Recent Articles
Xavier Rudd preview
Xavier Rudd Park West, Chicago Tuesday, June 19, 2007 What a hippie. Australian/Canadian multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd rallies around a variety of causes stretching from the environment to the unfair treatment of his native homeland’s indigenous people on his third U.S. release, White Moth (Anti), due Tuesday.
A Band Of Bees reviewed
A Band Of Bees Octopus (Astralwerks) Generally when a record sounds “timeless” it really isn’t. “Classic” is a better word. Certain albums, take Octopus for instance, push the issue even further.
The Aggrolites reviewed
The Aggrolites Reggae Hit L.A. (Hellcat) Reggae has suffered in America because of the spector of Bob Marley and later the stereotyping of Caribbean music for tourism purposes. Its vastness has been dialed down to stoner music and lame island jams, and The Aggrolites aren’t gonna take it anymore.
Brighton, MA preview
Brighton, MA Subterranean, Chicago Friday, June 8, 2007 Rare was a time in 2004 when we didn’t preview a show on this Web site that wasn’t somehow connected to locals The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir. So ubiquitous were they in North Side clubs we considered not promoting shows they were opening. By headlining Subterranean on […]
Chicago Rocks preview
Chicago Rocks Abbey Pub Metro, Chicago June 8 and 9, 2007 Now in its fifth year, the Chicago Rocks festival remains the biggest and best showcase of our city’s hip-hop talent. This two-night event thrown by local production team The Molemen (Panik, PNS, and Memo) is the one occasion where you’re guaranteed to see acts […]
Page McConnell preview
Page McConnell Vic Theatre, Chicago Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Page McConnell’s first solo album following the termination of Phish and the postponement of Vida Blue is all about beginning anew — though the past is involved as well.
Memphis preview
Memphis Schubas, Chicago Wednesday, June 13, 2007 You can take the singer out of the band, but you can’t take the band out of the singer. Torquil Campbell took on a side project to fiddle with while his Canadian collective Stars instituted a respite. The result is Memphis, a spacy, airy outfit along with childhood […]
Buddy’s Blues Brunch
Buddy Guy’s Pops Off Blues Fest With Brunch Don’t starve during Chicago’s Blues Fest. Get stuffed at Buddy Guy’s Legends on Saturday and Sunday during a special brunch to coincide with the city’s annual celebration of the blues.
Indie Ribs!
Ribfest Chicago: A Festivus For The Rest Of Ya’s Being from Lombard (and ostensibly Chicago), I’m well aware of the script for the Taste Of/county fair/Fourth Of July summer spectacle: hire an aging classic rock band with half the original members (or a tribute) and consider entertainment taken care of. If memory serves the Edgar […]
The Pipettes’ EP reviewed
The Pipettes Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me (Cherrytree/Interscope) The toast of South By Southwest finally come to Chicago in support of this EP, the latest in the Brit-girl retro-soul revival. Appearing: June 7th at Empty Bottle in Chicago.
Transformers reissued!
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Transformers: The Movie (Volcano/Legacy) This “20th Anniversary Special Edition” is not only meant to draw attention to last year’s DVD release of the movie, but to drum up support for the July 4th release of Steven Spielberg’s live-action film.
Keren Ann reviewed
Keren Ann Keren Ann (Blue Note) By her fifth album, Parisian by-way-of Israel (and Javanese/Dutch/Russian descent) Keren Ann Zeidel should arrive fully formed. Instead we get an all-English self-titled album (the preferred avenue for self-declaration) that jumps her conventions. Appearing: June 8th at Lakeshore Theater in Chicago.
David Bowie reissued (yet again)
David Bowie Young Americans/Sight & Sound (Virgin) Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra might lead the field in amount of product on the market, but when it comes to reissuing the back catalog no one tops David Bowie. The near-chronic repackaging of older albums reaches comical proportions with another round of 1975’s Young Americans to go […]
Cover Story: Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne Clean, Sober, & Still Alive Nowadays, when you think Ozzy Osbourne, you think Ozzy, Inc. — the tours (Ozzfest), the television shows (“The Osbournes,” “Battle For Ozzfest”), the wife (Sharon briefly hosted her own daytime talk program), and the offspring (daughter Kelly has released two albums while being a tabloid mainstay). Little attention […]
The Faint live!
The Faint Metro, Chicago Tuesday, May 22, 2007 There are a few sure-fire signs summer has begun to hit Chicago. Parking dries up around Wrigley Field, Clark Street gets torn up from the Loop to Lincoln Park, and going to see a show at most indoor venues becomes an endurance test, thanks to the ever-present […]
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