RECOMMENDED

Derrick Carter and .dotbleep’s Dan X put their impeccable DJ schools to work for a great cause at Smart Bar this weekend. The duo will ring in the new year with bouncing house rhythms and sexy tech-house at a charity event to benefit PAWS, Rock For Kids and the Chicago Childrens Charities. Dance all night for a mere ten bucks and know it’s going someplace good. (John Alex Colon)

January 2 at Smart Bar, 3730 N. Clark, (773)549-0203, 10pm.

RECOMMENDED

Edgy, nightmarish scream-noise groups have always been a mixed bag. Some work, some don’t, and it’s unusually difficult to discern precisely why. Long-running Bloodyminded, which began in New York but now calls Chicago home, was founded by Mark Solotroff, he of Intrinsic Action underground fame. Sonically the band pushes boundaries with its grating stew of loops, synthesizer, feedback and vicious screaming and, in person, the result is hypnotizing and terrifying. Bloodyminded’s avant-garde aesthetic challenges the audience with industrial indulgence, mechanical, haunting and at times brilliant. Not for everyone—hell, this is only for a small few—but those who can get into it have much to gain. This could get uncomfortable. (Tom Lynch)

December 3 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, (773)276-3600, at 8pm. $3.

RECOMMENDED

John Simmons begins his Smart Bar residency this weekend at a free event with Striz and Intel. Simmons, known mostly for his deep and funky house exploits, is also adept at blending hip-hop, soul and downtempo grooves, the fare on deck for this event, called—and quite aptly—”Chilled.” Hard-working and musically eclectic, this trio is often called on to work a room before a headliner. They have the floor from start to finish on this night, which means a budget-friendly affair that will keep you moving till close. (John Alex Colon)

January 6 at Smart Bar, 3730 N. Clark, (773)549-0203, at 10pm.

RECOMMENDED

Philadelphia artist Kurt Vile, playing tonight with his backing band the Violators, began to draw attention with 2007′s “Constant Hitmaker,” a neat blend of folk rock, psychedelics and tempered experimentation, with a wonderful pop sensibility that worked on multiple levels. It caught the ear of Matador Records, who promptly snapped him up, releasing his follow-up disc “Childish Prodigy” early this year. A darker affair but no less potent, Vile bathes himself in reverb for his speak-sing delivery, and reaches pure beauty on tracks like “Overnite Religion.” Vile brings to mind some classic man’s-man poets—Springsteen, Petty, even Bob Seger—while still feeling undeniably modern. Not a small achievement, considering how dull his sound could’ve been. For these two shows Vile opens for The Black Keys, but expect him to be headlining his own bills soon. (Tom Lynch)

December 31-January 1 at Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine, (773)275-6800, at 8pm.

RECOMMENDED

Swedish indie-pop songwriter Jens Lekman broke through with 2005′s compilation of singles and EPs, “Oh, You’re So Silent Jens,” on the strength of memorable songs like “Pocketful of Money” and “Black Cab,” plus a sound that, if only briefly endured, could be mistaken for Belle & Sebastian or Stephin Merritt. Not just another precious export from Sweden however—Lekman’s thrilling use of strings and samples, plus his on-the-nose lyrics, make him more explosive on record and on stage than you would expect. “Night Falls Over Kortedala,” from 2007, was his first proper full-length “album,” and it received much critical acclaim despite lacking the absolute stand-out tracks of its predecessor. Live, his smooth, lovable voice and vocal delivery will dominate the room. Just be careful in such a small space—it was reported over the summer that Lekman had contracted the H1N1 virus in South America. *Cough*. (Tom Lynch)

December 31-2 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, (773)276-3600, at 10pm. $20-$30.

Top 5 Records
Loney Dear, “Dear John” (Polyvinyl)
A.C. Newman, “Get Guilty” (Matador)
Future of the Left, “Travels With Myself and Another” (4AD)
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, “The Pains of Being Pure at Heart” (Slumberland Records)
The Antlers, “Hospice” (Frenchkiss)
—Tom Lynch

Top 5 Albums
Animal Collective, “Merriweather Post Pavilion” (Domino)
Luciano, “Tribute to the Sun” (Cadenza)
Jesse Rose, “What Do You Do If You Don’t” (Dubsided)
The Juan Maclean, “The Future Will Come” (DFA)
The xx, ” xx” (Young Turks)
—Duke Shin Read the rest of this entry »

