list.in.to.chicago this week: 11.21.2011

If you missed me half as much as I missed you while I was sitting in a conference room in Madrid, well then I missed you twice as much.

Pick of the week
I would be down with Ugly Radio Rebellion and Psycles on Friday at Reggie's if I were in town. I get back in time for The Kooks on Saturday at The Vic, hopefully.

list.in.to.COZ
Nothing this week, but mark your calendars -- Andrew Fraker & Sons will be at Metro on Thursday, December 8th. As if that weren't enough, we'll finally be releasing our debut CD. Seriously, this is kind of a big deal.

Recap
Going back a couple of weeks, I can't quite get into the twitch-metal of Dillinger Escape Plan, but in their quieter moments, I can tell that they know what they're doing. Headliners Mastodon were really good, but I don't know the tunes well enough to do more than just sort of grunt and say "loud, good, ROCK!" They like their 12/8, and it took a little while for the songs to differentiate themselves, but they did.

And I did manage to catch Everelle afterwards, who may have hit the nail on the head for what they're going for when they covered a Garbage tune.

11.21   monday
Architecture in Helsinki with Dom, Lo-Fi-Fnk (Metro)
The Time Out preview of the Aussie indie band had me at "the fashionably smooth side of '80s pop," then lost me at "agitated New Romantic warbling."

Simple Plan, Forever the Sickest Kids, The Cab, Marianas Trench (The Vic)
Yeah, it's pop punk, but it's Canadian, so there's that.

11.22   tuesday
Open Jam (Vaughan's)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
I will be on an airplane to someplace considerably warmer, so you guys go and have fun without me. And next week, it will be time to dust off "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."

Fitz and the Tantrums with Walk The Moon (Metro)
Most of the Facebook comments I've seen of Sunday night's show from the L.A. band has been positive, but then again, I don't know how many people post about how much the band they paid good money to see kinda sucks. Then again, again, I'm not friends with Jim DeRogatis on social media.

Youth Lagoon with Young Magic, Houses (Lincoln Hall)
The Schubas guys are usually good at gauging who goes where, but they moved this one from Schubas to Lincoln Hall, so maybe the Fat Possum recording artist is on a more upward trajectory than they thought.

11.23   wednesday
Sing Along With Coz (The Globe Pub)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Oakley holds down the fort once more while I'm out of town for the holiday.

Naked Raygun with Falcon, Dan Vapid & the Cheats, My Big Beautiful (Metro)
I'm not plugged into the Chicago punk scene to know how well Raygun's return has been received among their core fans, but they certainly have enough wind in their sails to keep playing shows now that they're back.

This Must Be The Band with Zmick (Martyrs')
So, what I didn't realize is that the leader of this Talking Heads tribute band is actually a bartender at Martyrs'. Which explains the pair of shows on either side of Thanksgiving.

Thee Oh Sees with Total Control (Empty Bottle)
A nice writeup in Time Out and the back cover of this week's Reader makes me think this California garage rock band might have bent a couple of ears their way.

Yakuza with The Atlas Moth, Battilus, The Swan King (Subterranean)
It's sort of a crime against local music that I have yet to see Bruce Lamont and his stalwart metal band.

Van Ghost with Blah Blah Blah, Kellen & Me (Schubas)
Once again, to Wikipedia, which describes the Chicago band as "folk ballads, gritty Americana tunes and classic rock laced jams." Sounds at least a little bit like another band I know. And/or play drums in.

11.24   thursday
Happy Thanksgiving!

11.25   friday
Ugly Radio Rebellion with Psycles (Reggie's Music Joint)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Chicago's Psycles, led by guitarist Chris Siebold, gets an opening slot for the "other" unofficial Zappa tribute band, which also features Zappa alum, Ike Willis, who seems to just go out and tour with whichever Zappa project needs him this week.

Umphrey's McGee with Chicago Mass Choir, Beats Antique (Aragon Ballroom)
My relationship with thie band is a bit odd, because I fully recognize that, had I continued down a certain musical path somewhere in my twenties, I would think they were the be-all and end-all of everything I liked about music. But I didn't continue down that path. It's like they're a fantastic band, but in a parallel universe to mine where I like jam bands.

Dot Dot Dot with Murley Shertz, Wayland, Heavy Sugar (Bottom Lounge)
Both Dot Dot Dot and Murley Shertz are very likely to pepper their original sets with some covers, but Shertz tends to go a bit farther from the mainstream in their choices. I know I saw them do a deep cut from the Police once.

The Ike Reilly Assasination with Musikanto, Miles Nielsen (Double Door)
Reilly was tabbed as the "next Beck" at one point, but never quite came to fruition. Meanwhile, Rick Nielsen's son Miles has been picking up steam over the last year and a half.

This Must Be The Band with Lake Shore Vibe (Martyrs')
See Wednesday's listing.

11.26   saturday
The Kooks with Yawn, The Postelles (The Vic)
While a lot of the bratty British bands sort of run together, these guys stand out, at least a little. It might be that I saw them on Live From Abbey Road, which gave me a different context for their songs, which then appreciated in value somewhat. I think it's sold out.

Wolcott with Dirty Rooks, Los Borrachos (Martyrs')   FRIENDS OF COZ!
What the hell? How did a Borrachos show sneak up me like that? Fortunately, they now have a Facebook page.

Marketa Irglova with Sean Rowe (Lincoln Hall)
It seems like Glen Hansard has been doing a lot more touring than his Swell Season partner, but she's out on the road now, too.

Kid Rock with Ty Stone (House of Blues)
Some artists seem to fully realize how ridiculous it is that they've somehow defied the odds to become a big rock star. Kid Rock is one of those artists.

Peter Murphy with She Wants Revenge (Metro)
You know Peter Murphy from Bauhaus, and you know She Wants Revenge from the audacious turn on their Wikipedia page where they are compared to Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails because they've "declared independence" from the major labels. Yeah, they're exactly the next band I think of on that front.

Umphrey's McGee with Cornmeal (Aragon Ballroom)
See Friday's listing.

11.27   sunday
Nicholas Barron Band (Temple Bar)   FRIENDS OF COZ!
Not entirely sure they've been at this each and every weekend, so call first.