It's a question we all ask ourselves and our friends, perhaps more often than we'd like to admit:

"What the hell is going on this weekend?"

Luckily, Double Time Feel has got the answer for you, at least for this weekend. In fact, we've asked members from 2 local bands to give you a heads up on some great shows taking place on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. This is a chance to show your friends that this weekend, you are on top of the game and callin' the shots.

Friday, 10:00 PM
The Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia)
The Narrator plays their record release show for All That To the Wall, now available on Flameshovel Records. If you are into the moodier, spazzy sounds of indie rock, this set is not to be missed. Also, opening the show will be Tight Phantomz, another band that everyone needs to see at least once in their lifetime. It's loud, it's proud, and it's pure rock and roll in every sense of the word. When the bands are done, there will also be a DJ set by members of Chicago's own Mannequin Men.

I had the chance to ask The Narrator's Jesse Woghin some quick questions about the show, booze, and dancing... here's how it went down:

DTF: What can we expect from your performance?
Jesse: Full-album streams, girlish screams and realizations of childhood dreams.

DTF: If I bought a round of shots for the band before your set (based on your recommendation), what would you pick for each member?
Jesse: James: Whisky
Jesse: Whisky / Tequila
Kevin: Tequila / Rum
Sam: Whisky
We are easy to please when it comes to booze, but are not too punk for the top-shelf. Or the middle one. We're maybe not punk enough for the rail, though.

DTF: What do you enjoy about playing music in Chicago?
Jesse: Lot of great venues with friendly folks working at them and a lot of great bands to rage the stage with.

DTF: Which member of the band is going to tear up the dance floor the most during the Mannequin Men DJ set?
Jesse: Probably James. He's got moves like Freddy Mercury. I might give him a run for his money, though. Go on. Take the money and run. Whoo hoo hoo.

DTF: Why should I come to your show?
Jesse: Dude. It's my fucking birthday. C'mon.

'nuff said!

Saturday, 3:00 PM
Hyde Park Art Center ( 5020 S. Cornell Avenue)
Locks is a duo consisting of Theo Katsaounis and Patrick Scott, although if you were to watch their set with your eyes closed, you'd swear there were at least 4 people on stage. Their experimental sound is full of surprises around every corner, and no one composition sounds like the next. In fact, each song can be a journey through a multitude of styles ranging from a electronically altered vocal loop layered over jangly rhythms, only to stop on a dime to present a bombastic drum fill with crushing guitar riffs. For this show, Locks will be joined by vocalist Carol Genetti in what is sure to be a set you won't want to miss.

In the spirit of letting the musicians speak for themselves, I asked Katsaounis and Scott similar questions about their show (and, of course, some having nothing to do with anything).

DTF: What can we expect from your performance?
Theo: Two dudes running with it as far as we can. Then when we've gone as far as our little saucers took us, we'd come back and say that 'we went there'.
Patrick: Exactly what Theo said, but with the all powerful Carol Genetti alternately shaking her head in bewilderment that we're really this ridiculous and showing us up.

DTF: What instrument best represents your personality?
Theo: The melodica. Why? Because it sounds like a harmonica, but isn't quite a harmonica. I sound like a musician, but am not quite a musician, and I have no personality.
Patrick: The sandwich, because it's a bunch of stuff all crammed together that probably wouldn't be that great on it's own but in it's unified form has made eating pretty spectacular for the past 4,000,000 years.

DTF: What do you enjoy about playing music in Chicago?
Theo + Patrick: Making our friends think they have to enjoy us by guilt trippin' them into coming to our shows. How can you not enjoy that?!!

DTF: In 5 words or less, explain how you feel about Paris Hilton doin' hard time.
Theo: Is this her sequel? (ed. note... LOL)
Patrick: I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, and that makes me very very happy.

DTF: Why should I come to your show?
Theo: Scene points baby!!!
Patrick: Because LORDI isn't playing until August.

So there you have it... scene points to be awarded on Saturday for your attendance... this makes the show pretty much mandatory.

