Summer Girlfriends

or bonding on tour because we survived the drive through the Holland Tunnel, for laughter, for Chicago Summers, for friendship, and most of all, we are ultimately thankful for the two years we have had together and the many more adventures to come.

Summer Girlfriends play a benefit for CHIRP Radio at Lincoln Hall on Nov. 29. - Huffington Post

Though it’s cold out, this morning we head to the beach with the lovely ladies of Summer Girlfriends as we have he exclusive premiere of their new video for “Goth Beach Party.” The clip finds the garage poppers decked out in bleak and drab colors partying in the sand. Ultimately, you’ll see looks can be deceiving, but there’s nothing tricky about the song’s dirge-y opening and its bouncy refrain. If this video has you clamoring for more, check out Summer Girlfriends on Vocalo’s The Music Vox tonight at 6 p.m. (89.5 FM or Vocalo.org), and be sure to catch’em at Lincoln Hall this Thursday night as part of CHIRP’s new website launch show that also features Outer Minds and Heavy Times. In the meantime, party on with the video below: - Loud Loop Press

FRIDAY

SUMMER GIRLFRIENDS
Summer Girlfriends are back, baby! We haven’t seen the surf pop quintet in a while, but the band promises to debut some new tuneage. Something tells me you don’t want to miss Summer Girlfriends’ delectably breezy pop jams. Your Friday night just got 110% more fun. Also appearing are San Francisco new wave pop outfit Craft Spells and Austin indie poppers Love Inks. (Audrey Leon)

9:00 p.m. Friday, 9/28. Township. 18+ $8. - Loud Loop Press

Video only live acoustic session of 2 songs.
(Video is embedded in link) - RedEye Chicago (Syndicated by Fox News Network)

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Posted in music | tour dates on July 6, 2012

Summer Girlfriends kick off West Fest on Saturday

Locals Summer Girlfriends play the first set of the day (1PM) at West Fest on Saturday (7/7). Saturday's lineup also inclues the Black Lips, Man or Astro-Man?, Stagnant Pools, and more. West Fest continues on Sunday with Mates of State, Crooked Fingers, Bad Veins, R Ring, and others. Admission is a suggested donation of $5.
Summer Girlfriends released their debut LP, Shockwaves, last month via Addenda Records. Take a listen to the album at the bottom of this post and while you're down there, check out their music video for the title track.

Some of the artists playing West Fest also have shows at the Empty Bottle this weekend. Black Lips play a sold-out one tonight with K-Holes, Circles, and The Get Drunk DJs. Man or Astro-Man? play the venue tomorrow night with Dumpster Babies and Stagnant Pools (tickets). To finish off the West Fest weekend, Mates of State play the Bottle on Sunday after their festival set with Blonds and Tiny Fireflies (tickets).

A stream of Summer Girlfriends' Shockwaves and their video for the title track below.

- Brooklyn Vegan

Summer Girlfriends – Shockwaves
Their debut album of the same name has been one of those ones you buy at first and say ehhhhh, it’s alright. But then you start singing the songs in yr head or humming a guitar melody or foot tapping that beat and next thing you know yr hooked. Yep it’s got kazoos and radar pinging guitar solos, try not to get it stuck in yr head. - Collapse Board

What is a summer girlfriend? A summer girlfriend is a guy’s first love—she represents awkwardness, innocence, ephemerality and the inevitability of the passage of time.

Similarly, Summer Girlfriends aspires to those themes (and successfully reach them) in their debut LP, Shockwaves.


From “PG-13 Sex Scene” to “Pop Rocks,” the opening tracks buzz with the warm energy and life of summer, while vocalist Caitlin Kerr evokes the feelings of youthful vitality, nonchalance and what it really is to be a free, young teenager—fun.

Yet there’s something deeper brewing beneath the Pixies circa Doolittle-esque radiant surf rock riffs and stripped-down kick drum beats. The shift toward the reserved, distorted grunt of grunge rock chords and the slow, methodical pounding of the drums through the latter half of the album indicate an intrinsic struggle with these ideals.

The raw, anthemic “Goth Beach Party” represents all Summer Girlfriends stand for—a forceful mash-up of contrasts (“Goth beach party/In our bikinis,” as Kerr chants), the push and pull between holding steadfastly on to the experiences of fleeting youth and growing up.

On one of the most impressive tracks, “Dirt under My Nails,” which draws lyrical inspiration—and a surf rock guitar riff adaptation—from Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” (“There’s something happening here/What it is ain’t exactly crystal clear,” sings Kerr in the opening), the upbeat guitar work and jaunty background chanting contrast sharply with the song’s lyrical content—the burial of a relationship. As Editor-in-Chief Richard Giraldi noted in his “Daily Diversion” piece featuring Summer Girlfriends, the band “could soundtrack your summer fling and/or end of said fling.”

The darker garage rock “Balloon Rooms,” a cut that holds an air of seething desperation—a hand thrust into the dark, frantically grasping to latch on to this youth—is highlighted by the jarring juxtaposition of Kerr’s kazoo interlude in the middle of the track. Who knew that a kazoo could sound so mournful?

At first listen, Shockwaves seems to represent only the positive aspects of being young through bubbly, beach-ready summer jams. However, further listening reveals that becoming an adult is never easy and never painless, and the exploration of this journey makes Summer Girlfriends’ new album so enjoyable.

Purchase a digital download or CD of Summer Girlfriends’ Shockwaves from Addenda Records. - Loud Loop Press

Given that the local ladies in Summer Girlfriends filled their debut, Shockwaves (Addenda), with sugary vintage pop, it makes pretty excellent sense to open the album with a song named after a fizzy, crackling candy beloved for its nostalgia value. "Pop Rocks" is a breezy, sunshiny girl-group number, not unlike something you might hear during Beach Blanket Bingo or a Twister pizza party. The album is full of playful titles like that—I mean, one song's even called "Danzig and Milo," which is just adorable—but if I had to pick favorites, they'd be "PG-13 Sex Scene" and "Goth Beach Party," both of which feature Caitlin Kerr's almost-brassy, reverbed-out vocals painted over the hazy, lo-fi melodies of guitarists Kristin Marks and Nikita Flaiz. Shockwaves doesn't reinvent the girl-group wheel, but I'm glad it doesn't bother—these five friends are more concerned with keeping their pinup vibe fun and simple, which is what summer should really be all about. Tonight is the band's record-release show. —Kevin Warwick Blizzard Babies and Orca Team open. - Chicago Reader

There is something special about an all-female band that goes way beyond the supposed novelty of girls playing instruments (come on, aren’t we past that already?). The Logan Square band Summer Girlfriends is no exception. Just watch one of the band’s shows or spend an afternoon eating pizza with them at their favorite spot, the Boiler Room, and it becomes clear that one of the wonderful things about many all-female bands is that, more often than not, they understand how to play music without expectations.

