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This song is also a part of Gaywitch Records Spring Sampler. This is the only place to download this song until the full release is out. There are also Cassette tapes. Buy one for $5 its the first time my music has ever been published on a physical medium.

https://gaywitchrecords.bandcamp.com/album/spring-sampler

https://gaywitchrecords.bandcamp.com/album/spring-sampler

My music project Cruel Spirit just released its first new song since last summer. Titled “Palmtree, IL” its a must have for your summer burn CD. Whether you’re at the beach or sitting in your car in a strip mall on your lunch break you should have a good time. 

https://soundcloud.com/khanelboj/palmtree-il

https://soundcloud.com/khanelboj/palmtree-il

https://soundcloud.com/khanelboj/palmtree-il

I keep falling so far behind on these but there are a lot of shows I’ve been going to and I’ve been sick and busy in the other hours of the day. This is nearly 2 weeks late hopefully I don’t fall this far behind again.

Venue: Finally, someplace that isn’t the Schubas. Lincoln Hall is one of my favorites in Chicago and it has been 8 months since I was last here so it was great to be back. 

Yoko and the Ohno’s: Yoko is a staple of the Chicago scene so it was surprising that I hadn’t seen them till now. Having released their debut album last year it was great to hear some of these songs live. It is also apparent that their constant billing on local shows has paid off because they really know what they’re doing.

Strange Faces: This was my third time seeing Strange Faces the first time was over a year ago I had no idea who they were, the second was a Halloween cover show where they played as the Velvet Underground which was a really great show. They released an album last year, Stonerism, which I really enjoy. This was their first show since the album release so I was very excited to hear these songs live. As a new addition to the band Twin Peaks member, Cadien, played bass. Everything worked well together.

Crosstown: I was surprised that Crosstown was the headliner. I had only seen them once for the Feeltrip pre-Halloween show in which they were one of the earlier bands. They also released an album in December. With a better knowledge of them and their music I have to say I enjoyed this show from them better than the first time. Their heavy rock style reminded me of what Diarrhea Planet goes for.

Sorry about being a few days late on this one I was between places this weekend and just now found time to do this.

Venue: I’m back at the Schubas. In the two and a half weeks its been since I was last here surprisingly it’s pretty much the same. I did have to break the adhesive seal on a wristband I had on at the bouncer’s request. I’m not that sentimental about things like this but I like leaving wristbands on until they naturally fall off and this one was from when I saw Mac DeMarco in Milwaukee last November.

The Symposium: I believe this was my third time seeing The Symposium although this was the first time I really paid attention to them. The other two times where in DIY settings, the first being when I was in the other room as the band when they were playing and the second was when I showed up halfway through their show. In an established venue such as Schubas I was able to give them a good analysis. The Symposium are a Chicago band who take a strong influence from The Strokes, especially the singing style of Julian Casablancas, that being said they have a lot of good songs and can stand on their own.

Diane Coffee: Diane Coffee has been someone who I’ve enjoyed since his first LP in 2013. Finally getting a chance to see him live I was not sure what to expect. I was quite surprised with his performing abilities. Shaun Fleming, the man behind Diane Coffee, really brings his songs to life with an energy I have’t seen from many bands. It’s surprising that he spends a good amount of time as the drummer for Foxygen due to how natural being a front man seem for him. Shaun made great use of the small stage he was supplied with. Behind him and the band where four (I believe) hexagons projecting imagery during the songs the most vivid being clips from a 1940′s snuff film and North Korea/Chinese totalitarian military footage. He also kept the torch for Glam Rock light in ways other than his eccentricity. Halfway through his set he did a wardrobe change from a very disheveled, brown business suit to a shimmering, bell bottomed 1970′s outfit that only seemed natural for him to be wearing.

Some of my earliest posts on here were recaps of shows I went to. I used to write about every show I went to. Last year I went to the most shows I’d ever gone to in a year so I decided to do at least some sort of write up for each show I go to this year from festivals to DIY shows. This is mainly for my own enjoyment so I can look back at the end of 2016 but I hope you’ll enjoy as well.

Tomorrow Never Knows: Tomorrow Never Knows was started a few years ago by the owners of the Schubas and Lincoln Hall here in Chicago. This was done in response to the lack of touring in the winter. Usually artists are local acts and smaller touring acts that can fill small clubs.