That's right folks, the first ever Double Time Feel EXCLUSIVE!. Nowhere else on the int0rw3bs can you get the inside scoop on this record, one that will undoubtedly be turning heads in 2007. Go ahead, tell all of your friends to come listen to their new favorite Chicago band, Mt St Helens.

Mt St Helens are no strangers to Chicago, having played their first show at the sort-of-defunct-but-not-really Fireside Bowl (feel free to follow along using the awesome timeline on their site). In the 9 1/2 years since that show, the band has released a few 7''s and 2 outstanding LPs (check out Ontime Always on Arborvitae Records and You Are A Ghostly Presence on Divot Records). Their sound has evolved over time and has incorporated elements familiar to the post-punk movement, yet they stand above their peers in their ability to uniquely venture out on their own.

Of Others will be released on August 31 at the Beat Kitchen on the up and coming Two Thumbs Down Records (run by Steve Reidell of May or May Not, and 1/2 of the Hood Internet phenomenon). Needless to say, I was thrilled to receive the record, which should be rolling off the presses as I write. If you have seen Mt St Helens live over the past year or so, you have undoubtedly heard most, if not all of these songs already. Upon first listen from beginning to end, it didn't take long to conclude that the band put great effort into this release, and you can hear it resonate throughout the record. I have always regarded Mt St Helens to be the most criminally underrated band in Chicago, and Of Others should be the record to help them shed such an undeserving label.

The record begins with 'Time of Low Volume', where an effected guitar loop gives way to a 3/4 time beat that provides a solid foundation for the rest of the track. There are a few transitions throughout the song that exemplify the band's maturing knack for songwriting. The record moves directly into 'Want Out', perhaps the band's most pop-driven song to date. Similar to predecessors such as Jawbox or Unwound, Mt St Helens have added their two cents to the book on 'angular' hooks, and 'Want Out' showcases the notion that pop-oriented jams do not necessarily equate to uninspiring, radio-friendly drivel (as any seasoned punk rocker would tell you).

'Omission' is one of my favorite tracks on the record, and it begins with an unassuming, repetitive guitar line, and then the rhythm section drops in to really get the song moving. Bassist Jason Sprague sounds as if he's plugged in to a power transformer at ComEd, reminiscent of the ominous, pulsing hum of electricity moving across power lines of some barren industrial complex. Its an effect that is scattered throughout the record and achieves some truly dark overtones. Peter Hook, eat your heart out.

The middle of the record, in my humble opinon, really showcases the talent of drummer Ben Geier. Those who are familiar with the Mt St Helens catalog know that the drumming reaches some critically intense levels. While I am always one to appreciate the intricacies of drumming, this is more about what Geier doesn't say with his percussive prowess. In the case of this record, he knows exactly when to make a statement and when to let the song breathe. Look no further than 'City Of', where Geier's presence moves the song along at a methodically evil tempo.

The guitar duo of Quinn Goodwillie and Mike Sprague make their presence known throughout the record, and showcase their skills in opportune moments. Also thrown into the mix on this record is ex-guitarist-but-I'm-back-again, Matt Fast (also of Rollo Tomasi). Fast adds another dimension to the band in a time where the 3 guitar player lineup has all but been abandoned, but there is enough going on in these songs to make it all work flawlessly. The ascending/descending line in 'Strange Navigation' makes the hair on the back of neck stand on end every time I hear it, and it seamlessly moves back into the main theme of the song. They show flashes of guitar wizardry without being wanky, which demonstrates attention to the composition rather than ego. Another album highlight is 'Centicorn', a Jesus Lizard-esque song about a 100-horned unicorn (the band is not lacking in the sense of humor department, either). Equally as impressive are the vocals of Goodwillie on this record, which really stand out on this record above all previous releases.

