If you don't want to deal with the crowds and you miss the '80s The Bangles and the Psychedelic Furs both make separate appearances at the House of Blues this month.

If you are more about the now, Bay Area's AFI will bring the fire and the gloom to The Vic Theater on the 7th while over in the loop, Panic! At The Disco brings their pop-punk to the House of Blues on the same night.

If you are like me and like hot insane piano players than maybe you want to head out to the former Meigs Field site to check out the gorgeous rantings of the one and only Fiona Apple. How about some Cake, the band that is and not the tasty dessert, at the Old St. Pat's annual Worlds Largest Block Party where your admission ticket includes five free drinks and that includes BEER so how can you go wrong?

Of course it's not a summer without the music festivals and July has got us covered. Throw up your metal horns because Ozzfest is rolling into town so you better lock up your daughters otherwise they may very well be seen later on some one's shoulders flashing their goodies to the crowd. Hmm, on second thought disregard that last statement.

If you are more of a punk, punk rocker that is, than we have the 12th annual Van's Warped Tour with bands like crowd pleasers NOFX to Chicago's The Academy is... and even Joan “I Love Rock and Roll” Jett just for fun. If that's not your cup of tea than the Pitchfork Music Festival is a must see for the secret Indie Rocker in all of us. So call your friends and head out at the end of the month to Union Park by United Center for 2 days and 41 bands and oh it's cheap too!

On the CD front, July has a few must haves and curiosities to offer up. As patriotic as it can possibly get July 4th brings us the Man in Black's “American V: A Hundred Highways.” With the vocals recorded just months before Johnny Cash's passing these songs are the last of the American Recording series produced superbly by Rick Rubin and is on my must have lists.

On the curiosity front, we have Radiohead front man's Thom Yorke's solo album “The Eraser” that found its way to the internet last month with mix reviews. You be the judge when it hits shelves in the middle of the month. Speaking of Radiohead, the Brit rock trio MUSE is back delivering their grandiose art rock sounds with “Black Holes and Revelations.”

Ending the month we have a little bit of the old and a little bit of the new. Jurassic 5 is back with their hip underground rap on “Feedback” that includes a special vocal appearance by Mos Def.

After touring extensively in the past year, the granddaddies of Punk The New York Dolls are back offering up their first studio album since 1974 (they actually only ever released two studio albums total). The New York Dolls were punk rock before it was cool to be punk rock and they of all people should be headlining the Van's Warped Tour this year. It will be interesting to hear what they come up with now 30 years later with “One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This.”

Also on tap for the end of the month are solo offerings from both Tom Petty and producer god, Pharrell aka N.E.R.D.S. Wiliams. It's amazing to think the first Heartbreaker's album came out way back in 1976 and with the release of “Highway Companion” this is only his third solo album. Expect Petty to have special guests by the Heartbreakers and continue delivering his own Americanized Rock and Roll that we have expected and craved from him. Originally scheduled to hit stores last December, Williams' “In My Mind” is finally making its appearance and has a dream cast with guests appearances by Jay-Z, Daddy Yankee, and the newest MILF, Gwen Stefani.

So there you have it get out of your house and enjoy the summer while you still can and remember “it's only Rock and Roll but I like it”.

• Random Noise appears monthly, exclusively in Lumino Magazine.

• Random Noise appears monthly, exclusively in Lumino Magazine.

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