Intrepid black metallers Borknagar, in partnership with Century Media, mark their return with resplendent new album, True North. The Norwegians spent the better part of three years writing and rebuilding the lineup—Borknagar are now Øystein G. Brun (guitars), Simen “I.C.S. Vortex” Hestnæs (bass/vocals), Lars A. Nedland (keyboards/vocals), Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow (drums), and Jostein Thomassen (guitars)—to make their 11th studio album a reality. The reasons are plenty but the main driver for space between and change within Borknagar’s repertoire and membership was calibration. Chief songman Brun needed to refocus his labor of love after the assiduous Winter Thrice album cycle. Indeed, that’s exactly what he’s done on True North. While Winter Thrice was a celebration of time spent and bonds made, True North is the vanguard forward, clear-sighted, refined, and full of power. Truly, there’s no holding back now, but with year 25—the band’s silver anniversary—approaching next year, small wonder that Brun and Borknagar are still with us. Fortuitous, or part of the plan all along…
“Absolutely not,” Øystein G. Brun says [of the plan]. “Back in the day when I starting to play around with the ideas about the band I had no goal aside from making music I love myself. At that time, the whole concept of making money, doing big festivals and traveling around the world was so far off that I wasn’t even thinking along those lines. But that said, I have always had the belief that genuinely good music can move mountains.”
VARGBYTE is the youngest and hottest new metal band in Chicagoland! Founded in 2017, the four piece has been melting faces with it’s thrash melodic death metal inspired by the likes of Death Angel, Children of Bodom, Gojira, Metallica, Exmortus, The Black Dahlia Murder and Amon Amarth. Featuring Oscar Carlson (guitar/vocals), Brendan Bahan (drums), Nick Mastrapa (vocals), and Bennett Blake (bass), the group is on the verge of releasing its first release EP “Northbound.”
Forming in 2004, Monotheist is a progressive extreme metal band from Orlando, Florida who play a mix of brutal technicaldeath metal reminiscent of bands like Suffocation, Death and Immolation, with progressive influences ala Cynic, Extol and Opeth. However, Monotheist manages to create a sound all their own. With their unique riffing and composition, Monotheist is a force to be reckoned with.
REPLACIRE is the brainchild of guitarist Eric Alper, who founded the band in 2010. The American tech metal prodigies hailing from Boston, Massachusetts self-released their debut full-length ‘The Human Burden’ in 2012. The album’s unique and wide-ranging material was an ambitious statement of intent that quickly established the New Englanders as a must-follow heavy act in their corner of the US.
KCL, the iconic, genre-bending powerhouse trio led by visionary guitarist Wayne Krantz and featuring drummer Keith Carlock (Steely Dan, Sting, John Mayer) and bassist Tim Lefebvre (Tedeschi Trucks Band, David Bowie), held a Thursday-night residency at NYC’s 55 Bar throughout the first decade of the new millenium. Cutting live recordings from the club and posting them online in the early days of the internet and touring only sporadically, KCL developed a thoroughly original style of interactive group improvisation inspired in part by the great Miles Davis Quintet of the 60s, but played out in spontaneously generated contexts of heavy funk, rock and electronica instead of straight-ahead swing.
As other instrumental bands of the day dabbled in derivative fusion and retro-jazz, KCL became an underground phenomenon, cultivating an international following of devoted fans of every stripe looking for an alternative creative music that served the mind, body and spirit. Relentlessly grooving, always innovative, never complacent – KCL made contemporary music that resonated beyond category.
Other sideman obligations sidelined the band soon after their Abstract Logix release, “Krantz Carlock Lefebvre,” in 2010, but their reputation continued to expand globally through fan circulation of the band’s many live videos and recordings. Now, in 2020, KCL re-ignites to tour with incendiary shows throughout the USA, Europe and Asia.
