ANCHR Magazine

Holding you down with the best new music

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Cannons

I first heard of Cannons’ hit “Fire for You” when I had XRT playing in the background during a work day, and the song’s grooving bass line and hypnotic chorus was so captivating that it made me immediately stop to find out who was playing this song.

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Formed in Los Angeles in 2013, Cannons came together when guitarist Ryan Clapham and keyboardist/bassist Paul Davis put an ad in Craigslist for their singer. They met Michelle Joy and began playing and recording music together—releasing their debut EP in 2014. The trio has since perfected their own dreamy blend of indie and electropop and released two full length albums, including 2019’s Shadows, which features “Fire for You.” The song also garnered large-scale success after being featured in an episode of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever.

Most recently, Cannons released an EP full of cover songs in August, aptly called “Covers by Cannons.” The EP features Cannons’ take on songs from Kings of Leon, The Isley Brothers, Harry Styles and more, showing their chameleon-like musicality.

I had the chance to catch Cannons’ set at Lollapalooza this past summer, and their creativity and artistry carries over to their live show. Michelle Joy’s silky vocals and the band’s upbeat and fun attitude had the crowd dancing along the whole set. If you missed out on the Lolla appearance from Cannons, the group will be touring with lovelytheband and Sir Sly this Fall. You can catch them at the House of Blues in Chicago on November 23rd. Get tickets here, and check out the video for “Fire for You” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Bartees Strange

If you read ANCHR’s Pitchfork Festival recap, you’ll know that Bartees Strange is an artist I regretfully did not have on my radar until very recently.

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Musician Bartees Leon Cox Jr. was born in England, grew up in Oklahoma, spent some time in Brooklyn as a member of the band Stay Inside, and now resides in Washington D.C. Performing under the name Bartees Strange, his solo project began in 2017 with a debut EP, and has garnered praise for the craft behind his soulful and unique combination of jazz, hip hop, and rock.

Bartees Strange’s 2020 debut album Live Forever showcases intricate and polished production, but the real magic happens with his live shows. At both his festival set and Pitchfork after show, Bartees Strange put on one of the most raw and powerful performances I’ve seen in recent years. As an audience member, it was impossible not to connect with Bartees’ passion for sharing his words and his creativity. His stage presence radiated with heartfelt energy that only happens when an artist truly believes in what they’re creating.

If you missed out on the last Bartees Strange shows in Chicago, you can catch him back here on October 11th at the Vic Theatre with Lucy Dacus. Grab your tickets here, and tune into Bartees’ Tiny Desk concert below.

Premiere: "Sweaty" by Catty Cline

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We’re thrilled to be sharing the premiere of Catty Cline’s brand new single “Sweaty” today. The project of Kanas City singer-songwriter Anna Redmond, Catty Cline swirls together indie pop and neo-folk with influence from 90’s punk.

The new single drops in advance of Cline’s EP "Scratch,” which is out September 24th via Manor Records. Cline says these songs on the EP are a product of her “guitar song” initiative— where she shifted towards writing music on guitar for the first time, rather than on the piano. Cline only started learning guitar at the beginning of quarantine in March 2020, and she shares, “[These songs] are really special to me. I had help recording some of these songs from some very talented guitarists since I’m a newbie- and I’m super happy with how they’ve turned out.”

Talking more about the single “Sweaty,” Cline says, “I know it probably seems innocent and goofy, but my single ‘Sweaty’ makes me feel very exposed to my listeners because I’m talking openly about my sexuality. It honestly took me a while to decide whether or not to put the song on the EP because I was scared of being too open. The version it is now is even scaled back a bit from the original version because I was nervous it was too raunchy. But now, I’m even brave enough to make it my single, and I’m excited for people to hear it. I think writing and releasing this song has been significant in helping me to censor myself less in the music I release and reveal more about myself.”

Overall, the EP “Scratch” sees Cline in a state of self-examination and contemplation about what makes her happy. When you peel back the lighter and upbeat outer layer of most of these songs, Cline says you can see a crucial aspect of her personality, describing herself as a sensitive, romantic, goofy, and sometimes angry and lonely human being. “It portrays me struggling to be vulnerable, and that’s why it’s so significant that I’m sharing these songs with you. Being vulnerable is difficult even for the strongest of us. But, what better way to get better at being vulnerable than to release music that reveals the most intimate parts of me? I hope you can see a little of yourself in some of these songs and can laugh and have fun with others,” she adds.

Take a listen to “Sweaty” below, and keep an eye out for the full EP next week.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: The Backseat Lovers

Photo by Alex Justice

Photo by Alex Justice

We’ve all had that experience when we hear a song for the first time and need to know who it’s by so we can immediately look up more songs by them. That was my experience listening to “Kilby Girl” by The Backseat Lovers for the first time while checking out a Lollapalooza playlist ahead of this year’s festival. With over 55 million streams on Spotify, it’s clear I’m not the only one hooked on this song.

