Going for the Gold: Some Thoughts On Oscar Nominations (UPDATED)

We are now only a short time away until everyone gathers together around giant flat screens and root and jeer for some of the finest competitors, who have given their all into their performances. The men and women in these categories are the best of the best in their respective fields, and it's a shame that they must compete to determine who is the best of the best (of the best? Who is the best cubed?). The winners will see their lives changed instantly. The race for the gold is now in full swing.

You go multiple-colored snowboarding machine!

But enough about the Winter Olympics.

An artist's rendering of "the lord of all knickknacks."

EMPIRES is Back!

One of Chicago's finest rock bands returns with a new album and a tour. Their new single, "How Good Does It Feel", is now available to stream online. (The music video is posted below.)

Their new album, Orphan, is set to be released in February, followed by a tour, which begins in Indianapolis on February 20 and ends in Arkon, Ohio on March 8. From there, they are heading out to SXSW, which takes place March 7-16. They will perform two shows at Township on Friday, February 28 (with Basic Cable) and Saturday, March 1 (with Secret Colours). Tickets are available here.

Music Overlooked in 2013: Part 1

Music Overlooked: Since January is often empty when it comes to new music (and pop culture) releases, it's easy to check out what songs you many have missed in the previous year. This is a short series on the bands and songs that I did not heard about or get a chance to get out in 2013.

Secret Colours "Blackhole"



This Chicago group, which formed in 2010, describe themselves as "the bastard seed of 60s psychedelia and 90s Britpop bloodlines." The psychedelic vibes are present in their sophomore release, Peach, but they don't dominate enough to interfere with their performance.

The History of Apple Pie "Don't You Wanna Be Mine?"



Coming out of London, the history of this band began on Myspace, where they posted tracks to share with friends and prospective listeners. This is what shoegaze would sound like if it was a bit more cheerful.

Cub Sport "Paradise"



This summer-style jam is great for those who are enduring the aftermath of the record-breaking snowstorm and subsequent colder-than-the-Arctic wind chills. Oddly enough, the song was released in June 2013, when it's winter in Australia, which is where Cub Sport is from. (They hail from Brisbane.) It seems like they are in an eternal summer mindset, which works well for their breezy and slightly calm pop-rock.

Best Songs of 2013 by Chicago Artists

     This past year saw the release of some outstanding music by numerous local acts, including new albums from JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Ezra Furman, the Orwells, and Cameron McGill. All these acts are widely known outside the Windy City area. The Orwells have embarked on a lengthy promotional tour that saw them perform on the British TV show ''Later...With Jools Holland'', perform Halloween night at Sub-T, and they have are about to go on an upcoming tour in the UK. JC Brooks & the Uptown toured Europe. Ezra Furman left the Harpoons behind to create his strongest work yet, Day of the Dog, and is about to embark on a tour of the British Isles and European Union. He is set to perform at SPACE in Evanston on January 5, along with Cameron McGill, another musician who went solo after his time with his Cameron McGill and What Army and Margot & The Nuclear So and So's. 

      This list also includes many acts that are not as well known as the ones already mentioned. We have todayshits, a prolific lo-fi band that has recorded and uploaded dozens of tracks on their Soundcloud page. There are The Flips, a hard rock band that recently released their newest album, A Deep Harm but Shining, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. There is Bonzie, an 18-year old singer-songwriter who has already been compared to Cat Power and Neutral Milk Hotel. There is whysowhite, Yancey Boys, The Noise FM, etc.

      And these are only 20 songs by 20 artists and bands. There are dozens of other tracks that could be here, but many are unavailable to embed or download at the moment. But here is a great selection of the finest music released in 2013 by Chicago's finest musicians.

Album Review: Dream Shake's "Dream Shake"

Dream Shake/Dream Shake/Frenchkiss/2013

Each song title on Dream Shake's self-titled debut is named after a woman. What does that mean? Are they ex-girlfriends, conquests, high school crushes, or simply nine ladies that singer/songwriter James Nee promised he would write and record songs for?

The track "Buffy" hints that these names are loosely connected. The fast-paced guitar-heavy tune and the eight others are homages to fictional females from pop culture. You have the aforementioned vampire slayer and characters from various TV shows, such as "Friends", "Degrassi Junior High", and the NICK series "Cailtin's Way."

