New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Brass Calf has released a new single called "Crush". This is the first new music from the Dream Pop quartet since the release of their debut EP, "Delphi", last August.
This is the work of Weston Engelstad (Guitar, Vocals), Nick Lovelace (Guitar), Alex Lovelace (Drums), and Scott Myers (Bass).
Brass Calf is currently schedule to perform at Cole’s Bar on April 18th with Little Yellow Dog and Pludo.
bluefront is the Alt Rock group fronted by Alan Zreczny. Their songs are formed around the narrative poems of Zreczny and most recently came to our attention with the release of Aftershock nearly a year ago.
This is the work of Alan Zreczny (guitars, vocals), Jason Steele (guitars), Nick Kabat (drums), and Mark Burns (bass). Below is great acoustic perform of the album’s title track captured by Chicago Acoustic Underground.
Currently, bluefront is set to perform as Cubby Bear on April 29th.
Anxiety is normal during uncertain times, but the remembrance of one’s blessings like family, a home, and humanity united should always triumph over fear. As we sit and reflect, thoughts may feel like thunder rumbling in a storm of maddening, pouring news; on the other side of the tempest is a better tomorrow still and good music to enjoy. Searching the endless talent pool of New England, we stumbled upon an October single that feels like it fits the mood. Pattern Addict, from Vermont, embraces the highs and lows of life, and well highlights them, in its single “One Eye Open” which alternates from serene verses to furious choruses comprised of tough acoustic guitar riffs, swift keys, sharp drum snaps, and a sweet arpeggiating bass. The song’s final minute is an instrumental treat that is both bluesy and indie, perfect for a much-needed escape. Not much more to say these days: stream the single below and hang in there, folks. – Rene Cobar
American Grizzly has released a new single called "Riding On A Horse". This is the band’s third single since the release of the 2018 self-titled EP.
This is currently the work of Jack Doyle, Dennis Wilson, and Marty Funk.
You can catch American Grizzly on August 29th at Up In Smoke 2020.
If you’ve suddenly found yourself spending a lot of time indoors, the introspective rock of Weak Signal is prime listening in the age of social distancing, and new single “Rolex” cuts right through the bullshit of all “necessary" social gatherings we’re thankfully avoiding this month (and likely next month [and the month after that probably]). The detached vocals of frontman Mike Bones parse a late night scene unflinchingly, an interior monologue detailing coked-out conversations and polite laughter, his hushed vox complimentary to a shuffling percussive line, sparse guitars and a walking bass line. This isn’t to say the band can’t make space for noisier segues, specifically during the track’s chorus, but even as electric power chords and budding snares enter the scene, the foggy, unfocused mindset remains, with Bones and bassist Sasha Vine crooning in unison, “yeah I know, without knowing.” Such quiet instrumental qualities and loose-form narratives may remind listeners of Stephen Malkmus’ word-association approach lyricism, or the understated indie of Yo La Tengo — give it a listen below.
With the news changing by the minute and country on the verge of a potential lockdown as a result of the spread of the Novel Coronavirus, we thought it would be a good time to reach out to a local band to learn how this will impact their Spring. Daisychain is the Garage Rock of Sophia Williams, Nickole Regala, Frankie Sripada, and Victor Martinez. They have spent the few years performing around the city and Midwest while working on their debut EP which is due on May 2nd.
They had been planning to head out on their Tweak’d Tour, starting on April 2nd, to spend a month finding new audiences and ramping up to their EP release at Cole’s on May 2nd. Now everything is either cancelled or soon to be, and we took the chance to talk with Sophie about how this is impacting Daisychain.
The Deli (TD): Has the upcoming Tweak’d Tour been cancelled or postponed?
Sophie Williams (SW): All the closures have definitely been affecting our April tour status. Some venues have already cancelled events, and we are anticipating that most, if not all venues will postpone or reschedule the shows.
TD: How much time went into planning the tour?
SW: We are pretty bummed; we’ve been planning this tour for the past four months and have spent countless hours reaching out to venues, bands, magazines and blogs.
TD: As a primarily touring band, how do you see the virus and our state’s response impacting your year and future plans?
SW: These cancellations will definitely affect our plans for the upcoming year; the tentative April TWEAK’D tour would have been our first time to the East Coast. We were hoping to get exposure in a different part of the country that we have not yet toured. We invested in merchandise that we were hoping to sell on tour.
We are planning to reschedule any cancelled shows and plan to tour throughout the rest of the year to new cities and regions. We are currently planning a southern USA tour in July and have high hopes for a successful tour.
As of right now, March 18th, you can help Sophie and Daisychain celebrate the release of their debut EP on May 2nd at Cole’s Bar.
Shortwave has released a new single called "Frozen Waves". This is the beautifully ambient music of Dave Zagar, and the first new music from him since his 2019 debut album Phased.
The song is accompanied by a short film, created by Dave’s brother Andy Zagar, that truly brings to life the sounds and samples of the song.
In these times of limited movement, nothing says that you can’t get the blood pumping inside your own home. If you need a track to help you get your body moving, consider The Rare Occasions‘ "Set It Right", a track pleading for kindness in the form of blistering indie rock. During these next few weeks, kindness will be necessary, as well as the need to dance. "Set It Right" is the perfect anthem in those cases; adding it to your end-of-the-world playlists would be wise. The Rare Occasions just appeared on the recent compilation cover album honoring Green Day’s Insomniac, featuring many of LA’s best up-and-coming indie bands. They’ll also release an EP in two parts over the course of the year. Take a listen to "Set It Right" below. – Will Sisskind
Electronic Dance Music Duo Dance Loud has released visuals for the lead single, "Hollow", from their forthcoming album, The Moment, which is due out June 5th.
This is the work of Kristin Sanchez [DJ, producer, engineer] and Desereé Fawn Zimmerman [drums, guitar, vocals]
Photo Credit: Belén Romero
Dan Knishkowy set off on the audacious task of treating the concepts of love and friendship ”with the gravity and wonder [they] deserve” on new LP Solid Love, doing so in his consummate early 70s folk fashion that feels ever patient and kind. Under the project name Adeline Hotel, Knishkowy brings in a slew of collaborators (including Winston Cook-Wilson of Office Culture, Ben Seretan, and Brigid Mae Power), succeeding in rendering the indescribable as emotional visceral. On the album’s title track, listeners are greeted with melting slide guitars and inviting acoustic arpeggios, which seamlessly segues to a rich tapestry of warm piano improvisation, shuffling brush drum-work, and occasional woodwind accents — though despite full accompaniment, the song remains evenhanded, never overwhelming even as each component becomes invariably more complex and rich. It immediately evokes Nick Drake’s Bryter Layter, and is recommended for those seeking a sensitive, plainspoken effort. Stream it below, and catch Adeline Hotel at C’mon Everybody on May 9th for their record release show. Photo by Chris Bernabeo
Teen Blush has released has released his fourth single, "Ramona", via the New York label Birthdiy. This is the Dream Pop of Wicker Park’s Kenneth Foss, and these singles should be leading to a full-length debut album this summer.
Understudy is back with a new album, Without Sight, Without Sound, which was released via Chicago Research on March 8th. This is dark, lo-fi, Post Punk and Understudy’s fourth album in the last two years.
