New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
The experimental electro-freak’s White Car are back with a new mixtape for Viceland. The mixtape is just as a dark as White Car’s music and is complete with tracks from Ministry, Front 242 and even Prince. The bands debut ep is due from Rainbow Body Records early this year.
Back in 2007, The Saps made a hilarious video for their track “Coup de Grace”.
When I tell people that Reading Rainbow are one of my favorite new bands from Philly, they often ask me to describe what they sound like. In Reading Rainbow’s case, I can’t find the appropriate comparisons. I can’t say if you like Jesus & Mary Chain then you’ll like Reading Rainbow. But I will. Can’t say that they’re My Bloody Valentine meets The Ronettes meets Bo Diddley meets Velvet Underground is right on either, but it sort of is. My point here being that while Reading Rainbow may conjure up your own personal touchstones, they are uniquely creating their own reverb nation with lo-fi sharpness, indulgent psychedelia and to-the-point noise pop melodies. Last year Reading Rainbow’s Sarah and Rob made a great record called Mystical Participationthat you owe to yourself to buy and vibe out to. myspace.com/levarmotherfuckingburton – Bruce Warren, WXPN/Some Velvet Blog
Free Energy was the local band that seemed to skyrocket from nowhere this year. They went from being Dave P’s fun-loving neighbors with a band to the torch carriers of classic rock ‘n roll who found themselves in the studio with LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy. With more hooks than the opening day of fishing season, they are making big guitar riffs, tight pants and having a good time a prerequisite for all their shows. This year was their coming out party with DFA Records, but expect the full monty when they release their first full length album Stuck on Nothing on Astralwerks this February 23, 2010. myspace.com/freeenergymusic – H.M. Kauffman
Some may say that by the sheer sound of their music, Brooklyn based trio – CHILDE – was born out of the side of a dragon’s fiery head or perhaps the hairy gut of a bearded gypsy. But reality has proven that the strangely heroic and poetic rock of this new band stems from the wit and spit of their hard work. CHILDE has sprouted a surprising new sound – something earth shattering and soul satisfying – a solid sense of proportion and passion amidst the vast vagueness of music in our culturally over-saturated contemporanea. A fiery blend of stoned-out punk rock and psychadelia with a pop sensibility to make any music lover feel they are on the edge of a great vastness with no strings attached. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).
I’ve had the good fortune to interact with a great deal of Chicago musicians in the last year, and I can honestly say that none have been nicer than Marky Hladdish. He is just one of the members of the four-piece band The Felix Culpa. Their latest album, Sever Your Roots, finds Marky and the boys in rare form. This is a full on assault of pure rock, and they truly hold nothing back. In fact, this double LP clocks in at over 66 minutes. The band has been together for the better part of ten years now, and this album is really a culmination of that history together. In fact the track “Because This Is How We Speak” talks directly to that history and all of the bands that no longer exist.
The Felix Culpa is celebrating the release of Sever Your Roots at Metro tonight, Jan. 23rd with Loyal Divide, Robbers, and Suns.
I was fortunate to be in attendance for the first of two shows with Brighton MA at Schubas last night. The night’s opening band, Flight, made the trip in from Madison and proceeded to win over the slowly building crowd. Lead by the intoxicating force and beauty of Jentri Colello, Fight gave out copies of their demo ep and is currently working on a full-length album. Blending the sultry nature of St. Vincent with the rockier side of Feist and a heavy dose of atmospherics, Flight was a pleasure to hear.
As the room filled to capacity, as the show was sold out, Elsinore took the stage. Coming from down state, the band brought a strong college following with them. Their sound was polished, but a little all over the board. With traces of Phoenix, Wolfmother, and even a Postal Service cover, the band is still searching for a true sound but still making radio ready pop in the process.
Finally, just after midnight Brighton MA took the stage and showed the crowd how it is done. This is a band that should be so much bigger than they are, and we are lucky they call Chicago home. Holding a clinic on alt-country, they played with precision and style and a maturity that is undeniable. Matthew Kerstein controlled the crowd, drank a beer, and sang with a passion and joy that transformed the songs from their full-length Amateur Lovers into something so much more.
The entire evening I was wearing my new set of EarLove earplugs. Created here in Chicago, these Hi-Fi earplugs surprisingly enhanced the sound of the while eliminated the background noise. This morning I report that my ears are not ringing as they would normally be post show.
You can catch Brighton MA again tonight at Schubas with Andrew Belle and Tacoma Narrows.
