Q&A: American Grizzly

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Q&As and tagged American Grizzly, Blank Range, Chicago, Chicago band, Chicago music, Dennis Wilson, EP release, folk music, folk rock, Jack Doyle, Marty Funk, Pilsen, q&a, rock music, Schubas, Shirk Studios, Tim Nagle, V.V. Lightbody.

American Grizzly bassist Marty Funk and guitarists Jack Doyle and Dennis Wilson rumble about their Pilsen rehearsal space with their friend and photographer Tim Nagle. With only a few weeks until the release of their third EP, a self-titled folk-rock compilation out on February 14, the Chicago-based rock band works to finish their album photo shoot.

They’ve hung a tapestry along one of the ways directly over a wooden piano. To the left are two amplifiers. To the right, a white electric guitar. The scene feels vintage; a perfect old southern rock setting, but what really sets the vibe is what’s front and center: a lamp with a cowboy boot base. The look is laid back and in a way may seem out of character for American Grizzly, but Funk, Doyle and Wilson explain, the music found on their new EP American Grizzly is as genuine as the rock-infused tunes fans are used to.

Q&A: Capital Soirèe

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Q&As and tagged Beat Kitchen, Capital Soirèe, Chicago, Chicago music, EP release, Hardcastle, James Kourafas, Max Romero, Owens Room, q&a, Steven Rejdukowski, The Wldlfe, Waves of Change.

Three best friends start a band, record some tunes and play shows around their city until they make something of themselves. It’s a story told time and time again, but no matter how many bands the boys of Capital Soirèe find themselves among, the Chicago-based trio continues to strive, most recently with their new 3-song EP Waves of Change.

The new release exhibits a different side of Capital Soirèe. The band has taken on a new approach to writing and recording, maturing their sound as they explore different vibes, tones and instrumentation. Multi-instrumentalists James Kourafas, Max Romero and Steven Rejdukowski gather in their recording basement to discuss their latest music and other upcoming projects.

Profile: The Flips

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Profile Features and tagged A Harm Deep but Shinning, Annette Nowacki, band profile, Better Days, Chaos is a Color, Chicago, Chicago music, DIY music, DIY recording, Dustin Martin, Engines, I'm Okay, Lettering, live music, Mac Kelem, Mike Carlson, music videos, New Music, Nick Sintos, Pelafina, profile, punk, rock, Subterraean, The Flips, Troy Sennett, Weakened Friends.

The “ah-ha” moment: for a band, it’s a time when everything comes together. It’s when all the struggles from nights of pouring over lyrics, drafting guitar riffs and the countless auditions are all justified. For The Flips, that “ah-ha” was the reaction from their 2015 album Better Days, a raw record exploring the struggles of mental health, depression and suicide. The songs are darkly beautiful conversation starters, drawing audiences to connect with the band on personal levels.

Q&A: Dead Harvest

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Q&As and tagged Andrew Palmer, Cabin Noise, Chicago, Chicago music, Clan Adam, Dead Harvest, Drew Garnaut, Elbo Room, Gerard Rapp, John June Year, Jonathon Wilson, Leave It Alone, live shows, q&a, rock bands, Wasted Love.

For a band built on drive, things come together quickly. Proof lies with the Chicago-based rock trio Dead Harvest; a band that has not only successfully self-recorded a 4-song EP but has also built a notable following and an online presence in only a few months. Vocalist and bassist Jonathan Wilson, drummer Drew Garnaut and guitarist Gerard Rapp are continuing on the fast track with a number of new songs, recording plans and a list of shows scheduled for 2018.

Q&A: Zoofunkyou

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Q&As and tagged Andy Boyd, Austin, Bottom Lounge, Bowling Green, Bryan Scheinkopf, Captain Coopersmith, Cassidy Kapson, Chicago, Chicago music, Chop Shop, Cleveland, Derek Dare, DJ Soul Candy, funk, Funk Vendetta, House of Blues, Iowa City, Island #36, jam bands, Kung Fu, Les Claypool, listen live and local, live music, live show, Lush, Marshal Towsky, Matt Mitchell, Michigan, Midwest, Milwaukee, MOE Chuck and Vinnie, Mungion, New Orleans, No Keeper, North Coast, Peach Fest, q&a, Snoop Dogg, south, Starkville, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Sublime, Tesheva, The Main Squeeze, The Peach Festival, Toast of the Coast, tour, Tupac, Wanyama, Willy Waldman Project, Zoofunkyou.

The new year has only just begun, but Zoofunkyou has already entered 2018 in full swing. On January 19th, the Chicago-based jam band will be embarking on their first extended tour starting with a hometown show at Chop Shop. The tour covers most of the Midwest and a number of funk-infused cities across the south and follows their first 2018 release; a live album recorded during their October 27th show at Bottom Lounge.

Vocalist and guitarist Derek Dare, guitarist Bryan Scheinkopf, bass guitarist Matthew Coglianese & the band’s manager Andy Boyd gathered in their practice space at Kildare Studios to share their tour details and to discuss the rest of their plans for 2018.

