Columns
Hello My Name is…Gary Klebe of Shoes
As Shoes guitarist/vocalist Gary Klebe remembers it, he never really entertained the notion of cutting his first solo disc at the seasoned age of 73, as he’s just done with the shimmering new Out Loud set, issued on the band’s longtime personal imprint, Black Vinyl Records. In fact, whenever he would stop to review […]
Media: June 2026 • When Landecker Met Travolta
50 years ago, John Records Landecker (then on WLS) and John Travolta (then starring in Welcome Back, Kotter) shared a moment they will both remember forever. “Travolta had a single out on RCA Records,” John recalls, “and my show was really popular with kids who bought records, so RCA brought him into the WLS […]
Media: April 2026 • 100 Years of Sirens In The Loop
The journalism business has obviously changed dramatically over the past few decades. The latest book about the history of the Chicago News Bureau (Sirens in the Loop), written by Paul Zimbrakos and Jim Elsener, really shines a spotlight on just how much it has changed. The City News Bureau was a news cooperative, meaning […]
Media: March 2026 • National Radio Hall of Fame Chicago Nominee Suggestions
The National Radio Hall of Fame is located right here in Chicago, in the Museum of Broadcast Communications (440 W. Randolph).* This is a National Hall of Fame, but Chicago is well represented. For instance, among the inductees you’ll find Chicago radio greats like Dick Biondi, Jonathon Brandmeier, Jack Brickhouse, Harry Caray, Bob Collins, Steve […]
Media: February 2026 • Norville: Back in the Game
Deborah Norville was a journalist for 40 years and is now a game show host (The Perfect Line, on WCIU-TV), but she got her career start right here in Chicago at Channel 5. “My five years in Chicago was really when I grew up,” she remembers. “I was 23 when I came here, and coming […]
Spins: Split Enz • ENZyclopedia Volumes One and Two 3xLP box
Split Enz ENZyclopedia Volumes One and Two 3xLP box (Chrysalis/Mushroom) Can the music of Split Enz really be 50 years old? ENZyclopedia Volumes One and Two offers a crash course in the influential and off-the-wall group’s music for 21st century listeners who might only know the Neil Finn single “I Got You” from 1980’s True […]
Media: January 2026 • In Remembrance
2025 was an especially cruel year for this media writer because I lost two personal friends, Harry Teinowitz and Tony Fitzpatrick. Harry passed away in July, and Tony died in October. If the crowd you draw at your memorial is any indication, both men had a significant impact on the people who knew them. Harry’s […]
Spins: Jason Sinay • The Mountain
Jason Sinay The Mountain (Next Revolution) Veteran guitarist and singer Jason Sinay expanded his recognition and audience by holding his own alongside revered Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell in The Dirty Knobs. Other notable sessions have ranged from work with pop legend Neil Diamond to alt-country singer-songwriter Tift Merritt. Sinay departed […]
Spins: Christopher Cross • All Right: The Worldwide Singles 1980-1988
Christopher Cross All Right: The Worldwide Singles 1980-1988 (Omnivore) Call it yacht rock if that gets you in the door, but don’t write off Christopher Cross. Possessing a supple and immediately identifiable tenor, Cross’s songs also reveal an inventive melodist, meticulous and thoughtful songwriter, and formidable musician. All Right collects 20 singles from Cross’ heyday […]
Spins • Roland Gift “Everybody Knows it’s Christmas” 7″ vinyl single
Roland Gift “Everybody Knows it’s Christmas” 7″ vinyl single (London) Just in time for the holidays comes the first Christmas single from Roland Gift. The singular voice heard on ’80s favorites by Fine Young Cannibals, including “She Drives Me Crazy,” “Good Thing,” and “Johnny Come Home,” remains unmistakably recognizable in this cheerful seasonal offering. The […]
Spins: Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats •. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats 10th anniversary expanded 2xLP
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats Self-titled debut 10th anniversary expanded 2xLP (Stax) Following Nathaniel Rateliff’s restless career has been a rewarding journey. Clued-in fans from Rateliff’s earliest days have witnessed the Denver-based artist’s growth as a captivating songwriter and his transition from intimate folk to the technicolor variety of soulful R&B now featured […]
Gear: Gift Guide: D’Addario Tour-Grade String Change Kit
Gear: Gift Guide Tour-Grade String Change Kit (D’Addario) Here’s a practical, high-quality, and reasonably affordable gift for the musician or instrument tech in your life. D’Addario’s Tour-Grade String Change Kit offers a premium upgrade to three everyday tools. A tuning peg winder with smooth ball-bearing action speeds the process for bringing new strings to concert […]
Spins: Spinal Tap • The End Continues
Spinal Tap The End Continues (Interscope/Universal) Fictitious metal icons Spinal Tap transcend genre. Practically any band covered in Illinois Entertainer likely has a tale of a “Spinal Tap mishap,” and most readers of a specific age range can surely quote the 1984 mockumentary’s satirical script, whether they prefer Taylor Swift, Deltron 3030, or AC/DC. […]
Spins: Wings • Wings 3xLP Limited Edition
Wings Wings 3xLP Limited Edition (Capitol/MPL/UMe) At the time of writing this, Paul McCartney has just packed up and left Chicago following the two-night stand at United Center that concluded his Got Back tour of North America. There were certainly people at the final show who were pining for more than just the Beatles […]
Spins: The Autumn Defense • Here and Nowhere
The Autumn Defense Here and Nowhere (Yep Roc) Given the well-known regular gigs of Pat Sansone and John Stirratt as bandmates in Wilco, it’s understandable that their own band has always existed in the shadow of the more famous group. The Autumn Defense’s sonic identity is entirely distinct, though, and the pair have produced […]
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