Tag: Jeff Elbel
Spins: U2 – “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” ⢠Super Deluxe Vinyl Box Set
U2 All That You Canât Leave Behind Super Deluxe vinyl box set (Island/Interscope/UMe) During the year 2000, U2 was a band on a mission. After the perceived disappointment of 1997âs experimental and techno-friendly Pop (an album that went âmerelyâ platinum in the United States), the Irish quartet were determined to reclaim their signature soundâand with […]
Spins: Tom Petty ⢠Wildflowers & All The Rest Deluxe Edition – Reviewed
Tom Petty Wildflowers & All the Rest Deluxe Edition (Warner Bros.) After seven gold and platinum-selling albums with the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty released his first solo album in 1989.Chart favorites including âFree Fallingâ and âI Wonât Back Downâ helped the Jeff Lynne-produced Full Moon Fevereclipse even the success of 1979âs Damn the Torpedoes. When Into the […]
Stage Buzz: Live Review – The Claudettes at City Winery
City Winery, Chicago, IL Saturday, October 10, 2020 Chicagoâs own The Claudettes are an uncategorizable but captivating blend of cheeky cabaret, gut-level blues, raucous rockabilly, cartoonish whimsy, and pop songcraft. 2020 was initially primed to be the bandâs year, with the release of its most highly-praised set of songs. High Times in the Dark arrived in April […]
Spins: Paul McCartney ⢠Amoeba Gig
Paul McCartney Amoeba Gig (MPL/Capitol/UMe) Lots of artists play informal sets at record shops when promoting an album. These appearances offer the chance for fans to get up-close-and-personal with their favorites, but how memorable could they be without the pomp and production of a full-blown concert experience? If the artist in question is Paul McCartney, […]
Spins: Tuff Sunshine ⢠Dig Deeper, Peanut
Tuff Sunshine Dig Deeper, Peanut (Declared Goods) Brooklynâs Johnny Leitera returns with his second full-length LP under the Tuff Sunshine banner. Dig Deeper, Peanut shows no sign of a sophomore slump, and why would it? Leitera proved his songwriting mettle with Low Water before stretching out for a pair of pseudo-solo EPs and 2015âs celebrated […]
Spins: Rush ⢠Permanent Waves 40th Anniversary
Rush Permanent Waves (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) (Anthem/Mercury/UMe) With the passing of beloved drum virtuoso Neil Peart early this year, the days are gone when Rush fans can anticipate new music from the Canadian progressive rock heroes. However, itâs a great time to celebrate Peartâs memory and rediscover the bandâs rich catalog. The trio […]
Live Review & Photo Gallery: Swervedriver at Bottom Lounge
Swervedriver Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL October 28, 2019 Following a ten-year absence, â90s alt-rock groundbreakers Swervedriver unparked in 2008. By the time of 2015âs I Wasnât Born to Lose You – the Oxford quartetâs first album in 17 years – it was clear that frontman Adam Franklin and co-guitarist Jimmy Hartridge werenât dabbling. The […]
Live Review: Bob Dylan at Credit Union 1 Arena
Bob Dylan Credit Union 1 Arena, Chicago, IL October 30, 2019 After several local visits promoting his excursions through standards from the Great American Songbook and Frank Sinatraâs repertoire, Bob Dylan returned to Chicago with a show focused on his own celebrated catalog of original material. Fans entered Credit Union 1 Arena (formerly UIC Pavilion) […]
Stage Buzz: Teenage Fanclub at Metro
Teenage Fanclub Metro March 6, 2019 The third album by Glasgow, Scotland alt-rockers Teenage Fanclub was a breakthrough that earned enduring devotion from a small but loyal clutch of power-pop fans. Bandwagonesque rocketed into late 1991 with big, buzzy and cathartic electric guitars serving beautifully laconic pop melodies. The chaotic but sublime sound suggested intermingled […]
Live Review: Guided By Voices at Bottom Lounge
Guided By Voices Monday, December 31, 2018 Bottom Lounge, Chicago On Monday, Dayton, Ohioâs Guided By Voices visited Bottom Lounge to add to its memorable history of New Yearâs Eve shows in Chicago. In 2004, the band played what was intended to be its final show at Metro, reeling through a four-and-a-half hour, career-spanning set […]
Live Review: Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats Aragon Ballroom Thursday, November 29, 2018 On Thursday, radio station WKQX closed the first of five nights of its âThe Nights We Stole Christmasâ series at the Aragon Ballroom with a sold-out headlining set by Denverâs Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. The sweat-soaked performance began with the deep […]
Stage Buzz Q&A: The Church
Australian psychedelic rockers The Church have been consistently fascinating for an astonishing 38 years. In 2013, the band began a new chapter by enlisting former Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug alongside founding guitarist Peter Koppes, veteran drummer Tim Powles, and bassist-frontman Steve Kilbey. The lineup has produced strong work, including 2017âs Man Woman Life Death Infinity. […]
Live Review: Ry Cooder at Thalia Hall
Ry Cooderâs lengthy resume includes a pile of highlights. Among them are six Grammy awards, evocative soundtrack albums for films including Paris, Texas, collaboration with previously-hidden musical treasures of Cuba with Buena Vista Social Club, and profoundly influencing the signature sound of the Rolling Stones. Cooder also has a stack of great albums to his […]
Live Review and Gallery: U2 at Soldier Field
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 Soldier Field, Chicago, IL Saturday, June 3, 2017 Reviewed by Jeff Elbel Veteran Irish rockers U2 took a detour from the road to their upcoming Songs of Experience project in order to revisit the âdesert songsâ that put them firmly on the map. The bandâs first night at Soldier Field […]
Spins: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Deluxe Edition Reviewed
The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Deluxe Edition (Capitol) The 50th anniversary celebration for the Beatlesâ Sgt. Pepperâs Lonely Hearts Club Band has sparked ample debate. The outpouring of opinion was inevitable, given the albumâs status as the most universally-praised release of the rock era. Beatle diehards may argue whether Abbey Road […]
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