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Around Hear Page 2
Indie rock foursome The Gnomes carry a sound as understated as the title of their sophomore album, The Gnomes II. There’s no showboating or posturing on songs like “Whiskey Is Misery” or “Ho-Chunk Casino” – just sincere and slightly quirky tunes that pull you in with their pleasant undertone. Amid a couple underdeveloped tracks (e.g. […]
Around Hear Page 3
Elmhurst singer-songwriter Dean Milano has been part of The New Seekers and opened for Cab Calloway, but it seems his biggest achievement is his latest CD, Songs About Stuff, which manages to be tuneful, intelligent, sometimes humorous, and well-executed from beginning to end. Milano’s songs are streetwise and smart, a welcome addition to anyone’s collection […]
Rhyming For A Cause
Somali musician K’naan plays a rhythmic stew of hip-hop-influenced poetry that borrows from ancient Somali culture as much as it does from contemporary American influences. A refugee who fled his home at 14, he retains the quiet dignity of his heritage and yet fires lyrics with a swagger that has been compared to Eminem.
Mixmaster, Cut Faster
ALESIS iMultiMix 8 USB Alesis have come up with an impressive addition to their popular MultiMix series, spearheaded by the ingenious iMultiMix 8 USB, which features an iPod mounting dock that records directly to any second-through-fifth generation iPod.
The Return Of Garry Meier
My parents, who divorced in 1972, will never get back together – they’re dead. But now there may be hope for the pioneering radio duo of Steve Dahl and Garry Meier.
Studio Happenings
At ARS STUDIOS in Alsip, local rockers Hunting The Rabbit mastered their album, This Just In, with Larry Schara . . . Gary Cobb has been restoring Stan Kenton masters for re-release on Tantara Productions.
Journey To The Center Of Being
Otis Taylor was a surprise guest at last year’s Chicago Blues Festival. I did not get a chance to hear his performance but had the pleasure of meeting him and his beautiful daughter, Cassie, backstage. I also had the opportunity to listen to a few tunes from Taylor’s then work-in-progress Definition Of A Circle. I […]
Cover Story: Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy Little White Castles For You And Me The “underdog” card is a favorite of Midwesterners. Ozzie Guillen, though Venezuelan by birth, famously played it during the White Sox’s run to the World Series in 2005, giving wide berth for Lovie Smith to do the same as the Bears approached the Super Bowl […]
Hello, My Name Is Neil
Hello, My Name Is Neil IE: How often do you get the “What’s it like to be Vince Neil’s son?” question? Neil Wharton: I get it all the time. It’s either that or “Vince Neil doesn’t have a son.” I use to get irritated with the second one, but hey, it comes with the territory. […]
CocoRosie interview
CocoRosie Fairies And Elves And French Graveyards, Oh My! “I feel bad sometimes for journalists, because it is hard for us to relate to other music,” explains Sierra Casady of CocoRosie, when asked to help describe the recordings she makes with her sister Bianca. “Putting what we do into different categories is challenging for us […]
Jon Rauhouse interview
Jon Rauhouse Stents And Sensibility Similar to a scene in a movie where the young ingénue approaches the aging rock star seeking an autograph for an older relative, folks come up to Jon Rauhouse all the time. “Everybody tells me their mom loves my record or their grandma loves my record or they clean their […]
Static-X Interview
Static-X Nu World Order The voice on the phone reminisces about living in Chicago, partying at Medusa’s, befriending the keyboardist of Ministry, and selling 1 million copies of an industrial-influenced metal album released in the 1990s. But it’s not Al Jourgensen talking. It’s Wayne Static, the frontman of Static-X. Appearing: May 23rd at House Of […]
Superchrist interview
Superchrist To Hell And Black Chris Black sits at a table in a Lakeview bar, slowly stubs out the orange glow of a Marlboro Red, takes a drink of beer, and prepares to tell the story behind his band Superchrist’s new record. It might not be as dramatic a tale as Smile or Chinese Democracy, […]
Ted Leo Interview
Ted Leo And The Pharmacists Pound The Pavement Considering Ted Leo And The Pharmacists toured at least four, maybe five times (the frontman can’t exactly remember) behind 2004’s Shake The Sheets (Lookout!), the guys are understandably exhausted. And that’s not to mention the outings behind three prior records, or Leo’s time in the East Coast […]
File: April 2007
Selling Out Drama DJ Drama busted, Eric Clapton brings his friends to Chicago, Paul McCartney likes his music like his coffee, and the suburbs battle the nightclubs.
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