Of all of the Chicago releases in 2008 Chandeliers The Thrush (Obey Your Brain) was the most surprising for me. I knew they dealt with electronics and were coming from the same camp as Icy Demons, but the level of funk and soul contained on their debut album is incredible. It is really an addictive collection of new soul creations that will have you moving and shaking and always smiling. Chris Kalis, Dan Jugle, Scott McGaughey, and Harry Brenner have come together not to create a harsh electronic environment, but have found the warmest and funkiest sound their instruments can create and laid down a steady groove. Have a listen for yourself here. You check out Chandeliers for free tomorrow night (Jan. 6th) at Sonotheque with Dj Hunter Husar and Dj Time Warner. The show starts at 9:00pm.

As you relax on this chilly Saturday, enjoy the tones of one of the most inventive guitar players in town, David Daniell.

Released in 2007, Suburbs in America, was an album filled with an appealing brand of lazy alt-country. Miles Benjamin, Mike Kostal, Jeff Wolinski and Paul Gulyas (All Things Lucid) create a world of filled with dusty bars and steady grooves. According to the band they whole new batch of songs ready to go. “All Things Lucid is back with a fresh lineup of songs dealing with dark stories of struggle, success, freedom, and addiction. Their latest sound is more matured and soulful; with layered harmonies and raw emotion that hark back to earlier days of rock.” They should have a new EP out shortly and a new full-length in the works. They will be performing tonight at The Hideout with like-minded Tell Your Friends at 10:00pm. Tickets are $8, but if you order on-line you get a free shirt.

Have you ever walked into a room and had the feeling that you are not going to get your monies worth? Well, last night in Elgin at Mad Maggie’s as we walked in $80 lighter without drink tickets or appetizers, wearing plastic party hats, we felt taken. The room was practically empty at 8:00pm and as Geneva’s Kid, You’ll Move Mountains took the stage the crowd was sober and laidback. Their performance was energetic and in many ways, inventive as they played several songs from the debut album Loomings (release show tomorrow at The Metro!). I haven’t seen too many indie pop bands fall to the floor and manipulate the pedal like a pure noise band the way they did. Their sounds were surprising and refreshing.

Tall Dark Stranger took the stage next and were straightforward and average. They were a little bit country and a little rock n’ roll, and played their set with out much emotion. They also started a surprising trend of Bruce Springsteen covers that would later be carried on by The Smoking Popes. Catfish Haven followed with their raucous brand of high-strung faux-gospel rockabilly sounds. They were wild and finally got the crowd involved and moving. Right before the Popes took the stage we were finally able to score a drink ticket and 2009 was a mere 20 minutes away. Finding ourselves right in front of the stage and dead center, it was clear we had the best spot in the house. While the Popes were broken up in ‘90’s Josh and Eli Caterer formed a band called Duvall with their friend Rob Kellenberger. Rob was a college friend of ours and a member of Slapstick and Tuesday, and we were excited to see him behind the drums last night. The Smoking Popes took the stage with Josh, Matt, Eli and special guest Rob, and they played an impressive amount of their catalog including a few songs from 2008’s Stay Down. It was truly a romantic night that kicked off with “Just Broke Up With my Girlfriend” and ending with an encore of “Not That Kinda Girlfriend” before breaking into their version “Born to Run”. The night was a magical walk down memory lane that was extremely positive with glimpses of newfound energy and excitement for the future.

You can find more picture at What to Wear During an Orange Alert.

Dear Deli Readers,

Our Year End Best of Chicago Poll is on!

Most artists competing in the final stage of this competition will be nominated by our selected jury of promoters, bloggers and music industry peeps, but 3 of them will be chosen by our readers - i.e. you my dears - right about here!

This is a vote open to everybody, and to participate you simply have to... VOTE HERE!

Use the "Post a comment" green link under this entry, vote for one band/artist only, and leave your email address or a link to myspace/facebook page so that we can verify your vote - polls are open until December 31!

