Lala Lala has released a wonderful Matthew James-Wilson and Linette Lapalm directed stop-motion video for their single new “Water Over Sex”. The track is taken from their forthcoming album, The Lamb, which due out Sept. 28th via Hardly Art.

You can help Lala Lala celebrate the release of their new album on Sept 28th at Empty Bottle with Choral Reefr.

Acceptor released their debut album, Cheers For Fears, last week. This is the charming pop punk of Justin Martin (Guitar/Vocals), Mike Myers (Guitar/Vocals), Drew Birdo (Bass), and Adam Balasco (Drums). What jumps out across the six song collection is the groups ability to combine addictive melodies with a raw DIY sound.

You can catch Acceptor at MCM Pub & Grill on August 23rd for a Guitar Betty Benefit show with The Just Luckies and Bernie & the Wolf. They will also be performing at Subterranean on Sept. 4th with Baked, Bethlehem Steel, Modern Cults, and Graham Hunt.

Casual Hex released their self-titled debut EP earlier this month via Midwest Action. This is the Psych Rock of Alice Kraynak (Guitar, vocals), Jimmy Stone (Guitar, vocals), Chace Wall (Bass, vocals), and Stephen Waller (Drums). Below is the Filip Kojic directed video for “When I Was With You”.

You can catch Casual Hex as part of the Midwest Action Showcase at Hideout on August 24th with Lever, Fauvely, and Baby money.

The soulful Jack Red released his latest project, Holy Affair, back in December. The album was also represented visually in five cinematic videos. It turned the project into something close to a soundtrack. Below is the video for the album’s opening track, “ISO”.

You can catch Jack Red on August 25th at Reggie’s Chicago with Asia Monique and D’Zhari.

A new label, two years in the making, launches this weekend with a triple cassette release at Empty Bottle. The label is Fine Prints and is run by Robby Haynes and Ziyad Asrar. The two, accomplished musicians and producers in their own right, have hand selected three bands, Wage, Mayor Daley, and Desert Liminal, to kick off what promises to be an outstanding local label.

We recently had the opportunity to ask Robby and Ziyad a few questions about the label and the bands they have chosen to work with. You can read the full interview here.

The Fine Prints launch event, “Everything Is Fine”, takes place on August 26th at Empty Bottle and will feature performance from Wage, Mayor Daley, and Desert Liminal.

Tasha has released the first single, “Kind Of Love”, from her forthcoming debut LP, Alone At Last, which is due out October 26th via Father/Daughter Records.

The album will be available in all formats, but the vinyl pressing is limited to 500 on Baby Blue colored wax. Each vinyl purchased will come with a poetry zine with contributions from Tasha, Imani Jackson, Keisa Reynolds, Kara Jackson, Jamila Woods, and Stella Binion. Also, a dollar from each LP sold will be donated to No Cop Academy.

You can catch Tasha at Lincoln Hall on Sept. 21st with Illuminati Hotties and Diet Cig.

Photo by Grace Coudal

Velcro Lewis Group will be releasing a new EP called “Moon Syrup” on September 9th. This is a collection four Psych Rock, Acid Rock gems that will also be featured on their upcoming LP, Sweet Heat and Black Water.

Velcro Lewis Group has been going strong in Chicago for more than ten years perfecting their Psychedelic sound. They are a big band with an even bigger sound constructed by Hawk Colman (vocals), Travers Gauntt (guitar), Izzy Price (drums), Lawtence Peters (electric washboard, vocals), Hadden Spoonwood (bass, vocals), Ali Hunger (Moogs), Andy Slater (organ, vocoder, vocals), and Tommy Carroll (percussion).

You can catch Velcro Lewis Group at Empty Bottle on September 12th with Flux Bikes and Quintron & Miss Pussycat.

New Zealand’s Roy Montgomery released his latest album, Suffuse, via New York’s Ba Da Bing Records last week. The album’s opening track, “Apparition”, features the chilling, other-worldly, voice of Haley Fohr of Circuit des Yeux.

Haley and Circuit des Yeux will be touring the world this fall, but you can catch her providing a live score to the 1923 silent film Salomé on August 24th at Art Institute of Chicago.

Post Animal released a thrilling, somewhat post-apocalyptic, video last week for their single “Ralphie”. The video can be streamed here and features an appearance by co-founder Joe Kerry. The single is taken from their recent LP, When I Think Of You In A Castle, which was released by Polyvinyl back in April.

Post Animal’s next local show will be on December 15th @ Metro and tickets go on sale this Friday, August 24th. They will also be performing at Pygmalion Music Fest in Champaign on September 29th.

Iris Temple have released a new single called “Capsize”, their third single of 2018 and first first from their forthcoming EP.

This is the soulful duo of Aura on vocal and Quinn Cochran on vocals and production. “Capsize” comes on the heels of their highly acclaimed single “Tear U Down” which dropped back in June.

Last month Real Friends released their latest LP, Composure, and just wrapped up a headlining spot on the final Warp Tour.

Last week they announced a headlining tour kicking off October 17th in support of their album. Below is the video for the album’s lead single “From The Outside”.

You can catch Real friends at House of Blues on November 25th with Boston Manor, Grayscale, and Eat Your Heart Out.

Gilligan Moss is the electronic dance and pop duo of Evan Dorfman and Ben Cronin, but began as a solo project from Evan. Ben joined Evan after the release of “Ceremonial” in 2015. The duo has been touring and remixing ever since.

“What Happened? EP” will be released on August 24th via Virgin EMI and is their first official release as a duo. Over the last few months they have released two singles from this EP, “Want U So Bad” (video below) and “Fever”.

Gilligan Moss will be touring this Fall with The Midnight, but do not have any hometown shows planned at this time.