Year End Special, Vol 7: Favorite Locals

Here are the bands I liked from Michigan or Illinois (mainly Chicago or suburbs). Check them out. Do it. Do it.

Best out of Michigan

1. Anathallo – Floating World : This almost made my real top ten list, but I felt that it fit better here. Much of the inspiration came from a Japanese folk tale - like the Decemberists new album - but for some reason these guys got picked on for being pretentious, while Colin Meloy and Co. were praised. Anathallo's beautiful, complicated pop music rests in a world of its own, and I'm very excited to see where this group goes.
2. NOMO – New Tones : NOMO is supposedly an Afro-jazz group comprised mostly of U of M masters of music students. Ironic humor aside, their music is sometimes stunning in the same way as many classic jazz artists. Now they just need to made some memorable hooks, and emphasize individual musicianship.
   
3. Thunderbirds Are Now! – Make History : I think Justamustache might have hit the nail more squarely on the head, but I'm proud of this group. No one has ever catapulted out of Ferndale, MI and made a sizeable dent in the indie rock community before. Rock on, and bring that exclamation point.
   
4. Those Transatlantics – Knocked Out : This seems to be a summer project of five Central Michigan University students, which is surprising, given how good the music actually is. I saw them at Abbey Pub over the summer and was impressed off record as well. Hopefully they'll put a full-time push into their music sometime soon.

Best Out of Chicago

1. Bound Stems – Appreciation Night : These guys just might be onto something new. It's not quite the disjointed indie rock of Modest Mouse, and it's not quite the buzzing-with-life collective rock of Broken Social Scene. It's something very....Chicago. But it's also something very intriguing.
   
2. Kyle Mann Combo – Goodbye Kites : I'm a huge Ben Folds Five fan, so the idea of a piano/bass/drum trio immediately grabbed me. Luckily, I wasn't let down. They produce some memorable music with intelligent lyrics and a whole lot of class.
   
3. Chin Up Chin Up – This Harness Can’t Ride Anything : CUCU is a tricky band. Just when you're about to write them off as a Cure copy (or any other kind of copy) they impress your pants off. They are becoming a special band to Chicago, not only because of their intimate connection with venues like Empty Bottle, but just because they make music that belongs in the Windy City.
4. The Diminisher – Imaginary Volcano : This is a hidden treasure that rests somewhere between the eclectic late-'60s work of Pink Floyd and the Beatles, with a dash of medieval flavor. Their MySpace page only has like 300 views, but hopefully I can help in that department.
   
5. Wax on Radio – Exposition : I had the pleasure of seeing this band recently at Beat Kitchen. Mikey Russel has a voice like I've never heard before. They play rock music of different varieties, but they are progressive in that they have the ability to finally eliminate many annoying mainstream trends of the past 15 years. Are they headed for radio? Maybe. Do I care? Hell no. I hope they take over the world.