SATURDAY

LCD Soundsystem 8:30 (a)
Freddie Gibbs 7:40 (b)
Panda Bear 7:25 (c)
Bear in Heaven6:45 (b)
Wolf Parade 6:15 (a)
WHY? 5:45 (b)
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion 5:15 (c)
The Smith Westerns4:45 (b) Raekwon 4:15 (a)
Dâm-Funk3:45 (b)
Titus Andronicus 3:20 (c)
Kurt Vile2:50 (b)
Delorean 2:30 (a)
Sonny & the Sunsets1:55 (b)
Real Estate 1:45 (c)
Netherfriends1:00 (b)
Free Energy 1:00 (a)

SUNDAY

Pavement 8:30 (a)
Sleigh Bells 7:40 (b)
Big Boi7:25 (c)
Neon Indian 6:45 (b)
Major Lazer6:15 (a)
Here We Go Magic 5:45 (b)
St. Vincent5:15 (c)
Surfer Blood 4:45 (b)
Lightning Bolt4:15(a)
Local Natives 3:35 (b)
Beach House3:20 (c)
Washed Out 2:50 (b)
Girls2:30 (a)
Best Coast 1:55 (b)
Cass McCombs 1:45 (c)
CAVE 1:00 (b)
Allá 1:00 (a)

She & Him – Volume II

The lovable Zooey Deschanel is back, carrying her latest indie success of 500 Days of Summer, a movie I have yet to see for various reasons over to this creatively titled sophomore effort. Along with partner in crime, M Ward, She & Him displays a vintage Doo-Wop feel with squeaky clean backing vocals and fluttering piano. It’s nice, but nothing that made my jaw drop in amazement. It still sounds like an actress crossover, despite her need to sing in nearly every film she makes. The lyrics are average and the song structure is predictable. In the words of Rob Gordon, “I just want something I can ignore,” and this is one of them.

The Bird and the Bee - Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates

What a gimmick! An album filled with the vibrant musical styling of the great Hall and Oats warped into today’s electro-pop phenomenon. Featuring classics like Kiss on my List and Private Eyes, these sounds feel even more timeless and well produced thanks to Greg “The Bee” Kurstin, who has worked with the likes of Beck, The Flaming Lips and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Fortunately, despite the kitsch factor, this is pulled off quit well, including the only original track, Heard it on the Radio along an H&O billboard chart topper Maneater, featuring backing vocals from Garbage front gal, Shirley Manson. We can only hope for a Simply Red cover album to follow.

Snoop Dogg – More Malice

It is hard to go wrong starting off an album with The Jiggaman himself backing up this Hip Hop legand. But a good rap record is not simply about who you can pull for guest spots, even if they also include Soulja Boy, Butch Cassidy and Kid Cudi. There are some pretty innovative beats, considering Snoop Dogg usually keeps it fairly old school. Protocol has these distorted guitar swells that sound pretty gnarly along with the tight ¾ click and House Shoes is refreshing reminiscent of Busta Rhymes with an eerie violin holding it down. While this is not anything too mind blowing, all eight tracks stand pretty well on their own and you have to respect an MC that can still keep it fresh after twenty years.

I was casually listening to Chicago's NPR, not fully paying attention. I then kept hearing small snippets of local bands I recognized and started to absorb a bit more of the content. They were interviewing Brett Cross and Todd Novak, co-founders of the local record label HoZac Records, regarding the bands they were sending to SXSW.

Operating out of Novak's apartment in Wicker Park, HoZac derived its name from the magazine they both created in 1997 called Horizontal Action, an underground publication communicating the overlooked garage punk scene. In 2006 the magazine discontinued.

The label is currently representing some considerable acts including; White Mystery, The Smith Westerns and whom is becoming more nationally known Dum Dum Girls.

Check out the HoZac site to learn more about the bands these boys continue to release. Its a positive way to support local efforts.

The city of Chicago may have cut "Movies in the Park" but, luckily, we still have music in the park to look forward to.

Starting in Mid-May, a weekly concert series- Downtown Sound - will be held in Millennium Park's Jay Pritzker Pavilion every Monday night from 6:30pm - 9:00pm(unless otherwise noted). An array of artists across genres are set to play.

Hum, She & Him, and Kid Sister are just a few of the acts you'll be able to catch for free!

SCHEDULE
5/24 | Besnard Lakes with The Ponys
5/31 | Hum with Volcano!
6/07 | She & Him with Hollows
6/14 | Tony Allen with Great Lake Swimmers
6/21 | The Books with Via Tania, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
6/28 | Huntsville and On Fillmore Featuring Nels Cline, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
7/05 | The Thermals with Disappears
7/12 | Caribou with Budos Band
7/19 | Kid Sister with Konono No. 1
7/26 | Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens with Bomba Estereo

Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit don’t have much to be scared of these days. Their latest effort floats in like a ship, giving its call to the harbor, working well with their island heritage. The fluttering of several instruments at once gives the record fullness with that folksy hum made popular by other artists of the U.K region. It’s hard not to group The Rabbits with their peers of past and present, but a lot of the songs still hold a traditional vibe with tinny strings and flutes. The track Skip the Youth builds to a verse with the elevating sound of shredding sheers before moving into a Joshua Tree vibe, which is a heck of a lot better then reminding me of U2’s discography over the last twenty odd years.

JJ - jj no 3
This is far from the average easy listening record, but it is hard to feel more comfortable as JJ’s second full length envelops your body with its ambient, hook infused aesthetic. As if performed in a bubble floating through the sunny blue sky, songs like Let Go and You Know display musical prowess while striking wistful echoes of layered electro-pop in Into the Light. Through out the short and charming nine track album, all of which come in at under four minutes, ending with a graceful fade into anticipation of more.

Kidz in the Hall – Land of Make Believe
Proud to call Chicago Home, Kidz in the Hall bring some of the sickest, most innovative beats around. This is a pretty good stuff, considering Neledge has an MC style very reminiscent of a similar Chicago hip-hop celebrity. While said big mouthed rapper lies low, Kidz in the Hall can take advantage and display the array of knock out tracks, even keeping it old school on the single, Jukebox, featuring Legend MC Lyte. Rise and Shine finishes the album with an upbeat and uplifting anthem. Worth a listen.