
Dirty surf. Cheerleader grunge. Candy thrash.
These are some of the genres in which Chicago almost-all-female punk band Swimsuit Addition places itself on the group’s Facebook page. And it’s true. During the Kitty Hawk’s short five-track run—clocking in at just under 13 minutes 30 seconds—it’s almost impossible to not notice Swimsuit Addition’s disparate influences.
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By Killian Young \ comments

While some are merely inspired enough by a locale to write a song, Shawn Rosenblatt, better known by his psychedelic pop leaning moniker Netherfriends, took from both the inspirational and experiential for his latest record, Middle America.
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By Richard Giraldi \ comments

Change. It’s the central conflict and inspiration for Chicago indie rock band Young Jesus’ first full-length album, Home. Encompassing a wide variety of sounds—from the airy acoustic, folk beginning of “News” to the gritty, ‘90s garage rock of “The Greater Boulders” — Young Jesus’ musical diversity accentuates singer/guitarist John Rossiter’s impressive narrative thread.
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By Killian Young \ 2 comments

It’s hard to consider Radar Eyes’ self-titled debut anything other than a pop record. While Radar Eyes is an amalgamation of garage, psychedelic and punk rock, the band manages to tightly piece those distinct sounds together. The album maybe rough around the edges tonally, but it’s crystal clear in delivering a melodic palette, which provides just the right amount of catchiness and accessibility without losing that rock and roll edge.
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By Richard Giraldi \ comments

Would it be weird to compare Bully in the Hallway to a twinkie? Because that’s what I’m about to do. If you’re familiar with that sweet treat, then the cakey outer shell is the Chicago band’s uber-melodic and accessible take on the Fugazi-like freneticism, and the creamy inner filling is their penchant for arena-rock hooks and jagged guitar work. Then when working in unison, it’s pretty damned delicious.
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By Richard Giraldi \ comments

The Paver’s newest EP Bad News has all the noir qualities of a Frank Miller story—disillusionment, negativity, angst. Even the record’s cover, a black-and-white photo of core band members Billie Howard and Jesse Giallombardo standing ominously in front of an old station wagon, has a larger-than-life, comic-book-pane-quality to it. It’s fitting given how richly illustrated their sound is.
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By Joseph Montes \ comments

While some bands mature in the lyrical sense or through the mood of their music, The Gorilla Press seem to have matured sonically on their sophomore effort, A Natural Thing (Unnatural To Me). That’s not to say the band has lost a sense of adventure, but rather the Chicago outfit have moved past the solid exercise in mid ’90s alt-rock that was their 2008 debut. A Natural Thing instead finds the band crafting a rich and layered melodic palette that aims equally for freshness and familiarity.
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By Richard Giraldi \ comments