Recent Articles
Interview: Patrick Stump
Falling Far From The Tree Just because someone’s a Fall Out Boy fan doesn’t mean they’re going to like Soul Punk (Island), and the opposite might go for anyone who dismissed the band in the past. That’s because Patrick Stump had a completely blank canvas for the first time in his career, and allowed all […]
Interview: Butch Walker
Ghost Writer It should come as no surprise that Butch Walker loved Taylor Swift’s megahit, “You Belong With Me,” nor should it be surprising that, in a couple of hours, he recorded his own version of the song – one that did it huge heaping piles more justice. It might have been a little surprising […]
Interview: Dum Dum Girls
What Dreams Are Made Of It’s easy to laugh at Dee Dee Penny’s current predicament. “There’s a lot of construction outside my apartment,” she says over the phone. “I can’t hear a thing. It’s awful.”
Around Hear: October 2011
Local Band Reviews After kicking off his career as a straight-forward singer/songwriter, Kyle Andrews turns toward the dancefloor (channeled from his bedroom studio) throughout Robot Learn Love. Mirroring the likes of Cut Copy or a subdued Shiny Toy Guns, expect plenty of groove-saturated indie rock over lyrics of romantic longing and arrangements that switch from […]
Caught In A Mosh: October 2011
There’s an old saying that goes “It’s better to have an unpopular opinion that’s popular than vice versa.” Actually, that’s not a saying at all. I’m not even sure it makes sense. It’s either cosmic or idiotic. I made it up while listening to Grand Magus (Iron Will!), drinking coffee, and writing this column one […]
Digital Divide: October 2011
There are certain touchstones in popular culture that demand attention whenever they become available in a new media form. Notably, back in the ’80s, the hype over The Beatles’ catalog being released on CD ensured that a few more millions would land in the pockets of the Fab Three (and estate of the Fab One).
Hello, My Name Is J.
Q&A with J. Cole IE: I know you were born overseas, but had you traveled much before the Rihanna tour? J. Cole: Oh yeah, on my own tours for two years at least. Growing up I was kind of a military brat. But after coming back from Germany as a kid, I never traveled much.
File: October 2011
Energizing Bunnies: The Windy City’s resurgence as a setting for motion pictures has spilled onto the small screen, notably with “Boss” and “The Playboy Club” hoping to outlast the since-canceled “Chicago Code.” These programs draw high numbers of Chicagoans, who no doubt sit close to their sets wearing loupes to pinpoint flaws.
Gear: October 2011
When Nevermind was released by Nirvana 20 years ago, a North Side guitar-store owner told me Kurt Cobain‘s Jaguar guitar was a piece of crap and Nirvana sucked.
Media: October 2011
Flying Saucers Rock ‘N’ Roll When someone is barely even mentioned anywhere on the Web, that’s when you know what obscure really means – and it’s amazing how much info has yet to make the billions of pages that Google looks through,” says author and “Chic-A-Go-Go” cofounder Jake Austen.
Sweet Home: October 2011
Blues Passages The last two months have packed powerful blows to the blues community, with the passing of David “Honeyboy” Edwards and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith. Both enjoyed significant careers that helped preserve the soaring legacy of the Delta blues. As elder statesmen who represented crucial decades of living blues history, they will both be […]
The October of our years
Wow. September’s only ending and it’s already been October for a month. Tom Russell, Ty Segall, Jens Lekman, and Color Radio’s local release party: bring us to the light!
Ach! Toe = brrr!
Before we beat you upside da head with the October issue, perchance you’d glance at previews for the Diane Izzo tribute, Chipotle’s Cultivate Chicago fest, Wild Beasts with Twin Sister, Randy Montana, Wood Brothers, and Darling!
Rapturous, unpaused
The House Of Jealous Lovers was foreclosed upon, leaving this week’s preview targets (The Rapture, Megafaun, Hymn For Her, and Mates Of State) all to look for new housing.
Toby Keith live!
Toby Keith and his marketing machine hit town Saturday for a one-day blitz. Coming in after a Friday night gig in St Louis, he kicked things off by signing bottles of his new Wild Shot Mescal at a local Beverage Depot.
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