Her 1974 sophomore album They Say I’m Different features a worthy-of-framing futuristic cover challenging David Bowie’s science fiction funk with real rocking soul-fire, kicked off with the savagely sexual ‘Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him’ (later sampled by Ice Cube). Light in the Attic.
Performed by Get Up With The Get Downs
MARKIT 8
Started in the Spring of 2009, Markit 8 is a Chicago rock band built around strong rhythms and an ability to incorporate a number of influences. Markit 8 has the ability to sound like many of your favorite bands, while creating their own musical identity. Having spent 5 years hanging out and playing live shows, the band sounds crisper and tighter than ever…
Centered around the voice of Adam Boor, the band has the ability to reach a large variety of audiences. On any given night, you might here Boor sing blues, rock, rap or folk, flowing seamlessly between varieties. Adam adds a nice rhythmic layer to the music with his acoustic guitar and harmonica riffs.
The band’s foundation comes from rhythm guitarist Josh Kotowski and bassist Rick Davis. Josh has been playing piano and guitar for two decades and is the driving force behind many of Markit 8’s rhythms and melodies. Rick has the confident ability to stay in the pocket and hold it all together, while adding his own personal touch to each melody. Davis has a great ability to adapt to new styles and genres, giving him the proper goods to be a solid backbone for the band.
Lead guitarist Mike Gedraitis is the glue that keeps the band sounding great. His tone and originality are unmatched. Mikey can solo seamlessly between styles, genres, and melodies and never miss a beat. Gedraitis has been playing for over two decades with much dedication, the man can jam!
With the recent departure of founding members Tony Wei (Keys/Guitar) & Billy Burke (Drums), Markit 8 has a new look and a very fresh new sound. You can see Markit 8 playing as quartet all across the city.
The future looks bright for Markit 8 as we are writing great new tunes and playing with some really talented new musicians! Stay tuned!
The band “Paralysis” started out in the year 2010. They went through multiple line up changes over the years. They released their first EP “No Turning Back” on September 4th of 2015. A year later their second EP was released on May 20th of 2016 titled “You Can’t Win”. Over the course of 2016, the band traveled the U.S. supporting that EP. The “U.S. Can’t Win Tour” consisted of 9 dates going down the east coast and the “Systematic Apostatic Transgressions On The Midwest Tour” consisted of 7 dates going from New York City to Chicago. The band then released their first full length album titled “Life Sentence” on June 30th of 2017. In support of that album they concluded the “Life Sentence Tour” which was their first coast to coast U.S. tour consisting of 22 dates. The “Civil Execution Tour” consisted of 7 dates going from New Jersey to Chicago and ending in Cleveland, Ohio. They started 2018 with a two week east coast tour. They are planning to consistently tour and release new music in the near future.
TOXIC RUIN was formed in 2014 with a mission of blending classic thrash metal, old-school death metal, and modern technicality into a wicked headbanging brew. Operating out of their collective hometown of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the band released their debut album, “Subterranean Terror,” in 2016. The group followed up that debut record with the release of their 2018 EP, “Mortal Insolence.” The effort saw the current lineup of TOXIC RUIN take shape with Behrendt stepping into the vocalist position and the debut of rhythm guitarist Blake Toltzmann alongside lead guitarist Jacob Baneck and drummer David Miller. The effort saw the group further evolve their sound, leading to praise from Dead Rhetoric.com for showcasing “a stronger level of confidence and insight into dynamic songwriting for a thrash band not content to rest on recycling the past, but rather creating a bright future.” The new lineup began writing and recording songs for their second full-length album while relentlessly touring the United States in 2019 alongside bands such as LichKing, Micawber and Stonecutters and playing multiple festivals including FULL TERROR ASSAULT and Slam Dakota, plus winning 2nd Place in the 2019 Wacken Metal Battle USA. The result is TOXIC RUIN’s most mature and complex record to date, while also being their heaviest display of metallic force so far. “Nightmare Eclipse” is the next evolution in blending the heavier sounds of metal’s past with the modern musicianship of metal’s present.
