Illinois Entertainer

The Pogues
Back In The Graces Of God

The Season Of Green is indeed in full swing, and it just so happens to coincide perfectly with The Pogues’ latest trip through America. Though there’s likely to be no shortage of St. Patrick’s Day revelry at any of this month’s engagements, the seminal Celtic-flavored rockers are also banking on a few other factors, from their constant influence upon younger arse-kicking generations to the more tangible spring release of a box set chock full of rarities.

Appearing: 3/5-6 at Riviera Theatre (4750 N. Broadway) in Chicago.

• Read more: Cover Story: The Pogues

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Sunshine Mountain

Stephen Malkmus’ tone could easily be misinterpreted. His droll, frequently monotone delivery suggests weariness, a thinly concealed resentment for having to endure round after round of all the same questions — most of which inevitably contextually chain him to the band he led during the ’90s: Pavement.

Appearing: March 21st at Vic Theatre in Chicago.

• Read more: Stephen Malkmus interview

The Cool Kids
‘88 And Beyond

Within a year of introducing themselves on Myspace, The Cool Kids have become the most talked-about Chicago hip-hop group without a presence on retail shelves. Only in January did this duo, which comprises Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks, officially put a single up for sale on the Internet. That song, the bottom-heavy ode to BMX bikes “Black Mags,” not only spawned a superbly shot black-and-white video, but it was performed by The Cool Kids on a heavily-aired Rhapsody commercial also featuring popular singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles.

• Read more: The Cool Kids interview

Head Of Femur
Traveling Light

Not long ago, Taco Bell introduced a promotion whereby an indie band’s touring budget could be massaged with the infusion of free grub. If only they’d discovered Chicago-based Head Of Femur before cannibalism set in.

Appearing: April 11th at Schubas in Chicago.

• Read more: Head Of Femur interview

What Made Milwaukee Famous
And What’s Making Them Stronger

The funny thing about Myspace is getting to know someone is as easy as scanning their page, sometimes easier than actually talking to them, or in this case conducting a phone interview. Pertinent info is just a mouse click away. Surveying What Made Milwaukee Famous founder and frontman Michael Kingcaid’s profile, one deduces he’s married to a sprightly blonde he attended high school with back in Katy, Texas, loves Urban Cowboy enough to actually highlight it in a list, and, judging by his photos, likes to cut a rug at semi-formal outings.

Appearing: March 22nd at Metro in Chicago.

• Read more: What Made Milwaukee Famous interview

Hello My Name Is Dick

IE: Seeing Electric Six at Double Door was how I spent my very first New Years Eve in Chicago. That’s not a question, obviously, just a fun fact.

Dick Valentine: The thing I remember about that show is that we thought it might be our last show ever, since we had recently been dropped by our record label. Also, someone broke into our vehicle later that night and stole Tait’s [Nucleus] keyboards.

• Read more: Hello, My Name Is Dick

Queen Nothing

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion . . . unless it isn’t Aretha Franklin’s opinion, too. So let it be known from here forth that no female singer may ever be lovingly referred to as “the queen” by a star-struck admirer. That’s what Beyoncé did during an intro to Tina Turner’s Grammy performance in February, and Franklin, the Queen Of Soul, was so slighted by the praise heaped on Turner she felt the need to release a statement saying “I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyoncé, however, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy.”

• Read more: File: March 2008

DVD Zone
Sony’s Revenge

Do you like having the newest gadgets? Does the thought of running out and buying the latest technology, no matter the cost, make you a little moist? If so, you might have been one of the few who plunked down some hard-earned coin on a spiffy new HD-DVD player. Guess what? You’re screwed.

• Read more: DVD Zone: March 2008

“Around Hear” is a monthly feature where a stable of IE writers review albums sent to us by local musicians. If you are interested in having your CD (must have a minimum of three songs) reviewed and are Illinois-based, mail it and any other media materials to 657 A W. Lake St., Chicago IL, 60661. Everything that meets the aforementioned guidelines will be reviewed in the order received. This may take several months.

Another Year Or So, the third release from Naomi Ashley, was partially funded by a grant from the City Of Chicago Department Of Cultural Affairs. The better production opportunity works wonders for Ashley’s songs, but it’s obvious she’s simply getting better at her craft. Songs like “Dangerous” and “That Kind Of Girl” shine with great melodies and lyrics. However, like many folk singers, she is still searching for a truly original sound. (www.naomiashley.com)
– Joseph Simek

• Read more: Local CD Reviews

Singer/multi-instrumentalist Dominic Harris sounds like he’s aiming for a streetwise Lou Reed on his new CD, Ride, but it often sounds forced. A more natural delivery and sharper lyrics would have made the full-length disc more accessible. There are good things going on here, like the soulful, catchy strings Harris arranged for the pretty love song “Rhyme,” as well as the good-time guitars, piano, and drums jamming on the humorous “I Don’t Know, I Don’t Care.” (www.dominicharrismusic.com)
– Terrence Flamm

• Read more: Around Hear Page 2

With his How It Be mixtape, Broadview’s Quesne (pronounced Cain) drops hip-hop inspired by both the crunk of Atlanta and the chopped-and-screwed styling of Houston. Because he mostly borrows beats (from Mike Jones, Ludacris, etc.) and emulates the vibe of those tracks, it’s tough to tell what this west suburban rhymer represents. Although sonically, he seems to often favor the club banger as heard on the catchy anthem “The Song That Never Ends.” (www.myspace.com/ quesne)
– Max Herman

• Read more: Around Hear Page 3

Doro Pesch, the iconic German power metal songstress, will hate Reptoids, or at least her publicity team will hate Reptoids.

I had Doro penciled in for this column as far back as December (she is playing the Pearl Room in March) but in mid-January I received Reptoids’ three-song Slayed EP, threw it on, listened to the first track, “We Are The Wolves,” and immediately demoted Doro.

• Read more: Reptoids’ Sweet Sides

Digidesign
Mbox 2 Micro

In their aim to imbed a ProTools software chip in the back of every musician’s neck, Digidesign’s USB flash drive-sized Mbox 2 Micro shows they’re serious about making music tools in increasingly smaller recording packages until they’re the size of dust mites.

• Read more: In The Pocket

They can’t give us universal health care. They can’t fix the subprime mortgage problem. They can’t even find Osama bin Laden.

But at least they can subsidize our TV viewing.

The government is spending some $1.5 billion on its digital converter switchover program, which will ensure people with analog TVs can continue to watch over-the-air programming when the signals go completely high definition February 2009.

• Read more: TV, The HDTV Switchover, & You

Death is described as the great rock career move, but surviving serious drug addiction might be a better choice. Especially when, decades later and clean ‘n’ sober, you get to regale the public with tales of your sordid past in best-selling books. Among a raft of such having-one’s-cake-and-eating-it-too tomes by rockers touting their tales of dopester depravities are Eric Clapton’s Clapton: The Autobiography (Broadway), Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx’s Heroin Diaries (Pocket) and Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash’s Slash (Harper).

• Read more: Clean ‘N’ Sober