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The
Drastics :: thedrastics.com
The Drastics are modern roots music.
Their sound fits as easily in a Kingston dancehall as it does
in an artist's loft-party in the warehouse district. Though
primarily classified as a reggae group, The Drastics embrace
many styles of music both live and in the studio. This can
be heard in their songs which draw from roots Jamaican music,
hip hop, hard-bop jazz, afro-beat, dancehall, as well as folk
music from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America.
Take this powder keg cocktail of styles, add the pulse of
gritty everyday urban living and you get one explosive sound.
Not playing into any gimmicks or compromising to trends, The
Drastics have been consistently rocking crowds for three years
from NYC to LA and everywhere in between. Their highly anticipated
new album, Waiting, is now out.
- “The Drastics deserve much credit for moving deep
into uncharted territories.” (Official iTunes Review)
- “Dub masters, The Drastics ... never fail to put on
a killer party.” (TimeOut Chicago)
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avagami
:: avagami.com
Avagami was formed in Chicago in 2005
by Matt Espy (drums, electronics, see: Atombombpocketknife,
The Reputation) and Eric Lebofsky (vocals, saxophone, electronics,
see: unusual drawings) when the two met through Craigslist.
Both were looking to push the pop envelope, and incorporate
improvisational techniques into a song structure. Their music
incorporates elements of Prog, New Wave, Noise, and Krautrock,
as well as Burlesque, Lounge, and Psychotherapy (Gestalt).
- “I should just carry around a copy of Avagami’s
debut, Metagami, so I can pull it out the next time a cabbie
or one of my uncles asks what kind of music I like ... a nonstop
hoot, and their album is an absurd delight, like a Super Soaker
filled with Cool Whip.” (Chicago Reader)
- “Avagami [tracks] ... raise the pot considerably, harboring
nic-fit spazzouts, once the verses clear out, clearly setting
the stage for their frantic live persona.” (Illinois Entertainer)
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costa
music :: myspace.com/thecostamusic
Costa Music is a solo affair by L'Altra
co-creator, Joseph Desler Costa. This group enlists the production
and composition skills of Marc Hellner (Marriages, Pulseprogramming),
the mixing chops of Joshua Eustis (Telefon Tel Aviv) and an
array of other musicians and collaborators, including cellist
Fred Lonberg-Holm, guitarist Alfredo Nogueira (The Race), pianist
Chanel Pease, and vocalist Aleksandra Tomaszewska (Aleks and
the Drummer). Costa, Hellner, and their collaborators build
landscapes of intricate and weaving sounds, tangled electronic
beats and soaring melodies – the lows are lower; the highs
are higher. Chicago/NYC based songwriter and visual artist Costa
has performed throughout Europe as well as North and South America.
Other collaborations include his and Hellner's film score for
the Chilean film, PLAY (Best Picture, Tribeca Film Festival
2005). This year’s performance will include Charles Rumback
on drums.
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the
other planets :: from new orleans
theotherplanets.com
reapandsow.com
The Other Planets are an eclectic
gonzo musical ensemble from New Orleans which combines elements
of freak rock, avant-jazz, comedy, social commentary, and electric
noise in a way hitherto un approached by musicians. Playing
original music by all members of the band and well-known and
obscure arrangements by other artists, including King Sunny
Ade, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefhart and Sun Ra, the band is led
by percussionist/vocalist/composer Anthony Cuccia with conceptual
puppet-mastery and derangement counseling from Dr. Jimbo Walsh.
The Other Planets’ live performances are an energetic,
engaging, and brutally honest mixture of experimental American
avant-garde spiked with self-depreciating humor, social commentary,
and current events. This is a band for the composer, the improviser,
and the serious American beer drinker.
- “New Orleans' strangest and funkiest new contemporary
jazz combo ... Combine soaring avant-jazz trajectories with
a sax player/singer's Iggy Pop-style ranting and writhing, psychedelic
light shows, costumes and occasional go-go dancing and you have
an interstellar musical experience of the most cosmic sort.”
(Gambit Weekly)
- “Sure, traditional jazz will always be around, but it's
nice to know that groups like The Other Planets are playing
with the concept and making an interesting, well-conceived mess
of it.” (AntiGravity Magazine/Republic New Orleans)
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Zing!
