Rockin' Our Turntable: The Prairie Cartel

The Prairie Cartel's debut 12" successfully lays out the group's sonic manifesto in two original tracks, a cover, and a remix. The band is populated by men who can only be described as rockers and Chicago mainstays seduced by the sounds of the dance floor. Opener "Fuck Yeah, That Wide" features Scott Lucas' ragged vocal delivery over a combination of adrenalized four-on-the-foor beats and electric guitars. Think of it as punk blood in a Go-Go cage. It leads nicely into "Keep Everybody Warm," as the group subverts a hippy-dippy vocal sample and turns it into an entreaty to get even closer to your dance partner and loose yourself in the swirling rhythms.

The highlight of the EP is the cover of 999's "Homicide" since it does the best job of offering the group a chance to let their talents for truly mixing the big rock with the surging dance. In our opinion it also does the best job of capturing the group's live show, and this isn't surprising since the opening tracks are some of the oldest in the band's catalog. We're looking forward to hearing more of the band's newer stuff caught on tape, slapped on vinyl, and blanketing a room full of sweating groove machines.

The Prairie Cartel plays tonight, Thursday August 28, at The Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western, 9:30 p.m., $8, 21+