ALBUM REVIEWS
April 2020
NONE OF YOUR CONCERN
PRIMER
None Of Your Concern
Masked wonders of the dance floor NONE OF YOUR CONCERN have taken up the mantle of dark electro synth madness with their debut PRIMER. Driving us right back to the heydays of Neo, these two beat masters make it impossible not to throw yourself around in utter abandon to the deep synth dives, staccato beats, and high flourishes, coupled with haunting vocals and veiled messaging. Along with their hooded, gold geometric masked visages and identity secrecy they bring the mystery back to darkwave electro bliss. Though populated by danceable singles “SET ME ON FIRE,” “CINNAMON” and “LIED” it’s the four previously unreleased tracks that make PRIMER really tick. The camouflaged dialogue of opener “MAITLAND” takes many listens to decipher, and the bouncer “CLUB KIDS” should be on every self respecting humans summer playlist. At once a raw banger and treatise on the state of party culture, it just flat out makes nerve endings stand on end for it’s full two and half minutes. Along with “WASHED AWAY” taking a more melodic approach set apart by the absolute desolation beat of fast mover “GINC.” A hellscape of absolute beauty in seven tracks of ultimate neo-goth darkwave, PRIMER arrives in perfect timing to this never ending nightmare. The ultimate soundtrack to the unraveling of modern life.
C.H.E.W
In Due Time”
Iron Lung
If you’re anything like me, these six weeks of quarantine are really starting to test your mental health. Nearly two months of social distancing with no definite end in sight can make even the biggest homebodies lose their minds. Many of us are feeling anxious, lonely, restless, scared, and simply pissed off. We are in desperate need of a new outlet to release some of this negative energy. Thankfully, Chicago is home to many great up and coming punk and hardcore acts, and C.H.E.W's latest EP In Due Time is just what the doctor ordered!
C.H.E.W, whose name does not stand for anything, have been together for a few years and made a splash in Chicago punk circles with their ferocious 2018 debut Feeding Frenzy. Consisting of 16 blasts of unadulterated punk rock, Feeding Frenzy, was guaranteed to knock you on your ass, and In Due Time only continues the onslaught. At five tracks and nine minutes long, C.H.E.W’s brand of punk is sharp and to the point. Just as you are beginning to process the assault of opener “Knucklehead” the entire EP is already over!
C.H.E.W’s succinct-yet-aggressive sound is very similar to contemporaries like Mannequin Pussy (especially on their 2016 debut, Romantic.) Both bands have charismatic frontwomen who are excellent screamers and both share a penchant for composing songs that rarely exceed 2 minutes in length. Doris Jeane’s distinct screaming especially sets C.H.E.W apart from the pack and proves that she can shred alongside legends like Brody Dalle and Courtney Love.
In Due Time has done its part to keep me sane in these uncertain times, and I will definitely be keeping it and Feeding Frenzy in my rotation for the dark days ahead. While we may not be able to mosh at Reggie’s, I will happily create mosh pits of one in my home office for the time being. I may just smash into my own walls depending on how stir crazy I am!
Bonelang
SAINTMAKER
AntiFragile
In an age where genre mashing has become the norm, Bonelang has taken the practice to a whole other level with their newest effort SAINTMAKER. Described as an experimental hip-hop group by most media, the duo of rapper Samy and producer/vocalist Matt Bones are so much more than a label. Gathering a lifetime of influences into a collection of hooky, yet absorbing tracks, the two have found a sound that takes basics from every genre under the sun and compounds them into glistening tunes, dripping with musical passion. From the electro disco drop of “Like A Bird In A Jet Engine,” to the radio rock anthem “American Playboy,” coupled with the dark hip-hop in “Fox And The Hound” that would be right at home on anything released by Rhymesayers, Bonelang have found a groove that works. And that’s just the singles…
The real meat of SAINTMAKER lies in the glue that pulls it all together. The modern R&B styled ballads “Something To Fix” and “Reflectus,” the inventive rhymes of “Looking Everywhere It Ain’t” and “Newlian,” or the impact of Chicago House that is reflected in nearly every beat; all team up for a cohesive whole that is entirely stylistically consistent. Every track holds the vibe to perfection. Bonelang know who they are, and have the confidence and swagger to back it up.
PEEL
No Pain
PEEL RULES
Capturing the raw energy of a PEEL live show should be impossible. The sweaty, fist in the air, pogoing masses aside, the new EP from the Chicago rockers comes as close as it can to wrapping up their high octane garage meets punk attitude in a studio recording. Harkening back to an era when political correctness was an afterthought and rocking meant throwing yourself into the crowd until you were bloody and spent, No Pain is as much throwback as it is immediate. With riffs that would make Rick Nielsen pay attention, attitude rivaling early Iggy, and an obvious respect for their forebears, paying homage with classic rock burner “Ballad of Dougie Ramone,” PEEL is just as entertaining on record as they are in real life. Get off your couch, throw this one on, jump around the fucking room and get some exercise, while the world crumbles down around our ears.
Jordan Reyes
Closer
American Dream
Honestly, the music of the analog synth is not for the casual listener. No fan of Top 40 is going to get down to the blips, tones, and static produced by a human becoming one with the knobs, plugs and wires of a complex looking, yet relatively simple electronic device. Not to say it is easy to operate an analog synth, but as electronics go it’s inner workings haven’t come very far since the heyday of the 70s. Yet, there is something to be said for the simplistic beauty that can be attained by the patchwork nature of a single human weaving together dissonant noises into a pattern that becomes music. Jordan Reyes' new collection of compositions is just such an example. Closer vibes with a personal energy so omnipresent it melds into your subconscious in a slow burn. Very much a companion piece to last year’s Close, these new arrangements provide more of a deep dive into the relationship between Reyes’ and his mechanical instrument. The connection necessary between man and machine to achieve such layered textures, coupled with the deft hand to keep the compositions from becoming over taxed in sound, is the fascinating element at the heart of Closer. As they always say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and when it comes to the music of Reyes it would take a black heart not to see the affection that exists between the man and his instrument.
Jackie Lynn
Jacqueline
Drag City
Hailey Fohr’s alter ego Jackie Lynn rides again, this time as a gentile long-haul trucker, peaceably towing legally tendered commodities along the winding supply chains of the west. Fohr invented Jackie Lynn as an outlet for her more straightforward musical inclinations, a kind of oasis from the lugubrious depths of her other project Circuit des Yeux. Jackie Lynn is an interesting take on the country music genre, one that is hardly embraced by the mainstream of country fandom, but which slots perfectly into the folds of present-day Americana. Sturdy lonesome melodies delivered in a dusky croon, backed by smooth leathery grooves, and dust-kicking beats, liberally melding the influences of ‘70s pop and soul with beats stitched together on an outdated laptop in a bedroom closet, crinkling and sifting through the detritus of life to find a glint of meaning in the perpetual twilight of the new American century. It’s the sound of a search for a freedom that may have been lost, and probably never existed in the first place. On the project’s self-titled debut, Jackie Lynn was a modern outlaw, deliberately putting distance between herself and a disaster of her own making, contemplating further felonious remedies to her many small cutting interactions with uncouth locals in the places she passed through. On Jacqueline, we see our heroine renewed, having put her past behind her sometime between acts, she is taking pleasure in small moments of grace and planting saplings of joy in the furrows made by her journey through the wide-open west. Both opener “Casino Queen” and “Shuga Water'' have angular danceable grooves and surprisingly cheery dispositions, feeling at times very Talking Heads influenced. Actually, if I had to pull a cultural touchstone out of my brain that best encapsulates the freaky optimism of it all, I’d have to go with David Byrne’s film True Stories. There are so many weird, dreamy moments of confidence loving embrace here, like the tropical trotting lullaby of “Dream St” or the warm babble of “Traveler’s Code of Conduct,” that the album could not be more of a thematic about-face from Fohr’s previous incarnation of Lynn. The most striking example of which is the Krauty, clairvoyant disco voyage “Odessa,” the beautiful interplay of programmed beats and bright illuminating electronics coalescing into something approaching an out of body experience. The entire encounter is remarkably moving. Jacqueline takes the full, flawed state of the world in with a single breath, and exhales deeply in the commitment to make the most of what is available to be made the most of.
