A fan of Muse’s expansive progressive rock or Mew’s edgy space pop? Then you should probably get to know Chicago’s Molehill.
The quartet offers up some pretty melodic nu-prog that shifts between sweet piano balladry and epic power riffs. Better yet, they’ll be dropping their debut LP, Equinox, at their record release party this Saturday at the Beat Kitchen.
Equinox‘s lead single is the dramatic rocker, “No Reprieve,” which is the perfect introduction for those new to Molehill. “No Reprieve” showcases the band’s stylistic contrast as it opens with singer Peter Manhart’s warm croon over light keys before building from a symphonic whirlwind into a soaring chorus. Listen to “No Reprieve” after the jump.
And not three reasons to kick your Tuesday up a notch and head to Township…
1. The beginning of a new week is always a drag, which is why locals Truman & His Trophy are perfect curing those work day blues. This local indie oufit offer up melodic and rambunctious rock ‘n’ roll antics that straddles the line between punk and chorus-fueled pop anthems. LISTEN: “Jake Babe”
2. On their Jan 2012 release, Temple Said No-Brainer, Pisces at The Animal Fair offer up punchy experimental rock. At times, they seem to channel mathy dynamic changes, while at others they inject a bit of spacey blips to throw the listener off their wild trail. LISTEN: “Bender’s Gotten Ax”
The Gorilla Press are undoubtedly a band that enjoys their music videos. We’ve highlighted their work with director Ichiro Hino before, but their latest collaboration might be the best yet. This new video from the Chicago indie outfit is for “On Fire,” a melodic, driving rocker from their latest release, A Natural Thing (Unnatural To Me). In the clip, it’s apparent that fire is the main thematic element at play as the clip is bookended by a match lighting a fuse, but in between is some really cool stop-motion footage leading to the money shot where the entire band appears to be hovering around Chicago. Watch the The Gorilla Press heat things up below:
Three reasons to shake, rattle and roll on over to the Empty Bottle tonight…
1. Chicago’s Whales sound more like seasoned veterans than local up-and-comers on their self-titled debut that dropped last year. The records delivers both urgent, dissonant rockers and crooked groove-driven pieces that definitely seem to be from the school of Sonic Youth. But in between all the jagged riffs, Whales still find time to deliver quite the melodic punch. LISTEN: “Salt”
2. Get ready cause here come The Cell Phones. One of our 12 Chicago Bands To Watch In 2012, this local trio’s brand of art pop which somehow manages to touch on not only heavy yet danceable drum and bass of DFA 1979, but their songs are carried by lead singer Lindsey Charles’ arena-ready stage presence and voice, which blends both freneticism of Karen O and the spacey yips of Mars Volta’s Cedric Bixlar. The Cell Phones are truly a breath of fresh air and originality in Chicago’s indie rock scene. LISTEN: “Spoiler”
In all honesty, this is probably one of the most random collaborations we’ve ever heard.
Two weeks ago, Tim Heidecker of Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Tom Goes To The Mayor, and the-fiance-with-two-lines-in-Bridesmaids fame, was in Chicago for an autograph sesh at Reckless Records with his Tim & Eric’s Million Dollar Movie compadre Eric Wareheim.
Well, in the late afternoon on Friday, February 10, Heidecker sent out a tweet asking if any local Chicago bands had a studio he could borrow for a few hours.
While we can’t be certain Sausage Fest 2012 will actually have sausage, we definitely know it will offer some excellent Chicago rock ‘n’ roll goodness.
Presented by Permanent Records, in conjunction with Captcha Records, Troubled In Mind Records, Rotted Tooth Recordings and Moniker Records, Sausage Fest 2012 is a two-night, SXSW send-off that’s set to go down at the Empty Bottle on Saturday, March 10, and Sunday, March 11.
The line-up features quite a few known Chicago noise, punk and garage rockers. Running, Bad Drugs, Stacian and Bitchin Bajas will do it up on Saturday. While Sunday offers the head-banging sounds of Apache Dropout, Heavy Times, Zath and Supersonic Piss.
Seeing how BIGCOLOUR were one of our 12 Chicago Bands To Watch In 2012, we’d be foolish not to keep you up on their happenings.
Well, late last week the soulful Chicago psych-rockers dropped a six-track release dubbed, YOUR BODY DOESN’T LIKE THE DECISIONS YOUR BRAIN MAKES, VOL. I on to their Bandcamp. It’s a compilation of studio-recorded BigColour material spanning between Fall 2010 and Summer 2011 – you know, the golden years.
The collection showcases BigColour’s uncanny ability to be blend creepy psychedelic touches with flowery ’60s pop melodies.
A fan of Muse’s expansive progressive rock or Mew’s edgy space pop? Then you should probably get to know Chicago’s Molehill.
And not three reasons to kick your Tuesday up a notch and head to Township…
Three reasons to shake, rattle and roll on over to the Empty Bottle tonight…
In all honesty, this is probably one of the most random collaborations we’ve ever heard.
While we can’t be certain Sausage Fest 2012 will actually have sausage, we definitely know it will offer some excellent Chicago rock ‘n’ roll goodness.
