New Douglas, Illinois, doesn’t sound like a place where a lot of noise is made. It sounds like the setting out of a John Hughes film. The town’s population in 2010 was […]
The Funs Is A Cult: Six New Songs of Fuzzed-Out Shoegaze
Little Dragon Puts on a Colorful Show at Concord Music Hall w/ Xavier Omär
The Lollapalooza Aftershow at Concord Music Hall on Thursday began with a soulful rendition of the Pokémon theme song. The entire crowd of people stopped and turned, and immediately began to sing along. […]
Review: The Lawrence Arms with Dillinger Four and Toys That Kill at House of Vans
When one imagines a pop-up concert venue, a dingy DIY space stereotype may come to mind. Makeshift setups, PBR priced at a dollar a pop and sound levels that would blow out […]
Preview: Mamby on the Beach 2017
While our city is far more urban than it is ever going to be tropical, Chicago flaunts a fair number of beaches, and Mamby on the Beach takes advantage of Chicago in […]
TCR Mixtape No. 27: Summer Night Drives
There’s something about about driving around on a summer night with the windows down and the music blasting that feels ineffable. What is that feeling and why do we seek it? Whether […]
An Orchid is Born: Sidewalk Chalk Album Review
If you didn’t know who Sidewalk Chalk was before, you probably should now. The Chicago soul/hip-hop band’s fourth full-length, out June 2, 2017 via Ropeadope Records, is bombastic to say the least. Opening […]
“Wicked Game” Cover by m&e Casts Chills
Love can be a wicked wicked game, we know, and it couldn’t be better echoed in this cover of Chris Isaak‘s “Wicked Game” by the up-and-coming ethereal music duo, m&e. The song, repenting […]
Sonny Apollo: How Homelessness led to A Music Residency in River North
The first time I met Sonny Apollo, he peered through the window of UIC Radio’s studio, wearing a pair of sunglasses (although we were indoors) and probably a hat. I had listened […]
TCR Mixtape No. 18: Wake Up!
The wintertime lull is still here, and that may have a few people down in the dumps. Chicago, ever the most flirtatious of cities, has teased us with a few glimpses of […]
Saki Records Closes on December 1
In a year which saw the closing of the Jazz Record Mart, Shake Rattle and Read, and Bookworks, the Chicago indie book and record store scene takes another hit. Saki Records will […]
TCR Mixtape No. 9: Power to the People!
This year’s presidential election has been unpredictable to say the least. The major candidates have earned the ire of the public and no one seems too enthralled to cast their ballots. But […]
Whatever Forever: Oozing Wound Album Review
Whenever a friend would recommend a new band to me, I’d always be caustically optimistic. There’s nothing like the rush of discovering a new band, but we’re dangerously approaching “content overload” when […]