Feed the Dog is an eclectic and action-packed, high-energy, jam-rock-grass band. The Appleton based group features masterfully crafted fiddle, Kottke like finger pickin’ acoustic six and twelve string guitar, funky bass lines, and percussive soul.
I am starting to encounter more situations in which I am asked by industry professionals how to “describe my sound”. I realize the importance of doing this; not solely from a professional standpoint, but for my own self-understanding, so that I might have a firmer grasp on what kind of music makes me come alive.
When creating music, I am honest, emotional, intimate, and sensory focused. Every instrument is saying something and every sound is clear and pointed. I am simply relieving the weight in my chest and it can come out as a complicated as a cryptic metaphor or as simple as a 3 word repeated hook. Sometimes my words can be laced with satire like Vonnegut’s “so it goes” and sometimes they can be as fiery and desperate as a captured dragon. And if the work doesn’t have a point or purpose, scrap it. I cannot create without intention. If I am angry because someone seemed to understand what it means to love deeply and then fled the responsibility, I’ll write about that very thing. If I am happy because Mom told me something beautiful about living, I will write about that very thing. It’s really a simple task and yet sometimes I am afraid of it because I don’t want to create something silly that listeners can’t relate to. But I think I am actually pretty relatable, just as you are, just as everyone on this planet is, no?
“Ooh, there’s a little bit of me inside you, gathering what you lost. Ooh, there’s a little bit of you in everyone, can never keep a secret.” – Me In You by Kings of Convenience
Originally from Dayton, Ohio Leah Jean brings a fresh perspective onto the Chicago music scene. Her classical and jazz guitar training is an essential tool to her songwriting as her songs are decorated with unique riffs, solos and chords. Her jazzy, warm vocal style is reminiscent of singers like Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Gretchen Parlato. She incorporates elements of soul, pop, jazz, and rock in her music. Lyrically honest, dense, and heartfelt, Leah’s haunting melodies and emotion-packed sound will leave the listener wanting more.
Leah has played at many venues in Chicago including The Metro, PRYSM Nightclub, TEDx Columbia College, Beat Kitchen, Martyrs, The Gala, Emporium, The Foxhole, Playground Theatre, Elbo Room, The Gwen Hotel, The Intercontinental Hotel, The Renaissance Hotel, and Lacuna Lofts. She is currently working on her second studio EP…
Signs of the Swarm is a five-piece death metal horde hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “With the release of their debut album Senseless Order earlier this year, they’ve already begun to gain national attention. The mood and ambience are consistent and the breakdowns and build up to them are flawless. Vocals are absolutely incredible.” – Sputnik Music
Shadow of Intent was formed in 2014 as an internet-based project between vocalist Ben Duerr and instrumentalist Chris Wiseman. The band released their first EP called “Inferi Sententia” on July 18, 2014 and continued writing more music for the album that would be called “Primordial”.
In 2015 the band started releasing more songs and followed up with full length album “Primordial” on January 10, 2016 which rapidly started gaining traction on the internet. Over the next year the album “Reclaimer” was written and the lineup changed gears adding live members to perform in the music videos and eventually live shows.
The second studio album “Reclaimer” was released independently in 2017, selling 1,300 copies in its first week, and to this day has amassed over a million streams. In October the band announced its debut performance in December which would sell out the Webster Underground in Hartford, CT. Shortly after, the band was recruited by JJ Cassiere of the booking agency 33 and West. He started putting the band on national tours with metal acts such as The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel, Carnifex, Oceano and Fleshgod Apocalypse.
Up and coming rapper Adam Renetzky, stage name girldust, draws lyrical inspiration from sad alt rock and combines it with gothic style rap to express the raw human emotions and to create his own art.
An up and coming rapper by the name of Lance “Elgie” Gasher. Music is heavily focused on lyricism, flow, and wordplay. Pushing boundaries until there are none left.
