The red glow of a star on fire

Hooray for Earth rocked Lincoln Hall last weekend, despite some serious sound check issues and what seemed an awful lot like a blown amp. Regrettably, the Zambri sisters were not along for the tour, but the boys still pulled off a bit of their signature harmonization with the expected infectiously catchy beats.

When adrift in a sea of mediocre indie rock bands, it is always refreshing to find one that can truly be identified as unique. Brooklyn-based Milagres have confidently taken up this flag of uniqueness on last month's LP Glowing Mouth, with a sound that coveys much more confidence and awareness than would be expected of such a constantly developing act. When asked about their sound, they merely replied, "Milagres is Milagres." With pleasantly lucid vocals in a time of trendy lo-fidelity, this interesting sophomore album truly defines "Milagres" within the emerging music scene. After a moderately notable first LP, they have capitalized upon the best aspects of their music, namely the pop-inspired tempos and captivating synth/instrumental arrangements, and created a collection of tracks that present something identifiably new in the genre. Check it out:

Here To Stay by Milagres by rippleent

Glowing Mouth ( Radio Edit) by Milagres

They happen to be playing in town this Thursday, November 3 at Beat Kitchen, so get your tickets NOW.

We’re quite not a raging winter

Gardens & Villa rocked the Empty Bottle last Friday, exceeding my expectations for such a young band. Known for always playing live (even in studio), these guys have a natural talent for getting the crowd moving and they will definitely continue to gain notoriety, so catch them while they are still playing small venues.

As a Los Angeles expatriate, I generally don't have much taste for the glitzy glam rock that seems to emanate from Southern California, but occasionally there is a unique group that breaks that mold and deserves some attention. Fool's Gold is one such band, and their sound is definitely unique enough to qualify. The blend of Caribbean/Afrobeats and indie dance riffs provides a solid rhythmic framework for Luke Top's crooning vocals, and the combination is simultaneously catchy and deep enough to fill a stadium (or your best circumaural headphones). After their self-titled debut LP release in 2009, which employed mainly Hebrew lyrics, they tightened up their sound and moved on to a more accessible style and primarily English vocalization (with just an occasional verse or two in a Hebrew) for this August's release of their stellar sophomore album, Leave No Trace. I dare you not to tap your toes and nod your head to these:

Fool's Gold - Street Clothes by iamsoundrecords

Fool's Gold - Wild Window by iamsoundrecords

Wearing masks and beating war drums won't equip us for these jungles

Fleet Foxes played two sold out shows at the Chicago Theater this weekend, and naturally they didn't disappoint. It was hands down one of the best performances I have ever seen; everyone should experience their incredible talent at some point in their lives. Why not catch them on this tour?

Today's emerging act is based in Grand Rapids, although they originally began working together in (surprise, surprise!) Chicago. Stepdad is a creative and energetic synthpop outfit that seems to have a strange obsession with wild animal themes, in both lyrics and attire. Characterized by catchy electronic beats and bouncing falsettos, Stepdad's sound is more than enough evidence that these guys just want to have fun--and make some infectious indie pop while doing it. They first released their Ordinaire EP on their bandcamp site last April, but it received so much attention that they were signed by Quite Scientific records and rereleased the EP last month with two additional (and excellent) bonus tracks. While some of the songs on the EP are just a little too pleasant and poppy, there are enough standouts to make it worth following these guys. Give these two highlights a listen:

Jungles by stepdadmusic

My Leather, My Fur, My Nails by stepdadmusic

They happen to be playing in Chicago on October 14, opening for Rubblebucket at the Double Door, so get your tickets NOW and start bouncing.