Excelsior-Fit For Fiction

I wrote about Excelsior’s single, “Gold Runs,” at the beginning of Summer. Now that Fall is almost here, a full album has been released. Fit For Fiction runs short, which is perfect for repeat listens. It’s only eight songs, and they flow together beautifully, so it’s almost hard to tell where one ends and the next begins. Excelsior has crafted a very pleasing album you’re … Continue reading Excelsior-Fit For Fiction

Nadalands-The New Day EP

I was recently sent the new EP from Fort Collins-based musician John Lindenbaum, who plays under the moniker Nadalands. I had the chance to give it a couple listens right away and then I was out of town for a few days and left it alone. Upon listening again, I’m struck by how solidly the songs are constructed. He switched from the basic instruments to … Continue reading Nadalands-The New Day EP

CIFIKA-MOMOM

We’re in the midst of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, so what better time than now to highlight South Korea’s own CIFIKA. A rising star in her native country, the electronic artist is about to head out on the longest North American run ever by a Korean artist. The video for “MOMOM,” directed by Oui Kim, is pretty wild. It reminds me a lot of the … Continue reading CIFIKA-MOMOM

Air At Auditorium Theater 6/20/2017

French duo Air returned to Chicago for the first time since 2010 last night to play Auditorium Theater in support of their recent Twentyears collection. That’s right, Air have been playing music together for 20 years and the new discs are a pretty comprehensive overview of their career. If you really want to get to know them, you should just start at the beginning and … Continue reading Air At Auditorium Theater 6/20/2017

Sono Oto-A Way To Stay Away (Video)

Mark Henry Phillips’ first album under the recording name Sono Oto will be released in March, with the first track debuting today. Known for his work as a sound designer and composer for movies (Cutie & The Boxer) and podcasts (Serial), he brings a lot of the sweeping musicality of scores into his pop songs.  “A Way To Stay Away” spends much of its duration … Continue reading Sono Oto-A Way To Stay Away (Video)