Errant
Errant EP
Manatee Rampage
Sweet monstrosity of the sightless void, did this EP come out of left field? It has been less than a year since Chicago’s hybrid death metal and prodigious post-hardcore band Immortal Bird released their superb debut Thrive on Neglect, and their vocalist already has a solo act. Mind you, this release was written and recorded pre-lockdown while her other band was still active and playing out. When did Rae Amitay have the time? I guess what I’m less surprised about is how damn good this album is. Immortal Bird has some touches of black metal, but it’s not their defining genre criterion by any means. Rae Amitay’s new project Errant, is an entirely different story. The self-titled EP was made at Bricktop Recording right here in dreary ol’ Chicago with the help of Pete Grossmann, whose ear for the maniacal has helped many a local metal band bring their malignant creations to life. On this release, Amitay embraces several variations on second-wave black metal, with light touches of doom metal and post-rock thrown in to add grit to the stew of black emotions she has conjured from the pitiless depths of hell. “The Amorphic Burden'' captures the hate and heat of Watain, bridging it with more atmospheric black metal through Failure-esque stargazing interludes. “A Vacillant Breath'' rips a page out of Myrkur’s old playbook, creating a fearsome interplay between winsome Scandinavian folk-revival, clean singing, and an authoritative Bathory like attack that shakes the snow from trees miles away from her strangled guttural cry. “Oneirodynia'' invokes the dapper but deadly wraith of Tribulation, encompassing elements of a gothic trad-rock for a meticulous and malicious assault on the senses. Did I mention that the first track had a splash of hopeless indie rock seeping into its fractured façade? Well that was just a mere appetizer for the closing track, a cover of Failure’s “Saturday Savior,” executed with pure adoration for the source material, heightening its bitter hooks with Amitay’s wet sardonic sneer. Amitay’s new project is showing a lot of promise as she experiments with various dark incarnations from the late ‘80s and ‘90s. What shadowy realities she will phase into on future releases is anyone’s guess, but it will assuredly be worth following her on this dark journey if this EP is any guide.
KeiyaA
Forever, Ya Girl
Forever
The saying goes that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in the case of KeiyaA’s debut full length Forever, Ya Girl an elegant artistry is undeniable. The Chicago singer/songwriter/producer has crafted a singular effort concentrating on the personal power within and how it’s affected by the social and political realms outside the self. While this might be common in many artists' repertoire, what sets KeiyaA apart is her drive to create within her own context. Only a few of the tracks have production credits from DJ Blackpower and one from DJ Cowriiie (who is KeiyaA’s alter ego), the rest were produced by the artist herself. Many musicians in R&B, even alternative R&B, have more than a few producers behind them; but KeiyaA has journeyed on her own, a freedom that makes all the difference. Uncompromising in her staccato laced dark beats and thought provoking samples, providing a groundwork for her thick content, she layers on the beauty from a place of conflict. Whether it’s the push and pull of cultural approriation in “Every Nigga Is A Star,” or exploring community paranoia and escaping the victim mentality on “A Mile, a Way,” to taking on materialism with “I Want My Things!;” and exploring love and relationships on “Way Eye,” “Do Yourself a Favor,” “F.w.u.,” and more, KeiyaA leaves no experience unturned. Each track flowing from one to another, creating a beautiful and salient work of art.
Death on Fire
Ghost Songs
Death on Fire
Chicago has a dearth of pretty good death metal bands stalking its streets at the moment (not literally though, we're supposed to be observing a Shelter in Place order after all), but very few melodic death metal acts call our filth-ridden city home. Most fall into the old school or grind categories, almost in mocking denial of the fact that one of the biggest death metal bands in the Midwest (The Black Dahlia Murder) is unapologetic in their adherence to At the Gates and other melo-marauders. I guess most death metalheads would rather get out of BDM's way rather than go toe-to-toe with the lumbering behemoth from The Wolverine State. Thank god we have groups like Death on Fire to carry this torch for the windy city. Atonal growls are fun and all, but every once in awhile I like to feel the bite of a nice sharp guitar hook. Ghost Songs is Death on Fire's second LP and sees the band continue to perfect their coldhearted adaptation of early In Flames's driving melodic mayhem and Carcass's lethal viscera making attack. Tim Kenefic's vocals are stained with a flood of blood from a thousand severed arteries, choking and gurgling through a cascade of epic climbing top-line melodies that feel ready to do battle with an invading horde. Sam Stephens's guitar work is of particular note for its rough but versatile qualities, strapping into exceptionally hot and virtuosic leads and riding them into abrupt tempo changes wherein he shifts gears to a bone pulverizing groove. If you are looking for a place to start, flip the ignition on the title track "Ghost Song," a combustible, biker-groove gallop that borrows its brow-singeing lightning-strike grooves from the punker factions of the previous decade's melo-death cadre. The title track also has some qualities reminiscent of the seething Canadian death duelists Kataklysm, a touchstone that "Architects" also shares. While Ghost Songs is a surprisingly swift sounding record, tracks like "Once Were Warriors" do manage to downshift to make room for some man-trapping breakdowns, and "The End Complete" even opens with a couple of measures of gothic blues, before shattering any illusions of tranquility with charging volleys of fiery, sky blackening leads and rib-snapping, side-swiping beats. Ghost Songs is a ripping showcase of top-notch melo-death from a band that won't haunt your dreams as much as they will forcibly evict your family from their home, at the same time that their malevolent will causes the abode to implode in a blinding burst of light, all while you and your kin watch helplessly from the street. Death on Fire is one gang of restless spirits that are not messing around.
Speed Babes
1981
Speed Babes
Raw distorted guitar, pulsing bass, and the boom pop of punk drums delivered with a “give no fucks attitude” is the very basis in which Speed Babes have made a career. Their new record 1981 is more of the same skull rattling, two minute long rampages of shout along bliss. With the blistering seventh record from the trio in five years, there is something to be said for the lower quality fuzz produced by iOS garageband recorded tunes that reflect our own desires for quality. It’s as if “I Don’t Wanna Be Like You,” “We Don’t Care,” and “Maybe This Is Why You Feel Alone” aren’t just tongue in cheek. Speed Babes really don’t give a shit if you like them. They could care less. Making music and drinking are absolutely a passion and with such a prolific output it’s hard to argue with their work ethic. A barn burner of a record, that will be over before you know it, 1981 is the album we need right now. With tracks like “Let’s Have Some Fun and Then We’ll Die,” and “Digital Friends,” maybe they saw the end times coming, and just couldn’t resist letting us all know.
Chicago Groove Experiment
Jar of Dreams
Chicago Groove Experiment
Chicago Groove Experiment’s name is a little misleading. Yes, they are a new band. But it’s all old-heads behind the wheel, and trust me, they know what they are doing. There is no guesswork, or unproven hypothesizes in this “experiment.” No sir, this is a band who is all about the practical application of Chicago style blues, deep funky bass, scintillating vocal performances, and sexy, smack-talking brass. Chicago Groove Experiment is led by local bassist Ari Mintz and guitarist Tom Sanchez, who have been keeping the Chicago scene real and righteous for many a trip around the sun. The band is backed by the glorious big golden tones of the Liquid Soul jazz band. The horns of this group aren’t let loose like they can be on some of their solo releases, and instead are put to judicious use with great effect, especially on the jiving keys led jog “Maxwell’s Groove,” where the brass section provides pitch-perfect punctuation to the melodies ambling groove. If you can envision Tower of Power reimagined in the style of a ‘90s soul revival, orchestrated under the watchful eye of a mid-career Angie Stone, then you’re probably in the right frame of mind to hop into the big-stepping swagger and bellbottom funk of the honey-coated sour grapes “Thing You Cannot Have,” and the warm tickling purr and low-key glamour of “Moonbeams,” with its cool streams of guitar solos and long, luxurious grooves. For the real soft-hearted fools out there, there is the Hammond organ blues of the closer “Dream 19,” and for the traditionalists, there is the chiding Staple Singers-esque testimonial “Holy Love.” If you love the blues, if you love soul, if you love the music that made Chicago famous, then Jar of Dreams is everything you could ask for and more.
Joshua Virtue
Jackie’s House
Why?
When four friends got together and started Why? Records in late 2018, they had a dream to populate the Chicago scene with quality and important art. Nine albums later, within the space of a year and a half, they have never faltered. Each project gains another rung in the gate they have opened into their lives, sharing their innermost thoughts and defining the start of a new wave in Chicago hip-hop. With a boat load of sample laden beats and inventive rhymes, the mavericks Malci, Joshua Virtue, Ruby Watson, and Davis have shown what you can accomplish with tenacity and determination.
Enter their latest project Jackie’s House, an “emergency album” written and recorded in the first two weeks of the COVID-19 quarantine to help support Virtue’s family during this economic and societal crisis, and released a month after shelter in place began. The label’s most indispensible work to date, Jackie’s House is raw and emotional, political yet personal, aggressive and daring. With plenty of sharp wit and commentary, Virtue busts through the ether of nonsense with basic truth telling on “Arc” and “Fenti Face,” captures some sardonic tongue in cheek action with “Squirrel,” and is joined by labelmates Watson and Malci with fire verses on “12 Billion Wulong!” and the Uncle of the underground Rahim Salaam on the satisfying “Phil.”
A breakneck record that flies by in the blink of an eye, full to the brim with the patented abstract Why? beats and enough potent spitting to fill in every corner, Jackie’s House is the necessary work of art we need right now. It may have started as a way to help his family but it ended up as a way to help us all through these unprecedented times.
- Kyle Land
Local H
Lifers
AntiFragile
Lifers is an appropriate title for Local H’s ninth album. The Zion hard rock duo are now 30 years into their career and actually played their first show at the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater on April 20, 1990. Are dispensaries an essential business so we can properly celebrate this momentous occasion? (editor's note: unless you have a medical card, they are not) Local H briefly broke into the mainstream in 1996 with their second album, As Good As Dead, featuring their biggest hit, “Bound For The Floor.” While their subsequent output was never able to replicate this early commercial success, Scott Lucas and his revolving cast of drummers have become a reliable Chicago institution who have consistently churned out high quality hard rock releases every 3-5 years.