The winner of the final poll will grace the top of our web page for two weeks and win a 3 month vertical banner ad rotating on the entire Deli website (all cities) + some very cool prizes from our sponsors, including software plug ins and free studio time.

Soooo... let us know now which are your favorite emerging Chicago bands of 2008!

Thanks and may great local music triumph! - The Deli Staff

If you are looking for a young band on the rise then you need to head down to Abbey’s Pub this Friday (Jan. 2nd) and give a listen to Albatross. They recently finished recording their debut ep, Bugs Berfday Gum, and should have it available at the show. Their sound is an energetic form of pop punk with the right mixture of horns and powerful vocals provided by Julie Popelka.

They have charm and a promising sound and on Friday they open for Minnesota’s One For The Team in a show sponsored by What to Wear During an Orange Alert. Also performing that night will be The Cloud Cuckoo Band and High 4. The show starts 9:00pm and tickets are $6 in advance and $8 at the door.

Indiana native and jazz legend Freddie Hubbard past away yesterday in Sherman Oaks, California from complications from a heart attack suffered on November 26. This video is from Downbeat Poll Winners Concert in Chicago in 1975 with Stanley Clarke, Airto Moreira, Lenny White, Chick Corea and McCoy Tyner. Rest in Peace Freddie.

Pool of Frogs Bandisode 5: Metro Fri. 1/2

Speaking of the show this Friday at The Metro, here is how the boys from Pool of Frogs are preparing.

Last time we checked in with Deli Magazine, the topic was Sapiens Camp. Now that we've had a while to digest the weekend's worth of starchy carbohydrates (which were the exclusive menu item), we can now tell you it was a very productive and educational weekend. After getting bunk directions from Google Maps that took us to the opposite end of the park which turned out to be some farmer's dirt bike track which we promptly drove through, ultimately barreling through his back yard in our Honda 4-banger (if we were in Michigan, we would have been shotgunned to death for trespassing, then beheaded for driving a Honda), we eventually found our way to the park entrance despite the lack of street signage or properly lit roads.

The five of us spent three days locked in a 80 sq. ft. cabin overlooking the beautiful, muskie-rich waters of Lake Shabbona. The first night, after a celebratory appeasing of the lake's evil spirits by schreeching bad cover songs and trampling the native plant life, we spent the majority of the second night in complete darkness (true story) with our instruments in hand, tape recorder rolling, and etched out a few new tracks. Something about turning out all the lights and focusing on raw ideas really helped us get some new stuff on tape. It was kind of like Candyman - except no meat hooks or bad acting. That said, we fully intend to make this forced-creativity-inducing-darkness a regular thing for The Sapiens.

And speaking of darkness and exclusive carbohydrates, we'll be taking a few of those newly written tracks to Metro on January 2, 2009. We will playing alongside fellow spirit-conjurers Kid, You'll Move Mountains- who will be releasing their debut CD, Loomings at the show. Also performing: Pool of Frogs, Picture Books

Show details: Friday, Jan 2 METRO – 3730 N. Clark St., Chicago; Tickets: $5/online (buy here with promo code "SAPIENS") or $8/door; Free if you show up before 9pm; 18 & over

Also, stop on by The Sapiens website for some newly posted tracks from our Amplfy New Music Series session at Shirk Music and Sound. And for newly posted videos, check out our Videos page. - Charlie Nader

New Year Eve’s is always a busy night for concerts and party’s and it can be an expensive one as well. Here is a run down on what you can expect this New Year’s Eve.

The Abbey Pub: Future Rock, Daedelus, Dark Party, Ben Silver Price: $25 Time: 8:00pm

The Bottom Lounge: Local H, Sybris, Big Science and Office Price: $35 Time: 8:00pm

Congress Theater: Justice (DJ Set), So Me, Dark Wave Disco DJs, Willy Joy, Zebo, Skyler Price: $50 Time: 7:00pm

