A kaleidoscope of post-rock and psychedelic pop, the debut release from Reds and Blue is willfully unpredictable from start to finish. With an all-star lineup that includes the mesmerizing vocalist/keyboardist Ellen Bunch (formerly a member of the equally eclectic ZZZZ), bassist Pete Croke, and percussionist Areif Sless-Kitain, this cross-sampling of Chicago talent has produced an infectious and mercurial record.  Side A opens hauntingly: scuttling polyrhythms, reggae-infused bass lines, unlikely chord changes, and Bunch’s sinuous, submerged vocals.  As this theme develops on following tracks, the surprising choice of delay-laced horns, melodica, and hand crafted studio production alters the tone, suggesting Augustus Pablo dubbing out a Pit Er Pat tune.  A more sinister vibe begins to creep in on the flipside.  Shadows of Sabbathian proto-metal sweep across the sound, though the more psychedelic leanings of the era still win out.  With each spin of the record, another blissful nuance captures your attention.  It’s an album that pleases early on, but really begins to imbed and impress with each passing listen.

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Here’s what the press has said so far

“Chicago’s Reds and Blue are a female-fronted band that’s down with the psych-rock-prog. They play dissonant, druggy melodies that would make Janis J. look down in approval. Besides keys, the band incorporates several woodwind instruments to help further transport the listener back in time. Reds and Blue may be new to the scene, but their members have long been part of the music making machine. Keyboardist/vocalist Ellen Bunch was formerly of the Polyvinyl band ZZZZ, and drummer Areif Sless-Kitain was in D.C.’s punk outfit, Bluetip. This is hazy, spooky music.” ~ Ohmyrockness

“Local experimental outfit Reds and Blue play and sing so gosh-darned hard, it sounds like their quirky little hearts would burst if not for their cathartic compositions and odd timing. With staggering bassoon lines tripping over disjointed flute melodies, dainty keyboard filigrees, and bursts of percussion barely holding things together, the inventive quartet’s art-damaged pop is as exhilarating to hear as it is to try and follow.” ~ Flavorpill

“Reds and Blue are fairly new to the Chicago scene in their current formation, but they have been taking many a stage by storm. The woman-fronted, bassoon-and-flute heavy band may at times be abrasive on the ears, but they’re not without heart. Their noir-esque sound wouldn’t be out of place in a black-and-white horror movie or a haunted house at a carnival in the middle of Oklahoma. It’s no surprise they’ve opened for similar eyebrow-furrow-inducing outfits such as Don Caballero and Mucca Pazza.” ~Chicagoist

“Beginning the night with a great start, four-piece Reds and Blue delivered their songs with beauty and femininity that adds to the instrumentation of the flute, bassoon, and keyboard playing to accompany the guitar and percussion. Their sound is most similar to local band Pit er Pat .The alternating vocals of Ellen Bunch and Annie Coleman have just the right amount of intensity and the stage presence of the two was definitely felt. Their songs are full of an unusual sort of catchiness that make me really wish they would record some of them as an album or at least an EP. Let’s hope there is a long bright future ahead of them!” ~ Radio Free Chicago

“Local Chicago quartet Reds and Blue started the line-up off with their swirling mixture of melodic female vocals set adrift in a sea of crashing rhythms. With their sound ranging from Eastern themed atmospheres to traditional European influences, Reds and Blue created a sound quite similar in its calming effects to mid-era Serge Gainsbourg and Scotland?s the High Llamas. Swapping instruments throughout, Reds and Blue drew the audience in with their array of woodwind instruments featuring not only an oddly irreplaceable bassoon, but also two melodicas and a brief appearance of a flute. As the inspired set drew on, one could only imagine the detail that will go into their upcoming debut album. It is something to look forward to. “ ~Cashbox Magazine

We are beyond excited to announce a release party for the upcoming album by Reds and Blue

Painting a picture of Reds and Blue, the band dances between cacophony and calm, chanting around progesque keys, heavy drums, and drony bass. The band was formed by Ellen (of ZZZZ) in the spring of 2006. Fuzzy on reality, the noir sound moves from the cabaret, to the open road, to the far ends of the imagination. Ju Ju Pow Wow!

Friday July 30th, 2010
@ Schubas
Reds and Blue
Hollows
Royce

Hollows
Hollows
Release Date: November 24, 2009
Vinyl LP – First 500 on Yellow Vinyl
w/free digital download version

As you listen to the joyful debut from the singular young ladies of Hollows, you might recognize the wistful harmonies and classy charm of the Shangri-Las, the propulsive rhythms of vintage surf rock, the hormonal crunch of the best ‘60s garage psychedelia, and the bristling smarts of the Raincoats. Hollows may be firmly rooted in Chicago’s DIY punk scene, but they effortlessly layer genre over genre, continually distinguishing themselves on this brisk, fun-loving ear-grabber of an album.