Upon that first listen of the band, I thought that the band’s lead singer Joshua Harmon sings with a hint of British inflection, so I was surprised to learn they were actually from Utah. The Backseat Lovers were formed when Harmon asked their now drummer Juice Welch if he wanted to start a band together, and the two began forming full arrangements of songs that Harmon had written. Their lineup further came together when Hamon met the lead guitarist Jonas Swanson in line for an open mic night in Provo City, Utah. As Harmon and Swanson played their music for each other, Harmon finally decided to share his song “Out of Tune,” and that was the first piece the entire group worked on arranging together.

From there, The Backseat Lovers moved on to start recording together in 2018, releasing an EP entitled Elevator Days later that year. They soon followed up the first release with a debut album called When We Were Friends in early 2019, and they’ve said they’re continuing to work on even more new material at the moment.

If you enjoy the pep and warm Summer vibes that the likes of bands like Two Door Cinema Club, Wallows, and Cage The Elephant conjure, make sure you check The Backseat Lovers’ album. “Kilby Girl” has one of those choruses that makes for an easy crowd sing-a-long, and that was certainly the case for their packed afternoon set at Lollapalooza and their sold out after show.

See where you can catch the band performing next here, and watch the music video for their song “Heavy” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: DRAMA

Have you Vaxed & Waxed beauties been looking for some vibey dance music to wind down these final remaining weeks of Summer? Well thank goodness you are an ANCHR reader because we've got just what you're looking for. I present to you: DRAMA. If any readers know the dynamic of the relationship between myself and the editor-in-chief of ANCHR you'll know “Drama” is essentially a nickname I have given her for her anxious rambles and over-the-top reactions. Well, that's not the Drama I am talking about now. The match made in heaven duo of Na'el Shehade and Via Rosa is the only DRAMA that you all need in your life.

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With Shehade on beats and Rosa on vocals, DRAMA has produced a lovely R&B and dance blend, which has transcended the Chicago scene and permeated the ears of many music lovers all over the country. Shehade is a home-grown Chicago boy that grasped onto the house scene as a teen and began DJing around the city until he started making music of his own. His talents lead him to eventually working in collaboration with the likes of Kanye West, Chance the Rapper, and Vic Mensa before he was introduced to Rosa via another Chicago talent, Jean Deaux. Rosa was born in Texas, grew up in Northern California and had a taste of the music world early in life, seeing that her parents were in a reggae band. According to DRAMA's bio, Rosa began showing interest in poetry in her teen years and that information revealed to me the correlation of her poetry and song writing, especially in songs like “Low Tide.” Outside of the song being a certified bop, it reads like a poem to me and I was able to tell that Rosa is one of those ultra talented people that uses one talent to fuel another in artistic coalescence. In 2010, Rosa moved to Chicago and eventually joined the THEMpeople collective. Hop in your DeLorean and fast forward a couple years, DRAMA is putting out music that gives us all the feels while simultaneously making our rumps shake.

A few years back when DRAMA played JBTV I was all set to go but something came up and I wasn't able to make it. I was sad I missed them, but all that sadness went away once I finally got to see them at Lollapalooza. Everyone reading this that wasn't at Lollapalooza should actually be sad they missed them because that means they didn't get to see the blouse Rosa was wearing. She was like a pink cloud. Via is short for Lluvia, and in Spanish, Lluvia means rain, and her pink cloud shirt was definitely raining dance grooves because not only was she dancing all over the stage but the audience caught the dance contagion and were also doing their part in the booty shaking department. With the 4 o'clock time slot at the Grove stage, it was the perfect setting to get your groove on in the middle of such a beautiful and sunny day. They're only playing a couple dates out west at the end of October, but you should definitely consider checking them out whenever they hit your city next.

Keep up with the latest DRAMA updates here, and check out the official video for “Years” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Mamalarky

This week’s spotlight falls on Mamalarky— yet another group on the ever dependable Fire Talk Records.

Photo by Sara Cath

Photo by Sara Cath

Originating between LA and Austin, but now based in Atlanta, Mamalarky officially began in 2018 with a fateful meeting sparked by Tinder. The band’s singer and guitarist Livvy Bennett put out a call for a bass player on the app and ultimately connected with bassist Noor Khan. Bennett had already been working with drummer and longtime collaborator Dylan Hill, alongside friend Michael Hunter on the keys and synth bass, but once Khan rounded out the band lineup, they set to work on their debut album. Released via Fire Talk in November 2020, Mamalarky’s debut is just one of those albums that keeps rolling bop after bop. Throughout their catalog, the quartet produces a carefree air of joy, intertwined with warm tones and intricate audio effects. With tracks like “Almighty Heat” and “You Make Me Smile,” listeners are taken on a dynamic journey, and left with an experience of omnipotent delight after absorbing Mamalarky’s album.

Months after the debut’s release, the band will be hitting the road with their sonic sunshine later this year, and they’ve even gifted us with two new singles “Moss” and “Meadow” in the meantime, which both live up to the magic of their prior releases. The video for “Meadow” perfectly captures the sunny and bright vibes conjured up by its plucky guitar and dazzling melody. Bennett wrote both of the new singles outdoors, and each focus on different experiences of nature.