Venue: This was my first time at Schubas. Schubas is a bar meaning that most of its shows are 21+ but occasionally they have 18+ shows. I left early not knowing how long it would take me to get across town but ended up getting there before the doors were even open. I was surprised by the dedications it had to being a music venue. Schubas has been around for nearly 30 years. I guess I just have a bad stigma with bar venues after seeing how awful they can be. Schubas is really just a smaller version of Lincoln Hall as they are both owned by the same people. It has a good bar environment while still being a quality venue.

Troy Anderson: Troy Anderson is a local act who continues to hold up the tradition of garage bands coming out of Chicago in the last few years. When you think of a guy named Troy Anderson he seems like some guy you would see around at shows and hang out with and that’s kind of what he goes for.

Michael Rault: Out of Canada Michael Rault put out an album last year on Burger Records. I had only heard a few songs from him prior to this show. He holds a style of 70′s Rock music and takes his songs to the extremes expanding on the recordings.

Wildhoney: From Baltimore, Wildhoney was by far the loudest band of the night. The Shoegaze band held nothing back switching up the atmosphere of the night. They were probably the most put together of the bands that night stage presence wise. They were the only band with any sort of visuals playing behind them, they have been playing shows all week and it was clear they knew what they were doing.

Whitney: This was the band I had been looking forward to all night. Whitney has been on the rise as one of the next big things to come out of Chicago. Members of Smith Westerns and Unknown Mortal Orchestra make up the writing part of the band. They started playing shows last summer and I only heard good things about them. Their last Chicago show was in November and I had yet to see them so this shows was long anticipated. Whitney takes a lot softer a turn than every other band of the night. With six members (two guitars, bass, keyboard, drums/singing, and trumpet). The band was something unique to any show. There are very few songs out there by Whitney so I was surprised that they played 2 of the ones that were out in the first three songs. The songs I was familiar with were some of the most enjoyable but was mainly due to the excitement that everyone in the crowd had. The songs that I wasn’t familiar only got my excitement for an impending release raised to even higher heights. They said a new single would come out next week in which I’m hoping a release date for the album will be made. The rumors right now are set for March. 

30. Another One-Mac DeMarco

For me Salad Days was too directionless for me to really like it as an album. A lot of times it felt like Mac was trying to remake a lot of his better songs from previous albums. This album took a lot of the sounds that people like from Mac but made songs that feel different from any of his other albums

29. Spirit Club- Spirit Club

Spirit Club is definitely one of the more overlooked albums of the year. Side project of members of Wavves and Jeans Wilder its a perfect blend of the two bands sounds. It has the aggression and angst of a Wavves songs with the ethereal atmospheric feel of a Jeans Wilder song.

28. Horizons- Painted Palms

One of the problems that I had with Painted Palms debut album was that it had a lot of consistency issues. On this album they choose one of the sounds they were going for and make a full album of songs with it. While it can feel like more of the same as some of the songs from the debut it is great to hear them all as an album.

27. In Colour- Jamie xx

I’ve never really been a huge fan of The xx mainly because their music seems very forgettable. on In Colour I feel that the minimal sound thrives and that the diversity that the features bring really helps the album stay an enjoyable experience.

26. Ball Like I’m Kobe- Lil Herb

Lil Herb aka G Herbo of Chicago has been a favorite over the last year. One of my favorite things about Hip-Hop is the avenue it allows someone like me, who hasn’t grown up in this way, to view it. Lil Herb is a few months older than me and its amazing to see just how different two people of relative age and location can grow up in two very different ways. There is no clearer proof that Chicago is a two sided city and it always amazes me listening to rappers like this how true this is. My biggest issue I have with this mixtape is that it is a lot more of the same as what he released on Welcome to Fazoland which had songs I thought were stronger.

25. Natalie Prass- Natalie Prass

Natalie Prass made one of the most exuberant albums of the year. She takes a lot of baroque ideals with a modern twist a lot like a lot of the classic Disney soundtracks she has been compared to. 

24. Magnifique- Ratatat

Ratatat has always been one of the best blenders of every genre imaginable. While taking Rock and Hip Hop sounds and making an instrumental album has been one of their specialties in the past it feels like their classical influence is strongest on this album. I’ve always felt like the Classical influence was an important factor in the Ratatat sound with the precision that they play but it is clearly the main focal point here.