:: zingzingzing.com
ZING! draws on the traditions of both
acoustic improvised music as well as electronica and ambient
music. Although all of the members of ZING! are steeped in the
jazz tradition, each has ventured into other musical dimensions
through study and performance with groups playing latin, rock,
funk, drum ‘n bass, free jazz, classical, punk, metal
and many other styles of music. This quintet offers its listeners
sounds akin to the current Chicago improvised music scene as
well as compositions ranging from rhythmically complex pieces
to simple hard-grooving frameworks. Live performances balance
wholly improvised pieces with pre-composed ones, but always
a fresh approach to the music. ZING! recently released “Magnetic
Flux”, their debut CD on ears&eyes Records.
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jason
steele ensemble :: jasonsteelemusic.com
Formed in September of 2004, The Jason
Steele Ensemble showcases the original compositions of guitarist/composer
Jason Steele as well as the talents of other jazz musicians
in the Chicago area. Shortly after the groups' inception they
recorded their debut album with special guests Ron Miles on
cornet, saxophonist Josh Sclar, and keyboardist Keith Johnson.
Steele's influences range from the personable, open composition
style of jazz icon Bill Frisell to alternative rock bands such
as Radiohead and indie stalwarts' Elliot Smith, Sufjan Stevens,
and Sam Prekop.
- “Collectively, this band carries the idea of fusion/avant-garde
jazz to a whole new level of enthused panoramic proportions.”
(jazzreview.com)
- “Guitarist Jason Steele takes only one solo on his debut
album. It's gentle, minimalist, sneaks in quietly and is gone
in a flash. That says a lot about his collectivist approach,
which emphasizes the organic, shifting sound of his octet as
it spirals through a series of brooding, cinematic themes.”
(Jazz Times)
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silences
sumire :: myspace.com/silencessumire
Complex
and focused, alien and organic, Silences Sumire is a compelling
addition to modern electronic music. Charles Gorczynski and
Thomas Faulds are like-minded prolific musicians in chicago
intrigued by the philosophies and musicianship surrounding jazz,
new composition, and growth. On the heels of 'the drastics
remixes' (ears&eyes) Silences Sumire is releasing an
EP of remixes for Chicago brain-trust algernon, and plans to
continue this local series into the new year. Collaborations
extend past Chicago as well: Silences recently finished a digital
release with Berlin's alpine-dub ensemble 'hey', to be released
with boomkat in December. The Silences full-length, years in
the making and featuring all sorts of vocalists/collaborators,
should surface early 2008.
"The idea is to mix alien and organic elements, to slash
boundaries and create a unique hybrid between opposites. challenging
aesthetic codes has been an obsession while making this music.
Exposure to Chicago's constantly chopped up envrionment is the
source of inspiration... it is beautiful and brutal at the same
time."
- “Crazy new beats, Anthony did the artwork, fresh to
defffff !” (The Drastics)
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lonesome
organist :: lonesomeorganist.com
How to describe The Lonesome Organist?
We’ll let him speak for himself: “As The Lonesome
Organist One Man Band, I have been asserting my kuluckishness
from 1996 to the present. I do not truly know what propels me
forward but it seems that I am still compelled to strap on my
Mitten Sticks (TM) and bash away. In spite of my efforts to
grow the fuck up, I am still captivated with the immediacy that
the solo simultaneous instrumentalus genre offers.” The
Lonesome Organist has released 4 CDs with Thrill Jockey.
- “The Chicago musician Jeremy Jacobsen, better known
as the Lonesome Organist, is a true one-man band. His simultaneous
proficiency with a wide variety of instruments -- including
the organ, drums, guitar, harmonica, toy piano, tap-shoes, and
steel drum -- makes his music suitable for a variety hour or
a circus show as well as a rock album.” (Music Match)
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d
numbers :: from santa fe, NM
:: dnumbers.com
D Numbers loves first person and
lower-case letters. Here, they’ll explain: “it's
like this: we've been playing music together for years and
why? because we love it, and because we love each other, and
also, because we love you. we've played together in a lot
of other projects which eventually led us to discovering this:
d numbers. we started this project in elise's old bedroom
in january of 2002. the neighbors didn't like us, we kept
playing anyway. there are three of us. there's ben: we call
him bacon sometimes but that's a long story. he is the master
of The Bounce, the Beats, the Good Vibes, and the Wall of
Sound. he play's guitar and also plays a nord keyboard and
mixes d numbers live, we think he's amazing. he loops all
of his sounds live. he also makes beats and writes a lot of
music. sometimes he takes loops of paul also. who's paul?
