The Midnight Dice side of the album is a track called "Precious Metal", and vinyl release of this 7" is set to be released this summer via German label Underground Power Records.
HITTER was scheduled to perform on April 26th at Empty Bottle, but that show is clearly not going to happen. However, there is a little more hope for their May 30th date at Reggie’s with Acid Witch, HenryxChinaski, and Dead Sacraments.
AZITA has emerged with a new single, the first new music from her in eight years, via Drag City called "Shooting Birds Out of The Sky". The single is a relaxed, head nodding, R&B influenced track with a bubbling undercurrent of anxiety and stress making it a perfect song for the times we find ourselves in.
The line "Guess I’m/In a rough frame of mind/Can feel it crumbling about my eyes" unfortunately describes the mindset of many people at this time. The is ultimately about a relationship that is breaking apart, but clearly can be applied to the world at the same time.
M. Sage has release a collection of reworkings of pieces from his 2019 album Catch A Blessing. "Blessing Redux (vivo relief)" is an attempt to celebrate the album’s anniversary and offer a little moment of peace and relief to our city in this time of crisis. All money raised by the sale of this album will be donated to the Chicago Covid-19 Response Fund, but the quiet beauty of Matthew’s music may also bring some comfort to the listener.
Red Cent recently released their first new album, Parallels, since 2015’s Slow To Settle. The group has really picked up where they left off and continue to pull the listener to the more Pop influenced side of Garage Rock.
Ryan Burns (of Distant Brothers) recently released a new single called "Mistakes Were Made". This is his first single since rebranding to include his live band, The Vocal Ghosts, in all marketing. This is the first new music from Burns since last year’s EP "The Institute", and the first single single from the band’s forthcoming album.
You can hopefully catch Ryan as part of the Distant Brothers on May 11th at Montrose Saloon and as Ryan Burns & The Vocal Ghost on June 11th at Cole’s Bar.
Hausu Mountain is preparing to release a new 80 minute mixtape on April 24th. Back in 2018 the label heads Doug Kaplan and Maxwell Allison released Mixtape I recapping the label’s first five years of existence. For this collection they take the listener from 2018 to current and future releases and include tracks from Bonnie Baxter, Tiger Village, RXM Reality, Lockbox, and Khaki Blazer, Wobbly, Quicksails, Mondo Lava, and so many more.
The mixtape’s preview track, "Rainbow ∞ Bridge", is taken for the forthcoming album, Rainbow Bridge, from Fire-Toolz.
The Edwards have released a new single, "Slow Fade" b/w "Giddings", and are donating all proceeds to fundraising campaigns to support the staffs of local Chicago businesses currently closed due to the Coronavirus. This is the groups second single and first since 2018’s "Nothern States".
This is the work of Kyle Maurisak, Chris Murphy, Stuart MacFadyen, Emma McCall, and Chris DePorter.
Wildered is the atmospheric rock of Nate Bjorge. He recently released a new single called "Deep March Frost", the first new music from him since 2019’s single "Your Ghost".
Bjorge recently released a video where he breaks down the writing and production process of this single.
Dav Paris recently released his second single of 2020, the Hip Hop influenced "Somedays (I Got Issues)". The song is accompanied by the Michael Kettenbeil directed video below.
Back in February Paris dropped an introductory track called "Hello World" and made it clear that he is approaching music in a new way this year. Both tracks follow-up his 2018 debut EP "Lost" and demonstrate a more introspective approach to songwriting.
International Anthem has released a new and timely single, "Stay Beautiful", from Damon Locks & The Black Monument Ensemble. The track was recorded live in 2018 at Garfield Park Conservatory and is accompanied by the video of that performance below.
The musicians featured on this song are Angel Bat Dawid (clarinets), Dana Hall (drums, percussion), Damon Locks (electronics, bells, voice), and Arif Smith (percussion).
The label and Locks felt that this song was more than fitting for the times we find ourselves in and felt it needed to be shared.
Here is what Locks had to say about this song; "An ode to Chicago: In a hospital room, doctors and nurses come in and out, evaluating, recommending, prepping, and testing. But once visiting hours are over the patient is left alone with their thoughts, ruminating on the intimidating lack of agency and loneliness of losing control of their own circumstances. Drifting towards despair, they discover flowers in the room. There is a note attached that expresses what I would say to Chicago in its most precarious condition. We see you. We love you. Stay beautiful. I am very happy to be able to share this song at this time. It is a fitting message for this moment we are living through. I hope you all stay safe."
Netherfriends (aka Shawn Rosenblatt) has released a pandemic-theme new album called Stay Safe. Shawn really found his footing in the Chicago music scene years ago before leaving for Austin and eventually setting up camp in LA. He is currently based in Florida after having to cancel the majority of his 2020 Fifty States Tour. To coincide with the tour he had launched a road diary podcast called "Tessie Talks" with Kannabis Kat that you can find on all podcast platforms and on Youtube. It will be interesting to hear how the podcast evolves now that the tour has been cancelled.
On this new album, Stay Safe, he has enlisted rappers from around the country, including Chicago’s Iowa Rockwell, to share insight and humor about the times we find ourselves in.
Last week The Inventors released a new EP aptly named Alone Together. The band has made it available for purchase for whatever amount your feel compelled to give them, but have vowed to give all money received to a few of the establishments listed on Chicago Service Relief.
This is the work of Joe Mango (Vocals/Guitar), Ray Skamay (Guitar/Vocals), Nick Kieta (Bass/Vocals), and Tommy Mendoza (Drums).