23. Sunshine Redux- Jackson Scott

I loved Jackson Scott’s debut. His take on cassette recording and Psychedelic music is my ideal take on the sounds. On this album he went even father to the extreme and I’m just fine with that.

21. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit- Courtney Barnett

It’s always the music or the lyrics that stand out more on an album and seldom do they both stand out. Courtney Barnett truly knows how to bring them to the top. The diversity in subject matter and style make it enjoyable and accessible.

20. Garden of Delete- Oneohtrix Point Never

I found Oneohtrix Point Never’s last album to such a great sonic experience. I had visions of an alien nostalgia, of emptiness but emptiness with an abundance to explore. While I don’t really get that from this album I find that it is far off from what you’d expect and it is enjoyable.

19. Savage Hills Ballroom- Youth Lagoon

To me this is the greatest blend of the sounds of the first two Youth Lagoon albums. The first album had a lot of concise songwriting and the second had a lot of the otherworldly experimentation. Personally, my favorite is the second but its there are song great songs on this album that give me some of those feelings. Its also great to hear that Youth Lagoon is not falling into one category.

18. Paper Mâché Dream Balloon- King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Usually Psychedelic bands have to rely of effects to get their point across. On this album King Gizzard gets rid of all of that and has solely acoustic instrumentation. This makes for an interesting album and a trying feat for a band such like them.  

17. Everybody’s a Good Dog- Diane Coffee

Diane Coffee’s blend and recollection of 50′s-70′s music is one of my favorites. If anything I liked this more than his debut. The eccentricity is fitting for this sound and it makes it one of my favorite of those making it right now.  

16. Working Girl- Little Boots

This has got to be one of my surprise favorite Pop albums. Between Vaporwave and PC Music. Perfection and productablilty have been major themes in music. Its interesting to see a similar idea come from someone outside of these circles and with a more organic basis.

15. Multi-Love- Unknown Mortal Orchestra

UMO makes strides towards a more synth oriented, dance based style while still holding on to their guitar sound. While I like their last album better I feel they couldn’t have remade it and had quiet as successful a record. I like the expansion and I wonder where they’ll go next.

14. Gone by Dawn- Shannon and the Clams

You known Shannon and the Clams will always bring a great take on 50′s-60′s Pop music with some great guitars. It happens again here and for the first time in too many years. If anything the songwriting is getting better and better.

13. Summertime 06- Vince Staples

This has got to be the best Rap debut of the year. I liked a few tracks off his EP he released last year but this is truly what he wanted to be introduce with. The darkness of the beats only supports his story of loss of innocence that he tells. If anything it reminds me of Good Kid M.A.D.D. City in that sense.

12. Darkest Before Dawn: The Prequel- Pusha T

This was an end of the year surprise for how high on the list it is. So many rappers release hour+ albums this year, some were good others weren’t. This is a little over 30 minutes and I love that. Every minute is great and it only makes you want to replay it when it ends. If this is only the prequel I can’t imagine how good the impending album will be. 

11. Quarters!- King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

This was the first of the two King Gizzard records to be released this year. The concept of this one being that there are four tracks and they are all 10:10 as well as being in different styles. It’s great to hear them take ideas that might not necessarily need to be this length at this length just to see what they would do with it. 

10. II- Fuzz

The First Fuzz record is an obvious favorite for me. To me Fuzz goes beyond what Ty Segall does and reaches for the pinnacle of prime Heavy Rock. On this record however they experiment far beyond their original boundaries pushing for new extremes.

9. The Epic- Kasami Washington

The Epic can only be described by its title. It truly is epic at 3 hours that being said it is still a captivating album. Too many people put out hour+ albums when they could easily be under an hour. Here Kasami shows just how much you can do with 3 hours. Songs range from 10+ minute experience to ones slightly shorter with more of a palatable structure. The diversity really keeps my interest going and its always great to hear saxophone solos over a choral group singing.

8. TST- The Smoking Trees

This is my favorite Psychedelic album of the year. The Smoking Trees take a typical Psyche Pop style and mix it with some great songwriting and a great usage of reversed drums.

7. White Reaper Does it Again- White Reaper

White Reaper has such a hard hitting debut. Most bands in this style are starting to ware on me but White Reaper stands out. I once heard someone describe White Reaper as a more hardcore mix of The Ramones and The Cars and I kind of have to agree.

