No Expectations 116: Be Here Now

Unpacking a particularly stacked New Music Friday: Seven LPs to check out now.

Photo by Taylor Friehl on Unsplash

No Expectations hits inboxes on Thursdays at 9am cst. Reader mailbag email: Noexpectationsnewsletter@gmail.com. Daily Chicagoan, the local news newsletter I produce at my day job with WTTW News (PBS Chicago), can be found here.

---

Headline song: Golomb, “Be Here Now”

---

Thanks for being here. Right after I publish a Thursday newsletter, I’m always hit with a slight panic. I worry that I won’t be able to find something to write about next time, that the week’s new albums will all be duds, and I’ll have to scramble to conjure up something halfway decent. While that anxiety is real in the moment, it’s never turned out to be warranted. Even if I don’t find the critically acclaimed LPs other publications are highlighting personally interesting, I’ll always discover at least a handful of thrilling full-lengths from independent artists after some digging. Sometimes I’ll try a genre I don’t normally write about, or I’ll check out a show featuring bands I’ve never heard of. Other times, I’ll scour a new-to-me blog or newsletter. It just takes a little work. There are always stellar, soul-nourishing things to discover if you take the time to look for them. Most often, I’ll come across more good music than I can write about in one post. This is one of those weeks.

While I said last week that I was planning on a shorter one today, I didn’t realize that Friday would mark the most stacked New Release Day of the entire year so far. Everything I checked out, I liked, which never happens. Most music is either bad or just OK, but the 10 or so new LPs I gave a spin were all worth writing about. I’ll get around to the ones that didn’t make this list eventually (it’s a busy week for me), but these seven albums are exemplary. They feature left-turns from established acts, exceptional and original debuts, and veteran artists finally crafting their breakthrough moment.

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.

Here’s the part where I politely ask for money: No Expectations is a labor of love that I find time to do every week after my day job. I keep it paywall-free because I want you to discover as much music as possible, buy the record, a ticket to a show, and support your local music community. After you do that, you can sign up for a paid subscription or tell a friend about a band you read about here. It’s $5 a month—the cost of one Old Style plus tip at Rainbo Club. You can also smash that “yearly subscription” button at a discounted $50 and not have to think about this part of the weekly intro for 12 months. Every bit helps, keeps this project going, and allows it to stay paywall-free. It’s rough out there, so I’m grateful you’re still reading and supporting this writing project.

I’m traveling to Michigan this weekend to see family, so I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to listen to new music and think of a publishable essay. We’ll see, but chances are I'll take a breather next week.

---

7 Albums Worth Your Time This Week

Cory Hanson, I Love People

Wand frontman Cory Hanson’s last album was one of the most riff-heavy and electric albums of 2023. With swirling, unrelenting guitar solos along with crunchy tone and wryly anthemic songs, it’s one of my most revisited LPs of the last couple of years. While his latest, I Love People, matches its predecessor in craft and quality, it’s a complete 180-degree shift and sounds nothing like it. Instead of scorching leads and high-voltage rock, he leans toward piano-led ballads and the Nashville Sound at its most orchestral. From its optimistic title to the striking and pretty production, there’s a sense that Hanson is sarcastic. While each track boasts his pitch-black acerbic humor, like the Newman-esque title track and the twangy “Texas Weather,” Hanson’s love for a well-written tune is genuine and undeniable. His lyrics are biting, righteous, and even affecting on the stirring “Lou Reed,” but the instrumental textures he uses to render these antiheroes are so astonishing that it’s impossible not to be disarmed.

---

Far Caspian, Autofiction

Before my day job at PBS Chicago, I was a freelance writer. One of my most regular ways to pay the bills was to write album bios for bands releasing new music. This is basically the expository copy you’d read on the site where you’d buy a ticket to a show, on their streaming service artist page, or, if you’re a music journalist, the press release you get when you’re sent an advanced copy of the LP. I liked the work. I’d get to hear albums earlier than anyone, and my favorite part of writing has always been interviewing artists. In early 2023, I was hit up to write the bio for the sophomore album from Far Caspian, the songwriting project of Leeds-based Irish musician Joel Johnston. I loved the record. Plus, we got along swimmingly during the chat. I remember asking if he listened to the Sea and Cake. He hadn’t, but the way his vivid production merged bouncy and atmospheric electronic textures with jangly indie rock made me think he’d dig it.

This year, soon after he announced the follow-up, Autofiction, Johnston sent a DM thanking me for introducing him to the Sea and Cake, of which he said, “ended up playing a big role in inspiring the instrumentation and arrangements on this record.” It’s validating when anyone checks out a band you recommend, but it’s an especially potent feeling when it’s 1). an artist you love and 2). a catalyst for them to make something great. This LP is 11 songs of hazy, intimate, and sprawling indie rock that showcases Johnston’s keen ear as a producer as well as his penchant for writing a transportive and introspective song. His palette is lush, full of sparkling guitars, enveloping synths, and layered parts that eventually morph into gauzy bliss. “Lough” is a slow-burn stunner, “Here Is Now” enters shoegaze-indebted hypnotism, and “Whim” excels in unbridled jangle. This is a record for headphones, one to chew on and find a flourish in an arrangement that’ll live with you for weeks.

