Musicology

Chicago has always been a hotbed of killer music. One of the most riveting new players on the scene is Mungion, with stellar chops, inventive song structure, and the ability to pay homage to their influences without sounding dull or repetitive. I sat down with the boys at Summer Camp to chat for a bit, and they had some interesting insights into their world.

Coming in hot out of Burlington, Vermont is one of the hardest-working eclectic jam bands on the scene these days: Twiddle. Their complex yet groovy take on jam music lends a soulful feel to shredding improvisation and uplifting songwriting. They’ve been catching ears and turning heads left and right, and they are not a show to miss at Summer Camp this year.

The Hip Abduction is one of the bands I’m looking forward to seeing for the first time at Summer Camp next week. Their mixture of soaring vocal melodies and tropical guitars lends itself well to their penchant for sparkling world-music-flavored dance tunes. Lead guitarist/vocalist David New was kind enough to give me some insight into the inner workings of the group.

One of the most innovative and remarkable groups playing music right now is TAUK, the instrumental jazz-metal-space-fusion foursome from Oyster Bay, NY. Having built a sterling reputation on years of touring and high quality studio output, TAUK is on a meteoric rise to the top.

Summer Camp’s full lineup is finally upon us, and with that, the real excitement begins. As we are just over a month away, the energy is palpable in the fan community. Friends from all over the country are discussing travel, camp sites, what time to arrive, what new bands they’ll be seeing, etc.

We’re now two rounds into the lineup for Summer Camp 2017, and there’s one more to go (I keep forgetting that!). With such a high-profile offering so far, bursting with talent and fresh faces, the buzz is turning into a rumble in the Midwest (especially with the just-announced VIP upgrades and late-night shows).

Looking for something to do this Thursday night? Well look no further than your own back door! The Canopy will be hosting some very special guests from Chicago: the genre-bending EGi., supported by the ever-funky soap and the recently-featured-on-the-BBC Todd Hazelrigg. With tickets only $7 in advance and $10 at the door, you can’t afford NOT to be there.

One of the hottest bands around right now is TAUK. Their cosmic spitfire of technically complex, instrumental jazz-metal fusion grabs you by the brain and shakes you around until you’re blissfully disoriented and frantically searching for the rest of their material. Their most recent album, Sir Nebula, is a cohesive 12-song LP of intense and refreshing music with icy crisp production.

I've previously written about how Summer Camp this year is poised to be THE event of the summer music season, and their second round of artists confirmed my suspicions.