6. Eat Pray Thug- Heems

Eat, Pray, Thug hits all points I like in a Hip Hop album. It’s got great rapping, party beats, dance songs, and a great political awareness. The political awareness of post 9/11 prejudice is one I have rarely heard on a Hip-Hop record and something that needs to be heard. 

5. We Cool?- Jeff Rosenstock

I’ve slowly readapted Pop-Punk into my listening cycle. Each year it seems I have one album on the list from it. Jeff Rosenstock’s solo debut didn’t really interest me but the tracks on this one really stand as some of his best. Instrumentally its energetic and aggressive while still fun. Lyrically it covers a lot of dark moments of Jeff’s life in a sense of honestly but still captivating. 

4. Vega Intl. Night School- Neon Indian

This is clearly the best dance record of the year. Neon Indian had an insane comeback this year making one of his strongest albums since Psychic Chasms. Neon Indian’s take on 70′s and 80′s synth music is so warped and enhanced to the point where its unlike anything else.

3. The Powers That b (Jenny Death)- Death Grips

I didn’t think Death Grips could a higher extreme than previously established. They get louder, crazier and venture into new areas that you would never expect them to go. This is one of my favorite Death Grips albums and could maybe take the top spot.

2. To Pimp a Butterfly- Kendrick Lamar

It’s really hard to choose between these two for the top spot and both are pretty closely tied. TPAB has the theme that defines 2015 politically making it one of the most important things this year has to offer. That being said I’m not sure I really find this album enjoyable from start to finish in a way that I would any other AOTY. There’s definitely a point in the middle where my interest is lost a bit compared to the start and finish but it has been a big part of mine as well as others 2015.

1. I Love You, Honeybear- Father John Misty

Since I’m always more of an album person than a song person I decided when putting this list together that it should be songs that really capture what 2015 felt like to me as well as songs that I really like.

20. Trap Queen- Fetty Wap

Kickin’ it right off with what most consider songs of the year and I kind of have to see there point. While I’m kind of breaking my rule of songs released in 2015 I can’t see choosing any of his other songs since they’re all pretty much remakes of this. Theres just something so sincere about his delivery. This song is very much of the moment and I can’t see myself returning to it much in the post 2015 world we are about to enter but I sure did enjoy it for the year.

Listen here

19. Everyday- Diane Coffee

There has always been a Rocky Horror feel about the music those in the Foxygen camp make but this takes the cake. It was instant love from the increasing shrieks at the beginning that continue through the song. There’s so much light hearted fun about everything in this song with a more concise delivery than most Foxygen songs.

 Listen here 

18. House of Bricks- Despot

Every time Despot releases something its a big deal. ever since I saw him live live last year my interest in his album has increased. While this song has actually been released, kinda, its great to hear the finished product. 

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17. Norf Norf- Vince Staples

The dark and brooding world that Vince Staples paints on Summertime 06 is best shown here. It’s also just a great song from the beat to the hook to just a great example of Vince’s rapstyle

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16. She Takes Flight With Me- The Smoking Trees

The Smoking Trees have been one of my favorite new band to come across this year. This song was the first I really got into from them. It’s such a great take on 60′s Psych Pop and I just love reversed drums.

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15. God Bless Me- WIKI ft. Sporting Life & Skepta

Fess up and Bless Up to the greatest how goddamn great this song is. While I didn’t really like the WIKI mixtape as a whole it did bring up this. There aren’t many rappers who I listen to outside of Hellfyre Club members that use really light beats and this one is so good. The hook is so infectious and has me waiting for a sneeze so I can say “god bless me” in that same inflection. 

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14. Paper Mâché Dream Balloon- King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

This is probably the best example of King Gizzard on the album this song comes from. It’s amazing what they can do with acoustic instrumentation and the children’s television soundtrack feel that this song has is so enjoyable. When the chorus kicks in and the tempo speeds up there’s just something so unsettling about it that while jarring is also very captivating. 

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13. The Night Josh Tilman Came to Our Apartment- Father John Misty

Out of all of the songs on I Love You, Honeybear I think this is the best to portray the character of Father John Misty. The way that FJM portrays himself and delivers this story are just so whimsical yet captivating that I’ve returned to it a lot this year.

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12. Hunk Beach- The Walters

This was a song released between their two EP’s and holds its own in that sense. It really is one of the best Walters songs and I hope it makes it on to an album whenever they decide to put one out since its too good to be left alone after this.