“The reason that we’ve gotten maybe a little bit of press is because we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” says the band’s drummer Nicole. “Yes, we’re serious about writing music, and yes, we’re serious about playing it, but that’s kind of where it stops. We just enjoy playing shows and we enjoy hanging out together, and that’s the future. Making records, playing shows, and being awesome."

Playing shows and being awesome has been the name of the game for the past year and a half that the band, which includes Nicole, guitarists Nikita and Kristin, bassist Sara, and vocalist Caitlin, has been together. Gathered together initially by Nikita’s New Year’s resolution to start a band, the group has steadily been gaining steam. At just their second show, they received the indie version of being “discovered” when they were approached by Addenda Records.

“One of the owners of the label came to see one of our shows at Pancho’s,” says Sara. “He came up to us after the show and was like, ‘Hey, I really like that. I want to record you guys.” In true not taking themselves seriously fashion, Sara says, “We were like, ‘Who’s this guy?’”

Fortunately the band took him up on his offer--their first record was released on June 5, 2012. They just finished up their first six-city tour to promote the album and are gearing up for their record release party at The Burlington on June 22.

This comes on the heels of the release of their first music video which has only intensified press mentions. The band has been written up on the AV Club Chicago (where the video initially debuted), Chicagoist, Huffington Post, and ChicagoVerseUniteD.

“It’s pretty cool to be on Huffington Post, I’ll say that,” says Kristin. “Because I definitely came in to work and all my coworkers were giving me shit, like, ‘I heard your band is famous.’…Me getting an egg on my head and stabbing a boy with a popsicle, that’s what I’m known for now.”

The opportunities only continue to pour in. The band will be playing at Summer Sessions on the Square and West Fest. They also received a request from the Red Eye to play and record an acoustic session. “It’s interesting because you get offered all these things that you wouldn’t necessarily think you’d get offered and people sort of expect you to be this person that you aren’t necessarily,” says Nikita. “Which is interesting and fun because I would have never thought that I would ever be playing an acoustic guitar, ever, or have a need to play it.”

Given the band’s serendipitous history, chances are good they’ll smoothly figure out whatever gets thrown at them. Despite varying levels of musical experience, a name change, and a lineup change, something has unmistakably coalesced, making them the band with the sunny name and lyrics that hint at a darker edge that’s getting press mentions and rocking local jukeboxes.

The band is deeply connected to the neighborhood where they live and play. The bonus to living in Logan Square is, essentially, that you can’t throw a stick without hitting a musician. “You’re always running into other people in bands,” says Sara. “You go out to brunch and you run into somebody from this band, that band, and you start talking and you plan a show.”

Nikita agrees. “It’s very conducive to being in a band. Most of us live in Logan Square...and we all meet up here at Boiler Room every Wednesday and a lot of the conversations we have lead to song ideas and/or meeting other people who will play with us. It’s a great place to actually play shows because there are so many good smaller venues in Logan Square.”

One such venue is the Burlington where, as mentioned, the band will be playing their record release party. If you can’t make it, chances are good you’ll be able to find the Summer Girlfriends sometime at another local venue, playing music, being awesome, and, refreshingly, not taking themselves too seriously.
- I Am Logan Square

Before moving to Chicago everyone on the East Coast kept telling me how warm and welcoming the Midwest was. While no one has spit on me yet, I hadn’t really experienced this hometown sincerity until entering the cozy practice space of local rock ‘n’ roll five-piece Summer Girlfriends. Within the first five minutes it was clear that this was a band that not only care about their music but also each other. Having been around less than two years, Summer Girlfriends is on the fast track as a band to watch out for due to infectious live performances, simple, but powerful pop ditties and an overall unique sound. The past month has been an exhausting one with the release of their first full-length Shockwaves (Addenda Records) along with a tour of the Midwest and East Coast in support of it. The summer is far from over as the group still has their local release show this Friday at The Burlington with Blizzard Babies and Orca Team, and much more in store for the humid months ahead.

how did the first big tour go?

Sara (bass): Life changing, no joke

so, generally a positive experience?

Collective: Oh absolutely.

Nicole (drums): Overwhelmingly, all of us had hesitations because either we hadn’t been away from significant others for that long or also hadn’t been in a van with four other women for that long. We’d hear other people being like 'Good luck with that.'

Kristin (guitar): And from people who have done it for years and just tour all the time. When we got back they asked how it went and we were like good, we didn’t lose any money, or get in fights, and the boys jaws just dropped open from surprise. Five girls and not one single fight!

Caitlin (singer): It was great. We had brunch five out of seven times on tour.

how did you go about figuring out tour logistics?

Kristin: It was kind of awesome because we do have people in this band with boyfriends and husbands who have toured and toured, so we got advice from them, but we did it ourselves for the most part. We got a tip or contact info but really it was all ourselves. We pooled all of our resources, made a Google Doc and did it ourselves.

Caitlin: We also relied on the other bands and venues we played with or at. You don’t just book the show; then you also have to find other bands to play with, which can be a whole other beast of its own.

Kristin: But that was also awesome because locals would say they liked our music, and we’d ask them to help us out. People do that to us, so we are always happy to return the favor.

Sara: The Internet.

Kristin: How could we even have done this without the Internet or Chicago?

Caitlin: (laughing) We wouldn’t have done it.

Nikita (guitar): This awesome girl we met in Brooklyn, who within three seconds had offered us a place to crash because our place had fell through, wrote on her feminist blog that people should listen to Summer Girlfriends. Then, two bands emailed, having heard us through the blog, about how they would love to play with us when they come to Chicago.

the mention of the internet reminds me that you picked your second band name via a facebook poll, and i was wondering how you use social media as a band. it makes things so much easier in terms of getting information out about a show or music out there but has there been any backlash with it?