Talking about the songs, Bennett says, “Monotony is an illusion, or at least it’s a very tired way to look at things. Nature always has something new to offer when we slow down enough to absorb it - isolation made me appreciate and deepen this relationship significantly. I realized I’m never actually alone when I’m out under some trees. Moss offers more of a coming to terms that the surrounding landscape could be my anchor and company for the time whereas Meadow is a spark of excitement at finding a less traveled path on my daily route that opened out onto a beautiful stream with singing frogs. I wrote both these songs outdoors which I had never tried before. I still go to these spots often and they hold me up!"

You can check out Mamalarky's self-titled debut here, and see all of their upcoming shows here.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: The Mysterines

The Mysterines are Lia Metcalfe, George Favanger, Paul Crilly, and Callum Thompson

The Mysterines are Lia Metcalfe, George Favanger, Paul Crilly, and Callum Thompson

I hope you guys are ready for some hot new rock out of Liverpool, because The Mysterines are going to be the next band you're blasting in your car, headphones, and/or speakers. The Mysterines are the creative love child of Lia Metcalfe and George Favanger. Metcalfe is the guitarist/singer-songwriter and Favanger rips the bass. The band is rounded out by Paul Crilly on drums and Callum Thompson on guitar. Although they have yet to release their first album, they have garnered much attention in the UK with the singles and EPs they have put out. Even more, touring with The Amazons, Royal Blood, and Miles Kane has captured the attention of their respective fans as well. If any ANCHR readers are Paul Weller fans, you'll hear Metcalfe on "True" from Weller's latest album Fat Pop.

I can't wait until they come to The States. Thompson's guitar work combined with Metcalfe's thunderous vocals can't help but set my expectations that their live show will be raucous. From what I have read about them, Metcalfe states that her influences vary from Bob Dylan all the way to Billie Eilish, but when I listen to songs like "In My Head" or "Who's Ur Girl", I get a Queens of the Stone Age vibe from them. Listening to the tracks The Mysterines have out there give me the same energy and aggressiveness as QOTSA and thus takes my mind straight to songs like "Go With The Flow" and "If I Had a Tail.” On the flip side, songs like "Take Control" and "Love's Not Enough" seem more melodic and like a classic, fun, fist-pumping, rock and roll show similar to what you would get with bands like Angels & Airwaves or old Arctic Monkeys. Regardless of whether you agree with my comparisons or not, you should give them a listen because I have a feeling we're going to be hearing more about them in the near future.

Make sure to keep up with the band on Twitter and Instagram, and tune into the video for “In My Head” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Porridge Radio

Photo by El Hardwick

Photo by El Hardwick

Welcome to our dystopian present. The wide streets of downtown are completely vacant, the people there are few, the restaurants have signs in the windows promising there is no cash to steal. It is March of 2020, so I turn on Porridge Radio. Frontperson Dana Margolin is always mercilessly interrogating her own thought patterns “It's been a long, long, long, long time/ I still don't know what's on my mind” (Don’t Ask Me Twice). In its thrashing, their album Every Bad is almost cleansing at times. There is perhaps no more relatable line uttered on this album than “I’m bored to death let’s argue” on ‘Born Confused’. ‘Born Confused’ is a bittersweet part incantation pulled taught and tense by violins. “What is going on with me?” asks Margolin, and that thought seems to plague us both throughout the album.

Porridge Radio is both self assured and perplexed; the band uses contradictions in a big way, Every Bad a fragmented internal dialogue that thrives on instability. They know emotions are not absolute and the tones and tempos of the album shift minute to minute. The thing is, the band really is charming. Every Bad wouldn’t feel like such a successful pummeling if they weren’t. There’s a sheer magnetism to Margolin’s sardonic delivery. It’s unmatched, moving from bitter to liberated in a matter of 90 seconds, often finding catharsis in her originally droning mantras. Porridge Radio doesn’t slide easily into one genre, playing with post punk and art rock elements. But why would they? 

The band allows for emotional and sonic friction, shifting like tectonic plates with heavy guitars and dramatic crescendos. ‘Pop Song’ is a title turned on its head with Margolin exorcising her sharp self critiques “my bitterness subsides sometimes for a while/but I'm jealous to my core, so I'm never coming back”. “Please make me feel safe” she begs. And I think I understand that rocking, gentle moment so much it hurts. “You will like me when you meet me” (‘Sweet’) she recites as if stirring a potion, “you might even fall in love”. At one point the track collapses inwards, Margolin repeating “I bite my nails right down to the flesh” as if pulling the bloody slit of a cuticle off while she sings. She often sounds bored in the way that busy, interesting people often do when forced to explain themselves, “you’re wasting my time” (‘Long’). But the moments when Porridge Radio play with dissonance are some of their most interesting. They repeat what they wish to be true, or possibly more often, what is unfortunately true. “There’s nothing inside” Margolin repeats on ‘Homecoming Song’ before declaring “I’m coming home”. I can’t stand the sight of my apartment and it’s ugly yellow lighting and my catatonic partner and everyone who seems to have left me. “Thank you for leaving me, thank you for making me happy”. I take daily sanity walks to the art museum that I can’t even enter and sit on the grand steps with my big noise cancelling headphones on. I watch the park across the street from the steps and the people who also seem to find sanity in a short walk and sitting outside in the newly spring air. In the center of the album whirls ‘Lilac’, echoing out the phrase “I’m stuck” over and over again as the guitars pick up and Margolin’s voice strains, insisting “I’m kind!” It’s the fever break before the body just heats up again. “I don't want to get bitter, I want us to get better, I want us to be kinder to ourselves and to each other”. Porridge Radio speaks with a certain assured wisdom no matter how adrift they find themselves. I am trying not to take this all personally but I am in my twenties so my life does feel more ruined than everybody else’s. I promise I’m just trying to establish boundaries, I’m not trying to make things harder, “how do I say “no” without sounding like a little bitch?” cries Margolin, “I say what I need”. I like to think I get it when she says “and you want to be wanted” on ‘Give/Take’. I don’t know what is want and what is need at this point, I don’t know who or what I want anymore. And admittedly, I might be forgetting how to give. 

The thing is, my personal life and crises don’t really matter in relation to Every Bad. Porridge Radio is uncompromising and whatever you manage to project onto their album feels somewhat like coincidence. But there’s a bravado I see myself in; in an interview with NME Margolin playfully responds “I’ve always known that we’re the best band in the world”. Her drone is always accompanied by a bit of a playful eye roll. Maybe it’s not that I’m projecting onto the album and more so that the questions we’re asking at this point in our lives are overlapping.

Over a year later I’m up too late in my kitchen making pasta and it occurs to me I missed a line. I remember the other lyric to ‘Born Confused’: “but I’m not”. Maybe in our interrogations and our repetition and our breakdowns we figure out exactly who we are.




ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Tropical Fuck Storm

Photo by Jaime Wdziekonski

Photo by Jaime Wdziekonski

Formed in Melbourne, Australia in 2017, Tropical Fuck Storm was born after Drones founder Gareth Liddiard and longtime bandmate Fiona Kitschin decided to hit the reset button and venture into a brand new project. Erica Dunn and Lauren Hammel joined Liddiard and Kitschin in this new group, and since their inception, Tropical Fuck Storm has created content that boldly discusses and dissects even the most dire of topics. From consumerism to fascism and climate change to the Capitol riot, Liddiard and the band do not shy away from questioning it all.

Liddiard describes Tropical Fuck Storm’s agenda best by stating, “We make pop records that don’t deny we’re all in a bit of trouble here.” Although they didn’t write any new material during the first six months of the global pandemic shut down—due to that ever relatable feeling that they call “give-a-fuck fatigue”— Tropical Fuck Storm has recently previewed their upcoming third studio album Deep States with new singles “G.A.F.F.” and “New Romeo Agent.” Just as no subject is too taboo for them to call out in their music, no genre or sonic territory is off limits for the band with their latest material. With a swirl of art punk, jazz, hip-hop, pop, new wave (just to name a few), Deep States explores a multitude of musical stylings to get Tropical Fuck Storm’s message across.

Out August 20th, the new record follows up 2019’s Braindrops and will be released by Joyful Noise. Pre-order the album here, and tune into the “New Romeo Agent” music video below. Make sure to also follow the band’s Instagram for all the latest updates.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Gustaf

Gustaf is Lydia Gammill, Tine Hill, Melissa Lucciola, Vram Kherlopian, and Tarra Thiessen

Gustaf is Lydia Gammill, Tine Hill, Melissa Lucciola, Vram Kherlopian, and Tarra Thiessen

Thanks to their notoriety around the New York live music scene, Brooklyn’s Gustaf attracted the attention of many music fans without releasing a single recorded piece of music for their first two years of being a band. Gustaf garnered their initial buzz by sharing the stage with the likes of Omni, Dehd and none other than Beck.

After forming in 2018, the group released singles “Design” and “Mine” in the later part of 2020— finally allowing listeners around the world a chance to experience all their magic. Produced by Chris Coady, who has worked with bands like Beach House, Future Islands, and TV On The Radio, the debut singles showcase a captivating and lively energy from Gustaf. Both tracks deliver art punk vibes laced with recurring call-and-response style vocals that egg listeners on. The band will be touring with Idles this fall, and that playful tone of their music will be the perfect provide the perfect way to ramp up the crowd for Idles’ rowdiness.

Be sure to check out all of Gustaf’s upcoming tour dates here, and pre-order their debut album entitled Audio Drag for Ego Slobs here.



ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Glove

Glove is Rod Woolf, Brie Denicourt, Michelle Primiani and Justin Burns

Glove is Rod Woolf, Brie Denicourt, Michelle Primiani and Justin Burns

What combines dancey synths with cracking snare drums, peppy guitar melodies, and moody vocals? That would be the band Glove from Tampa, Florida, composed of Rod Woolf, Brie Denicourt, Michelle Primiani and Justin Burns. Formed in 2019, the group has already shared the stage with acts like The Growlers, Surfbort, and Omni, with many more tour dates on the way.

Following up their 2019 debut singles “Enervate” and “Personality Change,” Glove’s recent track “Glass” lays down a mix of Krautrock and New Wave vibes that will provide the perfect afternoon dance break during their upcoming set at Lollapalooza. The song precedes Glove’s brand new single called “Behaviour,” which the group just released today. Produced by Cage the Elephant’s Brad Shultz, the new song delivers the signature punchy and upbeat spirit of their earlier catalog.

Be sure to keep up with Glove on Instagram for all of their music release news and upcoming tour information. If you’re in Chicago, you can catch them at the Grubhub Stage at Lolla on Saturday, July 31st at Noon. They’re also playing a sold-out aftershow at Subterranean if you were lucky enough to snag your tickets early!

In the meantime, tune into “Personality Change” below or head to Glove’s Bandcamp for more music.

Premiere: Dream Version's "A Mind Can Change"

Dream Version is Alec Harryhausen, Eric Brummit and Michael Kunik

Dream Version is Alec Harryhausen, Eric Brummit and Michael Kunik

Chicago three-piece Dream Version has always been an ANCHR favorite, thanks to their infectious energy during their live performances and their tendency to push their creative boundaries. That’s why this week, we’re honored to be premiering the brand new video for their single “A Mind Can Change,” from their upcoming self-titled album.

Dream Version says that for their third album, they’ve decided to take a moment to simply inhabit the space they’ve created— calling upon their two mantras of “Don’t waste time” and “Don’t condescend.” Throughout the span of time between this record and 2017’s Fight Fair, the trio has experienced marriage, divorce, relocation, and the Covid-19 pandemic. The band says, “The result is a looser set of songs that represents everything we like and everything we’re capable of.  We decided to name it after ourselves.”

Elaborating on the new single “A Mind Can Change,” Alec Harryhausen says the inspiration stems from his fundamentally cynical attitude. He adds, “A lot of the story of this album started with me looking up at a dirty ceiling fan in my apartment and thinking, ‘That’s just the way life is; the ceiling fan’s dirty and I’ll never have the time or energy to clean it.’  The notion that it can take about 30 seconds to solve a problem like that, believe it or not, has been kind of revolutionary.  It was a fundamental part of my world view that most problems are facts of life, and even that we as a species might not deserve to have clean ceiling fans.”

From there, he began to shift his own mindset and to rewire his perspective. That fresh outlook, coupled with Harryhausen’s appreciation for Plastic Ono Band, led to him working through his demo of “A Mind Can Change” with bandmates Eric Brummit and Michael Kunik to build out the dynamics of it and keep it interesting for the whole run time. “It was a challenge for us to play this slow; we had to practice it a lot,” the band says.

For the music video, Dream Version worked with director Patrick Betzold, who had some experience doing animated work at his job and wanted to try it in a more ambitious way. As the band describes it, the video tells the story of 3 astronauts leaving behind a dead planet and trying to find a new one.

Watch the video below, and be sure to pre-order the self-titled album ahead of its July 30th release date here, or snag a ticket to the record release show to pick up a copy in person!

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: The Vaccines

Photo courtesy of Red Light Management

Photo courtesy of Red Light Management

In 2021, there’s been no shortage of discussion about Covid-19 vaccines, but today we’re here to talk about The Vaccines. With nearly two million monthly listeners on Spotify and a catalog of absolute bops like “Post Break-up Sex,” “If You Wanna” and “Wetsuit,” there’s a high chance a lot of you are already familiar with the London band composed of Justin Hayward-Young, Freddie Cowan, Árni Árnason, Timothy Lanham, and Yoann Intonti. If you’re not, now is the perfect time to get to know them ahead of their upcoming fifth studio album Back In Love City, which is set to be released in September.

With jovial drumbeats, bright guitar riffs and witty lyrics you can’t help but sing along to, The Vaccines is one of those bands that will put a smile on your face as soon as you hear the intro of one of their songs. That carefree spirit of their music translates perfectly to their live shows, with lead vocalist Young never failing to work the entire stage and keep the whole room entranced. I’ve been lucky enough to see The Vaccines perform several times, but my favorite memory of them has to be their sold-out show at London’s Roundhouse venue in 2019. There was an electrifying wave of positive energy in the crowd that night, something that transcended the normal hometown show vibes, making that gig one that I’ll never forget.

The latest singles from The Vaccines “Headphones Baby” and “Back In Love City” pack even more pep, delivering an expectation that Back In Love City will certainly be a record that keeps listeners dancing. About the new album, Young has said the idea for the fictional Love City stemmed from his experience partaking in a house swap in Los Angeles. “I literally swapped lives with a stranger. I lived in in house and drove his car while he lived in mine, but we’d never met and had no previous connections,” he adds, describing the experience that fueled his fascination with disconnection and escapism.

