Magic Kids hit Schubas on Wednesday!
What’s one of my favorite things to do on wintery nights? Trudge through the snow to one of Chicago’s cozy venues, enjoy a pint and see a show.
As luck would have it, Wednesday night appears to have all the makings for just that: Snow? Plenty. Pint of beer? We’re talking about Schubas here, so YES. Great new music to check out? Indeed.
Hailing from Memphis, Magic Kids employ an infectious 60s pop sensibility that is instantly catchy, and their debut album—entitled with hometown pride ‘Memphis’—was a hit in the indie world since its late August release. If you find that you bop your head without fail to the sounds of The Beach Boys, Herman’s Hermits or The Kinks (and I defy you not to), and you like upbeat indie music with some keyboards tossed in, then you’re in the same ballpark with Magic Kids.
Magic Kids – “Hey Boy”
The band is on the larger size in terms of number of members with (usually) six. But that only allows to the nicely layered melodies and harmonies. They’re also quite young, and I wonder if their parents were even old enough to buy records when guys like Brian Wilson were at the top of their game. But that’s why music is timeless, and getting turned onto good sounds and making it your own is what you do no matter how young or old you are.
Magic Kids – “Summer”
The tracks on ‘Memphis’ are bouncy, fun, catchy and fun.
The arrangements sound beyond the years of the band members, because it’s one thing to take a sound from music’s past and regurgitate it, but it’s quite another to grab the ball and run with it. Magic Kids does just that, and punches it straight through this entire bright and shiny debut album.
Even the track titles exude youthful energy and optimism: “Candy”, “Superball”, “Summer”, “Skateland”, “Hideout”…just the sort of tonic any Chicagoan could use in the dead of winter to be reminded of warmer days ahead.
Schubas is a perfect spot to see these guys, tickets are $15 (four bands are playing, too!), and they’re available here.
