Last Friday Massive Attack played The Riviera to a nearly-packed house. For us, the opportunity to see the legendary trip-hop duo was near the top of our list of must-see shows in 2010. With a force and magnitude few acts can match today, Massive Attack vindicated that list. more ›

Damon Albarn fronts a 19+ member band in the current live incarnation of his multimedia hop-pop art project Gorillaz, and believe us when we say not a single note is superfluous or wasted. As his vision for the band has grown from a simple animated group through which he could kick out playful tunes on Gorillaz debut to the darkly ambitious and sprawling engagement of this year's Plastic Beach. Albarn is creatively restless and one can see his many side projects -- soundtracks, world music collaborations, that little band he fronts named Blur -- all coming together in the Gorillaz stew-pot, and what he's serving up is absolutely delicious. more ›

Blur's Damon Albarn heads up Gorillaz and their latest, Plastic Beach, is high on the list as a possible best album of the year. Albarn brings his merry touring version of his hip-pop art project to UIC Pavilion on October 16 and we have a pair of tickets to give away to a lucky Chicagoist reader! Enter before 5 p.m. CST on Friday Ocotber 1 for your chance to win. more ›

Yup, here it is, the inevitable "Best of 2008" music list (a later post centering on the top local offerings is forthcoming). In order to spare our readers the pain of reading through yet another list that tries too hard to impress with obscure releases or toe the party line on Stereogum / Pitchfork approved artists, we continue our personal decade-plus tradition of merely listing what we actually liked in 2008. That means that the albums below are the one we kept finding ourselves turning to when we wanted to kick back and enjoy some tunes. Sure, there was more artistically challenging stuff released this year than some of the selections below -- and we certainly do appreciate that sort of thing -- but our year end list reflects which music ultimately did for us what we think rock and/or roll is ultimately meant to do to any listener: it grabbed us by the heart and/or crotch and wouldn't let go. more ›

MP3: The Black Ghosts "Repetition Kills You" more ›

Our resident jaunter had to up and leave town suddenly this weekend, but we will try our best to fill you in on happenings for today. Despite the January blahs, there's quite a bit of stuff going on. Fox & Obel, they of upscale food market fame, are holding a free chocolate tasting from 1-5 p.m. The chocolate in question is Schokinag, of which drinking chocolate will also be available (mm!). Strap on the feedbag... more ›