ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Shea Salisbury

Based out of Austin, Texas, Shea Salisbury stands out with an impeccable knack for storytelling through her lyrics. Salisbury’s musical stylings fall all across the board, dabbling in folk, soul, and even alt-country. Although she just started releasing music in 2019, there’s already a diverse catalog of singles built up on Spotify, and just last month, Salisbury released a debut EP called Making My Way Back. As a relatively new project, there’s not too much other information out there about Salisbury just yet, but her songs are definitely worth a listen.

Stay tuned for more new music from Salisbury by following her on Instagram and tune into “Messy Life” and “Somehow I’m Happy” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Cheekface

What would happen if our government was overthrown in favor of an anarchist utopia? The “green juice” at 7-11 would be free. Or at least that’s what we can gather from Cheekface’s ‘Dry Heat/Nice Town’. The track was written after co-writers Greg Katz and Amanda Tannen attended a Women’s March and takes a sardonic approach to our dystopian present. Where many bands might fail in discussing politics, creating something overtly dark or ham-fisted, Cheekface’s approach is bright and witty. If anything the trio are charming, Katz deadpanning his way through their 2019 album Therapy Island. Think if Lou Reed had a pop-y jaunt and a fear of late stage capitalism. Cheerful as ever the band list everything that is Cancelled™ (eyesight, memory, feelings, and Chipotle) on ‘Eternity Leave’ and give an anthem to the hand-wringers and over-apologizers of the world on ‘I Only Say I’m Sorry When I’m Wrong Now’. With Tannen’s steady yet upbeat bass lines and Mark Edwards’ bobbing drums the band are somehow impossibly catchy and incredibly anxious. Cheekface are cockeyed narrators, clever observers taking note of all things tragic and absurd.

Listen to “Glendale” and “Dry Heat/Nice Town” below, and keep up with Cheekface on Instagram.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: V.V. Lightbody

Today’s spotlight shines on V.V. Lightbody, the project of Chicago musician and songwriter Vivian McConnell. Although technically a solo project of McConnell, V.V. Lightbody embodies the collaborative nature of the Chicago music scene and delivers layered and complex arrangements consisting of strings, flutes, Farfisa, and saxophones (in addition to your standard instrumentation).

Today, McConnell shares the news of her sophomore album called Make a Shrine or Burn It, out May 1st, 2020 on Acrophase Records, and the record features strings section arrangements by Macie Stewart of OHMME and was engineered by Dave Vettraino (Lala Lala, Makaya McCraven, Deeper). To accompany the announcement of the album, V.V. Lightbody also released the brand new single “If It’s Not Me” today. McConnell calls the track her anti-jealousy anthem— “It’s about not hating the future partner of your current partner. Feeling happy for an ex, although not always easy, feels healthy and mature to me, especially when you aren’t ready to commit. There’s no need to be possessive,” she says.

Be sure to tune into “If It’s Not Me” and “Car Alarm” below, and catch V.V. Lightbody on tour throughout the spring.

TOUR DATES:

March 14 - Chicago, IL @ Hideout
March 15 - St Louis, MO @ House show
March 16 - Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone Cafe
March 18-21 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
March 22 - Hot Springs, AR @ Valley of the Vapors Festival
April 1 - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
April 2 - Madison, WI @ Communication
April 3 - Ashland, WI @ Ashland Folk Festival

May 7 - Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary
May 8 - Toronto, ON @ Burdock Music Hall
May 9 - Montreal, QC @ Case del Popolo
May 10 - Burlington, VT @ The Lamp Shop
May 13 - New York, NY @ Trans Pecos
May 16 - Washington, DC @ Vinyl Lounge
May 17 - Raleigh, NC @ Neptune’s Parlour
May 18 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
May 19 - Nashville, TN @ Drkmttr
May 20 - Louisville, KY @ Kaiju
May 21 - Bloomington, IN @ The Blockhouse
May 22 - Champaign, IL @ Rose Bow
May 23 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village 

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Yaasss

You know those bands that you keep hearing great things about but haven’t yet had a chance to see for yourself? Well up until this past weekend, Brooklyn-based Yaasss fell into that category for me. Fortunately, I had my opportunity to catch them performing at the second Pazzi Prom at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn while I was in NYC over the long weekend.

The band calls themselves “Falafel Rock,” but their style encompasses so many great elements of an array of genres— Their stage presence presents itself with the flair of glam rock, and their rambunctious sound pulls from psych and surf rock to make for an unforgettable, energetic performance. So far Yaasss has released a handful of singles, including the most recent, “Banger,” in early 2019. Here’s to hoping we get even more bangers from them in 2020.

