Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Kurt Vile excels live in a low-key, quiet environment. We saw Vile open up solo for Matador Records labelmates Fucked Up at the Viaduct Theater (itself a warm-up to a later show at the Empty Bottle) and were incredibly impressed. We've been huge fans ever since, and we're absolutely certain that Vile's latest album, Smoke Ring For My Halo will be in our top ten albums of the year. So imagine our excitement when Matador announced formally that Vile would be playing solo, acoustic in-stores at Cleveland-based Music Saves and at Chicago's own Reckless Records. more ›

Patton Oswalt's comedy possesses a sharp, incisive grasp of language that shows he's spent a lot of time between the pages. Whether it's dubbing the KFC Famous Bowl "a failure pile in a sadness bowl", or entertaining hyperbolic murder fantasies involving George Lucas, Oswalt's gift for inventive invective is without question. His latest outlet for his thoughts is his first book, Zombie Spaceship Wasteland, a collection of essays. Oswalt's going to be reading excerpts from Wasteland in March at Reckless Records in Wicker Park. more ›

...for Frisbie’s New Debut. Masters of the turn of phrase and worshippers at the altar of harmony, Frisbie is back in full force. Things look a little different, and the elements have changed. The local band that seemed destined for stardom had some things to work out. Through all of the uncertainty and doubt, the growing pains and a very pregnant pause – Frisbie has come out better for the wear. But they haven’t remained... more ›