Album Review: Chicago Crowd Surfer Round Up - May & June

Chicago Crowd Surfer is running a handful of my reviews from earlier this spring. You can find links to each below. 

Helen Money - Atomic 

Helen Money is a treasure and Chicago is very lucky to have her call it her home. Epic and penetrating string arrangments and heavy metal atmosphere. You can check out my review of her latest album Atomic here, and grab a copy from Thrill Jockey here.  

Mako Sica & Hamid Drake - Balancing Tear

Local jazz-rockers Mako Sica have teamed up with the marvelous Hamid Drake for an incredibly evocative album that they have titled Balancing Tear. Check out my review here, and grab a copy of the album from Astral Spirits, here. 

L.T.F. - Rehabilitation Process

Chicago Research continues to release solid electronic dance music faster than I can realistically keep up. I'm not complaining, I'm just outing myself as having a job and responsibilities, and I can't listen to everything that I want to, to the extent that I want to, all the time. Oh well! Of the releases that I have been able to check out, L.T.F.'s Rehabilitation really jumped out at me. You can read my review here, and grab a copy from Chicago Research, here. 

The Hyss - Extraterrestrial

Chicago stoner /sludge rockers The Hyss have a new release and it's pretty fun. Kind of X-Files themed. Sort of a pulp-horror / Rob Zombie-cinematic universe vib going on as well. Check out the review here, and grab a copy here. 

Album Review: Chicago Crowd Surfer Round Up April

Chicago Crowd Surfer is loaded up with reviews for a bunch of albums that dropped this spring. I've contributed a handful of write-ups for Chicago-local releases that caught my eye. They're listed below with direct links for your convenience. Enjoy and stay safe out there!

Jackie Lynn - Jacqueline 

Hailey Fohr's alter ego is back in the saddle with a new album Jacqueline, it's a beautiful disco country odyssey that will leave you spellbound. Of all of the releases that I wrote about this week, this one made the biggest impact on me. Check out my review, here.

Get Jacqueline from Drag City, here.

Errant - Errant EP

Immortal Bird singer Rae Amitay dropped her solo project Errant's debut EP in April. On it she explores various venomous flavors of second-wave black metal, and offers us an absolutely arresting cover of Failure's "Saturday Savior." It's really amazing! Check out my review, here.

Get a copy of Errant EP, here (hurry there are only three vinyl copies left!)

Death on Fire - Ghost Songs

Melo-death do-badders Death of Fire is back with their second LP, Ghost Songs. The contents of the songs are more haunting than the music, which is just flat out ripps! Check out my review, here. 

Grab a copy of Ghost Songs, here. 

Chicago Blues Experiment - Jar of Dreams

Chicago has a long history as the epicenter of jazz and blues in the United States, and Chicago Blues Experiment draws on that legacy for their debut release, the light and sexy Jar of Dreams. These are heavy times, and it's nice to have something that swings a little to get me through the day. Check out my review, here. 

Grab a copy of Jar of Dreams, here. 

Album Review: Chicago Crowd Surfer Round Up March 2020

I had some time to catch up on recent releases from Chicago jazz and metal artists while sheltering at home this past week. This city produces far more worthy music than I can keep up with, so it is nice to take a look back and recommend some stuff from earlier in the year before it gets overlooked. There has never been a better time to do some deep listening while you are stuck indoors trying to avoid illness (or avoid spreading illness to others), and all of these albums only get more rewarding the more times you spin them. Write ups of all of my recommendations can be found over at Chicago Crowd Surfer. Links provided below.

Huntsmen - Mandala of Fear

Chicago's Huntsmen are one of the stranger amalgamations of folk revival and post-rock I've heard, and their new album Mandala of Fear takes the listener on a harrowing journey of dread and bitter truth. It reminds me of a lot of Cult of Luna's A Dawn of Fear, but more grounded and brooding. Check out the full write up here, and grab a copy form Prosthetic Recordings here.

