chicago

Odd Folk: Die Young

Blooming in its own pace, Odd Folk‘s 2012 musical project Die Young crafts honest and tasteful folk music fit for anyone’s taste. Featuring five radio-polished pieces, the Chicago-based band brings us back to vivid images of rolling hills and country landscapes. Odd Folk consists of Paul Cherewick (songwriter/guitar/vocals), Madely Strutz (banjo/vocals), Monty Weber (violin), and Chace Wall (mandolin/organ/vocals).

Lili K: My Favorite Things

Want us to name some of our favourite things? Well, we got one: it’s Lili K.’s newest EP – My Favorite Things. 22-year-old Lili K. has been making waves in the Chicago music scene with her unique flair of music, which she wittily dubs as ‘neo-soul’. True to her word, her smooth vocals hearken to the days of Ashanti’s “Unfoolish”, fusing them with catchy hip-hop beats.

Slot-A: The Transition

Working hard to make a name for himself, Slot-A has pinpointed himself as one of the go-to-producers in Chicago. Following the steps of renowned personas in the industry like Dr. Dre and Just Blaze, Slot-A did not limit his talent into making labels, he also ventured into the world of DJ-ing and eventually creating music for himself.

The Wall & The Window: The Years EP

Like a soft whisper, The Wall & The Window have mastered the beauty of singing quiet and hushed up lullabies. According to the band, The Years EP takes you back to a time when a recording was meant as "an actual record of a moment in time, like a photograph in motion, framed for an instant within the borders of the picture." Fully done on a 4-track cassette, it has that lofi, yet polished and spontaneous feel. Behind this great folk EP are songwriters, Adam Mormolstein and Kristen Hotschlag.

Singing In The Abbey: Winter Demos 2011

On their Facebook page, Chicago band Singing In The Abbey describe their sound as Thom Yorke meets Julie Andrews. I can see where they are coming from. On Winter Demos there is a dramatic theatrical flair that is balanced by the strings and indie pop structure. Annie Higgins plays piano and sings; she has put this band together centered around her piano and songs and is joined by Donna Milleron on cello and vocals, Katie Cooperon on violin and vocals and the lone guy, Jason Toth on percussion.

Mutts – The Tells Of Parallels

The Mutts play a unique version of the blues that centers around the bottom end of Bob Buckstaff on bass, Chris Faller on Drums and Mike Maimone on keys and rasping and roaring vocals. Tells Of Parallels is Mutts third EP and finds this very tight band stretching their brand of the blues to incorporate more experimental elements that takes them away from the blues and into their own musical territory. Mike's vocals are reminiscent of Tom Waits but louder and with a more aggressive delivery. This Chicago based trio deliver a unique EP.

Suns: The Howl and The Many

The most distinguishable thing about listening to The Howl and The Many is the thunderous rumble when the toms are played. It's actually two drummers, Clinton Weber and Chris Pagnani who use mallets through a good chunk of the songs. Mikey Russell sings lead vocals as a sing along at times. Nick Enderle's guitar is sometimes sparse and sometimes deafening. Matt Lemke is a jack of all trades playing rhodes, magnus, harmonium, synth, guitar. Kody Nixon plays bass and banjo. There is also mandolin, a violin bow on a guitar and clarinet to round out Suns orchestra.