Archive for February, 2006
Chemical Bryar
My Chemical Romance Getting Windy My Chemical Romance might be touted as a New Jersey band, but they’re based, not literally but rhythmically in Chicago. That essence can be attributed to the addition of West Suburban drummer Bob Bryar in 2004.
Run For It, Marty!
Marty Casey & Lovehammers Star Time Hanging out with his buddy in a swank Hollywood pub recently and buying rounds of drinks for all his newfound bar friends, Marty Casey was feeling — if not on top of the world — then pretty damn close. Letting the relaxing effects of alcohol wash over him, he […]
Studio feature!
Price Point: Chicago Studios Adapt To The Home Recording Revolution In the ever-changing music industry, recording studios are adapting and re-molding themselves to stay competitive. Not all studios have been able to fight the battle. Major institutions such as Hit Factory in New York and Cello in Los Angeles have closed. Some studios in Chicago […]
Six Feet Above
Sia Waiting To Exhale Sia, known to the Australian government as Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, is familiar with fate, deja vu, fortune reversals, and other tricks at the universe’s disposal. When she awakens in the morning, celestial entities tremble, the Earth’s polarity relocates, and God cracks his knuckles. But for right now she has one […]
M’s Are Back
The M’s 21st Century Boys Anyone who has attended a local rock show over the last few years is sure to have seen The M’s’ name pop up on one marquee after another. Besides introducing their rebellious, guitar-slinging sounds on solo headlining shows, the gang have also opened shows for a slew of indie icons […]
Origi-Kong on DVD
King Kong: Collectors Edition Warner Brothers If you happened to take a peek at last month’s Best Of 2005 list in this very magazine, you’ll remember I ranked this as the best DVD release of the year. (Pay attention, kids. You never know when there’ll be a quiz.) Sure, it’s been out a couple of […]
File For Feb!
TEN THOUSAND FISTS . . . IN YOUR FACE! Congratulations to local boys Disturbed who recently earned a platinum award from the Recording Industry Association Of America for their latest release, Ten Thousand Fists (Reprise). That certification means all three of the band’s major label albums have gone platinum (shipments in excess of one million […]
A Change Is Gonna Come
“Sam Cooke was a golden child around whom a family mythology was constructed long before he achieved fame or added the e to his last name.” — Peter Guralnick, Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke.
And The Winner Is . . . ?
After years of flying under the radar and often being ignored altogether, Chicago hip-hop finally busted the mainstream seal during the last two years with the help of high-profile releases by Common, Twista, and Kanye West. And while it’s easy to credit those artists with lighting the spark, the truth is producer/rapper The Legendary Traxster […]
If You Tape It They Will Come — Part II
Imagine seeing your favorite band in an intimate, 400-seat venue where the worst seat in the house is 25 feet from the stage. Imagine the show starts and ends on time, and the artists will show the offstage side of their personality. Then imagine the venue is acoustically perfect. Add free parking and it sounds […]
Play Like A Girl
DAISY ROCK GUITARS Rock Candy Series If girl-on-girl rock is your thing, Daisy Rock Guitars, the “girl guitar” company, is expanding their Rock Candy Series with the new and positively feminine Rainbow Sparkle and Power Pink finishes. It’s enough to make Courtney Love sick, but that’s a good thing. The Rock Candy guitars feature a […]
Brazil, Beats, & Hip-Hop
Despite Austin Powers‘ groovy musical imagery, the swingin’ ’60s weren’t just about psychedelic rock riffs. The sounds of Brazil, from “The Girl From Ipanema” to various samba and bossa nova hybrids, also ruled, and Sergio Mendes and his group, Brazil 66, were at the forefront of the movement. From the moment they burst onto the […]
Local CD Reviews
The Brutal Poetry Of Existence, by thrash metal band A.S.A., is a multi-dimensional album that delivers some angry screaming tracks (“Rancor,” “Overwhelmed”) and some with more melodic vocal alterations (“The Perfectionist”). “4571” showcases the band’s potential and diversity, surprisingly ending with a piano solo. The songs have powerful production, but this is a band better […]
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