Here are the Wisconsin and Chicago shows we recommend you take in this week. Check them out below and let us know which ones you’ll be attending or ones you think should really make our list.

Upcoming Wisconsin Shows:

2/24 – Brett Dennen – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee
2/24 – Justin Townes Earle Listening Party – Burnhearts, Milwaukee
2/25 – The Appleseed Cast – High Noon Saloon, Madison
2/25 – Drive-By Truckers/Don Chambers & GOAT – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee
2/27 – These Arms Are Snakes – Cactus Club, Milwaukee
2/27 – George Thorogood & The Destroyers – Barrymore, Madison
2/27 – Dark Star Orchestra – Riverside Theater, Milwaukee
2/28 – Dark Star Orchestra – Barrymore, Madison
2/28 – Brett Dennen – Majestic Theatre, Madison
2/28 – The Explorers Club – UW Der Rathskeller, Madison

Upcoming Chicago Shows:

2/25 – Tim Fite – Schuba’s
2/27 – Aqueduct – Schuba’s
2/28 – The Henry Clay People/Airborne Toxic Event – Schuba’s
2/28 – Jimmy Eat World – Metro
2/28 – These Arms Are Snakes/Darker My Love – Subterranean
3/1 – Loney, Dear – Schubas

Just Announced:

3/24 – Rachael Yamagata – Turner Hall Ballroom
3/29 – Daniel Martin Moore – High Noon Saloon, Madison
3/31 – Tallest Man On Earth + Red Cortez – High Noon Saloon, Madison
4/10 – Richard Buckner – High Noon Saloon, Madison
4/10 – Lucero + Titus Andronicus – The Metro, Chicago
4/14 – Wilco – Pabst Theater, Milwaukee
4/15 – Wilco – Pabst Theater, Milwaukee
4/24 – M.Ward – Pabst Theater, Milwaukee
4/28 – The Thermals – High Noon Saloon, Madison
5/4 – Leonard Cohen – Chicago Theatre
5/5 – Leonard Cohen – Chicago Theatre
5/21 – Black Moth Super Rainbow + School of Seven Bells – High Noon Saloon, Madison
6/2 – Amadou & Mariam – Park West, Chicago

+Bookmark our Wisconsin and Chicago shows pages for all your concert announcements+

By Pete Donahue

For a person who has recently really gotten into Beirut, the release of the March of the Zapotec and Holland EP’s couldn’t have come at a better time. Unfortunately, Zach Condon lost me at the March.

A collection of six songs recorded in Mexico with the Jimenez Band, the first EP manages to capture the spirit of Mexican music via the horns, but leaves me looking for a lot more. Opener “El Zocalo” is a 29-second snippet that sounds like it was taken during a huge celebration (such as a wedding), with its loud, layered horn section and crashing cymbals. Musically, there is much going on, but it’s also misleading in terms of the shape of things to come with the rest of the album, which doesn’t come across has celebratory-sounding.

“La Llorona” sounds like a Balkan lament march, backed by an “oompah-oompah” tuba and marching band snare. Condon’s signature croon sounds great as he wails “And all it takes to fall/If you don’t walk, might as well crawl.”

Then comes “My Wife,” an instrumental that sounds like an eastern European orchestra jamming with a Mexican horn section. Unfortunately, the song doesn’t really go anywhere, yet gives the impression it was supposed to be sung over. Perhaps for reasons unknown, vocals were never recorded, so the song was released as is (see: The Smiths’ “Oscillate Wildly”).

“The Akara” is a bit more funky and relies less on the tuba and more on the horns, ukulele, and percussion. Though it takes almost two minutes before Condon’s voice enters, it’s a nice wait, as he sings “I’ve been saved before/I’m saved once more,” sounding like the Beirut I have grown to really appreciate.

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Before you guys begin your weekend, I’ll leave you with the many announcements and newsworthy items that arrived today, but time just couldn’t be made to dedicate full attention to. Have a good one.

Suggested Reading/Watching/Listening:

MoB favorite Justin Townes Earle swung by for an encore performance at Laundro-Matinee. Don’t miss our Justin Townes Earle listening party next week on Tuesday, February 24th @ Burnhearts.

Aquarium Drunkard interviews Dan Auerbach

Depeche Mode have announced the first dates on their upcoming US tour. No Midwest dates yet confirmed, but you can peep the cover art for the upcoming release, Sounds of the Universe.

