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.

See eye to eye with the same face

As expected, Washed Out was excellent at the Riviera Theater last night. Even without a proper sound check, Ernest Greene's ensemble adeptly played a selection of their more upbeat songs, drawn from both of his albums and some unrecorded material, and the dance-ability of their pioneering glo-fi style became even more apparent with a real drum set and guitars.

And naturally, the Aussie dance-rockers Cut Copy brought down the packed house, sounding every bit as catchy and brilliant as we have come to expect. They played an excellent balance of new and old songs, effectively promoting their wonderful summer release but not leaving out anyone's favorites from their previous albums. They will be on the road a while longer, so catch them coming through your town while they are still stateside.

Today's emerging act is another group of young and talented Chicagoans, born and raised. The four-piece YAWN started in high school and has been playing its unique brand of synthrock for the last couple years, first releasing an eponymous EP in July 2010 (which is still available for FREE on their website) in order to get their name out, and building up to the release of their full LP Open Season a couple weeks ago on August 30. At first listen, they could easily be Animal Collective's little brother; but apart from lead singer Adam Gil's synthesized vocals remarkably emulating Avey Tare's, YAWN is entirely their own creation, and the similarities quickly become superficial in light of the varied samples and driving beats that characterize their accessible sound. Psychedelic in the best possible way, the deep layers of each track beckon one to listen more closely every time, and the members combine electronic elements to create a sound much more mature than their years. Pump it:

YAWN - Magician by Sound Thinking

YAWN - Indigo by Sound Thinking

They also happen to be playing here in their hometown on September 30 at Metro, opening for Mates of State along with Suckers. Get your tickets NOW.

A Brave New World

Having recently moved across the country from Los Angeles to Chicago for graduate school and finding myself supplied with an uncustomary amount of free time, I decided to begin sharing one of my greatest passions with the world and create an amateur music blog of sorts. Music is one of the greatest uniting products of humankind, as it reaches across lingual, cultural, geographical, political, and generational gaps. Music makes us feel better, feel worse, feel excited, feel angry, feel alive. I, like many of you, spend a significant portion of my life exploring and discovering excellent new music, much of which never makes it off the ground for lack of recognition. This trifling attempt to remedy the situation is my small contribution to the beautifully uplifting universe of music.

For my first recommendation, I find it appropriate to pass on an up-and-coming band that is starting to make a big splash in the world of "indietronica" this summer alongside leading acts à la Yeasayer, Animal Collective, etc. Hooray for Earth is a four-man group originally from Boston, masterminded by singer and producer Noel Heroux. They often collaborate with the Zambri sisters in New York City, with wonderfully harmonious results. After a commendable effort on the MOMO EP in June 2010, they released the marvelous full-length True Loves this past June 2011. Check out these two tracks:

Hooray for Earth - True Loves by memphisindustries

Hooray For Earth - No Love by luzguz07

They are coming through Chicago on October 21, playing with Cymbals Eat Guitars at Lincoln Hall. Get your tickets NOW.