Noxious Foxes: Légs 2xLP (Broth IRA, 7/26/11)

Noxious Foxes: "Doth Shalt Noth"

Morrow: In the vein of Hella and other masterful duos that overachieve with layered loops and hot licks, Noxious Foxes is a pair of like-minded guitar/drums artists. The music, though technical, is rooted more in melody and groove than Hella — somewhere closer to Spencer Seim spinoffs The Advantage or sBACH if you were to further force the comparison.

Guitarist Justin Talbott pulls double duty with synths and electric pianos over the guitar loops, adding a tinge of the Blood Brothers aesthetic to the mix. (There isn't a pair of sassy-as-fuck vocalists, however.) And the occasionally 8-bit-esque synths add to the video-game vibe that the guitars give off, making the Advantage comparison more apt, even if there are no Contra covers.

Hajduch: The spindly guitars of the first few tracks suggest the earlier work of Battles, but by the time "Bowflexcellent" settles into a stompy chord progression, Noxious Foxes starts suggesting a more anthemic take on this type of ADD instrumentalism. The final third of this track is a definite standout, playing stretched-out synth glissandos against a paired guitar attack and gradually mutating the meter of the riff.

Morrow: On the topic of "Bowflexcellent," I'd like to mention the quality of song titles here. They're not exceptionally brilliant, but it's nice to see another instrumental band spend more than five seconds on a title. "Wherever Hugo, Guido" and "Illegal Beagle" are better than, say, "Waterfalls" or something. (No disrespect, TLC.)

"Lunge Array" is one of the most polyrhythmic songs on the album, but it always maintains a punchy quality and later comes together for a bluesy, stripped-back conclusion. Though there are no soaring Fang Island harmonies, Légs keeps that rock-riff appeal to balance out its challenging passages (think of a modernized Oxes).

Hajduch: Yeah, there's not some big, huge, hooky riff that grounds this album, but there are lots of little pretty moments, like the fuzzy keyboard chords on "Honeymoon Express" hiding between two frantically drummed passages. The way the song ramps up and up before limping to a wobbly finish is something to behold.  If you like any of the bands mentioned above, or just enjoy it when people riff out over heavy drums, you're going to like Légs.

Don Caballero, DD/MM/YYYY @ Reggie's (Chicago)

Closing out its coast-to-coast tour, heavy cross-timed rock trio Don Caballero hits Chicago before a final stop in Cleveland. Quirky Toronto rockers DD/MM/YYYY finish out the tour, which included the melodic 8-bit rock of sBACH for a stretch.

Yoome, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone @ Subterranean (Chicago)

Joining with producer Tony Trimm and vocalist/keyboardist Renee-Louise Carafice, local MC/producer Serengeti leads Yoome in a left-field production of hip hop, synth-flavored post-rock, and indie vocals.  Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, headed by singer/songwriter Owen Ashworth, merges minimalist indie pop with bits of Americana.

Saturday, February 28

These Arms are Snakes @ Subterranean (Chicago)

Splashing touches of progressive pop into an indie/hardcore mix, These Arms Are Snakes recently returned to the road for another spate of tour dates. The quartet will hit most major cities by the end of March, when it will be joined for a week by spastic math rockers Tera Melos.

Andreas Kapsalis Trio @ SPACE (Evanston)

Makers of boundless pseudo-soundtrack work and one of last year’s best albums, Original Scores, the Andreas Kapsalis Trio performs at a multi-purpose venue (restaurant / performance area) in Chicago's closest northern suburb.

The Eternals @ The Hideout (Chicago)

Mixing hip hop with dub, reggae, electronics, experimental passages, and rock, The Eternals have a great sound for live performance. Idiosyncratic lyricist/keyboardist Damon Locks leads the group in this return to Chicago's Hideout.

