Color Card, a local act of Chicago, is releasing their first official work entitled Zegary. Recorded entirely by the band in their own space, it creates a dreamy atmosphere directed by deliberate percussive elements. The physical release date for the EP is Jan 11th, 2011 which features art by Shawn Ballarin. They intend to perform this new material at upcoming shows. This five-song EP can be heard, downloaded, and purchased from their bandcamp page. but you can also keep up to date with what they are doing by checking out their myspace or follow them on twitter.

Houses have been remixed by one of the best in the business, Cassettes Won’t Listen. CWL went to work on the track "Soak It Up" which appears their debut album All Night, October 19 via Lefse.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first play the debut album, May You Never…, from Dastardly. The band name conjured up some darker images, but the album cover felt jazz or ballroom influenced. I was pleasantly surprised when "Villain" kicked in with it’s mellow-folk based indie rock tones. However, the darker images did ring true through out tracks like "Exercises in Self-Loathing" and "Creepy". This is not an upbeat album, but it is a perfect example of a sound that is becoming increasing popular in Chicago, Americana. It is a genre title that bothers me because there are so many sounds coming from American bands and to call a sound Americana is some what limiting.

Dastardly takes this genre and makes it their own through adding elements of blues and folk. My favorite track with gentle ballad "Morning Blue" with vocals be Sarah Morgan. The six-piece band has two vocalist and they take turns taking the lead through out the album. This track also features a haunting pedal steel performance, and a surprising ending. This is a well produced debut. The album was engineered at Gallery of Carpet Studios by Brian Zieske (Bailiff, Pet Lions, Secret Colours) and mixed by Paul Klimson (The Roots, John Legend). Dastardly may be one of the brightest newcomers to the scene this year.

Dastardly will be celebrating the release of their debut album on December 9th at Schubas with Glittermouse, Chaperone, and Jared Bartman.

Joan of Arc is preparing to release the most challenging and perhaps rewarding album in their ten year career. The album, Oh Brother, will be released by Joyful Noise on February 8th on limited edition, hand-numbered double LP on white & black vinyl. The album will Feature collaborations with 14 musicians, including Zach Hill of Hella & Rob Lowe of Lichens. The release is the combination of four distinct albums embarked upon but never completed by Joan of Arc curator Tim Kinsella. Each album is broken up and spliced together into a tessellating unity of long, noisy, meditative, instrumental movements which fill the totality of each side of this double LP. Each side –A, B, C, and D– contains just one track, with song lengths varying from 20 minutes to 20 minutes and 36 seconds. The project is ambitious, but from the sample we have already it was also necessary.

Joan of Arc will be celebrating the release of Oh Brother on February 6th at The Hideout.

Frenchkiss Records released a new digital single by Colin Caulfield (aka Young Man). The single for the track "Strangers" which was an outtake from Young Man’s debut EP Boy. The single also includes a remix of the track by The Great Red Shark.

Young Man will be performing at Schubas on Jan. 16th as part of Tomorrow Never Knows.

The Loneliest Monk have found their holiday cheer, and recorded a version of "Carol of the Bells". You can download it by visiting their website.

Noise Floor Crew have released a new mixtape called WWCD?. The mix feature 27 tracks including two originals and two remixes from the crew. If you need something more upbeat to get you through the holiday than this mix is for you.

Today marks the release of the debut album from Sad Brad Smith, Love Is Not What You Need. This lonely and heartbroken troubadour may have a his tongue slightly planted in his cheek, but his music pure and genuine. Whether sincere or in jest these tracks are well-constructed capture a mood of the helpless romantic and takes it to the extreme.

Take the track "Everyone Knows That I’m Still In Love With You". It is a simple premise, but in the hands of Sad Brad Smith it becomes a near comical adventure. "I told a dirty joke, the room stay quiet." It’s nearly nonsense, but still beautiful. Although this is an independent release SBS has managed to get his track "Help Yourself" on the "Up In The Air" soundtrack. He has that near universal appeal while keeping the audience at bay with his mixture of humor, heartache, and romance.  

Gold Motel has released a new 7inch single called "Talking Fiction". The single includes two tracks, Side A track ‘Cold Shoulders’ and Side B track "Slow Emergency’, and a digital download.

Hollus guitarist/songwriter Michael Lux has released a brand new solo EP, free to the public out of the kindness dwelling deep in the bottom of his heart. The EP, titled "Neat Repeater" features 5 garage/surf/punk anthems that suggest a deep seeded love affair between Jam-era Paul Weller, The Replacements, and an "in-the-red" mixing trigger finger. Live Bad Sons shows are expected to come next year. Until then, you can download "Neat Repeater" at thebadsons.com, or catch his band Hollus at Subterranean on December 16th.

Darling recently released a new video for their track "Broken Wing" which appeared on their latest album Lights That Last Forever.

The dynamic duo known as Moneypenny has released a new free remix package for their track "Destroy". The package includes remixes from Midnight Conspiracy, Bright Lights and an edit of the track by Moneypenny themselves. You can download it here (in exchange for an email address) via Loose Change.

They duo is also hitting the road this weekend in support of Hey Champ and playing shows in San Francisco, LA, and Austin.