The M's

From Shoes to Cheap Trick to Material Issue, Chicago has a long history of producing power-pop bands that combine glam-rock heft, Brit pop hooks and dry wit, Midwestern-style. The M's are the latest addition to this impressive lineage. The band came together in 2000, and their self-titled debut documents four young brothers-in-arms hanging out in their home recording studio with a case of beer and a stack of records from T.Rex, the Olivia Tremor Control, Jeff Buckley, Teenage Fanclub and Big Star. Not long afterward, the M's signed with Polyvinyl, whose roster is heavy on hip indie acts such as of Montreal and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (now there's a dumb name). Yet the M's, who don't generate nearly as much attention as their labelmates, aren't a true indie band, despite the genre's porous borders. While lo-fi and emo (a la the Shadow Ring) do lurk inside the band's double-helix, the M's are more committed to the physicality and arena-size proportions of classic hard rock. Their sophomore effort, Future Women, which features a full horn section on several tracks, made this even more apparent than its predecessor.