Chicago Based Music Magazine Est. 2002
Chicago Based Music Magazine Est. 2002
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Media (Music & Videos) Scene News
Chicago
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SHOOTING BLANKS You're Not Gonna Want To Hear This... Self-Released |
| Here is a band doing everything right. They have toured the country in a van, have had videos aired on TV, and more importantly, they continue to put out great music and this album, their third full length, is no exception. So what the heck is the record industry’s problem? Sign these guys already! Overall this is probably the most complete Shooting Blanks record to date. If you’re like me you miss great pop-punk music and “You’re Not Gonna Want…” will more than fill your void. The vocal harmonies are great on this album and you will be able to see this right away on track 2, “It’s So Easy,” not to mention the spunk in lead vocalist Matt Hoffman’s voice that shines through on each song and has a way of making you pump your fist in the air. The guitars are simple, and trust me kids that’s not a bad thing… Just remember that before Green Day wanted to make a punk opera they played simple music too. The bass lines pull you along as they walk up and down throughout the album and if you’re a fan of the old Lookout sound (Screeching Weasel, Green Day, Squirtgun, etc…) then get ready to wet your pants. Shooting Blanks has perfected their version of pop punk and this album is a must have for your collection. Thanks for making great, catchy, simple music without any screaming or emotional crap. It’s about time for the rest of the world to check out what Chicago has been hiding for years! (JK) | |
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SICK ON THE BUS Go To Hell SOS Records |
| God I wish more bands today sounded like Sick on the Bus. This album is just another wonderful one to add to their discography and is a must have for those people that say and mean it when they say I like punk rock. The older styled guitars chalked full of great hooks and fast strumming combined with the bass that makes you tap your foot, you will instantly see why a band like this is what the punk scene needs. This is just straight up in your face punk rock with no sugarcoating. If you look away for one second this is going to slap you across the face and steal your lunch money. Most songs clock in at under 3 minutes and are full of pure energy. Great, energetic record and a must have if you declare you are a punk. (JK) | |
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SIGNAL HOME A Fragile Constitution Carbon Copy Media |
| The second release from JT Woodruff’s (Hawthorne Heights) new label was another wonderful little surprise but a little bit more of what I expected from this label. The vocals on Signal Homes debut record are good and gruff and both vocally and musically I am reminded a lot of bands like Death By Stereo, but the backups well that’s where this lost me a bit. There is a bit of screaming in the backups that I really will never understand. This is a solid debut record from the overall aspect. It has loud guitars, vocals that get right to the point and stay in your face, and enough kick that you can say this is true punk rock music. On the next release cut back the screaming garbage and you will be just fine. (JK) | |
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SINGLETARY, MARCUS Rocks Aviation Records |
| While Marcus Singletary has a nice bluesy feel, I am not so sure that this is an album to check out. I am from Chicago so it’s hard to not have blues in my soul just a bit and the cover of Sweet Home Chicago didn’t hurt Singletary’s cause much, but the recordings are quite rough and at times hard to listen to. Though this is a look back at Singletary’s past, it is still hard to get past the roughness. The blues influence combined with the funky feels the bass lines provide show that there is indeed some talent here. Perhaps this would sound really good live at something like Summerfest, but for an album I think better recordings are a necessity and this compilation isn’t mixed well at all. Hope to hear more from him in the future and see if the albums get cleaned up some. (JK) | |
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SINGLETON, ANYA Not Easy To Forget Self-Released |
| Anya Singleton brings a 6 song EP that shows me exactly what has been missing from music as of late. This is simply an amazing piece of art. With an old jazz influence tossed in with a modern day blues feel to it, Anya Singleton is a welcome edition to my collection. The music is great and at times reminds me a bit of a gospel style (See “Not Easy To Forget), but overall it is Singleton’s powerful voice that will captivate you. She does everything right vocally and leaves you with your mouth dropped to the floor by the end of this EP. The music doesn’t overshadow the voice, but rather provides a nice backbeat to follow. It’s hard to put into words how blown away I was by this EP, but Anya Singleton has a great thing going and I look forward to hearing more from her in the future. (JK) | |
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SKITTISH Tragedy of the Commons Self-Released |
| It is quite possible that Skittish has put out the best album for the summer that I have ever heard. The tracks that make up “Tragedy of the Commons” are upbeat and catchy and show you right from the beginning that this will be a fun record. The bass guitar work is amazing and will make you move side to side and the choppy guitars will make you bounce up and down. Even when they play a slower paced song like “Million Gray” there still seems to be a bounce in their step. The vocals are really good and remind me a lot of those of Eve 6. Okay, so maybe I am dating myself a bit, but I guess what I am saying is overall this is a great record and if you are looking for that perfect album to roll down the windows and crank up, then look no further it’s right here. (JK) | |
