Situation Chicago 2 is a fine compilation of Chicago bands and artists, and proceeds go to helping artists and venues affected by the pandemic (which, by the way, is pretty much all of them). The project is part of the CIVL SAVE fund, which needs all the help it can get to support independent music venues throughout the Windy City (full disclosure, some of these venues are my favorite venues in the country).
“Sinistry” by MIIRRORS is a fiery live rock cut with some light goth touches. Robust‘s “Dont Know Why” is a smooth example of Chicago’s vibrant rap scene. The bass line alone on it make impregnate you. Speaking of great example of Chicago’s music culture, Fess Grandiose‘s “Keep the Rhythm Goin'” is a prime one of Chicago house music (a genre that, while popular, still deserves to be better known around the globe). Umphrey’s McGee and Bela Fleck team up on the bouncy and bright “Great American.” Reduxion‘s “The Imperial Boxmen” is sweet funk jazz that will make you want to spin your lover around the room. Speaking of fun, Jeff Park delivers a great instrumental cover of WAR‘s “Slippin’ into Darkness.”
“Drowning” by Neptune’s Core starts side B of the vinyl with strong power-pop hooks. Goth country makes an appearance with The Goddamn Gallows‘ “The Maker.” V.V. Lightbody‘s “Really Do Care” is a slice of dream-pop complete with birdsong and cat’s purr-like guitar. Erin McDougald‘s lovely, sexy “The Parting Glass” is a wonderful exemplar of Chicago’s jazz club scene and makes you want to seek out her live performances.
It’s a good compilation, and proceeds go to a great cause. You can’t miss.
Laying down roots at Oberlin College before officially becoming a band in Chicago last year, it has not take Moontype long to start turning heads. Despite having no music online, the three piece (composed of singer/bassist Margaret McCarthy, guitarist Ben Cruz and drummer Emerson Hunton) began playing in their adoptive city in 2019 with only a pair of Bandcamp demos to their name and quickly started appearing on bills with buzzing acts like Strange Ranger, Horsejumper of Love and Paear. This led to them capturing the attention of the rising Chicago label Born Yesterday (helmed by Deeper‘s Kevin Fairbairn and the increasingly ubiquitous engineer Greg Obis), who have recently garnered an expanding national profile with releases from DIY circuit up and comers Landowner and Cafe Racer. Today, Moontype are announcing their signing to the label with their single “Ferry” which is premiering via The FADER.
WATCH: Moontype’s “Ferry” video on YouTube // FADER
The track, described by FADER as “a gauzy Midwest fantasy,” is an arresting example of Moontype’s sound, one that is startlingly fully-realized for a band who have yet to release their first album, and of a songwriter in McCarthy with a rare ability to communicate her perspective with a relatable clarity and a transporting depth. There are suggestions of the intimate songwriterly-ness of Tomberlin or Lomelda, blended with the sweeping, technically-minded indie of Built To Spill, and even hints of the downbeat grandeur of Mazzy Star in a track that sees McCarthy relate the alienating feeling of a gradually dissipating friendship. Immediately engaging and emotionally acute, it’s the kind of sure-handed first offering that provides a tantalizing suggestion of what’s to come from an extremely promising new band.
“‘Ferry’ is a song about the loss of friendship, not when it breaks apart quickly and devastatingly but when it slowly unravels and you watch it go,” McCarthy explains to FADER. “3 or 4 of my friendships made their way into this song. I think about a friend who was about to go on a two-year long tour, and I started to drift away from him months before he actually left – a trick the mind plays to make the break less painful. Your friend leaves and afterwards you’re left with these visceral memories – running around the city at night, drinking whiskey in the alley – and in memory form those experiences gain potency, like ‘ah that was really living, and what I have now is nothing.’ And that vivid memory stands in high contrast to the way their entire personhood is slowly fading from your mind, you forget how they walk, what kind of jokes they made. And then you’re left with only yourself and you realize that you’ve defined yourself through the relationships you’ve been in, and when those people go away you feel like an empty shell (no snail inside!) and that feeling is enough to make a person say ‘I wanna take the ferry to Michigan! Get me out of this place!’”
Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Liam Kazar presents a new single, “On a Spanish Dune,” with an accompanying video. It’s the follow-up to his charming debut, “Shoes Too Tight,” which gave a first look into Kazar’s joyful and vulnerable world. “On a Spanish Dune” is mellow and tinged with melancholia, undulating with wurlitzer and subtle synths. Mixed by Sam Griffin Owens, it features childhood friend Spencer Tweedy (drums), Chicago musician James Elkington (pedal steel, percussion), David Curtin (synths), plus vocals from Ohmme. The track illustrates Kazar’s aptness for colorful narration: “On a spanish dune // We’ll turn to the moon // So if you wanna go // I won’t leave tonight // While the cicadas sigh // And the river’s mouth is wide.”
The accompanying video, directed by Jesse Morgan Young, features Kazar and friends and is filled with oddities. Young explains the video: “After Kazar hurriedly leaves before dawn he’s thwarted by car trouble. Rescued by an unnervingly cheerful loner, the two make their way to an abandoned farm only to find out it’s not so abandoned. An eccentric survivalist has made the isolated locale his home and they spend the evening enjoying each other’s company and a bit of the stranger’s funky elixir.” Watch Liam Kazar’s Video for “On a Spanish Dune”
“On a Spanish Dune” continues to champion Kazar’s wide musical range. Throughout the last decade, he has been recognized for his adaptability and deftness in the studio and on stage, leading to tours and collaborations with Jeff Tweedy, Chance the Rapper, Steve Gunn, Daniel Johnston, Kids These Days, amongst others.
Ohmme – the Chicago-based duo of Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart – will release their new album, Fantasize Your Ghost, next Friday, June 5th on Joyful Noise Recordings, with the physical retail release date pushed to July 31, 2020. Today, they present a new single/video, “The Limit,” which follows previously released singles “Selling Candy,” “Ghost,” and “3 2 4 3.” “The Limit” is a dystopian dance rocker. With angular, winding guitar and Ohmme’s distinctive intertwining vocals, the track further stretches their already dynamic palette. Its eccentric video was directed by Hannah Welever, edited/VFX by Priscilla Perez, and animated by Connor Reed (Jazz Records Animations). It features Ohmme green screened over trippy clips and stock footage.
“The video for ‘The Limit’ was birthed out of the urge to create and collaborate with friends even while far apart,” says Ohmme. “Hannah Welever made it really exciting to explore the possibilities of creating a video together in isolation – putting new meaning to the song and applying it to the things we are experiencing now. Performing alone in front of a green screen was challenging, but left room for endless possibilities!”
“It was a blast working to adapt to the current climate of ‘making things’ with this new video,” says director Hannah Welever. “We had Sima and Macie film themselves at home on a green screen while I directed via Facetime, and my editor (Priscilla Perez) and I pulled Found Footage that felt like something you would see on an 80’s tube TV. I wanted to transport Ohmme to a nostalgic and colorful dream-scape to distract us from the cloud hanging above our world right now, and bring some lightness to the day-to-day monotony.” Watch the Video for Ohmme’s “The Limit” Fantasize Your Ghost is the direct result of the band spending more time on the road than in Chicago. It’s deeply concerned with questions of the self, the future, and what home means when you’re travelling all the time. Early sketches of Fantasize Your Ghost‘s tracklist were demoed at Sam Evian‘s Flying Cloud Studios in upstate New York through intensely collaborative and open sessions. The album was recorded over a six day session in August 2019 at the Post Farm in southern Wisconsin with journeyman producer Chris Cohen.
Though 2018’s Parts showcased their wildly burgeoning influences and talents, Fantasize Your Ghost captures the astounding magnetism and ferocity of their live show. It encapsulates the thrilling and sometimes terrifying joy of moving forward even if you don’t know where you’re going. It’s an album that asks necessary questions: When life demands a crossroads, what version of yourself are you going to pursue? What part of yourself will you feed and let flourish and what do you have to let go of? This is a record of strength, of best friends believing in each other. Unapologetic and brave, Ohmme are ready to figure it all out together.
Following their supporting dates with Waxahatchee in this Fall, Ohmme will play a headlining tour in the new year. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now. Listen to Ohmme’s “Selling Candy”
“Ohmme’s music feels experimental and strange yet still accessible, with an underlying gut-level rumble that keeps its songs from floating into the ether.” – NPR Music
“You might think OHMME is a mantra, but it’s in fact the place to be to hear remarkable music from a Chicago band in rare form” – Chicago Tribune
“Their harmonies teem with nervous energy while riding a sweeping rhythmic undercurrent, building up tension that occasionally explodes into fleeting moments of release.” – Stereogum
Ohmme – the Chicago-based duo of Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart – release a new single/video “Ghost,” from their forthcoming album, Fantasize Your Ghost, out June 5th via Joyful Noise Recordings. Following lead single“3 2 4 3,” “one of their darkest, thickest cuts yet” (Vulture), “Ghost” opens with sparse instrumentation, blooming with layered vocals and heavy, experimental guitar licks. Its colorful accompanying video, directed, shot, and edited by Austin Vesely, features the band and shiny, dancing ghosts.
