
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that this Saturday, April 21, is the fourth annual Record Store Day . Like the past three years, record stores around the country are offering exclusive releases, great deals, free goodies and even in-store performances for Saturday's celebration of independently owned record stores. The event is even better if you live in Chicago because there are many great record stores strewn across the city, but it's hard to keep count of which one is doing what. Therefore, once again , we've done the dirty work for you in this [...]

We can't believe that we are ONE day away from our AWESOME PARTY IN AUSTIN TOMORROW!! Have you RSVP'd yet? We figure that there's a lot that you want to see during the festival so here are the set times for our party. Please keep in mind that we'll have music playing in both rooms so once a band finishes on one stage, music starts on the other! 12:00 Elliot & The Ghost 12:30 Nightlife 1:00 American Royalty 1:30 Stepdad [...]

2012 marks our THIRD year of heading down to Austin, TX for SXSW. We've partied with some great friends in the past and we're ready to party some more! Working with our friends at Knuckle Rumbler , we're proud to present PERVEYORS OF ROCK!!! On Wednesday, March 14th, we're holding a tremendous day party at Peckerhead's (402 E. 6th Street) that features a great mix of rock bands that will have you partying with us from NOON til 8PM! Why ...

Still in town? Then you need to boogie on over to Lincoln Hall tonight for an epic show of epic proportions brought to you by Betta Promotions and sponsored by yours truly. And, of couse, here are three reasons why... 1. Pulling from the denser side of Wilco, the dramatic side of My Morning Jacket and a bit of the pluckier offerings of Fiery Furnaces, Santah create big indie rock that's nothing short of epic. Their songs are littered and crevices and canyons of smooth bass lines, slick guitar moves, steady beats and [...]
As many of you have noticed, Obscure Sound is undergoing some changes. I hope the new design helps this site continue on the path of more frequent and diverse updates. The past design was useful, but it was irritating how only one post at a time was able to take the spotlight. Now, features and [...]

CMJ 2011 rolled into New York City, took over its streets and wore out its avid music fans for the better part of a week. I've only barely recovered, having seen 20+ bands, passed through too many venues to even count, and consumed more than a fair share of free booze. Without further ado, here are five highlights from my Part 1 coverage: 1. A Lull - Day 1, Lefse Records Showcase @ Pianos Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me that day. Though the venue is typically too [...]
Chicago's melodic indie rockers Santah have unveiled a new video for the bouncy tune, "Neighbors and Cousins," from their latest White Noise Bed . And just in time for fall, the clip is a fun look back at, uh, summer. Yes, bright and sun shiny summer is showcased as Santah, instruments and all, hit Lake Michigan for some fun on a boat. Plus, not only does Santah have a new video, but they were recently featured for a Daytrotter session . So, check that out and then watch [...]
Hailing from Chicago, Santah put catchy, no-frills alternative rock back on the main stage. The five-piece fuse the ambition of all members into a cohesive and successful album, White Noise Bed – a group courtesy of GroopEase, who recently offered their full-length for $3 – a $6 discount. Fans of The Walkmen, The Veils, and [...]

Army Navy, with Santah, The Comwboy Relics / Club Café / 10.12.2011 / 8:00 / $8 Words by Brendan Justin Kennedy used to play in Pinwheel with Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab For Cutie ), had Elvis Costello 's drummer play on his first album, and has a voice that sounds remarkably like Colin Meloy of The Decemberists (to my ears, at least). That's a lot of good company, but the thing is, I was hooked by the songs of Army [...]

THIS WEEK'S BEST BET: Earth w/ Mt. Eerie, Flap Sunday, September 11 The Earl - 488 Flat Shoals Avenue in Atlanta 30316 Admission $12 ADV / $15 DOS / Purchase Tickets Even at the peak of their heaviest drone metal doom, Earth was about conjuring mood and atmosphere. Buried beneath all the crushing noise and the layers of fuzz and feedback, there were riffs — painstakingly slow, deliberate, monolithic — and a semblance of structure, but the music thrived on luring [...]
This is a record that is sweeping and involving until the end.

