Shows
Bending Brains#107 - Mel SeneseMel Senese is a Chicago rock artist whose music blends fiery energy with raw honesty, tackling life’s struggles with empowering conviction. Known for her electrifying performances, Mel has shared stages with national acts like Dorothy and The Veronicas, won Chicago’s Big Break in 2017, and built a devoted following through both live shows and her engaging livestreams, which earned features in the Chicago Tribune and on ABC7. Her 2024 EP Main Character marked a powerful return after a two-year hiatus, celebrating resilience, self-confidence, and creative rebirth. Offstage, Mel’s free-spirited personality shines through her love of parrots—especially her conure B...
2025-10-221h 55Bending Brains#106 - Omar MenciOmar Menci a biotech professional from Iowa who lived in the Chicago area for the past 10 years. He is an entrepreneur and host of the podcast Harlem lights podcast and the creator of the Lateef App with link of www.lateefapp.com He is also an investor in MIGHTY Halal a fried chicken and Shawarma place. Lastly, Omar now owns the original DZ house where DZ Records and DZ Fest were created.
2025-10-012h 37Bending Brains#105 - King of the RiverLawrence Tome is the King of the River.
Lawrence Tome rests at the bottom of hollowtop lake in the tobacco root mountains outside of Pony Montana. Many fishermen have felt the water stir as somber melodies float up from the depths breaking the surface, reaching toward the stars.
A man known by most as Flint Michigan claimed to have Lawrence Tome on his line for 17 hours, 46 minutes, and 22 seconds. Repeatedly pulled into the water, Flint nearly drowned keeping hold of his rod. When he finally pulled in the line, there was a treasure map at the...
2025-09-102h 13Bending Brains#104 - Jeremiah CollierJeremiah Collier is a Drummer and Chicago native that started playing drums at the age of two. Skilled in a wide variety of musical genres, Jeremiah has been performing with Stanley Clarke for several years, including at the 2022 concert where Clarke was honored as an NEA Jazz Master. He has also played at the Kennedy Center with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and with a plethora of artists such as Ernest Dawkins, Ari Brown, Robert Irving III, Willie Pickens and many more.
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2025-07-161h 42Bending Brains#103 - ChipChip is the long time guitar player from the band Romancoke. His current project is the Chicago based band Cosmic Bodies. Keep your eyes out for new releases coming soon! For collaborations, architecture, or construction help reach out to: itschipcreative@gmail.com
2025-06-112h 00Bending Brains#102 - Martin AtkinsMartin Clive Atkins is an English drummer, best known for his work in post-punk and industrial groups including Public Image Ltd, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface, and Killing Joke. He also works as a consultant, has written multiple books on the music industry, and is the music industry studies coordinator at Millikin University in Decatur, IL. Atkins is the owner and operator of the Museum of Post Punk and Industrial Music in Chicago, is an honorary board member of the Chicago-based nonprofit organization Rock For Kids, and is a fellow of In Place of War.
https://martinatkins...
2025-05-212h 29Bending Brains#101 - Tanner DaneChicago-based, Tanner Dane (of Hollyy), places his voice front and center, to explore the depths of identity and intimacy through his debut EP, Cut Me Loose (Easy Does It Records). Blending the rawest of human emotion with reflective storytelling, Cut Me Loose creates a journey that feels both deeply personal and universal in just 5 tracks. Lauded as “the future of retro rock” (CLASH Mag), Dane masterfully imparts a sound both grounded in youth and transcendent.
2025-05-141h 59Bending Brains#100 - Leah MorrisLeah Morris is a forester drone pilot, artist, reiki healer, permaculture gardener, and dear friend. A lifelong traveler, Leah weaves together her passions for adventure, art, health, innovation, and environmental restoration into a life of purpose and beauty. Her mission to plant one million trees is well underway, with over 1,000 trees and 100,000 native plants already planted. None of it would be possible without collaboration, determination, and the loving support of her husband, family, and friends.
Find her art on instagram @leahpersona.art or reach out to ReachingSeedlings@gmail.com
2025-04-092h 28Bending Brains#99 - Mike AltergottMike Altergott is a multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer, mechanical engineer, and math/science educator. You can catch him playing shows around town with Chicago bands Space Gators, Middle Sister, Doc, Obliger, and Pub League. His new solo musical project called Winter Mako just did a DZ Session with Ben, word on the street is that some videos are coming soon! If you need a live sound engineer, planning an event with music, help with touring needs, or want to make a studio record together, reach out and say to him on Instagram as Malt Audio or send an email to...
2025-04-022h 06Bending Brains#98 - Shlomo FranklinShlomo Franklin is an American singer/songwriter born on a small cow farm in upstate New York. Raised off the cultural grid, without music, television, or radio, his songs are strongly influenced by his cult-like religious upbringing. Shlomo released his debut album in 2019 which was produced by Grammy Award winner C Lanzbom and was followed by a double album from his now Nashville, TN home. Franklin has opened up for Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers and shared festivals with The Nude Party and The Bones of JR Jones. His songs seem just as comfortable in front of a crowd...
2025-03-132h 16Bending Brains#97 - Dr. Shannon Switzer, Au.D.Dr. Shannon Switzer is the Director of the Sensaphonics Musicians’ Hearing Clinic in Chicago and is a featured audiologist in the MusiCares x Tuned partnership. A native Vermonter, she completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Vermont and then moved to Chicagoland to earn her Doctorate of Audiology from Northwestern University. She provides hearing healthcare for the music industry through a variety of channels; the Sensaphonics clinic, concierge visits at music venues, hearing clinic residencies with orchestras around the country, and telehealth visits with musicians around the world. Dr. Switzer is passionate about promoting hearing health through pub...