Madison Concert Announcements:

3/29 – Daniel Martin Moore – High Noon Saloon [$5, 18+]
Myspace: Daniel Martin Moore
MP3: Daniel Martin Moore – “Stray Age”

3/31 – Tallest Man On Earth + Red Cortez - High Noon Saloon [$8]
Myspace: The Tallest Man On Earth
MP3: The Tallest Man On Earth – “Honey Won’t You Let Me In”

4/10 – Richard Buckner – High Noon Saloon [$10, 18+]
MP3: Richard Buckner – “Gauzy Dress in the Sun”
MP3: Richard Buckner – “Emily Sparks”
MP3: Richard Buckner – “Born in to Giving It Up”

5/21 – Black Moth Super Rainbow + School of Seven Bells – High Noon Saloon [$10/$12, 18+]

Milwaukee Concert Announcements:

3/24 – Rachael Yamagata – Turner Hall Ballroom
4/14 – Wilco – Pabst Theater
4/15 – Wilco – Pabst Theater
4/24 – M.Ward – Pabst Theater
Myspace: M. Ward
MP3: M. Ward – “Never Had Nobody Like You”

Chicago Concert Announcements:

5/4 – Leonard Cohen – Chicago Theatre
5/5 – Leonard Cohen – Chicago Theatre
6/2 – Amadou & Mariam – Park West

Muzzle of Bees is proud to welcome Lucero + Titus Andronicus to The Metro in Chicago on Friday, April 10th. Any regular reader can understand how exciting this is for us as Lucero has been at the top of our favorites for many years. They are, without a doubt, one of my favorite live bands. Anyone whose seen Titus Andronicus live certainly knows what they are capable of. Their show in Madison a few weeks ago still lingers in the memory bank.

Please join us in supporting two of our favorite artists by spending a night with us at the Metro. Baseball season will be newly underway, and the weather will be a lot nicer than it is today. We’ll raise a glass and make some memories.

Tickets: $16
Ages: 18+
Doors: 7:30pm / Show: 8:30pm

MoB: 5 Questions with Ben Nichols of Lucero II
MoB: 5 Questions with Ben Nichols of Lucero
MoB: Review: Lucero at Turner Hall, Milwaukee (11/11/07)
MoB: Lucero/Catfish Haven – Otto’s – DeKalb, IL
MoB: A Look Back @ Lucero/Red 40
MoB: Lucero – Alley Katz – Richmond
MoB: Lucero – Mad Planet Review

Myspace: Lucero
Myspace: Titus Andronicus
MP3: Titus Andronicus – “Titus Andronicus”

Made the trek to Chicago last night with some friends to catch Blitzen Trapper’s early show at the Empty Bottle. It was my second time seeing the band and my first time at the venue. How great are early shows? Seriously. My adoration for Blitzen Trapper on record is evident in naming of Furr as our favorite album of 2008. My only other live interaction with the band was burned out by the bright lights of the Fleet Foxes first play in Madison and therefore rendered whatever high points Blitzen Trapper offered that night completely unforgettable. I regrettably missed their set at Madison’s High Noon Saloon opening for Stephen Malkmus late last year, which, by my friends accounts was one hell of a performance.

I can’t say that last night’s performance cements the band as one of the great live acts touring the states these days. They’re tight and they keep things pretty much note for note. Their set was obviously heavy on Furr material, which was just fine by me. The closing selection of “Wild Mountain Nation” was both predictable but a necessary send off as it’s definitely one of their best numbers. For me, it doesn’t get much better than “Black River Killer,” one of the best songs from last year and certainly a galloping burner in a live setting. The scream at the beginning of “Love U” was just as great as I’d hoped/expected and “Saturday Night” was probably my second favorite tune of the evening.

I learned a valuable lesson about shows at the Empty Bottle last night. You definitely want to be as far away from the bar itself. That area tends to accommodate the scenesters out for a conversation over a couple brews. The sound was much better and less obstructed by the chatter in the room by the soundboard. Once we planted ourselves there the band sounded great. Overall, I thought the band played a great selection, but didn’t really leave me with anything other than a good performance. I snagged a copy of Furr on vinyl (finally) on the way outside of the show.

Discuss: Did you make either of the shows last night? If so, which one and what did you think? What did you think of opener Alela Diane? Please leave your thoughts/reviews in the comments.

Buy: Blitzen Trapper – Furr
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Myspace: Blitzen Trapper
MP3: Blitzen Trapper – “Furr”

Muzzle of Bees is proud to present Extra Golden at the Cactus Club in Milwaukee on Sunday, April 19th. The band is touring in support of Thank You Very Quickly, “a six-song wonder of a record whose joyous danceable anthems were crafted in the wake of political and economic upheaval in Kenya.” Anyone that caught their set at the Pitchfork Music Festival last summer, will need little convincing in seeing these guys again within more intimate confines.

Thank You Very Quickly will be released on March 10th via Thrill Jockey. You can download the first single, “Anyango” as a free and legal download below.

Buy: Extra Golden – Thank You Very Quickly (Pre-Order)
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Myspace: Extra Golden
MP3: Extra Golden – “Anyango”