No Expectations 144: Other Side
New albums from Double Extra Large, Gia Margaret, Gawshock and more. Plus, the New York Times' 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters list (just kidding).
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Headline song: Rosali, “Other Side”
Thanks for being here. It’s good to be back. I’m happy to report that vacations work. I spent five full days in Arizona reading books, hanging with my girlfriend’s family, and driving around the desert. Though I came back to 1800 unread emails and my day job on Friday, I returned basically refreshed and stress-free. When I was in my twenties working as a freelance writer, I rarely took time off. I felt then that I couldn’t afford it: I worried I’d miss out on assignments, and come home with no money and more stress. But honestly, not giving myself a break those years only led to a cycle of burnout, anxiety, and prose of diminishing quality. You gotta relax!
When I logged out of work last Friday, a bud driving from California back to their home in Vermont needed a place to crash for a couple of days and rolled up to Chicago. We ended up going to four shows in 48 hours (including three on Saturday), hit some bars I had yet to show them, and hung out with a multitude of my friends here. It was an alltimer weekend. Had I been stressed out about deadlines, I wouldn’t have considered attempting to attend a trio of gigs in one night. That said, I’m so glad we went for it. We timed out the night perfectly across three venues. Somehow, we didn’t miss a single song from a headliner. If you’re a 20-something reading this blog, that sorta accomplishment might sound like a regular Friday, but you gotta remember I’m 34. Let me enjoy this.
The good vibes from both my vacation and my weekend kept me on cloud nine. Even though I’m seeing Bruce Springsteen on Wednesday and only had a day or two to write this newsletter, publishing a new No Expectations was a no-brainer. If you’re on edge and overwhelmed, I’d recommend using some PTO, going somewhere new, and giving yourself a breather. You’ll come back and realize whatever you were stressing about is probably not that big of a deal. You might even feel better.
Here’s the spiel for new subscribers: Each week, you get a wildcard main essay (often new album recommendations), a 15-song playlist, as well as updates on what I’m listening to, watching, and reading. Sometimes you’ll get an interview with an artist I love, and other times it’ll be a deep dive into one band’s discography. Since I’m a Chicago-based writer, this newsletter is very Midwest-focused. So, if you live in this city too, you’ll also receive a curated roundup of upcoming local shows to check out.
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Four Albums Worth Your Time This Week
Carla dal Forno, Confession
At first listen, Carla dal Forno’s latest LP, Confession, appears to be a cozy, winsome, and breezy collection of sparse dream pop. The melodies are wistful, the arrangements minimal and buoyant, but on deeper inspection, there’s an unmistakable menace permeating. An Australian songwriter who went solo after stints in various post-punk bands, dal Forno’s lyrics paint a stark portrait of desperate loneliness, intoxicating obsession, and a palpable sense of dread. She coos on the chorus of opener “Going Out,” “You will belong to me soon / You will belong to me there’s no other way,” while on the title track, she sings, “The more you stay away from me, I want to see you all of the time.” She thrives at the intersection of vulnerable and haunting, like on the dreamy domesticity of “Under the Covers,” where she sings, “And we both know that we’re in luck, ‘cause not much changes / and that’s what we both want.” The many off-kilter charms of Confession lie in the tension of how dal Forno excels at both effortless pop and eerie iciness.
RIYL: Broadcast, Dry Cleaning, Twin Peaks (the show)
Double Extra Large, Other People
Chicago’s Double Extra Large is a band that originally formed downstate Illinois as the songwriting project of Charlie O’Neill, but soon evolved into a full collaborative group featuring Gabe Bostick (touring drummer for newsletter favorite Sleeper’s Bell), bassist Billy Goode, and guitarist Jack Fahey. Other People is their second album, a searing dose of spidery, guitar-driven indie rock that boasts dual vocals (between O’Neill and Bostick) and muscular riffs (that wouldn’t feel out of place on an LP released by Matador in the ‘90s or Exploding In Sound during the ‘10s). These nine combustible songs oscillate between jangly and anthemic. The blistering opener “Live Laugh Love” closes with a dizzying buzzsaw of octave chords, while “Getting There” is sparkling and pretty. For a certain fan of sturdy, winding, and unpredictable indie rock, this record will scratch an itch and make you want to see this band live ASAP.
