George Arthur Calendar, a Chicago musician who describes himself as the creator of “some of the most suave and velvety narco synth pop/soul/funk north of Tijuana,” is blindfolded and tied to a chair.
“It talks about that kind of relationship when you’re starting to get dependent on someone,” Calendar says. “It’s about when you’re a little bit blind in your situation. You’re so content and wanting to be there, even though it’s not necessarily the right choice.”
Calendar’s musical lineage can be traced back to his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, where he grew up and went to school. “Guadalajara is like a first-world city in a third-world country,” he says. “There’s a lot going on . . . an underground scene, an indie scene, mainstream. There are bands with millions of followers who people have never heard of here.”
In 2013, Calendar decided he wanted to travel the world. He left Guadalajara behind and spent several months living in New Zealand and California; in 2014 he landed in Chicago, where his mother lives. He’d quit music altogether for a time, but not long after settling here, he started playing again at open mikes.
“The record is like organic Latin music that isn’t based in folkloric Mexican music,” says Alex Santilli, who drums for Chicago band Late Nite Laundry and also plays in Calendar’s new backing group, Las Travoltas. “I think it’s a great fusion of Chicago culture, which Arturo was a big part of, and how he grew up in Mexico. It’s really kind of groundbreaking.”
- The video for “Jazzcat,” directed by Joshua Patterson
Earlier this month, Calendar released another new video, this one for the song “Jazzcat,” the penultimate track on Paradox. He says it has a “mysterious, Dick Tracy, jazzy Chicago vibe.” The song also departs from the focus of the rest of the album, most of which explores the pain and heartbreak of a failed relationship.
