Underrated Chicago albums
The decade's most overlooked gems.
1. From the River to the Ocean Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake (2007) Thrill Jockey The tenor sax titan and percussion heavyweight paint vivid jazz-blues landscapes.
2. Life on the Fly Azita (2004) Drag City Art-rock mafia all-stars smooth over the quirky singer-pianist’s offbeat arrangements.
3. Looks at the Bird Brokeback (2003) Thrill Jockey Sweeping spaghetti Westerns and breathtaking ballads haunt this intimate masterpiece.
4. Mansion Boas (2002) Overcoat Recordings The lone full-length from these unsung pop players hints at what might’ve been, had the group not imploded.
5. Month of Sundays Chamber Strings (2001) Bobsled Records Kevin Junior and co. step into the aughties with a syrupy-sweet collection that goes down easy.
6. In Your Lonesome Town Devil in a Woodpile (2005) Bloodshot The former Hideout staple’s swan song is a freewheeling hootenanny fusing country, blues and jazz.
7. Rawar Style The Eternals (2004) Aesthetics A polyrhythmic panorama of paranoia, protest and punk from the dub half of Trenchmouth.
8. Universal Blues the Redwalls (2003) Undertow Music Collective The Deerfield hopefuls’ foray into vintage pop is a prequel to their ill-fated Capitol years.
9. Crazy When Wet Tight Phantomz (2005) Southern Music Distribution Mike Lust’s gruff growl oozes cool over swaggering riffs, raising the bar for his trademark high kicks.
10. The Great Chicago Fire: A Cold Day in Hell Malik Yusef (2003) Bungalo Records Street-poet-turned-rapper spits dense, rapid-fire rhymes on this Chi-town essential.
