Looking for something to do tonight? We’ve got you covered. Experimental band BRAINSTORM from Portland, Oregon makes their way to Logan Square’s Burlington bar tonight to perform and celebrate the release of their new album Heat Waves. Produced by the legendary Robby Moncrieff (engineer of Dirty Projectors’ Bitte Orca, Youth Lagoon’s 7″, and Ganglians’ Still Living), Heat Waves features a little electric guitar, a little cymbal action and a lot of unique sound. Weaving in African and Colombian rhythms into their songs, BRAINSTORM is your answer if you’re looking for new music. We caught up with drummer/singer Adam Baz from BRAINSTORM to talk about the band’s progression, their best experiences on tour and their favorite spot in Chicago. Check out the full interview after the jump.

Acityinthemidwest: How would you describe your music to Chicagoans who have not yet heard it?

BRAINSTORM: Our music is a blend of varying influences and styles, wrapped up in a neat little blanket of experimental pop sensibility. We pull influences from African highlife, Columbian cumbia, American art-rock, and contemporary pop.

A: Your album Heat Waves drops today. Describe the inspiration for it and what you hope it conveys.

B: “Heat Waves” represents the maturation of our sound I think. We’ve been sculpting and refining our music for 3 or 4 years, so this release feels like the most representative expression of our sound to date.

A: You’ve been touring the country for three years. What’s the best place you’ve visited on tour thus far?

B: Wow, there are so many good ones. We toured France with YACHT, and some of those shows might have been the most interesting. Opening for Portugal. The Man in Seattle was also an unforgettable and epic show.

A: You were voted Best New Band of 2011 by the Willamette Week, do you still consider yourselves a new band?

B: In some ways I think we are still a new band, in that we are always pushing forward trying to improve and develop our sound. But we’ve also toured and recorded enough that we feel really confident presenting our music to audiences, be it on record or on stage.

A: What needs to happen/what has happened that made you realize you’ve “made it”?

B: “Making it” is so relative. In some ways we’ve “made it” when we look back to our beginnings, playing frantic DIY shows in dirty basements. But we also have a long way to go. I think lining up some solid tour support for a bigger national act is the next logical step for us.

A: What do you think of Chicago? What’s your favorite spot in the city?

B: Chicago is amazing and big and sprawling, compared to Portland at least. We haven’t explored it too heavily. But the city’s botanical gardens are a personal favorite. You can walk through these incredible hermetic rooms, each climate controlled and representing a different ecosystem from around the world.