Last fall Gossip Wolf fell for indie-rock outfit Man’s Body via their debut EP, Found. This transcontinental band consists of Los Angeles scene vet Greg Franco, also of Rough Church (guitar, vocals), and two Chicagoans, Marco Obaya (guitar, bass) and J. Niimi (guitar, drums)—you may know Niimi from Chicago-Australia pop group Ashtray Boy or his Reader music writing in the 2000s. On Friday, July 13, Man’s Body drop their first full-length, Put Your Family in It, on Franco’s Beautiful Workhorse label, and that night they celebrate with a show at Debonair Social Club. (They play live as a five-piece.) Fans of the Pixies and skinny-tie power pop should dig the band’s easy hooks and melodic guitar clatter—the new video for “Man’s Body Theme” provides a taste.
Gossip Wolf has been eager for recordings from CB Radio Gorgeous (members of Forced Into Femininity, Red Delicious, Big Zit, and Negative Scanner) since giving the band a big “ten-four” in January! Last month they posted a few furious jams on Bandcamp (think 70s UK DIY and the Minutemen), and local hardcore label Not Normal Tapes will drop a cassette version next Friday. On Saturday, July 21, at Happy Gallery, CBRG play a skateboard-centric benefit for the Florence Project, which provides legal and social services for detained immigrants. The show starts at 6 PM and includes a raffle of gear from Unity Skateboarding, Pardon My Thrashing, and Vans. You can also meet folks at Roberto Clemente Community Academy at 4 PM for some preshow grinding!
For three and a half years, Fresh Roasted has hosted a monthly battle for hip-hop producers: typically two record collectors bring LPs, which three beat makers use to make new tracks. At the Whistler on Thursday, July 12, King Hippo and Kten provide the records, and the battlers are John Simmons, Kenny Keys, and Artie Do Good, who recently released an album in homage to Pablo Neruda. v
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