Lifers continues this proud tradition and demonstrates that Local H shows no signs of slowing down. The album opens strong with the politically-charged “Patrick Bateman”, an explosive punk track which finds Lucas lashing out at the alt-right and the current state of our country. This punk energy tempered with classic rock restraint continues on “Hold That Thought” and “Winter Western.” The only real misstep on the first half of the album is the semi-cringeworthy “High, Wide and Stupid.” While this song accurately critiques social media drama, it veers way too close to butt rock territory for my tastes and wouldn’t feel too out of place on a Buckcherry or Theory of a Deadman album.
Lucas and drummer Ryan Harding indulge in a bit of experimentation on the second half of Lifers with, “Beyond the Valley of Snakes” and “Defy and Surrender.” The former is a 7:12 track that flirts with desert rock and sludge metal, while the latter clocks in at 10:12 and starts off as a slow-building stoner rock track before a massive guitar eruption and Lucas’ shredding screams take over. The guitar tones on these songs are fantastic and I am still in awe that a mere duo can create such a huge sound. The band throws us an even bigger curveball on “Sunday Best,” an uncharacteristically tender acoustic ballad that finds Lucas contemplating his mortality.
Overall, Lifers is a solid, above-average effort from these elder statesmen of Chicago rock. After 30 years, Local H doesn’t have anything to prove and they could have easily phoned this album in. Fortunately, Lucas and Harding remain committed to delivering high quality grunge and punk-based hard rock that isn’t afraid of occasional experimentation. This is Local H’s recipe for longevity and I have no doubt that I will still be rocking out to their latest material 20 years from now.
Trace Mountains
Lost in the Country
Lame-O-Records
Trace Mountains caught my attention with their 2018 album A Partner To Lean On. Central to the project is Dave Benton. His voice is gentle and intimate. Like he’s sharing secrets he isn’t sure he wants anyone to hear. There’s authenticity in his voice, and I’m glad that he maintains the feeling with his latest release, Lost in the Country. But where many of my favorite tunes on Partner were built around a digital, electronic sound, this album has a more acoustic instrumentation. Twanging guitars and smooth strings. His signature introspective dreamscape lyrics are lifted up by the americana influenced rock. The production is a complex expansion of his sound. He creates a perfect balance of turning inwards by way of his inner dialogue, while breaking the music open, tapping into a decidedly bold sound for “Cooper’s Dream.” I was drawn in by the strong female vocalist(s) and a fuzzy powerful guitar we don’t see an equal to on the rest of the album. “Absurdity” brings together Americana twang and psych into an expansive landscape. The sweet lingering echoes of psych-twisted guitar lull me as the effects laden vocals cut deep, “We are all on our own, there is no kindness, only smartphones and violence.” Benton fears what people are capable of, for what our country seems to value. He tells us about traveling on the road and feeling an unending loneliness. This vision of open roads and freedom is something I long for, but the fears he describes are real. Even here in our isolation we can empathize. This tightrope walk of freedom and fear. Beautiful music as an expression of pain. Trace Mountains brings us meditations on balance. Take this passage of lyrics from “Me and May:”
“I always say, that it's ok, that there's always another day, to write your song into the world, but there are two worlds, the one you’re making every day, and the one that always gets away. So just sing your silly song and someday soon we’ll all be...Waking up on a hazy afternoon, drifting straight into a dream, with only good things”
The music is short and gets right to the point, speaking to this moment in a way that Benton could not have predicted, telling us that someday this weird interlude will be over. Every day is an opportunity to make something out of it. Although he seems to be giving permission to let go of the pressure of expectations and dream, to be silly if that is what the day calls for, he ends with a call to action: ”Let us always be on the boldest side of history." Now seems like a good time to be creative. To dream. To take chances and fail. To find freedom in our isolation.
Serengeti
AJAI
Cohn
The most prolific artist in Chicago hip-hop strikes again with AJAI as his alter ego Kenny Dennis. Teaming up with L.A. producer Kenny Segal for another concept record based on the fully sketched life of Dennis, after he claimed 2018’s 6e was the last for the titular character, Serengeti recorded in the first weeks of shelter in place with beats sent by Segal. AJAI is split into two seemingly separate stores that end up surprisingly merging in the end. The first half concentrates on Ajai, a fashion obsessed hyperbeast who can’t stop bragging about his possessions, including an entire track “Ajai’s Cool Stuff” that is nothing but a list of his collectibles. The latter section returns to the ostensible Kenny Dennis who has become sneaker obsessed and still mourns his passed wife Jueles. The parallel characters meet in the final track “Odouls X Portillos and Kools;” an unlikely wrap up that defines the randomness of life. Ending crazily enough with a chance meeting with Shaquille O’Neal outside a sneaker shop.
The beauty of Serengti’s seemingly nonsense riffs is that once you begin to unpack them they become ingenious portraits of the silliness of modern life. With all of Dennis’ bluster and self importance Serengeti is highlighting our celebrity and possession obsessed culture and reflecting it through this larger than life mustached, machismo filled characterisation of male confusion. Through his swirling word play and narrative style this workhorse of an artist captures two sides of a fitting portrait of the self obsessed among us and makes us all question, “Are we really any different?”
Low Swans
POST
Low Swans
Too often these days we’re bombarded with regurgitated styles and copycat bands. Here and there we’re exposed to the very few who aren’t. And in an era where singles reign, it’s always refreshing when you hear a whole album that holds its own weight. Enter Chicago synth-pop duo, Low Swans. They’re back with their latest album POST. What’s lacking in creativity in their title is certainly made up for in their work. Singer and writer Jon Scarpelli continues to wow us with his encapsulation of the MTV, 1980’s, new wave sound. However; the album showcases the versatility of the group. Opening track, "I'm Gonna Love You Like You Need To Be Loved,” an Alternative ballad, is almost reminiscent of U2 or even The Killers. As the album flows on with “Don’t Fk it Up” it quickly transitions into a more electronic sound. However; we still get the pop sensibility of the band as the chorus grabs us and doesn’t let go. They then throw a slight curveball with the final cut on Part I, “I don’t wanna be Alone.” The time signature was incredibly unique and one I could not for the life of me figure out. Their experimental, dark electronic sound shines through as do their harmonies. As we begin Part II on the album, we take another unexpected turn in the journey. “Stuck in my Mind” is a total departure from the norm here as we almost enter what I would classify as “chill.” A light, tickling piano riff plays over what sounds akin to a hip-hop break beat. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album as it’s a bit more my speed. Ending with another slow track to a break beat, POST really covered a lot of musical ground. I was also very impressed by their overarching ability to seamlessly incorporate live instrumentation such as piano and strings into a genre that’s not usually known for such diversity. Kudos to Low Swans as I recommend this to anyone who’s seeking something a bit off the musical beaten path.
- Daniel Steven Jacobson
Amalea Tshilds
Love on the Ground
Amalea TSHILDS
Love on the Ground is the long-awaited new album from singer-songwriter Amalea Tshilds, following her 2006 debut Painted Tiles. The 14 year gap between albums can simply be explained by life. During this time, Tshilds got married, became a mother, and her family’s restaurant, Lula Cafe (based in Logan Square) became successful. Over the past 4 years, she slowly composed the songs that make up this album and released it on February 21st. To celebrate, she played an album release show at Constellation with Missouri singer-songwriter Tim Kaiser that night.Love on the Ground is a pleasant collection of 11 Americana songs rooted in country and folk. These tracks are primarily driven by an acoustic guitar and Tshilds’ soothing vocals that have a bit of a twang. The title track, “Love on the Ground” is a pretty good representation of the sound, calm country-flavored acoustic folk. The following track, “Don’t Forget Yourself” is slightly more pop-oriented and upbeat and one of the most accessible tracks on the album alongside “A Little of That”. “With You’ is a beautiful ballad, and “Hollow Hollow” broadens the album’s sonic palate a bit by incorporating a violin and harmonica.
The standout track on this album is “Sisina”, where Tschilds sings a poem from Charles Baudelaire in French. Another track that borrows from famous poetry is “Lemon Orchard”, which is based on poetry from St. Francis of Assisi. The other major highlight from the second half of the album is the piano ballad, “Winging” which adds some additional sonic diversity and texture to a fairly homogenous album.
Love on the Ground displays some strong songwriting chops from Tschilds and demonstrates her vocal abilities as well as her passion for traditional folk and country music. While this album is genuinely a good effort, some of the tracks did have a tendency to blend together and felt a bit sleepy. That being said, I look forward to future releases from Tschilds and hope that the next album doesn’t take another 14 years!
Pokey LaFarge
Rock Bottom Rhapsody
New West
Spinning traditional formats into fresh nostalgia is nothing new in the modern age of genre blending, but Pokey LaFarge is a master of the practice. The Bloomington native has made a career out of harvesting influences from the legends of the 20th century and creating original hook filled beauties that worm their way into your heart through a combination of earnest intent and undeniable musicality. Rock Bottom Rhapsody may not be his best record, though it comes quite close to our favorite Something In The Water, but a little more wisdom and experience has brought his craft to a beautiful moment.
