Around Hear 2

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With its debut EP, May You Only See Sky, (Lone) Cub & Wolf wants you to forget about recent mainstream metal and screamo and come back to the darker side. This band excels at blending most of the metal sub-genres with a little post hardcore, no doubt a holdover from some of the members’ past bands (Dakota/Dakota, The Ghost). As interesting as it is fierce, (L)C&W is well on its way to its goal of “torching all new school metal posers.” (www.hewhocorrupts.com)
– Joseph Simek

Otherworld vocalist/guitarist Mark Hendryx sings with an emotional power on Sonic Spirit reminiscent of Bono. That may explain the well-intentioned lyrics on “Hold On” that advise us to believe in ourselves, and “We Are One,” which calls for Americans to stand together. Those tracks are highly polished MOR rock, but Otherworld is more fun on the catchy love songs “All I Need” and “My Eternity.” (otherworldchicago@hotmail.com)
– Terrence Flamm

Local scene vet Phyllis Renee Marconi‘s four-song preview of her upcoming full-length, Let Me In, is a nice showcase of the singer-songwriter’s alto vocals, especially on the cuts where she’s double-tracked. There can be no denying, however, that this sampling of richly arranged material sounds like it would be more at home on a Broadway or cabaret stage than, say, at a rock club. (www.phylisreneemarconi.com)
– David C. Eldredge

Rhythmic American Poetry from MOS Funnel is more aggressive, Americana, funk and roll than the public as a whole has probably heard since Sly And The Family Stone. Joe Corrado’s abrasive vocals against cousin Ed Cullerton’s and buddy Daniel Huber’s instrumentation make Poetry paradise in rhythmic disguise. (www.mosfunnel.com)
– Angie Maldonado

Chicago-based trio NO decided to deviate from the double-LP format by releasing what they call a double EP, to showcase 13 of their latest thrash rock tracks. Aggressive guitar, part early grunge (a la Silverchair), and part retro-’70s (a la Jet), dominate the disc. Unfortunately, the vocals aren’t big enough to match the riffs, lacking any consistent melody or true emotion. (www.nomusic.us)
– Carter Moss

With blistering rock fury, explosive drums, and lightning-paced rhythms, The Plastik Explosives continue the tradition of raging punk rock on Songs Of The Doomed (Threat). Snotty, sneering lyrics and scraping guitar drive “Megalomaniacs,” while “Back Road Breakdown” features a Southern rock throwdown reminiscent of latter-day Social Distortion. (www.myspace.com/theplastik explosives)
– Patrick Conlan

Power trio The Polkaholics’ Polka Ãœber Alles take no prisoners in their quest to mesh punk and polka. Makes sense, really – both genres are fueled by beer and both take only two dance steps. But the novelty of, say, an oom-pah Sex Pistols wears off all too quickly, giving one the feeling of being bludgeoned to death with an extended frat joke that’s gone on way too long. (www.thepolkaholics.com)
– David C. Eldredge

The unusually named two-piece Raluca Agape play an emotive brand of indie rock with hints of classic rock undertones on their debut, Chateau Everell. “Little Life” slowly unfolds from a midtempo opening into a boisterous rocker, with Dr. Nick’s smoldering vocals exuding loads of attitude. “Angst” follows a similar blueprint with ringing guitar and a soaring, speedy melody. (www.raluca music.com)
– Patrick Conlan

The 11 hard-hitting tracks on Rollo Tomasi‘s latest release, Work Slow Crush Foes, fall somewhere between punk and hard rock, with minimalist lyrics that qualify as streetwise poetry. Lead singer/guitarist Neil Sandler embodies the band’s working-class bitterness on “Dirty Ape,” and bassist/vocalist Pete Croke powers the pure punk of “On.” Even relationships come under fire on the songs “Horror Day” and “Let It Soak.” (www.rollotomasi.com)
– Terrence Flamm

Comically topical and cinematically humorous, to say Roommate‘s Celebs EP is an odd bird would be putting it mildly. Imagine an even more irreverent Ben Folds who also does the occasional horror film score and you’ll get the idea. Be sure to check out “RP (Forget The Metaphors)” and the title track to witness just how enjoyably bipolar their music can get. (www.kentlambert.org)
– Dean Ramos

Royce glide through various urban contemporary styles on their second full-length release, Tuff Love, making each track entertaining. Local references underscore the distinctive Chicago feel of “City Heat,” which features hip-hop artists Qwel and Meaty Ogre. “Girls On Bikes” offers vintage Motown and a rap from Robust, while the instrumental “Slip Away” makes great chill music. (www.galapagos4.com)
– Terrence Flamm

