By Dana Getz
On Wednesday night’s concert at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, psych pop solo act Youth Lagoon let his music do the talking. The 24-year-old singer/producer—otherwise known as Trevor Powers—shied away from the small venue’s typically intimate setting, opting for a shadowy show with minimal conversation.
By Dana Getz
Manic Focus is not your typical EDM producer. Rather than lean toward the pop-laced, big anthem club tracks as so many producers before him, the young up-and-comer boasts a more laidback sound, accenting synth-laden tracks with subtle funk, hip-hop flavor, and hoards of dubbed-out bass.
By Dana Getz
Known for its deep pocket, authentic groove and explosive live shows that stretch late into the night, Chicago-based six-piece The Heard is bring legendary funk alive in the present day. The funk aficionados combine smooth horn, soulful keyboards, hard-hitting percussion and chicken-scratch rhythm guitar into groovy yet danceable beats, putting on a sweat-drenched show every Thursday at aliveOne.
By Dana Getz
With a signature pair of oversized heart-shaped glasses and an afro rivaling that of Jimi Hendrix, Earl Scioneaux III is hard to miss. Born and bred in New Orleans, the sound engineer/producer/performer has been turning heads from an early age.
By Dana Getz
Jamie Lono sits casually at a worn, wooden picnic table in Chicago’s Union Park, gratefully twisting the cap from a coconut water as he relieves his throat from the hot summer day. His floppy red hair is covered by a backwards baseball cap, and the beginnings of a sunburn span across his fair-skinned cheeks. Dressed in a simple, striped T-shirt, Lono looks like any other young passerby, his unassuming nature deceiving to those unfamiliar with his face. But Lono is more than meets the eye.
By Dana Getz
Despite torrential downpour and severe thunderstorms, festivalgoers raged on at Chicago’s North Coast Music Festival last weekend. Nicknamed “Summer’s Last Stand,” the three-day fest is held annually in Union Park over Labor Day weekend. Though relatively new to the festival scene, North Coast has gained notable traction in its four-year period, drawing in thousands of scantily clad teens and twenty-somethings eager to celebrate their final weekend of freedom.
By Dana Getz
A live-wired soul band straight from the heart of L.A., Vintage Trouble knows how to get down and dirty with rock ‘n’ roll. The funky four-piece has been gaining major attention for their raw, retro-inspired sound and electric live shows, landing them opening slots for high profile acts like Lenny Kravitz, Bon Jovi, The Who and The Rolling Stones.
By Dana Getz
The adolescent years of Russel Llantino’s life read more like a lifetime. At the age of 19, Llantino has garnered a fan base of over 250,000 people, toured across Canada with J. Cole and performed in front of thousands of fans at Lollapalooza, all the while supporting his mother in her fight against cancer. The Canadian native shrugs it off, insisting his expedited childhood simply came with the territory.
By Dana Getz
Much like their club banging electro dance tracks, Los Angeles-based trio Krewella has been hitting the EDM scene hard since their debut single “Alive” topped charts earlier this year. Their anthemic pop–meets-all-things-electronic sound brought them instant acclaim, launching them from warehouse scene staple to “Best Breakthrough Artist” of the 2012 International Dance Music Awards.
By Dana Getz
Some kids get their parents’ eyes, others their sense of humor and knack for entertaining. Bruce and Erica Driscoll, however, inherited something of a different genetic variety: a musical ability that landed them a slot recording in a big shot NYC studio, launched their single to number one on the iTunes alternative chart and earned them the soundtrack for the 2012 Honda Civic commercial.