27 Nov 10

Hey, blogspot readers, rockin' fun after a long break! SouthSide's back on the beat to kick off the final weeks of her 2010 Around Town calendar. She's ready to get into the music groove of the holiday spirit within the local scene and tonight, it began at Elbo Room. This popular Lakeview lounge featured an eclectic lineup on its downstairs stage which included Kali Ma and On Your Marx.

*no hearts were sacrificed in the writing of this review*

Compared to what SouthSide heard off their CD, she liked the energy felt from Kali Ma's heart-pumping rock music. This band thrived on twittering the audience's mind (and ears) with hard hitting guitar riffs that quickly would change a song's dimension as well as tempo in a blink of an eye. It's quite breathtaking for this reviewer to watch how fast certain hooks and/or chords would switch within Kali's music taking her on a fantastical journey throughout their performance. The music itself doesn't truly need lyrics (yet there are lyrics) to enhance the fire and passion heard (as well as felt) inside the notes. Plenty of rising crescendos and downtempo movements (think of this as riding a rollercoaster with Kali Ma) which SouthSide advises not to count the many changes since some will come unexpected and unnoticed unless you're familiar with this band's music. Performing songs like Zaidi's On Fire and The Candidate (both can be found on their current self-titled CD), Kali Ma touched a wide range of genres from psychedelic to heavy metal and classic/retro rock with a bit of everything else in between. This reviewer highly suggests listening to Kali's tribute to rock legend Jimi Hendrix (one of her favorites songs off the 10-track CD) for its wicked instrumental bridge and a very Hendrix-esque style off the lead guitar solo. Also off the CD, she suggests listening to track 8 - Complicated Jam (the only thing that's complicated is the energetic instrumental riffs blowing your ears away) and track 9 - Programmer God (a rockin' tune questioning the validity of religion and dogma teachings). Kali Ma rocked out their opening set with a rousing hardcore metal head-banging song leaving their fans wanting more. SouthSide highly recommends joining the music cult movement sweeping the local scene known as Kali Ma whenever this band's rockin' the stage again. She says sit back and enjoy the guitar ride of tempo/chord changes that's full of energetic passion and heart-pounding sound. Fans can find them on Facebook.

This headlining band may love Jamaican music however they certainly perform it with a lively kick, blogspot readers! On Your Marx was in a celebratory mood tonight - rockin' out the Elbo Room lounge for the release of their new album, Resound. This party had energy ...vibin' island music and the wildest audience ever seen dancing to this band's reggae/ska/dub sound. SouthSide enjoyed OYM's unique take on the island groove which featured a rockin' rhythm section (trumpet, saxophone and keyboard) to add some spicy heat to the stage throughout this performance. This genre's making a strong resurgence within the indie music scene especially here in Chicago (with bands like The Embraceables) and elsewhere - on the East Coast (North Carolina and Georgia) yet she noticed, in her opinion, that OYM was playing their reggae/ska music "safe" ...there's so much they could have done within this genre than just play straight reggae/ska/dub. For example, she has heard a mix of reggae with lyrical hip hop, rock and alternative. Though this reviewer felt a bit disconnected with the band during the middle of their show, the band still had everyone jumpin' and jivin' to their vibe while performing songs like Make For Mind, Friends and Don't Lemme Go Solo. SouthSide liked OYM's take on old school reggae with its fast tempo and kickin' sound as well as keeping the audience in the swing of the theme song (track 14), On Your Marx. Off the CD, SouthSide suggests listening to track 3 - 2010, track 5 - Nolan's Dub and track 12 - Lazzire Fair. Actually, the entire album was a pleasure to listen and it's highly recommend to you snag yourself a copy. On Your Marx will be bringing their island fun to Martyrs' on Decemeber 16 ...be prepared to dance all night long! For more information, visit http://www.onyourmarxchicago.com and on Facebook.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide