Lockdown—self-isolating—sheltering in place—whatever you call it, goes easier with these outstanding album releases by stellar Chicago artists, all available now.
1 Ric Wilson & Terrace Martin (They Call Me Disco) Wilson’s six-track collaboration with L.A. producer Martin is the irresistible, seventies-nostalgia-driven dance record we all need like medicine.
2 Dennis DeYoung (26 East, Vol. 1) The former Styx frontman remains a legitimate legendary rock god; this is his first solo album in over a decade, and it’s as sumptuously supercharged as a superfan could wish.
3 Louis the Child (Here for Now) Robby Hauldren and Frederic Kennett are Winnetka’s gift to EDM, and while they’re meant to be experienced at a club, this album in your living room is a close second.
4 August Hotel (Stations) The irrepressible indie-pop quintet delves into complex emotional territory on its second EP, but whether desperation or delight, it’s urgently melodic and ridiculously danceable.
5 Tenci (My Heart Is an Open Field) Singer-songwriter Jess Shoman and company’s debut release, recorded entirely at a bandmate’s house, is gorgeous, intimate DIY dream pop, and Shoman’s voice is appealingly lithe and low-key.
Robert Rodi is an author, spoken-word performer and musician who has served as Newcity’s Music Editor since 2014. He’s written more than a dozen books, including the travel memoir “Seven Seasons In Siena.” His jazz quintet recently completed a two-year residency at Uncommon Ground, and he regularly hosts a jazz singers’ jam at Lizard’s Liquid Lounge. His literary and music criticism has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Salon, The Huffington Post and many other national and regional publications. Contact: robert@newcity.com
Music Top 5: March 2020 As a founder of Modern Lovers, Jonathan Richman helped midwife the new wave. In his subsequent solo career, he’s become a worldly, wry tunesmith.
Music Top 5: April 2020 Thom Yorke's third album is a collective of complex, often cinematic material, ranging across the compositional landscape from songs to suites.
Music Top 5: July 2019 Heart Bones, the teaming of Har Mar Superstar and Sabrina Ellis, sparks the kind of pure pop exhilaration that recalls classic duos like Ashford & Simpson and Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra.
Music Top 5: February 2020 Joe Henry is one of the few artists who’s achieved the grace and gravitas to make a solo show as exciting as an arena event.