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11. On GP- Death Grips

There were a lot of songs I liked on Jenny Death but I feel that this songs has so much going for it. Not only is it an incredibly catchy song but it completely changes what a Death Grips song can be. It reminded me of some songs off of Exmilitary and I thought it must be sampling something like those songs did. I was excited to learn that it was original music and done with the guitarist of Tera Melos’ help.

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10. Hi- Hannah Diamond

Even Though PC Music had a lot of its big hits come out in 2014 I feel that “Hi” was the best of the 2015 releases. 2015 was a huge year for PC Music (I almost saw 2 artists this year). The style of PC Music is very much a sound of 2015. The extreme takes on 2000′s Pop music and incredibly bright synths are something that will remind me of this year. I’m not sure how long PC Music will be around for but it feels justified in 2015

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9. No Matter Where We Go- Whitney

Whitney has been one of the gems of the Chicago music scene this year. The songwriting members of this band come from Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Smith Western and have really grown outside of the local scene in the very short time they’ve been around. Their music takes great influence from best parts of 60′s-70′s Rock, Psychedelic, Soul, and Country and turn it into something so interesting that its hard to label it as one of those genres. They have plans of putting out a full length produced by Jonathan Rado of Foxygen and have said that this song is pretty much a demo since the new recording is nothing like it.

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8. Flag Shopping- Heems

This is the best example of the concept Heems has on the album Eat, Pray Thug. While the album is a mix of many different styles there is a theme of Heems personal accounts of living as an Indian American after 9/11. Its crazy how relevant this song is to the year 2015 but unfortunately that’s how all great Rap is.

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7. Last 4th of July- White Reaper

Out of all of the songs on the new White Reaper album this has to be the most enthralling. From the first few seconds I’m hooked. Whenever I’ve seen them live this song has always been the highlight.

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6. I Know There’s Gonna be (Good Times)- Jamie xx ft. Young Thug & Popcaan

This is probably the party song of the year. Obviously any song about having a good time will fit great in a party atmosphere but this song makes me forget that that trope has been done to death. It’s such a good mix of classic soulful songs like the one sampled and the sounds of today to make something stands out on the album and in the year.

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5. Crutches, Crosses, Caskets- Pusha T

The new Pusha T has brought a lot of good songs but none as good as “Crutches, Crosses, Caskets”. He pretty much addresses anyone who thinks he isn’t relevant anymore or that he’s too old to be getting hype. With one of the best beats and hooks on the album is a clear favorite.

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4. The Blacker The Berry- Kendrick Lamar

One of the greatest conceptual tracks of the year has got to go to Kendrick Lamar. It’s probably the most aggressive point of TPAB and for good reason. Kendrick gets blunt in calling out society and his community in the final seconds of this song making the listener ponder on the point he is making and in a year like 2015 its something beneficial to our society.

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3. 61 Cygni Ave.- Neon Indian

Clearly the best dance song of the year. In an album of incredible grooves this one tops them all. Its so infectious and such a vibrant representation of every kind of sound from the time period that it is trying to portray making it unlike anything that time or the current one.

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2. Floridada- Animal Collective

Animal Collective has returned in the best way possible. While this is the most accessible Animal Collective has ever been it has become an instant favorite in the less than a month its been out. While it seems to be inspired by the mid to late 2000′s Animal Collective albums its a breath of fresh air seeing how long its been since the last Animal Collective release and an Animal Collective release this captivating. If the rest of their impending 2016 album will be to this level I can’t imagine how good it will be.

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1. Pretty Pimpin’ Kurt Vile

This is a clear favorite for me. I’ve heard this song a lot considering its been getting some radio play. Usually when a song is put into alternative routes of play outside of my own control it starts to ware on me pretty quickly. My interest in this song has yet to wane and it has been a long time since a song has done that for me. To me this song is the prefect Kurt Vile Song. I loved his last album, Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze, but it definitely felt like he would go off on tangents extending songs to great lengths. While this can be enjoyable “Pretty Pimpin’” shows Kurt taking his style to a more concise song.

This year was a big year for me in terms of seeing shows. I saw nearly 50 sets this year and that’s not even counting all the DIY stuff. This number of shows far exceeded previous years making a top ten list a little stricter than I would hop but I’m really certain of this list.

