Andy Downing

Clean Bandit straddles the line between the concert hall and the club, combining live, classically derived string arrangements with gurgling electronic beats. It's a formula the British quartet—Neil Amin-Smith, Grace...

"The Future's Void," the latest album from EMA (born Erika M. Anderson in South Dakota), could pass as a critique of these modern times, with songs touching on issues of...

"Heal," the ultra-personal new album from Timothy Showalter's Strand of Oaks, doubles as a soundtrack to the musician's life, tracing his evolution from Smashing Pumpkins-worshiping teen (the freewheeling, guitar-driven "Goshen...

"To Him That Wills the Way," the new album from local rockers Walking Bicycles, kicks off with "Impending Doom," an appropriately ominous track that sets the stage for a heavy...

Though Courtney Barnett was born and raised in Australia, the Melbourne-based musician has experienced more success stateside than in her native land, selling out a string of U.S. dates before...

R&B singer SZA is keeping good company these days. Her latest EP, "Z," features appearances from labelmate Kendrick Lamar and Chicago's own Chance the Rapper, and recently she decamped to...

Joe Casey, frontman for bleak post-punk quartet Protomartyr, has read the numerous descriptions of his appearance. These range from generic ("I hear 'insurance salesman' a lot") to inspired (the writer...

Though FinleyKnight only recently released its self-titled debut, the principle musicians in the band already have been making music together in some form or another for more than two decades....

Benjamin Booker entered into the summer as a relative unknown, but it's a safe bet most of Chicago will know the singer/guitarist's name by the time his self-titled debut drops...

Kristeen Young might not be a household name, but the St. Louis-bred, New York-based singer-songwriter has recorded with a bevy of musical heavyweights. The list includes David Bowie, Dave Grohl...