"Coraline", which I immediately think of the character from the Neil Gaiman novel and film adaptation, reminds me of mid-1990s Sonic Youth, a dreamy and mysterious track that sounds like it was created out of an impromptu jam session in the studio late one night. Clocking in at just over four minutes, it would be a delight to hear this track for a few minutes longer, much like a Sonic Youth song.

The guitar riffs that build up to each song's climax, or chorus, and Nee's soft yet confident vocals bring a dreamy, intentionally nostalgic aura over the course of 30 minutes--the length of a TV episode.

Nee, formerly of the pop/rock band We Are Trees, is a Virginia Beach native who claimed in an post on the band's website that no one will get the references, stating he is "too nerdy for real girls." Well, the nine women here should be flattered that a musician has written some well-executed, short but sweet love songs in their honor.

Grade: A-

Recommended tracks: "Buffy", "Rachel", "Coraline"

Album review: M.I.A.'s ''Matangi''

M.I.A.| Matangi | N.E.E.T./Interscope | 2013

It has been over three years since M.I.A. has released an album, and the back-story for Matangi is almost as enciting as the musician's work on this release. After delaying Matangi's release for being "too positive", she threatened to take the album from Interscope and release it herself. (Luckily, she has the backing of the  record giant, at least this time.) Though one could understandably be concerned for an artist who has openly courted controversy (i.e. flipping off viewers during the Super Bowl halftime show) to suddenly possess a sunny deposition.

Can you believe that "Bad Girls" was released almost two years ago?!

The singles released over the past eighteen months are here, but the deep cuts are also worth the wait. Her collaboration with The Weeknd in "Exodus"/"Sexdous" are some of the album's finest highlights, an instant R&B radio hit waiting to happen. Musically, the album is all over the place. "Bring The Noize" has those fast-paced verses that suddenly sound like they are going in reverse. There is a roll call of countries in "Matangi" over clattering percussions. There is chanting, a boxing bell, personal lyrics about her struggles, and more. Even though she doesn't have Top 40 radio in mind, the frantic yet familiar "Come Walk With Me" would be refreshing to hear on the FM dial in moderation.

M.I.A., who named this album after the goddess of music, Matangi, does not wish to concentrate her energies or concerns on what else is going on in the music industry. Noting that this is her "spiritual album", Matangi is a vastly compelling piece of pop music that only reinforces that she is at the top of her game, no matter how long she is away.

Grade: A-

Recommended tracks: "Exodus" (feat The Weeknd), "Come Walk With Me", "Bring The Noize", "Lights"

Album Review: La Luz's "It's Alive"

La Luz | It's Alive | Hardly Art | 2013

This all-female quartet from Seattle (whose name is Spanish for "The Light") have released their debut album, and it sounds almost nothing like Seattle, a city with a dreary climate that is still best known for (and trying to get past) its grunge heyday. The key word is almost.

On the surface, this is a light, surf-pop record, like Best Coast or the newest from Washed Out. But once you get past the upbeat riffs and the four-part harmonies, there is some sinister undertones and medleys, especially in "What Good Am I?", a slow and steady track that would fit well in a mixtape for a late night drive or in a 1950s jukebox for heartbroken lovers. It sounds like it came out of a film noir. 

This is immediately followed with "Sunstroke", a short and quick-paced instrumental with an organ player to accompany the haunted house aura. "Pink Slime" has a nostalgic yearning for the days of So Cal in the early 1960s, when surfers were kings of the waves and the Beach Boys were soundtrack of their lives.

The title track, which further emphasises the haunted rock that they hide underneath the surf pop, is the strongest track on the album. This song would fit well in a 1960s teen surfing flick that took a wrong turn and became a suspense or horror thriller, or a psychotic acid trip (like Head or Easy Rider). Maybe zombies pop out of the sand and start attacking the blondes on the beach.

UPDATE: The band have cancelled the rest of their tour after being involved in a severe car accident. A fund has been set up to help pay for bills, new equipment, van, etc. For more info on how to help or to find out more about the band, go here. 

Grade: B

Recommended tracks: "Sure As Spring", "What Good I Am?", "It's Alive"