Q&A: Temporary Pharaohs

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Q&As and tagged 50s pop, Chicag, Chicago band, Dark Circle Records, Hard Chardonnay, Highland Park, Highland Park whiskey, Narcissus and Goldmund, q&a, South by Southwest, Teleporter, Temporary Pharaohs, The Four Freshmen, Treehouse Records.

Bands come and go, and in the case of Chicago’s retro psychedelic pop rock band Temporary Pharaohs, sometimes they come back for a second round. After taking a few years off from their original start in 2012, Cody Carpenter, Chris Kulwin, Nick Tumminello, AJ Hitmar and Elliot Gitter came together late this summer to record two new singles and reintroduce themselves to the Chicago music scene.

So far, the new beginning is running slow as the band approaches what will be only their second live show on Saturday, December 26 at Lincoln Hall. But it’s not for lack of material the boys assure as they gather at The Nook in Chicago’s Edison Park to discuss the collection of new songs they’ve been working on as well as plans for new merchandise, touring and a South by Southwest showcase.

Profile: Like Language

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Profile Features and tagged Aaron Green, alternative pop, band interview, band profile, Bandcamp, Chicago, Chicago music, dark pop, Ego Mechanics, Elbo Room, Kristen Donnelly, Like a Drug, Like Language, listen live and local, live band, live show, local music, Marc McClusky, Matthew Murray, One More Moon, pop, Pretty Beggar., profile, Spotify, Wilder.

Major changes for bands, such as a new name, often mark a step in rebranding. It’s a chance to set new goals, build a new foundation and prepare for a new adventure. While new endeavors are definitely a desire for Like Language, formally known as Wilder, their name change had less to do with an extreme evolution and more to do with differentiating themselves from other artists.

“We changed our name because there are too many Wilders,” says Matthew Murray, one half of the Chicago-based pop duo. “When we chose the name [Wilder], we wanted one word, something simple. As time went on, I was on Spotify browsing an indie new artist playlist and I saw Wilder was on there and I was like, ‘Oh man, this is the best day of my life. People are noticing us!’, and then it ended up being the another Wilder.”

Q&A: Matthäus

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Q&As and tagged band interview, Chicago, Chicago music, contemporary classical music, independent music, listen live and local, live band, live show, Matthaus, New Music, q&a, Schubas.

Forming an 8-person band with members in two states whose music blends pop, folk and contemporary concert music may not sound like the most logical road to successful, but so far, the nontraditional approach has been working in favor for Matthäus. The band, with members in both Chicago and St.Paul, started as a small project from composer Ben Montalbano, adding bold horn sections, piano lines and other intricate instrumentations to a variety of folk-rock tunes. The group has since grown into a collaborative chamber collective made up of Ben Montalbano, Joe Meland, Justin Peters, Lars-Erik Larson, Samuel Peters, Alex Blomarz, Hugo Seda and Chris Shuttleworth.

With a new music in the works and a December 14 show at Schubas just days away, Montalbano, Peters and Meland gathered in a cozy window seat at Wicker Park’s Wormhole to discuss the band’s plans for the rest of the winter and the new year.

Q&A: Honey & the 45s

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music, Q&As and tagged Chicago, Chicago band, Chicago music, Honey & the 45s, Honey and the 45s, listen live and local, q&a, Speak.

It’s not easy to make a name in a music scene as large as Chicago’s. With so many talented bands, solid music and a strong lineup simply aren’t enough to push through the noise. On top of delivering unique works, a band needs dedicated members who are constantly pushing boundaries, an important quality that members of Honey & the 45s know all too well.

Five years and three albums later, drummer Dave Brandwein, lead vocalist Kristina Cottone, guitarist Jon Gould, keyboardist Sonya Major and bassist Sean Tatum are continuing to find success in their blend of R&B, soul and rock with their latest EP Speak, a collection of four empowering songs exploring connection and authentic relationships.

Premiere: The Inventors- “Fire”

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Jessica Braun Gervais in Music and tagged Chicago, Chicago band, Chicago music, Fire, indie rock, listen live and local, New Music, new single, rock, single, The Inventors.

The last couple of months have been a time of evolution for The Inventors. The Chicago rock band comprised of lead vocalist Joe Mango, bassist Nicholas Kieta and lead guitarist Ray Skamay have turned their trio into a foursome with the addition of drummer Tommy Mendoza, taking Mango off mandatory double duty. They’ve also been working on putting together new music and have recently released their first of three singles, “10’s and 9’s” via Amplify Music. The singles are part of their debut full-length LP Counting Backwards, set for release this coming winter. The album was recorded by Matt Cerritos at Shirk Studios in Chicago.

Their second single, “Fire” opens with a beautifully simplistic guitar line before being joined by light percussion and vocals. The energy takes off entering into each round of the chorus, looping the lines “You’re on fire baby/ You are/ You are”. The piece is an easy listen and look into the new direction of The Inventors.

Check out our profile on The Inventors from earlier this year to learn more about the band.