Weekly
All Februaries must end
This is it, folks: one week left of February 2011 and you’ll never have it again. That’s probably devastating news for those of you who cry on your birthdays — a pathetic tendency picked up when you turned 7. Shameful, really.
Dem post-Grammy blues, Mama
The trouble with the Grammys is they’re on a Sunday, so your week doesn’t even start before it’s wiped out with the seismic, cultural revolution that is this annual broadcast.
Slash, Jayhawks, Interpol, Motorhead, Decemberists pics up!
Tim Hiatt stood in the pit (the non-snake pit) for a couple weekends and the shots are on our photo site!
Build an Empires
Chicago-based Empires are one of 16 unsigned bands vying to land on the cover of Rolling Stone in the coming months. Voting for the first round ends March 2nd.
Eleventh Dream donation . . .
Rick Rizzo and Janet Bean of underheralded Chicago rock staples Eleventh Dream Day (IE’s Patrick Conlan calls them our Yo La Tengo) have a son with an extremely uncommon condition. In reference to the upcoming Rare Disease Day, they ask you to consider the following.
Win tix to see Dismemberment Plan & The Forms!
We have two tickets to the sold-out show on Sunday the 20th at Metro. All you have to do is correctly answer a question to enter!
About last night
If you long ago dismissed the Grammys (or are an Eminem fan) you were likely surprised that Arcade Fire took home Album Of The Year last night. If you long ago dismissed the Grammys, you believe everything happens for a reason (a.k.a. the fix is in).
The Church today, tomorrow, yesterday
For all of its attributed disposability, ’80s indie bands from all corners of the British Empire were surprisingly durable. Are, if we’re to be correct. The Church might be celebrating an anniversary with some old material, but they don’t need to.
Linkin Park live!
While most rap-rock and nu-metal acts faded as the last decade closed, Linkin Park were wise enough to continually take major risks to expand their sonic boundaries. Their largest evolutionary step took place with 2010’s A Thousand Suns, a release that delves beyond angst and radio-friendly hooks and deeper into anthemic melodies and electronica.
As my uncle Olafur used to say . . .
Upper-crust classical music audiences certainly didn’t enjoy punk rock’s entrance into pop culture, but they got to watch from a distance as beer-guzzling jocks and classic rockers did the dirty work. Well now they have a punk in their house with Olafur Arnalds.
On The Shoulders Of Giants
To become a monolith, one must think monolithic. Very rarely will a band ascend from meek sonic origins and sit atop the mountain (see: Spoon). Young The Giant are of a mind to reach the apex.
Preview: Kings Go Forth
Regionalism used to drive popular music commercially and artistically — certainly more than it does now. Think West Coast jazz, the Bakersfield Sound, Stax . . . all were reactions to something else going on somewhere else in the country.
Jim Peterik And World Stage review!
McAninch Arts Center, Glen Ellyn Saturday, January 15, 2011 From founding Ides Of March through even more success in Survivor, his newest melodic rock project Pride Of Lions, several solo sidesteps and co-writes for Brian Wilson, Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick, .38 Special, and Lynyrd Skynyrd (to name a handful), Jim Peterik is more than […]
One year of CHIRPing
We suppose with the way the big sports leagues trample on Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s not such a sin to offer you something to do on your day off, Monday.










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