Last week the Chicago Underground Duo released their fifth album Boca Negra and completely blew me away. Like many of you I went through a jazz and swing period in my listening history, I dug through the old crates and even found some modern classics, but I thought those days were behind me. However, Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor have brought me back in time. The album, their first not recorded in Chicago, was recorded in Sao Paulo, Brazil at Rocha Studios. It has some Brazilian elements, but at its core is pure jazz. Well, more than jazz it is the art of creating jazz that makes this album so special, and after twelve years still a vibrant contribution to their catalog.

Chicago Underground Duo will be performing at Chicago Cultural Center on Feb. 3rd and at The Hideout on Feb. 20th.

Gia Margaret is a musician to watch this year. She is mobilizing a handful of demos and currently recording some new tracks for her debut release. It promises to be absolutely breathtaking.

Gia will be performing at Schubas on February 8th.

It tragic times sometimes the most positive and reassuring things can takes place. Such is the case with the new formed grassroots organization Every Drop Counts Chicago. This group of young artists and activists have come together in response to the devastation in Haiti. Their goal is simple and focused, to raise funds in order to send filtration equipment that will provide sustainable, clean bathing and drinking water. Hence, the name Every Drop Counts. They began by establishing a Hip-Hop and soul benefit concert scheduled to take place in Chicago on Sunday, January 31, 2010. The goal is to raise awareness, funds, and to enjoy all that Chicago hip hop has to offer.

Hosted by, Aja Monet, Every Drop Counts Benefit Concert, will include performances by: Fred Hampton Jr., M1 [of Dead Prez], Jean Grae, Mystic, Rhyme Fest, The Cool Kids, BBU, FM Supreme, Mic Terror, Mikkey Halsted, He Say She Say, Kids These Days, Haki Madhubuti, DJ Sean Mac, DJ Izzo, and appearances by countless surprise guests. The event takes place at Reggie’s Rock Club and I encourage everyone to attend and give generously.

Back in the day, which I guess wasn’t that long ago, I was obsessed with punk music. Something about the power chords and snarling into a microphone really caught my attention in high school and although my taste have changed, the love is still there. NoVo Arts is supporting music of all sorts with their Girls in the Garage showcase at Lincoln Hall and hasn’t forgotten the ladies of punk. Scotia Widows has the beautiful but deadly Gina Knapik rocking the mike at the show, representing all that is feminine about the genre. We recently chatted with Knapik about the upcoming show and her thoughts on music.

The Deli: There’s a pretty diverse group of girl bands playing this show, from pop to punk. How do you feel Scotia Widows fits into the show?
Gina Knapik: Well, I feel that is pretty obvious. It’s a showcase featuring women musicians and I have boobs. Also, I’m friends with a bunch of the gals playing so playing the show together is an excuse to hang out. Although all of our music is different, I appreciate what everyone is doing.

Deli: How did you hear about the Girls out of the Garage show and get involved?
GK: I’ve known August for many years through the different bands I’ve played in. He contacted me to ask if my other band, Venom Lords, could play. We are on a long break and I suggested Scotia Widows because that is the band I have been playing with the most these days. And as I said before, I’m friends with a bunch of the ladies on the bill and I’m excited to play with them!

Deli: As a huge punk fan (especially of the the Adverts) I have to ask, how does it feel being a woman in a genre that is considered very masculine?
GK: Hmm, I don’t really think of punk as masculine. I am no authority on the genre. I mean, it’s not a boys club. I joke about holding the guys coats, but sometimes I make Kirk hold my purse too. I have a picture to prove it. Ok, I tricked him and it only happened once.

Deli: You recently released your demo and it’s been getting a lot of good feedback from locals. What was the inspiration behind your style, form, and content on the demo as well as the decision behind making it free to download?
GK: Boredom, reality television, mangled birds, rumspringa, the History Channel and beers inspired us. As for our demo, our drummer David recorded us in his basement. I think it cost us however much the pizza cost that night. I hope we didn’t make him chip in. Anyway, it hardly cost us anything to record and we would like as many people as possible to hear it. We’re not in this to make money. So spread it around!!! We’d love to record again and take our time and have some small label put it out for us. We did that demo quick.

Deli: Sometimes I hear from girls who are in bands that it’s hard to get along with a bunch of guys, especially if you’re fronting the band. Have you ever had problems with that in Scotia Widows or any of your other bands?
GK: No way. All the guys I have been in bands with have been my friends…and…not jerks. If I was in a band with a bunch of guys that I didn’t get along with…I would not be in that band. That goes for girls too. And actually…I used to think it was harder to be in bands with girls because of boyfriends and all that drama, but then I realized all that jazz is not gender specific.

Scotia Widows’ latest demo is available to download here. The Girls in the Garage show is Thursday, January 28th at Lincoln Hall and also features the Wanton Looks, Leslie Hunt, and the Maybenauts rocking the mike in support of femininity. The show stars at 8 pm and tickets costs $10. – Amy Dittmeier

Jim Newberry has directed a new video from the dynamic My Gold Mask. The track "Violet Eyes" comes from the bands ep A Thousand Voices.