Keep up with Yaasss on Instagram, and check out their full live performance on RBBC Radio below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: GRLwood

GRLwood are a scathing two piece out of Louisville, Kentucky that surge with a blend of pop and screamo. Rej Forester’s vocals blaze through each track while Karen Ledfordignited’s drums punctuate each statement. Searing and urgent, the pair reclaim the aggression that often ousts young queer people from mainstream society. The two can go from angsty to raging in a matter of seconds, critiquing not only the adults around them but the binary systems they operate inside of (on ‘I Hate My Mom’ slurring “why can’t you just fuck boys like a normal girl would?”). Often turning characters on their head for wry commentary (see track ‘Vaccines Made Me Gay’), their dark humor makes for something powerful and unapologetic.

Tune into GRLwood’s Audiotree session and their song “Bisexual” below, and keep up with them on Instagram.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: FOURS

You know those songs that sound like driving around on a summer day with the windows down? Well, FOURS’ most popular single “Fade to Love” has that exact vibe thanks to its infectiously happy melody and lead singer Edith Violet’s emotive and distinct vocals.

The four-piece from London built up a catalog of singles throughout the last few years, and every song of theirs features a pop hook surrounded by an alternative edge that makes their sound unforgettable. To follow up a double single “Late Replies” and “Last Summer” from August of 2019, FOURS just announced their highly anticipated debut album Soak comes out March 27th. If you’re always looking for some feel-good tunes to boost your mood, make sure to add FOURS to your rotation. You can listen to “Fade to Love” and “Late Replies” below, and sign up to preorder the new album here.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Lia Ices

Music has always been my number one source of escapism, but finding sanctuary in the world of films comes in at a close second. Naturally, movie soundtracks provide a way to combine both of those passions for me. In the last year, the film Booksmart had one of my favorite soundtracks in recent memories and it included some artists I was already familiar with— However the song that really caught my attention during an integral scene of the movie was “How We Are” by Lia Ices. Originally released in 2014, the track got new life with this soundtrack feature and turned me into a fan of the singer-songwriter. Following the gradual build up of a layered instrumental introduction, Lia Ices’ ethereal vocals kick in.

It’s those ethereal and doubled vocals and a unique production style that explores avant-garde territory that set Lia Ices apart as a visionary artist. So far, Lia Ices has released three studio albums between 2008 and 2014, but she returned with single “Waves 2” in the summer of 2019 and has stated on social media that there’s a new record on the way. Tune into “How We Are” and “Daphne” and keep up with Lia Ices on Instagram for all the latest updates.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Uma Bloo

Started in 2016, the Chicago-based project Uma Bloo embodies the evocative and moody narratives crafted by singer-songwriter Molly Madden. Throughout the last few years, Madden has played both solo and full-band shows as Uma Bloo, but regardless of the set up, Uma Bloo shows always feel like an immersive, theatrical experience because of Madden’s captivating stage presence.

While Uma Bloo’s discography currently comprises of just a handful of singles, 2020 looks promising for the release of the project’s first full-length album. Uma Bloo dropped their first single of the year just last week, titled “Marguerite’s Novels,” which you can listen to below. Make sure to follow Uma Bloo on Instagram for the all the latest news on upcoming music and shows, and you can also catch them live at Bloo Valentine this Friday.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Jack Garratt

I still remember how completely mesmerized I was the first time I heard “The Love You're Given” by Jack Garratt back in 2014. As an artist who writes, composes, produces, sings, and plays multiple instruments, there’s just no denying the amount of blood, sweat, and tears that Garratt puts into the work he creates, and that passion came across on all of his early singles and 2016 debut album Phase. The intricate production and thoughtful songwriting on that album connected with people around the world— enough so that Garratt played sold out tours, performed at major festivals and took home the 2016 Critics’ Choice Award at The Brit awards.

Following the album cycle for Phase, Garratt took the time to step back and make a sophomore album that didn’t compromise his complicated creative process. It took four years, but just last week Garratt announced his second album Love, Death & Dancing, and released Vol. 1 of the record, which includes the songs “Time,” “Mara,” and “Return Them To The One.” To say the least, the new songs are so powerful that the wait was definitely worth it. I’m excited to hear what the rest of the album has in store, and to hopefully see a US tour follow the album.

Garratt describes the album as “dance music for people who don’t want to go out,” and if that sounds relatable to you, make sure you pre-order the album here and listen to “Time” and “Surprise Yourself” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Kevin Garrett

Kevin Garrett is an artist I’ve been listening to since 2015—So when he released his highly anticipated debut album Hoax in March of 2019, the gratification was instant. In addition to garnering millions of streams on some of his singles like “Lit Bit of You” and “Stranglehold,” Garrett has also lent his songwriting chops to major artists, such as Beyonce (no big deal!)

