Weekly
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.
What to do, what to do . . .
Golden Globes: over. Mitt Romney: inevitable. Packers: safely packed away (though surely God won’t give Eli a second title, right?). Lana Del Rey: crashed and burned. Guess it’s Man Is Man, Martin Sexton, or Machine Head.
Classic Spins: John Lennon Collection
The John Lennon canon is now at the tipping point: with the release of the new 38-song Working Class Hero (Capitol) collection, there are now more posthumous album releases by the ex-Beatle than there are actual solo albums he recorded while still alive.
In case you missed it (we did!)
You may have noticed that we skip coverage of some pretty big-time releases each month. Sometimes, that’s because the artists hold on to music until the last second, at which point we’ve already planned the next issue.
Go local this weekend!
Like Slider’s johnson, the list of bands awaiting an “Around Hear” review is long and distinguished. So we’ll do a solid for some pretty fantastic local bills.
The czars of the show
All the seasoned holiday performers are home with loved ones, frantically tearing through a hundred, identical Amazon.com boxes cuz the damned USB cable for Bobby’s gift has to be somewhere! Instead we have a plate of hard rock including Czar, Fires, and Steel Panther.
Language lessons
“C’est la vie, adios/Good riddance, fuh –” oh, my. Coming up, you may find yourself getting some inexact language lessons from Five Finger Death Punch, or maybe just working on the ones you know with either Great Society Mind Destroyers or Ximena Sariñana.
Celebrate the gift of giving to yourself
This is the last weekend to shop for Christmas gifts. Wouldn’t you rather spend it at a concert? Try Foreign Exchange/ex-Little Brother rhymer Phonte, The Sea And Cake, or localboys I Fight Dragons!
Wilco live!
For the first half hour, Jeff Tweedy hardly spoke to the audience. For a homecoming gig, that’s an interesting choice, one that didn’t hinder Wilco‘s kick-off of their five-night Chicago residency a bit.
Hodges of podges
Next month’s issue will focus on the genesis of music labels, and how Chicago reflects current trends. There’s nothing binding the artists in this concert preview. Josh Caterer, Himalayan Bear, and Futurebirds have little in common. Unless we tie them. Ladies and germs: hodgepodge rock!
Tori Amos live!
For the length of her career, the saga of Tori Amos has, at its most basic, come down to the story of a woman and her piano. Certainly, there’s much more at play there, what with all the mystical lyrical imagery, fearless revelations, heady concept albums, and endless personas.
YP, UP, we all P for YP
Maybe Chicago hip-hop’s always had this much talent, but is just now getting itself heard. YP is the latest to drop a stunning mixtape this year; also in town are Tribes, We Barbarians, and Lindi Ortega.
Kanye West & Jay-Z live!
Let’s get this out of the way upfront. Yes, Kanye West and Jay-Z played “N***** In Paris” eight times this past Wednesday at the United Center, the first of the duo’s two-night run at the venue. Yes, it was a bit like one of those “Family Guy” gags that go on so long it stops […]
Rocket, yea-uh!
When Def Leppard referenced all their favorite music in “Rocket,” they left out a pivotal band from the ’70s that few people ever heard. Rocket From The Tombs come to town this weeks, touting their debut album. Also around: Felix Culpa’s farewell show, Pterodactyl, Miguel, and Young Buffalo.
Not your problem
Few people these days can boast of a unique kink — that moment when only you know the joke, and can savor it by repeating the words to clueless friends and colleagues. That’s what we get from Stew & The Negro Problem, the Warm, Safe & Sound benefit, Crystal Stilts, and The Knux.
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