Check out these 5 Chicago artists at Lollapalooza. Whitney, Noname, Kweku Collins, The O'My's and Chance The Rapper
Let’s dive into the incredible lineup at this year’s Lollapalooza. Chicago artists came to represent at one of the largest music festivals in the world. The talent to tough but their Chicago breed artist standout in a big way. Below let’s visit five artists that call Chicago their home that you absolutely can’t miss at this year’s Lollapalooza!
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Whitney
Indie-rock band Whitney will represent the Chicago indie scene well. The young band will have the perfect match of blended tunes and heart wrenching lyrics. Their debut album Light Upon the Lake is one of the best pieces of work coming out from Chicago in the past few years. Seeing them rock the stage at Lollapalooza will be a great experience for the young band. It definitely won’t be the last time on the Lollapalooza stage.
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Noname
After an incredible year of appearances at Saturday Night Live, Bronzeville native Noname will be making her Lollapalooza debut. The spoken word artist made the past year her own with her soulful and honest approach to storytelling that we hear in her latest protect, Telefone.
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Kweku Collins
Closed Sessions rapper Kweku Collins will bring his poetry and melodic rap sound to life at Lollapalooza. Making his Lollapalooza debut, the Evanston (close enough) native will represent the young label well. He will be rubbing shoulders with some heavyweight rapper while making a bold appearance at Lollapalooza in his own right.
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The O’ My’s
Rock meets soul back again when the O’ My’s return at Lollapalooza. Showing early support in their career to the likes of Chance The Rapper, the O’ My’s will receive a long overdue warm welcome. Seeing Maceo Haymes taking the stage with Nick Hennessey, Boyang Matsapola, Baron Golden, Erick Mateo will bring the longtime Chicago favorites to new heights. If you haven’t already do yourself a favor and check out their EP, Keeping The Faith.
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Chance The Rapper
This one goes without saying. If you’re from Chicago, you have to come through and support Chicago’s biggest name in the business. Chance The Rapper just a few short years ago performed at the smaller BMI stage. This year, Chance The Rapper will headline August 5 on the main stage expecting his biggest crowd to date.
After a number of incredible accolades for the young 24-year-old artist, Chance The Rapper will bring it all home at Lollapalooza. After his three well deserved Grammy wins, donating over 1 million dollars to the Chicago Public School District and widely praised third released mixtape Coloring Book, Chance’s set will be one to remember for years to come.
4-Day Passes and single day passes are currently sold-out, VIP passes are now at Lollapalooza.com.
Pop Performers Era of the Late 1990s/Early 2000s
It was a time where pop demanded the attention of young teens, from boy bands to girls groups. Even powerful pop solo performers took center stage during this age. These performers styled baggy jumpsuits and performed coordinated dances that were largely popular in music videos that took over MTV. Let's take a look back at 6 throwback music videos from the late 90s/early 2000s that make us nostalgic:
“No Scrubs” by TLC —> The groups girl trio performed their music video “No Scrub” in true 1990s fashion. They wore baggy pants and platform shoes with synchronized dance movements in an intergalactic space atmosphere. Although the music video only received 40 million views on YouTube, this 1999 hit was the most played clip on MTV in May of 1999, according to Billboard. The music video performance for “No Scrubs” won several awards. Some of which included two Grammys, for best r&b song and best r&b performance. The TLC song also won an MTV music video award for best group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrLequ6dUdM
“I Want it That Way” by The Backstreet Boys —> The 1990s started the memorable trend of pop boy bands, like N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys. In 2000, the Backstreet Boys released their hit “I Want it That Way.” Although the song displayed less of the classic boy band choreographed dance style compared to their song “Backstreets Back,” the boys still made some coordinated moves in a matching all white attire. The song was also up for numerous music award nominations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fndeDfaWCg
“Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears —> This 1998 song features Britney Spears in a choreographed music video with multiple background dancers. In the music video first displayed all over tv screens on MTV, Spears goes from catholic school girl to hip hop girl. These planned out dance moves were a reoccurring theme in Spears’ videos. Over 10 years later, the music video of “Baby One More Time” was posted to YouTube. Since it was posted, the music video accumulated over 200 million views.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u5WLJ9Yk4
”Bye Bye Bye” by N’Sync —> The well known boy band that monopolized the early 2000s, N’Sync, took over MTV in 2000 with their smash hit “Bye Bye Bye." With all five band members following in suit to every choreographed dance move, from hanging on strings like puppets to dancing on walls. N’Sync perfected the boy band image and dominated the game in 2000 with their “No Strings Attached” album. Their song “Bye Bye Bye” was also awarded for multiple MTV music videos. Some of the awards included the MTV video music award for: best choreography, best pop video, and the viewer’s choice award.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo-KmOd3i7s
“Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera —> Aguilera first came into public recognition in the late 1990s with songs like “What A Girl Wants” and “Genie in a Bottle.” Christina Aguilera’s music video for “Genie in a Bottle” moves back and forth between “normal” seeming scenes in which Aguilera is hanging out with friends, to strongly choreographed dance scenes. Although the song didn’t receive any awards, the hit was featured on her self entitled album that led Christina to win a grammy for best new artist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIDWgqDBNXA
“Survivor” by Destiny’s Child —> Before Beyonce went solo, she too was in a girl group known as Destiny’s Child. The fierce trio depicts their strength to survive and showcases powerful, coordinating dance moves in the music video. The group’s 2001 song “Survivor” was awarded for MTV video music award for best r&b video. The music video was also the recipient of many MTV nominations. According to Billboard, “Survivor” was reported as the second most played clip on MTV in March of 2001.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmc8bQoL-J0
Although it is a bit of a cringeworthy period to look back on, these pop sensations represented a strange phenomenon in music history that many of us love to reminisce over. After growing up with Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, it’s hard to simply forget all the words that we once memorized.