Double Door: Hum, The Life and Times, Dianogah Price: $65 Time: 9:00pm

Empty Bottle: Jay Reatard, Miss Alex White, Yolks Price: $25 Time: 10:00pm

Metro: The Dandy Warhols Price: $55 Time: 9:00pm

Quenchers Saloon: Tight Phantomz and Cougars Price: $10 Time: 9:00pm

Reggie’s Rock Club: Lawrence Arms, The Methadones, The Arrivals, The Copyrights, Off With Their Heads Price: $25 Time: 8:00pm

Schubas: The Sea and Cake Price: $20 Time: 10:00pm

Subt: Holy F**k, Aleks & the Drummer, Unique Chique Price: $30 Time: 10:00pm

The Whistler: Jeff Parker and Clerical Error Price: FREE Time: 9:00pm

Mad Maggie's (in Elgin) Smoking Popes (pictured above), Catfish Haven, Kid You’ll Move Mountains Price: $30 Time: 8:00pm

Formed from the radioactive rubble of The Saturday Nights, Soft Speaker is a new band with experienced members. Drummer Joe Daley and guitarist/vocalist Paul Foreman have been able to move beyond the demise of The Saturday Nights and from the sound of the bands first two recordings the future is looking bright. In forming Soft Speaker they weren’t sure where to look or which direction to head, but the story goes that Blair Douglass appeared at Joe and Paul’s rehearsal space door, seemingly carved from rare organic materials by classically-trained Prussian sculptors, with a Fender Jazz Bass in hand and tufted titmouse perched upon her right shoulder. Nick Rocchio was the final piece, and you can head over to Musical Family Tree to hear their first two recording for yourself.

Trying to get back into the swing of things socially after all the family Holiday celebrations? What better way then to catch a free show and a stiff drink on a Monday Night after the first day back at work after the Holiday. The Empty Bottle will be presenting their last free Monday show of the year Monday the 29th at 9:00pm with Chicago indie-pop proteges Raise High the Roof Beam.

The eclectic five-piece create charming and infectious pop music while utilizing an array of instruments from synthesizers to banjos, ukuleles, and mandolins. The band compares their sound to "The Arcade Fire meets The Muppets," so you are pretty much guaranteed a fun Monday night.

You can catch Soft Speaker and Raise High The Roof Beam with The Black Fortys tomorrow night (Monday, Dec 29th) at 9:00pm for FREE at The Empty Bottle.

Don't miss one of the last and best parties of the year. This annual event is sponsored by Chirp and is a celebration that gets larger every year. The show starts at 8:00pm at The Empty Bottle and tickets are $10.

Since releasing their second full-length album, Amateur Lovers, back in October on Chicago’s Loosetooth Records, Brighton, MA has been all over the place. We mentioned their Daytrotter session last week, but they have also been featured by Rolling Stone and many other sites. They are currently offering two free downloads from Amateur Lovers on their promo page, and I highly recommend you check out their Midwestern take on folk and rock.

You can also check out Brighton, MA tonight (Dec. 27th) at The Hideout with Oh My God! at 9:00pm. Tickets are $6 in advance and $8 at the door.

Every musician, and indeed all people, have goals and dreams that mold their lives. Alan Bailey is a singer/songwriter working hard to fulfill his. With his unique brand of accessible piano rock, he has won over his Chicago fans and is on his way to more. His just-released studio album, Can't Let Go, contains an assortment of honest songs, from the pounding of 'The Moments Passing', to the heartfelt 'How Could I Be Blue?', and to the thoughtful lullabye of 'I'm Off To Bed'. The influence of Ben Folds and The Dresden Dolls are immediately obvious, and specific songs have drawn comparisons to Elvis Costello, The Who, Jeff Tweedy, and even Rocky Horror and the Spice Girls.

By limiting his music to piano, cello, and drums, Alan pushes the limits of these instruments to create sounds never before heard in a rock band. The album was recorded at a number of studios in the Chicago area, and was mixed by Manny Sanchez of I.V. Lab Studios (Umphrey's McGee, Plain White T's, The Hush Sound). With a Schubas performance in the summer and a CD release show at Subterranean in December, the path ahead looks bright.