LaFarge’s previous efforts seemed to pick an era and dissect it into an essence that prevailed throughout the record. The country blues of Riverboat Soul, the early swing jazz on Middle of Everywhere, and elements of fifties rock peppered throughout Manic Revelations, all work in beautiful harmony as a career trajectory toward the moment he may bring them all together into one album. Maybe someday.
So many styles are touched on in Rock Bottom Rhapsody it may seem at first listen as a jumbled piece: the oldies rock of “End Of My Rope” goes into the piano blues of “Fuck Me Up” which trasitions to the dark jazzy flavor of “Bluebird.” However, after a brief instrumental reprise of the intro, a few ballads take center stage in “Lucky Sometimes” and “Carry On” making it clear that this is LaFarge’s crooner record. His ode to the lounge singers of the smoke filled clubs of the 40s thru the 70s. Even if the album art featuring his white tux clad self dancing with a wigged skeleton didn’t give it away, the music most definitely will. The last half of the record is a gorgeous mix of his shadowy storytelling and knack for the vernacular of the period: from the country tinged “Just The Same,” to the doo wop influences in “Storm-A-Comin’” and “Ain’t Comin’ Home,” into the western gloom of “Lost In The Crowd.” The touch is deft and precise, each tune rolling the mood to a fresh place while at the same time connecting the dots toward the conclusion that comes far too soon.
Coming at a time of unpredictability and dread, Rock Bottom Rhapsody may not be everyone's bag. LaFarge does little to paint the world in a favorable light; however, in an era of divisiveness and generational gaps so large they seem impenetrable, he builds bridges to another age. When you could still chain smoke in the club, swill your booze, and bop to the twirling microphone crooner who made it their mission to make you feel better about life in this downtrodden world.
Mountains for Clouds
Anxious & Aware
Count Your Lucky Stars
Anxious & Aware is a grinding and passionate range through an emotional landscape. Unfolding in a complex journey partnered with stirring vocals and progressive guitar hooks the lyrics on this album read something like a coming of age tale told through the musical talents of Mountains for Clouds.
The album opens with “Water” and “Kids” which both trap you in a fast paced prog-rock cyclone. There’s an early vocal hiatus with these two songs making way for bitchin vibes that act as a platform for non-verbal messaging. “Have Done” slows things down a bit, but really brings Andrew Stefano’s vocals to the forefront. Lyrically, you get the sense of helplessness but the melodies are somewhat comforting in their own way.
“Major Movies” is powerful in every sense; the guitars, the vocals, the pounding drums. Followed up by “Full Disclosure,” you get a one-two punch combo that steps a bit away from the typical prog sound you get on this record. These two songs teeter on a garage vibe but still faintly maintain math rock melodies that are a common theme.
The two longest songs on the album are “Guilt and Closure” and “Will I Again”, clocking in at 6:40 and 7:51 respectively. Don’t let these long tracks keep you away from listening though. The prolific range of Mountains for Clouds’ musical mastery is really brought out in these tracks. That said, “Wanderlost” really punctuates this point also, especially when the distortion kicks in at around three minutes.
I managed to see Mountains for Clouds live at Sleeping Village before COVID gut-punched the fuck out of the live music scene. I can say without a doubt that seeing these guys live is a must. You’re not losing out on sound or creativity going from listening to this album on your headphones to hearing it live. I got lucky and scored a free version of Anxious & Aware on cassette and it will live prominently in my collection.
The Curls
Live On Mushrooms
The Curls
Art rock acts are always on the verge of pushing into any genre of their choosing. A loose genre that can morph into just about anything, art rock is defined by the undefinable. When The Curls blew up in 2017 with critical and fan darling SUPER UNIT it was unclear in which direction this loose collective of artistic souls would endeavor. Even with the kaleidoscopic album art on follow up Bounce House it was uncertain if they were headed on any particular path, though that was a transitory record that saw personnel shifts embedded in a search for the future.
Enter Live On Mushrooms, where the now stripped down combo delves head on into psychedelic territory. (Or is it just that they were on the boom booms…) Available on bandcamp, this live recording made at The Lodge in Dayton, Kentucky flows right into the realms of neo-psych. The only thing separating them from jam bands would be The Curls don’t delve into long solos and extended instrumentals but keep the funk close to the chest, exploring the realm of the addled mind with a precise litany of sonic vibes that lends itself to reliving past trips. Matt Puhr’s bass flows effortlessly around the tracks, blending with the precise guitar of Mick Fansler and the constant punch of Steve Plock’s drums. Yet, it’s Fansler’s vocal delivery, going from playful on “Stiff Lighting” to coy with “Love Dot Com” on to early heavy metal territory in “Chiggens” that still makes The Curls chug.
While missing certain elements that made their live shows charming and fun, The Curls have entered a new dimension musically that is just as exciting and exploratory. With a new scope, and a far more focused connection.
NNAMDÏ
BRAT
Sooper
Every once in a great while a record arrives that is so relevant to the moment in time it is undeniably perfect. There is no way Nnamdi Ogbonnaya could have envisioned releasing this powerful piece of work in the middle of an unprecedented point in our society's history. None of us saw spending the Spring of 2020 behind closed doors, unable to bond with each other in the most base of human ways, physical connection; yet here we are, isolated with family or alone, with only the great vastness of the internet to feed our desires for companionship. Then along came BRAT, which has redefined Ogbonnaya as an artist of vision and great intent.
In a world creeping toward the genreless NNAMDÏ is the poster child of a specific effort to take snapshots of style and collage them into sweeping epics of new age pop wonder. Over the course of a career that has seen him embrace math rock, hip hop, jazz, indie, R&B and beyond he has always been at the forefront of combining elements to get the best groove possible, and BRAT hits on a level that was hinted at on 2017’s DROOL but has shifted all the way into inspirational territory. Whether it’s the coming of age tale in “Semantics,” the plea to seek help on “It’s OK,” seeking a better financial life in “Price Went Up,” modern culture’s lust for product within “Gimmie Gimmie,” or the overarching theme of sober vs. drug vs. spiritual life from “Wasted” to “Really Don’t” to “Salut;” NNAMDÏ reflects ourselves in stunning and intimate detail.
A consummate multi-instrumentalist Ogbonnaya recorded and produced a good deal of BRAT by himself. When he needed help he enlisted the best in the Chicago scene, from his label mate Sen Morimoto, to Julia Steiner of Ratboys to Macie Stewart of Ohmme and more. After a whirlwind of three years on the road and reinforcing plenty of other local artists: whether playing bass in Lala Lala, sitting in on drums for various artists, or just lending his respected support; it seems he entered the studio with a distinct vision and the wherewithal to accomplish a glorious record. It may have been the exact right hour and clearly a serendipitous connection between the music and our current predicament; however, BRAT would have landed just as beautifully without these events. NNAMDÏ is just that exceptional.
Melkbelly
PITH
Carpark / Wax Nine
Melkbelly is a spirited lot. A four-piece, power combo, they take no issues distancing themselves from the norm. Their latest installment of metal-ladened madness, PITH, takes root in spatial reasoning, allowing for years of sound experimentation to land in one spot.
“Humid Heart” stands out early on in the album. “LCR” combines a swath of tonal collaborations: punching drum beats, Miranda Winters’ soft delivery on vocals, and a guitar/bass combination that is nothing short of mesmerizing, which makes for the perfect track.
As the record plays through, it becomes quickly evident that Melkbelly is growing a sound touting an exploratory foundation, but also brings maturity to the forefront. Nothing showcases this better than “Season of the Goose.” Metal masterpiece, “Little Bug” is a drop-tuned delight. It trans-morphs desert rock and curiosity into a nicely tied together package.
I had the chance to hear Melkbelly play “Sickeningly Teeth” live at Big Forever. It’s nice to get it on wax and be able to relive those nights of ball-tingling, high range metal. This in itself is what makes PITH such an incredible album to listen to. Melkbelly encapsulates their seemingly untamable sound onto one album and you don’t lose on the sound or the feels.
All considered, PITH writhes its way through months of work and lands squarely in the realm of a top-ten best albums of the year list. Sure it may be a bit early to start compiling such a list, but when you capture something as truly remarkable as PITH, you can’t just keep it on the shelf.
What makes this release even cooler is Middle Brow Bungalow partnered with Melkbelly for a complimenting beer that shares the same name and artwork as the album. Not to turn this into a beer review, but at first taste it hints at a mildly fruity pale ale. You can order a four-pack and vinyl combo online and pick up at your leisure. Beer and badass music, I can’t think of a better excuse to spend a little cheddar right now. Shout out to Ricardo for this peculiar find.
Anna Burch
If You’re Dreaming
Polyvinyl
Anna Burch’s 2018 debut album, Quit The Curse, was a great addition to the slacker rock canon and one of my favorite albums that year. I have been highly anticipating the release of If You're Dreaming ever since and was naturally excited to dive in. This album finds the Detroit singer-songwriter trading in some of the immediacy of her debut in favor of subtler arrangements with more sonic experimentation.
