Recent Articles
The Spares Preview
The Spares Westminster Church, Elgin Sunday, February 18, 2007 Chemical engineering as a prerequisite for a career in country music almost seems laughable, but for Jodee Lewis the trajectory of her shift from science to the rough and tumble world of DIY tours and albums is anything but.
The Subjects Preview
The Subjects Empty Bottle, Chicago Tuesday, February 20, 2007 The phrase “high-school buddies” conjures all sorts of imagery. Maybe you boozed together for the first time, chased tail, or smashed a mailbox here and there. In the case of The Subjects, let’s hope none of the above.
How Old Are You?
Every year, unfortunately, it seems the glow of Chicago’s blues scene fades just a little as more and more clubs close their doors. There’s no dimmer switch at Rosa’s Lounge, though, which celebrates its 23rd anniversary in February with a month-long party.
For All You Lovers . . .
Various Artists Casey Kasem Presents: The Long Distance Dedications (Top Sail/Universal) This Valentine’s collection is so awesome, it almost doesn’t know what to do with itself.
The Bluetones Reviewed
The Bluetones The Bluetones (Cooking Vinyl) One of Rush’s more underrated albums — a sentence opener equivalent to “Hi, kick my ass” — was 1993’s Counterparts, which kept the prog under quasi-Talibanic repression and recast themselves as a pop rock band.
Sneakers Reviewed
Sneakers Nonsequitur Of Silence (Collector’s Choice) Pre dB’s incarnation Sneakers finds Chris Stamey, Mitch Easter, and Will Rigby fooling around as Sneakers.
Grammys Report
49th Annual Grammy Awards The call it “Music’s Biggest Night,†and by the looks of last night’s Grammy Awards — broadcast by CBS to more than a billion viewers worldwide from Los Angeles’ Staples Center — the title certainly fits.
Cat Empire preview
Cat Empire Martyrs’, Chicago Thursday, February 8, 2007 Felines are sure throwing their weight around these days in the music industry. First, we had Cat Power sulking, bent over a piano and now Cat Empire is poised to become the latest thing in Afro-Cuban jazz, Buena Vista Social Club-style. Except, the six-piece hails from Australia, […]
Lily Allen preview
Lily Allen Metro, Chicago Thursday, February 8, 2007 Myspace darling Lily Allen makes her second Chicago appearance since the fall, and this time has an album to back her.
Hidden Hand, Kylesa, Minsk preview
The Hidden Hand, Kylesa, Minsk Empty Bottle, Chicago Saturday, February 10, 2007 Brace yourselves, Chicago metalheads, for what what very well may be the heaviest show of the year.
Ed Pettersen preview
Ed Pettersen Uncommon Ground, Chicago Saturday, February 10, 2007 The New Punk Blues Of Ed Pettersen (SL) is neither punk nor blues, and has an album cover modeled on those iconic jazz records of the ’50s and ’60s. But it isn’t jazz either.
Electronic Warfare
The Battle Of MySpace The First Gulf War was hailed as smart-bomb theater, a new age of warfare where buttons could be pressed thousands of miles away to guide an explosive into a thimble on a street corner at night. Battles are fought online. And with the advent of MySpace, so are battles of bands.
Kristin Hersh reviewed
Kristin Hersh Learn To Sing Like A Star (Yep Roc) Where do broken voices go? Can they find the way home?
Rich Schroder reviewed
Rich Schroder Your Kind Words (Anova) Something about Rich Schroder’s Your Kind Words needs fixing. More color maybe? Lyrically he’s, if not an ace, then above average (such exalted praise, sorry). But he’s playing the wrong style of music. Except for the goofy “(Sorry That I’m Not) The Home Depot Type,” where he details domestic […]
Glenn Jones reviewed
Glenn Jones Against Which The Sea Continually Beats (Strange Attractors) A recurring theme throughout Glenn Jones’ life is acoustic-guitar architect John Fahey, who reigns supreme on Against Which The Sea Continually Beats.
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