Music
Press
"If The Clientele were a punk band: people prone to fistfights with their brothers, with flicking light-switches til they break. If snowstorms shed sparks or cicadas caught fire. If you longed so much for something that you could never sleep again. Or if all your friends started playing electric guitars at once." - Said The Gramophone mp3 blog
"If The Clientele were a punk band: people prone to fistfights with their brothers, with flicking light-switches til they break. If snowstorms shed sparks or cicadas caught fire. If you longed so much for something that you could never sleep again. Or if all your friends started playing electric guitars at once." - Said The Gramophone mp3 blog
"APTEKA are not afraid to tip their cap to their heroes and fellow Chicagoans the SMASHING PUMPKINS, but also not scared to layer on top of it their own AUTOLUX/SILVERSUN PICKUPS sounding dimensions either. Comprised of musicians that have played in many diverse bands around the Windy City, APTEKA is the focal point now for this four piece that are building their reputation in the Midwest through a wall of sound and JANES ADDICTION type fury." - FutureSounds music news blog
"APTEKA are not afraid to tip their cap to their heroes and fellow Chicagoans the SMASHING PUMPKINS, but also not scared to layer on top of it their own AUTOLUX/SILVERSUN PICKUPS sounding dimensions either. Comprised of musicians that have played in many diverse bands around the Windy City, APTEKA is the focal point now for this four piece that are building their reputation in the Midwest through a wall of sound and JANES ADDICTION type fury." - FutureSounds music news blog
So, Metro's not known for booking cover bands... ok, ONE time we booked a Phish cover band, but we were young and naive and trying really hard to find ourselves. Well, we found ourselves shortly after that experiment and we haven't had a cover band since.
However, sometimes a band does cover a song and we don't mind it so much; totally helps when fifteen minute guitar solos aren't involved. Such is the case with the brand-spankin'-new Chicago band Apteka, who do a sweet version of "If You Were Here" by 80s faves Thompson Twins.
Coincidentally the band is playing Metro this Saturday, January 20, so this is all just perfect timing really. They'll be joined by headliners The Assembly (who are releasing a new CD called Paranoia Will Destroy Ya), local superheroes Slings & Arrows, Sunday Morning Chameleon and Planes For Spaces.
MP3: Apteka - If You Were Here
- Chicago Metro blog
So, Metro's not known for booking cover bands... ok, ONE time we booked a Phish cover band, but we were young and naive and trying really hard to find ourselves. Well, we found ourselves shortly after that experiment and we haven't had a cover band since.
However, sometimes a band does cover a song and we don't mind it so much; totally helps when fifteen minute guitar solos aren't involved. Such is the case with the brand-spankin'-new Chicago band Apteka, who do a sweet version of "If You Were Here" by 80s faves Thompson Twins.
Coincidentally the band is playing Metro this Saturday, January 20, so this is all just perfect timing really. They'll be joined by headliners The Assembly (who are releasing a new CD called Paranoia Will Destroy Ya), local superheroes Slings & Arrows, Sunday Morning Chameleon and Planes For Spaces.
MP3: Apteka - If You Were Here
- Chicago Metro blog
These locals have developed a pretty darn solid take on early-90s shoegazer Britpop, considering they played their first show in December. They're unsigned and haven't formally released anything yet, but "The Sheet" was recently plucked from among their promising demos for volume 27 of the Future Sounds compilation series curated by the clothing company (and erstwhile record label) Tankfarm. With its chiming guitar, churning rhythms, expansive atmospherics, and keening, melodic vocals, the song presses the same buttons as classic Ride. I expect good things from this band, and soon. -J. Niimi, 7/5/07. - Chicago Reader
These locals have developed a pretty darn solid take on early-90s shoegazer Britpop, considering they played their first show in December. They're unsigned and haven't formally released anything yet, but "The Sheet" was recently plucked from among their promising demos for volume 27 of the Future Sounds compilation series curated by the clothing company (and erstwhile record label) Tankfarm. With its chiming guitar, churning rhythms, expansive atmospherics, and keening, melodic vocals, the song presses the same buttons as classic Ride. I expect good things from this band, and soon. -J. Niimi, 7/5/07. - Chicago Reader
Discography
Apteka is preparing for an upcoming east coast tour with stops in NYC, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal, Detroit, and Toronto. A limited edition tour ep will available for these dates.