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SLEEPAWAY Self-Titled No Milk Records |
| It really didn’t come as too much of a surprise to me that people have been comparing Sleepaway to Jimmy Eat World, but after spinning their debut record I am going to side with those people that are comparing this to the Goo Goo Dolls. The soft, whispery vocals are very reminiscent of John Rzeznik’s and musically this can easily be compared to “Superstar Car Wash.” Sleepaway has enough music sense to know when to pick the songs up and when to keep them slower paced. This is one of those bands to keep your eyes on because they have the ability to cross over genres and attract a wide range of fans. With everyone screaming and playing overly heavy music these days, it is absolutely wonderful to hear an alternative rock CD like this one. Good rock music is right here on this album I welcome this to my collection with open arms. (JK) | |
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SNIC The Garden Ecstasis Self-Released |
| SNIC starts their 6-song offering the right way with the opening track “Mother Amalia.” There was enough groove in the bass lines to make Flea proud and the song as a whole sort of reminded me of Alien Ant Farm. If only this album could have continued the way it started. With the exception of the closing track “Uriel In Ur” no other song on here sounded like the first one at all. Having a wide range is a good thing if you can still make it flow and this just didn’t work and quickly became a turnoff as the vocals turned into noise on the second track and from here on out the album just got more and more boring. The great bass line that drew me in was non-existant and the vocals just didn’t feel right for the music. I wish they made more tracks like the opener and closer, but they missed the boat with that one. (JK) | |
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SOCIALLY RETARDED As One Voice Mental Records |
| Finally finally finally! California’s, The Socially Retarded is a band of young guys that finally understands the punk scene and where it comes from. With an obvious influence from old Fat Wreck Chord’s style like NOFX combined with it’s new style ala Lawrence Arms, the Socially Retarded brings a whole lot of energy with their music the way it is meant to sound. Most of this album keeps the songs short and to the point and to me that’s one of the most important things that a punk rock band can do. The familiar rowdiness in the vocals (think Fat Mike) without any screaming (uncharted water these days) is a blessing to my ears. I hope to see this band blow up and hit big with a wide audience. Go forth young men and be a part of taking the back our scene! (JK) | |
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SPITALFIELD Better Than Knowing Where You Are Victory Records |
| It’s about time for me to rant for a second. The kids in today’s scene that don’t want to support a band like Spitalfield need to get the hell out of the scene. This is a band that just keeps getting better and better with each release and this is the band you need to grab onto and let carry this so called punk rock scene. On their third offering, “Better Than Knowing Where You Are,” Spitalfield take everything they have done in the past to the next level. If you liked the more rocking stuff from their first two albums than you will fall in love with this one pretty quickly. They really stepped it up on this record and bring pure energy to the table, which is exactly what they are so great at doing. This album will make you bounce and scream the lyrics out loud. Without a doubt the best record of 2006 is about to be released so do yourself a favor and get to the store and buy this one. Great album, great band, and I am proud to have them representing my hometown area of Chicago. (JK) | |
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STARS IN DECEMBER Remember The Sound 10-34 Records |
| Stars in December feature 6 tracks of alternative music the way it is meant to be played. There is an influence more so in the vocals that lean towards a band like Straylight Run, but musically the first tracks few tracks will draw fans of the Starting Line’s last record “Based on A True Story” to Stars in December. This six track EP brings a great band to your attention and leaves you wanting more. I dare a radio station to try and not play any of these tracks. Great EP and I can’t wait to hear more from this band. (JK) | |
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START THE PANIC/ CALIFORNIA REDEMTION Split EP LTE Records |
| Split EP’s are always fun for me to listen to because you can get a taste of what a band can offer and for some reason I always turn it into a bit of a competition. In this particular case I will raise the arm of Start The Panic as the victor. They bring us the first 5 tracks of the EP. Is anyone old enough to remember when AFI was actually a punk rock band that dubbed the phrase “East Bay Hardcore,” to describe their music? If you can remember those days and miss them as much as I do then Start The Panic is the band for you. The vocals are very Havok like circa say 1995, while the walking bass lines remind me a lot of old Rancid. Obviously this is a band more influenced by Gilman Street than Warped Tour and that’s always a plus for me. As for the second band California Redemption. It isn’t that these guys are bad, but rather they remind me of Guttermouth who I am not a huge fan of. This is a good 10-song look at how punk rock music should sound: Raw, full of spite, and energy and for good measure influenced by the oldies (see track 3, the cover of “Johnny B. Goode”). (JK) | |