Shades Of Fiction is a band of seasoned players from three popular past Chicago acts (Relative Ash, Crash Poet, and Red River) and the experience shows on The Nurse With Amnesia. SOF is about heavy guitars, heavier rhythms, and dabs of electronics for color. As far as reaching the major leagues or even beyond local recognition, one song stands out: “Preoccupied With A Number Of Other Concerns” is the best showcase of singer Picasso Dular’s strong vocals and the closest thing to a melodic hook on the record. (www.shadesoffiction.com)
– Penelope Biver

Precursor to planned full-length, Alien, the four songs from Tank Engine duo Tyler Cannan and Tara Tressel smartly mesh ’80s electro pop with a ’60s Brit Invasion/ Mersey feel, resulting in what could only be described as space-age bachelor-pad music for today’s indie-thinking 20-somethings. An intriguing enough starter, it whets the appetite for the promised full-course meal to come. (www.tankenginemusic.com)
– David C. Eldredge

Frank Tribes‘ third solo effort, Blade EP, like his old band Garden Bower, is nice, but not quite ready for the show. His strongest songs are the opening track, “On My Way,” with folk rock jangle a la early R.E.M. or The Byrds, and “Hands,” which has warm layers of vocal harmonies over cool, ’70s-radio rock minor chords. As a solo artist, he could use a more distinct voice and more focus in general. Regardless, Tribes is onto something with this EP, and perhaps he’ll gain momentum from here. (www.franktribes. com)
– Penelope Biver

Though guitarist Chuck Tripp certainly has the technical chops, his slapdash CD-R instead highlights his melodic shortcomings. Among the disc’s half-dozen instrumental jazz journeys, “Funky Folks” features a dated “Miami Vice” sound while “Document 67 (3rd Heaven)” evokes ’90s-era Tangerine Dream. According to his resume Tripp has been performing since the mid 1960s; sadly, the music shows someone who seems to have stopped developing about a decade ago. (773-392-6311)
– Jeff Berkwits

Chicago-based songwriter Dan Wallace mixes indie and surrealist influences with pop on his latest CD, Neon And Gold. His goal is to retain passion and sincerity while blending a wide range of influences, and he mostly succeeds. His music is not mainstream pop by any means, but has a certain nervous charm that should appeal to the slightly left-leaners out there. (www.danwallacemusic. com)
– Mike O’Cull

On his second CD, Worst Fears Confirmed, rapper Vakill focuses on the gritty reality of the Chicago streets, touting the city of broad shoulders as the real deal when it comes to drug turf on “Cold War.” After an ominous and threatening intro with Friday The 13th soundtrack highlights, the title track’s sparse keyboard and acoustic accompaniment lets Vakill spit his rhymes with undeniable confidence. His prowess as an MC matches well with guest Ras Kass on “Introducin.” (www.vakillonline.com)
– Jason Scales

On a crisply produced 10-song debut, Viceroy quickly establish themselves as capable purveyors of old-school hard rock. The four-piece, guitar-driven band – that have opened for the likes of Local H – has a seasoned sound. Songwriters Nick Miller and Derek Ault know how to mix crunchy power chords with pop song hooks. “Rock N Roll Poster” bristles with retro rock flair, and the opening guitar salvo on “Makeout” channels AC/DC. (viceroyrocks@earthlink.net)
– Jason Scales

Native Evanstonian Abigail Washburn ‘s debut, Song Of The Traveling Daughter (Nettwerk), is nothing less than a new American treasure; not since the discovery of Rhonda Vincent has bluegrass and music been blessed with such natural talent. With a voice eerily like Shawn Colvin’s, Washburn sings beautiful, sad, soothing words over slow or fast banjo picking, comforting fiddle, and whimsical bass. There are too many treasures here to pick any one or two. (www.abigailwashburn.com)
– Penelope Biver

Although the melodies at times meander, XYZR_KX (Jon Monteverde, performing under a pseudonymous acronym for “scissor kicks”) somehow manages to keep Inanomie OP.221 engaging. The three-movement suite ambles through the lo-fi reverie of “She Looks Disruptive” and semi-ambient noodling of “Crusades And Silhouettes,” concluding with the jazz and electronic dance-infused “Lose Your Voices.” All in all, it’s 26 minutes of satisfying experimentation. (www.actual lyrecords.com)
– Jeff Berkwits

Built upon tuned suspension wires, boxes of springs, and other self-designed “instruments” set against zither-like guitar strums, the resulting musical drone generated on Zelienople’s Ink is an intriguing aural experiment. With often repeated and fairly indecipherable vocal lines limited to just three of the relatively uninterrupted eight cuts, ambient chromatics shimmer above the mostly percussive musical base, bringing a seductive quality to an otherwise exotic, otherworldly listening experience. (www.loosethread.com)
– David C. Eldredge

Category: Around Hear