He sings, drums, and plays the keyboard. He writes and records all his own music and he’s only 19. Jordan Witzigreuter spent several years in various bands before deciding at age 16 that he wanted to do something all his own and started recording music under the name The Ready Set. Now, three years later, he has been signed to Pete Wentz’s independent label Decaydance Records (also home to such acts as Gym Class Heroes, Panic! at the Disco, and Cobra Starship) and is slated to release his first full length album soon. I’m hoping we can expect more of the same dance beats and energetic synth melodies Witzigreuter delivered on his early EP.
With his touring band, composed of bassist Andy Snyder, drummer Travis Rountree, and of course a computer that supplies all the fun extra sounds that a live band of just 3 can’t always create, The Ready Set put on a powerful performance that begs you to dance along. They just got off a tour opening for the Friday Night Boys during which they stopped at Chicago’s Beat Kitchen, and are set to perform a showcase with label mates Hey Monday at SXSW. Catch them at Cedar Door in Austin, TX on March 18 or on the upcoming Bamboozle Roadshow which stops in Chicago on June 12. In their own words: “The music – it’s all for you. So turn it up and dance your heart out.”
Check out The Ready Set’s newest song, “Drain Notes”, below:
If it isn’t easy to tell by the majority of the content on this site, we are indie music fans. BUT, I am proud to say that none of the writers on this site limit themselves to one genre, even when it comes to stepping outside of our comfort zones to check out a show. Sometimes you surprise yourself and discover music you would never listen to twice online. This was the case with Los Angeles’s own People Under The Stairs when they headlined Chicago’s Subterranean rock club last week, entertaining a sold out crowd of music fans that love underground hip-hop.
A little bit indie rock, a touch of folk, and based heavily on electro-pop,Hexes & Ohs bring us a handful of songs that would be right at home playing over the sound system at a bar in Wicker Park as the fake ID-toting clientele puts away PBR after PBR.
The band represents what music is all about at its core: sharing; when you hear a great band you share it with a friend, when you go to a show you share a special experience with the artists as well as the strangers around you. To that end, they recently released an album of collaborations called Share (remixes). The seven track album features remixes of their songs by four fellow Canadian bands and remixes by H&O of songs by three others.
The duo, made up of Heidi Donnelly and Edmund Lam, is making their mark this Winter in several countries. They have announced a feature on Canadian clothing chain Le Garage’s Spring 2010 campaign; their sophomore album Bedroom Madness [produced by Bryon Wong (Crystal Method)] was released this month in U.S. stores and on iTunes (it was released in Canada in 2008); and they headed out for a Spanish tour this month, from which they will return at the end of March.
Bottom line: synth beats and pop melodies coupled with the duality of both male and female vocals make Hexes & Ohs casually enjoyable.
I remember Dan Henig and his music from its earliest incarnations in high school, 42nd Parallel. We both hail from Ann Arbor, MI and it was a wonderful surprise to reconnect with him here in Chicago a couple of weeks ago when I found out he transferred colleges. He has always had a knack for writing catchy and addicting music, but his solo work has evolved and matured beyond being just a fun band to go see on the weekends. He’s become an artist to pay attention to, someone who isn’t just playing for his friend’s entertainment in the basement. He’s playing for himself, means it, and he is going places. Check out the interview and music below.
FREE MUSIC INDUSTRY EVENT – The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs has some rad stuff coming up with co-sponsor Chicago Music Commission. [They’re the fellers that put together Chicago Music City.] It’s nice to know that the city is still keeping the arts alive with events like this.
This February they have their “At Work Forums” which is a series of well …forums that “brings artists and experts to discuss the best practices for Chicago’s creatives in music, dance, theater, visual art, and more.” [Thanks, Explore Chicago].
This shits good. And best part – it’s FREE.
Yeah, panel discussions can get kind of dry at times. But it’s free education and insight about what’s going on in your industry. Here’s one that you all should know about:
Musicians at Work Forum: Touring Tips for Finding and Booking Gigs
Date/Time: February 22, 2010
Networking: 5:30pm-6:00pm
Panel: 6:00pm-7:30pm
Location: Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington St., 5th Floor Washington Room
Chicago, IL 60605
Every once in awhile a band lands a gig in a major motion picture and is quickly forgotten after the movie-goer leaves the theater. In 2008 the major motion picture adaption of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is centered around the film’s two main stars, Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, searching for the band “Where’s Fluffy?” who just happens to be Brooklyn’s own Bishop Allen.
Bishop Allen began back in 2003 with Justin Rice and Christian Rudder, friends who met while attending Harvard University. Their name came from Bishop Allen Drive, the street where Rice and Rudder lived in Cambridge, MA while attending college. Rice and Rudder make up the core of Bishop Allen, but over the past seven years Rice and Rudder have been joined by various musicians to complete the Bishop Allen live lineup. Now, with three studio albums and 12 EPs under their belt, Bishop Allen’s live set could be endless. Read more…
At one time or another you were horribly embarrassed. You were picked last for a team, taunted based on the contents of your lunchbox, or tripped on the stairs causing your pants to rip in the most horrifying of places. It’s time to reclaim that memory and wear it as a badge of honor. As the Webelos say, “for those ready to embrace who [you] are, we salute you.”
The quartet hails from Chicago and represent both Columbia College and Northwestern University. The band’s philosophy boils down to being true who you are, no excuses, no apologies. They believe in the power of a solid hook and they do it well, drawing influences from the forefathers of pop: the Beatles, the Hollies, the Beach Boys, et al. Don’t be fooled though; the Webelos’ sound is not a throwback, nor are they a band based on nostalgia for a time in which none of the members lived. Their sound is at once modern and classic. As singer Danny Leavitt puts it, “you have to respect your roots, and those are pop rock’s roots.” The Webelos appreciate their inner dweeb and their inner pop star and once you get to know them, those are things you will appreciate, too.
Read on for my interview with Webelos lead vocalist Danny Leavitt.
I’ve always wanted to expand my punk education but never took a heavily vested interest in any punk band I’ve tested out. In high school I bought a couple “best of” albums, one of which was The Replacements and my favorite track became “Here Comes Irregular”. Go figure.
As of this week, though, They Face Reaction is convincing me to try again. They are a softer Clash;a heavier Bravery. Two fourths of TFR come to us by way of Brazil and they all bring their influences and talents together for our listening pleasure.
After exhausting their market in Curitiba, Brazil cousins Ren Volpi (guitar, vocals) and Pedro the Greeps (vocals, guitar) – then members of a hardcore punk band called Citizen Caged – decided to pick up their dream and keep it alive in Chicago. After relocating in 2008 they auditioned new band members and soon formed They Face Reaction. Today they are joined by Dave Perrin and Tyler Eckhart on bass and drums, respectively, and according to them they’ve “never been so excited”.
We’ve already covered a few soloartists on here that used to front punk bands, and this post is no different as it is about ex-Million Dead singer Frank Turner. Like Kensure and Ragan, Turner is releasing folk albums these days, but he separates himself from the pack as he still retains the rock in his music that his peers left behind when they switched genres. Since he began releasing solo material in 2006, Turner has been likened to folk/punk legend and fellow Englander Billy Bragg for his ability to craft deeply passionate love songs as well as working man anthems.
For all you arts business kids – whether it’s music, performance art, visual art, literary art, or media art, this is a must-be-at event.
The SEA Conference [Self-Employment in the Arts], is held all over the U.S. hitting up Washington, Cali, Florida, Missouri, Minnesota, and Illinois.
They hold a conference every year around February in Lisle, IL. The conference is over two days with panels, performances, speakers, workshops, etc. It’s designed to cater to multiple arts and businesspersons and put together by the Coleman Foundation, Columbia College, North Central College, and a few other sponsors. It’s designed for college kids studying to enter the arts industries.
My faculty advisor does a lot of work for the conference, and has been quite animate about getting me to go this year. My marketing teacher also raved about it, too. I looked in to the conference a bit more and asked some other people about and I did get some mixed reviews. I guess it can be dry at times, but has overall been found beneficial. Hey, it’s worth a shot. Read more…
