Columns
Hello, My Name Is Nash
Hello My Name Is Nash Q&A with Nash Kato of Urge Overkill IE: Is this a show for Bottom Lounge instead of Urge Overkill? Nash Kato: Well, we just did an East Coast leg and we were gonna bury the tour in Chicago because our pal’s opening a new venue. We’ve played every shithole in […]
File: July 2008
Together Again The spark is back for Hawthorne Heights and Victory Records. Though the Ohio band and their Chicago label have an incredibly successful track record together — 2004’s The Silence In Black & White went platinum, and 2006’s If Only You Were Lonely reached gold — the last few years have been messy.
DVD Zone: July 2008
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten Sony After the demise of The Clash, Joe Strummer wandered. His musical inspirations stagnate, he relegated himself to film scores and the odd acting gig with a side project or two here and there. Eventually, he would hold a series of “bonfire discussions” originating at the Glastonbury Music Festival. […]
Perpetratin’ The Blues
The Byther Smith, Blues On The Moon: Live At Natural Rhythm Social Club (Delmark) DVD/CD is a false document – fiction, cooked up by writer David Whiteis and the Delmark Records folks desperate to return the “negro” to his natural habitat.
Hope For Local TV
The station that launched the legendary dance show “Soul Train” in 1970 recently hired two WTTW-Channel 11 alumni to help develop local programming. Weigel Broadcasting, which owns WCIU-Channel 26 (where “Soul Train” got its start back in 1970), as well as WWME-Channel 23 and WMEU-Channel 48, recently hired Harvey Moshman and Randy King to create […]
Martin’s Guitar Town
MARTIN M-21 Steve Earle Custom Steve Earle and Martin Guitar did something unique for the guitar biz: They created a “special edition” guitar without the customary big price tag that goes along with a collectable axe.
To Thrash Or Not To Thrash?
Look no further than our own city and sprawling suburbs for proof of just how extensive this whole thrash revival thing is. Do a quick Myspace, “Illinois metal” search, and you’ll find a list of Chicagoland bands like Degradation, Infinite Missiles, Air Raid, Vicious Attack, Diamond Plate, Sulfox, and Slayasylum. They vary in quality, of […]
Local CD Reviews
“Around Hear” is a monthly feature where a stable of IE writers review albums sent to us by local musicians. If you are interested in having your CD (must have a minimum of three songs) reviewed and are Illinois-based, mail it and any other media materials to 657 A W. Lake St., Chicago IL, 60661. […]
Around Hear Page 2
Textbook‘s Boxing Day Massacre is certainly a catchy album and has plenty of pop hooks to spare. Unfortunately, it’s also bland. While there’s no doubting the sincerity, Textbook come off as very Gin Blossoms-ish or, more generously, The Archies, but without the nostalgic charm. “The Weight Of Everything” is when this really becomes apparent and […]
Go Forth And Die
Nathan Explosion, frontman of Dethklok, was supposed to talk to “Caught In A Mosh” this month. As were guitarist Skwisgaar Skwigelf and drummer Pickles. But a day before the interview I was informed I wouldn’t get to talk to any of the “Metalocalypse” stars (Toki Wartooth and William Murderface complete the band). Seems Explosion didn’t […]
Hello, My Name Is Dave
Hello, My Name Is Dave Q&A With Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray IE: Talk about milestones: Vans has actually made official Iron Maiden skate shoes, featuring the “Killers” and “Trooper” Eddie artwork by Derek Riggs. Dave Murray: I know! I’ve seen ’em walking around at our shows. Sometimes by themselves! But it’s something that teenagers tend […]
File: June 2008
I Got Down On My Knees And I Began To Shoot Annie Leibovitz was rock’s best-known photographer long before the Miley Cyrus incident, with Linda McCartney running a close second. Still, many musicians from the mid-’60s on have posed for Henry Diltz. His accomplishments have been given an epic treatment via a limited-edition, leather-and-denim-bound book […]
DVD Zone: June 2008
I’m Not There The Weinstein Company How strange is it to be Bob Dylan? On one hand, you’re revered as one of the most respected and influential artists in the history of music. Every bit of your work is dissected, annotated, and sifted through for every possible meaning. On the other, your past achievements are […]
Boogie Woogie Chillun
Can’t Stop Now (Electro-Fi) by Juno Award winning keyboardist/singer-songwriter Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne is a CD to get excited about. Recorded in various locations from St. Louis to Whitehorse, Canada, it is a pleasing gumbo of contemporary and traditional blues with a distinctive New Orleans flavor.
This Is Hell! Turns 10
The most witty, politically incisive talk show on the radio doesn’t air on a commercial station. It’s engineered by students, who are trained on the job. And the host isn’t paid.










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