The Collective, the second solo effort from Sonic Youth singer-guitarist Kim Gordon will be released two days from now. The short film co-directed by Gordon and Vice Cooler for the hard-edged “Cosmic Orgasm”, now available to watch on YouTube, might make you dizzy if you watch it. The American leg of The Collective Tour includes a stop in Chicago on June 8.
Lead vocalist-sax player Chloe F. Orwell and drummer Brad Elvis from The Handcuffs recently announced via a Facebook post that the Chicago-based indie rock band is about to begin a hiatus from live performances. That time will be well spent recording material for the group’s fifth album. Two of the new songs will be be included on the vinyl re-release of its critically acclaimed 2022 album Burn The Rails due out this summer. The Facebook post noted the re-released album will be “complete with beautiful artwork, cool photos and a gatefold sleeve. The design is very old school so you can study the LP sleeve’s photos and artwork as you listen.”
Chloe F. Orwell contributed some saxophone playing to the upcoming Old Sky New album by singer-guitarist Rachel Drew. Like The Handcuffs, Drew’s a popular performer on the Chicago club scene. Catchy songs on Old Sky New, such as “If My Heart Was Made For You” and “Summer’s Over” seamlessly blend folk, rock, and occasionally a bit of funk, while her vocals are consistently engaging. The official release show is March 28 at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn.
As noted by the always informative Joe Marchese on The Second Disc website, a Best Of Bruce Springsteen collection in CD, vinyl, and digital formats will arrive on April 19. The CD and 2-LP versions will offer 18 tracks, while the digital will boast 31. I’ll leave it to Marchese to explain the reasoning behind that decision. The Second Disc is a great resource for upcoming releases.
The recently released Gold Control is the fourth album by Toronto-based singer-songwriter Jeen since her self titled debut came out in 2020. Backed by lead guitarist Ian Blurton, drummer Stephan Sczcesniak, and bassist Ben O’Brien, Jeen plays rhythm guitar and synth on 10 tracks that explore complex emotions. She’s at her best on the energetic “Just Shadows,” “Good Omens,” “So What,” and “Give Myself Away,” but the slower material is well-crafted enough to remain engaging.
Singer-guitarist Steve Dawson has drawn critical acclaim for his work with the alt rock/Americana band Dolly Varden he fronts with his wife Diane Christiansen, as well as for his other band Funeral Bonsai Wedding. His solo efforts, such as the 2021 At The Bottom Of A Canyon In The Branches Of A Tree, have also been impressive. Dawson played almost all the instruments on it himself, but his upcoming album Ghosts was definitely more of a collaboration. According to a recent post on his Facebook page, several Chicago musicians helped out, including Alton Smith, Diane Christiansen, Gerald Dowd, Brian Wilkie, John Abbey, Chris Greene, Tommi Zender, Ingrid Graudins, and John Moore. Ghosts is due out June 7 on Pravda Records.
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