well... then there's paul: many of you might know paul as
your favorite dj: feathericci. feathericci plays drums in
d numbers and also plays samples that he has created over
the past five years. he brings the Color, Love, and Texture
to d numbers. plus a Groove that is as comforting as a Mother's
Hug and as funky as a Hamhock in Your Cornflakes. and there's
me: i'm brian, some people call me The Diplomat, because i'm
so fucking nice. i like Long Wavelengths and Low Frequencies
and sounds that move through your whole body, therefore, i
play bass. also, i have some old keyboards that i fell in
love with along the way. i play them in d numbers. i also
makes loops of sounds live. so there it is. *d numbers loves
you!*”
- "Masters of the epic & funky" (Santa Fe Reporter)
- “The album culminates in a fused
electro/acoustic language with sere minimalist beats chipping
at conventional musical stones. Each song surfaces tense and
assured rhythms, unbound and filled with possibility.”
(Santa Fe Reporter)
- “D Numbers is the life's work of three close friends
living in Santa Fe, NM. Influenced by pioneers of post-rock
and electronica such as Tortoise, Mouse on Mars, Fourtet,
and Sigur Ros, but geared more towards live performance than
studio production, D Numbers has created a completely unique
and exciting sound all their own. D Numbers continues to let
their style evolve organically while always maintaining focus
on the spontaneity and presence of the live musical experience.
Sampling and looping the sounds of their instruments "on
the fly", D Numbers creates multilayered compositions
rich in texture and depth. Eschewing the mini-discs, sequencers
and laptops so entrenched in modern music, D Numbers weaves
intricate and electrifying instrumental soundscapes in real
time so that the audience feels viscerally involved with and
connected to the process of creation. Exploring a wide range
of grooves and feels ranging from ambient and melancholy to
aggressive and funky, they take their listeners on an ecstatic
journey in sound and dance.” (CD Baby)
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matt
ulery's loom :: cd release show!
:: mattulery.com
Matt Ulery's 'Loom' has been captivating
audiences for over 3 years. Loom, which consists of Thad Franklin
on trumpet, Tim Haldeman on tenor saxophone, Jon Deitemyer on
drums, Rob Clearfield on accordian and piano, Zach Brock on
violin, and Matt Ulery on double bass and compositions, come
together on "Music Box Ballerina" with eight original
compositions of Ulery's which have been a part of the group's
live repitoire for the last year. In addition, the mezmorizing,
innovative, Polish jazz singer, Grazyna Auguscik, appears on
one track of the album. Ulery has been performing with Auguscik
for 3 years all over the U.S. and Europe as well as appearing
on her two latest albums. Loom is a modern, chamber music group.
The music, while coming from the American and European jazz
tradition, including highly syncopated rhythms, modern jazz
harmony, and improvisation, also influenced by folk music from
the Americas and Eastern Europe as well as modern alternative
and indie rock bands from all over the world. Ulery's music
has also been described, at times, as cinematic and fanciful.
Their first CD, “Music Box Ballerina”, will be released
at the festival!
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algernon
:: algernonmusic.com
Fostering an atmosphere that relies
on composition and a larger sonic palette, Algernon creates
a fusion of indie rock, jazz, and classical chamber music.
The effect is that of a distinctly modern band, providing
musical clues to their modern landscape. In the process, Algernon
engulfs the listener in an entirely different world of its
own making. With combined experience in genres from jazz to
hard rock, from punk to classical, the band is well equipped
to deliver on the promise. In short, the band can't be summed
up neatly. Algernon simply rocks too hard to be considered
jazz, and they play with too much finesse and sheer musical
ability to be called just another rock band. In a time of
lowered musical expectations, Algernon is a breath of fresh
air. They don't simply wish to play songs: They are here to
turn your entire world upside down.
- “This music isn’t afraid to step outside of
the cake-and-tea/elevator-song stereotype to which post-college
jazz seems so constantly vulnerable … Algernon is a
rock band whose guitar-and-vibraphone plot twists relish in
static climaxes and bass that quivers for days. It’s
a layered, space-age soundtrack for postmodern groove.”
