Recent Articles
Local CD Reviews
The August scored some national buzz in 2005 with a spot on the Aware 11 compilation, though the group leans much closer to country than it does college rock on Thistle, Sparrow, And The Tall, Tall Grass. Female fronted songs such as “Drunken Picture” and “Sugar Mama” recall Nickel Creek or Dolly Parton, though there […]
Around Hear Page 2
Indie rock foursome The Gnomes carry a sound as understated as the title of their sophomore album, The Gnomes II. There’s no showboating or posturing on songs like “Whiskey Is Misery” or “Ho-Chunk Casino” – just sincere and slightly quirky tunes that pull you in with their pleasant undertone. Amid a couple underdeveloped tracks (e.g. […]
Around Hear Page 3
Elmhurst singer-songwriter Dean Milano has been part of The New Seekers and opened for Cab Calloway, but it seems his biggest achievement is his latest CD, Songs About Stuff, which manages to be tuneful, intelligent, sometimes humorous, and well-executed from beginning to end. Milano’s songs are streetwise and smart, a welcome addition to anyone’s collection […]
Rhyming For A Cause
Somali musician K’naan plays a rhythmic stew of hip-hop-influenced poetry that borrows from ancient Somali culture as much as it does from contemporary American influences. A refugee who fled his home at 14, he retains the quiet dignity of his heritage and yet fires lyrics with a swagger that has been compared to Eminem.
Mixmaster, Cut Faster
ALESIS iMultiMix 8 USB Alesis have come up with an impressive addition to their popular MultiMix series, spearheaded by the ingenious iMultiMix 8 USB, which features an iPod mounting dock that records directly to any second-through-fifth generation iPod.
The Return Of Garry Meier
My parents, who divorced in 1972, will never get back together – they’re dead. But now there may be hope for the pioneering radio duo of Steve Dahl and Garry Meier.
Studio Happenings
At ARS STUDIOS in Alsip, local rockers Hunting The Rabbit mastered their album, This Just In, with Larry Schara . . . Gary Cobb has been restoring Stan Kenton masters for re-release on Tantara Productions.
Journey To The Center Of Being
Otis Taylor was a surprise guest at last year’s Chicago Blues Festival. I did not get a chance to hear his performance but had the pleasure of meeting him and his beautiful daughter, Cassie, backstage. I also had the opportunity to listen to a few tunes from Taylor’s then work-in-progress Definition Of A Circle. I […]
Kaiser Chiefs Live!
Kaiser Chiefs Vic Theatre, Chicago Friday, April 20, 2007 When Lollapalooza was baptized as a yearly Chicago event two summers back, some of the best surprises were the lesser known bands who handed in stellar sets. Case in point: Kaiser Chiefs from Leeds, England.
The Decemberists, My Brightest Diamond Live!
The Decemberists, My Brightest Diamond Riviera, Chicago Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Archaic. Cumbersome. These are words often applied to the bombastic, highly literate “rock” purveyed by The Decemberists. By arriving onstage to a Russian maritime anthem (the band’s name is an intentional misspelling of a 19th-century uprising against the czar) and lulling the audience through […]
Tub Ring Preview
Tub Ring Beat Kitchen, Chicago Friday, April 27, 2007 The remedies for ridding your bathtub of tub ring, the nasty, often orange, water mineral stains left by shampoo bottles that sit in one place too long, vary depending on whom you talk to. Besides the countless cleaning products available, lemon juice, vinegar, and mesh pads […]
Little Man Preview
Little Man Martyrs’, Chicago Saturday, April 28, 2007 Fresh off a Minnesota Music Awards nomination for Rock Group Of The Year and a slot at South By Southwest in Austin, Little Man heads back to Chicago after an eight-month absence and lives up to its name.
Jonatha Brooke Preview
Jonatha Brooke Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago Sunday, April 29, 2007 Without trying to assume too much about Jonatha Brooke’s fanbase, one can only assume they were scared shitless when they learned she had collaborated with Nick Lachey and J.C. Chasez prior to recording this spring’s Careful What You Wish For (Bad Dog).
Timbaland Reviewed
Timbaland Timbaland Presents: Shock Value (Interscope) First Handsome Boy Modeling School, then Pharrell, now Timbaland? What’s happening to the country’s top producers?
Carla Thomas Reviewed
Carla Thomas The Queen Alone (Stax) The latest in Stax Records’ revival re-introduces a somewhat forgotten ’60s star, Ms. Carla Thomas, a.k.a. the queen to Otis Redding’s king.
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