Jeff Parker - Suite for Max Brown

Jeff Parker is the guitarist for post-rockers, Tortious. Despite what some white-bread indie soft-boi will tell you, this is actually the least interesting part of Parker's music career. He's first and foremost a jazz player, and his new album Suite for Max Brown demonstrates shows him at his best and most spontaneous. Direct, honest, and transcendent. Highly recommended! Read the full write up here, and grab a copy from International Anthem, here.

Jeremy Cunningham - The Weather Up There

Another wonderful jazz album courtesy of another great Chicago based jazz player, Jeremy Cunningham. The Weather Up There is an incredibly beautiful examination of family, community and rippling effects of traumatic loss. Check out the full write up here, and grab a copy from Northern Spy, here.

Gil Scott-Heron / Makaya McCraven - We're New Again: a Reimagining by Makaya McCraven

Easily one of the more spectacular jazz releases of this year, Chicago based drummer Makaya McCraven, at the request of Xl Recordings owner Richard Russell, reworks Gil Scott-Haron's last album to uncover it's potential as one of the late, great standards of the genre's '00s revival. This album is rightfully going to make all of the "Best of" lists this year. Get in on the action now, so that you don't have to play catch up later. Read my full write up here, and grab a copy from XL Recordings, here.

Cloud Cruiser - I: Capacity

Turns out, Chicago can churn up some pretty solid desert rock when it wants to. For my review of Cloud Cruiser's debut I decided to tell a bit of a story. It's part of a series I'm apparently doing where people discover new music during a paranormal experience. I think it does the album justice. Read my write up here, and grab a copy from CC's Bandcamp here.

Show Review: Cult of Luna w/ Emma Ruth Rundle and Intronaut @ House of Blues, March 4, 2020

Emma Ruth Rundle @ House of Blues

Last week I stopped at the House of Blues for a show for the first time in my whole dang life. It wasn't actually that bad of experience and everyone sounded awesome. This was also my first time seeing Emma Ruth Rundle. The goth queen of quite death folk who now owns my heart. Check out my full write up over at Chicago Crowd Surfer, here. 

Cult of Luna @ House of Blues

All photos by me. 

Show Review: Truckfighters @ Empty Bottle, February 18, 2020

Truckfighters tearing it up at the Empty Bottle (Photo by me)

Braved the cold for a stone-cold solid show at the Empty Bottle last week. Swedish over-the-top stoner rockers Truckfighters blasted clean through my expectations and you can read my full recap now up at Chicago Crowd Surfer. Link here.

Show Review: Music Frozen Dancing, February 22, 2020

Wheatpaste flyer - held up pretty well despite the weather (photo by me)

Every year the Empty Bottle in Chicago hosts an outdoor music festival in February, and every year it continues to be an insane proposition. Still people keep showing up year after year, despite the frostbite, or maybe because of it... Chicago people complain about the cold, but secretly, I think they kind of like it.

I was out with the Chicago Crowd Surfer team for the festival and you can read our tag-team coverage here. I left with all my limbs intact so I guess that means I had a pretty good time.

Show Review: CHIRP RADIO AND SMASHED PLASTIC ANNIVERSARY @ SLEEPING VILLAGE, February 1, 2020

The Dyes @ Sleeping Village

I did some coverage of the CHIRP Radio and Smashed Plastic Anniversary Party over at Sleeping Village for Chicago Crowd Surfer. Partys like this only come around once a year...or ten in CHIRP's case. TL:DR Show was a blast. No free beer this year thought. I also had to take all of the photos on my phone. They turned out fine. It's fine. Check out the recap over at Chicago Crowd Surfer here, and join me in wishing CHIRP Radio and Smashed Plastic a Happy Birthday!  

SuperKnova @ Sleeping Village

Photos by yours truly 

Interview: Inner Decay

Image courtesy of artist

Inner Decay is one of my favorite local death metal bands at the moment and I was extremely excited to be able to talk to some of their members about their influences and plans for 2020. You can check out or short by sweet little conversation over at Chicago Crowd Surfer, here. They have some big plans for the spring including opening for Napalm Death in April. That is not going to be a show to miss. See you knuckleheads in the pit!

