WITH SWEET HOME CHICAGO

For anybody still pining for the heyday of Britpop, it's gotta be a thrill to see the classic BLUR logo on a new LP in 2023. We're excited to say this one lives up to that promise & then some. Dropping 8 years after their comeback 'The Magic Whip' (which was v. good but mostly just had a "Thanks for your patience, here's more Blur" vibe), 'The Ballad of Darren' finds the lads sounding more charged than they have since pre- GORILLAZ. The uptempo numbers have a post-punk energy that suggests inspo from recent contemporaries like IDLES & FONTAINES DC, and the more mellow cuts are elegiac & wistful (a la recent ARCTIC MONKEYS), making the whole affair feel like a graceful comedown from those glory days as they again carve out a space for themselves in today's scene. You can finally pull 'Parklife' from your disc-changer - this'll do the trick just fine. RECOMMENDED!

This first record from Chicago rock quartet BNNY, who are led by singer Jess Viscius, is an album shrouded in grief following the death of Viscius' partner, the talented TREY GRUBER, in 2017. "Everything" contains material written both before and after 2017, with a gauzy, bedroom haze that seems to recall early ANGEL OLSEN and her scene compatriots DEHD serving to tell a story of love and loss. Produced by DEHD's Jason Balla, this is yet another exciting local release off the Fire Talk label!

This second record from Chicago's own Jess Viscius and BNNY is a turn around from the stark heartbreak of the band's debut with songs about love, lust and romance built on rich, gauzy arrangements that recall ALVVAYS, SNAIL MAIL and (for an older vintage) MAZZY STAR.

* THE BIG SLEEP * THE MALTESE FALCON * KEY LARGO * CASABLANCA

RECORDED LIVE AT CABARET METRO, CHICAGO FOURTH OF JULY 1995.

Anyone listening to music in 2008 is probably familiar with Bon Iver's "For Emma, Forever Ago." Justin Vernon's gentle mystery is in full swing once again with this four track collection of new music. Tracks vary from TV On The Radio inspired acoustic lullabies to the auto-tune, R&B song called "Woods" that rivals hip-hop's top charters Lil' Wayne and Kanye West. Ultimately, the Bon Iver project has evolved to include more that tugs on the heart-strings of listeners and inspire those fans of Animal Collective, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, or Band Of Horses. On JagJaguwar. RECOMMENDED! Vinyl versions of "Blood Bank" include a FREE download!

this is that Q101 song MOTHER MOTHER