Time To Make The Doughnuts: Gigposters of Ryan Duggan 4/6

One week from tomorrow at saki!

Time To Make The Doughnuts: The Gigposters of Ryan Duggan 

Opening Reception Friday, April 6th, 7-10pm at saki. Free.

Hors d'oeuvres provided Dill Pickle Co-Op and PEPPERONI KING 

Beverages from Cellar Rat

The influence of punk rock, skateboarding, the Wisconsin Dells, and beer intersect in Duggan’s humorous prints with a slacker edge. His prints feature hand-drawn typography, as well as mutated and molested pop culture fragments. Humor is the main ingredient in Ryan’s work, but rarely does the laugh lie on the surface; most of the prints require the viewer to finish the ‘story’ themselves.

Ryan Duggan works as an artist, designer, and screen printer and is based in Chicago. The work has gained notoriety locally and nationally in recent years--of the 130+ prints Duggan has made so far, he counts Henry Rollins, Maps & Atlases, and Joan of Arc among his recent clients. He has exhibited locally at Johalla Projects, The Chicago Tourism Center, and The Co-Prosperity Sphere, and has shown prints in Toronto, Berlin, France, and The Netherlands.

Please join us Friday, April 6th from 7-10pm to view Ryan Duggan’s gigposters and enjoy tunes spun by Matt Hord of Heavy Times. Enjoy food from our friends at Dill Pickle Food Co-Op & PEPPERONI KING and drink cool beverages from Cellar Rat. This event is FREE.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


Find yourself an archive of gallery shows at saki HERE. FMI email erin@sakistore.net

Speck Mountain Returns With New Sound

Speck Mountain

Wednesday, April 4th at Empty Bottle w/ Keep Shelly In Athens and Jonquil

After three years, Chicago favorites Speck Mountain have finished recording their new album Badwater and have begun sharing their new work at monthly live shows. In both instrumentation and vibe, Badwater's sound is different than their previous two albums, swarming with analog synths and guitar solos. As opposed to their previous method, which consisted of duo Karl Briedrick and Marie-Claire Balabanian writing the songs exclusively and bringing in musicians for recording and live shows, Badwater was prepared for and recorded with a full band, which lends itself to a more energetic and rhythmic sound. Speck Mountain's current band includes mainstays Karl Briedrick and Marie-Claire Balabanian, ex-Chin Up Chin Up drummer Chris Dye, and former Cleveland church organist, Linda Malonis.

Badwater will be released in the fall via Carrot Top Records. Don't miss the chance to hear songs off the album on Wednesday, April 4th at the Empty Bottle with Keep Shelly In Athens and Jonquil.

Protex - Strange Obsession

I Woke up this morning with this song stuck in my head and had to look through a couple piles before I found the "Strange Obsession" LP reissue on Sing Sing.




Go here for the vinyl and here for the Mp3s. 100% must-have Buzzcocks-style, first-wave punk from Belfast.

Go to a show!

Del Rey, Arriver, Rabid Rabbit ! This Friday at Burlington. Some of our favorite bands!

CTD Press Update 3/27/12!

CTD Press Update 03/27/2012
Now Available Exclusively/Semi-Exclusively from CTD:

FEATURED:
Choir of Young Believers
"Rhine Gold"
Ghostly International: gi153

ROLLING STONE premier of "Patricia's Thirst":
“Founding songwriter and vocalist Jannis Noya Makrigiannis explains that the lush ‘Patricia's Thirst’ is structurally different than the group's other tracks. ‘Patricia's Thirst' is the fastest and shortest song we have ever recorded in the band. Not that it is particularly fast or short, but for us it is,’ Makrigiannis says. ‘Nis Bysted and Aske Zidore, our two friends who produced and recorded the song with us, forced us to play the song three times as fast in the studio as we intended. I was almost crying in despair and felt very misunderstood, but after screaming at each other for half a day, I actually ended up preferring their tempo over ours.’”
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/free-download-choir-of-young-believers-orchestral-patricias-thirst-20111208

CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND premier of "Patricia's Thirst":
“As our first taste off the record, the band has premiered 'Patricia’s Thirst'. COYB is known for a lonesome, folk-infused sound, but this track has a decidedly ’80s lean to it. Thanks to a heavy groove and a squawking guitar, Makrigiannis sounds less alone than ever, newly alive with the warmth of collaboration. But even still, the track maintains the group’s aesthetic of larger-than-life, nuanced soundscapes.’”
http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/11/check-out-choir-of-young-believers-patricias-thirst/

New releases @ saki 3/27/12!