Nicole: Not yet luckily. We’ve been really fortunate that it has been a positive experience. However we are acutely aware of the fact that we are an all-female band so we’re careful not to objectify ourselves.

Nikita: We don’t want to be stereotyped as anything because we are not anything. We are what we are.

Nicole: I think we walk that fine line of playing with the stereotype but not enforcing it so much.

Kristen: We are a girl band. We all like being cute and wearing cute clothes.

that can become an issue where people think if you are a “feminist”, then no, you cannot look a certain way or wear make up, be pretty, etc.

Collective. Exactly

Nicole: That’s where we try to blur the line a little, because when it comes down to it, it’s about the music.

Nikita: We’re celebrating it, not objectifying it.

did you guys all play prior to starting summer girlfriends or was it a let’s do this and learn instruments in the process?

Nicole: Kind of happened after. Most of us knew how to play. Some kind of knew, some were okay. I wouldn’t say any of us are masters of our instruments. Caitlin is the one who has been singing the longest, out all of us.

Caitlin: But never in a band. Talking, like, choir.

Sara: I had been playing bass for a while, but I was playing really simple punk rock kind of music and in this band I am able to have more space to write my own parts and push myself to try to get better.

Caitlin: We all write our own parts, at least for now. We all collaborate. It’s not like one person writes it and we all learn it, which is another reason why I love our band and why it is hard to describe it. We all have different musical backgrounds in terms of what music we like and we put it all together to create what this is.

Nikita: I didn’t know how to play guitar before I started. I played bass in a band when I was sixteen for like six months or so.

Nicole: That counts!

Nikita: I had never played guitar before, and I just wanted to be in a band.

Caitlin: She told me like two years before we started the band that she wanted to start a band and I was like 'Okay, cool,' but then we just didn’t talk about it anymore. Then the next year at New Year's Eve she was like 'I really want to start that band!' so I was like 'Okay, let’s just do it,' so that’s how it happened.

Sara: I think we are really good at knowing how to cater to our strengths, which is so great. I’m not this crazy funk bassist (group laughter). I know what I can and cannot do, so we write our songs based on what we can do well.

Kristin: Like, what Sara was saying before about writing our own parts, it’s cool that we can because we can try something crazy and you can do it and it’s cool.

Caitlin: No one is judging here. We are all open to anything, which is really nice to me.

Nikita: And we’ve grown. The first song we wrote was one note on the guitar part and the other guitar part was “whir” on the one note because that was all we could do at that point. And then it grew.

Kristin: And that’s one of the songs people like the most, the one we made the video for, “Shockwaves."

how you all write your own parts perhaps speaks to why it’s hard to label your sound, since of all these different influences are combining. but even though it all sounds different, in ways, it still works together really well. do you guys all come in with an idea and work from there?

Nikita: It’s usually me, Sara, Kristin, and Caitlin who will come up with an idea and then we share it, and then everyone adds their part.

Kristin: And then it ends up sounding totally different.

Caitlin: But that’s great, we need something to jump off from.

in a lot of reviews i’ve read it seems that critics like to compare you to the girl group sounds of the sixties. while i hear that inspiration in some songs, it is not an overwhelming theme of the band. do you ever feel that you are being stereotyped into the 1960’s girl group revitalization because you are girls in a band?

Sara: I was actually just commenting today that we do get a lot of great reviews but I do notice that people say “girl group” a lot. But I don’t think that is something we are trying to do.

Caitlin: Well first off only one of us sings and all the girl groups from the sixties had like thirty women singing (laughs).

Nicole: I personally don’t think we sound like that at all, I think it is very different.

Nikita: We do a cover of a Shirelles’ song and when we were learning it there were so many minors and majors and 7ths and it was so complicated and all our songs have three or four chords and are real simple and are pop songs. It’s totally different.

Caitlin: I think also that we don’t sound like a lot of people, so it can be hard for some people to describe us.

Sara: People want to relate to the music and make it simple as in 'This is what this sounds like." Especially if you’re a journalist, which good journalists won’t but some people just need something to compare you to so they have a story.

Nikita: Hollows [local Chicago group that Summer Girlfriends have played with] who do sound a lot like that [60’s sound] don’t even like getting compared to it. I think it might just be the plight of the girl band.

something i’ve noticed since coming to chicago is the prevalence of women in bands here compared to other places. it would be nice to be in a world where that wasn’t the first few things people might notice about a band, but music is still a very male dominated field and i was wondering: how you all have found chicago to be as women musicians?

Caitlin: I think Chicago is very supportive of female artists. Females support females, and all the male bands do as well. Anyone we’ve come into contact with has supported us a 100%. It’s just a good scene. Everybody loves everybody. Not a lot of controversy, everyone is just really supportive, as far as I’ve noticed.

Nikita: We are all super supportive of other women in music and we’re actually in August doing a “Women in Music” night with a bunch of other awesome girl bands, whom we are all super good friends with.

Nicole: I still think as far as gender goes at shows you go to, the audience it’s probably a 50/50 mix but in terms of most of the people playing it’s still like 10% female and 90% male, so yes, while Chicago is very supportive, I still think we have a long way to go.

Kristin: Recently it’s been cool because, with the record coming out, we’ve gotten some nice write-ups, and it’s been really cool every time someone has just reviewed the record with out saying “this all girl band” and just reviewed it without it being about a girl band. I’m sure it irritates a lot of us if someone says “for a girl band” but no one really does that. We’ve just been getting a lot of awesome, subjective “this is a good band” write-ups.

Nicole: Focusing on the music and not the group.

Sara: I’ve had friends come up to me and they see males responding to our shows, but they also see women in the audience that seem really excited and connected to what we’re doing, which is awesome. We all go to shows and we all enjoy music but to really feel that these people are making music that you relate to and to inspire other women is awesome.

Nikita: I think we all feel this need to carry the torch on (everyone nods), especially for me in influencing other women to start playing music because I had never been in a band before, and we came together and made this thing happen. It’s about the music, and people like the music and we’re not just girls. You can do it, it’s not an unlearnable thing, how to play music and write songs.

Collective: You gotta just do it.

i think it is really important to see a reflection of somewhat you up there as a female. when you read a lot about the indie scene, especially back in the 1980s, you read about guys seeing these bands playing and realizing that they can also create music but it can be a bit different when you are a girl.

