[Sonic Playback] C. Rich's Mike Brown Inspired Playlist
This past Valentine's Day, we experimented with a feature where we had the amazing Peter CottonTale put together a soulful, Valentine's Day-themed playlist that not only captured the very essence of the Hallmark holiday, but also Peter's personal interests and musical influences. What I would like to do is curate playlists with songs that follow a certain theme, whether they're as simple as "favorite songs from high school" or "most influential songs to my career" with a summary or exposition on the songs they chose. I feel that creating intimate playlists like these would be more interactive between artists and audience and would better illuminate the curator's interests. Anyways, to kick off the inaugural Sonic Playback is my good friend and rising Chicago R&B star C. Rich.
Written and curated by C. Rich.
A young man was shot and killed this past weekend in Ferguson, MO. I've spent the past couple of days really reflecting, and in this time of mourning, these are the songs I seem to come back to.
"Rest in Power" by Michael Anthony, Via Rosa, and The Mind
Mike has always had a really dope and interesting way of meshing soul/R&B and hip-hop into his records. His really unique timbre and insight on the African-American condition in this record has made it one of my favorites over the past few days. The features are super strong too, Via Rosa's voice is as soothing as a Corrine Bailey Rae. I'm not surprised at the 16K plays at all, it's a really dope song.
"Do Dat Dope" by Que BILLAH
Que has been one of my favorites in Chicago Music since '07, always been an amazing performer, and ALWAYS has a really amazing message behind it all. Commentary on the condition of our most coveted and feared neighborhoods in the Chi, supported by the instrumental from Future's "Move That Dope."
"Evicted" by Thomas Mac
Thomas broke on the scene a couple months ago doing a bunch of features for Vic Spencer and is trying to set himself up to take over R&B in the city. This joint touches close to the heart, mainly because the Condo association in our building was attempting to "kick us out #TheCondo" We ended up solving the situation amicably, and set up shop in Complex 2010. Relevant because the increased foot traffic by young black men was a complaint listed.
"One More Song" by JDP (feat. Thomas Mac)
It's like an anthem for better days. For us artists, it's a constant battle between speaking out, and not... seeming like you're simply trying to capitalize on the tragedies of present day. And that inspiration to press on lies in the next song you create. the song makes my soul smile with positive vibes when I hear it.
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[Album] Nnamdi Ogbonnaya: "Feckin Weirdo"
You may not know the name Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, but I can guarantee some of you have at least seen him around. Ogbonnaya is arguably one of the most talented, multitool artists in Chicago right now. For their "2013 People Issue," the Chicago Reader featured Ogbonnaya as "The Drummer," and adequately so, a the musician drums for a multitude of Chicago bands, including Itto, The Para-Medics, and Pisces at the Animal Fair. While Ogonnaya is mostly known as a drummer in Chicago's punk scene, he's branched out to explore other musical ventures, namely in the hip hop realm. Enter: Feckin Weirdo.
Officially titled Feckin Weirdo: Nnamdi's spectral adventures through a pubulous conundrum, canceling out the burrowing burden and ambiguity of his pre?-?zuberant tooth shine., Ogbonnaya's debut full-length album is an experimental hip hop journey through one of the city's most illuminatingly eccentric minds. Ogbonnaya channels Tyler, the Creator with his irreverent imagery with hints of Del the Funky Homosapien sprinkled over production rife with horns and synths. Other write-ups of Feckin Weirdo have described the album as an acid trip, which is honestly the most effective way to describe Ogbonnaya's quick lyrical delivery that's oftentimes pitch-altered, furthering the eccentricity that sets the sonic and thematic t0ne of the album. Ruby Hornet favorite KSRA also makes an appearance on Feckin Weirdo alongside other guests Luscious Duncan, Julia Steiner, Ian Sutherland, Ace Da Vinci, Alicia Walter, and Julia Bard.
Listen to Feckin Weirdo and watch the videos for "2% Chest" and "Vasectomy" below.
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Midwest Ska Fest 2014 Information + Sampler
You know what I love? Well thought-out DIY musical ventures, and that is exactly what Midwest Ska Fest 2014 is. Operating in its second year (though formerly known as Summer Ska Fest last year), the festival is an appreciation of independent ska, reggae, 2-tone, and dub bands and artists throughout the Midwest and will be taking place at the Double Door on Saturday, August 23rd. Tickets are on sale here.
This year's lineup features Chicago bands The Crombies, On Your Marx, Los Vicios de Papa, and Malafacha alongside Ohama's The Bishops, Milwaukee's Something to Do, and Northwest Indiana's Green Room Rockers with special guest Matt Wixson and a DJ set by legendary ska DJ, Chuck Wren. To help commemorate the festival, a Midwest Ska Fest 2014 Sampler has been created to help familiarize potential attendees with the bands' music. You can find the sampler below.
We'll be attending Midwest Ska Fest 2014, so you can expect more from these bands full of "hep" cats, hephephephep. Ska puns!
New Guidelines for Submitting Music
As you may have noticed, we've moved away from soliciting music submissions as we've switched gears and began focusing on other endeavors. While we're still very supportive of all Chicago artists, music solicitation isn't our game anymore. As the saying goes, "It's not you, it's me." With that said, we would like to introduce you all to our new affiliate, Chicago Music. Chicago Music is slowly building itself up as Chicago's premier music destination where you can purchase tickets, read the latest music news, and with your help, listen to some amazing songs from the city's most talented musicians. Make sure to also follow Chicago Music on Twitter (@_ChicagoMusic_).
