Hands Off! Comp Unites Female artists
Posted Wednesday, February 10th, 2021 at 4:20 pm

Hands Off! Comp is a limited edition tape cassette compilation powered by female fronted bands in honor of women empowerment. in response to the Burger Records scandal that broke open this past summer. The 22 track tape features powerhouses L7, Courtney Barnett, Exene Cervenka of X, Alice Bag with Kathleen Hanna & Allison Wolfe, Amyl & the Sniffers, Blacker Face, White Mystery, The Black Tones, Clickbait and more. Featuring cover art from the sardonic splendor of Tragic Girls, Hands Off! Comp amplifies and liberates women and cross-sectional voices within rock’n’roll.
(more…) Leave a comment Posted in Art, Colaboration, In the Moment Tags: cassette, chicago, Chicago Venues, collaboration, coronavirus, covid-19, female musicians, Hands Off! Compilation, tape cassetteWhite Mystery Licensing Opportunities
Posted Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021 at 4:20 am

TOP 5 MOST LICENSED
• White Mystery Birthday Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery Good Girl Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery Dead Inside Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery Blood & Venom Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery Powerglove Vocal / Instrumental
SPORTS SONGS
• White Mystery “Kicking My Ball” Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery “Boy Next Door” Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery “Break A Sweat” Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery “Live To Hunt” Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery “Klaymor The Wizard” Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery “Take A Walk” Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery “Ton Up Kid” Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery “Stand It” Vocal / Instrumental
• White Mystery “People Power” Vocal
• White Mystery “Telepathic” Vocal / Instrumental
Leave a comment Posted in Colaboration, Licensing Tags: "take a walk", birthday, blood & venom, boy next door, break a sweat, chicago based band white mystery, dead inside, good girl, kicking my ball, klaymor the wizard, licensing, live to hunt, people power, powerglove, sports, stand it, telepathic, ton up kid, white mystery, white mystery music, white mystery songsTop Drummers in Garage Rock
Posted Friday, January 29th, 2021 at 8:00 am

Time to give the drummer some…
…help loading gear into the club, and perhaps, a doobie. While garage rock is perceived as “raw and energetic,” the drummers of the genre are incredibly disciplined, hardworking musicians. Today we honor the heartbeat of the band, whose blood, sweat, and tears drive every performance. Here are eleven essential drummers you need to know.

Don’t let his hilarious antics and “class clown” persona fool you, Max “Hersh Guy” Hiersteiner is an incredibly disciplined performer. Besides being a rock solid skin pounder, Max is a gifted skateboarder and athlete, and perhaps the funniest and most charming man we have the pleasure of knowing. Check him out in the Dirty Fences music video Judy Don’t Go.

To call Lamont “Bim” Thomas merely a drummer would be a massive understatement. Bim is a multi-instrumentalist, poet, producer, engineer, and exists in the highest echelon of rock and roll generals. He is a seasoned veteran of the Cleveland scene, a rock solid comrade in the trenches, and a true friend. Enjoy this rippin’ video “Molecule” from Obnox, one of his many projects.

Erin is the glamorous beat queen of rock’n’roll dreams. She’s the plucky drummer in Hunx and His Punx, the groovy bass player and lead singer in The Time Flys, among many projects. Erin Emslie has traveled the world playing rock n’ roll since most of you were in diapers. Watch her demolish the drums at a skate park in California.

If there was an award for the best posture in rock, Emi, formerly of Shonen Knife, would win it. Perched in a perfectly upright stance with a disciplined smile, Emi is a force of nature to behold. With her badass gloves and Angelic singing voice, she is the beat baroness of Osaka, Japan. When White Mystery toured with Shonen Knife back in 2012, her song “Psychedelic Life” was our favorite.

Jose reminds me of a younger version of myself, if I had ten times more talent. Jose is the perfect combination of tight control and explosive volatility. He commands the stage and his band with shocking authority for his young age, while keeping guessing as to where his groove is going next. Keep an eye on this young star and watch Monarchy Over Monday cover The Replacements, “Alex Chilton.“

Mike is fucking amazing. His legendary tenure in the golden age lineup of Thee Oh Sees spawned hundreds of soundalikes and wannabes. His legacy as a worldwide touring musician is forever revered by the real rock and roll community, and his work ethic and drive was so mighty he needed to be replaced by two drummers. Watch his legendary performance of “The Dream” at Pitchfork Music Fest in 2012.

Cedric Walker • The Black Tones • Seattle, Washington
If White Mystery was one half of a Ying Yang, our other half would be The Black Tones, featuring Cedric and his twin sister Eva. Raw chemistry, effortless telepathy, and overflowing with charisma, Cedric and his sister are a force to be reckoned with. Watch them holler for they’re mama!

