Chicago-based artist Sam Vicari is a singer/songwriter who creates his own brand of indie rock. Mixing powerpop hooks with 1990s alternative rock elements, he released a series of demos and EPs before dropping his debut album Keep Careful, in 2010. Vicari recorded his follow-up 2012 LP, Heart Explosion, on old two-inch tape, resulting in a rough and slightly muddy effort that suits his lamenting themes of alienation and heartbreak.