In their weekly newsletter, Chicago/L.A. record store Permanent Records announced a two-day SXSW send-off fest called Sausage Fest. Two day passes for the March 10-11 affair are a measly $15, though individual tickets are also available. more ›

The Neverendless train just keeps on ridin' like so many motorik-influenced drum beats for Chicago rockers CAVE, who just released a new video for "Adam Roberts." Use your peepers and watch it here. more ›

Being expert garage rockers themselves, it's no surprise that Chicago quintet Hollows have earned attention from more nationally known groups like The Black Lips, who picked them to be on Uncapped, a music discovery web series. more ›

Not to be confused with the similarly-titled Gathering of the Juggalos documentary, Family Underground is a Denmark-based drone duo little-known in these parts. Their music is fairly inaccessible not only because they traffic in a genre esoteric by nature, but also because they stick closely to their hometown and don’t seem to exist on the Internet (aside from a practically abandoned Myspace page). But right now, the duo is touring the states, and tonight they’ll be stopping by Chicago for two rare, intimate performances. more ›

Among the 500 some-odd official Record Store Day releases set to hit stores tomorrow, one you won't find on the list will be Chicago-based Numero Group's Eccentric Soul 45." The record isn't an official RSD release--though their double LP "Local Customs: Pressed at Boddie" is (but more on that in a minute)--and will only be available at a store that doesn't exist now and won't exist by Sunday: The Numero Group pop-up shop. more ›

To say that local trio Black Math’s second album, Phantom Power, was highly anticipated by certain segments of Chicago’s underground music scene is putting it mildly. According to the band’s label, Permanent Records, one fan of the band offered more than $100 dollars for an original pressing of Black Math’s self-titled debut. Whether or not the story is apocryphal is beside the point. To be able to earn such devotion, you have to be doing something right. more ›

What do The Da Vinci Code, Toy Story, and Apollo 13 have in common? [Ed. note: And Bachelor Party!] Too easy, Oscar-winning superhuman Tom Hanks, of course. According to the 826CHI prom committee, he represents the "everyman American," thus is the theme for this year's prom a.k.a. Prom Hanks. It's tomorrow night. more ›

Mako Sica are just one of the many great acts on Permanent Records' house label. Sludgy psychedelia drones along, a thick fog of dark, ambient guitar, percussion, trumpet and an occasional vocal cue. Their formal debut, Dual Horizon, is only three tracks, but still over 40 minutes in length, giving you, even without a listen, a grasp of the band's preference for sprawling compositions that slowly uncoil to reveal layers of hidden intricacies. more ›

New Year's Day typically consists of sleeping in as late as humanly possible, but we're planning to be up and at 'em Friday for Philly lo-fi rocker Kurt Vile's intimate in-store performance at Permanent Records. If you haven't had a chance to check out Kurt Vile's 2009 release, Childish Prodigy, we highly recommend the album of reverb-soaked outsider Americana. more ›

Say what you will about the decline of the neighborhood record store, Ukrainian Village's Permanent Records has led by example and prospered in the face of economic and industry adversity. Unknown to many, the little outpost that could also houses its own label, offering up some truly eclectic selections. We're lucky enough to be able to hop on over to P-Rex whenever we want, but those outside Chicago will be pleased to learn that the shop has launched an online store where you can purchase new and used selections in a variety of different formats. more ›