Slumgullion

Kinks Kollectibles. Kinks fans who collect picture sleeve 45 rpm records are in for a double treat. The band’s official Facebook page recently announced they’ll mark the 60th anniversary of their hit single “Sunny Afternoon” with a “sunshine coloured” seven-inch limited edition due out in June. The B-Side will be “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” The post also states, “And watch out for a special update!” I’ve already pre-ordered my copy via The Kinks website.

Meanwhile, Chris Stamey from The dB’s has recorded his own version of The Kinks’ “Waterloo Sunset,” which is now available on various streaming sites. Vinyl lovers will have to wait until May 8 for the seven-inch colored-vinyl edition, with a rendition of the Paul McCartney-penned Mary Hopkins 1969 hit single “Goodbye” on the B-Side. 

Chris Stamey’s take on “Waterloo Sunset” will also be on his upcoming album Modernism, which features him performing cover versions of songs by some of his favorite bands, including “Hey Bulldog” by The Beatles and “Ruby Tuesday” by The Rolling Stones. Modernism is due out June 19 via Flatiron Recordings.

The May issue of the Illinois Entertainer, with Triumph on the cover, features veteran rock critic Tom Lanham’s interview with Gary Klebe from Shoes. The article provides some basic history on the Zion, IL power pop band, before moving on to singer-guitarist’s recently released Out Loud album. I recently purchased Out Loud from the Shoes online store, and agree with Lanham’s praise for it. Shoes fans should definitely check it out.

The May Illinois Entertainer also includes Jeff Elbel’s feature story on The Claudettes, the veteran Chicago band whose adventurous music challenges critics as well fans to slap a label on it. Their next album, Garage Glamour, comes out on Pravda Records June 5, but The Claudettes have a album release show tomorrow night at the Old Town School Of Folk Music in Chicago.

The Cribs’ current tour in support of their Selling A Vibe album took them to major cities in Europe throughout April. The English alt rock trio is now in the U.S., with gigs in Minneapolis and Milwaukee this weekend, and a show at The Empty Bottle in Chicago on May 5.

The Neil Young: 80 Years On Planet Earth Celebration with Steve Dawson, Tommi Zender, Gerald Dowd, Alton Smith and John Abbey takes place at SPACE in Evanston this Monday. Soul Asylum with Jason Narducy will perform at the venue on May 15 and 16.

Metric’s 10th album Romanticize The Drive dropped last Friday, and the Toronto indie rock band’s upcoming tour with Broken Social Scene and Stars kicks off on June 8 in Austin, TX. Other cities include Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago (July 24 at Aragon Ballroom), Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.

Music On Stage, which has been staging plays in Palatine, IL for some time now, will perform Lionel Bart’s Oliver! May 9 – 24 at Cutting Hall. Billed as “freely adapted from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist,” the musical features book, music, and lyrics by Lionel Bart. I’m kind of worried about this since I’m currently working on a paranormal/romance/rock and roll novel where a local theatre group creates its own adventurous take on a Dickens novel. Cutting Hall is located at 150 E. Wood Street in Palatine.

The Ivy - Traces Of You - 2026 Tour, named after a recent album of previously unreleased Ivy songs recorded by band members Adam Schlesinger, Andy Chase, and Dominique Durand between 1995 and 2012, comes to the Park West in Chicago on May 14. The other venues on the tour are Sony Hall in New York City on May 21; the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles on May 27; and the Schellraiser Humboldt Hideaway venue in Wells, NV on May 30. Sadly, we lost Adam Schlesinger to COVID-19 in 2020.

Chicago-based singer-songwriter AJ Rosales has a solo acoustic performance coming up at the Uptown Lounge (1136 W. Lawrence Avenue) on May 7 at 8:00 pm. Rosales will likely feature songs from his recent impressive Phasedrift album.

The Greenberry Woods will celebrate the release of It’s All Good, Sugar … on June 5 at The Recher venue in Towson, MD. It’s the Baltimore-based power pop/alt rock band’s first album since Rapple Dapple and Big Money Item sparked a loyal following in the mid-1990s. The current album’s first single, “Whenever You Want Me Too,” has been picking up airplay on several rock stations.

