+(PLUS) Fest is basically a multi-city party to celebrate the release Bacardi+. Yeah, it's a marketing thing, but at least they're doing so in a way we can get excited about. On May 4 they're putting on ten free concerts in ten U.S. cities with more than 40 acts performing. The focus is on dancing with electronic acts and DJs forming the bills. Even Chicago's own Hood Internet is getting in on the act and performing in Las Vegas during the event. more ›

Chicagoist Mix Series is an ongoing feature that profiles local DJs/producers and features a mix compiled exclusively for Chicagoist. This is mix No. 14, brought to you by The Black Madonna. more ›

After a few months of dormancy, we're excited to bring back Chicagoist Mix Series. First on our list is techno producer Olin, a.k.a. Jason Garden. more ›

It seems fitting that Aframes Eyewear should sponsor this holiday mix from the frequently bespectacled and always stylish Chicago DJ Matt Roan, eh? If you're looking to inject a little oomph and bounce to the ounce and general get-the-get down into your holiday soiree, Roan's got you covered. Stream or download his entire It's Christmas! mix below! It will get even the Grinchiest of booties out onto the dancelfoor. more ›

Have you ever wanted to see what sort of music Stephanie Izard likes to dance to? Now you can experience it first hand. "Stagiaire Records," a chef-driven party at Old Town Social every Tuesday night from 10 PM to 2 AM lets you rock out with some of Chicago's most famous chefs, and the proceeds go to benefit the Green City Market. Quietly running since May, the party is now ramping up for the summer. more ›

Everyone loves the beach, right? O.K., well, not everyone, but most of us, right? If you love the beach but hate tan-lines, sun burns and sand in your unmentionables, then we have the ultimate destination for you. An all-out, drag-down beach party at Ukrainian Village's Bar DeVille with two gals DJing in bathing suits; and yes, you did hear that right, bathing suits. more ›

On May 25 Ukie Village's Darkoom will host the second annual "Live at the Barbecue", presented by Ground Lift Media and Void Pedal. Created by a group of local DJs, (not only) for DJs, "Live at the Barbecue" is a meetup for music junkies of all sorts to swap vinyl and MP3s in hopes of making new friends and building collections. Of course, as you might have guessed, there will be tasty free food to go along with whatever gems you may add to your crates. more ›

The Kleptones' 2006 release 24 Hours was on our list of favorite albums from that year, so we've been waiting quite a while for it's follow up to arrive. The DJ collective, primarily fronted by Eric Kleptone, operates within the framework of mash-ups but unlike many other mash-up DJs they don't tweak the tunes for novelty's sake. Instead they truly re-contextualize the source material and rework it to create sweeping mood pieces and sometimes, as on 24, actual narratives. more ›

Michael Mayer makes dance music, but it's not necessarily of the pedal-down, pit-sweat variety. Co-founder of the celebrated Cologne, Germany-based imprint Kompakt, Mayer's work as both a producer and DJ, like much of his label's output, favors pristine swoops and melodic washes bundled with the considered, stylish beats of micro-house and other incarnations of what's known generally as minimal dance music. more ›

We'll admit we're still not exactly sure HOW the Heaven Seventies should be musically classified. Are they a dance-rock band? A disco-funk combo? Electro-gangsters? Remixers? DJs? All that and a bag of chips? more ›

Gregg Gillis owes Steinski his career. Hell, most producers owe Steinski an awful lot for the aural aesthetic he and partner Double Dee helped cement when it came to cutting and splicing source tracks to create new murals of sound. more ›

If you missed today’s stellar installment of Audible Architecture with The Ex at Millennium Park’s Great Lawn, never fear! You can get your fill of electronic music in the open air when the park puts on their Audio Picnic tonight, where you can witness firsthand the intense battle for local label dominance as employees of Thrill Jockey Records, Bloodshot Records, Kranky Records, and Drag City throw down their finest tunes at this musical free-for-all; rare recordings and as-yet unreleased tracks from the labels’ upcoming albums are definitely part of the evening’s playlist. more ›

Tonight marks the seventh installment of Stay Smooth, the every-so-often Yacht Rock-inspired party that's the brainchild of hot shit Chicago DJs Bald Eagle and STV SLV. What started as a gathering of friends and those in the know in the intimate upstairs lounge at Schubas has become a full-fledged calendar event, and the captain's hats, jean shorts, and deck shoes will be out in full force. Still confused on the Yacht Rock concept? Here's video that'll clarify: more ›

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It's the end of the line in our pre-coverage of the Tomorrow Never Knows festival, which can only mean one thing: you're well-prepared for the weekend rockness. more ›

Let’s just get it done. Let’s pass it. They have to pass this legislation…with the change. Everybody will accept that. Who cares? Let’s just pass this legislation. That’s how important it is.

