Artificial Madness – Live at The Hideout

Chris has been rocking in the new year by writing new material. We’ll post more news about that as it becomes available.

If you’re following Chris on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll know about the contest to win a copy of the new album. Congratulations to the winners: Chris Matheson, Robert Henry, and Christopher Jacobson.

Want to win a copy of Ed Royal, Chris’s first novel? Check back next month!

Chris and his band put on a fabulous show at The Hideout last week. More footage will be coming, but check out this video of Classically Wounded or this photo gallery. If you have any footage of the show, post a link here or on Facebook!

In anticipation of the show, Time Out Chicago ran a concert preview and interview by Areif Sless-Kitain. The Chicago Tribune also ran a story, Chris Connelly keeps on searching for more blank canvases to explore.

Update: Time Out Chicago also named “Artificial Madness” as one of their top albums of 2011!

More blogs are reviewing “Artificial Madness” as well. Check out this review at Dawn of the Deaf and an interview at Chaos Control Digizine.

If you’re enjoying “Artificial Madness”, be sure to rate it on Amazon or iTunes!

• Artificial Madness Brings Connelly Back at Liquid [Hip]
• Artificial Madness: Chris Connelly, Part I at Twisted Peppermint
• Chris Connelly’s Artifical Madness by David Musto, Chicago Indie Rock Examiner
• Metal Monday Volume 44 Pop Blerd

If you haven’t picked up Artificial Madness yet and want a chance to win a copy, join Chris on the social web — like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter! Once Chris gets to 3,000 Facebook likes and 1,000 Twitter followers, we’ll be randomly awarding fans and followers copies of the new album or Chris’s first work of fiction, Ed Royal. Tell your friends and let’s get those numbers up!

In honor of Chris’s new release, and just to catch up with the “Web 2.0″ world, we’ve also redesigned the site. It should play nicely with all of your various web-enabled devices and features helpful pointers to Chris on Facebook and Twitter. We welcome your feedback and hope you enjoy the new site!

Over at Decibel, Chris has composed a new set of confessions: Confessions of a Hysterical Music Addict 1975, detailing the record shops he frequented growing up in Edinburgh.

Continuing his reflections back, Chris contributed to An oral history of Chicago’s metal scene, part 3: the ’90s for the A.V. Club. (The A.V. Club also listed The Episodes at number 20 on their list of unconventional recording spaces.)

And don’t miss this track-by-track overview of Artificial Madness over at Alarm Press!

This fall, Meshell Ndegeocello will return with her latest record Weather, out November 8th on Naïve in the U.S…. The album also features all-star collaborations with the likes of Chris Connelly (ex-Revolting Cocks, Ministry), Benji Hughes, and Joe Henry.

Update: If you missed the show, you can read the show notes and download an MP3 on the Sound Opinions web site!

Originally posted on July 4.

[This] record is the best since “Shipwreck”–a LOT harder, even acknowledging Ministry in certain ways, many tracks very fast & very loud, a few slow, darker moments… the band is a four-piece, traditional guitar-bass-drums lineup of some of the best musicians I have ever worked with:

Noah Leger on drums (from Tight Phantomz, Head of Skulls)
Dallas Thomas on guitar (Swan King, High Confessions)
Will Lindsay on bass (Nachmystium)

It’s produced by Sanford Parker (High Confessions, Minsk, Nachmystium).

While you’re waiting to hear what this endeavor sounds like, here are the song titles:

• Artificial madness
• A career in falsehood
• Classically wounded
• Cold blood in present company
• Compatibility
• British drug lords
• Imperfect star
• Modern swine
• The paraffin hearts
• The subjects
• The goner
• Wait for amateur

Here’s the set list:

• Beers Steers and Queers
• Attack Ships on Fire
• Stainless Steel Providers
• (Let’s Get) Physical
• Something Wonderful
• No Devotion
• Do Ya Think I’m Sexy

More pictures and videos are available on Flickr. Enjoy!

Listen to Chris read selections from “Concrete”

Haven’t read “Concrete” yet? Buy it! (Seriously, you’ll love it.)