Sun, 02/26/2017 - 7:02 pm

Chicago singer-songwriter Peter Joly has been keeping busy since the release of his solo, self-titled debut in October 2016.

Joly, who has been performing and recording in Chicago since 1993 (initially with the bands Big Breakfast and For Pilots), partnered with producer/musician (and former Big Breakfast band mate) Jon Williams for the release "Peter Joly," and it was Williams who recruited some of the city’s top musicians to record the album. Josh Piet of The Hoyle Brothers was brought on to record upright bass; Ryley Walker contributor Charles Rumback was enlisted to play drums, and Joe Adamik (Iron & Wine) and Gerald Dowd (Frisbie) recorded additional drums and percussion. Other musicians (including multi-instrumentalist Williams) joined Joly (guitar, vocals, harmonica) on backing vocals, fiddle, pedal steel and a variety of other instruments.

Joly and his fellow musicians celebrated the album’s release with a packed show at Chicago’s revered Hideout on November 26, 2016, and he has been gigging steadily since at the Berwyn, IL venues The Outta Space and Fitzgerald’s.

Tracks from Peter Joly have received airplay on WLUW, UIC Radio, WXRT, WGN and 103.9 The Fox, while the album has garnered acclaim from local, national and international Websites including Radio One Chicago, The Alternate Root, Independent Clauses, JP’s Music Blog, Mother Church Pew, Beehive Candy and The Modern Folk.

Fri, 03/17/2017 - 10:28 am

Scotch Hollow is a roots band that mixes a generous helping of country twang with just enough blues to stir the pot. The group was founded by Mark Verbeck (guitar, songwriter) and vocalist Carly Martin, who met at the Berklee School of Music.

Based in Kansas City, MO, the group now includes JD Linn (bass), Benjamin Scholz (drums, percussion), Brady Buster (harmonica) and Joel Schuman (piano). Verbeck wrote all but three songs on the newest release 'Little Tortuga' and those were written by Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf and Blind Willie Johnson.

Little Tortuga has received critical acclaim from PopDose, The Alternate Root, JP's Music Blog, Listen Here Reviews, The Modern Folk and Beehive Candy and tracks from the album have been featured on the Americana Rock Mix, WNCU, KAFM, KAOS and KALX.

Scotch Hollow will be embarking on a U.S. summer tour that will run from June 3 through August 12, 2017.

Fri, 05/19/2017 - 8:57 am

Chicago singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Wes John Cichosz (pronounced Chee-Hoas), who performed regularly with members of Tortoise and Wilco in the 90s, has dropped his sophomore record The Moon Threads a Needle.

The Moon Threads a Needle, which weaves elements of rock, blues, jazz and folk into an intensely personal album, has received airplay on WRBC, WLUW, UIC Radio, CHIRP and 103.9 The Fox, and Cichosz has been interviewed on WXRT and WZRD.

The album has also received acclaim on a number of Websites and blogs, including JP's Music Blog, Deep in the Music, Beehive Candy, Radio One Chicago and Floorshime Zipper Boots, and Wes has been featured on Revolution 360, A Chicago Thing and Artbeat.

Cichosz has played to packed rooms at some of Chicago's top venues, including Martyrs', Uncommon Ground and House of Blues, and will be performing at several Chicago festivals this summer.
 

Sat, 10/14/2017 - 11:43 am

LA-based musician (and current touring member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band) Carey Frank will be releasing his second album as a bandleader, Something to Remember Him By, on Tuesday, November 7.

Self–produced by Carey Frank, Something to Remember Him By is a unique duo album consisting solely of Frank’s Hammond organ (substituted on two tracks by melodica) and guitar courtesy of veteran jazz player Bruce Forman. This format deviates from the standard organ trio instrumentation of Hammond, guitar and drums.

Something To Remember Him By, which follows 2015’s Keep Smiling (a #1 best seller in the ‘Cool Jazz’ category on Amazon Music), was inspired by Frank’s grandfather Don Cornell, who was a prominent big band crooner in the 1940s and 1950s and passed away in 2004. The album’s title is also a direct homage to Cornell’s 1996 album “Something to Remember Me By.”

Frank inherited Cornell’s rare 1938 Gibson L5 guitar, which is still in perfect working condition, and Forman used this guitar, along with a matching Gibson amplifier from the same year, for the Something To Remember Him By recording sessions.

