Chicago Loud 9

When you’ve got enough band members to field a baseball team, the music could easily go in nine different directions. Fortunately, Chicago Loud 9 avoid that trap on its invigorating, 10-song jazz/rap/rock debut, cLOUD9 LP. It takes a bit to warm to the album’s unique assortment, but by the time tracks like “Almost Let It Get To Me” and “Chill Wait” kick in – both featuring pitch-perfect brass vying with razor-sharp vocals – it’s impossible not to wish for extra innings. (chicagoloud9.com)
– Jeff Berkwits - Illinois Entertainer

Last Friday, a relatively new 9-piece band hailing from Chicago made their way down to Indianapolis to send the weekend warriors of Naptown out into the fray at The Vogue. My god, did they do it right. Overall, it was a night specializing in all things groovy with local acts Breakdown Kings and Audiodacity coming out in support of the out-of-town headliners to give fans a hell of a show and something to remember for weeks to come.

The night began with Audiodacity’s signature blend of brass and beat, giving the crowd a sense for the funk that was soon to come with the rest of the set. Starting with a small gathering in front of the stage, the crowd grew as their show progressed. The six-piece Indy-bred band powered through their set with drive and determination, leaving everyone in the crowd smiling as they morphed their bodies to the pulse of the beat.

Following their set was Breakdown Kings, another one of Indy’s own rockin’-soulfunk-hip hop revivalists with something to prove. Having never seen them before, this writer was left surprised as songs like “Monster”, “Pow”, and what can be only guessed as “Balls Deep (In Your Love)” were dropped. The latter of the 3 songs, a love song of sorts written for a girl at the farmer’s market, got the entire crowd laughing and dancing at the same time- always a welcome combination.
And then, with the crowd hyped and reaching for more, it was on to the headliners of the night: Chicago Loud 9.

For those who don’t know, Chicago Loud 9 is an amalgamation of 9 members from 5 former acts/bands: ‘grunge-funk rockers Eleven Dollar Life, roots-reggae outfit Drop Steady, cover bands Dr. Rock / On The Radio, and rapper-MC Pro Blak The Don’, according to their website. Funk, grunge, reggae, hip-hop; it’s all one with these guys. No boundaries; nothing off limits. They play what the moment calls for, and they do it damn well.

Taking the stage and starting the set off in an energetic frenzy, one felt the fuel that was about to burn throughout the performance. After a brazen start, they eventually fell into the chill and groovy intro to, “Brainfield” with a solid drum groove that led into some serious flow from Pro Blak aka Don D. Immediately after the first verse the song unleashed itself, blending funky brass, solid guitar work, and singing/rapping exchanges between the two vocalists.

Soon, an unexpected cover broke out: “Spottieottiedopalicious” by Outkast (if you don’t know this song, look it up now. It’s the 21st century; don’t deprive yourself of this classic). Once the solo-laden instrumental took off and wound itself back down to baseline it was time again for some original tunes, breaking into “Ratso”. A funk-rocker that melds its way into some reggae inspired rap verses, “Ratso” laid it down heavy before closing up shop to set up for the next track.

The show continued, eventually building up to the party rocker, “After Party”. During the climax of the song, J-Bone (percussion/keys) ran out from behind his post to revive the tiring dance party. Clearing out a section of the crowd before launching a backflip off of the stage, he ended the move off with some breakdance skills that could start a b-boy battle.

After this uncommon bit of showmanship, Chicago Loud 9 departed the stage just ahead of the loud mass of cheers that chased backstage after them. Not gone for long, they returned to drop the single from the cLoud9 EP on us, “Chill (Wait)”. As the hip-hop/ska groove culminated into one final climax they left us yet again. And then the chanting began…

“ONE MORE SONG! ONE MORE SONG! ONE MORE SONG!” the crowd cried, jeering the band away from their comfortable reprieve and back onto the stage. Starting back up with a high-energy drumbeat that quickly progressed into an all-out jam the MC announced, “We don’t even know what we’re about to play, y’all are beautiful Indianapolis!”

That, my friends, is a beautiful feeling and the mark of a true band, true artists, and true entertainers. In that moment, the music held us together- sweet, punctual sounds moving in harmony to create something bigger than us all. They could have easily left the crowd there, wanting more, ending the night at that moment-but they wanted to keep playing; one could feel it. After completing the unknown 2nd encore, they retired for the night, leaving the crowd sweating with their hands in the air and eyes to the sky. The feeling that we were left with was pure elation- something that no action or thing can replace except for real, heartfelt, music; it was the feeling of [biological] ecstasy at its finest.

