Dawn Golden and Rosy Cross is a side project from Dexter Tortoriello of Houses. The debut ep from the project, Blow, was released this week through Mad Decent.

Tonight (4/15) at The Beat Kitchen Tim Larson and The Owner/Operators celebrate the release of their new album, A New Deal. This is the band’s first album in four years and it finds these folk and country tinged musicians on top of their game. What I like about Tim Larson is they way he tells a story. On A New Deal he draws from current and very relevant subject to tell the story of Chicago right now. "Own To Rent" kicks off the album with a tale of hard times and the album continues on from there.

Tim Larson and The Owner/Operators (4/15) and performing tonight at Beat Kitchen with Ohio’s Wolf Ram Heart.

This ep was released by Rock Proper last month and features one of my favorite weekend songs. "What So Special" perfectly captures that lazy feeling you get when you know it is ok to relax, but you still feel like you should be doing something. Love Story In Blood Red is mainly the work of Jason Frederick and these song span over a decade in time., but still feel fresh and inspired.

You can down the entire ep "Hot Cha" from Love Story In Blood Red and Rock Proper here.

I am loving the textures and layers that fill the debut ep, Ten Thousand Years, from Heavy Ghost. The band is the latest edition in Chicago’s push to rule the new psych-rock movement. However, Heavy Ghost pushes further into electronic and dance impulses. They are drawing comparisons to Boards of Canada mainly for the track below and I can’t argue. As you get further into the ep you find the band has several different flavors and sounds and all of them are solid and complex. With both Jonathon Freund and Caden Moore signing on different tracks the band can tackle any number of sounds, and the two play off of each other perfectly.

Ten Thousand Years can be found here for name-your-own-price.

Scattered Trees have announced the winner of their video contest from the track "Four Days Straight". The winning video was directed by Markus Kneer. The contest was run by Consquence of Sound and the band’s label Roll Call.

Scattered Trees will be celebrating the release of their album Sympathy at Schubas on April 30th.

Blane Fonda has launch a campaign to fund their debut full-length album through Kickstarter. The campaign is accompanied by great animated video that tells the story of Blane Fonda.

The band is performing on April 23rd at Ricochet’s for Paper Machete.

If you are looking for something to do tonight I would recommend check out The Bright White at Beat Kitchen. The band released their debut ep, Until Then, back in February and has been drawing comparisons to Oasis, The Killers, and other mega bands ever since. They very much have the feel of a band about to take off.

The Bright White is playing tonight, 4/13, at Beat Kitchen with Skybombers and La Scala. The show starts at 8pm and tickets are $10.

Shapers debuted their new video for the track "Jar". They track appeared on their recent debut Little, Big. The band also appeared over at Daytrotter and played four great tracks this week. 

Shapers are hitting the road with Tobacco & Beans and that combination is coming to Lincoln Hall on April 15th.

The post-metal trio Russian Circles are back in the studio working on their fourth full-length album. The band is working with Brandon Curtis (The Secret Machines & Interpol) again who is mixing the new collection at Phantom Manor. This will be the bands first album exclusively released on Sargent House. The band will be co-headlining a European tour this summer with Boris.

The latest session from Giant System feature Distractions.

Distractions will be performing on April 16th for Record Store Day at Saki. They will also be performing a free show on May 23rd at Empty Bottle with Rabble Rabble and We Are Hex.

The debut album from Emily Cross (aka Cross Record) is as its title states a Magnetic Current. This is a collection of gentle composed and purred home recorded lullabies that conjure images of equal parts Mazzy Star, Bjork, and St. Vincent. When she urges to "feel it in your bones" in "Shark In The Ocean" I actually do feel it. Musically, this album combines lo-fi electronics, echoing bedroom recordings, and layered acoustic rhythms. In recording these seven intimate tracks Emily enlisted the help of Ben Babbitt on several of them and Douglas Tesnow on Clarinet for for two of them. When all of the parts are working together on a track like "Dark Before Light" the result is truly "Magnetic". The melody swirls and chases you around the room. There are big things ahead for this young musician.

Magnetic Current is her debut album and it will be released on April 19th by Another New Calligraphy. The release show for the album will be on April 23rd at Saki record store on Fullerton.

Now that you have learned the history of Driftless Pony Club (see video below), you should check them out tonight at Schubas as they celebrate the release of their latest album Buckminster. The album was officially released in February, and is inspired by and is based on the work of Buckminster Fuller. This is the bands fourth album in eleven years.

Driftless Pony Club will be performing tonight (April 9th) at Schubas with Tight Phantomz and All Eyes West. Tickets are $8 and the shows starts at 10pm.