So it's week three of the Statewide smoking ban. How's everyone holding up? Apparently well, since there has been a shockingly low number of violations, 54, in the city so far. We suspect that's partially due to the fact that it takes a number of complaints before the city will actually send someone out to issue a citation, but mostly we think it's because people are quick to adapt and have just moved the party outdoors. At some point things will loosen up, and much like New York, some bars will begin to quietly allow smoking. Certain establishments with covered patios have already begun allowing folks to smoke in those spaces since they're technically outdoors. So look for more loosening of the rules along those lines. more ›

Moving forward in our quest to give you readers some options for going out on New Year's Eve so you aren't procrastinating. more ›

Sure, you may be hungry like the wolf for the Duran Duran show tonight (get it? Hungry like the wolf? Duran Duran? No? Nothing?), but the big show we're excited about this weekend is taking place at The Metro Saturday night. Hip-hop legends The Wu-Tang Clan hit the stage in support of their new record, The 8 Diagrams, their first record since 2001's Iron Flag and since the 2004 death of ubiquitous member Ol' Dirty Bastard (RIP). more ›

Besides free booze at office parties, too much rich food, and the stress of gift buying, the holiday season also brings a couple of music-centric certainties: "Best Of" lists and benefit concerts. Keep an eye on Chicagoist for the former, and break out your taste for lutefisk tonight for the latter. Schubas will play host to a show benefiting the Swedish Covenant Hospital and featuring a lineup ripe with Chicagoist faves, playing both original music and covers of Swedish artists. The idea s to raise some dough for the Northwest Side hospital that is trying to advance a holistic approach to medicine in Chicago, and we kinda dig that, so check it out. more ›

Kids in Peoria built a gigantic Lego menorah, using the big Duplo version of the blocks. We know we're assholes for having our first reaction be "Duplos don't count!" Which is why we need more good things on the list... John Kass is way, way ahead in this "celebrity" ornament auction. His beer can chicken thing is already at $435, but everyone else's piece of crap ornaments--seriously, a little effort, people--are only around $100... more ›

What? You didn't think you'd go a day without reading something from us, did you? Anyway, we were cleaning up our inbox when we came across a press release trumpeting the Monday opening of Uncommon Ground's new eco-friendly Edgewater location. The space at 1401 W. Devon will feature rooftop solar thermal panels, wood table tops made using reclaimed wood from Jackson Park, a 100-year-old art deco bar and eventually a rooftop will be utilized as... more ›

It's Tuesday, it's cold, we're broke, and the 4-day holiday weekend already feels like it happened months ago. We need some cheering up 'round these parts. Luckily there are two excellent events that should warm our spirits without breaking our collective wallet. Cleo's on Armitage has been pushing their iTuesday events for a while now -- the idea being that local artists come in and iDJ for a while, followed by patrons with pre-loaded playlists... more ›

Even before we moved to Chicago we were aware of Poi Dog Pondering, thanks to a splashy ad in Rolling Stone for their album Wishing Like a Mountain and Thinking Like the Sea. Their song "Thanksgiving," from the aforementioned album, always pops into our playlist this time of year; and it was really cool to see them open for David Byrne a few years back at Navy Pier. However, their newest foray comes as something... more ›

We HATE the term Black Wednesday. more ›

The video below should infuriate you. And it should bug the hell out of any female DJ trying to be taken seriously today. DJ Colette -- whom we remember stinking up the joint back when she got her start at Liquid Kitty (at least we THINK that was the first bar stupid enough to let her behind the decks) -- is one of those vain, semi-talented knob-twiddlers that wouldn't garner any attention if she wasn't... more ›