Weekly
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs live!
Old Town School Of Folk Music, Chicago Saturday, September 12, 2009 Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs dropped by The Old Town School Of Folk Music for a pair of gigs last Saturday night in support of the two Under The Covers albums they’ve recorded as Sid & Susie, a side-project that features their renditions of […]
Sondre Lerche preview
Schubas, Chicago Saturday, September 19, 2009 Despite having a name most Scandinavian metal bands would die for (SON-der LARE-kuh), this diminutive Norwegian has battled to reconcile his lolli-pop with his taste for electric guitar.
Fool’s Gold preview
Bottom Lounge, Chicago Sunday, September 20, 2009 Being yacht-deck-dressed white musicians with African beats whipped up quite a backlash for Vampire Weekend last year, but not enough, apparently, to deter Fool’s Gold.
Death preview
Empty Bottle, Chicago Saturday, September 26, 2009 If you feel exhausted by a parade of artists who are only now getting their due for either influencing punk or freak folk or electronic music or raga . . . you’re excused. Whether Radio Birdman, Zero Boys, Rocket From The Tombs, or Vashti Bunyan, there’s no shortage […]
Pharcyde, Souls Of Mischief, Camp Lo, Ugochi live!
Washington Park, Chicago September 5 – 7, 2009 Forget the ’80s revival. The ’90s were back in full force when an array of 90s alt hip hop groups played the African Festival Of The Arts on Saturday. Pharcyde, Souls Of Mischief, and Camp Lo served up jazzy beats and free-flowing rhymes to eager fans, celebrating […]
YACHT preview
Empty Bottle, Chicago Friday, September 11, 2009 Yachts are a great metaphor for ’80s oblivion, big, honkin’ seafaring jungle gyms with little intrinsic value other than to the people who buy them and those they pay to maintain them.
Alexis Gideon preview
The Whistler, Chicago Sunday, September 13, 2009 Not to slight Alexis Gideon, but people who saw the Chicagoan perform as half of rap duo Princess years ago probably went home thinking it was an elaborate farce, waxed about what great commentary it was on the joke existence of commercial rap, and bedded down for the […]
The Antlers review
Hospice (Frenchkiss) Noise, even if it was just a texture, used to stand out. When some bebop saxophonist assailed you with a foul note you knew it, just as a rapacious feedback squeal could jump off a slab of vinyl and unseat you if even for the shortest moment. Appearing: Monday, September 21st at Subterranean […]
Nine Inch Nails’ farewell!
Aragon, Chicago Friday, August 28, 2009 It proved apparent from the start that Nine Inch Nails’ Friday night show was anything but routine when the band took the stage to “Pinion,” an instrumental selection off an EP from 17 years ago. It also served as a sign that all bets were off, as Trent Reznor […]
Polvo preview
Bottom Lounge, Chicago Saturday, September 5, 2009 You either knew Polvo or you didn’t. There were veteran indie-rock bands who mattered not to the mainstream press or major labels — even after Nirvana (gasp!) — yet floated around the Sub Pop/Merge/Touch And Go/Matador pool, won a few thousand fans, and disappeared when it came time […]
Ramona Falls preview
Chopin Theatre, Chicago Friday, September 11, 2009 It’d be interesting to watch the members of Menomena daily — making toast, turning a television on, walking. A self-designed computer program gave them their first album, which came with an 80-page flipbook (the vinyl cover folded like origami). The critically acclaimed follow-up, Friend And Foe, continued with […]
Solillaquists Of Sound live!
Subterranean, Chicago Saturday, August 22, 2009 Solillaquists Of Sound calls its show a celebration, and with the unadulterated energy this quartet often brought to Subterranean’s compact stage, there’s not much to dispute.
Thecocknbullkid review
Querelle (Iamsound) That Thecocknbullkid was born to Ghanaian parents and was reared mainly in East London isn’t much of a tagline these days. If she’s looking for an ethnic success story she need look no further than down the road to Stamford Bridge, where one of the world’s most expensive footballers is from Ghana. Musically […]
Pearl Jam live!
United Center, Chicago Sunday, August 23rd, 2009 “We got a lot of emotion to get through tonight.” That was Eddie Vedder’s declaration to open Sunday night’s show, the first of two consecutive nights for Pearl Jam at the United Center. For Vedder, it wasn’t just another arena-rock show, but it also marked his return […]
The Cult preview
House Of Blues, Chicago Wednesday, September 2, 2009 The Cult frontman Ian Astbury thinks the idea of making albums is passé. The reunited band won’t be making them anymore (yes to maybe the odd song), but this leaves them more time for ideas like Love Live, a reproduction of a classic album in concert.
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