The great part of Lollapalooza is the music. The not-so-great part is the crowds. For those of you who love the music but hate the festival scene, Lollapalooza weekend provides the city with plenty of preshows and after shows. For more, check out the list of all of the so-far-announced post-Lolla shows. more ›

Dancehall isn't a scene that is particularly big here in Chicago, at least not when compared to a city like NYC. It's a shame, because there's a lot we're missing out on. It looks like tonight is our lucky night. Red Stripe and The Fader have come together to present It Was Written, a celebration of Jamaican music to be held as an RSVP only event at Q4. Kingston dancehall queen Terry Lynn performs live with Johan Hugo (aka Radioclit) with an additional DJ set from Wildlife. Free entry and free booze is more than enough incentive for you to get out and get to know dancehall. more ›

Twenty-three year old Londonite Ben Esser might just have the voice and face to rekindle Americans love affair with British pop. Impossibly young, stylish enough to have already been recruited as a muse of Hedi Slimane, and a gifted wordsmith and producer, Esser boldly debuts Braveface with a prowess for success. more ›

Bringing back this column has reminded us of the nature of ticket sales. Last week was huge for upcoming shows, and inevitably this week follows in lighter suit. Don't fret, we still rounded up a couple gigs that will pique your interest. more ›

A thousand might be a little facetious, but between a strong roster of bands playing Ribfest and piles of amazing shows gracing our city's venues this weekend, your options are vast. Here is the weekly rundown of the upcoming shows on sale in the days ahead, and holy crap are there some good ones this week. more ›

We've been blessed with a staggeringly gorgeous start to the weekend. With summer in the air we don't anticipate anyone spending the next couple days in front of the computer, but you might want to take a few minutes away from biking, patio drinks and baseball games to grab tickets to a few upcoming shows of note on sale this weekend. more ›

The second annual Record Store Day was filled with crowded stores, beelines of shoppers hoping to acquire exclusive releases and an omnipresent sense of excitement in the air. Exponentially larger than its inaugural year and supported by a full-on media blitz, Record Store Day did not succeed in saving the Independents, but that doesn't mean it came and went without relevance. A look at the bigger picture reveals a day of shared experiences that shed light on an industry in flux and the independent retailers who refuse to relinquish their positions as cornerstones of Chicago's music community. more ›

By now you've probably heard the buzz that is Record Store Day. Born as a concept in 2007, Record Store Day, held the third Saturday of April, celebrates its second year of bringing together independent retailers and musicians tomorrow in cities worldwide. The current economic climate coupled with the shift to digital formats and purchasing make this an especially important year to band together and champion the cause of the Independents. more ›

Oh Kanye, one day you're a sociopath, the next an egomaniac, but today you're neither. Today, you are a gay fish. Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've by now caught the hilarity of the rapper's South Park cameo as a mulleted, autotuned merman. more ›

A full year has passed since the release of the Crystal Castles eponymous self-titled debut. The Toronto duo of Ethan Kath and Alice Glass continue to ride the slippery slope between praise and exile. more ›

Melbourne quartet The Drones first hit stateside radars with their 2006 album Gala Hill. American fans quickly forged a bond with the band, responding to the overwhelming sense of integrity in their politically charged rock. Labels took equal note of the enigmatic four-piece act, and in 2007 Spaceland Recordings released a live album recorded at LA rock venue, Spaceland. more ›