The Black Atlantic return TOMORROW at Beat Kitchen

The guys are back again and will be playing Beat Kitchen tomorrow night. Here's the official EVENT. I have been over the moon for their music for many years now and am fortunate to call them friends. Their newest release Darkling. I Listen finds their sound expanding and becoming more layered. They are fun guys to talk to and you can maybe ask them about the photo above, which I requisitioned from the fb page. They are coming from The Netherlands so by all means see them tomorrow, don't wait till next time! Also on the bill are Imaginary Cities and The Great American Canyon Band.

Doors at 7:30 (*pm start), 17 and up to enter, $10.

2012 Dedicated Ears Most Listened to List

For me, the most effective means of making a year end list is to put up the albums I listened to the most.  So here those albums are. As a voracious down-loader of Creative Commons releases I say thanks to all those artists for releasing those albums as a CC release.  Most of the albums on this list are CC albums and are featured on Dedicated Ears Legal Free Album/EP List. Thanks to all of those who follow me on FB and Twitter and check out my posts.

Thanks to D. C from The Waiting Room Radio Show for his tips (some on this list) over the year!

1. Santigold -  Master Of My Make -Believe (Atlantic, April 21, 2012)(Philly)

Wildly addictive songs. Have had this on repeat since it's release. This album is loved by my 5, 4, and 1 year old kids who asked for it again today in the car and sang and danced.



2. The Black Atlantic - Darkling , I Listen (January 13, 2012)(Beep Beep)(Netherlands) Fell in Love again with this band all over again with this album. Geert, Simon, Kim and Mathijas have stretched their sound in more aggressive and louder ways while still maintaining the beautiful melodic core that makes the band's sound pretty unique.




3. Hemmingbirds - The Vines Of Age (September 25, 2012)(Chicago, Illinois) This time around there are more nuanced sounds that comes from having a full band who all contribute to the overall sound.  There are the dalliances with experimental and psyche rock and sometimes straight up noise that add quite another element to the bands core of hook laden pop songs.


4. Jump Starts - What Hides Inside (November 10, 2012)(The Loud Label)(St. Louis Missouri) The overall sound on What Hides inside has added new musical flavors, country, Latin and post punk, without losing the tight identity that this Jump Starts duo has crafted.



5. Lupe de Lupe - Sal Grosso (Popfuzz Records, August 20, 2012)(Belo Horizonte, Brazil) Makes you yearn for the 90's again. Such big guitars as on "Há Algo de Podre no Reino de Minas Gerais" , a punk infused riot of a song. 

6. Adrian Jaurez -Marimba (June 21, 2012)(La Plata, Argentina) An ideal electro-pop release. Layered at times and simpler at others but always keeping a pulse on an indie ethos. The buoyant track"Festin" is on of my favorite tracks of the past year.


7. LATRISTIC - The Greyest Shade (March 8, 2012)(Washington) From the up tempo crunchy guitars in the opening track "It's Alright"  to the beautiful title track with it's strings this album has really good song after really good song.



8. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange (Def Jam Records, July 17, 2012)(New York)

R&B singer who oozes sexuality while breaking R&B taboo about the subject matter of some of these songs. 





9. Brendan Losch - Low (April 10, 2012)(Chicago, Illinois) Woozy indie folk songs. "Son Of A Gun" is on of my favorite tracks of the year.



10. Rex or Regina - Attractors (February 8, 2012)(Gainesville, Florida) Old school styled shoe-gaze. "Climbing Trees" is my favorite track.



11. THORN AND SHOUT - Thorn and Shout (September 17, 2012)(Maine) Primitive outsider folk music that is striking. "Name & Noise" is raw and immediate sounding. So very good.



12. Mutts - Separation Anxiety (August 2, 2012)(Chicago, Illinois) Bottom end fueled  experimental blues on acid.  Mutts expanded their sound with this album and better for it.



13. The End Of The Ocean - "In Excelsis"( June 29, 2012)(Columbus, Ohio) Dense post rock. Love their guitar tone and the change of tempo.
 



14. Dastardly - Bury Me in the Country (January 21, 2012)(Chicago, Illinois) My absolute favorite, antagonistic vaudeville punk release from Chicago, this year! Uplifting this lot of songs is not. You will smile though.



15. dusthoney - Coma Home  (March 31 2012)(Philly) This is one of 4 full lengths she released this year. Of her album she says on her Jamendo page "as if written by a girl with a head injury that made her sad all the time."  Then I must have brain damage too because I love this album.

Royalty-free music for professional licensing

16. Lobo Marino - Kite Festival (June 25, 2012)(Richmond, Virginia) Cathy group of songs. The melody from "Golden Flea" still will randomly come to my mind.



