Some of Chicago’s finest are featured on a new festive compilation, Simply Having a Wonderful Compliation, from Father/Daughter Records and Wax Nine including Tasha, Melkbelly, Ohmme, and KAINA.

The entire collection is a holiday gem, but our favorite has to be Ohmme’s take on the polarizing classic "Wonderful Christmastime".

Bassist and Vocalist Lyn Rye has released a live EP called "Edgewalker". The five songs featured on the album were record on three different continents with eleven different musicians but feel very cohesive behind the strong songwriting and vocals of Rye.

Below is a video of the EP’s opening performance of "Rugova" captured live at Grand Manor here in Chicago.

Flight 328 has released EP filled with Synths, Christmas melodies, and ’80’s aesthetic called "Omnipotent". This is the work of the duo of Austin Deadman and Joshua Freddy with a vocal contribution from Kyle Fredricks on "Silent Night" and an outstanding Sax performance from Trevor Hill on "Noel".

Arthhur has released a festive split single with Jetsetter and featured contribution from Audrey from Upstairs. Their contribution is a fairly traditional cover of The Waitresses’ 1981 classic "Christmas Wrapping". The b-side is an original composition from the electronic music producer Jetsetter called "LDB". Both tracks are fun, festive, and ready to get you dancing around your Christmas as you prepare to open presents this year.

Dave Vettraino has primarily been known as a prominent and highly skilled recording engineer at Public House Sound Recordings up until the moment Brooklyn’s Fire Talk Records released his debut album, Exercise, earlier this month.

A culmination of more than two years of working on this project in the quieter moments between recording sessions, Exercise is a layered, complex, rich ambient and drone based look into the mind that has engineered some of the finest album’s Chicago has had to offer.

Below is the Jessee Rose Crane created video for "Benton Harbor", the album’s third track and lead single.

Dylan Weschler has released a series of ambient albums over the last two months including today’s, December 18th, After Ideas, Vol. 2. Weschler, the guitarist for Varsity, has utilized tape loops, synths, field recordings and guitars to create a beautifully peaceful, meditative five song moment of bliss.

Dream Pop quartet Late Nite Laundry (LNL) has released a new single called "Fantasy". This is the first new music from the group since the departure of their lead singer, Kaitlin Logan, and with guitarist Ari Lindo now on vocals.

The single was recorded remotely with each member recording in their homes and keys player, Brenden Cabrera, mixing the song together. LNL is soft, warm blend of jazz and pop that have you instantly floating, dancing, and always smiling.

This is has been a pretty prolific year for Bridey Hicks, since releasing her debut album, Honey, last December, she has released two EP’s and now a fantastic new single called "Decisions Make Me Sick In The Head".

On this single she is joined by Cam Mahai (Lead guitar), Jason Outimeete (Bass), and Alex Collyard (Drums).

Sonny Falls has released a massive double album called All That Has Come Apart​/​Once Did Not Exist via the Brooklyn label Plastic Miracles.

This is the work of Ryan "Hoagie" Wesley Ensley and the first new album from the group since 2018’s Some Kind of Spectre. On this album Ensley gathered together several outstanding local musicians including Alex Reindl of Old Joy, Nora Barton of Planchette, Sen Morimoto, Macie Stewart of Ohmme and Josh Snader of CSTVT.

Ester has released a collection of Christmas covers called "Merry Lil Christmas". This is the group lead by Anna Holmquist and featuring Katelyn Cohen, Chris Colson, Raul Cotaquispe, and Chris Harris. These covers of classic Christmas tunes are stripped down, straightforward, and a wonderful addition to any holiday playlist.

Holmquist has also been doing fantastic work hosting one of our favorite podcasts of 2020, "Bad Songwriter". If you have not been listening you have a lot of great episodes to catch up on including the most recent interview with Cordoba’s Cam Cunningham.

Producer/Vocalist Cado San has released a new EP called "lonelyboydream". The six song collection features contributions from syren, nintendro94, and kou. Below is the HommeSeen created video for "Trynna Plz".

Liv Strange has released her debut single, "People Are Strange", which is a cover of the classic song by The Doors. The cover was produced by Svend “The Dane” Lerche and is accompanied by a video that created by Liv & Emma Reyes.

When asked why she chose this song to cover, Liv had this to day; "I decided to cover ‘People Are Strange’ because I’ve always been enamored by the oddities of the ‘average’ individual; the hidden secrets and twisted mind of your next door neighbor. We are all strange in our own way. In knowing that, it can either keep us connected to our personal freedom or burdened by its ghastly shadow,"