Pedals

For years Chicago has been pegged as the next hot spot on the musical map. But where other scenes have been packaged and, therefore, homogenized into a singular (usually loud and brutal) sound, the Chicago scene has centered around a cast of revolving musicians who approach their work as utility players, punctuating albums with a deft blast of quasi-jazz, lo-fi clatter, or ambient buzz. The Aluminum Group's the Navin brothers take the sound of bright 60's and early 70's AM pop like the breezy vibe of the Association or Bread and give it a darker, modern edge. (Imagine Love's Arthur Lee meeting up with Joy Division's Ian Curtis for a late night card game.) Horn, strings, background vocals, and banjo are added to the free and easy rhythms by noted scenesters from Edith Frost to producer Jim O'Rourke. The real stars, however, are the songs, which are elaborately and painstakingly arranged into pocket symphonies to take with you wherever you go. --Rob O'Connor  more