Recent Articles
Patrick Stump live!
By now, much has been said about the funky and soulful direction of former Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump‘s solo career. Though a departure from the power-punk of the artist’s full band catalog, the recently released Soul Punk (Island) full length strongly plays to Stump’s adventurous pop sensibilities– sensibilities the artist had on display […]
Best of both worlds
A critic’s darling and commercial juggernaut. Classic and forward-thinking. A virgin and a whore. We crave these combinations; The Barr Brothers and Garland Jeffreys try to provide them.
Paul Simon live!
Tipping the scales of 70 seems to have lit a spark in Paul Simon, not necessarily enhancing his laid-back personality, but giving him renewed creative vigor. The recent studio set So Beautiful Or So What (Hear Music/Concord Music Group) is among his most magnetic since Graceland (though it favors folk over African arrangements), while his […]
Ray Davies live!
He may not tour very often, but thankfully Ray Davies’ music never goes out of style. Between an endless stream of classics he wrote and sang for The Kinks to the occasional solo chestnut, there’s plenty of material in his arsenal, which translated to no less than two-dozen tunes in front of a healthy crowd […]
Monday, Monday
Not much overlap in the competition for your dollaz on the 14th. You’re either gonna focus all your energy on breaking something (Wu Lyf), dancing with somebody who loves you (Body Language), or geeking the eff out (Emperor X).
Taylor day
Six years ago, Maria Taylor made a solo album. We’ll give you one guess which night the author of 11:11 plays Chicago. Also in town this weekend: John Scofield, Ron Pope, The Dirt Drifters, Nikki Lane, and Premonition13.
Smile! You’re in Chicago!
Though our review of The Beach Boys’ The Smile Sessions (Capitol) won’t appear ’til December, since we’ve been listening to it so much we thought we’d use it to filter our previews of Pat Jordache, Joe Lally, and Skrillex.
Managing expectations
Reversals of fortune work fine in books and movies, but in music — where the protagonists and narrators tend to be one in same with their authors — they’re not always so appreciated. In town next week, Rachael Yamagata, AA Bondy, and Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter know. White Denim might yet learn.
Chickenfoot Saturday!
Supergroup Chickenfoot is Sammy Hagar teamed with fellow Van Halen exile Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, and guitar god Joe Satriani, formed out of live jams at Hagar’s club, Cabo Wabo Cantina in Mexico.
Thrice live!
Towards the end of Thursday night’s sold out show at the Metro, Thrice frontman Dustin Kensrue looked back upon his band’s history with the venue. As it turns out, the Metro served as the first stop of the group’s very first national tour, a full decade ago.
Cover Story: Mastodon
The Skye Is Falling It’s 9:30 p.m. on a Friday. Mastodon drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor is having dinner in his hometown of Atlanta at a joint called The Rusty Nail. With his wife. Illinois Entertainer is interrupting. Obviously.
Interview: Judas Priest
One Last Time Ozzy Osbourne. Kiss. The Ramones. Ministry. And, of course, Cher. It’s not a game of “one of these things is not like the other” (um, Ozzy?), but a list of artists from whom Judas Priest are straining to create some distance. Yes, the November 12th date in Hammond is part of the […]
Interview: Bill Wyman
The One Who Got Away Walking away from what some consider to be the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band might seem like a shocking and perplexing decision. But when speaking with Bill Wyman about his retirement from The Rolling Stones to form The Rhythm Kings, it was simply a matter of personal preference.
Interview: Madina Lake
After The War When one mentions Disneyland, perhaps the most immediate connotation is “The happiest place on Earth” – a location built around innocence and happiness where one can engage in childlike celebration.
Around Hear: November 2011
Local Band Reviews You don’t find many musicians revving-up their professional musical careers after 50, but Bill McAlister is that anomaly. With a voice that’s a dead ringer for Waylon Jennings, McAlister strips his country music down to its simple beauty plus a few outlaw-era blemishes along with his band I-57 South on Illinois Opry.
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