2025-03-033h 10Bending Brains#96 - Matt MuffinMatt Muffin is the lead singer and guitarist for Chicago Thrashers Lollygagger as well as being a professional amp tech with 10 years experience.
2025-02-262h 28Bending Brains#95 - OtrutaOtruta is a Ukrainian musician from Kyiv, Ukraine. He is a student at Columbia College Chicago studying audio production and music. Otruta produces music and performs as a DJ all over the world. He has put on a music festival in Kyiv, Ukraine and hopes to do more with music and education in Ukraine.
2025-02-123h 36Bending Brains#94 - Beverly RageBeverly Rage (she/her in drag, he/him out of drag) is the singer, guitarist, and songwriter in Chicago’s all-original drag fronted punk rock band Bev Rage & the Drinks. Bev has been a musician for over two decades, nearly half of that fronting BR&TD, and a drag artist for 15 years. As a lifelong queer activist, Bev uses music as a way to empower folks to work outside of the expected to get their message out. When not playing music, she enjoys gardening, DIY projects at home, and going to the gay beach.
2025-02-052h 14Bending Brains#93 - Mary Rose GonzalesMary Rose Gonzales, known as "Beef," is a Filipino American drummer from Chicago, making waves in the punk and garage rock scenes for over a decade. She currently plays with Bev Rage & The Drinks and will be reuniting with Mystery Actions for a special show at Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas in May 2025. When she’s not behind the drums, she works a 9 to 5 at a merchandising photo studio. Outside of music, she enjoys pickleball, playing pool, and fingerboarding.
2025-01-292h 49Bending Brains#92 - Stephanie RobertsonStephanie Robertson is a comedian from Chicago. You can find her producing and hosting a weekly showcase at The Vixen in McHenry, IL or at Zanies Comedy Club producing and hosting Roast Battle Chicago. Her most recent credits include opening for Rosebud Baker, Liz Koplitz, and Taylor Williamson.
2025-01-222h 28Bending Brains#91 - Lillian WongLillian Wong is a local Chicago musician who started her bass journey during the pandemic in 2020. She has a musical background from playing violin and oboe as a child, and always had dreams of playing music. She began learning bass by watching videos on Youtube, and soon began posting her own covers online. In September of 2021, Lillian answered a Craigslist ad and officially joined her first band, Gnarly Gap, an indie punk band. Since then, she has joined two other bands: Wratheon (melodic death metal) and Hoverboard (aggressively dreamy alt-rock). She hopes to continue to grow in her music ca...
2025-01-082h 10Bending Brains#90 - Katherrin BillordoKatherrin is a first-generation American, multimedia visual artist from Chicago. Through paintings, sculptures, photographs, murals, and linocuts, she explores her Mexican-Argentine roots, colorful facets of everyday life, and philosophical concepts. She is motivated to create in hopes of portraying underrepresented perspectives, inspiring empathy, and establishing meaningful relationships.
At age 16, she founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Visionary Art Gallery. Seeking to provide more exhibition and networking opportunities for young visual artists, she independently organized four annual pop-up youth art galleries and hopes to expand them across the East Coast.
https://katherrinbillordo.com/
2024-12-182h 12Bending Brains#89 - Emma KleidonEmma Kleidon is a piano technician who services instruments all around the Chicagoland area. On top of acoustic piano work, she also runs her own repair shop focusing on vintage electro-mechanical keyboards. You may have seen her online documenting rare and unusual instruments, along with the repair guides she posts on YouTube under Analog Emma. While most of her day is spent in front of keys, her primary instrument is the guitar, where you might have heard her in Crash Birmingham; a father-daughter garage rock duo from Plainfield, IL.
2024-11-272h 32Bending Brains#88 - Alex SantilliAlex Santilli is a drummer-percussionist/composer/producer who is Thee Sacred Souls touring percussionist and Drummer/Member of local Chicago group Late Nite Laundry. He also plays with countless artists here in Chicago in a wide variety of styles and genres. He is also a composer and producer of his own solo music under the name “the adventures of anacleto”, where he explores all instrumentation and composition. He is also a self working ethnomusicologist, studies the origins of music, its core pillars, and similarities throughout all cultures.
https://linktr.ee/Anacleto44?lt_utm_source=lt_share_link#429471729
2024-11-132h 12Bending Brains#87 - Brain Graffiti“We’re Matt and Jess and we’re the co-founders and primary runners of Brain Graffiti, an independent DIY music zine that covers the current state of independent music across the country.”
2024-10-142h 10Bending Brains#86 - Roy McGrath
Roy McGrath is a Chicago based tenor saxophonist and multi-woodwind instrumentalist, composer and bandleader. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico and educated in Boston, New Orleans and Chicago, Roy brings to bear these diverse influences in his playing and composing. In addition to leading and recording his own ensembles, he is a member of several others as an in-demand player, recording artist, and producer. He has led four international tours to Mexico, Singapore, Myanmar, South Korea and China. As a composer and arranger, Roy is firmly in the jazz tradition, but his Caribbean heritage is an ever-present mind...
2024-09-112h 53Bending Brains#85 - CHNNLLCHNNLL is a Chicago-based vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. a.k.a. Chris Davidson tempers emotional subject matter with bold melodies, coating raw truths in hummable hooks. Check out his music and up coming shows. https://www.chnnll.com/
2024-08-082h 08Bending Brains#84 - KNOTTSAdalia Powell-Boehne is a singer-songwriter composer living in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is 1/4 of the band KNOTTS. When she’s not performing she’s driving her kids around or writing in her journal.
