Lima, Peru native and Percussionist Juan Pastor has spent the last 13 years living in and deeply experiencing our local music scene. His latest album, El Regreso (due out July 28th), draws from both cultures to fully encompass Pastor’s life to this point. The first single, "Callejón", draws on his youth in Lima and features Miguel Zenon on Alto Sax.

Through out the album Pastor is joined by Stu Mindeman (piano and organ), Patrick Mulcahy (bass), Rich Moore (alto saxophone), and Tito Carrillo (trumpet).

You can catch Chinchano on July 15th at Andy’s Jazz Club.

Spark The Forest has released a video for the first single, “Reversion (Observation II)”, from their forthcoming LP, Growth in Erosion. The album is due out July 19th and this is the Post-Rock duo of Anders Johanson (Guitar, bass, keys, sound design) and Ryan Nelson (Drums, programming).

The St. Charles based duo is kicking off a West Coast Tour on August 18th with a hometown show at The House Pub (16 South Riverside Drive, St. Charles, IL).

Funk Pop band Fay Ray recently released a new single called “Up & Away”. This is the first new music from the Mariel Fechik fronted band since their 2017, “No Love”.

Fechik is joined by Noah Gehrmann (Guitar), Erik Opland (Bass), Tom Kelly (Drums), Rob Osiol (Keys), Joe Meland (Organ/Synth), Daniel Hinze (Saxophone), and Byron Allen (Trombone).

You can catch Fay Ray @ Sleeping Village tomorrow (7/11) with Deanna Devore and Cordoba.

Heavy Psych Rockers Lunar Ticks are preparing for an upcoming show at Sleeping Village on July 27th. They will be sharing the stage with Railway Gamblers and Goose Corp., and are currently running a poll on Facebook where you can help curate their playlist for the event.

The band released their latest album, Unknown Gnomes/Neon Horses, nearly a year ago, but it is absolutely one to revisit.

Free Jazz duo Bob Genghis Khan have released their latest tape, “In Technicolor”, via the new local label Career Planet. This improvisational work of Joseph Lepek (drums, synth, noises, samples) and Corey Lyons (guitars, synths, noises, drums). “In Technicolor” is an 18 minute Free Psych Jazz trip that features samples from early LSD tests from the 1950s, and the b-side of the tape is an instrumental remix of the same track.

You can help Bob Genghis Khan celebrate the release of their album at Reed’s Local on July 11th with Eli Carterer (Smoking Popes), PKNG, and Magical Mind.

Dope Folks Records has released a new 12” self-titled EP from Spectacular Diagnostics (aka Robert Krums). This eight track album features Drums providing the beats for emcees like Quelle Chris, Qari, Vic Spenser, Rast Rfc, Westsidegunn, and many more.

Filmmaker and comedian Zane Rerek dropped his debut EP, “CBD Soda”, on July 1st under the moniker of Dr. Squee Gittum.

The EP demonstrates a range of influence from the harsh electronics and hazy psychedelics of Tobacco and Black Moth Super Rainbow (“What Is It THIS Time?” and “CBD Soda") to the graceful piano drops of Moby (“Iced Coffee”).

Indie Pop band Better Love released their new EP, “All I Ever Wanted Is To Be Where You Are”, last week. This is the band’s second EP, and it contains the sparkling summer jam, “Stay With Me”, below.

You can help Better Love celebrate the release of their EP on August 9th at Beat Kitchen with Capital Soirée, The Happy Alright, and Co-Stanza.

Photo by Kaitlyn Johnston

Back in February local Industrial music veterans, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, released their thirteenth album, In the House of Strange Affairs. This marked the first new music from the group since 2014 and first since celebrating 30 years in the industry back in 2017. Below is the album’s title track, “Strange Affairs”.

Last week the band announced a fall tour in support of the album with special guest Curse Mackey (Pigface). You can catch TKK on November 7th at Chop Shop.

24 year-old producer and musician Mielo has had an epic first half of 2019. He released his debut EP, “Anywhere But Here”, back in the Spring and last week dropped a remix of the latest single from LA’s Crywolf.

Having organically built a following over the last few years, Mielo is poised to be one of the biggest artists to come from our city in awhile.

We are proud to be able to premiere a new song, “Duck and Run”, from the forthcoming album, American Experiment, from Trickshooter Social Club. This is the band’s third studio album, and first since 2016’s Generator. “Duck and Run” is a scorching blues-tinged rocker that definitely gave us something we wanted.

This is the work of Steve Simoncic, Larry Liss, James McNaughton, Chris Bartley, Chris Ellison, Maggie Mitchell, Beltran Del Campo, and Ruth Margraff.

You can help Trickshooter Social Club celebrate the release of their album at Silvie’s Lounge on July 12th with William Sides Atari Party, The Architects of Beauty and Liz and the Baguettes.

San Francisco reissue label Dark Entries is releasing a new collection of music from ’80’s Avant Garage duo Algebra Suicide called “Still Life” on July 12th.

This was the work of eventual husband and wife duo of poet Lydia Tomkiw and multi-instrumentalist Don Hedeker. They formed the duo in 1982 and steadily released music until their break-up in 1995.

“Still Life” is collection for tracks taken from the duo’s debut LP, Big Skin along with several tracks taken from their 1988 compilation, The Secret Like Crazy.

The first single from “Still Life” is called “Horizon” and originally appeared on the 1986’s LP, Big Skin.