17. Yo maté a tu perro - Yo maté a tu perro ep (February 24, 2012)(Mexico) Noisy shoe gaze. "Casa" is my favorite track.



18.  Big Blood - Old Time Primitives (April 5, 2012)(Maine) More beautifully haunting experimental folk music from Big Blood. The bands from the Maine area have made this style of folk their own. "Leviathan Song Pt.1" is my favorite track.





19. swarbles - the hoursongs (July 25, 2012)(Maine) Pretty folk songs featuring a banjo. "perigee love song in three quarters time"is a wonderful song.



20. Collages - Memory Trash (July 7, 2012)(Chicago, Illinois) Electronic pop with island flavors. "What Is Now." is the standout track for me.



21. Blake Fleming - Time's Up (September 18 2012)(New York) Percussionist Blake Fleming recorded this all percussion album that keeps these songs to 3 and 4 minutes long. Awesome idea and some great African inspired playing.



22. Nadine Carina - Little Bits EP (September 1, 2012)(Liverpool, U.K.) Experimental midi pop.
 

Dedicated Ears Showcase at Lilly's on Sat 12.15.12

For this installment Tom Schraeder and I each pick two bands to come up with this cool line up this Saturday the 15th at Lilly's . It will be a $6 cover, 21+ to enter, and 1st act at 8:30. Gavin and Maggie (Bears Of Blue River),  Teenage Rage,  Sarah Holtshlag and D.O.C (featuring members of His Ego and inchworm) will be playing Saturday. I have been fortunate enough to have Sarah, Gavin and Maggie an  Teenage Rage play show for me before so I can attest that this will be a really good show. Thanks again to Tom and Lilly's for making these great shows possible. Thanks to the bands playing this show as well! Be sure to check out other shows at Lilly's, as Tom is booking there now!

Show Preview: Lobo Marino, Bowl Of Dust, The Odd Folk 12.12.12 at Yellow Book Chicago

Come on out on Dec 12 to Yellow Book (1007 N California) to see Virginia based Lobo Marino. I have featured them on Dedicated Ears compilation album on Bandcamp and will have their wonderful album Kite Festival on my year end list. On said album is one of the most infectious hooks you'll hear in their song "Golden Flea".  Also on the bill will be Chicago's Bowl Of Dust and Odd Folk. I'm really looking forward to seeing all three bands. Starts at 8 so don't be late. Official show page HERE for details!

From he official release for this show :

• If you'd like, arrive early to participate in a healing meditation circle to summon Divine Feminine Goddess Energy and open up the night. Potluck foods are encouraged and appreciated! Get creative with your inner Momma-Daddy and show some hospitality for the touring bands!

The Yellow Book

1007 N. California Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60622

View Map · Get Directions

Jump Starts - What Hides Inside (The Loud Label)(Record Release Show Off Broadway Nov 10)

St. Louis combo Jump Starts are back with the new LP, What Hides Inside (The Loud Label), which finds the duo seamlessly integrating their vocal interplay and minimalist pop expertise to create a clean sounding infectious batch of songs with varied musical influences.

So if you are asking is there anything different on this album than their debut album? Yes. The mid tempo country tinged "Written On Water" is a natural progression for their sound to take, and that sound comes easily for the duo.

There is also a bit harder edge on the post punk track "Last Time" which incorporate some of Justin's other band, Pretty Little Empire. It's great to hear that sound with Sarah singing the duel vocals.

The normal Jump Starts infectious hook pop songs are here in abundance, namely the head bobbing "Don't Need Much" which highlights how comfortable Sarah and Justin are with each others abilities. They have really made that vocal interplay the heart of what their music is.

Love the Latin flavored "Lord Who Knows". The guitar work and drumming is very effective. 

The overall sound on What Hides inside has added new musical flavors, country, Latin and post punk, without losing the tight identity that this Jump Starts duo has crafted. The hooks are always there with Justin's songs. This I can attest to as I have been lucky enough to hear some of his songs just after he has recorded them on his iphone. So that melody part is a given with Justin's songwriting. What Sarah and Justin have done is take that melody as a base and forge a sound where they each have even footing, the effect of which is evident with how memorable these songs are. 

Thanks to Jump Starts for sending this along to me! Look for this album on Dedicated Ears year end list.

For St. Louis folks, they will be having an album(vinyl) release show this Sat at Off Broadway. Don't miss it. Info HERE.


Recorded and mixed at R&R music Labs in St. Louis MO
 The Loud Label. An independent label in St. Louis.
 Mixed by Ryan Lewis and mastered by Ryan Albritton
extra musicians on album listed on songs Melinda Cooper - Electric Bass on "Stuck" "What Hides Inside" "Last Time" and "Don't Need Much William Godfred - Lead Guitar on "Last Time" Curtis Brewer - Lead Guitar on "Lord Who Knows" Slide Guitar on "Written on The Water" and Banjo on "There You Are" Jay Lewis - Upright Bass on "Carryin' on and Written on the Water.

