Brassneck
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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 […]
Cover Story: Kenny Wayne Shepherd • 30 Years of Ledbetter Heights
Growing up, blues-rock guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd was privy to a wealth of musical knowledge, as his father, Ken, was a local radio personality, a part-time concert promoter, and an avid music collector. These behind-the-scenes experiences led the youngster on the path to a future in the music business. “I would say yes, although I […]
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 […]
Stage Buzz: Local H, LSDREAM, Umphree’s McGee, Dru Hill
Want to spend New Year’s Eve vibing to ‘90s R&B? Dru Hill’s got you covered. Join the group as they ring in 2026 performing their biggest hits, like “Tell Me”, “5 Steps”, “In My Bed”, “Never Make a Promise”, and “How Deep Is Your Love.” The celebration goes down with two shows at City Winery […]
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: Miles Davis Sketches of Spain • 65th Anniversary Ultradisc One-Step LP
Miles Davis Sketches of Spain 65th Anniversary Ultradisc One-Step LP (Mobile Fidelity) The potent partnership between iconoclastic jazz trumpeter/bandleader Miles Davis and arranger/conductor Gil Evans was proven on tracks like “Boplicity” and “Moon Dreams” from the 1957 compilation Birth of the Cool and albums including 1957’s Miles Ahead. The pair’s work reimagining Gershwin on 1959’s […]
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. […]
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