• SECRETWARS – “Whirlpool Galaxy (Messier 51)”

    RETURN OF SECRETWARS! At a recent Windy City Rollers match, this single came floating down from the rafters via a little flashdrive attached to a toy solider parachute. Is this an act of war? A pre-emptive strike? Or just another stealthy bout of madness as SECRETWARS rolls out his...
  • No You Hang Up – “Captain Craig”

    REPEAT/REPLAY I’ve been digging on this album so much I had to drop another MMM-MMMP3 off Don’t Call Me. Stream "Captain Craig" below — I’ll stand by my original, rambling write-up: Some people talk about a 90s revival and point to a new band like Yuck or classic acts...
  • Fredrik - Chrome Cavities

    Fredrik – “Chrome Cavities”

    Sweden’s alternative music scene broke out into the world a few years ago (QRO Swedish Sensations), and has just kept on going, from indie-pop to moody, atmospheric, and experimental, such as Fredrik.   A major QRO favorite (QRO interview), this ‘Friend of the Q’ from Malmö grew to a...
  • Grandpa Was A Lion – “War”

    Atrocious band name aside, Grandpa Was A Lion has got a lot to offer in the vein of laidback, synth-inflected pop ballads. Each song is a quiet little moment of introspection with its own unique textural landscape. Think: Antlers, but more of a one-man band. The four song EP...
  • Callow – “Gold”

    I did an aural double-take the first time I heard the tracks off San Francisco-based Callow’s self-titled EP because the vocals were so intensely committed to a certain style that you don’t hear attempted often these days in pop music. A gravelly, high-pitched delivery you hear sometimes in that...
  • Charles Manson – “Marilyn Monroe Was My Childhood Shame”

    While Charles Manson was holed up in San Quentin, someone surreptitiously snuck basic recording gear into the serial killer’s cell. That basic gear, plus Charles Manson, a guitar, and a total lack of discretion, resulted in the album you see at right: Charles Manson Live at San Quentin. From...
  • No You Hang Up – “Kindness In A Hurry”

    Some people talk about a 90s revival and point to a new band like Yuck or classic acts like Pearl Jam bringing back the grunge sound to a generation that grew up in the shadow of Kurt Cobain’s suicide, but never really "got it." Not that anyone really "got...
  • Outer Minds – “Bloodshot Eyes”

    Here’s another great Chicago band, Outer Minds, that I got a chance to see during the SXSW Send-Off party at the Hideout. The track below "Bloodshot Eyes" hews towards the bubblegum garage end of the spectrum with a healthy dose of ’60s pop hooks and sing-along refrains. When I...
  • Neon Marshmallow Fest Compilation

    QRO was there last summer in Chicago for the first Neon Marshmallow Music Festival at the Viaduct Theatre. The event was a beautifully-curated amalgam of experimental sights & sounds. This summer the braintrust behind the festival returns with another stellar line-up, plus a special compilation tape to kickoff the...
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