Recent Articles
Saosin, Bleeding Through previewed
Saosin, Bleeding Through House Of Blues, Chicago Saturday, December 2, 2006 Sunday, December 3, 2006 Many, many bands, no matter how hard they work, how good their records are, or how incredible their live show is, will never get two minutes of face time with a major label A&R person. Then there are bands like […]
Forward, Russia! reviewed
Forward, Russia! Give Me A Wall (Dance To The Radio/Mute) Non-Russo, former numberers of songs come back ’round for Stateside approval. Appearing: Tuesday, December 5th at Empty Bottle.
Shanna Kiel reviewed
Shanna Kiel Orphan (Thick) There’s a lot of brazen desire behind Orphan for such a short affair.
Herbert reissued
Herbert 100 lbs (!K7) Arriving almost apologetically, Matthew Herbert’s first three EPs and some bonus tracks come with a caveat.
Morrissey live!
Morrissey, Kristeen Young Aragon Ballroom, Chicago Tuesday, November 21, 2006 The generally reclusive, somewhat tour-shy Morrissey came out of his shell once again in support of 2006’s Ringleader Of The Tormentors (Attack), even if it was for just a single day in America. Though he’d previously debuted the material at South By Southwest in Austin, […]
Planes Mistaken For Stars preview
Planes Mistaken For Stars The Note, Chicago Friday, November 24, 2006 It isn’t unusual for Midwestern bands to flee their homestead for a destination they consider more promising. After all, Middle America can seem awful limiting compared to New York City or Los Angeles, two cities contaminated with major labels and major tastemakers. So the […]
The Black Keys previewed
The Black Keys, Dr. Dog* Vic Theatre, Chicago November 24 and 25, 2006 Pretty much everyone dismissed guitar-and-drum duos who sprang up in the early 2000s as fads. After The White Stripes stormed MTV, it seemed for awhile all there was to write about were The Kills, Mates Of State (actually organ and drums), The […]
Brazilian Girls preview
Brazilian Girls Metro, Chicago Saturday, November 25, 2006 Given the knee-jerk reaction to world music in the U.S., it was a chancey proposition for Brazilian Girls to name themselves what they did with only one girl, non-Brazilian at that, in the band.
Napalm Death previewed
Napalm Death Pearl Room, Mokena Monday, November 27, 2006 Love metalcore? Thank Napalm Death. Hate metalcore? Blame Napalm Death.
Ray Lamontagne preview
Ray Lamontagne Vic Theatre, Chicago November 28 and 29, 2006 Maine-native/singer-songwriter (how many people can claim that?) Ray Lamontagne and his second album seem to have taken to mind all the reviews from his first, 2003’s Trouble (RCA). Instead of making like an R&B singer and amping up the vibrato, however, he turns inward.
Burden Brothers preview
Burden Brothers Double Door, Chicago Wednesday, November 29, 2006 Where have all the good men gone from the ’90s? While Gavin Rossdale babysits, Jeff Buckley’s mother tries to convince Brad Pitt not to play her late son in a biopic supposedly in the works, and Chris Cornell pens the latest James Bond theme song, the […]
Boyskout reviewed
Boyskout Another Life (Three Ring) Georgia (state)-based quartet Boyskout are led by A.D.D. artist Leslie Satterfield, who doesn’t sound as scattered as you’d think.
The Knife reissued
The Knife The Knife/Deep Cuts (Mute) There are all sorts of delays on the road to notoriety in the music industry. Producers and songwriters rely on artists to make them famous first. Sometimes a stray track finds its way onto a soundtrack and blows up. But The Knife’s tale is new: they were beaten across […]
Lloyd Cole, Dick Prall Live!
Lloyd Cole, Dick Prall Park West, Chicago Friday, November 10, 2006 On record, Lloyd Cole makes for a generally compelling listen, combining the stocky swagger of Elvis Costello, the mythical sense of Nick Cave, and a wry sense of humor akin to Leonard Cohen. On stage, one would expect all of those qualities to translate, […]
Heavens, Darker My Love Preview
Heavens, Darker My Love Metro, Chicago Friday, November 17, 2006 Alkaline Trio with synth, Rhodes, programming, synths, organ, and Wurlitzer? Heavens no.
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