2024-07-161h 46Bending Brains#83 - James VanOsdolI made a name for myself in Chicago media (WKQX, WGN, WLUP, WXRT) and a career for myself in the digital and marketing spaces.
On the journalism/broadcasting front, I've earned multiple Lisagor awards in Chicago, as well as a national Edward R. Murrow award. As a podcaster, my long-running "Car Con Carne" podcast was named "Best Music Podcast, 2022" and "Best Music Podcast, 2023" by the Chicago Reader.
2024-06-261h 34Bending Brains#82 - Shelby PollardShelby Pollard is the founder and Black Bobbin, a company that works with and constructs guitars, amp, effects pedals, and more. Shelby is a multi-discipline artist from Chicago that specializes in product and portrait photography. www.blackbobbin.com
2024-06-192h 24Bending Brains#81 - Robot Heart Throb“I don’t think I’ve listened to a band that had a genre distinct unto themselves. Even crazier is that every song on Robot Heart Throb’s first album is almost completely unique”- Pacific Ridge Records. Jared casts Saxophone solos with explosive ADHD, lucious flute-playing sings in midwest Emo style. Heart-on-your sleeve lyrics spin stories with hip-hop and folk-inspired lyrics. Jared’s band Robot Heart Throb Jared studied Jazz at Oberlin Conservatory and improvises throughout shows, making each live performance unique.
2024-06-052h 01Bending Brains#80 - Dan StewartDan Stewart is an independent filmmaker and musician based in Chicago, IL. His directorial debut feature film 'Local Band' will begin its festival run in 2024.
2024-02-071h 56Bending Brains#79 - Seth EngelSeth Engel is recording engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and music instructor living and working in Chicago. Over the last decade, he has toured nationally and internationally. He has engineered a continually-growing volume of music for both nationally recognized and local artists. In 2013, he received a BA in Music from Columbia College Chicago. He is a recording engineer at Ohmstead in Humboldt Park, which he co-runs with Adrian Kobziar, Also, he enjoyed working out of Minbal (now Jamdek), Earth Analog, Pallet Sound, and The Owlery. His solo project is called Options and he plays drums in the band Patter. www.sethengel.org
2024-01-242h 23Bending Brains#78 - Will StephanWill Stephan is a Chicago born Skateboarder and founder of Sapient Skateboards. Will builds skateboards from scratch and gives skateboarding lessons at Sapient Skateboards. Will also puts on Skateboarding events around Chicago. www.sapientskateboards.com
2024-01-102h 21Bending Brains#78 - Will StephanWill Stephan is a Chicago born Skateboarder and founder of Sapient Skateboards. Will builds skateboards from scratch and gives skateboarding lessons at Sapient Skateboards. Will also puts on Skateboarding events around Chicago. www.sapientskateboards.com
2024-01-1000 minBending Brains#77 - Friday James, Part 2Introducing Friday James, a gifted songwriter originating from Nashville, Tennessee. Relocating to Chicago in November of 2021, Friday swiftly immersed herself in the local music scene, enthralling audiences with her mesmerizing performances. Her artistic essence is centered around a profound appreciation for lyricism and poetic depth, artfully weaving true events from her own life into poignant and relatable musical narratives.
2024-01-042h 39Bending Brains#76 - Sean NeumannSean Neumann is a musician and sports reporter from Chicago, Illinois. He’s currently on tour with his band Ratboys. As a reporter, Sean works for People Magazine, GQ, and other entertainment magazines. seanneumann.us has any info you might need!
2023-11-163h 06Bending Brains#75 - Rob JoynesThe Eastern and Western halves of Washington can seem like two different states; one dry and pastoral, the other overcast and lush. Rob Joynes is a singer-songwriter who's music captures these two contrasting landscapes. Raised on the East side of the Cascade Mountain Range, Joynes often invokes his home town of Spokane directly in his lyrics. Pairing themes of queer identity, abjection, family and aging with piano driven melodies and sentimental guitar riffs influenced by artists like Red House Painters, Jason Molina, Carissa's Wierd and Kath Bloom. Joynes presently resides in Seattle and contributes to bands Sunnyland and Fell...
2023-11-093h 00Bending Brains#74 - Julian FontaineJulien Fontaine is french-canadian percussionist, drum teacher and now certified public accountant from Montréal. Firstly a passionate music lover and compulsive record buyer, he went on completing an interpretation jazz drumming diploma in Québec before making a complete change of path into obtaining a CPA licence. Music, arts and business are now coexisting in an unorthodox amalgam the showed him that creativity and rational thinking can be express simultaneously.
2023-11-012h 14Bending Brains#73 - Joe GasparJoe Gaspar is the owner and founder of 2 Bici Bicycle shop in Willow Springs, IL.
2023-10-253h 04Bending Brains#72 - Hannah Bess RossHannah Bess Ross is a Chicago based illustrator and writer. She lives in a little house with a blue door and an orange cat, but dreams of the woods and the waves of rocky seas far, far away. She likes telling stories about everyday magical things like bugs and stars. She also loves puppets, folk art, and silly word-play. Hannah mostly makes art for a children's market. https://www.hannahbessross.com/
2023-10-103h 02Bending Brains#71 - Karen MooneyKaren is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Chicago. She is tirelessly curious about all forms of creative expression, and her work includes illustration, sculpting, print making, video editing, songwriting, and sewing. Her tenure in the Production Art space has also provided her with a deep appreciation for graphic design. Primarily, she works with local bands and businesses to collaborate on merch design, posters, and album art.
