The final Bandcamp Friday of the year arrives December 2. I’ve made a habit of rounding up music recommendations from recent Reader stories for each Bandcamp Friday, and since this is the 26th one, I hope it’s redundant to explain that for a 24-hour period, Bandcamp passes along its usual share of sales revenue to […]
Tag: Meat Wave
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Meat Wave make postpunk big enough to swallow you whole on Malign Hex
In March, Meat Wave barreled through a pandemic-era dissection of the American labor market with the sardonic, sawtoothed “Honest Living,” laying bare the corrosive effects of depending for your survival on a morally bankrupt system that treats you like a disposable nobody. It’s an apt first single from their fourth full-length, October’s Malign Hex (Swami), […]
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Spooky season begins with another Bandcamp Friday
Since the pandemic arrived in the U.S. in March 2020, Bandcamp has declared 15 Bandcamp Fridays, so forgive me if I truncate my usual spiel. If you’ve somehow found this post without being aware of Bandcamp Friday, I’ll just say this: for 24 hours, the digital retailer passes along its usual share of revenue to […]
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Meat Wave cram a lot of noisy energy and emotion into six songs on Volcano Park
Chicago punk trio Meat Wave were planning on touring for much of 2020 to push a new LP, but COVID cleared their calendar and delayed their album (as it did for so many working bands). Rather than sit around and wait, the band hunkered down to write, record, and self-release an EP of new material […]
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Jonn Wallen of Oui Ennui marks his 17th post-COVID record with a live show
Jonn Wallen of Oui Ennui marks his 17th post-COVID record with a live show, the second Make Noise Myanmar comp rallies musicians against the military coup, and more.
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YouTube-famous Blue Line busker Ashley Stevenson drops her first studio album
YouTube-famous Blue Line busker Ashley Stevenson drops her first studio album, dirt-rock ragers Hitter release their debut full-length, and more.
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The best Chicago albums of the 2010s: the critics’ ballots
Here’s where to see who voted for what and how the points got divvied up.
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The best Chicago albums of the 2010s
The Reader polled dozens of critics to arrive at an absolutely indisputable ranked list of several hundred records that will definitely not start any arguments.
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Dusty Groove is selling off thousands of LPs for a dollar each
Dusty Groove sells off thousands of LPs for a dollar each, anonymous local dark-ambient producer Faithful drops a free EP, and more.
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Chicago punks Absolutely Not release a morbid, hilarious video for the brand-new ‘Bottom of the Pit’
“Bottom of the Pit” is the debut single from Absolutely Not’s first album as a four-piece, the forthcoming Problematic—they’ve added Chris Sutter from Meat Wave on second guitar.
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Guitarist and soul singer Isaiah Sharkey warms Chicago up for his next album
Guitarist and soul singer Isaiah Sharkey warms Chicago up for his next album, the Humboldt Park Orchestra celebrates five years with a tribute to women in salsa, and more.
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On their new split with Lifestyles, Meat Wave deliver more greatness
Everyone loves Meat Wave, and for good reason. The local trio have been hammering out some of the best punk rock that’s currently being made, and each of their three records has been better than its predecessor. On their newest release, a brand-new split 45 with local punks Lifestyles (out on No Trend Records), Meat […]
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Meat Wave bassist Joe Gac on possibly the world’s only family-friendly trap records
Current musical obsessions of Meat Wave bassist Joe Gac, Fckr Jr guitarist Ben Grigg, and Reader music listings wrangler Luca Cimarusti
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The Chicago Zine Fest celebrates publishing by the people
The Chicago Zine Fest celebrates publishing by the people, Bloodiest and Luggage play to benefit the Clinic Vest Project at Rainbo, and more.
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Stories from Chicago’s favorite rock ’n’ roll clusterfuck
Underground rock festival Ian’s Party is run mostly by volunteers, which helps it feel like a community instead of a branding exercise.