RECOMMENDED

In 2008, Toronto electro-punk duo Crystal Castles released their highly anticipated self-titled debut LP. Many of the tracks had been floating around for years, either in demo form or on sold-out seven-inches, but this official release pushed them into the spotlight. Unfortunately, it also meant anything Ethan Kath and Alice Glass did was made public, which didn’t exactly paint them in the best light, from the feud with artist Trevor Brown to the last-minute cancelation at Dallas’ Granada Theater this year, which led staff to call the duo “pre-madonnas,” to kicking supporting band VEGA off their tour in April, accusing them of theft, to Glass trashing the stage and throwing a punch at security at Barcelona’s Sonar Festival because the sound sucked. Point is: they’re a pretty polarizing pair. You either put their shit aside and enjoy the music or think they’re talentless pricks. I fall into the former category and “Crystal Castles” was one of my favorite albums of 2008. I saw the band live in 2007 and found it to be an intense experience. Though Kath is the brains behind the band, 21-year-old vocalist Glass is the entertainer, completely unpredictable and seemingly batshit crazy. Whether writhing on the floor, diving into the crowd, climbing whatever she can or playing with strobe lights, you can’t take your eyes off her. This’ll definitely be an interesting, albeit slightly creepy, show. Just don’t go if you’re prone to seizures. (Kelley Hecker)

Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N. Kedzie, (773)252-6179. 8:30pm. $50.

RECOMMENDED

Mash-up master Gregg Gillis’ live performances consist of him hunched over a laptop, yet Girl Talk shows have become legendary for one simple reason: the man knows how to throw a killer dance party. His third LP, 2006’s “Night Ripper,” brought Gillis national attention, earning him rave reviews from blogs and music magazines alike as he continued to work a day job as an engineer in Pittsburgh. He quit that in 2007 to focus on music, a move that allowed him to tour more and build his reputation as a must-see performer. Last year Gillis’ highly anticipated follow-up to “Night Ripper,” “Feed the Animals,” was released and met with equal acclaim. Girl Talk shows are all about getting drunk and dancing your ass off with friends and strangers. Dozens of people swarm the stage while others wildly flail their limbs about on the sweat-drenched dance floor. This is without a doubt the wildest dance party taking place in the city this NYE and not to be missed. (Kelley Hecker)

Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee, (773)276-3600. 9:30pm. $35.

RECOMMENDED

Matthew Friedberger, half of the Brooklyn-via-Oak Park indie-rock duo The Fiery Furnaces, is taking a break from starting idiotic feuds with Radiohead and Beck to help ring in the New Year at the city’s newest venue. After releasing its debut album, “Gallowsbird’s Bark,” in 2003, Matthew and his sister Eleanor have continued to release one or two albums a year since, each of them vastly different yet quirky in that often hard-to-digest Fiery Furnaces way. 2004’s “Blueberry Boat” was too scattered for me and I found it nearly impossible to sit through. 2005’s “EP,” on the other hand, I loved: short, focused pop songs that went down easily. Of course, they followed that up later that year with “Rehearsing My Choir,” an album that featured their grandmother Olga Sarantos telling stories about her life. I’m sure it was meaningful for the Friedbergers to make, especially now that Sarantos has passed, but it was completely unlistenable for others. In the past, the pair would rearrange songs and turn their sets into one long jam session, but lately they’ve been playing a more straightforward rock show where fans can actually differentiate between songs. Still, this band’s wordy, schizophrenic style can be hard for some people to take in large doses, me included. If you’re a big fan, this show will most likely leave you satisfied. If not, skip it. (Kelley Hecker)

Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln, (773)525-2501. 9pm. $20 ($25 at the door).

RECOMMENDED

People have traditions, and certainly this local band has theirs, once again heading home for their annual year-end hometown jam during a three-day Chicago residence at The Vic Theatre and The Aragon Ballroom. Though Umphrey’s McGee have much in common with other groups within the jam-band community (ever-changing set lists, open-taping policies), the music they make clearly comes from a somewhat different place—instead of simply being Dead or Phish copycats, they seem to borrow from more progressive sounds, 1960s rock and jazz. An example of this is the inclusion of Vince Guaraldi’s iconic “Linus and Lucy” among the handful of covers included on their sets. Well over a decade into their careers the band has evolved into an accomplished group with incredible musical chops. They never stopped including covers on their setlist—favorites include guitar-heavy version of The Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus” and The Who’s “Baba O’ Riley” with recognizable elements from the original recordings while also showcasing the band’s improvisational skills, which in their case comes in spades. (Ernest Barteldes)

Aragon Ballroom (with Prefuse 73), 1106 West Lawrence, (773)561-9500. $65.