2023-09-273h 21Bending Brains#70 - Josh JonesMy first memory is of hitting everything in sight at 2 years old. From playing in the church from the age of 5 to performing with the Percussion Scholarship Group, (PSG), starting in 4th grade, I have had many valuable experiences and lessons that have brought me to where I am today.
Directed by Patricia Dash, percussionist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and her husband Douglas Waddell, percussionist with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Percussion Scholarship Group is where my formal training began. During my time there I was featured on radio and television with From the Top, Th...
2023-09-202h 08Bending Brains#69 - Molly ComptonMolly Compton is a singer-songwriter, visual artist, amateur baker and founder & resident bleeding heart at Ur Mom Records. She thinks everyone deserves a good mom and everyone can be a good mom.
2023-09-062h 15Bending Brains#68 - Friday JamesIntroducing Friday James, a gifted songwriter originating from Nashville, Tennessee. Relocating to Chicago in November of 2021, Friday swiftly immersed herself in the local music scene, enthralling audiences with her mesmerizing performances. Her artistic essence is centered around a profound appreciation for lyricism and poetic depth, artfully weaving true events from her own life into poignant and relatable musical narratives.
2023-08-301h 42Bending Brains#67 - Alec KoukolAlec Koukol is an Omaha-born, now Nashville-native. The multi-instrumentalist and songwriter is involved in many projects within Music City, but his primary operation is Safari Room, Koukol’s indie rock outfit that began in 2018. Five years into the band, Safari Room has released two eps and two full-length albums, ‘Look Me Up When You Get There’ (2020) and ‘Complex House Plants’ (2022). Koukol and co-producer, Cole Yepsen, are currently working on the band’s third record that will be released in February 2024. Safari Room has toured extensively during the lifetime of the band and has reached great notoriety locally and regionally. The band is...
2023-08-232h 42Bending Brains#66 - Julia DanielleJulia Danielle is an up-and-coming vocalist, arranger, educator, and composer based in the heart of the vibrant jazz scene of Chicago. As the 2022 International Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition Winner, part of Julia's prize was performing alongside The Tierney Sutton Band at the renowned Blues Alley Jazz Club in Washington D.C. and since then, has lead her own band and music at the incomparable venue. Julia has also won DownBeat’s 46th annual Student Music Award for “Undergraduate College Outstanding Vocal Soloist” and will be mentioned in their 2023 June edition.
2023-07-272h 23Bending Brains#65 - Clare BollnowClare Bollnow is a 26 year old artist living and working in Chicago. She started painting in 2019, never having gone to art school, she began with watercolor and eventually branched out; she works with oil paint, spray paint, watercolor and pigment dye among other mediums together on large-scale material. Clare finds inspiration in the human form and its expressions, using vivid color and a unique drawing style to evoke emotional experiences for those who sit with her work. These emotions are channeled from Clare’s own reactions to life and the state of the world- communicated through familiar content which al...
2023-06-142h 18Bending Brains#64 - Iyana Brown-BeyIyana Brown-Bey is an alternative, neo-soulful musician, who uses her voice to shed light and to uplift. She aims to create music for those who often feel that they are only apart of the background. Iyana believes that “being human is to reflect and to feel, to express and to create with self and others.” And her goal is to build a unified community surrounding these values through music. Iyana currently implements this vision through her partnered music collectives, SolDial (An up and coming Chicago based , RnB, Soul-Pop band) and MDWST CNCT (A music-oriented collective that coordinates events for creative netw...
2023-05-312h 37Bending Brains#63 - Claudio Parrone Jr.Claudio is an LA based singer-songwriter/poet whose artistry blends the acoustic storytelling style of James Taylor or Jim Croce with the soulful vocal stylings of John Legend or Eddie Kendrick. Originally from Kenosha, Wisconsin, Claudio relocated to Los Angeles in Spring 2018. Since then, he has kept busy touring the country 4 times while steadily releasing new music. Less than a year after arriving in Los Angeles, Claudio released his deeply conceptual debut album, “A Boy From Somewhere.” He also partnered with frequent collaborator Curtis Crump Jr. on a Christmas album titled, “Merry Little Christmas.” Claudio also released an EP, “Stuck In S...
2023-05-241h 51Bending Brains#62 - Dr. Marc ColomerDr. Marc Colomer, Ph.D. is a cognitive neuroscientist and musician. In his postdoc at the University of Chicago, he investigates children’s social understanding and conceptual development in the early stages of their life. He asks questions such as how racial and other social biases emerge, with the goal of informing which solutions can reduce early signs of discrimination. As a hobby, he plays the guitar and sings with TealTrap, a Chicago-based indie band. In his time in Barcelona, he also played with The Penguins and Cybee, a Catalan band with millions of streams in Spotify.
2023-05-112h 06Bending Brains#61 - Charles HenryCharles is an educator, artist, designer, musician, and podcaster. He runs his creative business: Custom Crafted Design - where he does all things creative. In 2022, he received his BA in Art Education and BFA in Studio Art & Design from Saint Xavier University. He has a podcast: Inside the Artists Studio - where he interviews artists from all backgrounds. Charles has also designed and printed the DZ Fest shirts for 10 years. Link to his website: https://charleshenry.space
2023-04-203h 08Bending Brains#60 - TrashTrash plays in the world’s greatest and only country band of all time, Totally Cashed. When he’s not saving country music, he spends all his time tending to his horses and making delicious bagels for his friends, fans, and family. He’s also never told a lie. Catch Totally Cashed live at Schubas June 2nd for their release show
2023-03-212h 13Bending Brains#59 - Mark AdkisonMark Adkison is an Immigration Attorney and singer-songwriter in Chicago.
