We understand your needs. Coming into work after a three-day weekend sucks. Even way up here in the Chicagoist offices, our usually rambunctious and festive staff is a tad subdued. Our bellies are still slightly swollen from overcooked burgers and sweaty cans of beer. DJ Ray Protégé has put together a mixtape to help shake of the post-Independance blues and amp up your Monday morning. Hipster Hop showcases many of the groups of the so-called......

DeRo has the lowdown on a bunch of other confirmed Lollapalooza acts. We already knew Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, and Rage Against The machine would be headlining, but now you can add Racontuers, Kanye West, and Wilco to that list. We'd bitch about the fact that three of the six headliners have already played Lolla, which in its current incarnation is still a neophyte, but fuck it, we love all the headliners so we'll keep......

Jim DeRogatis provides an obligatory "Chicago's next big bands" list today, and we actually find ourselves agreeing with most of his picks, even if a few are overly obvious. For instance it's not exactly like he's mining the underground when he predicts Kid Sister and the Cool Kids are going to break in 2008. We were pleasantly surprised to see Airiel and Tom Schraeder on his list, though, since those are two acts that we......

That Obama, he's a total hipster. First it's Wilco, Cool Kids, and The Changes...now it's Andrew Bird and Dianogah. Despite the slightly weird combination of baroque chamber pop maestro and underground instrumental rock band, we'll take any opportunity to 'rock for Barack.' Also, as an added bonus -- at this event only -- all the folks willing to shell out the minimum $100 donation to gain entry will receive a super ultra-rare insanely limited-edition......

Anything snarky that we come up with regarding the use of music in the Democratic Presidential campaigns just pales in comparison to the cold, hard facts: Hillary Clinton's theme was a Celine Dion song and has recently been replaced by a Big Head Todd and the Monsters tune, and Barack Obama's fundraising events feature performances by some of the most relevant and buzzworthy artists out there. Tonight's Change Rocks concert at the Riv brings......

Discobelle pointed us towards Shala Esquire’s Immortal Movement Radio podcast. It's got some of the Chicago area's hottest hip-hop and dance talent including: Cool Kids, Hollywood Holt, Kid Sister, Qualo, Mic Terror, and even The Jai Alai Savant. Snag yourself a copy and melt those early Tuesday blues into a muli-culti dance party. MP3: Shala Esquire’s Immortal Movement Radio......

Intonation is back! And they’ve partnered with the MCA to put on a big ‘ole party as part of the museum’s 40-year celebration. Even better? The whole show is as free as air. Intonation’s Rock/Art kicks off on tomorrow at 1 p.m. with a whole slew of local bands, representing some of the most notable sounds to come out of Chicago in the recent past. When you get there, check out the new Sympathy......

Researchers at UIC are developing virtual humans. United Airlines is officially finishing its move downtown this week. If you live in Illinois and have a Dodge minivan you must turn in your Cool Kids Card ... and you may want to check this out. Two teens have been arrested for shooting another teen on a CTA bus last Thursday. Five inmates were stabbed in a fight at Cook County Jail. A Chicago cop faces......