Search Results for lisa mrock
SLEIGH BELLS
BY LISA MROCK If you assumed a band called Sleigh Bells would include actual sleigh bells in their music, we’re sorry to disappoint. Otherwise, behold their fourth album Jessica Rabbit, an album that continues the journey of Derek Miller’s sharp, jagged guitar riffs juxtaposed with the sweet, marshmallow-light voice of Alexis Krauss. Each song is […]
LOS CAMPESINOS!
BY LISA MROCK How in the hell does a Welsh indie group get the name Los Campesinos!? Eh, why bother ruminating on this when they have new tracks out? With new album Sick Scenes soon to be on the scene, everyone has time to memorize the lyrics before their show at Metro. The first single, […]
CIRCUIT DES YEUX
BY LISA MROCK Chicago-based artist Haley Fohr can do it all. At least that’s what it sounds like. Her ability to transition between multiple types of sounds and styles allows her to appeal to all types of people. Her latest project Jackie Lynn, a concept album about the eponymous drug dealer and her partner, shows […]
ALL THEM WITCHES
BY LISA MROCK All Them Witches are heavy on the psychedelics, huge on Robby Staebler’s drums, gigantic on Ben McLeod’s guitar and bass, massive on Allan Van Cleave’s keystrokes, and gargantuan on Charles Michael Parks Jr.’s virulent vocals. In other words, their sound is big. Though they are surprisingly light on the witchcraft, the magic […]
TOVE LO
BY LISA MROCK The Princess of Sad Pop is making her triumphant return to Chicago to mend some post-Valentine’s Day hearts. Considering she recently owned the stage at KISS FM’s Jingle Ball, it seems a pretty safe bet that she’ll dominate the House of Blues with songs from her latest album Lady Wood. Such songs […]
THE HOTELIER
BY LISA MROCK The Northeast has been a recent hotspot for punk and hardcore-influenced acts, ranging from The Wonder Years to The Menzingers to Title Fight. And, even more recently, it’s brought us The Hotelier. Hailing from Worcester, Mass., they gained notoriety with their second album Home, Like Noplace Is There despite initially being clustered […]
SONS OF THE SILENT AGE
BY LISA MROCK “Sons of the Silent Age” is a song by David Bowie about people who are inert and noncommittal in life. The nine members of local group Sons of the Silent Age, however, are definitely far from noncommittal in what they do, which is to bring David Bowie’s diverse catalogue to life in […]
SABA
BY LISA MROCK Yet another treat from Chicago’s bountiful hip hop scene is Saba, born Tahj Malik Chandler and hailing from the West Side. Earlier in 2016, he gave us one of the best hip hop releases of the year with Bucket List Project. The opening track “In Loving Memory” begins with the start of […]
ISAIAH RASHAD & GUESTS
BY LISA MROCK Isaiah Rashad, who’s signed to TDE alongside frequent tourmates and collaborators SZA, ScHoolboy Q, and Kendrick Lamar, is an up-and-coming star whose shine has no limits. He was listed in XXL’s 2014 freshman class, which also featured a slew of Chicago artists you may have heard of such as Chance The Rapper […]
HAMILTON LEITHAUSER
BY LISA MROCK The former frontman of The Walkmen has been keeping plenty busy since his main squeeze went on hiatus. Hamilton Leithauser has since released Black Hours, a joy of an album with fun romps like “Alexandra” and more low-key affairs like the somber “Self Pity” (though it’s hard to imagine a song called […]
DOS SANTOS: ANTI-BEAT ORQUESTRA
BY LISA MROCK People tend to have certain expectations about groups labeled with the dreaded descriptor of “jam band,” leaving hardly any room for surprise. But if you want something a little different with a heavy dose of flavor, take in some of the deep grooves emanating from the free-flowing, diverse instrumentation of Dos Santos: […]
BLACK TIGER SEX MACHINE
BY LISA MROCK PHOTO BY JOHN LONDONO Yes, EDM trio Black Tiger Sex Machine do, in fact, wear tiger heads while performing. Alas, there is no sex machine. What they do bring along with their Daft Punk-inspired headdresses is a collection of electronic bangers sure to get the crowd’s inner sex machines nice and revved up. […]
EMILIE AUTUMN
BY LISA MROCK PHOTO BY CRAZYUGLYWORTHLESSME When Emilie Autumn was four years old, she remembers asking her parents for a violin…even if she doesn’t quite remember knowing what one was. The unique tendencies of the inventor of “Victoriandustrial” music — which melds everything from classical and cabaret to electronica and burlesque in a dark pop […]
GRINGO STAR
BY LISA MROCK PHOTO BY PETER FURGIUELE Like Ringo Starr, it’s easy to underestimate Gringo Star. In a time when rock is glossy, bombastic, and often overproduced, the humble crew from Gigantic Records maintains a vintage sound and a retro charm reminiscent of The Kinks, as most noticeably evident in “All Y’all,” the title track […]