Live/Releases
-First show in December of 2006 at Subt in Chicago, IL.
-Two tours: Midwest January 2007 (Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, Iowa City, Kansas City, Champaign, IL) and SXSW Tour 2008 (Champaign, Iowa City, Kansas City, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Houston, Austin). Additional shows in NYC, Bloomington, IN, and Detroit.
-Upcoming east coast tour in August 2008.
-No official releases to date. Working on demos for a debut record. All of the recordings thus far are self-produced.
Press/Compilations/Streams/Features
- TankFarm/FutureSounds (http://futuresounds.blogspot.com ) has released
a compilation, vol. 27 that features the demo for our song "The Sheet."
- Auralgasms (http://www.auralgasms.com/ ), an internet radio station, has our version of the Thompson Twins song "If You Were Here" in regular rotation.
- LonelyGirl15 featured our song "The Sheet" in January and February '08 webisodes.
- The blog YourNewFavoriteSong called "The Sheet" one of the best songs of 2007.
- March '08 interview/feature with Chicago's NPR- http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=19489
- Said The Gramophone featured "The Sheet" and said "If The Clientele were a punk band: people prone to fistfights with their brothers, with flicking light-switches til they break. If snowstorms shed sparks or cicadas caught fire. If you longed so much for something that you could never sleep again. Or if all your friends started playing electric
guitars at once."
- Profiled in the 7.5.07 edition of the Chicago Reader-"These locals have developed a pretty darn solid take on early-90s shoegazer Britpop, considering they played their first show in December. With its chiming guitar, churning rhythms, expansive atmospherics, and keening, melodic vocals, the song presses the same buttons as classic Ride."
- The Devil Has the Best Tuna blog- "Soaring into the Devil's lair with guitars chiming like the hearts of a planeload of pilgrims are Apteka, a four piece from Chicago. Despite being unsigned they have already appeared on Volume 27 of the Future Sounds series curated by the clothing company (and erstwhile record label) TankFarm. Their Smashing Pumpkins like twist on the late 80s Oxford based shoegazers Swervedriver and Ride takes me back to those halcyon days when staring at your shoes through a matted mop of hair whilst furiously bashing your guitars to create a Tsunami of sound was the sound of the future. Sign them now or regret at your leisure."
- Timeout Chicago, July 2008- "It's not quite shoegaze, and it's not quite psych, but Chicago's Apteka knows its way around dreamy guitar overkill. At their best, the songs are like blurry, ghostly sonograms of shooting stars. "
- Played SXSW this year and have an upcoming east coast tour in August.
More Press (publications, blogs, interviews, etc)
Said the Gramophone (June 2007)
Largehearted Boy (August 2007)
Pasta Primavera (March 2008)
Speed of Dark (March and April 2008)
The Devil Has The Best Tuna (April 2008)
The Last Pop Song (April 2008)
FutureSounds (and featured their compilation) (May 2007 and March 2008)
Chicago's NPR (Interview in March 2008)
Auralgasms (consistently played If You Were Here from August 2007 on)
Little Radio (April 1st and June 3rd 2008 shows)
Local 101 in Chicago (featured on Local 101 March-July 2008 shows)
BreakThrough Radio in NYC (featured in April 2008)
Different is Dangerous (May 2008)
NBT Bullets From The Belfry (July 2008)
Your New Favorite Song (December 2007)
Phonic Rapture (November 2007)
Photos
Bio
Apteka came together through a shared affinity for volume and psychedelia in the summer of love '06. While on tour opening for front 242 in the fall of '05, Adam found Dino's ad on craigslist in a Seattle coffee shop. On return to Chicago, the two started working together. Jesse was recruited because he hits the drums with alarming precision and force. So hard in fact that he employs titanium core drums sticks. Unbreakable they said. They were wrong. There was a crazy bass player who was more comfortable in the serene and pastoral environs of Vermont. He now lives in Italy. Dave replaced him in Dec '07. He happens to be Adam's brother.
Influences range from psychedelic rock bands Flower Travellin' Band and early Black Sabbath to late 80s/early 90s British noise pop acts Jesus and Mary Chain, The Verve, and Ride.
Links