In retrospect, this writer is still smiling about the show, it’s energy, and the bands that gave us that feeling. There was no better place to be in Indianapolis that night, one can be sure of it. Fresh, original, music played by three different sets of skilled songsters- what more is there to want out of life? - IndyMojo.com

Chicago-based cLOUD9 (shortened from Chicago Loud 9) is a rap/funk/rock conglomerate of musicians that formed when three local bands shared the stage for a showcase of music at the House of Blues and discovered a new chemistry. Since forming, they've played at various venues and put together the high-energy cLOUD9 LP. This debut album is noteworthy for spanning many genres of music, including jazz, funk, rock, and rap, to name a few.

The first song and featured single is "After Party," which certainly could close out a night at the club and get an after party going. It's highly kinetic and pushes you to stand up, dance, and "leave your worries at the door." Next, "Brainfield" opens with a steady-flowing but heavy rap delivered over an entirely danceable beat, though its musical center of gravity is more in the realm of jazz peppered with funk. "Neva Comin' Back" moves from a mellow intro into brassy horns, this time taking its vocal cues from rock stylings. The stripped-down, beats-and-rhymes "Spectacular" is short enough to be little more than an interlude, but ends up highlighting the collective's core strengths. Skipping ahead, "Stand Off" flows right into the tempo-upping, party-restarting "Almost Let it Get To Me," and then comes the more subdued "Chill Wait" to unwind the album (and, presumably, the night). It's a long one--nearly seven minutes in total--and it manages to be both intense and chill-worthy, thanks to lyrics that are tough but smooth and choral peaks that are bright but restrained. "Outro" aligns with the laid-back side of its predecessor, signalling the end of the party with a final thirty seconds of instrumentals. Diverse and dependable, the cLOUD9 LP is the type of album a club DJ could spin from start to finish without changing a thing, and it's a welcome introduction to the pool of talent that is Chicago Loud 9. - Will L.

Chicago Loud 9 is shaking things up on the music scene by combining hip-hop and indie rock infused melodies of jazz, reggae, and pop. This nine piece collective group will definitely grab your attention with the release of their first full length LP, cLOUD9.

The LP includes numerous bangers including their first single “Chill” a song with strong hip-hop lyrics delivered by Don D. There is a little bit for everyone on this album including reggae fans on standout track “Ratso.” This track exhibits Chicago Loud 9’s serious musicianship and Bryan Prays powerful voice. cLOUD9 effortlessly fulfills your genre needs in a matter of pressing play.

Chicago Loud 9 is one of those rare bands that fans would run to see live just to experience what they created in the studio. Listen to their full length LP below. Chicago Loud 9 will also be performing live Tuesday, Feb 4 on Vocalo FM 90.7 at 8-9 PM. Hear the live stream at www.vocalo.org. - SoGutsy

Celebrate the Spring weather this Saturday in Chicago at the House of Blues, where Chicago Loud 9 will be taking the stage at 8pm. Tickets are only $10 and the memories you make will be priceless!

Chicago Loud 9 is from Chicago. They are loud and there are 9 of them. Pretty straightforward until you listen to their music or even better, live in person. They believe music transcends genre and that great music comes from melody. Be it Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Outkast, or Led Zeppelin these artists were not in search of a particular genre, but a sound that defined themselves and the era they lived in.

Chicago Loud 9 is a movement to invoke that spirit and create innovative music for people all across the globe. Hailing from the “Windy City”, cLOUD9 (as they are sometimes referred as) began when four acts combined to form a mind-numbing, horn-infused, eclectic sound at House of Blues in January of 2012. It started out as a one-time collaboration and turned into a new collective that puts you on cLOUD9.

In two short years they’ve played some of Chicago’s most historic venues and released a debut album, titled “cLOUD9 LP,” which is available on iTunes and Spotify. Chicago Loud 9’s fan base continues to grow and their movement is spreading, all in the name of melody. More new music is on the horizon for cLOUD9 in 2014, and they are excited to share it with everyone, both at home, and on stage. Stay tuned for more! - Binge Magazine

Chicago Loud 9, also known as cLOUD9, is a 9 member multi-genre collective that seamlessly blends moments of hip-hop, rock, funk, jazz, reggae, pop, blues and more into a unified and instantly recognizable sound.

Last July the group self-released their debut full-length cLOUD9 and its lead single, “After Party”. The track serves as an ideal album opener, perfectly introducing the dynamic of the group while allowing its accessibility to ease you into some of the album’s heavier hitters.

Strong drums and a punchy horn section lead the song instrumentally, while the interplay of rock and hip-hop vocals pave the way for a pretty phenomenal rap verse in the song’s third quarter. Take a listen to the track below or check out its newly released video counterpart.

Stream the rest of cLOUD9 or name your own price and download a copy through the group’s Bandcamp page. You can catch Chicago Loud 9 live at the Double Door next month for Midwest Hype’s album release show. Tickets go on sale Saturday, and you can grab all the details here. - Midwest Action