"I was told you little ones have to be home at a certain time, so I'll play as fast as I can," said Kimya Dawson, two soft-spoken ditties into a 25-track setlist last night (April 14) at Chicago's new best-kept Mansion venue -- ssshh! -- in the city's tree-lined Emerald Necklace neighborhood.

What’s the Deal? Subtleties of chicka-chicka-wicka-wicka get velvet-slick when Istanbul-born Parisian-bred DJ/producer Dimitris Yerasimos brings disco and funk’s most sweaty golden hits onto the dance floor.

Who: This power trio comprising bassist Bradley, drummer Karin, and guitarist Fonzie (all three provide vocals) sling just-over-one-minute fuzz atop American-bred Oi!

What's the Deal? With Gnarls Barkley's Danger Mouse at the production helm, the Black Keys' fifth album, Attack & Release, swaps the power duo's trademark lo-fi for a taste of the hi.

Fresh on the heels of SXSW, Manchester’s newest Columbia signees the Ting Tings were all spunk-cheer last night (March 20) during a gig for budding fashion entrepreneurs in Chicago's warehouse district.

What's the Deal: These glitzy popsters' upbeat sonic thrusts club-punching guitars and adolescent coos, at times sounding as if Kylie Minogue attended indie-rock training camp and graduated with honors in handclaps and hipster sass.