Arkaik’s debut album, “Reflections Within Dissonance”, displayed a unique marriage of superior craftsmanship and a forward-thinking promise rarely seen in a band this young. Their sophomore album, “Metamorphignition” builds on their progressive and adventurous predilections and aims to transcend the boundaries of “technical Death Metal” even as it revels in the sub-genre’s wanton brutality. The band’s founder Jared Christianson (vocals) has pooled an immensely talented core of musicians around the band in its over ten years of progression, including emerging drum phenom Alex Bent (who has already done session work for Decrepit Birth/Rings Of Saturn/Battlecross), bassist Ivan Mungia (Deeds of Flesh), and lead/rhythm guitarists Miguel Esparza and Greg Paulson. Having already toured North America supporting Black Dahlia Murder in 2011, and Cannibal Corpse in 2012, they have been touring ever since creating their own enthusiastic fanbase and pushing the genre forward. Now Arkaik has released another crushing onslaught in the form of their newest full-length release “Lucid Dawn” in late 2015, their third Unique Leader Record release to date. Looking forward with ever increasing determination the band continues to seek out new boundaries of extremity and creativity – and then annihilate them.
3 takes the direct approach in her lyrical subject matter. Growing up in the streets of Chicago,she has been able to speak the language of the streets with the intelligence of a scholar. Some of her early influences were MC’s such as KRS one, Nas, Master Ace, Latifah, Rakim, and Lauren Hill. Studying these masterminds has given 13 the ability to speak to the masses. She has an East-Coast tough, innovative style though the West-Coast and over seas consumed majority of her solo EP. She nothing like the “average female mc” reciting rhymes about: designer brands, raunchy sex, and taking a man’s money. Her lyrical content is more intelligent and up lifting without being preachy, with an edge. 13’s play on words is so clever that she is able to reach consumers from the streets to Wall Street. She is considered to be one of the illest elements in the game
Antenna, a fusion of jazzy sounds with the touch of Alterntive. This blend is what has made Antenna one of the most outstanding bands in the Chicago independent scene. Winners of many Chicago competitions, they fuse their musical talents in a way that will keep you mesmerized.”
Known as the lead singer of Circa Survive, Saosin, L.S. Dunes, Fuckin Whatever — just to name a few projects — Green has always turned to music to find strength, but after his overdose, something changed: “I did not want to live the remainder of my life as an addict. Writing this record was a way to cope.” While most of his music has grappled with the realities of addiction and mental illness, there’s something different about the songs on his new solo album, Boom. Done. It was written over the last couple of years, following an overdose where Green’s struggle with addiction led to him actually losing his life for up to 8 minutes, and a formal diagnosis of bipolar disorder. After Green left rehab in 2020, he started writing a song called “I Don’t Want to Die,” a sentiment that captures the raw, sometimes heartbreaking, but also hopeful nature of Boom. Done. It turned out to be a lightning strike to his songwriting and, with the help of longtime friends and bandmates Tim Arnold and Keith Goodwin of Good Old War, Green wrote one of the most intentional and formidable bodies of work in his expansive career. All across this record, we watch as Green stumbles and grows, moving from isolation “hanging vulnerable in darkness on the ocean floor,” to triumphantly asserting his will to live. Boom. Done. arrives July 22nd via Philadelphia’s Born Losers Records.
The Anti Nowhere League set out on the road in 1980 to prove they could be the worst band on Gods earth loud,violent,obnoxious yobbos with one mission… to get banned from every TV show, radio station and newspapers as possible just for a laugh……they were hated by the general public as well as ‘real’ musicians who thought they were a disgrace to the music business(and of course the fact they were pulling more people in their live shows than they were)…..with numerous encounters with the authorities they have continued to play and release new material away from the public eye….In this day and age it does not seem quite as big a deal as it was back then when they stood alone now a few of the ‘real’ bands have taken up the ‘flag’ to be original with attitude…long may independent bands continue keeping the music live and real…..long live the League
In a time where everybody has to put a label on a band to try and separate or distinguish what kind of music they play, Amplified Heat adopts Lemmy from Motorhead’s philosophy….ROCK AND ROLL! Emitting a truly menacing blues psych-rock sound from four massive walls of double stacked Marshall and Fender cabinets and a 1966 Ludwig drum kit in between – Amplified Heat continues the Texas tradition of pure, fearless rock and roll.
From Cali, Colombia the Ortiz brothers have been playing music together since the early 90’s and formed Amplified Heat in 2003. Based on a tradition of bone rattling blues they take a direct approach to intense riff slinging – never pulling punches and delivering the real deal with every sonic tsunami they unleash. The band has released four full length EP’s and their next album “Madera” is due out in early 2018. The band’s sound pulls from a variety of influences including Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Canned Heat, Motorhead, ZZ top, and Deep Purple.
Amplified Heat has shared the stage with Blue Cheer, The Black Angels, Clutch, Thee Oh Sees, Honky, Atomic Bitchwax, Kylesa, Kadavar, Ian Moore, Dead Meadow, Corky Lang’s Mountain, Buffalo Killers, Nashville Pussy, Dresden 45, and Roky Erickson amongst many others. They make multiple appearances every year at Austin’s South by Southwest Festival, have played at Ohio based Emissions from the Monolith Festival, and Oakland California’s Burger Bugaloo.
An Aesthetic Anaesthetic is a 4-piece Instrumental Post Rock band from Chicago, IL who is straying away from their typical scene. A!A!A takes all of the best parts of Punk, Metal, and Post Rock to create their own genre, Ghost Rock. With influences ranging from Fugazi to Pelican and Mogwai, An Aesthetic Anaesthetic’s songs have epic builds, heavy breakdowns, mathy verses, and still manage to leave their songs stuck in your head.
Their live show is even more rewarding than their recordings. Keeping the Punk Rock aesthetic on stage, An Aesthetic Anaesthetic is not afraid to throw down, often times walking off the stage a bloody mess.
An Aesthetic Anaesthetic’s music will surge your body with happiness one second, then fill you with blinding rage in one fell swoop.
Andrea Dawn is a musician from Aurora, IL. Growing up, she was exposed to a wide range of music, splitting her time between classical voice and piano lessons and long road trips listening to Led Zeppelin and The Guess Who. At age 10, she began delving into a new genre: the singer-songwriter. Plummeting herself into the worlds of Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette, and Fiona Apple, Andrea was inspired to begin writing her own songs. Since then, she has become one of the finest singer-songwriters in Chicagoland. In 2008, she was chosen as one of Illinois Entertainer’s “Best of Around Hear,” and in 2009 she won the grand prize for Backthird Audio’s Songwriter Showcase in Aurora, IL. That same year, she released a split LP with Jeremy Junkin, “First Try at Goodbye,” which IE described as “much better than your typical, Wrigleyville/overpriced coffeehouse fare,…deserves a wider audience.” As a singer, Andrea has been described as “striking, husky, and soulful,” “versatile,” and one who “delivers vocals with a rare authenticity that seep subtly into your soul.” On April 3, 2012, Andrea released her first full-length studio album Theories of How We Can Be Friends on Waterloo Sunset Records.