While Quit The Curse provided instant gratification in the form of jangly pop songs like “Tea Soaked Letter” and angsty ‘90s alt rock revival “Asking 4 A Friend,” If You’re Dreaming is more nuanced in its approach and requires multiple listens to fully appreciate. The album opens with “Can’t Sleep”, a calm mid-tempo track that adds in slight dream pop and surf influences. Burch’s vocals are especially hypnotic and may just put you to sleep in the most pleasant way possible. The following track, “Party’s Over” adds a ‘60s psychedelic rock sheen to Burch’s brand of jangle pop and sounds similar to Courtney Barnett's early work. “Jacket” further amps up the haziness and wouldn’t feel out of place on a Mazzy Star record.
“So I Can See” finds Burch effortlessly fusing acoustic folk with dream pop and adding in a light sprinkling of ambient noise while “Keep It Warm” serves as a brief instrumental interlude to signal the second half of the album. The strongest track on the rest of the album is definitely “Tell Me What’s True,” a beautiful dream pop song with jazzy undertones that are reminiscent of Have You In My Wilderness-era Julia Holter.
If You’re Dreaming is a worthy successor to Quit The Curse and reflects Burch’s growth as an artist over the past 2 years. She has significantly expanded her sonic palate and will hopefully continue to release interesting music in the future. Fans of Quit The Curse may initially be taken aback by the softer, dreamier sound but their patience will be rewarded after a few listens.
Irreversible Entanglements
Who Sent You?
International Anthem
“At what point do we stand up?” asks Camae Ayewa. Indeed, at what point… Within the first track of Who Sent You?, “The Code Noir / Amina,” Ayewa and her instrumental compatriots of Irreversible Entanglements capture the frustrations of screaming into the neolithic void of our entertainment addicted selves and reflect our inability to rise to the occasion. Protest has been a method of change since the birth of government, yet we as a modern collective cannot come together to produce any sort of lasting reflections of our desires. Showing us our ugly truth selves has been Irreversible Entanglements specialty for five years now, and their latest effort Who Sent You? continues their nu-jazz art meets spoken word protest that this Philly/DC/NYC collective has been perfecting since their inception. Ayewa speaks from the heart while Keir Neuringer (sax), Aquiles Navarro (trumpet), Luke Stewart (bass), and Tcheser Holmes (drums) all form a cohesive bubble of support that ricochets cacophonous vibes in a distinct ripple of the many strings of society that pull and push us on a daily basis. If all music is art. Irreversible Entanglements is it’s Banksy, operating from the streets in an abstract yet distinct way that is often misunderstood, but always powerful and ironically familiar.
Intolerable Swill
Intolerable Swill
Halloween
This album immediately shreds. It takes me back to the ‘90s when I was trying like hell to perfect the kickflip and blasting my Suicidal Tendencies CD The Art of Rebellion on my neighbors boom box. Needless to say, I skate no more.
But I digress. I can honestly say the thing that truly sets Intolerable Swill apart from those thrash bands of yesteryear is Amy Upthagrove’s dynamic vocal range partnered with members from indie pop troupe, Telethon. This five-track EP is a step away from what Telethon is known for, but makes for great listening if you quickly need to head bang through a shower or get your day started. Like any good thrash or hardcore album, Intolerable Swill interjects vocal clips connecting tracks giving it yet another layer of DIY appeal. The poppiest track on the album is “Big Shot” with group vocals and soaring guitar bits. “Preoccupied,” the first single, showcases Upthagrove’s fully capable vox. She switches gears between screams and tenor-like bellows.
And just like that, the EP is over. As with these trying times we’re facing, it’s good to remember that if and when you can support the music community, do so. Buy merch, stream albums for hours on end, or just spread the word. The word right now is Intolerable Swill. This is a smart purchase, and every little bit helps.
Rematch
Do It All Again
Lost Music Collective
Let me be upfront with you guys for a minute, I am not as cool as I make myself out to be. Despite being a DJ at a cutting edge community radio station and having my finger on the pulse of Chicago’s thriving independent music scene, I have a deep, dark secret that I need to get off my chest. For a short period of time, roughly from 2001 to 2005, I only listened to pop-punk. During these simpler times, yours truly spent most of his time tracking down anything he could find on Drive-Thru, Fearless, Fueled By Ramen, and Victory Records and it was a damn good time to be alive. My girlfriend at the time even dragged me to a couple house shows to see her friend’s band who were allegedly friends with Fall Out Boy (I was never able to confirm this).
My awkward pop-punk past is probably why I have a bit of a soft spot for Chicago pop-punk newcomers Rematch and their latest EP Do It All Again. This album features pretty much all of the pop-punk tropes my 15 to 19 year old self ate up: fast crunchy guitars, high pitched vocals, and endearing songs about young love and heartbreak. Rematch’s sound is heavily influenced by New Found Glory and incorporates some hardcore instrumentation that is used for more melodic purposes. This influence is especially evident on “Unstoppable” where their guitar tones are virtually identical. However, the vocals are more reminiscent of contemporary pop-punk bands like Neck Deep and The Story So Far.
There is nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering on Do It All Again and there doesn’t need to be. Pop-punk is not about innovation or originality and it is more of a life stage and a state of mind than a genre of music. Ever since Green Day released Dookie 26 years ago, pop-punk has been a staple of the soundtrack for suburban teenagers who aren’t quite sure of their place in the world. I was one of those teenagers 15 to 20 years ago, so I completely understand where Rematch is coming from and applaud them for providing the next generation of kids a stepping stone to the wonderful world of independent music. If you need me, I’ll be in my room jamming out to Sticks and Stones and scarfing down cheap pizza!
Ester
Turn Around
Midwest Action
The transition into adulthood means different things to different people. For some, it is greeted with trepidation and impostor syndrome and faking it until we (hopefully) make it. Astrologically, the true passage into adulthood is considered to be when Saturn returns to the place it was at during the time of birth. This occurs around the age of 29.5 years old. Ester’s lead vocalist and songwriter, Anna Holmquist used this pivotal point of their life to write the majority of the songs on Turn Around. The themes of change and growth run thick: “Everyday I get taller and better” (“The Space”). “I want to grow and grow and grow” (“Wildfire”). However, Holmquist’s songs are asking for reassurance, exploring how the choices they make will define what kind of person they are becoming, “Tell me I’m different from them, let me be someone who lives with abandon...Despite every minute I’m lonely I want to make home here” (“The Space”).
This is clearly a lyrically complex album, but I wouldn’t have stayed around long enough to examine them if it wasn’t for the stellar music. The tunes hooked me as they fluxed between rock, folk, and psych. I had heard a couple of the songs in the past few months when Holmquist performed solo with their guitar. It is so gratifying to hear these songs fully realized. They have brought together a group of musicians and collaborators to make a swoon worthy album. The instrumentation and mix is lush, pulling me into the layers and swirls, transported into the worlds of Holmquist’s songs. A thrumming beat leads off “John’s Car.” Emanating a riding around in a car feel, the lyrics describe getting to know someone as they drive. As the thrumming takes on a racing heartbeat feel, I suddenly wonder, is this situation fun or scary? We speed up, traveling faster than time, losing track of the place and losing control and falling into the moment: “you took what you want, it was very cold...I couldn't find my voice to say, but it wouldn’t matter anyway, John, you sure are full of yourself.”
I found a balm to that anger and fear in“Thirsty”: “water on my skin, let the light come in,” relaxing into the sensations of Holmquist’s voice. It evokes so much emotion. Their vocals are powerful, rounded, and yet textured. They conjure 60’s folk rock, but they also take on grunge and grittiness in a new perspective. Holmquist’s sound combined with their storyteller’s soul means I will be playing this album over and over.
Young Man in a Hurry
Jarvis
Coach House
Sometimes, if we’re lucky, life comes full circle and we get a second shot at our dreams. With Young Man in a Hurry singer and guitarist Matt Baron and drummer Meyer Horn, both middle aged professionals, were brought together through a fateful patient/doctor relationship that turned into a fruitful creative partnership. Baron, a teacher and musician (who has a rather successful youth educational act in Future Hits),and Meyer, a doctor who never let go of his musical aspirations, struck up a friendship after several appointments in which the discussion of music became more than simple small talk. The two started playing together and Young Man in a Hurry was born. An earnest, yet absorbing debut, Jarvis is a melding of musical decades come to fruition. With elements of the last forty years of influences poured through a sieve of twenty first century indie rock, Jarvis fuses the traditions of eighties brit rock with late nineties post-grunge and comes out the other side with plenty of easily consumable tunes. Uncomplicated without being brainless, Young Man in a Hurry is a comfortable antidote to convoluted times.
