Archive for February, 2006

Smiling Scottish Eyes

March traditionally inspires lots of Celtic music and celebrations in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s important to note Celtic doesn’t just mean Irish. As a matter of fact, St. Patrick wasn’t actually Irish at all and some historians place his birth in Scotland, some in Wales. It’s a fitting reality considering after the [...]

Local CD Reviews

Typical of countless other bluesy-rock bar bands, Analog Theory play conventional, straight-up rock that lacks originality or interest. Their sound is tired — chunky riffs, generic rhythms, and trite lyrics. This doesn’t mean they lack passion or spirit, as their musicianship exhibits cohesiveness and the performances are sharp. It’s too bad they put such a [...]

BB King Review

B.B. King
House Of Blues, Chicago
Thursday, February 16, 2006

In what just might be his farewell tour, B.B. King exuded nothing but class on Thursday at House Of Blues, never bowing to the indignities of self-congratulation or hinting the blues are anything but alive.

Jeffersons Reviewed

Jefferson Starship & The Jefferson Airplane Family Galactic Reunion
House Of Blues, Chicago
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
The latest billing of the Jefferson Starship brand name has so much additional information that it couldn’t all fit on the ticket. But then again it’s only natural for this lengthy lineup to bill tours extremely specifically, given the variety of [...]

Bob Mould Review

Bob Mould
Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago
Friday, February 17, 2006
Whether fronting the seminal Hüsker Dü, working solo, or with his second band Sugar, the constant hallmark of Bob Mould has always been the quality of his songwriting. Very few people can write such natural hooks as Mould, and there’s no better showcase for songwriting [...]

Matt Pond/Dios (Malos) Review

Matt Pond PA, Dios (Malos)
Double Door, Chicago
Monday, February 20, 2006
I couldn’t believe it and neither could Matt Pond. What were all those people doing at the Double Door on a Monday, for a band that have never headlined a Chicago venue larger than the old Fireside?

BARR Preview

BARR
Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago
Saturday, February 25, 2006
“How do you start something? You start it.” These are the first words out of Brendan Fowler’s (aka BARR) mouth on Beyond Reinforced Jewel Case, giving the immediate hint that this record might be out there — a ways.

Win A Trip To London

BRAVE NEW WORLD
Catch them now before VH1 needs to dig them up in 10 years: Guitar Center and Vox Amplification are cosponsoring a contest that will send a winner and guest to London to see The Bravery at Wembley Arena on April 3rd.

Illumilite

Latrice Barnett
Illuminate
(Ultra)

Dance club lite tracks exhibit more anonymity than soul on Five Point Plan vocalist’s solo debut.

Frankly

Frankel
Chatterbox
(Three Ring)
Calling him “Lithium pop,” Frankel’s label isn’t doing him any favors, appropriate as it might be.

Brothers In Studs

Deadstring Brothers
Starving Winter Report
(Bloodshot)

From Kurt Marschke’s flat sneer to the country bent of Deadstring’s divebar rock, Starving Winter Report was made with one thing in mind: Exile On Main Street.

Wave of mutation

(The Sounds Of) Kaleidoscope
From Where You Were To How You Got There
(Hackshop)
If you can get away without humming “Hounds Of Love” during “New Language,” this 12-track debut will tumble you through a sonic undertow in an oh-so-English sway.

Mump In The Road

Measles Mumps Rubella
Fantastic Success
(Doubling Cube)
Dancin’ D.C. punks whip through seven-song, half-hour debut “album.”

Colter 45

Jessi Colter
Out Of The Ashes
(Shout! Factory)

Waylon’s widow emerges 22 years from her last effort, providing a duet with her late husband.

Hello yourself

The Capes
Hello
(Hard Soul)
Periodically British bands inadvertently circle wagons and form an Empire Shell in order to protect the local industry from Americanizing.