Columns
Hello, My Name Is Corporate
Q&A with Macabre’s Corporate Death IE: We want to give you a little grief, because you took eight years to put an album together, which conveniently landed you on your 25th anniversary.
File: April 2011
Oil-ty Payments Conventional wisdom says that if record companies are so miserly when it comes to doling out royalty monies, the only real way for an artist to make bank is through appearance and performance fees. Corporate events and celebrity/billionaire birthdays have long been part of the circuit, but, while North Africa burned, it emerged […]
Around Hear: April 2011
Local Band Reviews Fans of jazz/rock fusion will find a lot to like in Zachary Biggus‘ eight-song Jusqu’â Présent, wherein, aided by able bass and drums sidemen, he displays not inconsiderable prowess on guitar.
Caught In A Mosh: April 2011
Total Relapse I have a love-hate relationship with Relapse Records. On one hand, the label never, ever, ever sends me music. Never. Ever. And I’ve asked. Many times.
Digital Divide: April 2011
Just as spring hits the Midwest, perhaps the most talked about film of 2010 hits the Blu-ray shelves: Darren Aronofsky‘s Black Swan (Fox Searchlight).
Gear: April 2011
Since its birth in the mid-’70s, the guitar synthesizer has taken the long road to respectability. Brave, early adapters were troubled by technical glitches and Moog-like novelty tones, more aligned to experimental music than mainstream sounds.
Media: April 2011
Jay’s Chicago In an era of tight budgets and strict bottom lines, locally produced TV shows are a rarity. Good ones are even harder to find.
Studiophile: April 2011
Pinetop’s Final Sessions Pinetop Perkins‘ final recording sessions for his Grammy-winning album, Joined At The Hip, took place in Chicago at JoyRide Studio by Blaise Barton and mixed at Tone Zone Recording by Michael Freeman. Last fall, Freeman commented on those recording sessions in an interview with Grammy365.com. “I worked on a new record for […]
Sweet Home: April 2011
The Iron Man Cometh Blues guitarist Michael Burks earned his “Iron Man” moniker honestly, through non-stop touring and exhaustive shows featuring fiercely intense guitar licks. But there’s a deeper meaning to his nickname. After putting his guitar down for 11 years to support his family, he picked it up again and faced down a dwindling […]
Around Hear: March 2011
Local Band Reviews Logan Square’s Love Raid carry on a tradition of Chicago bands who have an affinity for Brit-Pop of all eras, ranging from Village Green-era Kinks (“Superstar Serenade”) to Pulp (“Present Tense”), and Parklife-era Blur
Caught In A Mosh: March 2011
Eastern Promises There’s very little to complain about when it comes to being a headbanger in Chicago. There are good-to-great shows every week of the year, metal-catering venues across the city, and a metric ton of homegrown talent.
Digital Divide: March 2011
Due Date Warner Home Video Funny thing about career revivals — one gets the impression that they can do no wrong. As a result, the actor in question will take roles that perhaps they should have been warned against.
File: March 2011
Austin Power Yes, the South By Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas has become something entirely different. Like MTV, SXSW doesn’t aspire to modesty. Miller Lite and Chevrolet are sponsors, Duran Duran and Duff McKagan will perform, and sxsw.com features an interview with “American Idol” runner-up (and holder of a major-label contract) Crystal Bowersox. There […]
Hello, My Name Is Gord
Q&A With Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie IE: How do you balance The Tragically Hip with your solo career? Gord Downie: I don’t really worry about balance. Just like anybody, I move from one thing to the other. I’m into the process of discovering things and chasing surprises.
Gear: March 2011
Roland R-05 Digital Recorder In the past several years, the competition in the hand-held digital-recording business has become extremely cluttered with dozens of contraptions to capture your music in a portable format. www.roland.usMost major manufacturers (Tascam, Korg, Boss) have released multitudes of cellphone-sized recording devices that recorded HD-quality sound onto an SD card or onboard […]
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