Mute Duo
Lapse in Passage
American Dreams
The open road of the imagination beckons to some. A realm where the unmitigated fascination with instrumentation and pushing the boundaries of the comfortable ear is a daily routine. Upon this stretch of neural highway lies the work of Skyler Rowe and Sam Wagster, taking on the illustriously humorous moniker of Mute Duo. Lapse in Passage is the pair's second achievement of combining the unmitigated timing of Rowe’s rhythms with the western sprawl of Wagster’s sliding pedal steel notes. At times verging on nu-jazz cacophony, while many moments approach a blissful ambient state, Mute Duo ride the rails of musical experimentation. Chicago has long been a bastion of testing the limits of sonic patience, and on first pass the seemingly pretentiousness of these recordings may stymie the less adventurous. However, the spacious lull provided by the warbling strings brings out the unrelenting emptiness of the desert night sky, grounded to perfection by the punctuated beats and rolls of the dusty earth beneath the feet. A dichotomy born of perfection that makes Lapse in Passage an exercise in the beauty of opposition and how the simplistic combination of two distinct beings can produce a complicated piece of art.
Deeper
Auto-Pain
Fire Talk
Deeper’s follow-up full length, Auto-Pain picks up exactly where they left off with their 2018 self-titled debut. What sets the two apart is the speed and intensity felt from the very first moment of their newest offering. The repetitive nature of Deeper’s delivery on this record doesn’t go unnoticed. Honestly, that’s part of their charm. Auto-Pain puts Deeper in a master class of acts like Montreal’s Ought or Chicago’s own No Wave maestros The Hecks. Auto-Pain starts with “Esoteric” and immediately you sense the urgency in the band’s will to deliver on a regimented and pitched tension similar to an ‘80s post-punk aura. Nothing showcases Deeper’s true talents in this genre better than “This Heat” and is an even harder hitting track live.
Things slow down a bit on the album with “Willing” and “Lake Song”, both forging darker synths that fall back behind Nic Gohl’s searing vocals and rhythmic guitar cadence. “Spray Paint” falls in the same vein, but holds more of a ballad-like feel.
“V.M.C.” is steadfast and punching with hints of traveling sound beds that flirt between dreamy-ness and radar screen blips. “Helena’s Flowers” is a song that could easily be the signature single on the soundtrack of the next movie version of a Bret Easton Ellis novel. Nothing helps illustrate this more than the single “The Knife” which subsequently has a seriously bitchin’ video.
Overall, Auto-Pain is a definite step up from their self-titled debut. With its frantic choruses and dress-right-dress attitude fortified behind a synth heavy backdrop, Deeper has a formula that hasn’t gone stale and is an absolute pleasure to hear live. Since seeing them live isn’t exactly a current option, get your hands on this album via their Bandcamp page. You won’t be disappointed.
From their Bandcamp page: A portion of the proceeds from Auto-Pain will be donated to Hope For The Day, an organization that actively works to break the silence surrounding mental health.
FACS
Void Moment
Trouble In Mind
There is a point in which every evolution reaches a zenith. A peak where there is no more rock to climb, but the process of getting there was as much a pleasure as the result. Void Moments is just such an instance. Where the dank burning decimation of Negative Houses and the alive synchronicity of Lifelike are left on the jagged face of the cliff and what is found at the pinnacle is so much more than the two together. With a blending of artrock swagger and a penchant for shoegaze rhythms Noah Ledger and Brian Case formed FACS after the disbanding of Disappears. The murderously forceful drumming of Ledger combining once again with the angular modulation of Case’s guitar and his screaming to mumbling in an instant vocals. With debut Negative Houses their sheer dark power was instantly undeniable as Ledgers’ drums provided the fire power to unload a pure cannon shot of sound that couldn’t be pinned in a genre hole, and follow up Lifelike built upon the base, climbing into more accessible territory without compromising the aesthetic. “Boy” begins their third effort with Case’s vocals at the forefront, before veering into a double drum track, shrouded in a sonic mist produced by the consistent thrums of bassist Alianna Kalabasso, so thick it takes over the track. A feeling that persists throughout the record. Enveloping the world in a haze of grey disalloutionsment that clouds perception. By the time Ledger lets loose for the first time on instrumental “Lifelike,” the second to last track of the far too brief project, the lull that is set down is only partially cracked. Hypnotizing to the extreme, Void Moments can stand on the mountain of FACS as their most indelible and atmospheric work.
Chicken Happen
Maybe I’m the Problem
Chicken Happen
The latest album from Chicken Happen opens with rocking number, “Simple Things," showing off their pop-like ability to craft a hook. It starts fun and bouncy, going bigger and brasher; but in a surprise turn, it ends with a soft refrain. It was a song that caught my attention and made me listen to this album start to finish. Lilly Choi’s vocal tone works equally as a soft rumble and a soaring yell. “Responsibility” hits hard with the refrain “you still think I can save you,” and then knocked me out with the next, “cause I can’t, and I won’t.” Damn. Preach! I also love the move from a kind of throwback/early rock sound of the first song into a more 90’s grunge feel for this second cut.Throughout the album I was struck by their handle on how effective dynamics and contrast can exist in the journey of a song. “Thorn” starts with spare drums, a rhythmic riff, and sweet plaintive vocals; and develops into high octane power that will surely have you head banging and air guitaring your heart out. Perfect for a song that is about building your confidence and overcoming the things that would try to bring you down, “Over and over again, I tell myself...doesn’t matter what they say, that in the end, they’ll all eat their words in vain.” Tune into this album and feel the rock power of this three piece wash over you and lift you up.
Sen Morimoto
B-Sides & Rarities
Sen Morimoto
Sen Morimoto describes B-Sides & Rarities as being a collection of songs written in the 2010’s that haven’t been released. They weren’t deemed in line with others, or somehow not worthy. But that doesn’t mean this album should be overlooked. On the contrary, if you are a fan of Morimoto this album has all you would expect from him. Plus some experimental and raw cuts that feel like you are getting a behind the scenes peak. If you are unfamiliar with his work, you can expect to hear smooth vocals, lyricism, yummy sax riffs, jazz influences and improvisations, hip hop and electronic beats, layering, sampling, and effects that keep you guessing. Many of the songs feel like ideas that have been building and changing for some time. Check out “Want to Dance” (featuring Mercedes Gordon and Jordan Harris), the reedy organ and sampled vocals caught my heart immediately. There are many moods on this album, but I am a sucker for a good beat, so I cannot go without mentioning “U.Y.U.” It slams. And those lyrics, “don’t let anybody tell you how to live your life, if they were doing it right, they’d know...by now...how to hold their tongues, for the rest of us...Stuck inside your mind, it makes no sense, trying to fly around the room, I can feel you all around the bar.” When that distorted voice chimes in with “I can tell your life is so dramatic” the emotional picture of the song comes into sharp relief.
In a completely other realm, the electronic instrumental, “Music for Physical Therapy” has transporting movement and shows off his sampling skills in full glory. It makes for a nice contrast when the opening of the next song, “Of God,” starts with his sweet smooth vocals. This song also stands out for bringing what sounds like a raw improvisational band practice into the landscape of the album. But it is just a taste of something that is so delightful, I almost wish we could get that for an entire album. The song quickly transitions into a second movement of samples and cleaner production that is more typical of the rest of the tracks.
Clearly, despite the title of the album, these songs are most definitely not tunes that should get lost in the sands of time. They may be a little all over the map, not quite a holistic thought, but they are all worth a listen and for fans of Sen Morimoto, there are some jams that will make it into your regular rotation.
Pledge Drive
Second Impressions
What’s For Breakfast?
Second Impressions is the aptly titled sophomore release from the Chicago punks Pledge Drive. You might remember them from a few years ago when they released the catchy single “Empire” from their debut Genuinity. This novelty track referenced the legendary commercials for the carpet and flooring company, Empire Today, from the ‘90s. Free Michael Jordan basketball, anyone? I originally perceived Pledge Drive to be an upbeat, lighthearted, socially conscious pop-punk band who didn’t take themselves too seriously (basically Chicago’s answer to Tacocat). Does this first impression still hold up today?The answer is, yes and no. They fortunately have not lost their sense of humor. This is especially evident on the opener “Conspiracy Theories” which finds them poking fun at the usual loons (flat earthers, Area 51, the illuminati). However, Pledge Drive has expanded their sonic palate quite a bit. This opening track includes elements of ska and new wave by incorporating a horn section and synths. The following track “I Googled Your Boyfriend” dives even further into the unique new wave/brass sound and the vocals even have a quirkier new wave sound to them.
“Pyramid Scheme” largely continues with the new wave influences but adds back some pop-punk riffage to the mix and sounds as if The Go-Go's and Devo made a baby while The Specials walked in on them. “Space Jam” is the track that is most reminiscent of Pledge Drive’s older material with the horn section taking more of a backseat. “Identity Theft” brings back the brass section in full force and closer “(I Get My) Protein” is a retooled version of the vegetarian and vegan anthem that originally appeared on Ingenuity.
Second Impressions is a worthy follow up record that stays true to the spirit of Pledge Drive but is not afraid to break out of the standard pop punk box. A fun lighthearted album that will provide some much needed comic relief in the uncertain times we are currently facing. Fans of pop-punk, new wave, and ska will all find something to appreciate on here!
