Kevin Warwick,Reader associate editor
Thee Oops, Happy Charlie (Slovenly) Two 45s, ten tracks—be ready to flip a record every three minutes. These dudes from Sardinia (the big Italian island that’s not Sicily) play breakneck punk whose filthy, snarling guitar licks don’t add flair so much as hard-nosed attitude. A cover of “Egg Raid on Mojo” from Some Old Bullshit does more than hint at the band’s ultimate respect for the Beastie Boys’ hardcore-punk genes (and reminds me that I should unearth my copy of Aglio e Olio).
Rebecca Valeriano-Flores, vocalist-guitarist, Negative Scanner
Video, “(Join the) Hate Wave” b/w “Captivity” (Total Punk) This band sounds very mean. It helps that front man Daniel Fried (aka TV’s Daniel) berates the audience whenever he’s onstage—the last time Video played the Empty Bottle, he dissed the entire Chicago scene. I’ve been a huge fan of these guys and their various other Texas projects (Bad Sports, High Tension Wires, Wax Museums, Wiccans, Mind Spiders) ever since HoZac put out a Wax Museums seven-inch back in 2007. But they’re not really mean: we’re friends now, and they’re actually very nice.
Constellation Right under a ramp off Western, Mike Reed’s bar and venue dedicated to jazz, improvised music, and contemporary classical looks unassuming on the outside, but the diverse and high-quality lineup inside has done much to enrich the Chicago scene. Classical music in particular has been in a difficult position, caught between an aging patronage and stuffy venues—and Constellation provides an opportunity for contemporary classical to flourish. The venue gives you great opportunities to support the artists you like . . . and great drinks for the music that’s hard to swallow.