Make sure to pre-order Back In Love City here, and keep an eye out for upcoming tour dates from The Vaccines here.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Divino Niño

Sheeta-Kuri-Ooah! ( I am not sure what that means but it sounds like a great salutation.) As I'm sure many of you Chicago music lovers were able recognize, that is a lyric from the title track of Divino Niño's album Foam.

Photo by Alexa Viscius

Photo by Alexa Viscius

Divino Niño is a five piece rock band based in Chicago composed of Camilo Medina, Javier Forero, Guillermo Rodriguez-Torres, Pierce Codina, and Justin Vitorri. Forero and Medina were buds as young children in Bogota, Columbia but when Forero's family moved to Miami, the two had lost touch… That is, until one day, Medina's family also moved to Miami, and fate had it to where he and Ferero reconnected when they recognized each other on the bus. In Miami they attended the same church where they had the opportunity to perform before an audience and experience the high of performing live. Years later, the pair moved to Chicago for college and their new independence granted them the opportunity to discover secular music like The Beatles and The Beach Boys, which thankfully for us, began the formation of Divino Niño.

Foam is a lovely album that should be on every vinyl collector's list. All ten songs are exceptional. “Melty Caramelo”? Bop. “Coca Cola”? Bop. “Maria”? Heart Break Bop.

Before anyone asks, yes, Divino Niño did make Perez's Best of 2019 with their song “Foam.” It was a hit amongst my fans. Full disclosure though, they sing in both Spanish and English— so if that turns you off, grow up. It's 2021 and all of us should be able to groove no matter the tongue. I love that we here in Chicago get to have our own Latin music group that we get to claim. Even cooler is that they actually sound great. With the present popularity of Latin-American artists being so high, i.e. Cuco, Omar Apollo, and the Marías to name a few, Divino Niño add a beautiful psychedelic rock ambiance to the current prevailing musical climate. I have yet to catch them live (I know, I know, very unlike me), but I'm pumped to finally get the chance to check them out at Pitchfork this fall.

Snag your own copy of Foam here, and get tickets to Pitchfork fest here.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Squirrel Flower

Photo by Tonje Thilesen

Photo by Tonje Thilesen

You know how certain bands have that very particular signature sound where you can recognize one of their songs before the lyrics even kick in? Well, with Squirrel Flower— the project of vocalist, songwriter and musician Ella Williams— there’s a consistent air of experimentation and exploration of different energies and sounds in her music, leading to a completely different effect. Across the first Squirrel Flower EPs and debut album I Was Born Swimming, Williams delivers reflective lyrics and a sweeping vocal performance, lending varying timbres to her silky voice.

Back in April, Williams announced Squirrel Flower’s sophomore record entitled Planet (i), giving us the lead single “Hurt A Fly.” The track leans a little heavier than some of Squirrel Flower’s past releases, featuring distorted and frenzied guitar riffs and telling the story of manipulative lover switching back and forth between powerful emotions. Talking about the track, Williams says, “‘Hurt A Fly’ is me embodying a persona of gaslighting, narcissistic soft-boy type shit. The classic ‘sorry I acted violently, I'm not mad that you got upset at me, wanna hang out next week?’ I wanted to see what it was like to be a character trying to skirt around accountability. It's an angry and unhinged song.” Tune in below to experience the track in all its glory.

As for the rest of the album Planet (i), Williams says most of the songs were written ahead of the pandemic, but she spent a large part of quarantine demoing them in her bedroom. When it came time to safely record the studio versions of the tracks, Williams worked with producer Ali Chant out of The Playpen in Bristol, UK. Williams and Chant provided the backbone for most of the instrumentation on the record, but it remained collaborative with guest contributions (provided remotely) by the likes of Tenci's Jess Shoman, Tomberlin, Katy J. Pearson, Jemima Coulter, Brooke Bentham, and Williams’ family members.

Be sure to pre-order Planet (i) ahead of its June 25th release date here, and check out Squirrel Flower’s upcoming tour dates here. The majority of the shows are unsurprisingly sold out, but if you were lucky enough to snag tickets, Squirrel Flower will actually be playing two shows here in Chicago this weekend at Sleeping Village.


ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Nation of Language

Photo by Kevin Condon

Photo by Kevin Condon

I am very much looking forward to getting back to traveling and seeing live music soon, so this week’s AAOTW has ties to a near and dear memory of both of those hobbies. Back in 2018, I was in NYC for the weekend and had the chance to photograph The Wombats at Brooklyn Steel. I showed up not knowing anything about the band Nation of Language, who had filled in a supporting slot when UK band Blaenavon had to pull out of the tour. Despite my inexperience with their music, Nation of Language’s set left me blown away with their refreshing spin on the post-punk and new wave eras of music. I remember instantly going to their Spotify to save their songs “I’ve Thought About Chicago” and “On Division St,” which the band had recently released that year.