Moving forward, we will begin to send all music submissions over to our friends over at Chicago Music. Similarly, you can save yourselves an extra step by sending all of your submissions over to submissions@chicagomusic.com. Chicago Music will be accepting music submissions from all genres of music, so whether you're a rapper, producer, play in a band, or anything, as long as you're creating amazing music in this beautiful city, Chicago Music would love to feature you and your work. We ask that when you submit music, fill out the subject like this: "ARTIST NAME + SONG TITLE (GENRE)".
[RH Photos] Capital Cities DJ Set at The Mid (8/7/2014)
Photos by Alex Lapenia and Jesse Pizano. Recap written by Alex Lapenia.
Just because it was a Thursday night didn’t mean it was a dull night. The Mid has become one of the best venues for DJs to spin at as they’ve played host to some of the of the biggest names in the EDM scene, including Kaskade, Skrillex, and Afrojack, and Thursday night was no exception. The Mid welcomed vocalist Sebu Simonian of Capital Cities, and opening for him were local Chicagoans DJ Torio, DJ Gordo, and current resident DJ Gus Karas.
DJ Torio started the night off playing lots of trance music, mesmerizing the crowd and pumping them up with anticipation until his final note hit. The rush of energy didn’t die down, though, as DJ Gordo set the tone and pace for the rest of the night with his EDM packed set sending the crowd into a frenzy jumping around and throwing their hands in the air with every bone rattling drop of the bass. After the last track Gordo dropped, DJ Gus Karas didn’t miss a beat with a throwback of DMX’s “Party Up In Here;” the hip hop set didn’t stop there as he continued to play club bangers by Lil’ Jon, which included “Turn Down for What” and “Outta Your Mind.” Once DJ Karas stepped off the stage, the audience grew antsy with anticipation of what was next, and when Sebu came on, it was standing room only throughout the venue. Sebu immediately picked up a microphone and began singing his Capital Cities hit, "Safe and Sound." He was infectious and had the entire club singing and dancing along with him and his indie set.
There’s nowhere else we would have wanted to be except at The Mid Thursday night. There was a bit of everything for everyone, from EDM to hip hop to Indie jams, and it was enough to not only satisfy the type of music you listen, to but also help you discover something new. We hope you enjoy our photos from the night!
[Video] Chance the Rapper's Full Lollapalooza 2014 Set
Photo by Andrew Zeiter
Short post with this one, as you should just go straight for the video with this one. In case you missed Chance the Rapper's Lollapalooza 2014 set, it's now available to stream. Watch it, enjoy it, and bask in the light that has been Chance's amazing meteoric rise over the past year and a half.
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North Coast Music Festival 2014 Lineups Revealed
In three short weeks, North Coast Music Festival will be celebrating its fifth anniversary in Union Park! Earlier this week, the single day lineups were released, allowing NCMF-goers to plan ahead properly. Single day tickets are also available now via Clubtix, so cop a pair (or two!) if any of the artists performing tickle your fancy. Some of my personal highlights for the festival include: Bassnectar, Action Bronson, BADBADNOTGOOD, and Prob Cause for Friday, Kid Cudi and Talib Kweli for Saturday, and Snoop Dogg, Midnight Conspiracy, Porn and Chicken, Saba, and Zaramella for Sunday. We'll have a more in-depth preview piece for North Coast Music Festival 2014 as we get closer to the event weekend, but for now, check out the full day lineups below!
[Lollapalooza Interview] James King and John Wicks (Fitz and the Tantrums)
Getting to a 2:00pm interview in Lollapalooza’s press area after a random Chicago downpour on a Saturday means commitment. After having taken the Blue Line to Jackson, getting briefly lost leaving the train, and sprinting two blocks south, I had made it nine minutes early to my interview with drummer John Wicks and saxophonist James King of Fitz and the Tantrums. Although our conversation was short and sweet, I could recognize that their loyalty to Chicago fans is unwavering, and that their desire to spit out quality advice to persevering artists was genuine. Check out some of the words we exchanged in the interview below.
So welcome to the city of Chicago! What kind of vibes does it give you? Or, I guess, how do you feel about being here?
John Wicks: Oh, Chicago has always been the biggest champion of Fitz and The Tantrums.
James King: Yeah, Chicago kicked off our entire career.
JW: And the runners on Lake Shore Drive are the most badass runners I’ve ever seen.
True. We don’t play. Abruptly switching to the topic of music, which album do you guys consider your personal favorite?
JK: …This one.
The newest one?
JW: Yeah, this one. More Than Just a Dream.
Oh… well, I feel like it’s worth mentioning to you my personal favorite, which is Pickin’ Up the Pieces. Specifically because of “Tighter.”
* John and James look at each other *
JW: It’s very interesting that you say that. * long pause * We collaborated together on that song, all in one room, when it came into fruition. We don’t work like that often. It was a special time for us.
Please tell me it’ll be a track that you guys are planning on performing tonight.
JK: It’s hard to perform “Tighter.” It’s been a while. You’ve gotta keep the energy up.
It’s a song that serves as a soundtrack to many of my roughest nights, that I associate with college, particularly. James, you joined the band sometime after your college career. During your time in school, did predict this kind of future for yourself?
JK: No, definitely not. We were always doing multiple things. I was always doing side jobs or being the guy behind the scenes, but then finally focusing on one thing, putting all of your efforts into one thing, that’s what’ll get you somewhere. Not necessarily distributing your energy into multiple projects.
Do you have any more words of wisdom for DIY rock bands, people who are working on getting their name out there, or those following in your steps?
JW: Get cultured. Stand next to a tree, like we’re doing now. Don’t go to an Urban Outfitters and buy a shirt of a tree. Stop trying to accumulate things and just do. If I was spending less time buying things and appearing like I was doing something, I would actually be doing something. I would be more comfortable as a “starving artist” if I wasn’t trying to appear like I wasn’t just that.