Fantastic Planet is the third studio album by the American alternative rock band Failure. It was the last album released on Slash Records as distributed by Warner Bros. Records. The album failed to chart on Billboard’s Top 200 albums, but did produce a charting single with “Stuck on You”, which reached #23 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs Chart. The album was produced by Failure themselves in a process that took longer than their previous two albums, with one song being recorded and produced soon after being written, and repeating this process. Space-rock themes course through the album’s lyrics, as well as various indirect references to drug addiction, drug-related experiences, and prostitution. Seven of the album’s songs were also included on Failure’s Essentials, a best-of collection from 2006.
In 2009, JustPressPlay named Fantastic Planet the third best album of the 1990s. They also ranked the song “The Nurse Who Loved Me” at #10 in its list of the Top 100 Songs of the 1990s.
ZACH AVERY & THE SMOKIN’ TONES
The Smokin’ Tones was formed in September 2016 as the official band of Columbia College Chicago’s late night show, Columbia Tonight. In preparation for the show’s premier, the show’s musical director, Zach Avery, posted flyers around campus with the hope of finding a band that could write and perform music tailored for the show. Shortly after, six other classmates came together and became The Columbia Tonight House Band. When Columbia Tonight was canceled in May 2017, the band decided to stick together and ventured out under a new name, The Smokin’ Tones. This began their quest for zesty, transcendental music with a huge sound. The Smokin’ Tones have continued to perform unique twists on Rock, Funk, Soul, and Blues songs as well as original songs that appeal to a wide variety of listeners.
The band has played at a variety of Chicagoland venues including Elbo Room, Reggie’s Music Joint, HVAC Pub, and Buddy Guy’s Legends.
The melding of Rock and Rap is a concept that’s existed within the underbelly of music for decades, yet few have done what City Morgue is about to do. When upstarts SosMula and ZillaKami come together, their fusion is seamless—oozing true skill with a reckless lack of fucks left to give. As the supergroup readies their collective debut mixtape City Morgue Vol. 1: Hell or High Water, the dynamic duo delivers a new and exciting vibe for any fan of true music—from hip-hop to metal. It’s City Morgue season. Get ready.
Their collective story begins in 2016, though their respective paths in music happened long before that. Growing up in Harlem, SosMula lived at the intersection of hip-hop and ink culture, as his mother owned a tattoo shop that became his second home. Listening to artists like Eminem early on, Sos quickly found his way to music. “I’ve been rapping since I was kid. I never really took it seriously,” the 24-year-old says. “I had the talent, I just didn’t know what to do with it.”
Eventually the streets came calling and budding Trap stars like Jeezy would provide the soundtrack to his real life. “The numbers, the details…everything Jeezy was talking about? I was doing that shit,” Sos recalls. “I’m baggin’ up, listening to Jeezy while I’m cookin’ crack.” After a few bids, he landed a 15-month one in 2015 over a house raid, and during that time would correspond daily with Hikari-Ultra co-founder Peter “P” Rogers, who was working at his mother’s shop at the time. When Sos was released, he learned that not only was P building a new movement, but his little brother ZillaKami was now a part of it.
Raised in Bay Shore, Long Island, ZillaKami was a product of the flourishing Hardcore movement specific to the region—as clubs like Revolution Bar in Amityville were backbones of that niche culture. “I was in a Punk band called Scud Got Quayle,” Zilla adds, starting with playing bass and moving over to vocals. “I wasn’t into hip-hop too much,” the 19-year-old admits, though once he was put onto the gruff vocals of DMX and the Hardcore-adjacent styles of Onyx and the Beastie Boys, his perspective changed. Self-taught in music theory, Zilla would piece sounds together by the familiar work of his idols like Henry Rollins and his work with Black Flag. Having his own take with a skewed rap spin, the product became not only a successful blend of the two art forms, but so unique that when his older brother P took his label to the next level with business partner Mel Carter, they would make ZillaKami a flagship artist.
