The evil Go-Go’s.

“It’s hard to want to call local punk quartet Swimsuit Addition anything but ‘bubblegum,’ since their songs are so catchy, but this would be like some apocryphal-Halloween-scare-story bubblegum that’s full of broken glass and will totally fuck your shit up if you’re not careful.” – Miles Raymer, Chicago Reader

meat sweats

Mitch Mead’s songs are equal parts heartbreak and humor, misery and mirth, sci-fi and fantasy. And each one is roughly 25% alcohol by volume. This Michigan-born, Chicago-based singer/songwriter wields an energetic and highly literate brand of folk rock that is as much melancholy as it is euphoria. Call it what you will, this is folk music that refuses to sit down.

The foundation of any band is musical kinship. Within the exposed confines of a trio, this rapport is amplified, leaving an indelible mark on the songs. Glance through rock history and we see this repeatedly; the groundbreaking strut of Cream, the irresistible pop of The Police, the undone roar of Nirvana. Remove any member and the band’s core unravels. For Chicago-based trio, The Sweeps, this affinity is vital. Their core is firmly intact.

Each member of The Sweeps–Bob Dain, Santiago Torres, and Chris Dye (ex-Chin Up Chin Up)–brings a hefty presence to their lean arrangements. Challenging the sonic boundaries of a trio, both Dain and Torres sing with longing, conviction and fury. Dain’s dexterity, equal parts pedal-board and guitar, ranges from a delicate strum to an incandescent wail. Countering Dain, Torres brings a solid bass thump; playing slinky, soul-inflected rumblings along with fractured melodic fuzz. Dye’s hook-heavy drumming supports Dain and Torres, while lending a swaggering rhythmic architecture to the songs. Live, the band explodes with an infectious adrenaline that has ignited their strong Chicago fanbase, propelling them toward building a national audience.

On the band’s full-length debut, Swift Armour (out now), The Sweeps capture a live immediacy, yet further explore and refine their craft. Recorded at Chicago’s Minbal Studio with the help of producer/engineer, Benjamin Balcom, Swift Armour is an emotionally rich and honest evolution for the band. It is a collage of loud guitars and chanting vocal hooks, an intimately pounding cadence, a call to arms. It is a record with a strong sense of place, Chicago to be precise—the historic struggles, the dying and thriving neighborhoods—all inhabit these 13 tracks. From the lush death march of the opening title track to the dark pop hymn “1600cc Engine,” this record is equal parts confession, exultation and vindication: embittered but embracing. Swift Armour is an ode to Chicago: a battle between the harsh and the beautiful.

“A big, multifaceted, tower-of-power sound” and “inspired by the independent spirit of 90s grunge, Empires’ music takes the urgency and emotion of that era and reboots it for a new generation.” – Rolling Stone

[Empires has] set about doing this right. It’s a sentiment reinforced by these sterling alt-pop tracks boasting delicious symmetry of texture and tension. The 20 minutes Empires deliver on BANG makes a strong case that given the current music landscape, bands would be best off releasing EPs of their best songs while the material’s still fresh… – Alternative Press

“Layer U2’s early anthemics and The National’s moody swing, ladle on copious amounts of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s fuzz buzz and add dashes of Catherine Wheel and Modest Mouse. Cook under stage lights until they and you are completely done.” – CityBeat

“All ethereal and doomy like the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or the Black Angels, but with a little bit of My Chemical Romance snarl thrown in for good measure” – MTV

“Empires create “explosive Gaslight Anthem-grade stadium rockers.” – AOL Spinner

Chillwave is alive and well in Chicago. Magicks combines mellow indie-pop with atmospheric noise to create what Magicks (either seriously or not) refers to as “beach daze.” And beach daze seems to perfectly describe that moment where you’ve been baking under the sun for far too long and then sets that feeling to music.  Recently taking the lead on vocals, Monica Rose is a thoughtfully stylish Chicago, Illinois-based indie jazzy/pop singer-songwriter, rollerblader, subconscious mind student, future fashion icon, and skilled painter. She intrinsically fuses that healing melody that helps us deal with our day, as this is a caring musician who selflessly makes music to help others through her art.