Reglar Wiglar Magazine

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-29T17:53:00.000-06:00

SUNDAY, 1/29/12
Modern Day Rippers, The Ridgelands, Flesh Panthers, Posters @ Ultra Lounge, 2169 N. Milwaukee Ave.

I don't know anything about the Modern Day Rippers, but look at 'em for chrissakes! How could they not be awesome? And Flesh Panthers? I don't even know what that means, but it's the best band name I've heard all week—and I've heard some band names this week, let me tell yah.

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-28T10:40:00.000-06:00

SATURDAY, 1/28/12
Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival: Drive-By Truckers, Joe Pug, Bailiff, Van Ghost, Jaik Willis, Shams Band, and others @ Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Bunch a blue grass bands are playin' the Chicago Blue Grass and Blues Festival at the Congress including this cat, Joe Pug. I like this mug, Joe Pug.

Video: Bachelorette Live

2012-01-27T13:59:00.000-06:00

#3: Bachelorette from PoA Live on Vimeo.

Zine Review: Simple History #9, The Congo

2012-01-27T12:13:00.000-06:00

THE CONGO

Simple History #9
J. Gerlach (Microcosm)

To quote the Daily Show’s Earth, The Book: “...no other continent could more truly say, I was raped.’” Talking of course about the continent of Africa. Pretty blunt, but there you have it. The area in central Africa known as the Congo is just one region, albeit a very large one, that was ripe for exploitation by European powers in the mad rush to secure the world's land and resources that started in the 16th Century. In the Congo's case, it was Belgium that took the lead, but they seemed to hardly have the heart for it. Control of the Congo was ceded and regained countless times as slave trading, foreign meddling and the indigenous peoples' inability to work out their own tribal differences and prejudices would plague them for decades to come. Congo's recent history is no less blood-free and has been mired in civil war and struggles with power-hungry dictators and staggering poverty. And that's a summation of J. Gerlach's simple history of a very complicated region of a very complicated continent. If I may again quote from Earth, "our species arose from Africa and we punished it for our failures ever since." Up next: Extreme climate change. Sorry again, Africa.

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-27T10:57:00.000-06:00

Forecast: Cloudy with not a chance in hell that I'm going out of the house this week. But if I was, I would probably make a reasonable effort to go to this show.

FRIDAY, 1/27/12
Tutu the Pirates, Hotlips Messiah, Mentally Ill, Claw Toe @ Ultra Lounge, 2169 N Milwaukee Ave.

These dudes were old a hundred years ago.

RIP Juan Luis Pedro Philippo DeHuevos Epstein (aka Robert Hegyes)

2012-01-26T22:07:00.000-06:00

Zine Review: Simple History #4, Hawai'i

2012-01-26T16:18:00.000-06:00

HAWAI'I
Simple History #5
J. Gerlach (Microcosm)

Number five in Microcosm's Simple History Series chronicles the history of the Hawaiian Islands from their "discovery" by Caption Cook in 1778 to the eventual statehood granted by the United States in 1959. Hawaii's story is a tale of colonization, exploitation, imposed capitalism and governments and corporations slicing themselves up the biggest piece of the poi. It's a story of Kings, Queens, Politicians, Missionaries and, as always, ordinary People caught in the middle. And that, folks, is pretty much the history of everything everywhere. Unfortunately.

Hawai'i's history post 1959 would continue to have highs (the alleged birth of the 44th President of the United States) and lows (Honolulu's perpetual hosting of the National Football League's incredibly pointless Pro Bowl) and then of course there was Bobby Brady's "discovery" of an ancient tiki on September 22, 1972.

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-26T10:35:00.000-06:00

THURSDAY, 1/126/12
Eight Bit Tiger, Audiences, Il Tandre Neu @ Schuba's, 3159 N. Southport Ave.

I just think the whole 80s retro thing is fascinatin'. Nintendo, boomboxes, over-sized glasses, the stripey shirts... just fascinatin'.

Cassetty's Most Humiliating Moments!

2012-01-25T13:12:00.000-06:00

Cast among the detritus of the floor of an '86 Chevette.

The Barbie and Ken Three-Way of 1979.

The excruciating Terry Gross interview on Fresh Air, 2003.

The indie record store collectible cassette years of the late 90s.

Check out more Cassetty Comics:
Cassetty Takes Chicago
Cassetty Meets a CD

Thanks Dan Kiss!

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-25T10:30:00.000-06:00

WEDNESDAY, 1/25/12
Static Age, Digeometric, Nate Moralez, Castor & Pollux, Frosting @ Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave.

I picked this Static Age band just for the Misfits reference. Someone tell me if they sound anything like the Misfits.

How To Set a Mouse Trap

2012-01-25T00:30:00.000-06:00

Zine Review: Simple History #4, The Spanish Civil War

2012-01-24T11:17:00.001-06:00

THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR
Simple History #4
J. Gerlach (Microcosm)

Microcosm’s Simple History Series is a collection of small zines on big historical events. They're sort of like the notes that a really good student would take in a history class while the rest of us doodled and decorated the covers of our notebooks with our favorite bands' names (Me: Hüsker Dü, You: Mötely Crüe, probably). The subject of issue number four is the Spanish Civil War—another major turning point in the war between left and right-wing ideologies that would preoccupy world powers for the next few wars (hot and cold) for the bulk of the 20th Century. This edition is interesting, easy to digest and kind of a cool thing to have on the bookshelf next to your Johnny Ryan comics—kinda classes things up a bit (no offense, Johnny)—Chris Auman

Always read Reglar Wiglar!

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-24T10:23:00.000-06:00

TUESDAY, 1/24/12
Tortoise, Dent-de-Lion @ Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave.

