FLESH PANTHERS
… Or “Los Pantheros de Flesh” as I lovingly refer to them. The Flesh Panthers are the ultimate party band. It does not matter how much beer they smoke or how much weed they drink, they will always crush every single performance. Remember when everyone used to complain that no one danced at shows in this city? Not anymore!! FP’s bassist, Lucas, is the reason that people now mosh at shows in Chicago. And drummer, Michael, is an absolute powerhouse supercharging the band’s impeccable melodies into nonstop crush-your-beer-can-in-your-hand anthems. You think you’re being drenched in reverb but it’s actually just alcohol and you’re happy to sop it up.
MAC BLACKOUT
Mickey live @ The Flowershop
photo by: Kevin Elens
Mac Blackout Band are “the kings of the old wave of Chicago punk,” I overheard at Coles Bar one drunken night in January. Mac Blackout is an icon in punk music today and his massive breadth of work speaks for itself. He’s been regularly churning out art for bands all across the country, effectively stamping the scene with his godly approval. Whether it's Functional Blackouts, Daily Void, or Mickey (pictured above), Mac's imprint is left like a sizzling brand on everything he touches. With a sound that might have been more at home in an earlier decade, the Mac Blackout Band is the prototype for the future.
ABSOLUTELY NOT
The typical Absolutely
Not song consists of about a two-and-a-half minute plunge down the rabbit hole
of what can only be described as the very essence of pure unfiltered energy.
This band begins at a level of intensity that very few bands ever achieve
throughout their entire recording careers and ends somewhere completely
un-fucking-fathomable, until you see them live and you finally understand. Donnie Moore has a rapid fire intellect and it reflects in his music. You get it.
You already know them. They are the best.
VELOCICOPTER
Me 'n Meg:)
When I saw Brett, V-Cop’s bassist, on stage dressed as Carl Sagan for their Halloween 2014 show I knew I had truly fallen for this band. Velocicopter rips! And their frontWOMAN Meg might be one of the most talented people in all of Chicago. Their last full length, Pals, was a tour de force that struck me like a ton of bricks. The closing track for the album, “Major Arcana,” sends shivers down my spine as it reaches it’s climax with Meg’s vocals reaching a critical roar. The intensity will shake you. And with the layered feedback ala Smashing Pumpkins Gish it’s absolutely fucking BEAUTIFUL!
MAMA
The raw enthusiasm of this band grips me. I cannot stress enough how much it means to see people who honestly believe in what they are doing and are so genuinely into MUSIC. It’s fucking infectious! And it’s exactly what the music world needs MORE, MORE, MORE of. I really didn’t think that this band could do much better than “Don’t Get Rocked Unless You Wanna’ Get Rolled,” from their debut cassette Big In Chicago because let’s face it, music doesn’t really get a lot better than that. Period. But in the last few months and with their outrageous Speed Trap ep, we’ve seen MAMA put out some of the most insane singles I have EVER heard!!! ROCK 'N ROLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!
SUEVES
I’d say that Joe Schorgl is the
reincarnated Dan Kroha (Gories) but that dude is thankfully still alive and making some of
the best music of his career. The Sueves are pure excellence
and with the current lineup they’re going to boil over into a larger
consciousness faster than you can say, “House Rockin!” They’ve got about a
million songs and basically are a compact pissed off volcano of shred. Did I mention Joe's artwork is mind blowing? I heard
these guys are big Trux fans too. Figures.
SLUSHY
Always been a damn good
group. Chris Kramer is a true songwriting force and one of the only people I
know who seems to actually make a living from touring. Respect! With the new lineup
featuring guys from Today’s Hits (or shits?) and Magic Milk, Slushy is becoming
something bigger sounding than I think Kramer ever anticipated. Shout out to
Brent Zmrhl who let me do sound at Crown Tap way back when I was actually
updating this blog regularly! This band is far fucking out.
BLAZE MAN
**Not a band but... still a presence nonetheless. Who is the real Blaze
Man??? Legend has it, if you turn all the lights down, spark
one up and say his name three times, his Blazeness will reveal himself to
you!!
Snoop - Smoke Weed Everyday
