Dave Chamberlain and Tom Lynch

The Academy Is...

Yes, ending the band name with a linking verb is really annoying and may not suit some ears at MTV. But the so-far smaller of the two big Chicago-based emo clans, The Academy Is... looks poised to follow Fall Out Boy into superstardom sooner than later. A sellout at Metro--as well as many more across the nation on its recent tour--coupled with impressive sale figures for "Almost Here" (Fueled by Ramen) have given the band good reason to expect even more good tidings in the future as pop-punk and the perfect hook remain in demand. Plus, the band is still quite young, with "Almost Here" being its first record, so there is lots of room to grow, more big tours to join and many more experiences to be had to inject into future songs.

Potential stumbles: Emo could go the way of grunge

Quotable: "If you asked me three years ago if we'd pack Metro, sell out most shows on the East and West coasts, I would've told you you were crazy," says William Beckett, vocalist. "We've done tours with Fall Out Boy and Motion City Soundtrack, and I've always had high expectations for myself, the band and my songwriting. But everything that's been done has exceeded those expectations and, at this rate, in three years we plan to be one of the biggest bands in the world."

Bang! Bang!

Armored with sex appeal, a funky stage show and the support of punk-rockers and dancers alike, Chicago's wildest trio have all the makings to break out of the city and show the world what its got. The trio of Jack Flash, Gretta Fine and Mike Wednesday put a sharp knife through a kind of power-punk-dance riot, with songs and a live show that's as pointed and scandalous as it is just plain fun. Though the band's three years in existence are belied by a lack of recorded material (just a pair of EPs), the band just finished recording an as-yet untitled full-length, tentatively to be released on Morpheus Records in February.

Potential stumbles: Folks in Chicago have been waiting a long time for a record; it needs to happen sooner than later.

Quotable: "We haven't titled the record yet," says Wednesday, "but since we usually keep things serious--like our EP `Electric Sex'--I'm sure the title will be something just as serious."

Bible of the Devil

At the national forefront of a new brand of heavy metal that incorporates pieces and parts of metal of yore--call it scrap metal--as Bible of the Devil releases its third full-length record, "Brutality, Majesty, Eternity," it's time to take notice of a couple things. For one, Bible's live show is as compelling as it is heavy, a metallic ride that goes up and down but never gets boring. Second, as you're watching said concert, look around: this quartet (Mark Hoffman, Greg Spalding, Nate Perry and Darren Amaya) has started opening for every major metal band to pass through Chicago--and people are listening.

Potential stumbles: Except for the diehards, widespread acceptance of heavy metal has its ups and downs.

Quotable: "From the first record to `Brutality,' we've really made the change from raw rock `n' roll to something like pure howler metal," says Hoffman.

The Changes

Chicago's big-buzz band The Changes started the summer off huge with a slot as the only unsigned band booked at Lollapalooza, and though playing in the afternoon on the hottest day of the summer, they impressed the crowd with slick glee. A recent residency at Schubas saw the band play to four sold-out rooms and gave it the opportunity to work out new songs in front of a crowd before it ventures off to finish its first official full-length. The band, still officially unsigned in the States but reportedly considering several offers, lucked out with opening gigs for major players like Stephen Malkmus earlier in the year and Stellastarr* last week. The sound--reminiscent of The Smiths but not quite as, let's say, pure--shows both the heart-on-sleeve approach that will attract half the scene and the danceable bounce that will attract the other.

Potential stumbles: Though singer Darren Spitzer certainly exudes Morrissey's swagger, the band sometimes lacks Morrissey's lyrical depth and sounds a bit thin live when Spitzer drops the guitar.

Quotable: "We're thinking about the U.K. first," says Rob Kallick, bassist. "We get a lot of good feedback from people in Europe. It's a good place to try our luck before the U.S. In the United States, there are so many bands and such a short attention span, so bands don't quite get enough attention. Unless some band member is dating a celebrity they won't get noticed. Europe has more patience for a band like us--they're willing to listen."

Chin Up Chin Up

One of the too-many Chicago bands marred with recent tragedy--bassist Chris Saathoff was killed in a hit-and-run two Februarys ago--Chin Up Chin Up pushes forward with bittersweet persistence, recently reissuing a record on Flameshovel and playing a show here and there while the band constructs new songs. Based in math rock roots, Chin Up Chin Up has moved beyond its disorienting guitar musings into a much tighter band as of late, shortening songs and exhibiting a dominant stage presence. The clean guitars and deep, sometimes hidden vocals are one of the best combinations the local scene has to offer, and the band, both because of its obvious songwriting talent and tragic history, has deep Chicago support.

Potential stumbles: Taking too long to finish up new material and release a new record.

Quotable: "I'm sure it's not that much different," says Jeremy Bolen, singer and guitarist, of the new songs. "We're always trying to use new instruments and new arrangements to get new sounds. There's always something new we're trying to incorporate. But, right now, we're still in the process of finishing the first song."

