Ratboys

Ratboys are a four-piece indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois that formed in 2010. Initially comprised of Julia Steiner and David Sagan, they began in South Bend, Indiana before relocating to Chicago and rounding out their line-up as a full band. They've released five full-length albums, all through Topshelf Records. Before we get to the end-of-year stuff, I thought I should finally include this band, who put out one of my favourite albums of last year, and one I continually returned to throughout this year. 

It's criminal that it took so long to get to, especially since they're a Topshelf band whose name continually came up for years. The Window did not disappoint, with its country-tinged, jangly slacker rock sound, fuzzy lead guitars, and impeccable songwriting with monstrous hooks. From the loose jam of "Black Earth, WI", to the racous garage rock of "Crossed That Line", to the soaring vocals of the title track, this album is incredible. Exploring their back catalogue has also been a joy, as they've been incredibly consistent since the get-go, but I'm still mostly partial to The Window. So if you're like me and have been pushing checking this out off, don't. Enjoy.

Ratboy (2011)

1. The Stanza

2. Down The River

3. Intense Judgement

4. Key

5. A 39 Is Annie The Oldest Cat

6. Have A Heart

AOID (2015)

1. AOID

2. Tixis

3. MCMXIV

4. Charles BErnstein

5. Folk Song For JAzz

6. Postman Song

7. Our Mortician's Daughter

8. Bugs!

9. Pivotal Dates

10. And

Dowsing/Ratboys (2016)

1. Dowsing - Hold

2. Dowsing - Pass

3. Ratboys - Not Again

4. Ratboys - Light Pollution

GN (2017)

1. Molly

2. Elvis Is In The Freezer

3. Westside

4. Control

5. Crying About The Planets

6. Dangerous Visions

7. Wandered

8. GM

9. The Record

10. Peter The Wild Boy

GL (2018)

1. GL

2. You've Changed

3. Figure

4. After School

Printer's Devil (2020)
1. Alien With A Sleep Mask On

2. Look To

3. My Hands Grow

4. A Vision

5. Anj

6. I Go Out At Night

7. Victoriam Slumhouse

8. Clever Hans

9. Listening

10. Printer's Devil

Happy Birthday, Ratboy (2021)

1. The Stanza

2. Down The River

3. Intense Judgment

4. Key

5. At 39 Is Annie The Oldest Cat?

6. Space Blows

7. Collected

8. Cacao To Cacao

9. Have A Heart

10. 88 Fingers Edward

11. Go Outside

The Window (2023)

1. Making Noise For The Ones You Love

2. Morning Zoo

3. Crossed That Line

4. It's Alive!

5. No Way

6. The Window

7. Empty

8. Break

9. Black Earth, WI

10. I Want You (Fall 2010)

11. Bad Reaction

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Website

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Kittyhawk

Kittyhawk are a four-piece emo/indie band from Chicago, Illinois that were initially active from 2011 to 2016 before reuniting in 2019. This is another band that can be filed under "posts I thought I did years ago". Kittyhawk have released one EP, an LP  and a handful of splits. A few years back, they released a compilation which includes all their recorded material (aside from their LP). Speaking of which, it was released by Count Your Lucky Stars, so if you're a fan of those shimmering clean guitar arpeggios, breathy poppy vocals, and dynamic build-ups, this is likely a band you're already familiar with. If not and you like Joie De Vivre, Dowsing, Dikembe, Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), you're going to love this. I haven't returned to them in a long time and it was a genuine joy to hear this album again. Enjoy.

Kittyhawk EP (2012)

1. The First One

2. Older/Wiser

3. Science Fiction

4. He Travels In A Suit

5. Partial Paradigm

Kittyhawk/Prawn/Droughts/Frameworks (2014)

1. Kittyhawk - Daily Dodger

2. Kittyhawk - Food Fight

3. Prawn - Nerves

4. Prawn - Laki

5. Droughts - Deaf Grin

6. Droughts - Financed Furniture

7. Frameworks - Presomnal

8. Frameworks - Preamble

Hello, Again (2014)

