If you read any 2018 year-end best of music lists—and since you’re here I’m guessing you did—you likely noticed Snail Mail near the top of many of them. It’s name under which […]
Preview: Snail Mail Will Bring Their Fun Sound to Metro Tonight!
Jim Kopeny / Tankboy
Tankboy resides in the body of Jim Kopeny and lives in Mayfair with Pickle the Kitten and a beagle named Betty (RIP) who may actually be slightly more famous than most of the musicians slogging through the local scene. He's written about music for much longer than most bands you hear on the radio have even existed. He also swears that it wasn't him who did that and has learned that "deny everything" is a basic tenet of existence.
Preview: Catch Charly Bliss’ Good Vibes During Their TNK Show at Lincoln Hall Tonight!
Brooklyn’s Charly Bliss are having the time of their lives. At least that’s the impression I’ve gotten every single time I’ve seen them played live. The Brooklyn quartet literally bounce off each […]
Preview: Peter Bjorn And John Bring Darker Days to Lincoln Hall
I don’t know how Peter Bjorn And John do it, but their latest album Darker Days manages to sound like winter while allowing a few slivers of sunlight to break through. And […]
Preview: Jonny Polonsky Returns Home for a Rare Show at Gman
Jonny Polonsky hasn’t lived in Chicago for a really long time, he currently lives in New York after a long stint in L.A., but we’ll always claim him as our own. The […]
Review: Naked Raygun And Smoking Popes Remind People Why Chicago Is Ground Zero For Modern Punk Rock
The Smoking Popes opened up the Sunday show at The Aragon Ballroom half an hour before tickets even said bands would play. Luckily there were so many folks who showed up when […]
Review: I Survived A Bob Weir Show … And Actually Enjoyed it
Let’s get this out of the way at the outset; I fucking hate The Grateful Dead. I made a concerted effort in my freshman year of college to like them. Albums. Bootlegs. […]
Preview: Extra Arms Bring Extra Crunch and Punch to Their Power-Pop
Ryan Allen’s previous bands Thunderbirds Are Now! and Friendly Foes were lauded but terribly under-appreciated. The through-line between all those projects was Allen’s uncanny knack for mining impossibly catchy hooks and latching […]
Preview: The Dirty Nil Bring Their Stadium Rawk To Town Tonight
The Dirty Nil are a trio out of Canada, but their noise is anything but polite. Most groups of this configuration mine the blues for source material—whatever you do, don’t call ’em […]
HotLips Messiah Go Big on Their New Album, Disco Miscarriage
HotLips Messiah is a Chicago quartet well known for their raucous live sets, led by their mesmerizing singer Traci Trouble. In a band where every member is careening around the stage, Trouble’s […]
Preview: Liz Phair Trades In Guyville for Wrigleyville
Liz Phair‘s Riot Fest set a few weeks ago was a triumphant full band return to her hometown. It was preceded by a stripped down set at The Empty Bottle that proved […]
Tove Styrke, syllabically.
Tove Styrke is striking. Stadium act in waiting. Don’t miss out dummy. Tove Styrke is a Swedish singer songwriter creating some of the most interesting electropop in years. She is currently on […]
A Dozen Riot Fest Bands (That Aren’t Headliners) You Should See
This year’s Riot Fest is a wealth of riches. Yup, that’s a cliché but it’s so true. When you’re done with your whining over this or that headliner going up against each […]
