Short That B

Panda Riot

Genre:Dream Pop
Label:Saint Marie Records (USA)
Vinyl Junkie (Japan)
Albums: 
Northern Automatic Music (2.19.13)

Serious Radical Girls Limited Edition 7" VINYL(06.05.12)

Far and Near EP (05.11.10)

Sound: Dreamy and lush vocal patterns lead the sound of  choruses layered with laid back, dance(ish) beats,  calming pyschedelic rythems and other worldly melodies. Precise, entrancing, and a  shoegaze dream.

Listen:  "Amanda in the Clouds" 

Check out Panda Riot's:

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In Case you Haven't Heard

The Orwells

The Orwells are:
Mario CUOMO: Vocals 
Grant BRINNER: Bass 
Henry BRINNER: Drums
Dominick CORSO: Guitar 
Baby CHUCK: Guitar 

The Orwells are so much more than five 17 year old guys from Elmherst, playing the typical Garage Rock influenced breed of Punk Rock. The band provides an energy that is reminiscent of 1970's New York Punk hybrid with muddled yet intent filled glam-grungesque lyrical stylings that unknowingly entrance you into steady head bangin'. Embodying everything from punk, blues and soul, to grunge, new wave, and glam, The Orwells commit to playing what they want and not what you expect to hear. As vox man Mario says during an interview for Chicago's Consequence of Sound's Rock it Out Blog, "we're not really going for anything...we're just doing what sounds right to us." To be put simply, they play their version of Rock 'n' Roll and give a big EFF YOU to anyone who doesn't care for it. 


And it seems to be working.

Staying loyal to their Chicago scene is a big part of what makes the Orwells what they are. They decided that making it first in Chicago was priority numero uno, because going anywhere else, isn't being true to who they are.  An admirable (but sometimes viewed as idiodic) trait. 

For example-- Baby CHUCK on sticking it out in the Chicago scene: "being loyal to your home and to your city is a big thing for us" 

These boys know what they are doing. Their hometown start hasn't stopped them from making themselves a force to be reckoned with. These guys have gone from suburban basement shows, to local shows at joints like The Empty Bottle and Beat Kitchen to headlining a West Coast Tour! They've been picked up by L.A. record label Autumn Tone Records and released their first full LP Remember When (click if you want to snag the album) on  August 7, 2012. The album not only received recognition locally, but has even made it to the indie mother land of Pitchfork. 

Although they will be away touring for a while the boys are making sure to wrap up their tour in Chicago at the Beat Kitchen on March 23rd. Grab your tickets while you can!

If March is just too far away for you, get your Orwells fix by checking out this recent Audiotree performance.

If you are anything like me this will be on repeat until March slowly makes its way here. 

ENJOY HEADBANGERS and SWING DANCERS. ENJOY. 

The Orwells - Audiotree Live from Audiotree Live on Vimeo.
Check out The Orwells: Facebook Twitter

Short that B

Fonz-E Mak

Genre:Hip/Hop, Soul
Label:Unsigned
Albums:
6:21 Theory Mixtape (09.11)

#octoberly Series (10.12)

Sound: Laid back string, brass, and synthy vocal samples intertwined with driving soulful bass lines. Chicago super group, BRKF$T CLUB's Fonz-E lays down a witty lyrical picture with just the right amount of earnesty and arrogance that he guides his listeners along from beat four to one bar after bar. Head swayin' to his flow the whole time. 

Listen:  "It was Tuesday" (02.18.13)

Check out Fonz-E Mak's:

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Short That B

Woah woah woah there do not let your mind get carried away. Short that B is something simple. Short band bios that give you just a bit of an artists sound, a lil of what they've done and a track selection to jam out or simply check out.

Chicago band intros condensed for the person short on time or attention span. (or like me, short on both)

Tiny Fireflies

Genre: IndiePop
Label: Little Treasures;
Eardrums Pop
Albums:
ePop 005 (10.10.10)
Cloudberry 811 (03.15.12)
Change
(08.01.11)

Sound: Simple driving beats;  infectious and melodic rhythms paired with soft & dreamy vocals create a sound that is reminiscent of the  days of Molly Ringwald and The Breakfast Club.

Listen:  "If It's True" (02.06.13)

Check Out TinyFireflies:

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Fake It Till You Make It

ME: "I know a lot about the Chicago Music Scene"
The Chicago Music Scene: "AHAHAHA, foolish child"  

REALITY CHECK: Indie is short for independent. Independent means that you are void of major label  limitations on one's art and how one is expected to perform(I'll spare the grimey details). This also means the music can be everything from hip-hop, indie-rock, folk, to electronica. Indie is not merely the dreamy vocaled orchestral sound that so many people have come to think. 

This is a blog of the indie persuasion....and Chicago has a lot of great indie music going on. Everything from venues, blogs, labels, artists. It's enough to make a my head spin.  (For proper demonstration, click the pugs below) The question I'm asking myself is how to figure out this scene if there is so much in it? 

My Answer: Let's figure out the basics.

So after a few hours of exploring the interwebs I've put together a list of the Windy City's quintessential Indie Venues, some of the best local record labels, and a list of blogs that will rock you socks off with their extent of Chi music knowledge. 

Let's get things rollin'

Venues:

*Go see shows these place*

• The Hideout
• The Riviera Theatre
• Lincoln Hall
• The Metro
• Schuba's 
• The Vic
• Empty Bottle
• Reggie's Rock Club
• The Elbo Room
• The Bottom Lounge
• Kinetic Playground
• Double Door

Labels:

*Listen to artists from these labels*

• Hozac Records
• Drag City
• Kranky
• Jagiagwor
• Thrill Jockey Records

Blogs:

*Follow the trends*

• Windy City Rock
• Loud Loop Press
• Fake Shore Drive
• The Deli

I am Luke and these great sources are my Obi-Wan. With some guided assurance the Chicago Scene will quiet it's Dr.Evil laugh and I will figure this whole "music industry" thing out. 

Discover Chicago

A brief introduction. 

My name is Liz Palomo. Part student, part Latin@, part princess, part butch, part music enthusiast, and part aspiring music biz professional. I'm just trying to figure how to work all of those components into a fully functioning human being.

This blog is about Chicago music that deserves to be heard. About music reviews and coverage  of artists who embody everything from low down dirty soul, to swayin and hard groovin' hip hop, or melodic synthy post punk. I talk about the music I love in the city I love.

The whole point of this thing is to discover the Chicago scene and making it open for others to discover with me.