Tomorrow The Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western Ave) will be having a 9:30 pm show featuring the “Fan Choice For The Best Emerging Artists 2010.” The Chicago based bands: Canasta, Dastardly, Soft Speaker, and Secret Colours are all relatively new and have some albums to definitely check out.
Canasta’s 2010 album The Fakeout, The Tease, and The Breather is an innovative, orch-pop take on modern rock. The main singers voice is a bit like the lead singer of The New Pornographers, but more nuanced and suited to the synth-pop melodies found throughout the album. While the interesting vocals and complex melodies can at first sound disoriented – like if the Bulls were left without Derrick Rose – the album gets better with time; seeing them live is an exciting opportunity.
Magazine – upbeat background electronics and strings brightly match lead singer Jeremy Beckford’s sound.
Dastardly. Besides a clever website with travel blog updates entitled “How to Get Banned From a Music Venue” and “SXSW ’11: A Play By Play Rundown of The Notorious Cluster****” this band also has a chilling, experimental sound. As is outlined in my bio, nostalgic music can often be the most poignant and this band is able to mesh calm, almost resigned instrumentals with worried, searching voices. In short, Dastardly’s music mirrors life with the unchangeable past and all too malleable future.
Exercises in Self Loathing – wonderfully demonstrates the past vs. future theme of the band infused with country, classic Canadian acts (think Arcade Fire), and catchy guitars.
Soft Speaker. As described on the band’s website Soft Speaker has unearthed a modern (read: electronic) approach to Unified Society of Milkmen’s “undeniable chemistry blending fuzz guitars with lutes and clarinets.” Soft Speaker’s guitars spin together both a rocking, electronic take on a vintage band’s mournful melodies as well as a punchy interpretation of the iconic brit-rock sound of bands like Oasis and Radiohead. Sidenote: It is surprising that in such a rap/synth-pop music world all of the bands thus far mentioned have influences more reflective of a high school orchestra performance than a concert at Solider Field.
Secret Colours: While when considering ‘60s psychedelic music Secret Colours’ sound is not all that original, it is quite different than what is usually made popular today. The industrial, experimental sound executed is warm and fuzzy. The quintet’s summery sounds are enough to not only to take over your conscious with blissful music arrangements, but also to make you want to dance on a beach (or grimy dance floor) for hours.
Redemption – A sonic, white noise song pierced by clear vocals.
The Empty Bottle will also be featuring a post-Lincoln Hall James Blake (DJ set) this Sunday at Beauty Bar. Blake’s eclectic music samples enough elements from various music genres that anyone in attendance (21+) will have a memorable time.
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