[Review] Summer Set 2016 brings unforgettable moments
The annual camping festival Summer Set returned for it’s fifth year to Somerset, Wisconsin. Summer Set was a weekend filled of memorable moments.
The camping festival brought out the best in some artist as tents filled the woods and camp grounds with festival goers burning through the three-day festival.
A six hours drive from Chicago, Summer Set brought the same electric and playful atmosphere that were accustomed. With many highlights from the summer coming from local Chicago festivals like Mamby on the Beach, the festival provided one of a kind experiences that made the six-hour drive worth it.
Day 1
The first day was stacked full of incredible performances throughout the day. Festival goers were able to check out early performances from the solid melodic sounds of Mielo. That also included the craziest that is the thrill ride of Porn and Chicken.
Flux Pavillion and Steve Aoki both respectfully, performed their best in recent years. Pavillion, usually a bit shy on the mic, was as vocal as the raving Summer Set crowd. Aoki a stable in electronic music, outdid himself in intensified energy packed set.
Notable performances came from Toronto rapper Tory Lanez. Lanez performed majority on his set in the crowd as dozens of fans rushed under him to hold him up. A true spectacle, Lanez gained many fans the first day due to his wild onstage and in the crowd pleasing antics.
The first night was closed off with Chicago’s favorite Chance The Rapper alongside with The Social Experiment. Seeing the top bill for the first night with other Chicago favorites in The Social Experiment was a real treat. They performed from Chance’s 10 Days, Acid Rap, and Coloring Book. The closing night was transformed into a Chicago listening party. Festival goers also heard records from the band's latest soul filled album“Surf”.
Seeing Chicago’s heavyweight perform a number of times didn’t account in his Summer Set performance. It was like seeing him for the first time as the showcased a number of crowd favorites from “Coloring Book”. Records including No Problem, Blessings, and Summer Friends helped Chance and The Social Experiment cement the first day into a night you couldn’t forget.
[Review] Beyoncé releases highly anticipated album 'Lemonade'
For the past few weeks, Beyoncé has kept fans in a tizzy about her mysterious Lemonade project. She dropped several teasers, still it was unsure just what the singer was working on. Now, we finally have an answer: it's a new album. We shouldn't be so surprised; Beyoncé pulled the same surprise move for her stellar self-titled album in 2013. Bey premiered the album via an hour long HBO special and it may just be her most personal work yet.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z are music's ultimate power couple, but if these new songs are anything to go by not everything is marital bliss. The album opens with “Pray You Catch Me,” a song where she discovers that her lover is cheating and lying. Beyoncé sings, “You can taste the dishonesty, it’s all over your breath as you pass it off so cavalier.” It’s a melancholy introduction of the initial pain of finding out that infidelity has occurred.
Bey continues the theme of infidelity on “Hold Up.” Beyoncé seems to tell her lover that other women can’t compare to what she brings to the table. “Back up, they don’t love you like I love you,” she sings. She later threatens violence if things continue to go too far: “Strolling through your call list, I don’t want to lose my pride, but I’m gonna f— me up a b—.” The anger reaches its crescendo on “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” as Beyoncé takes listeners into a full-fledged argument with assistance from Jack White on guitar: “Blindly in love, I f—s with you, until I realized I’m too much for you…tonight I’m f—g up all your s— boy!” She ends the song with a blatant threat: “This is your final warning, you know I give your life, if you try this s— again, you gonna lose your wife.”
