Ember Oceans Rocks Out For All The "Right Reasons"
Ember Oceans
Building off of the synth-based alternative rock from the early 2000s, Ember Oceans brings some funk-infused energy on stage at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago. The band is celebrating their recent single, Caught Up, released this week on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. With influences including Young The Giant, Portugal, The Man, and Grouplove, Ember Oceans have crafted an impressive canvas of hard hitting synth rock to feed the dance floor.
Playing a combination of original tunes off their EP and covers, with Joe Cox and Freddy Tyler Paul trading lead and harmony vocals throughout the set. Cox's electric energy coupled with Sean Groebe's frenetic moves and fuzz bass keep the crowd of 100 constantly on their feet and moving, Parker Simonaitis's pounding drums rolling underneath the canvas of ambient synths and wailing guitars. The band rips through a crowd pleasing cover of The Killers' "When You Were Young," a chorus of calls for an encore before they can even get off the stage.
The opening lyrics to "Karma" are sung with little accompaniment before the band dives headfirst into the songs infectious beat. "This is your last chance!" Cox calls out, and the room goes wild again. The song finishes, and all I'm thinking is "How dare they even consider leaving the stage without playing this song." It is rocker, with the kind of tempo and drive that people at shows crave for just to let loose and dance it out in front of the stage. Keep this one in the set guys, seriously!
Photos and Art by Ember Oceans
Out The Car Window
Out The Car Window offer some original garage rock tunes from their latest EP Honestly, Fair, as well as previous releases. The band's influences range from classic artists and troubadours like Bob Dylan and Frank Zappa to current acts such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Shakey Graves, and Courtney Barnett.
For their live set, gone are the acoustic guitars and slap back reverbs behind lead singer Jake Wahlen's vocals, who also plays rhythm guitar. In are the distant sounding guitar licks courtesy of Matt Carlton with Griffin Taylor and Mitch Nickolau on drums and bass respectively. The music hits harder than on their recorded material, and if I have a single complaint, it's that Wahlen's lyrics are at times covered up by the onstage sound (As a songwriter, this is a common observation of mine for live rock shows. I like hearing the words, what can I say?)
Despite the sometimes obscured vocals, other than a single outlier towards the end, the set never fails to get the room grooving to the hard rock rhythms Wahlen and company play from the stage. The audience is into it from start to finish, and if the show hadn't been on a tight schedule, an encore would have been totally appropriate.
Photos and Art by Out The Car Window
As Is
As Is (A phrase which thanks to my job immediately makes me think of written in, used books) presents the assembled crowd with their take on indie math rock. Each band member shows his, or sometimes her, talent for different musical roles on stage. Everybody sings at some point during the set, sometimes as lead, or harmony, or call and response, all of which is impressive and not a common feat on the indie circuit. Seriously, this sharing of the spotlight is very rare within rock music.
The band jams out their latest single "Lost and Found" and b-side "Slow Burn." The songs are fun indie rock that keep everybody on edge with their changing tempos and quick rhythms.
Art by As Is
Leah Jean
Kicking off the night is Leah Jean playing a blend of folk blues and acoustic covers, sometimes with the assistance of a loop pedal, allowing her to give a more soulful engagement from the stage. Her presence is casually intimate, honest without getting too far into a topic. There is talk of love and love interrupted, and the unshakable passion for music and eating eggs (Breakfast for every meal? Yes please!)
Early in the set Jean plays one of the night's shining original songs, "Ben & Jerry's," a tongue-in-cheek confession of love for the frozen dairy dessert. Smiles appear on every face as Jean sings through delicious flavors like Cinnamon Buns and Chunky Monkey, the room exploding with laughter and applause when she wonders aloud "Ben & Jerry will you marry me." It's a beautifully crafted song, capturing that magical blend of humor and wit that is a staple of folk and blues music. A video of this song is on her website, but catch her live if you get the chance.
Photos by Leah Jean
