Filed under: Feature, Reviews | Tags: A Place To Bury Strangers, Alarm, art, Chicago, Music, Myopic Books, Quimby's, Wittner, zine
A couple weeks ago a puppy wearing Wittner boots approached me carrying a twenty dollar bill in its mouth. Not really. But something almost as awesome happened – I stumbled upon a free copy of Chicago’s quarterly zine, Alarm.
Ranging from self-taught photographers to the loudest band in New York (that’s A Place To Bury Strangers, in case you were wondering), this zine covers underground art in a thorough, wide-ranged, must-have-more kind of way.
Claiming to do one thing, very well, Alarm publishes the “best new music and art.” But I’ll let an excerpt from their website explain it -
ALARM’s pages are filled with an eclectic range of musicians (Brooklyn rappers, Polish folk bands, Japanese pop singers, Chinese punk bands), visual artists (California graffiti artists, train-hopping hobo craftsmen, Hopi katsina artists), and underground fashion, books, toys, and electronic media.
Our readers are as diverse as our editorial staff, from college students, urban hipsters, new and seasoned artists alike, indie record label owners, CEOs, museum curators, and on and on. If you haven’t been reading ALARM, you’re missing one of the best music & art magazines in the country.
Do your ever-indie-seeking mind a favor and check it out. Having a 225 page book filled with artists of your time is something you can keep forever, making it worth the $18/issue ($5/issue with a two year subscription). It also makes for an interesting little coffee table book.
You can subscribe to Alarm online, or peruse its content at your local book store (in Chicago, see: Myopic Books or Quimby’s).
Filed under: Feature, Reviews | Tags: Alternative Rock, Dark Wave Disco, Electronic Rock, Harry James Management, Hip Hop, Kill Hannah, Music, Sanction Language, The Outfitters, Wicker Park
Currently Listening To: Sanction Language – Chicapolis Now
When I attained my publicity internship at Victory Records in early May, the next plan of action was to secure an apartment. My only requisition being that its location be easily accessible to get to work, I hit up the Facebook Marketplace like it was nobody’s business. When I was lucky enough to come across a 2-bedroom sublease from a lovely man named Rahul, I took it with relief.
Little did I know this apartment was located in Wicker Park, a neighborhood known for its music savvy residents.
The first neighbor to welcome me to the neighborhood was a hip-hop producing artist and vocalist from the fourth floor named Ron. A Chicago native, this well put together guy was quick to fill me in on his endeavors and show me around his apartment, which was filled with recording equipment accompanied with a chess set, set to the side for nights he needed to get his thoughts together.
Ron, who goes by the name “Veza” in his group Sanction Language, was kind enough to give me a copy of his latest CD, Chicapolis (Ski-ka-polis) Now. Mind you, I am not usually a huge hip hop fan, however, I do enjoy thoughtfully generated music regardless of genre when approached with it. The album offers vocals, beats and clips I have never heard anything like before, and provides relevant lyrics to those in ‘cago and cities nation wide. To check out Sanction Language, or their producer The Outfitters (which Ron is also very much a part of), visit www.theoutfittersmusic.com.
In passing conversation, Ron had mentioned an alternative band who lived next door to us. In an unrelated passing conversation about a cat with the band’s bassist Greg, I found that he was referring to the 15-year old international alternive band, Kill Hannah. I had never heard their music before, but checked out their single, Kennedy, which was featured on One Tree Hill a few years back. In short, it was great– dancy and catchy. If you haven’t checked them out yet, I suggest you do so.
And if you’re not into hip hop or alternative rock, techno may be your cup-o-tea? If that’s the case, check out Kill Hannah’s bassist’s side project Dark Wave Disco, which include three of Chicago’s most well-known DJs. They can promise no Michael Jackson, no country music and a good time.
In short, living in Wicker Park has proved an entertaining supplement to my 10 to 4 life at Victory Records.