Organist Maria Jenkins lends this music a unique funhouse verve, elevating the drive-in horror-flick throwback “Shadows in the Dark” to pop art. Guitarist Meg Kasten careens from spry jangle to ominous distortion and sneering feedback. Bassist Emma Hospelhorn anchors the low end while adding nuanced girl-group harmonies to Maria’s lead vocal lines. Hollows have serious skills, and they also have imagination to spare. Their debut ranges from the post-punk lash-out “Mary Goes to Law School” to the C&W shuffle of “Muncie, IN” to a glorious cover of “Watch Out Sally,” made famous by 60s songstress Diane Renay.

Despite its captivating harmonies and hooks and its pervasive sense of freewheeling fun, Hollows goes to some dark places. “Johnny Appleseed” portrays confused young people and their hopeless relationships. In its haze of distortion, the choppy rocker “Do the Scarecrow” celebrates a lover’s angst and paranoia. (“What else can I do / To keep those birds away from you.”) For a few seconds, even the blissful, shape-shifting pop tune “Love Will Find You” collapses into a fit of maniacal laughter.

In just 30 minutes, this debut from one of Chicago’s most intriguing new bands delivers a catchy, mesmerizing, and deliriously twisted good time

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Chris Connelly
Pentland Firth Howl
Vinyl LP – Limited edition of 300  **Almost SOLD OUT**
w/free digital download version

Choosing our very first release for the newly launched Addenda Records was a surprisingly easy task. We’ve long been enchanted by the majesty of Chris Connelly’s work, so we considered ourselves honored that he would allow us to release his latest endeavor in a limited vinyl format.

Chris Connelly is an artist’s artist. He writes music as emotional ventilation, though each approach is a conscious decision. With every successive return to the studio, an untried mode of recording needs to be found, a fresh set of accompanying musicians culled, a different tone established, and a new challenge formed. A Chris Connelly album isn’t conceived haphazardly, and that dedication to the process and continued development as an artist is the reason behind his lengthy, acclaimed and diverse discography.

Henceforth, it feels cliché to say that Pentland Firth Howl sounds nothing like anything before it in the Connelly catalogue, but it’s true. Just like each of the more recent albums by the Chicago-based avant-garde singer/songwriter – Night of Your Life, The Episodes, Forgiveness & Exile – are distinctive from one another, Pentland Firth Howl distinguishes itself brilliantly from the pack. And if you would rather take the wider scope, very little from this refined affair resembles the industrial-disco of his past: Ministry, Pigface, Revolting Cocks, Fini Tribe, Murder Inc. and The Damage Manual. That is besides the emotion.

Pentland Firth Howl is just so quiet and so austere. Connelly is in the forefront of the sober mix with little else contributing to the momentum, an approach rare even with his lengthy back-catalogue. His Scottish accent flicks the end of each line, alveolar trills elongated into soothing vibratos. The incessantly rhythmic acoustic guitar that has driven the latter half of his career is still present and continues to shade Connelly’s nocturnal vocal tone with a monochromatically shimmering shadow. The tempo may have slowed, but the expanse of the recordings has certainly not recoiled. Instead, Connelly sounds as if each lyric within every snaking croon is directed candidly to the night sky. They are somber declarations of a life well lived.

Only joining Connelly in the studio is guitarist and producer Zak Boerger. His off-kilter electric guitar nocturnes create an elegant underpinning to Connelly’s spartan arrangements. These loose auxiliary melodies add just enough of a counterbalancing tone to enrich the recording without overbearing it. The music becomes a worthy vehicle, poignant songwriting melding with structured improvisation, for Connelly’s enigmatic poetry.

It seems odd that Connelly would name this album – one of the most composed in his career – after Scotland’s Pentland Firth, notorious as a home to some of the fastest tides in the world. Perhaps the Howl is more of a goodbye. With a career of tumultuous currents and fierce tidal shifts – used as an analogy to both the sounds and the stories behind them – reaching full maturity, it seems appropriate to dedicate an album to the coda. Hopefully this isn’t a final voyage though, because as this album so deftly proves, Chris Connelly is still creating some of the finest music of his career.

• The Fidra Birda
• The Felled Wych Elm
• Aberlour, Aberlour
• An Accident in Scottish Wilderness
• Goodbye, Waveland
• Half in Light Arisaig Eyes
• It Has Not Brought Me Peace
• Wide Eyed & Legless
• Ailsa Craig

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