---

Folk Bitch Trio, Now Would Be a Good Time

I’m not sure why singer-songwriters from Australia are so adept at writing gorgeous melodies, but artists like Julia Jacklin, Maple Glider, and Stella Donnelly are masters at this. So too are Melbourne’s Folk Bitch Trio, who blend jaw-dropping harmonies and airtight hooks into their debut album Now Would Be a Good Time. Their songs are relaxed and searching, with perceptive and evocative lyrics peppering each of the 10 songs here. The real star is he palpable chemistry between musicians Gracie Sinclair, Jeanie Pilkington, and Heide Peverelle. It’s an unbelievable alchemy that you’ll pick up on within the first few seconds of opener “God’s a Different Sword.” Elsewhere, “Sarah” boasts a shimmering intro that hits like the coziest blanket, while the melody anchoring “Cathode Ray” is so inviting that it’s near-overwhelming. If you like your folk music intentional, soaring, and goosebump-inducing, now would be a good time to check out Now Would Be a Good Time.

---

Golomb, The Beat Goes On

About a year and a half ago, Greg Freeman told me to check out a trio from Columbus, Ohio called Golomb. He described them as the sickest live band, composed of husband and wife Mickey and Xenia Shuman alongside Xenia’s little brother Hawken Holm, who “set their amps at 10 and just rip.” A few months later, Golomb dropped a stellar EP in Love, which included the kinetic and unflinching rocker “Take My Life” that hinted at the raw power of their live show. When I finally saw them open for Freeman at Subterranean Downstairs, I was blown away. Though in person their unrelenting blasts of sound were physically tangible and ribcage-shaking, it was their unpredictable earworm songs that stole the show. The Beat Goes On, Golomb’s debut LP, is one of the most adventurous, exciting, and dynamic indie rock records of 2025. No track sounds quite alike, yet it manages to be a seamless listen front-to-back. You can hear shades of Built to Spill in the zipping leads of “Staring,” a reggae thump in “Other Side of the Earth,” and Pavement in the earnest “Play Music,” but this is obviously a band writing and making music on their own idiosyncratic terms. If you check out one album on this list, make it this one.

---

Post Animal, Iron

Few bands in Chicago have been more adept at constantly shapeshifting and evolving their sound than Post Animal. When I first saw them a decade ago, they made silky psychedelic rock that you could compare to Tame Impala, but they quickly and effortlessly made forays into Black Sabbath-indebted riffage, Steely Dan at its most anthemic, and wonky, intricate prog. Back in 2018, I wrote the bio for their debut record, When I Think of You in a Castle, and I’ve remained a big fan ever since. Even though my interview with them was over seven years ago, I remember the band talking about decamping to a cabin in Michigan to record the LP and how much they had. Iron, the band’s fourth LP, came about similarly. All six original band members reunited for the first time since 2017 (founding guitarist Joe Keery, who you may recognize from his acting work or his other band Djo, returned to the fold), and they spent time at Friends of the Newsletter Malcolm Brown and Charles Glanders’ old place outside of Bloomington, Indiana. One listen to these 10 buoyant rock songs and it’s clear everyone had a blast at these sessions. “Last Goodbye” weaves layers of carefree harmonies, “Pie in the Sky” is a summery romp, while the anthemic “Setting Sun,” the clear highlight, boasts high-voltage riffs. Even at its goofiest, it’s never grating: just a collection of porch-ready and easygoing rock songs from longtime friends having a great time together.

---

Rebecca Schiffman, Before the Future

On her fourth album, Before the Future, Los Angeles songwriter Rebecca Schiffman makes understated, thoughtful, and playful indie rock about settling into adulthood. She finds resonance, heart, and humor in the domestic and mundane moments of the every day: songs feature arguments with her toddler, tributes to past pets, evolving relationships, and grief. Throughout the album, she’s joined by a rotating cast of collaborators like Chris Cohen, Here We Go Magic’s Luke Temple, Perfume Genius’ Tim Carr, Sasami Ashworth, Gregory Uhlmann, and several more heavy hitters of tasteful indie production. The opening title track is a near-minute swing that encapsulates all of the album’s charms to come: Shiffman’s observational writing, her inviting voice, and unfussy but immersive arrangements. On the jaunty and jangly “Bubble of Love,” she sings, “I could be anywhere with you / Let’s get lost in America / Or sign a lease at the Americana.” It’s a laugh-out-loud funny line (The Americana is a popular mall in Los Angeles) that’s just one of many on this LP.

