New Releases We Can't Wait to Dig Into

There’s plenty of love coming out of Chicago this week! So much so, we’re gonna do a shoutout to Ganser who just dropped their Look At The Sun Remix EP on the 23rd, our very own Tina M. wrote a full review on Floatie’s new one, Voyage Out, and last but certainly not least, Josh Carterer from Smoking Popes has The Hideout Sessions album coming out. A glimpse of the live session can be found here. We have even more Chicago bands on our list so scroll down and see what sounds good to you.

As we scan upcoming release lists, singles, and endlessly scroll through Instagram, we are still very much interested in hearing from you about Chicago music on the horizon.

Minor Moon (Chicago)
Tethers
Ruination Record Co.

Intergalactic multi-instrumentalist Sam Cantor brings us a deep dive into feelings of discovery and emotional healing with his third full length album, Tethers. The single “Hey, Dark Ones” is a clever and frolicking song that illustrates Cantor’s talents clearly. “No Lightning Fix” slows the beat a bit and if you listen closely, you can hear V.V. Lightbody singing harmonies. What a treat.

OK Cool (Chicago)
Surrealist 
Take A Hike Records

From the first listen to OK Cool’s “Divers” you’ll be hooked. Chicago emo pop duo Bridget Stiebris and Haley Bloomquist (of Weekend Run Club fame) pull together punchy guitar riffs and complex melodies that mirrors the same beauty and jaunty realism seen on their previous EP, Anomia. This is further illustrated through the single “Five Finger Exploding Heart Technique” from the latest EP, a song that bounces happily along for two minutes and leaves you wanting more.

Frankii Davis (Chicago)
Frankii Davis EP 
Super Music Group

Chicago South Side songstress, Frankii Davis brings us her debut self-titled EP on Friday. Listening to the singles “Runway” and “Let Me Hurt” shows off Davis’s range as an artist jumping between a hip-hop sound befitting any runway performance and a slow R&B burn that reads more like a sad love song.

Kali Masi (Chicago)
[laughs]
Take This To Heart Records

Chicago punk quartet, Kali Masi drops their second LP [laughs] on a tidal wave of already stellar music. The single “Guilt Like A Gun” is passionate and powerful all in one song. “Trophy Deer” brings together in balanced harmony both tension and beauty, stimulating the mind of anyone facing the facade of a false reality.

Kalbells (NYC)
Max Heart 
Limited Edition Records

Kalbells started with Kalmia Traver of Rubblebucket fame as an emotional release from a difficult cancer recovery. Since then, the band has grown by three and the depth of music ahead of Max Heart is part dreamy, part business. The single “Pickles” is a great example of this with lushly flowing synths, tight hip-hop lyrics, and steamy vocal harmonies. “Purplepink” is a futuristic jam session that is best played driving late night through the city with the windows down.

Esther Rose (NOLA)
How Many Times
Father/Daughter

Coming out of New Orleans is singer/songwriter Esther Rose bringing the full length record, How Many Times. The title track “How Many Times” showcases Rose's voice in a way that isn’t quite delicate, and not quite harsh. This, coupled with a droning fiddle and soft acoustic guitar, you almost miss the shattering lyrics “How many times will you break my heart?”.

We wanted to give some honorable mentions to friends overseas: Flux Pavillion from the UK and Aussie Jess Locke. We also wanted to turn you on to Clever Girls from Vermont and 68 from Atlanta, too. Come back next week for more new music picks from your trusty Crowd Surfer crew.

It bears repeating, we want to cover Chicago music, so if you have something coming out, please submit it!