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Media: February 2012
Chris Auman and his buddy Tom Ziegler conceived of Reglar Wiglar during a night of drinking in Lincoln Park’s punk-rock haunt Delilah’s in 1993. The first two black-and-white, text-only issues poked fun at alternative music, and featured fake record reviews and fake interviews with fake bands.
Studiophile: February 2012
Dot Dot Dot returned to the studio, this time with producer/mixer Tadpole (Plain White T’s, 3 Doors Down, Finger Eleven, Disturbed). Working out of Parka Studios in Berwyn, they say they’ve continued the direction of III, which itself was a marked departure from their early poppier sounds.
Sweet Home: February 2012
When exploring the formidable list of Chicago’s blues divas, Deitra Farr‘s name is always front and center. Versatile and energetic, her smooth and controlled voice tackles a range of genres from soul to gospel but it always remains grounded in the blues.
Bluegrass & Blues!
CBGB in New York is a tourist attraction now. Never mind that it became a punk club. Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Festival might not be a haven for fundamentalists and zealots, but the first night, this Saturday, makes a case for the styles’ futures.
Cover Story: What’s That Sound?
As a number of enthusiasts have pointed out, there are currently more pop-music genres than there are artists to occupy them. Whether such a sneering jab is true, the slotting of acts into ready-made categories has always been a vice of critics and fans.
Tomorrow Never Knows preview!
Winter is always the hardest season for music lovers in Chicago because so few bands hit the road. And who can blame them? After all, the below-freezing temperatures, blustery snow, and icy roads are enough to make even the proudest native wish they were somewhere south,
Interview: No I.D.
Grab your torches, we found the person responsible for Kanye West. Actually, while most of local hip-hop history goes relatively unsung, people far and wide shout No I.D.’s praises – probably without knowing it.
File: Year-End Top 10s
The IE staff picks its favorite albums, reissues, live shows, and local bands of 2011.
Best Songs Of 2011
Is that a giant list of songs, or are we just happy to see ya? For all the discussion surrounding the deaths of various recording styles and formats, 2011 was a fantastic year for songs. IE found very little overlap when our writers submitted their votes, which is astounding.
Around Hear: January 2012
Richard Anthony is much more gifted as a songwriter than he is as a singer throughout Connected Part One, an odd but occasionally endearing synth-pop project where 100-percent of the proceeds go to foster-children’s charities.
Caught In A Mosh: January 2012
Like Hulk Hogan, I am a real American. That means, first and foremost, I fight for the rights of every man. It also means I use geographically specific release dates for my year-ending top five. Hence Ghost‘s Opus Eponymous inclusion
Digital Divide: January 2012
So if you believe those wacky Mayans (and really, when have they ever lied to us?), there’s less than a year left on the lease here on the big blue marble. The countdown to oblivion is coming to town, so get dressed.
Gear: January 2012
Of the dozens of musical gadgets we preview and review every year, a few stand out as “the best of best.” As we look back at 2011, we present Gear’s best of, uh . . . Gear!
Media: January 2012
Back in 1979, half of Chicago tuned into Wally Philips’ popular WGN-AM (720) morning show. That year, newcomer Steve Dahl released his song parodying the venerable Philips and his loyal listeners, “Oh Wally.”
Studiophile: January 2012
It’s been six years since the release of her debut album . . . this side of yesterday, but January marks the return of indie-folk singer/songwriter Martha Berner. Her long-awaited full-length follow-up, Fool’s Fanatsy, also bears the stamp of her new band, The Significant Others.
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