Hey Champ recently released the video for a track off their latest EP, the longtime staple of their sets, and ode to their home base of Chicago, "Silver City." While there are still doses of the extreme sexy that made their first video for "Cold Dust Girl" so popular on the Internets, "Silver City" showcases a bit more of the band's sense of humor. In fact we would've been happy with a video fun of Pretty Woman style montages featuring drummer Jonathan Marks being critiqued by bandmates Saam Hagshenas and Pete Dougherty. more ›

Only Children are set to raise their profile with the release of their newest single, "Don't Stop", which drops digitally tomorrow via iTunes and Beatport, and on vinyl July 12. more ›

Dollar Disco is Sunday, Smart Bar, 3730 N Clark, 10 p.m., $2, 21+ more ›

We got an advance listen at the new Hey Champ EP and it's full of the same electro-rock that made them shine in the first place. The opening track "Anything At All" is our favorite and we're pleased that we get to be one of the first to share it with you. Download and GO! more ›

The guys from Hey Champ want you to be in their next music video - well, only if you know how to party. The electro-dance trio will shoot a video for their Chicago-centric song “Silver City” (which used to be unofficially titled “Chi Town”), and they’re seeking locals to serve as extras. While there’s no pay, compensation will take the form of bragging rights and a crazy good time, because for the video shoot the band is throwing a wild party with drink specials and hosted beverages. more ›

Hey Champ released a special Halloween edit they're calling "Demon Semen," a spooky little dance number that chugs eerily along. Snag it below and play it as you prep for your own spooky holiday adventures this weekend. In fact, if you're still looking for something to do tonight, Hey Champ is playing the monthly Spandexxx residency at Beauty Bar tonight. Also appearing will be NYC electro buzz band Penguin Prison and the lovely Moneypenny DJ team. It's $5 to get in, but free if you RSVP. more ›

Star isn't the first album Hey Champ has recorded, but it's certainly the one with the highest profile, and for many it will be their first exposure to the bad outside their lives shows or the handful of MP3s the group has released online over the last three years. So, the question that's on everyone's mind on this point has to be now that the band's long tease is finally revealed will the reveal prove satisfying? more ›

Hey Champ, a group we have spilled no shortage of digital ink all over, have released a doozy of a video for their "oh-my-GAWD-it's-FINALLY-getting-released" album Star. (We can't really say it's their debut per se since the band has released earlier albums, but for all intents and purposes this is the first full-length most folks will hear.) more ›

Well, the headline really says it all, doesn't it? After recording a full album under the umbrella of Lupe Fiasco's now defunct label, local dance rockers Hey Champ have finally found a home for their debut, Star. We say it's about time since their breakout hit "Cold Dust Girl" was our song of 2008, and we spent all last summer listening to Star, frustrated we couldn't share it's throbbing rhythms, tackling drums, and surging synths with anyone else. more ›

The year has a been a tumultuous one for nightlife and electronic music in Chicago. Promoters had to think smart to pull in crowds with far less spending money and we lost our shining star, the always tasteful Sonotheque. With Lava Lounge set to relaunch in 2010 as a cocktail lounge and a long winter still ahead, many feel uncertain, yet curious, for what the new year will bring. more ›

Hey Champ's Winner's Circle is being billed as a mixtape, but it's not mixed, and it's not a tape. What is it? It's a compilation of recent Hey Champ remixes and guest appearances that have been largely available here and there online brought together in one handy little package. more ›

The Cool Kids and Hey Champ have teamed up to craft a track we really wish had come out a few months ago since it would have sounded great whilst strolling down the beach, stopping occasionally to make out with someone and let the surf lick our toes. We've long appreciated The Cool Kids without actually feeling engaged by their music, but this collaboration really hits the spot and merges the rock with the hip-hop in a way Judgment Night never could. Seamless and delicious, baby. more ›

Chicago DJ duo Moneypenny -- née Rocktapussy -- have been expanding their sets to include more live based material, blurring the line between DJ and band. "Say No" is their first official 100% original offering, and they want you to give it a listen for free. Chess Hubbard and Jessica Gonyea attempt to channel '80s eletro-pop on the track, and we're curious to hear more. Hey Champ throws in a nice remix that might be better suited for the dance floor, so make sure you give that a listen. more ›

Now that this year's (excellent) Pitchfork Fest is behind us, it's time to turn our attention to that fest's bigger brother, Lollapalooza. A week or so back, when the schedules and map of the festival grounds were released, something caught our eye: gone from the South end was the AT&T stage and in its place is the Chicago 2016 stage. That gave us a big "hmmmmmm" moment, but then we rolled our eyes and moved along. After all, the bid had a large set-up at last year's fest, too. Other media outlets have jumped on the sponsorship, including Jim DeRogatis at the Sun-Times and NBC 5. Of course, Chicago 2016 is not a corporate sponsor of the event so it seems like a "goodwill gesture" on promoter C3's part as Chicago 2016 spokesman Patrick Sandusky told DeRo. Ah! But wait, there's more. Sandusky himself also said: more ›