Caitlin: Totally intimidating. Let me tell you, when we first started it was super intimidating because we know all these people who had been in bands forever. We have boyfriends and husbands who have been playing forever. It was intimidating, but then you get over it. We have fun when we play music. We are not up there to “be in a band” or to be cool. We’re just having fun and we genuinely enjoy each other and have fun on Sundays talking at practice. It’s almost like Sunday Brunch but it’s band practice.

Kristin: We all just got back from tour last Sunday and we miss it. We’re all “why can’t I play music with you tonight?”

Sara: The whole tour, maybe halfway through everything coalesced and we all got to this level. We were deliriously tired, but we all got to this level where it started happening where we were all on stage laughing and Nikita and me had these dance move moments where we would look at each other. It just made everything come together in a really nice way.

it seems that if the tour went so well that recording probably did too. but how was it going into the studio for the first time, did you find it stressful?

Nicole: I feel like it was more surreal. We had this opportunity to go in to record but we didn’t know if it would be a tape or an album. It really depend on Addenda and if they liked it or not. It was a strange setup because we really just had no pressure.

Caitlin: We are so new at this. We don’t know how to be critical of ourselves. We haven’t been doing it for ten years and we don’t know how to sound a certain way or how to do stuff. We were very fresh and not hard on ourselves. We had what we had. That’s how we did it. We went in and recorded what we had. We didn’t change anything, everything that was recorded, we had before.

Nicole: And we practiced our butts off.

Nikita: Seven songs in three days. It was real fast. We only had seven songs when we first went in and then we came back and wrote four other songs and went back to recorded those, which was a little harder, but I think it turned out well.

you guys clearly have worked really hard to get where you are, practicing a ton, playing a lot of local shows and going on tour, but do you ever feel that people might be annoyed that you’ve only been around for a year or so and have had such success?

Caitlin: (nodding) I’m very conscious of that because I have friends that mean the world to me and have the most amazing music and I’m very conscious of how lucky we’ve been with what we’ve gotten.

Nicole: I feel like we’ve earned every step of the way. We haven’t sat on our laurels in any way.

Caitlin: We’ve worked really hard, especially since we didn’t know how to play instruments for the most part and never been in a band. We’ve worked really hard, but yes.

Nikita: Every good show we’ve gotten we’ve worked our asses off for. It’s not like someone calls and says, “take this amazing show.” It’s like hey I’m calling you 3x a day. We just got West Fest and we worked hard for that.

to wrap things up, i just wanted to ask you each individually what would you say is the band or musician that listening to makes you just realize how much you love music? i know you’ve already opened for the coathangers, but if you could open for anyone who would it be?

Kristin: My favorite band that is making music right now is Thee Oh Sees, because they are so much fun to watch live and are always doing something new and interesting and their sound is totally unique. So when I listen to them it’s kind of like 'Wow.' They are awesome. In terms of opening for anyone, I don’t know, I kind of feel like we are getting a dream come true at West Fest opening for The Black Lips. There might be six bands in between us and them (laughs) but they are kind of the pioneers of the 'Work hard play fun music.' They aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel or anything. They are having a good time and working really, really hard at it and that is something I look up to.

Nicole: I just remember being a little kid and going to The Superdome in New Orleans and seeing New Kids On The Block and I know it’s really embarrassing but I just remember thinking 'Music is everything,' and holy shit, it changed my life. It was incredible. That was my first memory of music being awesome. This sounds lame but I really want to open for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club because I think those dudes are really cool.

Sara: When I was in high school it was the era of Nirvana, and it sounds really cliché but everyone I knew who grew up during that time found out about every cool band through them because they were really good at promoting bands. Like The Vaselines, and Flipper, and all of those awesome bands, that’s how I found out about them. I’d say that was the most exciting time of music for me. I was like fifteen years old and reading the biography of Kurt Cobain, basically with a highlighter and highlighting all the bands I had to listen to. In terms of right now, if there were any new band I would love to open for it would be the Super Wild Horses from Australia. They are a two-girl band that are super adorable and have great music. I think it is amazing what they do with two people and I would love to open for them.

Nikita: I’m going to give the really cliché answer. So I actually never started playing guitar until I was 27, which is pretty late in life. I always looked up to a certain band and thought 'I wish I could be her,' and that was Sleater-Kinney. They are amazing to me and such a source of inspiration. If I could open for a band, again they are going to laugh at me, because they know what I’m going to say. I was super nerdy about The Coathangers but we opened for them, so I had to pick someone else and I love cats and I love her, I’m going to say Best Coast.

Kristin: We totally sent a letter to Santa asking to open for the Best Coast show.

Caitlin: When I was growing up I didn’t listen to “normal music” because my dad was a huge influence and he was into Sinatra and Big Band stuff. I would say Billie Holiday and Lena Horne. They got me really into singing, which is why I joined choir as a kid. I still to this day almost prefer that music to really crazy hard music. I’m really into Lykke Li and I would love to open for her. It would be a really fun not too big but not too small band to open for.

See Summer Girlfriends this Friday at their record release at The Burlington with Blizzard Babies and Orca Team. Their full-length Shockwaves is now available on Addenda Records.

- Impose Magazine

Sometimes when you've never heard of a band and you see their name you immediately decide in your head how they should sound, that happened to me with Chicago five piece Summer Girlfriends and, to no great surprise, my initial reaction was right...

Lead track "Shockwaves" introduces their sweet, lo fi, garage pop perfectly, oozing with syrupy harmonies and playful, summery melodies. Despite making me want to throw out the usual girl group nostalgic, catchy comments the girls manage to sound fresh and modern too, with seemingly random keys, jaunty bass and jumpy drum gallops "Shockwaves" rings with sunshiny fun and youthful optimism, making me wish I was drinking some of the cocktails in the press photos and not stuck inside looking at overcast skies but that's what you get when you live in England I guess.

The more thrashy "Bad Dreams" is pure fuzz pop, an tempo cut which races through its two minute duration with distorted guitars and with a chorus so infectious it should come with a health warning.

