But hooks, not radical originality, are the key to this kind of thing, and guitarists Mike McLaughlin (who also runs the local pop label Ginger) and especially Rob Schulz have sharp ones to spare. SWINGER The Walk (Ginger) I hear antecedents galore–from the Beatles to the Byrds, from early Squeeze to Matthew Sweet–in this succinct, handsome batch of classic power pop. The performances are extremely competent, but DeRosia’s newfound twang is plastic, the song structures are rote, and at least half the tunes contain some reference to drowning one’s sorrows in booze. LUSH BUDGETT Lush Budgett (Lush Budgett Productions) Singer Lisa DeRosia and guitarist Greg Schultz previously worked together in the forgettable mid-90s pop band Eden Deluxe, and despite tasteful, spot-on support from members of Saint Louis roots-rock paragons the Skeletons (whose Lou Whitney coproduced this debut), their take on country isn’t much more promising. On its second album this year (yet another is due in March) this rinky-dink version of Add N to (X) throws together wheezing analog-synth lines, stale breakbeats, workmanlike live drumming, and often cheesy, sometimes glaringly obvious samples (a flute lick from Eric Dolphy’s Out to Lunch, a vibe riff from Pet Sounds) with the finesse of an orangutan using a paint-by-numbers kit. His inevitable euphoric crescendos are hard to resist on this import-only compilation of recent singles–particularly on “House Inferno,” a clever appropriation of the roiling bass line from the Trammps classic “Disco Inferno.” This stuff is all geared to the dance floor, but it works just as well for boogying around the living room.ĮMPEROR PENGUIN Extreme Gaming (My Pal God) If there’s anything worse than a guitar-rock band that’s run out of ideas, it’s an electronic rock band that’s run out of ideas. Soul Electrica (Peacefrog) A huge presence on the Chicago house scene for most of this decade, Davis never lets his pounding four-on-the-floor rhythms or his penetrating electronic ornamentation overwhelm his beloved 70s funk bass and clarion soul samples. Repeated listening won’t turn up any further traces of the original six-string solos, but it will reveal Boyle’s impressive attention to detail and texture. JEREMY BOYLE Songs From the Guitar Solos (Southern) On his solo debut, Joan of Arc keyboardist Boyle manipulates hard-rock guitar wanking by Kiss, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix–a great idea, but the resulting ambient soundscapes are so amorphous the source material might as easily have been chirping crickets or humming refrigerators. The singer’s adenoidal quaver puts a glam edge on “Microstars Save the Day,” and the twin guitars that chug throughout most of the rest of the record strategically punctuate the more salacious details of a cover of Prince’s “Darling Nikki.” The album, recorded by Dave Trumfio, concludes with “Take Your Bow,” a surprisingly poignant farewell to the band’s longtime producer, Phil Bonnet, who died in February. Best of Chicago 2022: Sports & RecreationĪPOCALYPSE HOBOKEN Microstars (Kung Fu) The second album in eight years from these Fireside Bowl fixtures is an expansive take on punk rock, ranging from jackhammer aggression (“Pocketful of Lips”) to amped-up pop (“When’s Steve Coming Home”).Click here to join the Reader Membership Community today! Close
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