THE DELI

As I begin to receive a few Christmas covers from Chicago musicians I feel as though I have missed an opportunity to do something bigger. Maybe next year there will be a Deli Christmas song project or something. Regardless, the Christmas spirit has infected Brendan Losch and I am happy to share with you his interpretation of the classic "White Christmas".

Number twelve is the wonderfully inventive song and video from Volcano! "So Many Lemons" which was released as a single back in March.

Our number thirteen selection comes from the BBU crew. "Chi Don’t Dance" no only captures a snapshot the hip hop scene in 2009, but also focuses on a style of dance that is original to the city.

2009 was a great year for Tania Bowers (a.k.a. Via Tania) and to close out the year she has sent us a beautiful Nina Simone cover. “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” is a perfect track for Tania and you can that it is meaningful to her. You can download the track here.

Via Tania already has some big plans for 2010 including a trip to SXSW. She will also be releasing a New single "Fields", as well as an exciting music video shot by none other than Aussie production team Moop Jaw (The Temper Trap, The Presets, The Golden Filter, Peaches, Miami Horror, Neon Indian) who will be taking Tania into the beautiful, rural mountain lands of Mount Buller, a spectacular locale known for its sunsets and breathtaking landscapes. Basically, we will be hearing much more from Tania Bowers next year.

Number 14 comes from Anni Rossi’s Rockwell album which was released in March of this year. The track is "The West Coast".

This brand new video from Treaty of Paris is taken from their 2007 release Sweet Dreams, Sucker. The band is releasing their much anticipated follow-up ep, Currents, on January 9th via a celebration at The Metro. Joining them will be other local bands AM Taxi (Virgin Records), The Insecurities, Last Fast Action, and The Victory Gins. Doors for the concert open at 5:00PM.

The Saps have had a storied history in the Chicago music scene. They have released several EPs, which never got them any critical attention from major labels. Maybe it was the nasty abrasiveness from there old school sound being in a contemporary scene. Maybe it was the lyrics "I got so drunk last night/I wanted to piss in your eye".

Either way there music never got the full attention that front man Daniel Lastick may have wanted. But rather than pull an "88 Fingers Larry" move and go on to bigger skyline success *cough* Rise Against *cough*, he instead chose to give a big middle finger to the record labels and keep making the music he wanted to make.

This attitude is portrayed perfectly on two of the major tracks on the EP. "Ricky": A song about working tirelessly in the studio only to be rejected by every label. Many young bands can identify with this one. Other hard-hitting tracks on the album are "Radio": a song about doing almost nothing with your life while still being a success in music, a perfect anthem for any schoolyard boy who has big dreams (tweed uniform not included). "Piece Of Glass": Was written entirely for the fans and was only released on their approval. It shows a mellow side to them with almost beach boy harmonies, it’s a bit surprising.

All in all The Saps latest attempt is definitely for the fans, but it does seem that they are trying to get a little poppy for another possible chance at record label attention. Either way, good luck guys! – Nick Coamey