Music and Popular Culture Blog Based in Chicago
It seems like I’m starting this playlist late this year, and it’s because I probably am. I’ve been so busy getting all of my other content scheduled & figured out that I hadn’t had time to really start and grow a new seasonal playlist. But here’s the start of it!
Continue reading ➞ Winter Playlist
While all of the big outlets have already shared their Top Albums lists, I’ve been sifting through my own picks trying to order them as best as I can. I found this process to be a lot easier last year, but it was also a lot harder to choose a top 5 since there was so much amazing music that came out last year. This year was definitely not as good for music (in my opinion) but there’s still a ridiculous amount of amazing tunes that came out this year.
Can you believe we only have 3 more #NewMusicSunday posts coming out this year? It’s crazy. I’ve been contemplating switching this format to only sharing a post once a month so it’s more of a round-up of music from the entire month vs. doing a post every week. I’ve shared polls on social media for my readers to pick which format they prefer and it’s been pretty evenly split but has leaned towards changing it to once a month. If you read these posts and have an opinion I’d really like to hear it!
When I got a ticket to Jessie Reyez‘ quickly selling show at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall (as I’ve mentioned countless times, my favorite venue in the city), I didn’t know what exactly to expect. Just a few months prior, I saw the 27-year-old Toronto native perform to a rowdy, sweaty crowd engulfed in dust clouds at Lollapalooza. The early afternoon set in a sweltering 95 degrees gave a nice insight to who she was as a singer, songwriter and musician, but the 40 minutes was really just a sneak peek as to what she could really deliver at her own headlining show.
Continue reading ➞ Show Review: Jessie Reyez Thrives in Emotional Energy
To think that this is my longest “New Music Sunday” post in awhile even though it’s almost the end of the year and not as much music is being released!
Lots of exciting album releases to note, including the much anticipated album from The 1975.
Noteworthy Album & EP releases:
A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships – The 1975
The Pains Of Growing – Alessia Cara
Ten Years (Deluxe) – Aly & AJ
Ex:Re – Ex:Re
Loser – Sasha Sloan
The end of the year is always fun for music writers to craft their “best of” lists – and I’m starting mine today! While I know that I’m taking a chance on releasing this list with a month left into the year, I’m pretty sure that the list of my favorite songs that I’ve heard this year isn’t going to change. If you take a special look at this, you will notice that there’s multiple songs by the same artist on this list: this means they’re ending up on The Top 18 Albums of 2018 list I’m still finalizing (list is complete – order, not so much).
Imagine being a solo singer-songwriter in indie rock music trying to make a name for yourself in a genre that’s heavily male. Imagine the label “female indie rock” automatically putting you in a pile with other “female indie rock” artists even if your music, vocals and songwriting styles are unique to your counterparts.
Continue reading ➞ Show Review: boygenius Stuns Chicago With Emotional Debut Performance
