Stage Buzz
Aye Yi-yi!
Charlyne Yi‘s name didn’t register until we saw the accompanying photo on the Hideout calendar. Only then did we realize that this woman is one of the most underutilized actors ever in a Judd Apatow movie. Probably because those flicks are about boys with their heads up their asses.
Signed, sealed, delivered: The Go-Go’s & Lenka previews
Beauty And The Beat arrived at a time when new wave was viewed as a refreshing alternative to mainstream rock, and the idea of an all-woman band writing and playing its own music was a novelty. Its success was sealed with an irresistible first single and a video that depicted a party on wheels. Like […]
Ready Art Brut?
The negative reaction to Art Brut‘s new album — that there is a new album — is, to paraphrase Kanye West, a pretty strange way to start a conversation.
The weekender
Can’t stand dodging strollers and lollygaggers at streetfests? Head indoors this fine June weekend with Jeremy Messersmith and Gardens & Villa. It’s gonna rain anyway.
Drinking In L.A.
Without being so daft as to suggest it has fallen off the map, Los Angeles doesn’t seem so central to rock ‘n’ roll these days. So to hear that superbuzz band Foster The People hail from sunny SoCal, it’s kind of like, Oh, really?
Temperance movement
The title of Panic At The Disco‘s new album, Vices & Virtues (Fueled By Ramen/Decaydence), puts you in a section of the ballpark where most casual fans sit.
Holy and unholy
Alela Diane‘s gift for conveying traditional folk songs has led some people to believe she’s some divine vessel, a cipher drawing together influences from British and American sources. David Bazan made his name because of his literal holiness.
Combo platter
Monomynous indie-pop stars don’t grow on trees. (There’s a joke, What do you call people who only go by one name? Famous.) If two were to conjoin, you’d think artistic curiosity would necessitate they came from different fields. Thao And Mirah look to do the defining on their own.
Military beats
Wounded Warrior Rockfest takes place Monday the 30th at Durty Nellie’s in Palatine, and will drive proceeds and donations to its namesake program to help severely injured combat veterans return to civilian life.
Girls who play guitar
The world, not just women, needs new guitar heroes. Anna Calvi probably doesn’t need that pressure dumped in her lap, but it’s her fault for being such a good player.
A CSS/Sleigh Bells Chicago preview that’s a review of the Minny show!
There’s a particularly virulent strain of nostalgia permeating electronic dance music (see Cut Copy, Holy Ghost, Foster The People) that appeals to older audiences who immediately connect through reminiscing, as well as, hooking young hipsters who approach it with wide-eyed exuberance.
Spring is here! Get inside and rock!
Next weekend, Memorial Day, typically kicks off outdoor season in Chicago (Belmont-Sheffield Fest) along with all the barbecues. The next weekend is Mayfest. Now’s the time to get your indoor ya-yas out.
Speer’s head
The big tell on D. Charles Speer & The Helix‘s Leaving The Commonwealth (Thrill Jockey) is its combination of rusticity and variety. The music’s not necessarily indicative of New York, but they sure don’t do this in the South anymore.
A who’s who
By 1980, you needed to keep Major League Baseball’s official scorer’s guide to keep track of who was and wasn’t in UFO. Long associated with former guitarist Michael Schenker (whose main group, MSG, is also an anagram), it’s time to sort this out.
The Dredg report
This much has always been known about Dredg: the band has long resisted the shackles ready to be attached to it. The phonetic spelling suggests nu-metal, use of interludes and segues exposes classical/art-rock tendencies, and Gavin Hayes’ vocal wanderings push the prog ends of emo. But few would have predicted what it has become. Its […]
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