Despite only having one album under his belt, Garrett consistently pushes out singles, and there’s a mesmerizing quality to his vocals that blissfully blends with his refreshing production style to hook listeners on each and every piece of music he’s released on his own. This past week, Garrett graced us with another new single called “Gone Again” which greets listeners with the lyrics “can we cut to the chase here?”—quite literally cutting right to the chase with no instrumental introduction. The song teases a new EP Made Up Lost Time, which will drop later this month on February 21st.

Tune into “Gone Again” and “Little Bit of You” below, and follow Garrett on Instagram for all the latest tour and music release updates.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Fran

As the project of songwriter and vocalist Maria Jacobson, Fran has quickly become an integral part of the Chicago music scene. Inspiration initially struck Jacobson when she was working as an actor at a summer repertory theatre in rural Indiana, and she taught herself to play guitar. She continued to play and write songs while teaching English in a small city in Mexico.

Eventually, Jacobson moved back to Chicago and found a band to perform with. Playing just about every local venue ranging from The Hideout to Thalia Hall, Fran has continued to connect with audiences thanks to Jacobson’s ability to illustrate her own narratives in a universal light that allows listeners to paint themselves into the plot lines. In 2019, Fran released a well-received debut album A Private Picture via Fire Talk Records to follow up the 2017 EP More Enough, and we can’t wait to hear more of Jacobson’s storytelling in the future.

2020 has already seen Fran on the lineup for Tomorrow Never Knows Festival, and they’ve got a couple of shows coming up in Chicago this month. Get your tickets to see Fran at The Empty Bottle tomorrow, February 7th, here and tune into “Company” and “So Surreal” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: The Format

There are a handful of bands I can confidently say changed my life and helped shape me into the person I am today through their music. The Format is without a doubt one of those bands—Ever since I went to see them play at a small theater in West Dundee, IL (RIP Clearwater Theater) when I was a teenager, I’ve been infatuated with going to see live music. The music crafted by founding members Nate Ruess and Sam Means was there for me during the lonely and confusing times I experienced towards the end of high school (I of course had “Give It Up” stuck in my head all day during graduation), so naturally I was heartbroken when they announced a hiatus exactly twelve years ago.

Although I’ve still continued to keep some of their songs in my rotation throughout the years, I have to admit I didn’t have much hope of the band ever reuniting. However, this week they made the shocking announcement that they’ll be playing a small reunion tour in Chicago, New York and Phoenix during March and April.

Before The Format takes the stage here in Chicago at Lincoln Hall for two nights, revisit their diverse catalog that spans two full-length records and handful of EPs. Start with “She Doesn’t Get It” and “Dog Problems” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: The Ophelias

At first impression The Ophelias sound like the result of an avant-garde school choir. But their youthful sound juxtaposes their more goth presence. Vocalist Spencer Peppet is delicate and reverberating, singing in warnings over a hopscotch drum and syncopating snares. Prone to writing in unique time signatures the band artfully deconstruct each instrument before rebuilding it with an added beauty and distortion. Sweeping and stealthy they stitch together something both innocent and insidious. Andrea Gutmann Fuentes’ violin undercuts most of their discography, adding an elegance to somewhat disturbing lyrics (“get stung by a talented wasp/we can hang out when you're out of the hospital”). On paper the Ophelias are gentle but in practice they’re a bit more menacing.

Keep up with The Ophelias on Instagram and listen to “General Electric” and “Lunar Rover” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: VIAL

When Vial released their infectious debut EP Grow Up last November they were bound to shake up their home base of Minneapolis. The band is frank, singing about following their therapist’s advice regarding breakups and calling out trust fund musicians. Their energy and honesty is impossible to dismiss. And they didn’t ask for your opinion anyways. The feisty four piece sing with a clear pop command, which works in perfect contrast to their gritty guitar tones; sweet yet serrated. They play with an intent that’s both defiant and fun. As both artists and activists Vial not only open the door but make way for us to enter with them. With bubbly harmonies and a grunge tinge Vial push fervently against a homogenous scene of entitled cis white men to make way for their own. And there is nothing more punk rock than that.

Listen to “Rough” and “Grow Up” below and keep up with the band on Instagram.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: BAMBARA

Founded in Georgia and now based in Brooklyn, Bambara is a band you need on your radar for 2020. The three piece formed by William Brookshire and twin brothers Reid and Blaze Bateh has been releasing music since 2010, and so far they have a few EPs and three studio albums under their belt.

Continuing to experiment and develop their style, Bambara will deliver their fourth studio album, Stray, on February 14th via Wharf Cat Records. You can pre-order the new record here, and be sure listen to singles “Heat Lightning” and “Serafina” below.

