La Scala Debuts The Last Carousel

By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 29, 2010 7:30PM

We’ve been eagerly awaiting new material from La Scala since they released their debut EP, The Harlequin, back in 2008. The Chicago-based quartet blends together just the right amounts of melodramatic pop and new wave with Eastern European folk to make us long for the Old World while furiously rocking out. Backed up by shrilling and warbling guitars and heavy reverb, front man Balthazar de Ley leads the band with his haunting baritone vocals. Their sound is mysterious and exotic, mustering up images of dancing gypsies and accordion street performers.

They sort of fell of the radar after the release of their first EP, but now the band is making a return and releasing their first full-length album, The Last Carousel, this Friday. The new album, which was recorded in an old converted warehouse in an industrial part of Chicago, will be released through Highwheel Records both electronically and as a 12” vinyl. Sample it for yourself - the album’s two singles “The Bachelorette's Needs” and “My Checkered Past” are available on La Scala’s Bandcamp site.

The band will be celebrating the new album with a record release show Friday night at the Empty Bottle, the same venue that held their live debut in ’07 and the record release show of their first EP back in ’08. With openers The Loneliest Monk and Violetness, both local acts known for their stunning theatrical musical performances, this show is sure to be nothing short of intriguing.

La Scala’s Record Release Show is Friday, July 30 at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western, 10 p.m., $8, 21+