It’s been a while since our last broadcast of Sound Citizen Radio, but we’re back. Thanks for staying tuned and for listening this week. We’ll keep bringing great music that you can hear locally, in Chicago.

This week’s lineup:

Dawes, “When My Time Comes”
November 10, Lincoln Hall

Coyote Grace, “A Guy Named Joe”
November 20, Martyrs

Smith Westerns, “Be My Girl”
November 5, Lincoln Hall

Horse Feathers, “Belly of June”
November 4, Schuba’s

Futurebirds, “Breathe for Days”
November 19, Schuba’s

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Let’s start with Thursday, August 5:

Devo, with Dirty Projectors are at Congress Thetaer at 7:30

Slightly Stoopid with Collie Buddz are at House of Blues at 8.

The New Pornographers with The Dodos are at Metro at 8.

The Big Pink with Night Gallery are at Lincoln Hall at 8

Cymbals Eat Guitars with Young Galaxy are at Schuba’s at 8

Out of these, our choice is Slightly Stoopid with Collie Buddz. It’s a tough call over The New Pornographers and Cymbals Eat Guitars. But Slightly Stoopid is perfect summer music and House of Blues is a great downtown Chicago venue.

Friday, August 6:

MGMT is at House of Blues at 10.

Cut Copy with Dragonette is at Metro at 10.

The Walkmen with Warpaint is at Double Door at 10.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros with Freelance Whales at Lincoln Hall at 10.

Wild Beasts at Empty Bottle at 10.

Rogue Wave with Gamble House at Schubas at 10.

Lackluster, if you ask me. But we’ll go with Edward Sharpe and Freelance Whales. The two bands go well together, which should make for a good all-around experience and Lincoln Hall is one great venue.

Saturday, August 7:

The National with The Antlers at House of Blues at 10.

The Black Keys with The Morning Benders at Metro at 10.

Minus the Bear with Miniature Tigers at Double Door at 10.

Blitzen Trapper with Avi Buffalo at Lincoln Hall at 10.

The Soft Pack with Royal Bangs at Schuba’s at 10.

Wavves with Harlem at Empty Bottle at 10.

Gogol Bordello at Subterranean at 10.

Precision Guided Musicians featuring Hot Chip (live), Rusko, Steve Porter Ancient Astronauts and Perry Farrell at Congress Theater at 10. CANCELED

Far and away, Saturday features the most difficult choices. I’d be happy with The National, The Black Keys, Minus the Bear or The Soft Pack. I’ve seen The Black Keys several times, although not on the most recent album. I’ve seen The National at Pitchfork. I’ve seen Minus the Bear at The Riviera. All are impressive. The one I haven’t seen is The Soft Pack and they are one of our new favorite bands — so we’ll choose them by default. That is, unless we see them at Lolla. If so, it’s The Black Keys once again. Seriously, you can’t go wrong.

Sunday, August 8:

Phoenix with Toro Y Moi at House of Blues at 10.

Health with Chandeliers at Reggie’s Rock Club at 10.

Phoenix should be entertaining.

What do you think? Leave your comments below!

Click to buy Lollapalooza 2010 aftershow tickets.

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We’ve had a great couple of weeks here, including a trip down to Memphis for the Beale St. Music Festival. You can read about Memphis in May right here.

This week a few of us are headed to see a new favorite in Local Natives and an old soul in Clem Snide. You can hear Clem Snide on Sound Citizen Radio 9.

Thanks for listening and if you like what you hear, go ahead and share it with your Facebook friends by clicking the thumbs up at top left. As always, please send any suggestions, thoughts or music for an upcoming episode to soundcitizenmike@gmail.com.

This week’s lineup:

Besnard Lakes, Montreal, Canada. “Albatross”
Pritzker Pavillion, Millenium Park, Chicago (FREE), May 24

Dexateens, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. “Down Low”
Schubas, Chicago, May 20

Love of Everything, Chicago. “It Feels So Good to Be Alive”
Empty Bottle, Chicago, CORRECTION: May 18

Morning Benders (playing with Broken Bells), San Francisco/New York. “Excuses”
The Vic, Chicago, May 31

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So, get out there and support these bands. Your bracket will be blown up by day two anyway.

