It’s Bandcamp Friday, and Reader senior writer Leor Galil has regularly compiled lists for us of Reader-recommended music available for download on Bandcamp—check out one of the latest lists here. Bandcamp Fridays allow the artists and labels on the platform to receive a larger percentage of the money earned through sales, so it’s a great […]
Tag: Jordan Reyes
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Halloween is over, but we still have Bandcamp Friday
If you perk up when you hear the phrase “Bandcamp Friday,” then you probably already know that its 25th iteration arrives November 4. For 24 hours, the digital retailer passes along its usual share of sales revenue to the independent artists and labels whose work has made the platform such a success. (Epic Games purchased […]
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Jordan Reyes explores Zen at the release show for his album Everything Is Always
Experimental musician Jordan Reyes has dipped his fingers into many genres. His early works display his devotion to the modular synth, but he’s increasingly branched out in unpredictable directions, like flood waters overflowing a creek. The Chicago-based musician (and occasional Reader contributor) delved into dark ambient on 2020’s Fairchild Soundtrack + Border Land (a score […]
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Saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi brings his shape-shifting sound to Chicago for the first time
Identity, versatility, and productivity intertwine in the music of Patrick Shiroishi. Best known as an alto saxophonist, the Los Angeles-based musician plays five different saxophones, guitar, and keyboards. His ever-growing discography includes 65 album-length releases with his name on the cover, and that number balloons to more than 100 if you count records where he’s […]
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Guitarist Eli Winter taps into Chicago’s musical resources
People pick their college for a lot of reasons beyond education. In Eli Winter’s case, one of the factors that persuaded him to choose the University of Chicago was the chance to engage with the city’s music scene. While growing up in Houston, Texas, the guitarist was particularly drawn to the way Chicago musicians from […]
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Chicago’s DIY rock scene mourns Alejandro Morales
With his generous spirit and boundless enthusiasm, Running drummer Alejandro Morales was the beating heart of a vibrant community.
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Bandcamp Friday > Black Friday
Bandcamp Friday lets you be sure that basically all your money will reach the people who made what you’re buying.
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Jordan Reyes blends ritual, electronics, and western vibes on Sand Like Stardust
From the first wordless vocal incantation on “The Pre-Dawn Light,” which opens Jordan Reyes’s new Sand Like Stardust, it’s clear you’re about to embark on an auditory vision quest; as the Chicago multi-instrumentalist and vocalist slowly adds layers of chants at different pitches, the sound evokes a sunrise ritual. In the album’s promotional materials, Reyes […]
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Annihilus uses black metal’s powers for good
Inspired by comic books and science fiction, the new Annihilus album Ghanima proves that negative emotions can draw people together, not just drive wedges between them.
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Why do indie musicians put up with penny payouts?
Streaming your favorite artists’ music is the least helpful way to support them. But they can’t abandon those platforms, because we won’t.
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Chicago industrial trio Civic Center streamline their surreal sound on The Ground Below
Local postpunk label Chicago Research quickly became a locus for bizarre, depraved sounds after launching in February 2019, in part because the people involved are longtime friends as well as like-minded musicians. Industrial surrealists Civic Center put out one of the label’s first releases (a cassette called A Place for the Weak), and all three […]
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Chicago postpunk gets its Wu-Tang Clan
Local label Chicago Research has built a powerful, tight-knit collective of dark underground rock and electronic artists.
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A cosmic crossword on the gig poster of the week
This week’s featured gig poster was created by Minnesota-based illustrator Shawn Reed.
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Forest Management drops an ambient record made from Debussy vinyl
Forest Management drops an ambient record made from Debussy vinyl, the Chosen Few celebrate the legacy of Sauer’s with a Thanksgiving house and disco party, and more.
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It’s a minotaur murder party on the gig poster of the week
This week’s featured gig poster was designed by local artist and musician Jordan Reyes for his upcoming show at Cafe Mustache.