Landmarks

If Jacqueline Groves’ artwork which adorns Chicago five-piece Landmarks’ latest single depicts a fragmented, scratchy psych-scape, then the two tracks enwrapped within carry a rather more crystalline, lucid threat. It may not exactly be in many ways menacing, but Overflown is the more potent of the two, guitars skating about the place like oils over a slide under a well-lit stage.

Nonetheless, it’s the inert ethereality of the altogether more placid Cuscutta that surely couldn’t fail to eek a little glee out of even the most uptight of psychedelic alchemists. For with Stephen Simko’s vocal directly redolent of Kelcey Ayer’s aloof croon as its here cushioned by deluxe musical opulence, if ever you’re looking to migrate to somewhere other than Local Natives’ Hummingbird, then the Chicagoans’ altogether oneiric Cuscutta could yet be the place… - Dots & Dashes (UK)

If Real Estate’s delightful music is the perfect accompaniment for crisp and bright autumnal days, then recent support band Landmarks are a gusty evening in dwindling light. There may be blissful guitar melodies on ‘Cuscutta’, but it is the swirling layers of atmospherics that make this particularly enjoyable. - The Fly (UK)

October is a busy month for Landmarks. The local psych rockers started it off by sitting for a podcast with Notes and Bolts and playing a show at the Empty Bottle, and the band’s Daytrotter session is expected to drop soon—it features two tracks that the group has yet to release. This series of feats is coming to a climax next week when they take the stage at Lincoln Hall.
The band will be opening for New Jersey’s carefree pop act Real Estate, but we get the feeling it will be the other way around someday soon. Landmarks has seen some solid momentum this year with the release of a few singles—“Cuscutta” and “Overflown” were featured on the Public House Sound Recording project back in May—and they don’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.
The Lincoln Hall show will be the largest venue we’ve seen them perform at (they tend to play intimate venues and DIY spaces) so we’re curious to see how their hazy rhythms and dreamy vocals translate on a big stage. It’s easy to get lost in the daze, so we expect it to be good. If you haven’t heard their stuff yet, check it out on Landmarks’ Bandcamp page. - The Chicagoist

Indie rock outfit, Real Estate, hit Lincoln Hall in Chicago on Wednesday as the last stop on their tour and they made it a night to remember. Accompanied by local indie band Landmarks, they played to a sold-out house and something tells me each fan left the venue more than happy with what they saw and heard.

Starting off the night was Landmarks and as someone going in with no prior exposure to the band, I was surprised in the best possible way. From the first note they played, it was clear why they were selected to open for Real Estate. Their sound has a similar laid back, dreamy quality to it; the type of music that couldIMG_1652 perfectly score a lazy summer day. It’s no wonder that their sound is so similar since, as frontman Stephen Simko noted, they are huge Real Estate fans themselves. “If anyone wants to geek out over Real Estate after the show, come find this dork,” Simko said pointing to himself. As if that endearing charm wasn’t enough to make you like them, their sound was impeccable. Smooth and clean throughout their entire set which felt utterly too short. It is a beautiful thing when the love for one band draws you out to a show and you leave with a new band to add to your music library. For those of you out there who either have not heard of Landmarks or have yet to give them a listen, be sure to check them out. Especially all you Real Estate fans out there, it will be worth your time.

With a talented opener, the night was already off to a solid start. Now, on to the main event. With their last full-length album, Days, having been released in 2011, fans have been anxiously awaiting new music from the group and tonight that is exactly what they got. There was a good balance between old and new material. With the new, bassist Alex Bleeker announced that the new album is set to be released in February, though admitted that the new album currently does not have a name. At one point in their set, after playing one of the new songs, a member of the audience called out, asking what the name of the song was. That was when frontman Martin Courtney also confessed that the new tracks don’t quite have official titles yet. Untitled or not, the new material is exactly what you would expect from the group. They stay true to their easygoing brand of indie rock that makes them so likable and pleasant. Fans of the old stuff will be clamoring over the upcoming release.