(Beep Central)
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tomorrow
music orchestra :: earsandeyesrecords.com/tmo
Tomorrow Music Orchestra (TMO) is
a group of composers and musicians who are experimenting with
the idea that music's really fun while exploring its ability
to relate to wide-ranging audience. TMO was initially conceived
by bassist and composer Matthew Golombisky in 2003 in New
Orleans and played an attention-grabbing concert at Cafe Brasil,
and included William Thompson (Fender rhodes), Milton Villarrubia
and Quin Kirchner (drums), two saxophones, violin, clarinet,
guitar, trumpet, electric and acoustic basses. After Hurricane
Katrina, Golombisky, along with drummer Quin Kirchner and
vibraphonist Matthew McClimon, eventually moved to Chicago.
A new configuration was formed almost over night by Golombisky
in March 2006 preparing for a performance at the Ice Factory.
Currently TMO includes flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, bass
clarinet, violin, viola, cellos, basses, alto & soprano
saxophones, French horn, vibes, accordian, guitar, and drums.
Their second release, neon jesus garage, caught the attention
of bassist Larry Grenadier (Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, Charles
Lloyd) and prompted a desired colaboration between Grenadier
and Golombisky.
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mind
vs. target :: (from Asheville,
NC) featuring Ahleuchatistas guitarist, Shane Perlowin
myspace.com/mindvstarget
Joseph Burkett and Shane Perlowin
had a near miss for the first 6 years of the 21st century.
And then, one day in early 2006, a dinner date, with a gig
at the Bo Bo Gallery (Asheville, NC) following a few weeks
later. The five people in attendance were delighted by this
chance meeting of the spirits, nylon and guts coming together
in rapturous timbre, sublime reverb emanating from the wood
floors of the near-vacant listening room. Fortunately, the
gig was recorded and the subsequent realization upon listening
was that these wayward musicians should have been intimately
playing music together instead of maintaining the casual relationship
as distant acquaintances that had been ongoing for some time,
what with living in the same small mountain town for half
a decade and all. Oh, the joy that befell these still young
men upon finding that they were musically bound somewhere
near the cerebellum, the pineal gland, the seat of consciousness.
The improvisational psychic interplay was instant! What rare
fortune to have met! However, sadness suddenly followed this
brief spell of elation as it was to be that Joseph was bound
for New Orleans to rebuild that storm shattered city with
his strong back and carpenter's hands. A true artisan and
humanist. Fortunately, Joseph's return to the Appalachian
mountains in the Spring of 2007 has made this presence a reality
again and he and Shane immediately set to work on learning
one another's compositions. Multi-instrumentalist sensation
Michael Libramento joined forces with Joe and Shane in August
2007. In this setting, Michael is to be found behind the drum
kit, his percussion finesse gracefully fitting the quirky
compositional structures and subtle improvisational rapport
that characterized the former duet. The newly realized trio
immediately began a schedule of regular rehearsal and performance.
It's on, as they say...
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Phillip
Morris & AWDAZCATE ::
myspace.com/phillipmorris
myspace.com/awdazcate
Phillip Morris. A man who has no
idea what the word "cool" means, in any sense other
than temperature. A kinda' nerdy lyricist with more twisted
lines than a geriatric contortionist with varicose veins snorting
cocaine off the underside of a moebius strip. Phillip Morris
has been putting in work as a thinker, emcee, producer, and
an all around friendly individual for years. (He's also placed
first in many a citywide Greco-Roman Mythology competition.
True story.) He was first featured on Awdazcate's "How
Dare You!!!" album, on the tracks 'Hustle' and 'Mic Sounds',
and later on the foreboding last track of Readymade's album
called 'Dark Humor'. The mixture of Phillip's unique voice,
complex rhyme schemes, anomalous subject matter, coherent
freestyles, and comprehensibility forced the underground hip-hop
community to abruptly take notice.
- "South Side MC Awdazcate (pronounced audacity) …
Vocally akin to gruff NYC rhymer C-Rayz Walz, Awdazcate kicks
some heated battle raps, but he attempts to do so much more
with psychedelic explorations and quasi crooning." (Illinois
Entertainer)
- “Socially conscious rapper is Awdazcate of hope”
(Chicago Sun-Times)
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wosko/faulds
:: cd release show! myspace.com/cellobeats
Lilianna Wosko and Thomas Faulds,
both stalwarts of the Chicago experimental music scene, began
this Laptop/Cello duo in early 2007. All of their sounds are
made exclusively from editing live cello improvisations. Their
influences include Fred Longberg-Holm, Amon Tobin, John Cage,
Autechre, Björk, and Elvin Jones. Wosko/Faulds’
debut CD will be released at the Festival.