10. Courtney Barnett @ Pitchfork Music Festival

Courtney Barnett is still a relatively new act so to see her on the main stage at pitchfork raised a few suspicions for me. I was not sure how she would hold up playing a stage that size to an audience that big but low and behold she was able hold her own. It was  a very interesting experience to hear her play at such a large scale I could easily imagine her playing large festival sets and arena settings in the near future. Check out the set for yourself.

9. Father John Misty @ Vic Theatre Chicago, IL 

Father John Misty makes quite a spectacle of his performances. I was lucky enough to experience his stage antics from the front row. Father John Misty is able to greatly critique his audience and the kind of culture that he comes from. He is also a great musician who, with his band, do a great job of recreating the songs in a live setting.

8. White Reaper @ Subterranean Chicago, IL

I had the privilege of seeing White Reaper twice this year. The first was in a DIY setting about a month before this show. While both shows were great the reason I chose this one was because they were able to play more with a better sound in an actual venue. Obviously with DIY shows sound is not exactly the priority and a lot of things can happen to mess with it. While seeing Punk/Garage bands at DIY shows I think it was better to see them play with a little bit of organization behind them.

7. FIDLAR @ Riot Fest Chicago, IL

FIDLAR has been on my list of bands to see for a long time. Last time they were here before this year was on Halloween 2013, a sold out show during a time when I didn’t have money. Then last spring they had 3 dates between Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison and I missed all of them due to finals or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. So when It was announced that they were playing Riot Fest I bought a ticket just to see them. I ended up seeing a lot of other great acts that day but FIDLAR was the crown jewel. This was a festival set so the setlist was very stripped down but that didn’t really bother me. I realized after the show that there were so many songs I wanted them to play and didn’t get to hear but I wasn’t bothered by it. The energy from that show was just that great.

6. Run The Jewels @ Pitchfork Music Festival Chicago, IL

This is the third year in a row that RTJ has shown up on my top ten live sets list and for good reason. There isn’t much I can say about RTJ that I haven’t said before but this show was a little different from the other times I’ve seen them as they brought Zach de la Rocha and Gangsta Boo out to do their features making the set that much more memorable.

5. Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL

I almost didn’t make it to this show. I had just gotten back from a trip and didn’t know if I would have a place to stay that night. The fact that this night might have been makes me feel even stronger about it. I have been a fan of UMO for a few years now and had yet to see them. Now with another great album they played a show That left me astounded. So many people have said how great a UMO show is and while I liked the music I didn’t really know what could make it that great. Ruban Neilson has proved to be one of the best modern guitarists. His unique playing style and expansion of the songs with solos of all sorts makes a UMO show more that just a set of songs.

4. Fuzz @ Thalia Hall Chicago, IL

Fuzz is another band that I’ve loved for some time now. While I like Ty Segall’s regular stuff there’s just something special about Fuzz, I’ve had countless late night summer drives where I put their first LP on at full volume to get the adrenaline going. Their music perfectly embodies what Heavy Rocks pinnacle is and that feeling is only enforced in their live setting. There were so many times where I felt the emotional power that those songs had given me in the car alone except now in the setting I had been imagining for so long.

3. Neutral Milk Hotel @ Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI

This was my second time seeing NMH live and I probably shouldn’t have done it. One of my friends said she wouldn’t go to this show because she had already seen NMH once and that was it, and I kind of have to agree with that. while it was a great show a lot of the mystique and awe that I had experienced the first time was gone, making it my favorite set of last year. The first time was such an emotional experience and this time I was just comparing it to the first. There was probably only one point where I had felt a similar emotion to that of the first time. that being said it was still a great show and probably the last actual time I will ever see them. It was great to see them in an actual venue and with a better viewing point.

2. Andrew Jackson Jihad @ Metro Chicago, IL

My experience at Andrew Jackson Jihad was one that I was hoping for with NMH. AJJ has been probably my favorite band for a few years now and this was the first time I had seen the full band live. I got to see the lead singer do a solo show once two years ago but that was nothing like this. I think the band posted that this was the biggest AJJ headlining show ever, seeing as they sold out the Metro. AJJ’s music is more lyrical that anything else meaning that the show was similar to a NMH show where everyone is singing along with the band for the entirety of the show. It was great to experience this seeing as this is my favorite band and many others too.

1. Death Grips @ Metro Chicago, IL