Review: Scissors For Lefty – American EP (or) from the far reaches of left field
If spastic and melodic indie rock that you can shimmy and shake to all night long is something that is right up your alley, you need to check out Scissors For Lefty. This San Francisco, CA quartet straddles that line between synthy dance-punk and angular indie-rock and does it well. The two songs below are (Read more…)
Review: TV On The Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain (or) calling to the front range
It seems like I’ve read more than just a few reviews/articles recently that have referenced the whole “writing about music is like dancing about architecture” quote. Unfortunately, trying to write about the latest from TV On The Radio is a little like that. The album (for those of you living under a rock) is called (Read more…)
Review: Aberdeen City – The Freezing Atlantic (or) ten ton consolation prizefighter
So three of the four guys in Boston’s Aberdeen City are originally from Chicago. How’s that for a local connection? Anyhow, the band re-released The Freezing Atlantic back in August and has already managed to snag Best Local Album of 2006 honors at the 2006 Boston Music Awards. In fact, they won Best Local Rock (Read more…)
A chill in the air tonight
With colder weather starting to settle in here in Chicago, summer is only a distant memory now. Heck, fall is fading fast as well. There is something so soothing (however) about putting some jazz on the stereo when it gets cold outside and since I haven’t posted much jazz lately, this is a great excuse (Read more…)
Review: Backyard Tire Fire – Skin & Bones EP (or) blood and sweat on the strings
Backyard Tire Fire is an Illinois-based alt-country/rock trio that brings things backwards. Dishing out heavy doses of blues licks, classic rock riffs, and a little twang, the band’s music often gives the feeling of coming from of a gritty and seasoned bar band. Maybe something akin to the Drive-By Truckers, if you will. Anyhow, they (Read more…)
Review: The Draft – In A Million Pieces (or) save as draft
Ok. So we were all bummed (at least I was) when Hot Water Music broke up, right? Well, no need to worry anymore. The Draft released their debut full-length In A Million Pieces on September, 12th on Epitaph Records. For those that aren’t aware, The Draft is Chris, Jason, and George from HWM along with (Read more…)
Review: Annuals – Be He Me (or) breaking barriers and losing control
Be He Me is the latest CD from North Carolina’s Annuals and it is dense, eclectic, and just plain good. It is (generally) in the indie rock vein, but references just about every genre imaginable. Freak folk, shoegaze, Caribbean party grooves, country-tinged foot stompers, slow jams, and (yes) even indie rock. What might turn into (Read more…)
An incomplete history of Chicago punk rock (vol. 13)
It’s been awhile since the last one of these, so are you ready for some more Chicago punk rock? Good. I’ll preface this one (however) by saying that this will quite possibly be the shortest write up of the whole series, but still certainly worth your time. This is good stuff! The Feds were an (Read more…)
Review: The Blood Brothers – Young Machetes (or) set fire to anything else on fire
Read all my posts from the past week and you’ll probably say WTF is this guy thinking? I just want to apologize for going easy on all of you. No worries, though right? Next Tuesday (October 10th) the new record from Seattle’s The Blood Brothers will be officially released. It was co-produced by Guy Picciotto (Read more…)
