I turn 26 this month, and I plan to celebrate the loss of my parents’ health insurance by seeing as much live music as possible. The explosion of tours and local events makes this a good time to dive into new scenes and revisit old ones.
Lots of established artists are releasing new recorded music, from indie mainstays like Camera Obscura to cult favorites within the folk scene, like Marisa Anderson. Each offers something to chew on as the weather warms.
New Releases
Today
Camera Obscura, Look to the East, Look to the West (Merge), indie pop
Composed of vocalist Tracyanne Campbell, guitarist/vocalist Kenny McKeeve, bassist Gavin Dunbar, and drummer Lee Thomson, Camera Obscura have back like they never left . Campbell carries Look to the East, Look to the West with a voice made for lullabies, layering bold harmonies on top of drifty guitar lines. She brings a childlike charm, resulting in a comforting sound that slowly envelopes listeners until they are completely immersed.
Look to the East, Look to the West brings a lighthearted, even whimsical feel, particularly in its instrumentals. Xylophone and synth bring listeners back from psychedelic guitar riffs as reminders that this is still a twee band from Scotland. What separates this album from the band's previous work is the very intentional and emotional homage to Carey Lander, its former keyboardist who passed in 2015 to osteosarcoma. Piano-heavy songs appear throughout the album, none as impressive as the track Sugar Almond, a devastating ballad stripped down to Campbell and keys alone. Her grief is palpable in lines like “You took a piece of my heart / I had the worst thoughts I could ever think / will you sing to me Carey?”
Despite such a long career, a long pause, and a long period of grief, the band remains true to itself. There are still elements of folk mixed into the poppy sound. There are still unique instrumental elements. There are still innocent undertones to each track. The band is still fun. But Look to the East, Look to the West reflects a maturity and rawness deeper than anything the band has done before, giving its post-hiatus career a powerful launching point.
Camera Obscura will tour North America May 29 through June 24. Chicagoans can see the band at Thalia Hall on June 3.
Jessica Pratt, Here in the Pitch (Mexican Summer), indie folk
Hannah Vu, Romanticism (Ghostly International), indie rock
Upcoming
Amen Dunes, Death Jokes (Subpop), art rock (May 10)
I first heard “Miki Dora” (no relation to me, in case you were wondering) in 2019. I have since poured over Damon McMahon’s complete discography and deemed him one of my favorite contemporary artists. Death Jokes maintains the clean production of 2018’s Freedom while reintroducing some of the experimentation that distinguished McMahon’s noise-drenched, early work.
Walt McClements (Weyes Blood) + Mary Lattimore, Rain on the Road (Thrill Jockey), ambient folk (May 10)
The cult-favorite harpist and accordionist/multi-instrumentalist have paired up to weave a textured carpet out of field recordings and their own instruments. The album hints at their respective transformations of contemporary and indie folk music while offering something fresh and evocative.
Big Special, Postindustrial Hometown Blues (SO), post-punk (May 10)
Quintessentially British, Big Special blends spoken vocals and grating synths in a blend of post-punk and danceable garage rock. Joe Hicklin and Callum Maloney fancy themselves “vital, frustrated young working-class voices that don’t always get heard on the scale they should,” according to a press release. I’m not sure about that, but I do appreciate the invigorating tracks that earned the band a supporting role on tour with Sleaford Mods last year.
Myriam Gendron, Mayday (Forced Exposure), indie folk (May 10)
Gendron’s low voice pairs skillfully with soft, serenading instrumentals. Sung half in English, half in French, the Montreal artist’s latest album bears the fruits of her past busking in Paris Metro Station.
Marisa Anderson + Jim White, Swallowtail (Thrill Jockey), experimental folk (May 10)
Anderson’s unparalleled blend of American primitivism, minimalist drones, and improvisation makes for a mesmerizing live set and recorded album. A full-time activist-turned-musician, Anderson often evokes the Southwestern landscape she once advocated to preserve. Jim White’s Pentacostal-influenced brand of alt-country gained him an equally enthusiastic cult following. Together, the two artists create a hypnotic soundscape of meandering guitars and drums.
Jeff Slate, The Last Day of Summer (Schnitzel), rock (May 17)
Finom (formerly “Ohmme”), Not God (Joyful Noise), art rock (May 24)
The indie music world has yet to offer a duo whose vocal harmonies match the electrifying tension between Macie Stewart and Sima Cunninham. The two artists showcase their gift for collaboration at the very onset of their fourth (first under their new name) studio album–they sing cleanly and complexly on “Haircut,” soon layering in a frenzy of distorted, discordant guitar and sparse yet energizing roto-toms. The opening track incorporates all of the elements that consistently set Finom apart from other contemporary indie acts.
Produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Not God bears the mark of Chicago’s music scene. Tweedy’s son Spencer, a noteworthy artist in his own right, contributed drums striking in particular alongside a vocal interlude on “Cardinal.”
Finom never fails to spin captivating narratives by balancing discordant, complex melodies with evocative lyrics. “Hungry” starts somewhat subdued but builds to a psychedelia-drenched outro, thick with fuzzy guitar underneath the repeated line “Now I only feed myself” (a followup to “I was once a house for someone else”). On the album’s titular track, a soft guitar intro and restrained vocals bring to mind Lucy Dacus. The instrumental restraint puts more focus on lyrics like “It is soothing / the attention / But it isn’t candy you hold in your hand.”
Over the years, bands often fall flat or metamorphize into something entirely new. Despite two name changes, Finom seems to have found a middle ground, a way of maintaining their signature oddity and sophistication while growing from personal and professional ordeals. Like wine, Not God embodies a flavor deepened by time.
Yuni Wa, You’ve Come So Far (Doom Trip), electronic / future funk (May 24)
Wa has churned out an astonishing quantity of releases over the past fifteen years. You’ve Come So Far, he draws from synth-pop and funk to concoct a laidback, smoothly-sequenced batch of tracks.
La Luz, News of the Universe (Sub Pop), rock (May 24)
Guitarist and songwriter Shana Cleveland tackled a lot of issues on her new album, from Octavia Butler and metaphysical poetry to her own experience with breast cancer as a relatively new mother. She and her band work these influences into a spacious blend of psychedelia-drenched vocal harmonies and melodic instrumental layers.
Girl and Girl, Call a Doctor (Sub Pop), rock (May 24)
Gaffa Tape Sandy, Hold My Hand, God Damn it (Alcopop!), garage punk (May 31)
Anastasia Coope, Darning Woman (Jagjaguwar), experimental folk (May 31)
An enticing mix of choir-like vocals, shimmery percussion and wandering guitar lines, Coope’s new album embodies a somehow cozy and ethereal loneliness. Anticipate looping, reverb and deliciously unstructured melodies.
Chicago Shows
Tonight
Synthetiq ft. Iron Years, Kill Scenes and the Feral Ghosts with DJs Rafaleux and Invicta at Livewire Lounge (live visuals from Videowaste)
I’m Dead, Plz Clap Productions presents Half’Oween ft. Aaayyyaaa, IG Metall and Kurt Vise with DJs Act of Contrition and DUNJUN at Burlington Bar (darkwave / industrial)
DJ John Simmons at the Whistler (house)
Family Junket at the California Clipper (R&B / neosoul)
May 4-5: ZBR Fest at Subterranean (hardcore)
May 8: Digital Perm presents Coursework ft PCPete and Mech en Circ at the Charleston
May 9: Blesstonio presents: Fusion w/ special guests Jordan Martin & Francine Almeda at the Whistler
May 10:
Legato with Leah A.D. at the Native (house / disco)
Lé Bump 2 Year Anniversary at SubT: BLACKCLUB / Blesstonio / Eight Count / Jordan Martin / Kirk / MADMADHOUSE / Miss B Haven (techno / house)
May 11:
Glenn Underground and Wayne Williams at Podlasie Club (house)
Synapse Attack ft. Lil Kevo 303, Deejay Chainwallet, EasyGoingtech and DJ Magitech, location TBA (breakbeat)
May 16:
Riot Fest presents The Chisel with Home Front, Fuerza Bruta and Lost Legion at Cobra Lounge (hardcore punk)
Pain into Power: Greg Haus, Patrixia and Roaz at Smartbar (darkwave)
May 17:
Buen Viaje at the Whistler (house)
Nova Twins Pop-up show ft. Orisun (read my profile of Orisun in Block Club here) at Cobra Lounge (hardcore/punk fusion)
Braid Records presents Ron Morelli (L.I.E.S Records), Justin Aulis Long, Clarissa and Lorelei, location TBA (leftfield)
May 18: Mors Vitque / Gates of Dawn / Sorrow at Cole’s Bar (dark ambient)
May 23: Entropic presents Operator, Shanti and Josh Tong at Smartbar (techno)
May 25: Music Time with Friends v. Tommy Kladis, C. DiCero (Conflict Bureau) and others at the Native
North America Tours
Holly Humberstone, Now - May 29 (indie singer-songwriter)
Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Now - May 25 (emo synth-pop)
Teenage Fanclub, Now - May 18 (indie rock)
Ty Segall (potentially my long-lost cousin? unclear), Now - May 11 (garage rock)
Donny Benét (funk fusion), Now - May 18
Hermanos Gutierrez (Latin/Western instrumental), Now - May 18
Chastity Belt (indie rock/pop), Now - May 12
Olive Klug (indie folk), Now - May 17
Sam Evian (soft indie rock), Now - May 26
The Messthetics (experimental jazz/punk ft. Fugazi’s Brandon Canty and Joe Lally), May 6 - 19
Buck Meek (of Big Thief, indie folk), May 16-31
Mount Kimbie (electronica / indie rock), May 17-29
Another Michael (indie folk rock), May 15 - June 4
Swans (experimental), May 5-18
Cathedral Bells (shoegaze), Now - May 18
The Chisel (English punk), May 5-17
RIDE (OG shoegaze), May 8 - 25
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets (grunge / psych rock), Now - May 31
DRAIN (hardcore), Now - June 27
That’s all folks! Happy listening and enjoy the sunshine.