A graduate of UIC Law School (formerly known as John Marshall), he has been working with his family at the Adkison Law Offices since 2006. He specializes in immigration law, and works on cases that include extraordinary ability visas, citizenship applications, marriage applications, consular applications, asylum applications, and more.
Mark is also co-founder of the gypsy punk band, FUGU DUGU, where he plays guitar and sings with his violinist wife, Olya. Fugu Dugu is finishing up their first album: “Lunatic Parade,” which is expected to be released...
2023-01-252h 16Bending Brains#58 - Aaron PaulsenAaron Paulsen is a 20 year old content creator and musician. His content consists of comedic skits, in which he plays different characters, composes original music, as well as incorporating his “one man band” style , in which multiple instruments are played at the same time. He first started making videos at 18 and has since then amassed over 350+ million views on all of his platforms.
2022-12-082h 54Bending Brains#57 - Julia HeganJulia Hagen is a Chicago based painter with a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She creates urban landscapes with a colorful twist, portraying the mood of the place in both a realistic and whimsical way. She often toes the line between representational and imaginative, but always prioritizes the glow that nostalgia leaves.
2022-11-162h 14Bending Brains#56 - Spencer McCrearySpencer McCreary is a York, Pennsylvania based singer-songwriter who has fronted and founded the bands ‘Cardinal Harbor’ and ‘Public Disco Porch’. The latter being the most current project with a 2022 LP release of ‘Have A Great Life’. Check out the band’s music at the link below: www.publicdiscoporch.com”
2022-11-091h 44Bending Brains#55 - DZ FestEddie Hokinson (Manager D) and Matt Bauer (Manager Z) sit down to talk about 10 years of DZ Fest in Hickory Hills, IL. For 10 years Eddie and Matt helped to grow DZ Fest. They took on the responsibility that very few could do or even understand. They are saints amongst men.
2022-08-312h 40Bending Brains#54 - Richard Reed Parry & Susie IbarraRichard Reed Parry is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, best known as a core member of the Grammy Award-winning indie rock band Arcade Fire, where he plays a wide variety of instruments, often switching between guitar, double bass, drums, celesta, keyboards, and accordion. His new collaborative album "Heart and Breath: Rhythm and Tone Fields"
Susie Ibarra s a contemporary composer and percussionist who has worked and recorded with jazz, classical, world, and indigenous musicians. One of SPIN's "100 Greatest Drummers of Alternative Music," she is known for her work as a performer in avant-garde, jazz, world, and new m...
2022-06-2954 minBending Brains#53 - Priya ShahPriya Shah is triggering social consciousness to challenge barriers and empower communities from the inside out. As a Chicago creative and entrepreneur, she has built a network of artists and collaborators dedicated to igniting social awareness and change through art and imagination. Shah began volunteering in developing countries at a young age, which inspired her to fill the gap between business and the social sector. She went on to earn degrees in both Accounting & Finance from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, using her studies as an opportunity to deepen her understanding of diverse cultures and perspectives through international t...
2022-06-231h 19Bending Brains#52 - DomeríeMegan Myrie (Domeríe) is a creative entrepreneur from Chicago. She likes to use her creative abilities to support and shine light on other people’s creative abilities. This is especially true for her design company MGD LLC, in which she creates brands for creators. Her pursuit of music and modeling is more personal, however, she hopes to be a source of inspiration for people with an interest in creative careers. She believes that creators should be able to be successful doing what they love to do.
2022-06-162h 01Bending Brains#51 - Aspen NoahAspen Noah may be a mental health technician from the north suburbs of Chicago but when he is done working long exhausting 16 hours shifts he transforms into a well talented, extremely creative music artist/songwriter. Aspen began writing music at the tender young age of 12, performing with the likes of Soulja Boy, Yung Jeezy, Young Money, Mike Posner, and more even garnering the attention of multiple major record labels but after an exciting run he decided to a break from music and started focusing on art and fashion. After a couple of years of recuperation Aspen picked back up...
2022-06-081h 56Bending Brains#50 - Mariah ColonMexican-American/ Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Mariah Colon was raised in Cicero, IL. and started her music career with just a keyboard and ukulele in her room. With diverse music inspiration from talented musicians in her family, Mariah incorporates the love of R&B and pop in expressing her day to day thoughts. Her first single "Roots" released in July of 2019. Since then, has released her debut EP "Roots by Propagation" in March of 2020 and continues to explore and experiment the expression within her sound.
2022-06-022h 12Bending Brains#49 - DIY GRRLSummer has spent the last decade as a Brand Strategist and Marketer, working in a variety of roles in some of the world’s best ad agencies and Fortune 100 companies. She currently works for an AI-based software company that is modernizing the construction industry. When she’s not working her 9-5 or running DIY GRRL you can find Summer spearheading The Monarch Club - East Humboldt Park’s Small Business Block Club, gardening, antique-ing, or grabbing a slice of pie from Spinning J. Summer lives in Humboldt Park with her husband and two dogs.
2022-04-271h 45Bending Brains#48 - NiiaNiia is an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. She submerges herself in deep extremes on her 2022 project, Mouthful of Salt. As if born again in the wake of a tsunami’s destruction, the Los Angeles-based jazz/R&B artist slips in and out of oceanic calm like waking from a delicate afternoon dream. She carefully assembles thirteen tracks buoyed by cinematic ambience, airy piano, and vocal echoes. This album is a turning point for Niia - she made the record mostly alone with her engineer in her LA apartment, an old church converted into a haunting living space. Since tr...