Aeroc "R + B = ?" CD
Sandy Bull & The Rhythm Ace "Live 1976" LP
Justin Townes Earle "Nothing's Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now" CD/LP
Franco Fulsini "Cold Nose" LP reissue
La Sera "Sees The Light" CD/LP
Mairi Morrison & Alasdair Roberts "Urstan" CD/LP
Mickey Newbury/Bill Callahan "Split" 7''
Poor Moon "Illusion" CD/LP
Pretty Lightning "There Are Witches In The Woods" LP
Quakers "S/T" CD (feat. Geoff Barrow of Portishead)
Lou Ragland "I Travel Alone" CD (Numero Group comp.)
Retribution Gospel Choir "Revolution EP" 7''
Rusko "Songs" CD
Still Flyin' "Travelin' Man" 7"
THEESatisfaction "awE naturalE" CD/LP
Paul Weller "Sonik Kicks" CD
Young Prisms "In Between" LP

valturi

Sigur Rós - Ekki múkk from Sigur Rós on Vimeo.

Café 939 in Boston is awesome. They're broadcasting Megan Reilly's set tonight with Mary Lorson & Mia Friedman! We were all bummed we didn't live in Boston just for tonight, but all is solved, there's no need to worry anymore! Tune in tonight 8pm Eastern and catch the show HERE. 

Q & A - Los Destellos

Q: Anybody want to tell me what Francoise Hardy song I'm thinking of?



That one should be on the Secret Stash reissue of Constelacion. Get it here.

Answer after the jump...

TONIGHT & This Weekend @ saki!

This is Jonny Rodgers - he's playing a semi-last minute Epitonic saki Session for us tonight at 6 with his friends, Faux Fix!

Jonny played for us once before as a backing member of Son Lux, but this is his first solo show at saki. Check out some of the videos on his website to get a feel for what he does - mostly with wine glasses - it's pretty incredible!

Faux Fix are on a nationwide "Living Room" tour right now. Saki isn't quite as cozy as most people's living rooms, but we certainly try... Come hang out with us, bring a cold drink, relax, enjoy the weather. We'll see you tonight!

We also have an in-store with locals Slushy & Twin Peaks (Yes, it's spelled with a "ks," not an "x") on Saturday AND another Epitonic saki Session with Cymbals Eat Guitars and Secret Colours on Sunday! Cymbals Eat Guitar are in town opening for Cursive, so we're very humbled that they're going to play for us. Set up camp at saki this weekend and keep an eye out for all these sessions posted on Epitonic very soon!

Mile High Musics - Tennis

Tennis live on Late Night posted by Consequence of Sound

Hopefully, the "success" of a few will draw some much deserved attention to a great music scene and a lot more great bands.

Megan Reilly at John Wesley Harding's "Cabinet of Wonders" 4/28

On April 28, NYC's City Winery will host a new incarnation of John Wesley Harding's Cabinet of Wonders. This edition will feature performances by Eugene Mirman, Rick Moody, A.C. Newman, Megan Reilly (yay!), Will Sheff, Colson Whitehead, and Dean & Britta. Tickets and more info here.

Check out Wes and Megan's front porch duet on "Old Man and The Bird" that Wes wrote for her new album.

Dig the lovely poster and see you there!

New Releases @ saki 3/20/12!

