Cold Country

He knew he was done. He hadn’t been doing quality work in a while, and frankly he didn’t care. He was going to head home to his parents, who at this point woke up at 4 am, tended to the garden, read the newspaper, left the stove top on all day in case […]

Sister Crystals: “For So Long”

Exciting times! Sister Crystals (formerly Magic City), along with our partner label, Walk-In Records, have officially released the first single off their debut LP, due out in May. “For So Long” glistens with the rays of the cold winter light.

Sister Crystals on […]

Magic City changes name to Sister Crystals

The title says all you need to know. Everything else will be the same!

From Walk-In Records:

As you may or may not know by now, there’s a new show out there called Magic City. I’d love to tell you that the show details the adventures of an amazing band from Chicago but I’d […]

[MP3] Sharpless: “Greater Than”

Why is it so much harder these days to find legitimately bouncy pop rock that we don’t have to get all depressed / mellowed out by? I mean, don’t get me wrong, mellow is my THING, but it gets old. I’ve said it a few times here before, but we all need some […]

[MP3] Tiger Waves: “I Hope You’ll Feel Alright”

After much blog success with their first couple singles, Tiger Waves (the Chicago/Austin duo) are back with “I Hope You’ll Feel Alright,” a lulling, soft pop tune with easy, falsetto vocals. If this song doesn’t calm your nerves and make you at peace, then you may be in more trouble than you’re letting […]

Lyndsay Holm

Oh, to be young and melancholic. And so raw that it’s just right.

Lyndsay Holm – “Weeping Willow” [MP3]

Holm is a musician and photographer based outside of Chicago.

Magic City

It’s time to break the bad news to Best Coast.

Ok, here goes.

Best Coast, there is a band in Chicago that does your sound better than you.

Don’t get me wrong, you guys are great. You’ve got an excellent vocalist, great songs, the whole package. The fact is, Chicago duo Magic City […]

Tiger Waves

Tiger Waves, technically based out of Austin, is a duo (James and Reid) that began their music by sharing sounds across the internet. James was in Austin and Reid was in Chicago. As we’ve seen before, more bands are attempting this technique of cross-country, or even international, music making, and why not? Yes, […]

The Pear Traps

So, I’ve had to listen to my fair share of lo-fi over the past few years or so as I’ve become a music “blogger” and the scene has changed to hype the bedroom rock stars. I used to really dislike the sound; why would I listen to such raspy music when I could […]

[Stars on C-30] Plustapes and Treetop Sorbet

Tape labels are abundant these days, as are new cassette releases, and Stars on C-30 includes reviews of some of these releases, the occasional band or label profile, and a look at the culture surrounding cassettes.

In any musical genre there are quiet leaders, bands who help define a sound but never become […]