Photo by Lee Klawans
Karissa is one of the most determined drummers we’ve had the pleasure of witnessing develop over the course of a decade. She rocks a 5 piece all-maple Pearl Decade kit, and possesses a truly unique style. She’s the backbone of Wet Piss, Les Strychnine, Lil Tits, Plastic Crimewave Syndicate, and Negative Scanner, and is the CEO of her own tape cassette label Eye Vibe Records.

Connor Brodner • Twin Peaks • Chicago, IL
Photo by Ian Laidlaw
Connor “Hammer Strength” Brodner is a true product of Chicago. Broad shouldered, determined, and unrelenting, he is the blue collar engine behind the world famous rock band Twin Peaks. A product of Chicago Public Schools and raised in the back yard DIY scene, Connor is a no nonsense hard worker that earned every bit of success that came his way. Check out this rad video for “Flavor.”

Photo by Sound Dessert
There are certain drummers in the DIY scene that prove themselves to be strong backbones of not just their bands, but their entire communities. Stef is an incredibly focused and trained drummer in Yoko and The Oh No’s, as well as a talented booker, promoter, and business woman. She knows what she wants and knows how to get it. Check out the amazing Yoko and The Oh No’s video Love U.

Photo by NRML
There is more to be said about Alejandro than this post can contain. He was a true artist, a brutal noise musician, and a frenetic and overwhelming drummer. He was an activist, a social worker, and a dear friend to all that knew him. He gave much of his own energy to lifting up those around him and propelling them to greatness. May his memory be eternal and his music be blasted at the great DIY show in the sky. Please enjoy this amazing video of Running at The Empty Bottle.
Leave a comment Posted in Francis, News Tags: Alejandro Morales, blog, california, Cedric Walker, chicago, cleveland, Dirty Fences, drummer Francis White, drums, Emi Morimoto, Erin Emslie, Eye Vybe, francis scott key white, garage rock, hunx and his punx, Japan, Jose Ceniceros, Karissa Talanisan, Lamont Thomas, los angeles, Max Hiersteiner, Mike Shoun, Monarchy Over Monday, new york city, Obnox, ohio, pitchfork, Psychedelic, Running, san francisco, seattle, shonen knife, skateboard, Stef Roti, Strychnine, The black tones, the empty bottle, thee ohsees, washington, Wet piss, white mystery, Yoko and The Oh No's“CHIMP’s Top Songs of 2020,” Esthetic Lens
Posted Thursday, December 31st, 2020 at 4:20 pm
Click here to read the article on the Esthetic Lens website.
(more…) Leave a comment Posted in In the Moment, News, Press Tags: 2020, chicago based band white mystery, esthetic lens, music industry, Playlist, Professional, spotify, top songs, white mysteryHands Off! Raises $3,169
Posted Friday, December 18th, 2020 at 4:20 pm

You may remember this project we announced called Hands Off! Comp featuring L7, Courtney Barnett, Alice Bag with Kathleen Hanna, X’s Exene Cervenka, Amyl and the Sniffers, Palehound, and many others. As of December 11th, 2020 we raised $3,169.00 for Girls Inc. This donation will go towards supporting the education of young girls in a pro-girl environment. Every tape cassette and t-shirt will help shape a better tomorrow for young women.
Leave a comment Posted in Colaboration, In the Moment, News Tags: 2020, burger records, cassette, chicago, Chicago Venues, collaboration, coronavirus, covid-19, female musicians, Hands Off! Compilation, miss alex white, tape cassette, white mysteryHands Off! Tape Cassette Sold Out
Posted Thursday, December 17th, 2020 at 4:20 pm
That’s a wrap! Thank you all for your support in the Hands Off! Comp project. It was an incredible experience working with insane talent from May McDonough of Psychedelic Cherry, LG from Thelma & the Sleaze, and Charlie Kaplan of Tapehead City. All of the proceeds will go towards Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization that empowers future generations of young women.
Leave a comment Posted in Art, Colaboration, In the Moment, News, Photos, Records Tags: 2020, cassette, chicago, Chicago Venues, collaboration, coronavirus, covid-19, female musicians, Hands Off! Compilation, tape cassette, white mysteryDark Matter Coffee benefits Chicago Venues
Posted Monday, December 14th, 2020 at 4:20 pm
Time For a Coffee Break? Try Dark Matter Coffee’s new collaboration with
Quiet Pterodactyl! All sales go towards the SituationChicago project to benefit our venues in coffee form. SituationChicago record sales end Dec 31st, so get yours before it’s gone!
“Artists include White Mystery,” Eater Chicago
Posted Sunday, December 13th, 2020 at 4:20 pm
Click here to read this article on the Eater Chicago website.
(more…) Leave a comment Posted in Colaboration, In the Moment, News, Press, Records Tags: 2020, chicago, chicago artists, Chicago Venues, covid-19, dark matter coffee, eater chicago, nonprofit, pandemic, revolution brewery, situation chicago, white mystery“Alumna Alex White Bridges the Music-Business Gap,” DePaul Business Exchange
Posted Thursday, November 26th, 2020 at 1:55 pm

