Columns
On The Move
Count Chris Shepard, studio manager at Chicago Recording Company, as one of those who considered Lollapalooza 2006 a smashing success.
Three Little Pigs
Blind Pig Records‘ 30th anniversary collection, Pearls From Swine, is a two-CD-plus-DVD package celebrating the Chicago blues and blues rock label’s upcoming pearl anniversary in 2007. From its humble beginnings in 1977 in the basement of the Blind Pig, an Ann Arbor, Michigan blues club, the label has grown into one of the world’s foremost […]
Silk Hurley Honored
On Thursday, August 10th, the lush River North club Cabaret provided the meeting grounds for a truly curious mix of music industry folks. Everyone from hip-hop DJs (in town for The Global Mixx Retreat) to well-dressed label reps (invited by The Chicago Chapter of the Recording Academy) were on hand for this occasion dubbed “In […]
Hello, My Name Is Roger
Hello, My Name Is Roger IE: Do you appreciate how The Byrds are remembered, or is there an angle people never really grasped? Roger McGuinn: Well, on the whole I’d say The Byrds are underappreciated when you think of The Beatles, The Stones, and The Beach Boys. But they’re sort of a musician’s band.
File: September 2006
Idol Chatter Hot off the heels of last year’s Devil’s Playground, Billy Idol keeps the product chain coming with a concert DVD recorded at the somewhat-rundown-but-oh-so-punk-rock Congress Theatre.
DVD Zone: September 2006
THE ROLLING STONES UNDER REVIEW 1962-1966 LED ZEPPELIN THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES Music Video Distributors You would think when it comes to The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, it’s all been said before. After gallons of ink have been spilled and miles of paper reams have been used to dissect and analyze every tidbit […]
Mississippi Amersterdam
Big Bill Broonzy: Amsterdam Live Concerts 1953 (Munich) is a double-CD package of musical and historical significance. The recordings capture Chicago via Mississippi legend Big Bill Broonzy in an intimate setting before appreciative crowds at the Ons Huis (Our House) club on February 26th and 28th, 1953. The liner notes provide a glimpse of Broonzy’s […]
Studio Happenings
The Countdown recorded and mixed at THE MATTRESS FACTORY in Chicago with Martin Atkins (PIL, Nine Inch Nails, Pigface), owner of Invisible Records. They are working on a full-length album, which will be the follow-up to the 2004 EP Scratch & Sniff. The LP will be released this winter.
Not-So-Sacred Cow
We were never fans of Erich “Mancow” Muller, the libertarian shock jock who started drawing young male listeners to him like flies when he came to Chicago in 1994. But we were not pleased when Emmis Communications-owned WKQX-FM (101.1) dumped his top-rated “Mancow’s Morning Madhouse” in July.
Roll With It
GRETSCH G400JV Archtop Guitar Fresh from his victorious performance at FitzGerald’s, Jimmie Vaughan has a new piece of signature hardware to show off.
Local CD Reviews
Page [1] [2] Absolutely Perfect deliver an amalgam of lo-fi, guitar-driven rock. With slick, melodic touches such as the agile guitar leads reminiscent of Pretty Girls Make Graves, on “4crease,” and huge, angular riffs on “Burner” and “Ghetto Fabulous,” they show off technical virtuosity that suits their hard rock. Surprisingly, they also toss in phrases […]
Around Hear Page 2
Page [1] [2] Split Series Vol. One (Bone) consists of 11 tracks, the first five by After The Fight, the second six by #HighBall#. Both bands do the emo-punk thing with enough spastic energy and piledriving riffs worthy of any faux hawk-laden mosh pit. But while After The Fight’s rhythm section hit harder, Highball’s hit […]
Hello, My Name Is Bruce
Hello, My Name Is Bruce IE: Are things new and exciting for you? Or are you just Bruce? Day-in and out, you’re Bruce. Bruce Hornsby: I just did this bluegrass album with Ricky Skaggs and I got this jazz record with Jack DeJohnette and Christian McBride and I got this box set coming out. I’d […]
File For August
Separate Ways Mama once said, “Boy, don’t grow up to be the lead singer of a washed-up arena rock act, they’ll chew you up and spit you out.” Steve Augeri found this out the hard way. On July 7th, in the midst of Journey‘s tour with Def Leppard, Augeri was forced to leave the band […]
DVD Zone: August
THE BILL COSBY SHOW: SEASON ONE Shout! Factory We all grew up with “The Cosby Show,” whether in its first run or in its ad nauseum syndicated repeats. The show was almost the perfect sitcom, and earned its place in the television hall of fame with its blend of characters you wanted to spend a […]
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