---

Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band, New Threats From the Soul

It sounds like a cliche, but one thing that is generally true is that if you do good work, keep at it, strive to get better, and do things the right way, eventually people will catch on. Whatever your conception of success, there is no magic button, and the learning process is more often more rewarding than any external validation. Louisville’s Ryan Davis might agree with that. He has been making music for a long time: he formed his old band State Champions in Chicago in 2007 and released four excellent but underrated records before disbanding in 2018. He’s also spent almost two decades releasing albums by incredible independent artists with his Sophomore Lounge label (like the excellent Mad Dogs by Grace Rogers). As a solo artist, his 2023 debut, Dancing on the Edge, was a sprawling double LP and a masterclass in conversational rock. But his follow-up, New Threats From the Soul, feels like a long-overdue breakthrough moment. It got a great profile from the New Yorker’s Amanda Petrusich, his shows opening for MJ Lenderman & the Wind this year were well-received, and he got a Best New Music designation from Pitchfork.

What first strikes anyone about Davis is his jaw-dropping writing. He pens dazzling, barfly lyrics about underdogs, lost loves, and characters finding and flailing their way in America. The other thing you notice is his friendly, expressive, and warbly baritone as he delivers these sparkling words. His songs can spiral over 10 minutes, but never overstay their welcome. He’ll excavate his soul and past on songs like the title track while referencing Jessica Rabbit, Peggy Bundy, and Helen of Troy in one breath. You’ll hear the touchstones of Americana with pedal steel, violin, and ample twang, but also pops of synth, programmed beats, and samples. It’s a vividly rendered LP that matches the grandeur of one of the best songwriting talents who's finally getting his due.

---

What I listened to:

The No Expectations 116 Playlist: Apple Music // Spotify // Tidal

1. Far Caspian, "First Day"
2. Golomb, "Staring"
3. Post Animal, "Setting Sun"
4. Wednesday, "Pick Up That Knife"
5. Teethe, "Push You Forever"
6. Rebecca Schiffman, "Bubble of Love"
7. TOPS, "Annihilation"
8. Golden Apples, “Mind”
9. Cory Hanson, "I Don't Believe You"
10 Jessica Risker, "He's Gone"
11. Tyler Childers, "Cuttin' Teeth"
12. Lawn, “Davie”
13. Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band, "The Simple Joy"
14. Folk Bitch Trio, "Sarah"
15. Bitchin Bajas, "Skylarking"

---

Gig report: Rose City Band, Powers / Rolin Duo at Empty Bottle (7/27)

Bay Area songwriter Ripley Johnson has been a guitar music lifer as the frontman of Wooden Shjips, one half of the psych rock band Moon Duo, and since 2019 as the leader of the jam-minded, twangy, and breezy rock band Rose City Band. I’m a fan of every project, but his latest is the one most in my wheelhouse as a relatively recent Deadhead. The band leisurely strolled through songs off their excellent new LP, Sol Y Sombra, with patient jams and immaculate tone. Special shoutout to openers Powers / Rolin Duo, the collaboration of hammered dulcimer player Jen Powers and guitarist Matthew J. Rolin (who is in No Expectations favorite Winged Wheel).

---

Gig report: Ducks Ltd., Good Flying Birds, Discus at Empty Bottle (7/29)

I’m struggling to come up with a jangly indie rock band that is more airtight and electric live than Ducks Ltd. I’ve never heard any group sound so consistently excellent in small, sweaty clubs. Always a blast: if you have yet to check out their catalog, start with last year’s Harm’s Way, which was recorded in Chicago and features a handful of local guests backing them up. The Toronto group brought labelmates Good Flying Birds from Indiana to open for them Tuesday night, and I was really impressed by the energy and craft of their set. The three-band bill was kicked off by No Expectations’ favorite Discus, from Chicago, who this year released one of the Best Albums of the Year so far in To Relate To.

---

What I read:

Empire of AI (by Karen Hao)

Longtime readers will know my thoughts on generative AI and LLMs are not super positive. I do not share its boosters’ messainic sentiments about the technology. I think it collectively incentivizes our worst impulses: laziness, cutting corners, theft, and incuriosity. Rather than anything net-positive, it’s more likely a bubble to enrich Silicon Valley sychophants and entertainment dupes who’ve finally evolved from jingling keys. Whatever time-saving application you can say “what about this” in response to that is moot compared to how it’s a tool of fascism and its aesthetic language. Just my take here. Different strokes, I guess. Earlier this year, I read The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want, which was excellent in explaining the different types of technology, its implications, and the hype machine behind it all. I realized I knew little about OpenAI, the Sam Altman-led company behind DALL-E and ChatGPT, so I picked up Karen Hao’s excellent, unsparing, and infuriatingly lucid Empire of AI. It’s the only book on the company that Altman has publicly criticized and disavowed (which is how you know it’s good). Hao, who was one of the very first journalists to gain access to the company, tracks the origins of OpenAI, its effects not just in tech but on gig workers around the world, its environmental implications, and how it lost its mission as a nonprofit. Hao’s reporting is solid, and her prose is gripping, especially for a tech biography.

---

The Weekly Chicago Show Calendar:

The gig calendar lives on the WTTW News website now. You can also subscribe to the newsletter I produce there called Daily Chicagoan to get it in your inbox a day early.