Don Caballero: "Savage Composition" (World Class Listening Problem)
Don Caballero: \"Savage Composition\"

February 3 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
February 4 – Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
February 5 – Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone
February 6 – Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves
February 7 – Houston, TX @ Meridian Red Room
February 8 – Austin, TX @ Red 7
February 10 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launch Pad
February 11 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
February 12 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah (w/ sBACH)
February 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland (w/ sBACH)
February 14 – Long Beach, CA @ Alex's Bar (w/ sBACH)
February 15 – San Francisco, CA @ Independent (w/ sBACH)
February 16 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (w/ sBACH)
February 17 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon (w/ sBACH)
February 27 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie's
February 28 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop

Don Caballero: www.myspace.com/doncaballeropgh
Relapse: www.relapse.com

Shining (Norway)

Thursday, October 23

Pillars and Tongues, Remindring @ The Hideout

Somber vocal harmonies emanate from aptly named Pillars and Tongues, an experimental trio whose creations exhibit mystical influences. As Remindring, multi-talented bassist Josh Abrams (Town & Country, Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble) lays out looped soundscapes with Emmett Kelly and Frank Rosaly.

Fucked Up @ Reggie's Rock Club

Punk-rock misdirection artists Fucked Up hit Chicago two weeks after the release of The Chemistry of Common Life, the group's follow-up full-length to Hidden World. This time around, Fucked Up's material moves through more variety of atmosphere than your standard punk/hardcore, with peaceful, otherworldly intros and layers and layers of guitar. There's less stop-start fury than Hidden World-more sheets of sound-so it will be interesting to see how this vigorous live act performs.

Coliseum starts North American and Japanese tour dates

Louisville hardcore staples Coliseum begin five weeks of performances today, hitting many cities in the USA as well as a few in Canada and Japan. The group doesn't hit Chicago until Nov. 15, but there's a good chance that it will be your city in the near future.

Friday, October 24

Ears & Eyes Festival @ The Hideout

With three outstanding weekend shows at The Hideout, independent jazz/avant-garde label Ears & Eyes Records celebrates its third annual Ears & Eyes Festival. The performances feature groups on the Ears & Eyes roster as well as other local standouts and friends of the label, and one such outside artist, Brooklyn's Parts & Labor, headlines this first night with a catchy mix of indie rock and electronics.

The six-artist, six-hour show also includes bass-and-drums rock duo Black Ladies and free-rock guitarist Tobin Summerfield, but the biggest highlight might be the collaboration between Sunfish Ensemble guitarist David Daniell and Tortoise cofounder/bassist Doug McCombs.

Voodoo Experience begins @ New Orleans' City Park

With a massive three-day lineup that can only really be explored at thetenthritual.com, New Orleans' Voodoo Experience celebrates its 10^th anniversary. If you're in the Big Easy on Friday, the fest's first day, be sure to catch DeVotchKa, Reverend Horton Heat, The Gutter Twins, Man Man, Extra Action Marching Band, and Andre Williams.

Shining (and other picks) at CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival

There are hundreds of bands playing at the dozens of CMJ venues on Friday, the festival's second-to-last day, but we had to single out Norway's Shining at Cake Shop (and again at Knitting Factor on Saturday). The post-prog jazz-rock experimentalists return to New York, one of three cities on their first US tour earlier this year, and it might be a while before they return. If you're in NYC, do yourself a favor and check them out (and pick up Grindstone on Rune Grammofon).

The night's other highlights include sBACH, An Albatross, Akimbo, Phosphorescent, Sole and the Skyrider Band, and Broken Social Scene.

Keep reading…

Why? (shown above) @ Bottom Lounge, Friday, Sept. 26

Yoni Wolf's quirky lyrics, inventive rhymes, and nasally delivery are one of a kind, but they're greatly augmented by the beautiful backing tunes of his bandmates.

sBACH @ Ronny's, Saturday, Sept. 27

Hella guitarist and The Advantage drummer Spencer Siem brings his buzzing Nintendo rock to Ronny's a few weeks before returning at the Empty Bottle.  His current six-week tour hits much of the Midwest and East Coast, so get out there and see his fantastic new project.

*Read Rick Maturo's web-exclusive interview with Spencer of sBACH.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds @ Riviera Theatre, Sunday, Sept. 28 & Monday, Sept. 29

Following the critical acclaim of his Grinderman side project, Nick Cave is back with his Bad Seeds, treating the US to another tour after the release of his equally lauded Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! album in March.

Yard Dogs Road Show @ Martyrs', Tuesday, Sept. 30

Cabarets have long been a dying breed, so it's always refreshing to find a traveling troupe that pulls off a diverse, amusing, musical and risqué stage show.  The Yard Dogs Road Show is just such a spectacle with vaudevillian flair, burlesque dancers, freak-show theatrics, and circus/Gypsy/brass-band party tunes.