If you need a taste of what to expect in April, check out Inner Decay's video for their single "World Reduced to Ash."

Show Recap: Ian's Party 2020 - Friday

Partied at Ian's the weekend before last and I have a few thoughts on some of the bands that stopped in to entertain the fine folks of Chicago. I only made it out for Friday of the three-day fest this year (place frowny face emoji here for emphasis). If'in you didn't know, Ian's Party is the mostly local jamboree that a group of Elgin, IL ex-pats put on the first weekend of each new year to celebrate the city's (and greater midwest's) diverse DIY scene. This year I checked out SuperKnova, Bev. Rage and the Drinks, Tow Houses, Kali Masi and many other super talented people. Chicago Crowd Surfer posted my notes from the fest on their website's refrigerator door. Link below.

Friday at Ian's party ft. SuperKnova, Drilling for Blasting, Kali Masi, Abertooth Lincoln, Tow Houses, and Bev Rage and the Drinks

I still call Dimo's in Wicker Park the "Ian's on Damen."

CHICAGO CROWD SURFER'S INFLUENTIAL ALBUMS OF THE 2010S

I was able to contribute some blurbs to Chicago Crowd Surfer's Influential Albums of the decade list and you can read my important thoughts over on their website. It may sound trite, but I really liked how this list turned out, and not just because I wrote a substantial portion of it to it. Link below. 

Chicago Crowd Surfer's Influential Albums of the Decade

What albums did we miss? The best way to let myself and the rest of the CCS staff know is to whisper the name of your favorite album into a conch shell and then leave it on the shore deserted island. Trust that it will find it's way to us eventually...

Show Review: The Arrivals @ Reggies - December 28,2019

Photo by me

Local legends The Arrivals did their thing at Reggies as a bit of a post-holiday celebration and I have a full write up of the festivities up over at Chicago Crowd Surfer. This was a rough Holiday for me and I really needed some rowdy, class conscious punk rock to flush the pipes of some bad vibes this year. Luckily the Arrivals, Sass Dragons and Canadian Rifle all put on phenomenal performances. Link to the recap below.

The Arrivals w/ Sass Dragons, Canadian Rifle, and Nightcap @ Reggies

And everybody gets a little piece of the pie...

Chicago Crowd Surfer 2019: Year In Review - Part 2

Part two of Chicago Crowd Surfer's year in review is up! Get it while it's hot (or before it's February... these types of articles have a short shelf life). I'm more certain as to what I contributed to this half of the retrospective and I am much more comfortable telling you to check it out as a result. I was really happy with Fire-Toolz' new album so I included a write up of it and some glowing praise for Snow Burial's latest release as well. I wrote some other stuff too, but the bulk of the recap was handled by our editor-in-chief. The man is a machine when we wants to be. Link below.

Chicago Crowd Surfer Year in Review Part 2

Happy New Years you filthy animal.*

*That's how that Home Alone quote goes, right?  If I'm wrong just scream into a pillow rather than leave a comment.

Chicago Crowd Surfer 2019: Year In Review - Part 1

Part one of Chicago Crowd Surfer's year in review is up! It's not a top 10 list or a best of, as much as a collage of highlights from shows and albums covered over the past year that the magazine's contributors elected to give a special shout out. This first part covers roughly January to June of 2019. I wrote a ton over New Years and I'm not sure what of my recaps made it into this first part. Part two is forthcoming. Link below. Enjoy!

Chicago Crowd Surfer Year in Review Part 1

No one will tell me what "auld lang syne" means.

Show Review: Lingua Ignota @ Thalia Hall 12/21/2019

Image courtesy of the artist

I was able to stop in on Lingua Ignota's set at Thalia Hall this past Saturday. Her album Caligula was one of the more arresting listening experiences in 2019 and her set on the ground level of this historic theater more than met my expectations. The Holidays aren't always a lot of fun for everyone. It was very cathartic to Caligula live this time of year. My review is over at Chicago Crowd Surfer. Link below.

