his whimsical-yet-crude artwork. Dark Wave tells the story of a black metal band's disenchanted lead singer. After succumbing to a panic attack on stage, he flees into the night & quickly finds himself surrounded by the great wild. It includes a download of the black metal song from the book, performed by Scott McPherson. Both of these are limited and we will probably never see them again, so don't sleep!
Along
w/ designing the characters for the Fox series "Bob's Burgers" Jay Has
illustrated for Vans, Burton, Anti-Hero, Creature, & created his own
zine Punks Git Cut & animated series "The Forest City Rockers."
One of the most esteemed and influential figures in modern electronic music makes a rare Stateside appearance on Saturday, August 11th, when Uwe Schmidt (aka Atom Heart/Atom TM) performs alongside Tobias Freund of .NSI at the Viaduct Theatre in Chicago. Although Schmidt is best known for his Senor Coconut output, (which consists largely of Latin-flavored covers of Kraftwerk songs) he is a remarkably versatile & prescient producer capable of accomplishing just about anything he puts his mind to; his Lassigue Bendthaus material pre-dated the 80's revival by years, and his recently-issued archival live record "Cold Memories" on the Sahko imprint is astoundingly fresh, considering its age. He's here supporting his new album as Atom TM, "Winterreise", and he's also just released "Grand Blue", a collaborative record with Tobias Freund, whose "Leaning Over Backwards"(on Ostgut Ton) was one of the more striking dancefloor full-lengths in recent memory. There will also be a 2nd room featuring Chicago-based artists Radius, and saki's own Karl Meier; mainstays Chris Widman and Frankie Vega will also be DJ'ing. This event doubles as a fundraiser for ESAC Chicago, a self-described "civic-minded electronic music education initiative and creativity cultivator." More info about ESAC here. Viaduct Theatre is located at 3111 N.Western. 9pm showtime, 21+.
Mystery can add to excitement. One of the newest mysteries in music is the identity behind Captain Murphy. Some swear Captain Murphy is the moniker for the collaboration between Tyler, the Creator and Flying Lotus while others attest to it being Los Angeles rapper Zeroh. I am not here to solve the case. A tweet from Captain Murphy himself stated "Doesn't matter who I am. Just listen." I agree. I love ambiguity in music. I love that I have never seen an interview with MC Ride from Death Grips or the fact that MF Doom chooses to hide his face. I am just hear to pass along that Captain Murphy is an amazing up-and-comer.
Captain Murphy's Du∆lity
Captain Murphy rose to popularity through the track "Between Friends." The Flying Lotus, Earl Sweatshirt of Odd Future, and Captain Murphy collaboration was released as part of [adult swim]'s Single Program. The track's instrumental is very mellow featuring three different movements with lyrically top-notch performances by Earl Sweatshirt and Captain Murphy. Captain Murphy's rasp and deep voice (a reason for the Tyler assumptions) is distinct as he breaks into his star-making verse. "So unorthodox. Chillin' with a shaman, eating Ramen in a parking lot." His flow complements the beat well. This is easily one of my favorite tracks of the year.
Released a week prior to "Between Friends," Captain Murphy's "Mighty Morphin' Foreskin" seems to be heavily MF Doom influenced with many nods to Godzilla, Street Fighter ("I'll punch you Shoryuken or Haduken"), and even having an outro similar to something that would be heard on Operation: Doomsday stating "Planet Earth is about to be recycled." In addition to Doom, the pitch-shifted and mutated vocals are highly reminiscent of something that would be on any Odd Future track.
Released last week, "The Ritual" takes instrumental of the Madlib-esque Jay Electronica track "Dear Moleskine" produced by Just Blaze and turns it into a delightfully romp filled with debauchery and virgin sacrifice; among many other things. "Been a long time coming, I've been lost in the light, learned how to do the Dougie with the devil in the moonlight." Very Doom influenced as well, the track has yet another dialogue filled interlude before cutting back into the main beat.
All three of these tracks are available for free from [adult swim] or by the links in both Captain Murphy's videos on Youtube. Duality will be the new album by Captain Murphy release presumptuously sometime soon. Judging by the tracks that have been release so far, it has a lot of hype to live up to. But Duality should hopefully prove to be an interesting listen.
American Football "S/T" CD EP
Antony & The Johnsons "Cut The World"(Live) CD/LP
Apache Dropout "Bubblegum Graveyard" CD/LP
Ape School "Junior Violence" LP
Archers Of Loaf "White Trash Heroes" & "All The Nations Airports" CD/LP (re-issues)
Bad Brains "Live At CBGB's 1982" LP
Blur "S/T / "Modern Life Is Rubbish / "Parklife" LP (re-issues)
JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound "I Got High" 7''
Buffalo Killers "Dig. Sow. Love. Grow." CD/LP
Cadence Weapon "Hope In Dirt City" LP
Dead C "Harsh 70's Reality" LP
Fergus & Geronimo "Funky Was The State Of Affairs" CD/LP
Heavenly Beat "Talent" LP
The Hobbes Fanclub "Your Doubting Heart" 7''
Jacco Gardner "Where Will You Go" 7"
David Lynch & Alan Splet "Eraserhead" OST LP (deluxe reissue)
New Dawn "There's A New Dawn" LP (reissue)
One Up Downstairs "S/T" 7" (members of American Football & Owen)
Pin Group "Ambivalence" LP
Psychic Ills/Moon Duo "Split" 7''
Ramona Falls "Prophet" LP
Redd Kross "Researching The Blues" CD/LP
Spiderbags "Shake My Head" LP
Stagnant Pools "Temporary Room" LP
Taken By Trees "Dreams" LP
Teams "Love Distance" 7''
The One Up Downstairs "S/T" 7''
Woolen Kits "Shelley" 7''
Tender Forever is playing an in-store at saki at 5pm tomorrow (Monday)! We've had several people call or stop in thinking it was today. For some reason, the label and some other sites had the date and time wrong. Rest assured, the in-store is at 5pm on Monday, August 6th! We'll see you then!
It's that time again --- the weekend. As always, we've got a pretty full lineup of awesomeness going on at saki. We start tonight with the opening reception of Jim Newberry's photo exhibit, "Musicians." The party starts at 7 w/ a DJ set from Mike Bulington & snacks/drinks provided by saki!
Saturday, we've got an in-store/record release party for Nonagon & Blackout Dates. Blackout Dates are celebrating the release of their album, "Beverly," and they've prepared a special home brew just for Saturday! Nonagon isn't bringing anything but their own brand of indie/punk rock, but you know, that's cool too. This is going to be an awesome in-store, so don't miss it! It's just... guys, we'd prefer if you would ALL make us home brews, ok?
Sunday, we welcome the Wasted Plains Rock n Roll Revival Pre-Party with Barber Greene & Gorges. The official Wasted Plains event is August 25th. You can get more info on that here, but don't miss Sunday. We've been waiting for this one for a while!
Beyond the weekend, we've got Tender Forever on Monday! If you're a fan of K Records stalwarts like Mirah & The Blow, then you'll love Tender Forever's stripped down electronic pop. We typically don't even do in-store on Mondays, but we just couldn't pass this one up!