RIYL: Hum, Built to Spill, Failure
Gawshock, Leaves to the Sun
There’s a tic you’ll notice in some people who write about music. Let’s say an artist wrote an album after a breakup and retreated to a Midwestern cabin in the middle of February to record. Chances are, the critic reviewing will say something, “it’s a perfect winter album.” No shit, man! While sure, Huntsville, Alabama’s Gawshock released their latest LP, Leaves to the Sun, in the middle of April, but there really is a springlike quality to these effervescent and intimate folk rock songs. Just listen to the opening riff of the title and tell me you’re not imagining a sunrise unveiling freshly bloomed flowers and lush greens. Songwriter David Broome shines in evocative and emotional compositions throughout these 11 songs, even though most never rise above a chill whisper. The warm synths and booming drums that pockmark “Grown Up” evoke Grandaddy, while the bouncy strumming and bubbly harmonies of “What Do You Dream About?” are pure yearning. While this is an undeniable lowkey record, it never feels low stakes.
RIYL: Pinback, Sparklehorse, Villagerrr
Gia Margaret, Singing
In 2018, Chicago songwriter Gia Margaret released a stunning debut full-length of sweeping, patient, and hazy songwriting called There’s Always Glimmer. The songs were washed in subtle electronics, delicate piano, and folk textures: all anchored by her serene, breathy, and dynamic voice. The following year, while touring that record, she came down with an illness that left her unable to sing. She pivoted: gravitating towards instrumental synthesizer music on 2020’s Mia Gargaret and organic keys on 2023’s Romantic Piano as she regained her voice, squirreling away lyrics and arrangements for when she fully recovered. That latter record led to a breakthrough, the TikTok-viral “Hinoki Wood,” but seven years after her vocal injury, Margaret is back with her first sung LP, Singing. It’s a triumphant return, full of grace, and a sprightliness to its 12 lush songs. There’s melancholy on opener “Everyone Around Me Dancing,” but an easygoing buoyancy on “Good Friend” (which closes with a Gregorian chant). “Phenomenon” is dusky downtempo electronica where she sings, “open up to me / like I am no stranger” while the aqueous and twinkling “Cellular Reverse” features backing harmonies from David Bazan. Singing is a testament to the slow burn: both musically and in its genesis. When you’re not worrying about timelines, but gradually tinkering away at your craft, you’ll likely come out with your most free and balletic work yet.
RIYL: Julie Byrne, Frou Frou, Cassandra Jenkins
The No Expectations 144 Playlist: Apple Music // Spotify // Tidal
Double Extra Large, “Live Laugh Love”
MORN, “The Standard Model”
Bondo, “Strummer”
Rosali, “Other Side”
Gawshock, “Leaves to the Sun”
Swapmeet, “Sand”
Styrofoam Winos, “Next Thing”
Lowertown, “Worst Friend”
Widowspeak, “No Driver”
villagerrr, “Carousel”
Aldous Harding, H. Hawkline “Venus in the Zinnia”
Carla dal Forno, “Under the Covers
Gia Margaret, “Phenomenon”
Brad Goodall, “We Made It”
Golomb, “Staring [Bliss Mix]” (ft. Laraaji)
Gig recap: Times New Viking, TV Buddha at Empty Bottle (4/24)
I have no clue why the Columbus band Times New Viking totally flew under my radar growing up. I’ve joked that when you’re raised in Michigan, there’s a de facto firewall on all pop culture from Ohio (in my case, Guided By Voices was a college discovery). I must’ve assumed that with a band name like that from the aughts, the music would be more twee and more folky (see: The Morning Benders, I’m From Barcelona, Noah and the Whale). While I’d later find out I was totally wrong (they make noisy, lo-fi, and relentless infectious indie rock that was dubbed “shitgaze” over 20 years ago), I never really dove in. That changed last Friday, when my friend arrived in Chicago and told me to buy a ticket to their show at the Empty Bottle and learn what I’ve been missing. After disbanding 14 years ago, Times New Viking are back playing frenetic and deliriously fun sets. When they first hit the stage, I realized that I had spent years hyping up so many bands who are direct rip-offs of this visionary midwestern group.
Gig recap: Gelli Haha at Schubas (4/25)
Gelli Haha’s Funny Music wasn’t just my favorite pop album of 2025 but also a clear AOTY contender in all genres. The art-pop project of Los Angeles-based songwriter Angel Abaya boasts immersive, playful, and nostalgic visuals, obvious charm and kooky humor, but also songs that are as catchy as they are inventive. It wouldn’t work if these tracks didn’t absolutely soar. She played her first Chicago show with two gigs at the small Lakeview Schubas. We caught the early one, and it was 45 minutes of pure joy. Her set was choreographed to the second, her dancers and band all costumed and delightful, and her voice nailed each towering falsetto and wail. There were props: trampolines (they were far more graceful than Phish, for what it’s worth), inflatables (dolphin-shaped, which made me hope that they brought enough on tour), pig masks (frightening), confetti (which worked in a tiny venue), and hula hoops (during the encore). I was grinning ear-to-ear the entire time. She’s clearly a star-in-the-making, but no matter what happens with her career, I’ll be talking about this show for the rest of my life.