The record ends with the brilliant 'Interruption', a song that I debated adding as an mp3 to the track listing below, but I'll save it so that you can buy the record for yourself and decide. The song represents the culmination of everything that makes this record one that you should not be without when it is released, and why Mt St Helens will not be flying under the radar for long.

here is the track list for Of Others:
1) Time of Low Volume
2) Want Out (myspace)
3) Omission (* doubletimefeel.com exclusive track!)
4) Massive Dosage (courtesy of Two Thumbs Down Records)
5) Seething is Believing
6) The Drink (myspace)
7) City Of
8) Strange Navigation
9) Centicorn
10) Interruption

Unfortunately, I completely missed the boat on The Jesus Lizard. Just as my interest in most underground music had begun to branch out, this phenomenal Chicago band was just calling it a career. Everything I have learned about the band to date comes from first-hand accounts of their live shows, relentlessly listening to albums, and scouring the internet for any information I can find on them. I do have faint recollections of seeing a few of their records in the BMG/Columbia House catalogs that I used to order from, however I was too busy buying Anthrax, Cannibal Corpse, and Exodus records to take much notice. I am in no way belittling my metal upbringing, but I clearly missed out on something special.

Luckily for me, a DVD was released earlier this year that Netflix finally had available, and I was able to get a small taste of what so many others had reveled in for years. After sitting through the entire live show, filmed in 1994 at the Venus de Milo in Boston, and watching the bonus footage of a 1990 show at CBGBs in New York, I believe why Touch and Go Records says that "To put it bluntly (or perhaps merely state the obvious), The Jesus Lizard were the greatest live band of the last decade of the 20th century. Mr. David Yow will forever be the frontman to end all other frontmen. The Chicago live music scene may never be the same again and for that, we are eternally grateful."

The Boston show isn't filmed extraordinarily well, but it's not deficient, either. Rather than the bells and whistles of many other music DVDs, the footage captures the band amidst a show that was probably on par with a typical Jesus Lizard show. To clarify par for the course, I would automatically be putting the band in a rather select group of bands who, when playing live shows, not only deliver in terms of stage presence, but also stunning attention to the songs themselves. Frontman David Yow constantly engages the audience, jumping into the crowd by the 2nd song and losing his shirt before the end of the 4th song. He paces back and forth on the stage, pausing every so often to stare into the crowd, and unleashes some truly guttural vocals into the microphone, making me sit back in amazement and wonder how such sounds can emanate from such a relatively small dude. It may be hard to understand what he's singing 95% of the time, but its 100% clear that he is doing all he can to give the audience their money's worth. Even from this one show, it is clear to see why David Yow belongs in the discussion of the greatest frontmen in rock history.

With all of the attention sometimes going Yow's way, it is imperative to know that he could have just as easily been another crazy singer in a mediocre band. The Jesus Lizard would not have been the band they were if not for David Wm. Sims, Duane Denison, and Mac McNeilly. This trio of musicians managed to hold the songs together while Yow flailed away, and this DVD is yet another great example of that. While Yow is being passed around the crowd after yet another stage dive, the band carries on, unaffected and clicking on all cylinders. McNeilly is an atomic bomb behind the drum kit, hitting every piece as if it was going to be his last, and Sims is always right in the pocket, playing thumping bass lines as he stares out into the crowd, well aware of the frenzy the band is whipping the crowd into. Denison creates guitar parts that one would not normally expect from a rock band, but the results are an integral part of what defines The Jesus Lizard sound.

To summarize, a Jesus Lizard show is kind of like trying to explain the effects of a particular drug to someone who has never experienced it... you can't fully comprehend it until you've tried it yourself. Perhaps a DVD is second rate version of the experience, but it is all I have to go on. I have a really difficult time getting into music-related DVDs because I really don't think one can truly get a feel for the moment. The Jesus Lizard DVD is the first I have seen in quite some time that, because of the simplicity of the shots and the clarity of the sound, really make you feel as if you could have been there that night in October 1994. If you were ever into The Jesus Lizard, or if you are looking to see what the epitome of a great live performance looks like, I highly recommend buying it or finding another means of checking it out.

