New Album and Midwest Shows from Phantom Works

With two self-released singles and a live EP under their belt, Phantom Works have already been shaking it up with their frenetic take on this thing we call rock and roll. Cooked up in 2008 by three housemates and longtime friends in their Chicago home studio, a number of different influences help shape their sound. Midwest post-punk (The Jesus Lizard, Tar) at the roots, a healthy dash of So-Cal freak out (RFTC, Hot Snakes) along with their own experimental herbs and spices all serve to create a potent, magical, high-energy witches’ brew.

When all these elements come to a boil, things really start to pop and sizzle. Matt Seifert and Kris Poulin revel in their duality, as their guitar lines and vocals collide and intertwine with one another, while Drummer Jim Duffy pounds things out at the nucleus, creating a focal point to the swarming musical mélange. The nine wigged out songs on this record will simultaneously enthrall, excite, and enchant you, because this record has an allure and magnetism that simply will not be contained.

You can buy the Phantom Works Vinyl LP from Sick Room Records for $14, or a $10 digital download of the album from Phantom Work’s Bandcamp.

Don’t miss the band’s upcoming show in the Midwest. They will be doing a free in-store at saki, which is at 3716 W. Fullerton in Chicago on Friday, January 6th. On the 7th, they move up to Milwaukee for a Saturday night show at the Circle A Cafe, followed by a Sunday night farewell at Quenchers in Chicago on the 8th.

The Cell Phones Live New Years Eve 2011

In a colorful, crowded Humboldt Park apartment, filled with happy Midwestern revelers, The Cell Phones performed an extremely energetic set of music to ring in the new year. We captured half of the songs in this year spanning performance, and we’re glad we did. Not to be missed are the two covers, Cyndi Lauper’s She Bop, and a mashup of Devo’s Girl U Want with The Beatles’ I Want You (She’s So Heavy), along with a pretty stellar rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

For more info on The Cell Phones, please check out The Cell Phones Bandcamp and The Cell Phones Facebook.

We all hope you have a fantastic 2012!

The Fearsome and Mammoth PRF Auktoberfest 2011 Video Playlist

The three day PRF Auktoberfest 2011 was held Thursday, September 29th at Quenchers Saloon, in Chicago, IL and at the largest Czech restaurant in the United States, Klas Restaurant, in lovely Cicero, IL. 23 bands performed 145 songs running in a little over 10 hours of music. Behold the Fearsome and Mammoth PRF Auktoberfest 2011 Video Playlist where you can watch it all.

PS, you can still buy a PRF Auktoberfest 2011 Poster from Plastic Flame Press for $20 by following that link.

The Fearsome and Mammoth PRFBBQ2011 Video Playlist

On a weekend in June in the year 2011, a group of friends put on a three day music festival in the city of Chicago, and we filmed it all. Behold, the Fearsome and Mammoth PRFBBQ2011 Video Playlist which contains all 179 songs that were performed over the 3 day event running a little over 12 hours of music.

If you don’t want to watch it all in order, head on over to youtube and select RANDOM for the playlist queue. It is highly recommended.