If you know a Mom with a gypsy spirit, consider treating her to the noon Mother’s Day Brunch - The Songs Of Stevie Nicks presented by PureSoul at City Winery Chicago. PureSoul has presented several tribute events at this venue.

The 1960s band Strawberry Alarm Clock, forever known for their “Incense And Peppermints” hit single, have kept recording all this time, according to a positive review of their recent Monster / White Light album in the British rock magazine Shindig. The album is on the Big Stir Records label, and the enchanting new single “The Sky Isn’t Falling” is now available to download on various sites.

Montrose Saloon has a Power Pop On Stage event coming on June 7 that will feature The Unswept, Dolph Chaney And The Phins, and Andy Bopp. The music starts at 6:00 pm.

Jack White will spend most of June touring Europe before returning to North America for a July 10 concert in Washington, D.C. From there, he has several North American gigs, including one at the Chicago venue Radius (640 West Cermak Road) on July 23, and an outdoor gig at The Salt Shed in Chicago on July 24.

The folk-rock/acid folk-rock trio Esmerelda’s Boys, which has been picking up gigs on the Chicago club scene since forming last spring, will start recording at the Loft Studio in Saline, MI next month. Their fans can expect a single some time this summer.

Psychedelic Soul: A Journey Through Rhythm And Time recently opened at Motown Museum in Detroit, MI, and will run through September 27. The website states the exhibit will focus on the years 1967 through 1975, “when the label expanded beyond its signature love songs to embrace experimentation and socially conscious storytelling.”

 Chicago indie rock band The Handcuffs have a series of live performances scheduled for the next few months. They’ll be at the Metro Jam Festival with Sonny Landreth in Manitowoc, WI on June 20; Summerfest (as Kim Gordon’s opening act) in Milwaukee, WI on June 25; Mary’s Place in Rockford, IL on June 27; Evanston SPACE with whitewolfsonicprincess on July 28; and PravdaFest at FitzGerald's in Berwyn, IL on September 12. As posted on Facebook today, The Handcuffs have recorded two new songs in the studio for a picture sleeve single to be released some time this summer.

Graham Nash revealed during an interview with American Songwriter News that director Robert Zemeckis is wrapping up a Crosby, Stills and Nash documentary. Nash also told the music publication there are plans to put out a box set of (mostly) previously unreleased CSN material to coincide with the documentary.

The Forever Mine Festival, taking place from noon to 10:00 pm on May 23 and 24 in Union Park, will honor Chicago’s essential role in house and rhythm and blues music. Headline acts for the all-ages event include Keyshia Cole; Kelly Rowland; Kaytranada; and Shaggy. See the official website for the full lineup.

A new music documentary titled Peter Asher Everywhere Man explores the multi-decade career of the English musician and producer. Several major stars are featured in the film, including James Taylor; Linda Ronstadt; Carole King; Paul McCartney; and Robin Williams. Peter Asher Everywhere Man will be shown in select theaters on June 19.

Michael Stipe of R.E.M. has collaborated with producer/songwriter Andrew Watt on the theme song for the HBO series Rooster. “I Played The Fool,” an easygoing and well-crafted song, is available to stream on various sites.

Theater Of The Mind, the imaginative adventure crafted by David Byrne from Talking Heads and writer Mala Gaonkar, has been extended through July 12 at the Reid Murdoch Building at 333 N. LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago. Theater Of The Mind, a Goodman Theatre production, has been picking up rave reviews in Chicago newspapers.

Brothers’ Field in Long Grove, IL will stage its annual Blues Fest on the weekend of June 12 – 14. So far, I don’t see a list of performers, but that will probably be revealed soon. Blues Fest is one of three outdoor events being offered in Brothers’ Field this summer; Peace Love and Long Grove comes on July 18, and Country Fest is set for August 21 – 23.