Something to Remember Him By features Frank’s original composition “Iris Iris” (a dedication to his grandmother and Don's wife, Iris Cornell, who died in March of 2016) alongside songs that Don Cornell recorded and performed live, including the standards “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” “Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” Cole Porter’s “All of You” and Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson’s iconic “September Song.”

Something to Remember Him By was engineered by Sheldon Gomberg and Kevin Smith, mixed to analog tape by Gomberg and mastered by Joe Gastwirt.

Sun, 12/08/2019 - 6:52 pm

Cox's Army is a bluegrass band that performs classic and original material in the traditional style. Founded in 2016, the band is led by 'Cousin' Chuck Cox (Guitar, Lead Vocal) and features Laird Patten (Banjo), Jeff Burke (Mandolin, Baritone Vocal), and Jack Campbell (Bass, Tenor Vocal). The band keeps things traditional and acoustic but believes that there is plenty of room for new material and innovation within that style. Their live show is built around a blend of Chuck Cox's original songs and a healthy dose of classic bluegrass songs. Authentic performance is a core value of Cox's Army. The band most often performs around a small mic cluster to deliver their signature vocal harmonies and they 'work the mic' like classic bluegrass bands to emphasize featured instrumental breaks.

Bandleader Chuck Cox originally hails from Cincinnati, OH, one of the historic centers of bluegrass music in the post-war era. After a 20-year career playing many other styles of music, Chuck found bluegrass through a search for his roots, which took him into Jackson County, KY. The search connected him with far more than he bargained for, finding many living cousins (in order of discovery): The Kirby Knob Boys, Larry Sparks, Dale Farmer (director of The Mountain Minor film), and eventually to David Harvey. Inspired by their examples as true originals, Chuck has worked hard to find his own sound and style as a bluegrass guitar picker, and songwriter.

Cox’s Army’s upcoming album New Richmond Town, planned for release in November of 2019, was recorded in the same spirit as each track is a complete performance without edits or modern studio tricks. The album was recorded in Chicago with Chris Walz producing the sessions and the tracks were mixed with the experienced ear of Rickey Wasson in Clay City, KY. Cox’s Army’s debut album Green Eyed Train, released in 2018, was recorded in the same style with production and mixing by the same team.  

Mon, 10/26/2020 - 6:21 pm

Madison-based folk artist Your Brother, Michael released his debut single "All Good Christians" on Friday, Oct 2nd and the track was premiered by the Milwaukee-based site Blogging Blue.

"All Good Christians" is a wry, satirical take on President Trump's long list of crimes against humanity written from the perspective of a Christian who is bewildered by the support that his fellow Christians have somehow justified.

Your Brother, Michael was born and raised in the U.S.A., which makes him worth exactly as much as every other person on God’s green earth. He's lived on both coasts and now he's living in the middle. He's met many different people from all over the country; people of many different races and faiths – a diverse mix that underlies the country’s greatness, but that can also be used to keep people from growing strong together.

Your Brother, Michael's day job has allowed him to work with many different types of folks – farmers and ranchers, judges and lawyers, teachers and scientists – almost all of them are good people who love their families and friends, and want the best for the country and for the world. Rarely, but sometimes, you’ll find folks who are only out for themselves or their own particular tribe. They will lie, steal, cheat, and callously watch suffering without lending a hand. The worst of these do all of that wearing the mantle of Christianity. Your Brother, Michael wrote a song about a guy like that called “All Good Christians,” which he hopes you listen to and enjoy.

Tue, 07/13/2021 - 3:39 pm

Tim Kobza is a Los Angeles-based guitarist/multi-instrumentalist and producer, writing and recording music with attitude, movement, and authenticity, inspired by an extensive career playing jazz, funk, Latin, soul, R&B and improvised music.

Kobza's sophomore album Montecito Heights was released on Friday, July 18 and has since received airplay on jazz stations and specialty shows all over the U.S. The first single "Tranquilo" was premiered via Here Comes the Flood in the Netherlands and featured recently via the Phoenix, AZ-based site Independent Clauses. Montecito Heights has been featured via the Spanish site Republic of Jazz.

Tim Kobza: Montecito Heights

Capturing a live band chemistry, Montecito Heights is an eclectic 13-song collection that explores groove and guitar-driven soundscapes inspired by funk, Latin, R&B, and jazz-rock fusion.

Tim Kobza co-founded the band Modereko with drummer John Molo and and they were signed to the Verve imprint Blue Thumb under the tutelage of the late producer Tommy LiPuma, known for his work with Miles Davis, George Benson, Phil Upchurch and countless others. Modereko released two albums on Blue Thumb, a self-titled debut followed by Solar Igniter.

