In the late '90s and early aughts there was a coterie of bands that frequently played together. As time progressed, and it was only natural, those bands splintered, moved on and morphed into other groups. One of the central points of the local movement at that time was Light FM, a band full of talent and promise that was earmarked more than once to be "the next big thing." more ›

We've noticed there's been a bit of confusion over tonight's Breeder's show, and we figure the blame probably lays firmly on the post-Lolla music hangover that's settled over the city. So let us clear things up! more ›

Friday, 5/22 more ›

The last time we mentioned Farewell Captain we were expecting them to release an album shortly thereafter. That was a year and a half ago. Honestly, we had begun to resign ourselves to the idea that they might be one of those Chicago bands to record great albums that never saw the light of day ... but this Friday the world will finally be able to get its hot little hands on the band's debut, The Jersey Bounce. more ›

Things slow down a little this week, but not by much. In fact, the only upswing to this week's slightly lighter musical calendar is that it doesn't force us to make as many tough decisions as last week! Apollo Sunshine is steeped in the psych-pop of the '60s, and we admit it's beginning to feel like we've been waiting since that decade for a proper follow-up to their last album. Maybe folks checking out their... more ›

Excuse our limited posting schedule today. Chicagoist has one hell of a hangover! Huge thanks to everyone who came out to Double Door last night and made Ctrl-Alt-Rock v2.0 a success!! We were afraid that the subzero temperatures would tempt you to stay home, but it's amazing what some free 312 will make people do. The Reptoids, The Ladies And Gentlemen, Farewell Captain, and The Passerines played an awesome show. We had such a fantastic time and hope you did too. And it's always great to get out and meet our readers. Without you, we wouldn't even have a site. Hugs! more ›

Oh wow. This is going to be so much fun. The first CTRL-ALT-ROCK was a huge success so version 2 had to be bigger and better, naturally. But we think we've outdone ourselves. Chicagoist has profiled all four of the bands performing, to bring you up to speed: more ›

We were talking to a friend yesterday and they began to bemoan the fact that there were no “classic” rock bands anymore. We didn’t totally agree, since we believe there are MANY bands that “rock” out there, but we understood what they were getting at: It’s hard to find a band in the classic rock vein that plays with heart and familiarity while avoiding cliché. more ›

We know that at Double Door tomorrow night you're excited to see The Reptoids, The Ladies and Gentlemen, Farewell Captain, and The Passerines. And that you'd like to meet some of the Chicagoist writers (please don't punch anyone for saying your favorite bar sucks) and that you'd like to get your mitts on some Chicagoist shirts and pins and stickers, but we're also not going to let you fool us. You've been waiting to hear... more ›

Oh. My. God. It. Is. Cold. Outside. Here’s what’s gonna motivate us to don seventeen layers of protective cold-weather gear and frequent the local clubs. Tonight the seventy-eight person (okay, we exaggerate slightly) orch-pop outfit The 1900’s begin their Practice Space residency at Schuba’s. We’re expecting to hear them work through new material over the next few weeks, so it should be interesting to see how each Monday’s set-list differs from the last. This is... more ›

We are only seven days away from CTRL-ALT-ROCK v2.0, and we feel the anticipation building by the minute. Okay, maybe we don't have a clock in the upper left-hand side of our screen counting down the days, minutes, and seconds, but that doesn't mean we're any less excited. more ›

We’re less than a month away from Ctrl – Alt –Rock, version 2.0 (February 8 at Double Door) and we’re now convinced that we’ve assembled a lineup so powerful that all other rock bands have fled for the hills. more ›

We teased you earlier this week about our next Ctrl – Alt – Rock show. While we’re not quite ready to totally give it up, we’re going to let you cop a cheap feel with news on our lineup! more ›

Whew! We made it through all the familial obligations of the holiday season. It’s a dead week at work and that means we need some stuff to do at night. This week offers a lot of possibilities for getting together for a pint or two before we even hit New Year’s Eve. If the Christmas hangover is gone, head over to the Hideout tonight for a Boxing Day Show with Kelly Hogan and Scott Ligon.... more ›

A short work week would usually get us super-excited for all sorts of live music goodness since it should, theoretically, give us more time to catch some kick-ass concerts. Unfortunately, when that four-day weekend is triggered by Thanksgiving that means not only do we generally lose Thursday, most of the week is given up for lost in face of the biggest amateur night of the year. However, if you look closely enough, there is plenty... more ›

Chicagoist gets plenty of press releases sent its way pimping everything from bands we’ve never heard of to ones we wish we hadn’t. We usually end up ignoring the ones laden with publicist-speak and looking into the simple requests from bands that make it worth braving the hellacious web design of MySpace. more ›