Friday, April 25:
Aggrolites at Beat Kitchen
Cloud Cult w/ Mason Proper at Schubas - Eco warriors fight the good fight through haunting orchestration and deceptively simple songwriting.
MP3: Cloud Cult - The Ghost Inside Our House
The Acorn at the Empty Bottle - Sunshine + Earth + water = acorns. Throw a few tight harmonies into that recipe and you'll end up this namesake group.
MP3: The Acorn - Blankets
Ted Ansani Project w/ The Cells, the Redline, Last Days of Pompeii and more at the Abbey Pub - Material Issue founding member stands tall on his own.
Saves the Day w/ Armor for Sleep, Set Your Goals, Metro Station and Lydia at the House of Blues - Roots of emo, meet emo's sad current state.
Saturday, April 26:
Peter Moren at Schubas (early and late shows) - Sans Bjorn & John, this Swede's gorgeous pop is less cutesy but just as hook-laden. Read our interview with him.
MP3: Peter Moren - Social Competence
Foals at Subterranean - Strong electro-pop from the UK.
Mary J. Blige w/ Jay-Z at the United Center (also Sunday, April 27)
Chris Mills w/ American Mars (late show) at Schubas - Transplanted Chicagoan returns from New York to revisit his alt-country roots in Chicago.
Enon w/ Love Story in Blood Red and Dark Meat at the Empty Bottle
MP3: Enon - Mirror On You
Sunday, April 27:
The Cave Singers w/ the Dead Trees and the Bitter Tears at Schubas
Photo of Foals from their Myspace page

Friday Afternoon Diversion


Who is responsible for emo, anyway?
Red House Painters?
Mineral?
Braid?
Texas is the Reason?
Christie Front Drive?
oh god - Sunny Day Real Estate?
I just can't draw straight lines from old crap to new crap.