All Entries in the "Monthly" Category
Cover Story: Cheap Trick
Call And Response
You wouldn’t be out of line accusing Cheap Trick of coasting. Their last album was named for their hometown of Rockford and featured cartoon images of themselves on the cover; this summer’s release bears the oh-so-cunning title The Latest. A year ago they toured as an opener for Journey and Heart, and in [...]
Todd Snider interview
All-Star Snub
Lost amid the hoopla surrounding pitcher Zack Greinke’s hot start, this year’s Kansas City Royals are surging thanks to sweet-swingin’ singer/songwriter Todd Snider. “I was with the Cubs last year the whole way,” he admits, “watched most of the games. But I’m with the Royals now because I met some of ‘em. They gave [...]
Placebo interview
A Change Of Skin
Even with the boundary-less World Wide Web, most of us music lovers go about our listening business unaware there are beloved hit-makers across the oceans who are blips on the radar or completely unknown to us. There are any number of possible reasons for this, really, but with the release of their [...]
Landy interview
Tip Of The Goldberg
Forgive Adam Goldberg. He doesn’t mean to interrupt. But if he could just . . . yeah, ’scuse me . . . there. Pardon me. Already disguising his sprawling, Mercury Rev-ish psychedelia as Landy (his “band” name), he’s trying to make his debut album as unobtrusive as possible: released on Apology Music, [...]
File: July 2009
God Bless The Queen
The blues world has lost its Queen. Koko Taylor, whose raw-edged, impassioned vocals won the hearts of fans worldwide for five decades, passed away at 80 on June 3rd of complications from gastrointestinal surgery.
Hello, My Name Is Lita
Q&A With Lita Ford
IE: I’ve noticed a lot of Runaways imports in the record stores. That seems to be really hot right now. What is your involvement, if any, in the upcoming Runaways biopic?
Lita Ford: We’ve had a bit of a falling out, and I just don’t care to be a part of it . [...]
Around Hear: July 2009
Local Band Reviews
Lubriphonic
Lock five skilled blues musicians from the heart of Chicago in a room and ask them to jam for a couple of hours, and what do you get? Hopefully an all-out blues-soul-funk experience — and in the case of Chicago newcomers Lubriphonic, that’s exactly what’s delivered. The quintet lets all its influences — [...]
Media: July 2009
Live Local Bands Get Their Own Free Weekly (Free) TV Show
“We’re encouraging local bands to support each other in a grassroots way,” says John Sink, executive producer of “Chicago/ Live,” a new live, weekly music performance series that airs Wednesday nights at midnight on WJYS TV-Channel 62 — just after “JBTV.”
Caught In A Mosh: July 2009
Master’s No Puppet
As if Master wasn’t enough of a reason to like Paul Speckmann, the dude credits this humble little magazine with boosting his career! In early 1984 Speckmann had just left War Cry (which, along with fellow Chicago doomsters Trouble, was a major influence on the mighty Cathedral) and craved something faster, more aggressive, [...]
Sweet Home: July 2009
Whole Lotta Music Goin’ On
The bright spot in an otherwise drab and dreary spring is the group of high-quality new releases that have crossed my desk for review. I am especially pleased to see that Chicago labels are recording local talent — a trend I hope continues. As I have said many times before in [...]
DVD Zone: July 2009
Iron Maiden: Flight 666
UMe
If Bruce Dickinson isn’t the coolest person on the planet, I’d be hard-pressed to tell you who is. Not only is he still one of the best and most charismatic frontmen in the business at age 50, but if he needs to catch the afternoon shuttle from London to Cardiff, he can [...]
Cover Story: Aerosmith
Back To The Edge
For one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most treasured groups of “bad boys,” Aerosmith haven’t done much rockin’ or rollin’ lately. The mechanics of mobilizing their aging machine have proven more difficult than imagined, as age, health, and stop/start productivity have given the band fits. The marketing arm has no problem functioning – Aerosmith [...]
Mr. Lif interview
Neighborhood Watch
When speaking with seasoned indie MC Mr. Lif , it’s surprising to hear that he hasn’t been keeping up with the news. After all, this Boston-bred artist, born Jeffrey Haynes, has been best recognized for the vigilance and yen for social justice within his well-crafted raps. What he has done best with songs like [...]
The Veils interview
The End Is The Beginning
At home in London, Finn Andrews sounds anything but comfortable. The Veils’ driving force says he’s perched on a stool, but in truth it sounds as if he’s upstairs in a closet with the lights off, clutching his cell phone so closely his voice sounds muffled.
Appearing: Thursday, July 23rd at Empty [...]
Jon Troast interview
Household Name
Having the stamina to perform a hundred shows in a hundred days is a tricky task in and of itself, but finding a competent booking agent to line up that many back-to-back gigs for an indie artist is even more of a long shot. Lake Geneva-based singer/songwriter Jon Troast has plenty of energy and [...]