Ok, Wauconda is an hour outside of Chicago, but the Dr. Manhattan is an exciting young band and their Daytrotter session is amazing. Posted yesterday, the session features two songs from their debut self-titled album, and two unreleased songs. Dr. Manhattan plays a light-hearted mixture of piano-pop and punk rock that is much more enjoyable then the 12ft snow pile that is currently occupying my parking space!

Dr. Manhattan will playing in Elgin at The Gasthaus on January 4th for Ian’s Party (Part V). The show goes from 4:00pm to 11:00am.

Check out the latest video from The Night of Day by The Ritz. This album was part of my summer soundtrack, and was release this past August on Lab-Oratory Records.

No matter how much you know (or think you know) about music no list can ever be complete. So instead of just give you one list of Chicago albums we are giving you five list in hopes of covering a little more ground. Here are lists from five of our contributors.

From Amy Dittmeier 1. Empires - Howl 2. Anathallo - Canopy Glow 3. The Sea & Cake - Car Alarm 4. The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale 5. Caw! Caw! - Wait Outside 6. Joan of Arc - Boo Human 7. Rue Royale - Rue Royale 8. The Soft Targets - Soft Targets Must Be Destroyed 9. Yourself and the Air - Friend of All Breeds EP 10. Fall Out Boy - Folie A Deux

From Josh Honn 1. The Sea and Cake - Car Alarm 2. Rhymefest - The Man In the Mirror Mixtape 3. Nick Butcher - Bee Removal 4. Make Believe - Going to the Bone Church 5. Josephine Foster- This Coming Gladness 6. Joan of Arc - Boo Human 7. Cool Kids - The Bake Sale 8. Bird Show - Untitled 9. Alla - Es Tiempo

From Jason Behrends 1. Radius – Neighborhood Suicide 2. Icy Demons – Miami Ice 3. Chandeliers – The Thrush 4. Caw! Caw! – Wait Outside 5. Shalloboi – Down to Sleep 6. Nick Butcher – Bee Removal 7. My My My – Little Cat Plays the Alpha Rave 8. Beaujolais – Love At Thirty 9. Venna – Venna Ep 10. The Interiors – The Interiors

From Brendan Losch 1. Bullets In Madison - If I Were A Neutron Star (And Other Stories From The Few and Far Between) 2. Andrew Kettering - 69 Sad Songs 3. Rue Royale - Rue Royale 4. Anathallo - Canopy Glow 5. Angelina Lucero - Demos 6. J. Rutherford - In Media Res [EP] 7. Latino Tanks - Raised By Humans [FREE EP] 8. The Sea & Cake - Car Alarm 9. Camera - Fire & Science [EP] 10. Brendan Losch - Until We Meet Again

From Lisa White 1. The Cool Kids- The Bake Sale 2. Big Science-The Coast of Nowhere EP 3. Anathallo-Canopy Glow 4.Walter Meego-Voyager 5. Fall Out Boy-Folie à Deux 6. Tom Schraeder and His Ego- Lying Through Dinner EP 7. Ezra Furman and The Harpoons-Inside the Human Body 8. Cavashawn-Self Titled EP 9. Kanye West- 808 and Hearbreak 10. The Hood Internet-Mixtape Vol 3

Let us know if we missed anything by leaving a comment below.

If you are looking for something to do tonight, and are not up for fighting the holiday crowds you should head down to Schubas for the Betta Promotions Holiday Show. Featuring three great Chicago bands this line-up is a can’t miss, but the band that I have been interesting in seeing since the release of their debut ep, Feeling Like You Used To in September is Color Radio. Jonathan Ifergan, Tohm Ifergan, Joel Chasco, Matt Thomas, Gregory Combs have promised to play song from the ep, but also give fans a glisp of what’s come tonight at Schubas.

Kick off your holiday celebrations tonight at Schubas with The Rikters, Snowsera, and Color Radio. The show starts at 9:00pm and tickets are $7.

Holiday wishes from the crew at Tyranny Belle Records.

A CAW! CAW! Christmas from Steve Kozak on Vimeo.