Archive for January, 2026
Cover Story: Our Lady Peace • OLP30 – Thirty Years of Canadian Magic
Canadian ’90s alt-rock journeymen, Our Lady Peace, have been going strong for over three decades. With a resumé boasting of 10 full-length albums with over several million albums sold, four Juno Awards (equivalent to the US’s Grammy Awards), 19 Top Ten singles, and countless shared stages alongside established acts such as Van Halen, Page and […]
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: The Cranberries • Uncertain 35th Anniversary EP
The Cranberries Uncertain 35th Anniversary EP (Island/UMe) Two years before rocketing into public consciousness with their first full-length album Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?, Irish quartet the Cranberries released a short run of their now-coveted Uncertain EP. It was the quartet’s first release under their new name, having originally been known […]
Stage Buzz: Jessie J, Lord of the Lost, Atmosphere
After some much-needed rest and recovery following her battle with breast cancer, Jessie J is bringing her “No Secrets” tour to Chicago. The intimate evening will feature acoustic renditions of new songs and classics like “Nobody’s Perfect,” “Do It Like a Dude,” and “Who Are You.” Catch Jessie J at the House of Blues on […]
Stage Buzz Q&A: Wednesday 13
For Wednesday 13 [Joseph Michael Poole], horror and spooky things aren’t just a hobby. It’s his full-time job. There’s a reason he’s known as The Duke of Spook. For the past three decades, he’s been making music about hideous creatures, evil monsters, and all things horror. He’s a modern-day Alice Cooper. He lives and breathes […]
Stage Buzz: Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Cutthroat, Perfume Genius
Chicago’s own Brigitte Calls Me Baby is going back to where it all started. The band will preview new music from their upcoming album, Irreversible, during a special, intimate hometown show. The sold-out performance takes place at Schubas this Wednesday, January 21st. If you can’t make this one, the band will be back in April […]
Stage Buzz: DIIV, Armnhmr, Deacon Blues, Youth Fountain
Youth Fountain Pop punk fans in the know have been buzzing about Youth Fountain since the release of their 2023 album, Together in Lonesome. What started as a solo project for singer/songwriter Tyler Zanon transformed into a full band a few years later. And though they may not be a household name (yet), the band […]
Spins: Oasis • Familiar to Millions 25th Anniversary 3xLP
Oasis Familiar to Millions 25th Anniversary 3xLP (Big Brother) As part of the juggernaut Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour selling out stadiums worldwide, Oasis’ stop at Soldier Field was the hottest ticket in town last summer. Fans can relive some of the energy generated that night by spinning this 3xLP audio reissue of 2000’s live […]
Spins: Dr. John • Live at the Village Gate
Dr. John Live at the Village Gate (Omnivore) The late Mac “Dr. John” Rebennack and his Louisiana Luminoids raised the spirit of New Orleans in New York City’s Greenwich Village on March 5, 1988. This previously unreleased 12-song set stretches beyond 90 minutes, giving ample opportunity to revel in the sound of Rebennack’s sparkling […]
Spins: Stevie Nicks • Bella Donna Ultradisc One-Step 2xLP
Stevie Nicks Bella Donna Ultradisc One-Step 2xLP (Mobile Fidelity) 2025 was a good year for devotees of audiophile vinyl and Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab followers. The label reissued pristine pressings of albums reviewed in Illinois Entertainer, including Rick James’ soul-funk classic, Street Songs, and Miles Davis’ genre-blending jazz standout, Sketches of Spain. Fans of the best ’80s […]
Spins: Emmylou Harris • Spyboy expanded LP reissue
Emmylou Harris Spyboy expanded LP reissue (New West) After releasing a startlingly potent and career-redefining album, Wrecking Ball, helmed by producer Daniel Lanois in 1995, Emmylou Harris assembled a band she dubbed Spyboy to bring the songs to life on the road. This live album from 1998 documents the Wrecking Ball tour, during which Harris and her Spyboys, including guitarist […]
Spins: Tears for Fears • Songs from the Big Chair 40th Anniversary 2xLP
Tears for Fears Songs from the Big Chair 40th Anniversary 2xLP (Mercury/EMI/UMe) Tears for Fears emerged with a milestone debut album in 1983’s The Hurting, but the band’s rapid creative evolution soon exceeded that success. 1985 sophomore effort Songs from the Big Chair would become one of the decade’s best-loved albums and cement Tears for […]
Stage Buzz: State Champs, Mavis Staples, Bill Murray
Pop punk staples State Champs are celebrating ten years of their 2015 album, Around the World and Back, with a series of special headlining shows in select cities. And lucky for us, Chicago is one of the stops. Rock out to classics like “Losing Myself,” “Shape Up,” and “Back and Forth” when the band plays […]
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 […]
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