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Forget November. In the Chicago music scene, Rock ’n’ Vote is the election that counts. After loads of submissions, we whittled down a field of about 125 local artists to these 10 finalists. Read about them and listen to an MP3 from each band. If you like what you hear, vote to see the act perform live. The top four vote-getters play a free show April 30 at Double Door. Voice your choice now! Polls close midnight Sunday.
Berto Ramon
Nine-member, live instrument-toting hip-hop outfit Berto Ramon has been on the rise since its start in 2003—including a victory in the Midwest region of the Emergenza Battle of the Bands in 2006. Fans of hip-hop, Latin and world music will warm to the band’s eclectic sound, which ranges from party starters like “Brand New” to topical tracks like “Warfare.”
Berto Ramon - "Brand New"
Butterfly Assassins
This
quintet of college students sounds wise beyond their years, perhaps
because four of them have played together since the summer after eighth
grade. (Cellist Kate Wakefield was added after singer-keyboardist Brian
Trahan met her at the University of Michigan). On the just-released
album “Sylvia” the band crafts epic, classically influenced rock with
help from the chilling mix of piano and cello.
Butterfly Assassins - "Sylvia II"
Goodbye Satellite
Pop-punk
is rarely as tuneful and hook-laden as the songs coming from Goodbye
Satellite, which includes previous members of Treaty of Paris, Miles
from Midnight and Showoff. Singer-guitarist Raul Mendoza says they plan
to incorporate some Latin sounds, R&B, rap and even harmonica into
their repertoire, but for now the straightforward catchiness of songs
like “Spirit of Waste” works splendidly on its own.
Goodbye Satellite - "A Picture of You"
JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound
Only
one member of this old-school quartet, together only since March 2007,
actually lives in Uptown, but frontman Jayson “JC” Brooks says the name
is more of a state of mind. The group has a lot of soul mixed with some
hard-rockin’ edge (they like describing themselves as “Otis Redding
fronting the Stooges.”), and Brooks is intent on helping the crowd get
into the band’s nostalgic, danceable vibe: “I like to make people
sweat. I advise the ladies not to wear makeup to the shows.”
JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound - "Baltimore is the New Brooklyn"
Jeff Baraka
Rapper
Jeff Baraka (who some know as O Type Star) has recorded with Common and
opened for Jurassic 5 but is ready to finally break out big. “I’m
kinda, like, in the rap fraternity,” he says. “Rappers know me but the
general public at large might not.” Now’s the time to get hip to this
MC/poet, whose beats come with more smarts than you might expect from
someone so devoted to legitimate lyricism.
Jeff Baraka - "WTTW (Word to the Wise)"
Penthouse Sweets
These
ragged rockers just want to play what guitarist Lou Hallwas calls
“plain, simple songs.” And what’s so wrong with that? “Everyone’s
talking about reinventing the wheel,” says Hallwas. “We’d rather just
spin it.” The simple, rootsy pleasures of the quintet’s tunes, such as
“Dark Eyes,” are undeniable.
Penthouse Sweets - "Dark Eyes"
s.t. monroe
Yes
that’s s.t. monroe, not St. Monroe, which guitarist-vocalist Rob
Sarwark says has, as you might expect, caused some confusion. But
that’s not the issue. What matters is the indie rock sextet’s ability
to twist pop conventions into something more complex and idiosyncratic.
Founded about seven years ago by singer-guitarist Steven Serra, the
band sounds totally unified on sophisticated mid-tempo grooves such as
“Cheap Imitation.”
s.t. monroe - "You Deserve to Die Alone"
Sweetish
Singer-pianist-guitarist
Holly Senchak and upright bassist Ben Hilt were Rock ’n’ Vote finalists
as part of Wonderful Smith in 2005 but adapted their charming pop
sensibilities to Sweetish after Wonderful Smith’s breakup in 2006.
Performing as a full band with electric guitar and drums, Sweetish
embodies its name thanks to Senchak’s pure vocals and an honest sound
with a ripple of drama.
Sweetish - "Eddie's Down"
The Sapiens
They
may wear matching suits on stage, but The Sapiens’ “high-energy dance
rock” is anything but buttoned up. The quintet cites influences ranging
from Talking Heads to Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the punky energy on
their EP, “Vs. the Hornet,” feels both rambunctious and refined. No
matter what, they’re sure to make you move. As singer Evan Sears says,
“We always got people up front shakin’ it.”
The Sapiens - "Push Me"
The Silents
What
do The Silents offer on stage? According to singer Paul Velten, a
visceral, energetic feel, a lot of emotion, and “great lighting.” The
quartet aims to channel Queens of the Stone Age with the Killers’ pop
sensibility, a formula that’s both commercially appealing and a little
haunting. Plus, Velten may be the only local rocker who not only has
girls tossing him their underwear on stage but has also appeared on
“Walker, Texas Ranger.”
The Silents - "Animals"
Voting will be monitored by Metromix staff.
