Chicago, I Love You and DO 312 Presents 2013 Version, October 10- 20

Tom Schraeder is back again with Chicago, I Love You, another fine musical love fest that will play out over 22 venues. There is something for everyone in this years show.  CILY is FREE 10-day arts & culture festival between Oct 10-20 celebrating Chicago's music, art, photography, film, literature, & comedy. Some of my favorite Chicago acts of the past few years are playing Tom Schraeder, Teenage Rage, Sarah Holtschlag and The Crosscuts, Magicks, Gia Margaret, Rows of Arrows, Angelina Lucero, Woodrow Heart and so many more acts I am looking forward to seeing for the first time. I'll have another post covering the Chicago, I Love You show that i'll be a co sponsor of. Thanks again to Tom for including me and putting on this testament to the vibrant and varied nature of the Chicago arts scene! Linked above is the  CIYL facebook page, follow along there or on twitter to keep up an all of the shows going on this year!

Lapland - Lapland (album review) (Lapland plays Schubas tomorrow night!)

Lapland's self titled album is awash with great melodies and jazz influences, which comes as no surprise seeing as Josh Mease is Lapland. Josh's great first album, Wilderness made it on my year end list in 2009. This Lapland release shares similarities to Wilderness with respect to the melodies and jazz influences and dream like state of the music, but on Lapland Josh has branched out with some electronic touches which work to great effect with his signature style.
  Some electronic bright sounding parts show up right away on album opener "Unwise". Like a lot of Josh's songs,"Unwise" goes for a bigger picture sound. Less is definitely more and the chord changes really make the difference.
 "Overboard" showcases Josh's vocal style, featuring some sweet harmonies and a lounge instrumentation.
 The slow waltz  creeper "Aeroplane" is an addictive little track, whose melody will stay with you for quite a while. A true accomplishment for a song.
 The experimental waltz timed instrumental "Fountains" is Josh's new experimentation at its best. A perfect off kilter change up that is perfectly placed.
  The chord changes on "Metal Lung" are great. Have you ever heard a Sergio Leone influenced jazz pop song? Love this song a bunch.
 Lapland marks some departure of sound for Josh Mease while still retaining the core that makes me love his songwriting, musicianship and singing/melodies. This album will be on my year end list again!
Come see Josh tomorrow night (18+) show at Schubas Chicago. He will be coming in from New York. See him tomorrow, I will be there!

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.