Author Archives: Alyssa Lee

Confetti EP by Phox

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It’s such a rare and beautiful thing when you find a band that literally (yes, literally) makes it difficult to work. But that was the case with Phox this past Wednesday. Two tracks into Confetti, I found it hard to continue staring at an Outlook inbox; I was instead absolutely wrapped up in the gorgeous vocals and lush instrumentation, and much happier! Admittedly, the rest of my day was spent mesmerized by this fearless septet.

Photo by Connie Ward.

Photo by Connie Ward.

The Wisconsin-based band all graduated from Baraboo high school and began playing together in 2011. Having previously released a spattering of albums and EPs, Confetti is the outfit’s most recent release, from February of 2013. If you’re wondering what you’re in for, the band has described it quite well: Continue reading →

Austin Psych Fest

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Austin has long been celebrated for its ever-evolving and active music scene. Described as a perfect way to cool down after SXSW, the sixth annual Austin Psych Fest features three stages of psychedelic rock, 60+ bands, and a variety of art installations and film screenings.

austin_psych_fest_2013

Returning this year are APF alumni and Austin locals, the Black Angels, who have been playing the festival since its 2008 inception. Joining them are fellow alum Holy Wave, Roky Erickson, and Indian Jewelry. Austin Psych Fest also runs its own label, the Reverberation Appreciation Society. Launching in 2010 with the release of Christian Bland and The Revelators – The Lost Album, it has become home to a number of Austin psychedelic acts. Representing the label this year are Elephant Stone, UFO Club (playing a Thursday pre-party), and Night Beats among others.

In addition to hosting a slew of local Austin bands, the festival invites international psychedelic and rock acts as well. Representing Canada are Suuns, Black Mountain, and Besnard Lakes. Liverpool’s Clinic, The Laurels of Sydney, and the experimental Swedish outfit, Goat, are all scheduled to grace the sunny Austin stages as well.

Austin Psych Fest kicks off on Friday, April 26, with pre-parties on Thursday night and celebrates psychedelic music and art for that entire weekend. We are looking forward to supporting a positive and rapidly-growing festival this year. If you are planning on attending, please share the bands you are most looking forward to seeing in the comment section below. I am very much looking forward to seeing Goat and Elephant Stone myself.

Austin Psych Fest | Official Site | Tickets | Lineup

 

Panoramic & True’s Wonderlust Release Show

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by Jake Szafranski.

I go to a lot of concerts. This is probably obvious, as you are currently reading this post about a concert that I attended, but it’s certainly true. It’s the reason I often lack spending money and the reason I wanted to live in Chicagoland. With that said, one of my favorite experiences is going to a show and seeing a band I’ve never heard of before. It’s a thrilling gamble as you watch musicians set up their gear as you wonder how exactly they will sound and how good of a live show they will have. That’s not to say I frequently head to shows of bands I don’t know; what I generally do is avoid doing extraneous research for every group at every show I go to as often as possible. There’s few things as rewarding as being caught completely off guard by a live show, and it has led to many a purchased CD or shirt for a band I walked into a venue knowing nothing about.

Panoramic & True. Photo courtesy of Jake Szafranski.

Panoramic & True. Photo courtesy of Jake Szafranski.

I took this philosophy to heart when I walked through the crowd outside the Hideout on Friday, July 20 to see Art in Round, Reds and Blue, and Panoramic & True. The show was to celebrate the release of Panoramic & True’s latest album, Wanderlust, and when Alyssa (the majordomo/grand poobah of Midwest Action) first mentioned the show, I was intrigued mostly by the opportunity to see unknown (to me) bands play, but also to have an excuse to go to the Hideout again. So I purposefully ignored the links to websites and songs for the performers Alyssa sent, said I’d go, and took in the three bands shows as a pure introduction to their sound. And, as luck (or perhaps skill) would have it, I walked away satisfied, having enjoyed all three shows. Continue reading →

The Schrader EP and The Venture EP by Hank.

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Bit of a two-in-one for this review, folks. Hank. is a math rock, post hardcore band from Champaign, Illinois. To sum up the sound of this band would be taking the math rock style of a band like Polvo and intertwining it with post hardcore/emo style of bands like At The Drive-In and Sunny Day Real Estate. All making up a group of very angry sounding young men. This review covers the two releases this band has to their name: their debut EP, The Schrader, and second EP release, The Venture.

the schrader

I’ll start with The Schrader EP. The Schrader starts off with the track “200F8”, an angry call to arms track that propels into high gear and showcases skilled playing and many math rock tempo changes. The key track of this EP is “Dry The Whistle”. This track highlights the very tight rhythm section Hank. has in bassist Darwin Keup and drummer Nelson Cowan. It closes with very abrasive, steady-going guitar work sure to ensue some headbanging. Continue reading →

Gabrielle Rosenstein

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by Faith Damm.

Gabrielle Rosenstein is an artist currently based in the heart of downtown Chicago. She is a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago studying just about anything she can get her hands on, ranging from photography to painting to illustration. She primarily works with the human figure, and often uses distorted or exaggerated images to entice her viewers.

Art by Gabrielle Rosenstein.

Art by Gabrielle Rosenstein.

Regarding her use of the human figure, Gabrielle states on her website:

“As my work evolves, so do the characters I am creating. They continue to evolve into a hybrid species of intricate androgynous characters. Whether it is the slightest change of an eyebrow or the amount of limbs on the body, my characters range from futuristic to organic.” Continue reading →

Young Jesus

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by David Denison.

For John Rossiter, lead singer of self-described “party-angst” band, Young Jesus, music is simultaneously “both utterly depressing and totally exuberant.” And while the presence of those two emotions is common in music, their coexistence is not. Perhaps it is that unique paradox that has earned this young indie band the loyal dedication of the Chicago underground.

youngjesus

The members of Young Jesus come from humble beginnings. For instance, three of their four members have never seen their fathers without mustaches. With that genetic predisposition to Chicago-bred hipster irony, it comes as some surprise that the members of this band seem to evade the typical indie rock stereotypes. But what they lack in ironic sweaters and black-rimmed glasses, they make up for with plenty of garage-esque studio sounds. Keeping the long list of imperfections that accompany their record, despite its near-perfect writing and arrangement, seems like someone is throwing a bone to the cool kids. But when asked about the somewhat low-fi production of their debut full length, “Home,” Rossiter insisted, “We weren’t trying to make a low-fi record. We’re not trying to pander to any specific crowd. We just want to play rock and roll.” Continue reading →

Teleglow by Great Gray Buildings

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by Pete Kosmal.

I first met Chicago based-band Great Gray Buildings at a mid-week show at Subterranean in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. They took the stage right before my band was supposed to play. I remember gazing up at the stage, enamored with their tight sound and at keyboardist and vocalist, Kevin Whelan’s, passion. It was as if every note and every word mattered to him, and he wanted to express that emotion in full force to the crowd. As the band electrified and moved the room, I knew my band would be lucky to share the stage with them. I remember standing outside Subterranean after the show had ended, talking to the band about musical influences, and thinking to myself, “This must be the nicest group of guys I’ve ever met.”

Aside from being nice guys, Great Gray Buildings have made a name for themselves in the Chicago scene, winning the Deli Chicago’s artist of the month poll. “Chicago breeds creativity,” says guitarist Dan Hawthorne. “It allows genres to evolve and interact with each other, resulting in a huge variety of great bands and initiatives”. Dan, Matt, and Lee met at Wheaton College in the Chicago suburbs, where the music scene was tight knit, “as with any liberal arts college”, says drummer Matt Tanaka. “Everyone who was in a band was also in a band with someone else”. Continue reading →