Les Savy Fav returns!

Finally, Les Savy Fav is coming back to Chicago in a form that is not the Pitchfork Music Festival with a stop at the Ephiphany on January 31. What a great venue to see LSF- Tim Harrington will have wide open spaces to run around and truly be a part of the audience. Get your tickets now!

Ikea

It's not often that my regular music websites and my regular interior design websites have the same story:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/news/win-a-date-with-ikea-and-pavement-070464

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/147713-win-a-date-with-ikea-with-a-member-of-pavement

Accolade

Here's an interesting story in the NYTimes about an all-girl Saudi rock band making music even though Saudi code means can't play in public.

TNK 2009

Schubas has some teaser info on the annual Tomorrow Never Knows Festival:

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14 - SUNDAY, JANUARY 18
9 PM // 18+

Schubas' indie-winter-music festival returns. Initial lineup includes...
Bishop Allen // Cursive // Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson // Thunderheist
The Donkeys // Tulsa // Colourmusic // Bear Hands // The Disappears
Pretty Good Dance Moves // The Wonderful World of Bald Eagle // Alla // Vacations

Rock Dives

Gapers Block presents a run down of their favorite Chicago dive-y rock bars.

Chuck on Axl

Chuck Klosterman reviews Chinese Democracy for the A.V. Club. Pop culture overload.

Joanna + HSBC

Indie-music-in-commercials-watch: Joanna Newsom's "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" is in an HSBC commercial. However, nothing about the commercial seems to fit with the melancholiness of the song (one of my favorite Joanna tunes), nor have anything to do with banking. In fact, until Prefix described the plot in this blog post (with video), I didn't even understand what was going on in the commercial, even though I've seen it about 6 times now. Tip of the Hat to Prefix; Wag of the Finger to HSBC's advertising department.

Year-end

Whoa! It's now mid-November and time to start thinking about year-end best of lists. Yikes! In addition to my own list, be sure to check out the annual year-end extravaganza, which will be out on December 17.

P4k Book Fun

What kind of person buys a Pitchfork book?

Not hatin', just wondering . . .

But you can get your fill with the book release party at Sonotheque next Tuesday, or go see the editors read from it at the Lincoln Park Borders tonight (and get it signed by the editors?)

Looks like they are truly going on one mad PR blitz! Kind of makes me want to go just to see what sort of crowd a book signing will attract . . .

Radley

And the PFFR continues to follow the Radley medical story . . .

From the Empty Bottle:
Radley would like to take a moment to thank everyone who donated to his relief fund. There is still work to be done, so come to the Empty Bottle on Sunday, November 16 for the Radley Benefit Dance Party featuring: DJs ALEX VALENTINE, HOLOGRAM TRAV, HUGSEN KISSUS & MILES RAYMER. Tickets are only $3 and all proceeds will be going to the Radley Relief Fund. Did we mention drink specials? How about $3 Bells all night! Come on down, drink, dance and help our dear old friend Radley.

I think at some point Radley needs to give a speech to all his ardent supporters.

Dizzee Politics

Politics and music (and race) continue to intersect with Dizzee Rascal's apparently "controversial" appearance on a BBC news show discussing race and British politics in the wake of Obama's victory.

Yes I can take a break . . .

Well, now that we can all catch our breath, I'm going to take a much-needed break from constantly scouring the internet (and at some point in there, working) to go hang out in Portland, OR for the weekend, land where indie rockers go to retire. That means no show on Monday, but look for a return to music discussion on Tuesday.