Odds and ends

So thanks for reading SYF's week-long tribute to our fair city of Chicago. Obviously, we had way more material than we could possibly use, but we remain committed to exposing the greater world to the music in our backyard.

Before things officially end, I want to mention a band that's gotten some attention, but not as much as it deserves. Imagine a fusion of post-rock and dance-punk--say if Tortoise jammed with !!!. That's Chin Up Chin Up. And despite their silly name (seriously, wouldn't one "Chin Up" suffice?), these guys produce smart, fresh, challenging tunes. My favorite's "We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers"--a song you probably know if you know anything from this band (download from their Web site). I like this one an awful lot too:

I Hope For Tumbleweeds - Chin Up Chin Up

Buy:
We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers (US, UK)
Chin Up Chin Up EP (US, UK)

Also, I shouldn't leave without directing you to the Chicago blues club and festival photographs of sometime SYF contributor Joe Carey. Joe photographed this series for our friend David Grazian's 2003 book Blue Chicago: The Search For Authenticity In Urban Blues Clubs. Both photos and book are very cool and totally worth seeking out.