Mangum kept an extremely low profile following the breakup of his main band, Neutral Milk Hotel, and hasn't officially played in Chicago since the band's last performance here in 1998 more ›

Time to lock and load this week's list of hometown shows, SXSW style. more ›

Chicagoist hopes you love the Elephant 6 bands as much as we do. After all, any music collective that includes Elf Power, Circulatory System, The Apples in Stereo, Olivia Tremor Control, and Neutral Milk Hotel is just plain awesome. Beulah is another band from the group, lesser known but equally talented. On fantastic albums like When Your Heartstrings Break and The Coast is Never Clear, they play some of the most maddeningly catchy pop music this side of The New Pornographers. (Listen for songs like "A Good Man is Easy to Kill" on a car commercial near you.) Recently, in the wake of nearly every band member breaking up with their spouse or significant other, Beulah threatened to quit if their latest album – the dark but lovely Yoko – didn't go gold. (And as good as that album is, guys, you were born a few decades too late for that to happen.) So go see them before they decide to disband, this Friday and/or Saturday at the Abbey Pub. Chicagoist saw them last fall at New York’s Bowery Ballroom and can verify they put on a good show.
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Country-music fans (yes, both of you) rejoice: Chicago transplant Kelly Hogan will play a pair of shows tonight at Hideout. But the real music story is tomorrow night, when there are so many quality bands playing in the area that we decided to give you a day’s warning to make the torturous decision. At the Empty Bottle will be the Mountain Goats, a.k.a. John Darnielle. (Chicagoist just loves singer-songwriters that pretend to be full-fledged bands, e.g. Cat Power, (smog), Destroyer, Iron & Wine, and Bonnie “Prince” Billy.) Darnielle will perform his unique, literate brand of lo-fi folk pop, and here’s hoping his awesome acoustic cover of Ace of Base’s “The Sign” makes the setlist. Archer Prewitt from local heroes The Sea & Cake will open. At Metro, weirdo Neutral Milk Hotel wannabes the Decemberists will play – probably in costume – their songs about pirates, soldiers, movie characters, and real-life novelists after the equally strange Chicago-area popsters Head of Femur open. And at House of Blues, check out Danger Mouse – the brilliant mind behind the justly lauded Beatles-Jay Z mash-up “The Grey Album” – performing with Brooklyn cohort Jemini. The duo’s recent collaboration “Ghetto Pop Life” evidences further wizardry with hip-hop tricks both underground and mainstream. No matter which show you choose, each will be a great way to kick off the weekend. more ›