Thu, 08/19/2021 - 12:44 pm

Jared Rabin's Cold Rain and Snow was released on Friday, July 2 and has received glowing reviews via The Deli Magazine, American UK, Anti-Music, Bluegrass Today, Here Comes the Flood, and The Alternate Root. The release has charted on Americana radio stations all over the US and in Rabin's hometown of Chicago. The album is streaming at https://jaredrabin.bandcamp.com/album/cold-rain-and-snow and at https://open.spotify.com/album/3aj1f4zZw8AR2FFkyC2ZHh.

Cold Rain and Snow is Rabin's first all-acoustic record and follows 2020's acclaimed No Direction. The album is a mix of Bluegrass standards and "New Grass" originals and finds Jared playing all of the instruments (save for drums) and handling a majority of the vocals.
 
Jared Rabin's debut record Something Left to Say was called "An Americana masterpiece" by American Songwriter Magazine who also said "he's a remarkable instrumentalist who brings a dynamic and delicate warmth to everything he touches." Ink19 Magazine said, "His rootsy sound is a perfect blend of beautiful melodies and honest songwriting with a timeless feel."

Rabin won "First Place Folk Song" in the 2016 USA Songwriting Competition and was a semi-finalist in the 2018 International Songwriting Competition. All three of his previous solo releases reached the Top 50 on the Roots Music Report's Americana/Country charts after extensive international radio play.

Jared started learning music at age five from his grandfather, who was the first chair violinist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He became a proficient multi-instrumentalist, went on to study jazz composition and has traveled the world performing an array of music.

Tue, 03/01/2022 - 1:01 pm

Vincent Bruckert, leader of the Chicago-based psych-blues outfit Crown Vic Royal, released his debut single "Heavy Blankets" shortly before the new year and it is streaming via Spotify and BandCamp.
 
https://open.spotify.com/track/37Nh4lqiRWOVfMbolo0CW6?si=acb6c7ae8ee84aa7

https://vincentbruckert.bandcamp.com/track/heavy-blankets

"Heavy Blankets" draws inspiration from the Grateful Dead's 1965-1972 psychedelic period and features Bruckert on lead vocals, guitars and mandolin, Larry Cruz on baritone ukulele, Jon Rogers on bass and alto ukulele, Kevin Ford on keys, Joe Scott on drums and Caleb Ramos on additional guitars and vocals. The track was produced and engineered by Kevin Ford with Caleb Ramos acting as second engineer.

Described as "beautifully hazy psych-pop" by The Deli Magazine, "Heavy Blankets" received airplay via WLUW, WNUR, CHIRP and Lumpen Radio and was featured on various specialty shows and podcasts including Adventures in Plasticland, The Music Authority and It's Psychedelic, Baby.

Sun, 12/11/2022 - 2:36 pm

Chicago singer-songwriter Al Rose’s eighth album, Again the Beginner, is an urgent set of 13 good and true songs which features perhaps the loveliest melodies, catchiest hooks, and nerviest set of lyrics he’s yet composed. It’s a heartening and bracing experience; one man’s attempt to come to terms with modern times and that broken feeling everybody’s got in the pit of their stomach. The stakes couldn’t be higher: this is your life; our time is running short, and every personal crisis seems tied to an accumulating sense of public dread. After all, a lot has happened since Rose dropped his last album, 2016’s Spin Spin Dizzy: years of authoritarian encroachment, COVID-19, and unstinting attacks on democracy at home and abroad.

Al Rose is well-regarded in his hometown of Chicago not only for his original music but for his interpretations of Grateful Dead and Dylan tunes at Dead-friendly venues Martyrs', Montrose Saloon, and SPACE. The music videos that he has released to promote Again the Beginner have been premiered or featured via The Deli MagazineStatic Multimedia, Here Comes the Flood (Netherlands), and Americana UK. Tracks from Again the Beginner have received airplay via WFMT's The Midnight Special, WGN, CHIRP, Lumpen Radio, WLUW, WZRD, WNUR, The Music Authority, and Radio Free Charleston.

