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Randomness is key to the success of me reviewing local Chicago band’s MySpace pages – so, for the first go around I randomly jumped to page 8 on MySpace’s rank of most popular Chicago bands and happened upon Maps and Atlases, a Chicago-based band full of energy, unpredictable melodies and artistic beats. Based on overall appeal, fan response, sound, and every other category that turns me on as a fan of music, this band has the right pieces in place for a successful puzzle.
The four songs M&A selected were “Every Place is a House” (133,000 listens); “The Most Trustworthy Tin Cans” (82,000); “The Ongoing Horrible” (99,000); and “Big Bopper Anthems” (54,000) listens. For the four piece selection, I am not only intrigued by the craftiness of these Chicagoans but also sold – as they have put together four tunes that resemble absolutely nothing out there. Creatively, I would assume the band took their influences, put them in a mash up machine, and came together with a sound that the great Brian Wilson would be proud of.
These guys are true artists and seem to be searching themselves musically to ensure they are exemplifying their art through sound, look, and appeal. The photography on the site (inside their MySpace photos) is brilliant. Even the photos showcase an artistic side. Their music is listed as French Pop/Italian Pop/German Pop – and judging by the interesting mix of artistic and unpredictable noise bellowing from the eclectic mix of instruments, that doesn’t sound far off.
The bands fans seem sold as well – yet skeptical that the band even exists anymore, the one criticism I have of the locals. Although they have been on their MySpace page recently, there isn’t much news or buzz on the band on either their MySpace page or their personal Web site. Fans are begging them to play Chicago again – along with Philly and D.C. Perhaps the lack of response or postings by the group is a marketing move guaranteed to award some promising buzz. The fans are craving another concert, but the band seems to be missing. The songs continue to get played and purchased, yet they haven’t posted news recently and even their blog site is a ghost town. If the limited response is a tactic, then bravo.
Going along a Hot or Not type of rating scale, broken down based on all of the characteristics of the band’s site – I will give them a 8.7 on my scale, meaning pretty damn hot, irresitable and intriguing. I will definitely be back to see where these guys go and see how they transcend their sound across the globe as a Chicago leader.
For more information on Maps and Atlases, visit http://www.myspace.com/mapsandatlases
MySpace Reviews appear in WannaVIP every Monday. Each review focuses on a Chicago local band’s MySpace page and breaks down the page into sound, style, art, and marketability. To have your band included in this blog, please email Nick.Powills@luminomagazine.com with your band’s MySpace URL. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
