Columns
Sounds Like An Angel
“There hasn’t been a lot of growing in the blues. I don’t see any reason why it cannot grow. So many blues artists were innovative. Muddy Waters, he plugged in.” Shemekia Copeland Never Going Back (Telarc) reflects the ongoing evolution in the life and music of contemporary soulful blues diva Shemekia Copeland. Produced by guitarist/songwriter […]
Local Studio Happenings
Kevin Lee recorded at RAX TRAX in Chicago. He is co-producing his new album, Dusk Till Dawn, with Rick Barnes. The record is scheduled for an early summer release.
Reasons To Be Cheerful Pt. IV
Sound-alike syndicated shows have never gone over very well in The Windy City, where the preference for personal and authentic media dates back to the Chicago School Of Television. It emerged in the 1950s as a spontaneous, informal genre typified by shows such as “Garroway At Large,” “Kukla, Fran & Ollie,” and “Studs’ Place.” Look […]
Zoom, Zoom
Zoom H4n Handy Recorder Regular “Gear” readers know we’re big believers in taking our recorded songs to a professional studio instead of “futzing around” in basement hell. Getting those hit songs past the demo stage can be an easier process using some of today’s ultra-portable handheld recorders.
Around Hear Pg. 2
Poppy, melodic, and, at times, ragged, The Blissters creates modern-day pop rock for the masses on its latest EP. The band has a bit of a new wave sensibility that couples nicely with its garage rock guitars. “Right Of Reason” is an interesting track, but most of its stuff is pretty appealing. The band is […]
Hello, My Name Is William
Hello, My Name Is William Q&A with William Elliott Whitmore IE: It’s been three years since the last record. How much of that time was spent writing and recording. William Elliott Whitmore: What, Song Of The Blackbird came out in 2006, I guess it must have been? Honestly, after that record came out I wasn’t […]
File: February 2009
But Who’s Buying? We all know about the vinyl rage. Things have gotten so rough, a 62-year-old woman had her eyes clawed out at an Uptown thrift store over a bullseye-striped copy of Ozzy Osbourne’s No Rest For The Wicked the other day. Really.
DVD Zone: February 2009
The Secret Policeman’s Ball (Shout Factory) In 1976 Peter Luft, the assistant director of Amnesty International, made a phone call to John Cleese, founding member of the legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python. At the time, Amnesty was a struggling organization barely making ends meet in the fight to bring awareness of human rights violations […]
Passing The Torch: Odetta & Miriam Makeba
Two vital women, American folk singer and civil-rights activist Odetta and South Africa’s voice of hope and freedom, Miriam Makeba, passed away within weeks of one another in late 2008. Makeba, 76, died of cardiac arrest after performing in Italy November 9th, and Odetta Holmes, 77, succumbed to heart disease December 2nd. Though they weren’t […]
Local Studio Happenings
At BOMBSHELTER RECORDING STUDIO in Park Ridge, Dan Precision, founding member of Rise Against and 88 Fingers Louie, finished the vinyl remaster of Shot Baker‘s Take Control. He originally engineered, mixed, and produced the CD, and Blaise Barton mastered it . . . Precision also worked with gothic metal band Urn; he tracked all of […]
Heavy Duty Rock ‘N’ Roll
Lair Of The Minotaur‘s War Metal Battle Master might not have been the best heavy metal record of 2008 (fifth best, says me), but I can’t think of a more metal heavy metal record released all year. It’s only fitting the Chicago band also made the most metal music video, too.
Reasons To Be Cheerful Pt. III: “JBTV”
“I love to help those that have talent, give them a place to be a rock star . . . on ‘JBTV,’” says Jerry Bryant, who has been bringing alternative-music videos, concert footage, and free-form interviews to the Chicago area since 1986. “JBTV” has featured everyone from The Afghan Whigs to Zwan, and won two […]
It’s NAMM, man
NAMM show postgame Despite the dodgy economy, there was no lack of enthusiasm or new musical instruments and sound/recording gear at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California last month. Here are a few of our favorites.
Local CD reviews
It’s tough to be negative about Brown Like Fiasco, a band so friggin’ happy on tracks like “Lovely Day” and “Somewhere” from Superstar. But the group’s Mr. Rogers outlook on life sucks all the power out of its power pop. Nothin’ wrong with feel-good jams, but these guys could write a cheery song huddled in […]
The Best Of 2008
IE Rates 2008: Our Best Ofs Click below to see our choices for top albums, songs, DVDs, reissues, and shows, and don’t forget Trevor Fisher’s “Caught In A Mosh,”David Gedge’s “Gear,” and Beverly Zeldin-Palmer’s “Sweet Home” columns, as well as our “Best Of Around Hear.”
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