chicago Archives - Backseat Mafia

Album Review : Blue Earth Sound – ‘The St.Louis Sessions’: Keeping their cinematic soul-jazz fresh and funky.

Blue Earth Sound, a shifting collective which revolves around composer/multi-instrumentalist James Weir, produced one of last year’s surprise album’s ‘Cicero Nights’. It gave Cinematic Jazz a fresh complexion, ruffling the…

View Post

View Post

Album Review: Pan•American – ‘Fly The Ocean In A Silver Plane’: An intricate set of guitar blessed ambience which steer the emotions.

It’s sobering to think that Mark Nelson aka Pan•American has been diligently considering and creating musical radiance for over twenty-five years now. Guitarist, vocalist and founder member of post-rock, ambient…

View Post

View Post

Album Review: Blue Earth Sound – ‘Cicero Nights’: Beaming out of Chicago, a fresh and funky take on the smoother side of jazz.

Now here’s a refreshing take on Cinematic Jazz, an album which thrives on the musicians’ interaction rather than the overall widescreen vibe, on the chemistry fizzing between instruments rather than…

View Post

View Post

Music

News: Chicagoans Pretoria return with new EP If We’re Pretending

Building off a trio of singles released last year, the Michigan-formed and Illinois-based quartet Pretoria‘s new EP takes a sideways look at upping sticks to chase a new dream, which…

View Post

View Post

Album Review: The majestic Horsegirl unveil their stunning masterpiece ‘Phonetics On And On’, ahead of US. UK and European tour.

At the risk of using superlatives so early in a review, I haven’t got this excited about a band since I heard the first single from Fontaines D.C.. Originally from…

View Post

View Post

Track: The inimitable Horsegirl ‘Switch Over’ with another über cool laconic delivery ahead of album release and tour.

New York-based Chicago trio Horsegirl today releases the laconic and über cool single ‘Switch Over’ ahead of their second album ‘Phonetics On and On’ which is out next month. It’s been…

View Post

View Post

News: The majestic Horsegirl announce new album and grace us with the fabulously louche single ‘2468’

A lot has been happening to Chicago’s enigmatic Horsegirl since the release of their stunning debut ‘Versions of Modern Performance’ back in 2022 – of which I said in my…

View Post

View Post

Live Review: Marika Hackman / Oyeme / Art School Girlfriend – Sleeping Village, Chicago 05.10.2024

Review and Photos by Victoria Wai 21 packed-out and sold-out venues for a North American tour celebrating the album Big Sigh were all wrapped up for Marika Hackman with a final sold-out…

View Post

View Post

Premiere: Burr Oak stun with emotionally poignant and surprisingly heavy ‘Annabelle’

There’s a moment, about two-and-a-half minutes into the title track from Burr Oak‘s new EP, where everything drops out except a nervous, agitated guitar line—then, chaos and an almighty musical…

View Post

View Post

News

News: Local H share remastered ‘P.J. Soles’ from forthcoming reissue

Chicago pair Local H are celebrating a pair of important anniversaries this year. Not only is it the band’s 30th year in existence (with their most recent record being early-pandemic…

View Post

Pages