Outstanding Chicago psych-pop group Roommate have made barely a peep since playing a June 2015 residency at the Hideout and releasing the album Make Like that month. But main dude Kent Lambert has resuscitated the project, dropping the single “Kepler-452B” on Bandcamp last week—and in a departure from the full-band sessions for Make Like, he recorded it alone (with some mixing by Nick Broste). “I’ve been playing guitar for the last couple of years for the first time since high school, and I went a little crazy with pedals and overdubs,” he says. “Its debts to MBV are fairly gratuitous.” The Roommate live band of Lambert, bassist Gillian Lisée, drummer Seth Vanek, and guitarist Sam Wagster will be joined by Broste on electronics and Amanda Kraus on percussion for a show at Sleeping Village on Friday, May 11. Lightfoils headline; opening is Sip, the self-described “bohemian electronics” project by Jimmy Lacy (late of Black Math and Population).
Punky underground band Swimsuit Addition finished recording their final full-length, Dumb Dora, in 2016, and though they’re split up they’ll finally drop it on Monday, May 14. Midwest Action will release it on tape and digitally, and more formats may be coming. Also keep your eyes peeled for the companion graphic novel, made by singer-guitarist Jen Dot and Indiana-based artist Brett Manning! v
