Columns
Battle Of THE Bands
Metallica vs. Megadeth – album for album. This battle has taken place in my head many, many times through the years, and now it gets put to paper.
Acoustic Rock
Fender Electracoustic Series Guitar After seven years of the status quo, Fender have redesigned their Electracoustic Series.
Save Internet Radio
Is the musical Wild West of Internet radio about to become as predictable as commercial broadcast radio? A new Copyright Royalty Board measure that goes into effect July 15th would massively increase the rate webcasters must pay each time they stream a song, and put thousands of small, independent outlets out of business.
Rock Accessories
I’d always thought that rock’s major accessory was sex. But a recently published book, Paul Grushkin‘s lavishly illustrated coffee table tome Rockin’ Down The Highway (Voyageur), has given me second thoughts. Grushkin makes a convincing case that rock’s main accoutrement is the automobile.
Studio Happenings
At CLEANCUT RECORDING STUDIO in Palatine, How Bright The Sky recorded a single entitled “Typewriter” that was produced by Tony D. . . . Pow! Right In The Kisser worked on their full length, Knuckle Up, with Tony D. . . . Men Dream Of Flying worked on pre-production.
Blues From The Heart
“I love singing the real, old-school blues. It gives me a feeling to sing them type of blues. That’s old school. That’s me.” – Koko Taylor Old School (Alligator) is Queen Of The Blues Koko Taylor’s first album in seven years! Taylor roars and growls her way through five originals and six cover tunes from […]
Hello, My Name Is Albert
Hello, My Name Is Albert Q&A With Albert Hammond Jr. IE: When you decided to put Yours To Keep out, did you think you would tour? Albert Hammond Jr.: When I first realized I had a record to put out, I wasn’t gonna do any press. I was just gonna put it out in the […]
File: June 2007
Clubs Gone Dry One of the downplayed outgrowths of music’s digital age has been its role in altering the concert landscape, especially in Chicago. It’s not something extended from MP3 files or iPods specifically, but more the mindset that comes with them. The touch-of-a-button conveniences we all enjoy have led to a revival of the […]
DVD Zone: June 2007
Not Just The Best Of The Larry Sanders Show Sony Pictures Nineteen ninety-two saw a seismic shift in the landscape of late-night television, touched off by the retirement of Johnny Carson. In a futile effort to fill the void, every network tried to throw someone up in the 11:30 time slot. The results, for the […]
Local CD Reviews
Led by ex-Caviar lead guitarist Dave Suh, The Assembly offer bright, powerful pop on their sophomore EP, Paranoia Will Destroy Ya. “Never Even True” is the standout cut, but all four tunes (plus a remix) are first-rate, helping cement the group’s growing reputation (recently validated by their selection as a Q101 “Local 101 Band To […]
Around Hear Page 2
Although technically proficient, Finneus‘ Superstar & The Ballerina may be a bit too testosterone-fueled for some, due in no small part to ’70s/’80s vocal stylings of bassist Dave Bucher. Blues-tinged in some areas and metallic in others, Finneus even incorporates a little ska. Despite this bucket of influences, the end product leaves a rather bland […]
Around Hear Page 3
Taking bits of free jazz, modern classical, and acid rock, Random Touch truly lives up to its moniker. On its CD/DVD combo, Alchemy, the trio takes an experimental, albeit sleepy, instrumental stab at the icy “Abandon,” the choppy “Bound For Escape,” and dreamy “As Above, So Below.” While not incredibly worthwhile in audio contexts, the […]
No Respect
Quickly: Welcome to the first “Caught In A Mosh,” the Illinois Entertainer‘s new monthly heavy music column penned by me, associate editor Trevor Fisher. While you won’t read much about Korn or Godsmack here, I’m not too snobby – underground or mainstream, if worthwhile I’ll talk about it. I never have nor will claim to […]
Riff Raff
TASCAM MP-GT1 Tascam is finally shipping its MP-GT1 Guitar Trainer it introduced with much fanfare at the Winter NAMM Show. The company calls it “the first MP3 player designed for musicians.”
Please Mr. Postman
Small, independently owned publications such as No Depression and Punk Planet could face financial ruin if a proposed rate hike goes through July 15th.
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