Hey Champ's "Cold Dust Girl" was our own official song of last summer, and it's looking to take that title for a second year in the row. The band is releasing a newly recorded version of the song in advance of their debut on Lupe Fiasco's st & 15th Entertainment record label. more ›

Sweat dripped from the ceiling at Double Door last Thursday as The Sounds and Hey Champ brought a double-barreled attack of rock and dance to the thronging masses. Hey Champ opened with a set and the band has definitely benefited from their nigh non-stop touring. Folks tend to forget they're a rock band since they've been playing with primarily hip-hop and electronic acts since signing to Lupe Fiasco's label last year, but their time on the road with The Sounds has led them to inject their music with new-found brawn that gives even their dancier tunes a pleasantly gritty edge. more ›

Gregg Gillis owes Steinski his career. Hell, most producers owe Steinski an awful lot for the aural aesthetic he and partner Double Dee helped cement when it came to cutting and splicing source tracks to create new murals of sound. more ›

Thunderheist plays tomorrow at Schubas for their Tomorrow Never Knows Festival, co-sponsored by Chicagoist. They're opening for Hey Champ and we couldn't help but notice the visual similarity between Thunderheist's video below, and Hey Champ's "Cold Dust Girl." Great minds think alike? more ›

Tomorrow Never Knows -- co-sponsored by Chicagoist -- kicks off tomorrow and a number of shows are already sold out along with the 5-day passes for the festival. What can you still get in to see? Tomorrow's opening night with the Soft Pack, Saturday's dance set with Hey Champ and Thunderheist, and Sunday's line-up headed by Bishop Allen all have tickets still available, along with the Saturday and Sunday matinees with Paul Green's School of Rock. more ›

Jay Reatard at The Empty Bottle more ›

Yup, here it is, the inevitable "Best of 2008" music list (a later post centering on the top local offerings is forthcoming). In order to spare our readers the pain of reading through yet another list that tries too hard to impress with obscure releases or toe the party line on Stereogum / Pitchfork approved artists, we continue our personal decade-plus tradition of merely listing what we actually liked in 2008. That means that the albums below are the one we kept finding ourselves turning to when we wanted to kick back and enjoy some tunes. Sure, there was more artistically challenging stuff released this year than some of the selections below -- and we certainly do appreciate that sort of thing -- but our year end list reflects which music ultimately did for us what we think rock and/or roll is ultimately meant to do to any listener: it grabbed us by the heart and/or crotch and wouldn't let go. more ›

There are a jillion ways to ring in the new year around Chicago, from small parties with close friends to inhumanly posh ballroom galas, but the hippest route in this town will undeniably be the Justice show at The Congress Theater on New year's Eve. more ›

Ah those French can be so incestuous. Sébastien Tellier's first big tour was with sonic brethren Air, and his latest disc Sexuality was produced by sonic opposite Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk. Tellier creates frothy compositions that at times just barely hold on to terrestrial grounding, constantly threatening to gently rise into the upper reaches of the atmosphere. more ›

Touring with Lupe Fiasco seems to have stimulated the boys in Hey Champ to enter mixtape mode. They've been selling the Jet Set mix on the road in order to feed their Taco Bell Volcano Taco habit, but since they love you they're now giving it away for free. more ›

Word is Chicago dance rockers Hey Champ are about to start rolling in the bling and are signing to Lupe Fiasco's label 1st & 15th Entertainment. Further proof that Fiasco is all set to become the area's next music mogul and talent-sniffer a la Kanye West. In the case of Hey Champ, though, we can totally see why he'd want to sign them. more ›

Chicago has been particularly successful in generating a bunch of dance rock band worth buzzing about -- Walter Meego, Hey Champ, Prairie Cartel, etc. -- and now we can add another to that list with Parks And Gardens. This newer group doesn't really deviate from the form of loop and sample laden rockin' designed with the discotheque in mind, but instead of utilizing those elements to create a cliche they inject an angular artsiness into their songs. In effect this creates a minor agitation in the listener, and we think that's kind of a bold move for any band trying to ingratiate themselves with a crowd not particularly interested in anything beyond basic Sybaritic pleasure. It's this element that bonds Parks And Gardens with the aforementioned bands, and helps raise them -- and the Chicago dance music scene in general -- above the countless other drones aping the style. more ›

What's more fun than the Gay Pride Parade? Northalsted Market Days! This weekend the party lands between Belmont and Addison on Halsted. Numerous stages, merch stalls, party people, babies in buggies, dudes with tails made of peacock feathers, hipsters, alt-bros, Trixies and their Chads, DJs, dancers, and little old ladies looking for a good time choke the six block stretch from the early morning into the evening. It's the street fest to end all street fests and we never, ever miss it. This year you'll probably find us hanging around the Roscoe stage where the bands include Hey Champ, Carey Ott, and Scotland Yard Gospel Choir. Here's a taste of what you can expect from Hey Champ. more ›

We saw The Midnight Juggernauts open for Justice a few months ago and were surprised at how much enjoyed them more than we did the headliner that night. This Australian trio takes dance music, injects it with plenty of proggy Pink Floyd touches, a heavy dose of glammy disco, and then latches it all onto the back of a hard-charging muscle car powered by guitar churning rock and/or roll. more ›