Compilation Watch

"There's a world outside this blanket, but right now we're all that we have."

For a city that routinely weathers snowstorms several orders of magnitude larger than the ones that have shut down most of Arkansas several times this year, Chicago was thoroughly humbled by last week's record-breaking blizzard. So while most of us in the South know the feeling of being snowed in, unable to go anywhere, it's a relatively uncommon occurrence in the Windy City.

Enter Chicago DIY institution Ball Hall, which has put together a a free two-disc compilation of songs Chicago musicians wrote on their snowed-in day. Entitled Deep Shit Vol. 1 and Deep Shit Vol. 2: Deeper Shit, they're a great window into the varied and talented Chicago music scene. Vol. 1 runs the gamut from spoken word to thrash-punk and airy electro-synth (with everything in between), while Vol. 2 showcases more long-form drone and ambient compositions.

Grab Sheep Numbers' Pavement-inspired "All We Have" and The Humminbird's beautiful and creeping vocal performance on "Adorned With Feathers" below, or better yet, head over to Ball Hall's blog and download the whole thing for yourself.

Cover art by Pizza Gang.

MP3: Sheep Numbers - "All We Have"

MP3: The Humminbird - "Adorned With Feathers"

Sgnow Sowngs

Tuesday a couple of EPs dropped that'll fit your feelings about the snow y'all are either ensconced or enshrouded in (depending on your feelings, right).

Atlantic at Pacific is a chill mustachioed producer from Santa Cruz named Austin Wood. His new EP, Seasons, was released on Eric and Adam Sarmiento's Alchemist Records (as was his full-length album, Weddings like back in August). The cheery and layered sounds blend kind of jazzy, easygoing, almost Dilla-type hip hop beats with the kind of wintry but somehow upbeat piano-y instrumental music of maybe like the Album Leaf or somebody. Fix up some Swiss Miss, check out this track and lounge.

Atlantic at Pacific - "My Fault"

Or, if your soul is swooning slowly as you hear the snow falling faintly like the descent of the last end upon all the living and the dead or whatever--like, the snow's kind of a bleak thing for you--then zone out and brood with ∆Aimon's new Amen EP out on Tundra Dub. The album is creepy in a heavy epic and mischievously smirking sort of way. Fucked up stuff. Get gloomy I guess and maybe let this song drone out the existential burdens the weather's making metaphors of.

∆Aimon - "A Screw (Holy Money)"

And well here's a bonus track in case what you're feeling about the snow is to do some drugs. Enjoy.

Chrome ft. Frayser Boy - "What Cha Need"