Venus Zine says:
"BAND OF THE MONTH SEPT 09! Unicycle Loves You mixes pop sensibilities with psychedelic inspirations. FILE UNDER: Dreamy pop-scapes and well-crafted hooks with a modern sound and ‘60s sensibility"
- SC
Avant Chicago says:
"No. 1 Chicago album of 2008"
- BK
NY Press says:
When listening to Chicago's Unicycle Loves You's self-titled debut, it's pretty clear that this is the product of a band that's spent a lot of time listening to the best music of every era, picking apart exactly what makes each thing great. Not only do they understand it, but they have the brains and chops to be able recreate that magic, blending/shifting between each of these influences flawlessly, while maintaining a singularly cohesive product.
The list of influences seems endless, but Unicycle Loves You never sounds derivative. Album opener "Great Bargains For Seniors" seems to mix everything from Can to The New Pornographers to Television, and that's just the start. Over the course of 10 songs, the band generates an eclectic contemporary history of pop rock as intelligent and catchy as anything any of those influences have ever created.
Forget Vampire Weekend, Unicycle Loves You just released the best poppy indie rock album of the year, and probably the best debut album of the year. Soon the blogosphere will discover this treasure and their name will be everywhere, eventually leading to a backlash after Pitchfork praises them, and they become so popular that it becomes uncool to like them.
- JL
Chicago Tribune says:
Unicycle Loves You bounds into the album's ten cuts with absolute glee, piling on three-part harmonies, instrumental outbursts and more hooks than a sixteen-round boxing match. Here, the band has perfectly captured the sound of a lively Chicago summer. It's clear throughout that the band had an absolute blast laying these songs to tape.
- AD
URB Magazine says:
Often times when bands pay homage to their influences they end up being lax mimickers. Thankfully, Unicycle Loves You is far from that. They take bits from various genres spanning over several decades and pack them all into an indie-pop cornucopia of tasty feel-good music riddled with insightful lyrics. The Chi-town Quintet is currently busy touring/promoting their first full-length self-titled album due out later this year in early June. Unicycle Loves You kids and chances are you'll love them right back.
-AM
USA Today says:
Chicago group purveys zippy, energetic, complex pop tunes and impresses me considerably.
- KB
Pitchfork says:
They're a band with a vision . . . you start thinking to yourself, "Wow-- do these guys already have enough hooks to last a whole album?" unaware of just how right you are.
-IC
The Onion says:
Unicycle Loves You is equal parts deranged adrenaline and quirky genre exercises.
CS Magazine says:
It won't be long until your smitten with U.L.Y.'s upbeat music on their self-titled debut. Combining 60s psychedelia with 70s arena rock hallucinationsand an overall hand-clappy circus vibe, Unicycle Loves You is one big party-and perfect for a hot summer in the city. The band's three-part harmony is a refreshing respite from the manufactured pop on the radio.
-KT
UR Chicago says:
Nothing better than the box-of-chocolates analogy can describe the music of Unicycle Loves You. It is a sweet and sugary tasting menu featuring all your favorite delights from decades of old. While sampling their new record, or their explosive live show, you will undoubtedly taste the delicious, crunchy alternative of the early 90's, the smooth silky 80's new wave, the decadent and dramatic 70's glam, and of course, the classic and forever trendsetting 60's catchy pop. It's all right here in one handy package.
- BN
TimeOut Chicago says:
Unicycle Loves You careens through genres like a rubber bouncy ball.
Flavorpill says:
When local sunshine popsters Unicycle Loves You appeared on the Chicago scene nine months ago, they seemed fully formed, as if they'd stepped out of some secret Frankenstein indie-pop factory. At their first show in November of last year, the irrepressibly ebullient quintet arrived with an easy onstage chemistry and a stable of perfectly appointed pop songs, replete with clarion harmonies and '60s-style innocence. The lighthearted sound that garnered them immediate praise in the blogosphere has wisely retained its original whimsy with the help of tambourines and clap-alongs, while steadily increasing in complexity and sophistication. -SN
Radio Free Chicago says: Their influences stand side by side with them and can be heard, seen and felt within almost every song, but said influences jump through eras and seem so varied that they never overstay their welcome. A hint of 50's in the chorus of "Dangerous Decade", an homage to mid-60's psychedelia in "The Fuzzies Don't Sting" and doses of 80's influence administered throughout. In the live setting these songs are accompanied by a musical exuberance and an inclination towards the humorous which keeps the music feeling minty fresh. The interplay between guitars, paired vocals and interlacing keyboards are all part of a package that seems considerably ahead of their three shows to date. One can't help feeling it will only get better with time. -RO
Amplifier Magazine says:
No matter the stylistic flourishes, this Chi-town quintet excels at making perfect melodies and hooks, proving that under the guise of every different genre they may attempt, Unicycle Loves You can craft a delightful pop song every time.
-JT
First Coast News says:
Unicycle Loves You's self titled debut album is filled with erratic time changes, strange melodies, and songs that are pretty much all over the place. It's kooky stuff with large aspirations that occasionally sounds like the best pop music in the world, ever.
- PZ
Babysue says:
These guitar-based pop tracks are catchy, upbeat, and ultimately hummable...a pure feelgood listening experience that features complex arrangements and top notch vocals. . . an easy thumbs up.
Wordpress.com says:
Their sound is, well, pretty fucking sweet. An amalgam of self-acknowledged influences ranging from sunshine pop to glam rock, they manage to be catchy without being kitschy, eclectic without losing focus, and clever without even trying. -CK
This weekend! At the stroke of MIDNITE - Different show each night! It's dark, ethereal, fleshy, vampy, theatrical... it's GRIM BURLESQUE! Promises to get your soul's heart throbbing to the spirit of Halloween. Be serenaded through our horror-themed tour of gothic erotica!
1901 W. Belmont (entrance on Wolcott) $10 special admission price when you mention “I’m a sexy bitch” at the door! BYOB – 18+ Awesome line-up that keeps growing – spread the love!
Hey Unis. I ordered your cd about 6 or 7 weeks ago from Highwheel Records' website. It has not turned up! I e-mailed Highwheel a couple of weeks ago, but have not had a reply. Any help?
Thanks Unicycle, chicago bands need to stick together. After a brief hiatus from the music scene, S.P.I.T. is once again rallying our troops so that we can rain hell down on the metropolis by the lake.
Green Alien Tah Tahs? Flesh Tones Burlesque Has Teamed with SpyderMonkey Films to bring you Porcelain's Dolls So channel the inner geek in yourself and get out, to see that which only Capt. Kirk has seen before - That's Right Green boobies... All you gotta do is lay down the video game controller, and get your ass on out, this shows, going to blow your mind. Sat the 19th at the Viaduct theater- see you there.
.Green Aline Boobs - Hey look lets be honest who doesn't want to see that- Plus our company is always seeking new bands so why not corner one of us and drop us a demo. who knows soon we might be pulling you into a show with green alien boobs. Come on there are worse ways to promote yourselves, am I wrong? info on the flier below.