"With his eighth album Again the Beginner, Chicago singer and songwriter Al Rose offers evidence of what the world at large has been missing. Rose is a talented songsmith, and while his music is occasionally reminiscent of other artists — opening track “Don’t Know Why” sounds like the Who in their heyday — each of these songs pop with an urgency and immediacy that demands instant attention." -Lee Zimmerman, Goldmine Magazine

Wed, 12/21/2022 - 12:52 pm

Chicago singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jared Rabin released Chasing the Light, his follow-up to 2021's Cold Rain and Snow, on Friday, Oct 7 and tracks from the album continue to receive airplay nationally. Bluegrass Today's Lee Zimmerman writes of the album "There’s not a single selection that fails to leave a formidable impression, with practically every song — Tunnel’s End, Just Might Breakdown, Catch the Horizon, Lake Affected, and Painted Grey included — coming across with an easy yet affecting embrace."

Jared Rabin produced, recorded and mixed Chasing the Light at his home studio just outside of Chicago. Dan Kristan is featured on bass throughout the album, with contributions by Nashville road warrior Pat Lyons on dobro and American Idol alum Ren Patrick on backing vocals. Rabin recorded all of the songs as demos, and gradually layered in replacement parts until they morphed into the tracks you hear on the album.

Jared started learning music at age five from his grandfather, who was the first chair violinist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He became a proficient multi-instrumentalist, went on to study jazz composition and has traveled the world performing an array of music. His songwriting has been recognized by international competitions and his albums have been praised by American Songwriter, NPR and more. He is a longtime fixture on the Chicago music scene and can be found performing around town and across the US.

Wed, 07/19/2023 - 7:52 am

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Austin Grimm, leader of the nationally touring band Roots of a Rebellion (whose 2019 release Shapes of a Soul reached #1 on Billboard's Reggae Album Chart), released his debut solo single "Unconditional Love" (featuring KNEX and Sun-Dried Vibes) on Friday, Feb 17 and followed up that release with the Walk A Mile EP on May 5.
 
Walk a Mile features covers of the Randy Travis classic "Forever and Ever, Amen" and Kacey Musgraves' "Rainbow" alongside Grimm's takes on "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" (Joe South), "I Remember Everything" (John Prine) and "Gentle On My Mind" (written by John Hartford and made popular by Glen Campbell).
 
The "Unconditional Love" music video received its premiere via Rock at Night and is streaming via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi51AYR7oyE
 
Walk A Mile EP: https://austingrimm.bandcamp.com/album/walk-a-mile-ep-covers
 
Walk A Mile was recorded to tape at Castle Recording Studios in Nashville, TN with an all-star lineup:
 
Producer: Craig Welsch
Sound Engineer: Jordan Reed
Drums: Nate Felty
Upright Bass: Alec Newnam
Electric Guitar: Dylan Fitch
Hammond Organ: Kent Toalsen
Pedal Steel Guitar: John McNally
Background Vocals: Melanie Dewey
 
The tracks from Walk A Mile have received airplay via the Nashville stations Lightning 100, WXNA and WMOT and spins on Radio Free Charleston (WV), WLUW (Chicago) and KDHX (St. Louis).

Sat, 02/10/2024 - 9:08 am

Chicago singer-songwriter Pierce Crask, who is known to pepper his solo live sets with choice Grateful Dead covers, released the vinyl version of his latest album Rising River last fall and the album has received rave reviews and airplay via KDHX, Radio Free Charleston, CHIRP, WNUR, WZRD, WLUW, WGN, and Harper Radio.

Rising River was produced and mixed by Ellis Clark (Social Act, Epicycle) at Angel City Studios in Chicago and features some of the city's top players. The album features nine Crask originals and a beautiful cover of Steve Earle's "Sparkle and Shine."

Pierce Crask, who has been entertaining audiences professionally as a solo performer since 1999, is also a founding member of the St. Louis/Chicago band Falling Martins who have, to date, released six albums to critical acclaim: “Pierce Crask hits the lyrical nail on the head” (Playback STL); “This is an extraordinary band producing elegant roots rock tinged with blues and country, with slide guitar and imaginative keys” (Ruta 66 Magazine, Spain) and “Pierce Crask may very well be this town’s Randy Newman” (Riverfront Times).

Crask released his debut solo album, The Road To Millstadt, in 2007 and its follow-up Black Label in 2008. 2012 saw the release of Live at The Shaved Duck and an instrumental EP was released in 2015 (its companion piece, a five-song self-titled EP, was released in 2018).

For 2023’s “Rising River” album, Pierce was fortunate enough to work with acclaimed Chicago producer and musician Ellis Clark, who assembled a group of some of the city's finest musicians: Marc Edelstein on upright bass, Heath Chappell on drums, Tom Linsk on keys, Mike Conroy on pedal steel, Ron Haynes on flugelhorn, and Brent Roman on percussion.