Tortoise (left to right): Dan Bitney, Doug McCombs, Jeff Parker, John Herndon. Not pictured: John McEntire

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-23T12:19:00.000-06:00

MONDAY, 1/23/12
Swedish National Youth Orchestra @ Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.

You think Muggsy doesn't appreciate music of a more classical nature? Well, you're wrong. I'm not sayin' I'm goin' to this gig, I'm just sayin' you should. Tönu Kaljuste is a real bad-ass.

What's It All About, The Cell Phones?

2012-01-23T10:28:00.000-06:00

Each week we ask a band, musician or artist: What's it all about? What's the point? and Why go on? This week, we put a call in to Chicago's, THE CELL PHONES:

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

It's about blast beats, bass slaps, and gutsy pipes. It's about pizza and whiskey and MORE whiskey. It's about playing shows with bands just as wacky and passionate, like the show we're playing at Pancho's with The Baby Magic and The Vatican Junkies on January 26th! It's about enthusiasm and exclamation points!

WHAT'S THE POINT?

To play every Chicago venue that can be played (and even some that can't)! To be the first band to play on the moon! To record our music wherever we can including our living room, and more recently, with Caffeinated Records to make our first full-length album! And so we can tour America's face off!

WHY GO ON?

We've been going on for four years, why the heck stop now? The Cell Phones has become a necessity to each of us. Especially now that the Empty Bottle finally has us on their bill (free Monday, Feb 27th)!

THURSDAY, 1/26/12

The Baby Magic, The Cell Phones, Vatican Junkies @ Pancho's, 2200 N. California.

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-22T09:48:00.000-06:00

SUNDAY, 1/22/12
Kool Keith, Kid Static, Phillip Morris, Second City Citizens, Kid Slim, Dezert Eeze @ Reggies Rock Club, 2109 S. State St.

Kool Keith at Reggie's Rock Club? Apparently, the rock at Reggie's rests on Sundays.

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-21T09:40:00.000-06:00

SATURDAY, 1/21/12
Hollows, Dirty Dancing, Runnies, Little Boy Jr. @ Ultra Lounge, 2169 N Milwaukee Ave.

There's not a whole lot I like about the Ultra Lounge, but I like the idea of these bands playing together at the same club on the same night, so I'll let it slide.

Music Review: Vermillion Sands

2012-01-20T11:02:00.000-06:00

VERMILLION SANDS
"Summer Melody" b/w "A Sweet Bitter Winter" 7" (Shit Music for Shit People)

The Italian band Vermillion Sands give us the two seasons on this 7" record. Vivaldi would certainly roll over in his grave and laugh (possibly outloud) at the thought of excluding fall and winter from any musical work concerning the seasons. But then maybe Vivaldi would've had the bread to kick in for a double seven inch. Yeah, that's true, he did die poor, but I was thinking more like when he was at the height of his popularity—like when Charles VI was all up on his jock. Well, that's ridiculous and a completely unnecesary digression at any rate. "Summer Melody" is provided for the A side and it is bouncy and infectious and has a carnival-like vibe that would make it hard for Vivaldi not to smile and tap a toe along too. "A Sweet Bitter Winter" on the other hand, is also an upbeat number but in a garage/blues kinda way. I must confess, I have not a clue how Antonio V. would feel about it, but I like it—J.S. Bach [Vermillion Sands]

Always read Reglar Wiglar!

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-20T10:27:00.000-06:00

FRIDAY, 1/20/12
Greek Fire, Amrita, Model Stranger @ Reggies Rock Club, 2109 S. State St.

Greek Fire may be comfortable in their own skins as a cool rock band, but are they comfortable in their own clothes? Doesn't look like it. It's called an iron fella's, pack one for the next tour.

2012-01-19T23:41:00.000-06:00

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-19T10:33:00.000-06:00

THURSDAY, 1/19/12
Dastardly, Brighton, MA, Santah @ Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave.

These geographically confused Chicago indie rockers have had songs licensed by tv shows like "Gossip Girl" and "Community" and by boozemaker Jack Daniels. That's the equivalent of selling a bunch of a records back in the day.

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-18T11:03:00.000-06:00

WEDNESDAY, 1/18/12
Summer Girlfriends, E+, Pearls, Magic City @ Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont

I need another girlfriend like I need (another) hole in my head, but Summer Girlfriends? That's another story. I could use some Summer Girlfriends right about now.

Read the Reglar Wiglar Interview with Summer Girlfriends!

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-16T12:52:00.000-06:00

MONDAY, 1/16/12
Clip Art, Paper Thick Walls, Damn Choir @ Schuba's, 3159 N. Southport Ave.

Gonna be another night of guitar playing and singing at Schuba's.

What's It All About, Panda Riot?

2012-01-16T10:12:00.000-06:00

Each week we ask a band, musician or artist: What's it all about? What's the point? and Why go on? This week, we ask Chicago's furry shoe-gazers, PANDA RIOT:

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

Panda Riot is playing at the Empty Bottle on Tuesday, Jan 17th with Advance Base (formerly of Casiotone for the Painfully Alone) and The Hit Back....and it's free with RSVP!

WHAT'S THE POINT?

We've been busy recording a new record, so it's really nice to switch gears and start playing all these songs out live. And we just got one of those Octopad drum pads, which we are excited to try out for this show.

WHY GO ON?

Because we have gold drums and 4 tickets to paradise.

TUESDAY, 1/17/12
Panda Riot, Advance Base, The Hit Back @ Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave.

Muggsy McMurphy's Rock Pick

2012-01-15T11:10:00.000-06:00

Photo by Rob Karlic

SUNDAY, 1/15/12
White Mystery, Mannequin Men, Mister Loveless, City Center @ Schuba's
3159 N. Southport Ave.

Oh, it's no mystery why White Mystery has captured the hearts and minds of the local music press... it's the hair. Yes, it is.