Gig recap: Friko at Metro (4/25)
After the circus-like explosion of whimsy from the Gelli Haha show, my crew of five people had 20 minutes to trek across the neighborhood, find parking, and make it to Metro for Friend of the Newsletter Friko’s record release show. We got there with five minutes to spare and caught a commanding, electric show from the Chicago indie rock four-piece. I’m already a massive supporter of the group, but seeing this performance was awe-inspiring. They are already true rockstars who write big songs that will galvanize bigger and bigger rooms for years to come. There were no duds in the setlist, but I got goosebumps during the timeless “Alice” and the hysterically frantic rendition of “Choo Choo.” Also, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the Metro that jam-packed and totally sold out.
Gig recap: Accessory at Empty Bottle (4/25)
There aren’t many artists I associate with the Empty Bottle more than Jason Balla. I spent my twenties watching him play there with bands like NE-HI and Dehd, and chances are, if he wasn’t performing that night, I’d see him at the gig anyway. On Saturday, he started his record release show for his new Accessory album Dust around 11 p.m. (We made it from Lakeview to Ukrainian Village just as he got onstage). It was a short set but a potent one. He brought a four-piece band that included keyboardist Ben Taylor as well as Deeper’s Nic Gohl and Shiraz Bhatti, who added an edge to the guazy, moody songs that appear on the record. It’s always a joy to see Balla and his bandmates live, and I’m thrilled the next one for me will be witnessing Balla lead NE-HI in their reunion to open up for Twin Peaks’ own reunion shows next month.
What I watched:
Give Me Liberty (directed by Kirill Mikhanovsky)
I’ve been doing something I call “Letterboxd Roulette.” I’ll log on to the film-centric social media site, look at my 2500+ movie watchlist, get overwhelmed by the plethora of options, and press shuffle. That’s how I ended up with Kirill Mikhanovsky’s chaotic and compassionate 2019 feature Give Me Liberty. While I don’t recall who recommended it to me first, I did know that it was a Sundance and Cannes favorite that won the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award that year. It’s a nervy, humane miracle of an indie movie that draws directly from Mikhanovsky’s life. Like the director at one time, the protagonist (an electric Chris Galust) is a young Russian immigrant living in Milwaukee who works as a medical driver transporting the elderly and disabled across town. In the movie, Galust’s Vic faces a series of increasingly comical and stressful obstacles that make him late picking up his clients: working-class and underserved people who depend on him. Throughout nearly two hours, it’s a Safdie-esque exercise in lived-in tension, but much funnier and alive. While I could quibble about some of its more experimental editing, especially in the final third, I loved this movie and want everyone to see it.
What I read:
Animal Dreams (by Barbara Kingsolver)
Before my trip to Metro Phoenix, I googled “Best Arizona Books,” and came across a listicle from Tucson Weekly that placed Barbara Kingsolver’s 1990 novel Animal Dreams at the very top. I know she’s beloved, but I’ve never read any of her works. While 1998’s The Poisonwood Bible has been recommended to me by nearly every mom I’ve ever met, it’s remained “on the list.” Also, I knew her 2022 bestseller, Demon Copperhead, was a retelling of David Copperfield, also a blind spot, so I never got around to that one either. But Animal Dreams, a quiet, gentle, and moving family drama, was a good entry point. It follows a listless woman returning to her hometown in Arizona in the 1980s. She has a medical degree, but never became a doctor. Fresh off a breakup, she’s still figuring it out. Her sister has moved to Nicaragua to help Sandinista farmers who are under siege from CIA-funded Contra guerrillas, and her dad, a respected local doctor, has just been diagnosed with Alzheimers. Meditative but simmering in dread and lingering trauma, it’s a good book to read on vacation.
The Weekly Chicago Show Calendar:
The gig calendar lives on the WTTW News website. You can also subscribe to the newsletter I produce there called Daily Chicagoan to get it in your inbox a day early.
Great meeting you after the Friko gig, Josh! (I'll continue to refer to myself as the Man United fan.) It was definitely the most electric I've ever felt the Metro be.
Can confirm The Posionwood Bible is fantastic.