“We’d been kicking around the idea of doing something like the Pop Musik video by M but darker,” says the band. “There’s a lot of darkness these days but it’s important to keep dancing. Austin said, ‘fancy ghosts’ and ‘can I press order on these California King satin bedsheets’ and we said ‘Yes, and YES!’”
Fantasize Your Ghost is the direct result of the band spending more time on the road than in Chicago. It’s deeply concerned with questions of the self, the future, and what home means when you’re travelling all the time. Early sketches of Fantasize Your Ghost‘s tracklist were demoed at Sam Evian‘s Flying Cloud Studios in upstate New York through intensely collaborative and open sessions. The album was recorded over a six day session in August 2019 at the Post Farm in southern Wisconsin with journeyman producer Chris Cohen.
Though 2018’s Parts showcased their wildly burgeoning influences and talents, Fantasize Your Ghost captures the astounding magnetism and ferocity of their live show. It encapsulates the thrilling and sometimes terrifying joy of moving forward even if you don’t know where you’re going. It’s an album that asks necessary questions: When life demands a crossroads, what version of yourself are you going to pursue? What part of yourself will you feed and let flourish and what do you have to let go of? This is a record of strength, of best friends believing in each other. Unapologetic and brave, Ohmme are ready to figure it all out together.
Additionally, Ohmme share rescheduled North American tour dates. Following their summer headlining tour, they’ll support Waxahatchee. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale now.
Ohmme Tour Dates Fri. June 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon – Record Release Show * Sat. June 6 – Oakland, CA @ Crystal Cavern * Sun. June 7 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Atrium at The Catalyst * Mon. June 8 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s * Tue. June 9 – Sisters, OR @ The Suttle Lodge * Thu. June 11 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge * Fri. June 12 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza * Sat. June 13 – Spokane, WA @ Lucky You (Upstairs) * Sun. June 14 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic * Mon. June 15 – Reno, NV @ Holland Project Tue. June 16 – Bolinas, CA @ Gospel Flat Farmstand * Sat. Aug. 8 – Ripon, WI @ Avrom Farm Party Sun. Sept. 27 – Austin, TX @ Scholz Garten % Mon. Sept. 28 – Houston, TX @ Satellite % Tue. Sept. 29 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West % Thu. Oct. 1 – Nashville, TN @ Exit In % Fri. Oct. 2 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom % Sun. Oct. 4 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre % Mon. Oct. 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer % Tue. Oct. 6 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere % Thu. Oct. 8 – Winooski, VT @ Monkey House Fri. Oct. 9 – Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre % Sat. Oct. 10 – Holyoke, MA @ Gateway City Arts % Mon. Oct. 12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater % Tue. Oct. 13 – Detroit, M @ MOCAD % Thu. Oct. 15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center % Fri. Oct. 16 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room % Sat. Oct. 17 – Maquoketa, IA @ Codfish Hollow Barn % Sun. Oct. 18 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre %
* = w/ V. V. Lightbody % = w/ Waxahatchee
Keep your mind open.
[Slide on over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
[Thanks to Pitch Perfect PR for the press release!]
Chicago-based band Melkbelly will release PITH, their multidimensional and strikingly textural new album, on April 3rd via Wax Nine / Carpark Records. Today, they offer a new single/video, “Sickeningly Teeth,”which follows previously released singles “Humid Heart” and “LCR.” In conjunction, they share dates for their recently rescheduled North American tour.
“Sickeningly Teeth” is in step with Melkbelly’s unabashed loudness and is “a cough syrup induced self-reflection.” Miranda Winters’ bright vocals are delayed and hazy over raucous instrumentation and periodic tempo shifts.