Summer Girlfriends have just released their self-titled debut album (released by Addenda Records) which can be ordered in the UK on CD/LP via Piccadilly Records. - JustTheMusicThatILike.com

ndie-pop duo Mates of State has been added to the final music lineup on Sunday for this year's West Fest in West Town, July 7-8, according to a news release announcing the full schedule.
The festival, which includes music, family events and the area’s best restaurants, takes place July 7-8 on Chicago Avenue between Damen and Wood.
Along with the normal fest fare of neighborhood shops, restaurants and artists will be a handful of bands and DJs performing throughout the weekend on two stages. The Main Stage, curated by Empty Bottle Presents, includes headliners The Black Lips and Mates of State, as well as hot picks like Bad Veins and Crooked Fingers and Chicago favorites Pet Lions and Summer Girlfriends. On the BP DJ Stage, Chicago-based DJs Flosstradamus and house music producer Derrick Carter headline.
Aside from the music stages--what the fest is really known for--are two "fests within a fest." Pup Fest and Kid Fest invite attendees to bring along their dogs and children for special activities and vendors.
Check out the full music schedule below and see westfestchicago.com for more info.
Main Stage
Saturday:

The Black Lips 8:30 p.m.
Man or Astroman 7 p.m.
Pet Lions 5:30 p.m.
He's My Brother, She's My Sister 4 p.m.
Stagnant Pools 2:30 p.m.
Summer Girlfriends 1 p.m.
Sunday:
Mates of State 8:30 p.m.
Crooked Fingers 7 p.m.
Bad Veins 5:30 p.m.
R Ring 4 p.m.
Bestfriends 2:30 p.m.
TBA 1 p.m. - RedEye

How rare is it that a band sounds exacty like you think they would based purely on their name? In the case of Summer Girlfriends this Chicago quintet certainly serves up a shimmery chiming sunshine fuzz around the eleven songs that make up their debut album Shockwaves. Under "band interests" they list pizza, puppies and popsicles and while, yes, that sounds threateningly cloying it's not. While the group has cute preoccupations there's nothing cutesy about their tunes.
There's a healthy dose of Brill Building in the group's songwriting and they indulge in a whopping dose of TeenBeat fury. Don't believe us? Check out the first video from the album for the title track.

Man, was that good or what? The band is like a buzz beach-bomb, dropping riffs and making waves. In a town that only experiences six weeks of summer sandwiched between two glaciers of winter this is the sort of stuff that can melt those ice towers into deep lagoons of sun dappled water. There's nothing complicated in Summer Girlfriends' approach, their songs march steadily forward and doesn't try to make things to fussy with much labyrinthine twists and turns. But there's an ephemeral feeling behind their approach that allows each song to fill itself with a plaintive teenage longing that can only bring smiles to the lips of those wiser. We dig it. - Chicagoist

This week on the ChicagoVerseUniteD Cover Story Series audio podcast: Nikita and Nicole of Summer Girlfriends! The duo visit the CVU podcast at the Music Garage to discuss their new album Shockwaves, out today, how the act came together, and the group’s summer traditions. Find that podcast below, followed by the treatment for the title track below. And catch Summer Girlfriends live on Friday, June 22nd at The Burlington for the Shockwaves record release event. - Chicago Verse United Podcast

In their new video for their breezy tune “Shockwaves,” Summer Girlfriends have fun with food. Literally. The indie-pop quintet smash up raw meat, get awkward with fruit, sprayed by mustard and even commit the nefarious act of murder by popsicle. As odd as it may sound, somehow it all works together with the song’s thick bass, glossy guitars and beach-fun vocals. Digging video? Then be sure to check out their Addenda Records self-titled debut LP, which drops on June 5 (our review is coming shortly). In the meantime, watch the foody fun below: - Loud Loop Press

Summer's almost here, and the Chicago garage-rock quintet Summer Girlfriends are celebrating with the release of a video for their song "Shockwaves."

Taken from an upcoming album of the same name (out June 5), the video for the all-girl rock band's quick, catchy jam abounds with laid back, summery fun -- including a kazoo solo and a lethal popsicle.

Is there much else going on here? Not really. Although the Onion AV Club, which featured their video in advance of a show at Chicago's Subterranean on May 17, points out that the band has seen quite a bit of action in their brief existence.

Apparently the band got in legal trouble over their original name, and had to rush to the emergency room after a show to deal with a head wound, according to a band interview with Reglar Wiglar.

Despite those troubles, the band keeps a sunny outlook. The only thing they seem to take seriously is fun. - Huffington Post

(AV Club Chicago no longer in existence as they are just AV Club so article was taken down, here is a snippet)

"The music video, directed by Xavier Juarez with cinematography by Taylor Russ, features smashed fruit, bubbles, and flowers in the first 15 seconds, and only gets happier from there, as Summer Girlfriends deliver both the visual and aural equivalent of a sugar rush with no comedown. There are also painted dog noses. And kazoos." - AV Club Chicago

Nothing goes better with warm weather than the swift beats of surf-rock, an ice-cold beer and, of course, Summer Girlfriends.

With Caitlin Kerr on vocals, kazoo and tambourine, Nicole Freeland on drums, Sara Bassick on bass, and Kristin Marks and Nikita Flaiz on guitar, the quintet has secured a spot in the city’s music scene with its pop and rock sound. The all-babe band has been named by numerous publications as one of the top local bands to watch and finished fourth out of 800 at JanSport’s national Battle of the Bands.

The Chronicle chatted with Kerr to discover the group’s inspirations, what she thinks of the Chicago music scene and how it feels to be in an all-girl band.

The Chronicle: When did Summer Girlfriends form, and how did you come together?

Caitlin Kerr: We formed in January 2011. We all knew each other through friends, boyfriends and husbands. We had all talked about being in a band, and Nikita said something about a New Year’s resolution to start a band, so we decided to start making music.

The Chronicle: Why the name Summer Girlfriends?

CK: We originally were called Canadian Girlfriends, but we had to change our name because a local band had a name close to it, [My Canadian Girlfriend]. We decided it was just easier to change our name than fight it. Summer Girlfriends was the best next thing. We chose it because of the idea that everyone remembers their first summer girlfriend, and we want fans to
remember us.

The Chronicle: What would you say is the band’s motto?

CK: Our motto is basically fun. We play music because we enjoy it and we hope people have fun while listening to us. Not all of us have been in a band before, so it’s kind of a fresh slate for us.

The Chronicle: How would you describe your sound?

