Five shows this weekend - January 2 to 3

"Loomings" by Kid, You'll Move Mountains

Happy New Year, everyone! Start the first weekend of 2009 off right with some live music:

Friday, January 2

- Kid, You'll Move Mountains (CD release show) at Metro - Featuring former members of Troubled Hubble and Inspector Owl, Kid, You'll Move Mountains is one of the latest notable indie rock acts to come out of Chicago. This show will celebrate the release of their debut CD, "Loomings." Check out this week's Indiesomnia podcast for an interview with the band's Jim Hanke and to print out a flyer that will get you into the show free! Also with The Sapiens, Pool of Frogs and Picture Books. Doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m., $8, 18 and over. More info and tickets.

- Pet Lions, Blah Blah Blah, Caw! Caw! and Hollows at Subterranean - I recently touted indie pop group Pet Lions as one Chicago's best up and coming bands to watch. Their instantly memorable, highly catchy tunes are worth catching live, and with fellow locals Blah Blah Blah, Caw! Caw! (EP reviewed here) and Hollows also on the bill, tonight's show is bound to be great. Doors 9 p.m., show 9:30 p.m., $6, 21 and over. More info and tickets.

- Mannequin Men, The Living Blue and Team Band at Schubas - If you're in the mood for something loud, fast and gritty, these three local bands can help. 10 p.m., $10, 21 and over. More info and tickets.

Saturday, January 3

- The Singleman Affair, David Singer & the Sweet Science and Tim Kinsella at Hideout - Local folk rock. 9 p.m., $8, 21 and over. More info and tickets.

- "A Heavy New Year Fest" at Reggie's featuring The Satire, In Case of Capture, Slaughter the Weak, Armageddon After Party, A Summit Above and Stomoxys Calcitrans - A new year's celebration no metalhead should miss. 5 p.m., $5, all ages. More info and tickets.

New music releases: Fall Out Boy, All-American Rejects, The Kinks and more

Fall Out Boy - "Folie à Deux - Love them or hate them, you can't deny that these pop punkers are one of the most popular bands to come out of Chicago. Give them a few more points for recruiting Elvis Costello and Debbie Harry for guest spots on this, their fifth studio album.

All-American Rejects - "When the World Comes Down" - If the new Fall Out Boy disc doesn't provide you with enough glossy pop punk to listen to on your next trip to the mall, The All-American Rejects offer up the perfect solution on their third LP.

The Kinks - "Picture Book" (6 CD boxed set) - The Beatles and The Rolling Stones might have gotten most of the attention, but Ray Davies and The Kinks put out some of the greatest rock 'n' roll of the 1960s. This is the first ever boxed set of the band's work, featuring 6 remastered CDs of hits and rarities spanning their 40-year career.

Local indie releases:

Big Science - "The Coast of Nowhere" - Mix up a bit of 80s post-punk, a bit of new wave and a bit of modern indie rock and you get the very welcome sound on "The Coast of Nowhere," the new EP by Chicago band Big Science. The EP is available for free download here.

CAW! CAW! - "Live From Public Space One" - This experimental indie pop band released their debut label EP, "Wait Outside" (reviewed here) earlier this year. Now, you can download a free 40-minute live set by the band here.

Caw! Caw! - "Wait Outside"

The members of Chicago indie rock outfit Caw! Caw! have been playing together for years, but just last month released their debut label release, a seven-song EP called "Wait Outside" (Slanty Shanty Records). The band's bizarre name and album art suggest a colorful, experimental sound, and that's exactly what the EP delivers - albeit with basic pop sensibilities tucked quietly underneath, making the entire package easier to digest. Think of a marriage between Radiohead and The Shins with both parties high on Red Bull and you'll get an idea of what this music sounds like. The best and most accessible of the bunch is "Organisms," a bouncy number that most effectively captures Caw! Caw!'s mix of quirky fun and heady artiness. Elsewhere, it wouldn't be out of line to say this stuff drips space rock and shoegaze sensibilities, sounding particularly otherworldly on tracks such as opener "Escape the Red Giant" and "Sheets." This all makes for a mini album that requires a bit of work on the listener's part, but at the same time oozes interesting, well-executed ideas worth hearing.

Caw! Caw! is currently on an extensive tour of the country, and will return home to Chicago to play a show at the Abbey Pub on December 11.