I caught up with Dexter and Megan from Houses at SXSW last month after their performance at the Mohawk. The band’s second album “A Quiet Darkness” has been released today and is worth a listen. You can purchase the album here. Read on to learn about the inspiration for the album, the band’s most awkward comparison as well as their favorite spot in Chicago.
Courtesy of Free People
Ever since catching him with Trey Songz on the OOVOO Chapter 5 World Tour, I can’t get enough of Miguel. His Grammy performance only strengthened my belief that this guy is destined to be the future of r&b. He released the video to “Candles in the Sun” today. A bit different than his hit “Adorn,” the song steps away from “love song” and is a more introspective piece looking at the world at large. Here’s what he had to say about it… “It’s so easy to ignore what’s right in front of us sometimes… I wanted to create a song and visual that addressed my everyday concerns of life as I know it in the world that we live in.”
Check it out below.
Filed under Michael, Music, News, Video of the Week
This is not a live album. This is an experiment in residency. Our friend Netherfriends returns to Chicago for the month of November to perform every Monday at Schubas. Each week, Shawn Rosenblatt, sole writer and performer of Netherfriends, will prepare 4 new songs to track and record (along with re-arranged classics) with plans to release the collection as a new album. During each performance, Shawn will have the audience contribute sounds he can then sample to help compose the songs (how cool is that? Show up to Schubas one of these nights and you’ll be included in an album).
Pre-Order Tickets here:
Although writing about the final festival of the summer season brings me down a bit, just looking at the Pygmalion 2012 lineup makes it all better. Festival founder Seth Fein has jam packed the 3 day festival with the big name likes of Grizzly Bear, Dinosaur Jr, Dirty Projectors, Sleigh Bells, and Best Coast, along with local acts Common Loon, Elsinore, and Santah. 54 bands will make their way to the Champaign-Urbana area overall, and you can catch all of them for the price of $100. To buy a festival pass, click here.
The great man that brings all of this to the generally quiet (maybe not quiet anymore) college town is Seth Fein. The Smile Politely founder (Champaign-Urbana’s independent online magazine) and Nicodemus Agency owner is a very busy man, as the titles show. Luckily he answered a couple questions for ACITM, which should help you learn more about the festival and CU’s musical savior himself. Check it out after the jump!
Netherfriends is unlike anything you’ve heard before, in a good way. The Columbia grad, Shawn Rosenblatt, is a touring machine, who recently finished something he calls the 50 States, 50 Songs project. He wrote and recorded 1 song in every state… yes, that’s Alaska and Hawaii included. The project led to the release of an album called “Middle America,” where every song is named after a city and features a narration of his trip across the country. If you haven’t seen his solo performance with loop pedal and sampler yet, you’ll be amazed by his ability to quickly make a song from nothing and get you dancing.
Luckily for you, Netherfriends will be playing the Empty Bottle free Monday, May 28th, on Memorial Day. What better way to finish a weekend of BBQ’n, cold beer, and fireworks, than with a night of psych pop from Chicago’s very own.
Check out after the jump for an interview with Shawn about the 50 states project, his future, and his favorite spot in Chicago.
Our friends over at Gold Motel want your help! In one of the coolest band promotions in some time (maybe ever?), the band will use your submitted Instagram photos in their album artwork. With Instagram coming to Droid yesterday, now everyone can get involved. And yes, their actual album artwork…and you can submit as many photos as you want! Check out the rules below, and a conversation with guitarist Eric Hehr about the contest.
A little while ago, Michael and I visited Sir & Madame, a boutique in Ukranian Village featuring fresh fashion and accessories reminiscent of Chicago style.
Owned by young couple Autumn and Brian, Sir & Madame can be described as a juxtaposition of sorts- the look of the store is old- antique dressers dot the walls and rich red drapes line the windows, yet the energy in the store is young. Sleek clothes in vibrant fabrics and edgy yet practical accessories are displayed throughout the room.
It’s Monday- you know what that means? Time to solidify your weekend plans to have something to look forward to while you tackle your work/school week. Our top pick of the weekend is the Filligar show with openers Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes and Save the Clocktower at the Subterranean Friday night (January 13th). Filligar’s sound can be classified as rock with a touch of Folk. Their shows are a true art, sending energy through the crowd with rousing vocals and melodies guaranteed to be trapped in your head for weeks to come. You can buy tickets here!
The guys may all be in their early 20s but they are veterans to the music scene. They have already written and recorded eight albums and have made an incredibly favorable impression on their fans thanks to the music they create and the down to earth attitude they live by (Filligar is one of Michael’s favorite bands for this reason).
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