Columns
News Of Every Kind
GOOD NEWS: When Chicago radio personalities get fired they wind up in one of four places: Michigan (Kevin Matthews), TV (Mancow), the ether (Garry Meier), or the Internet. The last is where you can find former WXRT-FM (93.1) jock Bobby Skafish.
Koroboro Rock
Legacy and familial inheritance has always played a significant role in African society. Whether dictating marriage, social position, or profession, the rules and expectations of family lineage have changed very slowly. And being the son of an internationally famous father does not help matters. This is the situation Vieux Farka Touré, son of late Malian […]
Local CD Reviews
Alabaster takes a dim view of relationships on its four-song EP, Hold Me Close – Hold Me Damaged. The violent imagery smacks of heavy metal, but the band’s midtempo arrangements might not have enough power to hold the average headbanger’s attention. Shane Killian is a gifted vocalist, particularly when she drifts through the theatrical “Surface […]
Around Hear Page 2
Curiously named eight-piece band Oucho Sparks deliver nearly an hour of quirky indie rock on Foreign Cars And Robots. With an ever-shifting assortment of guitar riffs (from distorted to calm) and instrumentation (vintage keys, trumpet, etc.), each song offers its share of surprises. And alternating vocalists Tim Sandusky and Laura Grey rarely cease to stun […]
Around Hear Page 3
Lucy Smith‘s Movin On is something of a mixed bag. The flat and emotionless vocals of the opener (a cover of The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”) is bound to discourage listeners from moving forward, but the jazzier “Kiela,” the longing-fueled “All I Meant,” and her sassy rendition of “Go Down Moses” simply […]
Hello, My Name Is Mo
Hello, My Name Is Mo IE: So, you’re in town taping for “Wait . . . Wait . . .Don’t Tell Me!”? Mo Rocca: We tape today; it airs over the weekend. I come about once a month. It seems unfair you’re in Chicago because Chicago has so much . . . Chicago, itself is […]
File: February 2007
A GOOD ROGERING “Mess with the bull, you get the horns” can apparently be translated as “Deal with The Gambler, you get the shaft.” Residents of Sandy Springs, Georgia, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, are unhappy with Kenny Rogers, and it’s not because of some neon chicken. One year after purchasing a seven-acre lot for […]
Mo Rocca 2
[ back ] IE: Is there anyone who’s smart in a really weird way, they happen to know a lot about one thing? MR: Well, me. I know everything about Presdential animals. I wrote a book on them [All The Presidents Pets: The Story Of One Reporter Who Refused To Roll Over]. IE: Guess what! […]
DVD Zone: February 2007
Broken Bridges Paramount A few things are well known about Toby Keith. He wears his redneck street cred like a badge, has a fetish for the troops, and above all . . . he’s a Ford® truck man. All of these traits are in full bloom in the extended Ford® infomercial, Broken Bridges.
James Brown, Soul Brother #1, R.I.P.
Sometime after midnight on December 29th, singer/guitarist and bandleader Phil Guy joined the Matthew Skoller Band onstage at his brother’s club (Buddy Guy’s Legends) and ripped into a spirited version of James Brown‘s “I Can’t Stand It” that brought the cheering crowd to its feet in tribute for a beloved artist who changed the face […]
Mixing It Up
Few people would describe the Linder Avenue Recording Web site as “striking.” The design is skeletal, white text on a black background, and the information minimal, a list of services, an e-mail address but little else.
Bad Radio Hurts Musicians
“When my life and my income and my profession are affected by media consolidation, we don’t need to make a move any further in the wrong direction,” George Jones said at a recent Federal Communications Commission media ownership hearing in Nashville. Jones was one of several country musicians – including Naomi Judd – who testified […]
Gettin’ Handsy
“Gear†will run as a web-only column this month, but will return to print next month. SOURCE AUDIO Hot Hand Source Audio‘s wireless guitar-effect system is a unique ring-controlled unit that communicates with a floor pedal to create weirdness previously only heard in a recording studio setting.
Abyssinian Funk
Distinctive, yet filled with familiar accents, Ethiopian contemporary music draws upon a vibrant ancient history as well as an unlikely mix of modern sounds. With a history that can be traced to King Solomon and Abyssinian glory and a present plagued by war and famine, Ethiopia’s music reflects the unpredictable nature of life.
Local CD Reviews
After a four-year hiatus, The Baldwin Brothers drop Return Of The Golden Rhodes (TVT), a deliciously sexy album crackling with juicy beats, deep grooves, and their unique fusion of electronic funk. Smooth vocal flow and quirky rhymes make “A Matter Of Time” a slinky ass shaker, while “Air Is Invisible” is bred from Underworld’s mindwarping, […]
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