Recent Articles
Spins: Buck Curran • One Evening and Other Folk Songs
Buck Curran One Evening and Other Folk Songs (ESP-Disk’/Obsolete Recordings) Singer-songwriter Buck Curran offers the aptly named One Evening and Other Folk Songs as a snapshot of creative evolution since 2020’s No Love is Sorrow. Learned quickly and captured mostly in intuitive live takes in an Italian studio, these psychedelic folk songs find Curran and […]
Spins: Thompson Twins • Into the Gap 40th Anniversary LP
Thompson Twins Into the Gap 40th anniversary LP (BMG) Thompson Twins’ fourth album, Into the Gap, is one of the emblematic New Wave albums of the ‘80s. The album was a creative, cultural, and commercial smash that saturated radio and then-influential MTV. The album’s indelible singles include a song of reconciliation, “Hold Me Now,” the moody and amorous […]
Spins: Neon Horse • Habit of Creature
Neon Horse Habit of Creature (Velvet Blue) The originally clandestine gothic rockers Neon Horse released a second full-length album called Haunted Horse: Songs of Love, Defiance, and Delusion in 2009. Already about as underground as they come, the band went further underground. Fifteen years later, the disbanded band has re-banded to lob this Molotov […]
Cover Story: The Effigies • The Spirit of the Scene
At its outset, 2023 looked to be an unexpected banner year for Chicago punk-scene legends The Effigies. COVID had finally waned, national concert attendance had rebounded, and the once-moribund music business itself was on a creative upswing — a perfect backdrop for Burned, the band’s latest (fifth) album, a surprise power-chorded treat for longtime fans […]
Media: December 2024 • Chicago “Hearts” Billy Gardell
Billy Gardell became a household name while co-starring with Melissa McCarthy in the (2010-2016) sitcom Mike & Molly, but he’s certainly not a one-hit-wonder. He followed that with another five-year sitcom hit, Bob (heart emoji) Abishola. If you’ve ever wondered how to pronounce that correctly, you’re not alone. “It’s not Bob loves,” Billy explains. […]
Stage Buzz: Deacon Blues at Des Plaines Theatre
Deacon Blues Friday, November 29 Des Plaines Theatre Des Plaines, IL The acclaimed Chicago-based Steely Dan tribute Deacon Blues celebrates the holidays annually with a post Thanksgiving show at Arcada Theatre. The band is giving northwest-siders a treat this year by bringing the show to the Des Plaines Theatre Friday, November 29 to treat fans […]
Spins: The Beatles • 1964 US Albums in Mono 8xLP Box Settings
The Beatles 1964 US Albums in Mono 8xLP box (Apple/Universal) The 2023 holiday season saw the release of the Beatles’ Red and Blue compilation albums, along with the band’s final single, “Now and Then.” This year’s deluxe offering returns to the Fab Four’s initial British Invasion to chronicle the music that swept America in 1964. […]
Stage Buzz: Underoath, Unto Others, Allie X
What do you get when you cross the thrash stylings of Megadeth with the dark, brooding lyrics of Type O Negative and Sisters of Mercy? Portland’s Unto Others. The band found a cult following with the albums Strength and Mana. The newest LP, Never, Neverland, proves them to be one of the most buzzworthy bands […]
Live Review: David Gilmour at Madison Square Garden • New York, NY
David Gilmour Madison Square Garden New York, NY Sunday, November 10, 2024 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Gavin Elder and Elena Bello. The September release of David Gilmour’s adventurous solo album Luck and Strange was a welcome surprise for fans. At 78 and known to be happy surrounded by family and tinkering in […]
Stage Buzz: Interpol, Modest Mouse Billie Eilish
From “Bury a Friend” to “What Was I Made For?” Billie Eilish continues to captivate listeners with her haunting vocals, unique music approach, and confessional lyrics. In support of her latest album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, the singer will play the United Center across two nights with Nat & Alex Wolf. The shows occur […]
Stage Buzz: Bear Hands, Cursive, Destroy Boys, Damaged Justice,
Indie rockers Bear Hands surprised fans with the release of their first new single in five years, followed by their latest album, The Key to What. With a new record under their belt and re-signing with the newly reformed Contora Records, the band is ready to embark on the next chapter of their career. […]
Live Review: BEAT at Copernicus Center • Chicago
BEAT Copernicus Center Chicago, IL November 1, 2024 Review by Steven Kikoen. Photos from San Diego by Marc Glassman. Flashback to the Fall of 1981 when I was asked by friends to join them in attending a concert at the Park West Theatre in Chicago to catch the newest incarnation of one of the […]
Cover Story: Steel Panther • Can’t Stop The Rock
When it comes to Steel Panther, no subject matter is off-limits. The Los Angeles “hair metal” revivalists don’t hold back — or sugarcoat anything — when creating the band’s humorous, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Tracks such as “Asian Hooker,” “Fat Girl (Thar She Blows),” “Big Boobs,” “Weenie Ride,” “Glory Hole,” and many more prove that the band […]
Media: November 2024 • Danny Mac’s Beloved Bears Book
Dan McNeil was one of Chicago’s most controversial sports talk show hosts for decades. After long stints at the Score (670 AM) and ESPN (AM 1000), along with a few other stops on the radio dial (the Drive, the Loop), Dan has turned his talents to the written word. He has a new book […]
Live Review: Richard Lloyd Trio with Ganser at The Hideout • Chicago
Richard Lloyd Trio with special guest Ganser The Hideout, Chicago, IL Sunday, October 27, 2024 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Richard Lloyd brought a taste of the formative punk and art rock movements centered at the New York City club CBGB to the Hideout of Sunday Night. The founding television guitarist brought his Richard […]
Recent Comments