Recent Articles
Cover Story: Tim Burgess
Benjamin Disraeli believed that “Change is inevitable; change is constant.” John F. Kennedy reckoned that “Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” But leave it to Charles Darwin to summarize it best: “It is not the strongest of the species […]
Media – June 2020
Marc Silverman was already having a tough go of it, trying to do a sports talk radio show (Waddle & Silvy, afternoons, ESPN Radio AM 1000) in a time with no live sports, when he began to suspect there might be something wrong with his health. “I didn’t really have any symptoms. I wasn’t feeling […]
Featured: My Back Pages
First, let me preface this with a little disclaimer. Call me a misanthrope, but — in all my 40-plus years of rock journalism — I have never really been a sharer, outside of my stories. I see no use for social media; I don’t care what your opinion of my work happens to be; this […]
Spins: Local H • LIFERS
LOCAL HLIFERS(AntiFragile) Twenty-five years after their debut, Scott Lucas’ Local H continues to defy the odds – not only by producing aggressive music that still matters but by being a band that appeals to both city and suburban crowds. Their musical magnetism continues to be strong across both musical spectrums, and that’s no small feat. […]
Spins: Cy Curnin • Lockdown
Cy Curnin Lockdown (Self) Fixx frontman Cy Curnin has returned with Lockdown, his fifth solo LP, his latest since 2013’s The Horse’s Mouth. The town crier continues to roam the global village with a sweet voice that conveys bitter truths when it must. That voice may not always bring comfort, but it nonetheless assures us […]
File: Hello My Name Is… Cherie Currie
A full decade ago, ex-Runaways “front fox” Cherie Currie began work on Blvds of Splendor with former Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum producing. But a funny thing happened on the way to the glam-rock forum. “The plan was to get it done and get it out there,” she says of the set, which […]
Media – May 2020
The Mix Morning show (WTMX, 101.9FM) is now officially called Eric in the Morning with Melissa and Whip. After an unprecedented run of success during morning drive time in Chicago, everyone knows Eric Ferguson, the star of the show. Most also know Melissa McGurren, a trusted co-host for many years. But who in the world […]
Cover Story: Lucinda Williams
Many artists — when looking back on their catalogs — often wish that they could have done better, compositionally speaking. Hindsight, of course, is 20/20. But when Grammy-winning folk-rocker Lucinda Williams undertook her comprehensive tour last year, celebrating the 20th anniversary of her landmark third Car Wheels on a Gravel Road effort, she never once […]
Feature: Testament and Exodus – Coping with COVID
On paper, it looked like a brilliant idea — the recent comprehensive “Bay Strikes Back” month-long tour of Europe, featuring Bay Area thrash-metal stalwarts Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel. It was just the timing — Feb. 6 to March 11 — that proved a bit unfortunate. It happened to coincide with the appearance of the […]
Q&A: Randy Blythe from Lamb of God
D. Randall Blythe — Randy to friends and family — understands that it doesn’t quite fit his profile as the dreadlocked, feral-throated frontman for molten metal outfit Lamb of God. But this Virginian doesn’t care. Right now, at this perilous point in time, and after everything he’s survived — including detention in a Czech Republic […]
Spins – The Boomtown Rats • “Citizens of Boomtown”
The Boomtown Rats Citizens of Boomtown (BMG) The Irish rockers’ first album in 36 years finds them reinvigorated and ready to do the Rat. Citizens of Boomtown’s palette connects to the group’s history while flinging them into sonic settings not yet invented when the group hung up its tails in 1986. Singer Bob Geldof has […]
Feature – The Claudettes
Symphonic cartoon-music maestro Raymond Scott meets titanic blues pianist Otis Spann meets punk iconoclasts the Minutemen. The Stooges meet Burt Bacharach, without the horns. French yé-yé pop at the old west saloon. These off-kilter combinations aren’t deliberately ironic; they’re legitimate attempts to make an elevator pitch for Chicago’s baffling, delightful, and utterly unique band The […]
Spins – The Outfit • “Viking”
The Outfit Viking (Pavement Entertainment) Chicago rockers The Outfit have done it again. On its second full-length album, Viking, the foursome — brothers Mark (drums) and Matt Nawara (guitar), Mike Gorman (bass) and Andy Mitchell (vocals/guitar) — seamlessly merge massive hooks, edgy riffs, soaring vocal harmonies and catchy choruses with pleasing results. Mixed by multi-platinum […]
Sweet Home – April 2020 • Blues Rona Playlist
A Blues Rona Playlist These are challenging times as the Covid-19 pandemic has touched all corners of the globe, all countries, and all societies. The quarantine forces us inside to piece together new routines around an uncertain situation. Music has always been a refuge in fearful circumstances, and blues literally evolved from pain, so there’s […]
Spins: Stephen Malkmus • “Traditional Techniques”
Stephen Malkmus Traditional Techniques (Matador Records) When Pavement first entered the rock scene nearly 30 years ago, they stood out like a sore thumb. While they were lo-fi, they weren’t punk, and while they had pop melodies, those were buried under tape hiss and inside jokes. Frontman Stephen Malkmus never went for a stylistic makeover, […]
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