IMG_1689The old favorites off Days were not neglected. The crowd erupted upon hearing tracks like ‘Green Aisles,’ ‘Easy,’ and ‘Municipality.’ Not surprisingly, the whole crowd was bobbing their head and singing along to the band’s upbeat hit tune, ‘It’s Real.’ Though the music was chill, the instruments had a much more lively quality in person than they do hearing them played on the recording. It added something exciting and almost unexpected to Real Estate’s set. Courtney’s voice was as lovely and as soothing as ever which made it easy to get lost in the performance. Another fan-favorite, ‘Out of Tune’ was their choice song to perform first once they reappeared for their encore and it made for an excellent choice. The crowd was fully engaged and, from the sound of it, loving every second. Visually, the show was beautiful as well. The fog rising about the stage and streaming through the various colored lets gave the venue an almost hazy look which matched up with the group’s hazy sound perfectly. Every element of the show was working in correlation and everything made sense. Overall an amazing show and though this current tour has come to end, the fast-approaching release of a new album brings the promise of more touring and more great performances like the one on Wednesday night. - Violent Success

Landmarks have been hard at work over the past few months, recording, giving interviews, and playing shows across the Chicagoland area. Their work is starting to pay off, as they’ve landed a gig opening for Real Estate at Lincoln Hall tonight (10/23). They have emerged in the last few months from the chaotic Chicago music scene as a serious force. Landmarks began in early 2012, they’ve released two single 7” recordings in 2013, both of which have left me listening over and over again and wanting more. The band is able to create dreamy textures that wander and evolve into something unique in every song. Landmarks have been experimenting a lot with their sound lately, which has brought about some different styles in their songs. While bands’ experimentation can be frustrating for listeners, Landmarks somehow manages to make each song more rewarding than the last. In “Overflown”, off their Public House Single, the singer’s understated vocals mesh perfectly with the driving bass/drum combo and hypnotizing synths. This gives way to an explosion of guitars and creates a powerful wall of sound to end the song. The song ends on a high note, engraining their sound in your head and ensuring that you won’t forget them anytime soon.


One unifying theme between the songs is the catchy guitar riffs that are scattered throughout each song, which draws frequent comparisons to bands like Real Estate and Deerhunter…yet there’s no doubt they have a unique style. They’ve been focusing on solidifying their sound recently, so their next release is definitely something to watch out for. They’re planning on releasing an EP in the next month or two, but until then you can get your Landmarks fix by seeing them live. And hey, why not tonight at Lincoln Hall? Make sure to get there early and watch these guys take on what may very well be their biggest venue yet. I guarantee it will be a great time. - Loud Neighbor

Landmarks have taken full advantage of the 7? single format on their latest release on Chicago-based Public House. A-side “Cuscutta” is airy and haunting, like a more warmer shoegaze track that never comes to from a groggy dream. On the (quite literal) flip side, “Overflown” retains its predecessor’s haze but has its feet on the ground, with a splattering psychedelic sound and chugging melodic structure. - Local Loop Chicago

Music fans have grown accustomed to flocking to Chicago each summer to take in the likes of Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Fest, Electric Daisy Carnival and Riot Fest. But while those big productions draw prominent national and even international talent, the Windy City for decades has boasted a strong local scene that most of those tourists sadly may never see (or, well, hear). Take, for example, one of Chicago's newer exports, the dream-pop quintet Landmarks. Despite having just three tracks to sample on the Internerds, the act's hit-to-miss ratio impresses. Landmarks evidence on its latest, second single a firm grasp on the classic Creation Records sound. The Public House 7", released May 3 via Public House Sound Recordings, also emphasizes the Chicago five-piece's strong affinity for dream-pop styles more generally as well. The band establishes in the opening moments of its particularly winsome B-side "Overflown" an insistent, krautrock groove, upon which Landmarks gradually layers spiraling, squalling guitar leads and placid keys. It's a sound that also echoes in the work of, say, contemporaries such as Kent, England's It Hugs Back or even, to perhaps a lesser extent, Munich's Lali Puna. The aforementioned groove is driven by a snappy, repetitive bass line that pushes and pulls against the messy, unsettled guitars while offering a formidable melodic counterpoint. "Overflown," along with the more subdued, more somnolent A-side "Cuscutta," is available as a pay-what-you-like download via Landmarks' Bandcamp, and you can stream the tune via the Soundcloud embed below. - Clicky Clicky Music

No matter how hard you to try to find volume switch 11, Landmarks, will always remain a muted out-put. Demanding of full attention to catch the fluttering whispers of sound that float tantalizing close to the ears.
Whilst you will oft find me bemoaning the myopic butterfly goldfish attention span of the MTV generation, there is one genre which has gained immensely by becoming more compacted and that is Psychedelic rock. Long gone are the 40 minute excursions into some obscure self-indulgent acid trip. In its place the current day listener finds material that has a defined formulation and it sounds so much better for it.

