I’ve gradually been easing this blog into the Chicago scene. Have you noticed yet? (image a devilish grin on my face right now — not that hardly any of you have seen my face, but that’s another post, just imagine it) I love covering the music that comes through my city and at [...]]]>

I’ve gradually been easing this blog into the Chicago scene. Have you noticed yet? (image a devilish grin on my face right now — not that hardly any of you have seen my face, but that’s another post, just imagine it) I love covering the music that comes through my city and at the same time there’s lots of music already in my city. And then there’s the posts about me and my moods and my life that’s filled with all sorts of music … but I digress. I’ve been making an effort to follow some local, unsigned acts here in Chi-town. And here’s a really talented indie-folk quartet, In Miniature. Sarah wrote me wondering if I’d help promote the band and maybe plug their show tomorrow night. Well, hell yeah I will

So give Stefanie and Erin, who like to sing harmonies, a listen. They say their bass player, Philip, “likes to stand quietly in the corner, occasionally surprising us with a sudden burst of hilarious political commentary.” Well that’s not on the EP I got, so I guess we’ll have to go see them live to figure out what kind of politics Philip is into. Sarah says “we all play multiple instruments, so on a given song you might hear guitar, bass, drums, keys, accordion, banjo, or xylophone–wow, right?” Yeah, wow! This music is low-fi and sweet, not sweet like twirly-girly twee stuff, but sweet like sharp harmonies and stripped down songs that bare their construction without shame. Their EP, Hey Marsupial opens with “Tornado,” their most “marketable” track, lyrically cryptic and very catchy. “No Surprise” takes off in an entirely new direction. With a strong, slow downbeat, I’m drawn in and swooning over the melody in no time. It’s a song that the Indigo Girls could easily have written but didn’t, but In Miniature has made this all their own. “Call It In The Air” with it’s repeating guitar motif is a good song, but I feel it has a sort of identity crisis. It wants to be sung like a pop song, but lyrically it’s folk all the way. And then “Barefoot Lullabye” hits my ears and I sit back with a sigh, you know all these lullabye songs always get me. And this one is sad, tender and smooth as it should be. Finally, “Compass Rose” shows off their harmonies nicely;  fast paced and quirky, it has a theatrical flair to it that suits their instrumental talents. All in all, In Minature’s EP Hey Marsupial gives a great taste of what this quartet is capable of. It has a wonderful range of songs, none sounding like the other yet all having a In Miniature sound. With careful production it could be a wonderful EP, and as it stands it does give a wonderful view into what this group has to offer.

There’s a lot of folk in this, indie for sure, and the aesthetic of the indie generation carries this forward in time nicely. But older traditions of folk shine through in the way their songs are crafted both musically and lyrically.  Stefanie and Erin have a bit of the folkish waver, the mature female voice of 60s and 70s music that I grew up on. It’s nice to hear it again. And they’re smart enough to find a good balance between instruments and vocals, something that is often lacking in groups like this. If you like folk music from indie girls then get yourself over to Ronny’s Bar tomorrow night. (I say girls, hoping not to offend them, they’re ladies, we know! but “indie ladies” just doesn’t roll off the tongue darlings!) xoxox

Playing Monday (4/6) 9:00 PM w/ Papermoons (TX)
Ronny’s Bar
2101 N. California Ave
Cost: $7

No Surprise mp3 In Miniature Hey Marsupial

Barefoot Lullabye mp3 In Miniature Hey Marsupial

MySpace where there’s details on how to get their EP for free