Mental notes of an aspiring music business professional.
Chicago based.
Music focused.
Accompanied with sprinkles of my renlentless ramblings that grow into thoughts.
Here's my brain on music.
Angel Olsen previews upcoming album "Burn Your Fire For No Witness" at NPR Tiny Desk Performance
The Asheville, N.C. based musician via Chicago gave a lone performance for NPR; giving an alluring yet haunting tone to the sparse but delicate tracks. The video from this past autumn previews songs from Olsen's new studio album "Burn Your Fire For No Witness" which is set to release February 18th via Jagjaguwar.
Chicago artist, Chance the Rapper, recently performed a private show at Lincoln Hall as apart of DePaul University's annual Winter Concert. The DePaul students received more than they anticipated when Chance brought fellow Chicago favorite Jeremiah on stage to premiere a yet to be named track.
Check out the video and start getting excited for when the final release drops.
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.
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.
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.
