International Pop Overthrow - Chicago started this past Friday night at Montrose Saloon on the city’s north side and will continue at that venue through April 30. Most of the 60+ acts involved are from the Chicago area, although there are some out-of-state visitors. Tomorrow afternoon’s showcase is a prime example of how CFO/Founder David Bash strives to mix power pop with other genres when booking acts.
Chicago-based singer-songwriter Hanna Frank incorporates jazz, soul, and spoken word into her compositions. Her seven-inch 45 single “Comes Love” is available on her website. Catherine Tecktiel first came to IPO - Chicago via the impressive Magatha Trysty alt rock band, and now performs as a solo artist. The Chicago native is a powerful vocalist who creates piano-driven originals.The Midwest Theory, AKA singer-songwriter Chloé Steffens, performed with the bands This Side Up and Belmont Cross, before setting out on a solo career. The songs on her This Is Personal EP are spare but effective reflections set to acoustic guitar.
The Memphis-based Your Academy heralds, “The resurrection of Memphis power pop” and boasts members of The Scruffs, Dwight Twilley's band and crash into june. The quintet is particularly impressive on the energetic “Better Nature” on its 2021 self-titled debut. Chicago natives The Pickpockets are most notable for the inventive ways keyboards player Kiri Klawitter and guitarist Brian Baseggio twist their vocals around each other. Klawitter also handles vocals on her own, and the band’s indie rock songs are consistently energetic. Milwaukee singer-songwriter Nick Maas creates light and appealing songs like “For Your Love” and “No More” under the name Cabin Essence.
Sunday’s evening showcase kicks off with Packy Lundholm. The Chicago singer-songwriter recently released Volume 3 - Ten For Ten, as part of his ambitious Track Sabbath series of elaborate pop albums. Kansas City-based singer-guitarist Brent Windler offers easy-going songs such as “Around The Bend” on his debut album New Morning Howl. One of his recent gigs was a John Prine tribute show. Vee Sonnets and The Sonnets have been mixing “mod power pop glam punk garage soul blues in a blender” at their high energy shows for a number of years now. You can expect a wild time tomorrow night at Montrose Saloon.
The Walkdown’s lead-vocalist-guitarist Michael Mazza is a familiar face to IPO - Chicago fans, even if this a relatively new act. That’s because he previously led the band Collectors for a number of years. “The Distance (Gets In The Way),” the first single from The Walkdown, as well as a pair of demos, find Mazza continuing to take a guitar-driven approach. Kerosene Stars have been rocking the Chicago club scene for over 10 years and released a few EPs along the way. The band embarked on a new series of singles with “Where Have You Been?” in 2021. They’re the final act on tomorrow night’s showcase.
Check the official International Pop Overthrow website for the full schedule. You’ll also find links for just about all the acts who’ll be participating in Chicago this year. Even if you can’t attend in person, it’s a great way to discover new music.
No comments:
Post a Comment