If you want to get your band featured on Sound Citizen Radio, please send an email to soundcitizenmike@gmail.com. Also, feel free to send suggestions, comments, tips, or anything else.

Have a great weekend.

-Mike

Deadstring Brothers (pictured), “Smile”
Friday, March 26, Double Door

Sissy Mena, “Young Girl”
Sunday, March 21, Lincoln Hall
April 8, Subterranean

The Right Now, “Ain’t Going Back”
Friday, March 19, Lincoln Hall

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Last Wednesday was one of those times when you stumble into a show you won’t soon forget. You usually stumble out, too.

As it were, we hit up the Tonic Room on Chicago’s north side to see little-known but soon-to-be-famous JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound. And we couldn’t have had better timing. JC and the crew are breaking out. They’ve been on the scene just a year or so but have managed to capture soul, funk, R&B and even rock in their sound. And it’s all Chicago, as it should be. But don’t expect these cats to pull up stakes and leave if they hit it big. As guitarist Billy Bungeroth told Centerstage Chicago’s Jeff Minn:

A lot of people think Chicago is the step on the road to another destination. It’s not. Chicago is the destination. We live in the greatest city on Earth. Mind it, support it. If you dig music and you like to dance and you like heart-drenched ballads and funky post-punk workouts then there’s a dude named Mr. JC Brooks in Chicago I think you ought to go and see.

JC is a student of soul music, but he started in an indie-rock band. That should give you an idea of the versatility of the sound. Need further proof? In the video below, you’ll hear King Floyd’s “Groove me Baby,” and “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” a Wilco cover that has become JC’s most popular song.

It was a good night for Chicago music – a rising star with soul, in a small venue with an eclectic crowd.

These guys can bring it.

Below is some video from the show at the Tonic Room. Watch it. Also check out this photo gallery from Wednesday night.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Hear more JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound.

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We hope you enjoy this week’s installment and please send your suggestions, comments and opinions to soundcitizenmike@gmail.com. For all you bands and artists out there, if you would like to be featured on Sound Citizen radio, please send an email with a link to your music.

We’re trying to help spread good music through Chicago, and could use your help. If you like anything you hear, please take a moment to share this podcast with your friends — you can use the Facebook or ShareThis buttons below, or simply copy the URL and share it that way. Thank you!

This week’s lineup:

The Blacks (pictured), “I’m in Love”
Schubas, Saturday, March 6.
Listen to more.

J.C. Brooks & The Uptwon Sound, “I’m Trying to Break Your Heart”
The Tonic Room, Wednesday, March 10.
Listen to more.

The Lost Cartographers, “Goodbye Ohio”
Uncommon Ground, Saturday, March 13.
Listen to more.

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This band, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, might not be familiar yet with Chicago or the midwest,  “But we’re long-time fans of WGN. We get WGN everywhere on Earth. I don’t know if you know that,” tongue-in-cheek, almost hamming up the southern boy naïveté to go along with a pronounced southern drawl.

Anyway – this is not your standard southern rock. And that was apparent from the moment the first chord rang out. Perhaps guitarist Lee Bains III’s AC/DC shirt and Gibson SG should have tipped me off. There are times when the Dexateens jam a hard rock sound, you can even hear some metal in there, but with a decidedly hillbilly heart – and I mean that in a great way. You can hear bluegrass in both the vocals and rhythms of every song and you get the feeling that it just comes out that way. It feels so deep-rooted in their sound that I don’t imagine they could play any other way even if they tried. At times I heard just hints of Neil Young, The Black Crowes and even some Kid Rock, believe it or not, but those are just my own music biases creeping in – the Dexateens have a sound all their own. And I dig it. They can slow it down too, like “Grandaddy’s Mouth.” (check out the partial video below.)

The Dexateens may have made their first Chicago stop this week, but it won’t be their last. I feel good about the staying power with this one. And so do the people at Austin City Limits, where they will be making an appearance.

Check out the videos below from the show, and head over to their MySpace to hear some more great stuff.

“Settle Down”

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Grandaddy’s Mouth” (partial)

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Makers Mound” (partial)

Click here to view the embedded video.

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