Long weekend show picks: The Innocent, Titus Andronicus and more

The Innocent play Bottom Lounge tonight

Friday, September 4

- The Innocent at Bottom Lounge - Fronted by one of our favorite local singer-songwriters, Michael Hardey, the Innocent's hook-filled material falls somewhere in-between Americana and college rock. You can check out a full review of the debut EP here. Also with Inspector Owl, The Part V and Crayolala. 8 p.m., $8, 18 and over. More info and tickets.

- The Joans at Schubas - With a musical formula of trashy new wave and garage rock that was devised to channel the spirit (and look) of Joan Crawford, nobody can accuse the Joans of blandness. Also with the Handcuffs and the Wanton Looks. 10 p.m., $8. More info and tickets.

Saturday, September 5

- Dead Meadow at Empty Bottle - L.A.-based neo-psychedelia act Dead Meadow released their fifth album, Old Growth, last year, and are currently working on a live release dubbed Three Kings. Also with Follows and the Great Society Mind Destroyers. 10 p.m., $12. More info and tickets.

- The Frantic at Metro - Chicago pop-punk. Benefit show for Share Your Soles. Also with State and Madison, the Get Go and the Scissors. 6 p.m., $8 advance, $11 day of show, all ages. More info and tickets.

Sunday, September 6

- The Spits at Double Door - Garage punk out of Seattle. Also with Woven Bones and Mother of Tears. 9 p.m., $10 advance, $13 at door. More info and tickets.

Monday, September 7

- Titus Andronicus at Bottom Lounge - Named after the Shakespeare play of the same name, New Jersey's Titus Andronicus have attracted quite a bit of attention with their debut record, The Airing of Grievances, a blend of shoegaze guitars and punk rock spirit. Also with the So So Glos and CoCoComa. 8 p.m., $10 advance, $12 at door, 18 and over. More info and tickets.

This Wednesday: Catch two of WCR's 'best emerging bands' at Subterranean

This Wednesday, February 4, is your chance to check out two of Windy City Rock's recently-chosen "best up and coming Chicago bands," The Innocent and King Sparrow. The two bands, along with The Blackjack Kings and So Elated," will play what is sure to be a night of stellar rock and roll at Subterranean. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $8.

Here's a refresher on both bands:

The Innocent

The Innocent is actually singer-songwriter Michael Hardey, who released his debut, self-titled EP (reviewed here) early this year. The 6-song release is instantly accessible, featuring highly melodic, well-written songs that are equal parts folk pop and college rock.

Songs to check out first: "Beautiful Lie," "The West Coast"

King Sparrow

It's tough to forge a unique sound in today's world of indie rock, but this three-piece is doing its best to break the mold starting with their debut EP, "Derailer." Picture a mixture of driving punk and garage rock paired with extra melodic vocals and cryptic subject matter. "Since the music is tight and exact, but a little bit atonal, and the vocals are melodic, we end up with a strange relationship between form and content," explained vocalist/guitarist Eric Georgevich in a recent interview with Examiner.com.

Songs to check out first: "Bones and Skin," "All's Cinnamon"

Don't miss the opportunity to catch two of Chicago's finest up and coming bands in one night!

Best up and coming Chicago bands of 2008

The Assembly (photo by Keith Claunch)

2008 was a big year for rock music releases. Massive acts (Coldplay, The Killers) much-hyped breakout bands (MGMT, Vampire Weekend) and those somewhere in the middle (The Hold Steady, Deerhunter) all put out new music. After 14 years, Guns N' Roses finally released "Chinese Democracy." Without doubt, there was a lot to take in.

Each year, Chicago seems to produce more and more new bands and independent releases than anyone could possibly keep track of, and this year was no exception. Not all of it is great, of course, but when you discover genuinely promising bands, it makes the search worthwhile. Here are my picks for the finest emerging bands the Windy City had to offer in 2008:

The Assembly

These guys released their impressive debut full-length record, "The Tide Has Turned," (reviewed here) this year. For a CD that was completely self-produced, it sounds professionally crafted in both production and songwriting, making the band's brand of electro-rock especially effective. Although the album is rooted in dark, dystopic ideas, the music shines by touching on various moods, from brooding to hopeful.

Songs to check out first: "New Kill Remediate," "Changing Now"

See them live: December 27 at Subterranean, January 23 at Metro

The Innocent

The Innocent is actually singer-songwriter Michael Hardey, who released his debut, self-titled EP (reviewed here) early this year. The 6-song release is instantly accessible, featuring highly melodic, well-written songs that are equal parts folk pop and college rock.

Songs to check out first: "Beautiful Lie," "The West Coast"

See them live: December 23 at Durty Nellie's (Palatine), January 2 at Bottom Lounge

My My My

If clever pop music is your thing, you should know about My My My. In September the band released "Little Cat Plays the Alpha Rave" (reviewed here), an LP full of consistently fresh, quirky tunes driven by strong male and female vocals a la the New Pornographers.

Songs to check out first: "Best Laid Plans," "Aztec Vs. Building"

King Sparrow

It's tough to forge a unique sound in today's world of indie rock, but this three-piece is doing its best to break the mold starting with their debut EP, "Derailer." Picture a mixture of driving punk and garage rock paired with extra melodic vocals and cryptic subject matter. "Since the music is tight and exact, but a little bit atonal, and the vocals are melodic, we end up with a strange relationship between form and content," explained vocalist/guitarist Eric Georgevich in a recent interview with Examiner.com.

Songs to check out first: "Bones and Skin," "All's Cinnamon"

See them live: December 17 at Martyrs', December 26 at Silive's Lounge (acoustic set)

Pet Lions

Great pop music never goes out of fashion, especially when it's by a band with an awesome name like "Pet Lions." A very recent discovery, these guys have a promising, playful sound a la Albert Hammond, Jr.'s solo work, or the poppier side of the Strokes. They started playing around town this July, and are scheduled to release their debut EP in January. You can hear them now, though, on MySpace.

Songs to check out first: "Trinidad," "Jokers Like Me"

See them live: December 21 at Bottom Lounge, January 2 at Subterranean

The Innocent - EP

Do you ever get the feeling that a new song you're listening to sounds so great that it must be a cover of some old hit single, only to find out it's completely original? That's the feeling I got more than once when playing the debut EP from The Innocent, a.k.a Chicago singer-songwriter Michael Hardey.

In other words, Hardey and his band have a very good thing going on that you should know about.

Don't be fooled by the disc's noirish cover art. The Innocent play a very accessible blend of folk rock, pop and college rock that wouldn't feel out of place on a mix CD that includes the likes of Paul Westerberg, The Wallflowers, R.E.M. and Michael Penn.

The two strongest tracks - "Beautiful Lie" and "The West Coast" - kick off the disc. If you're a fan of melodic, intelligent pop with choruses that ingrain themselves into your mind after a single listen, you won't find much these days that's better than this.

The quieter moments, such as "Don't You" and "Tied Down," are less immediate, but still well-written, well-played tracks that warrant repeat listens.

Add excellent production to all of this and you have a rock solid debut from an artist who, with any luck, we'll soon hear much more from.

Check out The Innocent live on November 21 at The Underground Lounge and December 3 at Double Door.