The Born Ruffians joked the last time they played Chicago, they had about one fan in attendance—lead singer Luke LaLonde’s dad. The audience-of-one quip might not have been one hundred percent true, but it wasn’t too far off the mark: the monstrously catchy songs and relentless energy on the group’s 2008 debut Red, Yellow & Blue couldn’t have grabbed less notice from buzz bloggers and mainstream media alike. more ›

There sure are a lot of Vampire Weekend haters out there. [Ed. note: Well, we don't HATE them, but...] The New York act’s brand of sunny, breezy pop is enough to repulse any cynic, but we can’t help falling for their super-catchy Afrobeat tunes. Just yesterday, they announced their fall tour, which is more like an indie extravaganza as they team up with notable acts Beach House and Dum Dum Girls. The tour consists of a handful of North American stops, including Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom Sunday, September 5. more ›

In which we take a quick look at a few recent musical releases. more ›

Mixing world rhythms and indie sensibility, Vampire Weekend are back in 2010 with Contra, the followup to their 2008 debut. The catchy, summery lead single Horchata can be downloaded for free on the band's website, but if that's not enough of an album teaser for you die-hard fans then you'll be excited to know that The Four Treys at 3333 N. Damen in Roscoe Village will be hosting a Contra listening party in advance of the album's January 12 release date on Thursday, January 7 at 8:30 p.m. Giveaways including autographed memorabilia will accompany the evening's tunes. more ›

Ah, the rain. In previous years we've always half jokingly call the Pitchfork Music Festival "Sweatfork" due to the usually oppressive heat, but this year the afternoon storms brought about "Mudfork" and the attendant rise of the mud people. Saturday is usually the most crowded day of the festival and this year was no different, although we must admit we're seeing less and less of the ironic gym suited American Apparel crowd and more and more of, well, normal folks. more ›

The Pitchfork Music Festival kicks off its 2008 edition this weekend at Union Park, and we're going to highlight some of the "can't miss" acts of the weekend on Chicagoist over the next few days. Today we'll tackle eight can't-miss acts from the sold-out Saturday line-up. more ›

It's easy to get burned out on "blogger buzz" bands. For every Arcade Fire there are dozens of Clap Your Hands Say Blahs / Vampire Weekends. Every once in a while, the buzz factor gets it right though, and it's in this rare intersection of hype and talent that Black Kids is lucky enough to occupy. more ›

Well, Lou was already gonna be at The Pitchfork Music Festival (July 18-20) anyway since Dinosaur Jr is playing that Sunday, but now he'll be there opening night as well, leading Sebadoh through Bubble and Scrape! Other new additions are: The Hold Steady (squee!), Elf Power, Caribou, Icy Demons, Boban Markovic Orkestar, Titus Andronicus, Bon Iver, Times New Viking, HEALTH, High Places, and Mahjongg. more ›

Pitchfork announced another batch of acts appearing at its festival in Union Park this summer from July 18 - 20. The biggest hoopla surrounds the news that Mission Of Burma will be performing it's legendary Vs. album in it's entirety on Friday's bill. Other big names include Dinosaur Jr, Jarvis Cocker, and the team-up of Ghostface & Raekwon. more ›

The Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Union Park this summer from July 18 through July 20. Tickets for the fest go on sale this Wednesday though, with $30 single-day passes, $50 two-day passes, and $65 three-day passes. more ›

It may be too cold for 70's gym shorts (a la the Pitchfork Music Festival), but you can bet that tonight's Vampire Weekend show at Schubas will double as a winter fashion show/breeding ground for Chicago's hipsterati. The NYC quartet's kinda creepy, kinda awesome take on indie rock "world music" has earned them plenty of blog love, packed houses, and a contract for their first full length release with powerhouse XL Recordings. more ›