What’s New

Oddisee does what he wants on the polished new album To What End

Oddisee is aging like fine wine, becoming a producer-rapper’s producer-rapper. Two decades into his career, the native of Prince George’s County, Maryland, still doesn’t care about mainstream popularity—as long as he can feed his family off his music, fame isn’t important. This doesn’t mean mainstream accolades aren’t apropos; his big music is innately hip-hop, but the way he infuses it with elements of genres such as soul, R&B, and go-go makes it more expansive and widely relatable. From his early days with D.C. rap trio Diamond District through his widely heralded solo projects (such as 2011’s Rock Creek Park mixtape), and including his production work and killer live band, Oddisee has always been far above average. And in the spirit of Pharrell and the oft-troubled Ye, Oddisee has the vision and skills to do whatever he wants with music, because his music is just that good. He touts fierce independence, sociopolitical commentary, and intelligent, layered introspection over bright production. 

Oddisee’s latest record, To What End (his second project with Outer Note), continues on that path. The album is so polished that even when some of the choruses falter, the powerful verses and dynamic instrumentation are strong enough to create balance. The orchestral opener, “The Start of Something,” floats in knowing and proud, with Oddisee declaring that you “can’t appreciate the winnings, never learning loss.” Philadelphia rap icon Freeway provides his signature “rah-rah” to the driving bass of “Ghetto to Meadow” and surprisingly meshes with Oddisee’s mellifluous veteran’s flow. To What End shows Oddissee’s knack for bringing together incredible talent; “Choices” is a melodic bed of roses with great verses from Little Brother’s Phonte, British rapper and producer Kay Young, and singer BeMyFiasco. If Oddisee never blows up, that’s OK. His family is fed, and his music is so good it feels universal.

Oddisee’s To What End is available through Bandcamp.


Read More

Oddisee does what he wants on the polished new album To What EndCristalle Bowenon January 23, 2023 at 6:00 pm

Oddisee is aging like fine wine, becoming a producer-rapper’s producer-rapper. Two decades into his career, the native of Prince George’s County, Maryland, still doesn’t care about mainstream popularity—as long as he can feed his family off his music, fame isn’t important. This doesn’t mean mainstream accolades aren’t apropos; his big music is innately hip-hop, but the way he infuses it with elements of genres such as soul, R&B, and go-go makes it more expansive and widely relatable. From his early days with D.C. rap trio Diamond District through his widely heralded solo projects (such as 2011’s Rock Creek Park mixtape), and including his production work and killer live band, Oddisee has always been far above average. And in the spirit of Pharrell and the oft-troubled Ye, Oddisee has the vision and skills to do whatever he wants with music, because his music is just that good. He touts fierce independence, sociopolitical commentary, and intelligent, layered introspection over bright production. 

Oddisee’s latest record, To What End (his second project with Outer Note), continues on that path. The album is so polished that even when some of the choruses falter, the powerful verses and dynamic instrumentation are strong enough to create balance. The orchestral opener, “The Start of Something,” floats in knowing and proud, with Oddisee declaring that you “can’t appreciate the winnings, never learning loss.” Philadelphia rap icon Freeway provides his signature “rah-rah” to the driving bass of “Ghetto to Meadow” and surprisingly meshes with Oddisee’s mellifluous veteran’s flow. To What End shows Oddissee’s knack for bringing together incredible talent; “Choices” is a melodic bed of roses with great verses from Little Brother’s Phonte, British rapper and producer Kay Young, and singer BeMyFiasco. If Oddisee never blows up, that’s OK. His family is fed, and his music is so good it feels universal.

Oddisee’s To What End is available through Bandcamp.


Read More

Squirrel Flower braces herself for love’s unbridled force on new single “Your Love”

Ella Williams, the Massachusetts-born musician who makes music as Squirrel Flower, released her first EP, Early Winter Songs From Middle America, while attending Grinnell College in 2015, and she’s been steadily touring ever since. After graduation, she moved back to Boston to make her way in the DIY scene, and she soon turned heads with stunning back-to-back albums, 2020’s I Was Born Swimming and 2021’s Planet (i), both released through Polyvinyl. She moved to Chicago in 2021, and since then she’s seamlessly settled into the city’s tight-knit music scene, even joining tours with local bands, including Tenci, Mia Joy, and Whitney. Squirrel Flower’s latest single, “Your Love,” is a full-band reimagining of the softer, more stripped-down track “Your Love Is a Disaster” from last year’s Planet EP. Here, Williams steadies herself against the sharp gut punch of new love, her voice careening over fuzzed-out guitar and a punchy drumbeat. Bursting at the seams with layers of vocal harmonies, pedal steel, and a twangy guitar solo from MJ Lenderman, “Your Love” is a nervous reckoning with the pain of love as much as it is a ringing celebration of desire. 

Williams’s songs often toe this line, creating a staggering balance between decay and absolute comfort. Through these extremes, she manages to unearth bright, unclouded insights about herself and her most intimate relationships. Onstage, this clarity lends Williams a certain sternness; she often sets her face with a calm and unsmiling reserve. While she holds chaos and catastrophe close in her songs, beneath the surface there’s a taut and aching longing for connection, no matter the price. To love is to face the sharpest razor’s edge, but Williams convinces us that the risk is worth it. How far would you go to feel close to someone again?

