Columns
Sweet Home: September 2009
Blues Blowout August and September brings a cavalcade of activities for blues fans. From a rare Pinetop Perkins appearance, to a Chicago blues challenge and classic record reissues, blues lovers can enjoy a blues blowout over the coming weeks.
Media: September 2009
‘JBTV’ Needs An Angel Watch “JBTV” this week (beginning September 3rd) with featured guests Tim Hiatt and Steve Forstneger from IE. Check www.jbtvonline.com for air times. “I’m still here rockin’, but I need a sponsor,” says “JBTV” host/owner Jerry Bryant, who’s been bringing alternative-music videos, concert footage, and free-form interviews to the Chicago airwaves since […]
Around Hear: September 2009
Around Hear Local Band Reviews September 2009 Though the title, Jam Tarts In The Jakehouse (Carrot Top), is a bit odd, it’s also an obtuse description of the 10 tunes on The Bitter Tears‘ sophomore release. The band’s music, while not entirely random, is all over the place: e.g., the straightforward indie pop of “Bachelors […]
DVD Zone: August 2009
Reliving The Cold War Watchmen Warner Bros. After the glut of superhero movies over the past few years, you would think that the public would be starting to tire of the whole genre. Yet the success of Iron Man and The Dark Knight means it isn’t going away anytime soon. Don’t get me wrong, it’s […]
File: August 2009
THE WOODSTOCK EXPERIENCE Amid the spate of 40th-anniversary Woodstock product (see “Spins”), Sony’s Legacy arm believes five two-disc sets by acts who performed that long-ago weekend at Yasgur’s farm stand out. Listing at $19.98 apiece, each one comes with an original, and in most cases classic, 1969 studio album (no big deal, as those albums […]
Hello, My Name Is Dan
Hello, My Name Is Dan Q&A With 88 Fingers Louie’s Dan Precision IE: How long has this August show for 88 Fingers Louie been on the books? Dan Precision: Let me tell you this: We started practicing for it back in November. We hadn’t set a date because I’m a stickler with things and was […]
Woodstock revisited
VARIOUS ARTISTS Woodstock/Woodstock 2 (Cotillion/Rhino) By their very nature, cultural icons achieve a largeness beyond their mortal stature. Mona Lisa’s smile, the Liberty Bell, or Alberto Korda’s photo of Che Guevera all carry with them a weight of meaning that makes them outsized symbols into which an entire generation pours meaning. Seeing the reality behind […]
George Harrison compiled
GEORGE HARRISON Let It Roll: Songs By George Harrison (Capitol) Two diametrically opposed camps have formed in response to this compilation. One wishes it had been two discs and included all of Harrison’s best work (his Traveling Wilburys songs included) and that the songs had been sequenced less haphazardly, both to reflect the trajectory of Harrison’s […]
Around Hear: August 2009
Alan Bailey evokes theatrical productions with the ambitious keyboard and string arrangements on Can’t Let Go. The forced wackiness of “To The Breaking Point” gets annoying, but Bailey entertains with fluid piano playing and inviting melodies on “(Don’t) Get Your Hopes Up” and “Release.” On the simple but charming “I’m Off To Bed,” Bailey sounds […]
Caught In A Mosh: August 2009
CASH TO FILL YOUR ALEHORN This column will only have marinated a few days by August 5th, but I’d be repentant if I didn’t mention the Alehorn Of Power, Chicagoland’s premier annual metal get together. There are some important changes in this, the fourth inception, so listen up. First, different venue. Double Door hosted all […]
Media: August 2009
PRINT NOT DEAD: TRUE STAR MAGAZINE “Print remains a viable media source, especially if you have unique distribution,” says True Star magazine co-founder, publisher and executive director DeAnna McLeary, whose free magazine for, by, and about local teens is distributed at high schools, YMCA’s Boys & Girls Clubs, McDonald’s, barber shops, beauty salons, libraries and […]
Gear: August 2009
MARSHALL MG2FX Portable Amplifier Marshall Amplification has added the portable MG2FX to its popular MG4 line of mini practice guitar amps. It offers a simple interface consisting of four dual-function knobs to provide access to 10 unique stage settings, five digital effects, a two-band EQ, and a tuner. As you expect, the MG2FX can run […]
Studiophile: August 2009
Studiophile August 2009 J-Miah At COMFORTZONE RECORDS in Oswego, J-Miah and producer Jason Mackniskas recorded the last two tracks needed to finish his debut album . . . On The House from Indiana University At Bloomington threw a three-song demo down featuring Brice Fox (vocals/piano), Bryan Flinn (vocals/guitar), Conor O’Toole (lead guitar), Ben Shulman (bass), […]
File: July 2009
God Bless The Queen The blues world has lost its Queen. Koko Taylor, whose raw-edged, impassioned vocals won the hearts of fans worldwide for five decades, passed away at 80 on June 3rd of complications from gastrointestinal surgery.
Hello, My Name Is Lita
Q&A With Lita Ford IE: I’ve noticed a lot of Runaways imports in the record stores. That seems to be really hot right now. What is your involvement, if any, in the upcoming Runaways biopic? Lita Ford: We’ve had a bit of a falling out, and I just don’t care to be a part of […]
Recent Comments