Columns
Media: July 2011
Music Integral To ‘Grannies On Safari’ The travel bug bit Regina Fraser at an early age. “My father [trumpeter Rex Stewart] was with Duke Ellington for about 15 years, and traveled all over the world with his orchestra,” she says. “He’d come back with a traveling trunk full of colorful stickers from all over the […]
Studiophile: July 2011
Mathien recorded their new, full-legnth album at PRESSURE POINT studios in Chicago. Studio co-owner/manager Chris Schneider sent Studiophile some impressive samples. The band continue their funk-influenced hip-hop and pop/soul on the new record. “Steve Kovacs mixed and engineered the record and Brian Cabby also did some of the engineering with me [Schneider] producing.
Sweet Home: July 2011
Bad Girl Gone Good Chicago’s legendary blues sound continues to evolve and expand with new variations and perspectives, and the most exciting additions are pouring from the offspring of its heroes. The latest take comes from Demetria Taylor, daughter of the late guitarist Eddie Taylor. Although she has devoted years developing her voice singing on […]
Around Hear: June 2011
Local Band Reviews What separates the men from the boys among old school Chicago guitar heroes is a dash of humility. Of course T.D. Clark has the chops on his new CD, Shreddtime Stories, but his web site won’t be the one
Caught In A Mosh: June 2011
The Coroner’s Report For various reasons (some sensible, some stupid), metalheads are skeptical of reunions. Especially wary are death-metal fanatics, who just can’t seem to decide whether they love or hate the current comeback trend. It was lame-as-fuck, apparently, when Carcass (disbanded in 1995) toured in 2008 but awesome that Exhumed (hiatus since 2005) is […]
Digital Divide: June 2011
Take A Number And Get In Line I Am Number Four Touchstone No one ever said high school was easy. In fact, there are many who subscribe to the theory that “the greatest days of your life” are nothing but a constant series of kicks to the teeth. However, no matter how bad things get, […]
File: June 2011
June Buggin’ As if Middle Easterners don’t have enough problems in this country, the term “Arab Spring” will become the opposite of “Indian Summer” and signify a relentless, wintry malaise. (You say it means revolution, well, you know . . . ) But at last it’s June, and you can smash that icy lake breeze […]
Hello, My Name Is Cathy
Q&A With Cathy Richardson IE: What led you to forming your new group, Macrodots? Cathy Richardson: I met Zack [Smith, also of Scandal fame] when I was living in San Francisco and we started writing together. He’s a very prolific writer and producer and he had a lot of great tracks without lyrics or vocals. The […]
Gear: June 2011
Digitech Whammy DT Guitar Pedal DigiTech‘s new Whammy DT guitar pedal does the original model one better by adding capabilities including drop tuning, capo tuning, and true bypass coupled with original features like pitchshifting effects.
Media: June 2011
Still Dying To Tell The Story Amy Eldon‘s 1998 documentary, Dying To Tell The Story, focuses on her photojournalist brother, Dan Eldon, who was stoned to death by an angry mob while covering a bombing in Somalia in 1993, shortly after the “Black Hawk Down” incident.
Studiophile: June 2011
Rapture Recordings When Chicago’s newly formed Dashing Assassins went to the record at MOTHERSHIP STUDIOS in Chicago on May 21st, they weren’t sure if they’d come out alive after laying down tracks during the not-to-be Rapture. While tracking a six-song LP due this summer, guitarist/vocalist Erik LaVergne tells IE that, despite the pending armageddon, “The […]
Sweet Home: June 2011
Blue Ladies This year’s Chicago Blues Fest includes Shemekia Copeland, an all-star Robert Johnson centennial salute, and harp master Billy Branch & The Sons Of The Blues. But another Blues Fest must-see kicks off on opening night, after the actual festivities are over.
File: May 2011
O Come, O Come Emanuel On the 16th, Chicago will inaugurate its first new mayor in 22 years. Despite the inevitable letdown breathed by every new administration that has ever taken office anywhere, Chicago’s music community seems cautiously optimistic
Hello, My Name Is J.P.
Q&A with Surfer Blood’s J.P. Pitts IE: Describe the EP: stuff you’re playing live, a tip of the cap to Kanine Records before diving into Warner Bros.? J.P. Pitts: A little bit of everything. We did want to release something to bridge the first record
Around Hear: May 2011
Local Band Reviews King Sparrow‘s fusion of bluesy garage-rock and spastic, new-wave punk will undoubtedly draw favorable comparisons to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, as its self-titled, full-length debut
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