Columns
DVD Zone: December 2007
Help! Capitol/Apple After the success of A Hard Day’s Night, it would have been easy for The Beatles to try to recreate the faux documentary style that made that film such a delight. Instead, for their second foray into the big-screen world they went a totally different direction. While it isn’t the grand slam that […]
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
Forty Piece Choir‘s swan-song, The Profound Nature Of Life, offers little insight into the veteran Americana act’s recent breakup. Instead of a funeral march (or wispy, introspective folk), their fourth full-length is a celebration of boogie-woogie horns, jubilant electric piano, and an almost Born To Run level of uplifting vocal urgency. FPC have hit their […]
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In a world of cutthroat musicians with six-page press kits, Mitch And The Polecats are refreshingly modest. “I hope U enjoy it,” writes harmonicist/vocalist Mitch Mathena on his band’s perfectly shabby one-sheet. Get Naked is so casual it negates the need for introduction, focusing instead on immediate, easygoing love songs (well, lust songs) and smooth, […]
Ho, Ho, Headbang
For two months now I’ve stashed away Rhino’s The Heavy Metal Box and Megadeth‘s Warchest just so I could reveal all the glorious details in December and make this month’s column a sort of “Headbanger’s Gift Guide.” Cheesy, I know. But I’m only trying to spread a little holiday cheer to all you godless heathens. […]
Tune In
GIBSON Les Paul Robot Guitar A friend once told me he couldn’t attend shows at a certain Chicago venue because the bands that generally played there “couldn’t tune their damn guitars.” The Gibson Les Paul Robot could change that.
Don’t Look Back
Chicago radio was like a revolving door in 2007 – even at the left side of the dial. Last summer, Loyola University opted out of its contract with Chicago Public Radio, which had been running the college’s WLUW-FM (88.7) since 2002. Under the leadership of program director Shawn Campbell, WLUW had just become financially self-sufficient, […]
Studio Happenings
Backyard finished their second CD, American Dream, which was recorded at WULI RECORDS in Chicago. The band shoot a video for the song “Mercy” December 15th at Little Big Horn in Mundelein. Bible Of The Devil entered SEMAPHORE RECORDING STUDIO in Chicago and began recording the follow-up to 2006’s The Diabolic Procession with producer Sanford […]
The Good Doctor
“Son Seals was a man that everybody loved. I loved him, speaking for myself. And everybody that I know, you know, like the other entertainers and things, if they mentioned Son Seals, it was always something good they had to say.” – Koko Taylor
Hello, My Name Is Sammy
Hello, My Name Is Sammy Q&A With Sammy Hagar IE: What were some of the highlights from your 60th birthday celebration? Sammy Hagar: The highlights were two things: 1) They had huge surprises for me, I mean everyone kept calling me or leaving me messages or e-mailing me saying ‘Hey, we can’t make it. Tell […]
File: November 2007
Planet Neilsen Cheap Trickster Rick Nielsen has a bunch of guitars, and apparently he’s out of room for them in his house. According to Rockford’s WREX-TV, the pick-flipping guitarist and his business partner, Brent Johnson, want to build a rock ‘n’ roll hotel/restaurant/museum called (cleverly) Rick’s in Rockford. Besides the massive collection of one-of-a-kind axes […]
DVD Zone: November 2007
Grindhouse Presents: Planet Terror Grindhouse Presents: Death Proof Dimension B-movies have been around practically as long as the film industry itself. Originally, the studios would knock off a feature with second-tier actors to toss on the bill at drive-in theaters, often using the same sets as other films to keep the budget to a minimum.
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
Illinois Humanities Council’s ambitious two-CD Folksongs Of Illinois blends vintage recordings and modern interpretations of local Americana music. The set’s historical value is enhanced by extensive liner notes and rare photos, but the real draw is the music. Carl Sandburg sings and plays guitar on a 1950 recording of “Jay Gould’s Daughter,” and Henry Spaulding‘s […]
Around Hear Page 3
The Orange Peel Sessions is a clever play on the venerable series of live recordings with the late John Peel. Here, Naked And Shameless tear through an acoustic set of hilarious covers (“Nice Legs (Shame About The Face),” “Pumpin’ 4 The Man”) and suitably comedic honky-tonk originals (“Blood Elegy (The Pain Of Love),” “Bill Monroe […]
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