Recent Articles
Albert Hammond, Jr. reviewed
Albert Hammond, Jr. ¿Cómo Te Llama? (Black Seal/Sony BMG) With the Drew Barrymore aftermath currently the only interesting Strokes news, Albert Hammond, Jr. releases his second solo album.
Motley Crue reviewed
Motley Crue Saints Of Los Angeles (Eleven Seven/Motley) With a guitarist who shows less life than Bernie Lomax, a drummer who’s convinced he’s a DJ, and a summer tour “extravaganza” with Buckcherry, Papa Roach, and fuckin’ Trapt, it’s doubtful anyone had high expectations for a new Motley Crue record. But guess what? Saints Of Los […]
Kansas preview
Kansas Eyes To The Skies Festival, Lisle Friday, July 4, 2008 “Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky,” go the lyrics to Kansas’ career-defining hit, “Dust In The Wind.” Well, there’s one other thing in addition to the earth and sky . . . a Kansas concert.
Hacienda Brothers preview
Hacienda Brothers FitzGerald’s, Berwyn Saturday, July 5, 2008 Despite the recent passing of founding-member Chris Gaffney, Dave Gonzalez will carry the band’s flag for this year’s American Music Festival.
Patriotic Country three-quilled
Various Artists Patriotic Country 3 (Razor & Tie) America is under siege. That’s the message emanating from this 17-track compilation, proceeds from which will benefit the families of the National Guard and other military reservists.
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson reviewed
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (Say Hey) Gravel-voiced and broken, rarely does a singer-songwriter come with a story as compelling as the soul-scarred narratives this one brings to life. Expanding his name the way he does on the album sleeve only serves to underscore one man’s awful fall from innocence to inferno.
Cover story: Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio No Place Like L.A. Season Three, Episode 27: “No Place Like Home.” It’s a sunny morning in Los Angeles, and the stars of the most-watched TV show among 12- to 34-year-olds are in front of the cameras as usual. Heidi is at the office, accepting an offer for an out-of-town job that could […]
Amy Ray interview
Amy Ray Together Apart Anyone who has followed Amy Ray’s solo career since it sprouted from the Indigo Girls in 2001 can vouch that it bears little resemblance to the group’s cozy, folk rock stylings. From her Stag debut to 2005’s Prom and now Didn’t It Feel Kinder (all on her own Daemon Records), she […]
Allá interview
Allá (Pet) Sonidos De Los Animales Favoritos (Sounds) “My goal,” says Jorge Ledezma, “is that we get a Latin Grammy nomination.” The “we” to whom Ledezma refers is Allá (pronounced “ah-yah”), a Chicago-based band that, in addition to Ledezma, includes drummer Angel Ledezma (Jorge’s older brother) and singer Lupe Martinez. The album for which he […]
RZA feature
RZA Self Taught Robert Diggs isn’t one to wait around to be directed and shown how to achieve something. If this producer/MC/composer best known as RZA is curious about picking up a craft, he is often his own teacher. Appearing: Tuesday, July 1st at House Of Blues in Chicago.
Wolf Parade interview
Wolf Parade Cannibalized Thank goodness the primary season concluded when it did. Wolf Parade drummer Arlen Thompson was on the brink of U.S.-politics overload by the time Barack Obama clinched the presumptive nominee slot, and he’s not even American. Appearing: Tuesday, July 8th at House Of Blues in Chicago.
Hello, My Name Is Nash
Hello My Name Is Nash Q&A with Nash Kato of Urge Overkill IE: Is this a show for Bottom Lounge instead of Urge Overkill? Nash Kato: Well, we just did an East Coast leg and we were gonna bury the tour in Chicago because our pal’s opening a new venue. We’ve played every shithole in […]
File: July 2008
Together Again The spark is back for Hawthorne Heights and Victory Records. Though the Ohio band and their Chicago label have an incredibly successful track record together — 2004’s The Silence In Black & White went platinum, and 2006’s If Only You Were Lonely reached gold — the last few years have been messy.
DVD Zone: July 2008
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten Sony After the demise of The Clash, Joe Strummer wandered. His musical inspirations stagnate, he relegated himself to film scores and the odd acting gig with a side project or two here and there. Eventually, he would hold a series of “bonfire discussions” originating at the Glastonbury Music Festival. […]
Alk3p2
The bassist, who moved to St. Augustine, Florida last September, was a fixture in the early-’90s northwest suburban punk scene that spawned Smoking Popes and the Third Floor, the now-shuttered all-ages Elgin venue whose booking agent, Brian Peterson, would later book Chicago’s Fireside Bowl during a period of considerable punk interest. (Peterson has since left […]
Recent Comments