Last week Indiana’s Joyful Noise label announced that they had officially signed the noise-punk basement rockers Prizzy Prizzy Please. I say officially because the label did release a split ep with PPP and Push-Pull last year, but now the band is legitimately with the label. Joyful Noise plans to release the bands sophomore and label debut, Chroma Cannon, this April. PPP got there start in Bloomington, Indiana, but now resides here in Chicago. The label is calling their sound melodic noise punk (reminiscent of Parts and Labor, Lightning Bolt), but when you listen to the first track from their new album, “Large Hadron Collider”, you find that this is more closely related to sign-along anthems of say Van Halen or AC/DC. It is a sound that is a combination of influences and hard to pin down, but once you find yourself singing along and thrashing about you won’t care what it sounds like anymore.

Prizzy Prizzy Please will be performing at Empty Bottle with Dr. Manhattan on March 4th.

With Shapers it seems to be the merging of sonic experimentation and music freedom that fascinates them. Their debut 12” Little, Big will be released on March 9th, and it finds the bands using texture and atmosphere to create a complex web of sound that is unpredictable and extremely enjoyable. A fairly new band, compromised of Zaid Maxwell, Steve Reidell, Amelia Styer, and Todd Waters, Shapers began performing live together just this past fall. However, they have spent the last twelve months locked away in a basement creating this richly creative sound. The result of all the time and effort is a sound that is primarily instrument and combines elements of ambient, psychedelic, dark electronica, and free jazz. With vocals are applied from time to time as in the track “Jar” they are quiet and almost blend into the instruments without putting up too much of a fight. Little, Big is challenging, beauty, intelligent, and filled with sonic surprises.

The first 250 available copies of Little, Big will be screen-printed by the band. You can preoder a copy at the band’s website today. They will be playing a release show at The Hideout with Old Fake and Driftless Pony Club on March 11th at 9:00pm.

Lead by the sullen Stephen Howard, Quieting Syrup brought the brand of mope rock to the recording studio of Daytrotter recently and the four song set was released on Saturday. The bands latest album, Songs About A Sick Boy, was released latest year by Lovitt Records. The band played three tracks from the album including my favorite “Password to a Fort Full of Pills”, and an unreleased track called “Mary, My Wife”.

A Deli favorite and winner of our 2009 emerging artist poll, I Fight Dragons made a major announcement last week. The band finally put the rumors to rest and announced that they have joined the Photo Finish / Atlantic Records roster. They also announced that they will be touring this Spring with fellow Atlantic Records bands 3OH!3 (Photo Finish), Cobra Starship (Fueled by Ramen), and Travis McCoy (of Gym Class Heroes, on Fueled by Ramen). It is a huge step forward for these NES rockers!

There is a new label in town and its diverse sound is rooted heavily in the cities tradition of house music. The multi-faceted label overseen by three musicians from Chicago – Joshua Kleckner, Garo Tokat and Slava Balasanov. Each of these music are true electronic craftsmen who revel in the exploration of sound. They each have the remarkable ability to deconstruct the traditional structure of a song and rebuild it from the ground up. This March the first label’s first compilation, The Moment Sound Vol. 1 will be released on vinyl. The can be previewed (and preordered) here, and is clearly an album fit for both the club and the home. It is comprised of original material by its founders Garo, Lokua and Slava, and clear indication that house music is alive and well in Chicago.

Congratulations Mark! As evidenced by the above picture, Blane Fonda’s front man and lead singer became pregnant while we were on the road for shows in Missouri last month. You can get pregnant from gas station cheese dogs, right?

In related news, Blane had an excellent time playing some rocks and roll shows in Kansas City and St. Louis; there’s a recap of the trip complete with color pictures up at our internet website-blog. Next weekend, we head back for another show in St Louis, this time with a stop in Indianapolis for a show with some fellow Chicago-types, Dr Manhattan. Before all that, we’ll be playing tonight, at Subterranean in Wicker Park with Explode into Colors and Carbon Tigers.

So… 2010 is looking pretty busy so far, but we’re not complaining. Except when the heat in our rehearsal space is never on and we wear gloves during practice; then we’re complaining. – Charlie Nadler

Via Nuon has created a beautifully animated video for the new track from Sonoi called “Red Ants”. The self-titled debut album from Sonoi will be released this April by Low Transit Industries. Here is another peak at the eclectic and expiremental album and the track “Sherry Fall”.

Messenger, the debut full-length from Joe Pug, will be released on February 16th. In preparation Joe just released another track from the album called “The Sharpest Crown”. The track is a somber love story about the struggles we all face. Joe also announced that his debut ep, Nation of Heat, will be re-released on 10" colored vinyl later this month. You can preorder Messenger here and you can catch Joe at Lincoln Hall on Feb. 27th.

Here is a new free single from Mike Schpitz and Slot-A called "Daily News". The track also appears on the compilation Rhymes & Rhythm for Relief released late last month by DJ booth.net. All proceeds go to CARE Foundation to help the relief effort in Haiti. The minimum donation is $5. The compilation also features Chicago emcees Pugz Atomz, Mikkey Halsteed and more.

Young Man is fantastic project by 20-year-old Chicago based songwriter, Colin Caulfield. With a sound reminiscent to Panda Bear or Deerhunter, Colin seems to keep things simple, yet with the addition of some exceptional layers, giving him some major promise for 2010. A debut "concept" album, Boy, is planned for a spring/summer release. Here’s a lovely demo called, "Just A Growin’," however head on over to his YouTube page to watch some great clips/covers and to grab some mp3s. – Brendan Losch

February 9th, husband and wife duo Puerto Muerto will release Drumming For Pistols via UK label Fire Records. Yesterday they released the new video for the track “Hurting Now” directed by T. Foley.

The first thing you notice when turning on this EP is the snowy guitar and relaxing drum flow. You can already picture yourself cruising down a sunlit highway going to who knows where. After the intense daydream phase, you notice something peculiar for an indie rock band, the melody and chords actually go to predictable places. Something noticeable with indie bands that actually have big plans.

Once the singers voice kicks in you can only think of the soothing vocal melodies made popular by the one and only Benjamin Gibbart of Death Cab fame. The band manages this without being a total and complete rip off or copy. Even lyrically it is very similar. Singing about concepts of dieing and the fear attached to it.

This band will get you up and dancing all the way through the album. The track "Don’t stop it" sounds like it’s coming from a Passion Pit jam session. This continues to show that this band knows exactly how to make hook laden, fun hits, while still maintaining enough indie "cred" to keep the hipsters and jaded youth happy.

The only thing that is bad about this album is that it is barely a real "EP". Every track is either a remix or some sort of extended jam track. If you really liked the intro track "Hate To see you smile" then you will have fun listening to the very remixes. But if your looking for more original tracks you’ll be very disappointed.

Despite this small complaint, the EP is very fun and catchy. With their danceable hooks and snowy melodies this band is definitely one to watch in the coming years. They will just have to release more originals to keep people interested.

Midstates and The Choir of Ghosts are playing a free show tonight at The Empty Bottle with Camera and House of Normandie. The show starts at 9:30pm. – Nick Coamey