The latest edition of Small Chicago is live and feature the punk-pop band The Saps. Check out their performance of "Bother You" and then visit Small Chicago for two more videos and loads of pictures from the session. The Saps performed last night at The Bottom Lounge, but you can catch them on May 29th at The House Cafe in DeKalb, IL.

On the road recently with Trevor Hall and John Oates (yes, Thee), Jer Coons is coming home to Vermont tonight, playing at Higher Ground in South Burlington.  Jer has been consistently touring over the last year, playing to full venues from Florida to Madison, WI.  He's picking up fans in every city he shows his shining face - and it's well-deserved. He's been working his ass off, and his show (and band) are tighter than ever.

Yeah, it's pop, but it's damn good.  No need for anyone to get embarrassed, Jer's music challenges fans of all ages and genres to just try and have a bad time.  Check out the video for his single, "Legs" here.  His last show here was sold out, so if you haven't yet - GET YO' TICKETS NOW!  It will be an early show, like most at higher Ground these days - doors open at 7 p.m.  Taylor Carson will open.

Rockie Fresh is the next big thing to come out of Chicago and his brand new video with YP and Big Homie Doe for the track “Fly Like This” proves it. There are some great shots of the city here. The video was produced by Davy Greenberg.

Although their latest album, Bummer Palace, will not be released until next month Caw! Caw! will be celebrating the release on April 13th at The Abbey Pub with YAWN and Tender. The band has been working on this album since last July, and it is their first full-length album since 2006 and Eine Kleine Todesmusik. It is also their first album to feature Dan Rico on bass. After the show they will be heading out on a two month nationwide tour.

Bummer Palace is an exciting album filled hard-hitting rock, but is also dripping with the heavenly falsetto of Tim Tsurutani. That mixture of high-pitched vocals and aggressive instrumentation is yet another transformation for this trio that has been together since 2001. Over the years the band has morphed from a punk outfit to cosmic pop to their combination of sounds. My favorite track on the album is the atmospheric adventure “My Starship” with begins gentle with the words “Sunlight on my bike”. The song is filled with chaos at about the minute mark, but Tsurutani remains constant. It’s a fun track containing several surprises.

We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list here (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record sotre personnel and DJs). Many of the bands in this list will play The Deli's Best of NYC Fest in Williamsbur on May (6 shows in 3 different venues between the 13 and the 15).

Blowing into Brooklyn from Kansas, We Are Country Mice front man Jason Krueger brought the dusty, county music sound with him. Krueger’s farm-boy background may be all over the band’s music (sample song title: ‘A Good Old Fashioned Barn Raising’), but hooking up with his new group in a new city has opened some creative doors. “I grew up in the one of the most rural settings there is and now live in a huge metropolis. Out here I’m challenged every day with new sounds yet my roots keep my feet grounded in the dirt. That push and pull can be found in our music.”