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. […]
Review: I Survived A Bob Weir Show … And Actually Enjoyed it
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: 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 […]
Foo Fighters’ Triumphal Return to Wrigley Field, or Rock’s Death Has Been Greatly Exaggerated
The last time Foo Fighters played Wrigley Field, Dave Grohl was confined to an oversized throne due to a broken leg. When the band returned July 29, Grohl was unfettered and all […]
Let’s Talk About Lollapalooza 2018, Shall We?
How does one even write about Lollapalooza nowadays? I’ve been going to the festival since its inception in 1991, and have only missed a couple, during the fest’s darker years between 1996 […]
The Phonographs Fight to Resurrect Power Pop
O.K., I’ll admit upfront that headline is a bit histrionic. But The Phonographs don’t shy away from hyperbole. Anyone who drops Big Star and The Redwalls in their pitch to listen to […]
Craig Wedren Brings ‘Adult Desire’ to Beat Kitchen Saturday
Craig Wedren made his name in the influential Shudder To Think, a band whose distinctive and sometimes knotty sound still sounds fresh and new today. Over the years, though, he proved to […]
Chicago’s Sonny Falls Have an Excellent New Album Coming Out and Here’s a Taste
Hoagie sent me the unmastered version of the album a few months ago, but the new Sonny Falls LP is finally officially coming out next month! I’ve written about the band a […]