“Daddy Lessons” infuses New Orleans’ second line traditions with country and blues as Beyoncé tells a story where her father teaches her to shoot any man who attempts to do her wrong. “Love Drought,” “Sand Castles,” and “Forward” serve as songs where the worst issues have been confronted and the thoughts of how to handle the relationship in the future become evident.
Just when it seems like things are heading for the worse in comes the ballad “All Night” brings the entire project together. Beyoncé appears to forgive and now understands that even fairytales take hard work. Every good relationship is built on the idea of accepting each other’s flaws and surviving the bad times. “True love never has to hide, I trade your broken wings for mines,” she sings.
Kendrick Lamar provides another magnificent verse on the powerful “Freedom,” and The Weeknd joins Beyoncé to pay homage to strippers on “6-Inch.” “Formation,” which caused a stir when initially released, closes the album.
Overall, Lemonade is Beyoncé’s version of Here, My Dear— an album that detailed the fallout between Marvin Gaye and his wife Anna Gordy. Lemonade probably won’t be remembered as her most significant project, but it’s arguably Beyoncé’s most vulnerable moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okGJ-Fto36Q
Article originally posted by our friends at RollingOut
Chicago's own Piece of Cake releases new song "Rusted"
Everybody loves A Piece of Cake right? This indie act, featuring Brynn Bixby, Dave Nolden, Mark Alletag, Paul Karnatz, and Rob Lejman, is from Chicago and are gearing up to release their self-titled debut in May. But the band are giving you a taste of the new material with their latest single "Rusted." The track is an upbeat mix of pop, indie rock, and folk sure to put anyone in a good mood. "Rusted" is a sweet taste of what's to come from this band and if this single is anything to go by, the album should be a real treat to look forward to.
Check out "Rusted" for yourself here
Nick's Top 10 Pop Songs of 2014
As a twenty-five year old, 6'3" 300 pound Latino man, I know a lot about pop music. Forgoing what some would classify as "good" musical tastes, I grew attached to songs playing on the radio at a young age and the obsession grew with time. Now thanks to the internet, I'm more in tune with pop songs than ever. And thanks to that very same internet, popular music covers a wider ranger than ever with varying tones, subject matters, and butts.
Oh yeah, 2014 was the year of Da Butt. But let's talk about that some other day. Here are my picks for the Top 10 Pop Songs of last year.
[Songs of the Day] 2/25/14 (Feat. Coldplay, Schoolboy Q & Lil Durk)
Tuesday was a bit lighter than Monday, but we have a solid collection of new tracks that hit the the world today. Coldplay offered up their latest track since Mylo Xyloto in their latest track, "Midnight" which premiered alongside a visual and 'The Voice' host Shakira released a powerful new song with her latest in "Empire". Sango featured Craig David and Omarion again on a reprise of his song in "Icebox 2.0", We Were Evergreens song "Daughters" got a remix from Aeroplane, 100 gave listeners "10 Freaky Hoes", rapper Le1f offered up the "Boom". Schoolboy Q continued promotion of his latest album Oxymoron with a cypher from The Purge/RapFix and Lil Durk gave fans a new one in "Live That Life". Check out all of the songs, streaming below.
Track of the Day: Sango: "Icebox 2.0"
We Were Evergreen: "Daughters" (Aeroplane Remix)
Sango: "Icebox 2.0" (Feat. Omarion & Craig David)
Schoolboy Q: "The Purge / Rapfix Cypher" (20syl Remix)
100: "Ten Freaky Hoes"
Lil Durk: "Live That Life"
Le1f: "Boom"
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Shakira: "Empire"
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Coldplay: "Midnight"
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[Video] Lili K & Peter CottonTale Perform "Highlight The Moon" at Truth Studios
It's been a minute since Lili K and Peter CottonTale got together to produce one of the my favorite jazz/soul albums of the past couple of years in Metal Petals, the 2012 release that established both artists as names to know, especially among the fertile and growing Chicago scene. The pair linked up while in Los Angeles at Truth Studios to re-hash one of the more sonically-rewarding track on the project in "Highlight The Moon" which gets a more down home, instrumental feel here with CottonTale on the keys. Lili shows off the voice we all know and love, while also demonstrating new tweaks in her vocals that make the latest version of "Highlight The Moon" ever more entrancing. The Milwaukee-born songstress has played in the background quite a bit as well, adding her vocals to tracks by Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa on their latest projects Acid Rap and Innanetape, but here she continues to prove that she is a solo force behind the microphone. Lili and Peter are both back and forth from the coasts as they work on her follow-up to last year's My Favorite Things EP. Watch the full video, streaming below.
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