ilentertainer's Latest Posts
Joe Henry live!
Joe Henry Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago Saturday, February 2, 2008 A rare tour by producer/songwriter Joe Henry found him in “Storytellers” mode at the Old Town School on Saturday night. During the first of two shows, he mocked his role in the world while quietly lamenting the country’s.
MGMT & Yeasayer preview
MGMT, Yeasayer Schubas, Chicago Friday, February 8, 2008 Sometimes a band just can’t get out of their own way. MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular (Columbia) is an ELO-sized fiesta, a Swedish-pop spectacular that’ll rack up year-end top-10 points* while maintaining indie-band-on-a-major buzz.
Will Hoge preview
Will Hoge Double Door, Chicago Friday, February 8, 2008 Listening to Will Hoge’s “Dirty Little War” is like digging your heart out with a spoon. The Nashville-based singer’s husky vocals break as the song ventures down a weary path with no end in sight from enclosing doom. In other words, it’s glorious.
Machine Head preview
Machine Head Pearl Room, Mokena Friday, February 8, 2008 Machine Head had a pretty killer 2007, no thanks to us. By us, I mean me. I more or less trashed The Blackening (Roadrunner) in a “Spins” review last summer, saying Machine Head “failed to write engaging material” and that none of the songs were memorable […]
Soft preview
Soft Empty Bottle, Chicago Sunday, February 10, 2008 Self-proclaimed studio rats Soft owe a big debt to the blueprints of shoegazer bands (My Bloody Valentine, Ocean Colour Scene) of early-’90s Britain, with a seiche of psychedelic guitars and an analog rumble of big drum beats.
Freezepop preview
Freezepop Subterranean, Chicago Wednesday, February 13, 2008 You’ve probably heard about a video game called “Guitar Hero” by now. If not, it’s kinda popular: The newest version, “Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock,” made more than $100 million in its first week alone. “Rock Band,” a similar game that lets users sing and “play” drums […]
Sam Amidon reviewed
Sam Amidon All Is Well (Bedroom Community) It can’t be cheap to fly from New York to Iceland, much less record there. Maybe that’s why Sam Amidon (“Samidon” from here out) sounds so blue on All Is Well.
Intodown reviewed
Intodown Brave New World (self-released) Guitarist Michael Clark attempts to stuff instrumental progressive rock into his guitar’s gig bag, mixing all sorts of fusion, surf, alt-rock, and acid influences.
The Teenagers live!
The Teenagers Dark Wave Disco At Sonoteque, Chicago Saturday, January 26, 2008 There’s a good chance a group whose most notorious song is a document of the narrator sleeping with his step-cousin shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Perhaps that should’ve been the first indication of what was to come.
Cover Story: Steve Earle
Steve Earle Goes Through The Wire Any viewer tuning into the last season of David Simon’s brilliant HBO series, “The Wire,” probably did a double-take as the credits rolled. That bearded ex-junkie informant Waylon was actually played by folk-rocking firebrand Steve Earle? Yes, it’s true, says the singer of his weaselly alter ego, a recurring […]
Lenny Kravitz live!
Lenny Kravitz Riviera Theatre, Chicago Saturday, January 26, 2008 These days Lenny Kravitz is more likely to play an arena than an intimate setting, making a pre-release warm up tour at the Riviera Theatre a somewhat unusual occurrence. The retro rocker likened it to being “just like the old days,” but with longevity under his […]
Love In October preview
Love In October Reggie’s Rock, Chicago Saturday, February 2, 2008 How do you know when a rock group take themselves way too seriously? How about when they proclaim it bothers them to be called a band because it “limits [them] to a scope of music” and “[we] want . . . to be known as […]
Wild Sweet Orange preview
Wild Sweet Orange Schubas, Chicago Monday, February 4, 2008 Birmingham, Alabama-based Wild Sweet Orange offer the self-reflection and sensitive yearning we’ve come to expect from alumnus of that great jukebox known as “Grey’s Anatomy.” It’s easy to reason why the folks behind the ABC hit show chose “Land Of No Return,” from the band’s Whale […]
Daniel Johnston preview
Daniel Johnston Metro, Chicago Wednesday, February 6, 2008 As the ’70s became the ’80s, Daniel Johnston became a fixture of the Austin, Texas music scene, peddling homemade cassettes of his songs to passersby. Even a cursory listen to this material (available today on Songs Of Pain 1980-83: The Early Recordings Volume 1) reveals something amiss […]
Mini Britney!
On The Down Low Normally we would be ashamed of ourselves for using a title like “On The Down Low” for a news piece about a 4-foot-2-inch woman. But since Terra Jolé, or “Mini Britney Spears,” doesn’t mind the attention given to her height, we don’t mind pointing it out.
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