Matt McNish has released a video for the title track, "Sick Country", from his forthcoming album. McNish finished the album just before the COVID-19 outbreak, but it now feels eerily timely.

This is the follow-up to this DIY artist 2019 album OK Vacation.

Steve Dawson (of Dolly Varden) & Funeral Bonsai Wedding are returning on May 8th with their latest album, Last Flight Out, on May 8th. They recently released the album’s title and opening tracking which is accompanied by the Joel Benjamin and Diane Christiansen animated video below.

The core of the Funeral Bonsai Wedding are the talented local jazz greats Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone), Charles Rumback (drums), Jason Roebke (bass and string arrangements). Through out the album he is also joined by a string section consisting of Inger Carle, Andra Kulans, Vannia Phillips, and Melissa Bach.

When asked about the album’s title track Dawson had this to say; "The more I think about this song, and the whole album, really, it seems to be about the feeling that we are all living through a giant collective ending. With climate change, global rage and violence, the undoing of the fabric of society it feels like an ending. So, the next thought is, “how can I best use the time that’s left?” This song feels like an acknowledgement of the situation. The song purposely has no tonic – no clear home base chord – and the strings wind through it like vines searching for places to hang on."

Photo by Matthew Gilson

Multi-instrumentalist Wills McKenna recently released a surprising and beautiful new single called "Clover". On the all too brief track he plays tenor sax and acoustic guitar over a droning cello track. This is the first new music from McKenna since his 2017 EP "Nothing Left".

McKenna is a member of the noisy Hip Hop and Jazz Fusion band Je’raf who recently released a a new album via Amalgam called Throw Neck.

BassKase has released the lead single, "What She Said", from his forthcoming EP, "Talk To Me", which is due out April 2nd. This is the electro-dub of Curtis Ruptash of Peabody & Sherman and Guerilla Wellfare, among other projects, and this EP comes just four months after his 2019 EP "Once Upon a Time in the Midwest".

The latest album, June Holiday, from Drummer Charles Rumback is set to be released via Astral Spirits on April 10th. For this project Rumback is joined by Jim Baker on Piano and John Tate on Bass.

The album, Rumback’s follow-up to 2019’s Cadillac Turn’s, kicks off with a composition by Baker called "Foglights".

Post-Rock group No Object (formerly Out the Car Window) has been releasing singles from their forthcoming debut album, Makeshift, for over a year now. This slow, but impressive, build has been perfect for this group that blends elements of shoegaze with emo and straightforward rock. The last single was released this month and is the album’s opening and title track. Makeshift is due out April 10th.

This is the work of Jake Wahlen (Guitar, Vocals), Matt Carlton (Bass), Griffin Taylor (Drums, Vocals), and Jeff Linville (Guitar, Vocals).

Abbey Bowed is the passion project of Sam Sharp and a reimagining of The Beetle’s classic album Abbey Road through the skills of a string quartet. The project is three year’s in the making, but is currently set to be released on April 1st.

On this is album Abbey Bowed is Sam Sharp (violin), Becca Wilcox (viola), Charith Premawardhana (violin), and Nora Barton (cello). Barton and Premawardhana are both involved with Classical Revolution Chicago. For the video below, of the quartet performing "Something", the second violin is performed by Andra Kulans.

Photo by Jacob Hand Photography

Errant is the solo project Rae Amitay of Immortal Bird and Thrawsunblat and she is preparing to release her self-titled debut EP on April 3rd. The EP’s lead single is called "A Vacillant Breath" and perfectly demonstrates how Amitay can effortlessly shift from soft gentle vocals to a roaring growl in seconds.

8990 released their debut cassette, head transfer function, via Reserve Mantinee last week. This is the duo of John Daniel (aka Forest Management) and Faithful, and the album was recorded at Greenview Manor and Windsor Studios. Check out the album’s lead single, "Adsense", below.

Post Punk group Stuck has released the first two singles, "Invisible Wall" and "Bells", from their forthcoming album, Change Is Bad. The album is due out on April 3rd via the local label Born Yesterday despite the band’s record release tour being postponed.

This is the work of David Algrim, Tim Green, Greg Obis, and Donny Walsh.

Stuck was scheduled to celebrate the release of Change is Bad on April 3rd at The Hideout, but that show has been postponed.

Parjis Plague is returning with their seventh album, their first in eleven years, Poison Under Honey. This is dark, industrial, electronic sounds that will take the listen back to the mid-’90’s. The album’s first single is called "The Dogs Barked at Them" and the full project will be released via Monstaar Media LLC on April 20th.

The latest album, Brat, from NNAMDÏ will be released via Sooper Records on April 3rd. This is the follow-up to his groundbreaking 2017 debut Drool.

The latest single from the album is called "Gimmie Gimmie" and it is a warped R&B classic. He also recently released the album’s lead single, "Wasted", which is accompanied by the video directed by Sen Morimoto, Jess Myers, and Husni Ashiku below.

The record release event that was scheduled for April 18th at Lincoln Hall has officially been cancelled and there is no word yet of a virtual release event.