Monthly
Spins: Taylor Swift ⢠evermore
Taylor Swift evermore (Taylor Swift) Despite the roller-coaster year that was 2020, it seems that nothing can stop Taylor Swift from doing what she does best. Swift dropped her surprising second no-skip album of the year in early December, somehow managing to display her own genius yet again. Continuing the contemporary alternative writing of her […]
Hello My Name is…Exene
Itâs not like Exene Cervenka, and her bandmates in the Los Angeles proto-punk quartet X are just sitting around their respective houses, idly twiddling their thumbs this enforced-lockdown December. But they are coming to surreal grips with the fact that for this Yuletide season, at least, they will not be the hardest-working band on the […]
Spins: U2 – “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” ⢠Super Deluxe Vinyl Box Set
U2 All That You Canât Leave Behind Super Deluxe vinyl box set (Island/Interscope/UMe) During the year 2000, U2 was a band on a mission. After the perceived disappointment of 1997âs experimental and techno-friendly Pop (an album that went âmerelyâ platinum in the United States), the Irish quartet were determined to reclaim their signature soundâand with […]
Media: December 2020
2020 was a rough year everywhere, but we lost some of our all-time greatest broadcasters in Chicago. Television greats like Sheldon Cooper (WGN-TV general manager), Lee Phillip Bell (The Lee Phillip Show), Bob Petty (Channel 7/ABC anchor/reporter), Dick Johnson (anchor at Channel 5/NBC), Jerry Taft (longtime Channel 7/ABC weatherman), and Joel Daly (iconic Channel 7/ABC […]
Cover Story: The Smashing Pumpkins
Oh, that irascible old Billy Corgan. Even in a foreboding, energy-sapping, pandemic Plague Year, you just canât take him ANYWHERE. It was a solid, thought-provoking opening question, intended to kick-start our recent interview with the man about CYR! The remarkably-assured new double-record set from Smashing Pumpkins, its 11th, featuring the mostly-original lineup of James Iha […]
Photo Gallery: deadmau5 with Bentley Dean and Kiesza at SeatGeek Stadium
deadmau5 / Bentley Dean / KieszaSeatGeek Stadium – At The Drive-InBridgeview, IL October 30, 2020 Ed Spinelli captured EDM pioneer and producer deadmau5 with Bentley Dean and Kiesza on a chilly evening in Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium. All three came together for “Bridge By A Lightwave,” making it the highlight for the night. Drive-In concerts have […]
Spins: Tom Petty ⢠Wildflowers & All The Rest Deluxe Edition – Reviewed
Tom Petty Wildflowers & All the Rest Deluxe Edition (Warner Bros.) After seven gold and platinum-selling albums with the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty released his first solo album in 1989.Chart favorites including âFree Fallingâ and âI Wonât Back Downâ helped the Jeff Lynne-produced Full Moon Fevereclipse even the success of 1979âs Damn the Torpedoes. When Into the […]
CinemaScopes – November 2020
With many films officially postponed or rescheduled until 2021/2022, the slate for what would normally be the biggest release window of the year has definitely changed due to COVID. Theaters are still open, but many films have now made the jump to VOD and streaming services to get their product out while still trying to […]
Media: November 2020
When you have already been inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, the National Radio Hall of Fame, and you are featured in the radio wing of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you might think that there isnât really anything left to accomplish. But when John Records Landecker recently got […]
Cover Story: Steve Kilbey
Serenity is where you find it; Steve Kilbey has decided, mid-pandemic. And in his beachside home in gorgeous Sydney, Australia, itâs something that the spiritual-minded Church frontman has been actively seeking, from the moment he awakens every potentially-oppressive day. First of all, he says, âI have to be near the sea, I need to see […]
IE Rewind: The Outfit
Combining savvy songwriting rooted in power-pop and glammy metal, The Outfit is breaking the mold for local music veterans. Over two albums, they’ve managed to not only defy the sophomore slump, but they’ve also shown that educated music stalwarts can still have something to say. The band features a group of seasoned Chicago musicians, including […]
Stage Buzz: Livestream Buzz October 14th-17th
This week Teenage Cancer Trust Unseen will stream archival performances from Pulp (October 14th), Noel Gallagher (October 15th), Them Crooked Vultures (October 16th), and The Cure (October 18th). The performances are free to watch on their YouTube Channel at 2 PM. Get all the details here. The one and only Spinal Tap reunites virtually to […]
Stage Buzz: Pegboy 30th Anniversary Show with Local H at SeatGeek Stadium on October 17th
Originally scheduled as a 30th Anniversary bash with two indoor shows in May, Chicago stalwart punk rockers Pegboy have recalibrated due to COVID and teamed up with Chicago Drive-in to offer a safe, socially distant drive-in concert at Seat Geek Stadium in Bridgeview on October 17. Powered by the Haggerty brothers – John (on guitar), […]
Stage Buzz: Live Review – The Claudettes at City Winery
City Winery, Chicago, IL Saturday, October 10, 2020 Chicagoâs own The Claudettes are an uncategorizable but captivating blend of cheeky cabaret, gut-level blues, raucous rockabilly, cartoonish whimsy, and pop songcraft. 2020 was initially primed to be the bandâs year, with the release of its most highly-praised set of songs. High Times in the Dark arrived in April […]
Stage Buzz: Livestream Buzz October 6th-11th
Watch Gloria Estefan, and the cast of Hamilton perform at The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysisâ 35th Annual “Great Sports Legend Dinner” on Thursday, October 8th at 6 PM. Grab tickets here. Teenage Cancer Trust is opening up their vault of never-before-seen archival footage of live performances at the Royal Albert Hall in support of […]
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