When emo heavyweights Braid kinda regrouped in late 2010 to make the Closer to Closed EP, it didn’t look like the reunion would stick beyond a couple shows. But now the band is prepping its first full-length in 16 years, due in 2014 on Boston label Topshelf, which has released music by many fourth-wave emo acts—most of whom are indebted to Braid and its peers. Singer-guitarist Bob Nanna tells Gossip Wolf that Braid befriended the Topshelf crew around a year ago. “When we put the word out that we’d started writing songs for a new album,” he says, “they were extremely vocal in their interest and enthusiasm.”
Local duo Slushy, whose AM-ready 60s bubblegum slop-pop has brightened Chicago’s garage scene since 2010, is about to become a transcontinental operation. Guitarist Brent Zmrhal, who’s also played with glam ruffians Mickey and booked shows at Crown Liquors, is moving to Seattle at the end of the month. Slushy front man Chris Kramer says the band will keep rocking long-distance style—they have a new seven-inch out on Randy Records, a cassette dropping in a couple of weeks via local imprint Tripp Tapes, and an LP in the works for new label Grabbing Clouds. Slushy are doing a midwest tour in December, but their last show before Zmrhal splits is Thu 9/26 at the Owl with Magic Milk.
Gossip Wolf has been sniffing around Chicago six-piece Cokegoat for a while, and fans of mid-70s Sabbath, Electric Wizard, and Witchcraft are at risk of becoming similarly addicted to the band’s syrupy melodic doom. A few months back Cokegoat posted their debut full-length, >Vessel, on Bandcamp for download, and shockingly enough, exactly none of the songs are about popular soft drinks! Anyway, the band will have 180-gram LPs of Vessel available on Fri 10/4 at their official record-release show at Cobra Lounge with Scientist, Electric Hawk, and Mexican Werewolf.
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