2022-04-202h 05Bending Brains#47 - Nez"Nez" is a Chicago-based Latina artist that specializes in painting, mural artwork and illustration. She studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and is now a freelance artist that enjoys making art that is nothing short of cute. She is best known for her cereal cartoon characters "Fruits and Stars" depicted in many of her recent works. She has worked on numerous community projects throughout the years, from her involvement with the Berwyn Public Art Initiative, as well as the Oak Park Arts Council's mural projects. Lately, she has been keeping busy with art shows, pop-ups...
2022-04-132h 00Bending Brains#46 - Steve AlbiniSteve Albini is an American musician, record producer, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman and Flour, and is a member of Shellac. He is the founder, owner and principal engineer of Electrical Audio, a recording studio complex in Chicago. In 2018, Albini estimated that he had worked on several thousand albums over his career. He has worked with acts such as Nirvana, Pixies, the Breeders, PJ Harvey, and former Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Albini is also known for his outspoken views on the music industry, having stated repeatedly that it financially...
2022-02-101h 09Bending Brains#45 - Stella GotStella Got is a Tel-Aviv based musician, producer & sound engineer. Graduate of the Music-Technology department at Bar-Ilan University and was the first woman in the plugins department at Waves Audio. Today she's the house mixing/recording engineer at Assaf Amdursky's studio and an independent producer and sound engineer working with artists from various genres. Stella has released two solo albums, two side project albums (Nexus, Bill & Murray) and collaborated with top musicians in Israel on stage and in the studio.
2022-02-021h 24Bending Brains#44 - Grant MillirenGrant Milliren is a Midwest touring indie singer-songwriter from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.
2021-12-292h 132021-12-152h 48Bending Brains#42 - Hana FujisakiHana Fujisaki is an award-winning pianist/organist/composer originally from Japan. She is a performing musician specializing in jazz, R&B, samba, salsa, and J-pop; as well as a choir director and an avid music educator in the city. Her biggest musical influences include jazz/fusion music and movie soundtracks of studio Ghibli, both of which are uniquely reflected in her creation. She is the keyboardist of several Chicago based bands including McNary Experience, Chicago Samba, Los Perros Cubanos, Hitched and Vox Maris. Her newest project with a violist Olya Prohorova, Orihana, features Japanese rock/pop music.
2021-12-091h 54Bending Brains#41 - Mitchell McLaughlinMitchell McLaughlin is an indie folk artist from Chicago, Illinois. He currently writes, produces and performs in Nashville, Tennessee.
2021-12-012h 46Bending Brains#40 - Thaddeus TukesThaddeus Tukes is a multi-instrumentalist from Chicago, IL. He is the Jazz Big Band Director for After School Matters and the Vibraphonist for the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. He is a graduate from Northwestern University where he majored in Jazz, Music, and Journalism.
2021-11-243h 34Bending Brains#39 - Eliy OrckoEliy Orcko is a black American lyricist, song writer, and entertainer born in Elyria, Ohio and raised in Coral Springs, Florida. In their later years, Orcko became a solo act putting out singles, mixtapes, and EP’s under multiple aliases until they landed on the name “Eliy Orcko '' in 2019. It was then that they independently dropped their first album Only Human which laid the foundation for their expansive and ever-changing sound and aesthetic. Orcko’s latest release Idiot focuses on their blues and jazz influences while using the blueprint that hiphop lays out for songwriting.
Orcko is an introspective anarch...
2021-11-171h 58Bending Brains#38 - Chloe ChanelChloé Chanel is a Chicago native and creative artist specializing in visuals and music.
Chloe’s creative journey began in childhood as she participated in theater, band and dance from the age of eight all the way into adulthood. She was first introduced to photography as a college sophomore when she joined a campus fashion/ modeling troupe and fell in love with capturing images. A few years after earning her masters degree in education and working as a teacher for four years, Chloé made the decision to leave the education field and pursue her more creative passions.
Today, you can find...
2021-11-102h 24Bending Brains#37 - DrxQuinnx and Lil KyddDrxQuinnx is a multi-talented artist, producer, emcee, and DJ based out if Chicago. He is also one third of the Midwest trio "Bullies" (with Denmark Vessey and Azarias) and one half of the Chicago duo "The Citizen (with Lil Kydd). Growing up, Quinn was heavily influences were Madlib, Kanye West, J Dilla, Lupe Fiasco, and Mos Def to name a few. All of whom inspired his heavily samples production and rap style. DrxQuinnx is known for his unorthodox rap and production style which melds 90s boombap/breakbeat, jazz, 8 bit, edm, and contemporary sounds.
Lil Kydd is a...
2021-11-042h 17Bending Brains#36 - Joshua PowellJoshua Powell is an artist from Indianapolis with a literate brand of psychedelic indie rock that is simultaneously socially conscious and spiritually turbulent. With over 900 shows under his belt, Powell blends the narrative richness of folk with a dose of hallucinatory swirl and notes of ‘00s-vintage bedroom indie, all highlighted in ethereal falsetto by his purposeful, kaleidoscopic poetry.
2021-10-232h 03Bending Brains#35 - Kyle LangKyle Lang is an Illinois musician who has fronted bands Easter and Special Death.
2021-09-012h 14Bending Brains#34 - Damon HankoffDamon Hankoff is a multifarious musician, making music in a wide variety of settings: improvisational ensembles, early music consorts, string bands, church choirs, straightahead singer-songwriter groups, and his own Out of Sight of Land, an ever-evolving songs project that draws on all of these. He was born and raised in New York City and has trained hard on jazz piano and choral singing, but looks forward towards the mystery.
