The Loneliest Monk will celebrate the release of their self-titled debut album on July 2nd at Lincoln Hall. The band technically released the album back in March, but we are not complaining. This is an album that takes some time to digest. Here is the first single from the album, “You Don’t Have To Try”. A full review of the album will be coming next week.

Over the weekend Pitchfork announced set times for its three day festival taking place July16th – 18th. They will have three stages this year have spaced out show times enough to allow you to get a peak at a lot of different sounds. You can head over to the site and start planning your weekend.

Verona Red have a new and ambitious single that you can download for free from the bandcamp page called “No Way Home”. The band is celebrating the release on June 25th at Beat Kitchen with Camera, The Ivorys and My My My.

This week’s installment of Giant System comes from Icy Demons. The band is currently working on their new album is very close to being completed from what I hear.

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir are making their return to the stage at Subterranean tomorrow night. This will be the bands first show since their horrible van accident back in September 2009. They were on their way to the first gig on their tour to support their latest full-length album "… and the horse you rode in on". We are so glad to see them back performing and healthy.

The show at Subt starts at 9pm and also includes Wells-Next-To-The-Sea and Very Truly Yours.

On his brand new LP, "Exile," Brad Cole moves toward an alt-country sound, opening up his versatility as a songwriter as well as his compassion for the human condition. The album features a solid crew of guest musicians, including Rocco Labriola (of Americana upstarts Van Ghost) on pedal steel. Brad Cole hosts and performs at "Acoustic Circus" at Elbo Room on Saturday, July 19. Other artists scheduled to appear include Dean Milano and T-Bird Magera.

I have to admit that I was surprised by the brother duo known as Boutros. I am not sure if it was the album title, Flat Tires Make Friends, or their myspace page, or what, but I was not expecting what these two delivered. The album is built primarily on keyboards, and is filled this modernized take on ‘70’s am pop with strong traces of r&b. It’s refreshing not because it is all that original, but because it really comes out nowhere and is done really well. The first track from the album is called “Late Night Ring” and is a perfect example of this.

Boutros will be playing at Schubas tonight (June 17th) with Minneapolis band Lookbook.

Keith Masters have released a new video for his track “I Love To Floss”. The track is the first single off his EP, Discotheque. Keith is currently working on a British synth-pop duo Futurecop! that should be released this summer. He also just finished a taping of HBO’s Entourage for an episode that will be coming up this season, so you can look out for him there.

Keith Masters will be performing at Reggie’s Rock Club on June 25th with Seel Fresh, Mac Lethel, and others.

On July 6th Upper Class is releasing a new single from Toronto dance band Dvas. The single will feature a remix by The Hood Internet that features some rhymes from Chicago’s Kid Static. You can preorder the single here.

Company of Thieves have posted a video documenting their first trip to London.

The band’s next Chicago show will be on August 8th as part of Lollapalooza.

Ryan Graveface is several things, the owner of the great local label Graveface Records, a member of Black Moth Super Rainbow, and a solo artist known as Dreamend. As Dreamend he will be releasing a new album called So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite this August. Just as with most Graveface releases the packaging for this album will be rather artistic. The LP version of this album will be presented like a phenakistoscope, a classic Victorian animation machine.

Early we talked about Sean Hernandez and his current contribution to Chicago House, but Daryl Cura and his label Eargasmic Recordings is really at the center of it all right now. He has release work with Hernandez, but clearly has a strong sense and passion for house. His most recent release was a collaboration between himself and The Sun God (aka Jamal Moss) called The 3rd Wave. The above video is for the track “Waiting Room” from that album.