Chris Staples, Kellen and Me, Venna, and Mike Maimone at Tonic Room Tues Oct. 9 FREE ENTRY

Show this coming Tuesdy Oct. 9 at Tonic Room,  featuring Mike from Mutts, Venna, Kellen & Me and Chris Staples.  FREE ENTRY no charge at door. Come see local music as well as Chris Staples who is from the great northwest. I have checked his albums out and am looking forward to seeing him play. The rest of the acts are from Chicago. Mike's always a blast live. Chris from Mutts organised this show.

7:30pm doors 8:00pm-8:30pm - MIKE MAIMONE (Mutts) http://download.muttsmusic.com/ 8:45pm-9:15pm - VENNA (feat. Marky of The Felix Culpa) https://www.facebook.com/vennamusic 9:30pm-10:00pm - KELLEN & ME https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kellen-Me/169565393074327
 10:15pm-11:00pm - CHRIS STAPLES (twothirtyeight/Discover America) http://chrisstaples.bandcamp.com/

Hemmingbirds - The Vines Of Age (album release show Fri Sept 21 at Beat Kitchen)

The Hemmingbirds set the bar pretty high with their debut, Death Wave , which was on my most listened to year end list, played on pod-casts near and wide as well as downloaded in excess of 50,000 times on Frost Click and saw the band entrench themselves in the Chicago music live scene. Death Wave was a one man tour de force of Yoo Soo Kim playing all, singing and fine production. So it has been interesting to see him add Zach Benkowski on drums, Matt McGuire on bass, and Timothy Cap on guitar (who Yoo Soo knew from their days at University Of Illinois at Champaign together). The guys have graciously had me out at about 8 to 10 of their shows, so I have been able to see this line up solidly and become stronger and stronger as they played songs from Vines Of Age these last few months, in advance of it's release this Fri Sept 21 at Beat Kitchen. PRE- ORDER Vines Of Age.

The sound of The Vines Of Age evolves from  hard rock and classic rock influences, and has become study in sound expansion. There is an emphasis on a bigger more expansive sound that is as loud at time as it's predecessor Death Wave, but achieves the big sounds with an indie flavor as on the build up for album opener "My Love, Our Time Is Now".

 "Line of Bones" starts with some clapping and quickly descends into a post punk inspired stomper of a song that achieves a glorious big noise where all of the band members contribute. I love seeing them play this song line because of the tempo shifts.

My favorite track, "Vineyards" illustrates the concept of this album, the passage of time and it's effect on us.  Yoo Soo sings 'The vines of age, will crowd your brain and bind you to your name.' There are nice guitar echo effects on this song hat make it sound very layered. Yet at the same time there are pauses and stops that really ties everything together.  This to me is the quintessential Hemmingbirds songs, featuring sweet vocals, harmonies, and a killer melody back by sounds both big and small. Love that long slow fade at the end.

'The lives that pass through your eyes on the t.v., and how it prints on to your brain, as your dreaming, and as I age you see the resemblance, and you carefully say take your time with the lovers that you make, take your time with the lovers that you make, Yoo Soo sings sweetly on "Oak Tree", a ballad with some beautiful guitar work to match Yoo Soo's insightful writing.   This is another tome about time and taking advantage of the time you have and people close to you.

"Toxic Noise" is a mid tempo rocker awash in big ass guitars featuring a killer bottom end that really propels this song. Add to that some sweet keys by Mike Maimone (Mutts).

Ever wonder what you would get if you mike Mike Maimone's sound with Hemmingbirds right down the middle? The answer can be found on "Better Than That" which features Mike on keys. They backbone of the song is a blues stomp that features some very experimental sounds for Hemmingbirds with even a bit of psych rock feel. Mike was the one who originally told me about Hemmingbirds and I have see Mike and You Soo and assorted band members trade playing with one another. They are all comfortable playing with one another and the this song is evidence that those two sounds work wonderfully together.

Holy stereo effect Batman. "Evening Is Rising" is an experimental noise lounge song featuring trumpet by Tricia Scully and trombone by Thom Schwartz. When the noise kicks up to full it's almost impossible to make out what is making some of those sounds. I think every band should have a song like this, that almost gets away from the band. I like the experimental side of Hemmingbirds.

I love the drums on "Through The Aether". Also Yoo Soo's violin and viola parts are really nice. Yet again another big, joyous noise.

This time around there are more nuanced sounds that comes from having a full band who all contribute to the overall sound.  There are the dalliances with experimental and psyche rock and sometimes straight up noise that add quite another element to the bands core of hook laden pop songs. I thoroughly enjoyed the sonic ride of listening to this album as a whole. It has been a joy to have heard some of the rough cuts of these songs early on, and then to see these songs transformed when they played them live. Now with this production of the songs the Hemmingbirds have advanced the songs even further. A big congratulations to the guys on an incredible album.

For press for Hemmingbirds contact August at Novo.