2021-08-252h 18Bending Brains#33 - Bobby WootenBobby Wooten III is a Grammy & Emmy-nominated, Tony Award-winning composer/producer/instrumentalist raised in Chicago, IL. He credits his family’s gospel Wooten Choral Ensemble as his main influence & inspiration. Bobby has performed and/or recorded with David Byrne, Jennifer Lopez, Mac Miller, Jennifer Hudson, Rick Ross, among others. Composition and Production credits include Empire TV series, Google, Adidas, Lebron James, Machine Gun Kelly, Jake Troth, ESPN, among others. Broadway credits include, Moulin Rouge! & David Byrne's American Utopia. Bobby is an instructor at NYU's Clive Davis Institute
In 2020, Bobby launched the internet series "America, Learn Your History". In...
2021-08-181h 00Bending Brains#32 - Lola UllfigLola Ullfig is an Argentinian woman who has spent her life seeing the world and enjoying the little things that big us joy as humans. She is a beautiful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her life story is very unique and a reminder to be thankful for the little things all around you. To focus on what makes you happy and to be honest with all of your intentions. Most importantly, Lola is a shining example of staying youthful, healthy, and to never stop moving.
2021-08-111h 00Bending Brains#31 - Chris LeeChris Lee is a musician, sound tech, and gardener. He runs the DIY venue/recording studio The VCR, heads a small label called Dark Circles Records, and plays in the bands Beastii & Bloodhype. He also releases solo material as Alchemeleon, helps mod the DIY Chicago Facebook page, and runs live sound for music performances around the Chicagoland area.
2021-08-042h 41Bending Brains#30 - Ness HeadsNess Heads is the name of the genre-blending project of Vanessa Ortiz whose mix of Electronic, Pop and Hip Hop has been catching attention in Chicago and beyond. Ness grew up on the West Side and attributes the noise, the backyard parties and the overall chaos of the area to shaping her into an artist she is today.
2021-07-282h 41Bending Brains#29 - Bora BoraHow’s this for the cast: “Bora Bora is the musical project of Paul Boeder. Originating in Chicago in 2014, bora bora’s music blends languages, styles and cultures from all eras to create a “tropical space-folk” repertoire of songs and sounds. He joins the pod to discuss multilingualism, experiential learning, societal paradigms, art through experimentation, evolutionary biology, inspiration and of course, love.
2021-07-212h 45Bending Brains#28 - Olya ProhorovaHailing from Moldova, Olya Prohorova is a multi-talented violinist, arranger, band leader and music director. A Grammy-winning musician performing in every genre from classical, to rock, R&B, country and jazz, Ms. Prohorova performs around the world, namely in Italy, United States, Germany, Japan, Canada and her native Eastern Europe. Since 2014, Olya has been a member of Matt Jones Orchestra, through which she recorded and performed with musicians like Kirk Franklin, Pj Morton, John Legend, Chronixx among others. During her Bachelor’s at Chicago College of Performing Arts, Olya joined romanian rock band “Pet Peeve,” and created a unique culture...
2021-07-143h 09Bending Brains#27 - Max DuffyMax Duffy Rodriguez melts glass, makes art, and creates to find joy in existence. He lives in Oak Lawn, IL with his partner Kendall and his beloved cats Atlas and Anton.
2021-07-073h 07Bending Brains#26 - Doug MaloneDoug Malone is an audio engineer and owner of Jamdek Recording Company in Chicago, IL. Doug has also done live sound engineering in Chicago for years at The Empty Bottle. He is a musician and has been performing/touring in bands for years. Doug studied Music Composition at Columbia College Chicago and continues to grow his knowledge of music, audio production, and sound.
2021-06-293h 06Bending Brains#24 - Mark HaineyMark Hainey is local Chicagoan who has 11 years of emergency medicine experience and three years crime scene and hoarding clean up experience. Outside of that, he is the official DZ Records and DZ Fest doorman.
2021-06-232h 30Bending Brains#24 - Aaron PaolucciAaron Paolucci is an Associate Professor in the Creative Technologies Program at Illinois State University. He has been teaching at ISU since 1999, having taught over 120 full-length courses across a wide range of music and audio-related topics including sound design, speaker design and application, music mixing and mastering, surround sound engineering, microphone theory and application, sound reinforcement, sound for gaming and animation, and so on. He is passionate about designing and prototyping high-end professional and audiophile loudspeakers for live stage, studio, and home applications; always in pursuit of the purest possible reproduction of music and sound. Additionally, Aaron brings a...
2021-06-161h 59Bending Brains#23 - Matthew McNeal and Andre Black
Matthew McNeal and Andre Black are co-owners of Matte Black Sound Company - an independent label, audio production team, and resource hub for all things music. From touring across the country performing with their own projects to running their own studio, capturing audio for film crews to empowering artists in the independent scene however they can, the two have spent the better part of the last ten years working hard to turn a lifelong passion into a fulfilled dream, becoming pillars within the independent music community along the way.
2021-06-022h 42Bending Brains#22 - Julia SteinerJulia Steiner is a singer/songwriter and performs in the band “Ratboys”. She is from Louisville, Kentucky and has been making music in the Chicago ‘DIY’ scene for 10 years. Ratboys: a 10-year songwriting partnership, an evolving live show, a D.I.Y. project, a web of friendships, and everything in between. Almost as soon as Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan met during their college orientation, they started playing music together. What came out of their dorm rooms was the 5-song RATBOY EP, uploaded to Bandcamp on April 1, 2011 to share with friends and family. Ratboys have put out: three full-length albums...
