Review
by Mike Gutierrez
Hands is an adventurous EP from a band following its own star. Long live symphonic nerdery!»
In Depth by Mike Gutierrez
Word Around Town
Icy, sheer 50 MPH winds whipping across Lake Michigan and dampening your mood? All in a day's work for Chicagoland. Don't worry, plenty of action is heating up for winter, including the return of the Tomorrow Never Knows festival this »
Review
by Mike Gutierrez
One is unsure whether to fall into a nostalgic swoon or shudder in revulsion.»
In Depth by Mike Gutierrez
There's a lot to sink your teeth into for Drowned In Chicago #4: a recap of the summer festival action (all photos below courtesy of Nicole White & Eleonora Collini); a rumination on DIY venues by way of the Way Out Weird showcase; a quickie interview with ambient artist & shadow dweller SECRETWARS; and a roundup of the latest and greatest music percolating in the deep, dark depths of the indie music underground. The Cubs, White Sox, and Fire may be hapless embarrassments, but the local music scene won't ever let Chicago down. »
Review
by Mike Gutierrez
If you don't like Zappa, you're likely to hate this album. If you pretend to like Zappa, you'll probably pretend to like this album. If you love Zappa, Unknown Mortal Orchestra could be your artist of the year.»
Review
by Mike Gutierrez
Live albums can be a mixed bag: Melvins do it right with studio-level sound quality and a fan-friendly setlist.»
In Depth by Mike Gutierrez
Summer in Chicago, the crown jewel in the diadem of the American Midwest, is all about the music festivals.»
Review
by Mike Gutierrez
Over a decade into their career, Peter Bjorn & John are sitting pretty.»
In Depth by Mike Gutierrez
The second installment in our regular local scene reports from Chicago...»
Review
by Mike Gutierrez
Nothing on Simon Werner a Disparu will surprise you. But we’re not looking to be surprised. We’re looking for Sonic Youth. And we’ve found them, plying their trade in the service of the latest film by French director Fabrice Gobert. »
In Depth by Mike Gutierrez
In the first of a series of local scene reports, our scribe in Chicago talks us through what festival delights the city has to offer and chats to Panda Riot.»
Review
by Mike Gutierrez
There remains a persistent and unshakeable feeling that Perch Patchwork is everywhere at once, and nowhere at all. »
Review
by Mike Gutierrez
When you start with a good album, the urge to remix is most responsibly met with the question: why? But when you’ve got a great album, the response changes to: why not? »
Review
by Mike Gutierrez
Drum Eyes is just good krautrock 2.0, a subgenre gaining steam on both sides of the Atlantic»
Review
by Mike Gutierrez
For music junkies and funk rock aficionados looking to pad their collections, it's a real treat, part of a growing library of early post-colonial pop music that becomes increasingly relevant as rock and roll transforms into a global phenomenon. »
Review
by Mike Gutierrez
It’s best to enjoy the album for what it is: a one-off experiment, more of a happening than a record, that can’t (and possibly shouldn’t) be repeated.»