Santah - Chips Of Paint A close friend of mine was studying abroad in Spain a few semesters back and spent more than a few evenings at a local open mic night. Also frequenting the open mic night, but up on stage, was Stanton McConnell, a student at the University of Illinois. Fast forward a few months. McConnell's band has released their debut record. And as my friend tells me, "you have to check these guys out." McConnell's band is Santah. A quintet who met at the University of Illinois, they released their debut [...]

It's such a great weekend for festivals in Chicago. We've got Taste of Randolph occupying the West Loop with the salivating sounds of British rockers The Heavy and Swervedriver as well as local rockers JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound and The 1900s . Not to mention the three-day birthday bash going on at Saki featuring Great Society Mind Destroyers and much, much more. With so much rock happening there's really no need to wait. Let's get on with the show! [...]
To celebrate today's crop of releases, here are new mp3s from the Appleseed Cast, Matt Bauer, Black Lips, the Coathangers, Country Mice, Dawes, Ryan Driver, Nik Freitas, Fucked Up, Chilly Gonzales, Hospital Ships, Idiot Glee, Jessica 6, the Ladybug Transistor, Brian Olive, Oneida, Robert Pollard, the Rosebuds, Santah, Duncan Sheik, Loga Ramin Torkian and the [...]
Santah have premiered a new track online. The song comes from the new No Sleep act's forthcoming album, White Noise Bed , due out June 7 . You can scope the title track via Consequence of Sound , and/or download it here . The band also have a handful of dates coming up, including one-offs with Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and Dinosaur Bones.

The modern college experience is one marked by imbibing enough booze to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool for four years on a nearly daily basis and a feeling of uncertainty regarding just what kind of life a degree in philosophy can earn a recent graduate. However, college does have its unexpected benefits, like being a great place for bands to meet and form. Thanks to the University of Illinois, the five-piece that is Santah (guitarist/vocalist Stanton McConnell, drummer Steven Plock, bassist Otto Stuparitz, keyboard player Tommy Trafton, and late joiner/McConnell's sister Vivian) got together to form [...]

Three yes-I'm-going-to-keep-referenc ing-my-new-reading-glasses-and -what-they-really-mean-so-just -bear-with-me reasons to just let them fog up when you drink coffee because it'll go away quickly enough. Then head over to Schubas tonight... 1. Our very own Britni just pleasantly reviewed the pleasant album, White Noise Bed , by headliner Santah . If Britni liked it, well then, I feel confident you will as well. In fact, so confident am I that I'll just let you read her review and not say another word on the matter. On to number two. [...]

The new album from Chicago alt-pop outfit Santah , will, to steal a seasonal reference, make your small heart grow three sizes. Titled White Noise Bed , it's filled with candidly emotional lyrics all backed by upbeat, dueling guitar riffs, simple bass and keyboard lines, and catchy drum beats. The nearly three year old quintet is comprised of Stan McConnell and his younger sister Vivian both on guitar and vocals, Otto Stuparitz on Bass, Tom Trafton on keyboards and Steve Plock on drums. Taking pages from bands [...]

Upon being asked to write a show preview for Santah 's upcoming show at Chicago's Empty Bottle on November 12th, my first initial thought was "OOH! I HOPE THIS IS A GROUP OF DUDES DRESSED UP LIKE SANTA CLAUSE SINGING CHRISTMAS CAROLS!" It's not. After I got over my disappointment, I decided to actually give the album a shot. I honestly did not expect this album to be bad by any means, mostly because Santah is represented by the same person who represents one of my favorite bands, drmanhattan. I was right. Santah [...]
With five days of frenzied music madness coming to an end, the free acoustic Big Ugly Yellow Couch showcase was a nice, calming way to close out CMJ . Santah was the first to grace the upstairs area of Pianos with their presence. Armed with interesting acoustic instruments like the ukulele and the charango, this mild-mannered Illinois quintet had the loveable essence of a folksy traveling band making their way to big city. Their songs were delightful, and their talent shone brightest in harmonies that [...]