1. Contact

2. The Petravicz Estate

3. Sunny Day Renter's Insurance

4. Vaudeville

5. Jude II

6. Welcome Home

7. Self v. Former Self

8. Hans Christian Andersen

9. Zodiac

10. Seasonal Abjective Disorder

11. Better Homes

12. Better Gardens

13. Tourisme

Sundae Bloody Sundae (2014)

1. The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - Fat Heaven

2. Rozwell Kid - The Weather (Spirit Night)

3. Kittyhawk - Soft Serve

4. Two Knights - Benji's Cool Times Summer Jamz

Mikey's Favorite Songs (2021)

1. The First One

2. Older/Wiser

3. Science Fiction

4. He Travels In A Suit

5. Partial Paradigm

6. Silver Bells

7. The Green

8. The Rot

9. The Red

10. The Daily Dodger

11. Food Fight

12. Soft Serve

13. You Keep Me Hanging On

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Instagram

Facebook

The February Stars Union

The February Stars Union were an emo band from Chicago, Illinois that were active sometime in the late 90's. Naturally, there's very little info out there about them, aside from their sole EP and split which are luckily still in rotation online. Sonically, they utilize a fantastic dual vocal approach, also intermingling cleaner, arpeggiated guitars with abrasive, octave-chord climaxes. Basically, if you're into Christie Front Drive, Jejune, Ribbon Fix, Everyone Asked About You, or Eldritch Anisette, this will more than likely appeal to you. Enjoy.

Kicked Out Spokes (1998)

1. Too Intellectual For My Own Good

2. Self-Splitting Used To Be

3. Sunny Morning

4. My Name Is Failure-His Name Is Life

Adults Are Threatening Creatures (1999)

1. The Evergreen Trio - Always In The Afternoon

2. The Evergreen Trio - Incidentally

3. The Evergreen Trio - Only In Good Weather

4. The February Stars Union - And On The Seventh Month You Rested

5. The February Stars Union - Seconds From Something Else

6. The February Stars Union - Our Karass: God's Team (Amerida)

Shellac

Here's the delayed post that was meant to close out 2023. This is one of one of the most consistent and influential acts in underground rock, with a legacy that often feels understated. Of course it's none other than the one and only Shellac. They came together in 1992, with members all already established in their native Chicago scene. This included vocalist/guitarist Steve Albini, who previously helmed the foundational post-hardcore/noise rock outfit Big Black. He's also widely known for his production work with the likes of Nirvana, The Pixies, PJ Harvey, The Jesus Lizard, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and so many more. Shellac also consists of bassist/vocalist Bob Weston, formerly of Volcano Suns and a noteworthy producer in his own right, working with the likes of June of 44, Sebadoh and Archers of Loaf. Finally, to complete the single unit known as Shellac is drummer/vocalist Todd Trainer, who was previously in Breaking Circus and Rifle Sport.

Moving on from their individual résumés, their collective body of work starts in 1993 with a series of 7"'s released in quick succession, which culminated in a fully-realized sound by the time their landmark debut LP dropped in late 1994. At Action Park is the perfect introduction to a sound that is distinctly theirs. They eschew any semblance of traditional song structure, opting to lock into these hypnotic and dissonant yet dynamic grooves, with metallic string clangs and pulsating rhythms. Through each subsequent release always displayed a gradual evolution, their M.O. has always been to turn traditional rock sounds on their heads. Their output has also been very consistent, with five studio releases under their belt over a 20-year period, all via Touch And Go Records. If you have yet to give them a proper listen, now is the time. Enjoy.

The Rude Gesture: A Pictorial History (1993)

1. The Guy Who Invented Fire

2. Rambler Song

3. Billiard Player Song

Uranus (1993)

1. Doris

2. Wingwalker

The Bird Is The Most Popular Finger (1994)

1. The Admiral

2. XVI

At Action Park (1994)

1. My Black Ass

2. Pull The Cup

3. The Admiral

4. Crow

5. Song Of The Minerals

6. A Minute

7. The Idea Of North

8. Dog And Pony Show

9. Boche's Dick

10. Il Porno Star

Live In Tokyo (1994)

