Monthly
DVD Zone: September 2009
I Love You, Man Warner Bros. Face it guys, we’ve all been there. The wife or girlfriend states her desire to stay in and watch a movie. Out of some sort of supposed kindness, she lets you offer up a token suggestion or two as to what might be on the bill for the evening. […]
Caught In A Mosh: September 2009
Decibellwether One of the highlights of my month (besides unveiling “Mosh” to my adoring readers) is the day Decibel magazine arrives. Between my mailbox and front door, I’ve generally already thumbed through the pages to find out what the Hall Of Fame entry is. I’m either livin’ a pretty pathetic life or Decibel Editor-In-Chief Albert […]
Sweet Home: September 2009
Blues Blowout August and September brings a cavalcade of activities for blues fans. From a rare Pinetop Perkins appearance, to a Chicago blues challenge and classic record reissues, blues lovers can enjoy a blues blowout over the coming weeks.
Media: September 2009
‘JBTV’ Needs An Angel Watch “JBTV” this week (beginning September 3rd) with featured guests Tim Hiatt and Steve Forstneger from IE. Check www.jbtvonline.com for air times. “I’m still here rockin’, but I need a sponsor,” says “JBTV” host/owner Jerry Bryant, who’s been bringing alternative-music videos, concert footage, and free-form interviews to the Chicago airwaves since […]
Around Hear: September 2009
Around Hear Local Band Reviews September 2009 Though the title, Jam Tarts In The Jakehouse (Carrot Top), is a bit odd, it’s also an obtuse description of the 10 tunes on The Bitter Tears‘ sophomore release. The band’s music, while not entirely random, is all over the place: e.g., the straightforward indie pop of “Bachelors […]
DVD Zone: August 2009
Reliving The Cold War Watchmen Warner Bros. After the glut of superhero movies over the past few years, you would think that the public would be starting to tire of the whole genre. Yet the success of Iron Man and The Dark Knight means it isn’t going away anytime soon. Don’t get me wrong, it’s […]
Cover Story: Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode Across The Universe Very few bands have endured 30 years, let alone remained relevant throughout the majority of their tenures together, but Depeche Mode is unquestionably one such elite anomaly. Sure, the electronic innovator has passed under the occasional dark cloud since debuting in the early 1980s (apart from the expected dips in […]
Heaven & Hell interview
Heaven & Hell Confidence Game “Nerves don’t do me any good, unless you’re going to jump off a cliff or something on a hang-glider,” says Ronnie James Dio. “I knew it was going to be good, and we knew there was anticipation for this.” Appearing: Friday, August 19th at Charter One Pavilion in Chicago.
Haymarket Riot interview
Haymarket Riot: Dischordancy Haymarket Riot aren’t new. The Chicago-based punks haven’t been recently discovered by some hip label or blogger who’s trying to spark a revival in a sound that doesn’t get much play or press. In fact, their third album has been available for four months already and garnered a ridiculously modest amount of […]
Other Lives interview
Other Lives Dining Out They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The five members of the Stillwater, Oklahoma-based collective Other Lives know this all too well — especially when mired in the relentless pace of touring the country in support of the band’s self-titled debut album. Frontman Jesse Tabish is almost […]
File: August 2009
THE WOODSTOCK EXPERIENCE Amid the spate of 40th-anniversary Woodstock product (see “Spins”), Sony’s Legacy arm believes five two-disc sets by acts who performed that long-ago weekend at Yasgur’s farm stand out. Listing at $19.98 apiece, each one comes with an original, and in most cases classic, 1969 studio album (no big deal, as those albums […]
Hello, My Name Is Dan
Hello, My Name Is Dan Q&A With 88 Fingers Louie’s Dan Precision IE: How long has this August show for 88 Fingers Louie been on the books? Dan Precision: Let me tell you this: We started practicing for it back in November. We hadn’t set a date because I’m a stickler with things and was […]
Woodstock revisited
VARIOUS ARTISTS Woodstock/Woodstock 2 (Cotillion/Rhino) By their very nature, cultural icons achieve a largeness beyond their mortal stature. Mona Lisa’s smile, the Liberty Bell, or Alberto Korda’s photo of Che Guevera all carry with them a weight of meaning that makes them outsized symbols into which an entire generation pours meaning. Seeing the reality behind […]
George Harrison compiled
GEORGE HARRISON Let It Roll: Songs By George Harrison (Capitol) Two diametrically opposed camps have formed in response to this compilation. One wishes it had been two discs and included all of Harrison’s best work (his Traveling Wilburys songs included) and that the songs had been sequenced less haphazardly, both to reflect the trajectory of Harrison’s […]
Around Hear: August 2009
Alan Bailey evokes theatrical productions with the ambitious keyboard and string arrangements on Can’t Let Go. The forced wackiness of “To The Breaking Point” gets annoying, but Bailey entertains with fluid piano playing and inviting melodies on “(Don’t) Get Your Hopes Up” and “Release.” On the simple but charming “I’m Off To Bed,” Bailey sounds […]
Recent Comments