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STRANGE Self-Titled Self-Released |
| As the bio states, The Strange loves Radiohead and wow that really doesn’t come as a shock. I personally get a lot of flack for this usually, but I really have no use for Radiohead, Coldplay, or any other boring band out there and unfortunately for the Strange not only are they influenced by these bands but they are doing their best imitation of them. Needless to say I really don’t dig this at all but hey if you like those bands mentioned above then this is all for you. (JK) | |
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STRAYS Le Futur Noir TVT Records |
| The Strays are bringing that cocky, England swagger back to rock/punk music and I really couldn’t be happier about this. On their debut record “Le Futur Noir” you get the feeling that they liked the Sex Pistols, Clash, etc… growing up and when they decided it was time play their own music they added a dash of their own brand of garage rock to the mix. The guitars are very simple guitars that you could compare to old White Stripes, Strokes, etc… but the vocals add a punk element to this. They are straight to the point and very in your face. Due to the vocals, The Strays found a way to take a rather boring garage rock scene where everyone sounds the same and turn it into something a bit more unique and fresh. Most o the 14 tracks come in at under 3 minutes long so for us kids with ADD that is great news. The Strays are the band that you need to keep your eyes on and expect big things from. With an album like this hitting the streets rock-n-roll is about to get a facelift. (JK) | |
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STREET DRUM CORPS Self-Titled Warcon Entertainment |
| What’s the point to something like this being released by a record label? Have you ever left a ball game and seen those kids that play the buckets? You may even throw some money in their bucket when they are finished because they were entertaining to watch for that moment, but would you buy a CD of that with some dubs thrown in and the occasional vocal mixed in between beats? Exactly, I didn’t think so and that’s pretty much what this is. So that leads me back to my first question, what’s the point to something like this being released on a record label? And just for more fun the package includes a DVD with the purchase of the album. (JK) | |
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STREET TO NOWHERE Charmingly Awkward Self-Released |
| Street to Nowhere is one of those bands that I am really in between on. They have some weird intros to their songs and that’s a pretty big turnoff for me, but past the intros this is a solid record and well worth a spin. If you are fans of bands like Pieblad, Weezer, etc… you are most certainly going to love this record. There is energy in this offering but at the same time Street To Nowhere spend a bit of time on being a little experimental and weird which may turn some people off. The vocals are fun and catchy and will draw you into the songs with poppy choruses that will make you bounce for the most part. Overall this is a good album with a lot more positive than negative aspects to it and shows that there are still some bands out there that can bring good rock-n-roll music to the table without any screaming or being heavier than thou. This is just good old pop rock. (JK) | |
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SUGARCULT Lights Out Fearless Records |
| You know how there are some of those bands that just can’t keep putting out great records… well Sugarcult is not one of those bands. “Lights Out” is without a doubt one of the best rock records I have heard in a long long time. After making their splash with their debut record “Start Static” they honed in on their sound a bit for their sophomore effort “Palm Trees and Power Lines,” and now they have been able to combine the strong elements of both of those albums and create a strong effort chalked full of catchy tunes, powerful vocals, and an overall feeling that demands you listen. There’s no screaming which is always a plus, but don’t get that wrong, the vocals do get pretty intense. The guitar work has always been pretty incredible with Sugarcult and this album is not going to let you down. This is the perfect combination of their previous work and is a must have for anyone declaring their love for rock music. Great record, the best yet from Sugarcult. (JK) | |
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SUMMER OBSESSION This Is Where You Belong Virgin Records |
| For the most part the debut record from The Summer Obsession is a good one, though I did get the feeling that every other song on the album are the stronger of the selections. This thought lead me to believe that perhaps there should have been an EP first before unleashing these guys onto the world. The stronger songs are the type of catchy, pop-punk, songs that I love. You can’t help but tap along with the bouncy bass lines in the choruses while in the verses you may find yourself singing along. On the tracks like these you get assaulted with a blend of catchy guitars and vocals with bouncy bass lines and an overall dose of energy that you can’t help but love. The other tracks are decent, but they seem to be lacking the energy of the others. These tracks offer a more eclectic blend of instruments including a piano. I dig what this band is trying to do and they are certainly one to check out and keep your eyes on. If they choose to release the right songs first the mainstream will be all over this. (JK) | |