Another week, another Gossip Wolf tip about a band bailing on Chicago: beloved industrial-dance act White Car is moving to LA at the start of 2012. Maybe main man Elon Katz prefers a deep natural tan to re-upping a monthly membership at Midnight Sun? Anyway, White Car just uploaded a creepy teaser for its forthcoming debut long-player, Everyday Grace; the 35-second YouTube clip features a bearded cretin in a funhouse mirror and a well-greased, half-naked lady—perfect for White Car’s cocaine-friendly 80s sound. Katz mixed, produced, and recorded Everyday Grace at his Pilsen home studio, the Techno Dungeon; it’s due 2/28 on Hippos in Tanks. Plenty of locals make appearances, including major noise bro Andy Ortmann and Katz’s Streetwalker collaborator, Beau Wanzer.
This holiday season Gossip Wolf will grok some Halloweeny tunes, smear on major amounts of eyeliner, and make late-night trips to Neo! This Wolf wanted just one thing in that ripped black Christmas stocking: a demo from local tousled-hair death-rock foursome Cemetery. Well, Santa came early this year—the band recently dropped their first demo! It’s almost a sitcom long, with plenty of echoing guitar, shouted madness, and Christian Death-esque song titles like “Grave Dance” and “Voices in the Ceiling.” Snatch it from Cemetery’s Facebook page (on.fb.me/cemet).
That’s not all the prime “dark” news that’s fit to print! In early 2012 (no release date yet) BLVD Records will release a new three-song seven-inch from downcast Carbondale/Chicago postpunk trio Staring Problem. The band’s sweet ‘n’ screechy 2010 self-titled debut cassette for local label Modern Tapes had Gossip Wolf frothing at the mouth, and not from rabies! Their sound—imagine Phil Spector producing a girl-fronted group that had murdered and was filling in for the Cure—makes a mighty strong impression. This Wolf is already fiending for that seven-inch.
This Wolf misspoke about Scotland Yard Gospel Choir main man Elia Einhorn in last week’s column. Einhorn will continue fronting the band despite moving to New York; SYGC is working on new material.
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