Alkibar Gignor "La Paix" LP
Gentleman Jesse "Leaving Atlanta" LP/CD
The Golden Bears "Write It Like You Find It" LP
Lee Ranaldo "Between the Tides & The Times" LP/CD
Mirroring "Foreign Body" LP/CD (feat. Liz Harris of Grouper fame)
Mount Carmel "Real Women" LP/CD
Van Dyke Parks "The All Golden/Sassafrass" 7''
Luke Roberts "The Iron Gates At Throop & Newport" LP
SBTRKT "Wildfire" 12''
Ed Schrader's Music Beat "Jazz Mind" LP/CD
Shins "Port Of Morrow" LP/CD
Tanlines "Mixed Emotions" LP/CD
V/A "Time To Go" LP (Flying Nun compilation)
V/A "Time Will Make A Change" LP (Mississippi Records comp.)
V/A "What Remains Of Eden: Anatolian & Levantine Music: 1928-1952" LP (Mississippi Records comp.)
White Hills "Frying On This Rock" LP

Playing pop music via paper posters with conductive ink

Paper posters that play music via printed circuits made with conductive ink have been unveiled.

The prototype "Listening Post" poster is a guide to bands performing locally. The interactive poster plays a short clip of a band's music when a thumbnail image is pressed. Tickets can also be booked via the poster. The low cost of printing mean anything that uses paper or card could soon be much more interactive, said the poster's inventors.

Read more at BBC News.

Conway Observatory - Mar 14, 2012

Conway Observatory - Mar 14, 2012, a set on Flickr.

Blossom and Coco

Blossom and Coco, a set on Flickr.

The Cosmic Frequency

American ham radio operator in Austrialia makes historic contact with Soviet/Russian cosmonauts from Mir space station.

Before the likes of Skype and Twitter, curious people built and operated amateur ‘ham’ radios in order to connect with other curious people around the world.

The Cosmic Frequency tells the story of Maggie Iaquinto, an American-born Australian who forged a unique relationship with the Russian cosmonauts aboard the space station Mir.

http://www.paperradio.net/am/the-cosmic-frequency

via @WBEZ and @PaperRadio

Guitar World: Guitar Girl'd-Interview with Megan Reilly on Her New Album, 'The Well'

Nice interview with Megan in Guitar World touches on guitars, songwriting, and painful events in her family's past. Exclusive video of Megan and band performing "Sew the Threads" in James Mastro's Hoboken guitar shop, Guitar Bar. Gorgeous photos, too!

It was well worth the wait. Songs like “Sew the Threads Into Your Heart” and
“To Seal My Love” center around flowing melodies, insightful lyrics and Reilly’s winnowy vocals. This is a musician after my own bare-your-soul-loving heart.
The production is appropriately straightforward with Reilly’s longtime band joining her, including Steve Goulding (The Mekons, The Rumour) on drums, Tony Maimone (Pere Ubu, They Might Be Giants) on bass and James Mastro (Ian Hunter, Garland Jeffreys) on lead guitar. 

With The Well, Reilly has plumbed deep into the depths of her being, extracting gorgeously crafted songs that are served up with a refreshingly honest bearing. Here Reilly talks about what it takes to make her musical magic.

Read the full interview, and see the video and pics here.

(Awesome photo by Jason Creps)

Musical Wine Tasting featured on WBEZ's Weekender!

WBEZ's Alison Cuddy (@wbezacuddy) recommends a few great events this weekend. Tonight, check out NEDtalks at the Hideout. It's a nerdy, comical take on the TEDtalks that your mom & aunt are probably e-mailing to you by now... Then, on Saturday, she recommends saki's Musical Wine Tasting with our friends at Provenance Food & Wine! We'd like to add Logan Theatre's soft reopening with matinee screenings of The Goonies, Blues Brothers, Wizard of Oz & Enter The Fist for $1! Check that out and then come over to saki where it's even cheaper - it's FREE! Wine & snacks from Provenance & music by Sebetha & Bullet Hell!

Tim Kerr in his studio

Taken by his friend Elliot.

Metro ticket giveaways!

We've got one pair each for these upcoming Metro shows! Just buy one of the band's releases at saki and we'll put you and friend on the guest list for that show. We only have one set to give for each show, so act fast!


