The words “white-boy blues” usually send this Wolf into the fetal position, but the Chicago Stone Lightning Band has managed to catch lightning in a bottle. Whew! Totally listenable! These four local indie-rock types (including current and former members of Chisel, Vee Dee, and the Windy City Soul Club DJ crew) play a thick boogie that’s closer to Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac than to scrunch-faced Jonny Lang swill. The honchos at big-time label Downtown Records (home to Kid Sister, Gnarls Barkley, and Justice, among others) must agree—on September 18 they’re releasing the band’s self-titled debut LP. For now at least, you can stream it at CSLB’s Bandcamp.
Pilsen native Martin Sorrondeguy has been a one-man cottage industry of hardcore awesomeness for more than 20 years, not just as vocalist for Los Crudos (RIP) and Limp Wrist but also as an activist, label owner (Lengua Armada Discos), and filmmaker (Mas Alla de Los Gritos: A U.S. Latino Hardcore Punk Documentary). Sorrondeguy has brought serious musical fury and political righteousness to punk-as-fuck tribes around the globe, and on tour he’s usually had his camera in tow—later this month, he’ll release a hardcover book featuring 400 of his photos, Get Shot: A Visual Diary 1985-2012. Preorder a copy for $28 at makeamessrecords.bigcartel.com.
Last month local show organizer and Shams Band guitarist-vocalist Donnie Biggins left his gig at House Call Entertainment to start his own booking agency, Harmonica Dunn Inc. So far his shows are all at the Tonic Room in Lincoln Park, and he’s got at least one solid gig on his calendar already: on Sat 9/29 beloved local funk act the O’My’s will play with rising local MC Chance the Rapper, who spent part of the summer touring with the inexplicably popular Childish Gambino (aka actor Donald Glover).
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