Results tagged “dj”

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.

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?

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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

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).

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

We HATE the term Black Wednesday.

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...

Prior to having our child, we would have considered this concept hilarious. A DJ spinning disco classics for ... toddlers? We still chuckle, but since we’ve seen our own toddler shake it to a good bass beat, we might be convinced to see what all the fuss is about. Baby Loves Disco hosts monthly parties in 21 different cities, including one at our very own Metro this Sunday. In addition to the aforementioned DJ...

We first heard of Acrassicauda through a story on NPR, describing the trials and tribulations of these heavy metal band of Iraqi refugees. They were recently hunkered down in Damascus, but got out in the nick of time when Syria started ejecting all Iraqi refugees, and not the group is in Istanbul ... trying their damndest to keep from getting sent back to Bagdhad.

Some things to do this weekend, and into next, as an excuse to dress in costume. Rare and fine wine auction house Hart Davis Hart is holding an auction of private collections from both coasts today from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at Tru. The auction is free to attend, but anyone taking the time to head to Tru and not eat is an idiot, quite frankly. Lunch today at Tru is fixed-priced at $75....

UNKLE has had a number of big-time producers walk through its revolving door — the highest-profile foray probably being the star-studded debut helmed by DJ Shadow — but the one constant throughout the years has been the brains behind the outfit, James Lavelle. Oddly enough, given the number of folks providing input into the music, UNKLE's sound has remained remarkably consistent throughout the years. The group came to a head defining the Mo' Wax sound, keeping headz bobbing the world over. One wouldn't really call it trip-hop, unless one was incredibly lazy, but it the music is a heady mix of beats and atmospheric ticks and tricks.

Man, if ever there was an evening to get your groove on, this evening is that evening. Daniel Ash has a long, storied career manning the axe in not one, but three, groundbreaking bands — Bauhaus, Tones On Tail, and Love And Rockets. Whilst those past acts are known for their atmospherics, said atmospherics owing a pretty huge debt to Ash's guitar work, the man's DJ sets are a world apart. Which is why we...

Lollapalooza Performer Kid Sister

This past Sunday marked the 25th birthday of Chicago’s most beloved (and sometimes bemoaned) rock club, the Cabaret Metro. Known to most simply as “The Metro,” the joint kicked off its venerable life with a performance by a then-little-known rock combo from Athens, GA called R.E.M. A quarter-century later, Metro is one of the last remaining major independent clubs in the country, with a rich history of offering many of rock’s most hallowed names their...

Having attended the Printers Ball in the past, we knew that the free-to-all-comers event would attract more than its fair share of people. We also hoped that having Bridgeport's Zhou B Center host this year's model would allow for more accommodation of guests. We had intended to show up as the Zhou B Center is practically in our backyard, but decided to first pay our respects to the recently departed. Unfortunately, as we were making...