Nation of Language is a trio based in Brooklyn, fronted by songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ian Devaney and joined by Aidan Noell and Michael Sue-Poi. In the following few years since that show, the band has put out a steady drip of singles, some of which ended up on their highly-anticipated 2020 debut album Introduction, Presence.

There’s a certain magic to Nation of Language’s music; They manage to craft the perfect blend of infectious hooks driven by hypnotic synths and steady bass lines, topped off by Devaney’s robust vocals. The trio’s latest single Across That Fine Line,” which happens to be the lead single off their newly-announced sophomore album A Way Forward, has that same quality I’ve come to love them for. There’s just something about Nation of Language’s sound that is equally soothing and jolting— their music can make listeners want to dance, yet provides and escape route from worries. Devaney describes his inspiration for the new song “Across That Fine Line” as being about that moment when a non-romantic relationship flips into something different. “Sonically, it’s meant to feel like running down a hill, just out of control. I had been listening to a lot of Thee Oh Sees at the time of writing it and admiring the way they supercharge krautrock rhythms and imbue them with a kind of mania, which felt like an appropriate vibe to work with and make our own,” he adds.

As for the remainder of the upcoming album, A Way Forward, I’m curious and excited to see how the group will push the boundaries on their sound. The band has described their approach to the album, stating, “We aimed to more deeply trace the roots of our sound, hoping to learn something from the early influences of our early influences. Experimenting with how they might be reinterpreted in our modern context.”

Make sure to tune into A Way Forward upon its November 5th release date— you can pre-order here. Additionally, Nation of Language will be heading back out on tour later this year, including a stop at Chicago’s Empty Bottle. See all the upcoming shows here, and tune into “Across That Fine Line” below.


ANCHR's Artist of the Week: FUR

Photo By Julia Nala

Photo By Julia Nala

This week we’re heading back across the pond to talk about Brighton’s own FUR, composed of William Murray, Harry Saunders, William 'Tav' Taverner, and Flynn Whelan.

Late last month, the group shared their first single of 2021 called “The Fine Line Of A Quiet Life,” a warm and uptempo track that’s perfect to add to your upcoming Summer playlists. The song stays true to FUR’s style with nods to a mix of influences— From NYC bands of the early aughts to 1960s rock n’ roll, the fuzzy distortion and staccato-style guitar strums on the single make it irresistible to bop your head and tap your foot along. Regarding the song’s theme, FUR describes “The Fine Line of a Quiet Life” as a tale about self-reflection and understanding. “It’s about detaching yourself from situations you’ve already been in and know the outcome of. Much like growing up, you learn not to do certain things and slowly but surely you learn that there’s a ‘fine line’ of what lifestyle becomes acceptable the older you get and also what you can hack as an adult (that maybe doesn’t feel too much like one). The feeling of regret and ‘how could I be so blind’ that everyone has felt in relationships that really only comes out once it’s done is something that also goes hand in hand with a mutual respect for a collapsed relationship, and that there’s no undoing of things you’ve done and it’s best to just move on and suck it up,” they say.

While FUR has released several singles since their onset— including the 2020 mixtape entitled Facing Home, featuring 7 of the band’s previously unreleased tracks— we have yet to receive a full length album from them. As the band recently signed to Norway’s 777 Music, we’re expecting news on a debut record from FUR at any moment now.

In addition to new music news, FUR has also announced several new tour dates for later this year in the UK and Europe, with more potentially on the way. Be sure to follow their Instagram for the latest updates, and check out the official video for “The Fine Line of a Quiet Life” below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Squid

Squid is Louis Borlase, Oliver Judge, Arthur Leadbetter, Laurie Nankivell and Anton Pearson // Photo by Holly Whitaker

Squid is Louis Borlase, Oliver Judge, Arthur Leadbetter, Laurie Nankivell and Anton Pearson // Photo by Holly Whitaker

As venues open back up and tours are getting announced again, I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to see some live music from bands I’ve never seen before. One band in particular I’m looking forward to seeing for the first time is Squid, a band made up of Louis Borlase, Oliver Judge, Arthur Leadbetter, Laurie Nankivell and Anton Pearson, with a sound that fuses everything from post-punk to jazz into a fluid genre of its own. Formed in 2015 in Brighton and now based in London, Squid released their debut record titled Bright Green Field on May 7th this year, following up a handful of singles and EPs.

Bright Green Field opens with the ambient 40-second blip titled “Resolution Square” that fades seamlessly into “G.S.K.”— an upbeat track that features abrasive, punchy vocals layered over a brass-infused groove. In just the first few minutes of the debut album, it’s easy to identify the admiration for ambient and jazz music that brought the band members together initially during their years at University, but their fluid sound winds itself throughout the entire 55-minute long album.

Squid is a band who simultaneously blends unexpected sounds together and blurs the boundaries on defined band roles by having everyone wear multiple hats and make an array of contributions. They describe their unique process best by saying that the record is a product of five heads operating as one. “We’re all going through different phases of our life as a band and as individuals so that contributes to the eclecticism which is inherent in what we do,” Pearson elaborates.