The group’s sound that blends elements of noise rock and post-punk has made them the perfect fit on tours with bands like IDLES and Girl Band. Bambara’s set that I caught at SXSW 2019 was easily one of the most memorable due to their intense, no-holds-barred approach to performing. They’ll be touring nationally throughout February and March before heading to the UK and Europe in support of the album, including a stop at Chicago’s Sleeping Village on February 28th. Make sure to keep up with the band on Instagram so you don’t miss any upcoming announcements.

PREMIERE: "Underwater/Outerspace" Music Video by Sugarpulp

Today we’re pleased to share the premiere of the brand new music video for “Underwater/Outerspace” by Chicago’s own Sugarpulp.

Translating their sound from audio to video was a challenge that inspired Sugarpulp and music video director, Kevin Pickman. But the main goal was to have some fun. “When the band and I started discussing the aesthetic, we wanted something that was visually eerie and psychedelic but also didn’t take itself too seriously,” said Pickman. “Our main goal was to have fun with costumes and science fiction tropes.” Sugarpulp singer Deb Chesterman agreed. “Building the costumes and the storyline was like being a kid again and putting on a play for your parents.” To help them play dress-up, Aro Farmilant created the set and costumes. “Dreaming this universe into existence with the group was definitely mind-altering…there’s an ether of infinite possibilities to Underwater/Outerspace.”  Developing a visual world with musical elements posed another challenge to the band’s process. “We all got to use our creativity in ways that don’t manifest directly into music,” said Chesterman. Pickman’s storyline supported this process by combining plot with aesthetic. “I incorporated an idea my brother and I created for a graphic novel: a heartbroken woman travels to another dimension to steal the identity of her parallel self to continue a relationship she had lost.” In the world of Sugarpulp, anything is possible.

Get your first look at the music video below, and keep up with Sugarpulp on Facebook // Twitter // Instagram. The band will also be hosting a release show for the music video at Demons on Damen this Friday, January 31st-details here.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Ásgeir

I first saw Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir way back in 2015, when he was touring with Hozier as a support act. Since then, I’ve always made it a point to try to catch him whenever he’s in town because his live shows are equally as captivating and enchanting as his records. Combining folk roots with electronic beats, Ásgeir crafts catchy ear-worms that will stick with you long after you’ve finished listening.

2020 brings the songwriter’s fourth studio album, Bury The Moon, which is set to be released February 7th. Along with the new music, Ásgeir has a world-wide tour booked, including a stop at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall on March 18th.

Tune into “Unbound” and “Pictures” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Dry Cleaning

As someone who loves to partake in karaoke, the story behind Dry Cleaning’s formation immediately caught my attention. The group from London, England first met years ago as friends but only started creating music together in 2017, when inspiration hit them at a karaoke party. The post-punk meets lo-fi new wave quartet eventually started playing shows and released their debut EP “Sweet Princess” in August 2019. Dry Cleaning quickly followed up with their sophomore EP, titled “Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks.”

2020 will see the band touring around the UK and a handful of U.S. dates, including a stop at SXSW Festival. Tune into “Magic of Meghan” and “Viking Hair” below, and be sure to follow Dry Cleaning for all their latest tour and music updates!

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: CHAI

CHAI captivated my heart (and the hearts of many music fans in Chicago) when they performed at Pitchfork Music Festival this past summer, radiating infectious positive energy and donning matching outfits. They performed songs from their 2019 album PUNK, as well as their 2017 debut album Pink— the former of which garnered international attention.

I was lucky enough to catch them again at Iceland Airwaves Fest back in November, but this week the Japanese four-piece are back in Chicago performing not once, but twice. If you missed out on CHAI’s sold out headline gig at the Empty Bottle on Saturday, hopefully you snagged tickets to see them with Whitney at SPACE on Tuesday night.

Check out “N.E.O.” and “Fashionista” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Day: Babeheaven

We’re now less than two months away from SXSW Festival 2020, and one of my must-sees this year is definitely West London’s Babeheaven. The dreamy and whimsical sounds of Babeheaven come from vocalist Nancy Andersen and keys player Jamie Travis, who have already hooked hundreds of thousands of Spotify listeners with mellow melodies and silky smooth harmonies on tracks like “Seabird” and “November.”

After releasing debut double single “Heaven/ Friday Sky,” Babeheaven has also graced us with EPs Circles and Suspended Animation, the latter of which was just released towards the end of 2019. The music released so far has given me goosebumps too many times to count, so I can’t wait for the day they have a debut album out. Check out some of their singles below, and make sure to follow them for all the latest updates on tour and new music!