Nada Surf 4/2


Neon Indian 4/6 The Neon Indian spots have been claimed!


JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound 4/27


Maps & Atlases 5/11 The Maps & Atlases spots have been claimed!


Mark Lanegan Band 5/17

AV Club recommends Musical Wine Tasting @ saki!

The always reliable AV Club Chicago recommends our Musical Wine Tasting event this Saturday!

They seem to think it's preferable to getting accosted by a drunken faux-Irishman in a green Dr. Seuss hat anywhere else in the city on St. Patrick's Day. I mean, we see what they're saying, but we're OK with being yelled at by a red-faced former frat boy. It makes us feel alive!

The Infamous Bad Brains, Big Boys, MDC Incident

Finally, The Big Boys' Tim Kerr sets the record straight about what happened when his now legendary Austin punk band

set up a now infamous 1982 DIY show for DC rasta punkers Bad Brains. I have heard bits of this story, but never the whole tale. I got to Austin in 1984, so I missed all the fun. I guess you give HR the benefit of keeping the courage of his convictions, no matter how backwards and bigoted they may be. The thievery, damage, and destruction...I don't know how you rationalize all that.

The "below cost, something" they needed was obviously weed. Back in the day, that's the part that was most rumored more than the anti-gay slurs, and certainly not the vandalism.

All this aside, Bad Brains were the best live band on the planet during the 80's. I have seen a lot of bands and none, neither small nor large, any better.

The world's greatest poster...

Now with fewer typos.

Musical Wine Tasting this Saturday @ saki!

This Saturday, we're having our first Musical Wine Tasting with our friends at Provenance Food & Wine, featuring special guests Sebetha and Bullet Hell. The event is completely free, with wine samples and light snacks provided by Provenance!

Musical Wine Tasting combines the classy pleasures of a fine wine tasting with the aural indulgence of experimental ambient music.

Throughout the evening, vendors handpicked by Provenance Food and Wine will be offering samples of several varieties of wine, including two featured bottles, which will be "paired" with the evening's two musical guests, ambient sound-scapers Sebetha and Bullet Hell, an experimental electronic trio. As a lighthearted tribute to the fancy practice of wine evaluation, the musical guests will also be analyzed by the event's attendees according to the same standards as the wine. Everything from the artist's visual aesthetic to their deeply complex aroma will be examined and incorporated into the appreciation of their performance.

The Musical Wine Tasting is designed to be user-friendly: The tasting will be in a casual, open house format, with both the Provenance representatives and the musical guests completely open to any and all questions audience members may have throughout the evening.

Think of it as saki's alternative to the traditional St. Patrick's Day debauchery; by incorporating the most basic tenants of the day's events (drinking and music) into a more well-behaved, laid back event, we hope to add a touch of finesse to this notoriously hard partying day.

As an added bonus, we'll also have a few bottles of the featured wines to give away! So... free wine, free snacks, free music & no drunk assholes knocking into you and trying to fight you because... they're Irish or something??? Yeah, this will be a good time.

RSVP on Facebook!

Television: The Richard Hell years

The folks from the great bootleg blog Doom & Gloom From the Tomb recently posted a collection of lost recordings featuring demos, live recordings, and rehearsal tapes from the band's early collaborations with Richard Hell. Here's what they had to say:

"While the sound quality is rough on some of these tapes, the music is essential. This was a very different band than the one that would go on to record Marquee Moon a few years later — raw enough to make that album sound like Steely Dan by comparison. But if the playing is amateur-ish in places, it’s almost always thrillingly amateurish. And Hell definitely brought elements to the table that were lost once he was gone — a satirical, tongue-in-cheek humor, and his, um, unique bass stylings. He might not have been a very good bassist at this point, but he sure is enthusiastic, and that’s half the battle, isn’t it?"
 Check it out (along with other obscure recordings from some of the best artists from the last 50 years of popular music) here!

Logan Theatre's soft opening this Saturday!

So Saturday's going to be a good day!

