We admit we rarely really listen to WXRT anymore — in fact it fell of out regular rotation sometime in the '90s as their demographic skewed older and mellower — but we do still remember it as the "big" station that really tried to be a part of the community. And while WXRT's playlist may no longer excite us, we do still appreciate a number of the artists they continue to trumpet, their devotion to... more ›

The talk of the "indie rock diet" that's been tossed around the blogosphere this week is ripe with irony; any of us who have hung out with a band for even a night know that the stereotypical indie rocker replaces food with alcohol whenever given the chance. And when on tour, anything goes. A friend of ours, who happens to drum in a band coming to Chicago next week, once told us about how the... more ›

What Made Milwaukee Famous is the quirky kid with the dorky name in the back of the class whom no one notices until he gets his braces off, gets into MIT, and scores a summer internship with NASA. Kicking around the Austin scene since 2004, WMMF has put together a kind of indie-rock dream team: management through Fourth Floor, a division of powerhouse promoters Capitol Sports & Entertainment (Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits), booking through Monterey... more ›

We could grouse about Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard. Between what his main project has done as far as yuppifying indie rock and what his side project has done as far as mainstreaming electronic pop, we should hate him. We should all be throwing our cans of PBR and our wide white belts at him. But we can't, and it's not just because he makes us cry like little asymmetrically haircut boys and girls.... more ›

Picture if you will a world without iPod or YouTube, a world where a superfast connection means 56K, and google is just another numeric term and not a verb. A world without Chicagoist. We know -- too terrible to imagine! That world was 1996, the year that RESFEST was inaugurated to celebrate the possibilities of film and digital media. In 1996 the first DV cameras and affordable desktop video-editing systems were just making their way... more ›

For this week’s edition of Empty Out Your Wallet we’ve decided to primarily point you to smaller shows whose tickets are already available for purchase, plus one surprise. We’re always on the side of the little guy (and / or gal) and believe that they are deserving of your pre-show guaranteed dollars as well. Decemberists Alasdair Roberts The Decemberists are this year’s Death Cab For Cutie with a better background in literature and seamanship. We... more ›

Lollapalooza founder, Perry Farrell more ›

As the temperature is expected to hit 90 degrees again today, we’re having a hard time getting into the sweater-weather mindset of fall that usually hits us around this time. Luckily, the Tribune and Sun-Times have some fall arts previews to get us in the mood. We’ve already given you the lowdown on the upcoming fall seasons at various theaters around town. But two shows out in the ‘burbs have pushed our fey and geek... more ›

We're a little sunburned, a little dehydrated and sort of exhausted because Chicagoist was there as Lollapalooza 2005 rocked Chicago this weekend. Organizers needed to prove that Lolla was still a viable commerical entity with acts like Pixies, The Killers, Arcade Fire, Death Cab For Cutie and more. While they accomplished that feat, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the festival. We'll be posting reviews later today but until then check... more ›

The lineup for the new (but not necessarily improved) Lollapalooza on July 23rd and 24th in Grant Park was released this morning and well...it’s a mixed bag. We’re really excited about some of the bands on this list and unmoved by others. Many of the bands you’d expect to be in the lineup are: Arcade Fire, Death Cab For Cutie, The Bravery, The Walkmen, World Leader Pretend, Louis XIV, VHS or Beta, etc. Problem... more ›

Chicagoist knows you like being told what to do over the weekend, and we like telling you. If you're into orgiastic life-affirming pop symphonies, check out the robed and copious Polyphonic Spree (quoth Milhouse, "My doctor says I'm not supposed to go on sprees") and lead singer Tim Delaughter's attempts to become Wayne Coyne. The Spree will even have drummer Brian Teasley in tow after being cleared from the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List via that most trustworthy of alibis, TiVo. (See, we told you it's good for something.) Check out this band (cult? movement?) tonight and/or tomorrow at Park West and help them conquer the world one sugary single, iPod/VW commercial, and Michel Gondry film at a time. more ›

Indie-rock haven Pitchfork is good for something besides their cynical reviews: they also break pertinent music information. And today, they revealed the most pertinent tidbit of them all – the track listing to the Wicker Park soundtrack. (How's that for sarcasm, Pitchforkers?) As dreamy as star Josh Hartnett is, Chicagoist isn't really looking forward to this film, which, as we pointed out a while back, sounded better when it was called Vertigo and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The trailer hasn't given us much more faith: it understandably played to laughs and jeers when Chicagoist saw it with a local audience before Anchorman. We just can't in good faith support any movie that misuses Chicago locations, let alone such Chicago locations. more ›

Though the phrase "Christian rock" would likely (and rightly) send most music fans fleeing with hands cupped over their ears, Pedro the Lion's Dave Bazan manages to inject a spirituality into his songs that never becomes too preachy. He mercifully keeps things subtler than, say, Creed. (Who now have officially broken up. Thank God.) The fact that Bazan listens to and is noticeably influenced by bands like Radiohead also helps immeasurably. Pedro the Lion, perhaps most of all, works as great background music: Chicagoist has written our fair share of term papers to the pessimistically titled albums It's Hard to Find a Friend and The Only Reason I Feel Secure. It'll be interesting to see how their sound translates to a live setting tonight at the Abbey Pub. more ›