The Dials

Lest you think that The Dials are here simply out of sympathy, they were already a band to watch before getting lambasted by the tragic death of drummer Doug Meis. The word "watch" serves two purposes. The core of The Dials (Rebecca Crawford, Emily Dennison and Patty Gran) create a keyboard-and-guitar-driven power-pop that's as fun as it is catchy, like the Go-Gos with riotgrrls instead a singer named Belinda; and watching them play on stage is, well, worth any red-blooded male's time, if you know what we mean. The band will finally release its proper full-length debut, "Flex Time," in November, the month that--we predict--Chicago and the rest of the country will start taking notice.

Potential stumbles: Tragedy struck the band when Meis was killed, and they're presently using a temporary drummer; aside from a lack of permanence, the trio will need to work hard to keep The Dials going.

Quotable: "In the immediate impact after Doug died," says Dennison, "we didn't know if we could keep the band going. But after a little time passed, we all independently knew in our hearts that to keep going would be the best way to remember him."

Make Believe

Tim Kinsella has been Chicago's resident vocal contortionist since the inception of the influential company that is Joan of Arc, and Make Believe takes that band's attitude towards deliberately mind-bending rock to another level of catastrophic beauty, guitars scratching and scraping at each other while Kinsella digs at his throat. The upcoming "Shock of Being," the band's first full-length on Flameshovel, expands on Make Believe's promising EP from last year with virtuoso guitar delivery and dark, dark tones. The record will probably prove to be one of the best produced by a local band this year and should get Kinsella back on the proverbial indie map, not that he ever really left, and not that he ever really seems to care.

Potential stumbles: The band's lack of determination to break out of Chicago.

Quotable: "We're gonna tour as much as possible," Kinsella says of the immediate future. "But I really think gas prices are gonna make it really tough. We're literally spending twice as much on gas than we did on tour six months ago. I can see it becoming very likely we're gonna tour a lot less. Personally, I'm pretty excited to have it an inevitability to tour less, that way I don't feel like I'm letting anyone down, I'm not fucking up. It's almost a relief if gas stays like this."

The New Black

One of the first bands in Chicago--and on Thick Records--to incorporate punk-rock directness with a playful eighties edge, The New Black is a wonder to watch on stage. And with a pair of records to its name, don't be surprised if the band--alongside Bang! Bang! and The Dials--is at the forefront of a new Chicago export that puts fun right back into rock `n' roll. With alternating male-female vocals (from Liam Kimball and Patty Gran), a knack for blending a wall-of-sound and move-busting dance beats with an energetic stage presence, The New Black should start attracting the attention of folks outside the city very soon. The band's second's full-length, "Time Attack," picks up and advances on where its eponymous debut left off, rife with the qualities mentioned above and sneering innuendo that hardly gets masked inside the lyrics.

Potential stumbles: Neither of the band's records capture what The New Black does on stage--they need to be seen to be fully appreciated, and that's often the hardest part.

Quotable: "I think it's pretty obvious in Chicago," Kimball said in an interview a year ago, "that there's been a backlash to the chin-scratching indie rock, the stand-back-and-study music thing that was around for a long time. Maybe people are finally tired of being ironic and bored when they go to shows. I don't think it's very much fun."

The Stranger

The youngest band on the list but far from the least likely to hit, The Stranger--composed of members of Deals Gone Bad and The Peelers--blasts out a fun amalgam of pop and gritty rock `n' roll that's equally informed by rockabilly and punk rock, but without wearing said influences on its sleeves. Members Aaron Hammes, Jason Larson, Alex Gours and Mike Hobson are poised to record a debut full-length for Haunted Town Records in September, a recording that will hopefully capture the superb interplay between vocals, stand-up bass and hard-edged guitar that makes every Stranger concert feel more like an event than just another show.

Potential stumbles: The band's only been together for about a year, so it's hard to know its sound will fall on the masses. And in all likelihood, it might be a while before The Stranger's record actually hits the streets.

Quotable: "It wasn't exactly like we had a long line knocking at our door," says Hammes of Haunted Town Records, "but all Haunted Town cares about is putting out good records. They were really impressed with our demos and live shows, so they offered to send us to Kentucky to record."

Troubled Hubble

The alt-rock workhorse from the outer regions of the Chicago area made a huge jump this year by signing with Lookout! Records, and the band's label debut, "Making Beds in a Burning House" bests its previous efforts in both structure and style. Often compared to the likes of the Dismemberment Plan and Built to Spill--perhaps too often, as Troubled Hubble has now claimed its own identity in the half-serious/half-goofy annals of indie rock--the band's constant touring and tireless promotion looks to pay off big in the coming months as Hubble embarks on a fall tour, hitting every bread-and-butter college town where its radio singles burn up the charts. With a devoted fan base and the chops to tour with acts like Clem Snide and Maximo Park, team Hubble could suddenly be the go-to band for pure fun.

Potential stumbles: Tumbling over in its own self-deprecation and blind happiness.

Quotable: "I want to be stupid and weird rather than sad and dumb," says Chris Otepka, vocalist and guitarist, on his songwriting. "It's just me. It's fun to go after sad vibes, but I think to take it one step further and get weird about it, rather than sad, is more fun for me."

Verge Overkill
A scorecard of sorts to review what happened to the bands from last year's list

(2005-09-20)

Also by Dave Chamberlain and Tom Lynch

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