We caught up with Yuck bassist Max Bloom and drummer Jonny Rogoff after their intense Sunday afternoon set at Pitchfork. more ›

After two well-received EPs, both of which were made available for free online, Chicago quartet YAWN have announced an official full length, titled Open Season, set for release on August 30th. more ›

Time, it seems, makes memory fuzzy for Ariel Pink. “It’s our first time in Chicago,” was a bit of a half-truth when Pink (aka Ariel Rosenberg) addressed the sold-out audience at Lincoln Hall Tuesday night. Though it may be the first time in the city with his current lineup of Haunted Graffiti, we have heard Pink before—twice at The Empty Bottle, most memorably when he was on tour supporting Animal Collective after the band invited Pink to join their label. more ›

Much like Noah Lennox's sister group, Animal Collective, we've come to expect a certain musical aesthetic and general vibe from their music. Layered tracks, delay, shiny and dense vocal harmonies accompanied by your general psychedelic instrumentation. This seven inch record is no different. Lennox's obvious love of Brian WIlson's take on sunny '60s psychedelia still seems to shine through every recording he does with Panda Bear and the better part of Animal Collective. Not that we're complaining. Though many before have sought to replicate The Beach Boys unique sound, few have done it with such an intelligence and ingenuity as Panda Bear. Though Tomboy still sounds similar to Panda Bear's other efforts, it lacks the sheen and ambiance that we have come to love in those records. The two tracks, each clocking in at four-minutes,19-seconds, seem more dreary and less radiant then their other efforts, each maintaining the same sort of tone throughout. We found ourselves looking for something more to draw us in, but came up short. more ›

Looking out on our internet browser, we used to feel so uninspired. But Library of Inspiration became the key to our peace of mind. The “labor of love” child from a bevy of Chicago-based writers, Library of Inspiration houses short online essays on literature, music, and film. Its 7th edition includes essays on Richard Russo’s Empire Falls and Paul Bowles’ The Sheltering Sky, reflections on Animal Collective and Miles Davis, and observations on “Synecdoche, New York” and “Jaws”. The library doesn’t offer heavy diatribes, reviews, or term papers. Rather, each summary offers a brief literary confection meant to pay tribute and inspire future compositions. more ›

The rain of praise tumbling down upon Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion has been so grossly effusive it borders upon caricature. One would be forgiven for hating the band outright based on the over-the-top praise already being heaped on the disc, available only on vinyl until January 20. However, do not believe the hype. more ›

Ah, the rain. In previous years we've always half jokingly call the Pitchfork Music Festival "Sweatfork" due to the usually oppressive heat, but this year the afternoon storms brought about "Mudfork" and the attendant rise of the mud people. Saturday is usually the most crowded day of the festival and this year was no different, although we must admit we're seeing less and less of the ironic gym suited American Apparel crowd and more and more of, well, normal folks. more ›

With the Pitchfork Music Fest a little under three weeks away, the fest has released its official schedule. And, frankly, we're pretty psyched for Saturday's Hold Steady-Animal Collective pairing and Sunday's Spiritualized-Spoon pairing. Nice work, kids. more ›

Well, Lou was already gonna be at The Pitchfork Music Festival (July 18-20) anyway since Dinosaur Jr is playing that Sunday, but now he'll be there opening night as well, leading Sebadoh through Bubble and Scrape! Other new additions are: The Hold Steady (squee!), Elf Power, Caribou, Icy Demons, Boban Markovic Orkestar, Titus Andronicus, Bon Iver, Times New Viking, HEALTH, High Places, and Mahjongg. more ›

Pitchfork announced another batch of acts appearing at its festival in Union Park this summer from July 18 - 20. The biggest hoopla surrounds the news that Mission Of Burma will be performing it's legendary Vs. album in it's entirety on Friday's bill. Other big names include Dinosaur Jr, Jarvis Cocker, and the team-up of Ghostface & Raekwon. more ›

The Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Union Park this summer from July 18 through July 20. Tickets for the fest go on sale this Wednesday though, with $30 single-day passes, $50 two-day passes, and $65 three-day passes. more ›

Energy! Lots of people! These groups aren’t bands, they’re “collectives” – a moniker that let’s us accept that not every member will be on every album or even at every show. Not knowing who may show up adds to the anticipation. Animal Collective is known for creating layered, multi-faceted songs that carry the listener on a trip. Is it a drug trip? Chaotic? Or just a dreamscape of interconnectedness? Or the ability to stay connected... more ›

. From the chorus with Brady Bunch kids dance moves to their frequent fist-pumping, the Spree put on one helluva show � an aural equivalent of Prozac. Exuberantly happy and amazingly sincere, they made Chicagoist think of The Flaming Lips minus the huge balloons animal costumes. It would be a tall order to top such an event, but the Animal Collective, who are playing at the Empty Bottle on Thursday, might be just the group to do the job. (Maybe we're just in need of seeing more musicians in animal costumes.) more ›