Tag: chicago

Justin Sconza Releases Campire + Shares Been So Long

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In continuing with my Friday morning theme of running tracks by individual artists, I wanted to present you with new stuff from Justin Sconza. The singer/songwriter releases Campfire today, recorded entirely on his own. For many, that immediately feels like that thrusts Sconza into the bedroom pop camp, and for all intents and purposes, sure. But, listen to the opening track below and you’ll realize that these songs feel larger; they feel as if they carry the intimacy and try to lift it into a larger space, filling the edges of the track with a swelling that feels akin to a Tony Molina album. You can stream all of Campire HERE, or just sample the hit single below.

Immaterialize Share If Dinner Single

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That Chicago scene is so hot right now! Another act to keep an eye on is the new project, Immaterialize, who’ve shared their latest single that seems perfectly fitting for an eclipse world. Upon pressing play, you’ll find a deep beat that pulses and trickles throughout the tune; you’ll also hear a cloud of atmosphere pressing into the speakers, creating this dreamy blanket of anxiety that you’ll somehow find comforting. I think that owes to the drifting of the vocal work, almost operating as more of an instrument than a pure vocal piece, allowing you to kind of watch as the song moves in then out. Drift right into this one!

Meet the SXSW Band: Smut

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Smut caught my attention way back in 2020 with their Power Fantasy 7″, then followed that up with How the Light Felt, so rest assured, you’ve read about them before on this here site. But, I haven’t caught them live as of yet, so they’re definitely high upon my list for acts I’d love to see in an intimate setting. Read on to Meet the SXSW Band, with scheduled dates and such following the jump!

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Sleeper’s Bell Enchant With Corner

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Chicago based Sleeper’s Bell just shared this enchanting new track called “Corner” and I absolutely had to share it with you all today. The song is a slow building, crooner of a dreamy, folk genre with lovely vocals from both Blaine Teppema and guest vocalist Leo Peterniti. My only complaint is I wish it went on for longer so I could stay in the moment with the band all day.

This track is part of an expanded EP entitled Umarell, which is available to purchase now via Fire Talk Records.

Or Best Offer Announce Debut LP

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As we look back on the year, I realize that I started to seek out some stuff that went deeper into the realms of indie rock, digging down into the caverns of the stuff that truly feels left of the dial…like Or Best Offer. The Chicago outfit burrowed into their own space, crafting their own instruments out of used children’s toys and spare parts, allowing them to toy with our expectations. It’s interesting to me that the album’s title is Center, as that’s what Grace Schmidhauser provides here, a sort of pop gravitational pull allowing the noisy planets and moons to orbit and overlap and crash into one another, building this textured web of interstellar indie noise. It will be interesting to see how far they take it on their debut, which drops via Ba Da Bing on January 26th.

Friko Share For Ella Video

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As a “writer” I probably throw comparisons around more often than I should, but when I listened to this new Friko track, I was immediately transported back to the first time I heard Elliott Smith. Musically, it’s a bit different, though I think Smith would have appreciated the sweeping string arrangements that factor into the song’s emotional appeal. For me, it was Niko Kapetan’s voice, calling me with this light whisper that transports melodies on the faint breeze; it’s gentle qualities offer this supreme intimacy that I hope I share when I sing my kids to sleep. This is a special one my friends; the band release Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here in February via ATO Records.

Friko Announce Debut Album + Share Single

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Chicago outfit Friko have just signed on to work with ATO Records for their debut LP, and what better way to drop that information than by rocking out with a fresh single? For me, this song succeeds because of the juxtaposed storytelling, one from the musical element and one from the vocals. You press play and a wailing guitar hits you right in the face, something akin to that shoegaze stuff the kids are super into on TikTok. But, as the vocals walk into the frame, they mold the track into something more gentle, careful to step around the cracks of noise so as not to let the song erupt. You can feel the tension working behind the song, even the vocals start to falter. And finally, they can hold back no more, letting go as the visuals match the explosive climax. If you dig, the band will release Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here via ATO Records in February!

New Single And EP From Free Range

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Chicago based musician Sofia Jensen, who records under the moniker Free Range, has very quickly become one of my favorite new songwriters and composers over the last year. The construction of each song seems so effortless with complicated structures, poetic lyrics, and tons of emotional crescendos throughout. If you haven’t checked out Practice from earlier this year, well I suggest you do that before going any further. Once you’re done there, come on back and check out this new single called “The Moon” from the recently recorded, and soon to be released Loft Sessions EP. The EP features this beauty along with 2 re-recorded tunes from Practice and three other brand new tracks, all recorded in Jeff Tweedy’s famous Chicago recording studio The Loft. You can pre-save the EP now ahead of the release date on November 17th.

Slow Pulp Return With A Hit

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Chicago based indie starlets Slow Pulp surely know how to write a hit and they’ve once again delivered with this new single “Slugs.” The song offers so much lightness with a quiet restraint as things sort of bubble underneath with hints of distorted guitar and a subtle vocal delivery. You’ll also get a fancy road trip video to follow along with as you fall into the track.

This tune will appear on the new Slow Pulp album, Yard, which is due out September 29th via ANTI-. Pre-orders are live now.

ATH Interview: Free Range

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As we closed out the year and wrapped coverage in December, one artist hit me with several memorable songs and left a lasting impression going into 2023. Chicago based Sofia Jensen, and her recording project Free Range, really struck a chord with me and will likely be a top new artist to push in the coming year. After three incredible singles to serve as an introduction to the project, Sofia is releasing a full, debut LP this week entitled Practice and I am here to push this gem of a record however I can. I was fortunate enough to send along a few questions to Free Range and I’m pumped to share this intimate look into Sofia’s process and musical tastes. Full interview with some song links and LP streaming/buying options after the jump.

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