A few weeks I posted the new video from Charlie Deets, and this month Charlie sent me his new album, Power of Suggestion. It has been on repeat all month, and it is hard to explain why. Whether I am attempting to work out, driving to work, or just hanging out at home, this album has such an addictive collection of beats. It the comparisons that keep coming to mind are pieces of the more electronic side of Of Montreal mixed with newer Nine Inch Nails. Lyrically, Deets is closer to Reznor or Lady Gaga for that matter, as he obsesses about sex and clubs and the like. However, the nature his beats will overpower the distraction of his lyrics. It is typically not what I am looking for, Charlie has hooked me and will not let go.

Charlies Deets is have a listening party for Power of Suggestion on Feb. 12th  at 10:00pm at The Gene Siskel Film Center where he will debut films by several talented filmakers for this album.

The experimental electro-freak’s White Car are back with a new mixtape for Viceland. The mixtape is just as a dark as White Car’s music and is complete with tracks from Ministry, Front 242 and even Prince. The bands debut ep is due from Rainbow Body Records early this year.

Back in 2007, The Saps made a hilarious video for their track “Coup de Grace”.

I’ve had the good fortune to interact with a great deal of Chicago musicians in the last year, and I can honestly say that none have been nicer than Marky Hladdish. He is just one of the members of the four-piece band The Felix Culpa. Their latest album, Sever Your Roots, finds Marky and the boys in rare form. This is a full on assault of pure rock, and they truly hold nothing back. In fact, this double LP clocks in at over 66 minutes. The band has been together for the better part of ten years now, and this album is really a culmination of that history together. In fact the track “Because This Is How We Speak” talks directly to that history and all of the bands that no longer exist.

The Felix Culpa is celebrating the release of Sever Your Roots at Metro tonight, Jan. 23rd with Loyal Divide, Robbers, and Suns.

I was fortunate to be in attendance for the first of two shows with Brighton MA at Schubas last night. The night’s opening band, Flight, made the trip in from Madison and proceeded to win over the slowly building crowd. Lead by the intoxicating force and beauty of Jentri Colello, Fight gave out copies of their demo ep and is currently working on a full-length album. Blending the sultry nature of St. Vincent with the rockier side of Feist and a heavy dose of atmospherics, Flight was a pleasure to hear.

As the room filled to capacity, as the show was sold out, Elsinore took the stage. Coming from down state, the band brought a strong college following with them. Their sound was polished, but a little all over the board. With traces of Phoenix, Wolfmother, and even a Postal Service cover, the band is still searching for a true sound but still making radio ready pop in the process.

Finally, just after midnight Brighton MA took the stage and showed the crowd how it is done. This is a band that should be so much bigger than they are, and we are lucky they call Chicago home. Holding a clinic on alt-country, they played with precision and style and a maturity that is undeniable. Matthew Kerstein controlled the crowd, drank a beer, and sang with a passion and joy that transformed the songs from their full-length Amateur Lovers into something so much more.

The entire evening I was wearing my new set of EarLove earplugs. Created here in Chicago, these Hi-Fi earplugs surprisingly enhanced the sound of the while eliminated the background noise. This morning I report that my ears are not ringing as they would normally be post show.

You can catch Brighton MA again tonight at Schubas with Andrew Belle and Tacoma Narrows.

There is a thriving music scene here in Chicago that to many publications goes virtually unnoticed. However, on February 16th Mako Sica may begin to breakthrough. With Przemyslaw Krys Drazek on guitar and trumpet, Michael J. Kendrick on drums and Brent Fuscaldo on vocals, guitar, and various percussion, Mako Sika plays an experimental and free form psychedelic jazz and punk. They wholly embrace the freedom of sound and the power of exploration.

Dual Horizon is the bands debut album and it was recorded by Todd Rittmann (D. Rider) and Jim Zespy (Magnolia Electric Co.) at Logan Hardware. The session were recorded live and left untouched. The texture, the multi-layers, the echoing and searching is all their own. Side A of the album kicks off with the twenty track “I’toi”, a song named for a mythological Native American god who lives in a mountain cave and watches over the desert. The words Mako Sica come from a Sioux Lakota Native American term meaning, "land bad." This album is spiritual if you let it be, the form and nature is that free and ever-changing, but it is also an impressive display musical craftsmanship. You can preorder Dual Horizon here.

2009 was a tremendous year for rockers Janus, but they are already promising this year will be even better. They are starting it by hosting MTV2’s Headbangers Ball this Monday (1/25) at 2am. That’s right there is still such a thing as Headbangers Ball, and Janus is honored. This marks the start of their tour with Chevelle that will bring them back to Chicago on Feb. 20th to play the Riv.

It’s not surprising they are touring again they’ve been touring non-stop to promote their debut album, Red Right Return, since its release September 22, 2009 on REALID Records, through Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group. The album’s explosive first single, “Eyesore,” is currently spinning on over 50 Rock radio stations nationwide, and is at#17 on the Active Rock charts.

You can catch a special acoustic show from Janus tomorrow (1/23) at Best Buy (1432 Butterfield Rd) at 2pm, and them see them perform at Cubby Bear.