8-bit-crEEps
Warm And Happy
8-bit-crEEps
When we say the Chicago music scene is deep and varied it is not an exaggeration. There are bands for every single taste and if a penchant for new wave mixed with a smattering of post-punk and classic rock gets the juices flowing then 8-bit-crEEps are the jam. Warm And Happy may only be four tracks, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in cavernous soundscapes. Whether it’s The Cars vibe of “For $ale” or the Echo & The Bunnymen flavors in “Bad Birthday” this little EP packs a sonic punch in each and every tune. A full scale mish mash of influences from across the 80’s spectrum would be expected from a band with 8-bit in their name, but this foursome amps up the jams with elements from Bowie to Talking Heads to New Order. Then closer “Here Comes the Commies” hits and all expectations go out the window as they launch full tilt into what Dead Kennedy’s would have sounded like if a major label had signed them and gotten them to soften their sound. Don’t get it wrong, Warm And Happy isn’t a retread, it’s four dudes that have an extensive education in the music they grew up listening to and have taken to smashing it all together to produce an addictive and captivating vibe.
The God Awful Small Affairs
Red Gate Woods :
Love Songs and Intrusive Thoughts
T.G.A.S.A.
It doesn’t get any more intimate than a guitar, a mic, and a thoughtful songwriter with a great voice. The God Awful Small Affairs is not just Missy Preston, however they are the local act’s fronter and heart. With Red Gate Woods the powerful vocalist steps away from their bandmates for a solo EP that strips their quality songs down to their core. Each song was recorded in one take on two tracks, leading to an overarching aura of intimacy that surrounds these five tunes; giving the feeling that Preston is right there in the room, emoting with the ease of a practiced empath. The two marathon openers take fourteen minutes, but fly by in an instant. As they strum, taking time to unravel the stories, you get to know this precocious person, and as the final plucked note of closer “Crash Course” fades it feels like you spent a half hour with an old friend.
If we’re able to do so, we should all go to GMan Tavern for CHIRP Radio’s Showcase on May 15th with The God Awful Small Affairs and Flamingo Rodeo and headliners Bringers! $5 cover!
DRAMA
Dance Without Me
Ghostly International
DRAMA is a collaboration between producer Na’el Shehade and vocalist Via Rosa. This Chicago electronic R&B duo formed back in 2014 and independently released 2 EPs and several individual tracks before signing with Ghostly International last year. Dance Without Me is their full-length debut and the culmination of years pounding the pavement.
After listening to the first few tracks, it becomes apparent that DRAMA are living up to their name exploring the complexities of navigating relationships and the full emotional spectrum that comes with it. Opener “7:04 AM” starts with a somber piano before a mid-tempo beat kicks in and Rosa laments the loneliness felt in a dying relationship. The following track “Years” is faster and more upbeat which finds an empowered Rosa confidently ending a long-term relationship while simultaneously acknowledging that she will always unconditionally love her ex..
DRAMA experiments with a wide variety of sounds on Dance Without Me. “Hold On” incorporates some subtle disco vibes into the duo’s brand of electronic R&B, while “Gimme Gimme” is the closest the duo comes to a standard electropop track. “Good For Nothing” has a bit of an ‘80s synth pop feel with all of the associated cheesiness, “Days and Days” experiments with ambient noise in an R&B context, and “Lifetime” incorporates a violin to give the track a lounge feel. Finally, the closer and title track, “Dance Without Me,” is a unique hybrid of electropop, jazz, and downtempo influences.
Dance Without Me is a solid debut and a testament to Shehade and Rosa’s talent and relentless work ethic. This album is accessible enough to provide pop fans with the ear candy they crave while still providing plenty of experimentation to satisfy listeners craving something a bit more complex and original.
Huntsmen
Mandala of Fear
Prosthetic Records
It seems like there hasn't been a time in the past half-century or more that the United States hasn't been in direct military conflict with another nation. The ease in which this country spills blood makes the act seem almost natural and inevitable. Like armed conflict is somehow a core construct of the human character. It's not, though. There is always a complex series of interlocking causes that lead to war. The only uniting thread between all these social, economic, and ego-driven interlocutors is that none present themselves as the inevitable root trigger of a conflict, but each of them, in turn, may produce that result, if given a proper (or inadvertent) nudge.
Mandala of Fear is Chicago metal band Huntsmen's second studio album. A meditation on war and the limits of the human psyche under its strain. The album tells the story of a soldier who is separated from her compatriots by mishap while on her first mission, and must thereafter make her way back to base on foot, encountering all manner of traps, apparitions, and miserable truths along the way. Huntsmen have a dynamic style that is unique even amongst progressive metal acts in the United States, combining elements of folk revival with post-sludge in the vein of toothy, monstrosity Indian, and the high-priests of self-immolation catharsis, Neurosis, to assemble a cursed wicker man of sound that comes to life when lit. With all of the bitterly wrought emotions conveyed on Mandala of Fear, you'd expect that it might be all led by hoarse cries of pain; but the clean, melodious vocals on opener "Ride Out" greatly improve the range of the record's emotive pallet, as does the pairing of clean-singing with the reverberating, deep dredging guitars on "God Will Stop Trying." Elsewhere, "Bone Cathedral" slowly rises out of the ground like a shark fin through the surf and does so with about as much menace. While later, the thunder-clap and clawing ruction and simmering, quicksand boil of "The Swallow" seals the band's credentials as a malevolent vision of creation. Mandala of Fear is as ambitious as it is effective in dissuading the listener of any false notions of security that they cling to a world dangling above a bed of chaos. A beautiful portrait of terror and hard-won survival that will feel all too familiar to people living in supposed times of peace.
Je’raf
Throw Neck
No Index
Originality is easier to come by in music these days. In an increasingly digital world, anyone with a phone can record their music. Not to say it’s always necessary, or that they should, but art is art and if someone feels proud of it they should be able to share it with the world. However, every once in a while something comes together that is so fully and profoundly interesting that it deserves attention. Je’raf is just such an instance.
Their debut Throw Neck is at once arresting, sonically charged, and intellectually challenging. A seven piece ensemble from Chicago and New York, each with their own projects, has come together to produce a true melting pot of music. Jazz meets funk meets hip hop meets experimental meets post-punk in a gel soup so potent it will turn your brain to jelly if you don’t pay attention. Fronted by PT Bell (vocals/bass) of Blacker Face and Brianna Tong (vocals/poetry) of Cordoba backed by musicians Wills Mckenna (Sax), Ishmael Ali (Guitar/Electronics), David Fletcher (Trombone), Eli Namay (bass), and Bill Harris (drums); Je’raf is a true super-group of established artists meeting in a headlong rush of political, social, and musical protest.
A track by track breakdown of Throw Neck would be fruitless, because it truly exists as a whole piece of art, to be ingested in its entirety. Focus and give this one a full spin for the benefit of your soul and the perpetuation of quality originality.
Jeff Parker
Suite for Max Brown
International Anthem
Man, Jeff Parker is the sh*t! I could end the review there and recommend that you buy Suite for Max Brown with no further evidence or explanations offered because no further assurances are required. If you followed my recommendation now instead of reading the rest of this review, I could just about guarantee your satisfaction. But I’m a writer, and I like to write about music, so you’re going to get another two hundred words from me about this marvelous album, whether you like it or not. Suite for Max Brown is Parker’s second album under his own name, and exists as a tribute to his mother, Maxine. He brings along with him for this second release his “band” the New Breed, a fluid concept where he invites selected musicians to improvise over and react to the beats and instrumentation he has arranged alone. At times Parker is the only musician you will hear on a track despite its vibrant, foliaceous arrangement. Other times he is joined by the corpulent, able-bodied groove of Paul Bryan. And elsewhere there is a full band in the traditional sense. But on every track, there is also Parker and his dream-weaving vision for the way instruments shake-hands, inquire about each other’s pasts, and then say good-night, trailing off into the evening to ponder what they have learned. For my money the best cuts are the opening soul-infused, essence booming strut of “Build a Nest.” One of the few tracks which features vocals, courtesy of a collaboration with his daughter Ruby Parker. As well as the dense sonic swirl and reverberating fog of “Fusion Swirl,” which is cut with a smoke clearing rhythm that whirls with hypnotic excitement that suspends the listener in an echo-chamber until they are rescued by a lofty guitar solo outro; and, most assuredly, the long pour of transportive ambling sunlight that is closer “Max Brown.” However, just because I have my favorites, does not mean the remainder of the album is filler. There isn’t an inessential seem or superfluous accessory in the entire ensemble. Like a tailored suit: once you’re in it, you can’t imagine being anywhere else or asking for anything less.
