“Eclectic sounds flourish in Chicago’s genre-busting music scenes. Just look at Cordoba. This jazz-fusion, r&b influenced sextet is as a progressive socially as it is musically... Songs about disinvestment, police violence and gentrification may not seem like a natural fit for summer music fans, but the group’s strong ability for combining the political with the musical are sure to win over even casual listeners.”
“Today, Cordoba released their newest single, 'Factory'. It is a song about the anxiety spawned from the constant drive toward productivity and the way capitalist ideas seep into our bodies and minds... a situation where creativity and life are stifled because of our need to relentlessly produce for the sake of commerce.”
“Jazz is the perfect vehicle to convey revolutionary sentiments and ideas for protest. Cordoba takes that ideal and releases Break the Locks Off Everything New, a jazz fusion calling for major societal changes.”
Short Bio
A genre-bending sextet from Chicago, Cordoba’s music combines elements of neo-soul, jazz fusion, and hip hop. They have been compared to Hiatus Kaiyote, BADBADNOTGOOD, and Frank Zappa. With roots in Chicago’s DIY scene, the group has become known for its smooth-shifting temporalities and vivid harmonic landscapes. The band is united by a deep-seated feeling that the fabric of society is quickly unravelling, and their songs react to issues like gentrification, police brutality, and escalating social unrest. Cordoba was invited to play this year’s SXSW prior to its cancellation due to the pandemic dystopia. They have been profiled in the Chicago Tribune, and their 2018 release, Break the Locks Off Everything New, was one of the Chicago Reader’s best Chicago albums of the 2010s.
Factory Video
Performances
Empty Bottle (Chicago)
Hungry Brain (Chicago)
Schuba's (Chicago)
The Whistler (Chicago)
Subterranean (Chicago)
Beat Kitchen (Chicago)
Do Division Fest (Chicago)
Pilsen Fest (Chicago)
Cole's (Chicago)
Reggie's (Chicago)
DZ Fest (Hickory Hills, IL)
Urban Artifact (Cincinnati)
EL Lenador (St. louis)
Nightshop (Bloomington, IL)
Phat Bites (Nashville)
Bremen Cafe (Milwaukee)
Pimento Jamaican Kitchen (Minneapolis, Minnesota
P.A.R.C. (Michigan City, Ind)
Taste of Michigan City (Michigan City, Ind)
Shut It Down Video
“Their jazz and R&B inflected music, particularly on their latest EP, Break the Locks Off Everything, has the horns of a more traditional group but also the shifting melodies of something more modern and the clever vocals of Brianna Tong that give this group a different air. Upon first impression, one could describe them as a slightly more formal Hiatus Kaiyote, and who couldn’t use something like that. To get an idea of what we’re talking about, the group just released a video for the closing track off their EP, “Shut It Down”, which would definitely give you an idea of the artistry abound on the Chicago streets.”