One of several prints by musician and artist Matt Shaw, on display at The Spend's website.
The Spend is a one-man project featuring the music of Chicago native Matt Shaw. Shaw writes and records the songs, creates all of the album art, and owns and runs the label that released The Spend's latest record, Mild Peril.
The Spend's music is largely acoustic, introspective and intimate, wistfully exploring common themes like lost love, dysfunctional families, growing old and death. While the songs are beautifully rendered, reverb-drenched atmospherics and the occasional rumblings of a distant electric guitar give the mix a darker, otherworldly feel.
You can hear Shaw's range in these two tracks, "Gills (Dry)" and "Gills (Wet)." You can also hear more of his music at The Spend's MySpace page.
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