Unfortunately my Rocktober rambling is limited by other obligations (deadlines, pfft, whatever) but if I could, I would surely be heading to The Hideout (1354 W. Wabansia in Chicago) tomorrow night to see The Shondes.
The band's name is Yiddish for The Shames and their newest CD The Garden is the most rock and roll fun I've come across in some time, equal parts Riot Grrrl-ish rage, klezmer bounce and power pop hooks (okay, maybe not totally equal parts, these songs are all super catchy). The only thing that seems to be able to knock their paean to blue-hued, all-powerful Watchmen anti-superhero "Dr. Manhattan" out of my head is the record's title track "The Garden." Here's a blistering live version of "Dr. Manhattan" to give you some idea.
As you can tell if you clicked that link, Shondes singer Louisa Solomon has got quite the set of pipes on her, and the band's reputation as a stellar live act combined with their radical politics (they have controversially aligned themselves with Jews Against The Occupation, an organization which among other things calls for the removal of Israel's West Bank Barrier as "the apartheid wall") and these great catchy songs make this one gig not to miss if you are lucky enough to be in the Chicago area tomorrow night.
If you make it, let me know how the show was! It'll be a mitzvah!