Chicago’s Suns have pretty much burst onto our local scene in a big way. Folks still talk about their January debut at the Metro. I suppose when your band is comprised of members of other formerly well known bands such as Wax On Radio and Blame Twilight you’ve got a built in buzz. Roughly eight months (Actually six, but I received the album a few months late) after their forming, Suns have released a double EP. This may sound odd because you might think “isn’t a double EP just a full-length?”, and you wouldn’t be a fool for asking such a question. But, The Howl and The Many and Close Calls In The U.S. Space Program are different enough that I can see why they chose to release them this way.

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It would be a surprise if Chicago’s own California Wives are still unsigned in the near future. Coming off of an impressive set at the Wicker Park festival this summer, the band’s new five song EP, Affair, is subtle yet catchy. It’s the kind of EP you listen to eight times in a row, not for a specific song, or a particular verse. It’s because all five songs are just well done.

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Chicago’s R&B rockers the Velcro Lewis Group are the band that the Eagles of Death Metal should aspire to be. While EoDM makes its rootsy, boogie rock about oozing sex and booty shaking, The Velcro Lewis Group is way more subtle and soulful. Before you know it the songs on White Magick Summer have the listener on his/her feet as singer Andy Slater (aka Velcro Lewis) delivers his sermon.

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Bitchin Bajas is the side project of Cave’s Cooper Crane. There are similarities between the two bands, mostly in that they both mine 70’s Krautrock. But on their debut, Tones/Zones, Bitchin Bajas forgo Cave’s Can-like rhythms for more Tangerine Dream/Brian Eno/Cluster-like keyboard ambiance. And while Cave, despite their influences, still sound mostly modern, Bitchin Bajas do not. In fact, if one picked this album up without knowing a thing about it, they might not know it was produced over 30 years after the above mentioned artist’s heyday, and that’s a good thing.

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After several years of anticipation, Chicago’s much loved orch-pop sextet, Canasta, has finally released their second album, The Fakeout, The Tease and The Breather. But listeners should be thanking their stars that the band took their time on this album. Filled with detailed orchestration, plenty of emotion, and carefully planned harmonies, this album speaks to the layers of orchestration that Canasta can produce.

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Chicago natives, Secret Colours, are bringing the 70’s sound back to this decade with their self-titled debut. The band finds a way to make the classic sounds of Pink Floyd or The Doors approachable in this day and age and breathes some life into 2010 stoner rock scene.

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Russian Circles guitarist Mike Sullivan

As the trio Russian Circles took the stage last Friday, August 14, at the Metro, they showed no signs of being in a major auto wreck merely weeks earlier. Instead with little to no crowd interaction, they focused all their energy on the instrumental metal journeys they specialize in. This was no joyful and warm homecoming party, but rather a testament to the band’s passion and drive as working musicians.

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