Squirrel Flower Dearly Somber and Soft and Dumb open. Thu 1/26, 9 PM, Sleeping Village, $20, $18 in advance. 21+


Read More

Squirrel Flower braces herself for love’s unbridled force on new single “Your Love”Tasha Viets-VanLearon January 23, 2023 at 12:00 pm

Ella Williams, the Massachusetts-born musician who makes music as Squirrel Flower, released her first EP, Early Winter Songs From Middle America, while attending Grinnell College in 2015, and she’s been steadily touring ever since. After graduation, she moved back to Boston to make her way in the DIY scene, and she soon turned heads with stunning back-to-back albums, 2020’s I Was Born Swimming and 2021’s Planet (i), both released through Polyvinyl. She moved to Chicago in 2021, and since then she’s seamlessly settled into the city’s tight-knit music scene, even joining tours with local bands, including Tenci, Mia Joy, and Whitney. Squirrel Flower’s latest single, “Your Love,” is a full-band reimagining of the softer, more stripped-down track “Your Love Is a Disaster” from last year’s Planet EP. Here, Williams steadies herself against the sharp gut punch of new love, her voice careening over fuzzed-out guitar and a punchy drumbeat. Bursting at the seams with layers of vocal harmonies, pedal steel, and a twangy guitar solo from MJ Lenderman, “Your Love” is a nervous reckoning with the pain of love as much as it is a ringing celebration of desire. 

Williams’s songs often toe this line, creating a staggering balance between decay and absolute comfort. Through these extremes, she manages to unearth bright, unclouded insights about herself and her most intimate relationships. Onstage, this clarity lends Williams a certain sternness; she often sets her face with a calm and unsmiling reserve. While she holds chaos and catastrophe close in her songs, beneath the surface there’s a taut and aching longing for connection, no matter the price. To love is to face the sharpest razor’s edge, but Williams convinces us that the risk is worth it. How far would you go to feel close to someone again?

Squirrel Flower Dearly Somber and Soft and Dumb open. Thu 1/26, 9 PM, Sleeping Village, $20, $18 in advance. 21+


Read More

Chicago Bears Mock Draft: Big trade addresses WR, Bears add a QBRyan Heckmanon January 22, 2023 at 2:00 pm

Use your (arrows) to browse

In less than a month, the NFL offseason will be in full swing. For now, we’re still in the rumor phase, but you better believe the Chicago Bears have plenty of suitors for that no. 1 overall pick.

For those thinking the Bears will keep the pick, you are sadly mistaken.

This is going to be an all-out bidding war for the top pick in the draft, and it’ll more than likely lead to a team drafting Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

The Bears, meanwhile, will get a haul for the pick. What’s intriguing to think about, though, is just how many assets could come from that first overall pick. In this mock, the Bears make a couple of trades in order to stack capital.

The Chicago Bears pull off the first of two trades in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft

In the first of their initial trades in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Bears move down just one spot with the team that could have had this selection in the first place. The Houston Texans need their franchise quarterback, and that’s why they make a trade like this.

Bears Get
Pick No. 2
Pick No. 65
Pick No. 204
Texans Get
Pick No. 1

In exchange for the first pick, the Bears move down just one spot and also get the no. 65 pick in the third round, plus a later pick at no. 204 overall. It’s not as enormous a return as some may have thought the Bears would get, but again we’re just moving down one spot here. Next, the Bears make an even bigger splash.

In their second trade of the first round, the Chicago Bears land a haul, including Davante Adams

Bears Get
Pick No. 7
Pick No. 38
Pick No. 70
WR Davante Adams
Raiders Get
Pick No. 2

This is where things get real interesting. The Las Vegas Raiders are also in need of a franchise quarterback now that Derek Carr is on his way out. They move up with the Bears and trade Chicago the no. 7 pick, no. 38 in the second round, no. 70 in the third round along with All Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.

After just one year in Vegas, Adams comes back to the NFC North and has the chance to face his old team in Green Bay. Justin Fields gets his alpha wide receiver to start the draft, and the Bears haven’t even made a selection yet.

Now, we really get going.

Use your (arrows) to browse

Read More

Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show

Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. 

Chicago Reader podcasts are recorded on Shure microphones. Learn more at Shure.com.

With support from our sponsors

Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.


The early days

It’s the new news about Chicago mayoral elections—nobody knows nothin’.


Baby steps

The good news about 2022 is that it could have been worse.


Good riddance

The best thing Alderperson Ed Burke ever did for Chicago was to leave office.

Read More

Listen to The Ben Joravsky ShowBen Joravskyon January 21, 2023 at 8:07 pm

Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky riffs on the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty, and interviews politicians, activists, journalists and other political know-it-alls. Presented by the Chicago Reader, the show is available by 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at chicagoreader.com/joravsky—or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t miss Oh, What a Week!–the Friday feature in which Ben & producer Dennis (aka, Dr. D.) review the week’s top stories. Also, bonus interviews drop on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. 

Chicago Reader podcasts are recorded on Shure microphones. Learn more at Shure.com.

With support from our sponsors

Chicago Reader senior writer Ben Joravsky discusses the day’s stories with his celebrated humor, insight, and honesty on The Ben Joravsky Show.


The early days

It’s the new news about Chicago mayoral elections—nobody knows nothin’.


Baby steps

The good news about 2022 is that it could have been worse.


Good riddance

The best thing Alderperson Ed Burke ever did for Chicago was to leave office.

Read More