As soon as SosMula left prison, he hit the ground running as well. “I met Zilla my first day home and we were in the studio every day,” says Sos. Together they became City Morgue, and from the end of 2017, the two erupted Soundcloud with millions of listens. Working with producer THRAXX, the two dropped off “Shinners13,” a menacing cut that’s now clocking in well over three millions streams. Then there was “SK8 HEAD,” which idyllically identifies why this pair works, combining Zilla’s Hardcore upbringing mixed with Sos’s true Trap sensibilities. The visuals are equally intense, as City Morgue is an experience felt with all senses.
Countless cuts on Soundcloud, a successful run at SXSW, plus an aesthetic that unifies the early days of Punk with extensive Ink (the two have anecdotes for every tattoo on their bodies), the time is now to bring City Morgue’s first collective project to the streets. City Morgue Vol. 1: Hell or High Water will continue the movement that two have forged, with more tracks that reach a wider audience. “Downer,” is rooted in melody, with an ambiguous title as Zilla is straight edge, while Sos is the exact opposite. “It’s more mellow than the other songs,” Sos says, “Zilla’s even harmonizing.” Things kick up on tracks like “Black Matter,” which is designed for damage. “I walked into the studio and said I’m making a mosh pit song,” Zilla says with a laugh. Songs like “Grave Hop” and “P.T.S.D.” continue along that similar vein, while “Lamborghini Getaway” and “Snow On The Bluff” turn a corner into mainstream. It’s an experience anyone can appreciate and shows what happens when two worlds meet to form an entirely new planet.
The Hikari-Ultra/Republic Records signees have already shown a significant track record of hits in a relatively short amount of time, and it won’t stop there. Vol. 1 is the first of many City Morgue collaborations, but both SosMula and ZillaKami will be bringing their solo flavors to the forefront in the very near future. “We’re just here to do something different,” Sos says with confidence as Zilla adds, “We didn’t hear what we wanted to in music, so we decided to make it ourselves.”
The band was originally formed in 1984 under the name “Transgresser”. They released demos in 1984 and 1986 (which would later appear on a re-release of their debut album). After going through several name changes they became known as “Intruder”. They released their debut album “Live To Die” on Ironworks and Azra records (a small independent label). Released in 1987, Live To Die was released as a four-piece band in the speed metal vein.
The band signed with Metal Blade Records in 1989. The Metal Blade years saw the entry of rhythm guitarist Greg Messick. Intruder released their second album, “A Higher Form Of Killing”, in 1989 as a five-piece band. It presented a move away from Speed Metal to the Thrash Metal scene. Intruder released the very rare “Escape From Pain” EP in 1990. Admittedly released as “an excuse to tour”, it featured songs recorded on previous releases as well as a cover of “25 or 6 to 4” by Chicago. It featured just one new song, the title track. Escape From Pain was the only one of their Metal Blade releases not to be issued on all three formats of cd, cassette and vinyl.
In 1991 Intruder released their final full-length album, “Psycho Savant”. It was their only Metal Blade release to feature all original songs and had leanings more toward Progressive Thrash Metal. After 8 years, the group disbanded in 1992. In a 2006 interview, Guitarist Greg Messick claimed that the band tried to stay together after being dropped from Metal Blade, but were ultimately unwilling due to inevitable lineup changes. Vocalist Jimmy Hamilton responded to the question of the band’s split up in the same interview:
We got dropped from Metal Blade in the middle of our tour when we just hit the top of the CMJ charts. Besides, although we had been together for so long, just like many marriage relationships, there was no more ‘love’ and we said ‘this marriage needs to end for a while, We need counseling.’
—Jimmy Hamilton
The History of Otis Redding is the first of numerous compilations of Otis Redding songs, featuring hits from 1962 to early 1967. Released one month prior to Redding’s death in December 1967, it was the final album (and only compilation album) issued during his lifetime.
