Chicago Music

Aboveground Underground: Bon Iver At The Vic

Chicago Reader | Jessica Hopper | Posted 01.18.2009 | Chicago


One-man band Bon Iver, aka Justin Vernon, is very likely the only underground phenomenon to ever come out of Eau Claire, Wisconsin....

Hip-Hop Piano: Kenny Keys At Darkroom

Centerstage | J. Min | Posted 01.17.2009 | Chicago


The name implies it, but not many people realize the talent of Kenny Keys until he lets loose on the piano....

Get Some Roots: Devil In A Woodpile At The Hideout

Time Out Chicago | Posted 01.16.2009 | Chicago


Devil in a Woodpile is like an old-fashioned hootenanny, only with hipper music....

Rock The Catskills: Mercury Rev At Martyrs'

Decider | Posted 01.11.2009 | Chicago


Before they moved upstate to the Catskills and started fashioning themselves as a sort of pleasantly narcotized version of The Band, Mercury Rev made ...

Chase The Blues: Byther Smith At Buddy Guy's Legends

Chicago Reader | David Whiteis | Posted 01.10.2009 | Chicago


Byther Smith's pungent, smoldering roar infuses his blues with hellfire. ...

Rockabilly Revival: Reverend Horton Heat At Metro

Decider | Posted 01.09.2009 | Chicago


As the pinnacle of the early-'90s rockabilly revival, Reverend Horton Heat twitched out a jittery twang that brought a party swagger back to a scene d...

Kansas City Hip-Hop: Mac Lethal At Abbey Pub

Decider | Posted 01.08.2009 | Chicago


Kansas City rapper Mac Lethal was added to the roster a few years ago and in 2007 produced his label debut, 11:11, which delivered on the underground ...

Get Canadian: The Sadies At Schubas

Decider | Posted 01.04.2009 | Chicago


The Sadies might be most recognized as the sometimes backing band of Neko Case and the Mekons' Jon Langford, but the Canadian outfit has released a st...

A Dresden Doll: Amanda Palmer At Metro

Chicago Reader | Monica Kendrick | Posted 01.03.2009 | Chicago


You might wonder why Dresden Dolls front woman Amanda Palmer would need to make a solo record, since the Dolls already provide such fertile ground for...

Review: David Foster's Hit Man -- Star Gazing in the Recording Studio

Charles Alexander | Posted 01.02.2009 | Media


Charles Alexander

Since Foster, unlike many musicians, never got into drugs, he actually remembers everything that happened. Example: what was Madonna doing lying on the floor of a recording booth moaning?

Hometown Rock: Walking Bicycles At The Empty Bottle

Decider | Posted 01.01.2009 | Chicago


Chicago outfit Walking Bicycles plays arty, sleek post-punk that claims sonic kinship to Black Sabbath and The Residents, yet sounds more like a riled...

All Weekend Long: David Sanchez Quartet At Jazz Showcase

Time Out Chicago | Posted 12.22.2008 | Chicago


Powerhouse Puerto Rican saxophonist David Sánchez has the same sort of voracious musical mind as Wynton Marsalis....

TV Songstress Ingrid Michaelson At Park West

Decider | Posted 12.20.2008 | Chicago


Even after all these years, the power of TV is not to be underestimated. Just ask singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson....

Raggedy Rock: Ladyhawk At Schubas

Decider | Posted 12.19.2008 | Chicago


Vancouver's Ladyhawk plays raggedy guitar rock full of frustration, self-deprecation, and unexpected staying power that's all the more evident onstage...

Puerto Rico In The Loop: 10th Annual Cuatro Festival

Yelp Chicago | Posted 12.20.2008 | Chicago


Join the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance in celebrating the sounds and tradition of the cuatro. This is an event to entertain, as well as educate and brin...

Post-Bop Heir: Ravi Coltrane Quartet At Jazz Showcase

Chicago Reader | Peter Margasak | Posted 12.19.2008 | Chicago


For much of his career, Ravi Coltrane steered clear of the music and influence of his iconic father, but lately he's been more willing to deal with it...

Expand Your Hip-Hop Horizons: Royce At Darkroom

Centerstage | J. Min | Posted 12.20.2008 | Chicago


Most hip-hop bands follow the standard percussion heavy boom-bap style, popularized by the Roots over a decade ago. Thankfully, this sextet breaks awa...

Laugh While You Rock: Eagles Of Death Metal At The Bottom Lounge

Decider | Posted 12.20.2008 | Chicago


Though Queens Of The Stone Age leader Josh Homme has always succeeded at melding his sense of humor with Queens' postmodern thrash, he's arguably outd...

Jazz Up Your Weekend: The Umbrella Music Festival

Chicago Reader | Peter Margasak | Posted 12.20.2008 | Chicago


When I wrote about the Umbrella Music Festival last year, I compared it to the Empty Bottle's defunct Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music, which in ...

Mojave Solo: Jeff Halstead At Schubas

Decider | Posted 12.20.2008 | Chicago


Formed out of the ashes of the beloved shoegazer outfit Slowdive, Mojave 3 turned its back on ambient guitar haze in favor of druggy, country-tinged d...

Get Your Folk On: Meiko And Thao Nguyen At Park West

Decider | Posted 12.20.2008 | Chicago


On their 2008 Kill Rock Stars debut, We Brave Bee Stings And All, Thao Nguyen and her backing band, The Get Down Stay Down, play arresting rock songs ...

Chase The Doldrums: Linsey Alexander Blues Band With Nellie "Tiger" Travis At Blue Chicago

Chicago Reader | David Whiteis | Posted 12.20.2008 | Chicago


Chicago-based Nellie "Tiger" Travis performs in a variety of blues settings, but she sounds most comfortable singing the kind of contemporary soul-blu...

Hardbop Holiday: Cedar Walton Quartet At Jazz Showcase

Time Out Chicago | Posted 12.20.2008 | Chicago


Hardbop hero Cedar Walton drops in the Jazz Showcase for a long weekend....

Out Of This World: Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts At Schubas

Chicago Reader | Monica Kendrick | Posted 12.19.2008 | Chicago


It's a good time to be a Joseph Arthur fan. ...

The Next Big Thing? White Lies At The Empty Bottle

Decider | Posted 12.20.2008 | Chicago


If the guys in London's White Lies don't watch out, they could soon suffer a backlash (and since they've been hyped by the English music press, this i...