Around Hear
Local CD Reviews
Alabaster takes a dim view of relationships on its four-song EP, Hold Me Close – Hold Me Damaged. The violent imagery smacks of heavy metal, but the band’s midtempo arrangements might not have enough power to hold the average headbanger’s attention. Shane Killian is a gifted vocalist, particularly when she drifts through the theatrical “Surface […]
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Curiously named eight-piece band Oucho Sparks deliver nearly an hour of quirky indie rock on Foreign Cars And Robots. With an ever-shifting assortment of guitar riffs (from distorted to calm) and instrumentation (vintage keys, trumpet, etc.), each song offers its share of surprises. And alternating vocalists Tim Sandusky and Laura Grey rarely cease to stun […]
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Lucy Smith‘s Movin On is something of a mixed bag. The flat and emotionless vocals of the opener (a cover of The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”) is bound to discourage listeners from moving forward, but the jazzier “Kiela,” the longing-fueled “All I Meant,” and her sassy rendition of “Go Down Moses” simply […]
Local CD Reviews
After a four-year hiatus, The Baldwin Brothers drop Return Of The Golden Rhodes (TVT), a deliciously sexy album crackling with juicy beats, deep grooves, and their unique fusion of electronic funk. Smooth vocal flow and quirky rhymes make “A Matter Of Time” a slinky ass shaker, while “Air Is Invisible” is bred from Underworld’s mindwarping, […]
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Indie stalwart bassist Griffin Rodriguez (a.k.a. Blue Hawaii) and drummer Chris Powell are the braintrust duo behind Icy Demons. Their second full-length, Tears Of A Clone, cuts a wide-ranging swath of recorded electronica, pinballing between the insouciance of mid-’70s Zappa, the eternal ambience of Brain Eno, the percussive minimalism of Steve Reich, and all rock […]
Local CD Reviews
Prior Ahab Rex CDs have been praised in this column and the latest, Blood On Blonde, earns similar thumbs up (even though they, once again, retread four tracks from an ’04 disc). That leaves six great new tunes that bend the caustic with the sweet, bobbing and weaving from jazzbo to agit/agro and all points […]
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Even when attempting to be melancholy, as on “A Good Fight,” the 11 tracks on Love By Design‘s Let The Outside In are generally optimistic, innocent pop rock numbers. The whimsical, almost childlike, vibe, especially with “Busy Bee,” is likely due to the immaculately produced studio sound and the soothing, harmonizing vocal style. A rich […]
Best Of Around Hear 2006
Each January, we dedicate part of “Around Hear” to those low-profile local artists who are our favorites from the passing year – the results of our staff and freelancers combing clubs and stacks of CDs for more than the booze and adulation we normally receive. This is by no means an attempt to make a […]
Local CD Reviews
The four songs on The Accord‘s demo swing between reggae beats and prog/ethereal yearnings – oft’ times within the same cut – with a “recorded live” sound that further reinforces the band’s integrity. Playing (keyboards especially) far outshines songwriting, however, primarily because the melodies too strongly bring other artists’ tunes to mind and some lyrical […]
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Few And The Proud are nothing if not loud. So much so their angry, curse-laden lyrics belted out with fervor on such songs as “Let It Die” and “Mutant” are little more than senseless rants raging against a hardcore wall of sound. With a total running time of just more than 22 minutes, the 11 […]
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Alisa Simms‘ Remember consists of the title track plus two remixes. The original is a mix of simple keys, drums, minimal guitar, and some nice string touches near the end, keeping the spotlight on Simms’ warm, silky vocals. The second, “Remixber,” has a little more percussion in its groove. The final, “Reminder Drum ‘N’ Bass […]
Local CD Reviews
Ahab Rex‘s The Queen Of Softcore EP contains four remixes of the title track. The problem is the song isn’t all that interesting in the first place. Press sap the song of energy by implanting a played-out techno beat while Rex themselves sabotage their own tune by using even more generic funk riffs. The Countdown […]
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The first compilation from startup label Four Play Music features half-a-dozen musicians following in the Chicago house music tradition. Artists like Home & Garden, Lake Street Project, and label head Andrew Emil all supply a few tracks here, but with similar beats and minimal vocals, no one really stands out. However, the album does flow […]
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Though beginning strong with blues-tinged guitars and fantastic harmonica on tracks like “What’ch You Gonna Do” and “Feel The Same,” Mitch & The Polecats‘ uncompromisingly masculine Southern-style country rock on Swamp Womp begins to feel tired about halfway through. While not doing anything wrong per se (although the vocals do begin to grate after awhile), […]
Local CD Reviews
“Chicago ain’t been this great since Jordan,” declares Terror Squad president Fat Joe about Logan Square rep Ace Mac on All Aces Mixtape Vol. 1. So Joey Crack’s co-sign is a little inflated, but Mac does kick some pretty entertaining “gangsta shit.” Atop a barrage of mostly borrowed, bass-heavy beats from Rick Ross, Twista, and […]
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