It was plenty warm out when Chicago postpunks Ganser played their noontime set at this year’s Riot Fest, but their dark, thrilling jams still gave Gossip Wolf chills. Maybe it was heat stroke from wearing all black? Anyway, Ganser have long been masters of atmospheric, swirling riffs, and their new EP, You Must Be New Here, is the work of a veteran band at the peak of their powers. Opening cut “Buio” channels the catchy melancholy of Echo & the Bunnymen and Psychedelic Furs, and seems destined for lots of lovelorn mixtapes. At 6:30 PM on Saturday, November 2, Ganser celebrate with a free in-store show at Record Breakers; the EP doesn’t officially drop till Friday, November 8, but the band plan to have copies on hand. (Ganser also open for Sports Team at Cobra Lounge on Thursday, October 31.)
For the past few years, Chicago indie-rock band Joey Nebulous have been cooking up lighthearted, stripped-down tunes they describe as “queer twee pop.” Front man Joseph Farago sings romantic lyrics in a delicate falsetto well suited to intimate venues—and on Sunday, November 3, Joey Nebulous headline the Empty Bottle to support their latest album, Give Yourself a Kiss for Me, which came out on Philadelphia’s Sleeper Records in September. Twisted Flower, Julia Steiner, and Henry Hank open. Tickets are $8 ($5 in advance), and the show starts at 8:30 PM. v
