Archive for March, 2007
Local CD Reviews
Young indie rockers The Alpha Couple carry a sound that’s primed for major radio and “TRL” play. Of course, working with an established producer like Dan Duszynski has helped this Frankfort quintet perfect the polished pop rock the band provide on The Alpha Couple & Me EP. While not entirely distinguishable from their suburban counterparts, […]
Around Hear Page 2
The three-man band Doses offers a trio of unnamed bass-guitar-drum tracks on a no-frills demo focusing on solid rock instrumentation. Recorded in November 2006, the tracks are non-linear alternative rock jams that stress grooving rhythms and frequent time changes instead of noodling guitar leads. The resulting indistinguishable compositions prove to be either a marketing ploy […]
Around Hear Page 3
With a keen ear for pleasant acoustic pop, Mighty Joe delivers a bountiful suite of winsome tunes on Balance. Violin, harmonica, and congos add subtle accents to Joe’s precise, crisp strumming and provide tonal complexity and dimension to otherwise straightforward arrangements. The melodies are uniformly sweet, even if the stories are occasionally drab and the […]
Bloc Party Live!
Bloc Party Congress Theatre, Chicago Friday, March 23, 2007 If you only had a passing knowledge of the group Bloc Party, you might not necessarily assume them to be particularly dynamic. And even if you have some level of familiarity with the band, it would be understandable if you didn’t automatically label them bombastic.
The Besnard Lakes Preview
The Besnard Lakes Schubas, Chicago Thursday, March 29, 2007 Layers-deep Montreal indie rock outfit The Besnard Lakes flirt with the Canadian border on their second album.
David Karsten Daniels Preview
David Karsten Daniels Empty Bottle, Chicago Thursday, March 29, 2007 “There is a joy that you can’t contain/there is a feeling you just can’t explain,” David Karsten Daniels sings on the first track, “The Dream Before The Ring That Woke Me,” from Sharp Teeth. Not exactly what you expect from a record whose cover depicts […]
Willy Mason, Thomas Dybdahl Preview
Willy Mason, Thomas Dybdahl Double Door, Chicago Sunday, April 1, 2007 It’s hard to remember a singer-songwriter lineup as top-to-bottom solid as what Double Door boast at Sunday’s Sondre Lerche show. While the cherubic Norse headliner merits the head of the marquee, his support, Willy Mason and Thomas Dybdahl, are no schlubs themselves. This show […]
The Academy Is . . . Preview
The Academy Is . . . Metro, Chicago Tuesday, April 3, 2007 It’s now or never for The Academy Is . . ., having watched local friends in Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and Panic! At The Disco scale the pop heights.
Into Eternity, The Haunted Preview
Into Eternity, The Haunted Wednesday, April 4, 2007 Metro, Chicago A handful of countries are associated with nurturing heavy metal into what it is today. Britain gave us seminal bands like Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden; Norway will always be known as black metal’s home; America spawned thrash; Sweden’s fingerprints are all over […]
RTX Reviewed
RTX Western Xterminator (Drag City) The Satanic-sounding psychedelia of Western Xterminator brings RTX further away from their art-damaged roots. Appearing: May 7th at Empty Bottle in Chicago.
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Reviewed
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver More Behind The Picture Than The Wall (Rounder) Gospel-bluegrass pioneer Doyle Lawson leaves the message part of his churchin’ in the parish parking lot.
Update: Lovato Not To Be Charged
Mest Frontman Free On Bail The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday, March 27th that Tony Lovato, 26, singer for the disbanded Chicago pop punk group Mest, will not be charged with murder in the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend.
William Elliott Whitmore Live!
William Elliott Whitmore Subterranean, Chicago Tuesday, March 14, 2007 William Elliott Whitmore has made Chicago a second home (his first is Montrose, Iowa) of sorts since the release of his third full-length, Song Of The Blackbird (Southern), playing our city three times in the last six months alone. Over exposure? Hardly. Not when you’re this […]
Vince Neil preview
Vince Neil Austin’s, Libertyville Thursday, March 22, 2007 Friday, March 23, 2007 You might be surprised to learn Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil has not one, but two solo records. You shouldn’t be surprised if he plays only a few of those during his two night-stand in Libertyville.
Zozobra preview
Zozobra Metro, Chicago Thursday, March 22, 2007 With his main band, Cave In, on indefinite hiatus, Caleb Scofield seizes the moment to debut his new project, Zozobra.
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