The accompanying video was directed by Marty Schousboe (Joe Pera Talks With You), who also created the videos for Melkbelly’s “Bathroom at the Beach” and “Kid Kreative.” The “Sickeningly Teeth” video completes the Melkbelly Trilogy and is an obvious homage to the greatest trilogy of all time, “The Matrix”. It stars, among others, John Reynolds (Search Party), and is tastefully laden with delightful gross-outs. WATCH MELKBELLY’S VIDEO FOR “SICKENINGLY TEETH” https://youtu.be/ghumw7Ji-P4
PITH was summoned from a place of mourning following the loss of a close friend. Miranda Winters drew from diverse scenes—Grimm-like children’s stories too dark for kids; thorny, mossy forests—to create stories that feel distinctly Melkbellian: philosophically strange, strikingly textural, funny and sad and open-hearted.
Recording in two short sessions six months apart, the band worked with longtime collaborator Dave Vettraino, this time at Bloomington, Indiana’s Russian Recording. Alongside an arsenal of rock gear and airy synth layers coaxed from a Moog Prodigy, PITH’s was refined by the studio’s collection of rare Russian tube mics, which were placed in every corner to capture Melkbelly’s compelling intensity. WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “HUMID HEART” https://youtu.be/4hMYGDBE7sg
MELKBELLY TOUR DATES Sat. Aug. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village Tue. Aug. 18 – Toronto, ON @ Baby G Wed. Aug. 19 – Montreal, QC @ La Vitrola Thu. Aug. 20 – Providence, RI @ Columbus Theater Sun. Aug. 23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool Wed. Aug. 26 – Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong Thu. Aug. 27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle Fri. Aug. 28 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto
PRAISE FOR MELKBELLY
“’LCR,’ the album’s lead single, exhibits their chaotic finesse — it’s an intricately put-together tower of noise, filled with bleary moments of relief from leader Miranda Winters” – Stereogum
“‘Humid Heart’ is adrift in a mesh of interlocking bass and guitar. The chords seem to link up and split on a whim, the aural equivalent of that push-pull of normality that comes with sudden loss. It all comes to a head in the final freakout, which ends like an abrupt snap back to reality.” – Consequence of Sound
Chicago funk-punks So Pretty (Ashley Holman – guitar, vocals, Stefan Lindgren – drums, vocals, Rachel Manter – guitar, bass, vocals, ukulele, James Seminara – bass, guitar, vocals) seemed to have walked out of a John Waters movie. They’re brash, a bit trashy, self-deprecating, and snarky. Their second album, Suck It Up, is like a refreshing gulp of fruit punch that you realized is spiked with gin about thirty seconds later.
I first heard the band, and Suck It Up‘s opener, “Comfort Service,” when I saw them play in Chicago earlier this year. Manter delivers a fiery rant from the perspective of a 1%’er chewing out hotel staff. I can’t help but wonder if she works or used to work in a hotel and wrote it as a middle finger to dickweed tenants. Basil Fawlty would love this tune.
Manter’s vocals and the band’s hard hitting on “Think Again” show they could start a metal project if they wanted. Holman takes over vocals on “Blueberry Blues,” in which she screams that she wants “to be punk rock royalty.” She’s well on her way, judging by the vocal and guitar shredding she unleashes on the track.
You can’t help but think of the Violent Femmes (thanks to the ukulele and funky beat) during “Nice Guys,” an ode to guys who treat women well and women who prefer to date douchebags. The following track, “Whisper Corner,” is like a left hook to the liver after the gentle feint of “Nice Guys.” It has Seminara and Lindgren unleashing a sonic assault in under two minutes.
“Chub Rub” is probably about what you think it is, and it’s a fun, trashy punk number. They get funky on “Limbo,” with Seminara singing about the rut of modern living (“I felt a little bit better when I felt a bit strange.”).
“Manhandler” has Holman returning to lead vocals and she and Manter crank the distortion on their guitars. It’s like a Bikini Kill track, and Holman’s ass-chewing of the song’s subject is great. Whereas that track reminds me of Bikini Kill, “No Hamburger” reminds me of Sleater-Kinney with its nice double vocals from Holman and Manter.
The album ends with the gloriously weird “Don’t Give Up the Ship” as Seminara sounds like a drunk trying to explain the world’s problems to everyone stopped at the red light. The whole band goes bonkers by the end of it, ending the album in a frenzy of punk chaos.
This is a fun record. Fun punk, and especially good fun punk, is hard to find nowadays. It’s nice to hear So Pretty keeping punk not only alive, but fun.