CK: Our sound is summer-esque. It’s danceable, poppy and fun, and it has a surfy undertone. But we also have this quality about us that we describe as “Goth beach party,” which is darker and more
nitty-gritty.

The Chronicle: What and who are some of your inspirations?

CK: We draw inspirations from all over. I would say the ’60s surfy music and the ’50s pop girl bands [like The Chantels] are an influence. When we are writing, we don’t have one specific style that we are thinking of. We are all into different music, so it all comes together in a unique way.

The Chronicle: What music do you like in particular?

CK: As for current music, I am a big fan of Wahili and Girls. Locally, Cave is really awesome. Our friends Outer Minds are really great. Obviously, I love the classics, like the Rolling Stones, Queen and all those great bands. I like the Crystals. But I also like classical music. I’m kind of all over the board.

The Chronicle: What have you been working on lately?

CK: We are releasing our first record, “Shockwaves,” on vinyl and digitally on June 5. We are going out the first week in June on a little tour, and then we come back to set up a record release show.

The Chronicle: What do you like and dislike about the Chicago music scene?

CK: I don’t dislike anything about it, but I wish people would recognize it a little bit more. I think Lollapalooza and Pitchfork are bringing Chicago to the bigger stage in the music industry. I would hope that the scene here gets the recognition it deserves. All the musicians I know are extremely supportive of each other and there’s a lot of diversity in the scene here, so we are really lucky to have that.

The Chronicle: There doesn’t seem to be that many all-girl groups anymore, at least ones that get a lot of attention. Why do you think you five have done so well, and what does it mean to be in a group of all women?

CK: We aren’t trying to be anything. We are doing it because we enjoy it. When we write our music, we are being ourselves. We are fresh, clean and fun. That might be why we have made it. - The Columbia Chronicle

Hey look! We’re throwing a super cool show with Summer Girlfriends, BigColour, Magic Milk and Swimsuit Addition – all of whom were on our 12 Chicago Bands To Watch In 2012 – at Lincoln Hall on Tuesday, April 17! That’s like…eight days away. Whoa!

So you better grab tickets now over at Lincolnhallchicago.com for $8 (that’s $2 a band!) or just dish out $10 (that’s $still only like 2.50 a band!) at the door. Oh, and student in the area? Well, this one’s 18+ cause the kids are alright. Don’t be late either cause the rock kicks off at 8:00 p.m. And be sure to RSVP at the Facebook event page!


Local lineups don’t usually carry this kind of firepower, but we’re pulling out all the stops to make next Tuesday night one for the ages. And if you need a little pre/post ticket purchasing entertainment, check out this recent, and ridiculously awesome, live performance from Magic Milk (via GonzoChicago): - Loud Loop Press

There are thousands of great local bands playing every week in our fair city. Some you might know and some you might not. Seeing as it’s the beginning of a brand new year, we thought we’d point out some local bands who we think you might want to keep your eye on in 2012. And isn’t it always cool to say you were a fan of popular act back in the day when they were playing for eight people in a crappy dive bar? Yes, it is always cool. (Ed. Note: Although numbered, this list is in no particular order)

6. Summer Girlfriends
2012 is Summer Girlfriends’ year. The cheery garage poppers have a new band mate, a new music video for their track “Shockwaves” (on the way) and a highly-anticipated full-length debut coming out later this year on Addenda records. That’s enough good news to keep Summer Girlfriend’s music upbeat and dreamy for years to come. - Loud Loop Press

Band name: Summer Girlfriends

Sound: This up-and-coming, pizza-obsessed group (seriously, check out the number of pizza mentions on its Facebook page!) laces its catchy garage-rock output with '60s girl-group melodies and a welcome dose of surf-rock guitar. Think Best Coast if frontwoman Bethany Cosentino ditched her pot stash and cat for a black leather jacket and ample reverb.

Need to know: The quintet recently finished in fourth place in an online battle-of-the-bands competition put together by an apparel company--more than respectable considering over 800 acts entered the national contest. Even better? The group is expected to release its debut album, "Shockwaves," this May on local label Addenda Records.

Interviewed: Caitlin Kerr, 28, Humboldt Park

Is it true the band started as a New Year's resolution?

Yeah! We all talked about it, then Nikita, our guitar player, brought it up a few days after New Year's last year and was like, "Let's stop talking about [forming a band] and just do it already."

Congrats on being the first people to ever keep a resolution then.

[Laughs] I know! We're trying to stick to it each year.

How would you describe the new album's sound to someone who isn't familiar with the band?

It's got a lot of surf-y undertones, just with guitars and the way we play around with the music. We try to keep it simple. It's just drums, guitar, bass, vocals and a few other instruments. It's danceable music.

Growing up in the Midwest (Kerr was born and raised in St. Louis and moved to Chicago a shade over a decade ago), have you ever actually been surfing?

I have not. I actually have a fear of sharks, so I don't know if I'll ever do it. But I've been places where you could potentially do it.

How do you develop a fear of sharks growing up land-locked?

I don't know. They just scare me. Our family would go down to the Gulf Shores every year. I don't have many fears, but they're one of them.

You were initially called Canadian Girlfriends but had to change it because the name was too close to another local band (My Canadian Girlfriend), right?

Yes, we were! But it's all good. Everything is fine. It happens to many bands, but we just rolled with the punches and changed our name. Luckily that's all in the past now.

And you put together a Facebook poll to help determine your new name?

Yeah, I mean, because naming a band is one of the hardest things to do. It's just such an awkward experience--especially when you have multiple people and every opinion counts. We just came up with a few names we thought might work and had people vote. The music's for the people, so I have no problem having others be a part of it. Even if it's just having them name our band.

What were some of the runners-up?

I'm not sure. I think Camp Girlfriends was one. When you're growing up your first crush is usually over the summer, or whatever, and we were trying to keep that vibe.

So who was your first celebrity crush?

(Laughs) Oh my god! I think maybe Jonathan Taylor Thomas from "Home Improvement." I think? I guess? I mean, he's the one who popped into my head. You're going to embarrass me, aren't you? It's OK.

Your set opening for the Coathangers at Panchos last summer ended with a trip to the emergency room. Is that the only time the band has bled in the name of rock and roll?

I think so. We're not too aggressive onstage--at least not yet. Nicole tripped over an amp or something and caught her earring and it ripped her ear. So she had to go. It was bad! It was at the end of the night, so everybody was ready to load into the van and get back to the practice space, and she had to go to the hospital and get that all sewn up and taken care of. It was our first real rock and roll moment!

