Headphones On

My home town is no longer the "hit" of the music scene¹, in fact it's been awhile since we have been. All the same, Chicago is still a respectable place to hail from within the music scene, if only because most people know Chicago music through the likes of the Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Ok Go, etc.

While I've always appreciated anyone who can put my hometown on the map, I've always loved a different kind of Chicago band, those who turn up the keyboards and not the volume. Strangely these bands tend to form during their college years at one of our many area universities, sign a record deal to a small American or international indie label and then disappear into the void...

Holiday did just that in the early to mid 90s. Forming at Yale (yes I know Connecticut is nowhere near Chicago) but moving to Chicago after graduation they signed to (then) Chicago label March Records and began to pump out the controlled wimp pop from within the Chicago city limits. There were two (or is it three LittleElpees?) records with March and then a release on Spanish label elefant before the band split in 1997. Their record "Ready, Steady, Go" remains one of my desert island discs to this day.

Alsace Lorraine formed at the University of Chicago, released one record and a few more songs on California label Darla and then disappeared² from my radar. Wow did I love that record though.

Vitesse took a similar route to non-stardom, also forming at University of Chicago³ and releasing a few records through Hidden Agenda and at least one through Spanish label Acuarela. They never played a live show that I know of (I can't be sure of this but I did try to keep my eye out) but did become a jumping off point for Josh Klein⁴.

¹ It's actually hard to say where this is right now. It seems the music press has finally gotten over Montreal and the Canadiens. At the same time Brooklyn bands aren't drawing the same hype they used to just because they're from Williamsburg. Someone care to enlighten me as to where the next it spot is? Silverlake?
² Of course now that I type this I see that Darla has a new release in the works for Alsace Lorraine. It actually comes out this week!
³ "Also formed" due to the fact that Alsace Lorraine and Vitesse share a common element (aka songwriter), Hewson Chen.
⁴ Most music fans have read the words of Josh Klein, one half of Vitesse. He's now a nationally known music critic having written for The Onion, In These Times, Salon, Time Out and whatever other publications I've just never noticed his name in.
⁵ Holy crap! I can't believe a copy of "Ready, Steady, Go" sells for $68 on Gemm.

Buy some: Holiday⁵, Alsace Lorraine, Vitesse