Here is a preview of the DVD on youtube of the song Boilermaker:

So, what are you doing this month? If your answer is anything less than

1) Playing a show on every Monday in September (thats 4 shows, count em!)

2) Releasing a record
3) Teaching a new drummer your entire set list
4) Hosting an art show
... then May or May Not has soundly whooped you. There are plenty of opportunities to get out this month and check out a band that deserves your attention, so here are the details.

Schubas has a really great Monday night residency program where one band is selected to host shows throughout the month, and September features this Two Thumbs Down Records artist. May or May Not play an intelligent brand of indie-pop music, similar to bands like Beulah, Belle and Sebastian, and Super Furry Animals, but with a slight twist of prog-esque moments that keep listeners on their toes. For my tastes, its a perfect combination that culminates in a fantastic new record, entitled A Kaleidoscope Of Egos, which very much took me by suprise. Not that I didn't think that MOMN was up to the task, as they have released one previous LP (Colors Only Bees Can See, 2005) and a fantastic EP (Bike, 2006), but this release really showcases the maturation process of a band that has found their collective voice, and the end result is a well crafted record that one can't help but want to listen to over and over again. For someone who doesn't exactly have an extreme fondness of indie-pop (that would be me), A Kaleidoscope Of Egos has quite simply won me over and shown that the right mix of pop sensibility and quirkiness can warm even the coldest metalhead heart. "I Get By" best highlights what I like most about the record. Download it here or check it out on their Myspace page, along with several others from the record. The album will officially be released at their final Schubas performance on September 24th.

In addition to the record, MOMN collaborated with friends/artists on creating artwork for each of their songs on the record, which will get its own showcase on September 14th. It's great to see that bands still care about the tangible/visual element of their efforts, given the current digital age where album art, liner notes, and the actual ownership of albums are often brushed aside to deal with more 'important' things like 'how may external hard drives do I need to store all of my pirated music?'

Yes, MOMN U DID THAT.

Since their first EP released in 2004, The Poison Arrows have evolved from the solo project of ex-Atombombpocketknife vocalist/guitarist Justin Sinkovich into a 3 piece band, and have been building momentum with another EP released in 2007. A a full length record has been written and recorded, but no solid release date has been set as of yet.

Early recordings of the band were done by Sinkovich and made available to listeners via the Trailer Park EP, and featured a remix by none other than OG electro-punk hero Martin Rev. He played in this little band called Suicide... you may have heard of them. The EP was a glitchy, electronic based record that undoubtedly saw Sinkovich spending countless hours hunched over a computer, crafting soundscapes quite different than the post-punk/rock undertaking that was Atombombpocketknife. In any case, in 2007 another record was released, the Premix-Remix CD, featuring remixes of Sinkovich's work by other musicians/engineers/bands such as Jonah Sharp, TRS-80, Brother El, Brian Deck, Jonathan Kreinik, Slo-Ro, Mike Lust, DJ? Acucrack, Sterling, and N.LN.

2007 also saw the release of the first EP recorded as a band, Straight Into the Drift. The band included drummer Adam Reach, collaborator with Sinkovich's old bandmate Che Arthur, and bassist Patrick Morris, noted for his stint with Pittsburgh, Pennslyvannia's best instrumental rock band ever: the mighty Don Caballero. The formation of the full band obviously marked a change in direction and sound, and undoubtedly for the better if you ask me. I like a good electronic record just like the next dude, but there is something to be said about the dynamic of a live band and the collaborative recording process that really resonates with me, which is exactly what The Poison Arrows have managed to do over the past year.

Through a string of steady live Chicago shows and my long overdue need to own the new EP, I've come to regard The Poison Arrows as one of my favorite Chicago acts. You can check them out on May 22nd at The Hideout with none other than Louisville's Shipping News. Hell yes, I said the Shipping News are going to be in Chicago next month, alongside the Poison Arrows. Be there. In the meantime, check out this video I got at the Empty Bottle of "Lockaway", from The Poison Arrows latest EP: