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Singer-songwriter Gia Margaret shifts focus to instrumental ambient for Mia Gargaret

Chicago singer-songwriter Gia Margaret makes what she calls “sleep rock.” Its mellow vibes make it well-suited for early-morning or late-night listening, while its catchy melodies and driving beats can get heads nodding—albeit gently. Margaret’s 2018 debut full-length, There’s Always Glimmer, creates inviting atmospheres with crisp production and varied instrumentation: Margaret’s double-tracked vocals glow amid a […]

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Brooklyn-based saxophone and drum duo meld composition and improvisation seamlessly

Saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and drummer Tom Rainey have been married to each other since 2010 and playing together since 2007, working as a duo as well as within larger ensembles, where they’ve collaborated with avant-garde jazz musicians such as Tim Berne and Mary Halvorson. Though the duo initially focused on improvisational music, a 2016 tour […]

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Andrew Bird resumes his cozy Gezelligheid church shows with bittersweet holiday cheer

Winter can be a stressful time, especially around the holidays, but Andrew Bird’s annual string of hometown shows at Fourth Presbyterian Church, which he’s christened “Gezelligheid” after the Dutch word for conviviality or coziness, have the potential to temporarily melt away seasonal anxieties. The multi-instrumentalist and songwriter has played in many settings throughout his illustrious […]

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Boston singer-songwriter Sidney Gish confronts the complexity of life with stripped-down music

Few emerging songwriters have captivated me in quite the same way as Boston’s Sidney Gish. On her breakout album, 2017’s No Dogs Allowed, she confronts her life experience with wit and fun, using self-aware lyrics and refined layers of guitars, vocals, and drums. The record—whose goofy, surrealistic cover prominently displays the Microsoft Paint toolbar—comes following […]

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Why? and the Meat Puppets bring their disparate sounds to the eclectic Do Division lineup

Weeks before the official start of summer, Do Division helps Chicago kick off music-festival season. Empty Bottle Presents and Subterranean programmed its East and West stages, respectively, with a lively mix of bands and DJs from Friday night through Sunday evening. Among this year’s notable acts are two groups that have recently celebrated career milestones: […]

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Avey Tare blends nostalgia and the wisdom of age on Cows on Hourglass Pond

Visual art and multimedia forays, including—album covers, music videos, merch designs, stage productions—are a big part of Animal Collective’s distinct flavor, so it makes sense that for his new solo album, Cows on Hourglass Pond, core member Avey Tare (the pseudonym of David Michael Portner) would incorporate some extramusical creative flourishes. By the album’s release […]

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Jazz quartet Black Diamond debut their new album at eclectic show Zoetic

Black Diamond recorded their brand-new album, Chant (Shifting Paradigm), during a five-week residency at beloved Logan Square venue the Whistler. But rather than host a traditional release show, the two-tenor-saxophone quartet, co-led by Artie Black and Hunter Diamond, are taking part in a multidisciplinary event called Zoetic: A Celebration of Visual, Aural, and Botanic Art. […]

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Three of today’s brightest new songwriters team up for a tour, and some collaborative tunes

Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus are three singer-songwriters who have each made an impact in the music world in just the past couple of years, particularly with their recent solo releases Turn Out the Lights, Stranger in the Alps, and Historian, respectively. While Baker’s instrumentals—usually sparse figures on a chordal instrument—are mellow and […]

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Experimental Sound Studios brings together a duo of improvising giants

Lou Mallozzi and Douglas Ewart are both seasoned interdisciplinary artists who approach sound and music from a multitude of perspectives. Mallozzi, who founded Experimental Sound Studios (ESS) over 30 years ago, most recently exhibited a site-specific installation at gallery Sector 2337 that’s composed of two works, one of which involves sound and its interaction in […]