1. The Guy Who Invented Fire

2. Ramvler Song

3. The Admiral

4. My Black Ass

5. Song Of The Minerals

6. Billiard Player Song

7. Dog And Pony Show

8. Il Porno Star

9. Doris

10. Wingwalker

11. Boche's Dick

12. Crow

Billardspielerlied / Mantel (1995)

1. Billardspielerlied

2. Mantel

Sides 1-4 (1995)

1. Shellac - '95 Jailbreak

2. Big'n - T.N.T.

3. Brise-Glace - Angus Dei Aus Licht

4. U.S. Maple - Sin City

Soul Sound (1995)

1. Shellac - The Rambler Song

2. Mule - Beauteous

The Futurist (1997)

1. Movement 1

2. Movement 2

3. Movement 3

4. Movement 4

5. Movement 5

6. Movement 6

Terraform (1998)

1. Didn't We Deserve A Look At You The Way You Really Are

2. This Is A Picture

3. Disgrace

4. Mouhtpiece

5. Canada

6. Rush Job

7. House Full Of Garbage

8. Copper

1000 Hurts (2000)

1. Prayer To God

2. Squirrel Song

3. Mama Gina

4. Qrj

5. Ghosts

6. Song Against Itself

7. Canaveral

8. New Number Order

9. Shoe Song

10. Watch Song

Agostino / The Safeword (2000)

1. Shellac - Agostino

2. Caesar - The Safeword

Excellent Italian Greyhound (2007)

1. The End Of Radio

2. Steady As She Goes

3. Be Prepared

4. Elephant

5. Genuine Lulabelle

6. Kittypants

7. Protocal

8. Paco

9. Spoke

Dude Incredible (2014)

1. Dude Incredible

2. Compliant

3. You Came In Me

4. Riding Bikes

5. All The Surveyors

6. The People's Microphone

7. Gary

8. Mayor/Surveyor

9. Surveyor

The End Of Radio (2019)

1. Spoke

2. Canada

3. Crow

4. Disgrace

5. Ghosts

6. The End Of Radio

7. Canda

8. Paco

9. Steady As She Goes

10. Billiard Player Song

11. Dog And Pony Show

12. Il Porno Star

Note: Contains two Peel sessions, tracks 1-4 recorded in 1994 and tracks 5-12 recorded in 2004

To All Trains (2024)

1. WSOD

2. Girl From Outside

3. Chick New Wave

4. Tattoos

5. Wednesday

6. Scrappers

7. Days Are Dogs

8. How I Wrote How I Wrote Elastic Man (cock & bull)

9. Scabby The Rat

10. I Don't Fear Hell

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Apple Music

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Articles Of Faith

Articles Of Faith were a five-piece hardcore punk band from Chicago, Illinois that were formed in 1981 by vocalist Vic Bondi and originally disbanded in 1985. They reunited in 1991 for a European tour that wrapped up in 1992, and were inactive again until 2010, when they released a new EP and played a handful of shows. Sonically, the band got their start playing fast, loose and raw hardcore influenced by Bad Brains with overtly political leanings in their lyrics. Where AoF really started to take on a sound of their own was with the addition of a second guitarist in 1983. 1983's Wait EP was a transistional record for the band, with their straight-forward hardcore viciousness still very much intact, but with a darker, noisier, take on it.

They released their debut full-length Give Thanks in 1984, with Bob Mould (of Hüsker Dü) as producer. That influence is definitely apparent on this, as they retain the same fast-paced frenzied attack they developed in their early years, but took a more dynamic, sometimes even melodic approach to it. They were crafting strong songs, with the dual-guitar interplay in the foreground on tracks like "In This Jungle" which was incredibly ahead of its time. After a fantastic debut, the band disbanded the following year, but not before recording its follow-up. In This Life was released posthumously, with Bob Mould once again helming production. The album incorporated those big, distorted and reverb-soaked guitar chords akin to Hüsker Dü, but with one hand still very much on the hardcore wheel that the aforementioned had completely mvoed away from at this point. Lyrically, they eschewed their politics to take a more personal and introspective approach, which paired better with the more melodic sound they grew into it. In some ways you could say they were a precursor to emo, though that's a whole other discussion.

