Recent Articles
Whole Lotta Blues Goin’ On
This year’s Chicago Blues Festival (June 8th to 11th) should be subtitled “Blues From All Over.” In its 23rd year, this is the most diverse lineup yet, showcasing talent from across the map, with special attention paid to Mississippi and New Orleans. Looks like the City Of Chicago is doing its part to support Hurricane […]
A Trick Up His Sleeve
A few years ago Andy Gerber got an email he will never forget. That email was an inquiry from Cheap Trick manager Dave Frey asking Gerber, who owns Million Yen Studios, if he would like to work with Rick Nielsen on demos for a new Cheap Trick record.
‘Til The Broad Daylight
Timing is everything. Well maybe not everything, but it’s damned important – especially in music. Time seems to be the backbone of writing about music, too. Musician bios, for example, are presented in chronological order. One of the most fascinating of such lives is Dave Van Ronk‘s in The Mayor Of MacDougal Street (DaCapo). Van […]
No Longer Runnin’ With The Devil
It was not a huge surprise to hear CBS Radio recently fired diminutive former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth after just four months of trying and failing miserably to do Howard Stern‘s job in New York City and six other markets.
Bollywood Queen
In the disposable pop world of overnight stars and questionable divas, it’s commonplace to declare an artist with one or two CDs “queen” of this or “king” of that. But Bollywood singers truly have to earn such a title. With more than 20,000 documented songs in no fewer than a dozen languages, Asha Bhosle is […]
Local CD Reviews
A slick, full-color press kit accompanying a three-song sampler by a band with a nondescript name can mean only one thing: Chicago’s Ash Avenue wants to be the next Matchbox Twenty, The Wallflowers, Gin Blossoms, etc. With a paint-by-numbers adult-alternative sound, this five-piece is certainly on its way to completing a tired, but always-selling package. […]
Around Hear page 2
Click here to return to “Around Hear” page 1. Mira Mira ringleader Charlie Williams is a “post classical” pianist who mixes dreamy, chilling, and sometimes downright icy reflections on *Midnight For You*. “Breathe” is the most beautiful, and the title track could be likened to something by Sigur Ré¯s (only sung in English) while “Everything […]
Howe Gelb preview
Howe Gelb Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago Sunday, May 28, 2006 It’d be overreaching to say there’d be no No Depression movement without Howe Gelb, but it certainly wouldn’t be the same. The versatile roots pioneer and Giant Sand frontman comes to Chicago to support his latest, Sno’ Angel Like You (Thrill Jockey), […]
Mogwai live!
Mogwai First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN Saturday, May 20, 2006 Having made a name for themselves with their notoriously loud live shows, it was probably inevitable Mogwai would finally dial it back a notch. Though the ferocity and apocalyptic ambience are ever present, they’ve moderated the harrowing volume and piercing electronic screeches to more comfortable levels.
Alice In Chains Live!
Alice In Chains Metro, Chicago Sunday, May 21, 2006 How to get around the Layne Staley comparisons when summing up William Duvall’s Chicago debut as Alice In Chains’ singer? It’s nearly impossible to stay away from the ridiculous argument, or steer clear of an “Are frontmen replaceable in general?” thesis. Duvall is no Staley. But […]
Islands Live!
Islands Metro, Chicago Thursday, May 17, 2006 The primary thing Islands have working against them is their past — O.K., a second is their sense of how to close a show, but we’ll get to that later. Being remnants of The Unicorns, an inventive but incoherent early-millennium indie rock act, invites skepticism and likely will […]
Erasure Live!
Erasure Park West, Chicago Thursday, May 18, 2006 Any Erasure concert veteran can attest to an overblown spectacle loaded with pageantry, dancing, costumes, and club beats. A visit to the Chicago Theatre last year supporting Nightbird was evidence of that very vibe, bringing two sold-out crowds to their feet within seconds of singer Andy Bell […]
Wolfmother Live!
Wolfmother Metro, Chicago Thursday, May 18th, 2006 The next “next big thing” stormed into the sold-out (and then some) Metro on Thursday night, and expectations ran high. Fortunately for the Australian trio, Wolfmother were able to blow doubts away along with the crowd. Frontman Andrew Stockdale brought his larger-than-reality persona (he’s almost six-feet, five-inches with […]
Ted Wulfers Preview
Ted Wulfers Schubas, Chicago Thursday, May 25, 2006 Local singer-songwriter Ted Wulfers, who used to gallop around as Ted Wulfers & Beggars Bridge, has a new pair of old shoes on his latest album, Cheap Liquor.
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