I a big fan of Illinois (both the university and the band). And while the band Illinois might share a name with my home state, they are actually based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I find that very interesting because my wife is originally from Pennsylvania, but now calls Illinois home. It can all be very confusing.
Illinois the band, however inappropriate their name to geographic relevance is, is pretty dog gone good. Their new EP What The Hell Do I Know? is a veritable free-for-all of indie rock styles that is all over the map. It references a bit o’ Modest Mouse (“Nosebleed”), the fuzz pop of Brendan Benson (“One On One”), the indie soul-pop of Cold War Kids (“Screendoor”), a little Birdmonster (“Headphones”), and more. I’m really not sure how they packed so much into only 7 songs and made them all so damn catchy.
What The Hell Do I Know? is out now on the we-can-seemingly-do-no-wrong Ace Fu Records. Highly rec’d!
MP3 | Illinois – Alone Again What The Hell Do I Know?
MP3 | Illinois – One On One What The Hell Do I Know?
[...] I first saw Illinois in 2007 at a Jelly Pool party back when they were actually held at the pool. They killed it making this the best show and one of my fav memories of that summer. They had some buzz around that time, but despite releasing several more EP’s haven’t generated that type of blog frenzy again. It’s not for lack of talent. Also-Duo Free Blood are amazing. John Pugh occasionally rolls around on the floor which is entertaining in and of itself. [Via] [...]