Jeremy Cunningham
The Weather Up There
nORTHERN sPY
Losing someone is incredibly hard. Life so often seems like just a random series of events that stretches out into eternity. That is until it doesn't. When someone who was part of your life suddenly isn't any more, you'll be left with a hole. An empty space that everything else flows around, but never through. A psychic damn. You'll never be able to move it, you can only ever learn to live with the space it takes up. The Weather Up There is Chicago based jazz musician Jeremy Cunningham's attempt to live with a particular fixed point of sorrow, the death of his brother during a home invasion in 2008. The album was conceived as simply being about Cunningham's brother Andrew's death, but after a conversation with local drummer Mike Reed, its concept expanded to be about the brothers lives growing up in Cincinnati. The community they lived in together, and how grief can ripples through and change a community. To anchor and illuminate the themes of interconnectedness and how grief alters these ties, Cunningham conducted a series of interviews with family and friends about his brother. Selections of these interviews are interspersed throughout the album, giving it a biographical or documentarian feel. One of the more arresting conversations is folded into the restless stir of drum rolls and attention cleaving trumpets of "All I Know," where Cunningham's father recounts his conversation with police when he learned of his son's death. For an album that wrestles with so much pain, there are surprisingly placid moments on it as well, such as the joyful, plodding amble of "1985," and the delicate marveling climb of "Hike." But all of the albums themes and sounds swirl together into a whirlpool of affection and empathy on "Return these Tides" where Cunningham resolutely recites a poem to his brother over a warm and hopeful rhythm, while the effervescent Ben Lamar Gay sings an improvised melody in the background. The Weather Up There is honest, heartfelt and presents itself and its subjects in their full, unadorned, and natural grandeur, without apology or embarrassment. I think that we'd all like to be remembered as lovingly and fondly when we are gone. Not just for our deaths, but for the lives we tried to lead.
-Mick Reed
The Waco Brothers
RESIST!
Bloodshot
Retrospectives are never as exciting as this. Packaged as a collection of tunes available for the first time on vinyl in the United States, the Waco Brothers’ RESIST! is both a blast from the past and a desperate call to reverse the swirl of the democracy toilet. A collection of tunes from across the outlaw country punk fivesome’s career on the fringes of Chicago’s scene, RESIST! only works because of it’s outlier status. Under any other moniker this would be tongue in cheek at best, but Waco Brothers have been around the block of time and then some. Leaving out founder Jon Langford’s seat at the center of legendary English mavericks the Mekons and bassist Alan Doughtry’s membership in pop rock legends Jesus Jones , Waco Brothers might have been written off as over the hill nostalgia; but their raucous live shows and energetic recordings give every reason to pay attention.
Many of these tunes were originally released in the late 90s and early 00s. A testament to how little the political malaise has changed from the late Clinton era, through the Bush Jr. years to now. Punk hasn’t quite had the resurgence many expected during the time of Trump, but maybe the younger generations just don’t have the same perspective these over the hill country punks embody in every single note and shout along chorus.
Gil-Scott Heron / Makaya McCraven
We’re New Again:
a Reimaging by Makaya McCraven
XL
According to Chicago based composer and jazz drummer Makaya McCraven, in a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone, reviving jazz isn't his plan. He'd rather make music that moves people. He'd rather be a part of the conversation that occurs around and through jazz. Enter his latest release, We're New Again: a Reimaging by Makaya McCraven, a reimagining of the final album from the seminal poet Gil-Scott Heron. Heron's final album I'm New Here, was recorded in collaboration with XL Records founder Richard Russell, during a tumultuous period in the poet's life. Haron was living in NYC, in and out of Rikers for parole violations, and allegedly struggling with a crack cocaine addiction. His final album was recorded piecemeal and later assembled in the studio by Russell. Released in February of 2010, I'm New Here was Haron's first album in 16 years. Despite receiving glowing praise in the music press, the album's minimalist acoustic and electronic style confessionals seemed to fall short of doing service to the legacy of this artistic giant and revolutionary. I'm New Here was remixed by Jamie XX in 2011, but its potential always seemed to languish in the wind. Now we have McCraven's take, and it seems like the promise of those original XL recordings has finally been realized. The result is a magnificent reintroduction of Haron to his jazz and funk roots. Haron's observations on the turmoil of the world, his debts to others, his past, and uncertain future dance over rich, grounded, and penetratingly real arrangements that illustrate the power of Haron's words while looking you clear in the eye. McCraven's interpretations capture the inauspicious nature of the original album while elevating the rough beauty of Haron's crooning rasp and unwavering grasp of inner truth to the level that it always deserved. At the beginning of the title track, Haron informs the listener that, "[He] had not become someone different, that [he] did not want to be," but life being what it is, he had still changed and was a stranger now, even in familiar places, and therefore comes to you now with a request that "you show [him] around?" McCraven has graciously accepted the request and has shown Haron around to all of his friends, to jam and share and learn to understand each other. We are always learning, we are always becoming. Even in death Haron continues to grow as a figure within the history of art and literature. On We're New Here, McCraven now offers to help you get acquainted with one of the greatest artists to have ever lived on American soil. Will you accept the invitation?
Cloud Cruiser
I: Capacity
Cloud Cruiser
Picture this. You're on a solo road trip out west. You decide to pull off into a 7/11 somewhere in Arizona to have an iced tea and stare up at the night sky. As you gaze upward into the infinite cosmos, you notice a meteorite streaking between the stars. Suddenly that meteor takes a hard right turn and comes hurtling towards Earth. As you watch, you realize that the errant space rock is not only headed south the hard way, but is coming directly for you. You scramble to get off the highway and back to your car to safety. In this frantic state, you look back over your shoulder just in time to see the flames that had engulfed that falling hunk of space trash part to reveal a vintage muscle car. The shock of this revelation causes your brain to disassociate itself from the situation long enough to contemplate the possible make and model of said car. Before your monkey brain can put a metaphorical finger on this bit of trivia though, the suspiciously familiar incoming automobile collides with your soft mammalian frame, reducing it to a thick viscous smear of gelatinized muscle, pulverized organs, and splintered bone, spreading your meat paste like jam on burnt toast along that desolate patch of highway. The driver of the space car, in all black leather and a gleaming motorist helmet, climbs partially out of the driver side window to survey the damage caused by whatever intercepted her reentry to terra firma. After she's satisfied that no serious damage had occurred to the body of her vehicle and after shrugging off its new paint job, she climbs back into the cabin, cranks up the stereo, and proceeds to rev the engine.
Back inside the 7/11, the cashier is disturbed from scrolling a dank meme thread on his phone by the commotion of the interstellar traveler's sudden arrival outside his place of employment. Rationalizing that he has nothing better to do then grab a smoke and see what all the racket is about he leaves the store and leans up against the brick facade of the station. He eyes the travel's car as he lights a hand-rolled cigarette. Not realizing it is from outer space, he begins running through his memory of vintage cars his grandfather used to work on to get a positive ID on the metallic beast aggressively purring twenty feet away. He can't quite put his figure on its make and model, but he can make out from the fluorescent light reflecting off it from the station's windows that it has a red splatter paint job, which he thinks is pretty rad. He also notices that the car's stereo is blasting some sick tunes. A deserty mix of ramping mammoth guitar hooks, psychedelic acid-washed chords, and asphalt liquefying grooves, landing somewhere between Truck Fighters and Mastodon, delivered with wildcat abandon and the charm of a scientifically engineered cross between Lemmy Kilmister and Josh Homme. The cashier whips out his phone to Shazam the song pumping out of the partially open window of the revving cloud clipper. Just before the vehicle speeds off in a haze of smoke and exhaust fumes, the app pins down the jam he had heard. "Glow" by Cloud Cruiser it says, off of the album I: Capacity. "I'll have to remember that for later," he thinks to himself. When the cashier's shift changes over in the morning, the gal who takes over for him places calls to have your car towed. Vultures and lizards clean your pâté off the road. Your spilled ice tea evaporates in the sun. Later, your Air BnB host gives you a 1-star review for no-call, no-showing for your reservation. Most importantly, the cashier really enjoyed Cloud Cruiser's album after he bought it off of Bandcamp. You can feel alright about that, at least. Life is pretty pointless without good tunes, and god knows, that copy of Whitey Ford Sings the Blues you had in the car didn't need any more spins.
ROOKIE
ROOKIE
Bloodshot / ROOKIE
ROOKIE are students of rock. Their self titled debut, a collection of fresh tracks mixed with singles they’ve released over the last two years, is a heady amalgamation of what works from every corner of the genre. Sweeping southern rock riffs mix with tight 80’s rhythms, interspersed with americana storytelling and modern indie sheen, all coming together to produce an infectious groove that can’t be cast off as just another rock record. There’s not many acts in Chicago that have the same energy and panache as ROOKIE, an element that has rubbed off on this recording like a well worn shoe. These songs are new and familiar all at once. The Allmanesqe back and forth of “One Way Ticket,” the hairband elements of opener “Hold On Tight” that would have been right at home on a Poison or Mötley Crüe record, or the expansiveness in “Fake Grass” bringing to mind some of The Band’s epic numbers; all feel right at home on the same record. A testament to the dedication to craft these six musicians have undertaken.
Delving into the long but limited tradition of drummer frontmen, Joe Bordenaro shares songwriting and singing duties with guitarist Max Loebman, and the two can harmonize their way from Howard to 138th, particularly on “Let’s Get It Right This Time” and “Side Of The Road.” The solid rhythms of Justin Bell (keys) and Kevin Decker (bass) are allowed to wander at just the right moments, and Dimitri Panoutsos and Chris Devlin join Loebman in the three headed guitar monster that allows for the layers that are all important to the vast sound.
ROOKIE has something for one and all, from the Cheap Trick flavored “I Can’t Have You But I Want You” to the closing power ballad “E Jam” there’s a song for headbangers, beer swilers, or sensitive listeners alike. A truly entertaining and expertly formed record that would find a home in any of the past five decades.