"Shockwaves" is the both the title of the album and its first single. Where do you think the new record would fall on the Richter scale?

What's the numbering for the Richter scale? To ten? Let's say a five (laughs). It's earth-shattering.

Summer Girlfriends
When: 10 p.m. Friday
Where: Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave.
Tickets: $12, 773-276-3600

Caitlin Kerr personality test
What's the last album you bought? Slim Harpo, "Slim Harpo Sings Raining in My Heart"
Song you've listened to on repeat recently? "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles. "We are recording a cover of it."
Song you never want to hear again? "Pop Goes the Weasel"
Best concert you've seen in the last year? Jeff the Brotherhood
New band you don't know personally that deserves to be big? CAVE
Favorite movie ever? "Die Hard"
Chicago's best music venue? "I like a lot of venues in the city, but Empty Bottle is definitely my home away from home." - Red Eye

- Named #1 Artist to Watch in 2012 in print edition -

This all-female foursome's online biography opens with a simple proclamation: "Summer Girlfriends is a band that started during the most crippling of Chicago winters..." Despite its bone-chilling genesis, the group, which is expected to release its debut record sometime this year, actually specializes in sunny, surf-tinged garage-pop tunes that already have us pining for beach season. - Red Eye Chicago

Three reasons to shimmy and shake away the winter blahs tonight at Beat Kitchen…

1. If there was ever an opportunity to cheat on old man winter, it would be tonight with Chicago’s Summer Girlfriends. The all-female quintet awaken those familiar warm weather feelings with its particular brand of unforgettable jangly, body-moving surf pop. LISTEN: “Shockwaves.”


2. There’s something really primitive about Chicago’s E+. The group make so much from so little by manipulating fuzz and distortion, distressed organ keys and dense drum beats into trance-y garage pop with gothic overtones. Tonight, however, one-half of E+ (Damon Carruesco and Whitney Johnson) will break out the drum machine for a special appearance. LISTEN: “{{{SUN 88}}}.”

3. Chicago trio Pearls are propulsive dance punk at its most infectious point. On “Ripper,” the group grabs you by the collar takes you for a spin around the room. It’s all you really want from a song. Kicking the night off nice and sweet are Chicago dream poppers Magic City. Go ahead and wrap yourself in the comfort of their twinkling guitar solos and ethereal melodies.
LISTEN: “Your Eyes.”

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, 1/18. Beat Kitchen. 21+ $8. - Loud Loop Press

We're either throwing this out there because A.) we generally want to know what you think, or B.) we want you to be our hair Guinea pigs and try it first. Probably both. One of our favorite local style blogs recently spotted Unicorn Hair (blonde hair with ends dyed hot pink) on musician Caitlin Kerr of Chicago band Summer Girlfriends. If you're going for a change-up this fall, this mythical dip in the pink pool might be a winner. What may at first seem like an easy-enough DIY is actually totally profesh handiwork you'd have to seek out a a salon if you're gonna do it right. Are your locks ready? Or is this a style best left to someone more (dare we say it) brave? (ScoutandLo)
- Refinery 29

If you're looking for something not to like about Summer Girlfriends, keep lookin' honey, you won't find it. This local, all-girl rock band formed last winter (hard times often breed rad creative projects), and has since been steadily working on a soon-to-be released album on Addenda Records. Today, the band put up a new track onto their Facebook page, and we're into it—Shockwaves sounds like a good time embodied in song. If you can't imaging dancing to its infectious beats and girl-group-throwback vibe, seek medical attention. Send this one around to your pals, and keep an eye out for the band's November 21 show at The Whistler. (Summer Girlfriends) - Refinery 29

Two new tracks from two up-and-coming Chicago garage-rock fivesomes -- Hollows, and Summer Girlfriends -- would make you feel nostalgic for summer if it weren't already really nice out to begin with.
First off, Hollows, the Shangri-Las-evoking, Black Lips-approved, no-shit-taking Chicago quintet (who've been steadily gigging around the city since the release of their first LP on Addenda Records in 2009) released the A-side of their upcoming single for digital streaming.
"Hot Sand" is on the poppier side of the band's sonic spectrum -- jangly guitars, sing-song-y vocals, organ, and a breezy, driving-around-with-the-windows-down vibe -- and they showcase it in less than 3 minutes. Hollows will celebrate the release of the "Hot Sand"/"Shapeshifter" on Soft Power Records at the Burlington on October 27. The show takes place at 9 p.m. Stream "Hot Sand" below:

Another garage-rock fivesome, the all-female Summer Girlfriends (née Canadian Girlfriends) released a new song, "Bad Dreams," from an upcoming LP on Addenda Records. It's a great track -- unpolished in a non-gimmicky way, upbeat, and super-melodic, and clocking in a two-minutes and change.
Which is good because, up until now, we were certain Summer Girlfriends only got so much Reader coverage because they rescued one of Jessica Hopper's pets from the chupacabra. Not so! They make great music too. (Though, let's be fair: they look like they could fuck up a chupacbra if so needed).

Stream "Bad Dreams" at the band's Facebook page. - Chicagoist

And now three reasons to stop crying about Jay Cutler’s thumb (which, to be fair, is pretty freaking sad) and see some music tonight…
1. Chicago’s Summer Girlfriends craft a sound just how you’d imagine based on their name alone. The quartet jam some rad indie-pop slash rock, which could soundtrack your summer fling and/or end of said fling. The band goes for the soul with riddonkulously catchy mo-town melodies and shimmering surf guitars…at least based on the two tracks they’ve released on their Facebook. Still, the songs are quite promising, and to say we’re excited about their upcoming Addenda Records release would be an understatement. LISTEN: “Shockwaves”


2. Swimsuit Addition tend to lean more towards the some of the alt era’s biggest hitters as an influence. With a sound that culls together Sleater-Kinney-esque riot girl, early Weezer power pop with a Pixes-like edge, these girls know how to rage. And, yes, we’re also looking forward to their debut, Kitty Hawk, which drops early next year. LISTEN: “Ghosted”

3. Only two bands tonight, but if you really need another reason to make it, the event is also a fundraiser for CHIRP. And if you’ve never heard of CHIRP, we’d ask if you’ve recently moved to Chicago. The online radio station made a big splash in the city when it launched in early 2009 and was even named best overall station in the Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago poll in 2011. The show is free tonight, but feel free to donate to CHIRP whenever you want by heading here.

9:30 p.m. Monday, 11/21. The Whistler. 21+. FREE! - Loud Loop Press

Elisse La Roche is the guitarist for the Chicago-based all-female rock band Canadian Girlfriends. Her blog, Field Notes, can be found at loveundereverything.blogspot.com.

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Saturday started out like any other: band practice, giggles, and pizza, followed by Negronis di Aquila on the back patio at Longman & Eagle with some friends. I couldn't stay long, though, because Fucked Up was playing an early all-ages show. To be honest, I love going to shows while the sun is still up. I guess I'm just an old man at heart. Dinner at 4:30 PM sounds wonderful to me.

I met my BFF/drum teacher Matt Holland, and we rode our bikes over to Lincoln Hall. I would like to point out that I rarely go to Lincoln Hall; I am never anywhere near Lincoln Park. I felt deep remorse, like I was cheating on the Empty Bottle.

click to enlarge

Jeff the Brotherhood—a two-piece from Nashville who blew my mind last September—opened the show. I made sure to get there early enough to see their entire set. It did not disappoint. The dual drummers at the end killed it. Then Fucked Up hit the stage. I didn't think for a second I would end up in a mosh pit (I'm too old for that, right?), but by the third note I found myself wedged between a sweaty, shirtless dude and some 18-year-old, bouncing up and down and singing every word. I always say I'm not going in the mosh pit, yet find myself thrashing around like an epileptic child every time the opportunity arises.

After the show we booked it back to Logan Square. We hit up a party: hugs and beers abounded. Luckily, it was close enough to the 4th that there were a ton of fireworks. Why aren't more holidays celebrated by blowing things up? I bet those pilgrims would have totally blown up a turkey had they possessed the proper explosives at the first Thanksgiving.

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Then porch hangs, stolen ice cream from someone's freezer, and a bike gang to escort me home, where Marge the cat and I snuggled up. I read approximately four pages of Infinite Jest before passing out hard on top of the blankets.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that compares to Chicago in the summertime. - Chicago Reader

Before the Internet, every college town in America could be home to a mediocre alt-rock band called the Toad Lickers, and unless one of them got big they could all coexist in peace. Not so these days—vetting potential names via Google is now SOP for new bands.

Local all-girl group Canadian Girlfriends, who describe themselves as "kitten-core," googled their name when the band was coming together in January, and it came up clean—mostly. "We just saw there was another band called My Canadian Girlfriend and thought that the names were different enough," says guitarist Nikita Word. "They have three words and were guys and we're an all-girl group and a totally different sound. We figured it wouldn't be a big deal because they were in fact different names."

That might have worked out if My Canadian Girlfriend weren't also from Chicago, which Word and company hadn't noticed. (Full disclosure: I'm friendly with members of Canadian Girlfriends.) My Canadian Girlfriend is also an indie band—one more indebted to the brainy pop of the Smoking Popes and Harvey Danger—and has been around since 2005. Though front man Jamie Fillmore (formerly of Cheer-Accident) says he regularly googles his band's name, he didn't realize Canadian Girlfriends existed until a few weeks ago—in late June and early July, the two groups were booked on consecutive Wednesdays at Pancho's.

My Canadian Girlfriend sent Canadian Girlfriends an e-mail asking that they find another name. Canadian Girlfriends replied that precedent was on their side. My Canadian Girlfriend countered with a cease-and-desist letter from their lawyer. "Bringing in the lawyers is never fun," says Fillmore. "You know, it's not the kind of stuff you want to do."

Canadian Girlfriends weren't up for a legal battle. "So, um, we e-mailed them stating that we would change our name and asking actually if My Canadian Ex-Girlfriend was acceptable," Word says. "To which they replied, 'no.'"

Canadian Girlfriends have decided to find a new name with help from a Facebook poll. Their next gig is the Love of Everything record-release show at the Empty Bottle on Mon 8/22. Fillmore says he hopes there aren't any hard feelings. "You know in Chicago most [bands] are like more interested in hanging out and partying together than, you know, beating each other up or anything," he says. My Canadian Girlfriend plays Fri 7/29 at Memories in Portage Park. —Miles Raymer - Chicago Reader

Local all-woman band Summer Girlfriends—which includes guitarist Elisse La Roche (ex-Love of Everything) and bassist Sara Bassick (Johnny & the Limelites)—may be brand-new, but they've already got sweet buttons, more than 200 Facebook fans, and a musical spot in an indie movie called Saturn. They'll make their debut Sat 6/18, bringing their introspective, downcast indie-pop to the Josephinum Academy (1501 N. Oakley) for the third annual Girls Rock! Chicago camp kickoff party. Also among the eight acts on the lady-centric bill are Squish, White Mystery, and Psalm One; it's $5, $10 per family, and starts at 1 PM. - Chicago Reader

Local all-woman band Summer Girlfriends—which includes guitarist Elisse La Roche (ex-Love of Everything) and bassist Sara Bassick (Johnny & the Limelites)—may be brand-new, but they've already got sweet buttons, more than 200 Facebook fans, and a musical spot in an indie movie called Saturn. They'll make their debut Sat 6/18, bringing their introspective, downcast indie-pop to the Josephinum Academy (1501 N. Oakley) for the third annual Girls Rock! Chicago camp kickoff party. Also among the eight acts on the lady-centric bill are Squish, White Mystery, and Psalm One; it's $5, $10 per family, and starts at 1 PM. - Chicago Reader

Local all-woman band Summer Girlfriends—which includes guitarist Elisse La Roche (ex-Love of Everything) and bassist Sara Bassick (Johnny & the Limelites)—may be brand-new, but they've already got sweet buttons, more than 200 Facebook fans, and a musical spot in an indie movie called Saturn. They'll make their debut Sat 6/18, bringing their introspective, downcast indie-pop to the Josephinum Academy (1501 N. Oakley) for the third annual Girls Rock! Chicago camp kickoff party. Also among the eight acts on the lady-centric bill are Squish, White Mystery, and Psalm One; it's $5, $10 per family, and starts at 1 PM. - Chicago Reader