DJ CHISOXROX has been spinning records in the Chicagoland area for over 40 years. His discs are ingrained with the likes of YES, Tragically Hip, Rush, and Snow Patrol. Now with a world-class vinyl setup in an industrial loft in Printer’s Row, DJ CHISOXROX ventures out every so often to play a wide range of progressive and alternative rock to fans across the city. Catch him at Reggies or at secret “Drop The Needle” sessions taking place amidst the underground apartment scene.
Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits is a 1974 compilation album (and second posthumous release) by Jim Croce, originally released on ABC Records. The album was released a year after Croce’s 1973 death in an airplane crash. The inner photo jacket includes a tributatory essay on one side and a photo of Jim’s son A.J. on the other. The title track originally appeared on the You Don’t Mess Around with Jim LP as well as the B-side of the album title track single in 1972.
Our debut studio album “Second Helpings” is expected to be out by late September. Check us out live at one of our shows over the next few months… Thank you for coming and enjoy the show!
JAMES MATTERN is a Nationally Headlining Comic and Radio personality, who has fast become one of the most beloved Emcee’s in NYC. JAMES has appeared on several television programs including Fox Sports One’s “Garbage Time with Katie Nolan”, The WWE Network’s “The List”, MSG Networks “The Bracket”, and “”The Artie Lange Show.”
As the former audience warmup for FOX SPORTS ONE’s “Crowd Goes Wild”, he worked with the legendary Regis Philbin. Additionally, James has appeared on “THE MOJO SHOW” on CBS SPORTS RADIO; and was a “man on the street” for “FERRALL ON THE BENCH” on SIRIUS-XM.
Emerging from the vibrant streets of Chicago, SheGo Turbo is more than just a hip-hop artist; she’s a dynamic force reshaping the genre. Her music fuses traditional hip-hop elements with modern influences, creating an electrifying blend of hard-hitting beats and infectious hooks. Her lyrics, delivered with raw intensity, reflect her deep emotional connection to her experiences, painting vivid portraits of urban life that resonate with listeners and draw them into her world. What sets SheGo Turbo apart is her storytelling ability. Each track showcases her effortless flow and captivating delivery, blending personal experiences with universal themes. Her music not only pays homage to hip-hop’s roots but pushes the genre into new territory. As she continues to break barriers and redefine norms, SheGo Turbo’s artistry resonates deeply with a generation navigating contemporary life, making her a key figure in the evolving hip-hop landscape.
Nia Kay, a 17-year-old female rapper who calls herself “Duchess” was a participant on the reality show ‘The Rap Game – Season 2.’ She gained a lot of attention with her lyrical and freestyle talent.
She released her first solo on YouTube at the age of ten. Gaining all the spotlight in a very short time, she acquired almost two million views when she posted a compilation of her freestyle video on Facebook. Several rappers and reality show stars have shared her videos and have congratulated this young achiever.
Her message to teenagers is to “never give up because dreams do come true, you just have to have patience and work for it.” She says that she has never stopped dreaming and her dreams transformed into reality. She has the swagger to get a person of any age grooving to her lyrics and rap.
Her followers have reached 35K on Twitter and she has 1.1 Million fans on Instagram which is steadily growing. On YouTube she has 142K subscribers tuning into her channel.
Queen Key is Rapper from Chicago, Illinois. whose singles such as “Hit A Lic,” “Baked as a Pie,” “Killa,” “Take Money,” and “Calling All Eaters” can be found with accompanying music videos on the YouTube channel Rayy Moneyyy Visions.
Sunshine Boys are a Chicago-based trio of veteran recording and touring artists from some of the most revered bands in indie rock. Featuring Freda Love Smith (Blake Babies, Antenna, Mysteries of Life), Jacqueline Schimmel (Justin Roberts, Big Hello), and Dag Juhlin (Poi Dog Pondering, The Slugs), Sunshine Boys offer a propulsive, melodic take on pop rock.