Their full discography was compiled in 2002 by Alternative Tentacles in two volumes. It's worth it to go through everything they released to hear their strong start and quick evolution. I included the individual releases as well (as well as a compilation and live album they also put out posthumously) if you wanted them individually, though the collection is the definitive essential. Highly recommended and insanely underrated, enjoy!

Demo (1982)
1. Articles Of Faith

2. What We Want Is Free

3. Streetfight

4. Poison In My Sweat

What We Want Is Free (1982)

1. Everyday

2. My Father's Dream

3. Bad Attitude

4. What We Want Is Free

Wait (1983)

1. I've Got Mine

2. Wait

3. Buy This War

Give Thanks (1984)

1. Give Thanks

2. In Your Suit

3. I Objectify

4. Acceptance

5. Everyman For Himself

6. Five O'Clock

7. Hollow Eyes

8. Chicago

9. In This Jungle

10. American Dreams

In This Life (1986)

1. Remain In Memory

2. Doesn't Have To Be That Way

3. Wasn't I Right

4. Wheedle Dee

5. Around In Circles

6. Nowhere

7. Trains

8. Wait For Me

9. Never Really Understood

10. Cambridge

11. In This Life

Core (1991)

1.I've Got Mine

2. Buried Alive

3. Sin And Redemption

4. My Father's Dream

5. Articles Of Faith

6. By My Rules

7. What We Want Is Free

8. Born To Be

9. Wait

10. Buy This War

11. Streetfight

12. Ghost In The House

13. Everyday

14. Bad Attitude

15. Dependence

16. False Security

17. Up Against The Wall

18. Poison In My Sweat

19. Belfast

Note: Compilation of material pre-Give Thanks, includes remixed version of the first two 7" EP's, compilation tracks and demos 

Your Choice Live Series (1995)

1. I've Got Mine

2. Acceptance

3. Five O'Clock

4. Remain In Memory

5. Wait

6. Bad Attitude

7. False Security

8. Give Thanks

9. In Your Suit

10. Trains

11. What We Want Is Free

12. American Dreams

13. In This Jungle

14. In This World

Complete Vol. 1 1981-1983 (2002)

1. Buried Alive

2. False Security

3. Everyday

4. My Father's Dreams

5. Bad Attitude

6. What We Want Is Free

7. Give Thanks

8. In Your Suit

9. I Objectify

10. Acceptance

11. Every Man For Himself

12. Five O'Clock

13. Chicago

14. Hollow Eyes

15. In This Jungle

16. American Dreams

17. In This Life

Complete Vol. 2 1983-1985 (2002)

1. I've Got Mine

2. Wait

3. Buy This War

4. Up Against The Wall

5. Fine Line

6. Empty Rooms

7. Remain In Memory

8. It Doesn't Have To Be That Way

9. Wasn't I Right?

10. Wheedle Dee

11. Around In Circles

12. Nowhere

13. Trains

14. Wait For Me

15. Never Really Understood

16. Cambridge

17. In This Life

18. What We Want Is Free

Fortunate Son (2003)

1. Vic Bondi - Hardball

2. Vic Bondi - Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)

3. Articles Of Faith - Buy This War

4. Articles Of Faith - American Dreams

New Normal Catastrophe (2010)

1. With A Vengeance

2. Coming Off The Rails

3. New Normal Catastrophe

4. Hammer Song

5. Brother John

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Apple Music

Alternative Tentacles

Subliminal Excess

Subliminal Excess are a four-piece hardcore punk band from Chicago, Illinois that formed in 2019. Their debut demo come out in January of 2020, and gained some traction thanks to its raw, loose, and noisy take on hardcore that brings it back to its punk roots. Its poignant aggression takes aim at a broken social system, which comes through in both the lyrics and  snarling instrumentals. They've now returned with a brand new EP, which captures the unfiltered energy of their demo while speeding up their already fast-paced sound. This is the kind of punk that I personally love, so of course this is highly, highly recommended. Enjoy.

2020 (2020)

1. Unified In Pain

2. Wild Spiral

3. Temporary World

4. Psychotic Break

5. Burning Feeling

Witness (2023)

1. Cope With Reality

2. Paranoia

3. Identity

4. Excess

Bandcamp

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Apple Music