In some of the coolest news I've heard in a while, Chicago label THICK Records has announced the sequel to their "Magnetic Curses" compilation, and it's a doozy - Billy Spunke plans to record a grip of bands over the course of a fortnight at Chicago's Homan Oil Factory. To quote the press release:
"Chicago has always been known for its blue collar work ethic. The reputation stems from the history of the city's stockyards, railways, airports, shipping industry, even the vocal inflection of Mayor Daley. The music that is created here also shares such an obvious ethic and attitude."
So who's scheduled to record around millions of gallons of refined oil? The line-up thus far includes Alkaline Trio, Lawrence Arms, Rise Against, the Ghost, Duvall, Owls, The Reputation, Detachment Kit, Haymarket Riot, The Arrivals, The Dishes, The Tossers, and Plain White Tees. There are still bands that have not been confirmed yet - we'll let you know who they are when we know.

So what does all of this have to do with the site? Well, after laborious negotiations with Mr. Spunke [I had to trade him my first pressings of "Mommy's Little Monster" *and* "Milo Goes To College" for this], we're going to do daily reports on the recording sessions - some will be written by Billy, some will be written by the bands themselves. Recording gets underway on September 3rd, so keep your eyes peeled for these online diary entries.