{"id":7047,"date":"2015-12-04T14:49:42","date_gmt":"2015-12-04T18:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/arts.umich.edu\/ink\/?p=7047"},"modified":"2015-12-04T14:49:42","modified_gmt":"2015-12-04T18:49:42","slug":"from-the-heart-of-chicago-twin-peaks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artsatmichigan.umich.edu\/ink\/2015\/12\/04\/from-the-heart-of-chicago-twin-peaks\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Heart of Chicago: Twin Peaks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you enjoy getting sloppy drunk and moshing to indie music? If so, then Twin Peaks are the dudes you\u2019re looking for. This local Chicago band is bringing back rock \u2018n\u2019 roll with a vengeance. Their sound is raw, their live shows are raucous, and they have fangirls like you wouldn\u2019t believe. Since the release of their latest album Wild Onion<\/em> in the summer of 2014, they\u2019ve toured with Wavves, released some sweet new singles, and are recording their upcoming album in the wilderness of Massachusetts. Cadien Lake James, the group\u2019s charismatic frontman, describes the recording experience as \u201ccamping without food or shelter for weeks and recording with the sounds of jungle cats and dragons overhead.\u201d Make of this what you will.<\/p>\n

Twin Peaks have been major players in the Chicago music scene for years, dominating DIY venues such as Feel Trip and Animal Kingdom, tons of house parties, and legit venues around the city. Their early sound was gritty and low-fi, lending itself well to out-of-control parties and singlehandedly chugging a fifth of Jack Daniels. Recent singles have reflected a transition to more melodic grooves while Wild Onion serves as a timeless example of .<\/p>\n

Wild Onion<\/em> is a must-listen for anyone who needs a dose of good old-fashioned rock music. Though the songs resemble garage-rock legends such as The Strokes in length and sound quality, they are deceptively complex and intimate. \u2018Mirror of Time,\u2019 my personal favorite track on the record, is melancholic in all the right ways, intellectual, and catchy as hell. \u2018Mind Frame\u2019 was used on the set-in-Chicago TV show Shameless<\/em>, and \u2018Making Breakfast\u2019 is just a damn good time. You\u2019ll see what I mean.<\/p>\n

Though they\u2019ve quickly risen out of the Chicago music scene\u2019s enclave and into international stardom through sold-out European and US tours, they\u2019ve stayed true to their hometown and continue to play underground shows with bands such as The Orwells, The Boxers and The Lemons when they can. Having spent last New Year\u2019s Eve at a Twin Peaks show in an abandoned church, sweaty, drenched in champagne inside and out and bearing a fresh cigarette burn on my arm unbeknownst to me at the time, I have served as living proof of Twin Peaks\u2019 debauchery.<\/p>\n

These dudes know how to get down and have a good time while also cranking out some serious tunes and focusing on their art between bouts of partying and touring. They\u2019ve been friends of mine since high school I can vouch for the sincerity of their musicianship and talent. In today\u2019s cutthroat music industry, it\u2019s refreshing to see people with such raw talent getting the recognition they deserve. They\u2019ve worked hard to get where they are, and I don\u2019t see them going anywhere soon. Don\u2019t miss out the Twin Peaks train, because it\u2019s a fuckin\u2019 party.<\/p>\n