Prefix magazine has called rock misfits Mannequin Men "Chicago's best-kept secret" but I've got a feeling Chicago will have to share what might be their new bright star with the rest of the world very soon.

The quartet, composed of Kevin Richards, Seth Bohn, Ethan D'ercole and Miles Raymer (who replaced Rick Berger on bass in 2008), have released their third full length album, Lose Your Illusion, Too and are in the midst of blowing minds on tour.

I'll be checking them out this Friday in Chicago but word on the street is, if you have a chance to see them and you live elsewhere, you need to be there.

Here are some tunes for your troubles:
The Boys from "Fresh Rot"
Grapefruit from "Fresh Rot".

07.10.09 @ Metro | Chicago, IL LOSE YOUR ILLUSION, TOO RELEASE SHOW
w/w/ Thomas Function, Davila 666, and Stranger Waves
07.11.09 @ Beachland Ballroom | Cleveland, OH
w/ Davila 666
07.12.09 @ Bug Jar | Rochester, NY
w/ Davila 666
07.13.09 @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern | Toronto, ON
w/ Davila 666
07.14.09 @ Il Motore | Montreal, QC
w/ Davila 666
07.15.09 @ The Church | Boston, MA
w/ Davila 666
07.16.09 @ Johnny Brenda's | Philadelphia, PA
w/ Davila 666
07.17.09 @ Southpaw | Brooklyn, NY
w/ Davila 666
07.18.09 @ Cafe Nine | New Haven, CT
w/ Davila 666
07.19.09 @ Maxwell's | Hoboken, NJ
w/ Davila 666
07.21.09 @ Talking Head | Baltimore, MD
w/ Davila 666
07.23.09 @ Black Cat | Washington, DC BACKSTAGE
w/ Davila 666
07.24.09 @ 31st Street Pub | Pittsburgh, PA
w/ Davila 666
07.25.09 @ Comet Bar | Cincinnati, OH
w/ Davila 666
07.26.09 @ Ravari Room | Columbus, OH
w/ Davila 666

Saturday's lineup at the 2009 PItchfork Music Festival has got me weak in the knees like SWV. The acts I am most interested in catching include (but are not limited to):

Kimberly Morrison and Jesse Lortz have a great Detroit garage rock 'n blues sound. I haven't heard much of them, but what I'm hearing so far, I like a lot. They aren't as polished as The Raveonettes but their sound is somewhat similar.

These power pop kids are too cute. I've got to get at least two dances in with them before rushing off to the next stage.

This trio of Phil Moore, Beth Tacular and Matt Damron have got a great folk-rock sound and incorporate one of my favorite lesser-used instruments, the accordion. You can check out and download their Daytrotter session here.

Ok I'm a bit torn and hoping the schedule is wrong because Beirut (Zach Condon) will be taking his utterly unique musicality to the stage at the same time as Matt and Kim! WTF! If I really do have to choose, I'll be hanging out with Beirut because I just can't keep myself away from a good ukulele session. Matt and Kim are cute but Zach's voice is so different and has accompanied me on so many bus rides through the city, I feel like I owe it to myself to see him live.

The band's "All Hour Cymbols" album was one of my favorites of 2007 and 2008. Their trippy brand of haunting vocals will either be perfect for, or totally weird, on a hot summer day in the middle of a park in Chicago.

Few bands have struck a chord with almost all of my friends like The National. "Boxer" is listened to and referred back to in our conversations repeatedly. That being said, I will also have to go on over to watch The Black Lips perform because it is sure to be a SPECTACLE! You never know what those boys are going to do but it usually contains nudity...which I'm ok with!

Full list of bands taking over Union Park on Saturday:

SATURDAY, JULY 18
8:40 (A) The National
8:30 (B) The Black Lips
7:30 (B) Matt and Kim
7:25 (C) Beirut
6:30 (B) Lindstrøm
6:15 (A) Doom
5:30 (B) Wavves
5:15 (C) Yeasayer
4:30 (B) Ponytail
4:15 (A) Final Fantasy
3:35 (B) Bowerbirds
3:20 (C) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
2:40 (B) The Antlers
2:30 (A) F**ked Up
1:45 (C) Plants and Animals
1:45 (B) The Dutchess & The Duke
1:00 (A) Cymbals Eat Guitars
1:00 (B) Disappears

Summertime is meant for outdoor music festivals all over the U.S. Some are better than others and some just get more hype than others. Personally, the time I look forward to most is when the Pitchfork Music Festival sets up in Chicago's Union Park. A group of my friends and I have gone every year and grab a spot in the shade now known as "Lazy Town". This is where we can rest between sets, eat various deliciousness from the vendors (shout out to Chicago Diner for their amazing vegan options) and stash our bags filled with extra toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Every year I come away with a list of new bands to love and a greater appreciation for bands I'm already a fan of.

This year I'll have to keep my beer drinking to a minimum in order to bring you some coherent festival coverage. The lineup looks great and there are a few bands I haven't seen yet that I'm really excited to check out live. There are too many amazing bands to put into one small blog entry so I'll bring them to you in stages starting with Friday night's lineup which includes:

At 5:00 the Connector Stage will play host to Tortoise whose new album, "Beacons of Ancestorship" was released June 23rd.

Beautiful Love - Tortoise

Catch The Jesus Lizard 7:20 at the Connector Stage. Check out their hard rocking "Nub" off of their upcoming Goat reissue.

Postcoital Glow - The Jesus Li...

Hoboken's finest, Yo La Tengo will be taking over the Aluminum Stage at 6:10. If anyone tries to get in the way of you getting to the front of the stage, just tell them, "I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass". If they don't get the reference, they have no use for the front of the stage anyway. Download "Periodically Double or Triple" off of their Popular Songs LP.

From A Motel 6 - Yo La Tengo

Headlining Friday's festivities is the always awesome, sometimes hairy, Built to Spill. They'll be hitting up the Aluminum Stage at 8:40.

Randy Described Eternity - Bui...

Tickets were picked up quickly but some are still available for Friday and Saturday. Sunday, Two-day and Three-day passes are all gone so act quickly.