Landmarks layer textures and colours together in a mesmerising kaleidoscope of sounds which entrance the brain, lifting the audience in billowing clouds of sound that float around the room, taking the mind, on what seems like an extended journey which, in reality, lasts in the main barely over five minutes.
Relatively new on the scene, Landmarks has been able to capture the essence of all that is good about the style and turn it into an exceptional output which contains the depth and ability to snare the mind in the images being created by the gently expressed melodies that whisper around the head. Each track contains delightful effects and notes which can be replayed over and again with each hearing invoking something new. - Indie Bands Blog

Must. Find. More. Landmarks. This ultra ambient sound sounds so familiar (Real Estate / Tame Impala / Beach House, anyone?), yet its also fresh as hell. Through a little searching, I found their bandcamp page, which I am fully digging right now. Seriously, I can’t get enough. - I Minored In Music

If I am to believe what I read, the Landmarks band is a part of a larger collective known as Public House Sound Recordings which was formed by recording engineer, Dave Vettraino. This digital seven inch, while not measured in inches, covers a lot of musical space starting with the arcing jam of "Overflow". At its best the song aspires to the near perfection of Deerhunter’s "Nothing Ever Happened." At its worst it's just a damn fine tune with a driving bass line, Rhodes piano and swirling and clashing guitar lines seasoned lightly with minimal vocals. “Cuscutta” is slower and trancier with meandering vocals, another steady bass line and hints of xylophone and a not so subtle guitar with effects pedals at play. - Reglar Wiglar

Chicago-based Landmarks, an indie rock quintet with some dreamy leanings released a single via public house sound recordings back in May. The A-side, “Cuscutta” was a contemplative atmospheric track bordering on ambience at times. The B-side, “Overflown” is a more straight ahead upbeat indie rock tune. The gentle vocal enters with a profound quality of complete surrender in it that gives way to freak out moments and moments of over-indulgence all the while including some krautrock elements. Download the tracks over on bandcamp for PWYW. - Audiocred

Chicago's Color Radio parted ways in the spring of 2012 and more or less morphed into a new outfit called Landmarks. With a new direction and a pair of additional members in the fold, the quintet quickly began to play local shows. They put out a couple of tunes this past winter and then headed to Logan Square's The Public House to track their debut 7" for the studio's monthly Public House Sound Recordings series in May. "Cuscutta" b/w "Overflown" came out of that session, showcasing both how spacey and how tightly-wound the group can awesomely be. The motorik "Overflown" is easily my favorite of the two, echoing Micrcocastle-period Deerhunter (see "Nothing Ever Happened"). Frontman Stephen Simko's high-register vocals sit deep in the mix, taking a backseat to the pulsating bass and meandering keys. Then, almost to remind you where they started off with "Cuscutta," the quintet bust the track wide open with a charge of overdriven guitars around 02:30 in. You can grab both sides of the 7" at the top of this post and/or take a listen below.
Landmarks' next upcoming show will be an opening slot for Crystal Stilts at the Empty Bottle on October 10. Advance tickets for the Chicago show are still available. - Brooklyn Vegan

“Cuscutta” floats along in an ethereal haze, a feeling of complete relaxation often emitted from Chicago-based five-piece Landmarks. “We get compared to Real Estate, Deerhunter, The Antlers, Caveman, along with some spacier stuff at times,” says guitarist Drew McBride. The band is a part of Public House Sound Recordings, formed by recording engineer Dave Vettraino, who decided to form a label from the material of artists he recorded in his Logan Square basement. “Cuscutta” opens Landmarks’ Public House 7?, released on May 3rd. A haunting guitar whirring travels throughout, an effect Sigur Rós often employ to help sketch their sprawling cinematic soundscapes. Jangly guitar leads move slowly and appear sporadically, as Stephen Simko’s vocals take the Tame Impala approach of sounding perpetually stoned on a floating cloud. This stuff is quite easy to get lost in. - Obscure Sound

We have to confess that on Cuscutta the lead track from their new digital single Public House, Landmarks managed to catch us by surprise. The track is a lovely, unhurried, slice of woozy psych-pop in the grand traditions of Spiritualized or Mercury Rev, and unlike so many others, they manage to do it without ever bring derivative or mere copycats.

So an entirely pleasant surprise, as guitars gently chime and hazy vocals float like gossamer strands on the breeze. It is an inventive and fresh take in a usually tired genre, and comes to you highly recommended.

Grab both tracks from the single below – it is a pay-what-you-want deal, but paying something would be the right thing to do! - Mad Mackerel

We hadn’t heard much about Landmarks in the past, but the local psych-rockers have been garnering some much-deserved attention lately. Their track “Cuscutta” is featured on the May installment of the Public House Sound Recordings project, which releases two tracks by a band each month, along with artwork selected by the band (shown to the right). It’s no surprise why Public House chose Landmarks—“Cuscutta” is slow, steady, and luscious, with a woozy rhythm and dreamy, faraway vocals. - The Chicagoist