Featured
IE Record Store Day Black Friday Guide 2023
Record Store Black Friday is Fri., November 24. Our guide includes complete RSD listings, previews, album reviews, local RSD lists, and advertisements from your favorite local stores. READ IT HERE
Stage Buzz: Wednesday 13, Depeche Mode, Skinny Puppy
My Morning Jacket is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their critically acclaimed third album, It Still Moves by performing the album in full on their latest tour. The outing ends with a three-night stint at the Chicago Theatre starting on Thursday, November 9, with a complete performance of It Still Moves, followed by non-anniversary shows […]
Spins: The Vince Guaraldi Quintet • A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: Original Soundtrack Recording
The Vince Guaraldi Quintet A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: Original Soundtrack Recording (LMFP) Following 1965’s A Charlie Brown Christmas and 1966’s It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, 1973 saw the arrival of the third Peanuts holiday special with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Fifty years after first airing, the cartoon’s complete soundtrack is released as a vinyl […]
Stage Buzz: My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, LP, Corrosion of Conformity at Heavy Chicago
When you first hear singer/songwriter LP, you never forget it. They have a soulful yet haunting voice that’s truly mesmerizing. Starting with breakout single 2017’s “Lost On You,” they have garnered critical acclaim with albums like Lost on You and Churches. Hear this enchanting singer for yourself when they perform at The […]
Media: November 2023: The Loop Files: An Oral History
I’ve written a new book called The Loop Files: An Oral History of the Most Outrageous Radio Station Ever. The book comes out officially at the end of this month, but this month’s media column is a free preview. All the biggest stars who helped make the Loop (FM 98) so memorable tell the […]
Cover Story: The Hives – The Best Part of the Day
When a band makes a grand return after a decades-long absence, it’s a mix of emotions. There’s equal parts dread and excitement, happy to return to adoring fans, yet anxious to see if anyone still cares, especially in the short attention span of the streaming age. But those pesky thoughts never seemed to bother The […]
Stage Buzz: Clown Core, Trouble at Heavy Chicago, The 1975
It’s hard to describe exactly what Clown Core is. The avant-garde duo is comprised of two mysterious musicians, speculated to be Louis Cole and Sam Gendel, whose music is an eclectic blend of funk, jazz, electronica, synth, metal, and lots of clown horns. You can experience this oddball duo yourself when they play […]
Stage Buzz: Motionless in White, Bullet For My Valentine, Laufey with Adam Melchor
John Mayer has spent the past few years moonlighting as the leader of Dead & Company. Now, Mayer gets back to basics with his solo acoustic tour. The Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter will treat fans to the latest tracks from his recent album Sob Rock along with classics like “Daughters” and “Your Body is a Wonderland” […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: The Darkness at The Vic Theatre • Chicago
The Darkness The Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL Friday, October 13, 2023 Review and photos by Jeff Elbel Bone-crunching guitar riffs, pop hooks, soaring falsetto melodies, cheeky lyrics, and dazzling solos were in ample supply on Friday as the Darkness visited the Vic Theatre to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album Permission to Land. […]
Spins: The Empty Pockets • Gotta Find The Moon
The Empty Pockets Gotta Find The Moon (Self) Chicagoland-based, roots-rock quartet The Empty Pockets just released their latest studio effort Gotta Find The Moon. The follow-up to their 2022 Billboard #1 (blues album chart) Outside Spectrum. Members Josh Solomon (Guitar), Erika Brett (Keyboards), Nate Bellon (Bass), and Adam Balasco (drums) recorded the 14 tracks at the […]
Stage Buzz: Thundercat, The Darkness, Legends of Hip Hop, Low Cut Connie
Thundercat is the coolest and the funkiest bass player on the planet right now. It’s hard to resist his funky groove with its thick bass lines, smooth tone, and powerful sound. Starting his career as a session musician working with the likes of Snoop Dogg and Raphael Saadiq, Thundercat is now a bonafide rockstar. The […]
Live Review and Photo Gallery: Peter Gabriel at United Center • Chicago
Peter Gabriel United Center Chicago, IL Saturday, September 30, 2023 Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos by Curt Baran. Peter Gabriel has publicly described a new album called i/o since the days soon following the release of 2002’s Up. The British singer/songwriter and activist even teased individual songs from the long-gestating project on prior trips to Chicago in 2012 […]
Cover Story: Corrosion Of Conformity • Destination: Heavy Chicago
Chicago’s newest music venue, Avondale Music Hall, will be hosting its inaugural heavy metal festival Heavy Chicago over the course of two weekends. Headlining the festival on Saturday, October 28, is Chicago’s beloved doom pioneers Trouble, which will be extra special as this will be the band’s first hometown show in five years. “We are […]
Media: October 2023 • Listening in on Internet FM
Steve Leventhal is no stranger to terrestrial radio. He spent quite a few years as a broadcaster on stations like WVVX and the Bear (WCBR), doing his Sports Radio Nightly show with people like late sportscasters Les Grobstein, Jerry Kuc, and Bob Greenberg. “In 2012,” Leventhal says, “I started working with Bart Shore […]
Stage Buzz Q&A: The Darkness • Appearing at The Vic Theatre • Chicago
Stage Buzz: The Darkness Q&A with Frankie Poullain Written by Jeff Elbel British band The Darkness made an auspicious arrival in North America in 2003. The band’s bombastic lead single, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” was an explosive blast of hard rock replete with a soaring falsetto melody, rich harmonies, guitar heroics by […]
Recent Comments