Our friends at the The Logan Theatre will be having their soft opening this Saturday afternoon. Admission, in addition to popcorn and soda, is only $1, which is a total steal considering the movies they're screening: The Wizard of Oz, Enter the Dragon, The Goonies, and The Blues Brothers.

We're excited to see that the screening times are such that you can totally catch the last screening of any of the films before grabbing a light dinner and heading down to saki for our Musical Wine Tasting, featuring local ambient experimentalists Sebetha and Bullet Hell and wine samples curated by Provenance Food & Wine.

We'll see you then!

Willis Earl Beal was on The X Factor

Our favorite up-and-comer, Willis Earl Beal, was a contestant on Simon Cowell's The X Factor. It's not surprising that we had no idea about this since weeeee don't watch that show, ever. But this interview is definitely worth watching. Willis brings a very nice levity to the whole silly situation he's in...

UPDATE: We couldn't disable the auto-play option, so just go watch the video at P4K!

New Releases @ saki 3/13/12!

Anomalys "Retox" 7''
Bazooka "I Want To Fuck All The Girls In My School" 7''
Michael Chapman "The Resurrection & Revenge Of Clayton Peacock" CD (re-issue)
Chicago Underground Duo "Age Of Energy" CD
Decemberists "We Will Raise Our Voices To The Air" LP/CD (double live album)
Demdike Stare "Elemental" CD
Bo Diddley "The Black Gladiator" CD (re-issue)
Earth "Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light II" LP
Entrance Band "Untitled" CD/LP
Feedtime "The Aberrant Years" LP/CD
Fidlar "No Waves" 7''
Lee Fields "Faithful Man" LP
Nicolas Jaar "Space Is Only Noise" LP (2nd edition w/ amended tracklist)
Kourosh "Hajme Khal" & "Saraabe Toe" 7''
Lucero "Women & Work" LP/CD
Laura Marling "Alas, I Cannot Swim" LP (re-issue)
Monolake "Ghosts" CD
Paint Fumes "Egyptian Rats" 7''
Pussy Galore "Right Now" LP (re-issue)
Sylvester Anfang II "Untitled" CD/LP
Tacocat "Take Me To Your Dealer" 7''
Wino & Cony Ochs "Labour Of Love" CD/LP
Yva Las Vegass "I Was Born In A Place Of Sunshine..." LP

Sony Pays $8 Million to Settle with Allman Brothers, Cheap Trick

Most indie labels already split all revenues (and release expenses) 50/50 with their artists. This moves the Sony's royalty payment regimen a small step closer to fair, at least for the biggest artists.

Sony has paid a $8 million settlement to a group of musicians including Cheap Trick, the Allman Brothers Band and the Youngbloods, ending a five-year dispute over digital music revenue. A filing by the attorney in the class action suit on Wednesday reveals that the company will pay its artists a total of $7.95 million to resolve claims in the case, and the musicians will see a 3 percent bump in their royalty rates with respect to digital income.
Most of the money  in the settlement will go to artists who have sold at least 28,500 total downloads in Apple's iTunes store, though a small fraction of the cash has been set aside for artists who have not sold well in the format. $2.5 million from the settlement will cover legal fees. 

Read more here and see a kickass photo of Robin Zander.

via @robertloerzel

Mind Spiders - Wait For Us (video)

 “A reclusive man sends a distress beacon to catch his ticket off an abandoned planet,” reads the plot synopsis of Texas garage ensemble Mind Spiders’ video for “Wait For Us,” which is pretty much the best, eeriest possible jump-off for a sci-fi-tinged clip. The set is MST3K-like in it’s clever, homemade fashion, where performance footage is spliced with a tale of astronaut intrigue and escape. Jason Reimer directs. Watch it below.

Mind Spiders - "Wait For Us" from stereogum on Vimeo.

See Mind Spiders live at The Burlington Bar on 3/29.

Speck Mountain at Hideout Mar 8, 2012

Speck Mountain at Hideout Mar 8, 2012, a set on Flickr.

Photos by pmonaghan