Using the skills she learned as an undergraduate DePaul student, Miss Alex White has turned her band, White Mystery, into a sustainable music business through which she and her brother, Francis White (left), produce outdoor festivals, consult for artists and mentor music business students.
“As industry leaders, it’s our responsibility to learn all of the Vincentian, ethical lessons that I feel DePaul does a really good job at emphasizing in the MBA program—that people in money decisions aren’t just data.”
— Miss Alex White (BUS ’07)
In 2008, Miss Alex White (BUS ’07) made a pact with her brother, Francis White, to commit full-time to their newly formed punk band, White Mystery, for the next 10 years.
Throughout the next decade, the sibling rock duo fulfilled that pact by living and breathing music 24 hours a day. To date, White Mystery has played more than 1,000 shows on three continents with music icons including Iggy Pop, Garbage, Mavis Staples, Patti Smith and even Sir Richard Branson; appeared in a national Levi’s Jeans ad campaign; performed live on the NBC late night TV show, “Last Call with Carson Daly”; and self-released 10 records – all without a manager or publicist. White partly credits her band’s success to lessons she learned in the DePaul class, Effective Business Communications, that she took as an undergraduate business student with Associate Professor of Marketing Joel Whalen — lessons that include how to properly introduce yourself and market your business to others.
“I use the lessons from Dr. Joel Whalen’s class every day,” White says. “So many times you’ll receive an email from somebody and it’s just a too-long-to-read autobiography about the person’s experience and the reality is that a lot of business people in music and beyond receive dozens and dozens of emails every day.”
Using these skills, White has turned White Mystery into a sustainable music business through which she and her brother produce outdoor festivals, consult for artists and mentor music business students.
Now, White has returned to DePaul to earn her MBA with a concentration in Real Estate Finance & Investment. She juggles school with a full-time job as the senior market and experience manager for Do312, a virtual Chicago network that helps people discover happenings in Chicago, and side gigs that consist of spinning records for clubs and parties, writing a column for High Times magazine and working on freelance consulting projects that have been featured in Forbes magazine.
Click here to read the full article!
Leave a comment Posted in Art, Events, In the Moment, Press Tags: alex white, depaul, Music Education, music industry, white mystery band“A way to sustain many of the venues,” Basement Magazine
Posted Sunday, November 15th, 2020 at 7:37 pm


As music fans across Chicago and beyond mourn the loss of live music, the industry has been left wondering what comes next. In our 8th month of the Pandemic, everyone from musicians, to fans, to venue workers have felt the devastating effects of these unprecedented times. Though the network of live music has come to a halt, the community of caring, generous, motivated Chicago creatives continues to uplift and support one another. situationchicago, created by Trey Elder of the Quiet Pterodactyl non-profit, has become a shining example of the resilience of the music community. Featuring 25 Chicago musicians, this project is a massive collaboration of creative energy aiming to support local venues struggling during the Pandemic. “The situationchicago project was a direct response to the pandemic and the unknown closure times of our venues. 2020 was originally supposed to be events-driven for Quiet Pterodactyl, so when those events were cancelled, it just felt right to brainstorm to see what else we could do to help the music community in it’s time of need. “First to close, last to open” is a phrase that summarizes the current state of music venues, theaters…anywhere people gather indoors to enjoy the arts…and it’s not looking good that they will be able to re-open anywhere close to functioning capacity soon.”
Available via Bandcamp, situationchicago has created a 25 track vinyl record with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the venues needing it the most. From Jeff Tweedy, to Rick Wilson, to OK Go, this record supports a meaningful cause on top of being an awesome compilation of the city’s music. “We wanted to represent different music styles and parts of the city, as well as a variety of “bigger name” and local, up and coming, amazing talent that Chicago has to offer. Some we already had personal connections with, some were recommended by the music venues that are also a part of the project, and others were just artists we had appreciated from afar. All of the artists were excited to be able to give back to these venues they all know and play (have played) in. Smaller, local venues are the lifeblood of where artists develop their craft, and many of Chicago’s venues have been supporting the diverse scene here for decades.”
Upon speaking with featured artists Girl K, Rich Jones, and Miss Alex White of White Mystery, it seems these artists were equally as passionate about the mission as Trey was when he created situationchicago. Rich Jones speaks to situationchicago saying that “It resonates because it’s us using our music as a way to sustain many of the venues that have hosted us over the years. Also pretty cool to have a collection of songs featuring multiple generations of artists, many of whom myself and others are indebted to in regard to the groundwork they laid for us to have what we enjoy today.”
Click here to read the full article!
Leave a comment Posted in Art, Colaboration, Events, In the Moment, News, Press Tags: Chicago Music, Chicago Venues, Hands Off! Compilation, Press, situation chicago, venues