2021-05-262h 04Bending Brains#21 - Chris SullivanChris Sullivan is a filmmaker and performance artist. Working in long form alternative narrative, his features include 'Consuming Spirits' and 'The Orbit of Minor Satellites'. He advises with an open mind to students' direction and desires, his goal being to help them make strong work that has unique vision. He works well with writing, visuals, sound design, animation, comics, sculpture, painting, and drawing. He focuses on the reception of the work to the viewer, audience, or reader and how to make what is important to you visible in complicated ways.
Chris is a Professor at The School...
2021-05-172h 24Bending Brains#20 - John TillJohn Till cultivates folk, blues & country from the farthest reaches of the Great Plains to the Appalachian foothills, down to the delta & back up to Chicago for a sound that’s equal parts pastoral & main street charm.
2021-05-111h 56Bending Brains#19 - Shi la RosaSinger-songwriter lyricism, hypnotic soundscapes, and a loud heart are what ring through Shi la Rosa's music. She experiments with both upbeat grooves to dance to and dreamy croons, beckoning you to look inward. Originally hailing from Cleveland, the 'Space Queen' singer found her artistic footing in Chicago. Within one year of releasing her debut EP, Sometimes I Think of You, she found herself playing at iconic Chicago venues, such as the Green Mill, Schuba’s Tavern, Subterranean, and Space in Evanston. La Rosa’s vocal tone has subtle nods to legends such as Lana Del Rey and Banks, but with...
2021-05-052h 02Bending Brains#18 - Tim StrzechowskiTim Strzechowski is a Chicagoland-based multi-media artist whose intuitive approach to artwork is propelled by the 1970s-era cartooning of his childhood, coupled with a surreal, psychedelic approach to his use of subject, color, and contour. Whether presenting portraits or dreamscapes, Tim’s work attempts to explore the interplay between spontaneity and structure, often employing rich detail in works meant to invite calm, mindful contemplation.
A gallery of his artwork, growing daily, can be seen on Instagram at @bulb2021.
2021-04-291h 59Bending Brains#17 - Tommy LyonsTommy Lyons is 28 year old guy with a lot of love for his family and a child-like passion for skateboarding, running, kayaking, cleaning up the Forest Preserves, and spending time in the sun. Other hobbies include over-playing and singing Jason Mraz songs for his family and friends. He likes to sprinkle in 80s action movies whenever he gets the chance.
2021-04-212h 57Bending Brains#16 - SoultruSoultru is a hip-hop/soul duo based out of the Quad Cities Iowa/Illinois. They're signed to Kansas City label The Record Machine. They sometimes travel with a full-band and other times as a duo or solo (Terrance Banks). They blend soul singing and hip hop verses to make relatable music for all. Drawing influence from gospel music artists like Fred Hammond and Smokie Norful. While later finding artists such as Gavin Degraw, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend as well Hip-Hop acts like Kanye West, Common and Anderson.Paak.
2021-04-142h 52Bending Brains#15 - Jason NiehoffFrom Chicago’s southwest side, Jason Niehoff began his musical studies at the age of 11, on electric bass. Two years later he began learning the double bass. He attended DePaul University studying classical string bass, and spent a year at Saint Xavier University, studying harpsichord. He is a bassist with the Elgin, Kalamazoo and South Bend Symphonies, and a freelance artist in the Chicagoland area. Jason enjoys learning a few other instruments, which are: guitar, electric bass, cello, keyboards, sitar, and drums. His teachers are: Patricia Lee on harpsichord, Donn Desanto, Larry Gray, Robert Kassinger, and Joseph Guastafeste on do...
2021-04-082h 35Bending Brains#14 - Danny IveticDanny Ivetic - A dude that travels and takes pictures and videos of what he looks at. A master of rambling, and creator of crackpot theories. A dude like you, just in a hat.
2021-03-263h 17Bending Brains#13 - Diana PietrzykDiana is a multidimensional artist who’s work ranges in many forms such as illustration, photography, painting + gifs! As a giphy artist, she’s had her work used globally and has worked with many brands as an artist in the past few years. she draws lots of inspiration from the cosmos, music + emotions.
2021-03-153h 01Bending Brains#12 - Larry CookiemonstureLarry is an artist, van/car connoisseur, educator, host of DZ Fest, and wonderful friend. Larry has been making art and working on cars his whole life. Larry was an elementary school art educator for three years and has big plans to turn his 1927 Ford Model T into a hotrod. Larry's love for life brings him to situations most could never imagine.
2021-03-082h 58Bending Brains#11 - Matt BauerMatt Bauer was the co-founder and host of the "Friends With Music Podcast" for eight years. Matt interviewed thousands of musicians, friends, and artists from all walks of life. Matt has played a key role in helping grow DZ Fest and DZ Records over the last decade. Matt and Ben are also cousins.
2021-02-253h 03Bending Brains#10 - Rob FishbeckRob Fishbeck is an artist, singer/songwriter, musician, and now Youtuber from the Chicago area in Illinois. He has been very passionate about film, television, and music since an early age. He released his debut album “Tomorrow Is Forever” in 2019, and is currently working on all sorts of projects.
2021-02-182h 17Bending Brains#9 - Edirin IbruEdirin Ibru is a business litigation attorney by day, a competitive kickboxer and instructor by night, and the drummer of Chicago heavy metal act, Miles From Exile, on the weekends. Born in the United Kingdom and raised in Nigeria West Africa, Edirin moved to the United States for his undergraduate degree at the age of 18 and has been American at heart ever since. He is a proud three-time graduate of Loyola University Chicago, having received his law degree (J.D.), master’s in law (LL.M), and master’s in business administration (M.B.A) from the university’s Downto...
2021-02-103h 16