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box
3 :: from new orleans :: folkbot.net/?p=17
BOX 3 consists of New Orleanians
Jeff Albert (of the Lucky 7s) on trombone, Dan Oestreicher
on analog synth while Justin Peake explores his computer sampling
environment. They are currently recording their first album.
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doppler
shift :: myspace.com/dopplershift
Formed in May of 2004, Doppler Shift
is an experimental jazz-funk-rock band comprised of drums,
bass, tenor saxophone, and trumpet. Inspired by groups such
as the John Zorn Masada Quartet and the Gerry Mulligan Quartet,
and fueled by James Brown, Ornette Coleman, Helmet, Medeski
Martin and Wood, Doppler Shift has no chording instruments
by choice, giving the listener a transparent groove to move
your ass to. Besides - hasn't everything with guitars already
been done? With new drummer Dave Marsalek of SPIZM & Trioizm
onboard, who knows what sonic limits this modern experimental
funk jazz quartet will conquer. Their first CD, “Physics”,
was released in 2005.
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James
Davis Quintet:: jcdavis.org
James Davis, a Chicago trumpeter
and music maker, is comfortable in and always exploring a
wide array of musical environments. As an improvisor and composer,
Davis is involved in a diverse blend of musical communities
in the Chicago area. James’ diverse performance experience
includes performances with the The Glenn Miller Orchestra,
the UNT One O’Clock Lab Band, Chuchito Valdes, Rob Parton’s
Jazz Tech Big Band, Alan Gresik’s Swing Shift Orchestra,
the Tomorrow Music Orchestra, the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra,
the Texas Wind Symphony, Camerata Winds, and other jazz, classical
and Latin music groups.
He is currently on faculty at Triton College in River Grove,
IL as director of the Jazz Band. James holds a Master of Music
degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of North
Texas and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of
Texas at Arlington. In 2005 James was a touring member of
the Glenn Miller Orchestra, in which he was frequently featured
as a soloist. James also toured as a member of the University
of North Texas One O’clock Lab Band and can be heard
as a soloist on Lab 2004. In the summer of 2004 James was
a finalist in the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Improvisation
Competition and a finalist in 2007 was a Carmine Caruso International
Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition.
'Angles of Refraction' is the debut album of
the James Davis Quintet. This album features nine original
compositions by James Davis, who has also composed for the
collaborative group Zing!, and the adventurous Tomorrow Music
Orchestra. The quintet is grounded in the language of Jazz
from the last 30 or so years, and incorporates sounds bordering
on pop/rock and even drum ‘n bass rhythms. Throughout
these stylistic tangents, however, a common thread of patience
and sensibility pervade the renditions.
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Maurice::
myspace.com/mauricechicago
Combining a rich and complex harmonic
language with highly unpredictable meters,, and contrasting
driving ostinato grooves with amorphous textural soundscapes,
Maurice have created a unique sound located somewhere between
prog-rock, post-rock, jazz and exotica. Formed in Chicago
in 2007, the group consists of a rotating line-up of eight
instrumentalists (Jonathon Kirk
- trombone, James Davis - trumpet, David Grant - keys, Lee
Weisert - guitar, Scott Scharf - bass, John Carroll - drums,
Adam Klein - percussion/electronics, and Patrick Liddell -
multi-media) each of whom contributes their own interlocking
layer to create a dense menagerie of sound.
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Casey
farina:: caseyfarina.net
Originally from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania,
Casey Farina is a percussionist, composer, sound designer,
music educator, and new media artist working in Chicago. His
current work focuses on nonlinear and iterative processes
as applied to music composition and multimedia art. Casey
has presented work at the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) conference,
the Spark Festival of electronic music and art, the International
Computer Music Conference (ICMC), the International Society
of Improvising Musicians, and a variety of other venues throughout
the U.S. Casey currently sits on the board of directors of
the Open Music Foundation, a not-for-profit organization for
composers and artists dedicated to the promotion of artistic
expression based on unconventional forms of musical communication.
Casey recently received a grant from the Center for Interdisciplinary
Research in the Arts (CIRA) at Northwestern University for
project CONDOR, a work that explores the presentation of spatial
audio via miniature robotic airships. Casey received a BM
in percussion performance from Arizona State University in
2000, an MM in percussion performance from ASU in 2003, and
is currently finishing his DMA in music technology at Northwestern
University. Casey has studied percussion with J.B. Smith,
composition with Steve Syverud, Chris Mercer, and Glenn Hackbarth,
and music technology with Gary Kendall.
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