Bringing artists from Post Office Winter, Dwaal Troupe and Welcome to Berlin together, Deerest Friends is a new collective of chicago youth artists creating wonderfully intimate diy music. The band is Francis Brazas (vocals, guitar, horn, accordion), Will Huffman (vocals, drum, guitar bass), Nathan McMurray (vocal, guitar, bass), Xochimilco Cortez (viola, vocals) and Desi Kaercher (drums, keyboard). Dynamic touches (strings, xylophone, accordion, horns, piano) bring a shaggy sort of sophistication that complements the music’s charmingly unraveled edges invoking the collective catharsis of punk-rock gang vocals. Their debut album Lamb Leaves Pasture has a lot in common with the Hallogallo scene as a whole: young people banding together who have made something big and ambitious that’s still comfortable enough with its own imperfections to feel welcoming to everyone.