Gossip Wolf has long been a fan of dramatic local indie-pop band Magical Beautiful, so it’s sad news that they’ll play their final show on Mon 6/29 at the Empty Bottle. Luckily for fans, the band will celebrate the release of their third album, Discover Death, that night—they hope to have it finished by then. They’ll also give away an avalanche of swag: according to Magical Beautiful’s Facebook page, it’ll include free LPs, CDs, and T-shirts! Way to go out with a burst of generosity, gang!
Near North hotspot Primary Nightclub celebrated its three-year anniversary this past weekend, and even if you weren’t there to help the party starters blow out those candles, you’ve still got a chance to celebrate. On Sun 6/28 French house producer Sebastien Leger spins at the club as part of a birthday bash for Primary owner and self-described “cliff jumper” Derek Specs—the flyer for the party says it’s Specs’s 69th birthday, but he doesn’t look a day over 65! Chicago house legend Paul Johnson also performs, as does local artist the Wolf (no relation to present company); the fun starts at 11 PM.
Max Kakacek and Julien Ehrlich of the defunct Smith Westerns have a new psych-pop project called Whitney whose delightful debut single, “No Matter Where We Go,” is up online. You can hear it in person when they play the Whistler on Sun 6/28!
Groove-tastic local band ¡Esso! Afrojam Funkbeat mix up a swirl of global sounds—their massive musical range covers funky Fela Kuti-style Afrobeat, Hendrix-flavored psych rock, Latin boogaloo, and more. This wolf thinks you’ll want to put on your dancing shoes every time you hear ’em! This past Sunday the ten-piece group released a thumping new self-titled LP recorded during the past year or so at Belmont Electric Studios, and it’s a nonstop blast of dance-floor power. You can stream the album (or cop a free download) at Bandcamp. v
Got a tip? Tweet @Gossip_Wolf or e-mail gossipwolf@chicagoreader.com.