“Take Five” focuses on Chicago’s ever-growing music scene by giving you insight to the city’s best local acts via the best source possible: the artists themselves. Here is the latest installment featuring The Paver.
Metal mavens, The Paver, are stepping back into the studio to record a follow-up EP to the recently released Facebook event if you’re interested in going.
Until, then check out this interview we did with band members Jesse Giallombardo (bass, vocals), Billie Howard (violin, synth, vocals), Brendan Finucane (cello), and Patrick Watkins (drums). We asked them about recording Bad News, what inspires them, and what they grew up listening to. Read on to find out which member escaped a childhood marred by Christian rock!
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By Joseph Montes \ comments
SHARPLESS | Photo by Killian Young
In today’s changing music industry, nice guys finish first. These guys have a new name: “beta males.” Through their uniqueness, beta males build rapport with their listeners on a level alpha males can never achieve because they’re too concerned with themselves.
“There’s less and less room for people who want to make average music for average people,” says Brian Mazzaferri, lead singer for Chicago alternative band I Fight Dragons. “[There are] a lot more rising places for people who want to make unique music for unique people.”
But who is a beta male?
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By Killian Young \ comments
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that this Saturday, April 21, is the fourth annual Record Store Day. Like the past three years, record stores around the country are offering exclusive releases, great deals, free goodies and even in-store performances for Saturday’s celebration of independently owned record stores. The event is even better if you live in Chicago because there are many great record stores strewn across the city, but it’s hard to keep count of which one is doing what. Therefore, once again, we’ve done the dirty work for you in this handy guide to record store day in Chicago in which we break down which stores have what releases and even which bands you might find playing.
One thing to keep in mind: If you’re on the hunt for the Record Store Day Exclusives, GET THERE EARLY. All of the exclusive releases are being released in limited quantities. Plus, some stores are even offering free goodies, but only to the first few who show up. Finally, we’ll be updating our guide up until Saturday morning with more information as to who will have what and maybe even add some additional locations that we’ve found will be participating as well. But enough small talk. On with the Loud Loop Press Guide to Record Store Day in Chicago:
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By Staff \ 1 comment
Sunny pop rockers Gold Motel have launched a social media campaign asking fans to submit Instagram photos that embody the group’s music. The band intends to use the photos as artwork on their upcoming self-titled album due out this summer.
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By Audrey Leon \ comments
Photo Credit: Carrie Musgrave - livebabylive.com
There are thousands of great local bands playing every week in our fair city. Some you might know and some you might not. Seeing as it’s the beginning of a brand new year, we thought we’d point out some local bands who we think you might want to keep your eye on in 2012. And isn’t it always cool to say you were a fan of popular act back in the day when they were playing for eight people in a crappy dive bar? Yes, it is always cool. (Ed. Note: Although numbered, this list is in no particular order)
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By Richard Giraldi \ 1 comment
Dastardly | Photo by Tiela Halpin
From their raucous live performances to their elaborate music videos, it doesn’t take much media consumption to figure out that the members of Dastardly are pretty cool customers. The Americana outfit craft soulful harmonies around rich, heartfelt storytelling and playful rhythms. The group’s debut EP May You Never… was somewhere between Elliott Smith and light-hearted bluegrass. Since then, the band has moved into a house together, pulled off a musical variety hour at The Hideout that absolutely slayed and recorded a follow-up that sounds grown-up, but still knows how to amuse.
If 2011 was busy, expect 2012 to be jam-packed for the band. Dastardly releases Bury Me in the Country on January 31, but the band celebrates the album’s release tonight at Lincoln Hall with friends Brighton, Ma, and Santah.
Loud Loop Press caught up with Dastardly’s frontman Gabe Liebowitz to steal his storytelling secrets and to discover what brand of bourbon he consumes most often.
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By Audrey Leon \ comments
Seeing how our staff has distinct tastes and opinions on music, it would be nearly impossible for us to determine a 10 Albums of 2011 list as a single entity without excessive bloodshed. So over the next couple of days, we’ll be posting Top 10 Albums of 2011 lists as determined by individual Loud Loop Press staff members. Today, associate editor Audrey Leon offers up her list for Top 10 Albums of 2011.
I decided to do it a little differently this year. I honestly didn’t think I could find another way to describe how great the new St. Vincent or Wild Flag or Le Butcherettes records were. Therefore, I decided to keep things local and give you my favorite Chicago records of the year. Sounds good, right?And for those who might get perturbed about this list only having 14 albums (including the Honorable Mentions) instead of an (even?) 15, let’s just say the fifteenth was, uh, Wilco? Sure, why not. So, behold my favorite records in 2011 from some very rad windy citizens…
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By Richard Giraldi \ comments
