New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Blah Blah Blah are preparing to release a new EP called "Thank You Thank You" on August 23rd, and have recently released the first single from that EP called "Why Am I The Only One Laughing". The band also filmed a great video for the track with the help of director Kasia Koniar. You can learn more about the band here.
Blah Blah Blah will be celebrating the release with a show at Double Door on Saturday, August 27th.
The latest video on Giant System comes from the band California Wives.
California Wives will be performing at Wicker Park Fest on July 23rd.
Canasta has released a video for their first single from full-length album The Fakeout, the Tease and the Breather, "Mexico City".
The band is performing at Sheffield & Webster for The 43rd Annual Sheffield Garden Walk on July 24th.
Hey Champ has just released a very cool preview for their forthcoming mixtape Winner’s Circle Vol. 3 "Cool in the Pool". You can check it out below. The mixtape will be released next week,
From the opening explosion of the debut album, Roger, from the Evanston band The Canoes on the track "We’ll Meet in Minnesota" I knew I was hearing something special. The band has such a full sound, that borrows from some of the best bands of the early ’90’s like Cracker and Dinosaur Jr. It so refreshing to hear that straightforward fuzzed out roar of the guitar again, and that sound carries through out the album.
Thematically the album deals heavily with what it means to live in the Midwest and specifically Chicago (see, "Illinois, Chicago"). You can tell this is a home recording and at times the vocals get a bit washed out, but this is solid debut from a band with a lot potential and an approach that more bands should embrace. You can download Roger for free from the band’s bandcamp page.
The Canoes are performing on July 28th at Abbey Pub with The Singleman Affair and Jesse W. Johnson.
What do you get when you mix the hot track "Pump Up Kicks" by LA’s Foster The People and local emcee Hollywood Holt? A great new summer-ready remix from The Hood Internet!
It is always exciting when a group of talented local musicians come together to form a band. One of the newer such groups in town is called Young Coconut. With handmade eps in hand they will be performing at Panchos on July 9th with Truman & His Trophy and Megagiant. Listen to their track "Ain’t That a Shame" below, and you can find more here.
We are seeing a lot of leaks coming from The Cool Kid’s new album When Fish Ride Bicycles, but none maybe better than "Summer Jam" which features Maxine Ashley and Pharrell. The album drops on July 12th, and below is an interview and performance captured by allhiphop.
Born and raised in Chicago, Open Mike Eagle has found some success in LA, but still hasn’t forgotten about his roots. Here he is with my favorite Chicago emcee Kid Static and the prolific one Alwayz Prolific.
The Island of Misfit Toys have released a video for their track "Beginnings of a Beard" which appears on their recently released album Bear Hair (Tandem Shop).
The Island of Misfit Toys will be performing at Casa Donde on July 25th.
Will Phalen of Will Phalen and The Stero Addicts is releasing a solo album called Holy Ghost/Gold Coast on July 10th. The album beautiful, intimate, and raw. He is calling the sound digital folk, and there is a thin but somewhat surprising layer of electronics that really flush out the texture of these tracks. Phalen will be celebrating the release with a free show at The Whistler on July 10th.
Will recently performed the album for Audiotree Live and you can watch the entire performance here. Below is the title track from the new album and Will performing "Suddenly" also from Holy Ghost/Gold Coast.
