Recent Articles
Polvo preview
Bottom Lounge, Chicago Saturday, September 5, 2009 You either knew Polvo or you didn’t. There were veteran indie-rock bands who mattered not to the mainstream press or major labels — even after Nirvana (gasp!) — yet floated around the Sub Pop/Merge/Touch And Go/Matador pool, won a few thousand fans, and disappeared when it came time […]
Ramona Falls preview
Chopin Theatre, Chicago Friday, September 11, 2009 It’d be interesting to watch the members of Menomena daily — making toast, turning a television on, walking. A self-designed computer program gave them their first album, which came with an 80-page flipbook (the vinyl cover folded like origami). The critically acclaimed follow-up, Friend And Foe, continued with […]
Lovehammers interview
Crowning Achievement Each time an INXS song pops up on the radio, a split-second is devoted to re-imagining the tune with Marty Casey’s voice in place of the late Michael Hutchence. For anyone who avidly followed Casey’s television journey on the CBS reality show, “Rock Star: INXS,” where the chart-topping Australian group searched for a […]
Chevelle interview
Friction Fiction “I walked out of a Mars Volta show in L.A. a couple years back,” says Chevelle frontman Pete Loeffler, “because it was one long jam session. If that’s what you’re into – great. But I heard one song I knew and the rest of it I was like, ‘Whoa. O.K. I get it: You’re […]
Yoko Ono interview
The Further Adventures Of Plastic Woman Many know Yoko Ono as leader of Plastic Ono Band, others for solo tracks spun in danceclubs across the globe, some as an avant-garde artist. Of course, she’ll always be linked in the mainstream press to her famous (and occasionally infamous) marriage to John Lennon, much of which was […]
Fruit Bats interview
Drums & Bass Eric D. Johnson finally feels the power of rock ‘n’ roll. Years ago, he fell in love with a band who took pride in deconstructing it. Then the Fruit Bat warmed to a utopian, collaborative ideal before settling on toting his acoustic guitar from tree to tree. Before long he ran with […]
Hello, My Name Is Jimi
Hello My Name Is Jimi Q&A with Survivor’s Jimi Jamison IE: What did the city of Chicago mean to you during the Survivor days and how about now? Jimi Jamison: Chicago is such a blessing and I didn’t realize what a great city it is until I joined Survivor. People in Chicago are the most […]
File: September 2009
Les Was More We’ve strained, but we can’t think of an adequate parallel to Les Paul‘s notoriety vs. his actual impact. (Somehow Ben Franklin and bifocals just don’t capture it.) Despite the guitar body that made his name an emblem, Paul’s greatest contribution to music wasn’t his attachment to Gibson Guitars’ iconic slab of wood. […]
DVD Zone: September 2009
I Love You, Man Warner Bros. Face it guys, we’ve all been there. The wife or girlfriend states her desire to stay in and watch a movie. Out of some sort of supposed kindness, she lets you offer up a token suggestion or two as to what might be on the bill for the evening. […]
Caught In A Mosh: September 2009
Decibellwether One of the highlights of my month (besides unveiling “Mosh” to my adoring readers) is the day Decibel magazine arrives. Between my mailbox and front door, I’ve generally already thumbed through the pages to find out what the Hall Of Fame entry is. I’m either livin’ a pretty pathetic life or Decibel Editor-In-Chief Albert […]
Sweet Home: September 2009
Blues Blowout August and September brings a cavalcade of activities for blues fans. From a rare Pinetop Perkins appearance, to a Chicago blues challenge and classic record reissues, blues lovers can enjoy a blues blowout over the coming weeks.
Media: September 2009
‘JBTV’ Needs An Angel Watch “JBTV” this week (beginning September 3rd) with featured guests Tim Hiatt and Steve Forstneger from IE. Check www.jbtvonline.com for air times. “I’m still here rockin’, but I need a sponsor,” says “JBTV” host/owner Jerry Bryant, who’s been bringing alternative-music videos, concert footage, and free-form interviews to the Chicago airwaves since […]
Around Hear: September 2009
Around Hear Local Band Reviews September 2009 Though the title, Jam Tarts In The Jakehouse (Carrot Top), is a bit odd, it’s also an obtuse description of the 10 tunes on The Bitter Tears‘ sophomore release. The band’s music, while not entirely random, is all over the place: e.g., the straightforward indie pop of “Bachelors […]
Solillaquists Of Sound live!
Subterranean, Chicago Saturday, August 22, 2009 Solillaquists Of Sound calls its show a celebration, and with the unadulterated energy this quartet often brought to Subterranean’s compact stage, there’s not much to dispute.
Thecocknbullkid review
Querelle (Iamsound) That Thecocknbullkid was born to Ghanaian parents and was reared mainly in East London isn’t much of a tagline these days. If she’s looking for an ethnic success story she need look no further than down the road to Stamford Bridge, where one of the world’s most expensive footballers is from Ghana. Musically […]
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