These Days
 
 

Our favorite Chicago Albums & Songs of the Year

In yet another year that was heavy as a whole, music again serves as a silver living and saving grace for many of us here in the city. Chicago’s musicians of all sizes and sounds really showed up in 2024, delivering statement albums and songs worth repeating. Our staff closes out our year by sharing a selection of the releases that impacted us the most.

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Saba's ComfortZone: An Oral History

To celebrate its anniversary and re-release on streaming platforms, These Days and Kismet Radio interviewed 17 contributors involved in creating this Chicago cult classic.

 
 

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these days presents…

J.Y.N. Mini-Doc

On November 17th, 2023, Chicago rising star, J.Y.N., released the intimate and beautifully dizzying, Bittersweet EP. These Days conducted an interview and gathered footage of the singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist to shed a light on J.Y.N., the artist and the person

 
 

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The Forecast

Our flagship all-genre curated weekly playlist full of new releases from artists across Chicago.

 

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Chicago Artists to Watch 2024

For those paying attention, it’s no news that we’re entering an expansive new era of Chicago music. However, the sobering reality is that artists, no matter how talented, face growing challenges. Their chances of earning a living wage are increasingly elusive, algorithms and social media drown out bodies of work, and traditional media spaces focused on curating local music are collapsing (Long live Vocalo!). It’s a great time to be a cynic.

 

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A Special Thank You To

South Facing Windows

We’ve had the honor of partnering with Michael Salisbury, co-founder of the Bridgeport-based studio South Facing Windows, for a long list of photoshoots over the years & they’ve done so much to help us at These Days cover the city’s music communities the way we do.