Being keen on collaboration within the group also transferred into having several guest performers come in for the recording of Bright Green Field. In addition to having orchestral and jazz musicians like Black Country, New Road’s Lewis Evans on saxophone and multi instrumentalist jazz musician Emma-Jean Thackray join in, Squid recorded about 30 of their friends voices and collated them all to form a distorted and layered choir of their own.

Make sure to snag your own copy of Bright Green Field here, and keep up with Squid’s upcoming tour dates on their Facebook.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: The Marías

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As artists find new ways to express their vision and experiment with different sounds, it’s become less and less common for a musician or band to become pigeonholed by a single-defined genre. The Los Angeles-based project of María Zardoya, aptly called The Marías, recently released their lead single off their highly anticipated debut album and further proved the vast range of musical styles that they have in their wheelhouse. The track “Hush” showcases Zardoya’s velvety, jazz-infused vocals laid over a hypnotic electronic backbone, but their back catalog features hints of anything from psychedelia to funk.

For example, the song “Only in My Dreams” from the band’s 2017 EP Superclean, Vol.1 has an atmospheric, cinematic sound— which leads nicely into the title of their debut album to be released June 25th: Cinema. Zardoya and bandmate Josh Conway say that the record drew inspiration from classic films and directors that they grew up watching— a la Pedro Almodóvar and Wes Anderson. Even more fitting, Conway and Zardoya originally connected because of their love and appreciation for cinema. “Through a friend, [Josh and I] were connected to a music supervisor who would send us requests for music for films. We’d receive a synopsis of a scene, and then we’d have to write music to it within a couple of days. Not only did that teach us how to write songs together fairly quickly, it taught us how to think like filmmakers. We’d imagine worlds in our minds based on the synopses – the colors in the scene, the lighting, the actors, the set design, and of course, the music,” Zardoya says about her songwriting partnership.

I only had the pleasure of seeing The Marías perform live once, but I still remember the way Zardoya and her bandmates completely captivated the room (enough for the audience to demand an encore despite the fact they were opening the show). I’m hopeful we’ll see some tour announcements released soon so that we can all hear some of their newer music performed.

Pre-Order the upcoming album Cinema before its June 25th release date here, and check out the trail that Zardoya and Conway co-edited and directed here. Lastly, watch the visualizer for “Hush” below.



ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Viagra Boys

Viagra Boys are Sebastian Murphy, Benjamin Vallé, Henrik Höckert, Oskar Carls, Tor Sjödén, and Martin Ehrencrona.

Viagra Boys are Sebastian Murphy, Benjamin Vallé, Henrik Höckert, Oskar Carls, Tor Sjödén, and Martin Ehrencrona.

Sometimes the music we listen to tends to get a little stale.  It happens to all of us.  Especially if the main source of your music consumption is the radio.  The radio does a fantastic job of killing one’s enjoyment of a song—No matter how great it is, with how much they overplay the fifteen to twenty songs they have on rotation, it inevitably becomes overkill.  That’s why it’s important to have friends like myself and to keep up with what ANCHR is sharing in discovery.  Both ANCHR and I, personally, care about your aural pleasure.  That being said, this week’s AOTW is a band you can bet your bottom dollar you’ll never hear on top 40 radio: Viagra Boys

Viagra Boys are a sextet from Stockholm, Sweden that formed in 2015.  Viagra Boys’ music is raw, humorous, eccentric, while maintaining a punk sound. Once you stop giggling at their name and begin to listen to their music you’ll probably exclaim the same reaction that I had, which was: “Dang, these guys sound pretty good!” They’re the type of band you’re going to catch at the Bottle, Old Style in hand. (Unless, of course, you’re one of those cowboys that gets Lonestar). With two albums under their belt it’s probably best you start with Street Worms. You’ll listen to “Sports” about ten times, share it with all your other music friends, and move on to their latest release Welfare Jazz so that you can listen to one of my favorite covers of the past couple years; “In Spite of Ourselves”, which is of course a John Prine song (RIP). 

The only time I was able to catch these Swedes was during Wicker Park Fest in 2019.  All five bandmates that were on instruments were great musicians, but Sebastian Murphy (vocals) was especially entertaining. I wasn’t able to tell if it was part of the act or if it was genuine, but Murphy appeared to be inebriated the entire performance. He was comical in his banter, dancing, and singing performance. He would drink beer while singing and at times would shout the lyrics into the microphone while his mouth was full of beer. I wondered if the photographers below were getting annoyed because of the spittle that would get all over them…Hazard of the job, I guess.  By the end of the show, Murphy had stripped down all the way to his boxer briefs revealing his whole body covered in tattoos, including his impressive beer belly.  Go see them if you get the chance.  

Speaking of their live shows, the band does have some concerts announced for later on in the year. Check out their tour dates (which hopefully don’t need to be pushed back again) here.