Review of Lingua Ignota @ Thalia Hall

Don't let people treat you like sh*t. Ever.

Interview: The Arrivals

Image from The Arrivals

Chicago pop-punk institution The Arrivals are giving us the gift of music and mirth this Holiday Season. Climbing to the stage at Reggies to kick out some jams and beat back the Holiday Blues their show with Sass Dragons and Canadian Rifle will be an ideal final chapter to 2019. I was able to score a chat with Dave Marriman, guitarist of the Arrivals, ahead of their set this weekend and the interview is now up over at Chicago Crowd Surfer. We talked about the band's legacy, secrets hidden in their cover art, and the class struggles that inform the political slant of their music. This is easily one of my favorite interviews to date. Link below.

Interview with Dave Marriman of the Arrivals

Seasons greetings and solidarity, forever.

Album Review: Lord Mantis - Universal Death Church

Chicago metal monsignor Lord Mantis has clawed their way out of hell to give us the gift of inner ear damage in the form of their latest album, Universal Death Church. I was really blown away by this album and you can read my thoughts over at Chicago Crowd Surfer.

Review of Lord Mantis' Universal Death Church

Horns up for Bill Bumgardner. 

Show Review: Forever Deaf Fest 2019

Matianak

The second year of the all local death and doom metal fest. Forever Deaf Fest was this past weekend at the Cobra Lounge and Beat Kitchen, and I was there for Chicago Crowd Surfer to snag some pics and soak up the brutal majesty of it all. I can honestly say that I have a new appreciation for scene mainstays Broken Hope and the Sword, as well as up and beastly upstarts Matianak, Snow Burial, and Huntsmen. Check out my coverage at the link below and enjoy some additional images that didn't make it into the article.

Show Recap of  Forever Deaf Fest 2019

Everything Must Die

Inner Decay

Gloryhole Guillotine

Matianak

Broken Hope

The Skull

Huntsmen

Huntsmen

Huntsmen

Now if you excuse me I need to talk to a specialist about a cochlear implant.

All photos by me. 

Interview: Nick Fury of Forever Deaf Fest 2019

Did a quick and painless interview with the lead organizer of Forever Deaf Fest, Nick Fury. FDF relatively new metal fest in Chicago, headed into its second year in 2019. My conversation with Mr. Fury is up over at Chicago Crowd Surfer (link below). I'm pretty stoked for this festival and you should be too! All midwest! All brutal! All dang weekend! Links to where you can buy tickets in the underground. See you in the pit!

Interview with Nick Fury of Forever Deaf Fest 

Spoiler alert, he doesn't tell why he received the nickname "Fury." You'll have to find him at the bar and buy him a drink in order to unlock that particular trade secret. 

Stay tuned for my forthcoming review of FDF '19! 

Show Review: Exhumed and Gatecreeper at the Empty Bottle November 20, 2019

My review of the death metal masterclass that went down over at the The Empty Bottle before Thanksgiving is now up over at Chicago Crowd Surfer (link below). Missed Exhumed and Gatecreeper tearing the world part one riff at a time, or do you want to relive the brutality with the help of my mangled prose? Either way CCS has you covered. Link in the underground.

Exhumed and Gatecreeper @ The Empty Bottle - November 20, 2019

Thanks to Alexi D. Front of Scorched Tundra for organizing another fantastic show. When I say he's a wizard, I mean it!

Interview: Elk Walking

Photo provided by band

I am head over heals to announce the world premier of the new Elk Walking singe "Over the Hills" breaking at the one and only Chicago Crowd Surfer. Listen along to the spooky new single and read my interview with their captivating and thoughtful frontwoman, Savanna Dickhurt as we discuss her inspirations and insights. Link below.

Single premier and interview with Elk Walking's Savanna Dickhurt

It's a bummer that we couldn't get another Elk Walking show before the end of the year, but fear not, they'll be back in 2020. Also, Savanna had been cooking up some new tunes with Burr Oak, meaning that we've got plenty of folky goodness to indulge us in the interim.